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I've been running a 3.5 Underdark campaign since July of 2012, and I'm looking for more players. We use miniatures, and the core module is City of the Spider Queen. Underdark races are allowed as PCs.

We play on Sunday afternoons, typically from 12-4 or 5, and we usually play at the Cathedral of Learning on Pitt's Oakland campus. Current party level is around 10. We have a drow ranger, a drider cleric, a kuo-toa monk, and a goliath fighter in the party. I could use a couple more players.

We're in our 30s, some with families. Four of us met in college in 1998, and we've been playing together since then. I've been DMing since 1996, and I enjoy it tremendously. I prefer to run years-long campaigns involving equal parts story and combat. I keep and share a journal recapping events of the previous game (it's currently at 109k words after game 50). I also take pictures of the game as it progresses on the mat or tiles, and I post them for players to see. Players have access to a detailed record of our games.

If you're interested in playing or if you have any questions, please let me know. Please reply, private message, or e-mail: jmichaelames@hotmail.com

Thanks.

-Mike

The most fun I have DMing Age of Worms is adding other modules to the already-fantastic canvas. I was wondering who uses other modules in their Age of Worms campaign. I posted this on another thread, but I thought I'd re-post this as as its own thread, since my post was largely off-topic. Perhaps it will inspire someone. Perhaps it will stimulate conversation.

I've added the following modules to my Age of Worms campaign:

-Dymrak Dread: I ran this first, even before "The Whispering Cairn." It was the Diamond Hawks' first official "adventure" as a group. Had nothing to do with the Age of Worms, Kyuss, or anything like that. Goblins were making raids on farms near Diamond Lake, so the PCs answered the call. It established them in a variety of ways.

-Sons of Gruumsh: I ran this after "Encounter at Blackwall Keep." Some Blackwall Keep prisoners were spirited north and handed off to orcs in exchange for food, weapons, poisons, etc. PCs tracked this, met up with soldiers from Daggerford, organized a raid on the stronghold, and attacked. In the victorious aftermath, the heroes were attacked by Illthane the black. She made one pass with her breath, blackened the courtyard, dropped a Kyuss worm egg splattering most with Kyuss worms, and flew off in frustration. It was later discovered that the stronghold held casks of ale and water contaminated with Kyuss slow worms, most-likely slipped in by doppelgangers under the direction of Loris Raknian and the mind-flayer Zyrxog. Somehow, Illthane was involved.

-"The Menagerie" from Dungeon #126: On the very day that the Diamond Hawks first entered Waterdeep, I threw this module at them. A buddy of ours from past games was in town, he rolled up a PC, and I tossed this short module into the mix. It worked out great showing how their first day in Waterdeep would only foreshadow more excitement to come.

-"Blood of Malar" from Dungeon #126: Prior to their participation in the Champion's Belt games, the PCs were asked by their mentor in Waterdeep (a retired epic swashbuckler who is a former PC) to watch over the corrupt Lord Orlpar, who had repented his evil ways and feared assassination. When Dhusarra's Wolf Pack struck, the party werewolf Kragg struck, revealing himself to dozens of Grinning Lion patrons (he would later reveal himself to thousands of arena spectators) and one vampire cleric of Malar. Dhusarra selected Kragg as her new object of fixation, deeming him to be the next favored of Malar. I ran the module as it was written. Dhusarra escaped.

-Dragons of Despair (DL1): I dusted off this classic Dragonlance module to act as Illthane's lair. We ran through this after "Champion's Belt," replacing "Gathering of Winds." I turned the draconians into black draconic lizardfolk, and I turned the gully dwarves into black draconic kobolds. I added shamans, three adult male cohorts, an entire brood of black draconic servants for Illthane. Illthane could use her corrupt water ability to make Kyuss worms, so she was an important piece to be removed as she was attempting to raise an army of Kyuss spawn through her manipulations and direct action. Originally, I just saw Onyx and Raistlin and thought of Illthane and Allustan, and the inspiration took hold. Take a look:

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q69/jmichaelames/Onyx.jpg

-"City of Broken Idols" from Dungeon #145: I thought "Spire of Long Shadows" could use something extra, so I put Kuluth-Mar in the middle of Taboo Island, which was found on Lake Luo in Faerun's Chult jungle. The group had to start in Mezro and make it to Lake Luo, so the druid used tree stride to "hike" there. He was scried, and the rest of the group teleported to the druid's position. They had to boat across Lake Luo (and were attacked by the massive croc pictured on #145's cover--couldn't resist that), fight through Taboo Temple and the skinwalkers (created by the Harbinger himself), and once they made it into the center of the island, they could ascend and explore Kuluth-Mar.

-"Dungeon of the Crypt" from Dungeon #127: After returning from Chult, the famous Diamond Hawks started attracting a bit of attention. A fledgling adventuring group, the Dawn Blades, tracked a vampire into Deepwinter Vault and discovered a passage leading down into what they believed to be Undermountain. Wanting no part of it, and knowing that the famous Diamond Hawks had already explored parts of Undermountain with none-other than Durnan himself (see below), they asked the PCs to investigate. Thinking this might lead them to Dhusarra, they delved into Deepwinter Vault. I ran the module as it was written.

-"The Fireplace Level" from Dungeon #128: The PCs immediately followed "Artor" up the chimney and into the Fireplace Level. With no rogue with them, they quickly fell victim to a teleportation trap, which took them to Undermountain's 3rd level, the chamber housing the blue dragon Aragauthos and her throne of skulls. That led to a lengthy stay in Undermountain (see below). Once the group made it back out of Undermountain, they called in Mac Stump, former PC who had reached 21st level and was an exemplar in disable device. The module was run as written. Dhusarra, Artor, and the vampire medusa all escaped to strike again, apparently having fled Waterdeep.

*I couldn't pass on Vampires of Waterdeep. Awesome modules.

-Ruins of Undermountain: Since their arrival in Waterdeep, I took the PCs into Undermountain on a number of occasions. They toured parts of level 1 with Durnan before the "Champion's Belt" where he asked them to join his Red Sashes (they respectfully declined). They wound up in level 3 after tripping a trap in the Fireplace Level, floated down the Sargauth, saw Skullport, the slave market... they actually freed the dragon Aragauthos (see above) and stealthed their way past Skullport while the dragon raged and flew out of the Southern Sea Caves, startling half of Waterdeep.

*Though famous now, with their mayhem and meddling, the Diamond Hawks were becoming a problem to the authority figures of Waterdeep. Freeing a blue dragon from Undermountain was the last straw.

-Expedition to Castle Ravenloft: The Diamond Hawks were sent (though some might say banished) to the Savage Frontier to see an elven sorceress named Lashonna about a missing wizard named Balakarde who had already been looking into the Age of Worms. For this I combined Expedition with "Prince of Redhand." The zombie infestation from Expedition was changed to a Kyuss spawn infestation. The banquet was sort of an insane Masque of the Red Death-style scenario where everyone is hiding from the infestation outside and no one realizing (or admitting they suspect) that Lashonna is behind it all. Strahd was (and still is) a ghost haunting the castle. Long story short: the PCs showed up, we had the banquet, PCs ultimately kicked butt, old enemies like Dhusarra resurfaced, and Prospero and Lashonna escaped. The PCs now run the village and live in the haunted castle. ;-)

*And yes, one of the PCs has been tainted by the castle. The sorceress Marzena (from “Encounter at Blackwall Keep”) unfortunately resembles Strahd’s lost Tatyanna, and so Strahd has taken a serious interest in her. This influence has led to Marzena taking her first level in blood magus. ;-)

-Vanrakdoom (Champions of Ruin Web Enhancement): I took the group to Undermountain a third time when Halaster, angry about what the PCs did with his dragon and curious about the PCs' power level, sent his apprentices to seek out the PCs one by one, sucking each of them into a portal that dumped them into Vanrakdoom. Halaster himself (an illusion of him, but still him ultimately) tasked them with clearing out Vanrakdoom, which they did. I used this module to help push along a PC's story (the human shade rogue/invisible blade, specifically). Great download.

Future modules I plan on adding:

-“The Storm Lord’s Keep” from Dungeon #93: The Storm Lord is angry about the Diamond Hawks’ unprovoked attack upon The Citadel of Weeping Dragons. The connection between this mysterious being and the giants of Kongen-Thulnir is anyone’s guess.

-“The Dragon Peak of Palanthus” from World of Krynn: This will serve as Brazzemal’s lair, found amongst the Dragon Aeries at Wormcrawl Fissure. *I thought about using “Dargaard Keep” from World of Krynn as Thessalar’s stronghold, but I ultimately deemed that to be too much extra. ;-)

I've also used some of the other resources in Dungeon. For example, I used the "Sewer Stronghold Map" at the back of #128 as my Shadow Thieves hideout beneath the streets of Waterdeep. I used Girddrez, the "Critical Threat" article also from #128, as a unique foe/NPC, a higher-up in the ranks of the Blue Elk Tribe in Waterdeep's Dock Ward. For one last example, I used the "To the Games" article at the back of issue #132 to spice up the "Champion's Belt" experience.

I want to use Expedition to Castle Ravenloft, darnit! Therefore, I’d like to fit it into my current Age of Worms campaign, replacing Alhaster with Valusia (Barovia), and replacing Zeech with Prince Prospero (Strahd), holding the party at Castle Ravenspire. (Ravenloft).

Prince Prospero, an ancient vampire and lord of Valusia (Barovia), and his queen Lashonna, a paeliryon demon, are throwing a party for the richest and most-influential people in the village and the surrounding countryside. Instead of a party celebrating a prince’s anniversary as ruler, I’d like the party to take on an atmosphere similar to Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death, where the partygoers are attempting to shut themselves away from a terrible plague outside. Using the zombie encounters in Expedition, I’d like to create a scenario where Valusia is overrun with spawn of Kyuss, and the Prince and his guests are holed up safely in the castle, partying away at a masquerade ball while the village below destroys itself.

What the PCs don’t know is that Prospero (or Lashonna, or the avolakai, or perhaps another) has befouled the village’s water supply with Kyuss slow worms, which has turned the village into a Night of the Living Dead scenario that the PCs must fight through. All the while Prospero and Lashonna watch with mad delight, acting as if they are safe

The PCs will find an invitation somewhere somehow while they fight their way through the streets of the village, shocked at seeing an entire town overrun with Kyuss spawn. The invitation is eerily dated during the very infestation that the party goers are trying to avoid, seemingly mocking the general populace, as they are not invited.

I think I can take the dinner scenario from “Prince of Redhand” and fit it into Castle Ravenloft. Contrary to the module, I’d like the evening to end in blood. Certainly the PCs will have to talk to Lashonna so they know to eventually travel to the Wormcrawl Fissure, but I do want them to explore Castle Ravenspire (Ravenloft).

What I do with the guests is still undecided. Are they to be made into swords of Kyuss, or perhaps other powerful forms of undead? Will I have a symbol of death arrive as happens in the Poe short story? Is every drink laced with slow worms? Should the party end with an attempt to turn all guests into spawn of Kyuss, leaving the PCs to fend for themselves in Prospero’s (Strahd’s) haunted castle?

I’d also like to play Prospero and Lashonna against one another, like a feuding married couple. Having been gated in by Dragotha to serve as Prospero’s puppeteer in Valusia, Lashonna has succeeded in slowly driving Prospero mad, becoming the true power in Valusia.

As a side note, Letter B in the appendix is a great hook for Age of Worms. “Soon the worms will feast on me.” Madam Eva will be a cleric of Kyuss. Also, the hilt of the Sunsword could be a segment of the Rod of Seven Parts. ;)

Any other ideas?

This is a work in progress. FR setting. Waterdeep. Magisters are basically the mage referees. A wall of force, raised by the magisters and made permanent for the games, protects the crowd from errant spells and such. Some of these I took from Dungeon #128. Please let me know if there's something I missed. Give me your ideas. Any feedback is appreciated.

General Rules:
·All laws of Waterdeep apply within the Field of Triumph and the Coenoby. They shall be strictly enforced by the acting magisters.
·All decisions made by any magisters are final.

* = in most cases will result in legal action.

Prohibited in the Arena (immediate disqualification):
1. No poison*.
2. No potions or scrolls.
3. No utility items (tanglefoot bags, alchemist fire, smoke sticks, thunderstones, caltrops, etc.).
4. No concealment effects or spells (invisibility, hiding, etc.).
5. No incorporeality or gaseous forms.
6. Gladiators may fly or levitate no higher than 40’ within the arena.
7. Burrowing beneath the arena is forbidden.
8. No curative, regenerative, or resurrection spells allowed during matches. Cleric medics will tend to fallen foes at the cost of the sponsor. Curative magic may be employed only after the match is decided.
9. Summoning spells are permitted, though gating is prohibited*.
10. Tampering with the force wall is prohibited*.
11. Attacking or enspelling a magister or cleric medic is prohibited*.
12. No firearms of any kind are permitted within the Field of Triumph*.
13. Undead are prohibited, as is the spell animate dead*.

Team Rules:
1. Each team member must sign the Untimely Death contract and be sponsored by a citizen of Waterdeep.
2. Mounts are permitted at the expense of the gladiator. All rules that apply to gladiators apply to mounts equally.
3. Magical items and equipment must be registered and approved by the magisters. Any items deemed “unsportsmanlike” will be denied entry into the Field of Triumph and held by the team’s sponsor.
4. No more than two melee weapons and/or one bow or crossbow.
5. Gladiators may carry as many quivers possible up to the point of encumbrance. Varied ammunition is permitted, though subject to the scrutiny of the magisters.
6. Gladiators may carry as many throwing weapons he/she is capable of carrying up to the point of encumbrance.
7. One item of power per body part. One wand. One staff. One rod. Two rings. No swapping during matches.

Combat Rules:
1. Teams have exactly one minute before the match to prepare spells and ready weapons.
2. A match persists until one team is victorious, either through the death or the surrender of the opposing team.
3. A gladiator is disqualified should he/she die, fall unconscious, become petrified, polymorphed, feebleminded, or driven insane.
4. Gladiators may yield by dropping weapons, kneeling, and raising both arms.
5. Any team member attacking a disqualified gladiator will be immediately disqualified*.
6. A disqualified gladiator must exit the arena immediately. Failure to do so will result in the disqualification of the entire team.
7. If a team wins, any disqualified gladiators on that team may return to fight in the next match.
8. Teams can replace fallen or disqualified members with their standbys for the next match.
9. Winning gladiators have no right to the spoils of the fallen. A defeated gladiator keeps his gear, or in the case of death, ownership of gear reverts to his team or manager.
10. A gladiator whose weapon breaks may select any weapon from the wall racks ringing the arena (mundane weapon from the PHB).

Hey, folks. When the dopplegangers in "Hall of Harsh Reflections" use their detect thoughts ability on PCs, do you inform them that someone or something is "messing" with them? In other words, do you ask everyone to roll a will save (perhaps without explaining why), or do you just roll secretly and let the dopplegangers probe away?

If a spawn of Kyuss dripped worms over a pile of bodies, would the worms animate the bodies into spawn, or would the worms simply die?

Anyone in the Pgh area care to game with a group of seasoned (eight years together) gamers? We usually play in Monroeville, but we've also played at Pitt's Cathedral of Learning. We're running through the Age of Worms path set in the Forgotten Realms (Sword Coast/Waterdeep). Anyone?

The Serpent Kingdoms text AND the lizardfolk druid in the party spurred on this idea...

I want the Harbinger in Spire of Long Shadows to be in possession of the phylactery of a semi-aware sarrukh demi-lich. I want the sarrukh to be the true creators of what are now called the Kyuss worms. The spellweaver came to Faerun thousands of years ago, claimed the phylactery, and continued where the sarrukh left off tens of thousands of years ago. It is through the Harbinger that the Age of Worms is about to begin, but the ancient sarrukh planted that seed. The Harbinger has no power over the sarrukh, and the sarrukh could care less about Faerun and its forgotten phylactery there. The gem is merely an encyclopedia of sarrukh lore, including the "Kyuss worm."

Anyway, if and when the PCs defeat and destroy the harbinger, the sarrukh becomes aware of the freeing of its phylactery (which is actually one of several hundred phylacteries hidden in various planes). The 40 thousand year old demi-lich manifests and unleashes a spell that incapacitates the PCs. I want to offer the PCs a gift in return for freeing the sarrukh's phylactery. Yes, sarrukh can only augment scaly kind, but I'm making an acception for what could be the oldest spellcaster in Faerun. While in magical stasis, the PCs are offered this choice: the choice to be the sarrukh's new Harbingers who will destroy what the ancient race started so many thousands of years ago.

I'm thinking of offering the PCs the option of losing one, two, maybe three levels in return for a template that fits their classes in optimal fashion. The augmentation would be horribly taxing, resulting in the appropriate level adjustment, but players would be warned of those consequences.

Here are the PCs and their possible progressions:

Male half-orc ranger 3 (moving toward Stalker of Kharash from Exalted Deeds)
Male lizardfolk druid 2 of Silvanus (moving toward warshaper from Complete Warrior)
Male moon elf scout 3 (scout is from Complete Adventurer)
Male human rogue 3 (moving toward invisible blade from Complete Warrior)

The ranger would benefit from the true lycanthrope werewolf template.

The lizardfolk druid could either go draconic (Draconomicon) or chameleon creature (Underdark).

The moon elf scout could benefit from a shift to avariel (which I might have to fudge).

The human rogue/inv. blade would be a deadly shade or perhaps a tiefling.

Any other ideas? Have I missed any good templates or ideas that might work? I don't own ALL the books, but some ideas might stir me to check them out.

*BUMP* Come on, people. This information doesn't exist? Is this question too easy to be bothered with? Maybe I'll just guess...

What's up with that?

Rather, why can I only edit certain posts on certain forums?

Does anyone have any ideas or guesses on whether or not magical beast would be an ideal choice for a starting ranger? Any suggestions in this area?