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 Ideas for a unique monster for a special encounter
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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
745 Posts

Posted - 19 Feb 2014 :  01:31:08  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
I need a memorable or particularly nasty monster to through at my group. FR appropriate if possible.

I just ran my group through "The Inheritance" module from Road to Danger. The keep also comes with a bonus income source: an abandoned gemstone mine. They are about to find the gemstone mine abandoned by dwarves centuries ago.

I'm a fairly new DM using Pathfinder and I want this encounter to be MEMORABLE. So I'm looking for any ideas on the encounter in general and/or a specific nasty or unique monster that would be in an old gemstone mine.

The group is level 5 but can generally handle up to CR 6 or maybe a little above encounter.

Any ideas are much appreciated. I seem to be lacking any ideas that make me go "oh that sounds cool" at the moment.

Edited by - Cards77 on 20 Feb 2014 01:54:49

Wenin
Senior Scribe

585 Posts

Posted - 19 Feb 2014 :  04:17:15  Show Profile Send Wenin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I found a single Jovoc to be quiet the challenge for my group this past weekend. They were a little to low for the encounter, but their aura of retribution is pretty nasty.

You have to convert the creature to Pathfinder though. It is found in MMII

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Diffan
Great Reader

USA
4438 Posts

Posted - 19 Feb 2014 :  07:36:13  Show Profile Send Diffan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Hm, well I was looking through the Pathfinder database and I came across this little "gem" (pun intended) and thought this might work well for your encounter. They're called Graven Guardians which would be like gem/earth golems that protect the mine from intruders. Only those loyal to Moradin are allowed to follow into the mines and they attack anyone else on sight.

Each Graven Guardian has two domain powers associated to it. The two in the description have Death, Repose which, IMO, don't really work. I'd suggest Earth (changing it stats by giving it a +2 bonus to AC) and Rune (energy damage against the creature is infused into it and it deals that type of damage back). I'd also consider changing the weapons it's wielding from the +1 Keen scimitars to perhaps +1 Keen Battleaxes because Dwarves created these golem, so they should be dwarven make and style.

Since they're a CR 5 each, one or two should make for an engaging encounter, perhaps 3 for a difficult one.

Edited by - Diffan on 19 Feb 2014 07:36:36
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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
745 Posts

Posted - 20 Feb 2014 :  02:09:26  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Diffan

Hm, well I was looking through the Pathfinder database and I came across this little "gem" (pun intended) and thought this might work well for your encounter. They're called Graven Guardians which would be like gem/earth golems that protect the mine from intruders. Only those loyal to Moradin are allowed to follow into the mines and they attack anyone else on sight.

Each Graven Guardian has two domain powers associated to it. The two in the description have Death, Repose which, IMO, don't really work. I'd suggest Earth (changing it stats by giving it a +2 bonus to AC) and Rune (energy damage against the creature is infused into it and it deals that type of damage back). I'd also consider changing the weapons it's wielding from the +1 Keen scimitars to perhaps +1 Keen Battleaxes because Dwarves created these golem, so they should be dwarven make and style.

Since they're a CR 5 each, one or two should make for an engaging encounter, perhaps 3 for a difficult one.



Wow. Thanks those are nasty. At least one of those will be at the entrance.

I seem to recall another monster with a fondness for gems, that explodes like a gem filled pinata upon death. Or am I delusional?
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thenightgaunt
Acolyte

USA
41 Posts

Posted - 21 Feb 2014 :  00:22:18  Show Profile Send thenightgaunt a Private Message  Reply with Quote
It depends on how willing you are to do a bit of conversion work.
My goto for strange and wonderful monsters that the PC's have never run into before is the Hackmaster Hacklopeadia. 8 books over convoluted and nasty monsters. I terrorized one group for an entire adventure with an arboreal land squid.

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Cards77
Senior Scribe

USA
745 Posts

Posted - 25 Feb 2014 :  02:10:22  Show Profile Send Cards77 a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Diffan

Hm, well I was looking through the Pathfinder database and I came across this little "gem" (pun intended) and thought this might work well for your encounter. They're called Graven Guardians which would be like gem/earth golems that protect the mine from intruders. Only those loyal to Moradin are allowed to follow into the mines and they attack anyone else on sight.

Each Graven Guardian has two domain powers associated to it. The two in the description have Death, Repose which, IMO, don't really work. I'd suggest Earth (changing it stats by giving it a +2 bonus to AC) and Rune (energy damage against the creature is infused into it and it deals that type of damage back). I'd also consider changing the weapons it's wielding from the +1 Keen scimitars to perhaps +1 Keen Battleaxes because Dwarves created these golem, so they should be dwarven make and style.

Since they're a CR 5 each, one or two should make for an engaging encounter, perhaps 3 for a difficult one.



Thanks. My group liked these. I threw 2 at them. They didn't sweat much but the group did take some damage (I gave the guardians dwarven waraxes instead of scimitars).
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