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At the end of Library of Last Resort the PCs when to Alhaster to create some magic items and....DESTROY THE ZIGGURAT!
I haven't read Dawn of a New Age yet but as far as I know this ziggurat being complete is necessary for the last adventure.
You think there's a way to run Dawn of a New Age after this event? Any ideas?
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Thanks for the reply, Charles.
I didn't mention. The PCs also assassinated Zeech in PoRH, so is not like he can order a rebuild of the project as soon as the PCs leave town.
A possibility I've been tinkering with is Lashonna may return to Alhaster and disguise as the Prince (or the Bard PC which at this point has more authority) and order the citizens to rebuild the ziggurat. This, as you say, though, will likely make the PCs feel cheated and railroaded, which I want to avoid.
PS. I wouldnt like to remove the Kyuss and Dragotha encounters from the campaign as the PCs are looking forward to them.
To minimize the re-writing you have to do, it might be better to focus on how to get the plot back on track:
1) Even with Zeech dead, Lashonna is not going to let things fall apart on her at this late date. She will re-build the ziggurat, either in Alhaster or somewhere else. Easiest is in Alhaster, since she has plenty of power there - you just need to make sure you mention to the players how she apparently had to rebuild the thing in a hurry. Heavily imply that this kept her from some other part of her plans which would have made the final adventure even tougher - for example, in the research facility beneath Alhaster, some of the sketches show designs for small obelisks to be constructed throughout the city which would have sent out waves of necromantic energy to transform citizens slowly into undead. Notes scribbled on one of these pages indicate this construction was never performed because they had to put so much more effort into rebuilding the ziggurat instead.
2) Alternately - you said they plan to destroy the ziggurat, but haven't actually done this yet. There should be around-the-clock shifts of workers at the site; men, women, and even some children laboring to get the thing built, and even if the PCs scare them away before attacking the thing, those people are going to be out of work if the PCs follow through with their plan (and are probably going to be mightily unhappy with the PCs). Keep in mind that there's nothing unlawful about building the thing, and there's nothing about it that proves it is being built for an evil purpose. Also, it ought to take a tremendous effort to destroy a structure that big - make sure the plan they have in mind will really do the job. Some heavy hints about all these difficulties may convince your players to leave the ziggurat alone in the end.
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2) Alternately - you said they plan to destroy the ziggurat, but haven't actually done this yet. There should be around-the-clock shifts of workers at the site; men, women, and even some children laboring to get the thing built, and even if the PCs scare them away before attacking the thing, those people are going to be out of work if the PCs follow through with their plan (and are probably going to be mightily unhappy with the PCs). Keep in mind that there's nothing unlawful about building the thing, and there's nothing about it that proves it is being built for an evil purpose. Also, it ought to take a tremendous effort to destroy a structure that big - make sure the plan they have in mind will really do the job. Some heavy hints about all these difficulties may convince your players to leave the ziggurat alone in the end.
They already did. They didnt actually "destroy it" but reshaped it into a giant statue of one of the PCs using a Lyre of Building. They were confronted by the Blessed Angels but the PCs are lv.18-19 by now so the angels didnt have a chance.
EDIT: Maybe the Ominious Fabler can steal the Lyre from the PCs at Lashonna's request to rebuild the ziggurat faster. Still there might be a discordance with the prophecy.
In that case, if I were you, I'd simply modify the floorplans in the final adventure a bit to incorporate the giant statue. Make a big plaza with the statue a short distance from the huge tower (add a few hundred feet to the height of the tower since it isn't on top of the ziggurat). Have wide staircases go down from the four edges of the plaza to an underground level (that's the "ground floor" section and they can fight Lashonna there), then stairs up through the tower.
OR, instead of the tower, have the angels get themselves some Wishes to fix things (25000gp of construction per Wish). When the PCs return, the ziggurat has been reconstructed, but the statue is even bigger and is standing on top of it (instead of the tower being there). The stairs and balconies jut out from ramps winding their way up around the statue. The final fight occurs on a flattened area atop the statue's head. Perhaps the statue still looks like the PC, but it appears worm-infested (or might just be wearing a crown of worms).
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[SPOILERS]
Here's the only problem. The Ominous Fabler using a chameleon ring and one of the players is using a robe of eyes (courtesy of the last module) that gives her True Seeing.
How can they give an item that gives the wearer continual True Seeing and then insert an NPC with disguise self and expect the PCs not to find out he is...INFECTED WITH WORMS!!1!11!
In my campaign, there were two new spires: one in Alhaster (Oceanbrook City, in our campaign world) and another underground in/near the characters' capital city (the Free City analog). So, as long as the baddies had the obelisk, everything was set to go; just the location of the final adventure changes.
They didnt actually "destroy it" but reshaped it into a giant statue of one of the PCs using a Lyre of Building.
Where, pray tell, did the PCs get their hands on one of those??
As far as I know, it's not in any of the adventure path's treasure.
RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32
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I've planned to make the Kulat Mar the spire once again in my campaign, so this might even be an option for you.
Zeech may be dead, but what if his will specified that Lashonna should succeed him as ruler of Redhand? In this way, a Champion of the Pit still gifts a city to the dead, without locking down too tightly where the return is to take place.
Of course, since the PCs can't fight despair (and Kyuss draws on the spiritual remnants of his ascension rather than the ambient energy of Alhaster), DoaNA will be a little bit harder... but it probably should be.
1) The PCs should not have been able to assassinate Zeech. They should have been killed outright for even trying. The entire chapter is based on the idea that the PCs have to behave, not wreak havoc. Just my two cents here.
2) The ziggurat/spire can easily be completed in a matter of minutes, even from scratch, with a few scrolls of wish. Nothing Lashonna can't get a hold of while the PCs are off fighting Dragotha.
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Where, pray tell, did the PCs get their hands on one of those??
As far as I know, it's not in any of the adventure path's treasure.
They purchased it in Greyhawk City.
1) The PCs should not have been able to assassinate Zeech. They should have been killed outright for even trying. The entire chapter is based on the idea that the PCs have to behave, not wreak havoc. Just my two cents here.
2) The ziggurat/spire can easily be completed in a matter of minutes, even from scratch, with a few scrolls of wish. Nothing Lashonna can't get a hold of while the PCs are off fighting Dragotha.
1)They didn't wreak havoc. After the party was over, the ranger/assassin sneaked into the castle while the party created a diversion for the angels. The PCs were really into it so I didnt want to railroad them.
2) I agree, and this is the path I will take. The jester will try to steal the Lyre from the party to rebuild the ziggurat faster, if he fails, Lashonna will use the whole townspeople of Alhaster and powerful magic to finish the structure on time. I will leave the statue though, on top of the ziggurat for dramatic reasons. Maybe Lashonna can put the obelisk grasped in the hands of the PC's statue.
Here's another thought: make the ziggurat a red herring (I always thought it was a bit too obvious, after Spire of Long Shadows). The *real* shrine to Kyuss is hidden in a huge underground cavern below the city. That's where Lashanna plans to take the obelisk. Allowing the PCs to trash the ziggurat was just a ploy clever ploy to distract them from the true target. And by the time they figure out their mistake, it will be too late!
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The little jester had accomplished his goal. He could steal the Lyre of Building from the PCs and give it to Lashonna to rebuild the ziggurat.
Now, as soon as the PCs woke up, they noticed the Lyre was missing and grew very very mad. They even decided to use wish (actually reality revision) to be transported to wherever the Lyre is to punish the thief.
The PCs are currently at the gates of the Citadel of Weeping Dragons.
Now, I have a question. How long do you think it takes for 100 men to build a ziggurat?
The Lyre of building works like this:
"The effect produced in but 30 minutes of playing is equal to the work of 100 humans laboring for three days."
Supposing Lashonna can use the Lyre for 5 hours, that would equal a month of 100 people working on the ziggurat, not sure if this is enough.
The other thing that unsettles me is the fact the PCs being transported to the Lyre (and possibly Lashonna). What I've thought is maybe Lashonna can give the Lyre back to the jester (provided she finishes the ziggurat on time) and the spriggan teleports to a random cave (where the PCs would end up)...that way the PCs can kill the Fabler, recover the Lyre and go back to Kongen-Tulnir, ignoring what the Lyre was used for while they were asleep.
Let me know if you have different ideas.