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Party of Aberration hunters

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
shadowcentaur
Jun 18, 2010 15:48:57 I've just started up DM'ing a new campaign. To give me a consistent plot hook, the party is going to hunt a particular variety of creature. Also gives some of those dragonslayer/demonslayer type feats a chance to be used. Party so far is Shifter druid, Wilden seeker, Warforged warlord, and unspecified Warden, so I went with that they hunt aberrations. They're probably going to be associated with the Gatekeepers. Maybe the Wilden is one of the wayward seeds of Olian or something. I'm planning they fight with Mordain Fleshweaver at some point, but anyone have any other cool ideas about what things to throw a them? Or any other ways to make an aberration-rich campaign in Eberron?
#2
Alas
Jun 18, 2010 16:35:20 Hmm. . . aberrations. You've already touched on Mordain, but other sources that spring to mind:
The Daelkyr, of course. The big ones are locked away by the Gatekeepers and other folks, but all sorts of servitors of theirs persist-- the dolgrim and dolgaunt being the most by-the-book. A daelkyr prison is also a good excuse to have all sorts of "free-ranged" aberrations popping up.

Xoriat itself. The Daelkyr are the most famous incursors, but some mage somewhere is always opening portals what shouldn't be opened. The Twelve or one of the Five Nations' univresities are a good source of experimentalists talented enough to summon/create an aberration but not contain it.

House Vadalis is known for its magebred horses and livestock. What's less known is what happens to the "discontinued" products.

The Mourning. I believe that by default it's more associated with undead, but I'm also a big believer in personalizing the Mourning for each campaign. If it can take out a whole nation, why can't it create a slew of aberrations?

As for which aberrations to throw at them, well, that depends on what books and resources you have available. Low-level aberrations are kind of scarce, although bullywugs (level 1 and up, from MM2) have a reputation for "wrongness" that could serve as a gateway to true aberrations deeper in the swamp. MM2 also has the fell taint (levels 1-4), which could make a convienent nest/swarm around a daelkyr prison or planar rift. (Me, I'd change the name, though.)

Within the first Monster Manual, the grell and iconic carrion crawler don't kick in until around 7th level... but if you time it right, you could bring them in as the "dragon" to cap a session (or an arc of sessions) for a lower-level party.

Some other things to think about in an "aberration-rich" campaign:
In the Eberron setting, byeshk is to aberrants as silver is to lycanthropes. The Byeshk Mountains border Droaam, the Shadow Marches, and the Eldeen Reaches. Whenever you need a break from aberrations, you can have the party deal with the people/things that guard the metal needed to break aberrations.

The Silver Flame earns its reputation dealing with demons and undead, but predatory aberrants are definitely on their hit-list. They could prove a good ally to the party.

The 3rd edition Magic of Eberron sourcebook had a player race called the Half-daelkyr. I think that's the sort of thing ripe for a bloodline feat tree in 4th edition.

Symbionts would make interesting magic items, using the intelligent item rules from Dragon magazine. If the party is really bent on taking out aberrant "technology," a symbiont could still prove a thematic source of exposition before being rendered down for residuum.

Have fun!
#3
AvonRekaes
Jun 18, 2010 21:29:52 I hope this doesn't come off as shameless self-promotion or anything, but I recently posted a summary for an entire campaign I did that revolved mostly around fighting a Xoriat threat.

While aberrants and daelkyr featured prominently in my campaign, I was conscious of not making it TOO saturated with aberrants. Afterall even if its central to a character's motivation, it's nice to throw in some variety so they don't get bored of a constant deluge of mind flayers, beholders, fell taints, dolgrims/gaunts/gars, foulspawn, starspawn, etc. etc. etc.

To add to Alas's suggestions for low-level aberrant threats, Kruthiks make a good theme to have a dungeon crawl around, as the PCs descend into their "hive". Although they're natural beasts and not aberrants, you can always just ignore that little part and have them be hideously mutated giant insects. (They remind me of Kythons from 3.5's Book of Vile Darkness, which were giant humaniod-ish insect aberrations.)

Also don't forget the Cults of the Dragon Below. Perhaps they have a Dolgaunt master guiding them, but the rank and file encounter-filler enemies could be insane humanoid cultists.
#4
shadowcentaur
Jun 22, 2010 11:06:09 Ooh, using House Vadalis as a major player sounds like something that isn't done much, and could play in well. Maybe there was a few projects that got discontinued at an unfavorable stage of completion when the last war ended. Or maybe there's just a few breeders who lose control of an experiment. And it'll give plenty of chances for the players to fight mounted enemies!
Avon, i'm going to have to steal some of your ideas, there's a ton of stuff there.
#5
Talae
Jun 22, 2010 19:31:09 I ran a campaign that had lots of House Vadalis tie-ins. They were basically doing genetic modifications that were unethical and even beginning to attempt to try things on humans. It was lots of fun.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 shadowcentaur Jun 18, 2010 15:48:57	I've just started up DM'ing a new campaign. To give me a consistent plot hook, the party is going to hunt a particular variety of creature. Also gives some of those dragonslayer/demonslayer type feats a chance to be used. Party so far is Shifter druid, Wilden seeker, Warforged warlord, and unspecified Warden, so I went with that they hunt aberrations. They're probably going to be associated with the Gatekeepers. Maybe the Wilden is one of the wayward seeds of Olian or something. I'm planning they fight with Mordain Fleshweaver at some point, but anyone have any other cool ideas about what things to throw a them? Or any other ways to make an aberration-rich campaign in Eberron?
#2 Alas Jun 18, 2010 16:35:20	Hmm. . . aberrations. You've already touched on Mordain, but other sources that spring to mind: The Daelkyr, of course. The big ones are locked away by the Gatekeepers and other folks, but all sorts of servitors of theirs persist-- the dolgrim and dolgaunt being the most by-the-book. A daelkyr prison is also a good excuse to have all sorts of "free-ranged" aberrations popping up. Xoriat itself. The Daelkyr are the most famous incursors, but some mage somewhere is always opening portals what shouldn't be opened. The Twelve or one of the Five Nations' univresities are a good source of experimentalists talented enough to summon/create an aberration but not contain it. House Vadalis is known for its magebred horses and livestock. What's less known is what happens to the "discontinued" products. The Mourning. I believe that by default it's more associated with undead, but I'm also a big believer in personalizing the Mourning for each campaign. If it can take out a whole nation, why can't it create a slew of aberrations? As for which aberrations to throw at them, well, that depends on what books and resources you have available. Low-level aberrations are kind of scarce, although bullywugs (level 1 and up, from MM2) have a reputation for "wrongness" that could serve as a gateway to true aberrations deeper in the swamp. MM2 also has the fell taint (levels 1-4), which could make a convienent nest/swarm around a daelkyr prison or planar rift. (Me, I'd change the name, though.) Within the first Monster Manual, the grell and iconic carrion crawler don't kick in until around 7th level... but if you time it right, you could bring them in as the "dragon" to cap a session (or an arc of sessions) for a lower-level party. Some other things to think about in an "aberration-rich" campaign: In the Eberron setting, byeshk is to aberrants as silver is to lycanthropes. The Byeshk Mountains border Droaam, the Shadow Marches, and the Eldeen Reaches. Whenever you need a break from aberrations, you can have the party deal with the people/things that guard the metal needed to break aberrations. The Silver Flame earns its reputation dealing with demons and undead, but predatory aberrants are definitely on their hit-list. They could prove a good ally to the party. The 3rd edition Magic of Eberron sourcebook had a player race called the Half-daelkyr. I think that's the sort of thing ripe for a bloodline feat tree in 4th edition. Symbionts would make interesting magic items, using the intelligent item rules from Dragon magazine. If the party is really bent on taking out aberrant "technology," a symbiont could still prove a thematic source of exposition before being rendered down for residuum. Have fun!
#3 AvonRekaes Jun 18, 2010 21:29:52	I hope this doesn't come off as shameless self-promotion or anything, but I recently posted a summary for an entire campaign I did that revolved mostly around fighting a Xoriat threat. While aberrants and daelkyr featured prominently in my campaign, I was conscious of not making it TOO saturated with aberrants. Afterall even if its central to a character's motivation, it's nice to throw in some variety so they don't get bored of a constant deluge of mind flayers, beholders, fell taints, dolgrims/gaunts/gars, foulspawn, starspawn, etc. etc. etc. To add to Alas's suggestions for low-level aberrant threats, Kruthiks make a good theme to have a dungeon crawl around, as the PCs descend into their "hive". Although they're natural beasts and not aberrants, you can always just ignore that little part and have them be hideously mutated giant insects. (They remind me of Kythons from 3.5's Book of Vile Darkness, which were giant humaniod-ish insect aberrations.) Also don't forget the Cults of the Dragon Below. Perhaps they have a Dolgaunt master guiding them, but the rank and file encounter-filler enemies could be insane humanoid cultists.
#4 shadowcentaur Jun 22, 2010 11:06:09	Ooh, using House Vadalis as a major player sounds like something that isn't done much, and could play in well. Maybe there was a few projects that got discontinued at an unfavorable stage of completion when the last war ended. Or maybe there's just a few breeders who lose control of an experiment. And it'll give plenty of chances for the players to fight mounted enemies! Avon, i'm going to have to steal some of your ideas, there's a ton of stuff there.
#5 Talae Jun 22, 2010 19:31:09	I ran a campaign that had lots of House Vadalis tie-ins. They were basically doing genetic modifications that were unethical and even beginning to attempt to try things on humans. It was lots of fun.