I've read this over what seems like a dozen times and I still don't understand how it really works. The picture doesn't really help me either. From what I gather, the ghoul is trapped in some kind of extradimensional space between the two places and can reach out to strike either. But if the ghoul is magically bound, how is it able to reach outside? Wouldn't it be subject to the same miss chance the PCs are? For that matter wouldn't it be incapable of seeing the PCs? Or is this supposed to be like a two-way mirror where the PCs can only see the portal, but the ghoul can see the PCs? And why does the ghoul automatically get sneak attack? The adventure says it's because it has total concealment, but this seems rather confusing unless you are using the two-way mirror theory. Additionally, assuming this automatic sneak attack thing works every time, then that makes this encounter arbitrarily more difficult. Shouldn't an ad hoc XP award be in order? (I plan to award an additional 10-20% myself.) Can it grapple PCs by dragging them into the portal? If so are the PCs even capable of being dragged "between" the two areas like the ghoul is apparently trapped? If so, should the PC be able to get out? Would he or she be able to see the ghoul at this point? Would he or she be able to see those outside the portal?
This is a really bizarre mechanic and I wish WB had come up with something a bit more comprehensible. Maybe it's just me, but it seems rather difficult to visualize and adjudicate.
I might just say the ghoul is trapped in an extra-dimensional space inside the door, and then place the equivalant of a Summon Monster (not sure what level equivalent should be used yet) trap on the door. That simplifies a lot, and the ghoul could still get its sneak attack. That is, unless someone can come up with a simpler explanation. I share many of Airwalkrr's feelings.
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Certainly a lot of subjectivity needs to be applied to fill in the blanks on this encounter. My interpretations:
— The abyssal ghoul is trapped within the Black Seal and occupies that 5-foot square making it necessary for PCs to Tumble or Overrun the ghoul to get past (or use magic as listed).
— Initially it can only sense others that are in contact with the Seal. Effectively the ghoul is invisible to the PCs contacting the door and thus are subject to its sneak attack.
— PCs in contact with the portal can attack the ghoul and ignore the Hardness (16 hp) of the Portal but the ghoul still is effectively invisible.
— Those not in contact with the Portal must overcome the Hardness of the Portal to damage the ghoul all the while damaging the Portal as well.
— Once the ghoul has been aroused, I envision the Portal to appear undulating with ripples and psuedopods. It's through these psuedopods that the ghoul can sense and attack those in the adjoining 5-foot square and still maintain its total concealment and sneak attacks against PCs. Once the adjoining square becomes vacant I'd have the Portal begin to "settle", say over 3d12 rounds after which the adjoining square is safe to occupy as long as the portal is not touched.
I imagine that concise details of the Portal/ghoul interaction originally existed and were eliminated to maintain the submission's word count. Enough information is there for DMs to formulate a plan and resolves the encounter to their level of satisfaction. I imagine that the solutions will be as diverse as the campaigns we all play.
Creative Director
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Rexx's interpretations are correct.
One way to visualize this encounter is to think of the ghoul as a stationary monster that occupies the same space as the portal. Once the portal is active, the surface ripples and the ghoul can attack creatures from within the portal as if it were simply standing there; in a way, it's "wearing" the portal as armor.
{snip}
— Once the ghoul has been aroused, I envision the Portal to appear undulating with ripples and psuedopods. {snip}
Anyone else get a really disturbing Japanese anime visualization with that quote? ;p
I've read this over what seems like a dozen times and I still don't understand how it really works. The picture doesn't really help me either. From what I gather, the ghoul is trapped in some kind of extradimensional space between the two places and can reach out to strike either. But if the ghoul is magically bound, how is it able to reach outside? Wouldn't it be subject to the same miss chance the PCs are? For that matter wouldn't it be incapable of seeing the PCs? Or is this supposed to be like a two-way mirror where the PCs can only see the portal, but the ghoul can see the PCs? And why does the ghoul automatically get sneak attack? The adventure says it's because it has total concealment, but this seems rather confusing unless you are using the two-way mirror theory. Additionally, assuming this automatic sneak attack thing works every time, then that makes this encounter arbitrarily more difficult. Shouldn't an ad hoc XP award be in order? (I plan to award an additional 10-20% myself.) Can it grapple PCs by dragging them into the portal? If so are the PCs even capable of being dragged "between" the two areas like the ghoul is apparently trapped? If so, should the PC be able to get out? Would he or she be able to see the ghoul at this point? Would he or she be able to see those outside the portal?
This is a really bizarre mechanic and I wish WB had come up with something a bit more comprehensible. Maybe it's just me, but it seems rather difficult to visualize and adjudicate.
I found this whole encounter bizarre as well. You might just skip the headache and have an Abysal Goul on the outher side of the portal - give the players a bit of a pain by having it so that there is not enough room for them all to fit without either bullrushing the Goul back or dealing with attacks of opportunity from the Goul. Since the characters on the other side of the portal can't cast spells this would be tough without being really hard to run due to the strange mechanic.
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This is a confusing encounter. ANother question I have is: which sqaure is the portal in? The text refers to "the sqaure the protal is in." But on the map on page 44 of Dungeon 129 shows that the door is ten feet wide. It looks like characters can walk around the portal guardian if the portal is ten feet wide.
Also, keep your eye on the abyssal ghoul's Improved Grab special ability. He (and many, many other medium size creatures with this special ability) can only use it on creatures small or smaller. He can't Improved Grab medium or larger creatures - which is gonna be most characters. He also needs both claws to hit. He can graple per normal on a medium size creature or bigger, but not get the free grapple from Improved Grab or do his damage from the attack that initiated the grab.
Anyway, I'd like clarification on the size of the portal. If the abyssal ghoul is "in the door", he's straddling two squares, which does not work well with v.3.5 space and movement. The portal should have been drawn five wide and five feet deep on the map for this to work well, it seems.
Happy gaming.
Don Kenneth Brown
West Jordan, Utah
by "contact" does this mean that the PC must state he is touching the portal, or is standing in an adjacent square good enough? I agree that this is quite a confusing encounter.
which sqaure is the portal in? The text refers to "the sqaure the protal is in." But on the map on page 44 of Dungeon 129 shows that the door is ten feet wide. It looks like characters can walk around the portal guardian if the portal is ten feet wide.
The walls either side of the portal are not thin like they look in the map (see the explanatory text) - there's miles of rock in between and only the portal can teleport one between the two areas. As to which square to use for the ghoul, I'd say use the top one based on a close inspection of the map.
Also, keep your eye on the abyssal ghoul's Improved Grab special ability. He (and many, many other medium size creatures with this special ability) can only use it on creatures small or smaller. He can't Improved Grab medium or larger creatures - which is gonna be most characters. He also needs both claws to hit. He can graple per normal on a medium size creature or bigger, but not get the free grapple from Improved Grab or do his damage from the attack that initiated the grab.
According to the Fiend Folio, an abyssal ghoul can grapple any creature up to and including its own size.
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As to which square to use for the ghoul, I'd say use the top one based on a close inspection of the map.
I see the fine details on the map upon your suggestion, Hastur. Good idea, thanks.
According to the Fiend Folio, an abyssal ghoul can grapple any creature up to and including its own size.
Again, good catch. I was relying on the Monster Manual's Improved Grab description. The Abyssal Ghoul does indeed enjoy an exception to the core rule. I was wrong and a bit jumpy making my claim.
I judge our Age of Worms campaign for a table of rules lawyers. One of my players is a Living Greyhawk circle member (I'm on the Nyrond triad). A couple of Living Greyhawk authors are also in our group. So, encounters like this are sure to have rule books open and debate raging.
Word countor not, at this level of play, this encouonter can make life easier on AoW judges if some more mechanics were printed in the encounter. But, we have these friendly boards, which is just as well.
Thanks, guys.
Don Kenneth Brown
West Jordan, Utah
This is a confusing encounter. ANother question I have is: which sqaure is the portal in? The text refers to "the sqaure the protal is in." But on the map on page 44 of Dungeon 129 shows that the door is ten feet wide. It looks like characters can walk around the portal guardian if the portal is ten feet wide.
The map and description in Dungeon 129 are daft, since the portal is clearly supposed to be an intact version of the broken "mirror" the PCs found in the opposite alcove in The Whispering Cairn. The end of the tunnel should be curved, as shown in the map in Dungeon 124, with the "mirror" standing shy of the end. This solves the issue you describe, since the mirror portal is only 5 feet wide.