ASEO's page

Interesting concept. I think that I heard that the rivals will also be encountered in the Free City of Greyhawk. Something about facing the fighter in the Arena...

ASEO out

Was the adventure "Doomgrinder" GH cannon? I found it rather dissapointing.

ASEO out

Here is the list of miniatures I'm using in my own game with corresponding companies.

Cool.

I actually just found a Female Gnoll Cleric with a Flail and shield That I will be using for one on the PCs in my game, who was a human female cleric that got reincarnated as a Female Gnoll Cleric, oh, and she uses a flail and shield. Makes me wonder if someone at reaper is reading my campaign journal...

ASEO out

I would like to see a pack that was a humanoid war party. Two or three of each "Common" Gnoll/Orc/Goblin/Kobold, one or two of each "Uncommon", and one of each "Rare".

Or what about a Dragon pack that contains one of each size of dragon of a particular color?

If it has to be random, how about themed random?

Say a Necromancer pack, with a necromancer (they have several, so that could still be random) and a random assortment of skeletons, zombies, ghouls and ghasts. This whole set could be random with one large random undead figure per pack. I know there is a skeletal Minotaur, Zombie White Dragon, and Ogre Zombie, not to mention the Zombie wolf, and Skeletal Gnoll.

A Demon pack with a random assortment of demons/Devils, from the Abyssal maul and Dretch to the Demon lords.

You could have racial packs, with random assortments of all elves, Halflings or humans. Something along these lines could be sold ad ready to fight packs for the D&D mini Game. It would at least give the buyer some idea of what they were getting.

The Wood Woad...What the hell is a Wood Woad. Sure it is in some monster book or something, but come on... Heck the Flumph would be a better figure, at least they appeared in one DUNGEON adventure.

If seeing a figure makes you scurry to your resource library to figure out what it is, then it is probably one of those rotten figs I mentioned in the story about the grocery store owner.

I probably spend around $100 a year on minis. I have yet to buy a random box, because I'm not willing to get stuck with minis I don't want, and maybe not even get any I do want.

I took a personality test as part of my wife's PhD research. Turns out that I would rather not have something I want, than have something I don't want. I guess that is why the random marketing of D&D minis chafes me so bad.

ASEO out

Transplanted to it's proper place from the DM questions about Whispering Cair thread...

Warning …This is a Rant, but I think there are some good questions in her as well.

I love that D&D 3.5 is a mini's game. I really like using miniatures in my games. For PCs I tend to use the huge variety of Reaper Minis, primarily because they are top quality, fairly low cost, and easy to customize to fit any PC that has entered my game so far. This includes a halfling that wields two flails.

I like many of the D&D miniature (DDM) creatures, especially the clasic D&D monsters that are unavailable from other sources.

The random packaging frigg'n kills me.

ASEO, I had the chance to talk to at legnth to the head of DDM, and I hate to say this, but the cost you would pay would be equal or greater than the cost of a quality Reaper minature. You see, the end cost doesn't end coming straight from the production cost, it comes mostly from the packaging.

For DDM to be available as singles, like most other miniatures, Wizards would have to pay large amounts of money to come up with the numerous packaging designs... the cost/benefit analysis shows that to make the mini, paint it, (remember, hand painted, mostly) pack it, and ship it, the cost that the consumer pays is greater than the cost of an unpainted mini, by a fairly large margin... we're talking dollars, not cents.

Squid

Damn! Oh well, I guess I'll stick with Reaper minis except where I find the DDM singles for a reasonable price for the size, not for the "rarity" of the mini. Too bad other companies can’t make minis of some of the D&D monsters. Reaper has tried a work around. They have their four tentacaled four legged "Phase Cat" instead of a Displacer Beast and Vulture Demon instead of Vrock. Things like Orcs, Goblins, zombies, skeletons, Dragons and PCs are easy to get from a variety of companies. It is the Abbolith, Xorn, Carrion Crawler, Grey Render, and Slaads that are common in D&D adventures that I can't find figures for, or have to pay exorbitant prices for "because they are Rare" and some lucky shmo ended up with 6 of them.

Most of the DDM figures are poorly painted anyway, though they seem to be getting better, and the larger ones tend to be pretty well done. Still, I usually end up re-painting the ones I get. Maybe they could sell them unpainted for those who want to paint them themselves. This could cut cost, but the Randomness would still be a problem.

Another thought would be to sell DM packs (all monsters) and player packs (all PC). Now you’ll get the issue of “where would we put a Drow?”. I’d say monster. “Half Dragon” Monster. “Half Orc” PC.

I just get frustrated with the concept that I’d like to use D&D miniatures to enhance my D&D game, but can’t reliably get the creatures I would like with out either buying random boxes until I get the right ones. Which has three negatives: 1) all the extra unwanted miniatures that Sure I could sell on ebay if I wanted to take the time (which I don’t). 2) I may buy 100 boxes of random miniatures and never get that frigg’n Beholder. 3) I may end up spending $50 to finally end up getting the Beholder or, maybe not ever get one.

I have to applaud my local game store. They open like 10 boxes of minis from each set that is released, and sell the mini’s by size. First come first serve. I have picked up several minis in this manner and am very pleased. I did have to laugh though, In the last 10 boxes they ended up with 14 Killer frogs, 9 of which have sold so far. Hell, I bought 2, but I sure as hell don’t need 14 of the things.

I would think that if the DDM were sold in just the individual plastic bags then the packaging cost would go down. Sure the crappy minis (like that Bullywog Thug) wouldn’t sell well. (so quit making them).

It all reminds me of a story. A guy owns a grocery store. He gets a shipments of Figs in. One of the bags of figs is all rotten. He then takes one good fig out of every bag, and adds one rotten fig to each bag, butting the removed good figs in a bag with the last of the rotten figs. Then he sells all the figs. When a person gets a rotten fig in their bag, they figure that “hey, it is just one rotten fig, it is bound to happen” and they don’t mind to much. Meanwhile, the store owner has sold all his figs, including all the rotten ones.

Quit selling rotten figs by packaging them with the good ones. Sell the good ones openly for what they are and people will buy them. I’d pay $5 for the beholder figure. If it were sold individually. I’d pay $8 for one of the Huge minis, even though I’ve seen the Bullette and Treant selling for $4. Set standard pricing by size, and cut the rarity cr@p. What is the purpose in making limited quantities of any particular miniature, especially if it is a particularly popular model, except to create the false hope that a consumer might get one of these in a box that they buy, and when they don’t, that they might keep buying until they get it. I guess it is just a gamer’s lottery.

I could see small minis for $1-2
Medium for $2-4
Large for $4-6
Huge for $6-8

Being poorly painted (though paint quality is improving, and the paint quality I guess is purely subjective based on the buyer’s painting ability and time that they are willing to invest) does not to me justify a plastic mini costing more than a quality metal mini (say something from the Reaper catalogue…and I know that if you really look, you can find a bum mini or two in the Reaper stuff, but I’m not looking at the rare exceptions here.) Who is painting these things anyway? Someone in a China, who is probably not making much for doing it.

Last thing for now: Why do the medium minis have a 1 inch base, and the huge minis have a 3 inch base, yet the large minis have a 1.5 inch base not a 2 inch base, and I think the small ones have a ¾ inch , not ½ inch base?

ASEO out

I'll take this to a new thread under D&D general...

ASEO out

What is this "Common" you speak of? D&D 3.X has no "Frequency" listing in the MM.

Damn my pre 3.0 Memmory! There goes my whole arguement...Now what to do with these 12 Half lizardman, half mindflayer figures...Let me buy a simple Carrion Crawler for $3. Or some Xorns. Crud those show up all over the place. I saw a Displacer Beast for sale for $50. Holy Cr@p!

That's quite similar to another excellent idea!

Now, just make them affordable. The two Wind Warrior possibilities run like $8.00 per mini + shipping. I bet the actual cost to produce the D&D mini's is one of WotC's best kept secrets. If you were going to make a mini pack for an issue of DUNGEON, I think it would have to be done completely with D&D minis to be affordable, and even then it would only work without the fake supply constraints.

You guys strike that deal and you'll be my heroes! Good Luck though, I'm betting the EL is way above even Epic Level.

ASEO out

What happens to a Wind Warrior when it is slain?

Does it dissipate (along with its possessions)?

As for the fake market created over the D&D minis...don't get me started.

Well since I'm here and haven't had something to whine about in a while...

If a creature is listed as Common in the MM, it should be common in a random set of minis. And two minis that contain the same amount of plastic and marginal painting should cost the same. The controlled supply chain to create an artificial market is almost criminal. Just sell the minis for a set profit over their production cost, and give me the resources to run your game. The whole random thing really chafes me as well. How many frigg'n cat people do I need. I've never even seen one used in an adventure for years. Or that damn Bullywug thug. Pick a set price for each size mini and then charge that amount for each figure of that ammount, package them in individual blisters, and you've got me as a customer, as long as they cost less than the truley quality minis from REAPER.

Rant off

Now if they were to sell a box set that corresponded to the creatures in a particular issue (or each issue) of say…Oh, I don't know...DUNGEON without the fake mark-up for artificially rare figures, then I'd by the box set each month.

ASEO out

I noticed Wolfgang Baur's upcoming module features a "mechanical man" who's been out of it for a while. Is this a sequel to Raiders of the Black Ice from issue 115? If so, this is going to be a great issue. Age of Worms, a Baur sequel to a good Baur module and the start of the FR Campaign Arc! Yeehaw!

As a matter of fact it is... sort of. The mechanical man is the Nimblewright that was freed from the ice in "Raiders". Unless it changed though, it doesn't take place on the Black Ice. Although I'm pretty sure it was set in Blackmoor. I'll be interested to see how the maps come out in the final draft. They were a doozy.

Look for another Wolfgang Baur adventure comming soon. He is doing episode 6 of the AoW Adventure Path.

ASEO out

There are several catagories where DUNGEON has been nominated for an ENNie.
Go to:

http://www.enworld.org/ennies/index.php?do=vote

and vote.

DUNGEON Rocks!

ASEO out

I think some one mentioned it being in like the Arms & Equipment guide or somewhere screwy like that.

ASEO out

I for one have been thrilled by the fact that members of the DUNGEON staff offer their comments on the various adventures on a regular basis. All the little tid bits, like the Mad Slasher tokens, to the indepth run down on the political situation in Diamond Lake are awsome. I'd love to see a thread about things cut from adventures because there just wasn't space.

When I read adventures as a DM, I try to see what my players will do, and I often ask difficult questions. The staff here has done an outstanding job of answering those question and have thus enhanced my game. To that I say My hat is off to you.

Keep up the great work.

ASEO out

In all seriousness, I once ran A 1-4, Scourage of the Slave Lords. The party were all ex-slaves, or family members who were looking for their kin who had been taken as slaves. It worked pretty well, but character death started to take its toll. All the primary characters died (or in some cases the players moved away) and eventually the characters who were left decided to just go home to their families.

ASEO out

Like I said, Take a look at "Midnight".

It is things like kill the good guy that is being held prisoner before he can talk, because he knows to much, and if you rescue him he'll likley get recaptured.

Help the evil overlords scheeme against each other to take some of the pressure and terror off the local population.

The PCs are more likley to get turned over to the evil overlords by the local population who see placating the overlords as their only way of survival.

Magic and weapons are illegal. Everything is punishable by death.

The heroes are not trying to win against the evil, but only survive, and if they can manage to nick the heal of the evil of maybe just maybe give evil a black eye, then they've done more than anyone else and are truly heroes.

It is a dark dark setting, that really needs more published adventures.

ASEO out

It takes characters from 1st level to 20th level.

You'll not find a better value for that kind of campaign anywhere else.

ASEO out

I got shot in a dream once. I felt the bullet hit, and felt my blood splatter. Woke up and it turned out that I had knocked a glass of water off my bed-side table and it had hit me in the chest and spilled.

I tried some experimenting after that by putting whings in my bed when I went to sleep. A round baseball sized marble ball, a koosh ball, a cat toy with a little bell on it...that sort of thing. And let me tell you I had some strange and very vivid dreams.

Back more to the topic...I woke up onec when I was in Iraq with a tickle on my face. When I opened my eyes I was face to face with a huge rat that was sitting on my chest.

AAAAAIEIEIIIEIEIIE!

I screamed like a little girl! The rat scampered over my face, using my lower lip for leverage, and vaulted off the top of my head as I catapulted up upright into a sitting position. It woke up everyone in my tent, and the rat took off dodging around my tent mates you yelled obsenities at it as they jumped out of its path.

After they all stopped laughing, we all sat around because we all had the hee-bee jee-bees and couldn't go back to sleep.

Sometimes fear can just come from the unexpected, but can leave lasting emotional scaring...or just a funny tale to tell over beer and pizzia.

ASEO out

Write Demon Boy! Write like the wind.

ASEO out

Have you checked out the "Midnight" campaign by Fantasy Flight games?

Think, Lord of the Rings, but the bad guys win.

Dark.

ASEO out

Well I once had a party of characters who were all Long John Silver impersonators…ar…aar…ar

ASEO out

If the syringe is being used to administer potions, then I would handle it just like a person pouring a potion into someone elses mouth, or their own for that matter.

If the syringe was being used to administer a poison or toxin, then I would go with a non damaging melee attack follower with the save for the toxin/poison at say a +2 DC since the toxin/poison was directly inserted into the blood stream in a controled dose. Say versus getting hit with a poaion arrow or something.

Maybe the use of a syringe also halves the time to the secondary effect of the toxin/poison.

ASEO out

17, assuming he doesn't use any against the PC's when Kullen's gang atacks.

Thanks. I'm betting it gets used at least once so I'll go with 16 charges.

ASEO out

This rocks. Keep up the great story!

ASEO out

Actually, another idea would be for Kullen to find out where the pcs live or are staying, and ambush them there! I have a group that, upon hearing that Kullen's gang had info they needed, decided to track down where the gang lived, broke into their house, and tried to assassinate them... but failed miserably and managed to wind up in the Diamond Lake's jail! So, while the party's in there, Kullen is going to return the favor, and burn down the shop of one of the pcs. After that, assuming they manage to get the info about Filge from the two gang members who joined them in jail, Kullen will ambush them outside the observatory to teach them a lesson.

Squid

I agree with Squid. If the PCs boff their gather information checks, or goof an attack on Kullen and his gang, then Kullen will definately come looking for the PCs. Catching them in their "Safe House" is probably a good bet. I'd also think that Flige may also be more on alert for the PCs arrival.

ASEO out

Is there somewhere that there is more info on this struggle? Was it a Law vs. Chaos war, wher good and evil were sometimes alligned along the law/chaos lines, or was it a fight between Chaotic evil and lawful good/neutral?

I know that the background lies in the Rod of Seven Parts background. Is that product a decent cannon source document?

ASEO out

ya missed the wand of enfeeblement and the brooch of shielding (35) that Merovinn Bask used.

Dooh, I don't have the mag with me currently, how many charges on that wand of enfeeblement?

ASEO out

Sorry for any confusion. I am not playtesting the entire AoW campaign.

I've been playtesting with Wolfgang Baur for several years.

ASEO out

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Here is what I came up with for episodes 1 & 2 not counting scrolls and potions or masterwork items.

Armor
+1 Chainmail
+1 Chain Shirt
+1 Full Plate
+1 Studded Leather
+1 Bracers of Armor
+1 Heavy Shield of Blinding
+1 Mithral Shirt
+1 Banded Armor
+1 Amulet of Natural Armor

Weapon
+1 Short Sword
+1 Great Axe

Ring
Ring of Feather Fall
+1 Ring of Protection

Wand
Wand of Unseen Servant (16)
Wand of Shatter (7)
Wand of Enlarge Person (42)
Wand of Magic Missile (38)

Miscellaneous
Goggles of Minute Seeing
1st level Pearl or Power (x2)
Eyes of the Eagle
Quall’s Feather Token (Whip) (Bird)
Lesser Metamagic Rod (Extend)
+2 Cloak of Charisma
Broach of Shielding (74)
Rope of Climbing
+1 Cloak of Resistance
Heward’s Handy Haversack

Part of the reason I'm asking is that I'm DMing a playtest of episode 6 Friday night, and I want to make sure the PC's, who haven't been through the previous adventures (mainly beacuse 3 of the 5 are not yet published) have the proper level of magical items so that the playtest gets the most accurate appraisal. My understanding it that the authors of each episode are not given a list of magical items to put in their adventure, so what they give out is up to them. I was wondering, coming out ot episode 5, what level of magical items should the PC's have. X+ weapons, X+ armor, minor/medium/major level rings, wands, rods and misc. magic items.

So far, the magic item stockpile seems fairly high.

ASEO out

OK, I know that the first adventure "The Whispering Cairn" is for first level characters. And they should be pretty close to 3rd level when they finish it.

"The Three Faces of Evil" picks up next, and PCs should be about 5th level by the time they are done.

Now, I don't have any idea on 3-5, but episode 6 is for 11th level characters, so I'm guessing that episode 3 takes characterd from 5-7, episode 4 from 7-9, and episode 5 from 9-11.

What is the complete expected progression through the campaign?

Looking through the first two adventures, I've compiled a list of the magical items that the party is likley to end up with. Now, I'll hold off on posting that at this time, but I was wondering what people think of the level of magical items, and what type of magical items people would like to see more or less of in future adventures in the series?

I know that personnaly I'm a fan of misc. magic items like Robes of Patches and other unique items that provide roleplaying capabilities, or spark the player into creative use of the item.

Also, what level magical armor/weapon/ability enhancment item do you see as appropriate for a character of say 3rd, 6th, 9th, 12th, 15th, 18th and 20th level?

Thoughts?

ASEO out

...They committed to giving us this article, therefore, they have a responsibility to do so. I have no doubt that they will. They've never given me any reason to think it's not coming.

Weeeeelllll....There once was a comment in the page from the editor a while back about updating all the previous adventures in DUNGEON to 3ed...

I could go look up the issue ;-)

That being said, I'll gladly wait for a quality product, which is what I'm sure is what we will be seeing shortly.

Keep up the good work!

ASEO out

34. Been playing since 79. The thing I've found when trying to get new players is that pretty much every guy who was between 10 and 16 in the 80s played at least once. Maybe now that the 80s are Retro, the game will boom again...

ASEO out

A bit of a bump here...

Still have the question about the commoner's weapons and the pearl in the vault.

Also, I've noticed several instances in adventures where a villain will have a magical item that they could (should and would) use, but it is just left sitting in their treasure hoard. Is this an effort to reward players properly, yet not overly increase the power of the "I'm only here to fight you to the death" villains?

A question about the temple area:

Vecna built the main chamber and the one that has the maze. (I guess that I don't really understand the reason for having built a maze) When the Grimlocks arrived, they added their wing. (why was a door added to this cavernous wing? Just to make things pretty? The Grimlocks definitely are not ones to need a door) Did Vecna build the Hextorites wing?

Since the players won’t know what is behind each door, the DM may rearrange the map so that the factions are fought in a particular order.

What are peoples’ thoughts on which order the cults should be combated in to get the most climatic effect out of the encounters?

If the PCs wipe out a cult and then retreat, or camp in that cult’s area, what are the chances that members of the other cults know something is amiss… beyond the missing tieflings in the cathedral chamber, and maybe some blood left over from their elimination?

What happens if the party wipes out one cult and then heads back to town. Will the other cults even know? Will they care? Will they fortify their wing and wait for the party to return? Will they take the fight to the party in town?

Do the cult leaders meet each Tuesday at midnight for tea and treachery or something?

ASEO out

THE END OF THE STORY?

The party goes to the Isle of Soals and fights through the undead infested crypts that are carved into the island’s rocky core. The horrors that they experience are so terrible that they never speak of them again. The party finds “the Truth”, which happens to be a statue of the combined elemental diety. Each of its four arms extended and ending in a grasped fist in which a weapon can be placed. As the elemental weapons are placed in the hands, the statue becomes slightly more living/animated. The Earth weapon, the stone mace, is still missing (it lies in Zargon’s lair). The statue is 10-15 feet tall and weighs 5,000 lbs. The party must remove it from the island and get it back to the city inorder to prove their claims of the single combined elemental diety to each of the temples. (The fire temple has the fire sword, which was taken from the party). The temples unite and begin to openly fight the Zargon Priests. While the Zargonistas retreat to their stronghold, the party takes a boat across the lake and enters the caves which dot the cliff on the far side of the lake. The party travels through these caves in which live tribes of Spider-eye Goblins. They eventually emerge on the top of the plateau in the outlands only to find this rocky landscape to be the home of ferral Gorillans and packs of wandering undead. The party eventually makes its way to the volcanic crater known as the Eye of Zargon and finds an underground fortress there. They venture through this secluded pallace to finally confront Zargon (a great tenticled beast with a single eye and a gaping mouth filled with razor sharp teeth. Straight out of B4, The Lost City) after dealing with his guardians. With Zargon defeated and the Stone Mace recovered. The party is able to complete the statue rekindling the Avatar of the elemental diety. The forces of zargon are defeated, the party participates in the storming of the Zargonista fortress. The elemental Diety places individual blessings on the party and accompanies the party back to the surface leading the under dwellers back to their city above. As the party emerges they are transported back to their reality and battle the Marilith. The battle is tough, but the party prevails. With the aid of the avitar and the undercommoners the Yaun-ti are driven from the city. The undercommoners reinhabit the city, which eventually becomes a safe haven for travelers in this land of rediscovery. The party head back to the rift and the story ends.

AFTERWARD

Darius & “Fluffy” --- Disappear into the wilds of the new land and are never seen again. Rumors surface about a great elven warrior and his great ravaging beast companion wading through hoards of Bugbears in the far western lands, but the name of this elf remains unknown.

Morak Son of DaK --- Opens a tavern by the rift and becomes a very influential member in the Council of the Rift, an organization that monitors adventures, settlers and inter racial dealings among the people moving into the newly opened frontier.

Lady Bertha Bumblebee --- Becomes the leader of her order and founds a monastery where she teaches others of her faith the mental and martial arts. She lives many times over the normal human lifespan and is often visited by a cloaked women accompanied by a foul smelling dog.

Shendar (Blue Arm) --- Goes on to become one of the greatest traveling bards of his time. His appearance in town is usually followed by a high birth rate in the following months as well as the report of missing antiquities. No connection to Shendar has ever been proven.

Tevroc --- Became a great arch mage who along with his longtime traveling companion Roam D’Le Rold was known to travel to distant planes.

Roam D'Le Rold --- Traveled with Tevroc through many more adventures before settling down briefly to have twin sons who went on to become great adventurers in their own right.

“The Kid” --- Traveled with Lady Bertha and eventually became a Paladin Knight leading the armies of righteousness into the newly opened areas. Laws were enforced, evil foes vanquished and good upheld. He eventually dies a hero’s death defending a new settlement from a hoard of Demonic Orcs. He is buried with the highest honors in a great Barrow at the site where he fell. On the anniversary of his death locals claim they have seen a cloaked woman accompanied by a dog and a young man paying homage at the site.

Mackame & "Brunur" --- Mackame grows to be a beautiful young woman while traveling with Lady Bertha and “The Kid” for a time before vanishing one night prior to a battle with an Undead army. On the day of the battle the Undead are nowhere to be found. There is no recorded history as to the fate of Mackame or Brunor

-------------------------------------------------------------
And thus the game ended when I was sent back to the Middle East, and several...almost all actually...of my fellow military players moved or as we say PCSed.

I hope you have enjoyed the write-up. Please feel free to leave comments if you would like. If there are enough, maybe I'll post my current campaign.

ASEO out

NOTES:

Information to be provided by an NPC within the city, perhaps the last surviving Earth priest, or perhaps an undead Vampire or Lich trapped on the island in the center of the lake.

Adapted from: http://www.geocities.com/iuliusscaevola/

The things then went like said: the Outer Beings forgot their worshippers, turning their attention more and more on the Carnifex race of Davania, to prepare them to the final war against the Selhomarrians, so the power of Ashz Zhargaw declined, and he became utterly mad while he searched for new ways to maintain his power and immortality.
In the end he found a way to preserve his body and soul, and had a pyramid built, in which he focused dark spells of unparalleled power, but he needed for it a small but constant amount of fresh blood, thus the sacrifices. With the departing of their former leader, and no attention given from the Outer Beings, the Ye'ench couldn't stand the Neathar invasion, and ultimately extinguished themselves, and the primitive humans, not kept at bay by the powerful spells of the lizard race, conquered and settled the region.
"Years, decades, centuries passed, and new civilizations rose to power on the surface of The World, but nothing was known about Ashz Zhargaw until a race of people known as the Cynidiceans built a new city on the long-dead site of what was once the capital of the mighty Lizard race. The city prospered and increased in power, devoted to the deity they worshiped called the Master of the Elements and under the leadership of their greatest king, Alexander.
When king Alexander died, the Cynidiceans decided to build a Mausoleum in honour of him and his wife Zenobia. The work for the basement of the temple were conducted in the city's park, that had been unsettled since the birth of Cynidicea. And there, not far below the surface, the workers found the top of a dark pyramid. The architect found he was unable to penetrate the metal surface decided to burrow around the structure. Eventually the diggers found a way around the lower edge of the metal pyramid and tunnelled into a large chamber just under but within the confines of the metal pyramid.
Here it was decided that a city of the dead would be built. In death King Alexander and his Queen, Zenobia would rule over this city that would be populated by the souls of the citizens also entombed there.
The work of the architect was long, and everything seemed to go well. Ashz Zhargaw had been imprisoned very deeply down the pyramid, in a slumbering state. All was well until another great war ravaged the land. The enemy unleashed the most evil and fiendish plague that killed all people indiscriminately. The plague spread rapidly and in the panic that led its approach the Cynidicean priests gathered those they could and fled down beneath their own temple to the city of the dead.
The bodies occupying the city were removed and irreverently dumped on an island that stood in the middle of a great boiling lake that stood in the middle of the cavern. The surviving Cynidiceans moved into the city and found that they could dwell therein. They began to cultivate mushroom crops. They found fish that lived in the boiling lake and began to harvest them as well. They set up markets, temples, workshops, and they began to mine.
Over the centuries, with the loss of the tools of their faith, which had been abandoned in the surface city, the priesthood became factionized and fragmented. The various individual elements became the center of worship and the one Elemental Deity was forgotten. Each faction procured a noble’s burial compound, which they fortified, and set about worshiping on their own. And all was fine…
Then one day something was found in the mines. The Earth priests were summoned to investigate since the discovery was wrapped in the womb of their element. The miners had tunnelled into a manmade room that was full of arcane and divine trappings of power. What was more interesting was that there were no exits from the room.
For millennia Ashz Zhargaw had festered in his prison consumed and transformed by his hate and desire for blood. Infused with the magics which imprisoned him Ashz Zhargaw grew in power yet was still imprisoned. Then one day he was freed. The door to his prison was torn asunder and he re-entered the world.
The Arrival of Ashz Zhargaw begun to spread panic among the Cynidiceans, and in only a few days he grew in power enough to build a following for him, and be again worshipped as a God. The Earth priests believed that Ashz Zhargaw was their deity’s avatar and were quick to flaunt the power of their god. But the domain of terror of Zargon, as the Great Destroyer was known among the Cynidiceans, brought lead to the enslavement of Cynidiceas. The Under City fell under his sway. The Earth Temple was the first to be enslaved. Those that didn’t worship Zargon were the first to be sacrificed. The Temple was razed and Zargon worship replaced it. The Forces of Zargon swelled and now hold the Under City firmly in their grasp.”

PLOT REMINDER
I'm running a modified B4 now. I changed the deities to Elemental
powers waging a war against Zargon. Each of the elements, baring Earth, which was destroyed by the forces of Zargon are at a stand off against each other, and Zargon.
There was at one time one deity that the people of the pyramid worshiped that represented all 4 elements. At some time the statue of this deity toppled, and in the 1,000 years since the people of the city in which the pyramid was have fled into the pyramid to avoid a plague/curse that was sweeping the country. They moved down into the "City of the Dead", a city that had been built under the pyramid where all the surface city residents were buried. All the dead bodies were removed and reburied on the island in the underground lake. Only the priest class remained in the upper pyramid. Over time they forgot that their broken statue represented one deity of all four elements and the priests separated into 4 sects each worshiping 1 element. While the people were expanding the underground city they unearthed Zargon. Zargon convinced the people he was a god. Because he was found in the earth, the Earth Temple believed him to be their god and thus were some of the first to convert and abandon their old ways.
I re-did a lot of the maps and encounters in B4 for. Currently the PCs are on the 4 the level of the pyramid and have encountered priests of Zargon pillaging the burial vaults of the nobility. These priests of Zargon have been animating and creating undead on this level to act as a barrier and perhaps shock troops between themselves and the elemental priests in the upper pyramid levels.
Levels 6-10 of the pyramid are mostly empty and home only to a few renegade people who were able to flee the city, and some burrowing monsters.
In the city below, the forces of the remaining elements Fire, Water, and Air each have a stronghold that they are able to maintain. these are highly defendable by a very limited number of people. Periodically they are attacked by the forces of Zargon, but because the all three elemental forces appose Zargon, as well as each other, it is hard for any one force to go on the offensive and not leave a flank open. There are maybe 5000 people living in the underground city, most as citizens who just want to be left alone. As such they try to avoid both the Zargonites and the Elementalists.
Enter the Party...Their goal is to kill Zargon, and use his horn to enchant their weapons so that they may slay a Marilyth that is after them. They entered the Pyramid and wiped out the Fire priests because of a misunderstanding (oops). They managed to unite the Air and Water temples.
As they explore, they will hopefully discover the 4 elements in one being nature of the ancient deity worshiped by the Pyramid people and use this to unite the remaining elemental groups in the city below. They will then have to recover the only remaining statue of this deity from the undead rich environment of the island in the lake, then seek out Zargon and defeat him. From there they may or may not let the people of the underground city know that the plague/curse has passed and lead them back to the surface and the ruins of their old city which is now full of Yaun-ti. (see module I1, The Forbidden City).

ASEO out

---Night 32--- 3rd Edition
The party who is now:

Darius Male elf Ranger level 7
“Fluffy” Dire Weasel
Morak, Son of DaK Male dwarf Fighter 2/Cleric (Good & Protection) 7
Lady Bertha Bumblebee Female human Paladin 1/Monk 6/Psi Warrior 2
Shendar (Blue Arm) Male ½ Elf Cleric (Travel & Luck) 1/Rogue 2/Bard 6/Mind Bender 1
Tevroc Male human Sorcerer 8
Roam D'Le Rold Female human Fighter 1/Cleric (Plant & Animal) 7
“The Kid” Male human Fighter 4/Rogue 3
Mackame Appears to be an 8-year-old human Female Sorcerer 4/Cleric (Death & Healing) 4 NPC
"Brunur" Mackame's Zombie dog NPC

The party tries to hide the bodies of the Zargon forces, but eventually gives up and decides to go through the doors. Shendar finds some wards on the door and tries to disarm them but fails. He then picks the lock on the door and opens the doors. The glifs discharge but he is able to dodge or shrug off the effects.
Beyond the door is a roughly carved passageway that hasn’t been entered in decades. The party moves into the hallway and closes the door behind them. The tunnel ends in a dark hole in the far wall that apparently opens into a chamber.
Fights Helmed Horrors…
Reads legend from walls…

Information found on the walls of the chamber located above the spherical cavity that was the cell of Ashz Zhargaw.
Adapted from: http://www.geocities.com/iuliusscaevola/
The Legend of ZARGON, the Great Destroyer
“A lizard race came through dimensional portals from the Nightmare Dimension 10'000 years BCE, already a fully developed society that searched for shelter from unknown persecutions they suffered on their Home Plane.
They knew themselves as Ye'ench, and worshipped the Outer Beings, guided especially by the priesthood of Yur Gth Aahl (Yurrgh Thall), among whom was their leader and king, the High Priest
Ashz Zhargw. Ashz Zhargw led the Ye'ench to the conquest of most of the Old World: they occupied the regions that now are mainland Hyatist, Laruamy, Arameikos, Arokind, and sculpted their realms with fabulous climatic spells that they possessed in the Nightmare Dimension.
A long time ago, long before the city of Hyatist was built on the shores of the Sea of Longing, when human race was still young, a great kingdom was born in the regions now known as 'the Old World'. There, lizard like creatures built temples of a black metal that came from a place far from our Multiverse, in another Dimension where the physical laws are different from those we know, and celebrated dark rituals in the name of Beings whose names were Akh'All, Ub Eth, Yegh Shuta, and Yu Rgth Aahl. The High Priest of that race was a Blessed One, a being whose body and mind had been granted the blessing of the Beings, and that had risen to prominence to guide the Lizard Empire in the name of Yu Rgth Aahl above all others. He was rarely seen in public, but when he was, he appeared always to be the most beautiful and great specimen of those of his kind.
The High Priest, named Ashz Zhargaw, led his people to glory for more than 1'000 years. The lizards were long lived, but the Blessed One survived several of their generations, and eventually the lizards begun to notice a decline in the capacities of their High Priest, and heretical believes aroused among them when a mysterious plague spread through their population and no priest of the Beings was able to find a cure to it. Other beings known as 'the Immortals' had taught some of the younger and more rebellious lizards that the Beings didn't care anymore for their destiny, and thus the High Priest was losing its powers; but He was too old to notice, and if He had done He would never resign his millenary power for the benefit of his subjects.
And, as to confirm these heresies, Ashz Zhargaw ordered the building of an immense pyramid of black metal, where he begun to sacrifice the lizards themselves to obtain the attention of the Beings, pretending to propitiate them to himself to give him the power of cure his people.
But in the following decades, nothing seemed to happen, and the Lizard Empire begun to crumble into itself, while small communities of humans who shared the name of Neathar, invaded and ransacked the half-empty towns of the borderlands. Ashz Zhargaw retired inside the Pyramid, and left the Empire in the hands of the Priesthood of Yu Rgth Aahl, and told them that, to avoid the wrath of the Beings, they had to send, each year, ten lizards inside the Pyramid, as a sacrifice to them.
While most of the Empire was more and more harassed by the primitive humans, the Lizard isolated themselves deeply in the region where their magnificent capital, was built. The Priests of the Beings had turned their worship from them to Ashz Zhargaw, and increased the demand of sacrifices, while more and more lizards begun to follow the Immortal heresy.
One day, Aklar, a young lizard worshipper of one of the Immortals, known as Kha, accused the Priests of lying to the entire population. The Beings had forgotten them, and Ashz Zhargaw was not more than a declining monster that demanded their blood for his surviving through unnameable rites in the depths of the dark pyramid. The Immortal Kha had shown him the truth and given him a parchment with a powerful spell that would finally put an end to the unnatural life of the former High Priest. A long civil war exploded between the two factions, while Neathar tribes ransacked the country and the cities of the Empire, now reduced to a small area of what would, much time later, become The Steaming Hills, until a compromise was found: if Aklar managed to get into the Pyramid and slay Ashz Zhargaw, then the power would have passed to the priesthood of Kha and thus back to the Immortals.
The fury of the civil war was intense and the violence vicious and unyielding. Finally Aklar and some of his Priestly followers were able to enter the Pyramid and entrap Aklar Zhargaw. However, the infighting among the lizard race had decimated their ranks and depleted their armies and reduced their defences to rubble.
So on a cold morning as Aklar and his followers spun the spells of binding imprisoning Ashz Zhargaw, The Neathars stormed through the gates of the capital city. They ransacked and pillaged everything the found. The shear numbers of Neathers swept the remaining lizards in a bloody tide. Neither Aklar nor Ashz Zhargaw ever returned from the pyramid, and the declining lizard race fell into savagery and after several decades ultimately it extinguished itself, leaving no trace on the World’s surface."

Kid enters pit…gets possessed by ghost loses 2 levels temp…says “To find the truth you must leave the Path of Zargon”…Ghost was once an Earth Priest…
Party returns to Air Temple…
Morak has made a map…

Party learns that Path’s through haunted garden are the “Paths of Zargon”…witness civilians being herded to Zargonista compound… Zargon priests seem to fear the garden and avoid leaving the path… Party witnesses 3 Zargon Priests being killed by some unseen force and stone spikes bursting from the path… The Kid has been having dreams in which he sees glimpses of the life of the Earth Priest who possessed him. The fall of the Earth temple, The betrayal by those Earth Priests who were loyal to Zargon. Running through thick foliage…Attacking stray Zargon priests…entering the mines…falling…
This leads the party to enter the Garden. Shendar in disguise as a Zargon Priest and Tevroc ‘Polymorphed’ into a Gorillion act as a diversion and the party runs for it…Encounter some undead wearing earth temple symbol. The Kid has such a Symbol found in the cyst and the undead don’t attack…Earth priest makes contact and leads the party into an earthen den. There they speak with the priest fading in and out of sanity. The back of the Priest’s holy symbol is crudely decorated with the emblems of all four elements. The Priest evidently is the one remaining Earth Priest. The other priests evidently all died when they attempted to go to the island of souls to recover the Truth. The Earth priest believes that he was with his brothers when they all died and often says things like “the horror. We all died, my brothers. None of us returned. None gained the truth.” The party decides that they must go to the Island of Souls.

The party who is now:

Darius Male elf Ranger level 8
“Fluffy” Dire Weasel
Morak, Son of DaK Male dwarf Fighter 2/Cleric (Good & Protection) 7
Lady Bertha Bumblebee Female human Paladin 1/Monk 6/Psi Warrior 2
Shendar (Blue Arm) Male ½ Elf Cleric (Travel & Luck) 1/Rogue 2/Bard 6/Mind Bender 1
Tevroc Male human Sorcerer 8
Roam D'Le Rold Female human Fighter 1/Cleric (Plant & Animal) 7
“The Kid” Male human Fighter 4/Rogue 3
Mackame Appears to be an 8-year-old human Female Sorcerer 4/Cleric (Death & Healing) 4 NPC
"Brunur" Mackame's Zombie dog NPC

ASEO out

I'm reading through this adventure and have some questions.

1. How many cultists are in the temple of Hextor room #3. I'm guessing 9 by the CR and EL.

2. Many of the numbers are off when referencing the different rooms. In room #5, it mentions cultists and guards from area 2 and 3. should this be 3 and 4, or will the skeletons in 2 retreat back to 5 to open the door. In 5 it also mentions that when the retreating guards pass 4 they open the door. I'm pretty sure that the 4 mentioned here should be 5. Additionally, in area 7 it mentions the guards in area 5. There are no guards in area 5. Should this be 6 instead? This problem continues in the Temple Organization sidebar.

3. The commoner cultists are listed as having daggers and longspears. By the DMG a Commoner is only proficient in 1 simple weapon. So which do they take the penalty in?

4. in area 9…It seems strange that something like a pearl of power, something that any of the three priests in the temple of Hextor could use would be locked up in a vault. Can each priest use the pearl once each day? Or can it only give one caster, one spell, back per day. The CSRD isn’t clear. I could see the two priests in area 8 getting this item. Then Kendra using it to cast a second ‘Protection from Good’ on Garras, then Garras using it to cast and extra ‘Bless’ on Kendra if the time allowed. Or Garras using it first and Kendra then taking it for that extra ‘Bane’ or ‘Fear’.
...How are people playing Pearls of Power in their games?

ASEO out

If you are looking back...way back... there is also I11, Needle...X8, Drums on Fire Mountain...and I believe XSolo1, Lathan's Gold. There is always X1,Isle of Dread. I have to agree with the Forbidden City as being a wealth of oppertunities. I used it in my The Other Side Campaign whis is posted on the Campaign Journals board.

Really though, you can take almost any forest adventure and make it a jungle adventure fairly easily, and vice versa. That is one of the great things about D&D. I've used many swamp adventuers as jungle adventures as well. Just look at the Amazon Basin in South America. Lots of flooded areas there.

There was a Yan-ti series of three adventures in DUNGEON a while back. They were set in the FR in the Mire of Dead Men or something like that. I would think you could go jungle on those. and if you want to throw a twist into your game, look up the olf Temple of the Frog. That could easily be placed in a jungle.

ASEO out

---Night 31--- 3rd Edition
The party who is now:

Darius Male elf Ranger level 7
“Fluffy” Dire Weasel
Morak, Son of DaK Male dwarf Fighter 2/Cleric (Good & Protection) 7
Lady Bertha Bumblebee Female human Paladin 1/Monk 6/Psi Warrior 2
Shendar (Blue Arm) Male ½ Elf Cleric (Travel & Luck) 1/Rogue 2/Bard 6/Mind Bender 1
Tevroc Male human Sorcerer 8
Roam D'Le Rold Female human Fighter 1/Cleric (Plant & Animal) 7
“The Kid” Male human Fighter 4/Rogue 3
Mackame Appears to be an 8-year-old human Female Sorcerer 4/Cleric (Death & Healing) 4 NPC
"Brunur" Mackame's Zombie dog NPC

While Morak and Mackame cool their heels as guests of the Air temple, the rest of the party find themselves in the main council chamber of the Water temple. While they are answering the Water priests’ questions they are interrupted by a young Water Initiate who enters the room and informs the head Water Priest that “It is happening”.
The Priest motions the party members to join him at a large pool that dominates the center of the room. The Priest speaks some words of magic and the pool’s surface becomes glassy and an image of events transpiring outside of the temple comes into view. The priests of Zargon have gathered several local city dwellers and are reading a verdict in the direction of the Water temple compound. “…for the kidnappings of two prisoners of Zargon, Zargon demands two lives. For the slaying of two of Zargon’s Faithful, Zargon demands four lives. For the slaying of one of the hands of Zargon, Zargon demands four lives. This Zargon commands!”
At this the Priests of Zargon release their Girallons who tear into the helpless citizens rending them limb from limb. As the blood bath concludes, the Priests of Zargon and their pet Girallons take up positions surrounding the Water temple.
After speaking further with the Water priests it is decided that the party along with one Water Initiate will be smuggled out of the temple and down to the city docks. After traveling through some winding underground catacombs the party emerges from a secret tunnel under one of the docks. The water in the underground lake is heated by volcanic activity in the area and in some areas the water actually boils. The people of the city have found a type of fish that thrives in the heated water and fish for them as a source of food and resources.
With the help of a local who is sympathetic to the water temple, the party sneaks out from under the dock and into the a fish smoking tent that is near by. As the party watches the area they see that the Priests of Zargon are set on regular patrols and monitor the goings on in the city. These Priests seem to take what they want from the citizens and are seen taking the choice fish from a local fisherman.
The party decides that it wants to make contact with the Fire Enclave and sets about developing a plan to get across the city without drawing the attention of the forces of Zargon. To this end they decide to commandeer an approaching Rothe drawn cart that some locals are using to transport mushroom crops to the nearby local market. As the locals are unloading the cart, Shendar (having decided himself as a local) and Tevroc (who has ‘Polymorphed’ himself into a local) approach. Shendar sings a tune as he approaches and ‘Fascinates’ the locals with his bardic ability. He then ‘Suggests’ that while the locals are setting up their stand he and his companion will take the cart back to the fields and help the man’s son ready the next load.
Having thus acquired the cart, Shendar and Tevroc bring it around and have the rest of the party hide in the cart, covering their companions with fish from the smoker’s stall. As they begin to head away from the dock area, they are stopped by a priest of Zargon who demands to know where they are headed with the load of fish. Shendar replies that they are taking them to the fields to be used as fertilizer. This seems to satisfy the priest who then beckons them to be on their way. The party heads toward the fields, which are in the same general direction as the Fire Enclave. As they approach the fields they are called to by a boy who asks them where they are going with his father’s cart. Shendar once again puts his bluff skills to the test and says that the priests of Zargon have hired them to take these fish and dump them out in front of the fire compound as part of the Zargoista’s new campaign to root out the Fire Priests. This, along with a few coins seems to satisfy the local kid and the party turns down a narrow alley toward the Fire Enclave.
As the party comes to the end of the alley across from the Fire Enclave they find that they must still cross a broad pillar lined avenue to get to the Fire Enclave. About 60 feet from where the party is are two Priests of Zargon and their Girallon, watching the entrance to a near by apartment building.
Roam decides to use ‘Dominate Animal’ and cause one of the two Rothe to wander down the far side of the street past the Priests to get their attention. As the Rothe moves down the street, the one of the Priests tries to get the Rothe to come closer so that he can catch it while the other restrained the Girallon from ripping the small cow to shreds. Roam then casts ‘Silence’ on a rock she picked up.
With the Priests so occupied, the party abandons the wagon and ‘Silently’ sprints across the street to a low wall that lies between the Apartment and the Fire Enclave. Once they are hunkered down behind the wall out of site of the Zargonistas Lady Bertha draws the Flame Sword and waves it around trying to get some reaction from the Fire Enclave. When no response comes She and Shendar decide to enter the only visible opening in the Enclaves wall, a dark tunnel that seems very open and unguarded.
As they enter the tunnel they set off several ‘Wards” which explode in fiery bursts around them. (Due to their evasion and high reflex saves they manage to pass through unharmed) They then enter an area of magical darkness and when they emerge they find themselves standing in a small courtyard surrounded by Bowmen. One of the Bowmen orders them to lie down. Shendar starts to protest, but as the Bowmen tense to fire he decides that he better do as they say. Both he and Bertha lie down and are roughly frisked, their visible weapons removed. The Fire Priests claim the Fire Sword and demand to know how these two came by it. Shendar gives his best diplomatic telling of the story of the encounter with the Fire Priests in the upper Pyramid and profusely apologizes for the deaths of those fire priests. They are then questioned about their fellow party members who are still waiting outside. Shendar tries to explain the party’s plan to unite the temples to defeat Zargon. At this Bertha is tied up with her hands behind her back and tied with a rope around her neck and sent back through the tunnel to get the rest of the party.
She returns with the Party who are shoved down in the courtyard frisked and tied up. The Party members are all then dragged into the main building of the Enclave and thrown into different crypt like cells. One by one they are each individually interrogated. Roam as an Air Maiden is roughed up as is The Kid who mocked his interrogator. Tevroc is likewise beat severally since he looks like a local (due to his ‘Polymorph’) but is unable to speak the language. The Water Fellow who was sent with the party as an emissary (and because he drew the short straw) is beaten senseless.
Eventually all the members of the party are brought or dragged in the case of the unconscious Kid, Roam, Tevroc and Water Priest, into a main throne room. Here Shendar implores the Fire Enclave to hear him out and he spins a tale of the destructive power of steam and a firestorm. To show the Party’s connection with fire Shendar revives Tevroc and has him cast a ‘Fireball’ out the window. This ability gives the Fire Priests pause and changes their decision to kill the party and dump their bodies on the street. They decide to let the party go and monitor the party’s actions, but at this time offer no aid or any inclination that they will help in the future. At this point the party members are once again bound and this time blindfolded. They are then dragged through several twisting turning tunnels and eventually find themselves unceremoniously dumped down a short shaft only to come to rest on a shifting pile of rubble.
Quickly they party members get their blindfolds off and The Kid who had escaped his bonds untied everybody else. Tevroc cast ‘Flame’ and the party gets a look at their surroundings. They are in a cylindrical chamber the floor of which is a pile of coal that seems to bee sinking in the middle like the sand in the upper portion of an hourglass. Their equipment is there in a sack. They quickly re-equip themselves and look for a means of escape.
Above them about 10 feet is a shoot through which they may have entered. Tevroc casts ‘Polymorph Self’ and turns into a bee. He then flies up the shaft and finds the other end of the shaft is blocked by a trap door. He is just able to squeeze through a crack on the side of the door. Outside, he finds himself on the edge of the ore smelting building up on scaffolding, and as he watches an ore cart rolls down the track toward him and comes to a stop next to the trap door. Then, a man below him on the ground under the scaffolding pulls a rope and the cart tilts to dump its cargo of coal down the shaft and onto the party below. The cart then tilts back upright and the man releases the rope and the cart speeds off down the track turning and then entering a mine entrance on the nearby cliff face.
Tevroc turns back into one of the locals, pushes the trapdoor open and Shendar sends his ‘rope of climbing’ up to tie on to the track at the top. The Party thus exits the coal bin and find them selves standing on the scaffolding. As the party is trying to decide what to do next, the man under the scaffolding yells up demanding to know what the party is doing up there. Shendar tries to spin a tale of a drunken blast and attempts to convince the man that he could really help out if he keeps quiet. The party climbs down from the scaffolding to address the man who seeing the strangers panics and is about to yell for assistance. Bertha is forces to render the man unconscious and Shendar dumps some booze all over the man to make it look like he passed out drunk.
The Party then hops into two passing ore cars and roll into the mines. Eventually the carts roll into a chamber where there is an elevator system being operated by four locals. The elevator lifts the carts up to a shaft higher in the mine. The party exits the carts, drops some coins into the local’s hands and ascends the elevator. At the top they pay off some more locals and enquire where the oldest and then the “Forbidden” parts of the mines are. They are given directions and head off in the direction they are told.
They come to a large cavern with several exits and a circular ramp that winds around the chamber. A priest of Zargon and his Girallon are standing in the center of this chamber monitoring the comings and goings of the miners. The party decides they need a diversion and they have Tevroc (who still has ‘Polymorph self’ in effect) take one of The Kid’s yellow cylinders up into one of the other tunnels and light it. Tevroc turns into a fly and goes about doing this. As he is returning to the party the cylinder goes off in a puff of colored smoke and a flash of yellow light.
This gets the Priest of Zargon’s attention and he heads toward the earthen ramp leading up to the tunnel in which the cylinder was placed. As he is on his way he sees the party hiding in the tunnel and turns to engage them. Darius goes toe-to-toe with the Girallon and gets the tar beaten out of himself. Roam moves in and joins the fight, but it takes a ‘Fireball’ from Tevroc to kill the beast. Shendar, The Kid and Bertha finish off the Priest in fairly quick order.
The party questions a fleeing miner about “The Forbidden Area” and he points them down a tunnel.
After traveling for some distance down this abandoned tunnel the party comes on two Priests of Zargon and their two Fiendish Girallons guarding a set of double doors. Upon spotting the party, the Priests order their Girallons to charge while the Priests themselves begin casting spells. Roam sets her Doum against the charge and barely misses the Fiendish Girallon that rushes her. Darius one again goes toe-to-toe with the second Fiendish Girallon and the fight is on. The priests summon Fiendish Wolves and a Dire Rat darts from cover and attacks Bertha (the result of a fumble on her part). “Fluffy” the Dire Weasel joins the fight aiding Darius, and Tevroc lobs a ‘Fireball’ at the Priests. Caught between a Fiendish Girallon and a Fiendish Wolf, Darius once again finds himself knocking on death door. The Kid kills the Dire Rat attacking Bertha, and Shendar helps out by singing ‘Song of Heroes’ to boost the party’s combat capabilities. Tevroc lobs another ‘Fireball’ and cooks one of the Priests just as the other one summons another Fiendish Wolf. The Kid battles a Fiendish Wolf while Roam and Bertha finish off one of the Fiendish Girallons. The Second Fiendish Girallon then beats Bertha to a bloody pulp. Tevroc finishes off the second Priest with a volley of ‘Magic Missiles’, but not before the Priest blows several loud bursts on a whistle around his neck. Tevroc then turns following volleys on the Fiendish Beasts attacking his allies. The kid gets in the midst of combat and whirlwind attacks the Fiendish Girallon and two of the Fiendish Wolves, killing the Fiendish Girallon and one of the Fiendish Wolves. Roam then finished off one of the remaining Fiendish Wolves while Tevroc’s ‘Magic Missiles’ take out the other one. Shendar then pumps a healing potion into Darius pulling him from death’s very doorstep. Roam heals Bertha back to the point where she regains consciousness. Additional healing is passed dealt out and soon everybody is at least able to regain their feet.
As the party is recuperating, the sound of beings approaching echoes through the tunnel. Shendar rapidly dons his Priest of Zargon outfit and Tevroc ‘Polymorphs’ into a Girallon. The rest of the party plays dead laying in the ample pools of blood and gore that dot the tunnel floor. The Approaching force soon comes into view. Three Girallons are being led by three Priests of Zargon, backed up by three Man-at-Arms.
Shendar speaks to the Priests and says that he and his companion were attacked but they managed to kill off the attackers. To this the Priests of Zargon, eyeing the weaponry lying on the “bodies” of the party, tell Shendar to get back to his post and that they will take of the bodies. Shendar tries to claim “Slayer’s Rights to the salvage”, but the new arrivals claim “Right by the factor of three of them and their 3 Girallons and 3 Men-at-Arms against the 1 ‘wounded Shendar and his 1 wounded “Girallon”’. Shendar panics, Shouts “What is that behind you!” and then in the split second the new arrivals turn around to look yells “Attack!” and casts ‘Improved Invisibility’ on himself. Tevroc retreats a couple of paces and resumes his true form. The rest of the party jump to their feet.
Shendar retreats and casts ‘Confusion’ on the new arrivals. This causes one Girallon to turn on another Girallon and rip its former pack-mate to pieces. One of the Priests quickly shoots the ‘Confused’ Girallon with a tranquilizer dart putting the beast to sleep. One of the Men-at-Arms begins to wander away back down the tunnel and one of the Priests just stands there with a blank look on his face. The remaining Girallon attacks Tevroc and rips him down to an inch of unconsciousness. Fortunately Tevroc is able to get off a ‘Fireball’ that incinerates one of the Men-at-Arms and one of the Priests. Roam, The Kid and Darius rapidly finish off the remaining Girallon while Bertha finishes off the ‘Confused’ Priest. Shendar pumps the ‘Daggers of the Seasons’ into the remaining priest who is then finished off by Darius. The two remaining Men-at-Arms Retreat at a sprint. Darius fires two arrows at one of the men-at-arms, but his path is blocked by Tevroc, who takes the first arrow in the back. This drops Tevroc and gives Darius a clear shot for his second arrow, which hits one of the fleeing Men-at-arms. Bertha then sprints off in pursuit followed by The Kid. At an ungodly speed Bertha passes the nearer of the two fleeing men and caves his head in with a sharp elbow to his face. The second man doesn’t fare any better and also ends up in a pool of his own blood. Bertha and The Kid drag the bodies back to where the party is recouping and nursing Tevroc back to health. Darius quickly removes his arrow from Tevroc’s back and tries to act inconspicuous.

ASEO out

oh my...

I should say that nothing I posted in the other thread was entirely original. I know I've somewhere seen a monster with a transparent digestive track. It just wasn't an insect. Short stories, books, movies, and mythology provided other inspiration.

Wyste From Speaker in Dreams maybe. Big tenticled worm with transparent skin through which can be seen its guts.

ASEO out

Level draining used to do it, but now the odds that a character loses a level and can't get it back are a lot less.

From my experience, Gorillians with their four attacks and multiple possible rend attacks always have my players pacing around the table. Anything that can take a character belor -10 in a single hit, or that continues to hurt a PC once they are unconscious will have the players fearing for their characters.

I think that there are no monsters that are scary, it is all about what the monsters do. I think there used to be a horror score in the Ravenloft campaign that allowed monsters to be scary, but now it all comes down to making a fear Wil Save or running away.

But whan players think that if they make the wrong choice, or that if their dice fail on "This one roll" that their character is going below -10. That is when they are scared.

I don't think standard movie type horror works well in D&D. I've seen Frankenstein, The Thing, Dracula, and various others done as adventures, but they just don't really capture the horror feel since players can get up and go for a soda at a climatic action they aren't really scary

I think it is real hard to make the players feel the character's fear.

ASEO out

---Night 30--- 3rd Edition
The party who is now:

Darius Male elf Ranger level 7
“Fluffy” Dire Weasel
Morak, Son of DaK Male dwarf Fighter 2/Cleric (Good & Protection) 7
Lady Bertha Bumblebee Female human Paladin 1/Monk 6/Psi Warrior 2
Shendar (Blue Arm) Male ½ Elf Cleric (Travel & Luck) 1/Rogue 2/Bard 5/Mind Bender 1
Tevroc Male human Sorcerer 7
Roam D'Le Rold Female human Fighter 1/Cleric (Plant & Animal) 7
“The Kid” Male human Fighter 4/Rogue 3
Mackame Appears to be an 8-year-old human Female Sorcerer 4/Cleric (Death & Healing) 4 NPC
"Brunur" Mackame's Zombie dog NPC

Dispatch to: Raylanna Cristi, Highest Priestess of her most Eminent, Honorable Aurora, Goddess of Light 

From: Her Devoted and Humble Warrior Servant, Lady Bertha Bumblebee 

Priestess Raylanna, I am pleased to report that the lost band of gnomes was successfully rescued and returned to a relieved and thankful gnome community. To complete this mission, my men endured subzero temperatures, disease-ridden fungal swamps, mushroom banshees that would sing us to our graves, and once-innocent men, women, and creatures transformed into horrifying, malicious plant-like carnivores. Goddess Aurora must be proud of the courage and stamina this elite force has shown. 
As they had promised, the leaders of the gnome tribe gave us directions to an alternative entrance to the Forbidden City. Here resides Zargon, an evil nemesis, who must be eradicated immediately lest his poisonous influence spread beyond the subterranean realm. Inside the circular tunnel spanning 10 ft in diameter, we advanced in the direction of the Forbidden City. The party noticed some disturbing and unusual holes in the walls that led to offshoots from the main passageway. My team and I decided to ignore these distractions and continue moving forward until Morak caught a glimpse of rippling purple scales!! Suddenly, we all pictured the same grotesque image in our heads and all instinctively picked up our speed, eventually finding the pile of rocks the gnomes told us would signal the entrance to the city. 
Morak, Darius, and the Kid quickly started heaving rocks and setting them aside while Tevroc, Shendar, Roam, and I prepared to encounter a monster any minute from the rear. Morak, Darius, and the Kid finally managed to let in a crack of man-made light into the cavernous tunnel when we all heard IT. “It’s a purple worm!!!” cried Shendar, his melodious but obviously distressed voice cracking like that of a pubescent boy. The sound of ear-wrenching granite upon granite accompanied the sight of a huge foaming, toothy maw coming straight at us at a rapid speed! I must admit that I felt a bit weak in the knees and had to implore her Eminence for help. Shendar, after failing to charm the gigantic purple beast, ran yipping for dear life with his tail between his legs out of the tunnel into the city through the crack made by Morak, Darius, and the Kid. Macame, the dead dog (which I highly disapprove of and wish this dear child would get rid of) Brunor, and The Kid followed.
At this moment, I decided my life was no longer important. I had died before. I would die again if it meant I could save the lives of my party. Heart throbbing, adrenaline pumping, brain awash in a thousand emotions and possibilities, I raced at the gaping mouth with my fire sword menacingly pointing forward to kill. The sword connected by the grace of Aurora! The purple worm let out a painful roar while rolling me toward the entryway with its momentum. I must have somehow inspired the rest of the party for soon I found Roam, Darius, and Morak fighting by my side. Unfortunately, the purple beast hungrily gobbled Darius, and soon I could hear my comrade’s agony as he was slowly digested. Roam and I kept hacking at the monster while Darius somehow mustered the sense and energy to carve the creature up from the inside. However, the poor dwarf was swallowed next as soon as Darius managed to cut himself free. I could tell the worm was badly hurt and didn’t expect chewing its meal to take so much effort. Out of desperation, it hurled itself, Morak and all, into the twinkling city atop the roof of a building annexing an open marketplace. Undercommon folk soon gathered to witness the gaping hole and the gigantic purple spectacle. Alas, so much for sneaking into the city UNNOTICED. With the special powers of my ring of jumping, I leaped about 70 feet from the tunnel and found footing on the worm’s warm, abused body. The menacing worm had coiled itself up and was threatening the crowd while it digested my good friend Morak! I hacked away at the worm, trying to stay calm and focused like Aurora’s trainers had taught me, what seems so long ago on that magnificent plane. If Morak were to die like this, I could never forgive myself. Finally, our assault forced the purple beast to cease its miserable existence. I luckily noticed, by the stars of her Greatness, a sizeable bulge in its gut that had to be Morak. Once I pulled Morak out, all slimy in the worm’s gastric juices, I laid my hands on him to stabilize his health. I checked to make sure his heart was still beating. What a relief, Morak needed drastic healing, but he was still alive! 
My relief did not last long, however, for soon I heard the commotion of a crowd scattering and yelping in a language I could not comprehend. I peered out over the top of the worm and saw some priests of Zargon and a Girallon. (This, Priestess Raylanna, happens to be a four-armed bi-pedal monkey capable of ripping any creature to shreds.) I also noticed a priest of Zargon with an arrow stuck in his butt. What was going on? That was it. I had to get off this worm and help my team. I made sure Morak was all right before flinging myself at a Zargon priest rapidly chanting. The Zargon priest with the arrow lodged in his butt hurled a glass vial at the Girallon the Kid was beating to death. Wait a minute. That priest looked like Shendar! Apparently he had doned his Zargon robes in an effort to blend in with the population in order to once again cower from the fight. As for me, I kicked the priest who was trying to cast a spell mercilessly until he croaked. (Just the sight of these diabolical priests who oppress peaceful, innocent folk, made my blood boil and me seethe with fury.) We successful killed the Girallon and remaining priest. But, then I saw some undercommon people dragging Morak away from the rooftop! These men beckoned the party, all of us, to follow them. Shendar followed wearing his Zargon robes, however, these curious folk insisted that we get rid of them. Soon, we found ourselves being whirled through a maze of tunnels, trapdoors, and finally into an underground room. This room was expansive and had an imposing stalactite dripping water into a well. Six masked figures filed out of a door and asked (upon Shendar’s translation) why we were here. Shendar gave an explanation, and it was then revealed that these people belonged to the Air Temple! Thank the Goddess for that quick rescue!! 
Again we were scurried through several chambers and were blindfolded at times. Eventually, the Air Temple servants brought us to a room full of women holding spears. (I noticed the men in the party beam these hypnotized smiles that I could not help grinning about. At times, I felt badly for these men who had left their homes, sweethearts, and wives to help save this world from destruction.) A woman who was sitting upon a throne asked what sounded like a question. Shendar began tuning his instruments and soon sang the sonorous epic tale of our party’s adventures. (Hopefully, he was telling the truth and not spinning our war stories into glorious montages about his own heroism and greatness. I have never met an elf who was so self-absorbed. Of course, who was I kidding? This pompous bard never told the truth unless he thought I was using my Goddess-granted power to detect them.) The Air Temple priests then turned to Tevroc, pointing at his water staff, and looked like they were going to take his life right there on the spot! Shendar quickly said some words that calmed them down. From his body language he spoke either of the combined power of a great storm, or was describing a most unholy sexual encounter with several halflings. Tevrock was then asked to demonstrate his ability to cast fire magics which he did much to the amazement of the Air Sisters. In the end they evidently decided to let him live. Close call. 
We were escorted to quarters to rest and later taken to the top of the Air tower where we could overlook the entire underground metropolis. The Air Temple agreed to help us sneak into the city unnoticed over the back wall by using its powers of wind and invisibility to disguise us. We decided that Shendar, Roam, Darius, Tevroc, and I should go while the rest of the party waited at the Air Temple. Once outside I could not see my comrades since we were all invisible thanks to spells cast upon us by the Air Sisters. We began skulking around only to find two severely abused individuals shackled to posts. (Once again, it took all my self-control to hold back the rage I felt for such unnecessary heartless suffering.) Tevroc and Roam split off to find an entrance to the Water Temple around the moat. The rest of us formulated a plan to free the prisoners. Once Shendar had picked the locks of the prisoners, Darius and I quickly carried them over our shoulders. We then noticed the Gorillans located behind the stakes soon sniffing and wondering at the sight of two prisoners floating away! Without a hitch, Shendar cast a confusion spell that turned the great apes against one another. The Kid could not resist attacking one of the monkeys. (I see great potential in this one. The light of Aurora shines bright within him. He will make a fine warrior for her Eminence someday. I have to work on his impetuous free spirit however. He tends to jump into danger without thinking ahead. There is still time.) As our invisibility started to wear off, we began fleeing in the direction of the Air Temple. Suddenly, someone yelled, “INTO THE WATER!!!” 
As alarms began sounding off and a commotion broke out, I thought the water was a great idea. My prisoner looked at me like I was crazy. I told him to hold tight and dived in anyway. What looked like a huge wall of water engulfed us. I tried to catch my breath when I began spinning in some kind of a vortex. Just when I was about to choke, I was hurled forcefully out of the water. Coughing and sputtering, my prisoner and I skided across a stone floor into the legs of Tevroc! How did that happen? When I looked up, Tevroc gave me a wink. I let out a sigh of relief and thanked Aurora for another fortunate save. It appeared as though Tevroc was surrounded by a crew of Water Temple servants. Soon, Darius, his rescued prisoner, the Kid, and Shendar, entered the Water Temple in the same fashion, only they were cursing like sailors. But where was Roam? Roam suddenly came sliding across, only she looked like she had suffered some severe bruises. The Water Temple priests, pointing at her Air bow, raised their weapons to kill her when Shendar once again said some words I could not understand that settled them down. For the second time in two days, I heard Shendar belt out his epic tale, on his lyre, and bongos. I must say that for a lying, conniving, womanizing, hedonistic, egotistical, shallow, cowardly, self-absorbed, bard, he is quite talented. It really is unfortunate that he is too much of a pagan. Or else, he would make a fine priest for Aurora. His voice could spread the wonders of her most enlightened glories. I shall work harder to bring him into the light. 
The Water Temple was quite hospitable, serving us a delightful meal of albacore, salmon, lobster, shrimp, crab, caviar, fish mousse, and seaweed wraps. We were even treated to an extravagant dessert—shark fin sundaes. Thank her Gloriousness for this phenomenal feast! Nothing could be more rewarding than a clean, invigorating bath and a gourmet meal. After dinner, we all took nightcaps in cozy seashells. Shendar actually suggested I share the evening with him. I declined. Honestly, what kind of a woman does he think I am??!! He is lucky he is so nimble less he would have several missing fingers. 
So there you have it, Priestess Raylanna. Herein lies a report of what has surpassed thus far. If Aurora be willing, soon all the remaining elemental temples will unite and support us in our mission to eradicate Zargon and his evil cohorts. I will send you another report as soon as we have finalized a plan to find the Tentacled One and destroy him. 

May light surround you.
May light protect you.
May you always walk in the light. 
Your humble servant illuminating,
Lady Bertha Bumblebee 

ASEO out

I've used the following fumble chart in my game for years. Fumbles aren't always bad for the fumbler, they just cause something unexpected to happen.

If a 1 is rolled as an attack rool, the roller gets a second roll to confirm the fumble (if their second roll also misses the target). If the Fumble is confirmed then the fumbler rolls on the d100 chart below. If for some reason the result is impossible or doesn't make sence, then the number rolled is reversed ie 73 becomed 37. If this also doesn't work then the d100 is re rolled. So far it has worked out well. The Ability checks are a roll with only the ability score modifyer added in. Sometimes high scores are good sometimes they are bad. And there is one saving grace roll on the chart. Players who roll on the chart always chant 86! 86! 86!

FUMBLE CHART
1 suffer fatal heart attack and die: sucks to be you (maybe a CON check DC 15 if the DM feel generous or you are sleeping with the DM)(Significant others tend to get pissy if they roll this and their PC dies. I recommend fudging the roll for the sake of nookie)
2 yield 10ft or suffer free attack (not an Attack of Opportunity)
3 small flying creature attacks you until killed(4 HP, bite +3, 1d4 damage, AC 17)
4 chaos in combat! cause nearest ally to change places with opponent
5 distracted: -2 to AC for 1 round
6 deflect enemy attack with personal gear; random item takes Sunder damage
7 yield 10ft or suffer enemy hit (you do not provoke Attacks of Opportunity)
8 check morale; CHA check DC 15 or run in fear until save is successful
9 hesitate; Turn ends now!
10 hit by falling debris for 1d4 damage
11 Suffer hic-ups: +/- d3 on each swing until end of combat (odd-neg)
12 enemy slobber lands in eye; -4 to hit for 1 round
13 A sudden burst of adrenaline causes you to miss and wet your pants
14 hesitate; lose two spots in the initiative order, making only a partial action this round.
15 stumble; force opponent back 10ft (does not provoke AoO from YOU)
16 Pulled groin muscle: only partial actions until one round is spent resting
17 footwear malfunctions; DEX check DC 15 or trip & fall
18 your miss causes nearest ally to make WILL save DC (your HD + damage attack could have caused) or freeze in terror 1 round
19 gag; -2 to AC
20 you cause massive chaos forcing all adjacent combatants to fumble
21 nausea; roll d8 for direction of projectile vomiting
22 fall; break foot 1d4, movement 1/2 until healed (odd-left)
23 stumble back 5 ft (does provoke Attacks of Opportunity)
24 Open self to an Attack of Opportunity from all applicable foes
25 sneeze: -3 to AC for 1 round
26 force ally to yield ground (10 ft) or hit ally (ally open to Attacks of Opportunity)
27 Your attempt to maim yourself causes your target to choose other targets
28 sweat in eyes -6 to hit for one round
29 knock heads with opponent; both make CON check DC 15 or stunned 1 round
30 armor binds and jammed -1 to AC until repaired/ clothing tangles and rips
31 suffer seizure; Twitch for 1 round; all opponents break combat and chose other targets
32 trousers fall/robes tangle/armor slides; no movement or DEX check DC 15 for 1/4 move
33 armor fails; -2 to AC until repaired
34 weapon damaged -3 to hit/damage until repaired
35 bad follow-through; Move 5ft to right/left accepting any Attacks of Opportunity
36 itch; WIS check DC 15 or spend next round scratching (-2 to AC)
37 take d6 damage or make DEX check DC 15 to avoid attack but cause nearest ally to fumble
38 sneeze: phlegm hits opponent in eye; foe loses DEX and Dodge bonuses to AC next round
39 lose wind; cumulative -1 to hit/damage per round until 1 round of rest
40 distraction; WIS DC 12 or mesmerized for 1 round by wart on opponent's nose
41 weapon lodged in random object: roll STR DC 15 to recover
42 chaos in combat; you and all beings in your threatened area roll off, low roll fumbles
43 Roll opposed Bluff/Intimidate to keep opponent from taking free attack
44 Sweat/blood/bile/gore gets in eyes; blind for one round
45 no opening found; lose attack(s) this round
46 fall; break wrist 1d4 damage and hand useless until healed (odd-left)
47 hit friend; Sunder attack on their weapon: if N/A happens to you
48 enemy assault causes you to withdraw 10ft (provokes a max of one AoO)
49 hit friend; have him roll fumble and lose all attacks this round
50 confusion during melee causes you & opponent to switch places
51 fall; break leg 1d6, movement 1/4 until healed (odd-left)
52 distracted: -1 to AC for 1 round
53 roll STR DC 15 or lose grip on weapon
54 dropped your guard--dooh!; enemy gets free Attack of Opportunity
55 nausea; d8 for direction, barf-a-rama--d8 for direction until no one struck!
56 trip and fall: stunned 1-3 rounds
57 hit friend; damage their weapon (Roll damage Vs their weapon, to Sunder)
58 stumble: DEX check DC 15 or fall
59 out of breath: CON check DC 15 or -1 to all actions until 1 round of rest
60 off balance: DEX check DC 12 or no action next round
61 hesitate: Limited to 5ft move next turn
62 bite and swallow tongue: no speech and no action for 1 round
63 bad grip causes you to suffer 1d6 damage (10% lose finger)
64 fall; break arm 1d6, useless until healed (odd-left)
65 slip and drop defenses: 1 opponent gets 1 free attack now (not an AoO)
66 hit friend; cause ally lose next attack
67 weapon damaged -2 to hit/damage until repaired
68 hit self in crotch: collapse in whimpering heap: stunned for 1 round
69 massive fumble disrupts combat; re-roll initiative & start new round
70 Dire rat darts from cover and attacks you until killed
71 lose grip; drop weapon
72 Deity is disgraced by incompetence; struck deaf/dumb/blind for d4 rounds
73 weapon damaged -1 to hit/damage until repaired
74 nausea; CON check DC 16 or d8 for direction
75 worst move in ages: foe suffers -2 to attack rolls in fit of laughter for one round
76 bad miss; roll STR DC 16, if successful - weapon takes Sunder damage
77 stub toe; opponent gets AoO while you look for what you tripped on
78 lose grip: roll DEX DC 15 or drop weapon
79 disarmed; opponent can recover weapon if desired! (doesn’t provoke AoO)
80 hit friend; damage armor/clothing/hide, -1d3 to AC; if N/A happens to you
81 bad follow-through; swing leaves you Flat footed until your next turn
82 roll INT DC 15 to finally understand a joke you heard last week! Spend next round laughing @ -1d3 to your attack rolls
83 stumble 10ft d8 for random direction, cause all you collide with to fumble (doesn’t provoke AoO)
84 weapon tangled with opponent: No attack for you next round
85 weapon knocked away: d8 for direction, d10 distance in feet
86 overkill: damage x 5
87 distracted: -3 to AC for 1 round
88 weapon may break: roll Sunder damage on your weapon
89 hit self: half damage
90 hit self: normal damage
91 hit self: double damage
92 twist ankle: 1/2 movement for 5 rounds, DEX check DC 15 or fall
93 hit friend: half damage
94 hit friend: normal damage
95 hit friend: double damage
96 critical hit: friend
97 critical hit: self
98 weapon takes double Sunder damage
99 roll 2 times and suffer
100 roll 3 times and suffer

ASEO out

In my game I reciently used the Shifter Race from Eberron as a Template and applied it to a Half-Orc.

The base creature losed 2 CHA, but when they shift they get the benifits of the shifter type they take.

So far it has worked well. It is like a mini Were-creature.

Has anyone else tried this?

Thoughts?

ASEO out

Ok, I hate to be one to start a thread like this, but I'm curious...

What are people's favorite Necromancer Prestige classes in the following categories?

1. Arcane
2. Divine
3. Best for creating legions of undead followers

Please include comments and source document for the Prestige Classes.

ASEO out

ASEO

Actually what really impresses me about your list is that you have it all so well organized.

That comes from having to move so often, and the fact that military movers have been known to run over boxes with forklifts, or leave them sitting on some dock in the rain. About once a year I also make a video inventory for insurance purposes. Having this list also is great when I go shopping. I can reference the list and make sure I don't pick up a duplicate I don't want.

ASEO out

---Night 29---- 3rd Edition
The party who is now:

Darius Male elf Ranger level 7
“Fluffy” Dire Weasel
Morak, Son of DaK Male dwarf Fighter 2/Cleric (Good & Protection) 6
Lady Bertha Bumblebee Female human Paladin 1/Monk 6/Psi Warrior 2
Shendar (Blue Arm) Male ½ Elf Cleric (Travel & Luck) 1/Rogue 2/Bard 5/Mind Bender 1
Tevroc Male human Sorcerer 7
Roam D'Le Rold Female human Fighter 1/Cleric (Plant & Animal) 7
“The Kid” Male human Fighter 3/Rogue 3
Mackame Appears to be an 8-year-old human Female Sorcerer 4/Cleric (Death & Healing) 4 NPC
"Brunur" Mackame's Zombie dog NPC

(The following is a conversation I overheard at the Frothing Otter Tavern during a performance by a bard named Shendar. He was spinning a tale of his adventures and great heroics while investigating a lost city and an underground kingdom plagued by some sort of evil demonic force.
A lad not more than 20 leaned against the bar and seemed particularly irked by Shendar’s portrayal of his own heroics and only the mere mention that there were others traveling with him as “Henchmen”. To add to the insult, one of the serving girls, who I will admit was truly a beauty, was fawning and hanging on the bard’s every word. Finally the lad had had enough. He stepped over to where the barmaid was lounging against the bar and spoke to her.)

“Shendar isn’t all that great! In fact I was with him on that adventure he is singing about and I saved his life. If it weren’t for me, he wouldn’t be here.
You see, honey, we had been exploring these fungal infested caverns looking for these lost gnomes. We had had to fight our way past fungal Zombies, Chuul, evil floating tentacled brains and even a Dragon. While I led the charge against these fell terrors Shendar there would cower in the back of our group and occasionally start floating around or singing some stupid song that I’m sure drew monsters to us like rats to stinking cheese.
Look baby, We had just beat up these Fish men that had ambushed us and I was guarding the rest of the gang while they were recuperating. Shendar was over in a corner hacking up a lung because he had gone and gotten his big mouth filled with the fungal spores. He was crying like a baby trying to get Morak, he was the dwarf that ventures with us, to do something to clear the phlegm from his throat and save his precious voice.
Eventually Morak helped him out and we were once again able to continue our investigation with the sobbing baby in tow. Eventually we came to a place where our tunnel ended in a cliff that dropped 50ft or more to the floor of a vast chamber. We decided to climb down, and since I’m so strong, look at these biceps, (The lad flexed his arms to display his bulging muscles. This seemed to partially capture the Waif’s attention, but with all the warriors that pass through here I’m sure it will take more than that to impress her) I held the rope while my companions climbed down.
Then, once they were all down I suddenly noticed dozens of flying octopuses descending from the chamber’s ceiling to attack my fellows. With no regard for my own safety I shouted out a warning drew my dagger and ran toward the cliff. There I leapt onto the beast that was descending on Shendar since I knew he would need my help the most. As I sailed through the air I struck out and slue several of the creatures before landing on my target. I held on to its tentacles as I slashed at it and yelled for Shendar to get out of the way. With my added weight the beast descended much faster and I rode it down slashing at more of the beasts as we fell. The creatures seemed to have the ability to generate globes of darkness so black that you couldn’t see your hand touching your nose. (At this the lad reached out and tweaked the barmaid on the nose and a faint smile crossed her face.)
As I’m about to hit the ground with the beast that was about to devour Shendar’s brain, I see the bard running to cower behind one of the large boulders that littered the cavern floor. Then I entered the globe of darkness and with a sickening thuddy splat hit the ground. Good thing that I’m tough because the Darkmantle, turns out that was what the creatures were, splattered when it hit, but I landed on top of it and didn’t even get scratched.
But I wasn’t out of danger yet. No, in the darkness I felt more tentacles reaching out for me. I was ripping out tentacles left and right until all the beasts were dead. When I emerged from the darkness I find the rest of my party emerging from the darkness cleaning gore and blood off themselves, all but Shendar that is. He is standing clean as can be. Not only that, he has one of these tentacled creatures hanging out with him. He claimed he charmed it, but I think it just recognized him as one of its kind.
So Shendar finally moves down to join us and we leave the cavern. In the next cavern we notice can hear the splash of water and make out a waterfall on one of the side walls. Then suddenly, Lady Bertha, from the tale Shendar there is spinning she couldn’t keep her hands off of him but it wasn’t like that, well Lady Bertha steps into a fungal covered lake and disappears beneath the surface. Almost immediately she jumps out followed by this giant Fungal infested lobster beast called a Chuul. We all burst into action to battle the beast. All but Shendar. I look over and he is just standing there, staring at the way Lady Bertha’s white garments are clinging to her ample bussom and how the milky whiteness of her skin was visible through her transparently wet attire. (The lad then stood quiet for a moment staring off at nothing, then he snapped back to the present and continued) Not that she had anything on you mi’lady. (This drew a blush from the maid and she gently brushed a stray strand of hair out of her face)
Morak ran to attack the beast, dove on it’s back but slipped and fell in the water. I ran around to attack the beast from the other side of a stone out cropping only to come face to face with a second Chuul. I realized that if my friends were to survive I would have to take care of this creature on my own. I savagely slashed at the beast driving it back into the water. I then jumped onto a small island so that I could get a better view of the creature’s retreat path and keep it from aiding its mate. Darius my elf friend was able to kill the first Chuul. Seeing its mate killed and suffering heavily from my attacks the Chuul I was about to kill fled into the depths. Only then did I take count and realize that good Morak had not emerged from the water.
I told my friend Tevroc to throw one of his ‘Continual Flame’ stones into the water so that we could see better. In the underwater glow we saw Morak in the clutches of the Chuul. With no regard for my own safety I dove into the water to join my friend. Soon I was joined in the water by Lady Bertha. As I moved to get the Chuul’s attention Lady Bertha swam in to pull Morak from its clutches. Then suddenly this shocking blast hit the water and sent spasm through my body. Morak went limp in the Chuul’s claw and Lady Bertha began twitching in the water. As the effects wore off I went back to work and savagely hacked the claw of the monster. Then Lady Bertha pulled Morak free and drug him to the surface while I kept the creature at bay. As soon as Lady Bertha and Morak were safe I slew the beast and climbed out of the water. Only then did I learn that the electrical attack I had felt was a ‘Lightning Bolt’ cast by none other than Shendar. He nearly killed Lady Bertha and I and had it not been for the fact that the fact that Morak was not breathing, I would have shoved the bard’s lyre down his throat. Kneeling next to Morak, I found that the ‘Lightning Bolt’ had stopped his heart. I immediately began to pound on his chest and was eventually able to get his heart beating again and saved his life.
Then as I was about to reprimand Shendar I noticed a light from up on the cliff above the waterfall. It seems that the gnomes we were searching for had become trapped up there by the Chull and were in desperate need of rescuing. We escorted them down and back to their comrades.
We then…” (At this point the serving girl whispered a comment about the lad’s bravery, heroics and loyalty, leaned forward and gave the lad a long kiss and his tale stopped. The two spent the rest of the evening nestled in a dark booth furthest away from the singing bard)

ASEO out

I think the biggest problem is that the npc classes aren't balanced against each other very well. The commoner in particular is terrible as compared to the others (unless they've beefed it up in 3.5). ASEO - Did you give the players who took commoners anything to compensate for this fact? It seems like a bonus feat or extra stat points are almost in order...

No, they pretty much sucked. The Warrior had some armor and sword and spear. The Blacksmith had a hammer and leather apron that serves as leather armor. Each PC had a healing potion. The Commoners just had things they could find around the town.

Here is the first write-up from the 3 sessions that Sunless Citadel took to run

"How I Became an Adventurer"

Private Deodantus Male Human Warrior 1
Jo’len Greenleaf Male Elf Commoner 1
Shelly Villerns Female Human Commoner 1
Sarah Marholdt Female Human Commoner 1
Heleren Vochek Male Dwarf Expert (Blacksmith) 1

As the volunteers step forward they gather what supplies and equipment they think they might need for the task at hand. Before they descend Grainnie, the village healer arrives on the scene and provides each of the party members with two potions of light healing. She says this is all she has and hopes that the party can return safely. The newly formed band say farewell to their friends and families and then are lowered one by one down to the platform. From there they wave their last farewells and slowly descent the stairs through the opening in the cliff face. Once inside they light a couple of torches and then continue to descend the stairs.
The stairway spirals down and then opens up onto a landing. From the landing the party is able to see a vast cavern below. Strewn about the cavern floor are the ruined buildings of some long forgotten complex.

Now only rubble and the shells of the building remain. At the base of the cavern face that the stairway seems to be descending lies a platform that looks like it may have once been the top of a crenellated wall. Across the platform lies a tower shell with a door opening onto the platform.
The party descends into the darkness and eventually emerges on the old wall. The narrow stairs empty into a small courtyard; apparently the top of what was once a crenellated battlement. The buried citadel has sunk so far into the earth that the battlement is now level with the surrounding cavern floor. The floor stretches away to the north and to the south, and is apparently composed of a layer of treacherous, crumbled masonry, which reaches to an unknown depth. To the west looms the surviving structure of what must be the main citadel complex. A tower stands on the west side of the courtyard. A single wooden door in its face beacons the party forward.
Deodantus flanked by Jo’len begin to move across the old wall toward the door when Heleren shouts for them to stop. His keen Dwarven eyes have spotted a discolored portion of the floor. Investigation shows the spot to be a trapdoor. They carefully avoid the spot and move to the door. The rest of the party also moves forward and takes up positions on either side of the door. Their shadows dance in the flickering torchlight casting larger than life images across the tower’s side.
When everyone is ready, Deodantus throws the door open. The door seems to catch on something and Jo’len is forced to push against it to get it to open fully. Beyond the door is a circular chamber, which is cobbled with cracked granite. Upon the floor are sprawled four Goblins, all apparently slain in combat. One stands with its back against the western wall, the killing spear still skewering it and holding it upright. On the far side of the tower are two wooden doors like the one through which the party entered. Above, a hollow tower of lose and crumbling masonry reaches a height of about 30 feet, but the intervening floors and stairs are gone, except for a couple of crumbled ledges.
Deodantus leads the party in searching the corpses, and he and Heleren both take one of the short swords the Goblins were armed with. Heleren pulls the spear out of the skewered goblin. The corpse slumps to the floor revealing a carved inscription that none in the party can read. Jo’len begins to pile the goblin corpses against the wall just to the left of the door the party entered from when he notices something strange about that wall. Further investigation shows that there is a long forgotten secret door in this portion of the wall. Some further searching turns up the opening mechanism. As Jo’len opens the door, his finger is pricked by an old needle trap. Shelly checks out and cleans the wound and then looks at the needle to see if it looked to be poisoned. It doesn’t seem to be. She thinks that any poison would have long ago become inert. Jo’len is relieved, but notes to him self to look for traps on any future doors.
The party then moves to open the door and finds that in the small room beyond there is nothing but the skeletons of three long0dead archers slumped against the rubble filled arrow slits along the east and south walls. Just as Jo’len is about to investigate further, glowing pinpoints of light flare in the darkened sockets of the skeletons skulls. Jo’len jumps back as the Skeletons rise and advanced. Seeing the dead rise puts quite a start into Shelly and she retreats issuing prayers for protection to any and all gods she can think of. Heleren pulls out the crossbow, which his father had given him, and takes a shot at the nearest Skeleton. The bolt clips the Skeleton’s spine, but inflicts very little damage. Seeing this Heleren switches to his forge hammer. Jo’len slashes another of the Skeletons with his sickle and finds that it is not a very effective weapon against the fleshless. Deodantus attacks with his short sword and, by the sheer force of his attack, is able to shatter the Skeleton that was moving on Jo’len. Sharah back peddles from the Skeleton’s assault and Deodantus issues a brief prayer of thanks for his armor, which wards off the Skeleton’s raking claws. Sarah swings her quarterstaff at the Skeleton advancing on her and cracks its skull, but still it advances. Jo’len finishes it off by severing its spine with his sickle. Deodantus and Heleren destroy the final Skeleton with the fury of their combined attack, but not before it tears into Jo’len with its claws. Fortunately he recovers with the help of one of the healing potions.
Once the dead are once again dead, the party searches the corpses. In the chamber they find the remains of the archers rotten and rusted crossbows as well as the remains of their rotted uniforms as well as a few scattered silver and gold coins. They do find three finely crafted and rune inscribed bolts (+1), which Heleren adds to his inventory. Following the battle Sarah has to shake Shelly to get her out of the apparent trance she had entered, or perhaps she was just frozen by fear. What ever the case Sarah is glad she made a better showing than Shelly did in the encounter.
With much bravado Sarah states that the party should try the northern most of the two other doors leaving the tower’s shell. Deodantus moves to the door, but is stopped by Jo’len who wants to make sure the door is safe. Jo’len goes through a very through search of the door and spends some time listening to it to try to discern what may lie on the other side. He eventually pronounces the door safe, moves to the back of the party and covers his eyes as Deodantus opens it. When no sudden explosion or attack of a raging monster greets the party Jo’len calmly announces, “See, I told you it was safe”. What does lie beyond the door is a hallway about 40 feet long that ends in a wooden door and has a second wooden door in the north wall about 30 feet down. Across from the northern door on the south wall is a stone door carved with a relief portraying a dragon-like fish swimming in an aquatic setting.
Deodantus watches the door at the end of the hall while Heleren and Jo’len investigate the wooden door on the northern wall. Jo’len goes through his “checking out the safety of the door” routine and once again pronounces the door safe. Opening the door Heleren finds the 20 x 20 room beyond to be completely empty. Only the dust of several years blankets the floor.
With Deodantus still watching the far door, the others turn their attention to the stone door. Jo’len finds that this door is locked, but with some wires he produced (and an ungodly natural 20 pick locks roll) he has the door unlocked in do time. Heleren opens the door and finds a 10-foot chamber hewn from stone beyond. It contains an upright keg fashioned of rusted iron. Similarly rusted pipes lead from the keg into the floor. Mystified the party closes the door and moves to the one at the far end of the hall.
Jo’len listens to the door and hears nothing so Deodantus pushes it open. Crudely executed symbols and glyphs, scribed in bright green dye, decorate the large and irregularly shaped crumbling chamber. A large pit in the chamber’s center shows evidence of a recent bonfire. A metallic cage in the center of the southern wall has its bars bent leaving a gaping hole and stands empty. A small wooden bench draped with green cloth stands before the cage. Upon it sit several small objects. A bedroll lies near the wooden bench. From a lump in the bedroll comes the sound of a high-pitched whimpering.
Deodantus and party move to surround the bedroll. Heleren aims his loaded crossbow at the lump while Jo’len and Deodantus have their bladed weapons ready. Sarah pulls back the blanket with her staff. There, lying on the cold floor is the huddled furry form of a large mouse-like, or perhaps rat-like, humanoid. The creature continues to huddle moping, perhaps unaware of the party’s presence.

Heleren: “What is it?”
Sarah: “I don’t know, poke it”
Deodantus: <poke>
Sarah: <poke>
Creature: “whimper”
Deodantus: <poke>
Sarah: <poke>
Jo’len: “Hey you. What’s the matter?”
Deodantus: <poke>
Creature: “You go kill me Squeeiek Squeekey?”
Sarah: <poke>
Jo’len: “We’re not here to hurt you?”
Deodantus: <poke>
Sarah: <poke>
Jo’len “What’s wrong?”
Deodantus: <poke>
Creature: “Me Squeeiek Squeekey”
Heleren: “Yeah whatever, Rat Boy, What you do’in here”
Sarah: <poke>
Rat Boy: “Me lose clan Dragon”
Deodantus: <poke>
Rat Boy: “Me in big trouble”
Sarah: <poke>
Rat Boy: “You help me?
Jo’len: “He can’t have a dragon, lets help him and see what we can get out of it”
Deodantus: <poke>
Jo’len “What happened to your “Dragon?”
Rat Boy: “Greenlings came and took it.”
Some discussion on what Greenlings are takes place and it is resolved that Rat Boy is talking about Goblins.
Sarah: <poke>
Shelly: “I’m not sure about this”, <Prods Rat boy with her foot>
Heleren: What we get if we help you Mr. Mouse?”
Shelly: <prod>
Deodantus: <poke>
Rat Boy: “I take you to chief. She have treasure if you get dragon back”
Party: “What Treasure?”
Shelly: <prod>
Deodantus: <poke>
Sarah: <poke>
Jo’len: Will you guys quit poking him!?”
Shelly: “Sorry”
Deodantus: “Um…Apologies”
Sarah: <poke>
Rat Boy: “I take you to chief”
Heleren: “OK, Lets go see the big cheese.”

Rat Boy leads the party through a door on the far west wall of the chamber, which opens to reveal a hallway. The party is led up a northern side hall, which led to a long, wide, colonnaded hallway. Deterioration and decay filled the hall, however a double row of relief-carved marble columns marched the length of the hall. The warn carvings depicted entwining dragons. From a couple of doorways off this hall several mousy faces appear. Before long there are a dozen Rat Men escorting the party to the end of the hall.
There at the end of the hall a short throne stood, constructed of fallen bits of masonry stacked against an old alter. A small furry figure sat on the throne dressed in red-dyed robes. A force of six similar creatures guards her. The altar’s top contains a variety of small items, while the portion of the altar that serves as the throne’s back features a carving of a rearing Dragon. A metallic key is held firmly in the rearing dragon’s mouth. The items on the altar appear to be a large feather, a small flask and two rolled tubes of paper.
With much squeeking Rat Boy apparently introduces the party while carefully stepping out of Sarah’s poking range. In broken squeaky common, the Chieftess inquires about the party’s presence in the citadel. They tell her that they are just looking around. She seems leery and asks them if it is true that they will recover the clan’s dragon. Jo’len once again reassures the party that there can’t actually be a (he makes the Quotations with his finger every time he says Dragon) “Dragon” down here. The party says that they will get the Dragon back but that Rat Boy had mentioned a reward. The Chieftess gestures to the items on the altar and says that they are powerful items and the party can have two of them if they return with the Dragon. The party barters for one item in advance and the Chieftess agrees, but the party must take Rat Boy with them. Rat Boy isn’t to sure about this, but knows that he is already in trouble for losing the Dragon, so agrees. Shelly selects the feather (Quaal’s Feather Token (Oak Tree)), which has a tree painted on it.
The party is led with much fan fair back to the room in which they first encountered Rat Boy. There they are pointed toward a door in the east wall about 30 feet north of the door they had first entered the room from. There seems to be some discussion between Rat Boy and some of the other Mouse Folk over who gets Rat Boy’s stuff if/when he doesn’t return. Once that is resolved, with one of the larger Mouse Men claiming “Dibs”, the party moves through the door and down the hall beyond. After a couple turns, the hall ends in a wooden door. Rat Boy opens the door and the party moves into a 20 x 25 room beyond. This room is completely empty save for a door on the northern wall. Rat boy is questioned about what is past that door and replies that there is a fountain in the next room, but that he hasn’t been there since the Goblins stole the Dragon. “Dragon” reminds Jo’len, using his fingers to make air quotes.
Deodantus opens the door. Dust and odd bits of stony debris and rubble lay scattered on the floor of the next room. An ornate fountain is built into the eastern wall. Though cracked, stained, and dry, the fountain’s carving of a diving dragon retains its beauty. A relief carved stone door stands on the west wall. To the north a 10-foot hall leads from the room. The party takes one look at the carved dragon on the stone door and decides to check out the hall instead.
The party moves up the hall past an intersection that is collapsed to the east and has a wooden door to the left. Further up the hall is flanked by 6 cell type doors, 3 on either side of the hall. Beyond the cells lies a large room at the end of the hall. As the party passes the first two cell doors they are attacked by three Dire Rats that emerge from the middle cells. The fight is quick and once again Deodantus thanks his armor for the protection it provides. Still the party didn’t escape without harm. Both Heleren and Sarah were bitten and the healing potions were once again passed around. With the Rats slain the party investigates the cells and finds them each filled with filth and the rubble that has been arranged into a rat’s nest. The party moves into the room at the end of the hall when they are sure there are no more Rats in the cells.
The cobblestone floor of this chamber contains two trap doors blocked open with iron spikes. It’s obvious that if the tops of the doors were flush with the floor that they would be difficult to spot. The north wall of the chamber holds a dry fountain carved with a base relief of a rampant dragon. A lone wooden door stands in the middle of the west wall. Jo’len moves to investigate the door and detects the strong smell of rotting meat from beyond. Heleren opens the door. The stench of rotting meat suffuses the air rising from several heavily chewed carcasses of cave rats, other vermin and a few suspiciously humanoid corpses. The cadavers lie upon a floor of filth, old bones, and fur that combine to make a particularly large and vile nest. The northern wall is smashed, opening on rubble filled darkness. In this darkness the party sees their torchlight reflecting back at them in the eyes of several Dire Rats. The Party quickly closes the door and jams it shut with an iron spike.
With no other obvious choices the party backtracks to the wooden door at the intersection. Opening the door they find an empty 25 x 25 room. On the north side of the room is another wooden door. Jo’len checks the door and finds nothing out of the ordinary. However, when Deodantus opens the door the tinkling of small bells is heard from the other side. In front of the party is a 10ft-wide hall liberally strewn with sharp caltrops. The northern door to the hall is missing, but the room beyond is partially blocked by a roughly mortared 3ft-high wall complete with battlements.
Before the party can act two Goblins emerge from behind the wall and throw javelins at the party. Both miss, though one nearly takes a chunk out of Deodantus’ ear. The party is forced to slowly move down the hall toward the wall. Once again the Goblins throw javelins, this time one strikes Heleren. Jo’len leaps up onto the wall and slashes one of the Goblins with his sickle. Seeing this onslaught the remaining Goblin begins yelling for help. Rat Boy tries to climb over the wall but apparently came in contact with some unguent that the Goblins had smeared on its surface. This makes Rat Boy squeak something like “rat bane” and fall to the floor in a fit of convulsions. Shelly moves to help Rat Boy. Sarah: <poke>.
Heleren is having a hard time getting over the wall. Just as Deodantus ascends the wall four more Goblins come running into the room from the west. The remaining original Goblin remaining tries to stab Rat Boy by leaning over the wall. Jo’len swings his sickle at him but misses, fortunately so does the Goblin. Heleren gets his crossbow reloaded and fires it into the head of one of the new Goblins. Deodantus faces off against the other three and takes several cuts from their short swords for his effort. Sarah stops poking the twitching Rat Boy with her staff long enough to smack the Goblin attacking Rat Boy over the head. It takes several hits, but finally the Goblin’s head is reduced to jelly. Shelly freaks out again and goes into a plethora of prayers, chants, and speaking in tongues. Jo’len moves to help Deodantus and another bolt from Heleren’s crossbow leaves only two Goblins facing the party. One of the Goblins scores a wicked hit on Jo’len, but is quickly cut down by Deodantus. Jo’len backs away from the fight in time for Heleren to finally scale the wall and wade into combat with his forge hammer. He and Deodantus flank the remaining Goblin and quickly end its life. The girls eventually get Rat Boy to stop convulsing and the party carefully lifts him over the wall. Healing potions are handed out again and the party takes inventory realizing that they only have five potions left. The Goblin’s corpses are looted, and a pot filled with ‘Rat Bane’ salve id found near the wall.
The room they find themselves standing in is covered with a layer of filth. Trash on the floor, stains on the walls, shabby hides, and a much used fire-pit attest to the years of use this room has seen at the hands of creatures not overly concerned with hygiene. Around the corner from the small wall on the south side of the room is an open door from which the Goblin reinforcements must have arrived. Peering through the door only a short dark hall beckons the party.
The short hall opens up to the west. There, there is a room with dozens of blunted and broken javelins lying on the cracked cobblestone floor, though a few actually protrude from three crudely sewn human-sized targets hung along the center of the south wall. The northern third of the room is separated from the south by a crudely mortared and crenellated half-wall. A permanent camp of sorts lies north of the half-wall complete with a fire ring and several iron cook pots. A Wooden door stands in the middle of the western wall in the southern half of the room. A second wooden door is in the center of the west wall north of the half-wall. And a third wooden door stands in the left side of the northern wall.
The party moves through the room keeping an eye on the northern portion of the room for more Goblins. Jo’len listens to the door in the southern west wall and hears nothing, so Deodantus opens the door. Squalor reigns in this long. Low dungeon. Three small furry Rat Men are roughly tied with crude ropes to a large spike near the entrance. Farther back, a battered Gnome languishes inside a rusted iron cage, which is small even for his frame. Several sets of corroded manacles are connected to the walls, and are empty except for the occasional crumbling skeleton. Rat Boy moves to free his clan-mates while the rest of the party helps to free the Gnome. After a few bashes with Heleren’s hammer, the lock falls off the cage and the Gnome is free. He introduces himself as Erky Timbers, an adventurer, miner, entrepreneur, and humble servant of Pelor. Erky tells the party that he was captured by the Goblins about a year ago and has only been able to survive through the covert use of his clerical spells. The party invited Erky to travel with them and take revenge on the Goblins that treated him so badly. Erky jumps at the chance.

Erky Timbers Male Gnome Fighter 1/Cleric 1 (Pelor: Sun & Healing) Joins the party.

The three Rat Men are escorted back to their den by Sarah and Heleren and warned about the ‘Rat Bane’ on the half-wall along the way. They chatter thanks and rush back to their lair carrying word of the party’s progression with them. Erky is given a Goblin short sword, but is unwilling to try to wear the Goblin’s foul smelling and flea-infested armor.
The party then leaves the room and scales the short wall in the target practice room. From there they try the western door and find it unlocked. The north and south walls of the 15 x 15 ft chamber beyond are stacked halfway to the ceiling with ill-made barrels, boxes and crates. A clear path allows access to a door on the far side of the room. The party starts to investigate the boxes, but stop when they encounter a barrel labeled “Elf Pudding”.
Opening the door on n the west wall the party emerges in a long colonnaded hall. Several torches mounted in crude wall sconces burn fitfully in this chamber, filling the air with a haze that blurs the party’s sight. A double row of marble columns carved with entwining dragons marches the length of the hall. On the north wall 20 feet from the party is a wooden door, a second wooden door is 10 feet further down the same wall. Beyond that the hall is lost in the haze of the smoky torches.

ASEO out

Start them out as 3rd level.

One should be a Rogue/Arcane Caster (I'd suggest a Rogue 1/Sorcerer 2. This gives you the rogue skills (take the rogue level as your first level) and then adds the magical firepower that a sorcerer provides. Alternatively, take the Warmage from Complete Arcane instead of the Sorcerer and you can wear light armor (IIRC) which will be fine with your Rogue class.)

The other should be a Fighter/Cleric (this one depends on whether you want feats or healing...Cleric 2/Fighter 1 gives you the armor, weapons, and healing. Cleric 1/Fighter 2 gives you the armor weapons and feats. With only 2 characters, the healing might be your better start, you can get that extra fighter level later)

This two party combo will give you the hard hitting, healing tank, and the missile/spell support backup.

Remember they are going to be getting a twice the Ex that they would being in a 4 person party, so they will go up in levels faster. This should keep their multi class levels about equal to what the adventure calls for in a four person party.

ASEO out.

You allowed players to play the NPCs?

Were the characters benefitted in any way by being brought to first level the long way around, or was the idea to add disadvantage in the name of challenge?

I had the characters start off as 1st level NPC classes.

Here is the note I sent to the players, followed by the characters they created.

Session 11
Chapter 8: How My Life as an Adventurer Began

While Kag, Rand, Antiqueas, Meegoo and their party are clearing the keep, Lt Rodderick is charged with rebuilding the bridge that spans the chasm at the Tir Feldar end of the pass. It seems that a recent earthquake rocked the region and the old bridge was unable to withstand the shock and collapsed. The Settlers will need a bridge in place in order to move their wagons through the pass. Lt Rodderick organizes the Settlers and a few citizens of Tir Feldar in an effort to span the chasm with hewn trees and replace the ruined stone bridge with a new timber one.
While the initial survey of the site is being conducted one of the Men-at-arms, by the name of Leovild noticed that the falling stone from the bridge had knocked lose some of the chasm wall and exposed a landing about 40 feet below the lip of the chasm. From the landing hewn stone steps descended another 30 feet and then entered a dark opening in the chasm wall.
Lt Rodderick has called for volunteers to investigate the opening. Who will answer his call?

NOTE TO THE PLAYERS

Characters will be 20 point buy construction.

One person may play one of the Men-at-arms, a 1st level Warrior
One may play a 1st level expert who is a Blacksmith
The rest will start out as 1st level Commoners…Unless you come up with a good reason to play a different NPC class.

Characters will gain a level of any PC class when they gain 500ep. At that time characters may add an additional 8 points to their characters stats. And then progress as a normal PC from there.

Here is a list of the Settlers and the Men-at-arms. Currently they are humans, but if you wish to use a different race let me know and We'll change that family's race. There are 5 Dwarves who live in Tir Feldar and are not listed on this sheet, but may be used for character creation. Feel free to change any of the character's first names, but not ages. Any of the Settlers from age 15-40 may volunteer, but be aware of that person's relation to the rest of the family. Men tend to be fathers, grandfathers, or eldest sons, while Women tend to be mothers, grandmothers and eldest daughters.

Feel free to create as many characters as you wish. Send me a list of who you want to play and I'll let you know if you are the first to call that individual.

FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE!

Private Deodantus Male Human Warrior 1
Jo’len Greenleaf Male Elf Commoner 1
Shelly Villerns Female Human Commoner 1
Sarah Marholdt Female Human Commoner 1
Heleren Vochek Male Dwarf Expert (Blacksmith) 1

The goal was to give the players a bit of a challenge, followed by a reward. The players benifit from the NPC level in that they get extra HP, skills and BAB in some cases, but when they added their first PC level they got all the normal 1st level benifits of their particular PC Classes on top of the NPC level that they had. It seemed to work out well and is something I'll do again in the future.

If anyone is interested, I can post the write-ups for the three sessions that this adventure took to run.

ASEO out

Treasure hunt was interesting. I ran "The Sunless Citadel" with characters that started out as 1st level NPCs. Most were just commoners, but one was a Blacksmith Expert. At 500 Ex. I let them get their first PC level. I've found this to be the best way to handle/run pre 1st level Characters in 3.5 ed. Most first level adventures can be run with pre first level PCs, it just takes a bit more player skill to ensure the characters survive.

I was going to run "The Whispering Cairn" with 12 kobolds, and still may someday, but my campaign is currently taking a different direction.

ASEO out

Heavy is the head that wears the crown.

Yeah, don't I know it.

ASEO out