My group is almost done this adventure. They have cleared out the Temple of Kyuss level, and were victorious in all three of their gladiator fights so far. They defeated Bozal easily, mostly due to me (the DM) missing the unhallow effect in the room and allowing the cleric to summon a celestial bear inside Bozal's antilife shell.
As for the ulgurstasta, when Bozal was knocked out by the PC's, they tied him up then healed him back awake. They tried to interrogate him but the sorcerer in the group had already deafened him, so he couldn't understand what they were saying. He eventually just released the apostle of kyuss and cursed the group. The barbarian lopped off his head and then the apostle burst into the room squeezing through the 10 foot hallway. The fight lasted about 6 or 7 long rounds, but the key the group's survival was the barbarian scoring a critical hit on the thing. We use the critical hit deck and he drew the "gut slash" card which removed the apostle's swallow whole ability. Then the paladin smote it and the thing was dead a couple rounds later. Although it did crit the barbarian for 84 damage in a single bite attack.
The other epic moment came when the barbarian (again) critted the froghemoth in the 2nd or 3rd round of that fight, and severed it's spine (another crit card) dealing 17 Dex damage and crippling the thing.
Nice. I am changing the Froghemoth to something else but I am really looking forward to this module. Next Friday they will actually be starting the games so I need to do some prep work this week.
In the adventure it seems that Loris is too preoccupied to check on the ulgurstasta (thanks for the Spelling). I do not plan on having him check either. it will be pretty comical if he expects this creature to rise up and then... nothing happens.
Are you taking the same approach?
The group killed the ulgurstasta on the night of Day 3 right after they took out Bozal Zahol, before the Froghemoth fight. The module says that Raknian won't know something is up until the night of the final event, on day 5. So I'm sticking with the module in that.
Raknian will watch the final match depressed and subdued, and then quickly pack his things that night and flee the city. Whether or not the PC's are waiting for him, remains to be seen. I'm hoping they trail him until he's outside the city, then take him out.
If they let him live, I definately plan to use him again later on :)
We just finished Champion's Belt last night and it was hilarious.
The group was fighting against Auric's Warband, and doing a so-so job of fighting them off. One flesh golem was destroyed and of the two remaining, one had less than half hit points.
Khellek was virtually untouched and Auric was under the effects of a Moonstruck spell, and in a general state of confusion as he flailed around with his new claws and bite attack.
The group had already taken out Bozal and the Ulgurstasta btw.
The cleric had summond 3 celestial brown bears to aid in the fight, but the golems eventually took them out.
The turning point came when Khellek (upgraded to an 11th level wizard in Pathfinder) used mass suggestion to have 3 of the PC's surrender before they got badly hurt. This caused some disagreements at the table at to whether or not the suggestion was "a reasonable request". As DM I argued that the fight could go either way and that surrendering was a viable option for the group if there was any doubt whatsoever that they might not win.
Combat continued as the paladin and arcane trickster were not affected by the spell, but once the halfling was put to sleep by Khellek, the paladin surrendered.
The group wasn't too happy that they lost the final match, since they ended up losing 250 gp bet on themselves, as well as the 2500 gp side bet with Tirra, but I thought it was about time to teach them a little humility.
Later on they found out that Raknian was leaving town that night and followed him and his guards. They attacked his carriage and killed Raknian, Okoral, and 8 of his bodyguards. The lawful good paladin and cleric received a vision from Heironeous that night basically warning them that although they were evil men, and pawns of Kyuss, they should have turned them over to the authorities.
So we'll see how they react to that :p
In my game Tirra is the manager for Auric's Warband (I am not sure if that is how it is written but it made sense to me) and has helped the characters out of sticky situations in the Free City twice already. Once she finds out they have entered the games she will strongly suggest they throw the final match if they get to it. Otherwise her help could go the other way from now on...
Oooooh thats good stuff, right there.
I would suggest assassins. Arcane casters with SoD or SoS spells. Perched on rooftops. With cover. Bonus points if you get the party to start a 5 alarm city fire with a fireball onto a thatch roof like in my campaign.
Yeah, my players are not quite as bloodthirsty as that. I made sure I reminded them about Greyhawk's laws and the strict punishments dealt out to criminals that break them. Plus with two lawful good characters in the group the arcane trickster generally needs to head out on his own to do any thieving. Although even he was leary about breaking and entering into the local magic shop knowing how well guarded it was, and that there was an entire magic university in the city :)
They had the good sense to follow Raknian's carriage well outside the city limits before attacking them.
I can't give my players too much leash or they'll get in over their heads and we'll have another TPK on our hands :P
These characters are the Watchmen of D&D, they are all a crazy mess. This has been far and away the best campaign I have ever run in any system.
I couldnt agree more! My favorite part of this AP is the fact thats its pretty good as written, but with the locales and people that are written into it, a little digging makes it spectacular. I consulted many 2ed books that were just collecting dust on my shelves to refresh myself on Tenser, Greyhawk, the Cairn Hills, etc. So in short, thats why I love this AP: the sheer potential.
This has been far and away the best campaign I have ever run in any system.
Yep. Tweaking a bit the official timeline to insert 'Return of the Eight' (it helps to explain Tenser why Tenser hasn't bothered to check on Bucknard's disparition) and 'Return to Castle GH', and you have got a monster of a campaign.
Yep. Tweaking a bit the official timeline to insert 'Return of the Eight' (it helps to explain Tenser why Tenser hasn't bothered to check on Bucknard's disparition) and 'Return to Castle GH', and you have got a monster of a campaign.
I'm guessing you've had to remove adventures to get Return in? It goes from 8 to 13th level or so, doesn't it? How'd you shoe-horn it in?
I've only just finished DMing Whispering Cairn and already I'm really tempted to add the Tomb of Horrors to the mix. Only one of my players has ever had any experience with Tomb of Horrors, and I think the reveal in Dawn of a New Age of where to get the Sphere will be so much of a "meh" if I don't. I'm thinking about running it right after A Gathering of Winds, as a way for Tenser to get info on the Tomb of Horrors. (Haven't figured it all out, but I think he'd send the party on an intelligence gathering mission - figured he have heard rumours and would want to know more.) I'll have to boost the 3.5 version on Wizard's boards from 9 to about 12th level to make it fit, but that shouldn't be a big deal.
I'm curious about Return of the 8 as well. I have it, but haven't read it in a long time. Not sure how I'd get it in there. Where did you put that in the overall timeline?
Thanks,
Greg
I'm guessing you've had to remove adventures to get Return in? It goes from 8 to 13th level or so, doesn't it? How'd you shoe-horn it in?
First, I have to tell that my campaign hasn't yet got to this point. We just wrapped up TFoE last session. So I am still planning ahead.
I won't HAVE to remove adventures, because we play with Hero rules. So, for us, leveling up is irrelevant. I am not sure it would be a problem with the Pathfinder slow track either.
I've only just finished DMing Whispering Cairn and already I'm really tempted to add the Tomb of Horrors to the mix. Only one of my players has ever had any experience with Tomb of Horrors, and I think the reveal in Dawn of a New Age of where to get the Sphere will be so much of a "meh" if I don't. I'm thinking about running it right after A Gathering of Winds, as a way for Tenser to get info on the Tomb of Horrors. (Haven't figured it all out, but I think he'd send the party on an intelligence gathering mission - figured he have heard rumours and would want to know more.) I'll have to boost the 3.5 version on Wizard's boards from 9 to about 12th level to make it fit, but that shouldn't be a big deal.
I'm curious about Return of the 8 as well. I have it, but haven't read it in a long time. Not sure how I'd get it in there. Where did you put that in the overall timeline?
Ah, memories...
On Rot8 topic, I am planning either to swap Eligos (former apprentice of Tenser, along with Allustan) with Jallarzi Salavarian, or use Eligos to introduce the players to her. The plot would be almost as written : first meeting to explain to her their little wormy problems, some down time to make researchs and get involved in HoHR, then in CB, before a new appointment meant to give them info. They would arrive to find the tower under attack as in RoT8; with their guest tokens, they would be the only one on site who can enter and lend aid at once without triggering the tower magical defenses.
Rescuing Tenser would give them access to his ressources, as written, along with the notes about the Age of Worms Bucknard (Balakarde) left to Tenser before leaving on his quest, including the prophecies.
HoHr would be quite heavily modified. I think the dopple will be part of the Kyuss conspiracy, not a freelance assassin guild. Their part in the master plan was to ensure that Raknian got and kept his office of manager of the Great Arena (by bodysnatching key officials and nameless scribes in the local administration), and basically enforcing covert security.
Return to CG would basically be a sidetrek, but one already tied in with my players background : one is a Zuoken monk sent by his monastery to free his god; another's master disapeared without a trace while investigating brigand activity (see Living Greyhawk modules about Castle Greyhawk; they fill the first levels); and of course, if Raknian escapes, they could learn by variuous means that he is hiding there.
It still needs a lot of polishng, but basically it would be something like that.
My character almost felt sorry for the apostal of Kyuss on how easy we took him out.
We dropped Bozal and killed him before he could free it. Our bard studied the scroll (lore master) and learned about the apostal.
Since there was a dome over it we went back upstairs "put the guards to bed" then cut a hole in the top of the dome and the side of the dome underwhich the worm was waiting in its wall of force type inclosure. Used adamantine weapons to easily carve through the rock.
Two holes one on top about 5' in diameter on on the side so the cleric can bust the force field.
Over the one on top we put a floating disk that we loaded with all the alchemist fire from a room near by. 60 flasks in total.
Plan is when the field drops mage dismisses the floating disk. Given the falling flasks a +0 to hit and the touch AC of the worm being 14, out of the 60 flasks 21 hit and 39 did splash damage since it was such a big worm. In the surprise round on average is 104 damage we rolled better then average and got 121. It was now down to only 83 HP.
It spent a full round action putting itself out, or else it would ahve taken another 21d6! PCs all position themselves and ready to fight it when it comes up.
It burst up through the hole and used its breath weapon. Taht hurt and now we had spawn of kyuss too. Fireball from the mage, ranger with favored enemy undead (+4) deadly aiming, enlarged monk and rogue waiting on flank take their 5' steps both in range and all out attack.
Dead Worm.
Then we played clean up with the spawns.
Would have been a much tougher fight if we did not have the 60 flasks of alchemist fire handed to us.