High Forest encounters and hints to the Anauroch [Archive] - Wizards Community

High Forest encounters and hints to the Anauroch [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lanky Ogre Baggy Pants
02-04-07, 06:04 PM I'm running an FR campaign that started on the NW border of the High Forest and the PCs have been sent on a mission to travel to the SE corner. I'm pretty sure my players will chose to travel directly through the High Forest rather than go around, so I need some encounters that are more than just "insert random monster." I will have a few almost random encounters, but I want some that are more prepared. I will provide some background and hopefully it will lead in to the second question.

There is a cultist of Velsheroon who is trying to find one of the Nether scrolls in a netherese tomb in the southern part of Anauroch. Will he is trying to excavate the tomb, he has sent a few minions to the NW part of the High Forest to try to find some mass graves left over from the Crown Wars. One of the minions was sent to the town that the PCs grew up in, and started making the nearby graveyard appear haunted so him and an entomber could look for clues as to the location of the mass graves he is looking for. The PCs defeated the entomber and found a missing villager who the entomber had killed, but due to how the accomplished it, the village now thinks the PCs killed the girl. The PCs ended up slaying a few villagers and running for their lives, and picked up a job to travel to SE High Forest.

I need help with encounters, especially encounters that provide the PCs with hints that they need to go into the Anauroch. I plan to have them defeat the cultist before he finds the Nether Scroll and then have to return to deal with the undead horrors being raised in their home town, while not being arrested or otherwise slain for the killing of villagers.
Tergiver
02-04-07, 11:48 PM It sounds to me like you're looking for places the PCs can reasonably go by that will provide local flavor and also advance your plot.

How about fleshing out some of the other minions, and the places they might have gone to look for the Crown War gravesites? Your PCs can encounter signs of past digging (which may have unearthed something that overwhelmed the diggers) or active sites. Sprinkle in some communications and directions left in writing for the PCs to find, and you can move the plot along.

I'd tie in treants and fey-ri myself, and maybe hint at some goings on in the Underdark. There's also always non-demonic elves (who are likely to put the pieces together themselves with some PC help).
ZolDarklock
02-05-07, 12:04 AM wouldn't the route you think your'e PC's will take, lead them right along the north edge of the star mounts, and then right thru the Dire Woods ???

definetly a good place for a party of adventurers of any level to get themselfs killed...

they could visit grandfather tree, and the barbarians

good place to introduce them to the realms greatest dragon... Inferno "the relams greatest master of radiant energy" the magical gate entrance to his lair is on the north face of the star mounts highest peak...

they could pay a visit to Karsas, the demons of the Dire, or Wulgreth the Lich that summoned the devils into Ascalhorn "hellgate keep"

they could encounter Tianna Skyflower or even the Iron Axeman

hmmm does the Heartblood River still give them magical defense bonuses if you drink from it?

of course there are some other particularly nasty dragons in that area, and at least one drow city below the woods, and near the dire woods, giant versions of normal animals roam, and then the legendary WIZARD WEATHER effects could be fun, depending on the timeline used you can even introduce them to a bad guy who is no stranger to trying to conquer entire worlds e.t., "RADOC"

no matter what route you take, if your crossing the high forest it's a long dangerous journey at any level of play, there are things in the high forest that could make an avatar break a sweat
Tergiver
02-05-07, 12:39 PM wouldn't the route you think your'e PC's will take, lead them right along the north edge of the star mounts, and then right thru the Dire Woods ???

The Dire Wood is pretty small on the outside, but it's definitely a notable place that the Big Bad might send people to search. I had a good time using the living spell template (Monster Manual III) to create weird critters in the Dire Wood. I mixed two spells together - my party ran into faerie fireball and dark bane without any idea what they were fighting.

Edit - there are some example living spells on the Wizards web site. The last one is at
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ls/20070115a and it links to the others.
they could visit grandfather tree, and the barbarians

This is another really good idea - but Grandfather Tree is sacred to a lot of people, so any attempt by the Big Bad to do something there is going to have to be really sneaky.
DavidBedlam
02-05-07, 05:23 PM Ain't there a lot of Fey living in the High Forest?

Maybe the cultists need some 'exotic' material conponents for some spells, and so are harvesting a few faries on their travels.

I've had this idea for an encounter along those lines knocking about my head for a bit now. If the PCs wind up at the Unicorn Run, remind them that apparently if you see a Unicorn lit by moonlight, it is a sign of Mielikki's favour.

Of course they end up there at night during the full moon. ;)

And true to form the moon comes out, and it shines its path of silver illumination on the ground.

And revealed by the light, you see a bright young Unicorn...

...dead.

It's body has been torn assunder, it's limbs shattered, and where it's horn should, it has been replaced by a mass of blood and gore.

Something like that. Bait and switch. Either way you get:

1. The utter evilness of the bad guys hammered home.

2. The chance for fun with the Fey. Maybe they blame the PC's, and they're shooting first and not bothering to ask questions, forcing the PC's to find a way to get them to stop trying to kill them before they can get at the Velsheroonites.

3. The basis for a really good horror encounter (If you're a Heroes of Horror fan).

Just my idea. Feal free to take it and run it for all it's worth. :)
MarkusTay63
02-07-07, 11:05 PM Oh no, Voldemort's causing problems again! :eek:

But seriously, think mischievious Fey. Quicklings and Leprecauns pulling pranks, Woll-O-Wisps leading them astray, paths closing up behind them, Nymphs tempting them and Saytrs enchanting them with their musical pipes. Throw in a trio of hags and you got yourself all the makings of a classic fairy tale. ;)

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lanky Ogre Baggy Pants 02-04-07, 06:04 PM	I'm running an FR campaign that started on the NW border of the High Forest and the PCs have been sent on a mission to travel to the SE corner. I'm pretty sure my players will chose to travel directly through the High Forest rather than go around, so I need some encounters that are more than just "insert random monster." I will have a few almost random encounters, but I want some that are more prepared. I will provide some background and hopefully it will lead in to the second question. There is a cultist of Velsheroon who is trying to find one of the Nether scrolls in a netherese tomb in the southern part of Anauroch. Will he is trying to excavate the tomb, he has sent a few minions to the NW part of the High Forest to try to find some mass graves left over from the Crown Wars. One of the minions was sent to the town that the PCs grew up in, and started making the nearby graveyard appear haunted so him and an entomber could look for clues as to the location of the mass graves he is looking for. The PCs defeated the entomber and found a missing villager who the entomber had killed, but due to how the accomplished it, the village now thinks the PCs killed the girl. The PCs ended up slaying a few villagers and running for their lives, and picked up a job to travel to SE High Forest. I need help with encounters, especially encounters that provide the PCs with hints that they need to go into the Anauroch. I plan to have them defeat the cultist before he finds the Nether Scroll and then have to return to deal with the undead horrors being raised in their home town, while not being arrested or otherwise slain for the killing of villagers.
Tergiver 02-04-07, 11:48 PM	It sounds to me like you're looking for places the PCs can reasonably go by that will provide local flavor and also advance your plot. How about fleshing out some of the other minions, and the places they might have gone to look for the Crown War gravesites? Your PCs can encounter signs of past digging (which may have unearthed something that overwhelmed the diggers) or active sites. Sprinkle in some communications and directions left in writing for the PCs to find, and you can move the plot along. I'd tie in treants and fey-ri myself, and maybe hint at some goings on in the Underdark. There's also always non-demonic elves (who are likely to put the pieces together themselves with some PC help).
ZolDarklock 02-05-07, 12:04 AM	wouldn't the route you think your'e PC's will take, lead them right along the north edge of the star mounts, and then right thru the Dire Woods ??? definetly a good place for a party of adventurers of any level to get themselfs killed... they could visit grandfather tree, and the barbarians good place to introduce them to the realms greatest dragon... Inferno "the relams greatest master of radiant energy" the magical gate entrance to his lair is on the north face of the star mounts highest peak... they could pay a visit to Karsas, the demons of the Dire, or Wulgreth the Lich that summoned the devils into Ascalhorn "hellgate keep" they could encounter Tianna Skyflower or even the Iron Axeman hmmm does the Heartblood River still give them magical defense bonuses if you drink from it? of course there are some other particularly nasty dragons in that area, and at least one drow city below the woods, and near the dire woods, giant versions of normal animals roam, and then the legendary WIZARD WEATHER effects could be fun, depending on the timeline used you can even introduce them to a bad guy who is no stranger to trying to conquer entire worlds e.t., "RADOC" no matter what route you take, if your crossing the high forest it's a long dangerous journey at any level of play, there are things in the high forest that could make an avatar break a sweat
Tergiver 02-05-07, 12:39 PM	wouldn't the route you think your'e PC's will take, lead them right along the north edge of the star mounts, and then right thru the Dire Woods ??? The Dire Wood is pretty small on the outside, but it's definitely a notable place that the Big Bad might send people to search. I had a good time using the living spell template (Monster Manual III) to create weird critters in the Dire Wood. I mixed two spells together - my party ran into faerie fireball and dark bane without any idea what they were fighting. Edit - there are some example living spells on the Wizards web site. The last one is at http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ls/20070115a and it links to the others. they could visit grandfather tree, and the barbarians This is another really good idea - but Grandfather Tree is sacred to a lot of people, so any attempt by the Big Bad to do something there is going to have to be really sneaky.
DavidBedlam 02-05-07, 05:23 PM	Ain't there a lot of Fey living in the High Forest? Maybe the cultists need some 'exotic' material conponents for some spells, and so are harvesting a few faries on their travels. I've had this idea for an encounter along those lines knocking about my head for a bit now. If the PCs wind up at the Unicorn Run, remind them that apparently if you see a Unicorn lit by moonlight, it is a sign of Mielikki's favour. Of course they end up there at night during the full moon. ;) And true to form the moon comes out, and it shines its path of silver illumination on the ground. And revealed by the light, you see a bright young Unicorn... ...dead. It's body has been torn assunder, it's limbs shattered, and where it's horn should, it has been replaced by a mass of blood and gore. Something like that. Bait and switch. Either way you get: 1. The utter evilness of the bad guys hammered home. 2. The chance for fun with the Fey. Maybe they blame the PC's, and they're shooting first and not bothering to ask questions, forcing the PC's to find a way to get them to stop trying to kill them before they can get at the Velsheroonites. 3. The basis for a really good horror encounter (If you're a Heroes of Horror fan). Just my idea. Feal free to take it and run it for all it's worth. :)
MarkusTay63 02-07-07, 11:05 PM	Oh no, Voldemort's causing problems again! :eek: But seriously, think mischievious Fey. Quicklings and Leprecauns pulling pranks, Woll-O-Wisps leading them astray, paths closing up behind them, Nymphs tempting them and Saytrs enchanting them with their musical pipes. Throw in a trio of hags and you got yourself all the makings of a classic fairy tale. ;)