Encounters for an ancient temple

[maddman75]

My players are going to be searching for an item in an ancient temple, abandon long ago, dedicated to the God of Death and the Underworld. The temple has two parts - the upper area represented the region of the Living, its where the priests worked and lived. When the temple was abandoned they left some guardians there, and trapped some servants there as well who were transformed into undead eventually.

The lower area represents the Underworld. This is where the dead high priests were interred, unholy texts were penned, and important artifacts sealed up. This area would not have had traffic in its heyday, and therefore traps are most appropriate.

The group is a party of 6 2nd level characters. Anyone have any suggestions for encounters I could pop into these areas with this feel? Thanks!

 

[GlassJaw]

Skeles and zombies are an obvious first choice for the upper section. Maybe you could throw in a couple of ghouls but if it's been sealed, they probably aren't the best choice (they need to eat right?). Something incorporeal wandering the halls would be nice for effect as well. You can make a ghost that's relatively weak. Just make sure you leave a wand of magic missiles around so the players can deal with it. Or even better, create a way for the players to "release" the ghost from its undead state by completing some task that the ghost was trying to do in life. Maybe he was the high priest who failed to give someone important a proper burial.

A golem would seem logical but not for level 2 characters. In the Tome of Horrors there is the Iron Cobra. I think there are some other lower-level constructs as well.

As far traps go, some low-level glyphs or warding would be nice. I'm fond of contagion spells with the shakes. Great for the tomb robbers (Dex damage!). Leave a scroll or potion of cure disease around for them just in case.

 

[Kalendraf]

To have survived for a long time, the monsters most likely need to be undead or constructs. There aren't a lot of low-level constructs, but one you should consider is the Dread Guard. There are even figurines for it in the D&D miniatures archfiends expansion.

 

[jmucchiello]

I think the whole setup is too powerful for a 2nd level party. Undead can do nasty things to low level parties, even just a few skeletons can wreck a lot of havoc. I'd avoid incorporeal creatures completely.

One thing you might try is putting the item not far from the entrance. So that when they find it, they SHOULD LEAVE. If they don't they start running into the real guardians. Eventually, when they are higher level, someone should tell them about the REALLY cool item in the lower level. This of course is the classic dungeon where as you go deeper it gets deadlier.

 

[maddman75]

No, this is a small dungeon, and they need to go after the item now. This is a large party - six of em - and there will be an NPC with them that's a few levels higher. (no speeches about DMPCs - that's not what she is) She hired them to help her get this item. While she's capable enough in a fight she needs some clerics, rogues, etc. to actually get it. When she does she'll activate a trap/release monsters she knows of in the last room, dump oil of etherealness on herself, and walk out through the wall, thanking the PCs for their aid. But she can't be letting anyone know that she's recovered Fleshrazor, a keen Vile longsword.

I want an enemy that the PCs will have seething, unending hatred toward. Think that'll do it?

Here's what I've got so far.

- Room full of skeletons, last defenders of the upper temple.
- In the kitchens, a team of gnomish servants kept the temple fed. But they were left behind, and turned to cannibalism. The Dark God cursed them with ghouldom, so there's four ghoulish gnomes, wearing aprons and weilding meat cleavers that haven't eaten in a few decades.
- A human cleric was left behind. He offended the god of death by having mercy on a young child and curing her of a disease. This infuriated the Dark God, and he cursed him to be a huecuva. The creature still lairs in the old temple, giving a sermon to a few zombies. He'll try to get the PCs to listen to his sermon and cast an Entrall, before deciding that one of them would make a lovely sacrifice to make penance.
- A library filled with book having to do with the dead and death, giving bonuses to characters using knowledge skills.

 

[GlassJaw]

What's the power level of the game? Is it 25 point-buy or something else? Are the characters well-equipped?

All these play a factor in low-level games. I tend to make the characters stronger at lower levels so I can throw more things at them without worrying that one encounter will kill them.

Also, if you players charge at everything they see (I've had to teach my players some lessons on that), that will also determine how you fill the dungeon.

 

[maddman75]

Something else - they're pretty tough customers. I do stats by having them pick the stats they want so long as the total modifier adds up to +8, which generally comes out to something like a 28 or 30 point buy, depending on how many high stats a given character takes. There's also a lot of them, and they don't charge in. They are all veteran gamers and tend to carefully think about what they are doing for the most part. And if a battle goes against them I can always fudge the dice. I'm looking more for fun flavorful encounters than just mechanical suggestions.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I'm looking more for fun flavorful encounters than just mechanical suggestions.

Things to consider:

Crypt Thing: Potentially dangerous with its Scatter Defilers teleport ability within the dungeon and your aforementioned traps, but not typically an OVERT kick-ass threat. Use cautiously - but play-up its apparent "lichhood"

Gravecrawler: Can potentially be an ally and great source of information and good roleplaying. Dangerous to deal with, however, and inherently difficult to be near enough to talk to it. Can be bribed. Might explain why the BBEG in the crypt is now dead, but something is holding it back from some other hidden area.

Spawn of Kyuss: A nasty thing. Make sure there are cures in the party capable of dealing with its grubs. But, in limited numbers and mixed in within a few zombies, doable as a major encounter.

A Spellstitched Ghoul: Say no more.

 

[Kalendraf]

- A human cleric was left behind. He offended the god of death by having mercy on a young child and curing her of a disease. This infuriated the Dark God, and he cursed him to be a huecuva.

Be careful with the Huecuva. It's got DR 15/silver which could lead to a TPK at this level if the party doesn't have access to silver weapons. The Huecuva template is +2 CR, so even a 1st level priest version will be pretty potent for a 2nd level party. Depending on how many other undead the party encounters beforehand, the priest may be out of turn attempts to help here.

 

[diaglo]

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