Challenges in Xen'drik BESIDES the drow and the giants - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Challenges in Xen'drik BESIDES the drow and the giants

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
naturax
May 27, 2008 12:36:16 I'm running an action-packed PbP game in which the PCs are about to investigate an airship, packed to the brim with soldiers from the various dragonmarked houses that were pursuing the PCs because they were framed for stealing the airship they were on, which just crashed into the jungles of northern Xen'drik.

I'm looking for some exciting things to be dealt with when they go to look for survivors that IS NOT some band of savages that need to be put in line by sophisticated Khorvarians. SoX seems to have nothing but giants and drow for players to clash with, so I'm looking for other sources of conflict that people have used.

So, in general, what makes Xen'drik interesting other than the drow and the giants? Thanks!
#2
ieattrollsforbreakfast
May 27, 2008 12:44:00 There are the yhri-kreen and the yuan-ti. The former are more savage than the latter, but IIRC the Thri-Kreen once had a civilised empire on Xen'drik (they were the last keepers of Stormreach before humans), whereas the yuan-ti just stick to the shadows.

Then you've got the Qalabrin, the first vampires and perhaps the most powerful necromancers in history.

There are also dragons keeping watch over the continent. Since the job of Watcher is now given to younger dragons, they can be used as good foes for mid-level parties in Xen'drik.
#3
octaviusiii
May 27, 2008 12:45:47 In the last campaign I played, Dromites were there, too. You might also run into a colony of landforged walkers, which could be interesting. Conversely, a Riedran scouting party might be out and about, although with Riedrans is always difficult to play the fact that next to nobody knows the Quori are the true power behind the throne. Even if a kalashtar told you, you'd laugh it off as a crazy conspiracy, like if someone said that Mars is actually inhabited and is controlling the EU.

Other options are just plain ol' warforged that came looking for adventure and refuge from Khorvaire and don't want anyone from there knowing of their existence; random beasts; a group of warriors (normal and deathless) from Aerenal...
#4
Alas
May 27, 2008 12:52:17 I put my players up against an aboleth that had taken over a (very deep) freshwater pool in the jungle. The aboleth turned captured drow into skum servants, then used the skum to cultivate the flora and hunt the fauna in the area. The aboleth's illusion abilities really messed with the PCs' expectations, too.

I also hit their canoe convoy on the Hydra River with... an actual hydra. In general, I've found the pulp-jungle ecosystem very handy for pouncing great big monsters on the characters.

Closer to the shore, I've gotten good mileage out of Stormreach's relationships (political and martial) with the various sahuagin tribes, too. For every clan that agrees to let ships through, there's another willing to sink them for The Fury.
#5
naturax
May 27, 2008 14:48:28
Then you've got the Qalabrin, the first vampires and perhaps the most powerful necromancers in history.

I think I missed the memo about vampires and necromancers in Xen'drik. Can you fill me in or point me in the right direction?

Closer to the shore, I've gotten good mileage out of Stormreach's relationships (political and martial) with the various sahuagin tribes, too. For every clan that agrees to let ships through, there's another willing to sink them for The Fury.

I'd like to hear more about how you used the sahuagin in your game. I know that they are there but I have a hard time picturing how to actually get them involved in a scene.
#6
Alas
May 27, 2008 15:06:06
I'd like to hear more about how you used the sahuagin in your game. I know that they are there but I have a hard time picturing how to actually get them involved in a scene.

My campaign reached Stormreach long before the eponymous sourcebook came out, so my version of the city is a little more Venetian. Canals and sunken streets bring the water right downtown, through the ruins and the rebuilt parts. "Friendly" sahuagin find it relatively easy to conduct their business with the Coin Lords and keep their gills wet; hostile sahuagin have plenty of ways to sneak into town and get up to no good. Fairly early in the campaign, a Fury-cult of sahuagin used an artifact to raise the waters and flood the city, terrorizing people with terlens (Fiend Folio flying sharks). The players had to do a lot of boat handling and breath holding (except for the warforged) to deal with them. Future encounters will probably be awkward diplomacy aboard ship somewhere near Shargon's Teeth.
#7
naturax
May 28, 2008 12:00:26
My campaign reached Stormreach long before the eponymous sourcebook came out, so my version of the city is a little more Venetian. Canals and sunken streets bring the water right downtown, through the ruins and the rebuilt parts. "Friendly" sahuagin find it relatively easy to conduct their business with the Coin Lords and keep their gills wet; hostile sahuagin have plenty of ways to sneak into town and get up to no good. Fairly early in the campaign, a Fury-cult of sahuagin used an artifact to raise the waters and flood the city, terrorizing people with terlens (Fiend Folio flying sharks). The players had to do a lot of boat handling and breath holding (except for the warforged) to deal with them. Future encounters will probably be awkward diplomacy aboard ship somewhere near Shargon's Teeth.

Thanks for this! I'm sure they'll make an appearance at some point.

Why did you go for the Fury instead of the Devourer?

Along the lines of the OP: can anyone think of a cool MacGuffin found in Xen'drik that doesn't have anything to do with silly natives being unable to protect their own powerful artifacts? I want there to be something on board the airship the PCs are on that House Lyrandar (or someone else acting through them) wants back very badly, but I don't want it to be Another Mysterious Artifact. Anything you might have used in your games?
#8
Alas
May 28, 2008 13:23:03
Why did you go for the Fury instead of the Devourer?

While the Devourer would be a perfect patron for a thalassic/thanatotic (ha!) cult, something about the sahuagin blood frenzy ability really said "Fury" to me.

In my campaign, I've always found House Orien to be a good motivator for Lyrandar activities. :D
#9
naturax
May 28, 2008 15:37:40
In my campaign, I've always found House Orien to be a good motivator for Lyrandar activities. :D

That would work very nicely for me. I'm thinking it would be something that was discovered in Xen'drik or otherwise made its way to Stormreach that was set to be transported via airship back to Khorvaire. Something very important. I guess I could just make it some random trinket and have various organizations after it for no apparent reason and figure out a way to explain it later, but it would probably help me come up with ideas and plot hooks if I had a clear idea what it was and why everyone wanted it.

Do you have any specific ideas, even if they have nothing to do with House Lyrandar? Thanks Alas, you're a pal!
#10
naturax
May 28, 2008 16:19:37
Do you have any specific ideas, even if they have nothing to do with House Lyrandar? Thanks Alas, you're a pal!

And then someone reminded me to go for something obvious: Siberys shards. A lot of them. All the Houses want 'em, and if I ever want to use anything from Sarlona then I'm all set.
#11
skrap-san
May 28, 2008 16:43:18 I started to make a campaign where the PCs were to go into the forest, find a prototype airship and find out why it crashed. On the way the just happened to run into a cult of lizardfolk who were about to go and wipe Stormreach of the map.
#12
octaviusiii
May 29, 2008 3:06:33
And then someone reminded me to go for something obvious: Siberys shards. A lot of them. All the Houses want 'em, and if I ever want to use anything from Sarlona then I'm all set.

Or maybe a really friggin' BIG one.
#13
skrap-san
May 29, 2008 3:10:37 As to voice something for monsters, how bout spell warping absolutely everything they meet?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 naturax May 27, 2008 12:36:16	I'm running an action-packed PbP game in which the PCs are about to investigate an airship, packed to the brim with soldiers from the various dragonmarked houses that were pursuing the PCs because they were framed for stealing the airship they were on, which just crashed into the jungles of northern Xen'drik. I'm looking for some exciting things to be dealt with when they go to look for survivors that IS NOT some band of savages that need to be put in line by sophisticated Khorvarians. SoX seems to have nothing but giants and drow for players to clash with, so I'm looking for other sources of conflict that people have used. So, in general, what makes Xen'drik interesting other than the drow and the giants? Thanks!
#2 ieattrollsforbreakfast May 27, 2008 12:44:00	There are the yhri-kreen and the yuan-ti. The former are more savage than the latter, but IIRC the Thri-Kreen once had a civilised empire on Xen'drik (they were the last keepers of Stormreach before humans), whereas the yuan-ti just stick to the shadows. Then you've got the Qalabrin, the first vampires and perhaps the most powerful necromancers in history. There are also dragons keeping watch over the continent. Since the job of Watcher is now given to younger dragons, they can be used as good foes for mid-level parties in Xen'drik.
#3 octaviusiii May 27, 2008 12:45:47	In the last campaign I played, Dromites were there, too. You might also run into a colony of landforged walkers, which could be interesting. Conversely, a Riedran scouting party might be out and about, although with Riedrans is always difficult to play the fact that next to nobody knows the Quori are the true power behind the throne. Even if a kalashtar told you, you'd laugh it off as a crazy conspiracy, like if someone said that Mars is actually inhabited and is controlling the EU. Other options are just plain ol' warforged that came looking for adventure and refuge from Khorvaire and don't want anyone from there knowing of their existence; random beasts; a group of warriors (normal and deathless) from Aerenal...
#4 Alas May 27, 2008 12:52:17	I put my players up against an aboleth that had taken over a (very deep) freshwater pool in the jungle. The aboleth turned captured drow into skum servants, then used the skum to cultivate the flora and hunt the fauna in the area. The aboleth's illusion abilities really messed with the PCs' expectations, too. I also hit their canoe convoy on the Hydra River with... an actual hydra. In general, I've found the pulp-jungle ecosystem very handy for pouncing great big monsters on the characters. Closer to the shore, I've gotten good mileage out of Stormreach's relationships (political and martial) with the various sahuagin tribes, too. For every clan that agrees to let ships through, there's another willing to sink them for The Fury.
#5 naturax May 27, 2008 14:48:28	Then you've got the Qalabrin, the first vampires and perhaps the most powerful necromancers in history. I think I missed the memo about vampires and necromancers in Xen'drik. Can you fill me in or point me in the right direction? Closer to the shore, I've gotten good mileage out of Stormreach's relationships (political and martial) with the various sahuagin tribes, too. For every clan that agrees to let ships through, there's another willing to sink them for The Fury. I'd like to hear more about how you used the sahuagin in your game. I know that they are there but I have a hard time picturing how to actually get them involved in a scene.
#6 Alas May 27, 2008 15:06:06	I'd like to hear more about how you used the sahuagin in your game. I know that they are there but I have a hard time picturing how to actually get them involved in a scene. My campaign reached Stormreach long before the eponymous sourcebook came out, so my version of the city is a little more Venetian. Canals and sunken streets bring the water right downtown, through the ruins and the rebuilt parts. "Friendly" sahuagin find it relatively easy to conduct their business with the Coin Lords and keep their gills wet; hostile sahuagin have plenty of ways to sneak into town and get up to no good. Fairly early in the campaign, a Fury-cult of sahuagin used an artifact to raise the waters and flood the city, terrorizing people with terlens (Fiend Folio flying sharks). The players had to do a lot of boat handling and breath holding (except for the warforged) to deal with them. Future encounters will probably be awkward diplomacy aboard ship somewhere near Shargon's Teeth.
#7 naturax May 28, 2008 12:00:26	My campaign reached Stormreach long before the eponymous sourcebook came out, so my version of the city is a little more Venetian. Canals and sunken streets bring the water right downtown, through the ruins and the rebuilt parts. "Friendly" sahuagin find it relatively easy to conduct their business with the Coin Lords and keep their gills wet; hostile sahuagin have plenty of ways to sneak into town and get up to no good. Fairly early in the campaign, a Fury-cult of sahuagin used an artifact to raise the waters and flood the city, terrorizing people with terlens (Fiend Folio flying sharks). The players had to do a lot of boat handling and breath holding (except for the warforged) to deal with them. Future encounters will probably be awkward diplomacy aboard ship somewhere near Shargon's Teeth. Thanks for this! I'm sure they'll make an appearance at some point. Why did you go for the Fury instead of the Devourer? Along the lines of the OP: can anyone think of a cool MacGuffin found in Xen'drik that doesn't have anything to do with silly natives being unable to protect their own powerful artifacts? I want there to be something on board the airship the PCs are on that House Lyrandar (or someone else acting through them) wants back very badly, but I don't want it to be Another Mysterious Artifact. Anything you might have used in your games?
#8 Alas May 28, 2008 13:23:03	Why did you go for the Fury instead of the Devourer? While the Devourer would be a perfect patron for a thalassic/thanatotic (ha!) cult, something about the sahuagin blood frenzy ability really said "Fury" to me. In my campaign, I've always found House Orien to be a good motivator for Lyrandar activities. :D
#9 naturax May 28, 2008 15:37:40	In my campaign, I've always found House Orien to be a good motivator for Lyrandar activities. :D That would work very nicely for me. I'm thinking it would be something that was discovered in Xen'drik or otherwise made its way to Stormreach that was set to be transported via airship back to Khorvaire. Something very important. I guess I could just make it some random trinket and have various organizations after it for no apparent reason and figure out a way to explain it later, but it would probably help me come up with ideas and plot hooks if I had a clear idea what it was and why everyone wanted it. Do you have any specific ideas, even if they have nothing to do with House Lyrandar? Thanks Alas, you're a pal!
#10 naturax May 28, 2008 16:19:37	Do you have any specific ideas, even if they have nothing to do with House Lyrandar? Thanks Alas, you're a pal! And then someone reminded me to go for something obvious: Siberys shards. A lot of them. All the Houses want 'em, and if I ever want to use anything from Sarlona then I'm all set.
#11 skrap-san May 28, 2008 16:43:18	I started to make a campaign where the PCs were to go into the forest, find a prototype airship and find out why it crashed. On the way the just happened to run into a cult of lizardfolk who were about to go and wipe Stormreach of the map.
#12 octaviusiii May 29, 2008 3:06:33	And then someone reminded me to go for something obvious: Siberys shards. A lot of them. All the Houses want 'em, and if I ever want to use anything from Sarlona then I'm all set. Or maybe a really friggin' BIG one.
#13 skrap-san May 29, 2008 3:10:37	As to voice something for monsters, how bout spell warping absolutely everything they meet?