Vordakai doesn't seem to me to be the behind the scenes kind of guy. I see him making a huge obvious power grab against the PCs kingdom and winning. Get him back his lich powers and have him and his minions be the next stag lord, with you restarting. Once the new PCs, sent by Restov, finally win, they get this broken kingdom racked with undead that they get to restore.
So, im preparing for tonights game and my players are going to face the lich, Vordakai.
Im preparing for a possible wipe so need some help speculating what's going to happen to the pc's new kingdom if they lose. One option i am thinking about is that Vordakai dominates the leader or makes him a undead of some sorts an starts ruling the kingdom behind the scenes.
Hopefully a group that is losing is smart enough to run away. If they are TPK'd I would have him start his own nation building, and the new PC's could just join the old NPC leaders so they dont have to start from square one.
What if Vordekai wins? Then I have done my job. Mwuhahahaha!
I think he is going to win in my game. I will go into hiding at least long enough to become a true lich. I just need a place to hide the phylactery.
Inside Vordakai's headband of mental prowess, or another one of his magic items - best choice is the one the PCs will be most loathe to destroy.
Of course, it should also be protected with sufficient spells and misdirections that it has no evil aura, and no different magic aura than would be expected for an item of its type. The PCs should not realise it actually is his phylactery until long after they've grown accustomed to relying on it. The look in our ranger's eyes when learned he'd have to destroy his favourite bow was priceless.
Inside Vordakai's headband of mental prowess, or another one of his magic items - best choice is the one the PCs will be most loathe to destroy.
Of course, it should also be protected with sufficient spells and misdirections that it has no evil aura, and no different magic aura than would be expected for an item of its type. The PCs should not realise it actually is his phylactery until long after they've grown accustomed to relying on it. The look in our ranger's eyes when learned he'd have to destroy his favourite bow was priceless.
Nope in a holy whatever weapon the "good" aura given off by the weapon masks his lower lvl evil one
Inside Vordakai's headband of mental prowess, or another one of his magic items - best choice is the one the PCs will be most loathe to destroy.
Of course, it should also be protected with sufficient spells and misdirections that it has no evil aura, and no different magic aura than would be expected for an item of its type. The PCs should not realise it actually is his phylactery until long after they've grown accustomed to relying on it. The look in our ranger's eyes when learned he'd have to destroy his favourite bow was priceless.
My party would destroy it anyway, so I will at least be nice enough to keep it in a standard box form. I might go looking for a nice place to hide it, and/or a guardian, probably harder than the lich, and they only have 1d10, IIRC, days to defeat the guardian before Mr.V relocates it to somewhere else. Since I am in Eberron the Dwarves that run the banking system or the island prison is a good place to hide it. Breaking into the modern day equivalent of Fort Know will be interesting.
Edit: I hate designing dungeons though. Anyone know of any adventures with really big dungeons, other than Shackled City?
I think one thing to consider in this scenario is the will of the players. If they wipe, they might or may not feel like continuing the campaign, or playing in Golarion. If you start an entirely different campaign, then what happens if the villain wins may be moot.
Similarly, if they want to start elsewhere then their current kingdom, that will influence any scenarios as well.
I think one thing to consider in this scenario is the will of the players. If they wipe, they might or may not feel like continuing the campaign, or playing in Golarion. If you start an entirely different campaign, then what happens if the villain wins may be moot.
Similarly, if they want to start elsewhere then their current kingdom, that will influence any scenarios as well.
I don't think they will wipe. I do think they will be upset after I ransom the captured characters back to them, and while they may agree to not harass MR.V, I don't expect for them to uphold the bargain, and yes not trying to get revenge is part of the upcoming ransom deal assuming they don't win.
Those who were captured will get their character back before any "action" takes place assuming they surviving party members accept the deal. If not I may just have to give them NPC's to use or have them make new PC's. When/If they rescue the old PC's they get to decide which one's they want to keep. My excuse for the old characters leveling up, if it takes a while to get them back, is they were forced into gladiatorial style matches for entertainment, at least until I can think of something better.
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I decided that Vordekai didn't return after dimension dooring to area W19. His potential to be a reoccurring villain is too juicy to give up.
Instead, he dimension doors to a cavern he had stone shaped inside the Tors mountains, over 10000 years ago. (it's well within range of the spell) This was the place he had retreated to when needed back when he was a 20th level wizrobe. There he has a back up library that is under a stasis spell so it doesn't rot to dust. Vordekai remains here (with his phylactery)and studies until he is 11th level and can re enter his Lich stone. Then he leaves the phylactery in this inaccessible location, and teleports back to the occulus chamber in area w25 (if the location still remains.) He then goes about creating undead until he has a sizable defense force before taking his revenge on the party and retrieving his Occulus of Abbadon.
This could well be years later and deep into events of AP#34 or even AP#35.
I decided that Vordekai didn't return after dimension dooring to area W19. His potential to be a reoccurring villain is too juicy to give up.
Instead, he dimension doors to a cavern he had stone shaped inside the Tors mountains, over 10000 years ago. (it's well within range of the spell) This was the place he had retreated to when needed back when he was a 20th level wizrobe. There he has a back up library that is under a stasis spell so it doesn't rot to dust. Vordekai remains here (with his phylactery)and studies until he is 11th level and can re enter his Lich stone. Then he leaves the phylactery in this inaccessible location, and teleports back to the occulus chamber in area w25 (if the location still remains.) He then goes about creating undead until he has a sizable defense force before taking his revenge on the party and retrieving his Occulus of Abbadon.
This could well be years later and deep into events of AP#34 or even AP#35.
My Vordekai did win, twice. He planned to set up a new lair away from pesky adventurers, but, he botched a teleport roll and ended up in the Mwangi expanse.
After he attains full power, he will return riding an undead T-rex. Rawr
Edit: I hate designing dungeons though. Anyone know of any adventures with really big dungeons, other than Shackled City?That one product... World's largest dungeon?
Oh, there's the one paizo module, the Witchwar legacy, I heard that has a high level dungeon in it.
The latter half of the Slumbering Tsar Saga by Frog God Games.