I seem to recall that someone was unsatisfied with the modules climax as written and posted a number of checks (following the chase rules) here on these boards to make the escape from the city more memorable and dramatic.
However, my search fu fails me and I cannot find it anymore. Does anyone know what I am talking about and can point me in the right direction?
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It's in a thread discussing City of Golden Death. Credit to the original author:
For my group, this adventure was the weakest of the trilogy. The shortage of roleplaying encounters, the repetition with combat encounters and some illogical aspects of the storyline left a lot of work for the GM (me) to do before we could actually play. That’s not to say it was all bad, in fact parts were quite good and if your players are strictly hack-n-slash then you may not have as much rewrite time as I did.
For the details read on, but beware of spoilers. Do not read further if you plan to play in this adventure!
The Problems:
* Logic Errors
Spoiler:
Iramine and her priests are several days (perhaps a week) ahead of the PCs, yet the PC’s are instructed to follow the same route she took. Instead the PCs should trek across the lake rather than around it. Unfortunately only random encounters are given for the long voyage, so the GM will need to flesh this out. I changed the described boat entirely, making it a fishing vessel.
* Deja Vous
Spoiler:
Some of the encounters in this module closely resemble encounters in the first module of the trilogy, for example; wolves, skeletons and a crazy stranded NPC paralleled the first module too closely. If your group plays regularly, consider changing this up.
* Almost No Roleplaying
Spoiler:
The semi-insane Dusan is the only hope of non-combat interaction (well maybe you could start something on the boat ride, but that feels forced). To rectify this, I made Dusan friends with the lizardfolk; had Aglanda’s group join with the PC’s and had Tar-Baphon’s Dragon ask riddles rather than attack. Dusan has a lot of island knowledge, so I had him give crazy-sounding advice that would actually help. For example, rolling around in dung was one recommendation. Any PC that did so gained concealment from the Bullette later on.
* Encounter Repetition
Spoiler:
Too many of the same creatures are used (e.g. wolves, undead, fire elementals, etc.) As the GM you may want to switch these up. I used an Ettin for the wolves and Salamanders for the undead. I removed half of the fire elementals.
* Odd Pacing
Spoiler:
The adventure starts off with sparse combat at the beginning but ends with one killer encounter after another. I couldn’t envision my PC’s completing the 3rd ring of the city, so I spaced it out a bit more. As mentioned, Aglanda’s group decided to side with the PC’s as long as they were allowed to get out alive. The Dragon delivered riddles rather than straight combat and I removed Naramoc and his two priests entirely. This gave the PC’s a fighting chance against Iramine in the final battle.
* No Big Ending
Spoiler:
While the fight with Iramine was difficult, the end of this module came prematurely and without the big climatic ending I crave. Here are the PC’s, at the center of a flooding golden city, and they just have to saunter out? Instead I added a chase out of Xin-Grafar as it flooded and collapsed around them.
Here’s the chase I used for the escape (it gave the tension filled, dice rolling climax I was hoping for). Have each player roll once for each challenge and keep a running total of the results:
Escape Xin-Grafar
The ancient underground city begins to rumble and shake as cracks appear in nearby floors and walls. Bits of the ceiling rain down, threatening to crush you, or worse, bury you alive. Time suddenly feels short and the city exit is dangerously distant; making a run for it seems to be your only hope of escaping alive.
1. The Naga's Pit
Jump Across, Acrobatics [long jump] DC15 (+1/-1 & 1d6 fall)
Drop down and Climb Up, Climb DC15 (0/-1)
2. Crumbling Bridge
Pick your way across, Knowledge [engineering] DC10 or [dungeoneering] DC20 (0/-1)
React as you go, Reflex DC18 (+1/-1 & 1d6 fire)
3. Closed Gate
Jimmy the lock, Disable Device DC20 (0/-1)
Burst through the gate, Bull Rush DC25 (+1/-1)
Disassemble the hinges, Craft DC15 (-2/-4)
4. Toppling Buildings
Risk it and dash under, Willpower DC15 (+1/-1 & 1d6 bludgeoning)
Wait and squeeze through, Escape Artist DC20 (0/-1)
Hold the heavy stones up, Strength DC25 (0/-2)
5. Iron Cobra Swarm
Tumble through, Acrobatics DC18 (+1/-1)
Fight your way through, Automatic success (-2 & 1d12 bite)
Sneak past, Stealth DC15 (0/-1)
6. Steam Geyser
Study the area to avoid geysers, Knowledge [nature] DC15 (0/-1)
Cross your fingers and go, Luck DC12 (+1/-1 & 1d6 scald)
7. Noxious Fumes
Don't breathe, Fortitude DC18 (+1/-1 & sickened)
Find another route, Perception DC20 (0/-1)
A deep rumble ripples through the massive chamber as the jagged cavern ceiling plummets directly towards you. Only quick action will save your life...
The last PC (the one with the lowest final total) takes 8d6 points of damage (half, DC15 Reflex) and is buried. Characters in the slide zone take 3d6 points of damage (no damage, DC15 Reflex). Characters in the slide zone who fail their saves are buried. Characters take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per minute while buried. If such a character falls unconscious, he must make a DC 15 Constitution check each minute. If it fails, he takes 1d6 points of lethal damage each minute until freed or dead.
Characters who aren't buried can dig out their friends. In 1 minute, using only her hands, a character can clear rocks and debris equal to five times her heavy load limit. The amount of loose stone that fills a 5-foot-by-5-foot area weighs 1 ton (2,000 pounds). Armed with an appropriate tool, such as a pick, crowbar, or shovel, a digger can clear loose stone twice as quickly as by hand. A buried character can attempt to free himself with a DC 25 Strength check.
The Good Parts:
* Island Hazards
Spoiler:
Hazards make for interesting encounters and the island has plenty of them, quicksand, poisoned rivers, negative energy storms and molten gold all make for tricky conditions that will keep players thinking.
* Tension Building
Spoiler:
The looming storms and flooding canals kept my players moving. No stopping in a safe location to prepare spells or heal to 100%. The players felt like they had to keep moving or they would fail. This sense of urgency can be difficult to come by in other adventures.
* Cool New Baddies
Spoiler:
The Golden Guardian was a favorite of the players. It was tough and memorable, and it felt unique. The terror template was also useful, adding a creepy twist to otherwise typical creatures. While not new, the summoned Babau demon was intelligently placed and had the players quite worried.
In the end, the adventure was a success, but I did have to make a lot of adjustments for my players. You may not experience the same issues we did, but if you do, the problems are not insurmountable. All the same, I had to give this module an average rating of 3 stars.
I have to wonder if maybe too much was squeezed into the 36 pages. Trying to describe a giant lake, a whole island and a huge underground city (with a complex history) is a lot in such a small space. Paring the scope down might have improved the final product.
Thank you very much! I knew I wasn't dreaming but I just could not find it!
What are the parenthesized values after each item in the chase sequence? Also, am I correct in assuming a luck roll is just a d20 with no modifiers?
Not sure about those either.
My guess is the numbers are the amount of cards you get to skip or lose (so making the climb check at the naga's pit lets you move to the next card while failing that check gets you stuck on the current card). But that assumes that this variant chase requires players to choose a check on the card and does not offer them the option to just move from one card to the next one as a full-round action.
The parenthetical values were to be added at the end to show how long it had taken that particular PC to get out of the city.
From the original post:
The last PC (the one with the lowest final total) takes 8d6 points of damage (half, DC15 Reflex) and is buried. Characters in the slide zone take 3d6 points of damage (no damage, DC15 Reflex). Characters in the slide zone who fail their saves are buried. Characters take 1d6 points of nonlethal damage per minute while buried. If such a character falls unconscious, he must make a DC 15 Constitution check each minute. If it fails, he takes 1d6 points of lethal damage each minute until freed or dead.
I see, so it is sort of an alternative way of running a chase. You have to attempt a check at every station (no skipping) and you get a bonus or a penalty to your total "chase score" depending on the outcome.