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Drow Stash [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Gurv
02-18-08, 08:01 PM I'm looking for a few ideas. I've done some heavy modifications to some of the adventure hooks in SoX.

In my version, Prokres the Death Giant was given the clouded shard by the dragon Chorranthau (yes, from MM5) because the Prophecy says that as long as it remains in the hands of the death giants, it will not be reforged. Should it be reforged, it will play a role in the ascension of the dracolich in the Lair of The Keeper.

The drow stole the clouded shard from Prokres and hid it in a temple that he cannot get into. Thus, he threatened the PCs and tried to get them to get it back for him. Unfortunately for that plot, I forgot that they happened to have an arrow of giant slaying from a previous treasure, and with a natural 1 on his save, Prokres is now worse than dead. The PCs decided that anything that a death giant wanted is better off hidden, so they left it.

Anyhow. The dragon has enlightened them at this point, and done a better job at intimidating them. The PCs have determined, by questioning some drow, that the place where the shard is hidden is where the drow stick all kinds of things that they consider better-off-forgotten. Next game, they'll be going inside, dealing with the defenses that the drow put there to keep treasure hunters away, and attempting to get the shard back into the hands of the death giants before the Prophecy is fulfilled.

But what other items would the drow have put in there? There have to be several items that the drow would want to keep from their enemies, but not use themselves. It wouldn't just be gold or gems. But I also don't want things that are too powerful themselves. The clouded shard should be the most valuable thing in there.

Any ideas?
BlackDragon71425
02-18-08, 10:15 PM Elvenbane weapons? I'd think they'd hate those, but wouldn't want their enemies to have them either.
Cloud Divider
02-19-08, 11:18 PM Who's to say that the clouded shard ISN'T the only thing in there?

The drow who stole it may easily have been aware of it's significance, and went out of their way to ensure its security.

If you bury it with other magical doodads, or a mighty treasure hoard, you're just giving the eventual tomb-robbers even more excuses to come in and steal the treasure that's better off un-stolen. Even if the existence of the shard fades into antiquity, rumors of a great hidden treasure of gold/silver/elvenbane arsenals IS going to get attention.

Now, obviously, you're wanting cool loot to give your players.

This vault has been around a LONG time. Thousands of years.

All the major players are aware of the shard, and would have an interest in acquiring it.

A few thousand years is more than enough time to have dozens of unsuccessful raiding parties.

THEY'VE got loot. Maybe they're elven parties (perhaps Aerenal dissidents, looking for leverage against an opposing faction); or maybe Lhazaar, or other pre-Galifar cultures. Hobgoblins. Drow. Yuan-ti. The list goes on and on!

Sure, some of the the predecessors scavenged what they found (from the LAST unsuccessful party). But perhaps the next band that came through got TPK'd. So you could very easily have all sorts of interesting magical doodads in there.
Gurv
02-21-08, 10:54 PM If you bury it with other magical doodads, or a mighty treasure hoard, you're just giving the eventual tomb-robbers even more excuses to come in and steal the treasure that's better off un-stolen. Even if the existence of the shard fades into antiquity, rumors of a great hidden treasure of gold/silver/elvenbane arsenals IS going to get attention.
The way I'm running it, the Shard of Arcane Endowment isn't well known. Or at least, those who do know of it have no idea that it still exists. It was, after all, destroyed during the fall of the Giant Empire. Finding the pieces and putting them back together is a bit far-fetched, unless you know the details we know.

The drow don't know the significance of the clouded shard. Their history doesn't remember it, and it doesn't do anything that they are aware of. But they do know that the death giants keep it as safe as they can. When the opportunity strikes, they take it simply because their enemies value it. They have no idea how mighty it would be if it were reforged, and they can't conceive of the role the Prophecy gives it.

So, figuring it to be a bad item but not an immediate threat, they put it where they put other distasteful items. I put in some elvenbane weapons, a pair of bracers of dawn, and some scrolls with light and good spells on them that Vulkoor's priests don't quite know what to do with.

The drow logic on this is that there isn't much point in attracting angry death giants into your camp by hiding their gems in your hut. Instead, use the things you don't want as bait for your trap-filled dungeon of doom.

Also, there was an amulet of of inescapable location in the treasure. No sense in losing all that adventurer bait.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gurv 02-18-08, 08:01 PM	I'm looking for a few ideas. I've done some heavy modifications to some of the adventure hooks in SoX. In my version, Prokres the Death Giant was given the clouded shard by the dragon Chorranthau (yes, from MM5) because the Prophecy says that as long as it remains in the hands of the death giants, it will not be reforged. Should it be reforged, it will play a role in the ascension of the dracolich in the Lair of The Keeper. The drow stole the clouded shard from Prokres and hid it in a temple that he cannot get into. Thus, he threatened the PCs and tried to get them to get it back for him. Unfortunately for that plot, I forgot that they happened to have an arrow of giant slaying from a previous treasure, and with a natural 1 on his save, Prokres is now worse than dead. The PCs decided that anything that a death giant wanted is better off hidden, so they left it. Anyhow. The dragon has enlightened them at this point, and done a better job at intimidating them. The PCs have determined, by questioning some drow, that the place where the shard is hidden is where the drow stick all kinds of things that they consider better-off-forgotten. Next game, they'll be going inside, dealing with the defenses that the drow put there to keep treasure hunters away, and attempting to get the shard back into the hands of the death giants before the Prophecy is fulfilled. But what other items would the drow have put in there? There have to be several items that the drow would want to keep from their enemies, but not use themselves. It wouldn't just be gold or gems. But I also don't want things that are too powerful themselves. The clouded shard should be the most valuable thing in there. Any ideas?
BlackDragon71425 02-18-08, 10:15 PM	Elvenbane weapons? I'd think they'd hate those, but wouldn't want their enemies to have them either.
Cloud Divider 02-19-08, 11:18 PM	Who's to say that the clouded shard ISN'T the only thing in there? The drow who stole it may easily have been aware of it's significance, and went out of their way to ensure its security. If you bury it with other magical doodads, or a mighty treasure hoard, you're just giving the eventual tomb-robbers even more excuses to come in and steal the treasure that's better off un-stolen. Even if the existence of the shard fades into antiquity, rumors of a great hidden treasure of gold/silver/elvenbane arsenals IS going to get attention. Now, obviously, you're wanting cool loot to give your players. This vault has been around a LONG time. Thousands of years. All the major players are aware of the shard, and would have an interest in acquiring it. A few thousand years is more than enough time to have dozens of unsuccessful raiding parties. THEY'VE got loot. Maybe they're elven parties (perhaps Aerenal dissidents, looking for leverage against an opposing faction); or maybe Lhazaar, or other pre-Galifar cultures. Hobgoblins. Drow. Yuan-ti. The list goes on and on! Sure, some of the the predecessors scavenged what they found (from the LAST unsuccessful party). But perhaps the next band that came through got TPK'd. So you could very easily have all sorts of interesting magical doodads in there.
Gurv 02-21-08, 10:54 PM	If you bury it with other magical doodads, or a mighty treasure hoard, you're just giving the eventual tomb-robbers even more excuses to come in and steal the treasure that's better off un-stolen. Even if the existence of the shard fades into antiquity, rumors of a great hidden treasure of gold/silver/elvenbane arsenals IS going to get attention. The way I'm running it, the Shard of Arcane Endowment isn't well known. Or at least, those who do know of it have no idea that it still exists. It was, after all, destroyed during the fall of the Giant Empire. Finding the pieces and putting them back together is a bit far-fetched, unless you know the details we know. The drow don't know the significance of the clouded shard. Their history doesn't remember it, and it doesn't do anything that they are aware of. But they do know that the death giants keep it as safe as they can. When the opportunity strikes, they take it simply because their enemies value it. They have no idea how mighty it would be if it were reforged, and they can't conceive of the role the Prophecy gives it. So, figuring it to be a bad item but not an immediate threat, they put it where they put other distasteful items. I put in some elvenbane weapons, a pair of bracers of dawn, and some scrolls with light and good spells on them that Vulkoor's priests don't quite know what to do with. The drow logic on this is that there isn't much point in attracting angry death giants into your camp by hiding their gems in your hut. Instead, use the things you don't want as bait for your trap-filled dungeon of doom. Also, there was an amulet of of inescapable location in the treasure. No sense in losing all that adventurer bait.