Hello, all. For those of you who remember this from Dungeon #37 and Paizo's well done conversion in #138, I am the author of The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb. Having been out of the RPG world for about 18 years, it was only recently that I became aware of MST's popularity. While I have read what threads there are here at Paizo.com, I am still very curious to hear people's stories re: having run as GM or gone through the tomb as a player.
Any recollections would be very much appreciated! I'd also be happy to answer questions people might have about the module.
That adventure was Bad A$$
I think i was 14 or 15 when we ran through it. I remeber the traps were brutal and we all died in it because we were dumb kids and the DM took no prisoners
Just chiming in that I really enjoyed both of your Dungeon adventures.
Mud Sorcerer's Tomb was, of course, excellent, but I also really enjoyed Sleepless (Dungeon #28).
Mud Sorcerer's Tomb was, of course, excellent, but I also really enjoyed Sleepless (Dungeon #28).
Ha! No one ever mentions Sleepless! Glad you liked it.
Mud Sorcerer's Tomb is one of my favorite Dungeon adventures. I loved all the little riddles that hinted how to avoid traps and such.
I've never ran Sleepless. I'll have to go check it out!
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Back when it first came out I ran MST for my 2nd Edition D&D group and they loved it. It was particularly a challenge and had an old-school feel before we even knew what that meant. The overall theme of the place kept players interested and alert. I remember one PC nearly biting it thanks to an insidious carpet/tapestry trap. The group nearly went insane trying to figure out how to use the boat at the end.
Recently I played through Curse of the Crimson Throne, and used the updated version as the finale to that campaign, replacing Mud Sorcerers with Runelords was easy as pie, and a whole new group got to experience it!
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I wasn't into it much when it first came out -- that was back in the days where I designed my own adventures completely and only used the occassional bit from Dungeon -- I read the adventures just to read them and MST wasn't as fun to read.
It wasn't until issue 116 came out that declared MST was a near unanimous decision as best all time that I went back and reread it, and ran it.
At the time I was about to run Maure Castle (#112) and I just put revised MST as another part of Maure Castle. I hadn't done pure dungeon crawls in so long -- probably the late 80s -- and it was SOOOO much fun. We used the Maure backstory but, still, great fun.
Mike you should redo Mud Sorcerers Tomb and Pathfinderize it it was a great adventure maybe add some more stuff from before they go into the Tomb
I know if you redid it and some how hooked up with Paizo and made it into one of the Modules I would buy it in a hurry
Mike you should redo Mud Sorcerers Tomb and Pathfinderize it it was a great adventure maybe add some more stuff from the beginingThat would be tricky, as MST became IP of WotC when they acquired TSR.
Yeah thats right I forgot about that darn
not only did i really enjoy "sleepless," i actually preferred it to "mud sorcerer's tomb." i loved the idea of an archmage selling his soul multiple times, then not paying up when the time came. i also loved all the creatures coming to the castle after draskilion's little "accident."
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 32
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Mike! Thank you for this wonderful adventure. TONIGHT, my players will be starting The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb. What a coincidence! I will keep you posted if you wish as to their progress. We meet once a week for a 3 hour game. I made card-stock copies of the 4 mud sorcerer symbols as game props and also the various stone faces. This might interest you: all four of the characters are arcanists: 3 wizards and 1 sorcerer. Yeah, I know, good luck with that. With no fighter muscle and no rogue to help with traps and stuff, they have taken on a pretty wicked handicap. Now the average level is 12th, but they are PF characters so they will have an advantage as I'm running it more or less as written for 3.5. I've gotten used to the idea of putting them through more difficult challenges than written b/c they are very resourceful. We'll see...
TONIGHT, my players will be starting The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb. What a coincidence! I will keep you posted if you wish as to their progress. We meet once a week for a 3 hour game.
I would love to hear of their progress. Actually, my interest is in hearing exactly what happened to groups in the tomb, how they responded to the challenges, what did they enjoy, unexpected outcomes, gruesome deaths, clever escapes, etc etc.
For those who played Sleepless, ditto. Would love to hear reactions and details from that as well.
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For various reasons, I could not run either, as people moved on with their lives, but I had high plans for MST as part of my Al Qadim campaign of 1998-2001.
It was supposed to be the place where my players found the weapons of power against their arch nemeses who were, guess that ... Mud wizards ... butthey left the game somewhere inside Assassin Mountain.
Pfff ... cowards ...
MIKE SHEL!!!
Where have you been? This is awesome!
And when are you writing your next adventure?
MST is one of my all time favourite adventures. Nobody brings grizzly death with style like the Jezuline.
My heavily read copy of Issue #37 is coming apart from the seams. Thanks for your contribution to the world of RPGs.
I died!!! bwaaaa....
I hate/love you man!!!
Had the unfortunate experience of running through the revised version with a party heavy on spellcasters -- and without adamantine weapons. Spent the entire adventure running away from golems we couldn't possibly injure, and eventually reached a dead-end (i.e., a trap that gave the latest golem a chance to catch up to us). Then there was nothing to do but die. Sort of anticlimactic, after all the hype.
I'd like to try it again with a party of 4 barbarians (all with adamantine weapons), instead of the woefully inadequate rogue, cleric, wizard, barbarian combo we had.
Director of Brand Strategy
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I played through an online game of MST last year and had a ton of fun. It was unlike any other dungeon crawl I can think of since starting playing during 3.5. I strongly recommend you shoot an email to James or Erik or Wes and ask them if you can put together another classic-feeling dungeon adventure in a future module or AP. Maybe even something for PFS. Whatever it takes to get another adventure as cool as this one!
Awesome.
Hey, while we're on the subject here, what did you draw on for inspiration?
I think I credited Tomb of Horrors as the original inspiration (and who can't help but be inspired by the opening sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark?). I remember going through ToH with my first character, a 12th level ranger named Brandune, and actually feeling afraid, which I thought was a pretty amazing thing for an RPG. (Truth be told, I was one of the many morons who jumped into the fixed Sphere of Annihilation.) MST wasn't designed for "TPK" as some have commented. Rather, I wanted to make a very tough, cohesive dungeon that elicited genuine emotion, genuine concern about making it out alive.
I also read a lot as a teenager, being a big fan of Moorcock, Leiber and Wolfe, especially.
I still remember both MST and Sleepless!
I hope this thread means you're back in the game, as we would love to see some new adventures you would come up w/.
I played through an online game of MST last year and had a ton of fun. It was unlike any other dungeon crawl I can think of since starting playing during 3.5.
Any link to a transcript? I ran across a partial transcript of an online run of MST in the room with the drowning rug. It was a fun read. Again, I'm really interested in specific stories and recollections from people if they're out there.
I think I credited Tomb of Horrors as the original inspiration (and who can't help but be inspired by the opening sequence in Raiders of the Lost Ark?).
This is Mike's second publication in Dungeon Adventures. He says that crypts and tombs have always been his favorite kind of adventure settings. In addition to S1 Tomb of Horrors, he would also like to acknowledge other classic TSR modules and their authors as inspiration: S2 White Plume Mountain, C1 Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan, and WG4 The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun.
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Mike, welcome to the Paizo boards!
I've never ran the module, but I've actually played it twice with AD&D characters. The first time (three 15th level PCs) was almost 20 years ago, and it ended in a TPK -- I can't recall how and why, but I *think* it was due to one of the many traps in the complex (one of the big, carved faces, perhaps?). The second time we had two 11th level PCs, but the DM had modified and "downplayed" the adventure a bit to fit this party (and the campaign plot in general). We made our way to the end, but in this case the final room contained a demilich -- whom we weren't supposed to fight; our task there was to capture or kill a NPC warrior servant (which we did).
As a player, I loved this module; it has a deep and interesting background story which is wonderfully reflected in the adventure itself. I also loved the puzzles and the hand-outs (we didn't really "get" them the first time, though) and all sorts of weird, thematic elements the adventure contains; the chamber with acid-dripping eyes, those bas reliefs, hidden keyholes, lots of secret doors, deadly traps, and so on. It felt a very classic and well-written dungeon crawl with all sorts of "open" stuff that felt rewarding to discover. In many ways, it reminds of the best qualities of the Undermountain boxed set.
So, I have very fond memories of MST, and I'd personally rank it as one of the finest adventures published in Dungeon back in the day, along with Willie Walsh modules. :)
Hey Mike, great to see you're still out there. I ran MST (both old and new versions) and part of Sleepless, I'm a huge fan of both these adventures but do not have time at the moment to write a full recap.
As a side note, there is a four year old thread called Looking for Mike Shel you might want to check out. James Jacobs was trying to track you down back then, though I'm not sure if he is still. Anyways, just thought I'd pass it on.
BTW, Mud Sorcerer's Tomb is still one of my all-time favorite dungeons.
Welcome back Mike. MST was awesome, we lost half our crew to that one way back.
Now if we can only find Grant and David Boucher and put them and Mike to work on PF stuff. :)
Just giving the thread a bump. Would love to hear people's stories and recollections.
My strongest memory of the adventure was the rug and how great I felt after I figured out how to save everyone. I loved the sense of problem solving and the off-the-wall traps and challenges. I'll see if I can't dig up a transcript of the adventure and get it to you if I can find it.
My strongest memory of the adventure was the rug and how great I felt after I figured out how to save everyone.
Paul Ackerman has a hilarious story about that rug that he tells in this thread:
There's no such thing as a magical trap -- it's just magical treasure that hasn't been correctly applied yet!
Now that's an adventure I haven't heard the name of in a loooong time. I think it was 1995 when I ran it. I lost all of my old Dungeon and Dragon mags in a fire in 2002 :( Details of the module are hazy at best, I remember one of my players dying from a Necklace of Strangulation, and the rest of the party left him to die. I ended up bringing him back as a Ravenloft Elven Vampire (I know that wasn't in the module, but the modules inspired what would eventually become a wonderful antagonist). I had a group of players that had low attention spans back then, so I can't even remember if the finished it. Ah, to read it over again, the memories might come back.
Thank's Mike for writing it!
As a side note, there is a four year old thread called Looking for Mike Shel you might want to check out. James Jacobs was trying to track you down back then, though I'm not sure if he is still. Anyways, just thought I'd pass it on.
I think that was when they were going to publish the 3.5 update of The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb - James's message is from April 2006, and the updated version appeared in the September 2006 issue of Dungeon.
Sleppless: Great adventure, planned to DM it numerous times but never could.... but I read and read it again several times to really have a good catch of tjhe timing and story.
Maybe I'll use it in 3.5.
MST: Great feel of ToH without the overkill aspect, nothing to add it's near the top.
Planning to DM it someday.....
So much adventures and so little time :(
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ahhh MST..... This is *by far* my favorite module published in Dungeon, and I own virtually every one ever published, so this is saying something.
I ran MST for my group when it first came out. They loved the entire module and even managed to
The module was the capstone adventure on a long campaign we ran, though at the time, I did not make full use of the background material. I re-read the module several years ago and found the backstory so well done and compelling that I based an entire campaign on exploring the ancient Jezulian (?) cults and the foul Mud Sorcerers in the Iron Circle (at least I think that is their organization). Furthermore, bits and pieces of the module have cropped in in many of the other games I have run.
While there were several great authors back then (the guy that did Ex Libris comes to mind), I still rank MST as the best overall module ever published in Dungeon.
I am glad I finally had the chance to thank you for work so well done even if the opportunity came after nearly 2 decades of waiting.
My strongest memory of the adventure was the rug and how great I felt after I figured out how to save everyone.Paul Ackerman has a hilarious story about that rug that he tells in this thread:
There's no such thing as a magical trap -- it's just magical treasure that hasn't been correctly applied yet!
I read this (and other) messageboard threads before posting. Yes, it is hilarious and a testament to the ingenuity of players. However, as indicated by the map, that rug was 20' x 30'. Explain to me 1) how something roughly man-sized can wield a rolled up rug this size like it was a baseball bat; 2) if it could do so, was there always enough room in each chamber and hallway to swing something at least 20' long; and 3) couldn't targets easily avoid the swing of this awkward, unwieldy weapon?
Man, I feel both a cranky old man *and* a dnd geek at the same time.
I love that people loved MST (and some Sleepless), and I appreciate the kind words from all. The reason for my post, however, is twofold: 1) I really am interested in hearing how people navigated the tombs and specific stories about various encounters--what was challenging, what helped create and maintain the atmosphere, etc; and 2) If I'm going to consider writing again, I really would like to know what appealed to players and GMs alike. Again, the more specific, the better.
Forgive my flogging this (perhaps) dead horse.
Explain to me 1) how something roughly man-sized can wield a rolled up rug this size like it was a baseball bat; 2) if it could do so, was there always enough room in each chamber and hallway to swing something at least 20' long; and 3) couldn't targets easily avoid the swing of this awkward, unwieldy weapon?
Origami?
;-)
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Well I guess I’m sounding like a broken record now. The Mud sorcerer’s tomb was one of my favorite dungeons. I remember playing in it and I also ran it. I remember one of the traps I think involved a force cage and a decanter of endless water. My character Sho Pi, a human “shaman” from oriental adventures 3.0, had a polymorph spell memorized. I polymorphed into a duck and paddled around happily in the rapidly filling water trap. I informed the DM that when the trap filled up, I would be exploring what life was like as a fish, yet another step towards enlightenment and nirvana.
When I ran the game my party was around 15 level. There was only one spell caster, a 15 level sorcerer named snaggletooth, ran by a less then brilliant player. He was as much a hazard to the rest of the group as he was to the monsters. For his 7 level spell he picked Mordenkainen’s magnificent mansion. It was filled with lava lamps and hookahs, according to the player. None of the other players would camp out in his mansion. The player was away one session and Snaggletooth was run by one of the other Players. Snaggletooth’s effectiveness jumped markedly. I remember a water trap involving a stone carved face. The PCs had Snaggletooth cast Mordenkainen’s magnificent mansion to “flush” the water trap. I am not sure if that was how the spell could be strictly used, but I was pleased with their ingenuity and I allowed the water to be drained by the extra dimensional mansion.
The next session when the player returned he asked if the other players had gotten his player drunk and put any tattoos or piercings on his character. They assured him that they hadn’t. He then cast the mansion spell. All of the water, hookahs lava lamps and psycadelic furniture and wall hangings flushed out of his mansion. The look on his face was priceless.
Good times.
Thanks Mike for writing such a fun module.
MIke if you write any more modules that would be great. hopefully the good folks at Paizo have the good sense to make you some good offers. I would love to see a module or pathfinder issue penned by you. I guess things aren't penned any more. anyways if you write some more stuff i would happily devour it.
thanks.
I have only read the adventures, and MST only a short while ago. When I first read Sleepless, I found the story behind it brilliant, as it was a completely new idea allowing for different styles of play - you could use is a simple dungeon romp, or try and play the various factions against each other. So, novel ideas are always good, if hard to come by. And adventures that are allowing for different styles of play, and that challenge the players ingenuity are a good thing. If anything, the adventures might be a bit too long for some tastes.
Stefan
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RPG Superstar 2009 Top 32, 2010 Top 8
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I remember it was the last adventure we played before the XPH came out.
Why do I remember that? I wanted to take all the broken PH combos out. So I had a psychic warrior with deep impact and a keen mindfeeding adamantine falchion.
As players we're not as puzzle oriented as the adventure required, so there was a lot of pain involved while our two resident puzzle gals figured it out. I guessed one or two.
The thing I remember the most was
And criticalled. While they are immune to crits, the roll still triggered the mindfeeder property, and suddenly I'm swimming in power points. keeping the metacap in mind, I start throwing quickened buffs and swinging for the fence posts with Power attack/Deep Impact (in 3.0 psionics, there was no focus, only spending power points). All it would take was one crit and suddenly I was playing Phoenix. I was so glad when those rules were fixed.
I should point out that this was our DM's conversion of the original, a few months later the revised version came out in Dungeon. :-)
My last official bump of this thread...
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My last official bump of this thread...
Sadly I never player Mud Sorceror's Tomb though I did play Tomb of Horrors, which if I am totally honest was ingenious but completely pointless. If anyone survived it being played fairly then I'd love to hear from them.
Anyway, I digress. From what I have read in posts by others who did play the MST I am very excited by what the adventure was about. I get exceptionally bored with hack and slash only adventures. I detest predictability because with my group of intellectual philosopher players (hope they don't read this), when there's too much monster bashing they start to glaze over and fall asleep mid die roll, which is great if you want to TPK your player's PC's. My players go for good stories, dialogue, intrigue, puzzles and mystery. They're fine with combat provided it fits into the storyline, so I have to be very careful with "rolling" random encounters and make sure they work too.
MST sounds like exactly the kind of adventure my players would get a kick out of, so you better come out of retirement and start writing again :)
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My last official bump of this thread...Sadly I never player Mud Sorceror's Tomb though I did play Tomb of Horrors, which if I am totally honest was ingenious but completely pointless. If anyone survived it being played fairly then I'd love to hear from them.
Well actually, my whole group went through it with hardly any casualties.