The Crucible

[Mr.Samedi]

I'm going to be running Savage Tide this Saturday.

I'm fairly okay with most of the adventure, but the crucible completely stumps me. I've read through it several times and I just don't get how it works.

How does the illusiory wall room not get flooded? Are there an entrance apart from the trap doors?

Basically if someone could give me an explanation of exactly how the crucible room works, that would be great. Thanks in advance.

[DMaple]

The map doesn't show elevation. The crucible is a pit lower than the path that surrounds it, the secret doors and the room with the illusionary wall. The water floods in and probably stops about a few inches (maybe even a foot) short of the rest of the complex.

The some of the heights of things in the descriptions are wrong in a few places. For example the secret doors would actually be under water if they were only 5ft above the ground, they need to be higher up.

[Mr.Samedi]

Ahhhhh.....

So I'd assume that if the cave was flooded as it says in the description, the edges of the illusory wall room and secret doors would be 3ft above the waterline yes?

[DMaple]

I don't have the adventure to refer to, but yes, they should be some distance above the water line. I'll take your word that it's 3ft. I do remember that as written the secret doors would end up below the water level which I'm guessing was just a miscalculation on how high they are.

The problem I found with the Crucible is that if the players didn't have an elf (who has a chance to detect secret doors just by walking past them) with them there was virtually no chance of them finding the secret doors leading out of Area 10 to the rest of the Lotus Dragon's complex.

[Mr.Samedi]

I'm also assuming that the passageway to the secret doors and crocodile is sloped upward so that people can reach the secret doors right? A ladder would be a bit noticeable.

[DMaple]

I don't think so I think the secret doors are something like 8ft off the ground, but it's a rough wall so an easy climb even for a first level rogue.

[James Jacobs]

If I remember right... the secret doors are indeed higher up. It's easy for the Lotus Dragon thieves to clamber up to them; no need for ladders.

[Mr.Samedi]

Cool, thanks for all the help!

I look forward to throwing my players into this trap tomorrow.