Temple of Elemental Evil - Pathfinder Conversion

[djpika]

Has anyone created a list of traits to use for the Temple of Elemental Evil? It looks like some work was done in the past to convert it to 3.5/PF, but it doesn't look like any work was done to create background traits for characters.

[Val'bryn2]

You don't really need any. I can probably see about making some, I'm doing my own conversion, just got started on it. Adding some material from the video games, especially the Co8 mods.

[djpika]

RE: the pc game, the Atari patches don't appear to be hosted any longer and most of the mod sites are throwing malware alerts, so looking at the C08 mods isn't really an option. I already dug up the original cd-roms and installed the base game for reference, but the core game is so UX unfriendly that trying to capture in-game references would be a real chore.

Traits are a good way to force players to think about their background, especially for newer players and/or players new to Greyhawk.

[Val'bryn2]

I haven't played the mods, just heard about some of them. One of the things I'm doing, to get them to 2nd level before the Moathouse, is to have 3 quests, in the form of side quests from the game, for example the mods had some kind of undead mage, I am setting up minor skeleton attacks on Hommlet, at the same time as the bandit attacks, leading to a small keep where a skeleton mage "lives". He's from a minor noble family that became worshippers of Tharizdun, for his arcane bond he has a gold ring with a large ruby set in it, the ruby is one of the 333 gems stolen from a temple to Tharizdun, as described in the Dungeon adventure "Funeral Procession". The second quest is clearing out the Dekio Grove, which I intend to drop a few corrupted elementals. Still need an idea for the 3rd quest, thinking something in town for that.

I don't really know how much the traits will help, it might, but a lot of people just pick what looks cool or powerful without regard for backstory.

[deuxhero]

An infestation of Animated Hemlock planted by the traders? Awaken says awakened plants are Animated Objects but with the plant type. A few tiny objects should be within CR for the PCs. Put the flamable flaw on the animated plant for an extra CP, but there is no way to add poison that I know of first party only. With Path of War you can use their feat to pick up Extra Traits and use it to pick up Combat Training (Dizzying Venom Prana) and Potent Concoctions (+2 to the DC, which is helpful because the save DC is wis based and their Wisdom is 10 on average rolls). No idea what to do with their 2 CP though.

[Val'bryn2]

That could work, I don't really need a poison ability, because hemlock is ingested. Could tie it in with an encounter with Black Jay from the game.

[Lorimar]

Don't know if you guys are still working on this, but, I have been working to convert The Temple of Elemental Evil to Pathfinder 1st edition for a while now. I am utilizing Hero Lab to convert the encounters and to create a World of Greyhawk user file that will add the languages, gods, and more. I also have plans to make Campaign Traits that will tie characters into the Village of Homlett. I also have to thank you guys here for the adventure ideas to bring the characters to 2nd level before going to the Moathouse. I will probably adopt them for my own game. Please get back to me regarding any work that had been completed and I will be happy to do the same. I can say that I have the Village of Homlett and all but the last two encounters in the Moathouse completed.

[Lord Fyre]

I'm also curious about which version you are looking at converting. Is it the T1-4 AD&D mega module, the computer game, the novel, or Princes of the Apocalypse?

[The Thread Necromancer]

I am going to ask the obvious question here.

Why do a conversion at all?

When T1: The Village of Hommlet came out, it was ground breaking. For this reason, I, and many other grognards, have a special place in our black little hearts for this adventure.

And even from its own point of view, it had problems.
* - Gygax wrote it with the assumption that the PCs would hire higher level NPCs to accompany them through the adventure - but that wasn't true even back in the 1980s.
* - A 10th Level assassin? Sending some level appropriate Assassins after the heroes can be a great way to motivate the heroes to continue on with the story. But what this adventure does will simply kill off characters.
* - The villains in the adventure connect to the greater temple, but not to any of the factions within. Given the nature of T2-4 they really should.

So again, aside from nostalgia, why are we looking to convert this adventure?

[Azothath]

having played the 'megadungeon' ToEE version I can see why you'd want to (it's expansive) but thematically it is a turkey AND it's a big dungeon crawl that gets boring rather quickly. theme = next fight on the wheel!

As an olde thyme player & GM I don't care for Mr. G's storytelling. It is basically random and makes less sense than an actuarial table. Rod of Wonder & Ring of Gygax sum it up nicely.

PFS did have a year of scenarios devoted to elemental planes, travel, and deposing the evil elemental lords. There's also the 'old tapestry' years. Read through those. You'll learn How Gin is aged.

[Lathiira]

I still have my copy sitting on the bookshelf bagged and boarded. I feel the nostalgia. My first true megacharacter, one to break past 20th level, was a rebuild of the alu-fiend Darley as a mage. Complete with relevant background to the temple, ties to the world, and more. Now happily retired on another world, but I do feel the love.

That said, it's an old-school megadungeon that didn't have the time to properly develop relations within the temple and the lands beyond the way more modern modules might.

Also, on our last playthrough years ago. that 10th level assassin got caught in a crossfire in the hallway of the inn and blasted down. Good times.