Ok brand new campaign is going well, 4 sessions in and things are coming together. The first tier of my campaign is based on the following brief synopsis.
Aboleth trapped in a mine, has been slowly enslaving the mine workers. Town near mine thinks mine seams are running out, hence the reduced trade over the last few years (Aboleth is stockpiling). Towns trade is water based, a river runs by it and all trade comes up and down the river (the whole nation is covered in waterways, canals etc)
The Aboleth has an ally in the town, a wizard who 3 years ago after years of research found the Aboleth trapped and got the miners to dig down to it convincing them there was a great seam of gold and gems down there. Wizard is immune to Aboleth enslave and is using the Aboleth to gain knowledge. In town wizard is on the town council, is respected and runs a small magic shop. He is also putting various plans in place to undermine and sow discord as well as using a teleportation circle to pop down to the aboleth with key townsfolk and getting them enslaved. The combination of losing trade from the mine and the increase in dangerous events are pushing the town further and further to the point of self destruction. Plan is the wizard will step in and “calm things down” becoming mayor himself.
Now onto my block. I am in the process of creating the various schemes and plots the wizard is behind that the players will need to deal with, initially thinking they are random and then slowly seeing a pattern. But I also want to give them 2 clear encounters designed to prepare them for the mechanics of an aboleth fight.
These are
Fighting against something that charms potentially turning players against each other. There is a portal to the fey wild nearby so something that has escaped from there would be good. This could be a fairly short term effect that lasts a round or two.
Combat underwater thinking some sort of monster is snatching dock workers and needs to be dealt with in its lair at the bottom of the river.
Any suggestions would be welcome I am having a moment of writers block, the party is 8 large and they will probably be level 3-4 when these 2 encounters happen. I have about 20 other encounters written down ready to flesh out but missing these 2 scenarios.
You could do something inspired by a vampire in a city, the evil wizard corrupting minds of citizens, spreading fear across the town or something. Kind of cliché but it could work, just the one vampire, public discord when bodies, drained of their blood are found in alleyways.
Maybe to tie the wizard in and hint towards the charm, the wizard has a necklace or other piece of jewellery that protects them from being charmed. Players having to research what details they could notice. Or if the path takes them to attempting to steal it, or fighting the wizard, gaining possession of the necklace and so learning of its ability. Investigating miners whose stories/personalities don't match what their families say. Rather than knowing exactly what creature they will face, they can learn of the effects that they will face. They can try to piece those clues together to figure out what it is, or search for counters to such effects.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Homebrew (Mostly Outdated):Magic Items,Monsters,Spells,Subclasses ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
Random idea/scheme: The aboleth is flooding abandoned mines, which causes the water to absorb acidic materials in the mines and aboleth mucus, which pollutes the local rivers and turns people who are exposed to the water into thralls.
You could do something inspired by a vampire in a city, the evil wizard corrupting minds of citizens, spreading fear across the town or something. Kind of cliché but it could work, just the one vampire, public discord when bodies, drained of their blood are found in alleyways.
Hi I am looking for this to be a simple encounter lasting a session simply giving them the experience of fighting a creature that can charm so putting in the players heads that in my world Charming is a thing that needs to be dealt with in combat, allowing a player the experience of being charmed and then having to attack their allies, attacking and trying to kill them in combat.
The Wizard is using disguise self when interacting with the various groups he is employing to cause havoc in the town, he is also creating a cult within the town, the players will be convinced that I am creating a Demon Incursion story for a while before they then learn that they, like there characters, where being manipulated. In addition in order to help maintain the Aboleth control he is supplying a potion that those enslaved are instructed to drink on a weekly basis, this potion helps strengthen the Aboleth control ensuring they have a higher DC to escape it and make the saving throw with disadvantage even if miles away from the Aboleth. One of the jobs the wizard will give them, in order to get a discount in his magic shop, will be to collect the ingredients for this very potion.
Random idea/scheme: The aboleth is flooding abandoned mines, which causes the water to absorb acidic materials in the mines and aboleth mucus, which pollutes the local rivers and turns people who are exposed to the water into thralls.
I hadn't read ghost of Saltmarsh so didn't know the Skum was a monster, this is amazing thankyou, don't think I will use it for this encounter but, I think I will be using it for my wider campaign. I am actually thinking in my world of drawing a link between Mindflayers and Aboleths. Mindflayers where actually an evolutionary branch of aboleths. Forming a parastic form that could take over and then take form inside a mortal being, escaping the need to exist in water. But the cost was a loss of the eternalism of the aboleth, a new race created that lost the ability to remember and so Ilithid long ago forgot where they come from. Skum can fit into this as another offshoot of the Aboleths, created years ago to be the generals in the great war with the gods, since then they have devolved lacking the ability to reform they are now soldiers rather then great generals and advisors. Thanks
Ok brand new campaign is going well, 4 sessions in and things are coming together. The first tier of my campaign is based on the following brief synopsis.
Aboleth trapped in a mine, has been slowly enslaving the mine workers. Town near mine thinks mine seams are running out, hence the reduced trade over the last few years (Aboleth is stockpiling). Towns trade is water based, a river runs by it and all trade comes up and down the river (the whole nation is covered in waterways, canals etc)
The Aboleth has an ally in the town, a wizard who 3 years ago after years of research found the Aboleth trapped and got the miners to dig down to it convincing them there was a great seam of gold and gems down there. Wizard is immune to Aboleth enslave and is using the Aboleth to gain knowledge. In town wizard is on the town council, is respected and runs a small magic shop. He is also putting various plans in place to undermine and sow discord as well as using a teleportation circle to pop down to the aboleth with key townsfolk and getting them enslaved. The combination of losing trade from the mine and the increase in dangerous events are pushing the town further and further to the point of self destruction. Plan is the wizard will step in and “calm things down” becoming mayor himself.
Now onto my block. I am in the process of creating the various schemes and plots the wizard is behind that the players will need to deal with, initially thinking they are random and then slowly seeing a pattern. But I also want to give them 2 clear encounters designed to prepare them for the mechanics of an aboleth fight.
These are
Fighting against something that charms potentially turning players against each other. There is a portal to the fey wild nearby so something that has escaped from there would be good. This could be a fairly short term effect that lasts a round or two.
Combat underwater thinking some sort of monster is snatching dock workers and needs to be dealt with in its lair at the bottom of the river.
Any suggestions would be welcome I am having a moment of writers block, the party is 8 large and they will probably be level 3-4 when these 2 encounters happen. I have about 20 other encounters written down ready to flesh out but missing these 2 scenarios.
You could do something inspired by a vampire in a city, the evil wizard corrupting minds of citizens, spreading fear across the town or something. Kind of cliché but it could work, just the one vampire, public discord when bodies, drained of their blood are found in alleyways.
Maybe to tie the wizard in and hint towards the charm, the wizard has a necklace or other piece of jewellery that protects them from being charmed. Players having to research what details they could notice. Or if the path takes them to attempting to steal it, or fighting the wizard, gaining possession of the necklace and so learning of its ability. Investigating miners whose stories/personalities don't match what their families say. Rather than knowing exactly what creature they will face, they can learn of the effects that they will face. They can try to piece those clues together to figure out what it is, or search for counters to such effects.
A green hag or an annis hag would be good for the first one. A redcap or yeth hound might also be decent.
I would think that a giant shark could work pretty well for the second one, but a chuul would also make sense.
All stars fade. Some stars forever fall.
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Homebrew (Mostly Outdated): Magic Items, Monsters, Spells, Subclasses
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If there was no light, people wouldn't fear the dark.
For a boss fight, maybe a few skum?
Random idea/scheme: The aboleth is flooding abandoned mines, which causes the water to absorb acidic materials in the mines and aboleth mucus, which pollutes the local rivers and turns people who are exposed to the water into thralls.
I have a weird sense of humor.
I also make maps.(That's a link)
Hi I am looking for this to be a simple encounter lasting a session simply giving them the experience of fighting a creature that can charm so putting in the players heads that in my world Charming is a thing that needs to be dealt with in combat, allowing a player the experience of being charmed and then having to attack their allies, attacking and trying to kill them in combat.
The Wizard is using disguise self when interacting with the various groups he is employing to cause havoc in the town, he is also creating a cult within the town, the players will be convinced that I am creating a Demon Incursion story for a while before they then learn that they, like there characters, where being manipulated. In addition in order to help maintain the Aboleth control he is supplying a potion that those enslaved are instructed to drink on a weekly basis, this potion helps strengthen the Aboleth control ensuring they have a higher DC to escape it and make the saving throw with disadvantage even if miles away from the Aboleth. One of the jobs the wizard will give them, in order to get a discount in his magic shop, will be to collect the ingredients for this very potion.
I hadn't read ghost of Saltmarsh so didn't know the Skum was a monster, this is amazing thankyou, don't think I will use it for this encounter but, I think I will be using it for my wider campaign. I am actually thinking in my world of drawing a link between Mindflayers and Aboleths. Mindflayers where actually an evolutionary branch of aboleths. Forming a parastic form that could take over and then take form inside a mortal being, escaping the need to exist in water. But the cost was a loss of the eternalism of the aboleth, a new race created that lost the ability to remember and so Ilithid long ago forgot where they come from. Skum can fit into this as another offshoot of the Aboleths, created years ago to be the generals in the great war with the gods, since then they have devolved lacking the ability to reform they are now soldiers rather then great generals and advisors. Thanks
I had forgotten about Chuul I have no idea how lol. That will be the things attacking dock workers :) thankyou