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8 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 2:01PM
#1
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I've been trying to connect some dots for Saturday's upcoming session and need help. The party has successfully exposed and imprisoned an underground Banite ne'er-do-well and he's about to be hung for his crimes. He answers to a beholder kingpin named Lord Markuul, who the party knows about, but has remained evasive to-date. In the upcoming session I'd like to have Lord Markuul and the Banite all dispatched and move the party onto bigger, better, and badder things. Problem is, I can't for the life of me settle on how to go about it. I know there's not a lot to go on, but do y'all have any ideas?
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8 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 2:09PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Mar 13, 2008
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How about the party getting the information about a meeting between the Banite and the Beholder, outside of town to stay away from prying eyes? It would be the ideal spot for the party to ambush them. You can make half of the session be about the preparation for the ambush and the other half of the session be one epic battle.
Heroic Dungeon Master
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8 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 2:13PM
#3
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I sometimes get inspiration from artifacts and I'm thinking of hanging the Banite, but as his body is carried away, Lord Markuul has some henchmen seize the undertaker and his cart (insert basic skill challenge here to chase down the foes). Succeed or fail at the skill challenge, the party discovers that Lord Markuul is desperate to recover the body in order to obtain said artifact or use speak with dead ritual to locate the artifact's current hiding place (insert role-playing/exploration portion here). This route would bring the party face-to-face with the beholder (insert melee portion here) and provide a hook into the next adventure.
Anyway, this idea is really raw, but it's all my tired little brain has conceived of so far...
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8 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 2:15PM
#4
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Date Joined:
Nov 17, 2011
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The bainite offers to sell out his master in return for commuting his sentence (maybe to 5 years or something). Perfectly realistic, and if you want him dead, there's lots of ways later.
Then you have the perfect fight in the perfect setting - Markuul's lair. Remember, beholders float, you can have all sorts of floor traps. It should be a VERY entertaining battle.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 10, 2012 - 3:05PM
#5
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How about the party getting the information about a meeting between the Banite and the Beholder, outside of town to stay away from prying eyes? It would be the ideal spot for the party to ambush them. You can make half of the session be about the preparation for the ambush and the other half of the session be one epic battle.
+1.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 12, 2012 - 8:06AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Jun 25, 2009
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I would just like to ask...
How the hell does a beholder walk anywhere?
My username should actually read: Lunar Savage (damn you WotC!)
*Tips top hat, adjusts monocle, and walks away with cane* and yes, that IS Mr. Peanut laying unconscious on the curb.
http://asylumjournals.tumblr.com/
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8 months ago ::
Oct 12, 2012 - 8:28AM
#7
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How about the party getting the information about a meeting between the Banite and the Beholder, outside of town to stay away from prying eyes? It would be the ideal spot for the party to ambush them. You can make half of the session be about the preparation for the ambush and the other half of the session be one epic battle.
Epic? Or one-round nova combat, where everyone unpacks dailies with their action points on top, and a short session.
I like the "steal the body and investigate" suggestion better. Makes for a longer, more satisfying payoff. Along with some hench-battles to soak a daily or two out of your players, when trying to recover the body.
As a DM, I find it easier to just punish the players no matter what they pick, as I assume they will pick stuff that is broken. I mean, fight after fight they kill all the monsters without getting killed themselves! What sort of a game is this, anyway?
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8 months ago ::
Oct 12, 2012 - 3:36PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Jun 20, 2012
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How about the party getting the information about a meeting between the Banite and the Beholder, outside of town to stay away from prying eyes? It would be the ideal spot for the party to ambush them. You can make half of the session be about the preparation for the ambush and the other half of the session be one epic battle.
I was thinking something similar, except that the meeting would be in the beholder's lair. If you like dungeons and what-not you could make it a big deal. If not, it could be a lair of minor pesty weak goblins that worship the beholder like a god and thus protect his lair. The beholder may occasionally use his powers to help them with their goblin traps, since characters fighting such a many-eyed monster might not be challenged by a weak little goblin force and d6 spear trap. The beholder isn't going to want smart powerful monsters, though, so this might work well. Plus, they can get some treasure for their trouble and maybe uncover something that might urge them on to the next set of adventures.
A rogue with a bowl of slop can be a controller.
WIZARD PC: Can I substitute Celestial Roc Guano for my fireball spells?
DM: Awesome. Yes.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 12, 2012 - 3:37PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jun 20, 2012
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I would just like to ask...
How the hell does a beholder walk anywhere?
First he uses telekinesis on his left shoe. Then right. Left, right, left.
A rogue with a bowl of slop can be a controller.
WIZARD PC: Can I substitute Celestial Roc Guano for my fireball spells?
DM: Awesome. Yes.
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8 months ago ::
Oct 12, 2012 - 3:48PM
#10
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Date Joined:
Jun 20, 2012
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The bainite offers to sell out his master in return for commuting his sentence (maybe to 5 years or something). Perfectly realistic, and if you want him dead, there's lots of ways later.
Then you have the perfect fight in the perfect setting - Markuul's lair. Remember, beholders float, you can have all sorts of floor traps. It should be a VERY entertaining battle.
I like that.
Some more ideas to use as you will: A long flight up spiral stepped hall as they make their way to the top of a burned-out tower might be cool. Gargoyles and such occasionally blocking the way as they pass by numerous alcoves. Everyone taking cover behind pillars as they try to make their way closer and the beholder blasting a hole in the side of the tower and flying out trying to blast them through arrow slits.
A rogue with a bowl of slop can be a controller.
WIZARD PC: Can I substitute Celestial Roc Guano for my fireball spells?
DM: Awesome. Yes.
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