I am sending my PCs to Myth Drannor, during the High Holy Day of Lateu'quor, the Forest Communion of Corellon. There will be plays (eg. Corellon vs. Gruumsh, the driving out of the drow/daemonfey, Corellon and Sehanine, etc.), music, religious ceremonies, and of course crafts and food on display.
The PCs are all level 2 and consist of an elf cleric of Corellon, an elf avenger of Corellon, and an elf fighter... who worships Correlon.
I am looking ideas for events to throw at the PCs as Skill Challenges. The concurrent festival will last until the crescent moon fades (about a week). How would you handle role play rewards? Or is sticking to Skill Challenges wiser?
I am also researching concepts used in real life Holy Days (eg. Ramadan, Rosh Hashanah) to apply to an elven/eladrin holy celebration.
I plan to have the first half of the next session at least run entirely without combat, and slowly work up some tension leading to them getting involved in something that will disrupt the festivities. Maybe drow, elven undead, or perhaps some internal strife among the eladrin? I'd like to possibly run their entire Heroic tier adventures in Cormanthor, including encounters with fey beasts (eg. displacer beasts, fey panthers), and perhaps a young green dragon. 
And one last question - would the mythal in place around the city that prevents travel to Faerie/The Feywild also prevent eladrin and other fey creatures from using their teleportation powers while under its influence?
And one last question - would the mythal in place around the city that prevents travel to Faerie/The Feywild also prevent eladrin and other fey creatures from using their teleportation powers while under its influence?
Yes it would. I would say it would block any power that has the Teleportation keyword, Shadar-kai couldnt use shadow jaunt either. They could of written the Mythal up a little better for 4e. The Mythal also has the following properties (taken from the 2e Ruins of Myth Drannor Boxed set):
♦The Mythal negates all scrying, detection, location, divination, and mind-reading or influencing powers.
♦Continual Feather Fall protection, no one falls to their death in Myth Drannor
♦Extremes of heat and cold are moderated by the Mythal. Its never too hot in the Summer or too cold in the winter.
♦The Mythal was designed to sustain and aid those who live in it, ageing is slowed, cures diseases magical or otherwise.
♦Beings who dwell within the Mythal for more than nine days develope a "Mythal ghost" of themselves. Mythal ghosts can fly upwards or downwards or walk on air. The Mythal ghost has all the statistics of the person it mirrors, but cant speak or cast spells (only basic melee attack). The Mythal ghost can only manifest if the being is near death or rendered immobile.
Ok heres another interesting tid bit. Beings who "know how to do so" can use the Mythal to teleport themselves, and any other beings they are touching, to any where else in the confines of the Mythal. So yes i guess Eldarin could still use their racial ability, if they were intimately familiar with the Mythal.
♦Beings who dwell within the Mythal for more than nine days develope a "Mythal ghost" of themselves. Mythal ghosts can fly upwards or downwards or walk on air. The Mythal ghost has all the statistics of the person it mirrors, but cant speak or cast spells (only basic melee attack). The Mythal ghost can only manifest if the being is near death or rendered immobile.
Thanks for all of that! This one is very interesting. I might use that. Are these the only details about the ghost?
I'm wondering if the ghost fades after they leave the Mythal, or if it needs time to regenerate if it is attacked and reduced to 0 hit points.
Ok heres another interesting tid bit. Beings who "know how to do so" can use the Mythal to teleport themselves, and any other beings they are touching, to any where else in the confines of the Mythal. So yes i guess Eldarin could still use their racial ability, if they were intimately familiar with the Mythal.
But that would allow them unlimited teleportation, not just 5 squares. Maybe they can teleport short distances (ie. 5 squares) at a moment's notice, but longer distances require more concentration than would be possible while in combat... and of course, not every elf in Myth Drannor is going to be "intimately" familiar with the Mythal.
Another question: How might a drow and some undead sneak past Myth Drannor's defenses?
I plan to have a Drow Death Master (custom hybrid of a Drow Necromancer and the Death Master template) bring some zombies and Wisp Wraiths to crash a re-enactment of the eladrin driving the drow out of the city.
Yes the mythal ghost is very intersting. It doesnt really say anything about making a new one if your mythal ghost is destroyed but i would assume that spending another nine days in the mythal would do it, or perhaps after an extended rest. They specify that they can not speak so they couldnt cast spells in 2e, but 4e spell dont really require a verbal component so that wouldnt even really apply but i figured limiting them to basic attacks only might balance it out a little.
It also says that for evey 24 continous hours you stay in the mythal, you retain the use of the mythal ghost for a year, even if youre not in the mythal, and the mythal ghost is able to travel any where on the planet, as long as the being who is manifesting the ghost isnt performing any other actions, they cant travel to other planes though. It doesnt say anythin about them being insubstantial so i assume they cant move through walls, they can carry items or wear armor. They are immune to psionic,fire, cold or any undead attacks.
Yes the mythal teleport would allow eldarin, or any one else really, to teleport farther and be an at-will, some definate balance issues there, even if it is just in the mythal, and true not every one in myth drannor would be intimatly familiar with the mythal enough to do this. Something i forgot to mention about the teleport, it costs a hitpoint everytime you use it, or you could update that and say it costs a healing surge. That might balance it out a little better.
Theyve completly turned the mythal into mere fluff, so really you could do what ever you want with it, but i think they should of added in some definate mechanics in there.
You can download some older Realms stuff here. There should be some stuff you can use, especially the Cormanthyr book.
Another question: How might a drow and some undead sneak past Myth Drannor's defenses?
I plan to have a Drow Death Master (custom hybrid of a Drow Necromancer and the Death Master template) bring some zombies and Wisp Wraiths to crash a re-enactment of the eladrin driving the drow out of the city.
Well if they was sneaking in, shouldnt be a problem, as long as theyre not teleporting in. The mythal wont stop them from sneaking past the guards. Plus theres underground passages under Myth Drannor and Cormanthyr so they could sneak in underground as well. It would definatly make sense for drow to know their way underground.
or you could update that and say it costs a healing surge. That might balance it out a little better.
That sounds about right to me.
You can download some older Realms stuff here. There should be some stuff you can use, especially the Cormanthyr book.
Thanks!
Well if they was sneaking in, shouldnt be a problem, as long as theyre not teleporting in. The mythal wont stop them from sneaking past the guards. Plus theres underground passages under Myth Drannor and Cormanthyr so they could sneak in underground as well. It would definatly make sense for drow to know their way underground.
The Cormanthyr book mentions that the mythal keeps out drow and other unwanted creatures, but it'd be easy enough, I think, to say that those barriers have weakened.
I've also set up the PC's journey from the Dales to the forest to be a skill challenge, with a bandit attack along the way. If they succeed, they can take the bandits by surprise. If they fail, they are ambushed. Either way, they will learn that there is trouble in the northern Dales and the elves have not responded to requests for assistance before they continue on their way to the Cormanthor.
I'm still trying to think up other skill challenges to take place within Myth Drannor during Lateu'quor.
The Cormanthyr book mentions that the mythal keeps out drow and other unwanted creatures, but it'd be easy enough, I think, to say that those barriers have weakened.
I've also set up the PC's journey from the Dales to the forest to be a skill challenge, with a bandit attack along the way. If they succeed, they can take the bandits by surprise. If they fail, they are ambushed. Either way, they will learn that there is trouble in the northern Dales and the elves have not responded to requests for assistance before they continue on their way to the Cormanthor.
I'm still trying to think up other skill challenges to take place within Myth Drannor during Lateu'quor.
Or you could just ignore that and say that the Mythal no longer functions in that regard. but i think that would take the elves even more by surprise if they think theyre protected from drow attacks. That could also be a good adventure as the pcs have to track these drow down and get that ritual.
Thanks for the info about the Weave Mythal spell/ritual. I think I'll work that in somehow.
As far as other skill challenges i dont know, i could see some contests, like archery completions or sword play or maybe even a nonlethal mage duel or something.
I've considered something like that, but I'm not sure how to work it into the overall plot of the game. Also, tests of martial skill wouldn't require any skill checks. 
I've considered something like that, but I'm not sure how to work it into the overall plot of the game. Also, tests of martial skill wouldn't require any skill checks.
Yeah i guess an individual tests of martial skill wouldnt require a kill check, but you string a bunch together i could see it being a skill challenge, like the Elven Olympics. I could see some Endurance checks in there, maybe some History or Arcana to know how a certain game is played, Some Athletics and Acrobatics, and i could see some attack rolls counting for some successes.
Running the trip to Myth Drannor as a skill challenge met with mixed success. There were several points where we got a bit off-track, but the PCs were, overall, successful, so I awarded them the XP for completing it, anyway.
The game ended at the end of day two of three of the holiday. I might use the Endurance/Athletics/Acrobatics/Basic Melee thing as a challenge for the third day, after they are publicly honored for stopping the drow necromancer in the morning. They managed to score crits on both of the two non-minion zombies, which made the encounter a lot shorter than I expected it to be!
They managed to score crits on both of the two non-minion zombies, which made the encounter a lot shorter than I expected it to be!
Dont you just hate when that happens!
They managed to score crits on both of the two non-minion zombies, which made the encounter a lot shorter than I expected it to be!
Dont you just hate when that happens!
Heh, yes, it is a bit vexing. What I hate more is forgetting to use abilities and environmental props/modifiers. That, at least, should be under my control!
Case in point: I planned to have them fight some bandits along the road, with the sun setting behind the bandits to make things difficult. Completely forgot about the sunset until about halfway through the battle.
Yes im all the time forgetting important minor details as well. I keep notes to remind me of these things, but then i lose my notes, and by the time i find them again its a little too late. Like oh yeah i forgot to tell you guys that those guys you killed last week were really vampires and they were sent by the lich king you guys was after. I have yet to have a battle work out as perfectly as i planned it. Of course thats not always my fault. Sometimes the players come up with some stupid ideas. Like a couple of sessions ago they had some guards after them and i was expectin them to run away and leave town to get on with the adventure, but instead theyre like oh theres only a 100 of em we can take em. Stupid PCs!