Ender's Ghost's page

Chalk up a couple character deaths in the Champion's Belt! Our intrepid Kenku Urban Ranger/rogue tried to go toe-to-toe with the Akilith demon and lasted about two rounds before departing for that big bird nest in the sky.

Strangely enough, Auric's flesh golems took down our Half-giantess Psychic warrior. They charged in, attacked once, then on the next round all three of them hit her for a total of 80+ points of damage. Ouch.

I had some of the same concerns when I entered Sodden Hold with my Ixaxian PC.

The trick is to make sure he/she is prepared.

For the Invisible Stalkers, I did what another poster suggested and gave the PC a password ("Deception"). So he worked that into a sentence to say when he entered the room, and he did well by holding back until the others were in the room and had engaged the stalkers.

For the Octopus, he held back once again, and then once the PCs had engaged the Octopus, he jumped out of the water and went for the lever to lower the water. This saved the Octopus and made him look like he was helping the PCs.

For the Dopplegangers, I couldn't think of a way to avoid this problem, so I just removed most of them completely. If you want, you can add some of the to the Hall of mirrors, but I think the module still works without them at all.

If the dopplegangers had to use the ladder to get in how would they ever enter or leave their lair?

Exactly. Ok, I'll just toss the ladder. I was going to make the false door a real door, but I kind of like the idea of them seeing the door on the map and going, "Why couldn't we see this on the other side? Then when they open it, "Waaaaaaah".

I was probably going to have them hooded anyway. I think taking out the ladder and just putting stairs up to the catwalk in that room makes more sense.

I didn't read anything about poisoned food in the sidebar, but thanks for the idea ;-)

Ok, so I chose to basically force my group to do the "Delivered into Danger" sidebar in HoHR, and now I have a question...

How do the Dopplegangers get them inside Sodden Hold? The only way to the cells is up the rickety ladder (which falls apart). The door to the north is a false door, so they would have to use the ladder, which supposedly falls apart when anyone uses it.

Did anyone else use this sidebar? Did you just gloss over how they got inside?

Dizzyk, if you could send the conversions you've done so far my way, it would be greatly appreciated!

ender988@hotmail.com

The second thing that doesn't make sense is Allustan. So he gets the party there, and as soon as they see the battle, he leaves. He tells the PCs that he has to get back to Diamond Lake as soon as possible to get soldiers

I agree that Alustan running off to get soldiers doesn't make sense, knowing that the battle is WAY easy for these adventurers, but there is logic here. How would Alustan know what the adventurers are capable of? He really has not seen them in combat, and even if he has, he doesn't know what they are up against. They could all be battle hardened Lizard-folk, or they could have tons of reserves.

I'm running this encounter tomorrow, and I'm going to have Alustan leave to go get soldiers, telling the PCs NOT to do anything until he gets back. He wants to wait and send in an all-out assault. But Alustan is not a battle-mage. He's just a wizard. What does he know of tactical assaults on keeps? Once he's gone, the PCs will have to decide for themselves, with a little coaching from the DM. Have the lizardfolk gain the advantage suddenly, and let one of the PCs see that they are about to breach the keep. They will be forced to act, and the adventure can begin.

Alustan can take as much or as little time as it takes to complete the adventure. You can explain away the time it takes with any number of political complications, monster attacks, etc. When Alustan returns, the PCs stand triumphant within the keep, having slain the Spawn of Kyuss and rescued Marzena.

I was so overwhelmed with the prospect of allowing the players to sell off all the crap they find in the temples, that I kept them trapped down there until the last High Priest was killed. On his death, the temple basically destroyed itself and the Ebon Aspect arose and followed them up the elevator shaft. It was very Indiana-Jones-ish. Outside, Ragnolin had broken his enchantment and fetched the local authorities, who had to help the PC's beat the Ebon Aspect (they were beat down from being in the temples for several days of pure hack and slash.)

They still ended up carrying a lot of stuff, and should make a hefty profit, but at least they don't have 30 suits of armor, etc. to worry about selling. That would have been extremely cumbersome.

I am curious how you fellow DMs began your AoW campaign. Did you start off with your players in the mining shop ready to head out to the Whispering Cairn, or did you do some story to lead up to all of this?

I had 4 characters starting the game and another joining later on.

I had the Changeling Rogue, who was Masquerading as a Halfling Cook with the Able Carter Coaching Inn, overhear the NPC adventurers chatting about the Cairn they were going to raid. He knew about the Whispering Cairn from two of the other PC's, who had gathered herbs near there, so he hatched a plan to raid the Whispering Cairn since very few people knew about it. He left the two PC's he knew notes to meet him outside the city and then explained his plan. I gave him the setup but made the Player roleplay it out with the other 2. The 4th character, a monk from the Twilight Monastery, was actually booted out of the monastery when they found out he was having visions about the coming Age of Worms after looking through the telescope there. He was hanging out near the mine office when he ran into the other PC's and decided to join them.