Looking for an interesting climax [Archive] - Wizards Community

Looking for an interesting climax [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Gregthavious
03-12-07, 01:23 AM I want to have an interesting battle to finish the current adventure, and would like any kind of ideas or feedback.

Here's the setup. The PCs are 3rd level (Elf Clr3 [BoV], Shifter Bab2/Rog1, Human Sor3, Gnome Brd3, Elf Rng3)

The PCs, along with NPC Thorren d'Tharask are exploring an area of the Shadow Marches searching for Eberron shards. They've had mediocre success, and Thorren is confident they'll be able to make some money off the shards they've found, and off future shards harvested from the area. They've talked with a goblin druid, fought ettercaps and ghouls, seen the horrors of a goblin-troglodyte skirmish, and found a large, winged skeleton worshiped by kobolds and their drake mounts. They've found a stash of untouched Eberron shards (no geodes, yet) and were almost eviscerated by a a fiendish boar.

The catch is they were beaten to the area by a rival in House Tharask, who Thorren believes is the crafty artificer Savic d'Aastha (pun intended, as he likes to use gadgets and keep his crew well outfitted and always have an answer). The two sides fought a brief battle on the deck of an airship, where the PCs dispatched some 1/2 orc grunts and seriously wounded Savic's right hand, er, orc, a Warlock 2/Cleric 2 (Dragon Below). No one saw Savic, but everyone is confident he's involved (which is true).

Upon arriving, the PCs went north from a small goblin village (who act very friendly, but, unbeknown to the party, will try to sacrifice the PCs to a giant toad if they stay another night in the village. Currently they're sleeping outdoors as the village is too far away), while Savic went south and coerced local troglodytes into service. I want to have a memorable battle between the PCs and Savic to wrap up the adventure, and possibly determine who is able to claim rights to the area, but am at a loss of what to do. Savic is unnaturally intelligent, and his lieutenant is brutal and loyal.

Any ideas?
ratslinky
03-12-07, 01:40 AM Well you could start the fight and then have an earthquake or something like that which then means that they end up fighting in quicksand while some other disaster happens as well
Splendide
03-12-07, 07:32 AM The monsoon arrives. They're dealing with flooding, debris, torrential rain and of course CROCODILES
DyloniusFunk
03-12-07, 12:39 PM I want to have an interesting battle to finish the current adventure, and would like any kind of ideas or feedback.

Here's the setup. The PCs are 3rd level (Elf Clr3 [BoV], Shifter Bab2/Rog1, Human Sor3, Gnome Brd3, Elf Rng3)

The PCs, along with NPC Thorren d'Tharask are exploring an area of the Shadow Marches searching for Eberron shards. They've had mediocre success, and Thorren is confident they'll be able to make some money off the shards they've found, and off future shards harvested from the area. They've talked with a goblin druid, fought ettercaps and ghouls, seen the horrors of a goblin-troglodyte skirmish, and found a large, winged skeleton worshiped by kobolds and their drake mounts. They've found a stash of untouched Eberron shards (no geodes, yet) and were almost eviscerated by a a fiendish boar.

The catch is they were beaten to the area by a rival in House Tharask, who Thorren believes is the crafty artificer Savic d'Aastha (pun intended, as he likes to use gadgets and keep his crew well outfitted and always have an answer). The two sides fought a brief battle on the deck of an airship, where the PCs dispatched some 1/2 orc grunts and seriously wounded Savic's right hand, er, orc, a Warlock 2/Cleric 2 (Dragon Below). No one saw Savic, but everyone is confident he's involved (which is true).

Upon arriving, the PCs went north from a small goblin village (who act very friendly, but, unbeknown to the party, will try to sacrifice the PCs to a giant toad if they stay another night in the village. Currently they're sleeping outdoors as the village is too far away), while Savic went south and coerced local troglodytes into service. I want to have a memorable battle between the PCs and Savic to wrap up the adventure, and possibly determine who is able to claim rights to the area, but am at a loss of what to do. Savic is unnaturally intelligent, and his lieutenant is brutal and loyal.

Any ideas?

Ok so you got the party and thier House Thrashk ally, and you got his rival in the house and whatever allies/servants he can muster. So the PC are fighting the trogs and maybe the right hand man they fought earlier.
Have the house ally tlel them PC that he will handle Savic, as the house takes care of it's own problem, it's a family affair, etc. If the players have any knowledge of mobster films or shows, hopefully they'll agree and roll with the punches.

So the battle is going along and when it seems like a good time, have the ground start moving and swelling. Then have a big hole appear and two dolgriums or oor other CR appropriate Kyber denizens appear. After all this is the Shadow Marches, the main front for the Xoriat-Gatekeeper War. Hopefully if all goes according to plan, the PC and the rival will stop fighting each other to handle the unexpected enemies from Kyber.

Think of it like the battle of 5 armies from the Hobbit. You have Dwarves against the ElvenKing and his human allies, then suddenly right ebfore all out battle begins Gandalf comes riding in yelling about goblins coming. Anyway after the battle, the PC have to decide if they want to keep fighting Savic and his crew. if savic is in abd shape, he may yield. have him tell the PC that he begrudgingly owes them a debt for not backstabing him during the skirmish with the dolgriums or whatever came out of the ground. he then tells the ally that the busoiness between them is not over yet but for now he will give them some breathing room, as thier are plenty of other places to find shards. But make sure he lets them know he won't be going anyway anytime soon. So that way you have a climactic battle with a twist and a possible recuring NPC villian or even perhaps become a reluctant ally if you want.
Kensan_Oni
03-13-07, 02:26 AM If you are looking for twists, there is just one thought that occures to me. Both parties went looking for dragonshards, and found a cache of them. Not Geod stones, but havested Ebberon Crystals.

Now, it's obvious to me neither the Goblins or the Trogs harvested them, or the conflict would have been over by now. However, no one has yet to pop up to object to this fight.

Obviously, the people who escavated the stone must show up at some point and object.

My thought, just cause this would be a perfect time to plug in a Psion race if you haven't had them pop up yet, is to have a Dromite population track down the people who stole their cache of shards and demand that they return their property back to them. Dromites live in hidden cities, and make a good surprise kind of encounter. A 4th or fifth level Wilder with warriors backing him up could throw things in chaos.

Otherwise, I like DyloniusFunk's last paragraph, and would use half his idea... I just think that having the rightful owner pop up and try to reclaim the dragonshards just makes much more sense.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Gregthavious 03-12-07, 01:23 AM	I want to have an interesting battle to finish the current adventure, and would like any kind of ideas or feedback. Here's the setup. The PCs are 3rd level (Elf Clr3 [BoV], Shifter Bab2/Rog1, Human Sor3, Gnome Brd3, Elf Rng3) The PCs, along with NPC Thorren d'Tharask are exploring an area of the Shadow Marches searching for Eberron shards. They've had mediocre success, and Thorren is confident they'll be able to make some money off the shards they've found, and off future shards harvested from the area. They've talked with a goblin druid, fought ettercaps and ghouls, seen the horrors of a goblin-troglodyte skirmish, and found a large, winged skeleton worshiped by kobolds and their drake mounts. They've found a stash of untouched Eberron shards (no geodes, yet) and were almost eviscerated by a a fiendish boar. The catch is they were beaten to the area by a rival in House Tharask, who Thorren believes is the crafty artificer Savic d'Aastha (pun intended, as he likes to use gadgets and keep his crew well outfitted and always have an answer). The two sides fought a brief battle on the deck of an airship, where the PCs dispatched some 1/2 orc grunts and seriously wounded Savic's right hand, er, orc, a Warlock 2/Cleric 2 (Dragon Below). No one saw Savic, but everyone is confident he's involved (which is true). Upon arriving, the PCs went north from a small goblin village (who act very friendly, but, unbeknown to the party, will try to sacrifice the PCs to a giant toad if they stay another night in the village. Currently they're sleeping outdoors as the village is too far away), while Savic went south and coerced local troglodytes into service. I want to have a memorable battle between the PCs and Savic to wrap up the adventure, and possibly determine who is able to claim rights to the area, but am at a loss of what to do. Savic is unnaturally intelligent, and his lieutenant is brutal and loyal. Any ideas?
ratslinky 03-12-07, 01:40 AM	Well you could start the fight and then have an earthquake or something like that which then means that they end up fighting in quicksand while some other disaster happens as well
Splendide 03-12-07, 07:32 AM	The monsoon arrives. They're dealing with flooding, debris, torrential rain and of course CROCODILES
DyloniusFunk 03-12-07, 12:39 PM	I want to have an interesting battle to finish the current adventure, and would like any kind of ideas or feedback. Here's the setup. The PCs are 3rd level (Elf Clr3 [BoV], Shifter Bab2/Rog1, Human Sor3, Gnome Brd3, Elf Rng3) The PCs, along with NPC Thorren d'Tharask are exploring an area of the Shadow Marches searching for Eberron shards. They've had mediocre success, and Thorren is confident they'll be able to make some money off the shards they've found, and off future shards harvested from the area. They've talked with a goblin druid, fought ettercaps and ghouls, seen the horrors of a goblin-troglodyte skirmish, and found a large, winged skeleton worshiped by kobolds and their drake mounts. They've found a stash of untouched Eberron shards (no geodes, yet) and were almost eviscerated by a a fiendish boar. The catch is they were beaten to the area by a rival in House Tharask, who Thorren believes is the crafty artificer Savic d'Aastha (pun intended, as he likes to use gadgets and keep his crew well outfitted and always have an answer). The two sides fought a brief battle on the deck of an airship, where the PCs dispatched some 1/2 orc grunts and seriously wounded Savic's right hand, er, orc, a Warlock 2/Cleric 2 (Dragon Below). No one saw Savic, but everyone is confident he's involved (which is true). Upon arriving, the PCs went north from a small goblin village (who act very friendly, but, unbeknown to the party, will try to sacrifice the PCs to a giant toad if they stay another night in the village. Currently they're sleeping outdoors as the village is too far away), while Savic went south and coerced local troglodytes into service. I want to have a memorable battle between the PCs and Savic to wrap up the adventure, and possibly determine who is able to claim rights to the area, but am at a loss of what to do. Savic is unnaturally intelligent, and his lieutenant is brutal and loyal. Any ideas? Ok so you got the party and thier House Thrashk ally, and you got his rival in the house and whatever allies/servants he can muster. So the PC are fighting the trogs and maybe the right hand man they fought earlier. Have the house ally tlel them PC that he will handle Savic, as the house takes care of it's own problem, it's a family affair, etc. If the players have any knowledge of mobster films or shows, hopefully they'll agree and roll with the punches. So the battle is going along and when it seems like a good time, have the ground start moving and swelling. Then have a big hole appear and two dolgriums or oor other CR appropriate Kyber denizens appear. After all this is the Shadow Marches, the main front for the Xoriat-Gatekeeper War. Hopefully if all goes according to plan, the PC and the rival will stop fighting each other to handle the unexpected enemies from Kyber. Think of it like the battle of 5 armies from the Hobbit. You have Dwarves against the ElvenKing and his human allies, then suddenly right ebfore all out battle begins Gandalf comes riding in yelling about goblins coming. Anyway after the battle, the PC have to decide if they want to keep fighting Savic and his crew. if savic is in abd shape, he may yield. have him tell the PC that he begrudgingly owes them a debt for not backstabing him during the skirmish with the dolgriums or whatever came out of the ground. he then tells the ally that the busoiness between them is not over yet but for now he will give them some breathing room, as thier are plenty of other places to find shards. But make sure he lets them know he won't be going anyway anytime soon. So that way you have a climactic battle with a twist and a possible recuring NPC villian or even perhaps become a reluctant ally if you want.
Kensan_Oni 03-13-07, 02:26 AM	If you are looking for twists, there is just one thought that occures to me. Both parties went looking for dragonshards, and found a cache of them. Not Geod stones, but havested Ebberon Crystals. Now, it's obvious to me neither the Goblins or the Trogs harvested them, or the conflict would have been over by now. However, no one has yet to pop up to object to this fight. Obviously, the people who escavated the stone must show up at some point and object. My thought, just cause this would be a perfect time to plug in a Psion race if you haven't had them pop up yet, is to have a Dromite population track down the people who stole their cache of shards and demand that they return their property back to them. Dromites live in hidden cities, and make a good surprise kind of encounter. A 4th or fifth level Wilder with warriors backing him up could throw things in chaos. Otherwise, I like DyloniusFunk's last paragraph, and would use half his idea... I just think that having the rightful owner pop up and try to reclaim the dragonshards just makes much more sense.