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Zuur
Jan 22, 2016 20:17:30 GMT -7
Post by egamma on Jan 22, 2016 20:17:30 GMT -7
So, my players have descended into the Silent Courts under Droum. They're not sure if they're looking for Zuur, the Ghoul King, or a magic item (the Ebon Brazier). I've created most of the levels of the Silent Courts using donjon ( 5e random dungeon generator), and I'll just edit out things that don't fit with the setting. How many levels should I include in the dungeon? I think I'm going to stat out Zuur as well, and post him here when done.
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Zuur
Jan 22, 2016 21:25:17 GMT -7
Post by egamma on Jan 22, 2016 21:25:17 GMT -7
How's he look? My party is level 3 so I'm trying to make him level 4; what level they are if/when they encounter him will determine how many regular ghouls/skeletons I add to the encounter. He's smart, and never been seen before. So should I have him try to get away, or try to make sure they don't get away?
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Zuur
Jan 22, 2016 22:19:04 GMT -7
Post by maceo13 on Jan 22, 2016 22:19:04 GMT -7
It looks like a beefed-up ghast. With that in mind should Charmed be one of the Condition immunities? As a CR4 should the bite and claw attack's both be +5? Other than that looks good to me-the damage resistance is going to make that a tougher fight. He could be a reoccurring villain if you think it would make good option just depends on what you want to do. Maybe he tries and surrenders and is willing to reveal a bigger secret that leads to the next adventure? Maybe he's just an underling for something more powerful who's not happy it's servant was killed? Or maybe they are forced to protect him for some reason which creates a different dynamic.
I don't really have a strong opinion on number of levels. I think that is affected by how long your play sessions are and how intricate or involved you want this one location. 2-3 seems enough.
Hope some of that helps and thanks for posting!
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Zuur
Jan 23, 2016 4:17:34 GMT -7
Post by beastman on Jan 23, 2016 4:17:34 GMT -7
I think a good question is whether or not Zuur can even be killed. Your players may lay some nasty wounds into Zuur, but being an undead, he may just raise again in time. I've always fancied the idea that all undead raise unless their bodies are destroyed. But if he can't regenerate, I think he'd play it safe using his ghoul guards as pawns. As far as your stats go though, if you're being faithful to the brief mention of him in the book, he should be a large with higher mental stats and magic abilities. But if those are just rumors, then your stats are as good as any stats - you could even use the ghast.
Did you not want to give him the Stench ability?
Honestly, I think that Zuur would be a hard encounter for a level 3 party, even as a challenge 4. I imagine he'd fight with a whole entourage of ghouls. Why would a ghoul so cunning not have guards. He's supposed to be the Ghoul King, so fighting him would be like fighting a king in his court, surrounded by knights.
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Zuur
Jan 23, 2016 6:29:53 GMT -7
Post by Athkethin on Jan 23, 2016 6:29:53 GMT -7
In keeping with the "make him a recurring villain" theme: what if you tone down his power for now but give him a phylactery, like a lich? That way, your players can feel accomplished for defeating him, and be confused when he rises again. Research can imply an artifact (like an item, not a magic artifact like the rod of seven parts) is closely tied to his power, and they need to seek it out and destroy it before he can be finally defeated.
Maybe it's a nesting dolls type of thing; Zuul can't be defeated until Ghedrar is finally destroyed, and Ghedrar is the lich.
Failing that, draw from vampire instead of lich; he needs to be killed in a specific manner and/or in a specific place in order to be destroyed; otherwise he just turns to mist and floats away.
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Post by egamma on Jan 23, 2016 10:18:05 GMT -7
Thanks for the feedback, everyone.
I wanted him to be tougher than the ghast. The ghast and ghoul have stepped attack/damage/ac, I was mostly continuing the pattern. I also looked at the eight for inspiration.
What if I took away his multitrack and gave him regeneration or more AC or more HP?
And yes, I like the tie in to Ghedrar, not sure exactly how.
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Post by egamma on Jan 23, 2016 10:18:33 GMT -7
Looking at the Wight for inspiration*
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Zuur
Jan 24, 2016 6:16:20 GMT -7
Post by Athkethin on Jan 24, 2016 6:16:20 GMT -7
And yes, I like the tie in to Ghedrar, not sure exactly how. Zuur could be Ghedrar, the same way the Necromancer in The Hobbit turned out to be Sauron when Gandalf investigated. Heck, you could go full LotR on this one, and have Ghedrar searching for the Ebon Brazier, which holds much of his power, and he can exist only as a shadow of his former self (That is, as Zuur) until he finds it. This sets up an interesting story, provides rivals to the search for the Brazier, and should work out pretty well. The Brazier also then could become the phylactery as I suggested earlier.
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Post by egamma on Jan 24, 2016 9:12:37 GMT -7
Okay, I was thinking that maybe Zuul possessed the brazier and that it gave him certain magical powers (not sure exactly which, maybe chill touch or something like that ton give him temp HP).
I want to leave Ghedrar in Ilkath for later, the players already noticed that the bodies they dumped in the sewer were dragged away by something.
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