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#1 The_Crimson_Dawn Feb 10, 2009 22:06:41

Hello I am DMing a game for 5 players in 3.5ish Eberron. These characters are a level 14 Druid/warshaper, 14 bard/seeker of the song, 13 ranger/scout, 14 psywar/slayer (reflavored for fighting quori), and a 14 sorc/elemental savant. The situation is that Sharn is under siege from the undead army featured in Elder Evils with Atropis. The characters are trying to stop Gargouth's (Bodak Blackguard) undead army from killing everyone. To this end they are planning an ambush for him. I want to create a four encounter long battle with these basic ideas. Encounter 1: Characters ambush Gargouth but he actualy turns the tables by ambushing the characters with superior forces. The idea is for Gargouth to get away and to give the characters a really tough fight that they should not want to repeat anytime soon. Since Atropis's sign causes undead to rise from dead allies I thought about giving the characters an "advantage" by giving them troops to command but they will swiftly turn into undead. Encounter 2: This should happen very soon after the 1st encounter. The characters will be spooked into running because another battle group (as nasty or worse than the first) is coming for them. I want the characters to run and eventualy they will need to use a lift to get to a lower level to escape (see below as to why they can not fly). As they are going down the lift is attacked Gargouth and enemy artilliary and get damaged. The lift Is under barrage from artilliary, air units, and the strain is going to cause the lift to fail so the characters will need to figure out a safe way down while defending themselves or they will take nasty damage falling down to the next level. Encounter 3: This should happen soon after #2 and it will be a more of a skill challenge. My first idea is having an enormous undead creature charging through the city. At first the characters will need to use their abilities to escape from the beast so that they do not take massive damage from being trampled. Once this is over the characters must make checks to see if they realize that the creature is heading toward a friendly area and if they do not stop the creature then the friendly area will be destroyed. If destroyed the friendlies will not be able to lend support in the final battle. When crafting this encounter I want to avoid direct combat and use more skills, non combat abilities, or creative use of combat abilities that do not directly attack the creature. Encounter 4: This will be the final fight against Gargouth and will include him and his Generals (I am going to flavor them to be similar to the "Ronin Warrior" anime's Ronin and Warlord characters) with a few minions. If the characters failed in Encounter 3 then there will be more minions, Gargouth will be still able to fly, and perhaps additional enemies. If the party survies then they will be given time to heal before the Apocolypse from the sky spell goes off which shall be the springboard to fighting Atropis itself. Now due to the crazy magic problems occuring during this battle Teleportation and flying spells do not work. Natural flying still works so the spell fly fails but polymorph into a dragon and you can fly. Feather Fall will also be disabled. Minions will be used which will be based on 4th edition minions modified for 3.5. These will represent the ran and file zombie, skeleton, and ghoul warriors in the army. Now the help I need is thus 1) What creatures should I have in encounter 1 and how many minions? Also what can I do to spice up this encounter? I want this to be a major battle that scares them a bit. If someone could come up with a better idea than him ambushing the characters (which makes them feel like their ideas for their own ambush were wasted) then please share them as long as Gargouth can make it out alive and give the characters the scare I need. I would prefer stock monsters in this battle to save time if given a choice. 2) Again I need help making this encounter tough and fun. I would also like ideas on the many possible ways the characters could save themselves in this situation so that I could describe their efforts in better detail in mid-battle. 3) Encounter 3 needs direction and ideas on how to handle the situation. Also what should the "creature" be? Undead Tarrasque? 4) Stats and ideas for the final fight. I want it to be a bigger challenge than the first. 5) Any help with the minions would be great. They will be like 4th ed minions but I need ideas on how to change their stats so that they will be effective in a 3.5 game since straight porting over probably will not work well (or if you think it will what level of minion should I use). 6) If you think of other interesting restrictions to put on the characters such as flying being disabled (which toatally makes the second encounter) let me know and I will think about it. 7) As much as possible I would like to make every character useful as much as possible in this battle. So for example in encounter 3 if we could come up with ideas that would allow the bard or scout to use their skills and abilities that would be great. Do not worry much about the druid he gets most of his fun killing. Everyone else would apreciate the love. Books I own: PHB, MM1, MM3, Most of the completes, Tom, ToB, Elder Evils, Eberron Campaign Setting and many of the Eberron splat books, and I can get access to a few more if needed through other people. Any help at all in any way will be met with much thanks no matter how small. Also if you want more info just ask and I will do my best to answer though unfortunately since I am in school and a limite amount of time available to be conversing on the web I am sorry that I will not always be able to answer quickly though I will answer as fast as I can. Thanks again!!! Sorry for the poor spelling I do not have any books with me and this computer actually lacks a spellchecker.