Tiles: This encounter uses tiles from DU2
Large Map Flickr, Picasa
Encounter Level 11
Party Size: 4-5
1 Fire Achon Emberguard (A)
1 Bloodfire Harpy (B)
4 Legion Devil Hellguards (H)
1 Neldrazu (N)
1 Flameshard (F)
Party Size: 6-7
(S) Death Priest of Orcus with Scion of Flame Template
Setup
The party arrives just in time to see the villagers have been trapped in three burning buildings. The Two small buildings each contain 10 people, and the larger building contains 20 people. The characters can start off in any square in the green highlighted area on the map they wish. Each monster here has resist fire 20 even if the book does not state it.
You need to inform the players that for them to rescue people from the building, they need to be standing in at least one square of the building and spend a standard action to save 1d4 people.When the PCs arrive read:
The heat and smoke fill the air, screams of villagers can be heard in the distance over top of the harpy's burning song.
Tactics
The Hellguards are busy making sure no villager tries to escape, when combat begins two near the Emberguard will attack the same target as the emberguard, while the other two will team up on another armored looking character. The bloodfire Harpy will stay ranged ensuring maximum usage of her aura, and attack to defend herself. The Flameshard is there to burn, it will continue burning the building until something attacks it, then it will attack the first creature that attacked it. Once bloodied the Flameshard will try and get in the largest concentration of players as possible for its big explosion power. The Neldrazu starts off hidden, its job here is just to ensure the task is done and report back to its dark masters. It will wait and try and kidnap a caster or lightly armored player and begin its attacks. If bloodied it will flee.
if the Death Priest of Orcus/Scion of Flame is in the encounter he will stick to his ranged attacks and use his dark blessing trying to get the Hellguard buffed.
Features of the area
Green Area: Players can pick any square in this area to start
Fountain: Now just rubble Destroyed
Small Buildings: Contain 10 villagers
Large Buildings: Contain 20 villagers
Flames: Roll initiative for each building, on the buildings turn, add 1 square of flame to a small building, and two squares of flame to a large building.
Illumination: Depending on the time of day, but due to the fire the players should have no problem seeing anything.
Note for DMs: Don't forget the fire, i have included the stats here which add significant challenge to an 11th level party.
Posts
Might I also suggest a skill challenge. Here are two optioins that I think might work.
ReplyDeleteFrom Dungeon's Master -- Skill Challenge: Playing With Fire
From At-Will -- Skill Challenges: City Ablaze
Thanks Ameron, this encounter i actually ran with my group last night, so kind of posting it as is. It worked for me from a combat situation because players still had to use resources (standard actions) to get people out of the building while the monsters were attacking.
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