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Ozreth
Learned Scribe
188 Posts |
 Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 06:50:08
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My players will be traversing the Nether Mountains (east side) for a bit and I'm trying to make the trek seem long and perilous. They are level 1. Thoughts? Also the year is around 1355 DR.
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 11:58:38
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Random encounters for temperate/cold mountains – lets see:
Bear, brown
Blink dog
Bugbear
Demi-human
Displacer beast
Dog, wild
Dragon
Dragonne
Eagle, giant
Gargoyle
Giant
Goat, giant
Griffon
Hippogriff
Humanoid
Ki-rin/lammasu/shedu
Leucrotta
Lycanthrope
Men
Ogre
Owl, giant
Pegasus
Snake
Sphinx
Troll
Undead
Weasel, giant
Will-o-wisp
Wind walker
Wolf
Wolf, worg
Obviously you will need sub-tables for demi-humans, dragons, giants, humanoids, lycanthropes, men, snakes and undead, but at least you have plenty for the party to go at (or most likely run away from).
I would add a 'special' section as well (ruins, waterfall, stone bridge, druid circle, skeleton of a massive dragon, a crashed galleon, tomb, tower, glowing gate, walking trees, a singing purple rock, a permanent rainbow pattern/prismatic wall, dancing ghosts, a lost iron golem, talkative badgers, lots and lots of land leeches/slugs slithering in a mass during their annual mating ritual, an ancient battle site with rusting weapons and armour, a working/abandoned gem mine, rockfalls, landslides, the weather)
Hope that helps
Cheers
Damain |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 13:15:02
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Interesting blog post here by Steve Winter on the Kobold Quarterly page
http://www.koboldquarterly.com/k/front-page12102.php
It nicely sums up what random encounters and trekking miles across somewhere should be about
Cheers
Damian |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Thieran
Learned Scribe
Germany
293 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 16:30:50
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| Cool ideas Damian, thanks! |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 18:00:04
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| Are you thinking of whole adventure ideas and encounters or just elements that might be found in the mountains? Are they on a specific quest or can they be sidetracked for a while. |
No Canon, more stories, more Realms. |
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crazedventurers
Master of Realmslore
United Kingdom
1073 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 21:12:17
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quote:
Originally posted by Thieran
Cool ideas Damian, thanks!
You are very welcome, the singing 'walking' (well rolling actually) purple rock the size of a small car has been a mainstay of the ongoing campaign for the last 25 years or so, it pops up now and again to baffle and amuse and frustrate the players 
Little is known about the rock, though it can give birth as it has a baby rock rolling along with it now 
Cheers
Damian |
So saith Ed. I've never said he was sane, have I?
Gods, all this writing and he's running a constant fantasy version of Coronation Street in his head, too. .
shudder,
love to all,
THO
Candlekeep Forum 7 May 2005 |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36782 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 21:46:46
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quote:
Originally posted by crazedventurers
quote:
Originally posted by Thieran
Cool ideas Damian, thanks!
You are very welcome, the singing 'walking' (well rolling actually) purple rock the size of a small car has been a mainstay of the ongoing campaign for the last 25 years or so, it pops up now and again to baffle and amuse and frustrate the players
Little is known about the rock, though it can give birth as it has a baby rock rolling along with it now
Cheers
Damian
A friend of mine had a similar recurring bit of oddness -- "Bill Brannigan's pony". That pony popped up in all sorts of odd places, most of which you'd never expect to find a pony. |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 28 Mar 2012 : 22:43:22
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I suppose "Monty Python" encounters could be a category all of their own.
That's a great little article, saved a copy forevermore, my thanx to both scribe Damian and author Steve Winter. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Ozreth
Learned Scribe
188 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2012 : 21:36:35
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quote:
Originally posted by Jorkens
Are you thinking of whole adventure ideas and encounters or just elements that might be found in the mountains? Are they on a specific quest or can they be sidetracked for a while.
Sorry, should have clarified. Random drow raiding parties have been coming to the surface searching for riches and slaves to bring back down to the underdark. A child from Deadsnows was taken in a raid and the PC's are after her. They have recieved a map with an X marking a spot on the Nether Mountains. My idea is that there is some sort of monstrous encampment there that the Drow plan to massacre for slaves. I'm not sure what kind of monster they will be yet though. Would orcs be reasonable for Drow slaves?
Obviously there wont be any encounter with Drow since the party is only level 1 (maybe a lone spy or two in the mountains would be reasonable though) but Im trying to come up with some sort of espionage mission through the monstrous encampment, but I also want the journey there to be a small adventure in itself.
So yeah, whole adventure ideas pretty much :p |
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Ayrik
Great Reader
Canada
7974 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2012 : 22:33:44
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Orcs don't respond well to being enslaved, they require constant presence of armed guards, plus they smell bad.
Drow love to enslave surface elves, pretty little things who can be dominated and humiliated so easily. Humans are easier to break but generally useless underground. Dwarves are as stubborn as orcs but their labours at mining and industry are unsurpassed.
I'd go with kobolds. Kobolds in numbers can accomplish surprising things, and oddly enough they are some of the best and most efficient miners in D&D. Plus since the drow already treat kobolds as vermin they wouldn't bother dispatching a powerful raiding party to round some up on the surface; in fact, drow assigned to such lowly tasks would probably the sorts of problematic scumbag losers that a group of level 1 PCs could easily handle. |
[/Ayrik] |
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Ozreth
Learned Scribe
188 Posts |
Posted - 29 Mar 2012 : 22:43:12
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Yeah, I suppose Kobolds will do haha, was just trying to avoid the more obvious choices
However, I still need a way to make the trek from Deadsnows over the Mountains more than "you travel for several days and reach the X" with one or two random encounters and an avalanche thrown in.
I guess there really is no good way though. |
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Diffan
Great Reader
USA
4430 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 04:07:51
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A random Ownbear (CR 4) would be a pretty hard single encounter for a group of four 1st level party members. You could even lessen the CR by 1 with a 3/4 amount of HP for the Owlbear (39 hp) and even a -1 to attacks. It could be a 'sick' Owlbear. It's AC is really low for 1st level (a whopping 15) and if the PCs get the drop on it OR if it's an even match with no suprise round, they could do ranged attacks to soften it up before wading into melee.
A small horde (grouping) of zombies could also be a fun 1st level encounter. If your going through the pass, perhaps the zombies were from the last expedition to attempt the run before the winter but didn't make it? One person in the group was a hedge wizard with some small power of Necromancy and, as they slowly withered away to death in the frozen cold, he reanimated their corpses for company, protection, to gather food-stuffs or hunt?
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Ozreth
Learned Scribe
188 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 04:43:07
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quote:
Originally posted by Diffan
A random Ownbear (CR 4) would be a pretty hard single encounter for a group of four 1st level party members. You could even lessen the CR by 1 with a 3/4 amount of HP for the Owlbear (39 hp) and even a -1 to attacks. It could be a 'sick' Owlbear. It's AC is really low for 1st level (a whopping 15) and if the PCs get the drop on it OR if it's an even match with no suprise round, they could do ranged attacks to soften it up before wading into melee.
A small horde (grouping) of zombies could also be a fun 1st level encounter. If your going through the pass, perhaps the zombies were from the last expedition to attempt the run before the winter but didn't make it? One person in the group was a hedge wizard with some small power of Necromancy and, as they slowly withered away to death in the frozen cold, he reanimated their corpses for company, protection, to gather food-stuffs or hunt?
Both good ideas. I think I'll definitely use the horde of undead one :p |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 10:36:11
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Ok now we are having fun and brainstorming here. And stealing from the Deck of Encounters I should add.
As the party is travelling along the goat tracks of the eastern side they get the feeling of being watched. A raven sits in a old fir that leans over the track. The creature is a cursed imp that Pethgeghal Sweetbeard condemned to guard his wife’s Megher roses a thousand years ago. And that’s what it has been doing. Planting, pruning and replanting. Year after year.
Hearing the party it polymorphed into the shape of a raven and decides to get them to either free it or take over its work. Following the trail it leads them one they will have to go through a tunnel into a small garden valley half hidden by rocky outcroppings above. The tunnel is lighted by Anaurian Beghal crystals (functions as a coloured continual light)that were grown here while the garden was in use. Due to the abandonment of the area they have grown to amazing proportions. The ceiling is amazing, especially as the crystals are growing through a Green slime that covers the roof, feeding on the moths and such that are attracted to the light.
The garden within is still beautiful and centred around a pedestal carrying a small statue made from the magically merged tusks of Umberhulks. It weighs about 20lbs, but slight damages has reduced its value to anyone but a collector.
The garden is magical with a sigil located around the fountain in the inner parts which makes it possible to command a creature to work the garden. The imp cannot magically suggest to anyone that they should go into the magical field, but will hint. If anyone says that they ore someone else should work the garden they will be bound to do this. Ethebera knows a song that can release them if the knowledge is drawn from the imp somehow. There are other elements of magic in the garden to of course. Goodberry bushes, that can supply the pc’s with healing berries that stay ripe for 2-12 days. An ever blooming magnolia tree that contains miniature holdings and dimensions within its flowers and a portal to the Isle of Dread, enterable trough the red water lilies found around the fountain. A phanaton held in stasis in the ruins since the days of Anauria knows of this last portal.
The real treasure here are several species of songbirds that were popular in the survivor states and are today though extinct in the Realms. To a noble or collector they could be worth a fortune. Some might even be magical or intelligent. One might know the location of the Bazonga bird.
The nearby ruin. Three Zenthilars guarding the bard Ethebera, a Zentharim agent and poisoner working in the various settlements of Anauroch. They were betrayed by the Laerti mercenaries that were following them across the desert and escaped into the wilderness. The D’artig’s Dhezthul and Hederch, lamia agents that bribed the Laertis were after a spellglobe carried by Ethebera that holds the information needed by four of Manshoons agents in Llorkh that plan to subvert the town council. The D’artig have not given up and are lurking in the area with several of the nervous and superstitious Laerti. Ethebera and her men have spied these pursuers and are desperate for help. The Pc’s looks perfect.
The ruin is the last remnants of a hunting castle of the noble Nemrins of Anauria. Pethgeghal Sweetbeard, a book trader from the south and distant cousin of the family used it as his warehouse and resident for the last years of its existence.
Please say you have a paladin or lg priest in the party, in that case the gods send a carbuncle along to test the character. It is whiny and braggy asking anyone to help polish the jewel in its forehead, whether they be party members or opponents they are hiding from. Robb or kill the creature and you are in trouble.
Something like this? How much time is there before you are going to run this trip, just in case I come up with something else.
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No Canon, more stories, more Realms. |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 11:33:46
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In the mountains the pc’s hear the sound of arguing and growling. If following the sound they come upon a large groups of gnolls that surround several bodies of gnolls and orcs. It seems like the tribal leader has been killed during the fight and that there are two candidates for his place, both with approximately the same number of followers.
If the gnolls spot the characters they will growl and make aggressive gestures, but they won’t attack. Both leaders keep their warriors back. They both see the party as potential allies and are also afraid that any fight will leave them with fewer warriors then their rival. After a while a few more gnolls arrive and they make signs for the characters to follow them, not bothering them as long as they keep their weapons sheeted.
And now things get tricky. The old shaman of the tribe along with most of the females view the party as a threat that should go right into the cooking pots, so none of the candidates dear openly court the party’s support, instead accusing each other of trying to ally with the humans whilst hinting and whispering to the characters. They will be treated as guests and might (in theory) leave when they want, but unless they find some way of bribing or blackmailing one of the leaders they will have to fight for their lives against both groups of gnolls. Whilst here they can trade for information, minor treasures and knowledge of the area, the two leaders are very eager to get the goodwill of the party. At the same time the shaman and his intelligent hyenadon are watching for any excuse to condemn them all too the cooking-pots. He goes so far as to ritually contact a grell that is hiding in the area, promising him the dead of the gnolls from a period of time (he will pronounce gnoll-meat as taboo for one year,)if it removes one of the leaders, thereby making the characters targets for the whole tribe.
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No Canon, more stories, more Realms. |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 13:56:07
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The party cross a valley used by bulettes travelling towards breeding grounds. The area is criss-crossed with underground tunnels used by the creatures during the fall. Now, when the area is safe, the tunnels serve as a handy tool for creatures usually not seen as a threat. Jermlaine. A tribe of these creatures has found the tunnels to be handy traps, finding out which tunnels are near deer tracks or paths used by other creatures and then (if necessary) weakening the roof of the tunnel, leaving only a thin crust that will easily break if trodden upon. And now the players move into the minefield.
The pc’s might fall into a deep tunnel that makes it necessary for them to travel through the tunnel system looking for an opening, some, if left above will have to try to maneuver through the area without falling into tunnels all the time looking for tripwires and other traps used by the Jermlaine. For those below ground the situation is even worse. The tunnels are usually around 5 ft., but collapsed in places and with even lower tunnels used by the Jermlaine. If the players try to maneuver through these they will be hunted by giant rats and Jermlaine without being able to use most of their weapons and often finding it difficult to move properly. The hunt could be a short scare, a day long run for their life or the start of an underground adventure as they run into openings from the tunnels into the Underdark. If they are really unlucky the chase leads them into the nesting grounds of the Bulettes.
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No Canon, more stories, more Realms. |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 15:02:06
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A short time after meeting the gnolls they see what at first looks like the opening to a cave. The trees nearby show slight marks from claws or a beak about ten feet up the trunk. As they get nearer they see that the opening is of worked stone, with weather-worn carvings of eagles and relief's showing small portraits of humans in an antique style. This is the entrance to the family tomb of the already mentioned Nemrins.
This is also the lair of the earlier mentioned grell. The creature is at the moment hunting (if not killed already), but the lair is still inhabited, by eight hatchling grells that lurk near the ceiling in the antechamber. As the grell has never figured out the locking mechanism for the door (its first attempt led to it being badly burned by the traps formed at both sides of the door, disguised as a part of the stylized apple trees symbolizing the family ) that it has never explored further into the tomb. The mechanism shouldn’t be too difficult to figure out though.
Inside the first chamber stand four skeletons, each carrying a pendant bearing the symbol of Jergal around their neck. The skeletons will not move before the characters remove the cobwebs before the entrance to the next chamber. Give them a Drow scare here. Even then the skeletons will only follow the characters unless they are attacked. The pendants make it necessary to turn them as wraiths.
They now move into the tomb itself. It is a long corridor with the graves located on each side, each grave bearing a full size relief of the occupant. And here be mummies. The various mummies act differently. Two are evil and will attack anything. one is filled with thoughts of greed and revenge making it attack the other vaults and thereby waking the occupants. Two are benevolent (one can communicate) and four only want to be left in peace, not moving until their possessions are taken out of the grave. Any treasure, maps or Netherilian lore can be inserted here, as part of the treasure or as parts of the relief's.
In the end of the corridor is a tomb bearing an ancient Netherilian symbol of warning. This is the tomb of Gheghed, a member of the family that was turned into a wererat and in that form he killed three of his brother’s children and his young twin siblings. As punishment he was buried alive in a globe of timelessness, frozen, with his eyes locked on a small opening towards the outside. This has had a strange side effect that will become apparent to the players when they open the vault. For a thousand years the presence of the wererat has compelled all rats that come within a hundred yards to crawl into the tiny opening and thereby getting caught in the globe. There are now thousands of rats in here that will fall out as a waterfall when the door is opened, the insane wererat will attack the players as soon as the rats have cleared the opening.
One of the rats is special. It is the hermit wizard Sholdar Greystar which two years ago managed to polymorph himself permanently into a giant rat whilst working on a variation of the spell and was caught here whilst looking for help. The wizard had long worked on a form of magic that tied the spells into a series of complicated knots that worked as scrolls, loosening the spell when the knot is loosened. Sholdar now has to make the players understand that he needs their help and that the solution lies in the string tied around its neck, containing a series of intricate knots. One of these is a dispel magic of sufficient level to turn the wizard back to his original shape. The knot cannot be cut, it must be unbound which is not easy.
Afterwards the wizard invites them back to his dwelling half a day from here where they can rest and get new supplies if needed. The wizard is traumatized and will not go further with them; he just wants to stay home a while and get very drunk. But at least the characters have found a safe house in the area.
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No Canon, more stories, more Realms. |
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Jorkens
Great Reader
Norway
2950 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 15:21:32
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As they are moving up a snow-covered valley they notice that an avalanche has blocked their way. But it doesn’t seem impassable. During the climb they see the top of a menhir sticking out of the snow. If they search they see another one about three meters away. If they dig a bit they can see that the menhirs carry symbols of Auril.
As the travel continues they suddenly notice the snow being moved as if something is ploughing underneath. It is a small (7hd) Remhoraz that will arrive in 3 rounds. Its objective is to drive the characters towards the rocky areas to the west this is a veritable forest of ice spires and twisted rock formations; here the Remorhaz guards a shrine to Auril found in a cave at the other side of an ice bridge. The Remorhaz is not the best of servants and if it cannot make the characters move towards the west within 2-8 rounds it will attack in earnest.
The shrine itself is guarded by two ice toads that will make no move as long as the pc’s are not aggressive or carrying fire. If there is information or hints that the players should have there is a white snow fox at the shrine that can give them the answers or hints in the forms of riddles if asked. This will of course be done as a favour by Auril, something that they might have to pay for at a later date.
If the pc’s make an offering to Auril they will see a path lighted in a strong red during sunset. This will show them an easy trail through the mountain area they are travelling trough. If they in any way disturbed the shrine or don’t make an offering they will encounter a snowstorm that force them to make camp for three days. The last day the storm contains ice-mephits. If the Remorhaz is killed or seriously hurt Aurils reaction will depend on their feelings about the matter. If they are genuinely worried about the goddess’s reaction she is satisfied, seeing their fear as punishment enough; now if they take the matter lightly something devious should be done.
And I am out of ideas for now.
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No Canon, more stories, more Realms. |
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DestroyYouAlot
Seeker
USA
69 Posts |
Posted - 30 Mar 2012 : 19:21:50
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| IMC, there wouldn't BE any "Level 1" encounters in the Nethers, save for animals (which would avoid two-legged folk like the plague), but if you want to put the fear in'em, take the owlbear idea from above, have the party spot the thing from a pass above it (where it can't get to'em), make some fearsome noises, and then shadow them for a few days (as real grizzlies have been known to do). Give'em a few "near-misses" and maybe let them find a few huuuuge owl pellets in their path (possibly with some orc bones inside, if they take the trouble to break'em up). |
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What kind of lvl 1 encounters in the Nether Mtns?
