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Mr Kaze
Ebon Hand Cultist
(12/29/03 1:25 pm)
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Mr. Kaze's Major Alterations
This is the second time I'm trying to run RTEE. Having been deeply dissatisfied with the out-of-the-box storyline -- it smacks of a trip to the zoo more than actually saving the world from an evil cult, reborn or otherwise -- so I've been making extensive changes as we go. It's a very story-oriented (rules-to-the-wind) campaign and it's proving to be much more fun this time around -- the players have even said so.
[Edit: If you want to see the running notes -- I assure you it's up to date, we just haven't been able to rally the troops over the holidays -- it's at www.bardicgrove.org/~kaze/darkstar.xml. It's not really a full journal, just markings to keep the PCs and the DM in synch with what's going on, who's who and how long until they're ready to level. Some of the older information reference the first run of RTEE and City of the Spider Queen; don't worry about that. It's an XML file that may not display properly for everybody, in which case it's your browser's problem not mine -- I tested it in Mozilla and MSIE6. Anyway, enough disclaimers -- read it if you want. Or read this. Or both.]
Note that most of my players are also doing this for the second time, except for our new guy who is DMing it for another group. So they think they know it pretty well. 
So I've got three goals in changing this:
1) Creature encounters should make more sense -- no creature is (or rather, far fewer creatures are) "just there".
2) Bad guys don't exist for the sole purpose of getting beat up -- they have real motivations and goals that the characters might sympathize with if their situation were a bit different.
3) Give a real sense of drama by providing situations that have deductive puzzle-solving elements where simply cutting loose on the bad guys -- sympathetic or not -- clearly won't solve the world's problems.
Cast of Characters:
2 Evil Human Clerics of Xellos (from Slayers: Next anime, yes), a half-elf rogue and a baby troll (per Savage Species).
Major Change #1: What's going on.
What's going on is that in the never-ending war between good and evil, two of the combatants have gotten tired of fighting. They gave up on their grand battle and combined their essences. The resulting chaotic shockwave collapsed the dimension that they were in upon their new self, leaving them imprisoned. (This is similar to Slayers: Try.)
The outer line of the cult doesn't realize that they're trying to summon a monster; they think that they're trying to summon a god that will bring peace, justice and all things wonderful to the world. Only the highest ranking members of the cult realize that the summoning will likely annihilate the world. Hence, other than having a persecution complex and not being particularly insightful as to what's going on, most of the cultists aren't wholly evil, nor is their backstory limited to "they are mad." 
Now this entire summoning thing is a bit tricky because the one major change for my campaign setting is that mortals don't use dimension-bending magic -- no summon monster whatever, no bags of holding, no teleportation. This rule helps keep them engaged in the world and makes them a little bit safer since villians have to have a more original strategy than "Scry on them when they're asleep then teleport in and TPK them..." So summoning is a big deal and requires a lot of work.
This is where the elemental cult comes in -- through their worship, they're channelling their power into the elemental nodes, which -- when combined with sources of positive and negative energy -- will allow a high-level caster to create a stable planar gate to anywhere in the multiverse. (As previously noted, they think they're doing this to free a trapped god that will bless them with justice, equality, peace and tranquility.)
All this is happening around Hommlet because Hommlet had the extreme misfortune to have been built in an area littered with dimension-bending artifacts -- the black spikes -- left over from a war of extraplanars a millenium ago. There are four spikes: one underneath Hommlet which is always active, one in the moathouse that the adventure starts with the cultists having activated, the biggest one in the mines that the highest level cultists have actually inhabited, and the last one under the temple. Mapped out (after altering the map), they form a diamond -- place Hommlet across from the temple (which is concealed by a forest) and the moathouse across from the mines. The under-temple will be moved to the intersection point that is directly in between all of the spikes, such that we've got a proper focal point.
So the characters, having been warned by Xellos that there's been an upswing in cult activity, went off to the old moathouse since -- historically -- cults like that particular location. The moathouse is actually half-sunk -- I deemed it a lighthouse on the everglade-esque coast -- to add some atmosphere to the inside of it. The obligatory Blue dragon (desert environment) was replaced with a large Black dragon (swamp environment) that was blind and hungry.
Fast-forward to the black spike, as that's the next major change. The spike, as noted, is a planar-bending item. Water is spilling down onto and instantly freezing. Some spills off the side, but some of it spills out into another dimension. Characters make spot checks to notice this particularly heinous danger. Rather than risk jumping across the thin ice flow, they lasso the platform on the far side -- I was quite impressed by this -- to make it across to the platform that they can get down on.
Storytime: So they're going down on this platform that wasn't intended to hold a troll and 3 humanoids when the grell attacks (and misses laughably). If the [baby] troll does anything, the platform is going to be at risk -- accidentally cutting the rope with the adamant greatsword would end the adventure real quick-like. So the troll (bless his heart) decides that we're going for something we can tell stories about and so he jump-attacks the grell -- and then fails his grapple check! So he's some 60' above the floor, being held up by a tentacle beastie slightly more than half his size. Cut back to the platform that's swinging crazily about -- the rogue and the caster-cleric are able to keep their balance, but the tank-cleric (the one holding the rope) drops off the platform, losing the rope in the process and landing far below in a sharp, hard, cold layer of ice. Ouch. The other two abandon ship and land a little bit softer. Then the platform lands, suffering critical damage (but the characters were able to jump out of the way of it crashing down -- most fortunate). Cut back to the troll, who has been grappled for a few rounds now and is slowly being carried away by the grell. For one single round, he's miraculously able to break the grapple and in that round, he claws into the grell for all he's worth (dropping it to a single hit point). The grell doesn't like this at all -- so it drops him. Cut back to the characters in the ice who look up in time to jump clear of a troll that comes smashing down into the ice in a puddle of greenish goo.
The insane priest is already dead and frozen beneath a thin-ish layer of ice. The troll cuts some bits of him free (after recovering from the falling-on-the-cold-poky-bits experience) so that the clerics can use Speak with Dead later. The charismatic cleric is freezing to death and needs to get out, so the troll climbs up the rope with him and the body; the rogue and tank-cleric stay to investigate the pillar. The troll can't lasso his way across the ice at the top this time, though, so he hops, skips and jumps his way across, losing one of his legs (like the liquid nitrogen scene in T2) in the process -- but they're safe. The other two investigate a bit (and touch the post which behaves more-or-less as written) before riding the shards of the platform back to the top of the area.
Using Speak with Dead on the insane cultist nets them "We call to Celestied; Volopheil answers. We call to Volopheil; Celestied answers," -- which is a bit confusing because Xellos mentioned none of this. The mazoku has no interest in being honest and straightforward, after all, especially not about some embarassing extraplanar event that calls into question the power of the mazoku race.
So, having interrogated the location of the CRM out of the other low-ranking cultists prior to their wholesale slaughter (is was nasty, but well thought out), the party set off for the CRM where they've been accepted as new recruits.
Changes that are plotted-if-not-played out are as follows:
- Stalagos is hypothermia-inducing cold due to the black spike's vaccuum chilling effect. Characters cannot swim in it.
- Green Dragon replaced with another umber hulk. Umber hulks make frequent use of their burrowing ability to improve their tactical options -- this really unnerves the players, but adds a lot of atmosphere.
- D'gran converted to a half Red Dragon and given a nasty flaming spiked chain. This is because...
- All of the trolls in the mines are actually the remnants of a tribe that D'Gran got to swear loyalty to him through their current surrogate leader. The troll character in the party, however, bears an acid scar that indicates that he's the heir to the tribe's chieftan who was killed by a human raiding party a few years previous. When the party's troll can rip Slaazh's arm off and beat him with it, the trolls will follow the PC troll (at least long enough to have an awesome fight against D'gran). The character didn't have to have the acid scar, but I suspected that the player would say "Um, Yes! Yes I do!" when asked.
- Blade Spirit has been replaced with a ghost dwarf that wants the Eye of Tulian for his ghost mistress who is the mother of the clerics. (I'm not making this up; they were bantering back and forth in character about "Mom always liked me best!" "That's why I killed her." "Yeah, but then she came back as a ghost." "Yeah, not sure how that happened..." -- so I just had to use it.) She'll let the tank-cleric that killed her off with a minor curse if they get the dwarf his diamond. The entire scene in the forge is going to be done while on the ethereal plane, reinforcing that the dimensional boundaries that hold the world together are a bit weak around the black spikes. Rather than having the ghosts actually fight if provoked, I'm putting a chain golem in there to add to the tortured atmosphere -- the ghosts will send the golem. But if the diamond is successfully returned, one of the characters will recieve a pass-mediallion to get past the golem in the dwarven temple. There's an added treasure there; a +1 Undead Bane Dwarven Waraxe that adds +2 to turning damage (-2 rebuking damage) by virtue of a divine gem prominently displayed in the shaft. This will be important later.
- In a spate of evil puns, Tarren and Kiibo are being replaced with Dearth Voodoo-er and his companion Animalkin Skywalker who were thrown out of the inner temple after losing a fight with Oni con Wasabi. They know that the end of the world is nigh and will happily sell all of the information they have to the PCs so long as the PCs can give them enough money to make the last of their days comfortable -- they're rather the fatalists in this way...
- The lightning towers don't exist; instead, the inner fane is shelled/crowned with a dome of negative energy. In addition, each of the wights in the yard has an earring that gives +1 turning resistance.
- The door isn't intelligent; instead, it's controlled by a ghost shadow dragon that was attracted to the black spike long ago, but was slain by marauding dwarves and had its most prized diamond stolen.  It's been bound and commanded to guard the door and only open it for authorized people -- and thus can't let the party pass.  However, if the party buffs the dragon up (using the wights' earrings) and then shatters the divine gem in the undead bane axe, the command effect on the dragon will be temporarily broken, allowing her to open the door to spite her ex-masters before fleeing back to the underworld. (At this point, each of the characters gets a "get out of conventional death free" card by having a friend in the underworld who owes them big-time.)
- Temple crypt will be replaced with a dwarven crypt. Since we're not playing this as a sequel, the temple doesn't need to have a long line of dearly departed.
- Destrachans are being replaced with Large Half-Fiend Gibbering Mouthers (that killed most of the dwarves in the first place -- technically, these creatures are CR8, too, but 6 attacks at 1d8+6 really makes me wonder...). Of course, if the PCs choose to help the ghost dwarf, he can warn them of the impending doom ahead of time.
- Triad will be replaced with an Ogre Mage Blackguard (Oni con Wasabi -- probably half black dragon...), a human cleric who started it all, and a drow lich who was dissatisfied with Loth's promises of surface-world conquest and revenge and wanted to do something about her, and the rest of his cow-towed race, and the entire surface-world of their natural enemies, too! This guy's going a bit overboard, but he's trusting in his lich powers -- he's gotten past mortality and can thus now do dimension bending -- to save him from the apocalypse he intends to unleash. Suffice to say, the drow lich will also be the big fight at the end, replacing Imix.
- Zugg's spirit altar is going to be replaced with Kirainaslee's (sp?) spirit. She'll actively promise the PCs a single wish to whoever frees her, and then she'll go start laying the adventure hook for City of the Spider Queen which, sadly, defeated the players due to repeated experience loss too early on in the adventure prior to them taking on something easier... (Of course it has to be a drow goddess that's been captured there -- it's a drow lich that's ascending to join the mazoku race in this telling of it!)
- Most of the inhabitants of the Earth temple are going to be replaced with Myconids because the player of the tank-cleric has a real-life hatred of mushrooms and has never succeeded an in-game saving throw against fungus.
Admittedly I'm missing out on some potentially amusing doppelganger action by effectively neglecting Hommlet and completely neglecting Verbobonc, Rastor and Nulb -- but we're also not losing entire sessions (and weeks of in-game time) as characters chase down false leads and Fed-Ex quests. But I really think that it's for the best -- it helps lend the sort of "No, really guys, the world is going to end -- you don't have time to get up to level 20, make yourself a holy vorpal greatsword of butt-spanking and come back to it when you're ready!" feel to it that was ingrained (very nicely) into Spider Queen.
So, with all that in mind:
1) Am I meeting my stated goals?
2) Does it make for an interesting story? (Better depth than "These guys are going to detonate the world because they're insane"?)
3) Given that my players are enjoying the changes that they've seen thus far, are there any additional recommendations for changes in a similar vein?
Cheers,
::Kaze
Edited by: Mr Kaze at: 1/8/04 3:23 pm
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Killiak 
Deathmantle Cultist
(12/29/03 2:24 pm)
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Re: Mr. Kaze's Major Alterations
so uhhh, where do U live and can I play?
Nice nice nice. I really like it. Looks very solid, bit where do you place Varachan? The evil and insane dude who has seen the light  and Thrommel?
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Mr Kaze
Ebon Hand Cultist
(12/29/03 3:11 pm)
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Re: Mr. Kaze's Major Alterations
Killiak:
Unfortunately (and unusually) we're not looking to add players at this point in time -- we've got a few bits of meaty RP to chew through before we can even really consider adding another.
Good questions, though -- I've honestly not done much preparation beyond chapter 5. (I'm guessing that I've still got at least a month before it becomes an issue.)
Offhand, I would expect that Thrommel is Oni con Wasabi's personal high lackey and it's his job to run, administrate and maintain The Infernal Device -- expecting that the oni replaces Chymon (Red Dragon). Except, going on a mental tangent, that the dragon is right inside the fire door and -- with a name involving Wasabi -- the oni's favored element should probably be acid with the Ogre Mage getting a Half Green Dragon template. So I may just replace Thrommel altogether with OCW who could take care of the machine just fine. I'm liking the sounds of that idea rather better, since D'gran is much better suited to being OCW's high-ranking lackey anyway (as per the "all creatures must fit" goal, previously stated).
Moving on, Varachan's purpose in the game is two-fold: give the characters lots of information and maybe make them a bit safer against overwhelming odds. If the players are doing fine and have already gotten a whole lot of information from Dearth Voodoo-er (Tarren), then Varachan may not even need to exist. If Varachan does exist, though, I'll probably upgrade the him-elf to a her-drow and say that she's the lich's girlfriend who has realized, with the ascension of her lover, that the stakes in this game are too high for her to play -- he intends to let her die with the rest of the world. Thus, she wants to get out of this cult and to go back to being a cleric of Loth, no matter the punishment she has coming to her for letting her faith falter. (If I take this course of action, she will naturally be encountered again near the beginning of Spider Queen. Whether she's alive or not will depend on how much the players like her.)
So that's how I'll probably handle those NPCs. I think my players would rather face a half-Green Dragon Ogre Mage Blackguard than a vampire anyway -- that's what did them in (repeatedly) in Spider Queen.
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Killiak
Deathmantle Cultist
(12/29/03 11:12 pm)
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Re: Mr. Kaze's Major Alterations
Well, if the Oni's favored element is acid, then he should have a link to the earth temple. Maybe a letter or a personal little praying chamber. Something that will piss him off if the players run amok in it/with it.
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Mr Kaze
Ebon Hand Cultist
(12/30/03 9:47 am)
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Handout: How to use the Altar
So we're in a temple of Evil with Evil altars and there's supposedly a document describing how to perform this Evil ritual, right? Well here's the most e-ville documentation I could come up with (feel free to copy it for your game):
H0\/\/ 2 U53 7H3 3V1L 4L74R L1KE 4 R34L1 L33T CUL7157
Z3R0: J00 N33D A 73N74KL3 R0D 4 D15 PR0C33JUR3, F00!
0|\|3: G37 A B4K4^2 LU53R \/1K71M -- 5UX0R!
7\/\/0: 70UCH D4 L33T 4L74R -- B K4R3FUL!
7HR33: L173 K4|\|DL35, B347 D4 B0|\|G0, \/\/4V3 J0R R0D.
F0R3: L4UGH L1K3 D4 L33T 3V1L CUL7157 J00 R -- 17 1MPR35535 D4 CH1X.
F1\/3: 573P B4K!
51X0R: M4K3 4 W15H + \/\/47CH DA 5UX0R G37 3473|\| BI D4 L337 3\/1L 73|\|74KL3 0 D00|\/|!
53\/3|\|: R3P347 573P F0R3.
473: 1F J00 D0N'7 G37 W47 J00 W4N7, F1ND D4 R47 B4574RD D47 570L3 J0R L337 L007 4ND R3P347 FR0M 573P 0|\|3.
(Edit: fixing some spelling errors -- imagine that. )
Edited by: Mr Kaze at: 12/30/03 9:58 am
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errant42
Tolling Bell Cultist
(12/30/03 11:18 am)
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Re: Handout: How to use the Altar
ACK!! The unholy abyssal runes devour my mind!
|\/|U57 |\|07 let i7 e47 my BR41|\|!!!
4444444RRRRRGGGGHHHHHHHH!!!
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Cordo Crowfoot
Deathmantle Cultist
(12/30/03 6:16 pm)
Reply
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funny
Quote:
H0\/\/ 2 U53 7H3 3V1L 4L74R L1KE 4 R34L1 L33T CUL7157
That's hilarious...  Someone was talking about adapting RttToEE to D20 Modern, maybe they could actually use that idea.
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Mr Kaze
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/5/04 2:43 pm)
Reply
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Re: Destrachan Swap - Advanced Half-Fiend Gibbering Mouther
[I don't like Destrachans -- they don't have any psionic abilities backing up "feed on death and misery" and their otherwise powerful sonic attacks are powered by their weakest stat (Cha) and is completely nullified by a single Silence spell. Bleah. So here's a critter that should be much better able to hold its own...]
"You want to know what killed the dwarves? I'd bet that something like these came through the [dimensional shear in the] black spike and wiped 'em all out..." -- Dearth Voodoo-er
Advanced Half-Fiend Gibbering Mouther
(see Monster Manual 3.5 pg 126 & 147)
Outsider, Evil
Hit Dice: 7d8 + 56 (84 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 10 ft (2 squares), swim 20 ft, fly 20 ft (average)
Armor Class: 22 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +11 Natural), touch 11, flat-footed 20
Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+15
Attack: Bite +10 melee (1d4+6) or spittle +6 ranged touch (1d4 acid + blindness)
Full Attack: 6 Bites +10 melee (1d4+6) and spittle +6 ranged touch (1d4 acid + blindness)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/15 ft
Special Attacks: Gibbering, Spittle, Improved Grab, Blood Drain, Engulf, Ground Manipulation, Smite Good 1/day (+7 damage), Spell-Like abilities
Special Qualities: Amorphous, DR 7/bludgeoning, DR 5/Magic, SR 17, Immune to Poison, Resist Acid 10, Resist Cold 10, Resist Electricity 10, Resist Fire 10, darkvision 60'
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +4, Will +6
Abilities: Str 22, Dex 14, Con 26, Int 8, Wis 13, Cha 16
Skills: Concentration +13, Survival +6, Listen +11, Spot +15, Intimidate +8, Move Silently +7, Hide +3, Search +3
Feats: Blind-Fight, Extended Reach (Savage Species: Reach +5'), Thick-Skinned (Savage Species: DR +2/Bludgeoning)
Environment: Underground
Organization: Solitary or Pair
Challenge Rating: 8 (or 9)
Alignment: Neutral Evil or Chaotic Evil
Advancement: 8-12 HD (Large) -- don't forget about Half-Fiend traits
This vile creature is an unfathomable mess of eyes, mouths and wings, constantly boiling out of and back into its black, scaly flesh with a thick sulfuous stentch.
This is an advanced half-fiend gibbering mouther. Though it technically is only CR 8 (5 + 1 for size increase + 2 for Half-Fiend template + .75 for HD - some because the bites should be 1d8 each - for no claw attacks, too), it should probably playtest in as 9 or maybe more... I'm awarding as CR 9 because these things will be encountered in their quicksand-intensive lairs (if they're encountered).
Combat
These advancements will usually initiate combat with their gibbering and a darkness effect to conceal lasting terrain effects (such as the quicksand caused their ground-manipulation ability). With their surprising 15' reach (thanks to Extend Reach from Savage Species), they can use attacks of opportunity on approaching foes. If a foe seems particularly dangerous, the mouther will use darkness on either their foe, themselves, or the space between them and trust its blind-fighting ability to help it outclass its enemy. They'll rarely trust to their Unholy Blight ability and virtually ignore Desecrate and Poison. Unless it notices a particularly "good" looking target, it'll use its Smite Good ability on the first potentially good thing it hits any given day.
Gibbering (Su): Free action. Confusion for 2 rounds in a 60' radius. DC 16 to resist for 24 hours.
Spittle (Ex): Free action 1/round. Range-touch attack for 1d4 acid + blindness with a 30' range. Fortitude DC 21 negates the blindness if applicable.
Improved Grab (Ex): After hitting with a bite, start a grapple as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Blood Drain (Ex): If successful with improved grab, bite damage is automatic + 1 Con per round. Mouth can be ripped (Strength DC 19) or sundered (2 HP, continues to deal damage + con for 1d4 rounds; rip check reduced to Strength 13). Worth noting that it's just Con damage, not drain, and the gibbering mouther doesn't heal from successfully draining blood. There's your silver lining. Now...
Engulf (Ex): If successful with three mouth attacks after a grab, opponent of large or smaller size can be engulfed (Reflex DC 21 to avoid) making them subject to 12 internal bite attacks (+10 vs. flat-footed) with no recourse. Mouther can use its 6 external bites on a new target. This looks like it'll take a standard action.
Ground Manipulation (Su): Reduce ground to quicksand-like morass. Full round for non-stone; 2 full rounds for stone. Vittles in the area must make move-equivalent actions or become mired (per pinned in grapple).
Amorphous (Ex): Not subject to critical hits, sneak attacks or flanking.
Skills: Eyes give +4 on search and spot checks (included) and is a natural swimmer.
Spell-Like Abilities: (Caster Level 7, DC 13 + spell level) Darkness 3/day (DC 15), Desecrate 1/day (DC 15), Unholy Blight 1/day (DC 17), Poison 3/day (DC 17)
Special notes: Reduced bite damage from 1d8+6 each to 1d4+6 each, removed the claw attacks. Added lots of wings (anybody remember the early '80s paperback of "A Wind In the Door"? I envision this like the cover of that, but fiendish...) to keep up the amorphous look. Increased confusion effect from 1d2 rounds to 2 rounds. Note that if you've actually got water under the "quicksand-like morass", then there will be no "like" about it -- look up quicksand in the DMG and have your players get ready for a mean, mean fight.
I'm leaving the husk of a dead black dragon outside of the double-destrachan room which will instead have two of these baddies in it with no visible pit in the middle... just a whole lot of quicksand.
::Kaze ('s players have been on vacation for a month giving him entirely too much time to prepare...)
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Knowe Remorse 
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/5/04 4:35 pm)
Reply
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Re: Destrachan Swap - Advanced Half-Fiend Gibbering Mouther
Im planning on picking up the RTTEE just because I originally ran a hugely modified 1st edition Temple of EE that I converted to 2nd edition long long ago.
Was nothing like Gygax wrote it, but I added much more plot, made the temples more devious and realistic. By making the PC's rely more on subterfuge and cunning in order to bring the temple down than just raw hacking and slashing thier way through.
Just from reading the threads on here, I would remove the dragons (things which i have always made just about the nastiest things a party could encounter, and which i believe should be extremely rare)
Ever since that first conversion of the first temple, I've been dying to redo it.
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of All Who Threaten it. |
Mr Kaze
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/5/04 6:58 pm)
Reply
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Re: Blade Spirit Swap -- Advanced Chain Golem
So my players have given me quite the gem -- one of them (two are brother-cultists) killed their mom and then she came back as a ghost. Now, here in the forge, we've got ourselves an undead that can animate normal -- not ghost touch -- weapons. Sounds like telekinesis to me... which would mean that we're talking about a ghost.
Hrm.
So what we're going to do for a moment is suspend a couple of the rules -- my world, I'm allowed -- to give the players the option to go on a quest. And do a below-the-belt jab at them at the same time.
See, because of the Black Spike's disruptive influence on the nature of the material plane around this area, the forge (CRM 96) is not entirely on the material plane... it's kind of on the ethereal plane. And inside this forge is a dwarven smith, cursing himself and his torment for losing Tulian's Eye because he needs that kind of a gem to properly court the cultists' Ghost Mom (who is patiently working the bellows for the forge) in proper dwarven fashion. And with every dwarven curse he lays on himself, he adds another link to a strange pile of chains...
If the PCs agree to help the ghosts, nothing bad happens. Except that the DM will remind them at every opportunity that they helped a Dwarf to get their mom.
If they refuse to help, the ghosts use their gaze attacks and drop the entire forge area back to the material plane, leaving the PCs with this beastie, advanced and altered a bit from Monster Manual II, page 44:
Advanced Chain Golem (see Monster Manual II for original)
Large Construct
Hit Dice: 11d10 + 30 (90 hp)
Initiative: +2
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares), can't run
Armor Class: 21 (-1 size, +2 Dex, +10 Natural), touch 11, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+19
Attack: Rake +15 melee (2d6 + 8 and wounding)
Full Attack: 2 rakes +15 melee (2d6 + 8 and wounding)
Space/Reach: 10 ft/15 ft
Special Attacks: Chain Barrier, Wounding, Chain Wielding
Special Qualities: Construct Traits, DR 5/Adamantine, Magic Immunity, Darkvision 60'
Saves: Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +3
Abilities: Str 26, Dex 15, Con -, Int -, Wis 11, Cha 1
Skills: -
Feats: Improved Disarm*, Improved Trip*
Environment: Wherever Created
Organization: Usually Solitary
Challenge Rating: 8
Alignment: Neutral/Not Applicable
Advancement: 12-21 HD (Large)
What was a previously inert pile of chains has roiled and risen, looking not unlike a swarm of metal vipers crawling over each other to determine their collective shape. But instead of viper heads, the chains have hooks, blocks and blades at the end of its sinewy components, holding it together and everybody else at bay.
This is one of those things that's going in for cinematic value... This chain golem was created by a ghost dwarf that couldn't leave his forge. The players are supposed to be dealing with the dwarf, not fighting him. The dwarf will, naturally, let the golem do the fighting for him if it comes to that.
Combat
Chain golems play "nice" with their enemies, holding back on the Chain Barrier ability until it seems like they're going to fail in their stated purpose if they don't use it.
Chain Barrier (Ex): Full round action. Activate Blade Barrier-like effect by spinning. Deals 11d6 damage out to 15' (Ref DC 21 for half damage at 15', no save if closer to the golem). Maintaining barrier is standard action; provides half cover for the golem.
Wounding (Ex): Chain golem wounds bleed an additional 2 HP/round per wound. Heal DC 10 or magic to stop the bleeding.
Magic Immunity (Ex): Exceptions -- electricity slows golem for 2 rounds and fire heals 50% of damage intended.
Chain Effect (Ex): For purposes of tripping and disarming, the Chain Golem is considered to be wielding a spiked chain that it cannot drop, making it a 2-handed weapon.
Improved Disarm: +14 on opposed attack roll, +29 total.
Improved Trip: +16 on the opposed strength check, initiate with a melee touch attack.
The golem's official description says that only Kytons make them. Bah, says I -- ghost dwarves are more cinematic than some silly old kytons! So the ghost dwarf gets a big ol' Chain Golem that he hopefully won't need to use because the only PC that can significantly hurt this thing won't be doing 90 points of damage before the chain barrier drops him like a troll-colored rock.
I'm expecting that we'll be enountering these guys on Thursday.
::Kaze (suspects that the Blade Barrier-esque ability makes this guy more powerful than just CR 8 -- but if the PCs actualy intend to fight him, we'll see if they survive before worrying about adjusting the CR.)
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Mr Kaze
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/7/04 11:15 am)
Reply
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Re: NPC Upgrade: Kelial
For my purposes, each of the 4 temples has, more or less, a fighting cheerleader in addition to the high and secondary priests. The cheerleader gets the elemental weapon with which to display their martial prowess in the hopes that it will awe and inspire the rest of the temple members, such that their energies can be channelled, harvested and collected to build the planar gate. (Remember, summoning is difficult business here.)
So here's what I did with the Air Temple's Fighting Cheerleader and the Sword of Air:
[Edit -- forgot to give him his HP. Tough to fight without those...]
Kelial
Human Fighter 6/Weapon Master 2 (Oriental Adventures)
Hit Dice: 8d10 + 16 (64 HP)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+4 dex, +5 chain shirt), touch 14, flat-footed 15 -- use Expertise!
Base Attack/Grapple: +8/+12
Attack: Spiked Chain of Air +14 (2d4 + 7 + 1d6 electricity)
Full Attack: Spiked Chain of Air +14/+9 (2d4 + 7 + 1d6 electricity)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/10 ft (with Spiked Chain, 5 ft without)
Special Attacks: Electricity Bloom 3/day, Ki Damage 2/day, Increased Multiplier 1/day
Special Qualities: Resist Electricity 5, Spell-Like Ability
Saves: Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +1
Abilities: Str 18, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 13, Wis 8, Cha 11
Skills: Climb +9, Jump +9, Intimidate +12, Swim +8, Listen +2, Spot +2
Feats: Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Spiked Chain, Weapon Focus: Spiked Chain, Dodge, Mobility, Combat Reflexes, Spring Attack, Combat Expertise, Whirlwind Attack
Environment: Temple of Air
Organization: Lone or with Henchlings
Challenge Rating: 8
Treasure: +1 Chain Shirt, Gauntlets of Ogre Strength (Str +2), Boots of Agility (Dex +2), "Chain Lightning" +1 Mithral Shocking Spiked Chain of Air, 2 cp (so that when he actually gets an opinion to call his own, he can give his two coppers about it...)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Advancement: By Class
This not-unattractive man looks like a champion of some sort or another. His chain shirt is polished to be a bright silver and he wields a spiked chain that sparks and glistens. His eyes radiate a disciplined intensity and the kind absolute conviction that can only come from believing everything he is told.
This Kelial was created as a 30 point-buy character, as that's what the PCs get and the temple heroes should be roughly comparable to the real heroes (except that the real heroes are villians). Kelial is absolutely dedicated to his martial prowess and is friendly and eager in social settings, but he's also readily duped by anything and everything that's said with "honest" conviction. His lawful alignment comes from both his martial dedication and his steadfast belief in everything he's told; his neutral alignment comes from his acceptance of everything he's told, good or ill. Like most of the residents of the CRM, he doesn't realize that their activities are contributing to the end of the world -- he was told that they were going to be ridding the world of injustice (which is true, in the "and everything else" sense of the statement). As described in Dragon Half, Kelial is the sort of character with "a very compact brain." Technically, his CR should be 9 or 10 with all of those fighting class levels stacked on a 30 point-buy character, but inasmuch as I really can't see a single 8th level character, let alone a party of them, losing to this guy, I'm leaving his CR at 8. Technically his wisdom could be junked, but that would adversely impact his spot and listen checks -- just because he believes everything he's told doesn't mean he's blind and deaf (my pet peeve about Will saves...). Alternately, his intelligence could be junked, but that's required for him to have Combat Expertise which is necessary for the Weapon Master class which is what sets him apart as an actual champion instead of just a guy who's bigger than most.
Combat
Kelial never shirks from an honest challenge and is even a bit of a bully when going out looking for fights to test his skill. His last challenge, however, was against Dick Saucer (the singing swordman concept shamelessly lifted from Dragon Half -- "Gold Dragon... I'm gonna... kill you, Gold Dragon... Sah-haw-sir!") of the Flaming Temple which lasted one round before Kelial went back to the Air Temple, charmed and singing (poorly) Dick Saucer's songs. Now he just sits around the Air Temple, praticing and humming to himself.
Ki Damage (Ex): As a Spiked Chain Weapon Master of 2nd level, Kelial can, on a successful non-critical melee hit, choose to simply deal maximum damage from the physical portion of his chain attack ( instead of rolling for it (2d4). Strength, magic, energy and damage reduction are all figured normally. (Oriental Adventures p. 53 for precise details.)
Increased Multiplier (Ex): As a Spiked Chain Weapon Master of 2nd level, Kelial can increase his damage multiplier from x2 to x3 on a successful critical hit prior to rolling damage. (Oriental Adventures p. 54 for precise details.)
Electricity Bloom (Su): As a feature of the Air Temple's Spiked Chain, Kelial can expand a successful melee hit (including trip, sunder or disarm attempts) into an Electricity Bloom as a free action after the hit is rolled. The Electricity Bloom causes an extra 2d6 points of damage to its original target (if applicable) and half of that to every creature -- including Kelial -- within a 15' radius of the original target. (Reflex save DC is Kelial's attack roll for half damage.) Note that since he resists 5 points of electrical damage, it's quite unlikely that Kelial will suffer ill effects from this attack as a secondary target.
Spell-Like Abilities: As a feature of the Air Temple's Spiked Chain, Kelial can use Wind Wall as a 3rd level divine caster (DC 13) 3/day.
Chain Lightning -- the Elemental Weapon of Air
+1 Shocking Mithral Spiked Chain, grants wielder Electrical Resistance 5, allows them to use (as described above) Electricity Bloom 3/day and Wind Wall (CL 3, DC 13) 3/day.
Edited by: Mr Kaze at: 1/13/04 2:01 pm
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Mr Kaze
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/8/04 10:54 pm)
Reply
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Re: Fought both Chain Golem and Gibbering Mouther
Or to be more precise, ran screaming in terror from chain golem and then very nearly got TPK'd by a single mouther (that could have very easily killed them all if it had been methodical and focused about it and they not been rescued by Dearth Voodooer who needed a good way to introduce himself as a helpful party -- as soon as the fighter cleric got hit 3 times and grappled, he was wailing like a banshee, so DV rides in to try to help save the day... and very nearly fails after botching spell penetration on a Flame Strike).
Mouther CR may be as high as 10; depends much on armaments. The fight would have gone much better for the PCs had they 1) not attacked with slashing weapons and 2) not spent most of their actions cutting the mouths from their bodies. The one magical mace came out for the last hit of the fight. 'Twas sad.
They didn't even get a swing in on the chain golem -- once the troll was bleeding faster than it could regenerate (baby troll remember, pathetic regeneration ability) they fled in terror. Golem put up its chain barrier and secured the room.
Of course, they wouldn't have had to fight the chain golem had one of the clerics -- the one who not 5 minutes previous given his brother the big lecture on "no, we need to talk to things, not kill them" -- responded to ghost mom saying "Xadoc, my favorite son!" with "REBUKE UNDEAD!" Sigh, goes the dwarf. Sigh, goes the DM. "That doesn't work that well here," says the dwarf. "Roll for initiative," says the DM.
Offsite report (see initial post) to be filled out sometime soon. But going from "No, we have to be sneaky and conversational" to "Rebuke Mom!" in 5 minutes was the one really amazing thing -- I was caught totally unprepared. (Mom, fortunately, recovered from this shock...)
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Mr Kaze
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/13/04 2:00 pm)
Reply
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Re: Champion of the Fire Temple: Dick Saucer!
So if the temple champions are more like cheerleaders, shouldn't one of them be really inspiring? I present...
Dick Saucer
Human Bard 7/Dragonsong Lyrist 2 (Draconomicon p 127)
Hit Dice: 9d6 (36 HP)
Initiative: +4
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 23 (+4 dex, +6 mithral breastplate (+1), +3 buckler (+2)), touch 14, flat-footed 19
Base Attack/Grapple: +6/+6
Attack: Rapier of Flame +11 (1d6 + 1d6 fire -- 18-20/x2)
Full Attack: Rapier of Flame +11/+6 (1d6 + 1d6 fire -- 18-20/x2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks:
Special Qualities: Resist Cold 5, Spells, Spell-Like Abilities, Bardic Music, Bardic Knowledge, Dragonsong
Saves: Fort +2, Ref +12, Will +8
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 18, Con 10, Int 10, Wis 10, Cha 18
Skills: Concentration +12, Diplomacy +20, Knowledge: Arcana +5, Perform: Sing +16, Tumble +15, Jump +4, Knowledge: Local +10, Bluff +14, Sense Motive +4
Feats: Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse, Dragonsong (Draco pg 105), Spring Attack
Environment: Temple of Fire
Organization: Lone or with Henchlings
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: +1 Mithral Breastplate, Gloves of Dexterity +2, +2 Buckler, Microphone of Saucer, "Rapier of Flame" +1 Silver Flaming Rapier, 56 gp, 80 gp of diamond dust
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Advancement: By Class
This gorgeous man is clearly one of the finest humanoids walking the world these days. With his shining mithral breastplate, his long flowing blonde hair, his winning smile, there's no doubt in your mind: This is the legendary Dick Saucer! The two-time winner of the Brutal Killer Martial Arts Tournament who sings like an angel but fights like a devil. And now he's standing in front of you in all his masculine glory.
Dick Saucer originally appeared as a sort of Paladin/Bard pop-star in the very-short-lived anime Dragon Half. This rendition of Dick Saucer is, in short, a cretin: a 30-point buy hero of the temple who's been intentionally mis-designed so that he can't win in a straight fight against almost anybody. He's a weakling and a coward who lies about his reputation and fame to get laid. The only things he genuinely has going for him is agility and a magically enhanced singing voice -- which he uses to collect and then prey upon fans, especially of the young female variety. He was driven to the temple by a lynch mob that was irked by his having an orgy with a dozen or so of their teenage daughters (which he defends claiming that "bigot villagers try to put him down for what comes naturally to him"). [Edit -- grammar fix: the villagers, not their daughters, didn't care about Saucer's reasons, ideals or singing.] But he will present himself as a great defender of personal freedoms -- which is partially true, as he's a great defender of his own freedoms and excesses, though he has no respect or regard for anybody who looks up to him.
Saucer's usual song goes to the effect of "It's big, it's strong, it's gold... It's a... Gold Dragon! And I'm gonna kill it, kill the Gold Dragon! ... Saw-haw-Sir!"
Combat
Dick Saucer will always try to charm his way out of combat (and into bed with any and all attractive females in the group). Other than that, his combat tactics come down to "don't get hit" -- he'll use his spells and his spring attack before running away when the spells start to wear thin. He's likely far less of a genuine challenge than Kelial is, if the party doesn't end up loving him because he's such a charming guy.
Bardic Music (Su/Sp): Dick Saucer can use his bardic music to Countersong, Fascinate (3 creatures, followed by Suggestion), Inspire Courage (+1), or Inspire Competence 7/day. DC 19 to resist effects, if applicable. See PHB pg 29 for details.
Greater Dragonsong (Su): 2/day
Song of Strength: 30' radius, +4 morale bonus to strength for duration + 5 rounds.
Song of Compulsion: Single target 30' range, Suggestion effect, DC 18 (DC 20 for a dragon).
Spell-Like Abilites: Wielding the Rapier of Flame gives Dick Saucer access to the following spell-like abilities: Burning Hands 3/day (CL 5, DC 11) and Fire Shield [Hot] 1/day (CL 7).
Spells: (Spells per day: 6/4/4/3, DC 14 + spell level, caster level
0: Prestigitation, Detect Magic, Lullaby, Ghost Sound, Dancing Lights
1: Cure Light Wounds, Hypnotism*, Undetectable Alignment, Expeditious Retreat
2: Cat's Grace, Eagle's Splendor, Enthrall*, Sound Burst
3: Displacement, Haste, Charm Monster*
Dragonsong (Feat): Spells and effects relying on language get +2 to their DC, inclusive of spells, Bardic Music, Greater Dragonsong and Perform checks. (Draconomicon pg 105)
Microphone of Saucer (Su): This device allows a sonic or verbal effect to have its range doubled 1/day. Probably list price ~$1500, comparable to Lesser Rod of Spell Enlargement. (Dick Saucer carries this in his buckler hand.)
Rapier of Flame -- the Elemental Weapon of Fire
+1 Silver Flaming Rapier, grants wielder Cold Resistance 5, allows wielder to use Burning Hands 3/day (CL 5, DC 11) and Fire Shield [Hot] (CL 7) 1/day.
Edited by: Mr Kaze at: 1/13/04 2:05 pm
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KnightOfRound 
Ebon Hand Cultist
(1/13/04 9:18 pm)
Reply
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Re: Champion of the Fire Temple: Dick Saucer!
I gotta say, Mr. Kaze...I adore your alterations.
By all means, keep posting them!!!
<CENTER><IMG SRC="http://home.rconnect.com/~mallory/_uimages/sigpic.jpg"></CENTER> |
Mr Kaze
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/13/04 10:21 pm)
Reply
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Re: Something Completely Different - Hiding Tulian's Eye
KnightOfRound: So glad to hear somebody's enjoying it. 
Now, where were we?
Right, having nearly killed everybody last week with that large half-fiend gibbering mouther, we need something to lighten the mood a notch...
By default, Tulian's eye is cleverly tucked away on a mimic behind a bunch of traps and a secret door. For most people's campaigns, this should work out great. But half of the people know right where it's supposed to be in my campaign and I want to turn it into a semi-necessary quest item.
So we'll put it in a different set of circumstances -- the Book of Challenges has a nifty, somewhat simple such location that can easily be appended just outside of the fire temple: Fire and Water
Unfortunately, having a troll with an adamant sword, we'll likely need to replace/reinfoce the walls and bars with a grid of force, otherwise the PCs will cut straight through it which would be rather disappointing for what isn't too difficult of a problem.
The mephits will speak distainfully of the Fire temple and the PCs (in Monty Python styled French accents -- the mephits' speaking, that is, not the PCs) expecting that the PCs have come to recruit them (the mephits) for the Fire temple. "We due not kneed joor sealy tem-pool. We are quite happi here. Joo canne just take joor stine-key, sweaty moortal boodies und go back to vence joo came." -- and so forth.
Instead of the Ring of Wizardry, they'll be getting the Eye of Tulian (but without the curse). And instead of dead adventurers, there are a pair of cooked temple gnolls on the ground with some useful notes (which look, well, just precious printed as 16pt bold Comic Sans MS...):
-- Begin Handout --
Dairs uh kumpartmint undar da lahva dat wholds da bestest jem nown to dwarvenkiend.
Ta unlock da leavers, through da one dat wrings da goung.
Drayne da moate beefoar moving da lahva.
Da blu leaver drayns da mote und sownds da horn.
Da red und purple leavers doughnut kantroll da lahva.
Yell hera wysl if da lahva drayns away.
Yell hera bell if da lahva floughs inta da moate.
Da leaver dat rings da bell is next ta da grein leaver.
Da leaver dat rings da gong szat da end of da rowe.
Da purple leaver duz naught ring eniethyng.
Da leaver dat blows da wysl is next ta da leaver dat rings da bell und da leaver dat bloughs da horn.
Da portable callouses rys wid da drumbeat.
Da yelloh und green leavers do sumthin to da lahva.
-- End Handout --
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Cordo Crowfoot
Deathmantle Cultist
(1/15/04 6:55 am)
Reply
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Re: Something Completely Different - Hiding Tulian's Eye
Quote:
The mephits will speak distainfully of the Fire temple and the PCs (in Monty Python styled French accents -- the mephits' speaking, that is, not the PCs) expecting that the PCs have come to recruit them (the mephits) for the Fire temple. "We due not kneed joor sealy tem-pool. We are quite happi here."
Teemple? We already have one! Yes, it's a vaary naace!
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Mr Kaze
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/15/04 5:26 pm)
Reply
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NPC Makeover -- Tessimon to Tass The Man
Backing up Dick Saucer's excesses is Tass, the high priest of the fire temple, fashioned after Dr. Frank-n-Furter. I used a fire-based Shugenja (Oriental Adventures) and as much as I could remember of the Elemental Savant (Tome and Blood) to put this character together.
Quote:
Edit #2: Revised! +1 level Shugenja, -1 level of Elemental Savant. Also dropped the bonus dex power from the armor such that Tass didn't have to use the altar's power to get it -- which is an important tactical distinction if Tass has any spies that can provide him with information on the party (as noted below). Skills may still be low, but how often are your NPCs making Knowledge checks?
Tass the Man
Human Shugenja 6/Fire Elemental Savant 3 (Oriental Adventures and Tome and Blood)
Hit Dice: 6d6 + 3d4 +18 (49 HP)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 30 ft (6 squares)
Armor Class: 20 (+3 dex, +5 mithral shirt (+1), +2 buckler (+1)), touch 13, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +3/+3
Attack: Lesser Tentacle Rod
Full Attack: Lesser Tentacle Rod
Space/Reach: 5 ft/5 ft
Special Attacks: See Tentacle Rod
Special Qualities: Spells, Sense Elements, Fire Specialization, Resist Fire 5, Energy Specialization: Fire +1, Energy Penetration: Fire +1
Saves: Fort +8, Ref +9, Will +9
Abilities: Str 10, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 10, Wis 8, Cha 18
Skills: Concentration +13, Diplomacy +12, Knowledge: Arcana +11, Knowledge: Planes +11, Spellcraft +11
Feats: Luck of Heroes, Extend Spell, Energy Substitution: Fire, Spell Focus: Evocation, Improved Initiative
Environment: Temple of Fire
Organization: Lone or with Henchlings
Challenge Rating: 9
Treasure: Lesser Tentacle Rod, +1 Mithral Shirt, +1 Buckler, Ochre Cloak of Resistance +2, Lesser key of Fire, Fire Temple Symbol
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Advancement: By Class
This is the sort of person who would stick out anywhere as the drag Queen of All They Survey. Even under the large ochre robe, you can tell that this is an wire-built weasel of a man. The fact that he's wearing an entire brothel's worth of make-up is more than slightly disconcerting, but at least it distracts you from the pink tresses in his otherwise curled mop of oily brown hair. But for all of that, you can't help but notice how his eyes glow with an inhuman light.
Tass the Man (prefers to be called Tessimon) is a fire-specialized Shugenja based on Frank-N-Furter from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. The reason the Fire temple is so successful at channelling the energy of its worshippers is because Tass is using the Elemental Savant class to actually become a Fire elemental. His gross and excessive use of makeup covers the fact that his skin is becoming more and more like a charcoal briquet, a transition pushed even further by his paranoid overuse of barkskin.
If forewarned of the approach of possible hostiles with anti-fire defenses, Tass will use the fire temple's altar to conjure up a wand with an appropriate Energy Substitution on it. For example, if a fireproof troll is on its way, he'll get a wand of something like Lightning-sub-Acid Bolt.
Combat
Tass will usually have Barkskin on during the day with Extend Spell (+4 natural armor bonus, 3rd level spell slot per 3 hours). If encountered in the altar room, he'll almost certainly have Air Walk on (4th level spell slot, 1.5 hour duration -- unless the altar room has been changed to not require flight from the ground to the altar). If he knows that enemies will be using elemental attacks, he'll have Resist Energy with Extend Spell (20 points of elemental damage per source, 3rd level spell slot per 3 hours). He'll use Shield of Faith (+3 deflection for 9 minutes) and Cat's Grace (+2 AC, Reflex, Initiative for 9 minutes) if the opportunity presents itself, but he'll always lead off with a Fireball to thin out the playing field.
De facto spell stats are as follows:
Fireball -- DC21, 9d6 fire damage, 760 foot range, +10 vs spell resistance
Searing Light -- Range Touch +7, 2d6 construct/4d8 normal/9d6 undead/9d8 light-sensitive undead -- all generic damage, 190' range, +9 vs spell resistance
Scorching Ray -- 2x Range Touch +7, 2x 4d6 fire damage, 45' range, +10 vs spell resistance
Spells: (Spells per day: 6/7/7/7/5, DC 14 + spell level, caster level 9)
0: Dancing Lights*, Disrupt Undead*, Flare*, Light*, Detect Magic, Read Magic, Mage Hand, Virtue
1: Burning Hands*, Cause Fear*, Faerie Fire*, Hypnotism*, Protection from Good, Shield of Faith
2: Cat's Grace*, Heat Metal*, Scorching Ray* (instead of Produce Flame), Resist Energy, Barkskin
3: Searing Light*, Daylight*, Fire Wings*, Dispel Magic
4: Fireball*, Fire Shield*, Air Walk
Fire Specialization: Spells of the Fire Element get +1 to their DC where applicable. These spells are marked with an * above.
Energy Specialization: Spells dealing Fire damage get +1 to their DC and +1 to their rolls to defeat Spell Resistance, where applicable.
Spell Focus: Evocation spells get +1 to their DC.
Sense Elements: Refer to Shugenja class in Oriental Adventures as it likely won't matter to the NPC.
Edited by: Mr Kaze at: 1/18/04 10:10 pm
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Mr Kaze
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/15/04 10:39 pm)
Reply
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Session: Story hour and Gem Recovery
Standard 3-hour session, easily divided into two parts: Story hour with Dearth Voodooer (they did threaten bodily harm for the Dearth/Animalkin/Oni con Wasabi pun...) and recovering the gem from the Fire and Water trap. They avoided the chain golem to deliver the gem to the ghosts, thus completing that quest (Dearth Voodooer made a whole lot of money off of them and mentioned the quest to them in the process) and earning them an amulet of protection from the Dwarven Temple golem, but with no explanation as to what it does beyond the dwarven scripting on it. Notes to be posted on the player's page later. (See link in first post for that.)
Important thing to note: They've been forwarned of Dick Saucer and are now very much afraid of him. Tee hee hee.
Update: Quest notes from Dearth Voodooer are now posted (in monologue format) to the player's page at www.bardicgrove.org/~kaze/darkstar.xml under the quest notes. They got a bit of a kick out of the Gnoll-translated "Fire and Water" note. It almost took them longer to read it than to solve the puzzle...
I'll probably post the questions that they failed to ask about cosmology and such here -- but they got most of the points that are directly related to this portion of their quest.
Edited by: Mr Kaze at: 1/16/04 5:40 pm
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Cordo Crowfoot
Deathmantle Cultist
(1/16/04 6:05 pm)
Reply
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Re: Session: Story hour and Gem Recovery
Oni con Wasabi (x_x)... It's the mixed Spanish and Japanese that gets me. If you wanted to go all Japanese it could be Wasabi iri Oni.
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Mr Kaze
Tolling Bell Cultist
(1/16/04 7:10 pm)
Reply
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Re: Session: Story hour and Gem Recovery
Quote:
If you wanted to go all Japanese it could be Wasabi iri Oni.
But I wanted it to be an evil pun on Obi-wan Kenobi to go well with the Star Wars themed Dearth Voodooer and Animalkin Skywalker -- some DMs strategize TPKs; I do this. So it's delightful to have such a multilingual world. At least from this side of the DM screen. 
::Kaze (unleashed this pun on his players last night to which one of them said, sobbing, "You've been waiting to drop that one on us for some time now, haven't you?" to which he replied with a veritable song in his voice, "Months!")
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Cordo Crowfoot
Deathmantle Cultist
(1/16/04 7:53 pm)
Reply
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Re: Session: Story hour and Gem Recovery
Is the Kaze of your name from the Japanese kaze? And if yes, do you mean 'wind' or 'common cold'?
"They were immediately and absolutely recognizable as adventurers. They were hardy and dangerous, lawless, stripped of allegiance or morality, living off their wits, stealing and killing, hiring themselves out to whoever and whatever came... They were scum who died violent deaths, hanging on to a certain cachet among the impressionable through their undeniable bravery and their occasionally impressive exploits" China Mieville, Perdido Street Station |
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