I'm planning a side-quest for an upcoming game. I have a specific role in mind for a monster, but no actual candidates pop out. I don't have time to look through my monster supplements adequately, so I turn to Paizo!
The party will need to go underground, where their own curiosity or the treachery of an NPC (if the party proves less curious than the proverbial cat) will trigger an ancient dwarven trap, leaving them stranded in the caverns/previously unknown ancient dwarven tunnels, and looking for a way out.
What I need is a monster to inhabit these tunnels. There's a treasure down there, so a dragon guarding it would make sense. That party is a little low-level for that, though, and I'd only be able to spring a wyrmling or very young dragon on them (I prefer to save dragons for when I can throw something a little larger at the PCs). Plus, I'm not sure there's going to be much/any food or water down there, so whatever lives in the tunnels would need to be able to get by on almost nothing, or even nothing at all. Constructs and undead would work, but I'd like to go for a cave creature. An ooze might work, but something a little more vicious seems called for. I'm thinking of roars heard echoing through the tunnels, foreboding something with claws and fangs which the party doesn't want to meet. A trapper outsider would do well, though I don't necessarily want the "dwarves who delved too deep" bit again, and my eye is towards the bestial rather than the intelligent. Perhaps a magical beast or some monstrous humanoid, but I've no clue what.
Further complicating the matter, I want the party to actually be able to fight and, while I want the fight to be hard, win. I've already had them face off against a creature they couldn't beat, and I don't want to make it too common of an event (though, as an afterthought, it would be fine if they had to think outside the box, perhaps using the environment to beat an otherwise overpowering foe; such as figuring out a way to drop a stalactite or dwarven column on the thing). The party will only be 3rd or 4th level when they get to this side quest, so that makes selecting the kind of monster I'd like (bigger is better) hard.
In addition to the core MM, I have MM2 and MM3 and the Fiend Folio, plus the Fiendish Codices, Draconomicon, Libris Mortis, and the Advanced Bestiary (and others, but those seem the most relevant for mining monster ideas). Thanks!
Not knowing the CR you're looking for, here are some random thoughts:
Gargoyle - doesn't need to eat, drink or breathe :)
Rust Monster - make the treasure predominantly non-metallic, as it already ate all that
Xorn - gems and precious metals are its food source, so you'd want the treasures to be something else again, and have a mineral vein that the xorn is protecting
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The CR would really help.
You could always take a standard animal (like a lion) and then give it darkvision, a hairless hide, and a voracious hunger.
Umber hulks also make good underground hunters. If the CR is too high, fiery dragon's module Nemoren's Vault had a CR 6 variant called an Undrathar.
Or, how about a dwarven ghast who was once a lone miner trapped for in the dark, dying of hunger. He would likely use hit and run tactics to harrass the party as they searched for a way out, trying to pick off lone members in the dark.
Interesting ideas. I particularly like the "mold and monster" concept. I listed the party level (3-4, not sure exactly what they'll be at this point going in) because I've gotten burned going by CRs in the past. There are a lot of monsters, particuarly once one starts approaching CR 5 or so, which seem a lot stronger to me than their challenge rating reflects. I've picked monsters without looking at their stats beforehand (for random encounters and the like) and ended up with some player deaths that I didn't like (nor did they), even though the creature was only 1 CR above party level. That was with a group of players versed in the rules and capable of making strong characters. My current group isn't that proficient, and I don't want to kill any of them.
Actually, howlers are jumping to mind now as the perfect candidates. They're a Large, fast, bestial, melee monster. As Outsiders, they don't need to eat, so their being trapped in the near-lifeless tunnels isn't an issue. Plus, getting lost and wandering through the dwarven halls is a perfect way to subject the party to their howls (which I rarely get a chance to do with howlers, since it takes an hour before the PCs need to make their saving throws).
Kinda answered my own question there. Thanks for the suggestions all the same!
A good excuse is a so called 'short cut' through the area. That might work. There ought to be some really good reason not to go the normal route, and here your dragon might work well. I once got a party of low level to do that when there was a flock of griffons hunting in an area.
The genesis of this idea is kind of an attempt to recreate the scene at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark, where Indy's companion demands Dr. Jones throw him the idol before helping the archaeologist across, then turns and runs. The party will be contacted by a smith in a village they're scheduled to be passing through. The smith tells them of an abandoned mine near the town. The miners left fifty years ago after a collapse killed several of them. The small operation was nearly played out and it wasn't deemed worth returning to the shafts considering the risk. At least, that's what the smith tells the party.
The story is basically true, except that the smith knows the real reason for the collapse, which was kept quiet even when it first happened and is almost totally forgotten now. The miners found a dwarven gate covered in runes and embedded with a large, obviously valuable stone. When the miners tried removing the stone, it triggered a trap which killed many of them. The shafts were abandoned after that.
The smith tells the party he thinks there's still something down there, gemstones which would be well worth their collective trouble to help the smith retrieve. Everyone else thinks the smith is crazy, he will tell the party, but he's willing to split the profits with the adventurers. He just wants an even share along with the rest of them. The smith says he requires the party's help to get through the mine, which is basically true, but he really wants them to set off the trap so that he can grab the goods, a la the Raiders scene above, and flee. No one will ever ask about the adventurers, and he won't have to split the wealth.
I know my players well enough to believe fully that they'll go up to the gate out of curiosity, if nothing else, and probably trigger the trap on their own. If they don't, the smith will in desperation to get the goods. Either way, he miscalculates and will get stuck with the party. What they do with him after that is up to them.
The trap isn't actually designed to kill; it's designed to prevent escape. The dwarven ruins, originally a small mining camp, were abandond three thousand years ago during a demonic invasion (not just some random event, a central point of my homebrew's history). A half-fiend led a horde of howlers into the delving. The dwarven leader struck down the half-fiend, at which point the howlers went even more out of control. Although they turned on each other, they also continued to destroy the delving. The refugees fled and established the gate to prevent the howlers from escaping. Over the years, the howlers have calmed, but continued to attack each other from time to time. There are only a few left, but they will still be frightening opponents for the party. The side quest will be to find their way out of the ancient dwarven mining compound while evading and dealing with the howlers therein.
I had most of the adventure's plot in mind, but the creature was escaping me. Howlers came in a flash several hours ago, and the remaining details quickly fell into line.
I love howlers! I love Spring Attack, and I love their quills. Even their howl is creepy.
They're Large, though. You might want to reduce them to Medium using that template in Dungeonscape. Especially if you go all 5 foot corridors on them.
While I don't have Dungeonscape, I'll be designing the passages with Large creatures in mind. The demons wouldn't well have come in the first place if they couldn't fit! :)
It is interesting you mention spring attack. When I reviewed the howler, I was amazed that their tactics (i.e., "They prefer to charge into combat, race out, and the charge in again," PHB 155) are a perfect description of spring attack, but your standard, non-advanced howler actually lacks not only that feat, but also the prerequisite dodge and mobility feats. Weird. Their alertness and improved initiative feats are nice, but really seem to just accomplish the boosting of their skills and initiative bonuses to insane levels for their CR. The howler also has combat reflexes, but lacks 10-foot reach, which makes it another odd choice. I'm tempted to reallocate those feat slots to the spring attack tree, but that would definitely increase the howler's combat effectiveness and might lead to an overwhelmed party. I'll monitor their progress up to the adventure, and if I think they can handle it, I'll make the changes.
While I don't have Dungeonscape, I'll be designing the passages with Large creatures in mind. The demons wouldn't well have come in the first place if they couldn't fit! :)
It is interesting you mention spring attack. When I reviewed the howler, I was amazed that their tactics (i.e., "They prefer to charge into combat, race out, and the charge in again," PHB 155) are a perfect description of spring attack, but your standard, non-advanced howler actually lacks not only that feat, but also the prerequisite dodge and mobility feats. Weird. Their alertness and improved initiative feats are nice, but really seem to just accomplish the boosting of their skills and initiative bonuses to insane levels for their CR. The howler also has combat reflexes, but lacks 10-foot reach, which makes it another odd choice. I'm tempted to reallocate those feat slots to the spring attack tree, but that would definitely increase the howler's combat effectiveness and might lead to an overwhelmed party. I'll monitor their progress up to the adventure, and if I think they can handle it, I'll make the changes.
After a round or 2 of spring attacking, canny cutters will ready an action to attack the monster. Also, a spring attacker can't full attack (unless it has pounce or something), so the PCs are only suffering 1 attack instead of a whole bunch of attacks.
Well...this IS a side quest, right? Maybe play up the environment and make that an added hazard rather than changing the nature of the beasts, as it were. Also if you use the caves in such a way as to make the withdrawal almost like a disappearance maybe that will help?
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The genesis of this idea is kind of an attempt to recreate the scene at the beginning of Raiders of the Lost Ark, where Indy's companion demands Dr. Jones throw him the idol before helping the archaeologist across, then turns and runs. The party will be contacted by a smith in a village they're scheduled to be passing through. The smith tells them of an abandoned mine near the town. The miners left fifty years ago after a collapse killed several of them. The small operation was nearly played out and it wasn't deemed worth returning to the shafts considering the risk. At least, that's what the smith tells the party.
The story is basically true, except that the smith knows the real reason for the collapse, which was kept quiet even when it first happened and is almost totally forgotten now. The miners found a dwarven gate covered in runes and embedded with a large, obviously valuable stone. When the miners tried removing the stone, it triggered a trap which killed many of them. The shafts were abandoned after that.
The smith tells the party he thinks there's still something down there, gemstones which would be well worth their collective trouble to help the smith retrieve. Everyone else thinks the smith is crazy, he will tell the party, but he's willing to split the profits with the adventurers. He just wants an even share along with the rest of them. The smith says he requires the party's help to get through the mine, which is basically true, but he really wants them to set off the trap so that he can grab the goods, a la the Raiders scene above, and flee. No one will ever ask about the adventurers, and he won't have to split the wealth.
I know my players well enough to believe fully that they'll go up to the gate out of curiosity, if nothing else, and probably trigger the trap on their own. If they don't, the smith will in desperation to get the goods. Either way, he miscalculates and will get stuck with the party. What they do with...
Well, I was going to suggest a few options for you, but your howler idea sounds splendid!
For kicks, here's how I envisioned things for your encounter:
The actual treasure is the leftover vault of an underground dwarven city that was plagued by basilisks. Though there may have been some survivors, the majority of the population has been turned to stone and/or consumed. In the meantime, the basilisk population has dwindled, and more denizens have come to call the area home.
As the PCs explore the caverns, the PCs would stumble upon countless statues of dwarves, carved in meticulous detail. As they proceed, they hear eerie sounds of heavy breathing and the sound of quick footfalls. Each time the PCs investigate the sounds, they find nothing.
Eventually, the PCs stumble upon an intact building resembling an inn. Everything is in its place, and the building looks in pretty good shape despite its age and the covering of dust everywhere. It is here the PCs first see reptilian footprints. These prints lead to the kitchen, where the PCs see the remains of what appears to be a freshly killed lizard. Closer examination reveals that part of the creature has been dissolved by an acid-like substance - a Black Pudding making the kitchen its home. This pudding oozes forward as the PCs investigate the lizard's body. Combat ensues, hopefully with the PCs victorious.
After this encounter, the PCs can rest up in the inn before continuing their exploration. If they spend the night, the sounds heard earlier continue, and as the hours go by, these sounds are joined by a chittering sound, similar to a cricket but much louder and less rhythmical.
Early in the morning, the PCs are awoken by a loud noise emanating outside. The noise is shortly accompanied by the shaking of the inn. Investigation reveals the inn is being besieged by an Umber Hulk. As the PCs determine what to do about this situation, 2 basilisks slink into their sleeping quarters.
Combat ensues, as the PCs defeat the basilisks, only to have to face off with the Umber Hulk in the aftermath.
Further exploration of the cavern reveals more basilisks (I would go with a total of 5-10 living in the ruined city, with the largest concentration near the treasury).
After defeating the basilisks, the PCs would then discover a hidden passage leading them back to their homes, but not until they have to deal with a wight who has made his home in the barrow that the tunnel empties out into...
MrFish- Using the tunnels to make the creatures seem to disappear sounds cool. Did you have any specific images in mind? Are we talking natural cavern formations or secret dwarven passages (because all of that is still mutable).
Larry Lichman- The party is, unfortunately, too low level for basilisks and umber-hulks at the moment. However, this will not be their only foray into dwarven territory! One of the PCs is the last heir of a fallen dwarven clanhold, who will want to lead the party back to defeat the minotaurs which overran the place a century ago. I will probably use your ideas to spice up some travel sequences later in the campaign when they head back underground on their way to that quest, or perhaps as a sub-adventure needed to complete a larger goal (a treasure in the ruined vault could be required, and the minotaurs don't dare go into that part of the tunnels ever since some of them got, shall we say, stoned there?)
Thanks! Paizo is such a fertile place to cultivate adventure development!
Four Words: Half-Fiendish Earth Elemental
Then you don't need large tunnels and you can horrify your group with the possibilty that they can't sleep without being attacked. My 2 evil DM cp.
MrFish- Using the tunnels to make the creatures seem to disappear sounds cool. Did you have any specific images in mind? Are we talking natural cavern formations or secret dwarven passages (because all of that is still mutable).
Larry Lichman- The party is, unfortunately, too low level for basilisks and umber-hulks at the moment. However, this will not be their only foray into dwarven territory! One of the PCs is the last heir of a fallen dwarven clanhold, who will want to lead the party back to defeat the minotaurs which overran the place a century ago. I will probably use your ideas to spice up some travel sequences later in the campaign when they head back underground on their way to that quest, or perhaps as a sub-adventure needed to complete a larger goal (a treasure in the ruined vault could be required, and the minotaurs don't dare go into that part of the tunnels ever since some of them got, shall we say, stoned there?)
Thanks! Paizo is such a fertile place to cultivate adventure development!
Sorry, I totally missed that you replied! Yes, I meant both. You could have both the strangely natural looking dwarvish traps and secret ways be used as well as genuine natural formations. My suggestion would be to have pcs discover that the cavern has those tendencies in a slightly creepy but not perilous way before the howlers start demonstrating that they have an understanding of them.
Four Words: Half-Fiendish Earth Elemental
Then you don't need large tunnels and you can horrify your group with the possibilty that they can't sleep without being attacked. My 2 evil DM cp.
That, I like! I've been itching to use some elementals for a while now. I hadn't thought about adding the half-fiend template to them. Hmmm... fighting just a bunch of howlers might get boring or overpowering. Mixing things up is always good. I had wondered about having the party encounter to dwarven dead, ghosts or skeletons or the like. I think I'll opt for using this idea, say their souls lingered on, and with the demon-tainted earth, have become these beasts. An interesting way to incorporate the restless dead without actually using undead. Thanks! >:)
>:)
*DM laughing echoes through the caves as the adventurers move anknowingly closer to their doom... MWAHAHAHA!*