First of all, I have a PC with an INT of 19 and that gives a lot of power on limbo. She can maintain something like a 19 miles radius of terrain containing just about anything she wants (up to buildings and animals I think).
If I want to have a group of slaadi come and make some trouble, they'll see them from very far (because they create clear flat terrain to make travel easier) and what would stop her from creating a wall in front of them or simply create a building without door or window around them? What about if she decides to just turn that part of limbo into fire or magma? Slaadi are immune to the effect of the soup but this is actually stabilised terrain containing harmful material.
Also, how do you manage the dissolving of stabilised terrain when someone stops concentrating? I have a hard time visualising a 19 miles radius sphere just becoming soup instantly. I thought of decreasing the effective intelligence of the controller by something like 5 for each rounds of non-concentration. Animals and complex structures would dissolve almost instantly then the terrain would keep simplifying and the radius would reduce very quickly without just vanishing. On the other hand, I'm afraid this could be abused by having a very intelligent PC concentrating just one in three rounds.
Someone else must have had to deal with that kind of problem. How would you solve it?
what would stop her from creating a wall in front of them or simply create a building without door or window around them?
IIRC, in each and every edition of any d20-based game the DM is given ultimate power over any decision that is to be taken. Thus, the answer to your first two questions could easily be: the DM (that is to say, you).
You can do whatever (and I mean whatever) you feel like to prevent her from doing so. You can even grant the Slaadi an intelligence score of 25 so that they hold more power than she does over the terrain.
Or you may just assume that since the Slaadi are natives to Limbo, they subsequently hold more power than she does over the terrain in the first place.
What about if she decides to just turn that part of limbo into fire or magma? Slaadi are immune to the effect of the soup but this is actually stabilised terrain containing harmful material.
The fact that they are immune to the effects of the soup should reflect on this situation anyway, thus granting them a consistent resistance over the effects of the harmful material (if not immunity all together: you're the DM, you decide how far the Slaadi's immunity goes).
Also, you could temporarily drain that PC's intelligence score by any means you see fit (either a spell, a curse, or whatever) so to lower her control of the surroundings.
Hope this was helpful
Slaadi are immune to the effect of the soup but this is actually stabilised terrain containing harmful material.
I think slaadi are immune to Limbo's substance, whether it's been stabilized or not. Becoming stabilized doesn't make it less chaotic - it just ties it into the chaos of the shaper's mind.
Regarding the concentration issue, well, chaos stuff is...chaotic. You can have stabilized a nice, detailed city but by the moment you stop concentrating (due to a Slaad claw, for example) it all radically gives away to a fire pocket, or to something worse. Chaos should be erratic and unpredictable.
Yet are they still giving you a hard time by bashing everything? What you are looking for is miniflux. Which means that little things tend to be forgotten, and things forgotten in Limbo tend to dissapear or to change to something else completely. A rarely-used spell component or old magic item could be "forgotten". You can put that concept to good use and give your players a challenge.
First, I realised that my PC actually has an INT of 18. We use subabilities from the player's option and her KNO score is 19, that's what confused me. so that decreasses their power.
Also, due to some changes in my planning they will meet the Slaadi on Pinwheel so the chaosstuff issue is pretty much out of the way for now.
As for miniflux, I want to use it but I'm afraid I will forget it in the middle of all I have to do...
As for miniflux, I want to use it but I'm afraid I will forget it in the middle of all I have to do...
That fits perfectly. Miniflux is subject to miniflux! Who would have guessed?
But still, we had a very good time with chaos stuff. The thief/mage was guiding the party with her find familliar spell (she got an abyssal rabit) the priest maintained the terrain, the swashbuckler fought the challenging (and anoying) rager that passed through and the paladin, having been found anoying to the priest, was the only one who had to walk in mud all the way.
Thanks for the help anyhow!
I suggest that a Chaos Imp (or more) has hid in their equipment. They are mentioned in Planes of Chaos and can be great fun.
Advice to all DMs: Never forget that a silk rope only holds 200 lbs, especially if you players do forget it and a 190 lbs paladin wearing a plate mail is among them.
Nothing brings players face to face with their limits than nearly getting killed climbing a mountain and a branch!