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Did anybody think about possibly having Vordakai animate dead this Linnorm Skeleton? It says its of immense size, so I'm guessing it might be collossal.
My players are a big fan of the mass combat rules, I'm debating having V raise it and it be so ginormous that they might bring an army to fight it.
Are there any other good undead spells/things I could use with this skeleton if the PC's themselves fight it? Specifically looking for an intelligence template or something around their level that would be interesting.
Crag Linnorm skeleton is CR 6, too low for use as an army.
Advanced to 22 HD = Colossal, a CR 9 creature = a CR 1 army ... too squishy.
Skeletal Champion would be CR 7 [if I'm reading the Bestiary correct] for a standard crag linnorm.
If you're looking for something reaaally nasty, ravener might do better, but it'd put the CR in the 16-17 range...
Maybe there are a lot of other linnorms under there that Vordakai could animate... and there are doubtless a bunch of mammoths in the area; a host of skeletal mammoths, bears, etc., would be interesting.
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I'm intending to have the players approach the tomb as V releases his dread zombie army, one of those, "the sky gets dark and lighting crackles across the sky moments" and zombies pour out.
But just to foreshadow this I'd love to have the Linnorm rip itself free from the ground as they are exploring the hex. Make it one of those epic moments... something unique. The burning skeleton template looked promising.
A skeletal mammoth army.... is there some creature that is just a conglomeration of walking bones?
Edit: I'm thinking I might try and go shadows of the collosus or god of war moment here and use the "chase" rules for them to run up the massive creatures body to do battle with something on its heads animating it..... to cheezy? Maybe have haunts along the way.
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I'm intending to have the players approach the tomb as V releases his dread zombie army, one of those, "the sky gets dark and lighting crackles across the sky moments" and zombies pour out.
But just to foreshadow this I'd love to have the Linnorm rip itself free from the ground as they are exploring the hex. Make it one of those epic moments... something unique. The burning skeleton template looked promising.
A skeletal mammoth army.... is there some creature that is just a conglomeration of walking bones?
Edit: I'm thinking I might try and go shadows of the collosus or god of war moment here and use the "chase" rules for them to run up the massive creatures body to do battle with something on its heads animating it..... to cheezy? Maybe have haunts along the way.
Great visual ... keeps us posted.
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Here's my alpha writeup on this craziness.
Area R – Linnorm’s Grave
Backstory
Long ago an immense Craig Linnorm Krukjalfvir was slain by Armtag the mythical Tiger Lord hero. Now with the awakening of Vordakai, he has found the bones of this ancient creature relatively intact. Focusing his siphoned souls through the Occulus of Abaddon even from afar he is able to infuse the monstrosity with unlife.
Summary
Vordakai raises the long dead Craig Linnorm as an undead, but the spell is fragile, the players must find a way to reach the several fonts of necromantic power severing them before the beast becomes a powerful tool of destruction. PC’s will race via the chase rules up the beast to several points disrupting the magical fonts before finally ascending to the head of the beast to battle Vordakai’s minion within its skull.
Linnorm Statistics: 80’ Long, 15’ Wide, 20’ Tall; Chase cards should be arrainged in a line from skull to Tail. Moves 40’ per round, double moving at 80’. Treat Krukjalfvir as an unintelligent colossal object, similar to a mountain for the purposes of this scene. Its movements are guided by the Elemental in its skull. Given enough time, the negative energy fueling Krukjalfvir will form sentience on its own.
Skull, Neck, Neck, Shoulders, tail, tail, tail, tail end (Start of Chase).
Tail End – Swiping Tail Acrobatics DC 10/Perception 25
Tail Section x2 – Steep Crumbling Tail Acrobatics DC20/Climb DC10
Tail Section x1 – Broken Vertebrae Escape Artists DC15/Acrobatics DC20
Ribcage*x1 - Necromatic Font, Lumbering Shoulders Acrobatics DC20/Climb DC25
Neck x2 - Steep Crumbling Tail Acrobatics DC20/Climb DC10
Skull* – Necromatic Font, Huge Negative Elemental**, Hole in Skull Escape Artist DC25\Perception 10
*Treat the Skull/Ribcage as a 20’x 10’ platform that gives Improved Cover to those inside.
**Huge Negative Elemental – use the statistics for a Huge fire elemental, but change his damage type to Negative Energy, and change his vulnerability to Positive Energy.
Chase Rules: Follow all the normal rules for a chase (Game Mastery Guide pg. 232) with faster characters getting bonuses of +2, per 10 feet above base 30, flight still grants a +10, but receives a -4 due to heavy winds. Failing any check by 5 or more sends the character rolling back a card and takes 1d6 falling damage. Shortcuts: A character can shortcut and try and get on another part of the linnorm from the ribcage back, but add a +10 to the difficulty.
Along for the Ride: Any character may choose to stay in position by making a Ride Check DC 10. Characters using ranged weapons may choose to fire on up to 1 adjacent section away at a -4 penalty due to the wind. Spellcasters may additionally cast spells on adjacent sections if they can pass a defensive casting test.
Necromatic Font – Each Necromatic Font appears as a 3’ diameter mass of raw swirling bones and negative energy that inside can be seen a purplish unblinking eye. Each font grants the reainimated Krukjalfvir fast healing 10 and a cumulative DR5/Cold Iron. The font itself has AC21, HP: 45, fast healing 1, DR10/Cold Iron, Immune to Electricity; Acid and Fire resist 10. Unarmed attacks on the Necromatic font inflict 1d4 negative levels DC18 Fortitude to negate. Each font spews forth 1d4 negative energy bursts every round which unerringly strike anyone within 30’ for 1d4 negative energy damage each. Spells and effects that emit light deal 2d6 damage every round to a font as well as positive energy deals double damage.
Gusting Winds: The area around Krukjalfvir is under the effects of a windstorm and makes ranged attacks impossible. Flying (-4 due to heavy winds) becomes very hazardous as bones and debris are being flung everywhere failure on a fly check by 5 or more results in 2d6 damage from debris.
Chaotic Magical Firestorm : The powerful necromantic energy reacts strangely with the bones of the linnorm, every 1d6 rounds a gout of flames envelopes the windstorm dealing 1d6 fire and 1d6 negative energy damage to everything between 1d6x10 and 1d10x10 feet of the linnorm.
Edited a few times. Need Input!!!
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Fantastically amazing challenge
Holy cow, this is unbelievably cool. Most of my PCs are serious powerhouse damage-dealers, so I'm always looking for different ways to challenge them other than throwing high-HP foes at 'em. I haven't looked at chase rules since the GMG came out, but I'll look them over and possibly run through a test version, trying to predict how my PCs would fare. We have an oracle rather than a cleric, so there's a real weakness in the positive/negative energy department, but she still has access to powerful healing spells, so I'm really curious to see how it would go.
No joke, I got all excited just reading over your description here. It would look so amazing! I can't stop picturing my PCs engaging in heroic feats of bada$$ery on the back of this beautiful monstrosity. I do somewhat fear that it would overshadow more plot-important boss fights later on, because, seriously, how do you compete with Shadow of the Colossus? I gotta say, though, this is a great blueprint if you want your PCs to confront more of the Tane in post-KM adventures.
What CR were you thinking for this crazed creation? My PCs are already a level ahead of where they should be, and I don't really need to hand over any extra XP, but it would totally be worth it to see the looks on their faces as I describe this thing to them...
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Fantastically amazing challengeHoly cow, this is unbelievably cool. Most of my PCs are serious powerhouse damage-dealers, so I'm always looking for different ways to challenge them other than throwing high-HP foes at 'em. I haven't looked at chase rules since the GMG came out, but I'll look them over and possibly run through a test version, trying to predict how my PCs would fare. We have an oracle rather than a cleric, so there's a real weakness in the positive/negative energy department, but she still has access to powerful healing spells, so I'm really curious to see how it would go.
No joke, I got all excited just reading over your description here. It would look so amazing! I can't stop picturing my PCs engaging in heroic feats of bada$$ery on the back of this beautiful monstrosity. I do somewhat fear that it would overshadow more plot-important boss fights later on, because, seriously, how do you compete with Shadow of the Colossus? I gotta say, though, this is a great blueprint if you want your PCs to confront more of the Tane in post-KM adventures.
What CR were you thinking for this crazed creation? My PCs are already a level ahead of where they should be, and I don't really need to hand over any extra XP, but it would totally be worth it to see the looks on their faces as I describe this thing to them...
Great idea I hope it doesn't overshadow bad V!
@Courtney! I'm guessing just give a CR9 to the whole thing, the Huge Elemental is 7 and the font's are a minor threat, but the chase scene means they might come in staggered. The environmental hazard of the Chaotic Firestorm is fairly avoidable, it just keeps people from firebombing from afar, plus it has great visuals. I might even have it animate small burning skeletons in its wake, just as a "hey deal with this" thing. I just use level up points in my game.
@PJ Well I was looking through another AP I mashed up with Kingmaker (SD) and there is an instance where there is an environmental challenge that isn't a boss fight. It inspired me!
Thanks for the compliments! My group of PC's is usually 5-7 people, depending who shows, so I have to find strange ways to challenge them.
Concern about Heading:
Also, can anyone think of a good direction for the linnorm to be heading, given its in the plains a swath of fire would follow it, probably some burning skeletons rising up too. I'd think V might send it to some nearby small village like Nikta's Crossing, of course by the time it gets there I'd have it turn into more of a threat.
Concern about Player Inventiveness:
I'd probably have the thing come crashing down in pieces after the players defeat the elemental and all the fonts, probably would derail the campaign for them to have a giant walking engine of destruction.
Now I just need a really cool description about how clouds begin to swirl, strange colored lighting flashes, wind roaring and rising up, with dust flying everywhere and the ground trembles as the bones wrench themselves free combining around three dark voids that crackle with necromatic energy, it burts into existance with a gout of flame and a wave of black energy.
Edit: I had debated adding in a description about how all the joints and pieces of the thing appear to be held together by various ghosts and wailing undead, but I wanted my PC's to jump on the thing and not be to worried about touching it. I didn't add haunts or any extra battles to it because the party would be split. Though I could see where a DM might want to replace one of the SKILL challenges with a CMB challenge where they could bull rush a rising undead made out of mammoth parts off of the thing... Just make it a CR5 CMD of some undead. Also the PC's might not be absolutely sure that V is behind everything yet, so I left it a little vague on descriptions. They still might believe that they triggered a Nomen Centaur curse. Another tie in I'm using is that when one of my pc's died he was raised mysteriously by one of my players (who is the daughter of Sarenrae, making her a demigod, without the powers), but this angered Pharasma so he bleeds from his fingernails and if you read the story about Armtag, he did something similar so he was cursed by Pharasma with her Aeons.
The fonts are loosely based on the Bodak, if people need some saves for them.
Mounts chasing the thing: Just remember the fire burst will appear ahead and behind the linnorm so mounts might be running through burning grass.
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With some revisions:
Area R – Linnorm’s Grave
CR9
Backstory
Long ago an immense Craig Linnorm Krukjalfvir was slain by Armtag the mythical Tiger Lord hero. Now with the awakening of Vordakai, he has found the bones of this ancient creature relatively intact. Focusing his siphoned souls through the Occulus of Abaddon even from afar he is able to infuse the monstrosity with unlife.
Summary
Vordakai raises the long dead Craig Linnorm as an undead, but the spell is fragile, the players must find a way to reach the several fonts of necromantic power severing them before the beast becomes a powerful tool of destruction. PC’s will race via the chase rules up the beast to several points disrupting the magical fonts before finally ascending to the head of the beast to battle Vordakai’s minion within its skull. If the characters choose not to deal with this threat it proceeds to cause havoc to nearby settlements, farms, and tribes leaving Burning Skeletons (Bestiary) in its wake, unheeded this threat may become powerful enough that it could require an army to stop. Suggested Mass combat abilities Regeneration, Breath Weapon, Mobility and possibly the ability to raise small mindless undead armies in places where it defeats others.
Description of Event
A low rumbling of thunder is heard echoing through the hills and as the clouds darken and roil in the overcast sky above, the wind gusts harshly knocking the sea of grass down and whipping it about. A bolt of black lightning strikes the nearby hilltop, where the massive bones of an ancient linnorm lie covered in moss, feathered tokens, pottery, and other tribal offerings, again and again the lighting strikes, a fierce thundering booms from the sky above and the dark clouds begin to swirl, small rocks and grass tumble by born aloft by the churning winds. A herd of mastadons seem unperturbed until a crumbling eruption of dirt and rocks bursts from the hillside and the long treelike bones ascend and swirl among three terrible and dark spheres suspended in the maelstrom that are repeatedly struck by lightning. The swirling conglomeration of massive bones and crackling dark light solidify in the near shape of a colossal skeletal linnorm, nearly a hundred feet long towering over the nearby hills. A pulse of black energy and flame sear forth from its bulk enveloping the entirety of the hillside for a hundred feet setting a massive brush fire. The colossal beast seems to be host to a pair of darkly glowing and swirling fonts of energy, one in its ribcage and another in its terrifying skull, its curved teeth as large as a horse. The ground shakes as it finishes ripping itself from the rocky earth leaving a gaping valley behind as the creature charges off into the hills at a quick pace. The ground trembles with every footstep and its three pronged skeletal tail lies low crushing the underbrush as it whips across the searing plains.
Perception DC20 – The swirling clouds above the linnorm have a slight red hue, there is a powerful necromantic spell effect hovering over the linnorm as it moves. Close observation is a pale red eye that shines like torchlight.
Linnorm Statistics: 80’ Long, 15’ Wide, 20’ Tall; Chase cards should be arrainged in a line from skull to Tail. Moves 40’ per round, double moving at 80’. Treat Krukjalfvir as an unintelligent colossal object, similar to a mountain for the purposes of this scene. Its movements are guided by the Elemental in its skull. Given enough time, the negative energy fueling Krukjalfvir will form sentience on its own.
Skull, Neck, Neck, Shoulders, tail, tail, tail, tail end (Start of Chase).
Tail End – Swiping Tail Acrobatics DC 10/Perception 25
Tail Section x2 – Steep Crumbling Tail Acrobatics DC20/Climb DC10
Tail Section x1 – Broken Vertebrae Escape Artists DC15/Acrobatics DC20
Ribcage*x1 - Necromatic Font, Lumbering Shoulders Acrobatics DC20/Climb DC25
Neck x2 - Steep Crumbling Tail Acrobatics DC20/Climb DC10
Skull* – Necromatic Font, Huge Negative Elemental**, Hole in Skull Escape Artist DC25\Perception 10
*Treat the Skull/Ribcage as a 20’x 10’ platform that gives Improved Cover to those inside.
**Huge Negative Elemental – use the statistics for a Huge fire elemental, but change his damage type to Negative Energy, and change his vulnerability to Positive Energy.
Chase Rules: Follow all the normal rules for a chase (Game Mastery Guide pg. 232) with faster characters getting bonuses of +2, per 10 feet above base 30, flight still grants a +10, but receives a -4 due to heavy winds. Failing any check by 5 or more sends the character rolling back a card and takes 1d6 falling damage. Shortcuts: A character can shortcut and try and get on another part of the linnorm from the ribcage back, but add a +10 to the difficulty.
Necromatic Font – Each Necromatic Font appears as a 3’ diameter mass of raw swirling bones and negative energy that inside can be seen a purplish unblinking eye. Each font grants the reainimated Krukjalfvir fast healing 10 and a cumulative DR5/Cold Iron. The font itself has AC21, HP: 45, fast healing 1, DR10/Cold Iron, Immune to Electricity, Mind Effects, Death Effects; Saves +6, Acid and Fire resist 10. Unarmed attacks on the Necromatic font inflict 1d4 negative levels DC18 Fortitude to negate. Each font spews forth 1d4 negative energy bursts every round which unerringly strike anyone within 30’ for 1d4 negative energy damage each. Spells and effects that emit light deal 2d6 damage every round to a font as well as positive energy deals double damage.
Gusting Winds: The area around Krukjalfvir is under the effects of a windstorm and makes ranged attacks impossible in the area. Flying (-4 due to heavy winds) becomes very hazardous as bones and debris are being flung everywhere failure on a fly check by 5 or more results in 2d6 damage from debris.
Along for the Ride: Any character may choose to stay in position by making a Ride Check DC 10. Characters using ranged weapons may choose to fire on up to 1 adjacent section away at a -4 penalty due to the wind. Spellcasters may additionally cast spells on adjacent sections if they can pass a defensive casting test.
Chaotic Magical Firestorm : The powerful necromantic energy reacts strangely with the bones of the linnorm, every 1d6 rounds a gout of flames envelopes the windstorm dealing 1d6 fire and 1d6 negative energy damage to everything between 1d6x10 and 1d10x10 feet of the linnorm. The firestorm is accompanied by an area of red hued overcast that blocks natural sunlight as per control weather.
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cool! Cool! COOL!
I had some ideas about it being a holy site of the Nomen, taking them to some kind of dream land, but this is awesome.
Seriously considering it! Thanks for sharing!
Ruyan.
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With some revisions:
Area R – Linnorm’s Grave
CR9
Backstory
Long ago an immense Craig Linnorm Krukjalfvir was slain by Armtag the mythical Tiger Lord hero. Now with the awakening of Vordakai, he has found the bones of this ancient creature relatively intact. Focusing his siphoned souls through the Occulus of Abaddon even from afar he is able to infuse the monstrosity with unlife.Summary
Vordakai raises the long dead Craig Linnorm as an undead, but the spell is fragile, the players must find a way to reach the several fonts of necromantic power severing them before the beast becomes a powerful tool of destruction. PC’s will race via the chase rules up the beast to several points disrupting the magical fonts before finally ascending to the head of the beast to battle Vordakai’s minion within its skull. If the characters choose not to deal with this threat it proceeds to cause havoc to nearby settlements, farms, and tribes leaving Burning Skeletons (Bestiary) in its wake, unheeded this threat may become powerful enough that it could require an army to stop. Suggested Mass combat abilities Regeneration, Breath Weapon, Mobility and possibly the ability to raise small mindless undead armies in places where it defeats others.Description of Event
A low rumbling of thunder is heard echoing through the hills and as the clouds darken and roil in the overcast sky above, the wind gusts harshly knocking the sea of grass down and whipping it about. A bolt of black lightning strikes the nearby hilltop, where the massive bones of an ancient linnorm lie covered in moss, feathered tokens, pottery, and other tribal offerings, again and again the lighting strikes, a fierce thundering booms from the sky above and the dark clouds begin to swirl, small rocks and grass tumble by born aloft by the churning winds. A herd of mastadons seem unperturbed until a crumbling eruption of dirt and rocks bursts from the hillside and the long treelike bones ascend and swirl among three terrible and dark spheres...
James, I'm probably gonna have to borrow your idea for my campaign. Great visuals and I've already adjusted big V any way. Thanks for sharing.
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Thanks for the inspiration!
I ran this last week to great success. I adjusted somewhat, making him a bit bigger, and made it so that there were multiple points of entry, or could be fought (poorly) from the ground).
Here's the Google doc I made:
(The name is also different for my campaign.)
I did a battle like this for the Talonquake Owlbear in Chapter Two and my players loved it. They'll be happy to see "Colossus Battle" was not a one-shot event =D
Great visual reminds me of a boss in Zelda Twilight Princess.
I would suggest revising the fact that every part of the chase scene can be navigated with a boss acrobatics as someone is sure to buff that particularly high and make this easy... Also, I think I would cast spideclimb...
Or summon something with spiderclimb. Or if I was a druid morp intosomething with a climb speed...
