Okay so what do you god people reckon? I’ve written a quest, but not sure how to end it. It's designed to slot into Storm Lord's Wrath.
There’s a mind flayer who has been stranded along with an injured Elder Brain. He’s set up in an abandoned crypt network and repurposed it as his base. He’s convicted a local mage to send him victims in exchange for arcane knowledge
Part one: The party are sent to investigate disappearance at the Wayside Inn. By talking to the residents and looking for clues they should be able to work out that the mage has been sending people to the crypt.
Part Two: making their way through the crypt. And find the mind flayer
Now in part three they will kill mind flayer and possibly have an (hopefully) epic fight with the injured elder brain (custom CR8 due to injuries). But I’m not sure what to do with the mage.
Option 1: Have them find the mage before they reach the mind flayer. He’ll try to barging for his life and freedom by offering some knowledge that will partially protect the party from the elder brain and make that fight a bit easier.
Option 2: They reach the mind flayer just as he’s eating the mage’s brain as punishment for leading the group to him.
Option 3: Have the mage in a tank where he’s been infected with a mind flayer tadpole.
I think all are good. I wouldn't decide now, but have it be as a consequence for their actions. For example, they can encounter the mage near the beginning. If they behave, do well on their rolls etc, he can be persuaded to turncoat and will advise them on traps, giving them Advantage on checks. Or what you suggested.
If they don't rush or get delayed, option 2 kicks in as the Mind Flayer discovers his treachery.
If the party fights him or otherwise remains hostile but he escapes, the Mind Flayer infects him with the tadpole (I'm not sure what you mean by a Mind Flyer Tadpole since there doesn't seem to be one on DDB, but I'm assuming it either is meant to be, or at least functions similarly to, a Slaad Tadpole) but accelerated in growth as a punishment for failure, and then it erupts in the fight, making it harder for them to win.
That way, they have a hierarchy of outcomes that is responsive to their choices and performances.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Option 1: Have them find the mage before they reach the mind flayer. He’ll try to barging for his life and freedom by offering some knowledge that will partially protect the party from the elder brain and make that fight a bit easier.
Option 2: They reach the mind flayer just as he’s eating the mage’s brain as punishment for leading the group to him.
Option 3: Have the mage in a tank where he’s been infected with a mind flayer tadpole.
Is the mage a local? That can influence the actions/options.
Option 1 should always be an option, depending on the way the party solves the riddle. The PCs may or may not come across the Mage trying to find the Crypt, if they do instigate Option 1. If they don' probably ignore this option. However if the Mage is local, do they turn him into the local constable?
Option 2. I don't understand the motivation to kill the mage as he is supplying them. If they eat the mage, now how do they get more people? To me this only works if they found a new person that can traffic hominoids.
Option 3 makes sense, but add a twist, that they found a new source to find hominoids. Maybe use this new trafficker as a bridge into "Storm Lord's Wrath."
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Okay so what do you god people reckon? I’ve written a quest, but not sure how to end it. It's designed to slot into Storm Lord's Wrath.
There’s a mind flayer who has been stranded along with an injured Elder Brain. He’s set up in an abandoned crypt network and repurposed it as his base. He’s convicted a local mage to send him victims in exchange for arcane knowledge
Part one: The party are sent to investigate disappearance at the Wayside Inn. By talking to the residents and looking for clues they should be able to work out that the mage has been sending people to the crypt.
Part Two: making their way through the crypt. And find the mind flayer
Now in part three they will kill mind flayer and possibly have an (hopefully) epic fight with the injured elder brain (custom CR8 due to injuries). But I’m not sure what to do with the mage.
Option 1: Have them find the mage before they reach the mind flayer. He’ll try to barging for his life and freedom by offering some knowledge that will partially protect the party from the elder brain and make that fight a bit easier.
Option 2: They reach the mind flayer just as he’s eating the mage’s brain as punishment for leading the group to him.
Option 3: Have the mage in a tank where he’s been infected with a mind flayer tadpole.
I think all are good. I wouldn't decide now, but have it be as a consequence for their actions. For example, they can encounter the mage near the beginning. If they behave, do well on their rolls etc, he can be persuaded to turncoat and will advise them on traps, giving them Advantage on checks. Or what you suggested.
If they don't rush or get delayed, option 2 kicks in as the Mind Flayer discovers his treachery.
If the party fights him or otherwise remains hostile but he escapes, the Mind Flayer infects him with the tadpole (I'm not sure what you mean by a Mind Flyer Tadpole since there doesn't seem to be one on DDB, but I'm assuming it either is meant to be, or at least functions similarly to, a Slaad Tadpole) but accelerated in growth as a punishment for failure, and then it erupts in the fight, making it harder for them to win.
That way, they have a hierarchy of outcomes that is responsive to their choices and performances.
If you're not willing or able to to discuss in good faith, then don't be surprised if I don't respond, there are better things in life for me to do than humour you. This signature is that response.
Good tips tank you very much.
That Mind Flyer Tadpole is how they reproduce, the tedpole infects a host then turns it into a new mindflayer.
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Ceremorphosis
Is the mage a local? That can influence the actions/options.
Option 1 should always be an option, depending on the way the party solves the riddle. The PCs may or may not come across the Mage trying to find the Crypt, if they do instigate Option 1. If they don' probably ignore this option. However if the Mage is local, do they turn him into the local constable?
Option 2. I don't understand the motivation to kill the mage as he is supplying them. If they eat the mage, now how do they get more people? To me this only works if they found a new person that can traffic hominoids.
Option 3 makes sense, but add a twist, that they found a new source to find hominoids. Maybe use this new trafficker as a bridge into "Storm Lord's Wrath."