I was sitting here at work thinking about the various Dungeon adventures I have used in the past and I recalled one that was intended for Mature Audiences (i.e., those over 18 years old and supposedly not for the weak of heart). I cannot recall the name and the Dungeon issue number but I was wondering...has anyone here actually used that adventure? If so, did you use it as written or did you modify the adventure to suit your players' sensibilities?
No need to go into details (not that I would be offended but I am well aware that others would be and there are minors on this board). If I recall correctly, the adventure revolved around stopping a yuan-ti cult dedicated to demogorgon in a port town.
CB Out.
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The adventure is Porphyr House Horror, by James Jacobs, published in Dungeon #95.
I have not run it for my players. I did enjoy reading the adventure and thought there were a lot of good things in it, but at that time (and still) we often have a player's child in with our group. I didn't think it would be appropriate.
But, maybe I will revisit it. I'd also like to hear about anyone's experience with it, as I'm on the verge of creating a James Jacobs fan-club.
James Jacobs fan cult, eh? What domains would be available for this cult? I'm guessing a kenku or dinosaur domain will have to be fabricated.
The adventure is Porphyr House Horror, by James Jacobs, published in Dungeon #95.
I have not run it for my players. I did enjoy reading the adventure and thought there were a lot of good things in it, but at that time (and still) we often have a player's child in with our group. I didn't think it would be appropriate.
But, maybe I will revisit it. I'd also like to hear about anyone's experience with it, as I'm on the verge of creating a James Jacobs fan-club.
I think I will run it for my players (the youngest of us is in his early 20's while the oldest is nearly 30 so there should not be much of an issue). I will ask them first though if they have any objections about an adventure with such themes. Honestly though, my concern is not really whether they will be offended by it but rather, how badly they are going to make fun of the whole thing, :) My players are known to be smart-asses from time to time (like we all have not acted like immature adults from time to time :)
However, the changes I will be making to it will include level adjustments since the pcs will be of higher levels. Plus, I will be running the adventure in Eberron so I will be incorporating elements from Blade Runner into the adventure. Something about it just stuck me as just right for an Eberron setting. Plently of opportunities in the adventure for really good roleplaying as well as different scenes for possible combat. Lots of possibilites in that adventure. I like it.
CB Out.
CB, the major themes of Porphyry House Horror are drug addiction, prostitution, and demons. Let your players laugh and make smart ass comments to their hearts content. They won't be laughing long when they realize the jokes on them in Porphyry House.
An excellent, excellent adventure! I was planning on running it in my campaign, but things never clicked right to fit it in.
Hope you have loads of fun with it!
The adventure is Porphyr House Horror, by James Jacobs, published in Dungeon #95.
I have not run it for my players. I did enjoy reading the adventure and thought there were a lot of good things in it, but at that time (and still) we often have a player's child in with our group. I didn't think it would be appropriate.
But, maybe I will revisit it. I'd also like to hear about anyone's experience with it, as I'm on the verge of creating a James Jacobs fan-club.
Hey, count me in on that! I love James' stuff. His writing style really appeals to me a lot. I can't remember an adventure of his that I didn't want to insert into my campaign immediately.
Minor Spoilers...
I ran this adventure last fall but I can hardly say it was 'as written.' A pair of very high level 1st-2nd Ed. characters, both chaotic neutrals, ventured to Scuttlecove to dispose of some evil items they'd acquired. These were Lysseril, a Theif 34 /Wizard 17/ Fighter 15, and Maerdros a Priest of Zagyg /Wildmage 18th. Basically, old skool 1980s PCs out looking for trouble and fun...
Our campaign has always been in Greyhawk and so I set Scuttlecove in the Isles of the Sea Barons off the Great Kingdom, a pirate haven if there ever was one. The PCs did quite a bit of roleplaying, although Lysseril's player is a fighter at heart-but quite sly and thoughtful when he has only one sidekick!
They met Kedward Bone, sold their loot, bought a few nasty things/items, picked up a slave porter or two, including a dwarf-orc crossbreed (my idea), and eventually sought out Porphyry House for some 'action'. The Yuan Ti had some idea who they were dealing with-Lysseril has quite a reputation in the campaign world and was not hiding his identity-and he had a hatred of Yuan Ti going way back (to 'Dwellers of the Forbidden City', even).
The polymorphed thessalhydra concubines failed to kill the elf, although he was wounded and nauseated. The cautious Priest/Wildmage came to his defense and began summoning some aid from Limbo; slaadi, chaos beasts and a demon or two as well. The two battled their way through the House, up to the second floor and down below to the caverns, slaying all who opposed them. In the end, there was a fierce battle in the cavern shrine to Demogorgon from which they barely emerged alive. They finished up by doublecrossing Bone and fleeing Scuttlecove, adding Demogorgon to a long list of fiends and evil demigods who have a personal interest in their complete ruin and destruction.
A little over the top? Certainly. But that's how they like it sometimes, when even 'broken' mega-characters from back in the day can break into sweat and face tough odds. They enjoyed the setting and the mature theme-as chaotic neutrals they had skirted 'evil' many times and indulged in debauchery before, whether it be in the Vault of the Drow as guests, Sigil, the Great Kingdom (Rauxes), the Abyss or other places. I had told them that 'this is the adventure I had to cut open with scissors', but in the end it was a matter of pacing and interactive role-play (and then plenty of violence) which they enjoyed...
By the way, that unique demon featured in the adventure can be pretty brutal. Twelve arms? With the right feats, it can be a pretty hard thing to fight in melee. Heck, with a combination of different weapons, it can be fun. Spiked chains, whip daggers, weapons with reach, goliath hammers, mercurial swords, and so forth. However, that requires a fair number of exotic weapon proficiencies. Meh, I will have that thing use at least one spiked chain. If played right, it should be awesome to behold! Anybody else has any recommedations?
Ok, this adventure might be exactly what my players need.Can someone tell me in which Dungeon I can find it??
Our little group run the adventure as it was written. The first and greatest problem was to convince the group that there was something wrong with the Porphyr House. Maybe a group who served as priests of a demigodess succubus, preaching free love, did not think in conventional adventure lines. The whole operation was more a take over. They opened it again as their temple (less disease, less prices, more love).
I ran this one a few years ago. It was pretty harsh on the players. You can read about the decimation of my party by the yuan-ti in this thread.
M@