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I couldn't sleep the other night, so I sat up flipping through Dungeon 134, and having a particular love for wizards I took a closer look at Thessalar the lich (page 68/69) and it struck me that Thessalar must have been the dumbest mage in the whole world at one point. Here you have an ancient Transmuter 10/Loremaster 10 human lich, and he only speaks three different languages. Namely Common, Draconic and Undercommon.
Now, anyone who takes a look at the loremaster prestige class will notice that it grants two bonus languages. And we also know that you gain one bonus language for every point of intelligence bonus when you create a new character, that is in addition to common. That means Thessalar, a mighty CR 22 lich, had at character creation a maximum intelligence score of 11. I am impressed at Thessalar's ability to survive over all these years to become a might lich, however I am less than impressed with some of the adversaries we have faced in The Age of Worms, not that they have been bad adversaries, it is just that they have been riddled with mistakes. Take the ghost avolakia clerics in 135, undead avolakia with tons of cure wounds spells, not to mention a quickened mass cure light wounds at level five (when it should be level 9). I know the writers have a deadline, but guys, come on! Things like these are really things you should have been able to avoid.
The fact that Thessalar can only speak three languages is not really a problem, but undead carrying spells that do harm to undead and heal the living is a little worse. I hope you get this fixed for the hardcover and the next AP...
Creative Director
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Thessalar's missing languages are an easy fix.
The ghost avolakia spells is easy too; just pick different spells. I'll try to get an errataed spell list for them into issue #135's online supplement. Basically, it was a copy/paste error from the living avolakia spell list from the previous adventrue.
Frankly, if those are the only two errors in those two adventures, I'd be shocked. Pleased, but shocked. High-level adventrues are tough to edit, is all I'm saying... :)
Actually, it leaves some things open that might be fun to tailor, in regards to Thessalar's languages. If he has been travelling the planes, its very possible that he speaks Imaskari and Loross (from Faerun's past), and any ancient dialects that might be native to Greyhawk especially in the past, plus whatever languages you want him to have from any other world you want him to have visited (Istarian if he visited Krynn, though he would have had a hard time leaving . . . heck maybe some languages from Mystara?)
Heh, I wouldn't notice if you forgot to put in his Saving throws, Initiative or even attack bonus (since hes a mage)! When I take a monster from the mag I just look at HP, Spells, damage, and a few other things, the rest I fudge if it comes up. So these stat problems haven't really bothered me.
The only thing that does bother me is when room numbers are screwed up, or when the motivations of characters/plotlines are a little simple (take the easy find of the Mind Flayer in HoHR for example). But I am pleased to say AOW has had only a few problems in this area.
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Actually, it leaves some things open that might be fun to tailor, in regards to Thessalar's languages. If he has been travelling the planes, its very possible that he speaks Imaskari and Loross (from Faerun's past), and any ancient dialects that might be native to Greyhawk especially in the past, plus whatever languages you want him to have from any other world you want him to have visited (Istarian if he visited Krynn, though he would have had a hard time leaving . . . heck maybe some languages from Mystara?)
Noooo! The responsibility of making my own choices is overwhelming!
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Thessalar's missing languages are an easy fix.
The ghost avolakia spells is easy too; just pick different spells. I'll try to get an errataed spell list for them into issue #135's online supplement. Basically, it was a copy/paste error from the living avolakia spell list from the previous adventrue.
Frankly, if those are the only two errors in those two adventures, I'd be shocked. Pleased, but shocked. High-level adventrues are tough to edit, is all I'm saying... :)
I can point out untold errors, but I'm sure others have done it before me.
Oh, and did you ever consider using the "Worm that walks" monster from Epic Level Handbook? I was a bit suprised to see that it was not used, I would have thought it to be the perfect lieutenant for the wormgod...
One more thing, about the avolakia sorcerer Mahuudril, why didn't you do "more" with her, as far as I can tell she is just another monster in the tabernacle of worms, why bother introducing her in "The Prince of Redhand" if you aren't going to give her a bigger role than just another avolakia?
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Creative Director
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We did use the Worm that Walks template: Kyuss himself is a Worm that Walks. We didn't want to re-use the template, and anyway, he has plenty of minions as it is.
As for minor characters having minor roles... well, not everyone can be a Key NPC. If you want any of the NPCs to have jucier roles in your Age of Worms campaign, cool! Mahruudil, for example, can be an excellent source of information about the rift between Dragotha and Lashonna if the PCs can get her to cooperate.
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We did use the Worm that Walks template: Kyuss himself is a Worm that Walks. We didn't want to re-use the template, and anyway, he has plenty of minions as it is.
As for minor characters having minor roles... well, not everyone can be a Key NPC. If you want any of the NPCs to have jucier roles in your Age of Worms campaign, cool! Mahruudil, for example, can be an excellent source of information about the rift between Dragotha and Lashonna if the PCs can get her to cooperate.
Ha, I did not notice that. I only got a chance to look at it briefly a few days ago, I'll be sure to study him much closer when I pick it up myself.
Well, I had hoped that Mahuudril would have a larger role as one of my players actually noticed that she was more than she appeared to be and made quite a mess at the reception, well I should have a good month to build upon Mahuudril before my players ever get a chance to reach the tabernacle of worms.
Ah, now to see his class levels and discover whether my prediction was completely right or not. :)
I prefer to call him "linguistically challenged"
I prefer to call him "linguistically challenged"
"Bah! Why do these foolish mortals expect me to be adept with languages? I have much more important things to do with my time than tinker around with piddling words. The essence of life is at my fingertips! I have no need to pour over dusty tomes conjugating verbs!"
My view would be that the other languages he knows are things like Old Imaskari, Ancient Suel, Ancient baklunish, Pre-Cerilian Common, etc....languages that have no relevance to his current place and time.
Although he probably should know at least a couple more languages with magical focii.
==Aelryinith
My view would be that the other languages he knows are things like Old Imaskari, Ancient Suel, Ancient baklunish, Pre-Cerilian Common, etc....languages that have no relevance to his current place and time.
Although he probably should know at least a couple more languages with magical focii.
==Aelryinith
I like that answer to the language issue.
He only speaks 3 languages that are relevant to Greyhawk... the other 9 or 10 are from completely different planes of existenance ;-)