B4:The Lost City and the water problem (possible minor spoiler)

[Allensh]

I am running a 3.x version of the old classic B4: The Lost City tomorrow night and I am running into a quandry...

SPOILER SPACE (just in case someone hasn't read this 20+ year old module)





























In classic D&D, clerics don't get spells at first level. Consequently the module can start out with the characters in the desert with no food and no water, which provides them plently of motivation to explore the step pyramid. However, in 3.x, clerics get 3 0-level spells at 1st level...one of which is Create Water. This allows the cleric to create 2 gallons of water per day, for a total of six gallons if he uses all three 0-level spell slots. I am thinking this is going to kind of mess up the "we need to find water SOON" idea...

Allen

 

[Arkhandus]

They still can't create food though, not until 5th-level at least. And if the party is more than just a few people (or if they have horses too), the cleric won't be able to pray for enough water.

Though, don't forget, they can also use their 1st-level slots to prepare Create Water. Not like they're going to have more than 1-2 such slots at 1st-level anyway, besides their domain slot (which can't be used for that).

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Also, the quasi-divine entity lurking in the Lost City might well have the add-on ability that he prevents that spell from working except for when cast by his own priests. The ability could have a 25 mile radius.

 

[smootrk]

Also, the quasi-divine entity lurking in the Lost City might well have the add-on ability that he prevents that spell from working except for when cast by his own priests. The ability could have a 25 mile radius.

Seconded... the region itself might be dry/desert-like because of some ancient (epic) magic that has affected the area, making creation of water (amongst other things) nearly impossible. You might have some sort of DC30 spellcraft check to overcome or something like that.

You can add other effects to this to make the point... endurance checks for dehydration, animals die, etc.

 

[phindar]

I don't think it will matter that much. I can't imagine a group of pcs looking at a step pyramid and thinking, "Well, we have plenty of food and water. Why adventure?" Unless they have a 0-level spell that lets them create two gallons of gold a day, they're going to in their rolling Search checks and killing goblins (or whomever).

Beyond that, 6 gallons of water isn't that much. It varies a bit with the system but if a person needs half a gallon of water a day and you double that for exertion and double it for the extreme heat, a single pc would be breaking even on 2 gallons a day (or 1.5 gallons if you go with the 3.5 theory that doubling twice is triple). And even if properly hydrated, you can still use heat exhaustion and exposure as a stick-- depending on how extreme the heat is, shelter will be pretty important to guard against the extreme heat of the day, and the temperature drop at night.

Or, just hit them with a big sandstorm. Its a cliche, but it works.

 

[Bishop Odo]

Also, you could increase the number of people, to where the 1st level spells are just getting by, say 10. This could be done with a ship crash, on a desert coast, or an air ship, flow storm or magical anomaly as in Shadow World. Why are they in the desert in the first place, maybe they were apprentices to caravan and the leader gets killed, and they have to show leadership to get everyone out alive. Just a thought.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Yeah, give 'em a bunch of civilians to feed, protect, and find shelter for. That pyramid will look mighty enticing.

(Of course, why you would venture into a centuries-old ruin to look for fresh food and water is something never really explained ... how many edilble supplies did they find in King Tut's tomb?)

 

[Huw]

I agree that the water plotline is minor. If your PCs are anything like typical PCs, it'll start like this:

PCs: "What's the plot?"

DM: "You see a pyramid in the middle of the desert."

PCs: "We check it out."

 

[Gregor]

Don't worry about the cleric being capable of creating water, just play up the heat and intensity of the desert, forcing the party to require more water than usual (intense exposure, fatigue). Throw in a couple small encounters (scorpions, etc.) and the Cleric will then have to decide between using all his spell-slots for water or for other spells - or alternatively, he'll have to convert those create water spells into healing for the group (presuming he is good). Sooner or later they will need to seek shelter (i.e. investigate the pyramid).

My two copper.

 

[Hussar]

I believe that Sandstorm states that in hot conditions, you require 2 gallons/day for a medium sized PC, double the regular. If your cleric is creating water, he's only getting 6 gallons a day, so somebody's going thirsty already, unless your PC's are small sized.