Halo of Flies [Archive] - Wizards Community

Halo of Flies [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Mordent_Sage
08-15-06, 05:22 AM Hi there everyone. I'm starting a new campaign (as GM), and I want a secret cabal of Big Baddies (Twisted Rune style) running through the storylines. They're gonna have a vermin theme (hence the name), because I feel vermin are under-used.

The point of this thread (yes, I have a point!) is I need ideas for the members of the Halo of Flies. The overall goals of the cabal I've got (but more ideas are apreciated!) The party is tenth level, three people (they turned out very combat based - grey orc barbarian, elven archer and asimar fighter/pious templar).

Ideas I've had so far:
- Worm that Walks (they're kinda hard, so he/it will be a late on baddie)
- Vermin mage (PrC, not so sure on the name, from BoVD)
- Chosen fighter of a verminous god
- Awakened vermin (kinda far out, but it might work).

What other ideas do people have. I'd like class, race, concept, background, whatever you can think of, fitting the verminous theme.

PS: Bonus points to anyone who recognises where the name Halo of Flies comes from!
Bladesong
08-15-06, 11:33 AM Hmm... how about a queen bee? The cabal's leader could be a very powerful female mage, as that's usually the case.

Does "Halo of Flies" come from William Golding's desperate attempt to prove to the world that he could write allegory, Lord of the Flies?
Dxzauvrinn
08-15-06, 07:53 PM I've actually had some vermin villains in the Underdark campaign I'm running so I'll pass them on to you. Tell me what ya think! P.S. The Worm That Walks is a good one, but as you pointed out, it's pretty powerful so it should probably be the cabal's leader.

A meazel druid/vermin keeper (a prestige class in Underdark) (I wanted a nasty revolting toady type villain for this one so I made him humped back with a cowardly/crazy personality like Golem from Lord of the Rings. I chose giant roaches as his vermin companion of choice. I would make him the lower level member of the cabal and the one who harasses the PCs the most.)

A chitine rogue/yathchol webrider (a prestige class in Underdark) (can summon giant spiders and sooting webbing) (I'd also use him as a creepy lower level member of the cabal)

An aranea druid/master of flies (prestige class from Savage Species that allows creature to transform into swarms)(mid-level villain)

A ettercap sorcerer/arachnomancer (mid-level villian)

A thri-kreen barbarian/ranger (serves as the cabal's muscle)

An ice devil with hellwasps and advespa baatezu minions (high ranking)

A formian queen (higher ranking)

A craa'ghoran giant entomanothrope bonespear fighter (bigger, badder muscle for the cabal)

A elder psurlon wizard (higher level villain, has man psurlon and various giant worm minions)

A beholder director (higher level villain, uses it's verminbond ability to ride and control a megapede)

A protean scourge vampire swarmshifter assassin (swarmshifter template found in Libris Mortas) (higher ranking villain, the cabal's elite killer)

A vermin lord (a race that can control all sorts of vermin, found in MM3) (high level villain, perhaps right beneath the worm that walks in rank)

A worm that walks (the cabal's master)

Minions of the cabal: knell beetles, giant spiders, giant roaches, giant maggots, chelicera, brood keepers (used to transport swarms of vermin), tomb spiders, carrion crawlers, giant scorpions, giant centipedes, giant wasps, spider swarms, abyssal ant swarms, hellwasp swarms, locust swarms, bloodfiend locust swarms, rapture locust swarms, scarab beetle swarms, centipede swarms, plauge ant swarm, wasps swarms, purple worms, phase spiders, sword spiders, formian myrmarchs, formian taskmasters, formian warriors, formian workers, formian armadons, formian observers, formian winged warriors, ankhegs, ether scarabs, leechwalkers, neogi and their umber hulk servants, phase wasps, spellgaunts, a century worm, lucent worm, ulgurstasta, howler wasps, quanlos.
BrianCritchley
08-16-06, 12:46 AM a drow cleric/arachnine of lloth perhaps?

that'd give em some standard clerical magic which might prove useful to the org as a whole
Mordent_Sage
08-16-06, 03:17 AM I've actually had some vermin villains in the Underdark campaign I'm running

I really like the idea of the 'face' of the HoF being able to transform into a swarm (Master of Flies or Swarmshifter) as well as being as ugly as sin, because he/she could keep coming back, be annoying, then (after the party has had a good few rounds of kicking in the head) shift to a swarm and escape! After a few times, the party will be desperate to find something to stop a swarm in one round.

I don't want to go too heavily Underdark, though, or the players will go running off down there and I've done an Underdark storyline before.

Does "Halo of Flies" come from William Golding's desperate attempt to prove to the world that he could write allegory, Lord of the Flies?

No, but good guess!
Gallameed
08-16-06, 04:29 AM If you have seen the sci-fi/horror film: Mimic and like the idea of a large neutral evil (very clever: Int:14) cockroach wearing humanoid form, then check out the Roach Thrall from Eberron's Sharn: City of Towers book.

It could be given a few levels of whatever you like (I'd go for Hexblade or perhaps something from Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords) try it!

The art has a rather nice scene of the roach ''shedding'' its host, that would be good to show yer players! :)

You could even have it wear the form of a PC's loved one or something like that?

BY THE GODS! My beloved Myra was that... THING!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Mordent_Sage 08-15-06, 05:22 AM	Hi there everyone. I'm starting a new campaign (as GM), and I want a secret cabal of Big Baddies (Twisted Rune style) running through the storylines. They're gonna have a vermin theme (hence the name), because I feel vermin are under-used. The point of this thread (yes, I have a point!) is I need ideas for the members of the Halo of Flies. The overall goals of the cabal I've got (but more ideas are apreciated!) The party is tenth level, three people (they turned out very combat based - grey orc barbarian, elven archer and asimar fighter/pious templar). Ideas I've had so far: - Worm that Walks (they're kinda hard, so he/it will be a late on baddie) - Vermin mage (PrC, not so sure on the name, from BoVD) - Chosen fighter of a verminous god - Awakened vermin (kinda far out, but it might work). What other ideas do people have. I'd like class, race, concept, background, whatever you can think of, fitting the verminous theme. PS: Bonus points to anyone who recognises where the name Halo of Flies comes from!
Bladesong 08-15-06, 11:33 AM	Hmm... how about a queen bee? The cabal's leader could be a very powerful female mage, as that's usually the case. Does "Halo of Flies" come from William Golding's desperate attempt to prove to the world that he could write allegory, Lord of the Flies?
Dxzauvrinn 08-15-06, 07:53 PM	I've actually had some vermin villains in the Underdark campaign I'm running so I'll pass them on to you. Tell me what ya think! P.S. The Worm That Walks is a good one, but as you pointed out, it's pretty powerful so it should probably be the cabal's leader. A meazel druid/vermin keeper (a prestige class in Underdark) (I wanted a nasty revolting toady type villain for this one so I made him humped back with a cowardly/crazy personality like Golem from Lord of the Rings. I chose giant roaches as his vermin companion of choice. I would make him the lower level member of the cabal and the one who harasses the PCs the most.) A chitine rogue/yathchol webrider (a prestige class in Underdark) (can summon giant spiders and sooting webbing) (I'd also use him as a creepy lower level member of the cabal) An aranea druid/master of flies (prestige class from Savage Species that allows creature to transform into swarms)(mid-level villain) A ettercap sorcerer/arachnomancer (mid-level villian) A thri-kreen barbarian/ranger (serves as the cabal's muscle) An ice devil with hellwasps and advespa baatezu minions (high ranking) A formian queen (higher ranking) A craa'ghoran giant entomanothrope bonespear fighter (bigger, badder muscle for the cabal) A elder psurlon wizard (higher level villain, has man psurlon and various giant worm minions) A beholder director (higher level villain, uses it's verminbond ability to ride and control a megapede) A protean scourge vampire swarmshifter assassin (swarmshifter template found in Libris Mortas) (higher ranking villain, the cabal's elite killer) A vermin lord (a race that can control all sorts of vermin, found in MM3) (high level villain, perhaps right beneath the worm that walks in rank) A worm that walks (the cabal's master) Minions of the cabal: knell beetles, giant spiders, giant roaches, giant maggots, chelicera, brood keepers (used to transport swarms of vermin), tomb spiders, carrion crawlers, giant scorpions, giant centipedes, giant wasps, spider swarms, abyssal ant swarms, hellwasp swarms, locust swarms, bloodfiend locust swarms, rapture locust swarms, scarab beetle swarms, centipede swarms, plauge ant swarm, wasps swarms, purple worms, phase spiders, sword spiders, formian myrmarchs, formian taskmasters, formian warriors, formian workers, formian armadons, formian observers, formian winged warriors, ankhegs, ether scarabs, leechwalkers, neogi and their umber hulk servants, phase wasps, spellgaunts, a century worm, lucent worm, ulgurstasta, howler wasps, quanlos.
BrianCritchley 08-16-06, 12:46 AM	a drow cleric/arachnine of lloth perhaps? that'd give em some standard clerical magic which might prove useful to the org as a whole
Mordent_Sage 08-16-06, 03:17 AM	I've actually had some vermin villains in the Underdark campaign I'm running I really like the idea of the 'face' of the HoF being able to transform into a swarm (Master of Flies or Swarmshifter) as well as being as ugly as sin, because he/she could keep coming back, be annoying, then (after the party has had a good few rounds of kicking in the head) shift to a swarm and escape! After a few times, the party will be desperate to find something to stop a swarm in one round. I don't want to go too heavily Underdark, though, or the players will go running off down there and I've done an Underdark storyline before. Does "Halo of Flies" come from William Golding's desperate attempt to prove to the world that he could write allegory, Lord of the Flies? No, but good guess!
Gallameed 08-16-06, 04:29 AM	If you have seen the sci-fi/horror film: Mimic and like the idea of a large neutral evil (very clever: Int:14) cockroach wearing humanoid form, then check out the Roach Thrall from Eberron's Sharn: City of Towers book. It could be given a few levels of whatever you like (I'd go for Hexblade or perhaps something from Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords) try it! The art has a rather nice scene of the roach ''shedding'' its host, that would be good to show yer players! :) You could even have it wear the form of a PC's loved one or something like that? BY THE GODS! My beloved Myra was that... THING!