Tree of life "Harvesting" - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Tree of life "Harvesting"

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
LustSwordsinger
Apr 05, 2013 0:44:36 so my players are currently in the dead lands, making there way to the 7th tree (a tree of life made by the last of 7 druids to stop the obsidian tide) to harvest 6 seeds of life to resurrect the 6 druids who are now horrible undead that guard 6 trees of death. i have the combat encounter all planned out and it seems very promising, but the only thing im wanting to expand, is the harvesting of the seeds of the 7th tree. i dont want it to be "we go to the tree and pick the seeds" but i dont want there to be a fight either, as the whole party is preservers, sworn to the path of the druids, so i cant imagine the tree or the oath wight of the 7th druid would be particularly offensive to the party. so i guess im having some troubles coming up with a "middle ground" for the encounter.maybe a skill challenge based in proving themselves to the ghost of the druid? i just dont have any leads, my creativity pool is all tapped out from the AWESOME trees of death encounter i got comin afterwards. any tips?iFrame RemovediFrame Removed
#2
zippy-zippy-no
Apr 05, 2013 6:50:49 The druids filled the surrounding area with nature-themed traps? Some can be 'disarmed,' but most need to be 'ran through.' Successful Nature/Endurance/Perception check(s) make running through the traps easier (eg: Your characters realise the brambles are Costa-vine, which is like poison ivy but much worse. If they wear the furs they use at night to keep warm, then they can make sure the caustic vines do not touch their skin). Now running through relies on an easy endurance check to resist the sweltering heat of the furs.

The traps serve two purposes: First, to deter intruders and protect the then-sapling of the tree of the life. Second, so that the druid-spirit knows that any who have reached him are wise, powerful and full of nature-knowledge.
#3
jespley
Apr 05, 2013 13:44:58 The PCs go to harvest the tree and they experience a flashback. They are fighting the obsidian tide or the sorcerer-kings etc. -- perhaps as the former druidic protectors? They keep their stats but are inhabiting the bodies of the defenders. Only after they temporarily defeat the invasion does the flashback end and they deemed worthy by the primal spirits to claim the seed from the tree.
#4
LustSwordsinger
Apr 06, 2013 3:35:56 ooooooh buddy i like that one! can you just comment on everything i post from now on? yeah, that would be great. ;)iFrame RemovediFrame Removed
#5
LustSwordsinger
Apr 09, 2013 1:09:15 ok so im going with the idea you suggested, but the only problem with the players reliving the druids fight, is that they all die. the players know this as they have done the research on the history of the dead trees. so how do i have the players live out the last moments of the druids lifes before they get swallowed by a wave of obsidian? they would go into the memory encounter knowing they were going to lose, so how do i convey any form of a threat at all if they know they will fail no matter what? so what would the druids possesing them need to see done before they are satisfied they are deserving of seeds of life?iFrame RemovediFrame Removed
#6
iserith
Apr 10, 2013 17:21:48 Flashbacks that involve combat are tricky both for the reasons you suggest and also because you're playing out a scene in which you already have an established outcome. What happens if the PCs die during the encounter? And if there's no chance of that, why are you having an encounter in the first place? That just eats up valuable session time. It really has to be about something other than the outcome of the combat. There must be some other goal to be achieved during the flashback.

I would do one of two things here:

1. If getting the seeds occurs before or after the combat and is otherwise complicated (and there's a chance for interesting failure), then I'd build a skill challenge. The skill challenge would include specific, evocative complications to be overcome by whatever means the PCs devise, not a list of skills to be used to overcome them.

2. If getting the seeds occurs during combat, then I'd make it more or less a three-step process to climb, find, and properly harvest the seed. All while being destroyed by the enemies in the area who want to prevent this, naturally.
#7
RPGBG
Apr 22, 2013 10:40:18 Make it so that the players know that they will die in the encounter (the opposition is too overwhelming and comming in countless waves), but they have last long enough to achieve something (hide the seeds maybe? for the future generations to find them). The thing that they are trying to achive is a skill challenge, but the incoming enemies are trying to stop them (each check takes a full round action and the enemies are packing daze/stun/push/pull effects).

When they die - they rise as spirits. Incorporeal and with their powers restored they can fight again, but no longer can participate in the skill challenge. Maybe add some incorporeal enemies as well, so now the risen characters deal full damage to them.

If they succeed on the challenge and then die - they obviously has reenacted the history perfectly and are worthy for the seeds. If they die before they succeed on the challenge - obviously they are unworthy, the deffence spell over the seeds activated and they are transported on some forsaken place from where the characters have to retrieve it first.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 LustSwordsinger Apr 05, 2013 0:44:36	so my players are currently in the dead lands, making there way to the 7th tree (a tree of life made by the last of 7 druids to stop the obsidian tide) to harvest 6 seeds of life to resurrect the 6 druids who are now horrible undead that guard 6 trees of death. i have the combat encounter all planned out and it seems very promising, but the only thing im wanting to expand, is the harvesting of the seeds of the 7th tree. i dont want it to be "we go to the tree and pick the seeds" but i dont want there to be a fight either, as the whole party is preservers, sworn to the path of the druids, so i cant imagine the tree or the oath wight of the 7th druid would be particularly offensive to the party. so i guess im having some troubles coming up with a "middle ground" for the encounter.maybe a skill challenge based in proving themselves to the ghost of the druid? i just dont have any leads, my creativity pool is all tapped out from the AWESOME trees of death encounter i got comin afterwards. any tips?iFrame RemovediFrame Removed
#2 zippy-zippy-no Apr 05, 2013 6:50:49	The druids filled the surrounding area with nature-themed traps? Some can be 'disarmed,' but most need to be 'ran through.' Successful Nature/Endurance/Perception check(s) make running through the traps easier (eg: Your characters realise the brambles are Costa-vine, which is like poison ivy but much worse. If they wear the furs they use at night to keep warm, then they can make sure the caustic vines do not touch their skin). Now running through relies on an easy endurance check to resist the sweltering heat of the furs. The traps serve two purposes: First, to deter intruders and protect the then-sapling of the tree of the life. Second, so that the druid-spirit knows that any who have reached him are wise, powerful and full of nature-knowledge.
#3 jespley Apr 05, 2013 13:44:58	The PCs go to harvest the tree and they experience a flashback. They are fighting the obsidian tide or the sorcerer-kings etc. -- perhaps as the former druidic protectors? They keep their stats but are inhabiting the bodies of the defenders. Only after they temporarily defeat the invasion does the flashback end and they deemed worthy by the primal spirits to claim the seed from the tree.
#4 LustSwordsinger Apr 06, 2013 3:35:56	ooooooh buddy i like that one! can you just comment on everything i post from now on? yeah, that would be great. ;)iFrame RemovediFrame Removed
#5 LustSwordsinger Apr 09, 2013 1:09:15	ok so im going with the idea you suggested, but the only problem with the players reliving the druids fight, is that they all die. the players know this as they have done the research on the history of the dead trees. so how do i have the players live out the last moments of the druids lifes before they get swallowed by a wave of obsidian? they would go into the memory encounter knowing they were going to lose, so how do i convey any form of a threat at all if they know they will fail no matter what? so what would the druids possesing them need to see done before they are satisfied they are deserving of seeds of life?iFrame RemovediFrame Removed
#6 iserith Apr 10, 2013 17:21:48	Flashbacks that involve combat are tricky both for the reasons you suggest and also because you're playing out a scene in which you already have an established outcome. What happens if the PCs die during the encounter? And if there's no chance of that, why are you having an encounter in the first place? That just eats up valuable session time. It really has to be about something other than the outcome of the combat. There must be some other goal to be achieved during the flashback. I would do one of two things here: 1. If getting the seeds occurs before or after the combat and is otherwise complicated (and there's a chance for interesting failure), then I'd build a skill challenge. The skill challenge would include specific, evocative complications to be overcome by whatever means the PCs devise, not a list of skills to be used to overcome them. 2. If getting the seeds occurs during combat, then I'd make it more or less a three-step process to climb, find, and properly harvest the seed. All while being destroyed by the enemies in the area who want to prevent this, naturally.
#7 RPGBG Apr 22, 2013 10:40:18	Make it so that the players know that they will die in the encounter (the opposition is too overwhelming and comming in countless waves), but they have last long enough to achieve something (hide the seeds maybe? for the future generations to find them). The thing that they are trying to achive is a skill challenge, but the incoming enemies are trying to stop them (each check takes a full round action and the enemies are packing daze/stun/push/pull effects). When they die - they rise as spirits. Incorporeal and with their powers restored they can fight again, but no longer can participate in the skill challenge. Maybe add some incorporeal enemies as well, so now the risen characters deal full damage to them. If they succeed on the challenge and then die - they obviously has reenacted the history perfectly and are worthy for the seeds. If they die before they succeed on the challenge - obviously they are unworthy, the deffence spell over the seeds activated and they are transported on some forsaken place from where the characters have to retrieve it first.