Next Saturday I am starting a min-campaign with premade characters of an as yet undetermined level.
What I would like to do is take a page from Expedition to Castle Ravenloft (my copy of which is in storage unfortunately) for the basic framework.
The plot revolves around the heroes being called to an isolated town in the mountains. Communication has been cut off except for one lone messenger who survived only long enough to die of horrible wounds in the town square in a city down the mountain. The PCs come in and deal with a rather straightforward monsters-siege-the-isolated-town scenario (werewolves, trolls, giants, or possible dark fey - I haven't decided).
Once the situation is resolved the PC are invited to dine in the manor of the local lord, one of a long line of famous astronomers. In a RP scene the PCs meet his guests, all scholars of the planes and arcana, but not their host, who is represented by his steward. There is no more room at the manor, since much of it has been converted to an observatory and the guests take up the available space.
In town the PCs are attacked in the inn by a summoned horror and later learn from others that something strange is going on.
In the end it turns out that the local lord doesn't come from a long line of stargazers, but is in fact a lich who long ago sought undeath as a means of waiting on the time when the stars were right for the sevants of his eldritch master to appear. The 'guests' are all memebers of his cult gathered to open a portal for some great horror to appear.
What I want is two or three challenges that, if completed, result in the lich being weakened or the party strengthened. A phylactery is an obvious one, but what else might the lich have invested his power in that the PCs could destroy or gain= perhaps with the guidance a friendly oracle or a traitor in the cult?
I would kind of like things to work out like this:
Session 1-2:Journey to town, defeat invaders, meet the cult
Session 2-3:Learn of the cult's plans, attempt to take on the first challenge
Session 3-4: Second challange, maybe begin third
Session 4-5: Complete third, confront lich, possible confront summoned eldritch horror
Suggestions?
The observatory itself. It can be built from seemingly odd - yet thematically significant - materials. Think to the first Ghostbusters movie where Egon is talking about how no one builds using those metals nor lays out the building in that fashion except to serve for some sinister, eldritch purpose. Combined with various facets clearly built to note certain specific cosmic phenomena such as planetary conjunctions.
The library / study contents - especially the secreted "rare books" section.
A roof top aerie that has a permanent summoning structure to its design and construction. Think dimensional shamblers and nightgaunts.
A basement laboratory and perhaps a secreted chamber are curiosly built with round portals and no angled surfaces. The rest of the manor is subject to the aggressions of Hounds of Tindalos pouring forth and shifting throughout the place from the right. angles.
I would pull a page from what John Bellairs did with The House with a Clock in its Walls. The BBEG build a literal doomsday device that was supposed to bring about the end of the world via biblical prophecies, specifically by turning back time on the skies in a certain area so there would be the right combination of clouds in the right shapes for the "end the world" spell to work.
Obviously the stars are going to align for the portal spell to work. The astronomer lich already knows that and that's sort of in the bag as a no-brainer. Make it so that the Great Old Ones also want a few more auspicious omens before they show up, stuff that the lich can jigger.
Let's say he needs some clouds in the right shape. He gets an evil druid or witch who's a member of his cult to start omens and portents racing across the sky. Thunderheads in the shape of shoggoth. That sort of thing.
But wait, there's more. Omens and prophecies are really into monstrous births. Have a kid born looking like Wilbur Whateley--cloven hooves, hula skirt of lamprey-mouthed tentacles, and a funky tail stuck onto an otherwise ordinary (if kinda tall) kid. Let's say this is the exact sort of omen the particular Great Old One loves. Sort of like "Oh, I never thought anyone would remember. You really care. Of course I'll show up." Except it's having a deformed child born instead of having his favorite flowers waiting for him.
The astronomer lich of course knows jack about making deformed kids, let alone custom designing them, and doesn't have the budget for a Wish spell, especially when a midwife who's secretly a cultist of Lamashtu (though known through the BBEG grapevine) would be happy to take up the challenge especially if paid well. I mean, Lamashtu loves deformed kids being born, but custom ordering a deformity? And the lich paying for it? Bonus!
Make it so that the midwife is someone you can stop before the birth (but not before her evil spells) and let her spill some of the dirt on the lich because she's a mercenary. There can also be a moral dilemma to go and abort the kid to stop the omen from coming about--in the process freaking out the mother (who doesn't believe she's going to give birth to Wilbur Whateley 2.0) and likely pissing off Pharasma, who doesn't like go-backs on infant souls regardless of whether they're deformed or not. However, there is some magic widget in some temple of Shelyn (goddess of beauty) which could undeformininate the kid before he/she/it is born, which would be the hearts and flowers and make-paladins-happy-and-not-fall ending except for the fact that it's not conveniently located, and the priests at the temple don't just lend it out because the last time they did that, a whole bunch of Lamashtu cultists tried to steal it to destroy it. If the party wants to use it to ensure the kid is born all pretty, they need to bring mom there with a suitable donation, and oh yes, teleportation has been known to induce early labor. And if the adventurers deal with that, they may miss the lich's doomsday plot, because not all of the signs and portents are necessary, just enough of them.
There could also be an interesting wrinkle in the cult of Lamashtu wouldn't be that pleased to know that they're helping out the great old ones, and they can remove Lamashtu's blessing from the child too and might even do it for free if the right diplomacy rolls were made. The kid would then be born however however he would have been before their spells. Likely not as pretty as if mom get's zapped with Shelyn's prettifier (which cures deformities as a byproduct, because Shelyn thinks deformities are gross), but likely fully human and utterly boring. Hell, the midwife might even do it if people explain things to her right, because she'd be getting in trouble with her goddess once Lamashtu found out.
Stuff like that. The lich makes a more effective BBEG if even the regular evil folk are thinking he's bad news.
Maybe it's just me, but I didn't notice the connection between the monsters trying to invade the town and the main plot. Is surely should be more than just an excuse for the PCs to be invited at the manor. Why are those monsters there in the first place?
To round up sacrificial fodder perhaps?
Maybe it's just me, but I didn't notice the connection between the monsters trying to invade the town and the main plot. Is surely should be more than just an excuse for the PCs to be invited at the manor. Why are those monsters there in the first place?
Maybe another evil realizes that the city is the key for the coming of the the Old Ones and is trying to stop it. What is the use of power if the world is destroyed or ruled by the old ones
Maybe it's just me, but I didn't notice the connection between the monsters trying to invade the town and the main plot. Is surely should be more than just an excuse for the PCs to be invited at the manor. Why are those monsters there in the first place?
Kind of what Joey said. The monsters, and I am leaning toward dark fey, know something is happening and are trying to take control of the valley or area around the town before assaulting the manor itself, or perhaps don't know exactly what is happening and are trying to figure it out, or perhaps the lich has stolen something from them or otherwise interfered in their affairs. I like the idea of "You stopped one evil and are now responsible for fixing the situation that you have made worse."
i really like this idea for a high level game. Please keep me informed on how you run it and if you need help with High level NPCs I love makin them on herolab
Maybe it's just me, but I didn't notice the connection between the monsters trying to invade the town and the main plot. Is surely should be more than just an excuse for the PCs to be invited at the manor. Why are those monsters there in the first place?Kind of what Joey said. The monsters, and I am leaning toward dark fey, know something is happening and are trying to take control of the valley or area around the town before assaulting the manor itself, or perhaps don't know exactly what is happening and are trying to figure it out, or perhaps the lich has stolen something from them or otherwise interfered in their affairs. I like the idea of "You stopped one evil and are now responsible for fixing the situation that you have made worse."
+1, very clever
Siege of Stargreive
OK I have decided - dark fey have blocked the exits to the valley with a supernatural wall of briers guarded by treant like sentinels. They have ringed the town of Stargreive with the same briers and are herding the population of the outlying farms etc into the town to keep them contained while they erect massive standing stones. A wild hunt harries any straglers. The road up to Stargreive manor is similarly blocked and guarded by(?) until the stones are in place. A small contingent of servants led by one of the guests and his golem are working their way down the road.
If the PCs assail the town and disrupt the standing stones the fey will withdraw, insulted that their efforts were not welcomed. They leave with an ominous warning "You know not what you have done. We will close our borders with this world and see what survives the awakening stars."
Don't forget about the cult members staying at the manor, have a few of them run around causing trouble.
One of them could have a pet that needs to be fed, one could be an Alchemist who's turned into a Mr. Hyde and Mr. Really Evil Hyde (or better yet the Mr. Hyde part could be the sane one trying to warn the PC's about what's happening), or one of the cultists could be a spy for a rival Great Old One who decides the best way to disrupt the sacrifice is to ensure that there are no virgins left in the area when the time comes for the ceremony.
Actually, that last plan would probably more likely occur to the Dark Fey.
There must be a sacrifice. It is thematically necessary. There is no reconciliation with Great Cthulhu without remission of blood.
That reminds me of another plot device for disrupting the sacrifice.
I caught this random HBO movie way back when it was a 1920 ganster movie with magic. Anyway, the main plot was a guy that was going to summon a big evil demon to take over the world.
The guy goes through, the good guys try to stop him and fail. The demon appears the evil wizard offers the demon the sacrifice. The demon demanded a virgin sacrifice, the wizard offered his own virgin daughter, who he had kept sheltered from the world for this occasion. Unknown to him, she had fallen in love with one of the servants, and they had been shagging on the side. The demon, offended by the impurity of the sacrifice, turns around, kills the wizard, and then departs. In short, the servant boy saved the world by being a horny teenager who couldn't keep it in his pants.
One of the side plots could revolve around contaminating the old's ones sacrifice, whatever that would be. Perhaps their is a living vessal that has been prepared for him. If the players remove that he will comes into this world weakened.
The sacrifice, one devil and one angel (or is it archon -whichever), is being held in the dungeon of the manor, that gets into session 2.
Both bound, face to face. Bickering at each other for ages. When the PCs show up the devil will try to convince them to kill his counterpart while its still bound - thus disrupting the sacrifice - and he will grant them a powerful weapon to fight the enemy. The angel, otoh, will ask to be freed and offer his help.
I also figure there is a traitor in the cult, someone with second thoughts about unleashing an eldritch horror on the world.
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There must be a sacrifice. It is thematically necessary. There is no reconciliation with Great Cthulhu without remission of blood.
Meh. I don't care if one ant bites another one to death in order to summon "the Great Shadow" (ie, me standing somewhat in the vague vicinity of the anthill). So why should Great Cthulhu care about what would be the equivalent?
I'm thinking that the ritual is designed to attract the attention of "the Herald" of the Horrible Power that is Being Summoned in order to grant them some measure of control in preparing the world for the Eldritch Parousia. They think they can control these sorts of things - but they probablly can't.
I may let the summoning take place, just uncontrolled, if the PCs disrupt the lich's plans.
I think a neolithid makes a great herald of madness.
BTW, anyone want to help me convert the lich in Bestiary to something more fitting the Old Cults Astronomer idea?
What Level Do you want him and what classes do you think would be right?
I'm thinking that the ritual is designed to attract the attention of "the Herald" of the Horrible Power that is Being Summoned in order to grant them some measure of control in preparing the world for the Eldritch Parousia. They think they can control these sorts of things - but they probablly can't.
I'll admit I had to look up "Parousia" but now that I have, I have to say that "Eldritch Parousia" is a killer phrase for the return of Cthulhu.
Sigh, level is one of the big things I keep going back and forth about. But I think the Lich needs to be around CR 15 and some kind of summoner focused class or classes.
@ Kevin- :) Sorry, technical terminology that comes with the profession. But glad you liked it.
Sigh, level is one of the big things I keep going back and forth about. But I think the Lich needs to be around CR 15 and some kind of summoner focused class or classes.
@ Kevin- :) Sorry, technical terminology that comes with the profession. But glad you liked it.
What About A lich Summoner with a Cthulu Based Eidilon?
Sigh, level is one of the big things I keep going back and forth about. But I think the Lich needs to be around CR 15 and some kind of summoner focused class or classes.
@ Kevin- :) Sorry, technical terminology that comes with the profession. But glad you liked it.
You might want to look up the 3.5 Alienist PrC. Seems to fit the theme really well.
What About A lich Summoner with a Cthulu Based Eidilon?Sigh, level is one of the big things I keep going back and forth about. But I think the Lich needs to be around CR 15 and some kind of summoner focused class or classes.
@ Kevin- :) Sorry, technical terminology that comes with the profession. But glad you liked it.
that sounds cool!
@ Kevin- :) Sorry, technical terminology that comes with the profession. But glad you liked it.
No need to apologize. The meaning was clear from context and I'm generally delighted when I find a word I don't know, at least when used properly. It means there's a field of study I need more reading in.
Instead of a Lich you might want to consider using a Worm that Walks, you can find the template on the d20 SRD.
Playing off of Joey Virtue's APG good-thinkery a Lich Oracle would be kind of neat-o frito
Playing off of Joey Virtue's APG good-thinkery a Lich Oracle would be kind of neat-o frito
Yeah especially with the Heavens Mystery "Dweller in Darkness"
Yeah especially with the Heavens Mystery "Dweller in Darkness"
Yeah that's the one I was looking at: "Guiding Star," "Interstellar Void," and "Star Chart" would all be pretty great thematic abilities for your creepy star gazing lich.
Tongues with Aklo as the chosen language would be quite fitting as well.
IA IA Cthulhu Fhtagn
I have started working on the PCs and here is what I have so far:
Male Tiefling (Infernal Bastard) Paladin 15
Female Human Sorcerer 6/Fighter 1/Eldritch Knight 8
Male Half Orc Oracle of Battle 15
and....
I think I need some trap finding in there so I am thinking something with Rogue but am not sure what.
I have started working on the PCs and here is what I have so far:
Male Tiefling (Infernal Bastard) Paladin 15
Female Human Sorcerer 6/Fighter 1/Eldritch Knight 8
Male Half Orc Oracle of Battle 15
and....I think I need some trap finding in there so I am thinking something with Rogue but am not sure what.
Perhaps a little bit of Urban Ranger (APG 129)? You could work more of the classic Investigator character concept with it, having him or her be from the nearest town guard and tasked with unraveling the horror. Mechanically it's not earth shattering, yet it does allow you to avoid having a mandatory level of Rogue in there. YMMV
Just to report - what was supposed to be a game for just a few sessions has instantly gotten longer.
The 4 PCs (as above plus a kenku [albino pickpocket, androgenous from a mammalian standpoint, fascinated by bright colors and objects, wears no armor but relies on magic items] rogue 15) arrived at the Vale of Stargrieve to find the road blocked by a large and obviously magical brier hedge. Using gaseous form they flew over it and decided to set down nearby rather than flying straight to the town and scope out the situation. They were instantly attacked by 4 brier treants.
That one combat took 2 hours.
Now, admittedly this are high level pregens so they took some getting used to, but it seemed to take forever. The Paladin died after being knocked out and then grabbed and thrown by a treant, but fortunately the Oracle was prepared for that and was able to take care of him after combat.
The session ended as the PCs encountered a group of farmers on the run from 6 black beasts (Nissian Warhounds) as a mournful hunting horn sounds in the distance.
I expected a little better progression next time, at least enough for the PCs to see the giant nightmare rook (from Kingmaker 6).
After that its off to deal with the Marquis.
All of this is putting me in the mood to run a slow progression, low magic, low level game.
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All of this is putting me in the mood to run a slow progression, low magic, low level game.
Exactly my type of game. I'm actually working on a homebrew system that incorporates elements of Call of Cthulhu, Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay and Pathfinder. The magic will be low character advancement slow and combat deadly. PC'S will be better off running from combat and keeping their sanity than facing evils and terrors beyond their understanding.