Wolf70's page

As for the likelyhood of the farmer surviving the attack, it was feasible that a commoner that engaged in one round of combat with a 3.0 mummy then fled (and was not pursued) could survive. However, with a 3.5 mummy striking for a minimum of eleven points of damage farmer Burnean should have several levels of the commoner NPC class to see him alive through the slam attack. Speaking of Sethelen's 3.5 power increase, be aware that even if your players manage to lure the mummy through the weakened floor and ignite him with the oil Sethelen will survive and be more than they can hope to handle. The mummy's slam will almost certainly hit and kill anyone he attacks. Run the encounter with caution be sure to allow Knowledge (religion) checks to identify Sethelen as a mummy, perhaps have the mummy waste a round or two smashing parts of the library in his rage while potentially paralyzed PCs witness the powerful display.

I'm glad to see the adventure still gets use after the drastic mummy changes. Enjoy.

I ran the mummy encounter this week. The party is extra large (I have 8 players) and also buffed due to the Divine Gifts and Action Points (also, I did give the farmer several levels to allow him to survive). Most of the party was paralyzed, one was down to -9 (and used an AP to stabilize), but the three PC's that stayed up, managed to finish him off. It looked like they were going to TPK for a moment there, but a few things went their way. One PC may die of mummy rot, though I am giving the "Swamp Witch" a way of curing it (2 uses, 1 for PC, 1 for farmer).

Excellent adventure. We will finish it next week.

I have started my new campaign, beginning with 6PC's in the adventure Bogged Down.

Spoilers to follow:

In an attempt to save the farmer, Jaiman Burnean, who was hit on the arm by the mummy (being a plot device is the only reason I can see how he survived the attack, but the players haven't seen the mirror behind that curtain yet), the PC's and Father Denethan have amputated the affected arm. What I am looking for is the best way to handle the results. I assume by the RAW that the mummy rot has spread to the bloodstream and the amputation will not work. Any thoughts or opinions on this are welcome, especially any good descriptions of the recurrence. I am running this game in a very descriptive dark fantasy style (using the advice from Ken Hite's Nightmares of Mine) and want to go for fear and horror as the disease creeps back.

Oh, and yes I know the mummy is going to be tough for 1st level PC's in 3.5, but they are going to have to figure out the fire weakness and exploit is to beat him. In the style I am going for, the main adversaries should be seriously difficult. I have also souped the PC's up with Action Points and Heroic Paths (from the Midnight Campaign Setting by Fantasy Flight Games), so they are tougher than normal PC's. It is heroic dark fantasy/horror (a la Van Helsing) and everybody is loving it so far. Thanks in advance for any thoughts/suggestions on this adventure.

DM

Wolf70 wrote:

Thanks for the spoiler warnings letting me know that this MAJOR spoiler was coming.

DM

Honestly man, Dungeon is a DM's reasource and we are discussing it. If you are a player in games run by a Dungeon-using DM then you should not be here, and if you are a DM who reads Dungeon there really are not spoilers since most modules reveal the badguy in the adventure synopsis or even the adventure background.

I am a DM, but enjoy actually READING the adventures. If I awas wrong to think a spoiler of that magnititude was at least a bit out of line, I apologise. I just enjoy reading the adventure myself, even if I don't plan on using it.

DM

Totentanz, Dungeon #90.

http://paizo.com/dungeon/products/issues/2002/90

Very Dia de los Muertos feeling. Though I have not ran the adventure, the subject was intriguing enough to stick in my head.

I would like to second Totentanz. I am planning on using it in my next canpaign.

DM

A murder mystery is hard to write for D&D, and probably even harder to run. The “false leads” are pretty convincing, but my experience as both a player and a DM is that it will usually lead to frustrated players. Particularly in a situation in which they learn that the “abusive husband/father” isn’t the murderer, thus denying them the justification to kill him. While I don’t mind such moral conundrums, that certainly isn’t for everyone.

Thanks for the spoiler warnings letting me know that this MAJOR spoiler was coming.

DM

Does any one have any good ideas for a Halloween adventure? Or know of any good pre-made ones? I need something short, that will only take one session, since I want to run it on Halloween night.

I'd appreciate any input. Thanks!

Its a little low for what you are looking for, but I like "Bogged Down" (can't remember the issue number) or the first adventure in the latest Dungeon (can't remember the name). I guess I need some sleep.

DM

We just finished the first adventure in the Shadows Over Istivin arc (I think that is what it is called). The party is 7 12th level PC's and it took them a while to figure out how to get into the deeper dungeons while distrusting and ignoring Algorthas for a while (they only trusted him after going to the temple of Pelor for advice and discovering they trusted him... that's going to make future developments even more fun). After they got there, we had one of those moments were the future of the campaign hangs in the balance. For the final encounter...

<spoilers>

I had the Hezrou burst into the hall while Querchard summoned the shadows. They were terrified. Absolutely terrified. This group has never been scared that way before. They are jaded and rules-savvy, but they were terrified for over an hour. It was awesome.

DM

My Greyhawk campaign that started in January and survived lots of player conflict and turnover is winding down. We started in Crucible of Freya, then Village of Homlett (linked) and have done a whole bunch of adventures since then. We are now down to the final 6 adventures. The final two are the ones I am most concerned about since they are 3.0, but here is the list:

The Crystal Skull - they are almost finished with this one and will confront the BBEG tonight

Istivin Trilogy - Dungeon 177-120
The Crumbling Hall of the Frost Giant Jarl - WOTC site free adventure
Headless - Dungeon #89
The Harrowing - Dungeon #84

I have heard a lot of negatives regarding The Harrowing and I am working on getting it and Headless up to 3.5. Any suggestions or comments regarding these two would be greatly appreciated (heck anybody who has played any of the adventures on this list is welcome to chime in with some of their experiences that may help). Is the Harrowing salvageable?

Thanks in advance!

DM

Here is the path I am working on for my next campaign (a dark campaign for which I plan on using Heroes of Horror... I probably will not start it until December or January):

Bogged Down - Dungeon #91
An Icy Grave - Rpg Archive
Deep Freeze - Dungeon #83
Frozen Whispers - WOTC
The Soulscape Paintings - RPG Archive
Totentanz - Dungeon #90
The Stink - Dungeon #105
Rana Mor - Dungeon #86
Bloodlines - Dungeon #94
Tears for Twilight Hollow - Dungeon #90
Ravager of Time - 1E I8 converted to 3.5
The Styes - Dungeon #121
Bad Moon Waning - WOTC
The Dying of the Light - Dungeon #84
The Death of Lashimire - Dungeon #116
Beyond the Light of Reason - Dungeon #96
Seekers of the Silver Forge - Dungeon #125

This path should take the party to level 15 and beyond. I usually pare the list down as I go, but this is the working list I am starting with right now as I am in the early planning stages.

DM

*Istivin, City of Shadows Arc (#117-#119)
*Headless (#89) (fits beautifully here!)
-The Gneech

I am going to use these two in my current campaign too. They work VERY well together, especially when I have set Orcus up as the mover and shaker behind the scenes who is putting these things in motion.

DM

My current Greyhawk game will be ending around December, so I am in the process of coming up with a new campaign to replace it. In September and October I am too busy to work on it much, so I need to get a huge head start now. Here is what I want to do:

I would like to run a dark fantasy campaign using altered published adventures, with a late medevial setting circa 1300's-1500's feel. It would be fantasy all the way, with no firearms, but lighter armor predominant, the beginnings of a medical profession (not just magical healing) with hospitals and asylums, gaols in place of castle dungeon for criminals (some in asylums too), etc. The tone would be Lovecraft, Poe, Doyle, gothic influenced. I have an "adventure path" sketched out already.

My questions:

1. I feel like I am mixing genres with the gothic horror/Cthulhu feel, but with D&D characters and action. I definitely want it to be recognizable D&D, not CoC or WoD feeling. I actually DO want my good guys to be discernibly good and bad guys discernibly bad, just not to the point that they are caricatures (which is one of the faults of Ravenloft IMO). There will be lots of Neutral alignments in positions of authority. What do you think?

2. Has anyone done anything like this before? What were the results/player reaction?

3. Can I do it without seeming derivitive of Ravenloft?

4. I want to be episodic due to loss of continuity through alternating DM's. What do you think about an episodic campaign, where travel from adventure to adventure is summarized out of session?

5. I want the PC's to be recognizable good guys in a very gritty, pulpish world. For example, I plan on using Dungeon adventures like The Styes, Death of Lashimire and Tears for Twilight Hollow. I plan on giving the players some generic character types to customize, so that the PC's will fit the setting. Has anyone done this? What problems would a Paladin be in this type of game?

6. While it is gritty and dark, I do not want it to feel hopeless. The PC's are a beacon of light and I want their actions to make a small difference. They would be like the jaded, but gold-hearted pulp detective type ("It was a dark and stormy night."). I also like the Batman model of hero for a game like this. The setting would be very "Gothamesque." Can this work?

7. I am an experienced DM, but always open to suggestions. Do you have any general suggestions that might help?

I am thinking of using the upcoming Heroes of Horror when it comes out. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated!

DM

I know alot of the adventures are still incomplete, but how will the "Free City" be used? I mean this, I bought Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins from ebay, but the doggone thing did not have the map booklet. I know there are a few awesome maps available online, but most are not keyed. Should I go through all the trouble of that, or will the adventure itself have keyed maps of the city, and the specific important locations to the adventure? I can print the map of the city, and coordinate this with keyed maps from the module?

I am hearing that there will be no map of the "Free City" of Greyhawk in this AP. I was disappointed to hear it and I hope Erik changes his mind, or that one is added if (when) it is published as a hardcover.

DM

There are dozens of 'free cities' in Greyhawk.

However, it is stated in a sidebar that this one is called "Greyhawk". Sorry to hear it won't be getting a map though.

DM

Any chance we gamers can get an updated Greyhawk City map for 3.5 to go along with the awesome looking Greyhawk world maps from Dungeon ?

I have a feeling that the "Age of Worms" adventure path in Dungeon is going to have a map of the "Free City" that looks pretty much like Greyhawk.

"If it looks like a duck..."

However, I find it interesting that the seedy side of the "Free City" is what is being played up in that AP. Mr. Mona indicated that the city's alignment would be NE with CE overtones... though I always considered the city to be N. Or am I misinterpreting his words? Or is it a slightly different version of the "Free City"?

DM

Do you use the Eberron content in Dungeon (or plan/want to use it in the future)? Sound off with a "yes," "no," or "other" and feel free to explain your choice.

No. I don't use it. I play Greyhawk or homebrew. My homebrews are nowhere close to being "Eberronic." I have read some of it and it just doesn't fit my style preference.

DM

I didn't play or even read the SC AP, but I am excited about this one. Maybe I will have to go back and read through the SC path.

Anyway, I am a HUGE fan of Greyhawk. Diamond Lake? The same town featured in Doomgrinder? I can't wait. Even if I never get to DM the whole thing, just to read it should be awesome.

DM

I am looking for info for some parts of Greyhawk for my campaign. I own the 1983 set, the 1998/99 stuff and LGG, Greyhawk Adventures and the CoG boxed set, as well as most GH modules and a decent collection of Dragon (75-150, plus some more recent) and Dungeon (most of them), so info from those sources I have easy access to. Can you direct me to any other sources (including articles, websites, forum discussions, etc.) on the following areas of Greyhawk:

Political Divisions
Wild Coast
Celene
Furyondy
Veluna
the Uleks
Keoland
Gran March
Dyvers
Bissel
Sterich
Iuz

Geographic Features
Gnarley Forest
Kron Hills
Lortmil Mountains
Iron Wood
Rushmoors and Dim Forest
Good Hills
Davish River
Crystalmists and Jotens
Velverdyva and Att Rivers
Vesve Forest and Whyestill Lake
Dulsi and Blackwater Rivers
Howling Hills
Cold Marshes

I know this is a huge list, but any info I could get on any of them would really help.

Thanks!

DM

I am looking for gamers in the Myrtle Beach/Grand Strand, South Carolina area for a 3.5E D&D game with a 1E feel about it. I use published adventures, but alter them quite a bit. I prefer mature gamers 21 years old or older, but it does not matter how long you have been gaming. I am a non-smoker, but several other prospective members are not. If interested, please contact me through email at dgmiller@sccoast.net or by visiting my page at com2.runboard.com/bstrandrpg . We game on Monday nights, with an occasional Sunday night thrown in when work schedules dictate.

DM