| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I've started a Pathfinder campaign based on some of the classic AD&D Modules. In this column I'll be sharing my notes in case other GMs wish to use them or add their own ideas.
The Modules I plan to use as the basis are:
The Village of Hommlett
Keep on the Borderlands
The Sentinel
The Gauntlet
The Temple of Elemental Evil
The Slavers series
Against the Giants
Queen of the Drow
I'm also using some or all of the content from these more modern modules:
Dragon Mountain
The Axe of Dwarvish Lords
The Forge of Fury
The Sunken Citadel
I am planning to add bits from Dragon and Dungeon Magazines as well.
Are you forgetting the Desert of Desolation? :)
|
I have seen a 'classic Greyhak' AP designed for 1E that ran something like this:
Temple of Elemental Evil
Tomb of Horrors
Scourge of the Slave Lords
Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun
Queen of Spiders
Isle of the Ape
I could be wrong about the placement of Tomb of Horrors but I know it was included. I could also be wrong about the inclusion of Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun as it may have been a different module.
The path was basically the one created by the compiled versions of The Temple of Elemental Evil, Scourge of the Slave Lords, and Queen of Spiders with some other Gygax classics tucked in to round out the XP.
Are you forgetting the Desert of Desolation? :)
Currently hard at work on adapting these and the GDQ series for pathfinder.
But I'm very interested in this project.
You may want to check out the Conversions section of these boards. I'd be surprised if some of the most famous modules you mentioned weren't there.
Xvart is just fun to say. :) You could even use it for a silly 'curse' word :D
No love for Saltmarsh? The U-series trilogy was one of my faves to run and the DM's Guide II from 3.5 had a nice write up of the town. I tried to start a campaign there but alas, it ended before it began.
Anyway kudos to the AP.
I've started a Pathfinder campaign based on some of the classic AD&D Modules. In this column I'll be sharing my notes in case other GMs wish to use them or add their own ideas.
The Modules I plan to use as the basis are:
The Village of Hommlett
Keep on the Borderlands
The Sentinel
The Gauntlet
The Temple of Elemental Evil
The Slavers series
Against the Giants
Queen of the DrowI'm also using some or all of the content from these more modern modules:
Dragon Mountain
The Axe of Dwarvish Lords
The Forge of Fury
The Sunken CitadelI am planning to add bits from Dragon and Dungeon Magazines as well.
As it happens, I am after much the same prize. My group has played several of these classics, but a long time ago, and all set (sometimes awkwardly) in the Forgotten Realms. We have never used Greyhawk as a setting, and I have always wanted to do so.
And so, I am just starting to organize my thoughts on how to arrange and modify the story lines to create a proper career spanning AP from the "Big Three" (Temple of Elemental Evil, Scourge of the Slave Lords, Queen of Spiders), or parts of them.
I look forward to using this thread for ideas. I will share what I can, but no promises as I am a "thinker" not a writer. (part of my problem)
-Later
This sounds very cool I'll keep an eye on this thread as I've had a similar idea for a couple of years but never got very far as I've become a father twice in that time
But i would see if you can get U1-3 as well the saltmarsh trilogy is excellent
This sounds very cool I'll keep an eye on this thread as I've had a similar idea for a couple of years but never got very far as I've become a father twice in that time
But i would see if you can get U1-3 as well the Saltmarsh trilogy is excellent
Yeah, I've heard good things about that series over the years (never played it). And, as Mark Hoover said, the DMG II from 3.5 has a detailed and well illustrated description of Saltmarsh itself.
For my part, I plan to utilize the updated modules and newer sourcebooks on Greyhawk. Particularly the Vault of the Drow, featuring Ereilhe-Cinlu.
The PCs that will likely be featured have already dipped their toes into Greyhawk, in the form of The Keep on the Borderlands, which I ran in the D&D Next playtest. The playtest just had the Caves of Chaos, and favored a stripped down, combat heavy delve. So, naturally I dug up my unused copy of B1, and got hold of Return to B1, and we had a proper Greyhawk infused RP. That part was pretty good, but we got frustrated with the playtest. We'll see how D&D turns out, and may use it for that campaign. If not, I am trying to twist Pathfinder into my own version of stripped down, low magic. Been wanting to for awhile now.....
...anywho.
-Later
A game i just started playing in is a low fantasy low magic game very good so far
For my part, I plan to utilize the updated modules and newer sourcebooks on Greyhawk. Particularly the Vault of the Drow, featuring Ereilhe-Cinlu.
Oops. I meant Expedition to the Demonweb Pits.
My group is just finishing up with Village of Hommlet/Temple of Elemental Evil. Pretty much just swapped in pathfinder stats for the monsters. We used the slow advancement track, and are just hitting 8th level as we explore the elemental nodes. So that has worked fine, and we're planning on jumping right in to the Against the Giants adventures. Even on slow advancement, there might not be room between levels 1 and 20 for all of the modules the OP has mentioned.
The one issue we've had is that even cutting down the awarded treasure somewhat, all five players have about the wealth of an average-to-rich 13th level character, which is more than a little ridiculous. I'd recommend just reallocating treasure on the pathfinder guidelines. the only exception to the gear-overpowered cakewalk it turned into is that the main spellcaster, gargoyle, ogre and ettin fight on the 4th level of the temple, as written, is around a CR 16. We managed to use a Wall of Force scroll we'd found to cut into a pair of back-to-back CR 13s, which worked. Good times.
My group is just finishing up with Village of Hommlet/Temple of Elemental Evil. Pretty much just swapped in pathfinder stats for the monsters. We used the slow advancement track, and are just hitting 8th level as we explore the elemental nodes. So that has worked fine, and we're planning on jumping right in to the Against the Giants adventures. Even on slow advancement, there might not be room between levels 1 and 20 for all of the modules the OP has mentioned.
The one issue we've had is that even cutting down the awarded treasure somewhat, all five players have about the wealth of an average-to-rich 13th level character, which is more than a little ridiculous. I'd recommend just reallocating treasure on the pathfinder guidelines. the only exception to the gear-overpowered cakewalk it turned into is that the main spellcaster, gargoyle, ogre and ettin fight on the 4th level of the temple, as written, is around a CR 16. We managed to use a Wall of Force scroll we'd found to cut into a pair of back-to-back CR 13s, which worked. Good times.
I remember that fight 1st Edition style. We were from 8th (multiclass) to 10th (Cavalier and M-U) level....that was a crazy fight. Good times indeed.
What you have to remember with the treasure in 1st and 2nd ed characters gained most of there xp from how much money they got with only a small amount coming from the monster itself
If i remember right it was 1 xp per gold piece worth of treasure so characters got loads of wealth but where expected to build and maintain keeps and the like from 9th level so that soaked up a lot of it
What you have to remember with the treasure in 1st and 2nd ed characters gained most of there xp from how much money they got with only a small amount coming from the monster itself
If i remember right it was 1 xp per gold piece worth of treasure so characters got loads of wealth but where expected to build and maintain keeps and the like from 9th level so that soaked up a lot of it
Yes, and more to the point, they simply could not spend it on magic items unless the DM allowed them via a house rule. If he did, he could charge whatever he wanted for the privilege.
Thanks for all the feedback and discussion gang! I didn't know that this topic would be so popular so quick.
Since Lolth and many of the other immortals from Greyhawk don't exist in the Pathfinder world I decided that I would center the main plot around a group of humanoid villains attempting to awaken Rovagug the destroyer. Tying the various dungeons together is a series of magical pools, the pools are linked to one deep in underground in a shrine of Rovagug, and any blood spilt into these pools is magically funneled to the Pool of Rovagug where it is hoped the smell of such sacrifice with entice the god to awaken once more.
THE VILLAGE
I decided to replace Hommlet with Turtleback Ferry, and I'm pretty much eliminating Nulb. Also I'm tweaking the area just a little so that I can replace the current map of Turtleback Ferry with the map of Deepwatch from Dungeon Magazine #103, and I'm currently going through the NPCs from the Hommlet and the Keep on the Borderlands to see which ones I want to incorporate into the town.
The basis history of the town is that long ago the rulers of Varisa learned of an evil temple that was a holdover from the Cheliax Empire. A group of adventurer ventured into the area and eventually brought the temple down. As a reward the leader of the group was given a noble title and the right to build a keep in area. This keep would serve as one of the many watchtowers along the northern border of the kingdom (the Tower from the Gauntlet module will be another). The town founders are the remaining members of that party, some of whom are still alive.
THE DUNGEONS
The Caves of Chaos (From Keep on the Borderlands)
The Kobolds of the Cave were the original inhabitants. They once served a great red dragon who lived in the area along with a group of dragon priests. Around the time that the temple fell the dragon they served learned of a mysterious disappearing mountain and conquered it, making it her new lair (Dragon Mountain) she took her greatest and best trained servants with her, leaving about a quarter of the Kobolds behind to fend for themselves and to watch over the tomb of her first dragon priest. The years that followed were not good for the Kobolds as they were driven back time and time again. They now only hold a fraction of the area that they once did. They've even lost a captured dragon hatchling that they worshiped for a time.
- I'll be using the Kobolds from the Sunken Citadel including Meepo.
The Goblins of the Cave arrived next and have allied themselves to the Dark Priests and Hobgoblins that dwell within the Caves. They have taken a great deal of the Kobold's territory and even managed to capture the dragon hatchling that the Kobolds worshipped.
Things that the PCs will find in the Caves
- A masterwork sword with the mark of the dwarven smith Durgeddin. (A hit to the Forge of Fury)
- The Sentinel (A Sentient Glove that is the lead in to the Gaunlet Module)
More to come soon.
Looks good so far like the way your stringing them all together sounds like it will be a good game
Just wish i could play
In prepping some of this early material I read through the Sentinel and realized I didn't need it, so I took a hint from the module and from the Character hooks in The Gauntlet, and a poor Goblin will be wearing the Sentinel when the PCs find it.
Another link will be the Fire Giant and his army from the Gauntlet. This will be the very same Fire Giant king that the PCs will eventually face off against in the Against the Giants phase of the campaign.
I am thinking of replacing the demoness/goddess that is trapped in the temple with one of the Children of Rovagug (Basically another demon). The hopes is that if the Cultists free him/her then the demon will go and awaken it's parent.
That will work well but i think the sentinel is a very good adventure
Also you can use the old mansion as a source of good information about some of the other adventures as there was ment to be quite a large library if memory serves
You could use part of the adventure the lair of the mage and her half orc sons would easily fit into the caverns of chaos and that could lead to the manor house
The mage could be looking for the sentinel for her own reasons
Got my DMing head on this morning
I will take a look at it, but I am attempting to keep the number of beginning adventures down so that they aren't hitting to high of level heading into Slavers after the temple.
Fair enough its just that i really like the sentinel adventure
Or you could just take the mage and add her to the caverns of chaos
Or just use the wizards villa as a side track you could do that in a session
That is a possibility. There is also the Gatehouse from the Temple. Throwing a wizard in there would be a good way to raise the difficulty a little bit.
True a magic user always ups the challenge a bit
I caused no end of trouble once in a game i ran the set up was similar to the moat house a large group of low powered bandits defending an old tower
The party where far more powerful than even the leader do i added a mage with a scroll of flame arrow and had a few traps designed to slow the party down as they approached
Suddenly they where being peppered by magical flaming arrows they didn't like it
Also adding in mages for the PCs to fight gives PC mages access to new spells and much needed low level magic items.
I remember when that was the only way you would get new spells
So I moved to a new place (Yosemite National Park) and I have a few new people who are interested in playing Pathfinder/D&D. So I figure this is a great place to start this idea back up again.
This game is turning into a hodgepodge of things.
I'm using the Pathfinder system
I'm using the Forgotten Realms World, specifically the Silver Marches.
I'm using the classic modules mixed with some more modern ones, as well as some home brew to tie it all together.
So far this is what I am working on:
The PCs will start out in Deepwatch (From a Map of Mystery in Dungeon Magazine). It's a town on the borders of the Silver Marches and the Savage Frontier, I haven't placed it exactly yet.
Deepwatch has several problems:
There's a band of goblins living up in the hills that keep raiding the town. They're setting fires, killing horses and dogs, and making off with whichever townsfolk they can intimidate or knock unconscious.
- The PCs experience a Goblin raid at the beginning of the campaign. This will similar to the one at the beginning of Rise of the Runelords, including the song!
- The Goblins are based in the Caves of Chaos (From Keep on the Borderlands). I'm borrowing their leader from a Dungeon Magazine Module which I thought was pretty awesome(I'll name it when I find it again. This tribe is also an offshoot of the goblin tribes living in Gauntlegrym, the location of the Axe of Dwarvish Lords.
- The Kobolds of Caves are going to be borrowed from the Sunken Citadel Module from 3e module. I have to use Meepo, and the Dragon Priest was a worshipper of a Red Dragon who lived in a mountain that has since dissapeared! Likewise the Kobolds are descendants of the same tribe that serves the dragon to this day.
- The Temple in the Caves will be manned by a half-Drow Priestess.
Supplies are running low because a group of bandits are waylaying supply caravans on the road (the goblins aren't helping either). It's rumored that the bandits are based out of the gate house to a haunted temple deep in the ruins.
- The Gatehouse is from the Village of Hommlet Module, which is tied directly to the Temple of Elemental Evil.
- I also plan on adding in elements from the Sentinel so that the PCs find the glove that will lead them to the Watchtower below.
The Watchtower between Deepwatch and the lands beyond has been taken by forces unknown, and all who have gone to investigate have not returned.
- The Watchtower and it's minions were taken directly from The Gauntlet Module from AD&D.
- As an added bonus, the Watchtower features a Fire Giant King and his minions who threaten the tower. The PCs will later face that same king in the Hall of the Fire Giant King module later on in the campaign.
As far as Deepwatch's population:
I'm planning to combine some of the characters from The Return to the Keep on the Borderlands, The Village of Hommlet, and the Sunken Citadel into the populace. Some of the citizens are former adventurers who believed that they cleared out the Temple, and are now finding out that Evil has returned there.
Also I'm thinking of adding in a few NPCs that the players can add to their party if they are short some one, such as an extra Fighter, a Cleric, or a Mage.
The overarching main plot has to do with the Drow and with slaves. I got the idea from reading the Novel Pools of Radiance and the War of the Spider Queen series.
The concept is simple: Lolth wishes to become a Greater Goddess. In order to do this she needs massive amounts of blood and souls sacrificed to her, far more than say, sacrificing all of her followers (the Drow) could do. Therefore she has sent a vision to her greatest Priestess Eclavadra, to go forth and create the Pools of Crimson Tears.
The Pools of Crimson Tears are sacrificial altars that collect the blood (and souls) of their victims into magical pools. These magic pools then give a measure of power to the creature doing the sacrificing while transferring the rest of the power (and the victim's soul) to the greatest of these pools in the Demonweb pit where Lolth herself feeds from the energy, growing ever stronger.
The PCs first encounter one of these small pools in the Hidden Temple within the Caves of Chaos. As the progress through the campaign they discover more and more of these pools as they go along as Eclavadra has provided them to the Priests in the Temple of Elemental Evil, the Slave Lords, the Giants, and others, letting them believe that the majority of the power from the pool is going to the user.
The only one who has refuse the power of the Pools is King Obould Many Arrows. The old Orc has seen far too much magic to be fooled by the the machinations of the Drow. However one of his children might succumb to Eclavadra's charms and promises and try to overthrow him. If the PCs get involved they might find an powerful enemy, or unlikely ally in the old Orc king.
This is crazy. It's been a year and a half since any of us last posted on this thread. I've been poring over my Greyhawk collection, and reading all the supermodules, in hopes of getting this going again.
Check my focused threads on Paizo.....and bam!, there you are. Lol.
It turns out 5th Edition is quite good...but just not quite what I want. I am currently warring with the dilemma of seriously modding PF, or biting the bullet and starting a 5e game for ease of use.
It's also kinda funny that you are setting your campaign in the Realms, where my group played most of these. Sounds like quite a lineup.
Good luck with your game.
My old game group was big on starting at higher levels and I knew I didn't have a reason to keep working on it. With a fresh group it gives me a chance to flesh out this idea again.
I'm playing with the idea of a subplot in the town of Deepwatch. The idea is that the town is building a Cathedral to Lathander (or another good god) and there are forces at work that are trying to prevent the Cathedral from being built. (Possibly some one attached to the Temple of Elemental Evil.)
I got the idea from the Pillars of the Earth T.V. miniseries based upon the book by the same name.