"You find the body of a traveler on the side of the road, and although he/she is now dead, it seems he still has a secret to tell. In his hand, clenched tight as if his'her life depended on in (though not anymore) you see a rolled parchment. The note written on the parchment is in Abysal, and leads to someone in talks with dark powers."
Where would this adventure go? aside from cultists or the like I can't think of anything. We already delt with Orcus cultists in the Tower of Waiting and pissed off a War Devil that I have planned for a later adventure, but I'd like something different. I don't have an adventure/campaign even planned after Madness at Gardmore Abbey at levels 6-8 and the War Devil thing may come in much later.
All help is appreciated and feel free to add your own Hook.
Happy Gaming
As for mine...
"A group of Elves ambush you along a forest path. They keep blaming you for being the cause of their misery."
What is the misery of the Elves, and why is it afflicting them?
"A group of Elves ambush you along a forest path. They keep blaming you for being the cause of their misery."
What is the misery of the Elves, and why is it afflicting them?
The nearest traveler's inn is secretly run by a servant of the Demon Queen of Fungus, who has recently taken to dusting some of the possessions of his guests with Abyssal spores during their sleep. These spores are harmless to most animal life but infect fey creatures and painfully corrupt them into fungal monstrosities. The cultist uses innocent wayfarers to unwittingly spread his plague into the elven woods in hopes of driving them out so that he can claim their cool, green depths as a new Garden of Rot here in the World.
The local elves have traced the horrific plague outbreaks to the passage of wanderers from beyond the woods, and believe the party are involved whether they stayed at the inn or not. It's up to our heroes to prove themselves innocent and save the elves for glory or reward - and if there are any fey PCs, they have an interest as well, since they may have been exposed. Combination mystery, horror, and combat side quest. The elves can't help much once things are traced back to the inn - they fear contamination, and while they favor burning the place to the ground, the heroes' detective work will have revealed that there are fey hostages within, being used as needed to grow more of the spores.
Hey, look, that could even tie in with the first hook.
Here's mine:
"While travelling, you come across two men in wizardly garb arguing heatedly while a hulking stone golem stands quietly nearby. If approached, the men call for the party to decide the ownership of the golem, which both claim to have recently recovered from a nearby ruin. The golem will obey commands from neither, and accusations of magical interference and arcane sabotage fly back and forth. If the party appears to be about to make a decision, or to refuse to do so altogether. the golem gently reaches out to the nearest PC, takes him by the hand, and asks in a voice like grinding tombstones to be taken home to mother now."
Here's mine:
"While travelling, you come across two men in wizardly garb arguing heatedly while a hulking stone golem stands quietly nearby. If approached, the men call for the party to decide the ownership of the golem, which both claim to have recently recovered from a nearby ruin. The golem will obey commands from neither, and accusations of magical interference and arcane sabotage fly back and forth. If the party appears to be about to make a decision, or to refuse to do so altogether. the golem gently reaches out to the nearest PC, takes him by the hand, and asks in a voice like grinding tombstones to be taken home to mother now."
The Stone Golem is actually a somewhat simple and very confused baby Earth Titan. It's mother is actually the warrior-queen (or earth titan equivalent) of a local tribe of Hill Gianst and Earth Titans. They must take extreme caution in returning the young one (espiacially at low levels) else be attacked, or completely ignore the family and take it to wizards for study, as no child titans have ever been seen or documente before. If taken to the wizards, it is eventually revealed that the 'Baby Earth Titan' is actually a special creation of the Gnome God of Earth, Callarduran Smoothhand, and so the heroes must embark on a quest to return the thing to the God.
The adventurers find themselves in a town called Redhaven (named so for the delicious red carp that lives in the nearby river). It is a sizable town, and while they are shopping and mingling in the open market, there is a commotion. The characters turn to see one of the stalls is overturned and guards are chasing a man carrying a person-sized bundle. The guards seem just about to reach him when his legs glow a bright purple and he jumps at least 50 feet up in the air over the town's wall and deep into the foret beyond before he disapears into the foilage of the trees. If the players asked what happened, the guards say the man took the mayor's daughter.
And that's the end of the scenario. I don't know where to go from there though.
"You find the body of a traveler on the side of the road, and although he/she is now dead, it seems he still has a secret to tell. In his hand, clenched tight as if his'her life depended on in (though not anymore) you see a rolled parchment. The note written on the parchment is in Abysal, and leads to someone in talks with dark powers."
"...The messenger appears to have stumbled a great distance after escaping some form of attack. The note is in code, but you can make out one name; (villinous Lord name here) Wether it was for him or about him you cannot tell. "
The note is a warning to the lawful lord FROM the villanous lord warning of a greater the two must combat together. The messenger was actually a high level fighter (AND RELATIVE OF THE EVIL KING) who intended to create a party from both kingdoms to fight the invading evil. It is likely that the evil Lord will consider his champion to have been murdered by the lawful king. It will be up to the party to avert a potential war at a time when greater threats loom.
I would suggest they discover somehow the contenst of the message (magically or by delivery to the recipient or sender) Then they embark on a mission to overcome the new threat, with the added twist of benefitting the evil king enough to avoid a war. Maybe even find a way to ressurrect the messenger - who will not recall how he died and be more powerful than before. You decided if he becomes friend, foe or enigma...
My hook that needs completing:
The adventurers find themselves in a town called Redhaven (named so for the delicious red carp that lives in the nearby river). It is a sizable town, and while they are shopping and mingling in the open market, there is a commotion. The characters turn to see one of the stalls is overturned and guards are chasing a man carrying a person-sized bundle. The guards seem just about to reach him when his legs glow a bright purple and he jumps at least 50 feet up in the air over the town's wall and deep into the foret beyond before he disapears into the foilage of the trees. If the players asked what happened, the guards say the man took the mayor's daughter.
And that's the end of the scenario. I don't know where to go from there though.
Not knowing more about the party or town this is tricky. Is this the first adventure or a stop along the way? There are several ways to go;
1) The daughter is actually a power hungry witch who intends to take the town for her own terrible uses. Her plan is for her evil father to pursue the kidnapper, where a trap awaits.
2) The kidnapper was sent from a theifs guild. The mayor had refused to pay 'protection money'. The mayor lacks any way to rescue her, and if he did they would only come back even more vicious. She not only needs rescue, but the thieves must be destroyed. (Maybe there is a maurading Goblin pack nearby who can be lured toward the thieves encampment?)
3) The kidnapper was the typical love-crazy fool farmer son and the two of them planned this together. The story takes a new twist however when he has to repay the witch who gave him the potion that allowed the escape. They now are magically bound for her service and the mayor must pay tribute to her every wish. To remove the curse that binds them will require a great adventure...
Not knowing more about the party or town this is tricky. Is this the first adventure or a stop along the way? There are several ways to go;
1) The daughter is actually a power hungry witch who intends to take the town for her own terrible uses. Her plan is for her evil father to pursue the kidnapper, where a trap awaits.
2) The kidnapper was sent from a theifs guild. The mayor had refused to pay 'protection money'. The mayor lacks any way to rescue her, and if he did they would only come back even more vicious. She not only needs rescue, but the thieves must be destroyed. (Maybe there is a maurading Goblin pack nearby who can be lured toward the thieves encampment?)
3) The kidnapper was the typical love-crazy fool farmer son and the two of them planned this together. The story takes a new twist however when he has to repay the witch who gave him the potion that allowed the escape. They now are magically bound for her service and the mayor must pay tribute to her every wish. To remove the curse that binds them will require a great adventure...
I like a combination of 1 and 2. Maybe the witch daughter is working with the Thieves guild? Ooh, I like that. Thanks so much. My only other idea was something tacky involving a cult... it was rather cliche and I wanted something, well... good.
And it's the group's first adventure of the campaign. There's a fighter, a warlock, an assassin, a cleric and a swordmage (aegis of assault).
My hook that needs completing:
The adventurers find themselves in a town called Redhaven (named so for the delicious red carp that lives in the nearby river). It is a sizable town, and while they are shopping and mingling in the open market, there is a commotion. The characters turn to see one of the stalls is overturned and guards are chasing a man carrying a person-sized bundle. The guards seem just about to reach him when his legs glow a bright purple and he jumps at least 50 feet up in the air over the town's wall and deep into the foret beyond before he disapears into the foilage of the trees. If the players asked what happened, the guards say the man took the mayor's daughter.
And that's the end of the scenario. I don't know where to go from there though.
Not knowing more about the party or town this is tricky. Is this the first adventure or a stop along the way? There are several ways to go;
1) The daughter is actually a power hungry witch who intends to take the town for her own terrible uses. Her plan is for her evil father to pursue the kidnapper, where a trap awaits.
2) The kidnapper was sent from a theifs guild. The mayor had refused to pay 'protection money'. The mayor lacks any way to rescue her, and if he did they would only come back even more vicious. She not only needs rescue, but the thieves must be destroyed. (Maybe there is a maurading Goblin pack nearby who can be lured toward the thieves encampment?)
3) The kidnapper was the typical love-crazy fool farmer son and the two of them planned this together. The story takes a new twist however when he has to repay the witch who gave him the potion that allowed the escape. They now are magically bound for her service and the mayor must pay tribute to her every wish. To remove the curse that binds them will require a great adventure...
Thanks on this one. I was thinking along the same lines as 2 and 3 but couldn't get them from thought to text. Also my hook (the first one) is good to go. The letter is a warning about a cult either capturing or killing (more likely capturing) the Raven Queen and trying to revive Nerull. The twist is that now when someone dies, they wont stay dead.
Keep the hooks coming. I've seen some good ones (that i havent been able to contribute to) but the tread isn't dead. I got what I needed, now I'm here to help others.
So here's my contribution: The PCs are approached as a neutral third party by someone (family, lawyer, etc.) representing a man condemned for murder. The evidence is overwhelming but he keeps maintaining that he didn't do it, and blaming it on a local legend (in my case I was planning on the Dark Drake outside of Fallcrest).
This is a really cool thread, I especially like the young lovers having to serve the witch and the Demon Queen of Fungus is amazing. Pretty sure I'm going to steal those both at some point.
So here's my contribution: The PCs are approached as a neutral third party by someone (family, lawyer, etc.) representing a man condemned for murder. The evidence is overwhelming but he keeps maintaining that he didn't do it, and blaming it on a local legend (in my case I was planning on the Dark Drake outside of Fallcrest).
The adventurers, hired by the representative, go out in search of this Dark Drake. After much investigating and even asking a local Elf nomad tribe (or maybe a kobold tribe? Diplomacy with kobolds?), they discover the Dark Drake. It is really strong, but they still defeat it. They drag its corpse back to the town square, expecting to free the man. However, once the corpse reaches the center of the town square, a ritual is auto-triggered, imuing the man and his friends each with the full powers and strength the Dark Drake possessed. The man and his allies purposefully got him accused so someone would find the Drake and bring it back for the ritual they had set up.
For those looking over the thread for ideas, i would have suggested for the first idea that the messenger was once a gnoll slave. He was broken and became a kryshtantel (savage soul), a human believing themselves a gnoll. He was delivering a report of defences and news back to the encroaching gnoll warbands, or carrying a stolen ritual scroll needed for summoning powerful bound demons.
www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/d...
Hope this helps
An apprentice at a renowned mage's guild has recently disappeared. Over the last few weeks he has become more and more agitated, obsessive, and eccentric, constantly mumbling or intently staring at other mages when they aren't looking. The librarian there has shown the adventurers the recent books and maps the apprentice has asked for; they are in a variety of different languages and some seem random in topic, but one book in particular was requested more than all the others combined. It is about an aged dwarven fortress in the mountains that was built centuries ago and was the scene of some sort of battle (many of the pages have been ripped off or smudged).
The young mage's name is Tenlev, and the old fortress is called Bale Keep. In the days of old, it was a military outpost against the country to the north. During the war, those at the Keep managed to fend off an army over four times their number. However, in a sense, the invading army technically won, as none of the Defenders of Bale Keep survived, though only a handful of the offense did. How they managed to keep the attackers at bay is unknown.
Around 100 years after these events, Bale Keep, long deserted, became a small town, a rest haven for travellers. However, the intimidating sight of the stronghold inevitbly led to un unwillingness to go there anymore, and it eventually fell into disrepair. The player's adventure takes place about 100 years after this.
That is what the players know. This is what went down: The Defenders of Bale Keep made a pact with an ancient god that is more evil than good but still considered 'unaligned' or 'neutral'. As each one fell, a portion of their blood filled one of twelve 'blood stones', clear crystals with a hollow chamber in the middle. Over the next 200 years, the blood slowly drains to fuel a ritual used to summon an aspect of that god into the prime material plane, though the Defenders didn't know this. This year marks the 200th year since the Battle, and the mage apprentice ran off to ry to stop the ritual. It's up to the Players and DM weather or not the god is going to wreak havoc or be peaceful. However, the players must fight through the shades and ghosts of the Defenders summoned by the god to protect his ritual in the 200th year. By the time they get through, the god is summoned and the mage is frantic, having been unable to stop the ritual. This becomes a massive point in the players lives. They can befriend a god and anger the Guild, they can anger the god and befriend the guild, or if they're feeling treacherous, they can befriend the god and kill the mage, staying on even terms with the guild. Or hidden option D, which is whatever else tha players may think of.
My hook that needs completing:
The adventurers find themselves in a town called Redhaven (named so for the delicious red carp that lives in the nearby river). It is a sizable town, and while they are shopping and mingling in the open market, there is a commotion. The characters turn to see one of the stalls is overturned and guards are chasing a man carrying a person-sized bundle. The guards seem just about to reach him when his legs glow a bright purple and he jumps at least 50 feet up in the air over the town's wall and deep into the foret beyond before he disapears into the foilage of the trees. If the players asked what happened, the guards say the man took the mayor's daughter.
And that's the end of the scenario. I don't know where to go from there though.
Not knowing more about the party or town this is tricky. Is this the first adventure or a stop along the way? There are several ways to go;
1) The daughter is actually a power hungry witch who intends to take the town for her own terrible uses. Her plan is for her evil father to pursue the kidnapper, where a trap awaits.
2) The kidnapper was sent from a theifs guild. The mayor had refused to pay 'protection money'. The mayor lacks any way to rescue her, and if he did they would only come back even more vicious. She not only needs rescue, but the thieves must be destroyed. (Maybe there is a maurading Goblin pack nearby who can be lured toward the thieves encampment?)
3) The kidnapper was the typical love-crazy fool farmer son and the two of them planned this together. The story takes a new twist however when he has to repay the witch who gave him the potion that allowed the escape. They now are magically bound for her service and the mayor must pay tribute to her every wish. To remove the curse that binds them will require a great adventure...
Upon completion of the adventure the heroes return to Redhaven and the mayor throws a celebration in their honor. During the celebration the adventurers stumble across a rogue-ish character at a gambling table, he challenges them to a multitude of high stakes games. Unfortunately for the Rogue he loses terribly every hand until he is flat broke. As a last ditch effort he pops a small purple gem onto the table and wagers everything he has on it. Within a few hands he is forced to part with his gem as the PC's hand him a resounding defeat.
The rogue is relatively well spirited for having such bad luck, congratulates the adventurers on their victory and departs.
Within a few days the PC's enter into a string of bad luck. Somewhere along the line the previous owner had made a deal with a nightmare Fey in order to aquire this rather valuable gem. What the previous owner did not realize is the Fey's understanding of balance, the luck that is granted must be repaid in kind. For so long as the owner chose to remain in possession of the gem his luck would suffer. For whatever reason this Fey has become attached to the gem, is the gem a Crux now? Or the luck associated with it? Either way, anyone in possession of the gem will experience the wrath of the Nightmare.
This Nightmare Fey calls upon lesser Fey to do his bidding. The adventurers find the attitudes of citizens souring towards them wherever they go, they are accused of crimes, small items of value are pilfered from their equipment-seemingly just as they would need them.
Strangely the players cannot seem to be rid of the gem. Should they sell it they may find that it was replaced on their person-but only once they actually do something that would reveal its location on their body.
This is where I am going to stop for now, maybe someone else could feed off of this a bit?
I like this thread and its potential for brainstorming. Heres a hook that i have pondered; what can be done with it?
The village of Ravenbranch is a quiet and remote place to live, nestled deep in the highlands and founded next to a mountain stream teeming with trout. Simple woodsmen, hunters, and rugged sheppards live here and like the simplicity and honesty of the life here. The adventurers are simply passing through and decide to spend the night at the inn. In the morning they get up and follow the mountain trail that leads up until it flattens out and in the distance they see anouther small community. They arrive and walk into the inn to find that the same people are here. In fact, the town is just the same. They arrived in Ravenbranch...again. A little creepied out and confused, the adventurers set off down the road away from the trail to get out of here. The road is treacherous, steep, and long. But eventually the road descends and winds its way to a cabin by a lakeshore. The fisherman there directs them to stay and rest in the inn at Ravenbranch down the road. No matter how the party tries to leave, they seem to come back here and no one recognizes them. Teleportation and magical communication do not work here.
I like this thread and its potential for brainstorming. Heres a hook that i have pondered; what can be done with it?
The village of Ravenbranch is a quiet and remote place to live, nestled deep in the highlands and founded next to a mountain stream teeming with trout. Simple woodsmen, hunters, and rugged sheppards live here and like the simplicity and honesty of the life here. The adventurers are simply passing through and decide to spend the night at the inn. In the morning they get up and follow the mountain trail that leads up until it flattens out and in the distance they see anouther small community. They arrive and walk into the inn to find that the same people are here. In fact, the town is just the same. They arrived in Ravenbranch...again. A little creepied out and confused, the adventurers set off down the road away from the trail to get out of here. The road is treacherous, steep, and long. But eventually the road descends and winds its way to a cabin by a lakeshore. The fisherman there directs them to stay and rest in the inn at Ravenbranch down the road. No matter how the party tries to leave, they seem to come back here and no one recognizes them. Teleportation and magical communication do not work here.
Let us try this: It turns out that they have wandered into a strange bubble within the Feywild. This bubble however, is not a mere crossover-point; it is an actual bubble, with an end. I know the Feywild is usually lush and jungley, but not always. Because they've wandered into this bubble, they cannot escape its borders and so warp to the people to the opposite edge. The borders only allow passage to the Prime Material Plane once a month on a full moon. However, as the new moon approaches, the landscape and denizens begin to change shape into much more Feywild-esque visages. If they dont realize to leave a a Full Moon, the characters meet anothe wanderer who came in during the full moon as well. The Feywild People can be Wilden or Eladrin or really whatever else you want. They can keep behaving the same or become hostile; that's your choice.
Interesting that you thought of the Feywild. My first thought was that the party became the victims of a powerful Fey illusionist that was warping thier mind while they slept at the inn. Whether he did it for fun, or to teach the party something i hadn't decided.
What about something a litle darker?
Every few days for the past month the residents of a large city wake up to find a corpse proudly displayed on or at a local landmark. All of the victims appear to be beggars or common rabble from the poor parts of the city. Each body has the word LIAR carved into it. An investigation is ongoing, but the guard captain seems rather half-hearted or distracted. He is under pressure from the Duke to find the murderer before the upcoming celebration in the honor of Pelor (or any god against necromancy). The celebration remembers the lives lost taking the city back after an undead invasion.
Every few days for the past month the residents of a large city wake up to find a corpse proudly displayed on or at a local landmark. All of the victims appear to be beggars or common rabble from the poor parts of the city. Each body has the word LIAR carved into it. An investigation is ongoing, but the guard captain seems rather half-hearted or distracted. He is under pressure from the Duke to find the murderer before the upcoming celebration in the honor of Pelor (or any god against necromancy). The celebration remembers the lives lost taking the city back after an undead invasion.
Hehe. The Duke is the Liar. He is actually an imposter, a priest of Velsharoon (Archmage of Necromancy, though a Demigod). He intends to raise undead and take the city for his God. He thought the Duke to be dead from poison, but the Duke survived, though his mind was horribly warped by the venom. To him, the only way he could relate all of this is with dead bodies that have 'Liar' scrawled on them. Hopefully the heros can somehow find all of this out before the Celebration, or else they'll have a whole lot of zombies to deal with...
P.S. And yes, the former duke is entirely f**king crazy.
Sorry, I did not want to "take over" the thread, thought i give it a rest for a while. But who am i to deny the very first tenet of D&D?
The local baron is known to be a hunting enthusist, and he holds a hunting contest annualy in which all of the nobility may participate. The contest is held in the Arrowsing forest, an old frontier against barbaric elf tribes in years past that is dotted with outposts and forts too expensive and unwarranted to maintain. The king and his small band of hunters left at the same time the other noble groups did, but the hunt ended days ago and the baron has not returned. This is not good for his already slipping reputation. A few of the nobles have taken advantage of his absence by increasing thier private guard and influence in the town.
Sorry, I did not want to "take over" the thread, thought i give it a rest for a while. But who am i to deny the very first tenet of D&D?
If anyone's taking over the thread, it's me, so don't feel bad. This thread is to help people with their adventure ideas and give others a few ideas to base their adventures off of.
The local baron is known to be a hunting enthusist, and he holds a hunting contest annualy in which all of the nobility may participate. The contest is held in the Arrowsing forest, an old frontier against barbaric elf tribes in years past that is dotted with outposts and forts too expensive and unwarranted to maintain. The king and his small band of hunters left at the same time the other noble groups did, but the hunt ended days ago and the baron has not returned. This is not good for his already slipping reputation. A few of the bobles have taken advantage of his absence by increasing thier private guard and influence in the town.
The baron and his squadron have been kidnapped by Mind Flayers, the psychic monsters of the Underdark. A new Illithid (Mind Flayer) city is soon to be established in a cavern underneath the area, and the Mind Flayers wanted to increase their population to prepare for the new city, which meant kidnapping some hosts. If the Players (aidd by sniffing dogs) decide to search for the Baron, they'll eventually find a small cave that leads down into the Underdark. The dogs will lead them through the proper paths to get to the soon-to-be city, and when they arrive they'll get their just in time to stop the Illiyjids from implanying a tadpole within the Duke's brain, starting Ceromorphosis, the process in which a creature (usually human) is transformed into an Illithid. Of course, if they act fast enough.
Or, if they don't look for the Baron, they can instead choose to try to keep the other nobles from encroaching on his territory with a series of skill checks. Maybe throw in a fight or two in order to add some combat, like from the gaurds and armies and such that are being built up. If the Players stay for a while, eventually the entire town will be besieged by Mind Flayers, and it soon becomes up to the PCs to infiltrate the city and Kill the new Elder Brain, one of the leaders of Illithid society, and the 'mayor' of the city. The Elder Brain is weak because A) it's new, and doesn't have much brain-mass gained by assimilating dead Illithids and B) it has been recently transplanted into its new home, which took up great amounts of its strength. This is why it can be level-appropriate for some players.
Or, the Players can not care and keep moving.
This is one of those what-you-do-drastically-determines-what-happens-next things.
The warm island village of Erudar's Stand is only a few miles from the coastline, and its only claim of renown is the presence of a seculded mage order and a glorious past. The now mundane village sends traders and reports to the coastline city, or at least it used to. The guard captain is worried that he hasn't heard word or seen a hair of the village for over two weeks now, but he has larger concerns. Should the party go investigate the town's lack of communication, they find the water dotted with icy crags and unusual cold currents moving about the island. The currents are strong and drag the boat dangerously fast toward the foggy, blizzarding shore. The village's walls are coated with a thick layer of ice and frost. The snowstorm is thick, and only the spiring Raven Queen temple can be vaguely seen. Bodies are lying everywhere, and tracks of strange creatures can be seen on the rooftops and the town square.
By the way, I like how the words baron, king and duke are interchangable apparently.
The warm island village of Erudar's Stand is only a few miles from the coastline, and its only claim of renown is the presence of a seculded mage order and a glorious past. The now mundane village sends traders and reports to the coastline city, or at least it used to. The guard captain is worried that he hasn't heard word or seen a hair of the village for over two weeks now, but he has larger concerns. Should the party go investigate the town's lack of communication, they find the water dotted with icy crags and unusual cold currents moving about the island. The currents are strong and drag the boat dangerously fast toward the foggy, blizzarding shore. The village's walls are coated with a thick layer of ice and frost. The snowstorm is thick, and only the spiring Raven Queen temple can be vaguely seen. Bodies are lying everywhere, and tracks of strange creatures can be seen on the rooftops and the town square.
Hmm... I could just go off of DDO's Korthos Isand (Sahuagin are attacking the town and a Mind Flayer is assisting them by Controlling a grown White Dragon), or I could try...
As the players walk through the city streets, a Perception Check may yield that they are being watched, but any attempt to call them out causes the observers to dissapear. No more activity occurs until they approach the Raven Queen's Temple, where the air is colder. Inside, just about everything is completely frozen solid and endurance checks againt the extreme temperature are to be made, and fire (of any sort) takes a -2 to damage, and small fire (like candles) don't work at all. Climbing the steps reveals that at the top of the tower is a maelstrom of ice. An Arcana, Religion, or Nature Check will tell that there is an invisible portal to the Paraelemental Plane of Ice. They are immidiatly besieged by Ice Mephits.
After dispatching them and leaving the Temple, they meet a man in white robes trimmed with black and/or blue. He reveals his name to be Kasorith. He tells you he is a worshipper of Aseroth, the Demon Lord of Abyss Layer 566, Soulfreeze who presides over cold, ice, corruption, and magic. Kasorith tells you that the Winter Warlock is going to drag the entire Island into his Plane, and that by the end of the day the Isand will be completely frozen and on its way through the Abyss into Soulfreeze. He offers the players a chance to join them, and on refusal, his fellow cultists attack the PCs. They take them down, but Kasorith is gone. Going to their boat, the PCs find the water is completely frozen, and their boat is trapped within the ice, unable to be moved. A Strength check to remove it from the ice completely breaks the thing apart. All other boats are in the same predicament. By tracking Kasorith in the snow, they find he went to the small mountain on the island. The further they move from the city and the Temple with the portal within, the warmer it gets. Until A loud CRACK rips through the air. In the sky not fr off or above, a new Icy Maelstrom begins, and soon these portals dot the entire Island.
The Isand quickly is as a large hunk of Ice. The PCs continue on their course, and along the way they are faced with an Elemental Ice Scorpion, a Scorpion made completely of Ice. They eventually reach the top of the mountain, where they find the cultists. Another offer is made. If the PCs refuse again, they must fight the remaining cultists, who are joined halfway in the fight by Ice Mephits. In the general area are large, clear crystals. They have defenses (level appropriate). Inside each one of hem is a glowing blue orb, which a quick Arcana or Religion check reveals to be a mortal soul, slowly being drained by the crystal containing it. Destroying a crystal destroys one of the portals. Soon all of the crystals are destroyed. All but one: the one in the Temple. The town is now completely solid ice. A skill challenge is needed to close the portal. (Arcana, Religion, Nature, Perception, History, Dungeoneering can all be used) When it closes, a massive yell of rage sounds throughout the Island, and the PCs are now hated by Aseroth.
If a PC at any point chooses to accept the cultists' offer, they are givin a set of robes that keeps them at a comforatable temperature no matter what the outside temperature. If they choose to join, PvP is likely to ensue. If called upon and refusing to attack the Players that did not join, they will slowly lose hitpoint until dead or until they remove the robes.
By the way, I like how the words baron, king and duke are interchangable apparently.
I was just going off of what you were saying.
A town founded in the highlands has recently been raided repeatedly by mechanical homunculuses. The creatures vary widely from hounds to serpents and sometimes moving arbalesters, and thier behaviors are just as varying. Most of the creatures raid the farmland, randomly killing and stealing things from swords to grapes. Some have integrated themselves in newly made caverns running from cellar to cellar of the houses. A few townsfolk have seen them fighting each other until the death. The salvaged bodies of the creatures reveal small polished gemstones that glow for a small time after the creatures death.
To readers of the thread, i encourage you to add your own hook or answer an already "answered" hook. Even if it is underdeveloped or lacking, what you might dislike might be someone else's inspiration. Any idea helps.
MiPCoR, i wasn't blaming you. I just found it a humerous observation. A kingdukebaron would be quite the ruler, and quite the title.
A town founded in the highlands has recently been raided repeatedly by mechanical homunculuses. The creatures vary widely from hounds to serpents and sometimes moving arbalesters, and thier behaviors are just as varying. Most of the creatures raid the farmland, randomly killing and stealing things from swords to grapes. Some have integrated themselves in newly made caverns running from cellar to cellar of the houses. A few townsfolk have seen them fighting each other until the death. The salvaged bodies of the creatures reveal small polished gemstones that glow for a small time after the creatures death.
Oh hohoho. I was hoping things would turn around to humunculi. Let's try... another extraplaner idea, eh? They're an easy go-to.
Gond Wonderbringer is the God of smithing and crafts. He cares more for actions than motivations or consequences; do and worry about the rest later. Artiicers and gnomes revere him, sometimes under different names (Nebelun to gnomes, Zionil in Durpar, Estagund, and Var the Golden). He has recently learned of plans of an attack on him by Talos, one of his few enemies. In response to this information, he has begun creating armies of humunculi. Those that he rejects, either because they are imperfect or he just doesn't like them, he sends to the mortal plane. Unfortunately, he sends them to the same p;ace without really caring. While the PCs fend off varying humunculi each night, Gond is working on a piece he really likes. He makes a copy of it, ands sends it to the Prime Material Plane to see how it is. Guess what the PCs have to fight? That's right, a Humunculi Gond, he crafting, artificing, constructing, blacksmithing god's humunculus he thinks is perfect. After destroying it, Gond stsrts reviding it, and sends the next one back to the PCs. After (barely) destroying the even more perfect humunculus, Gond decides that this creation en masse will fare well enough. Analysis of the crystals reveals these to be the work of Gond and a follower of Gond in the party can learn of these happenings through the crystals, though any successful Arcane or Religion Check will reveal Gond's Work. Otherwise, they just fight some humunculi and eventually the humunculi just stop coming after the second big bad guy. Advantage: extended rests between encounters. That doesn't happen often, does it?
To readers of the thread, i encourage you to add your own hook or answer an already "answered" hook. Even if it is underdeveloped or lacking, what you might dislike might be someone else's inspiration. Any idea helps.
I completely agree. I've posted a hook that has recieved more than one answer, and I've answerd things that had one answer already. This is a brainstorming thread, not a 'question and first-answer-is-the-only-answer thread'. I'm answering these as they pop up because I enjoy flexing my imagination-muscle. But some people may think my ideas are lacking, so they can post theirs if they like.
MiPCoR, i wasn't blaming you. I just found it a humerous observation. A kingdukebaron would be quite the ruler, and quite the title.
In a way similar to a Turducken being quite the meal. And I didn't mean to make you think I thought you were blaming me. I was making a humurous observation based on your humurous observation.
Rumors are spreading across the roads that there is a war brewing near the trade town of Gild, but not between men or elves or any of thier kin. A war of mighty beasts is raging, and Gild is in the middle of it. Gild is between the cold crags of a small mountain range and a wet forests of towering trees and marshes. Almost every few days now, a battle between giant rocs and young dragons occurs above the city. One of the groups will win, and the other will retreat, only to regroup and attack after a week or less. The battle often has the beasts crash into the taller buildings or the roads and farms. The animals do not seemed focused on hurting the inhabitants, although one of the beasts will occasionaly raid the city, dragons burning fields and rocs carrying people off. A war tribe of kobolds raids the city often to bring supplies back to mountains.
MiP: Ah, i see. Sorry, i take a -2 penalty to insight checks made through electronics. Having a low wisdom doesn't help either...
Rumors are spreading across the roads that there is a war brewing near the trade town of Gild, but not between men or elves or any of thier kin. A war of mighty beasts is raging, and Gild is in the middle of it. Gild is between the cold crags of a small mountain range and a wet forests of towering trees and marshes. Almost every few days now, a battle between giant rocs and young dragons occurs above the city. One of the groups will win, and the other will retreat, only to regroup and attack after a week or less. The battle often has the beasts crash into the taller buildings or the roads and farms. The animals do not seemed focused on hurting the inhabitants, although one of the beasts will occasionaly raid the city, dragons burning fields and rocs carrying people off. A war tribe of kobolds raids the city often to bring supplies back to mountains.
The battles are caused because the Dragons believe a Roc has stolen one of their eggs, and the Rocs think the same of the Dragons. The Dragons have employed the Kobolds to help them resupply, but other than that the kobolds are useless in the conflict. In actuality, a powerful necromancer has stolen the egss and created Dracon and Roc images and voices to let each party know the other stole the eggs. He intends to use the bodies of the people, and possibly even Dragons and Rocs to create an undead army. He will do this by inscribing a massive Spell Circle around the town and casting an Animate Dead spell, amplified by the Circle, for a mass ressurection. The Kobolds can be captured on one of their raids and questioned to learn that a strange outsider dragon infromed the Dragons of the Rocs' treachery. It flew off to the South, which leads the party to the Necromancer's small base, where he is putting the finishing touches on the Circle. He will summon undead soldiers to fight the PCs, and activate the Circle if he can before the PCs get to him.
MiP: Ah, i see. Sorry, i take a -2 penalty to insight checks made through electronics. Having a low wisdom doesn't help either...
We all take that penalty, don't worry.
Even though the slums of the city have never been a safe place, never before have they been so dangerous. Even brutish bravos and cutthroats are reluctant to leave thier houses. Recently animals all over the city have been acting violent or agitated, although it seems to affect canines more so than the others. Packs of feral dogs ambush the beggars that ignored them. Rats boldly leave the darkness of the sewers. Horses are disobedient and reckless, refusing to be bridled. The guard now patrols the city in heavy patrols at night, both killing the animals that threaten the citizens and futily searching for the source of the now dreaded howling echoing down the streets. A handful of people disappeared without a trace, and now every few days one or two people disappear. Most disturbingly, an aura of lights, mostly crimson or cinder colored, though occassionaly violet, flows across the sky in ribbons of blood.
Even though the slums of the city have never been a safe place, never before have they been so dangerous. Even brutish bravos and cutthroats are reluctant to leave thier houses. Recently animals all over the city have been acting violent or agitated, although it seems to affect canines more so than the others. Packs of feral dogs ambush the beggars that ignored them. Rats boldly leave the darkness of the sewers. Horses are disobedient and reckless, refusing to be bridled. The guard now patrols the city in heavy patrols at night, both killing the animals that threaten the citizens and futily searching for the source of the now dreaded howling echoing down the streets. A handful of people disappeared without a trace, and now every few days one or two people disappear. Most disturbingly, an aura of lights, mostly crimson or cinder colored, though occassionaly violet, flows across the sky in ribbons of blood.
The city, unbeknownst to its constructors, was built apon a sacred grove with a very old tree in the center. These wee cut down to make room for the city. A powerful Druid recently heard of this, and has decided to exact reenge on the forest's behalf. Viwing nature and animals more important than [_Insert race here_], he's dragged off some citizens and sacrificed them, sending the crimson lights through the sky. The lights have an adverse effect on animals, and a mere glimpse of the lights from anything with animal intelligence (PC companions included) causes them to become agitated and/or violent. (This only affects natural beasts, not fey or anything else). However, the Druid doesn't realize that his actions cause animals within the city to be killed.
The Howling is the Druid's Beast Form, which is a wolf, by the way. Also, the color of the lights is is dependant on the race sacrificed, Crimson=human, white=eladrin, green=elf, red (red red, not crimson)=Tiefling, orange=Dwarf, light brown=halfling, rust(red-orange)= Dragonborn, as a few examples.
here is something a little more low key.
A local farmer pleads with the adventurers as they pass through a hamlet to rescue his daughter. Two nights ago she was abducted by a band of creatures; the father tried to stop them but he was knocked out before anything could be done. Out of local myth and superstition, the other villagers refuse to help a "cursed" man and endanger themselves. The farmers house is a wreck with broken furniture, pools of blood, and traces of alchemical herbs or acids. The farmer tries to send the adventurers off as soon as he can, and only with reluctance answers any questions they have.
here is something a little more low key.
I don't think so. My mind doesn't work in simple low-key things. My imagination goes big or goes home.
A local farmer pleads with the adventurers as they pass through a hamlet to rescue his daughter. Two nights ago she was abducted by a band of creatures; the father tried to stop them but he was knocked out before anything could be done. Out of local myth and superstition, the other villagers refuse to help a "cursed" man and endanger themselves. The farmers house is a wreck with broken furniture, pools of blood, and traces of alchemical herbs or acids. The farmer tries to send the adventurers off as soon as he can, and only with reluctance answers any questions they have.
The man is not her father. The man is a changeling disguised as the father. It and its cohorts abducted the two, and only adopted the persona because the neighbors cam to check on the noise. The alchemical herbs are things to be used in a special ritual involving the two.
Though they don't know it, the two actually have the blood of a god who copulated with a mortal hundreds of years ago. They are all that remains of that line. The changeling is a member of a cult to that god's enemy, and are planning to sacrifice its blood (or that of those who are related to it) to weaken that god so their evil master can swoop in for the kill.
Here is a fully-fledged idea for Paragon Tier and/or mid-high level:
The town of Drivendale is on the outer edges of a swamp, and is a harvesting town for a rare weed that grows in abundance in the nearby swamp that strengthens healing potions and such. It is a moderate-sized town, large enough to have a 'decent' area, a slum, and a 'privileged' area. It is governed by a charismatic Half-elf named Quohand Fielderson. He often walks amongst the streets (except in the slums), and is well-liked by all in the city. However, he has recently not been seen as much, and when he has, he seems to be troubled or worried.
Around the time that Quohand has been acting strangely, many of the harvesters in the Swamp have gone missing. One says that his friend disappeared on a harvest, and reappeared about an hour later. However, his friend attacked him, and he barely got away, as the friend was struggling with the swamp despite years of experience trudging through it. And the disappearances have been occurring closer and closer to the city.
The heroes learn of all of this either in the city from general rumblings or in the local inn, the Two Tails Tavern (named such for two friendly dogs that wander about it). Should the heroes approach the Governor, either some persuasion at the gates or sneaking will be required to get into the manor. But there, they are able to speak with Quohand. He informs them that a patrol he sent out to investigate the occurrences came back with only half its men. The survivors reported, however, something terrifying in the swamp: Zombies. Powerful ones. Realizing the players' ability and/or fame, he pleads with them to try and investigate further, as his men refuse to do so.
So the characters traipse through the swamp. About an hour into the trek, they see the lone silhouette of a person cloaked by thick fog. The approach, and the person turns towards them. Suddenly the mist breaks for the oncoming figure, a zombie who tries to tackle the leading party member. It is dispatched quickly, and the group moves on. After a short while the regular natural sounds of the swamp fade away and disappear. The players venture onwards though, and eventually come to a small clearing where there are no gnarled swamp tress. As they approach the center, the are besieged by zombie 4-5 level lower, but in large numbers. The characters eventually manage to survive to the end of the onslaught, and search the small, wet clearing, and discover a few large rocks fallen on top of each other in an upside-down V-shape. It is soon revealed that a small tunnel lies under these rocks, leading down into a cave. The cave widens and lengthens into a large, vast cavern, where many zombies are seen wandering aimlessly. After passing through the cavern either stealthily or with swords, the Characters find another downward-leading tunnel. This tunnel leads to another, mostly empty cavern, smaller than the first. However, there are ancient stone columns in two rows leading up to a raised dais. On the dais is a throne, which holds a sitting humanoid figure. But between the characters and the dais is a large Dragon skeleton. At their first move, the skeleton comes to life, and blue lights glow within it as it animates. It is the bane of an adventurer's existence: a Dracolich. a Perceptive character will note that throughout the fight, the figure on the throne's eyes light up blue, and follow the battle. After defeating the Dracolich, the figure stands.
It is a humanoid, figure, but its race cannot be determined due to the excessively decayed state of the body. It is covered with dark, rotting flesh, and appears to be a very old zombie. It wears heavy armour, but carries no shield, only a single, black, Bastard sword. It speaks with sound, though its mouth does not move:
"Who are you that disturbs me here, in my home? Who are you that kills my minions and destroys my pet?" The players respond. "You seek the source of the undead? I am the source of the undead." it responds with a flourish of the bastard sword it wields. Any divine character feels an intense evil eliminating from this thing. Then it attacks. It attacks quickly and with finality, though it is eventually defeated.
But after being killed, it rises again, and its sword glows black (hintity-hint-hint), and it seems as good as new (up to its bloodied value though). It attacks again, and this happens again and again until the players separate it from the sword. If the players don't pick up on the hint, add in some combat flavor like "You bash the lich with your shield, and its grip on its sword releases for just a moment. But in that moment where its grip is weak, its eyes' glow diminishes."
After wrenching the sword free of the lich's grasp, the body simply falls over and the glow disappears. If a player picks it up...
Blade of the Lich Paragon Level Artifact
This old blade drives you towards evil thoughts, and haves you prefer the company of necromancers and undead.
The Blade of the Lich is a +4 Magic Bastard Sword with the following properties and powers.
Property: Any PC who is proficient with Military Weapons is proficient with the Blade of the Lich.
Property: You gain a +1 Item bonus to Athletics checks, Intimidate checks, and Religion checks.
Property: You are immune to poison and powers with the poison keyword and gain resist 10 acid.
Property: The Blade of the Lich returns to its owner's inventory if discarded, sold, or destroyed until it moves on.
Property: When you kill a living, natural creature, absorb its soul into the blade. It cannot be raised, nor can any rituals or other effects communicate or commune with the creature or its soul.
Property: When making an attack using a power granted by the Blade of the Lich, you can apply the modifier of your highest ability score instead of the primary ability modifier normally used by the power.
Power (At-Will): Standard Action. You can use Restless Dead (Wizard 1). You must have at least one soul trapped within the blade, and expend a soul in the blade when you use this power.
Power (Encounter): Standard Action. You can use Soul Blight (Wizard 17). You must have at least five soul trapped within the blade, and expend five souls in the blade when you use this power.
Power (Daily): Standard Action. You can use Animate Dead (Wizard 9). You must have at least three soul trapped within the blade, and expend three souls in the blade when you use this power.
Concordance: While Concordance is important to determine the extent of the Blade of the Lich’s abilities, it is important that the wielder does not know precisely what causes the Concordance to change. Keep track of the various effects on your own, and let the player know if his or her PC’s Concordance with the Blade of the Lich changes.
- Starting score 5
- Owner successfully completes an adventure wielding the item in combat +2
- Owner can cast a Necromancy spell +2
- Owner has killed a living creature(per day) +2
- Owner has used a Necromancy ability (per day) +3
- Owner kills a necromancer -2
- Owner tries to get rid of the Blade of the Lich -5
Pleased (16-20)
Property: The Blade of the Lich’s item bonus to Athletics check, Intimidate checks, and Religion checks increases to +5.
Property: Your resistance to Acid becomes an Immunity.
Property: The wielder takes a -5 penalty to Charisma-based checks. This penalty applies whether the wielder is using the Blade of the Lich or even has it in their possession.
Power (Daily): Free action. Use this power when you drop a living creature to 0 hit points. Absorb its soul and count it as two souls.
Satisfied (12-15)
Property: Shadowbane’s item bonus to Athletics checks, Intimidate checks, and Religion checks increases to +2.
Property: The wielder takes a -2 penalty to Charisma-based checks. This penalty applies whether the wielder is using the Blade of the Lich or even has it in their possession.
Normal (5-11)
Unsatisfied (1-4)
Property: The wielder takes a -2 penalty to Charisma-based checks. This penalty applies whether the wielder is using the Blade of the Lich or even has it in their possession.
Special: Once per day at any time, Shadowbane attempts to take control of its wielder’s body. It makes a special attack against the wielder’s Will, rolling 1d20 + the wielder’s level. If this attack hits, the wielder is dominated (save ends). This attack is possible whether the wielder is using Shadowbane or even has it in his possession. Shadowbane typically attempts to take control when the wielder ignores an opportunity to strike against a living, natural creature, and uses its wielder’s action to attack the most powerful shadow living, natural creature nearby. While dominated, Shadowbane’s wielder can draw Shadowbane as a free action in addition to the actions typically allocated to a dominated creature.
Angered (0 or lower)
Property: The wielder takes a -5 penalty to Charisma-based checks. This penalty applies whether the wielder is using the Blade of the Lich or even has it in their possession.
Special: Once per day at any time, Shadowbane attempts to take control of its wielder’s body. It makes a special attack against the wielder’s Will, rolling 1d20 + the wielder’s level. If this attack hits, the wielder is dominated (save ends). This attack is possible whether the wielder is using Shadowbane or even has it in his possession. Shadowbane typically attempts to take control when the wielder ignores an opportunity to strike against a living, natural creature, and uses its wielder’s action to attack the most powerful shadow living, natural creature nearby. While dominated, Shadowbane’s wielder can draw Shadowbane as a free action in addition to the actions typically allocated to a dominated creature.
Property: Each time the wielder rolls initiative, there is a 25% chance that the Blade of the Lich refuses to perform any attacks during the encounter except to attack living, natural creatures.
Moving On
The Blade of the Lich moves on when its Concordance reaches -15 or lower. It then teleports mysteriously without the Player’s knowledge to a different location. It can also move on when a powerful living, natural creature is killed using the Blade of the Lich. It must be a creature of at least level 21, and a weapon attack using the Blade of the Lich must be what kills the creature. However, a player can opt to keep the weapon instead. If the player dies while holding the weapon, the sword and the body teleport to the cave near Drivendale in which The Blade of the Lich was found, taking the place of the Lich that was there before.
On the lich's squat, grim throne was written: "Three Souls to pass over and return what's mine to me." Spending 3 souls here, opens a way to a land of shadow. It appears the party has not moved from the pillared chamber, yet shadows of fish swim about the floor, pale wisps flutter by like scraps of paper, and the dark ceiling echoes with the whispers of unseen birds. The throne room here does not lead into the cavern of zombies, but deeper into ghostly, ancient-styled halls, halls whose living conterpart vanished long ago.
At the bottom, two gods wait, but the shining one's sword has not left the chamber. The empty god grins that its sword, however, is returning glutted. A wager will be settled.
Sorry for my absence. MiPCoR, no you didn't. It was sick, but should be feeling better soon enough. I believe you meant thread by the way. If you killed the forum, we would be in a bit more trouble.
A band of knights pledged to wander and help the helpless have been wandering in the local region for a month or so now. They have just arrived in town and are staying with the temple clergy. The guard captain is enthused to have thier presence bolster order and good in the city, or at least was. Normally he recieves reports from the militia captains in the villages scattered about the region, but they have all fallen silent. Oddly enough they lost contact in the same order as the path of the kightly order as told in thier tales of valor.
An enchanting song is said to be heard from the heart of Nightshade Grove. A song that is eerily calming and beguiling; a song that is played with instruments of woven grace and sorrow that never wear or break. Nightshade Grove is a place of dark myth, loosely guarded by elven tribes seeking to protect others from unknown dangers and avoided by even the bravest of orcish thanes. A young bravo has assembled a band of glory-seeking friends and marched to find the grove and determine its secrets. He has not returned, and the song has only grown quiter, harder to find, since his bold decision.
community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758...
An angry dwarf sees the adventurers as they walk along a dusty road. As soon as he sees them, he pulls out a rusted battleaxe and starts attacking. The Players beat him handily, but before they kill him (if they choose to,) he calls out "Fine, kill me too, ye bastards! Ye took me son an' me wife! I have nuthin' left ta give but me life, an' you were already to take that an'way." The Players halt. They've never seen this dwarf before. After a brief amount of stubbornness on the dwarf's part, the heros learn that a group of thugs (that just so happen to mirror the PCs rather perfectly) has been terrorizing the nearby town of Smithefields (Smie-th-fee-ulds).
If anyone still swings by here, what'ya got?
(Back in the Saddle plays in the background)
A young wizard harassed and outcasted by the town of Smithefields, which remains suspicious of magic, left the town to try his luck at the adventurer/mercenary lifestyle he had always dremed would be better. He scrapped by, earning enough money to purchase the occasional book on his favorite subject, the plane of Dreams, all the while emulating different adventurers and mercenaries as heros. He has trained for years now in the arts of summoning and planar binding to explore and practice spells in Dream. he has returned to his hometown to wreak vengence on the people who never accepted him by summoning and controlling the dreams and memories of adventurers like the party who he has recently taking a shining to. Can the party free the town by beating thier dream-selves that range from idealic best memories to terrible regrets?
Also, a few of my older posts still remain unanswered to any who are willing to try. Or come up with your own...
The sword was a gift from Orcus or some other necromantic power and enshrined in a place that had already sunken into the swamp by the time Drivendale was built. (The lich's throne room was only an upper chamber, the rest filled in long ago.)
On the lich's squat, grim throne was written: "Three Souls to pass over and return what's mine to me." Spending 3 souls here, opens a way to a land of shadow. It appears the party has not moved from the pillared chamber, yet shadows of fish swim about the floor, pale wisps flutter by like scraps of paper, and the dark ceiling echoes with the whispers of unseen birds. The throne room here does not lead into the cavern of zombies, but deeper into ghostly, ancient-styled halls, halls whose living conterpart vanished long ago.
At the bottom, two gods wait, but the shining one's sword has not left the chamber. The empty god grins that its sword, however, is returning glutted. A wager will be settled.
This is quite awesomazing. I never even considered a god's involvement, much less two. Even further less a sister sword. You get all of my internets for the day, friend.
The heroes are walking through a dense forest on the one road that leads through it. They are on their way to the bustling city of Waverstead, a village that survives primarily on its nearby copper mines, and gets its food from a large lake nearby.
As the heroes walk, they see a maderately-sized group of massive spiders skitter across the path in front of them. However, the spiders don't attack the heroes, and in a seemingly frantic state, they don't even seem to notice the adventurers, except for one smaller spider in the back, that turns and looks at them.
After a short moment, something slams into the spider with such force it's knocked off of the path and so deep into the forest the heroes cannot even see it. A CRACK! is heard as the heroes realize the spider's body and whatever impaled it also knocked into a tree with such force they caused it to fall.
Now, what happens next? Someone post the next bit, and someone else after that.
The village mystics sought for advice all have visions of a palace in the midst of the storm clouds and a large, empty throne. Also of a sheer mountain ridge leading to shining steps. The only mountain around is Graytop Ridge, and all its rents run like rivers from the rain and herds of boulders stampede over its surface, adding their voices to the clap of the thunder army's shields.
Near the peak of the mountain, up against a wall of lightning and thunder, shining stairs do indeed lead to massive doors. a panel slides away to answer any visitors, revealing the huge face of an obviously distressed oni, giant, jinn, or whatever you'd like. Apparently he'd been tasked with minding the place while "the master" was out, but the master should have returned 2 moons ago and the priestly petitions for rain from villages horizons around have been piling up.
"Unfortunately, the master's instruments are quite temperamental, and they won't shut off the normal way anymore."
The study area is swarming with elementals, and some of them combine with others for devastatingly messy effects. The master's numbered instruments, a series of levers, a ring of drums, or an alchemists set of globes, tubes, and bound gremlins, are so large, each segment of the device has its own are of the study. One segment has been damaged, and another has been clumsily tied together wrong. Fixing it up should allow the attendant to work his magic.
An optional continuation could explore why the master's missing.