Spicing up an abandoned temple [Archive] - Wizards Community

Spicing up an abandoned temple [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
kidjay76
09-10-03, 11:56 PM Hey yo,

I've got an abandoned temple of Tymora in Scardale Town and I wanna sex it up for the PCs to explore. My current scenario has an Ocular Adept (formerly a priest of Bane) taking over the temple to on behalf of a beholder lairing in the mountains near Scardale Town. The adept is recruiting mercenaries, spellcasters and so forth to further her influence and may wind up assisting a faction of fighters sponsored by Ravens Bluff when they eventually attempt to take over the town.

I have a basic temple layout and your garden-variety fighters at various points, plus a few monster surprises (phase spiders, gargoyles, etc.). But I feel like I'm lacking an oomphf -- you know, something really nasty that just makes the PCs go "aw, #*!%#*$!" as soon as they realize what's going on.

I believe I need to alter the temple layout itself, but I'm not sure what to add. Mechanical traps? Rotating lifts that hover over razor-sharp spikes? Water traps?

Ideas, please!
Lashan
09-11-03, 12:55 PM What about a pit trap? Particularly in the middle fo the fight. It can be on some floor that is structurally unsound. The denizens know about it. It drops you into a sub floor. That room can have a ghoul or other nasty in it. That way, the party gets split up and both sides have to fight.
Alac Luin
09-11-03, 11:11 PM My Fav idea is to have abandond temples infested or invaded by clergy of Ghaunadaur. The shape shifters Ghounadin (sp?) hanging out, possibly hidden from the Ocular Adept. Also a few "Black Tenticals" magical traps.
Casual J
09-11-03, 11:47 PM A friend of mine did a temple of Talos once that had a riddle on the inner chamber door that basically said that you should prostrate yourself before Talos etc etc. Can't remember the exact words.

After the door was a corridor with a pit trap at the end.

The answer to the riddle was to shuffle both your feet keeping them both on the ground at all times. Humbling you before Talos.

If you lifted your foot you were thrown into the pit trap.
Zoticus
09-12-03, 12:18 AM In an abandoned temple of tymora i'd put some twisted games of chance. Wheel of fate, dice tosses, deck of many things, etc. A pit trap would be good as well. I'd suggest putting a real nasty in it, perhaps a spider that you altered to have it's poison have primary effect of loss of dex and secondary effect of flesh to stone. Give it similar abilities to that of a gargoyle, call it a stone spider and see if the PC's are paranoid of the spider statue in the corner. Cheers
Morka
09-12-03, 08:17 AM Originally posted by Alac Luin
My Fav idea is to have abandond temples infested or invaded by clergy of Ghaunadaur. The shape shifters Ghounadin (sp?) hanging out, possibly hidden from the Ocular Adept. Also a few "Black Tenticals" magical traps.

I suggest as well the temple be invaded by a clergy of Beshaba. It could have killed the last few member of the Tymora's clergy, or imprisonned them. So, I guess many door could be trapped with some "Bestow curses" spells.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
kidjay76 09-10-03, 11:56 PM	Hey yo, I've got an abandoned temple of Tymora in Scardale Town and I wanna sex it up for the PCs to explore. My current scenario has an Ocular Adept (formerly a priest of Bane) taking over the temple to on behalf of a beholder lairing in the mountains near Scardale Town. The adept is recruiting mercenaries, spellcasters and so forth to further her influence and may wind up assisting a faction of fighters sponsored by Ravens Bluff when they eventually attempt to take over the town. I have a basic temple layout and your garden-variety fighters at various points, plus a few monster surprises (phase spiders, gargoyles, etc.). But I feel like I'm lacking an oomphf -- you know, something really nasty that just makes the PCs go "aw, #!%#$!" as soon as they realize what's going on. I believe I need to alter the temple layout itself, but I'm not sure what to add. Mechanical traps? Rotating lifts that hover over razor-sharp spikes? Water traps? Ideas, please!
Lashan 09-11-03, 12:55 PM	What about a pit trap? Particularly in the middle fo the fight. It can be on some floor that is structurally unsound. The denizens know about it. It drops you into a sub floor. That room can have a ghoul or other nasty in it. That way, the party gets split up and both sides have to fight.
Alac Luin 09-11-03, 11:11 PM	My Fav idea is to have abandond temples infested or invaded by clergy of Ghaunadaur. The shape shifters Ghounadin (sp?) hanging out, possibly hidden from the Ocular Adept. Also a few "Black Tenticals" magical traps.
Casual J 09-11-03, 11:47 PM	A friend of mine did a temple of Talos once that had a riddle on the inner chamber door that basically said that you should prostrate yourself before Talos etc etc. Can't remember the exact words. After the door was a corridor with a pit trap at the end. The answer to the riddle was to shuffle both your feet keeping them both on the ground at all times. Humbling you before Talos. If you lifted your foot you were thrown into the pit trap.
Zoticus 09-12-03, 12:18 AM	In an abandoned temple of tymora i'd put some twisted games of chance. Wheel of fate, dice tosses, deck of many things, etc. A pit trap would be good as well. I'd suggest putting a real nasty in it, perhaps a spider that you altered to have it's poison have primary effect of loss of dex and secondary effect of flesh to stone. Give it similar abilities to that of a gargoyle, call it a stone spider and see if the PC's are paranoid of the spider statue in the corner. Cheers
Morka 09-12-03, 08:17 AM	Originally posted by Alac Luin My Fav idea is to have abandond temples infested or invaded by clergy of Ghaunadaur. The shape shifters Ghounadin (sp?) hanging out, possibly hidden from the Ocular Adept. Also a few "Black Tenticals" magical traps. I suggest as well the temple be invaded by a clergy of Beshaba. It could have killed the last few member of the Tymora's clergy, or imprisonned them. So, I guess many door could be trapped with some "Bestow curses" spells.