Post/Author/DateTime	Post
iserith 04-28-08, 01:04 PM	So I'm writing 3rd-level adventure that takes place in Sharn (metropolis). It is a murder mystery based somewhat on the movie, The Fugitive. The PCs are framed for a murder of a patron and must solve the crime to clear their names while running like hell from the law. I'm designing it in such a way that no combat is actually required until the very end. Of course, the players may opt to fight at any point and so I must be prepared accordingly. Among the encounter areas in this nifty city adventure are: - Mizano Rupa's, a dinner theater venue where the PCs will interact with a House Phiarlan elf bard/warlock and her warforged bodyguard, Feedback. - Mazakri Fashions, a high-end seamstress shop where an Inspired agent (psion) of the Dreaming Dark plies her trade. She and her shop are protected by some animated mannequins (medium animated objects). - Fairhaven Grains, a grain storage warehouse and false front for agents in the service of the Royal Eyes of Aundair (read: spies). It is well-trapped and protected by rogues. - The Ysireno Collection, a high-end art studio and workshop of Ysireno d'Thuranni, an elven sculptor of some renown. I'm struggling to come up with potential combatants in the art gallery. My initial thought was to have sculptures attack (constructs), but I feel that this is a bit repetitive considering I already have potential encounters with a warforged as well as medium animated objects in other areas. House Thuranni is, of course, filled with spies and assassins, so I could use those as well, but I've already kind of done the "rogue thing" in the Fairhaven Grains encounter area. I'm leaning towards having Ysireno himself be a total noncombatant. But he needs to have someone help him mind the shop, right? So what do you guys think? Let's assume an EL 6 encounter - and one that doesn't need to happen at all if the PCs mind their manners.
HermitIX 04-28-08, 01:40 PM	In the Monster Manual 2 there are stain glass golems. To make the museum encounter interesting have some combatants only concern be protecting the art. So the party and the villains duke it out but the security people only attack when the battle gets to close to an art piece. And/or Use illusions heavily in this battle. And/or Have non combatants running around. No one wants to hack off the head of an eight year old by mistake.
spectralphoenix 04-28-08, 02:08 PM	Maybe a pair of mimics (CR 4)? They have an INT of 10, so it's conceivable that they could get a bodyguard gig. They could disguise themselves as objects so as not to clutter up the high-class gallery with brutish thugs.
_Jayne_Cobb_ 04-28-08, 02:14 PM	I'd lose both the animated mannequins and the idea of animated statues. Players expect this kind of thing on a meta-level and will be prepared for it. Instead, I'd go for something a bit more unexpected in the dress shop - say perhaps bolts of fabric and spools of thread and cord that attempt to blind, tip, and throttle the PCs. In the sculptor's studio perhaps they run up against his "muse" - an invisible stalker or some other unseen force.
Mock26 04-28-08, 03:28 PM	What about a painting that, when activated, is a gateway to a small pocket dimension? There could be a large painting of a castle and the players could enter into the picture and find themselves in a castle. There would be not exterior or anyway to get to the exterior, but except for that it would be a small castle. There could also be two pictures showing different scenes from the castle and one picture is the entrance and the other is the exit. You could have the group walking by the picture and they see the inhabitants of the castle moving around and they react at the sight of the group by pointing, screaming, and running away. Then, once the group enters the picture the first of the castle guards arrive on the seen.
iserith 04-28-08, 08:43 PM	The stained glass golem would be an appropriate encounter as would the mimics both in flavor and challenge. A lot of the walls in this gallery are glass and I could easily make Ysireno a glass sculptor. I could even do one mimic with some nasty template for a +2 CR boost instead of a pair. I'll give them both some consideration. I like the pocket dimension idea. I think I will use that as a feature of the art gallery - a secure place for Ysireno to run and hide if combat breaks out. I just finished the encounter area map (http://forums.sekuragroup.net/upload/Ysireno.pdf) in 1" scale in pdf. Take a look if you like. It will give you idea of the place I had in mind - small, lots of areas for cover, a lot of very breakable glass... that is, of course, only if combat breaks out. I never know with my players... Thanks for the help and keep 'em comin'.
Mock26 04-28-08, 09:08 PM	I like the pocket dimension idea. I think I will use that as a feature of the art gallery - a secure place for Ysireno to run and hide if combat breaks out. Imagine the group chasing after Ysireno, they round a corner into a dead end wing of the art gallery, and they see a picture of Ysireno in a castle setting. And, as the group is looking at him, he looks right at them and turns and runs away. Or maybe a painting with Ysireno hiding behind something.
iserith 04-28-08, 09:35 PM	Imagine the group chasing after Ysireno, they round a corner into a dead end wing of the art gallery, and they see a picture of Ysireno in a castle setting. And, as the group is looking at him, he looks right at them and turns and runs away. Or maybe a painting with Ysireno hiding behind something. I declare a hostile takeover of the above idea. Those who don't resist will be thanked severely. What do you guys think about using Topiary Guardians from MM3 (page 173)? This is an elven sculptor we're talking about here - elves, plants, you get the gist. I might make Ysireno a 3rd-level wizard (transmuter?) now and put two boar topiary guardians (MM3 174) as the real threat. What's even funnier is as the PCs are getting their asses kicked by these boar-shaped plants, Ysireno can cast some illusion spell or something to make large-sized normal topiaries seem to move, scaring the PCs into running. Also, I'm taking out one of the mannequins and replacing him with a bolt of fabric as you suggested, Jayne. That's a good idea.
RPJesus 04-28-08, 10:52 PM	An apparently empty room with 1000 paper cranes hanging from the cieling, as they enter the doors lock behind them and the cranes descend. There's a dragon article detailing paper golem, I imagine you could use those. Also, to avoid the obvious answer, fill em with gunpowder :D
Dash Branaghan 04-29-08, 12:06 AM	Most galleries have multiple wings, right? So why not have some sculptures in one section, some paintings in another, and go from there? Theme them - so you can Abstract, Impressionism, etc. My thoughts instantly are of taking some modern paintings and putting a D&D twist on them - what if The Scream was actually a Banshee trapped in a portrait? May not be able to leave the picture to attack, but it can still use it's wail (or a watered down version of it). What about a Living Wall remade to look like a picture? It seems to me that artwork in a D&D sense can really make people feel it - say, a painting of a basilisk or medusa that doesn't turn you to stone, but paralyzes you for 1 or 2 rounds and at the end of each round, you have to remake your save to look away (and of course, the guards know about this painting, so they will, after a time, come between you and it so you automatically make your save)? I would sit down with my MM, PHB and SC and look at effects and just go nuts - imagine a Prismatic Spray or Colour Spray painting...a Leomund's Secure Shelter painting that the BBEG can jump into and hide in... Just some thoughts.