Quote:
Originally posted by Garnet FalconDance, whom I thank for many of the ideas I have posted in this thread:
Level 6 sewers fairly screams out to be a jump-off for something. Roman was exploring a couple of days ago and found a couple places that would be excellent questing or entrance/egress spots.
And thank you very much for spending the time to show them to me! *grins*
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Okay, this is where I get out of the car and start walking. You see, I originally had a post on January 10th where I had come up with this great set of ideas for the Waterdeep Sewers. Since that is impossible due to Ziroc already sharpening his pencils and drawing in Brand New Goodness(tm) for those areas, I posted that I would move the idea down to Levels Six and Seven. The way those two levels are designed, Jump-Off points and quest areas are more than bountiful. One of my issues was that one of my concepts was so large it would require yet another sublevel of sewers just to hold it. So, I have moved the entire post from where it was before to here because of massive renaming, revisions, and additions. I hope you like what new ideas have come to mind because of this.
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Title:
More To See Than You Actually See
Creative Director and Main Writer:
Mozenwrathe
Authors and Contributors:
Garnet FalconDance, toot033, T-D-C, Roddybug, Unglaublich Verwustung, StigTC, StormShadow, RobertTheBard, Garnet FalconDance, Dace De'Briago, and Wellard.
Region Located:
Levels Six and Seven within the Undermountain itself.
Concept:
This is a compilation of quite a few ideas, postulations, and previously listed dreams and desires. If naught else, some of the ideas originally focusing on the Waterdeep sewers have found there way here. As well, there are a few things within Levels Six and Seven which I have no concrete answer for. If there is already something on the way, I welcome it. If there isn't, Ziroc might find some inspiration here and make something cool and creative. Either way, it never hurts to get some creativity out in a good way.
There were a few ideas I listed in here before, but as more filled out versions have been posted up since then, I will just list references to them in here rather than write them out in completion a second time. Quite a few things have been pointed out to me by Garnet FalconDance, or suggested to me by toot033 and Unglaublich Verwustung. Quite a bit of which I never would have looked into myself. With those ideas in mind, I sought to redo what I had already come up with and fill them out somewhat better. Some of these storylines WILL have song names as I enjoy listening to music while writing. If something in this listing doesn't strike you as appropriate, let me know either here or while I am online within the game. If you (the general public) have other ideas that would fit in well into the grand sewer systems, don't be afraid to post them! Ziroc welcomes participation from all the people who enjoy his module.
Storylines:
0) Level Six II -
Exactly as it sounds like. A new subdivision level that would have even more waterways and perhaps even some flooded sewers to walk through. (Something similar to the Trollmoor Swamps.) There are a few regions within Levels Six and Seven which would lend itself to an actual Jump-Off point for such a region to exist. The name of it would be The Sunken Abandoned Sewers, and there would be more than few Very Good Reasons(R) for that area to have been abandoned by anything human or relatively humanoid. There would be no signs of the Xanather Thieves Guild within that area. No dragons that you know of would be down there, but that could easily change. After all, it's not as if you really know what WOULD be the "top dog" within a sewer system...
1) And Its Names Were Pestilence And Torment -
Within the sewers, you have notices there are elements for the sewers itself. Obviously corrupted spirits of air, water, and earth are some of them. However, the farther along you go, the more powerful you find these elementals. And quite a few of them seem to be summoned right from the mire and morass. Not a good sign, especially when some of them are just about immune to various types of weapons. Not to mention the foulness they excrete. You need to find who or what is summoning or creating these things, and end them. (If you are evil, you might want to just torture them and get the information for yourself. Who knows?) And you are hoping that whatever it is can be found rather quickly, as the less time you spend in the sewers ("What WAS that you just heard squeak underneath your boots?") the better. The stench is becoming unbearable...
2) By The Will Of The People/ Rescue Me (part one) -
You are approached by a member of the City Watch. Taken aside, you are requested by them to go into the sewers and find someone very important to them. They won't tell you whom it is, just that they are easily recognizable and will do as you ask them as long as you have a certain token with you. Giving you a coin with two symbols on it (one of Selūne, the other of Shar), she tells you to find the person as fast as possible. The longer they are down there, she explains, the more unlikely it is for them to be found alive. The two-faced coin should tip people off that this isn't going to be a nice and easy trip into the muck and mire, but you ARE adventurers...
This quest would allow you to go one or more steps towards Good. As it stands, assisting the City Watch is a Lawful action, but when you find out exactly whom it is you have to bring back to the surface, you'll begin to question the motives of your current employer. Yes, in this case you will gain the person as an NPC henchman who you can control and heal. However, they will leave you the moment the quest is over. And to remind you, they aren't as powerful as the adventurers are. (Perhaps ten to fifteen levels, but with additional HP as it IS a difficult journey back to the surface.)
3) The Alliance/ Disputed Rulers Of The Sewers (part one) -
Within one room inside of Level Six, there is a gathering of gypsies and members of the Xanather Thieves Guild. What is going on here, exactly? Recruitment? Training? Something even more dangerous to yourself (and perhaps to Waterdeep if you REALLY want to consider them) perhaps? They seem rather chummy chummy with each other, and you know you've seen some of this band of gypsies (if they are even real members of "The Wandering Nation") on upper levels of the Undermountain alongside the Xanather Thieves Guild. Something is going on here, and you are going to put a stop to it. Of course, that's only if their numbers don't put a stop to you first.
You'll see the collaboration of criminal creativity later on within the sewers, but you'll get past your admiration for their hard work the moment the arrows start flying in your direction. Whatever they are working so hard to hide from the Kraken Society and the Shadow Thieves Guild must be important, and probably worth money to someone. Whether it be an agent from another Guild (earning you Evil points if you sell it) or members of Waterdeep's Finest (earning you points in Lawful if you give it to them), someone must be interested in whatever is within those tomes.
4) Lost In Translation -
this idea was put forth by toot033 and can be found earlier on within this thread.
5) Echoes Of The Soul Never Heard -
There is a tale told by bards about a powerful set of instruments stolen one night by agents of the Kraken Society. It is unknown what they had in store for the instruments, as the agents were slain by members of the Xanather's Thieves Guild. The instruments were never found again, but one of the members of the local Musical Academie has expressed interest in finding them. Of course, she is not adventuring material by any means. At around the age of fifty-eight, she's only seen action in plays and if a cart got away from its owners. By no means could she survive the journey down into the sewers, let alone the creatures that would look at her as a quick snack. If someone could hunt down the instruments for her, however, she would pay them most generously.
There IS a catch however: the Kraken Society has made it a point to send its own adventurers down into the sewers to find these items, and they won't take no for an answer if you find them first in terms of taking the items from you. In fact, you are pretty sure they won't take an answer from you at all, unless it is the sounds of your blood gurgling from your throat.
This quest will send you a few points towards Neutral Good. If you negotiate a deal between yourselves and the members of the Kraken Society, you will go a few MORE points towards Neutral Evil. It would be up to Ziroc to allow for double-cross potential, though if you succeed in such a wicked thing you'll gain more points towards Evil and the bard may question why the instruments are a little tainted in colour and aura. (A VERY good Bluff or Persuade would help you at this point.) This quest/ Jump-Off is recommended for parties given the wide range of skills required for it.
6) The Menagerie/ Rescue Me (part two) -
This happens specifically on Level Seven. There is a huge prison containing a myriad of creatures within its cells. Why is this there? What are the Xanather Thieves Guild hoping to accomplish by keeping them in there? If nothing else, why would ANYONE want to keep a hook horror alive and well close to anything sentient? Beyond that, there is an androsphinx there, and it seems friendly enough to the adventurers that there might be a chance of luring it with some food to join your party. Of course, keeping it alive might be a bit of a task at first.
7) Burn The Ground And Salt The Earth -
Simple. You heard rumours that something is in the sewers and it's eating people. Anyone who has been in the sewers before can tell you about the spiders roaming around down there, and things even nastier than those. Still, something about these rumours is getting under your skin, and you intend to squash it. After all, if it's only giant spiders and goblins, what the heck do you have to worry about, right? Then again, if it ISN'T only giant spiders and goblins, all you really want to ask is this: what in the name of Cyric IS down there?
This is a completely separate quest and Jump-Off from the sewer elementals. The creatures involved here will more than likely be a lot more solid. Not that you'll appreciate that fact when you see fangs and talons lunging at you from the darkness.
8) Call Of The Wild/ Disputed Rulers Of The Sewers (part two) -
Ever seen a dogfight? Ever participate in one? Ever wonder what would happen if you threw cats into the ring with the dogs? Ever wonder what would happen if the cats were sentient and had opposable thumbs and had some serious padfoot backup? Well, you poor unfortunate fools, you've just stumbled into what looks like some kind of pitched battle between members of the Kraken Society and an organization you've never heard of before (and you were happier then, too). Good luck, as it looks like they've all noticed YOU now.
Words of advice: take out the new guys first. Always side with the devils you know than the demons you don't. Familiarity may breed contempt, but at least you know that the Kraken Society needs to breathe. (Well, some of their members do at least.)
9) Shake The Disease/ Rescue Me (part three) -
There are nymphs in the sewers. No joke. There are seriously nymphs in the sewers. Find them, find out what they are doing down there, and help them get back to nature. More than likely this will be a FedEx-style quest, only finishable once per server (like all the other quests in this line-up). The difference being the items you may need to assist them might not all be found on the one level. In fact, you may even have to travel all the way through Level Eight and Level Five in order to hunt down the various pieces of the puzzle. There is no time limit to this quest, but you'll want to lock the doors behind you to insure nothing comes after you into that room. After all, if you get back and the nymphs are dead then you've obviously failed the quest. (Right now I think the nymphs are set to "cannot be killed." That would be perfectly fine to ensure the quest can be completed after it has been taken.) The nymphs will give you an item which will help you "tame" the androsphinx and bring it to your side later on in the module.
Levels Recommended:
1) between fifteen and twenty levels at least.
2) anyone can run in, find the items, and leave. you might want to have something to back up your sword though before venturing through the sewers though.
3) epic levels would be highly advisable. not necessary, but advisable. you'll get enough XP to push you into epic levels by the time you are done, however.
Creatures Involved (old and new):
- everything ALREADY found on Levels Six and Seven
- revised and more powerful slimes, oozes, jellies, and gelatinous cubes
- revised and more powerful elementals (sewer, sludge, corruption, decay)
- skeletons, skeleton warriors, skeleton priests, skeleton warriors, skeleton mages
- drowned warriors, greater zombie pirates, zombie knaves, greater zombies
- all sorts of Plague creatures (vermin, arachnids, stirges, undead, oozes, serpents, trolls)
- Kraken Society Skullcleavers, Bodystealers, Heartrippers, and Thoughtreavers
- greater versions of fenhounds, Hounds Of Xvim, hellhounds, shadow mastiffs, worgs)
- rakshasha slavers, slayers, dark mystics, and Throatbleeders
- revised displacer beasts, dire tigers, lions, crag cats, and greater tigers
New NPCs/henchmen To Deal With:
- captain of the local guard
- City Watch members
- Red Sash member
- the androsphinx on Level Seven
- the nymphs on Level Seven (or is it Level Six?)
- members of the Kraken Society
New Boss Creatures/NPCs:
- Kraken Society Giver Of Endless Peace
- Kraken Society Hymnsinger
- Kraken Society Thirster For Ochre Fountains
- higher level members of the Xanather Thieves Guild
- insane Druid Of The Poison Stone Rivers
- acolytes of the insane druid
- various high level creatures (unwilling to name them yet)
- rakshasha leader of her faction
- immediate subordinates of the rakshasha
Notes Required For This Jump-Off:
Cthulhu will not be featured today. He/It is busy campaigning for President Of The United States in 2008. (Why vote for the lesser evil? Vote CTHULHU!)
A new aboleth MIGHT make its appearance during the course of these possibilities, but I refuse to say. I happen to like the idea, but it's up to Ziroc with that. As well, some of these would require whole new sections, such as an ampitheatre style staging area for some of the larger battles. (Jump-Off point: top-left corner of Level Six) The Slayers Only Store idea would (naturally) have to be moved, more than likely to an obscure area within Level Nine. For revisions to the slimes and other "muck monsters," I was thinking increases in strength, speed, and resistences - not to mention hit points. More than a few creatures would find themselves suddenly with spells they previously didn't carry. And yes, this would require a massive change to the levels as now there would be two to four factions for the PCs to deal with: NPCs needing rescue, Kraken Society members, "the unknown faction," and everything else (which would include the currently places Xanather Thieves Guild).