Need help fleshing out an adventure

[Andezzar]

Announcement: Just in case, Budhi, Mario, Silke, Steffi & Ulrike, nothing to see move it along.


So for an upcoming 3.5 adventure I basically intend to go with this setup. The city of the lich will have popped up a couple of years ago in the southern Anouroch (timeframe after the time of troubles, before the spellplague). The PCs (All ECL 9:Aasimar Ftr/Brd/DrDi; Half-Elf Clr; Silverbrow Human Brd/(SblC later); Human Ftr/Wbl; Halfling Pal/HOr/other mount enhancing class; my Rg/Swb/Sd) will be hired to investigate why more and more people are risking the trek through the desert to this newly arrived utopia.

As an added bonus/extra work the player of the Aasimar has voiced his interest in using the class rebuilding option from the PHB II to change his Fighter levels to Paladin of Freedom levels. I try to really show the clash between established morality and the personal choice of the citizens. Apart from the main plot the adventure should be a way to get him on the right track.

I need a bit of help on what to do in terms of encounters.

My idea for the rebuilding was that the lich is trying to rebuild himself as well (not sure into what though) and is looking for some kind of McGuffin to achieve this. If the PCs do not yell charge upon realizing that the ruler of the city happens to be an undead spellcaster, they may come to a mutually beneficial arrangement with the lich.

Do you playgrounders have suggestion for the McGuffin?

Thanks in advance for your ideas.

[The Redwolf]

If you wanted to do something interesting with it, you could say that his phylactery has been stolen, but the thief doesn't know that's what it is, and for some reason he can't go get it back himself. Obviously you could try to avoid the party knowing either, but make it something like a necklace or gem or something valuable and he was careless and got it stolen because for some reason he didn't load it up with magical protection.