What random encounters would you like to see?

Hypothetically, suppose someone were to mod higher-level random encounters for the post-Temple chapter. What kind of encounters would you like to see?

Please separate encounters based on existing monsters or slightly modified ones (i.e. easy to do), encounters based on existing monsters + special scripting / AI, and encounters with new monsters.

 

I'd like to see an encounter with a squadron of greater temple-type bugbears. The idea being that there was a bugbear captain out on a mission and so survived the fall. Might be interesting in an open area where you cannot block them in.

While a big bugfest should probably be a one-time encounter, there could also be a regular 10% or so chance to find 1-3 temple bugbears in a normal bugbear encounter after the temple fall.

 

For night encounters, maybe a nightwalker could be made? Just blow up a ghoul or zombie, adjust stats, and give him a disarm attack. Most of its abilities can be emulated quite easily, I think, even if it is not exactly RAW. Greater shadows in any case look the same as shadows and just have better stats and some more feats.

 

A run-in with a hag covey. Could start as an averse encounter with some disguised giants. Then a trio of hags joins in based on the sea hag from Imridys Run.

 

A run in with a group of fairly high level "Evil Adventurers" complete with their own cleric, wizard, rogue and ranger that actually fights as a team and their only interest is to kill and loot your party.

I know we have the slavers and all, but how cool would it be to be caught completely off guard, half your spells used up and maybe your fighters at 60% HP?

 

I'd like a big, classic Herculese style hydra, requires fire to kill and regenerates. Swamp encounter...

 

Setting Encounter @ Forest (Night time)
After the defeat of Zuggtmoy

Scorpp is being held by a band of mysterious men, which is seeking various information about the missing Golden Skull [You will also found out that they retrieved Hedracks' body to resurrect him. If you fight them, there's a chance that they will have Hedrack resurrected since he can spawn Iuz]. You must rescue Scorpp or he will have an untimely death! His death will mostly based on your negotiation skills (this will not affect the War of the Golden Skull - Since the men your about to fight is has no experience gain, once you've kill them all there will be an enemy envoy (The real Planoir) that will retrieve their bodies (He will teleport you back to the Temple). Upon negotiation there will be an instance that your Golden Skull will be stolen in your inventory by Sashcull on your back, and they will use it against you.).

If you can dispel Scorpps' entanglement he will join you to finish off those men. If you don't retrieve the Golden Skull while fighting them, [Top priority to be killed is Sashcull], the Skull will be gone forever but the WotGS will continue in the process.

Oresh,Elf Ranger/Rouge - Two-weapon style, High-Ac, Level 20, Bastard Sword.
Kleshc,Orc Fighter/Rouge - Two-handed, High-Ac, Level 20, Great Axe.
Sashcull, Hafling Illusionist/Rouge - Single-handed, High-Ac, Level 20, Dagger.
Planoir, Demon Sorceror - Single-handed, High-Ac, Level 20, (Lareth Staff alike).
Kelhan, Hillgiant Monk/Fighter - Hand to hand combat, Very High-Ac, Level 20, Fist.
Derom, Bugbear Fighter/Rouge - Two-handed, High-Ac, Level 20, Great Sword, Specialty in tripping mages.
And finally Hedrack (Left over of his gears and some normal gears) and Iuz.

Oresh can counter your fighters!
Kleshc can counter your rouges!
Sashcull can counter your mages and rouges!
Planoir can counter almost everyone!
Kelhan can smash your mages and fighters!
Derom can trip and counter everyone!
Hedrack honor is still in shame!
Iuz can make everyone cry!

This is just to make the encounters more interesting!

 

I would like to add, if you already killed Iuz in the Temple and Hedrack tries to summon him [@Encounter], his request will not be acknowledged, since, he is already weakened by you.

Sashcull will replace your Golden Skull with a fake one [since, he is an illusionist], rendering your skull not usable in the fight [if you still didn't know that is already replaced with a fake one, you will just know it when you try to destroy it via Burne's apprentice.].

For you to take the Skull, you must kill Sashcull and take the Golden Skull before killing the others, since, the real Planoir will take you back to the Temple after you've killed everyone [if you fail on retaking the skull, their objectives will be still successful].

Scorpp will prompt you after Planoir teleported you in the temple [take him or not] if you'd not take him he will be gone forever looking for a place to stay [in comfortance of himself].

 

^

/////////////////////////////////////Descriptions/////////////////////////////////////

/////////////////////////////////////////////////// Chaotic-Evil
Kelhan is a guff among giants an outcast, his wisdom is towering like his strength, he stands at 8 feet tall. He is very violent if uncontrolled, he hates his brethren. He has a passive flaming gauntlet, which is magically crafted.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////

/////////////////////////////////////////////////// Neutral-Evil
Oresh a veteran elf swordsman, faceman, ranger, and an expert strategist.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////

/////////////////////////////////////////////////// Neutral-Evil
Sashcull an exceptional rogue, he can throw cursed-knives and backstab his enemies, he develops lately an adverse hatred for humanoids. Spare his allies.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////

/////////////////////////////////////////////////// True-Neutral
Derom a water-bugbear, cursed with a transparent body, his tripping ability is so fierce that he can trip his mates without knowing they are already tripped. His body is transparent like water (magic resistant), absolutely fearsome in ambushes. He is the container of scrolls which he can cast if the member is in danger.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////

/////////////////////////////////////////////////// Chaotic-Evil
Kleshc a very cunning and adaptive half-orc, he slays everything that he knows will only be a hindrance to his masters' plots, he is also noted to be highly intelligent, a rarety of orcs.

///////////////////////////////////////////////////

/////////////////////////////////////////////////// Neutral-Evil
Planoir a powerful half-demon that had been hired to watch over the potentials, he guides them to become strong to form a unified mortal band of men that can destroy anything in the mortal plane that will prove a hindrance to his masters' plots.
///////////////////////////////////////////////////

The potentials are Kelhan, Oresh, Sashcull, Derom, and Kelshc. They are called the Potentials when you first encounter them.

 

Potentials AI

If you encounter them and remained unseen by Oresh, the lookouts will take position at your backs [note that they are invisible and Oresh is already aware of your presence, he will talk if one of your characters are nearby to him, if there are more than one party members that is onto him, he will automatically engage the battle. And let Kleshc kill the weakened Scorpp].

Derom is one of the lookouts and will prefer to trip down your mages one after another.

Sashcull is one of the lookouts that will backstab and throw cursed daggers @ his first humanoid encounter.

Kelhan will be the frontier among his comrades. He will berserk through your fighters.

Kleshc will resurrect Hedrack's body using a special item.

Hedrack will spawn Iuz through Planoir orders.

Iuz [Beware of him]

Fake Planoir he will act as a simalucrum of the real Planoir. May only cast defensive/offensive spells, will fight in melee w/o damage [pls. verify this]. He will disappear if he has taken 100 amount of dmg.

If you are taking key positions, then the potentials will also be. So beware if this is implemented. Much said I have taken a lot of spoilers here.

 

about as cool as a fireball up the wazoo - that's how cool.

 

To be honest, I had hoped that most of the input here were of the simple, easy to do variety, e.g.

2-3 Mohrgs + 1-2 Groaning spirits for night time maps
1-3 Ettins + 1-3 Hill Giants + 1 Boulder hurling Hill Giant
2-4 Leucrottas that cast hold person + 1-3 Jackalweres with improved trip

etc.

Because the plan (hypothetical, remember) is to prune the lesser random encounters (goblins, wolves etc) and mix in tougher enemies. Currently there are only 1-2 encounter types above CR 5 per map type, and it would get repetitive quickly. Elaborate encounters are great but require a lot of work to get right, so keep it real.

 

Where does a dragon fit into your complexity scale please?

 

Well, just make it a future reference no problem with that, that's what in my mind so I put it there.

 

Some ideas:

• A werewolf pack, but much more powerful than the pushovers in the temple
• A vampire encounter
• Evil wizard and 2 vrocks
• 6 seahags and 6 harpies