input.jack Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 My players in the Mythic Greek Fantasy game are about to explore a cave near an abandoned farm, rumored to be the lair of something eeeeevil. Theyre clearly expecting a dungeon crawl. Problem is, I dont really have one ready for them. The "monster" was a series of things (with conflicting descriptions) summoned by an Ashurite Wizard, whom they have defeated. Now, theres likely to be a cthonic temple in the cave, where the Ashurites (Humans from another culture) were engaging in human sacrifice to confer with the spirit of a long dead general, in perparation to invade Acheos (the "Greek" area of the map). And suggestions how I can spiff that up a bit? Cause other than a blood-stained alter and maybe a tunnel to the Underworld, Im at a total loss what to put in there.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alibear Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... Do they know that the wizard they killed was the wizard or was he just the apprentice to something nasty and evil? Maybe some kind of mystical beastie or demon which the wizard had trapped there to steal spells and knowledge from. When the pc's killed the wizard the spell controlling the beastie was broken... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... I found this interesting tidbit on the Wikipedia entry for the Greek Underworld: "The oldest descriptions of the underworld can be found in Homer's Iliad and Odyssey. The other poets of old epic such as Hesiod describe it similarly. In the Odyssey the Underworld is located beyond the Western horizon. Odysseus reaches it by ship from Circe's island, and later on, the ghosts of the suitors are herded there by Hermes Psychopompus (the guide of the dead). He herds them through the hollows of the earth, beyond the earth-encircling river Oceanus and the gates of the (setting) Sun to their final resting place in Hades." Could be interesting for the PCs to interrupt the procession. If you want to be really nasty, they could discover the cavern of Echidna, and/or some of her offspring. For a more typical dungeon-crawl adventure, how about giant badgers? No reason that everything the PCs find down there has to have been summoned by the Ashurites. Normal badgers are tough, mean and very protective of their territory, and dig pretty extensive tunnel systems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... For a more typical dungeon-crawl adventure' date=' how about giant badgers? No reason that everything the PCs find down there has to have been summoned by the Ashurites. Normal badgers are tough, mean and very protective of their territory, and dig pretty extensive tunnel systems.[/quote'] Sounds interesting. Throw something at them they won't expect. If giant animals aren't what you're looking for, this would be a good time to throw in the bait of what will become their next adventure. Perhaps someone who is a stone statue but by reading the words on the plaque attached the person is freed. The NPC tells of his/her ordeal with a monster that turns people to stone (or any other monster that fits the campaign). That's all I have at the moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Carman Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... For a more typical dungeon-crawl adventure' date=' how about giant badgers?[/quote'] "Badgers? BADGERS?! We don' do no steenkin' badgers!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teh bunneh Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... If the cave contains a gate to the underworld, how about the shades of the Ashurites that the heroes killed, come back for a little payback? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Liaden Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... Nice! In fact those could be the very shades that Hermes Psychopompus is escorting to the Underworld when the PCs encounter him. Hilarity ensues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
input.jack Posted August 1, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... Thanks for the suggestions! And for the record, the PC's didnt kill the Ashurite Wizard...the PC Wizard turned him into a mouse! Id figured hed climbed into the Ashurite Prince's clothing when the Prince was captured, and hitched a ride back to the local Citystate, where hes trying to figure out how to become Human again....None of his spells work without hands and a voice... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilFleischmann Posted August 1, 2007 Report Share Posted August 1, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... Something I've tried before, with varying degrees of success: Decoy monster(s) - mechanical (magical?) moving statues that the players think is a living monster, after all it's not a well-lit place. Whack it with your sword -> dulled/broken sword. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
input.jack Posted August 2, 2007 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... I may have to give that a whirl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Democracy Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... For a pulp style twist you might take them to a Hollow Earth experience where they go back to fight dinosaurs and neanderthals...all to save a Greek demi-god from captivity placed on her by their least favoured denizen of Olympus... Doc Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted August 2, 2007 Report Share Posted August 2, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... Alternately let them get partway down the creepy tunnel (throw in some dangerous crevices to cross and slopes to descend). If that's not exciting enough, add in an appropriate monster (off the cuff: a bound titan who can cast fire) and then let them come to the brink of Acheron, where the spirits of the restless dead will swarm them, begging silently for blood to drink... If the dead drink, they can become (briefly) fleshly again and speak. The Dead know many hidden things and can provide the GM with useful plot hooks. Of course, traditionally it is impossible to ascend by the same route you descended which means they are going to come out through another cave, somewhere else..... cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tech Posted August 3, 2007 Report Share Posted August 3, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... Sounds interesting. Throw something at them they won't expect. If giant animals aren't what you're looking for, this would be a good time to throw in the bait of what will become their next adventure. Perhaps someone who is a stone statue but by reading the words on the plaque attached the person is freed. The NPC tells of his/her ordeal with a monster that turns people to stone (or any other monster that fits the campaign). That's all I have at the moment. Now that I have a few more moments.. Alternate idea/plot twist: What the NPC's don't know is that the 'NPC' is a monster that was captured so long ago in the shape of a human as it stalked it's next victim. The creature itself was turned to stone as it's punishment and put far away, where the good people thought it'd never be found. By reading the ancient plaque, they have unwittingly released the very thing that turns people to stone. Add salt & pepper to the episode as necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shadowsoul Posted August 9, 2007 Report Share Posted August 9, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... If the PC's aren't sure what this monster they're hunting is then perhaps it could have multiple forms and they have to hunt it through the caves 'killing' or driving off each of its forms until they track it to the heart of its lair and dispatch it. There's no end of beasts in Greek mythology of course and so a few forms might be - Cerberus, the Golden Bull, a smallish dragon whose teeth (or blood) cause armed warriors to pop up when they touch the earth (one amusing way to make the PC's wary of headshots), Cyclops, Chimaera, Sphinx. Discarded forms could spawn smaller minions to trouble the PCs. This resurrection ability could be explained by the party having wandered into the land of the dead which is where the beast draws its power. Of course shades of the dead are always fun. PC's could also encounter other travelers who are alive aswell, (or so they claim), these could be from various cultures and have various attitudes towards strangers. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rage Posted August 10, 2007 Report Share Posted August 10, 2007 Re: PCs go down the hole... The cave also has some of those 'mists' that cause prophesy and other glue sniffing tricks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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