Dungeon Adventure Path - Questions [spoilers]

Berandor · Jun 8, 2004

Hi!

I'm currently preparing to run the Dungeon Adventure Path (AP) with our group (ETA ~1 month). Before I continue, however, I want to clearly dissuade every prospective player from reading. Spoilers will be encouraged!

So, I'll set the AP in the FR, on the eastern end of Tethyr, to be precise. I'll change St.Cuthbert to Helm, Wee Jas to Azuth (because we'll have an Azuthian wizard in the group), Pelor to Lathander (it just fits too well, even though I'd have preferred Siamorphe), and Kord to ... ? I just don't know. I'm considering Liira, but it doesn't seem too fitting. However, I just can't imagine Tempus-clerics preferring a festival to a fight

I will also change Erykhdul (sp?) to Garagos, Vecna to Shar, and Hextor I'm not sure whether I really want Bane.

Now, I would prefer my group to survive the AP, at least the first couple of adventures, and here's my most important question: Just how deadly is the AP, really?

It would also be cool if you'd just post some random experiences with the AP, or some advice. I usually run self-made adventures, not modules, so I'm a little wary. I'll be especially trying not to make the AP into too much of a dungeon crawl experience.

Well, any thoughts, comments, ridicule?

Eternalknight · Jun 8, 2004

It's quite deadly to PCs really. The number of times I had to fudge dice rolls...

Ozmar · Jun 8, 2004

I have only run through the first adventure, but I found it to be exceptionally deadly. As I am not one to pull any punches, we lost 4 or 5 whole parties before it was completed. At one point, I had a PC captured by

Kazmogen

and polymorphed into an otyugh to serve as a guardian. They eventually defeated the BBEG, but 3 out of 4 kids were taken off into the underdark by slavers. That would have led into underdark adventures to rescue them, but almost everyone died.

It was also very much a dungeon-crawl. Here's what I didn't do that you might consider to avoid this fate: Give them NPC help! I am thinking especially of

the Striders of Farlaghn - those two half-elf brothers would make great helpers and give them continuity links to future adventures. I completely forgot about them, and could have used them to avoid the third TPK, since they were supposed to be following along invisibly. Also, you might consider adding the Stormblades (the noble adventurers from a future adventure) as allies for the first adventure. Finally, to avoid the dungeony-feeling of return visits to Jzadirune over months of game time, emphasize the time pressure of rescuing those kids. Maybe use the NPC groups to pressure and enable the PCs to press on without resting for days between expeditions.

Jzadirune can be a meat-grinder - especially those gnomish traps. Watch out!

Ozmar the Experienced DM

Taurendil · Jun 8, 2004

My group is about to start Zenith Trajectory. Up until now there have been 6 PC's. I pretty much ran the modules as they are. In the first module I just added a couple of low level opponents to Jzadirune. The Malachite Hold stayed as it was. Jzadirune wasn't easy, but didn't pose any serious problems. The Malachite Hold did. Especially the animated chains. I don't think they were able to do it any harm. They ran away after wasting a lot of resources. The final encounter went very bad. The party tried to grab Terrem and run away with him. This resulted in the death of 2 party members. Three were below 0 hp, all children except for Terrem got killed by the Beholder and one party member managed to escape.
The second adventure went much better for the party. They only had problems with Tarkilar and the demon in the lake.
If you're running the adventures with only four PC's I can see things getting very rough.

The Adventure path can be heavy on the dungeon crawl side. I suggest you read Jollydoc's Story hour. It's got some good ideas. I borrowed an idea from that: give the party Ghelve's shop and everything below it and then let the Stormblades break in and collapse the elevator shaft. My party sure hates them now. After Flood Season they took a trip to Sasserine to participate in the Challenge of Champions against among other the Stormblades.
I also made some changes to the part between the Lucky Monkey and the Kopru Ruins. The adventure never explained how come the party doesn't meet Triel on the way to the LM. Logically she should be on her way back to Cauldron while the party is en route for the LM. At the LM the party started searching for tracks. I ruled that Triel had taken a detour which led to the other side of Cauldron. I let them follow Triel to a cave where they keep some horses. With that information and soms role-playing in Cauldron itself they went to the ruins. This gave the party a chance to utilize some non-combat skills.

Dungeon Adventure Path - Questions [spoilers]

Berandor

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Eternalknight

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Ozmar

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Taurendil

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