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First, I’d like to say that I’m enjoying reading this adventure and hope to start a party on this AP in the near future. I did have some questions about the adventure so far.
1. Who are the new characters in the illustrations?
2. What is the clue given by the broken hand on the sarcophagus? (Turn three clicks to the right?)
3. While under “The Tunnels” it mentions that the red lantern is in area #20, in area #20 I found no mention of the lantern.
4. What is the Mad Slasher doing with the Beetles?
5. Where did the builders live while they were building their living areas? (Outside in tents probably) Why spend the extra time to build worker living areas instead of just building the tomb?
6. Area #19 is noted as being completely submerged. If the stairs from #18 descend at a 1:1 rate, then the floor of #19 is 10ft below #18. If all areas have a 20ft ceiling, and the water starts halfway down the stairs, then the water in areas #19-22 should be only 5ft deep with 15ft of air above. Is this correct?
7. 8 beds for workers, 30ft x 40ft shower area?
8. Why doesn’t the Water elemental in the shower area interact with (attack with slam) the Ghoul in area #20.
9. How many spheres are fired at each target on the beam each round. Is there a way to make them have a chance to knock the characters off the beam (DC10+ damage done each round DEX or Balance check)
10. Why won’t ‘Knock’ open the catch on the door in area #23? Or maybe some other spell, Maybe ‘Unseen Servant’ (I can’t remember if they can pass through walls, or be cast out of line of sight.)
Sorry, I have to get back to reading the rest of the adventure. Great stuff.
ASEO out
Not really sure why the Preview is showing my post twice...I even cancelled and started over. *shrug*
ASEO wrote:
"3. While under “The Tunnels” it mentions that the red lantern is in area #20, in area #20 I found no mention of the lantern."
Maybe you should re-read the room description...;-)
"6. Area #19 is noted as being completely submerged. If the stairs from #18 descend at a 1:1 rate, then the floor of #19 is 10ft below #18. If all areas have a 20ft ceiling, and the water starts halfway down the stairs, then the water in areas #19-22 should be only 5ft deep with 15ft of air above. Is this correct?"
Yup, good point. The easy fix is to just make the stairs 15'-20' long, depending on what races your PCs are.
Back to reading. Like ASEO said, wonderful stuff!!
Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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1. Who are the new characters in the illustrations?
I assume you meen the new "iconic" characters seen mixing with our familiar paladin and rogue. Like the familiar characters, these new iconic characters do not have names, and exist only to give the magazine a sense of character and to make it easier for us to do art orders. Instead of explaining to artists (who often don't play D&D) what a paladin is every time we need one illustrated, we can send them an image of our "iconic" paladin and say "paint this guy."
The new characters are a human female cleric of Wee Jas, a male drow bard, and a female tiefling fighter.
2. What is the clue given by the broken hand on the sarcophagus? (Turn three clicks to the right?)
Right. The "arrow" points to the orange alcove, which is the "default" to which it snaps back occasionally per the text under the "Ghosts in the Machine" header on page 26.
3. While under “The Tunnels” it mentions that the red lantern is in area #20, in area #20 I found no mention of the lantern.
"Treasure: A dead human body here bears the red lantern from area 7."
4. What is the Mad Slasher doing with the Beetles?
In my original "Age of Worms" campaign playtest, the Seeker corpse on the slab in area 17 had three palm-sized clay tablets carved to look like an eye with many legs splaying out from the central circle. When thrown, a mad slasher is released, and it attacks the nearest creatures. The existing mad slasher is thus a remnant of an unusual Seeker weapon used during Ulavant's original exploration of the Whispering Cairn. Somehow, it made peace with the beetles and shares their food. Perhaps they defer to it as the "king" of their enclave. I dunno. It's up to you. I would have liked to have put the mad slasher tablets in the adventure, but I ultimately ran out of space and time.
5. Where did the builders live while they were building their living areas? (Outside in tents probably) Why spend the extra time to build worker living areas instead of just building the tomb?
Because the tomb itself is a huge complex that is further connected to a dozen or more tombs via the gates in areas 2 and 3. The sixth adventure, "A Gathering of Winds," will actually take the PCs to the grandest of these, that of the Wind Duke general Icosiol.
Work on the tombs would have taken decades, most likely, so it's simply easier to build housing for the workers. Plus, the world was a much more dangerous place thousands of years ago, so "camping outside" is something a lawful alien would want to do for only so long.
6. Area #19 is noted as being completely submerged. If the stairs from #18 descend at a 1:1 rate, then the floor of #19 is 10ft below #18. If all areas have a 20ft ceiling, and the water starts halfway down the stairs, then the water in areas #19-22 should be only 5ft deep with 15ft of air above. Is this correct?
The idea was to have the whole of areas 19-22 completely submerged, and I can see how the map and the distances involved sort of betray that. I suggest extending the stairs to make it work, as you'll have a lot more fun with a fully submerged shower area than one with only 5 feet of water.
7. 8 beds for workers, 30ft x 40ft shower area?
Yep. My high school locker room shower was always bigger than my bedroom.
8. Why doesn’t the Water elemental in the shower area interact with (attack with slam) the Ghoul in area #20.
Perhaps it does? "Interact with," after all, need not mean "kill."
9. How many spheres are fired at each target on the beam each round. Is there a way to make them have a chance to knock the characters off the beam (DC10+ damage done each round DEX or Balance check)
One sphere per person on the beam (I had it a little deadlier in the playtest, but there you have it). As it says in the Stat Block, struck characters get a Reflex save to avoid toppling over. If you wish to replace that save with a DC 16 Balance check, that seems appropriate.
10. Why won’t ‘Knock’ open the catch on the door in area #23? Or maybe some other spell, Maybe ‘Unseen Servant’ (I can’t remember if they can pass through walls, or be cast out of line of sight.)
There's probably a way around the door, certainly when you get into higher-level spells like passwall. But these are second-level characters, at this point, so good luck to them. If you assume that the door has some sort of mechanical barring aspect to it (a safe assumption), I think it's fair to say that knock won't work. In any event, the PCs probably aren't high enough level to cast it without a scroll (which they'll have to buy). At a certain point, you can let them through the door with a knock, but Alastor Land's ghost would certainly attempt to stop them. The adventure isn't "over" if they get through the door without Alastor's help, it just means they'll miss out on about a third of the encounters presented in the magazine. They can still press on.
My PCs are nine sessions into the Whispering Cairn. They just plundered Zosiel's true burial chamber on Thursday, but they still haven't visited the Architect Level. It's possible they won't bother...
--Erik Mona
Editor-in-Chief
Dragon & Dungeon
"3. While under “The Tunnels” it mentions that the red lantern is in area #20, in area #20 I found no mention of the lantern."Maybe you should re-read the room description...;-)
Dooh...er...Ohhh there it is. Hidden in the first line...hmmm...um that one was a test...yeah. a test to see if anyone was actually reading...um...a bonus question as it were...yeah...that's it.
ASEO out
Thanks Erik. I can't wait to run this adventure. I really like the Mad Slasher chips. That is great. The fact that the party has to find the lanterns to get through the door, then has to help the ghost is great. It is like inserting little quests in the whole adventure. Cool.
One more question. Are the posts about the characters going through this in the game you DMed the playtesters, or a group that is playing the adventure as published?
ASEO out
While we're at it. . . .
The history of the Whispering Cairn mentions that Uluvant's band visited 60 years ago (535 CY) & Alastor Land died 30 years ago (565 CY) in the place. However, we know from the text on page 24 that all 7 lanterns in area 7 need to have torches placed inside them for the mouth of the bas-relief in area 8 to open, granting access to area 23. We also know that the Seekers took the red lantern to area 20 with them 60 years ago. The obvious question is: How did Alastor Land gain access to area 23 without all the lanterns present?
While you're mulling over that one, here's another: Alastor's mother & siblings were alive the last time he ssaw them, in 564 CY, so how does he know they're all dead?
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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One more question. Are the posts about the characters going through this in the game you DMed the playtesters, or a group that is playing the adventure as published?
ASEO out
They're the playtesters. As far as I know, the only people to play the adventure as published so far are the poor dudes at the 3-person table who got TPK'ed yesterday. ;)
--Erik
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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The history of the Whispering Cairn mentions that Uluvant's band visited 60 years ago (535 CY) & Alastor Land died 30 years ago (565 CY) in the place. However, we know from the text on page 24 that all 7 lanterns in area 7 need to have torches placed inside them for the mouth of the bas-relief in area 8 to open, granting access to area 23. We also know that the Seekers took the red lantern to area 20 with them 60 years ago. The obvious question is: How did Alastor Land gain access to area 23 without all the lanterns present?
That's a good question. I am certain I had an answer, at some point, but I don't remember what it is now. :)
Good karma? The honest truth is that it's not critical that Ulavant's band explored the cairn 60 years ago. Absent a better solution, I'd have them explore the Cairn after Alastor died, perhaps 20 years ago. I still feel like I had a "smart" solution to this, but I'll need a little more time to think of it, because I can't think of it off the top of my head. It may just be a mistake.
While you're mulling over that one, here's another: Alastor's mother & siblings were alive the last time he ssaw them, in 564 CY, so how does he know they're all dead?
That one's much easier. We're talking about a period of 31 years, so he can assume that some of them are dead (these aren't elves we're talking about, but dirt poor human farmers). He at least knows there's a family cemetary on the Land farmstead, since he would have seen his father buried there within his lifetime.
--Erik Mona
Good karma? The honest truth is that it's not critical that Ulavant's band explored the cairn 60 years ago. Absent a better solution, I'd have them explore the Cairn after Alastor died, perhaps 20 years ago. I still feel like I had a "smart" solution to this, but I'll need a little more time to think of it, because I can't think of it off the top of my head. It may just be a mistake.
Yeah, I was going to fudge it something like that--besides, it's not something that would likely come up in play, anyway.
That one's much easier. We're talking about a period of 31 years, so he can assume that some of them are dead (these aren't elves we're talking about, but dirt poor human farmers). He at least knows there's a family cemetary on the Land farmstead, since he would have seen his father buried there within his lifetime.
--Erik Mona
Of course, you can also explain it by saying that ghosts can sense if their immediate relatives or are alive or dead. And judging by the size of the farmstead (farmhouse, walls, family graveyard with headstones, & presumably a nearby barn &/or silo), Alastor's family doesn't strike me as very poor at all.
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Chief Creative Officer, Publisher
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I imagine that they were given the farmstead in trust to run it for someone else, but it really doesn't matter. They lived there until they stopped living there.
Given infinite space, it would have been fun to make the Land Farmstead a fully fleshed-out encounter area.
--Erik
Starting my party out tommorrow on it. Any way you can include a few more handouts, I see that most of these dungeon modules tend to be alittle short on the player handouts. Remember Tomb of Horrors, or Expedition to the Great Barrier Peaks with 60+ handouts. The biggest problem with the handouts I do have is they are mostle on the right side of your mag, which means to give out the colored version, you have to cut the back of the future page.
I counted 4 out of 7 that can be used as handouts on the right side. All-in-all it sounds great, feedback to come how the 1st level dorks make out. Also another question: When will you guys start up the mini-quests or what you used to call side-treck modules in your magazine, and if you could tie them in to the campaign arc as side quests that do not affect the story. King of like secretwars did in Marvel with their tie-ins. Wow I just showed my age, and level of geekness.
Is the compass rose on the "Lair of the Architect" map on page 27 correct? If it is, then why would characters try to topple the 8' high stone blocking the exit of area 9 to the NORTH (as described on page 28) where there is only 5' of clearance instead of pulling it EAST (toward the top of the map) where there is 15' of open space? Would it be safe to chalk this up to "North is always toward the top of the map" syndrome on the part of the area 9 trap description?
Ragnolin Dour Stone is LN? His actions (sccepting bribes, sabatoge, dealing with evil Cults) suggest otherwise.
ASEO out
Ragnolin Dour Stone is LN? His actions (sccepting bribes, sabatoge, dealing with evil Cults) suggest otherwise.
I believe he has been dominated somehow by the cult and this explains his actions. See pp 63-4: "Even if presented with evidence of Dourstone's collusion with the cult, these community pillars insist that the dwarf must be under some sort of compulsion (which he is).
I believe he has been dominated somehow by the cult and this explains his actions. See pp 63-4: "Even if presented with evidence of Dourstone's collusion with the cult, these community pillars insist that the dwarf must be under some sort of compulsion (which he is).Ragnolin Dour Stone is LN? His actions (sccepting bribes, sabatoge, dealing with evil Cults) suggest otherwise.
Yeah, but the bribes and the sabatoge was 50 years ago, prior to him coming to Diamond lake. True though about the cult.
Man, I can't wait to run this.
ASEO out
Wow! ASEO likes something!
Just kidding.
I am with you though. This looks like it has the potential to be some of the greatest adventures I have seen. I am, though, convinced that it will be by far best to run this once they are all out... I get the feeling there will be a LOT more foreshadowing and intertwinning of plots than in AP1.
Sean Mahoney
Sean: I think your right about waiting to run it.... and if they come out with a hard cover version like they did with AP1, . . (adding "lost" adventures and all).
But, alas, I run it anyhow. I think I'd finally cross the line between anticipating, and obsession if I waited a year (and trust me, I laugh maniacally enough as it is, the world does not need more) ;o)
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Quick DMs-only question, as it may contain spoilers: YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED:
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Are the hooded figures in the Black Cathedral kenku? They sorta sound like kenku to me. I guess next issue we'll find out, but hey- any info we can get ahead of time is great, right?
Talk amongst yourselves.
Are the hooded figures in the Black Cathedral kenku? They sorta sound like kenku to me. I guess next issue we'll find out, but hey- any info we can get ahead of time is great, right?
Talk amongst yourselves.
Oily black feathers could signify a number of things. But my bet's on kenku too. In which case, all I have to say is, "Wark."
With respect to James Jacobs and Chuko. :)
Oily black feathers could signify a number of things. But my bet's on kenku too.
I'd like to know because my local game store has about 10 Kenku single minis in their $.75 bin.
ASEO out
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There are worse things you can do with $7.50 than to buy a handful of kenku minis. And if you were to do such a thing... let's just say that you'll get a lot of use out of them in "Three Faces of Evil."
Sweet. Kenkus are t3h b_0mb. Better stock up- unless five of them will cut it.
By the way, my guess about the kenku included not just the oily black feathers, but that whole "wierd voices" thing, too. They are aural mimics, after all.
Ragnolin Dour Stone is LN? His actions ('ccepting bribes, sabatoge, dealing with evil Cults) suggest otherwise...
ASEO, this sounds like something I'd've writtin. I didn't, however...if he were LG, I might've. But being LN, and a greedy, avaricious dwarf to boot, mayhap the ends justify the means if the bottom line is big enough. Just how many gp are we talking here?
LG
There are worse things you can do with $7.50 than to buy a handful of kenku minis. And if you were to do such a thing... let's just say that you'll get a lot of use out of them in "Three Faces of Evil."
GREAT! I have 12 of them...
By the way, I have the original FF (where your avatar photo comes from). How did they go from N in that publication to NE in MM111 (sorry, GGG)? Just wondering...
LG
The new kenku (are) not always NE. Just usually.
So, they're not always MALA IN SE (inherently bad)...just most of the time. This sounds, to one degree or another, like most of the other races, oft-good or otherwise...its easier to do nothing, wrong, and/or to "look the other way" than to not to...
People (elves, dwarves, gnomes, haflings, half-elves, good half-orcs, and the odd kenku included), tend to follow the path of least resistance (like rivers and electricity)...(as RIP once) said, you thusly get crooked rivers and crooked men.
Do I have enough Kenku for the future installments?
LG
The history of the Whispering Cairn mentions that Uluvant's band visited 60 years ago (535 CY) & Alastor Land died 30 years ago (565 CY) in the place. However, we know from the text on page 24 that all 7 lanterns in area 7 need to have torches placed inside them for the mouth of the bas-relief in area 8 to open, granting access to area 23. We also know that the Seekers took the red lantern to area 20 with them 60 years ago. The obvious question is: How did Alastor Land gain access to area 23 without all the lanterns present?That's a good question. I am certain I had an answer, at some point, but I don't remember what it is now. :)
Good karma? The honest truth is that it's not critical that Ulavant's band explored the cairn 60 years ago. Absent a better solution, I'd have them explore the Cairn after Alastor died, perhaps 20 years ago. I still feel like I had a "smart" solution to this, but I'll need a little more time to think of it, because I can't think of it off the top of my head. It may just be a mistake.
How's this for a "smart" solution?: The mouth in area 8 is open just enough for someone with the physique of an unemcumbered small 13 year-old boy (or smaller) to wriggle through (with a very good escape artist check, of course). Lighting the lanterns opens it enough for larger people to fit through.
That works if you're ok with halfling and gnome PCs taking on the challenges of Alastor Land, the iron sphere trap, and possibly the choker alone.
Honestly, I think the better solution is just to change the dates a little.
--Erik
Actually, if they don't know better than to split the party in a dangerous area and get 1 or 2 members of their group killed alone, I'd rather they learn their lesson now at 1st level.
I say let them do it alone and either survive narrowly or die in the process.
Okay, here's another situation I envison.
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The water elemental in area 19 could seriously screw a party up. Here's a few questions I have for those who have run the encounter.
1. If the thing failed to extinguish the everburning torch on the first pass, did you have it continue to extinguish the torch until it suceeded, or did you just have it attack?
2. The vortex effect. If a PC was trapped in the elemesntal's vortex, did you have the elemental carry the PC over to the ghoul's room & leave him to face the ghoul alone? Theoretically, the water elemental could do this more than once--it'd just have to wait 10 minutes between vortexing. If this tactic is used, should the EL be raised?
3. What kind of movement did you use underwater, between attacks--tactical or local?
And another:
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Wind Warriors: Did anyone have them fly down & try to push or drop the PCs into the pit? I can just imagine the two circling that room at high speed & suddenly diving into a pc, knocking him off the catwalk.
Okay, here's another situation I envison.
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.The water elemental in area 19 could seriously screw a party up. Here's a few questions I have for those who have run the encounter.
1. If the thing failed to extinguish the everburning torch on the first pass, did you have it continue to extinguish the torch until it suceeded, or did you just have it attack?
2. The vortex effect. If a PC was trapped in the elemesntal's vortex, did you have the elemental carry the PC over to the ghoul's room & leave him to face the ghoul alone? Theoretically, the water elemental could do this more than once--it'd just have to wait 10 minutes between vortexing. If this tactic is used, should the EL be raised?
3. What kind of movement did you use underwater, between attacks--tactical or local?
1. I would have it continue to attempt to extinguish the everburning torch until it succeeds. It is insane, after all. Extinguishing the torch only requires a touch attack and a caster level check requiring a 12 or higher (1d20+2HD against DC 11+CL 3 for continual flame). My question is, because the everburning torch is a magical item, does this power only suppress it for 1d4 rounds as it says in Dispel Magic or does it extinguish the flame permanently?
2. Reading the vortex description, it seems creatures need to be Tiny or smaller to be affected by a Small elemental's vortex. So I would probably skip the vortex and just use slam attacks after the torch is out.
3. I would use tactical movement once the PCs enter the water because it says the elemental detects them the moment they do this and events will need to be tracked on a round-by-round basis.
2. Reading the vortex description, it seems creatures need to be Tiny or smaller to be affected by a Small elemental's vortex. So I would probably skip the vortex and just use slam attacks after the torch is out.
From what I read, it seems that only tiny & smaller creatures take damage from the vortex, but larger creatures can be caught up in it. What's the point of it using the vortex when it's unlikely anyone will be playing a tiny PC?
From what I read, it seems that only tiny & smaller creatures take damage from the vortex, but larger creatures can be caught up in it. What's the point of it using the vortex when it's unlikely anyone will be playing a tiny PC?
It says: "Creatures one or more size categories smaller than the elemental might take damage when caught in the vortex...and may be swept up by it." Sounds pretty clearly like only Tiny or smaller creatures are affected at all. I think Erik just overlooked this when writing the tactics section. As you said, with the vortex the creature is a little too challenging. I'm just going to leave it at slam attacks, as it is only a CR 1 foe.
Wind Warriors: Did anyone have them fly down & try to push or drop the PCs into the pit? I can just imagine the two circling that room at high speed & suddenly diving into a pc, knocking him off the catwalk.
I've been thinking aobut this EL 6 encounter for a while now. The Wind Warriors impressive flight makes this a VERY challenging encounter, and I can't imagine 4 3rd level PCs getting past it without one or more of them dying by a long fall.
My solution is that the Wind Warrior tactics will be very specific. Since their task is to defend the tomb, they will always keep tehmselves between the PCs and the entrance. By default, this means they will always want to stay on ground level. Of course, if the PCs start levitating, or trying anything tricky with the terrain, all bets are off.
I'll wait and see how much butt my PCs are going to kick. Our first session will be (probably) a week from tomorrow, and more will be clear on how much they'll be able to handle as we play in the coming weeks.
The history of the Whispering Cairn mentions that Uluvant's band visited 60 years ago (535 CY) & Alastor Land died 30 years ago (565 CY) in the place. However, we know from the text on page 24 that all 7 lanterns in area 7 need to have torches placed inside them for the mouth of the bas-relief in area 8 to open, granting access to area 23. We also know that the Seekers took the red lantern to area 20 with them 60 years ago. The obvious question is: How did Alastor Land gain access to area 23 without all the lanterns present?That's a good question. I am certain I had an answer, at some point, but I don't remember what it is now. :)
My fix is this: give the boy 2 ranks of Use Magic Device. Explain it away as a boyhood obsession with a wizard or fairy or something (which is why he ran away to a dangerous trapped cairn in the first place.)
The door opens by a set of magic conditions, so its a magic device by the definition that DnD uses. Assuming he got a natural 20 on a Activate Blindly check, his Charisma is high enough that he can hit the DC of 25 and open the door without the red lantern
hey i have a question about area 7. this could be a spoiler the false elevator trap does it reset every 2 rds and crush for 2d6 or what? because if the elevator descends and crushs a player could be crushed several times before the other pcs turn the sarcophagus to open the trap again ,just wonderin'
The door opens by a set of magic conditions, so its a magic device by the definition that DnD uses. Assuming he got a natural 20 on a Activate Blindly check, his Charisma is high enough that he can hit the DC of 25 and open the door without the red lantern
So do you let the PCs bypass the trap because the party rogue is a chaos gnome with skill focus: umd and magical aptitude for a total modifier of +16?
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Hi all -
I've photocopied my Dungeon Cairn and Dimond Lake sections, had them spiralbound, and carry at least one of them with me everywhere. Friday it was in line and waiting for F4, Sunday Batman Begins. This is a damn good adventure.
I've done massive highlighting, marking and note taking for my Wednesday group. But I've totally got to be missing something.
Room 7. The ceiling is 50' high, whereas all other lantern ceilings are 40'. Am I reading it right, that at 40' the tunnel to the next lair is located? All walk ways are 20' high, as is the area with the sarcaphogus (sic), they go into any lantern and the ceiling is 40'. The Blue langern is 50'. At the 40', there is the tunnel to the next lair. They bypass this whipering wall and....? I don't really see a tunnel in the architechts room #9 nor in the laborers #15 room.
Now granted, I haven't completely read the whole dungeon (my players are serious novices, so I have to remind them that I'll help them, since their PC's are natives to the world and would understand traps and such so it will be a bit before we even get to the Lanterns), but it seems that I would have noticed this somewhere already.
I know I have other questions, but can't access my booklet of notes.
Thanks in advance.
Theocrat
Room 7. The ceiling is 50' high, whereas all other lantern ceilings are 40'. Am I reading it right, that at 40' the tunnel to the next lair is located? All walk ways are 20' high, as is the area with the sarcaphogus (sic), they go into any lantern and the ceiling is 40'. The Blue langern is 50'. At the 40', there is the tunnel to the next lair. They bypass this whipering wall and....? I don't really see a tunnel in the architechts room #9 nor in the laborers #15 room.
The wall with the Face in Darkness trap on it leads to area 23 on the True Tomb map on p. 33
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Hi all -
Thanks for that answer above. Of course it leads to more questions.
Man, this module certainly out does the reading requirements that the PHB, DMG and most WotC modules have. Heck, most of my college text books don't seem to have this reading requirement.
I guess the tunnel where the blue lantern is, is #8. Where does this tunnel lead to? At first reading I thought it lead to #9, which would make it very hard to bypass with Red Lantern being in #20. So I gather that you are supposed to take the Yellow Lantern elevator down to #9, travel to #20, then back to #7, climb the chaining for the Blue Lantern to the tunnel, by pass the Whispering Cairn trap, and it leads....to #23 of the True Tomb (from the above post). I haven't read that far yet. Am I missing something in the text of #8? Does it say, tunnel leads to #23 of the True Tomb? Or are you supposed to wonder about it until you finish reading the whole module? That seems a little pretentious.
- unfortunately I don't think my players are well versed enough in D&D to be able to figure this out. Hell, I can't figure it all out and I have the benefit of being able to read the module a few times. And I'm only up to the Laborers area on first reading. I wonder if I'd be able to figure this out as a player. Heck obvisously, TPK's & HPK's, means that others aren't able to figure this out either.
Luckily, I'll make sure to remind my players, that they do not live in the world that the PC's do. That the PC's have experience and knowledge that we do not, that they need and should feel free to ask questions. I will aslo remark that the 18 Intelligence of the Wizard is a lot more than what we at the table have. All of which is fair to assume that they'd have inside knowledge that we know nothing about. We take it for granted that a red light means stop. They'd take it for granted that places have traps and tunnels and such that we as players would never get. The 3 fingers as a clue is comparable to realizing that Yellow means that Red comes next in order of a stop light, or at least that clutch = shift.
Theocrat Issak
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Creative Director
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For one thing, you should always read through an adventure all the way before you run it. We try to make the adventures in Dungeon flow logically so that it's easy to follow along where thigns are going, but in some adventures things are just complex.
The area 8 tunnel connects area 7B (located on the map on page 22) and area 23 (located on the map on page 33). We included notations for area 7B on the True Tomb map, but probably should have indicated area 8 more clearly than the two dotted lines on the map of the Whispering Cairn on page 22.
The door opens by a set of magic conditions, so its a magic device by the definition that DnD uses. Assuming he got a natural 20 on a Activate Blindly check, his Charisma is high enough that he can hit the DC of 25 and open the door without the red lanternSo do you let the PCs bypass the trap because the party rogue is a chaos gnome with skill focus: umd and magical aptitude for a total modifier of +16?
Well, despite the fact that a Chaos Gnome with Skill Focus and Magical Aptitude is a 4th level character(and this is a level 1-3 adventure), my answer is "yes."
PC that can consistantly hit the Activate Blindly check deserve to be able to get around this trap. They spent the class features to become good at Use Magic Device, so they should be able to use it.
Its not like the PCs won't explore the rest of the tomb. They are DnD adventurers. They know that XP and swag await them if they explore every nook and cranny. Silly puzzles just slow that process down.
I'd like to know because my local game store has about 10 Kenku single minis in their $.75 bin.
ASEO out
Do you ever use ebay? You can buy "kenku sneak" miniatures from the d+d miniatures deathknell set for really cheap (even with the shipping). I'm a power seller on there (it's what I do for a living) and sell a lot of d+d miniatures, so I know there are a lot of good deals (I sell 8 kenku sneaks at a time, and they usually don't receive more than a bid or two and end with a final price of 1.50 or 2.00 + a few dollars shipping). just a thought. 0ua9 dfd, da brap
What happens to a Wind Warrior when it is slain?
Does it dissipate (along with its possessions)?
As for the fake market created over the D&D minis...don't get me started.
Well since I'm here and haven't had something to whine about in a while...
If a creature is listed as Common in the MM, it should be common in a random set of minis. And two minis that contain the same amount of plastic and marginal painting should cost the same. The controlled supply chain to create an artificial market is almost criminal. Just sell the minis for a set profit over their production cost, and give me the resources to run your game. The whole random thing really chafes me as well. How many frigg'n cat people do I need. I've never even seen one used in an adventure for years. Or that damn Bullywug thug. Pick a set price for each size mini and then charge that amount for each figure of that ammount, package them in individual blisters, and you've got me as a customer, as long as they cost less than the truley quality minis from REAPER.
Rant off
Now if they were to sell a box set that corresponded to the creatures in a particular issue (or each issue) of say…Oh, I don't know...DUNGEON without the fake mark-up for artificially rare figures, then I'd by the box set each month.
ASEO out
If a creature is listed as Common in the MM, it should be common in a random set of minis.
What is this "Common" you speak of? D&D 3.X has no "Frequency" listing in the MM.
Now if they were to sell a box set that corresponded to the creatures in a particular issue (or each issue) of say…Oh, I don't know...DUNGEON without the fake mark-up for artificially rare figures, then I'd by the box set each month.
That's quite similar to another excellent idea!
What is this "Common" you speak of? D&D 3.X has no "Frequency" listing in the MM.
Damn my pre 3.0 Memmory! There goes my whole arguement...Now what to do with these 12 Half lizardman, half mindflayer figures...Let me buy a simple Carrion Crawler for $3. Or some Xorns. Crud those show up all over the place. I saw a Displacer Beast for sale for $50. Holy Cr@p!
That's quite similar to another excellent idea!
Now, just make them affordable. The two Wind Warrior possibilities run like $8.00 per mini + shipping. I bet the actual cost to produce the D&D mini's is one of WotC's best kept secrets. If you were going to make a mini pack for an issue of DUNGEON, I think it would have to be done completely with D&D minis to be affordable, and even then it would only work without the fake supply constraints.
You guys strike that deal and you'll be my heroes! Good Luck though, I'm betting the EL is way above even Epic Level.
ASEO out
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Is the compass rose on the "Lair of the Architect" map on page 27 correct? If it is, then why would characters try to topple the 8' high stone blocking the exit of area 9 to the NORTH (as described on page 28) where there is only 5' of clearance instead of pulling it EAST (toward the top of the map) where there is 15' of open space? Would it be safe to chalk this up to "North is always toward the top of the map" syndrome on the part of the area 9 trap description?
Yeah, something is wrong with this map. I didn't catch the area 9 mistake, but the directions don't fit in area 11 (referring to the depressions on the east and west ends of the pillar, when they seem to be on the north and south ends on the map). My guess is that the rose was right but then the automatic "up is north" assumption got in the way of accurate room descriptions.
Also, did I miss something in Area 25, or does it not say whether this is above or below Area 24? Does the column of wind take the PCs up, or down?
ASEO, I had the chance to talk to at legnth to the head of DDM, and I hate to say this, but the cost you would pay would be equal or greater than the cost of a quality Reaper minature. You see, the end cost doesn't end coming straight from the production cost, it comes mostly from the packaging.
For DDM to be available as singles, like most other minatures, Wizards would have to pay large amounts of money to come up with the numerous packaging designs... the cost/benefit analysis shows that to make the mini, paint it, (remember, hand painted, mostly) pack it, and ship it, the cost that the consumer pays is greater than the cost of an unpainted mini, by a fairly large margin... we're talking dollars, not cents.
Squid