The Amusing Contraptions and Critters in Calendar's House

[AKA_Bait]

Hey folks,

Time again for me to ask the boards what sorts of interesting niftys they think would be good populations for a locale.

The Place: Calendar's House
A huge tree house built high into the branches of an Awakened Redwood Tree.

Existant Population:
Calendar- Venerable Elven Transmuter 4/Druid 4/Arcane Hierophant 14.
Firebark- Awakened Redwood Tree Fighter 4
Greenback- Awakened Moss (I've houseruled this is ok) living on Firebark.
Dusty- Huge Animated Entry Hall Rug
Nut & Meg- Awakened Squirells (household help) Druid 1 & Wizard 1 respectivley

The Place Around the Place: Calendar's Garden
An old forest sporting a very diverse variety of plant and animal life.

Outer Garden:
Petals (20)
Pixies (3)
Shimmerling Swarm (1)
???
...

Centre Garden:
Living Entangle (3)
???
...

Inner Garden:
Survaria Flowers (20) Thanks for thinking this thing up Fax!
Apiary Golem (1) Thanks Poppatomus!
???

...

Existant Population (anywhere):
Angel- Awakened Hawk
...

Why the PC's have to go there:
Calendar is the only person anyone can think of that might have been able to, or might be able to, change a high level druid spell into an arcane one. Specifically, Mass Awaken. The PC's messed up against a BBEG (see the Minions of the Rat Lich thread if you are curious) and have all been Gaesed to find such a spell and bring a scroll of it to the BBEG.

So, any thoughts on who else lives around here? Or what sorts of traps there might be?

Thanks in advance everyone!

[Arbitrarity]

The transmuter/druid is an illegal build. It should be Transmuter 4/Druid 4/Arcane Heirophant 10/Mystic theurge 4, or MT 2/AH 2. Epic levels of arcane heirophant aren't allowed, pre-epic.

So, we have an epic spellcaster (Right?), who controls nature. First of all, what's Calendar's policy towards visitors? That guides existence of traps, monsters.

Any traps/monsters should be harmonious with nature, possibly legendary animals (MM2), and spell (probably entangle, or other such) traps.

It's very improbable that any sort of creature that Calendar doesn't want to exist is around the area, unless they're of ridiculous CR, or Calendar doesn't want to take the effort to remove them. Another possiblity is that Calendar wants to test the players in some way.

Hmm. Plant creatures, rare animals, and other possibilities.

Also, what sort of Animal companion/Familiar does Calendar have?

[AKA_Bait]

The transmuter/druid is an illegal build. It should be Transmuter 4/Druid 4/Arcane Heirophant 10/Mystic theurge 4, or MT 2/AH 2. Epic levels of arcane heirophant aren't allowed, pre-epic.

Meh. I realized that and I'm doing the DM's 'Screw that rule' in this case. The build for Calendar (see NPC plot device) isn't that vital as if the PC's decide to take it from him by force they are doubtlessly going to get squished anyway.


So, we have an epic spellcaster (Right?), who controls nature. First of all, what's Calendar's policy towards visitors? That guides existence of traps, monsters.

Right on the spell caster. He's indiffrent to visitors. He doesn't mind if people so up but he also doesn't expect people to come bothering him. He figures that if the PC's manage to make it through the Garden AND up Firebark and Greenback then they probably have a good reason to be there and will greet them warmly so long as they caused minimal damage to the above.


Any traps/monsters should be harmonious with nature, possibly legendary animals (MM2), and spell (probably entangle, or other such) traps.

Yeah. That's the idea. I had actually been toying with the idea of a living Entangle spell.

I'm thinking in terms of things that could be annoying but not really deadly. I want the PC's to think before they go in there and realize that if they are close to the big transmuter/druids place almost anything running about is either his pet or his friend. Harrased, intimidated, but not really damaged is the idea.


It's very improbable that any sort of creature that Calendar doesn't want to exist is around the area, unless they're of ridiculous CR, or Calendar doesn't want to take the effort to remove them. Another possiblity is that Calendar wants to test the players in some way.

I was thinking here that there might be some mean Awakened Tree or Awakened Predatory Animal that Calendar created a long time ago, realizes was a mistake, but didn't have the heart to kill. Don't really know what sort of thing, specifically.


Also, what sort of Animal companion/Familiar does Calendar have?

Neither. Meh. He's literally surrounded by a bunch of Awakened critters and plants. That's plenty in my book.

[Arbitrarity]

Right then. Let's see. (Amusingly, I mixed up Calendar's gender mentally, as the first post gives no indication of it).

Anything of the animal/plant type does nicely, awakened or not, for things to be "running around". Plants can be most annoying, as they're generally better hidden. Assassin vines, Shambling mounds, Tendriculos, Treants, Greenvises, prehaps a colony of myconids. MM3 looks good for this, with the various fey (petals), the topiary guardians, and the Woodling template. Living spells are also great.

Small creatures are easier to "annoy" with, as they generally don't pose a direct threat. A bunch of petals singing the lullaby and sleep songs (DC 12 + number of singers for sleep), with their sometimes annoying behaviour, can be quite worrisome. Creatures which don't attack, but harass, scare, surprise, and otherwise annoy (unless provoked). Hawks, snakes, eagles, toads, and other surprising (non-threatening) creatures, possibly awakened. Also, close encounters with threatening animals (preferably awakened), which generally end in a non-combat manner (My good fellow, I am a tiger. I see no need to eat your face at this point, fun as it may be.), can be scary/annoying, so long as A) It isn't used too much, B) Players aren't overly aggressive, C) Players don't become too bored/ticked off.

Actual combats would generally have to be with not-very-difficult opponents, that are very aggrivating to combat. Assassin vines, Tendriculos, preferably non-awakened (though they could be), and generally acting on instinct. Living spells seem probable, given the dual nature of the caster.

Options for dangerous awakened creatures could include application of the Titanic template (MM2), or possibly simply a generally dangerous animal. Awakened seismosaurus would be slightly scary, and very dangerous.

I'm thinking the treehouse is in the middle of a forest, and whatever is in that forest is possibly dangerous, but generally peaceful towards people (with the exception of aggressive people, or those who defile the forest). A typical mix of fey, possibly rare animals and plants, and some regular creatures seems likely.

Curse my lack of specifics!

[AKA_Bait]

Petals are a good idea in the outer areas of the forest. Probably with some pixies, thorns or and a shimmerling swarm thrown in for good measure.

I'll add them. That way I can make things more dangerous as they get closer and closer to the tree.

Calendar wouldn't want to kill annoying visitors, so expecting people to flee or get pooned and carried out at various points makes sense.

[AKA_Bait]

*bumppity bump bump bum*

[Proven_Paradox]

Well, you've got an interesting concept here and it's going to challenge the players; annoying stuff that you can't kill can lead to wonderful or horrible things. Either way you win.

However, I think you should add some actual dangerous combat there too. You could have some sort of invading force in the forests that the PCs can encounter and fight. Somehow Calendar doesn't know about these things. Perhaps they're new arrivals or something. Either way, they're messing up the forests, and they'd challenge the PCs to actual, deadly combat. This not only gives you something to genuinely threaten your players with, but it also gives them an in to get on Calendar's good side and complete their geas.

Of course, I can't be more specific until I know what kind of party you're working with. Could we get more information on the PCs?

[AKA_Bait]

Of course, I can't be more specific until I know what kind of party you're working with. Could we get more information on the PCs?

Sure:

The Party:

Druid 9 (specializes in fire spells. Got tossed out of his old druid grove because the other druids around got tired of preparing Quench all the time)

Sorcerer 8 / Dragon Disciple 1

Favored Soul 8 / Celestial Mystic 1 w/ VoP

Beguiler 9

Meat Shield 9 (I don't remember the specifics but it's a Tome of Battle meat shield multiclass)

[Proven_Paradox]

Well, going further with my foreign threat to the forest suggestion, you've got several options there. You could always go with one of my personal favorites: throw a demon/devil at them. Perhaps a Barbed Devil has been summoned into the forests to wreak havoc by some rival. If demons are more your style, a Hezrou could work, and would leave your fire-happy druid less screwed. Maybe a treant has gone nuts for some reason and attacks the players, though you'd probably want to add a few HD to that. An Athach has come down from some nearby hills and is causing general mayham, attacking the PCs when they show up (probably want to add some class levels to that one).

I'm only working with the SRD, but there are a few monsters I like to throw at my players.

[AKA_Bait]

One last bump

[Matthew]

Are you looking for dangerous encounters or just flavourful denizens?

[AKA_Bait]

Are you looking for dangerous encounters or just flavourful denizens?

A little of both. Mostly flavorful but I don't want the PC's to feel like they can just waltz through in saftey. The outer garden will be more flavor. The inner one will be more dangerous. As the PC's get closer to Calendar's house Calendar assumes they can take more of a beating if they really want to see him.

[AKA_Bait]

I'm going to be running this module in around 2 or 3 hours from now. So if anyone has any additional last moment suggestions on critters they would be greatly appreciated.

[DaMullet]

The suggestion from Arbitrarity of an awakened seismosaurus (which isn't in the Firefox dictionary) makes me think of the incredibly polite gremlin from the second Gremlins movie.

I don't really think Demons or Devils are quite what you're looking for... perhaps you could think back to Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the first dungeon inside the tree, for ideas.

[AKA_Bait]

The suggestion from Arbitrarity of an awakened seismosaurus (which isn't in the Firefox dictionary) makes me think of the incredibly polite gremlin from the second Gremlins movie.

I don't really think Demons or Devils are quite what you're looking for... perhaps you could think back to Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, the first dungeon inside the tree, for ideas.

Arbitrarily's suggestion is good. I meant to add thatto the middle area.

Evil outsiders don't really fit the flavor here. Although I'm sure Zelda would be great for inspiration I regret to confess I have never played any of them.

At this point the module is pretty much done. I'm always looking for all you wondefully helpful people from the boards to suggest something I didn't think of though.

[PsyBlade]

Can I get a link to the rat lich thread?

[AKA_Bait]

Can I get a link to the rat lich thread?

Here you go: The Minions of the Rat Lich (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52326)

[Matthew]

Perhaps a Dryad companion for Firebark? Certainly, the consequences of awakening him could create interesting scenarios revolving around the altered relationship between the Tree and the Tree Spirit.