Adding other enviroments to the AoW

[stonechild]

Hey all,
I'm a big fan of different enviroments and traveling through them. One of the most blah things to me is that the AoW is so temperate.
So I want to add some other enviroments to the mix, specifically desert and frozen waste. I'm looking for ideas on how to change certain elements in the adventure path to fit this.
I have a player who want's to get lots of sea faring time in, so I'm going to say that they'll have to sail to the Amedio as the ruins are protected by a teleport re-direct.
Any ideas for adding other enviroments in?
Thanks for your time,
Stonechild

[stonechild]

I guess I should mention that we are playing in Greyhawk :)

[armnaxis]

stonechild wrote:

Hey all,

I'm a big fan of different enviroments and traveling through them. One of the most blah things to me is that the AoW is so temperate.
So I want to add some other enviroments to the mix, specifically desert and frozen waste. I'm looking for ideas on how to change certain elements in the adventure path to fit this.
I have a player who want's to get lots of sea faring time in, so I'm going to say that they'll have to sail to the Amedio as the ruins are protected by a teleport re-direct.
Any ideas for adding other enviroments in?
Thanks for your time,
Stonechild

Change Alhaster's climate to moderately cold, but very very dry (Think chilenean mountains). Zeech could control access to sweet water supplies, thus futher oppressing the citizens.

Kongen-Thulnir, far to the north in the Rift Canyon, might suffer from unearthly cold, blizzards and such.

You could easily change the climate on Tilagos: As a demiplane, it might even have several seperate climate zones close together. A hot and windswept waste where Krathanos dwells; the roc might nest on a glacier; horrowdroth's lair can easily have (much) more lava and such...

Ultimately, they will probably travel by ship to Tilagos, have it rain and thunder for a whole week (with appropiate encounters, like giant krakens and such). If you find a good reason to not let them windwalk to Alhaster, another journey by ship might be necessary.

[Dennis Harry]

I am running it in the Realms in the Shining South though not the North. I have placed the Spire of Long Shadows in the Mhair Jungles so that will be one environmental change. For Kings of the Rift I have plced the location of the rift in high altitude mountains for some cold weather challenges.

Probably the biggest environmental change I am inserting though is by adding several quests for the Rod of Seven Parts. I have scattered them all over the place. The first part they will find in a Gathering of Winds, I have placed the second part on Krynn in the Blood Sea, the third part on Khorvaire in the Mournlands, the fourth part on Oerth in Furyondy (though they need to complete a quest in Dorakka to acquire it), the fifth part on Athas in the City by the Silt Sea, the sixth part is back on Faerun but in a temperate region while the seventh part of course is held by Mishka (though they will need to go through Sigil to reach his realm).

So while most of the adventure will be played is a warm climate in the Shining South as well as some more moderate climates north of the south, I am changing environments by adding more to the adventure.

[stonechild]

Armnaxis- I like the idea about the different temperate zones on the island. Gonna have to use that for sure.

Dennis- Thanks for reminding me about the Rod of Seven Parts, I'm thinking that I'll work that into the plot by making it necessary for the destruction of Kyuss. Oooh, I think I can rip off some of the locations in the old Dead Gods 2nd ed adventure. Nice. Great idea there mate. Although I think I'm making a lot work work for myself. Oh, the joys of being a DM ;)

[Dennis Harry]

Yeah I thought it would make an epic adventure even more epic. I have the old Rod of Seven Parts boxed set but the only portion I am keeping is the final encounter with Mishka, the other encounters seemed kind of ho hum compared to the rest of the AP. Plus I really want to revisit some old campaigns we have played in over the years like Greyhawk, Dragonlance and Dark Sun.

Forcing the players to pick up the parts in Oerth will absolutely be cool and allow you to use any environment you want! :-)

[stonechild]

I'm curious Dennis. At what points do you intend on having your group go for the parts of the Rod?
I'm using the Expedition to Ruins of Greyhawk so I'll put one piece in there. They should recover it probably around 11th level I'm thinking.
Also the piece that Visciannix has will require them to go to some where in the Hells to recover it. Obviously this should be no earlier than level 20+.
I do intend on upping the challenge levels in the exsisting adventures because I'm going to be adding stuff in. As it stands, right now, I'm figuring the party should be around 24th-25th level when they encounter Kyuss.

[Dennis Harry]

I plan on inserting them in various places between the end of A Gathering of Winds and before the beginning of Kings of the Rift. After Kings of the Rift I think they are forced to really speed up the timeline. I will probably insert each trip between a AP adventure. So first go to Krynn and recover a part, then complete Spire of Long Shadows, the go to Khorvaire and recover a part, then do the Prince of Redhand (though for me it is Princess as I made Zeech a Half-Drow female) etc.

I do not plan on Visciannix having a piece. That part I am placing on Faerun and using the Mud Sorcerer's Tomb adventure for. Though I do plan on them confronting Mishka. I think the occasional Demon Spyder attacks will add some real juice to the AP.

I also estimate the players confronting Kyuss between 24 and 25. These extra adventures make me feel much better about their combat against Dragotha and Kyuss. Epic heroes should expect nasty villians like them :-).

[stonechild]

I'm gonna add one piece in The Chamber of Secrets in Pelion on the 3rd level of Arborea, have another piece be in Tcian Sumere in the Negative energy plane, and another piece be in the possession of the Matron of House Baenre in Menzoberranzan during Lolth's silence.
This will cover desert w/ a necromatic feel. An incredibly hostile enviroment and an unusual cityscape with a very political bent.
I need to add a frostfell enviroment and I'm not sure about the last one. I intend on adding Edwin Tolstoff as Kyuss's high priest and the Wormcrawl island, from Elder Evils, to the mix so perhaps in a true "I hate my exsistence, here's the key to my destruction", kind of way I'll have him have the last piece.