• foyrkopp@lemmy.world
    42·
    2 years ago

    I literally ran this for my group just now.

    Background was a cave system with very limited resources (previously few dead bodies to spare) and the Lich was both rather low on the power scale and Artificer-themed (so no "just spellcasting the party to death) and a Kobold.

    So he fought/thought more like an engineer, not a powerful necromancer.

    Highlights included:

    • Lair filled with Carbon Monoxide (I let the party notice symptoms and retreat, it was more of an area dental tool than a trap)

    • freezing the flooded exit tunnel so the party had to tunnel through ice, making them vulnerable to an ambush

    • installing an artifact that would flash-freeze said flooded tunnel with the party inside

    • a “main entry” labyrinth to the lair that was rigged to collapse

    • a side entry with a hidden, massive door that tried to crush the party and did manage to separate them

    • one-time sigils that would create a zone of Web, Darkness and, again, flash-freeze the intruders (and the undead defenders delaying them)

    • a remote body with his true body walled off in a tunnel behind the wall it can escape even if it loses

    • a few, highly upgraded undead

    • ThunderWhiskers@lemmy.world
      14·
      2 years ago

      area dental tool

      Lmao

      Seriously though I love your ideas. This is what really frustrates me about high level play. At that point your enemies aren’t only powerful they tend to be incredibly intelligent. If you play your liches and dragons smart the party shouldn’t even stand a chance unless they are overwhelmingly powerful or happen to catch the enemy way off guard.

      Or perhaps I’m just not clever enough to make that work lol.

  • grue@lemmy.worldEnglish
    333·
    2 years ago

    Hot take: if you as a DM pull something like this but aren’t otherwise running a “survival” campaign with enforcement of other environment-related rules like encumberance and starvation, you’re a jerk.

    • Morgoon@startrek.website
      24·
      2 years ago

      You can drop lots of hints, a perception check to notice the flame of their torches has diminished and is threatening to be extinguished. They start making con saves every 2 minutes, if they fail they get dizzy, subsequent failed saves cause headaches, then vomiting. Give them heal or wisdom checks for a chance to determine what’s happening. After 3 failed checks you use the rules for holding your breath and party members with the lowest constitution begin to lose consciousness. Seems fair

    • vivadanang@lemm.eeEnglish
      11·
      2 years ago

      Also, that dungeon better be pitch fuckin’ black. Torches ain’t gonna work with that shit lol

  • subtext@lemmy.world
    21·
    2 years ago

    And it’s even better because all the characters will start hallucinating before they figure out what’s going on!

  • starman2112@sh.itjust.works
    9·
    2 years ago

    Vaguely reminiscent of the cursed mine my PCs will learn about someday. A simple mine, extracting silver, with a large amount of pitchblende. The corporate mine owners want to increase output from the mine, but miners experience curse-like symptoms when they stay there too long. It’s a mystery why this cave in particular causes miners to feel fatigued at first, ending up with lesions on the skin and vomiting blood. Remove Curse doesn’t seem to help at all, but for some reason a simple Lesser Restoration is enough to end the symptoms…