u/TheSpeckledSir

Heroes of the Fifth Confluence, away with you.

Everyone else: I'm coming up onto the highest level adventure I've ever run. The nineteenth level party has just entered Everlost, Orcus' tower lair in the Abyss. The goal is to find and kill Orcus for good, and I expect them to be successful at this. (tier 4 is something else...)

I have solid plans for a climactic battle with Orcus himself stop the tower, but I've come in search of ideas to make the dungeon beforehand more memorable and exciting. For me as DM and for all the players succeeding here will mean taking characters level 1-20 for the first time, so I want it to feel truly epic.

Other than that it is a tower and Orcus holds court at the top, the party knows nothing about what to expect inside. But here are a few important developments from the campaign, for context:

- Orcus has been successful in his ambitions to become a minor deity as well as Demon Lord. His domains are blood, truesight, and the inevitability of death.

- The wand of Orcus was just destroyed, so despite his power Orcus is on the back foot at the moment. He knows the party is coming for him and might be feeling cornered and desperate. He is past holding power in reserve.

Thanks in advance for any feedback provided!

Looking for ideas on how to make a current arc more memorable and exciting.

The party was hired by the villains they are investigating to perform an assassination. They don't want to do it but thought "Great! Let's go talk to the target and figure out why the villains want them dead."

The trail leads to an underground dungeon where a (secret) Aboleth runs Faerun's grossest day spa. People with physical or spiritual or magical ills come from far and wide, hold their nose at the pus-baths, and receive healing. Unfortunately, they also fall victim to the monster's charms and become unwilling to leave the spa, forever the Aboleth's servitors.

The party is still investigating the place, and while they haven't learned anything, they have figured out that there is some kind of mass charm in place.

So the Oath of Devotion Paladin declared that all the innocent brainwashed victims are his allies in his eyes, and should benefit from his aura that confers charm immunity.

I admire the conviction and am inclined to say yes.

So what happens? Does everyone who is within 10 feet of the pally immediately break free of the charm? Would they immediately know they have been enslaved, or would the Aboleth simply no longer be able to compel them to stay?

What happens to a victim if the paladin moves near them and then away?

I'd love to hear some feedback on what you all think is RAW here or also what just might be fun and memorable to plan for this rather unique circumstance.