Building the Lair

To continue from yesterday, today we're putting together the encounters for the Lair of Black Sorrows. We already know that we want a quick encounter site for 5th level players. We built our map and it has 10 locations. We need to start laying out our encounters, basically at least 1 encounter for each type of player: combat, skill, and magic.

In 4E, combat is the easiest type of encounter. Monster Group A attacks Player Group B. A very simple formula. However, this is a long lost area, not easily accessible to replenishing supplies (like air, food, and water). So, whatever "lives" here needs to be able to go without these things, or needs to find a way to get these things without creating a new entrance. For this, I am choosing ghosts, specters, and wraiths.

For our "skill encounters" I am going to use the trapped doors, a skill challenge, the barred doors (which are locked), and finding the secret doors. Skill encounters are quick, and can pose as deadly a threat as any combat encounter. Never underestimate the power of skill encounters.

Last, but certainly not least, the magic encounter. This can be of any type of power that a normal person cannot create without some fantastic element (arcane spells, divine prayers, psychic powers, demonic abilities, etc.). For this, I think I'm going to add a ritual that needs to be performed.

Being an off-shoot adventure, I'm not planning on this little encounter site to have any long-lasting effects on my campaign (other than giving my players some experience points, cash, and a magic item or two). So, next we figure out what we are putting where:

• Room 1 - Skill challenge (decipher the room's contents to determine what happened in the Lair)
• Room 2 - Combat encounter
• Room 3 - Trapped door
• Room 4 - Combat encounter
• Room 5 - Trapped door and barred door
• Room 6 - Secret door
• Room 7 - Secret door
• Room 8 - Barred door and combat encounter
• Room 9 - Secret door
• Room 10 - Secret door and ritual area

So, there is the basics of what I want to do the PCs in this encounter site. Now, we figure out how many XP we want the PCs to gain from our little jaunt. I feel that half of a level is more than enough for 5th level characters. This equals 1,000 XP. The encounter site is written for 5 PCs, so we will need to have 5,000 XP worth of encounters. Any encounter greater than PC level + 3 is going to be a bit too strong in here (the encounters are close together and could happen in rapid succession). Any encounter less than PC level - 1 isn't rewarding enough for our players (taking candy from a baby may be fun for bullies, but not for heroes looking for a challenge).

We have 3 combat encounters, 2 traps, 1 skill challenge, 1 ritual, and 6 minor skill encounters. Of these, the combat encounters, traps, and skill challenge have their XP covered by various core books. The ritual and minor skill encounters are GM calls if the PCs receive XP or not (I like to give out PC level x 10 XP for these kinds of encounters to the first PC to come up with the idea to use certain skills or abilities).

This is how our encounters will look:

• Room 1 - Level 4 skill challenge (875 XP)
• Room 2 - Level 4 combat encounter (875 XP)
• Room 3 - Level 4 trap (875 XP)
• Room 4 - Level 5 combat encounter (1,000 XP)
• Room 5 - Level 4 trap (875 XP)
• Room 8 - Level 6 combat encounter (1,250 XP)

This gives us a total party value of 5,750 XP. 750 more than what we want, but the characters may walk past certain encounters or fail at others (the PCs may not care about the skill challenge or may bypass one of the traps entirely).

Tomorrow we will fill out the encounters.