I just read Hateful Legacy in #131 and I really think it's a potentially great adventure. I loved the setting--very unique. The bad guys are pretty memorable, too. I actually plan on using it in about 3-4 weeks, maybe sooner, depending on the events of my next gaming session.
However, I plan to change the setting of the valley to the Southern Hestmark Highlands that border the Vast Swamp. I will use an alternative adventure hook that ties into my own campaign instead of linking this adventure to the Hateful Wars.
I don't anticipate that this will be a problem, but if any of you Greyhawk afficionados have an opinion, I'd appreciate the feedback.
I see no problem there. Perhaps I would replace the ogres with trolls from the Vast Swamp, but watch out for the challenge ratings. Giant Troll as replacement for the Giant.
The Vast Swamp holds all kinds of scaly monsters, an advanced Lizard King could be a challenge, too. I don´t have a scaly replacement for the harpies, but just making them lizardlike is probably enough.
The Hestmarks themselves don´t seem to hold too many monsters, judging from the encounter tables. The wagons could be from some dwarves who might just want to reclaim the spoils. Sunndi itself has many demihumans, so perhaps this could be integrated.
I haven´t checked on Dullstrand.
The Corul River might be the route by which monsters from the Vast Swamp enter the area. Some influence of old Acererak could be an explanation for necromantic energies here.
Stefan
Are you keeping the original story background? That's a long way to go to chase after Pomarj humanoids.
No, I'm not keeping the original story background. My players are busy uncovering a Scarlet Brotherhood plot (my campaign is based on the original boxed set and set in CY576, so they haven't completed most of their conquests yet).
I'm going to tie the adventure in to this plot...haven't quite worked out the details of that yet. I like Stefan's idea of replacing the ogres with trolls and the harpies with something else.
In my campaign world the Hestmarks are a raging battleground between Medegia and Sunndi, but the southern arm that stretches around the Vast Swamp is much less civilized.
Thanks for the feedback!
I haven´t checked on Dullstrand.
Stefan
If I remember correctly there was a really great article written back in the day by Roger E. Moore on the Dullstrand. I doubt that I still have it, but I remember it was an online article on the premier Greyhawk website that predated canonfire. Sorry to be vague, but perhaps I will jog someone elses memory. I just remember being incredibly inspired by the Dullstrand piece...
Cheers
Ian