I was skeptical about the Escape from Meenlock Prison when I read the adventure synopsis (which is usually what I base my decision to read/not read something on). Not that I didn't like the plot. I just wasn't sure about how appropriate I thought it was for 1st level characters. Well, I went ahead and read it anyway and I'm really glad I did! It's a great adventure - kudos to the Connors!
However, I'm totally unfamiliar with meenlocks (obviously don't own the MMII). For starters, exactly what size are they (how tall?)? The description says tiny but the artwork seems to suggest otherwise.
Also, at what point does the meenlock transformation manifest physically? And once a physical mutation begins, at what rate does it reverse (if at all)? And I am accurate in understanding that the meenlocks only have to touch a victim to transform them? If so, then why are there so many partially affected victims in the prison? Why not just stand there and touch the victim three times?
Calling all meenlock experts! Can someone give me a better idea how they operate? I've read the descriptions included in the adventure but I'm still confused.
However, I'm totally unfamiliar with meenlocks (obviously don't own the MMII). For starters, exactly what size are they (how tall?)? The description says tiny but the artwork seems to suggest otherwise.
Artwork is a bit counter suggestive in MMII as well but the text says 2' tall and their usually hunched over dragging their claws around behind them on the floor.
Also, at what point does the meenlock transformation manifest physically? And once a physical mutation begins, at what rate does it reverse (if at all)?
Once the transformation starts only big time (as in far beyond 1st level characters) magic can stop it.
And I am accurate in understanding that the meenlocks only have to touch a victim to transform them? If so, then why are there so many partially affected victims in the prison? Why not just stand there and touch the victim three times?
MMII says that, after the victims are captured and bond, three or more Meenlocks gather around them and touch them continuously. After 1d6 hours of this the victim is reduced to 1s and 0s for stats. Once this occurs then in another 1d6 hours the victim transforms into a Meenlock.
The text is not really clear on whether the Meenlocks can relieve each other from all this touching. It would appear that it requires three of them to make the transformation happen but there are no indications that they take breaks from the touching. I kind of get the impression that touching is required for the first half of the transformation and not for the second half but the text is not crystal clear on this point.
Thanks Lady Aurora!
Since it takes three meenlocks to transform a PC and there are only three meenlocks in the prison, you won't even need to worry about the transformation if the PCs kill one of them (say in Area 6). If all three are around when the PCs get to Area 9A however, it becomes a possibility. They'll need to have continuous contact with the victim for 1d6 hours, at which point all the victim's ability scores drop to 1. In another 1d6 hours the actual transformation is complete. You can have a lot of fun with this period of time. The rules aren't clear about exactly what happens when, but I'm imagining a terribly painful transformation starting with ulcerations and the emergence of spiky hairs, continuing with a repeated folding of the limbs (e.g. knees snapping backward and fusing the lower to the upper legs) ever shortening the stature to tiny, and culminating in a fully functional meenlock. If the PCs rescue someone who's in the first 1d6 hours, they will see the effects of the metamorphosis slowly reverse as the victim heals. Such is the case with the warden in Area 9A. If the PCs rescue someone who's already been through the first 1d6 hours, there isn't much that can be done given that heal and greater restoration are likely well beyond 1st level PCs.
The warden is the only one in the prison who is partially transformed. [To key the PCs into the fact that this is a person who may be worth rescuing, consider putting him a torn uniform that becomes visible when he is removed from the wall. If they kill him before noticing, they just might feel a little guilty afterward.] All other persons marked as asleep on the map are actually suffering from the effects of repeated rend mind attacks, having their wisdom reduced to 0 and falling into a helpless state of nightmare sleep.
If you decide to play the adventure, here's wishing you a great time!
I'd also like to chime in on the kudos to the conners:
The adventure was a blast to read; definetly something I want to run at some point or another.
Flavorful without being overcooked, enough combat to keep people invovled, and short enough to be a good sidequest if needed.
thanks for another good one!
Thank you! That really clears things up for me.
I really enjoyed the adventure. I'm kinda in the middle of a bunch of stuff right now but this is definitely going to be my launching adventure for my next campaign.
My favorite points:
The bad guys' scheme is clever but doesn't take too much for the players to unravel (which is good since 1st level players are sometimes new to the game itself). Also, I don't like when evil plots are overly complicated so that players either have to strain their brains or simply never figure out much of the detail of the scheme by the end of the adventure.
The scene is set, in the prison, but nothing feels forced or overly linear. The NPCs' plans and motivations are recorded but there isn't any prescribed interaction between PCs and NPCs that "has" to happen for the plot to flow (other than the original hiring of the PCs, of course).
The whole spooky atmosphere is just plain cool! The whispered mantra, the uncertain condition of the prisoners. I imagine the PCs feeling tentative and frantic at the same time. It's dark and creepy and I'm picturing the players as sorta uncertain on how they should continue (torn between conflicting desires to complete their task/retrieve the prisoners, "rescue" some prisoners, or just run for their own lives!).
Lyle's "conversion" from a bad guy to a reformed criminal. In fact I like that the bad guys themselves are not purely evil. Sure, they're "bad" but their motivations are almost understandable (hey! I said "almost").
The prisoners themselves evoke great pathos without giving up their terrifying menace.
The meenlocks as the primary adversary. Popping in and out using DD, hiding in shadows, making mind attacks - all very cool in the horror film kind of way!
Okay, I'll stop gushing now. I just really enjoyed this adventure!
Ditto on the quality of this adventure; my wife has DMed meenlocks against me and the rest of our group occasionally, but now I finally have something worth running her crew through!
A question: consider that there are 3 CR 3 meenlocks, as well as a few other EL 1-3 fights with other inmates and the con men, it seemed as if the treasure rewards were rather low, relative to the amount of XP the PCs will likely gain, as the single magic item in the adventure (dust of dissapearance) is rather easy for most PCs to miss. Granted, its their own fault for not looking, but who searches a peg-leg? But I notice two things: the chateau's ledger, and the chateau itself. Both of these are theoretically worth a large sum, and both are also theoretically up for grabs by the end of the adventure. Of course, the sums they are worth are far beyond what a level 1 party should have. Any advice from the authors on this?
...When he died he put a variation of the meenlock quote on hhis tombstone.
one side -"We you are now, I once was"
other side- "What I am now, You will be"
Hi chopswil,
I think that guy stole the quote from the same place we did. My wife went to Italy some years back and visited the Capuchin Crypt where this somewhat famous inscription can be found. This macabre crypt is really quite interesting. Have a look: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_Friars_Minor_Capuchin. The quote fit so well with the theme of the adventure, we couldn't resist using it.
Thanks Black Bard!
Yes, the treasure is really quite scant in this adventure. But as you pointed out, you have a least one thing that's worth more than its weight in gold - the chateau's ledger.
First, a word about the chateau itself. It's a bit much to let the PCs keep the whole building, and in our own campaign we had the daughter of the warden come and claim it. In fact, our PCs killed the warden before realizing who he was, so the estate fell to his daughter (the false accuser of Oban Relks, her husband in Area 7c). This daughter (who is presently cuckolding Oban) found out about her father's death when Oban returned home after having been freed by the PCs and arrives at the chateau a week later to collect her father's twisted body.
Now the ledger. It could be of immense value to the PCs and, perhaps more importantly, to those who may realize the PCs have it. Detailing all the political prisoners and the parties who are paying for their surreptitious incarceration, you can bet it will have great value in the political landscape of your campaign world. I hope that whatever your PCs decide to do with it, it will spark many adventures to come.
Mr. and Mrs. Conners, how dare you! How am I supposed to sleep tonight while tormented by that image of a young girl skipping rope with a man's intestines?
Fantastic adventure!
Ooooh, a new adventures from the Conners... I can't wait to get my hands on this.
I bought an expensive bottle of red this afternoon (from an oddly nervous merchant). It's dark outside now. And windy.
I think I'll go read it again.
Mr. and Mrs. Conners, how dare you! How am I supposed to sleep tonight while tormented by that image of a young girl skipping rope with a man's intestines?
Fantastic adventure!
Thanks Ashenvale!
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For anyone considering playing Escape from Meenlock Prison from issue #146, my wife and I have an idea spice buffet for you. Add as much or as little as you like.
If you plan to start a campaign with this 1st level adventure, consider populating an empty cell or two with villians you hope to recur. If the PCs don't free the NPC you've planted, you've got the seeds of enmity should the NPC subsequently free himself. On the flip side, if the PCs free their future nemesis, they are at least a little to blame for whatever evil he should happen to commit and thereby pave the road for future adventure hooks.
Definitely consider dimming the lights and playing scary music when the PCs descend to the basement and then again at key moments. I chose a few tracks from a Midnight Syndicate album called "The 13th Hour". The track "Veiled Hunter" works great for Area 4A, while "Last breaths" and "Gruesome Discovery" add a great deal to the warden and meenlock encounter in Area 9A. If you've never had music in your game, this is a good chance to give it a shot. I guarantee your players put down those pizza slices and sit up straight.
The basement is the colorful Oz where life above ground is B&W Kansas. Low music and dim lights mount tension and poise the players for visceral reactions. If after all your efforts, the mood isn't right or the players aren't paying attention, skip what I'm about to say. Otherwise, consider the following little things that can go a long way. In Area 1, the moths burst into a flurry of orbital flight as the first PC passes under the mottled light. Tiny pale roots penetrate the east wall and wave like cilia as a result of the nearby assassin vines' animation ability. In Area 2, an unseen rat knocks a wine bottle to the ground where it shatters just behind the feet of the last PC to pass by. In Area 4a, the crying man is the identical twin of the disembowed man he's reeling in. If the players think any of this is silly, stop. If they are getting into it, ...sweet!
In our campaign, the PCs were very reluctant to let any of the NPCs out. Where's the fun in that I ask? So we garnered some PC sympathy by having Nis Whitedress, the surgeon in Area 6a, begin bashing his own brains out when the PCs refuse his final, desperate pleas for freedom. That opened the flood gates for PC/NPC interaction. You may be surprised how many NPCs your PCs free if they get over the hump of letting out just one. And if they don't let out Nis, perhaps he rises as an allip, its hypnotic ability drawing the PCs to look into the cell where, in maddended shame, it beats its old lifeless body with smoky black fists.
To mix things up a bit, we had Simmol Redturn (Area 6C), the famous instigator for violent extremist groups, be a deathbed reformer. He's vowed to the gods to do only good deeds should his life be spared. If the PCs let him out, he's simply not the man he used to be and this puts him at odds with the other NPCs who expect him to be as evil as always. In our campaign, he's already reappeared in subsequent adventures where he attempts to repay the PCs who freed him with overly selfless acts of good will. His stumbling attempts at honorable deeds and "clean livin" mixed with his renewed association with criminals (his only friends) still have our PCs unsure whether he can be trusted.
In Area 7B, Verin Syllk offers the PCs keys to the cells if they free him. If the PCs aren't taking the bait or threaten him, he in turn threatens to drop the key ring down the drain in his cell. The PCs may start thinking that that key ring is somehow more important than it is, and an interesting roleplaying interaction between Syllk, the PCs, and Blessed of Pelor across the hall may arise.
The more you can involve your players with these prisoners, the more they will start to remember their names and think of them as real people. NPC to NPC interaction is a great way to prime the pump and draw the players in.
Finally, in Area 9A, consider clothing the half-transformed warden in a tattered uniform that's only visible if he's freed from the wall or the PCs make a DC 20 Spot check. If rash PCs kill him and only later discover his clothing, they might feel a tad guilty that this was no dangerous creature after all. This is especially true if Oban, his son-in-law from Area 7C, arrives later and sees his father-in-law's dead body.
Thanks all! And enjoy!
Awesome additions which I certainly plan to use!
And regarding the treasure, what you mentioned works, but I just thought the adventures were supposed to maintain the standard advancement of GP and XP. This adventure is pretty up there in the XP, but really kinda skimping on the GP. Not that I find anything actually wrong with the adventure mind you! I plan on running it ASAP with my group. I guess I'll just calculate what the difference in average treasure per CR is and add some stuff to the Safe in the Wardens office.
Again, awesome adventure, can't wait to have my own players muttering "big boys dont cry"!
I finally got around to reading this one tonight. Truly a fantastic adventure. One "problem" with my Dungeon subscription is I only have time to DM one group, so I can never get all the adventures I'd love to run out on the table. This one is going in my bin of possible openers - in fact I have ideas for an Eberron campaign it would be a great start to.
Regardless - great work. I really enjoyed the read.
Mr & Mrs. Connors,
Congratulations on not only delivering a fine adventure but also having your wedding vows renewed at Stanmer Park. When I studied at University of Sussex, the Park was within easy walking distance, and I often walked past the manor house (closed then - 1989-90). I understand it's opened and refurbished now.
Good memories came back from an unusual source. Kudos.
Mr & Mrs. Connors,
Congratulations on not only delivering a fine adventure but also having your wedding vows renewed at Stanmer Park. When I studied at University of Sussex, the Park was within easy walking distance, and I often walked past the manor house (closed then - 1989-90). I understand it's opened and refurbished now.
Good memories came back from an unusual source. Kudos.
Hi fellow alumnus Siobharek,
My wife and I (both American) met at Univ of Sussex in 1991-92 where we both happened to be doing a junior year abroad. You may be interested to know that Stanmer Store is still open - you know, that little place that has awesome Cream Tea & Scones. Ahh...memories of the Hot House, the Grapevine, Park Village, ... all flooding back now. I think I'll make myself a "snake-bite black" after lunch. Great to meet you Siobharek!
Siobharek just reminded me to mention something I'd forgotten. As the bio at the end of the adventure eludes, we based the prison on an imagined refitting of Stanmer House in Sussex, England. Take a look at the website stanmerpark.co.uk, then click on Visit Stanmer House. You'll get a close up view of the way we envisioned the chateau turned prison. You might even print it out to show the players as we did. The website is not only top notch, but you can get your own creative juices flowing when you see inside the old cellar. Click next on Stanmer House Tour, then on any floor and room you like. In fact, you can use the layout of the first floor for your game map.
I found a fun picture of the place:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f3/Stanmer_house.jpg
I'll have to check and see if I am allowed to read this adventure. It sounds like an adventure my friend would run.
Hey Talented Connors Duo! I really enjoyed this adventure! I though it was absolutely wonderful, creepy, moody... everything that I personally look for. Lots of room for me to tweak and lots of great building blocks. Thanks for a job very well done!
Thanks Gavgoyle!
The feedback (good and bad) from all you guys and gals is wonderful. I get a good feel for what to shoot for and what to avoid in future adventure proposals.
I seem to recall it being mentioned somewhere in 1st or 2nd Edition that the "touching" for the transformation involved crude surgical mutilation of the victim and the moss unique to meenlock lairs being applied to the resulting wounds.
I also noticed a fair amount of detail differences between the meenlock's abilities and even their appearance between 1st ed. Fiend Folio and 3.5. Most of the differences are technical ones; conceptually I think they are pretty close. I'd encourage you to use whatever works best for you, even pick and choose.
Here's a second helping of ideas for Escape from Meenlock Prison. Again, use/ignore as you will.
Adventure Consequences:
If the PCs free any prisoners, there may be troublesome political ramifications. From the perspective of anyone (like jailor Tarrow Shick from the adventure hook) who wasn't at the chateau to witness the prisoners' dire circumstances, it looks like the PCs just perpetrated a jailbreak, maybe for their own personal gain. And soon enough, the parties who are paying for those prisoners' incarceration are going to find out not only that the prisoners are free, but that the PCs, under the employ of a city offical (Tarrow), are to blame. If said parties are rival cities/states, the freed prisoners may bring to boil an already hot political climate. Tarrow's superiors aren't going to be too happy either, and in distancing themselves from the debacle, may put tremendous pressure on Tarrow and the PCs alike.
If one of the con men gets away, it could prove VERY bad for the PCs. While explaining his prison escape to friends (and/or a brief encounter with the authorities), the con spreads convincing rumors that a well-organized group matching the PCs' description arrived at the chateau, killed all the guards and some prisoners (including his fellow cons), stole everything from the chateau's safe, then promptly left all the prisoners to starve. He explains that he was lucky to escape during their rampage. A good liar to begin with, the con may even be stating some truth. Unless the PCs save the warden or some other credible witness, these rumors alone just might put them on the run.
I ran four of my seven players through the beginning of Escape from Meenlock Prison last night. It was a blast! But my players, once again, proved the old adage that "no adventure survives the PCs." In a nutshell, they split up, with two in the cellar and two upstairs, and the upstairs ones killed or chased off the fake guards. I’d love suggestions on how to handle the situation.
Here's how it played out: The two male PCs (a duskblade and a barbarian) presented themselves to “Mr. Fine” at the chateau’s front door and met with the fake warden, all as planned. The two female PCs (a rogue and fighter), however, snuck around the back of the chateau, quietly broke in (a natural 20 on a pick locks role) and hid. From hiding, the women overheard much of the men’s interview with the fake warden. "Mr. Fine" then lowered the male PCs down the elevator. The women kept spying on Mr. Fine and warden. The men realized things were deeply wrong when they discovered that no “Mr. Dee” was waiting for them on the cellar level and that “Mr. Fine” wouldn’t answer when they shouted to bring them back up the elevator.
Rooms 1 through 3 played beautifully! I used all of Tim’s suggestions above to make the experience creepy, and the players ate it up. By the time the pair reached the door to area 4 (“The Anglers”), they were deeply freaked out. They even joked about bringing the wooden leg along, “because either you or I will probably end up needing it.”
Meanwhile, “Mr. Fine” reported briefly to the fake warden, while the women listened. “Mr. Fine” said the men went down the elevator easily enough. The fake warden called them fools for going down as just a pair. He predicted they’d get themselves killed in no time. The fake warden then told “Mr. Fine” that the prisoner transfer order said to release the prisoners "to four guards," not to two, so there must be two more lurking about somewhere.
The rogue PC, who's quite hot-headed and unpredictible, apparently took the fake warden's comments to mean he and “Mr. Fine” were up to no good. She sprung from the shadows and attacked “Mr. Fine”. Unfortunately, in one round, the fake warden and “Mr. Fine” cut down the rogue. The fighter then killed both Mr. Fine and the Warden with barely a scratch to herself. “Mr. Dee” and Lyle Benedict, who’d come when they heard fighting, fled. The drunken wine merchant locked himself in the warden’s office, terrified.
That's where we stopped for the evening. The rogue stabilized at -1, but neither woman has access to magical healing.
So, how should I run the rest of the adventure? The women could easily bring the men up the elevator, and they might all just march off, convinced that this place isn’t what they were led to believe and isn't worth the trouble. If the women want to wander through the prison level with the men, they can’t both go down because someone needs to lower the elevator. Nor would they want to go down, knowning them, for fear of getting stuck. (The men haven’t found the Room 12 elevator yet.)
I could have railroaded the women in with the men, but I chose, wisely or not, to let them do what they would. Suggestions?
I ran four of my seven players through the beginning of Escape from Meenlock Prison last night. It was a blast! But my players, once again, proved the old adage that "no adventure survives the PCs." In a nutshell, they split up, with two in the cellar and two upstairs, and the upstairs ones killed or chased off the fake guards. I’d love suggestions on how to handle the situation.
Spilled milk, I realize, but it strikes me as strange that your players came up with this divide & conquer method from the get-go. It hints at metagaming when you're hired for the "simple" task of prisoner retrieval and instead part of your party *breaks in!* to the prison and spies on the "guards" and "warden". The characters themselves should have no reason to suspect anything is amiss with the authorities at the prison. Their task was (supposed to appear) pretty straight-forward. Like I said, spilled milk, but your players sure ran their characters in a seemingly illogical fashion!
I don't think the PCs acted illogically. The chateau/prison is a strange notion to begin with. For a place that incarcerates (and enslaves for forced laber) prisoners, where are the watch towers, the towering walls, the guards? If someone sent you to collect prisoners from a vineyard chateau, and there was no one outside anywhere when you arrived, wouldn't you poke around a bit too? And once you found the assassin vine under the grate out back, wouldn't your little red flags pop up and wave about eagerly? Also, these are experienced players. Absent an immediate combat threat, prudence might suggest splitting up and doing a little reconnaisance. On top of that, breaking in is just plain fun.
A real factor, however, is that I've tricked my players one too many time in the past with spurious set-ups. It's Rule 4 from the "Call of Cthulhu Survival Guide Rules" coming back to haunt me:
"Always kill the NPC who hired you as the first order of business. He's bound to be either (A) a cultist, an Elder God or a Cthuloid monster who is playing the party as pawns before he kills them, or (B) some well meaning fool who will go mad by the end of the scenario and bring about the destruction he was originally trying to stop."
My players have been burned too often to trust any adventure premise at face value. (Meta-gaming to be sure, but there it is.)
But part of the "problem" last night was simply joyful character immersion. The woman playing the rogue is a perpetual blast, a wild and hilarious player; but she's never played a rogue before. She loved it! But she went off the deep end. Her new character brought out the Harriet the Spy in her. She wanted to sneak around and snoop on everything. If I'd sent them to watch a kindergarten graduation in a school gymnasium, her character would have hidden behind the folded chair racks to see if anyone noticed her. No promise, threat, or pleading was going to convince her to go in the front door. The woman playing the fighter sent her character along with the rogue to keep the rogue from getting into too much trouble. (Almost succeeded too.)
Nonetheless, I hear you Lady Aurora! Last night, my players were impishly foiling the simplicity of my set up. Ah, well. No adventure survives the player characters. So, any advice on how to proceed?
Hey Ashenvale, some of what you said had me lol.
Before I give you a couple ideas, let me ask you:
1) Did your PCs open the transfer document?
2) Based on what they overheard, do they have any reason to believe that these aren't the real guards and warden?
Those are the right questions, aren't they?
(1) No. They were all dying to break the seal and read the release during the trip out to the chateau, but didn't capitulate. What they really wanted to know was whether the document said something like, "Kill the bearers of this message and feed their entrails to your dogs." (There's a reason they had to fear that Schick might have meant them harm, but it's far too complicated to go into.) As a gentle reward for their restraint, I had Rook open the transfer order and hold it somewhat before him on the desk while the two men stood in front of the desk. I gave them each a DC 15 Spot check to catch some of the content. One made it, so I let him know it said, "Relinquish control of the following to prisoners to the duly-authorized deputies presenting this release order . . . " He didn't beat a DC 20, so I didn't reveal the prisoners appellations.
(2) This is more complicated. I was very careful to have everything the guards said to each other (supposedly in confidence, but actually within earshot of the hiding women) have two possible meanings. Rook's statement that the two men were fools to go down as just a pair, and wouldn't live long down there, could have meant nobody but a fool wold go down there without at least three companions to help him. (This tracks your text's suggestion that "Mr. Fine" advise the PCs to go down all together because subduing a desperate man can be surprisingly difficult.) But the warden's statement could also have suggested that the warden and guards meant the PCs dire harm. I also had the fake warden tell "Mr. Fine" (in the women's earshot) that the transfer order mentioned "four deputies," whereas only two seemingly showed up. "That means two more were skulking about," the fake warden said. "Find them, you imbecile!"
But there's a bigger problem. I let the two female players stay in the gameroom while the men played out their characters' scene at the elevator. Hence, the female players heard me describe "Mr. Dee's" voice seemingly come from the cellar, and they heard me describe what the men's PCs saw when the elevator went down and no one was there. Then, when combat erupted between the female PCs and the guards, I made another blunder. When "Mr. Dee" ran up to help in the fight, the fake warden (right before he got slain) shouted to "Mr Dee" by that name. Oops. So the female players know Mr. Dee isn't downstairs where he is supposed to be (and that the male PCs can't get back up without help and are in trouble). That was enough for the players (and, by almost consistent extension, their PCs) to decide that this was all foul play.
Yet, in truth, most of this is subject to dual interpretation. If there's even one staircase up from the cellar that Mr. Dee might have ascended, this could all be legitimate.
(By the way, my other favorite guidelines from the Cthulhu Survival Guide are:
- 10. Painstakingly sealed refrigerators are probably painstakingly sealed for a reason.
- 13. The Abandoned Mine never is.
- 15. When the party's native guide runs past you shouting, "Big Wumbago!", don't stick around to find out what a Wumbago looks like.
I do my best to live by these helpful tidbits. But I digress.)
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Ok Ashenvale, what do you think of this?
Plan B: Mr. Dee, an expert con, returns to the women PCs unarmed and, under flag of truce, divulges the truth. Well sort of.
<The true part>
He tells them that a few weeks ago a prisoner digging an escape tunnel inadvertantly blundered into some old ankheg tunnels under the vineyards and shortly thereafter, evil creatures that the prisoner's call "the dark ones" invaded the prison. Since then, many of his fellows (implying guards) were taken by surprise and killed, both by the creatures and the prisoners who escaped their cells during the ensuing chaos. He and the three others the PCs met were all that remained until the PCs snuck in and killed two of them.
</The true part>
See how the players take this. Can Mr. Dee garner some sympathy with them? I mean, these were his life-long friends the PCs just killed. Sob sob. Play it up. The PCs have no way of confirming (yet) that he is not a real guard. And besides, this all jives with what the men PCs see in the basement.
<The lies>
They considered enlisting the unexpected PCs to help, but after considering that the PCs might refuse and leak to the outside world that the prison has been compromised and thereby most assuredly putting it out of business, they decided to just let the PCs do their job. The well-armed and capable-appearing PCs just might solve their creature incursion problem while collecting their transferees. He admits it was a terrible mistake and misjudgement on their part, but states frankly that it was not much worse than the PCs outright murder of prison officials. Afterall, there was a chance the PCs would survive the cellar, whereas the PCs left no chance for his brethren.
</The lies>
If the players (and likely hence the PCs) buy this, he petitions them to help. Something (he says) he now realizes he should have done from the start. "Go and collect your fellows and your transferrees if you still wish. Then either be on your way or stay and help us. Make amends for what you have done here." At worst the PCs leave - perhaps after they collect the transferrees (which mind you will likely be the false ones), and they are out of his hair. But Mr. Dee hopes for more. If the PCs are killed, great. If the PCs kill the creatures before they go, he can get at the remaining wine inventory and proceed with the sale.
It would be great if you could still trick the top-side PCs into the basement, but it's going to be really tough at this point. The only way I can think of doing it is to have Mr. Dee offer to take up arms and descend with the PCs. This will boost his credibility too. Lyle remains top-side to operate the elevator, with a prearranged agreement to raise Mr. Dee quickly when he breaks away from the PC group and comes a runnin'. If a PC insists on staying up, let them. Just make sure they hear their friends screaming for help whenever combat insues. Oh, and one more thing, meenlocks aren't constrained to the basement. Especially at night. It can get pretty scary for an elevator operator... all alone... in the dark.
Hi Ashenvale,
I was thinking that if you prefer to have Del Blackprize a little further left on the craven-to-bold scale, you can simply have him and Lyle Benedict hide until after the PCs leave. This puts the PCs in an awkward ethical situation. There is clearly no one minding the prison and the PCs will have to decide what to do about that. If they are the type to walk away and let the prisoners starve or be overtaken by monsters, this might not be much fun, ... but, as I mentioned earlier, if the prisoners manage to escape somehow, they are definitely going to hold grudges against those who left them to rot. AND... unless the PCs are careful, they just might screw up the whole mission and bring the wrong prisoners home to Tarrow.
A real factor, however, is that I've tricked my players one too many time in the past with spurious set-ups. It's Rule 4 from the "Call of Cthulhu Survival Guide Rules" coming back to haunt me:"Always kill the NPC who hired you as the first order of business. He's bound to be either (A) a cultist, an Elder God or a Cthuloid monster who is playing the party as pawns before he kills them, or (B) some well meaning fool who will go mad by the end of the scenario and bring about the destruction he was originally trying to stop."
Where is this quoted from? Is this an actual book like Zombie survival guide? Hysterical-my players know me better than to trust ANYONE!
Wow, Tim, great ideas! But let me respond to Voodoo Chili first (it's easier).
I lifted my rules from the so-called Call of Cthulhu Survival Guide from posts on the James Jacobs Runs Call of Cthulhu thread. There, Jeremy Mac Donald and Gargoyle posted hilarious advice far more appropriate to Call of Cthulhu (where a piece of antique furniture could kick your butt) than D&D. There are two lists posted there (and other similar lists one could find on the web elsewhere). They read:
Call of Cthulhu Survival Guide Rules 1
1. Avoid contact with the 4th Dimension. If at all possible minimize your contact with the third - lying flat helps.
2. The circumstances under which it is permitted to shoot friends/colleagues/family members are surprisingly numerous and include; speaking in tongues, unexplained absences, suddenly adopting an 18th century mindset and 'looking funny'.
3. Under no circumstances should you learn how to read. If you can already read make sure you do not learn any other languages and insure that all written material you are likely to come into contact with are in a language you can't read.
4. Any offer to 'let you experience other dimensions, realities, or points of view should be declined - with lethal force if necessary.
5. Always kill the NPC who hired you as the first order of business. He's bound to be either (A) a cultist, an Elder God or a Cthuloid monster who is playing the party as pawns before he kills them, or (B) some well meaning fool who will go mad by the end of the scenario and bring about the destruction he was originally trying to stop.
6. The Following are considered to be dangerous areas and should not be entered without motorized amour and close artillery support: Forests, Mountains, Coastal Areas, Cities, Villages, New England, Deserts, Antarctica, Universities and anywhere underground.
7. If your party happens to befriend a depressed artist/musician/writer, destroy everything she has ever written, made, or used for inspiration. You'll be saving everyone a lot of trouble.
8. Egypt and Antarctica kill off more investigators each year then cancer.
9. If in doubt empty your magazine - and then reload and do it again.
10. Painstakingly sealed refrigerators are probably painstakingly sealed for a reason.
11. If you find a hidden shrine with a throne in it, do not sit on the throne - if you do sit on the throne, don't light the candles.
12. The following things are not to be opened: Books, Tomes, Grimoires, Volumes, Ledgers, Trapdoors, Museum display cases, or entertainment establishments built on old burial grounds.
13. The Abandoned Mine never is.
14. Always conduct your B&Es in broad daylight.
15. When the party's native guide runs past you shouting 'Big Wumbago!', don't stick around to find out what a Wumbago looks like.
16. The proper use of your hand gun is not on the Cuthuloid monsters. Its for use in slowing down one of your friends when the Cuthuloid monsters are chasing you.
And
Call of Cthulhu Survival Guide 2
Rule 1) Never stand in the front of the group! That means you are leading your friends into certain doom and you will have to push though/trip them to run away.
Rule 2) Never stand in the back of the group! That means the chthonic nasties will be slithering right up behind you, and surprise!, you are now the new front! (c.f. Rule 1)
Rule 3) Never stand in the middle of the group! If you do, you are penned in by those in front and back. Either way, you have to spend valuable fleeing time and energy pushing through/tripping your fellows to get away.
Rule 4) When investigating a house/compound/cavern and you find steps leading down...DO NOT GO DOWN!! Only bad things come from going down into the basement/cellar/sub-level/dungeon/oubliette! Dark things creep in caverns deep!
Rule 5) When investigating a house/compound/cavern and you find steps leading up...DO NOT GO UP!! When you go above ground level, you are almost always cutting off your escape paths. Being isolated from an easy way to run away is very, very bad! Also, when you go up, it is almost de facto that you will then have to go down (c.f. Rule 4).
Rule 6) When investigating a house/compound/cavern, never volunteer to stay behind with the car. People standing around waiting for their compatriots to return may as well be wearing a "Please eat me, put my brain in a canister, or crack me open and drink my spinal fluid!" sign, dancing a can-can, and ringing a dinner bell.
Rule 7) They may be called 'servitor races', but they are not there to serve you. (a rather sad and nasty mistake made by an aristocratic character in one game)
Rule 8) Never play a priest...they are like neon-lit buffet signs for chthonic nasties.
There were others, but you get the general idea. These are almost definitely not unique to our group and broadly applicable in most sinister game-master situations (I would say any game run by James Jacobs would probably qualify).
Remember, Cthulu saves...in case he gets hungry later.
Thanks, Ashenvale! I'm still laughing. I might have to bust out a little CoC again soon : ) This adventure would actually convert very well i think.
I too loved this adventure despite a bit of scepticism after reading the intro and synopsis (perhaps, as a word of advice, and assuming that it is you and your wife, Tim, who wrote those sections, you might want to consider how to better bring about the excellent mood created in the text of the adventure to those sections); in fact, it was this thread that inspired me to give the adventure another shot.
I liked this adventure so much, in fact, that I want to substitute it into my Ptolus campaign. For those who are unfamiliar with Ptolus, the campaign is the creation of Monte Cook, and it is designed to take place entirely within (and below, and above, to a certain extent) the confines of the city, itself. My preference would be to transfer the prison to a locale within the city (perhaps serving as a workhouse rather than a prison proper, although that could complicate things). Aside from (1) cutting out the vineyard, (2) having the PCs be hired as bondsmen to escort the prisoners from the workhouse to the city prison proper, and (3) implicate the prisoners, etc. into the politics of the city, can anyone think of specific ways to adapt this adventure for my campaign? Having familiarity with Ptolus would probably aid in understanding what I want to do with this adventure....
Thanks for any and all suggestions!
I too loved this adventure despite a bit of scepticism after reading the intro and synopsis ...
Thanks darkbard. We will absolutely take your advice and attempt to better capture the mood in the background/synopsis next time. I wonder if others who mentioned that they initially had skepticism over this adventure felt the same way.
Sorry, but don't really know anything about Ptolus.
I share Darkbard’s opinion. The adventure itself presented a wickedly delightful sense of horror throughout, riddled with new ideas and nifty turns and twists. For me, however, the introductory elements didn't herald this mood. When I finished the introductory elements, I thought, “Okay, whatever, I guess I’ll read a little further.” When I finished the meat of the adventure, I thought, “WOW. Gotta call my players! They better be free! I gotta run this thing!”
I too loved this adventure despite a bit of scepticism after reading the intro and synopsis (perhaps, as a word of advice, and assuming that it is you and your wife, Tim, who wrote those sections, you might want to consider how to better bring about the excellent mood created in the text of the adventure to those sections); in fact, it was this thread that inspired me to give the adventure another shot.
I liked this adventure so much, in fact, that I want to substitute it into my Ptolus campaign. For those who are unfamiliar with Ptolus, the campaign is the creation of Monte Cook, and it is designed to take place entirely within (and below, and above, to a certain extent) the confines of the city, itself. My preference would be to transfer the prison to a locale within the city (perhaps serving as a workhouse rather than a prison proper, although that could complicate things). Aside from (1) cutting out the vineyard, (2) having the PCs be hired as bondsmen to escort the prisoners from the workhouse to the city prison proper, and (3) implicate the prisoners, etc. into the politics of the city, can anyone think of specific ways to adapt this adventure for my campaign? Having familiarity with Ptolus would probably aid in understanding what I want to do with this adventure....
Thanks for any and all suggestions!
Wow, I was thinking about this subject myself a while ago..
first off, I'd make the prisoners some serious political liabilities. Blessed of Pelor instead becomes a rogue agent of one of the factions of the church of Lothian (obvious, yeah). Lyle Bendict is so wide open that you can do anything you feel like with him.
The big problem here is rook and his allies - they're too entrenched in thestory, but in a city like Ptolus they'd be found out very VERY quickly. Instead of moving the adventure wholesale in to ptolus, I'd run it mostly as written, with the chateau being set a few days ride outside the city.
Of course, if rook or any of his allies escape, they could be affiliated with any one of several different of the shady factions, and give you a nice long-running villian, as well. The Wine Merchants would also be a useful contact for the PCs in the long run, so keeping them around (not an easy feat if you move the whole dungeon into ptolus) could prove worthwhile to your campaign also.
Ok Ashenvale, what do you think of this? Plan B: . . .
I love your ideas, Tim!
I'm considering putting one more spin on your suggested con. The PC fighter (the last conscious PC upstairs) is more than a little suspicious already. If she overhears "Mr. Dee" and Lyle whispering as they frantically gather possessions to (and they pretend they don't know she's listening), I've got a better chance of making her believe the suggested story you’ve outlined. Something like:
Lyle: Why didn't the warden just tell them the prison had been invaded by those . . . dark . . . things?
Dee: He was a fool. He didn't want the world to know the prison's being overrun. He didn't want anyone to know we're barely in control here. And he wanted to seal that last big wine deal.
Lyle: But those are the guards Tarrow sent. They looked tough. Look how tough that woman is! They could have helped us if we'd asked!
Dee: I know, I know, but it's over now.
Lyle: Why’d they attack us like that?
Dee: How should I know! They must have sensed the warden was hiding something.
Lyle: That don’t explain her murdering them!
Dee: Maybe they're not Tarrow's men at all. Maybe they're assassins trying to free or kill a prisoner. Or maybe that swords-woman has fallen under the dark ones' influence already. Maybe she's their tool. It doesn’t matter. The warden’s dead, and that insane woman is still here somewhere. We have to flee before she carves us up too!
Lyle: But that means all the prisoners down there are going die!
Dee: I know! Unless those two newcomers already down there are some kind of natural born heroes, the prisoners will die. And the newcomers too, I'm sure. Sending them down there like that, just the two of them . . . fools and crazy people everywhere! But we can't help them now, not with that mad woman carving up guards on sight! If we get out of this alive, I'll say a prayer for the prisoners we failed to protect. But now all we can do is run!
Mwahhh..hah..hah..ha! I love it! I wish I could see their faces when they come to believe they've just murdered the legit guards.
Darkbard
I'm running Ptolus as well, and will definetly be adding this adventure to the mix. I need to reread it, along with some of my other campaign notes, before I can get into any sort of detailed conversion advice, but right off the bat I will second the idea of putting the vineyard a little ways outside the city.
Like I said, more later on the Ptolus issue.
To the Conners. First off I would like to say this is one of the most interesting adventures I've read in quite a while. I would personaly Put this in line with the Styes, with my only ctitiques being it's length (which though I would prefer something longer, short adventures do have their place) and my inherrent issues with first level adventures. In short, the only way you could have truely made this a better adventure (in my mind) would have been to design it specificly for me :)
From some of the above posts, I'm guessing this is not your first published work. Would you be so kind as to inform me of other adventures you've written?
Thanks Fraust! The editors of Dungeon are to be commended for filling the magazine with so many flavors. I'm glad you liked ours. My wife and I are new at the publishing end of adventure writing. Hell, we're new at it period! We have one other published adventure. It's "Siege of the Spider Eaters" in issue #137. It's also 1st level, a bit longer and a bit more fantastic than this one, but it has similar twists and turns, a wide moral gray area, and is easily modified for higher level play.
To echo the other readers, this was a really neat little adventure with fantastically scary details that managed to overcome my initial dislike of the incongruous prison-in-a-winery setting.
Darkbard
I'm running Ptolus as well, and will definetly be adding this adventure to the mix. I need to reread it, along with some of my other campaign notes, before I can get into any sort of detailed conversion advice, but right off the bat I will second the idea of putting the vineyard a little ways outside the city.
/QUOTE]
I agree, this would fit very well in Ptolus. Personally, I'd find a way to keep it within the city. Maybe a breakout at the Fortress of Redemption...? Maybe the meenlock tunnels are uncovered by the Shuul in their excavations beneath the city...? Or maybe the winery is simply located in Rivergate...?
To echo the other readers, this was a really neat little adventure with fantastically scary details that managed to overcome my initial dislike of the incongruous prison-in-a-winery setting.
Thanks Jebadiah! Our initial cut of the adventure was 12,000 words, and we knew we only had space for about 9,000. Like all the other Dungeon authors, we trimmed, cut, and dashed some more. When we saw that we still had 10,000 words, we cut everything that didn't directly affect the players or adequately convey the mood. As silly as it sounds, we even tried not to repeat what we said in the synopsis! It was really hard. To hack a quote from one of the Lord of the Rings movies, we seemed to be left with too much butter over too little bread. Anywho, in the end, I stepped back and tried to see it all with fresh eyes (a progressively more difficult task). And one thing I noticed was that frankly, it didn't need to be a winery at all. Where once that was an integral piece of the puzzle with all sorts of vintner references (I know lots about wine making now), it wasn't a requirement in the final product. At first I was really disappointed by this realization, as it was key to the story when my wife and I initially cooked it up. But soon I thought the complete opposite. DMs will be able to substitute whatever they like fairly easily. Cool. So, in a nutshell, whereas I still think a winery-turned-prison is interesting and different, some of the supporting structure was left on the cutting room floor, and I not only came to terms with it, I learned from it as well. And the honest feedback of you and other posters is a learnin' me even more. Keep it comin.
Y'know, some Dungeon authors post things from the editing room floor on their personal websites as bonus material. I'm just sayin'....
Also, I'm curious what others who are making more extensive use of the chateau are using as a map. Are you simply using the outline of the winery/dungeon as the boundary of the chateau and adding multiple levels? Are you using another, perhaps pre-made, map of your own devising (or online source)? Tim, any suggestions on your part?
Hey Tim!
I haven't had a chance to read the final product yet (My subscriptions go to a PO box in the US, 'cause it's cheaper, but I don't get out to pick up that mail as often as I'd like) but I still wanted to step in and say "Congratulations" on getting this baby out into the world.
Also, now that it's published, you should post your initial query to the "Critique my Query" thread as an example of a successful query. Others could surely benefit from your good example. :-D
:-j
Jenni