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T O P I C    R E V I E W
Cards77 Posted - 22 Jan 2016 : 19:28:19
My group did the two dungeons in the old grey box "Halls of the Beast-Tamers" and "School of Wizardry" a couple of years ago. I didn't acknowledge the whole Dales thing. I used it for my own campaign arc, and placed them in the High Forest.

I linked the two dungeons to one of the old cities of a past elven empire. We spent quite a lot of time exploring these ruins.

We have some unfinished business in these ruins. One of the PCs is working the the university in Silverymoon to explore and document these "new" ruins and determine which fallen elven empire they were a part of, their age etc.

We did this at like 3rd level so we did not try to face the lich. We played along with this delusional ramblings and posed as students.

The PCs are now 8th level (wizard, fighter, druid, rogue) and would like to run these two complexes again, mostly to determine what civilization the complexes were a part of, but partly also to deal with the lich.

Im preparing for our return to these two dungeons.

I am looking for ideas on who or what could be now dwelling in the Halls of the Beast-Tamers (we cleared it out).

I'm also thinking on what could be happening currently with the lich we left in the School of Wizardry. Our elven wizard PC will soon be a Lore Master and he wants the lich's private library as his own.

I'm thinking i can go a couple of ways with this: 1) the Halls have been repopulated by wandering monsters (will need to consider ecology), or 2) the dungeons have been taken over and converted for use as a base by drow for surface raiding (Vhaerun worshippers perhaps), or a particularly nasty cult like Ghundagar or ooze worshippers.

Any ideas on what to put back in these places that would be interesting are much appreciated! Thank you.
10   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
Cards77 Posted - 17 Jun 2019 : 15:35:43
quote:
Originally posted by TBeholder

quote:
Originally posted by Cards77


I am going to do this! We are finally headed back there at level 11.
If you have any other ideas I'm super happy to hear them.

Hard mode:
The problem did reach the High Forest, but the locals act as usual. That is, will rather shoot (or squash, for more wooden ones) any non-People trying to fix things rather than let them help.
Really Hard mode:
The same, but Silver Marches are busy with some other problem. And the party doesn't already personally know Alustriel or other important locals, so there's no ready way to circumvent the above problem.



What I ended up doing was an enhanced Fungus Queen had ended up finding her way through one of the portals and attracted all different kinds of nasty fungus/plants/oozes.

An exploration group of drow, and some Wood elves had discovered the place and were added to her collection as incubators/food for her fungal friends.

I turned the large arena area into an Ascomoid packed rolling death grinder.

Good times were had by all!
TBeholder Posted - 01 Jun 2019 : 18:14:58
quote:
Originally posted by Cards77


I am going to do this! We are finally headed back there at level 11.
If you have any other ideas I'm super happy to hear them.

Hard mode:
The problem did reach the High Forest, but the locals act as usual. That is, will rather shoot (or squash, for more wooden ones) any non-People trying to fix things rather than let them help.
Really Hard mode:
The same, but Silver Marches are busy with some other problem. And the party doesn't already personally know Alustriel or other important locals, so there's no ready way to circumvent the above problem.
Cards77 Posted - 31 May 2019 : 00:23:10
quote:
Originally posted by Korginard

I do like the Fungus and Rot angle rather than ooze. Lots of creatures of rot and fungus to use. Yellow and Russet molds, Shriekers and Violet Fungi, something even stranger like an Oscomoid perhaps. The rot and fungal growth will increase as the party proceeds in further, and they start running into "Zombies", risen from both Cultists and Elves, covered in mold and growing plants. Eventually the party will find the site of the final battle where the lead cultist' corpse has the Yellow Musk Creeper growing out of it.
The Ooze approach is okay, but something about the corrupted Rot and growth cycle just seems cooler to me. Perhaps there was a powerful druid with the Elves, and in the last battle the Druid called on powerful growth magic, but the Lead Cultist countered and caused a corrupting influence, resulting in an area claimed by growth, but corrupt and "hungry" growth, out to consume everything around it as it grows and spreads.



I am going to do this! We are finally headed back there at level 11.

If you have any other ideas I'm super happy to hear them.
Cards77 Posted - 20 Feb 2016 : 18:38:21
I definitely like the Moander angle, I've been teasing the return of Moander in my campaign for quite some time now. In my game Bane is rising, and the Zhents are establishing in the Silver Marches. Bane, Malar, Loviatar, and Orcus are all allied against Silverymoon and Waterdeep.

We found an ancient tomb filled with corrupted and rotting undead (non-standard) where "a great evil" is being kept out of the Prime material by a series of Seals dating back to old Illefarn. These are the Seals used to keep Moander banished. Bane is VERY interested in bringing Moander back. I think this may be the perfect place to uncover the insane Moander cultists, who have been brought in by drow followers of Ghanaduar another minor ally.
TBeholder Posted - 19 Feb 2016 : 22:14:24
quote:
Originally posted by Korginard


I actually like that, the dying cultists called on Guanadar to curse thier killers,

Ghanadaur is mostly popular among the drow, however. Which would be visible.
Or, if sufficiently digested, not discernible from surface elves themselves - which opens possibilities for confusion. Hmm.
quote:
Originally posted by Korginard

I do like the Fungus and Rot angle rather than ooze.

Yet another attempt to reanimate Moander? Fun fact, it had some following among the degenerate surface elves. But not much, and how long you'd expect them to still care?
Korginard Posted - 19 Feb 2016 : 18:16:42
I do like the Fungus and Rot angle rather than ooze. Lots of creatures of rot and fungus to use. Yellow and Russet molds, Shriekers and Violet Fungi, something even stranger like an Oscomoid perhaps. The rot and fungal growth will increase as the party proceeds in further, and they start running into "Zombies", risen from both Cultists and Elves, covered in mold and growing plants. Eventually the party will find the site of the final battle where the lead cultist' corpse has the Yellow Musk Creeper growing out of it.
The Ooze approach is okay, but something about the corrupted Rot and growth cycle just seems cooler to me. Perhaps there was a powerful druid with the Elves, and in the last battle the Druid called on powerful growth magic, but the Lead Cultist countered and caused a corrupting influence, resulting in an area claimed by growth, but corrupt and "hungry" growth, out to consume everything around it as it grows and spreads.
The Emerald Sage Posted - 18 Feb 2016 : 15:29:57
I love this Korginard.

The approach to the dungeon may be festooned with bizarre fungi and dank smelling molds, not to mention trail glyphs and markings signifying the presence of the weird cult.
Korginard Posted - 15 Feb 2016 : 21:04:38
One thing that came to mind is the remnants of a battle between a cult who had taken residence, and Elves that were trying to clear the area. At first the party finds dead bodies of both elves and cultists, and as they venture further in they start to encounter undead who have risen.
Perhaps the cultists saw that they were loosing and unleashed something that killed them all.
What about something like a Yellow Musk Creeper, of in the case of Guanadar as you suggested, an ooze that acts like a yellow musk creeper, animating corpses into slimy ooze filled zombies that may cause problems for those who attack them the wrong way??
I actually like that, the dying cultists called on Guanadar to curse thier killers, and the god sent down an "assimilating Ozze" that animates corpses, creating ooze zombies that may cause splash damage to those who attack them with blades or other edged weapons, while blunt weapons and arrows do little or no damage due to their "gushy" state. Unless the party can stop it, these zombies will soon start to wander out into the High Forest and spread like a plague.
Cards77 Posted - 04 Feb 2016 : 23:32:52
quote:
Originally posted by Ayrik

Phezult's Sleep of Ages does eventually expire. Who knows what creatures may have awakened in the halls? Perhaps even beasts long extinct or imported from faraway places?

The PCs are now a small mixed 8th level party. I admire boldness, but I personally think they have no real hope of slaying a lich, lol - he may be senile and half-insane (by lich standards) but he's still an undead archmage with supra-genius intellect. I imagine any low-level party foolish enough to assault him will not fare well, they don't even have the tools and skills and magics needed to locate his phylactery or bypass casual contingencies.



We didn't leave any monsters in stasis IIRC. That's why I'm looking for some other ideas.

As for the lich. You're right. They may have a chance at 9th level, and they may be 9th level by the time they get back there but I'm thinking they have another plan for getting what they want without necessarily having to battle the lich head on.

Mostly the elf mage just want his books for lore reasons.
Ayrik Posted - 03 Feb 2016 : 20:53:01
Phezult's Sleep of Ages does eventually expire. Who knows what creatures may have awakened in the halls? Perhaps even beasts long extinct or imported from faraway places?

The PCs are now a small mixed 8th level party. I admire boldness, but I personally think they have no real hope of slaying a lich, lol - he may be senile and half-insane (by lich standards) but he's still an undead archmage with supra-genius intellect. I imagine any low-level party foolish enough to assault him will not fare well, they don't even have the tools and skills and magics needed to locate his phylactery or bypass casual contingencies.

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