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I am setting AoW in FR, and to get the players acquainted with Diamond Lake I thought I would create a Volo's Guide. Here is what I have so far (I actually set the town on the Surbrin River, between Nesme & Yartar). If anyone wants to pitch in, feel free.

Volo’s Guide to Diamond Lake

Well met again, friends. It is I, Volothamp Geddarm. My travels have brought me to the burgh of Diamond Lake in the North. I am not sure this town deserves detail in my penned journals, but I am here and the mood strikes me, so prepare to partake of my knowledge and share my experiences.

Geography: Diamond Lake is situated on the banks of the River Surbrin (how Lake became part of the town’s name is beyond me – they sit on a river!! Silly peasants) as it passes through the Surbrin Hills. It is about halfway between Nesme and Yartar, though travel time to the latter is quicker since it is downstream. The Surbrin Hills and nearby Evermoors are both dotted with ancient tombs, which is what brought me to this area. However, prospective treasure hunters soon find that these cairns have long since forfeited their treasure to earlier grave robbers.

Economy: Diamond Lake’s main business is iron and silver mining. Nearly everyone in the town makes their living either in the mines or in a business that caters to the miners.

Law: Ha! If ever there was more of a mockery made of a word I do not know what it would be (except perhaps to claim Elminster as an archmage). At the top of the town’s hierarchy is Governor-Mayor Lanod Neff. This power-mongering bully only retains his position due to his brother Allustan, town sage and wizard. Mayor Neff employs a town sheriff and group of pocket police that are little more than his personal enforcers. The sheriff, Cubbin, should be avoided at all costs. He’s arrests people on a whim.

Places of Interest:
1. The Emporium –

2. Lazare’s House –

3. The Feral Dog –

4. Church of St. Cuthbert –

5. Tidwoad’s –

6. Sheriff’s Office –

7. General Store –

8. The Hungry Gar –

9. Jalek’s Flophouse –

10. Smenk Residence –

11. Deepspike Mines –

12. Garrison –

13. Lakeside Stables –

14. The Midnight Salute –

15. The Spinning Giant –

16. The Captain’s Blade –

17. Venelle’s –

18. Allustan’s Residence –

19. Tilgast Residence –

20. Old Piers –

21. Able Carter Coaching Inn –

22. Parrin Residence –

23. Mithral Hall Covenant –

24. Gansworth Residence –

25. The Rusty Bucket –

26. Moonmeadow Residence –

27. Osgood Smithy –

28. Smelting House –

29. Diamond Lake Boneyard –

30. Neff Manor –

31. Dourstone Mines –

32. Abandoned Mine –

33. Menhirs –

34. Old Observatory –

35. Dourstone Residence –

I looked at the powers, & I think they transfer well to the FR deities. The bloodlust is right up Bhaal's alley. The spiritual weapon can be Bane's - I would have it manifest as a large black hand that smacks the PCs. And the healing from resisted spells seems to fit OK with Myrkul.

My solution to bring the Faceless One back as a recurring villian - he is a simulacrum. Simulacrum is a 7th lvl spell which can be accessed by a wizard at 13th lvl. It creates a duplicate that is at 1/2 the lvl of the creator - 6th lvl. Watch your PC's eyes bug out when you tell them that after striking the final blow their foe melts into a puddle of water (simulacrum is made of snow & ice).

I'm thinking I'll have the real Faceless One just before a Gathering of Winds. I don't plan on running the Champion's Belt - don't want to run PC's as gladiators. I'm also setting in the Realms so I plan to have some of the action take place in Skullport and bring in Nhyris D'Hothek and the Crown of Horns. Thinking of a triangle with PC's, Nhyris & shadowraths, and Faceless One & Ebon Triad all vying for the Crown of Horns. Haven't decided what role the crown will play yet though.

Room #23 (Outer Sanctum) and room # 26 (Inner Sanctum) both have traps that can cause 1d4 wisdom damage. How long does this damage last? I don't see it in the description. It's not permanent is it?

Ability damage returns at the rate of 1 pt per day (this may be doubled w/ a Heal skill check - can't remember off the top of my head). A lesser restoration will restore all to one ability. Ability drain is the sucky one - that's permanent requiring restoration to bring it back.

Seems like this varies every month. Last month my copy came 4 days after the mail date. Month before it was like 2 weeks. This month it's already been over a week & still nothing (though I have my fingers crossed for today - really looking forward to the new AP and also the first Vampires of Waterdeep).

It is beginning to worry me that the Dungeon staff has been pretty silent of late on this thread. Maybe they got sick of the bellyaching here, but the old adage of "no news is good news" doesn't always apply. I'm still holding out hope for the Overload today, but it's waning.

p.s. not a complaint, just a downer

Do we have an ETA on when Overload will be released? I feel like a little kid on Xmas - expecting my present (Overload) to be ready & waiting under the tree (Posted online) first thing in the morning. Just hoping we could get an idea when we can tear of the wrapping paper (download it) and begin playing with it.

Just a thought here - what if Cyric were used in place of Bane in the AP? Even though he's not dead, I'm sure he lost some power with the return of Bane. Plus Cyric has always been very power hungry. I could see him hatching a plot to have those still faithful to him attempt to bring together the power of the two dead gods and give it to him to create the Overgod.

I think this would also tie in to the past Adventure Arc from 2e Dungeons (late #60's to early #70's) that dealt with Myrkul's remaining essence & the Mere of Dead Men. I plan to re-vamp these to 3.5e and use them as filler adventures that will advance the plotline of combining the three deities.

Just wondering how it works now that Bane is once again alive? My view is that Bane's minions are the most active of the Triad, though the other sects are growing with converts of Cyric (Bhaal's former portfolios) & Kelemvor (Myrkul's former portfolios).

Anyone else have any thoughts?

I'm surprised that Diamond Lake was not set in a remote location of the Silver Marches - these are still somewhat untamed lands where I could see a town like Diamond Lake residing. You could have Silverymoon as the large city, or even Waterdeep still since it's not a huge distance from the Silver Marches to Waterdeep with a lot of area in between to insert encounters/side quests. I haven't yet decided where I will be running AoW, but if I decide on FR I will probably be placing in the Silver Marches.

Just wondering if others have noticed the fact that both APs have dealt with evil cults & doomsday prophecies? I've seen mail & threads in the past that say to avoid cliches. Hopefully the Dungeon staff will realize there are more choices to build a campaign around - search for a fabled magic item, discover lost continent, good old dragon hunting,...

My current campaign is Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, so if I run both APs after this I'm looking at 3 cult-based campaigns in a row. I'll probably need to do something else in between somewhere so the cult plot doesn't get too old for my group.

My vote has to go to Legerdemain (#39 I think). Not a combat heavy adventure, much more of a roleplaying one. I think there were only two battles in the whole adventure. My halfling rogue went to the costume room and gathered an outfit similar to Darkwing Duck (mask, hat, and purple & black cloak). Then in the climatic encounter where the play was going on, he activated his ring of invisibility, walked out on the stage, deactivated the ring, and uttered the immortal words "Forsooth Yon Maiden". Then the prop dragon came out and he got trapped beneath it as the final battle erupted on stage. We actually created a new Non-Weapon Proficiency of Acting after this adventure - of course it was Cha based and the halfling came in w/ a Cha 7. He gave a new definition to bad acting.

I plan on bringing in another faction - fire elementalists intent on releasing the Firebringer (I'll be inserting Prison of the Firebringer from Dungeon #101) who was imprisoned long ago beneath Cauldron. It just so happens that the Firebringer is needed in the Cagewright's plans also. I will introduce the fire elementalists early, making the PCs believe they are the ultimate threat. I will have the PCs go thru the adventures where they encounter the Shackleborn, but make it seem as if these are just adventures to advance the PCs in level before meeting the ultimate adversaries. I will have Lord Orbius Vhalantru befriend the PCs (though I'll probably think of a better name - doesn't take a rocket scientist to link Orbius with the beholder encountered in Life's Bazaar). He will provide an Iron Flask for the PCs to trap the Firebringer in. When the PCs bring the Iron Flask back, Lord Vhalantru will reveal himself and teleport away to the Cagewright's lair below Cauldron. Shortly after will begin the events of Foundation of Flame as the Firebringer invokes the long dormant volcano to activity.

I am preparing the Adventure Path in Eberron as well and as S. Viconia I am going to place it in the Howling Peaks near Zilargo. I view Cauldron as being somewhat less advanced than the rest of Khorvaire. They are an independant city-state that did not get involved in the Last War. Native Cauldronites are probably somewhat distrustful of outsiders which gives ample opportunities for roleplaying.

I am working on incorporating aspects of Malhavoc's Chaositech into the adventure as well. I think it fits in well with the madness displayed by Adimarchus and his minions. This can also be linked to The Vanishing that occurred in Jzadirune.

My plans for Occipitus is that it was a celestial stronghold on Shavarath, the Battleground. Adimarchus led his horde here, but rather than letting it fall to the demon horde the celestials caused it to tear away from Shavarath and form its own plane.

I am placing Skullrot on the plane of Dolurrh, the Realms of the Dead. I will probably make the Cagewright's plan coincide with Dolurrh being coterminus to Eberron. Could make for some interesting results if any PCs die and are subsequently raised/resurrected.

I am still working on the religion aspect. More than likely, Jenya will become a cleric of the Silver Flame. The others I'm still working on. What I do like about this is the fact of corruption within churches in Eberron. I can make Embril and the other former Wee Jas clerics worship a good deity or pantheon (I was thinking the Soverign Host pantheon) but have their corruption build as the campaign advances.

Finally, I plan to replace the half-orc mercenaries with warforged. I will also find somewhere to insert a warforged titan to battle the PCs.