Do the missing lanterns need to be replaced? Or can the PCs use other light sources, such as torches or normal lanterns? I just can't see my pc's finding the underwater lantern.. they're picky about water.. does any red-colored lantern do? Or is the ones in the module magical?
Sorry if any of this is covered in the text, as I wasn't expecting to play this soon, and admittedly haven't studied the text carefully.
Since the lanterns are worth quite a bit, I would imagine that the lantern has to be made to a certain specification. In other words, an exact duplicate would probably work but any just any old red lantern wouldn't work. It would need to be the proper shade of red and cast the light in the exact right way in order to work.
After all, once the lanterns are lit, it causes a dazzling effect in the room as well as trigger the door. Mixing regular colored lights won't do that.
Your players are reluctant to enter water? Getting the lantern seems like just the motivator they need. If they absolutely refuse to enter water under any circumstance, then your group is pretty strange.
Well they need to get it. remind them that they are not personally swimming into a submerged dungeon that so far has been filled with nasties it's their PC's who'll be doing it. also the false tomb room resets but lanterns withing the complex that are not in the false tomb do not reappear, so that shouldn't work but if your stumped with them not getting the lantern have the reset place the lantern but add a gaurdian with the same el as the ghoul and the elemental. I'd make it two small air elementals.If they wanna play they gotta pay. otherwise your going Deus ex machina for them and thats no fun. anyway thats how i'd handle it.
What happens to the lanterns taken from the tomb when the yearly replacement cycle hits?
If "nothing," then isn't it quite conceivable that Diamond Lake is full of such lanterns, stolen over the years by the town's teenagers & other explorers?
Thanks, that's what I figured. This module is quite tricky to play without a thorough read-through. Quite a few times I had to tell my players:"No, wait, something DOES happen when you tried this and that".. I'd better prepare for next time.. btw, the wolves took out my cleric and paladin in 2 rounds, I had to fudge some dice and have Melinde run in for the save. Tricky first encounter indeed :)
You really shouldn't run any pre-generated adventure without a thorough read through first. I know my players and doing something like that is just begging for trouble... :)
If nothing happens to the original lanterns after a reset, couldn't the players just farm the dungeon for lanterns, making 350 gp/week?
'Course, if my players tried that, i might give 'em a couple weeks then have Balabar Smenk move in to claim the cairn, or have the whole tomb collapse in some spectacular fashion as the magic runs out.
Dungeons & Dragons isn't always about doing the easiest, cleanest things. :)
--Erik
There used to be a Pest Controller kit for dwarves back in the 2nd edition days. Perfect for an urban dwarf with a contract from the city to keep its sewers free of lethal pesties.
Not much of a swimmer, but he could wade in crap with the best of 'em.
Neither easy nor clean, but hey, unlike any other role I've ever played. Amazing what you find down there...
If nothing happens to the original lanterns after a reset, couldn't the players just farm the dungeon for lanterns, making 350 gp/week?
The lanterns are only replaced once a year. This is still a good living I suppose but not very glamorous, plus they'd have to find buyers for the lanterns. And the Age of Worms might put an end to their plans when it sets in because they have been busy farming lanterns instead of playing D&D.
My question is what is stopping the PCs from selling the lanterns they can find and just leaving Diamond Lake with the money they make? They could easily take a carriage to the Free City on the money.
I belive a commoner would be hesitant to enter the cairn. Between the ghostly wind and rapid wolves Im sure all but the most adventerous of spirits would venture to far inside. And if the best they come up with is to loot the same few lanterns once every tear...well not to adventerous I would say. Anyways they would flood the local market with the lanterns and reduce the offering price after a few years.
As far as finding the lanterns goes...my players hate the water as well(to many penalties for actions). I plan on having the submerged area only 4-5 feet deep. It dosent change much in the adventure much at all.
I'll just post a second question here.. no need to clutter the boards. Is the only way to know of Zoziel's name to have Allustan order the Chronicles of Chan from the Free City?
On another note, this is by far the best dungeon crawl I've read in some time. When I first saw this, I thought.. oh no.. not another generic.. there's nothing generic about this, and my players loved all the small things (Blink 182 music plays in my ear).. great work..
I think the easiest way to handle the lantern thing is that every time they are taken out of the cairn they teleport back to their original location within 24 hours.
That way there is no glut of strange lanterns glutting the warehouses of City of Greyhawk art dealers.
Lets face it, I imagine a teleport type contingency is far less power intensive than a major creation type contingency.
Or have them teleport back the instant they pass through the menhir at the entrance of the cairn. That way, there's no way they can be sold.
I'll just post a second question here.. no need to clutter the boards. Is the only way to know of Zoziel's name to have Allustan order the Chronicles of Chan from the Free City?
Decipher Script and comprehend languages reveal the name Zosiel if used on his glyph. (see sidebar on p. 21)
Or have them teleport back the instant they pass through the menhir at the entrance of the cairn. That way, there's no way they can be sold.
Perhaps the lanterns could disintegrate after a period of time, if they're too far removed from the cairn. The lanterns do look fairly pristine after all that time, so perhaps they're sustained by the magic (or the minor air spirits) that are there.