About Arcanix - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

About Arcanix

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
wed
Jul 26, 2010 17:16:03 My players are going to try to infiltrate in Arcanix in ordert to rescue/kidnap an student and I need some help planning the adventure.

Their plan is to infiltrate by posing as a teacher who will give a lecture and his friends (they can do it because one of them is actually a teacher of Morgrave university) and when they'll be inside, search for the student and convince her to come with them (she will not want... but they don't know this).

I need some ideas of what can they find inside Arcanix and also some maps of how could be the towers inside. I don't want to be the game a dungeon crawling (it's now our game style) but I want to give them a challenge and a good fight (probably when they try to sneak out with the student).

I've read all the information about Arcanix that I could find (most of it in Five nations) but if you know where I can find more info, it will be wellcome (maybe in any novel??) And if any of you had make and adventure set in Arcanix (or somewhere quite similar) I'll thank you a lot if you explain how it works.

Thanks to all.
#2
jogan
Jul 28, 2010 11:16:29 hey there,

this is how i'd do it as a first draft of the adventure;

skill challenge 1: infiltration (diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, history, arcana, thievery skills etc). This could involve bribing guards, disguises, forged documents, etc
skill challenge 2: convincing the student to come with you (diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, streetwise); convince them, bluff them, intimidate them, blackmail them, etc etc...

if both these challenges are failed, resolve each a combat encounter; e.g. the guards of arcanix notice you're imposters, the student calls for help as you fail to convince them to come quietly...

after these skill challenges and encounters, I'd round the adventure off with an "unexpected wrinkle" in the form of a difficult, life-threatening encounter; i believe the Gates of Xabra (sp?) are at Arcanix. I'd use them; some unexpected extra-dimensional terror comes through the Gates which the PCs have to deal with, because if it isn't, its going to bring Arcanix to fall out of the sky, with the PCs on it, and crush the small village beneath Arcanix (also called Arcanix, i think). This final encounter includes the different elements of:
defeating said horror

closing the gate (skill challenge; arcana, thievery, history, healing surge spend)

protecting the student

conclusion; as the chaos winds down, the PCs manage to escape arcanix with the student. Or not, that's up to you.

#3
Gilo
Jul 28, 2010 14:37:12 Every so often when an Arcanix professor wants to drink his tea in peace during a lesson - he will take his students to the Gate of Xabra and task them with deciphering the glyphs. The excited students group around the gate trying in vain to decipher its secrets.

When the PC approach (looking for their student...) they hear "'Chevron nine decoded' and the Xabra gate connects to the plane of Shavarath: long spiked chains shoot out through the portal grabbing the helpless students as a Chain Devil (MM p.62) steps in.

You can have the PCs escorted around by an illusionary guide (something like Microsoft office paperclip) which identify newcomers, follow them around and dispense directional tips and historical anecdotes while drawing unwanted attention to the PCs (Arcane/Bluff check to elude it).

While sneaking around/escaping the halls of Arcanix the PCs might find themselves sliding in the slippery sewer system below the tower's mote: full of magical oozes and slimes all draining down through holes at the bottom of the mote miles in the air above the Arcanix village.
#4
wed
Jul 30, 2010 8:07:06 Thanks to both!

I think I might use the Gate of Xabra as both of you suggested and the illusionary guide could be a funny thing to ad.

My idea was let the player sneak into Arcanix (not automatically, but they use to be quite smart making infiltration plan so that doesn't have to be a problem) and them let them move scorted with the illusionary guide searching for the student. Meet her somewhere and follow her to the Gate of Xabra... where she can open the Gate in order to scape from them... I think it could work and be quite funny.

But please, if anyone has more ideas, I'll be glad to read them!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 wed Jul 26, 2010 17:16:03	My players are going to try to infiltrate in Arcanix in ordert to rescue/kidnap an student and I need some help planning the adventure. Their plan is to infiltrate by posing as a teacher who will give a lecture and his friends (they can do it because one of them is actually a teacher of Morgrave university) and when they'll be inside, search for the student and convince her to come with them (she will not want... but they don't know this). I need some ideas of what can they find inside Arcanix and also some maps of how could be the towers inside. I don't want to be the game a dungeon crawling (it's now our game style) but I want to give them a challenge and a good fight (probably when they try to sneak out with the student). I've read all the information about Arcanix that I could find (most of it in Five nations) but if you know where I can find more info, it will be wellcome (maybe in any novel??) And if any of you had make and adventure set in Arcanix (or somewhere quite similar) I'll thank you a lot if you explain how it works. Thanks to all.
#2 jogan Jul 28, 2010 11:16:29	hey there, this is how i'd do it as a first draft of the adventure; skill challenge 1: infiltration (diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, history, arcana, thievery skills etc). This could involve bribing guards, disguises, forged documents, etc skill challenge 2: convincing the student to come with you (diplomacy, bluff, intimidate, streetwise); convince them, bluff them, intimidate them, blackmail them, etc etc... if both these challenges are failed, resolve each a combat encounter; e.g. the guards of arcanix notice you're imposters, the student calls for help as you fail to convince them to come quietly... after these skill challenges and encounters, I'd round the adventure off with an "unexpected wrinkle" in the form of a difficult, life-threatening encounter; i believe the Gates of Xabra (sp?) are at Arcanix. I'd use them; some unexpected extra-dimensional terror comes through the Gates which the PCs have to deal with, because if it isn't, its going to bring Arcanix to fall out of the sky, with the PCs on it, and crush the small village beneath Arcanix (also called Arcanix, i think). This final encounter includes the different elements of: defeating said horror closing the gate (skill challenge; arcana, thievery, history, healing surge spend) protecting the student conclusion; as the chaos winds down, the PCs manage to escape arcanix with the student. Or not, that's up to you.
#3 Gilo Jul 28, 2010 14:37:12	Every so often when an Arcanix professor wants to drink his tea in peace during a lesson - he will take his students to the Gate of Xabra and task them with deciphering the glyphs. The excited students group around the gate trying in vain to decipher its secrets. When the PC approach (looking for their student...) they hear "'Chevron nine decoded' and the Xabra gate connects to the plane of Shavarath: long spiked chains shoot out through the portal grabbing the helpless students as a Chain Devil (MM p.62) steps in. You can have the PCs escorted around by an illusionary guide (something like Microsoft office paperclip) which identify newcomers, follow them around and dispense directional tips and historical anecdotes while drawing unwanted attention to the PCs (Arcane/Bluff check to elude it). While sneaking around/escaping the halls of Arcanix the PCs might find themselves sliding in the slippery sewer system below the tower's mote: full of magical oozes and slimes all draining down through holes at the bottom of the mote miles in the air above the Arcanix village.
#4 wed Jul 30, 2010 8:07:06	Thanks to both! I think I might use the Gate of Xabra as both of you suggested and the illusionary guide could be a funny thing to ad. My idea was let the player sneak into Arcanix (not automatically, but they use to be quite smart making infiltration plan so that doesn't have to be a problem) and them let them move scorted with the illusionary guide searching for the student. Meet her somewhere and follow her to the Gate of Xabra... where she can open the Gate in order to scape from them... I think it could work and be quite funny. But please, if anyone has more ideas, I'll be glad to read them!