World's Largest Dungeon in actual play [Spoilers!]

[erucsbo]

The automatic feat for spellcasters so far seems to be Eschew Materials.

I've always hated the material components requirement for spellcasting. Adds to bookkeepping without adding significantly to roleplaying IMHO, so I basically give them this for free. I don't believe I've ever even played in a game where having material components have been enforced, and especially in WLD, finding material components and/or trucking them around with you (live spiders, bat guano etc) seems not only unhygenic, but socially irresponsible as well. ("Man - you smell like sh*t!" "Yeah - sorry about that - but if you want me to be able to cast fireball you're going to have to put up with it!")

 

[tbug]

I've always hated the material components requirement for spellcasting. Adds to bookkeepping without adding significantly to roleplaying IMHO, so I basically give them this for free.

One of the strictures placed on me is that I have to adhere closely to the core rules (as presented in the SRD). This being the case, I'm making sure that it cuts both ways. Spell materials (and spellbook inks, and magic item creation ingredients, and so forth) are therefore required as per the core rules. It's mean, but it's part of the "core rules" experience (and what the players wanted).

(PC character creation can be from other (non-SRD) sources as long as they're OGC, but any denizens of the dungeon have to be from the SRD.)

 

[Hussar]

Not specific to WLD, but thought I'd ask here anyway.

Anyone else allow the Sacred Healing feat?
This feat is from the Complete Divine book:
Sacred Healing [Divine]
You can channel positive energy to grant nearby living creatures the ability to recover from their wounds quickly.
Prerequisites: Heal 8 ranks, ability to turn undead
Benefit: You can spend a turn attempt as a full-round action to grant fast healing 3 to all living creatures within a 60-ft. burst. The fast healing lasts for a number of rounds equal to 1+your Cha modifier (minimum 1 round).

We found this a no-brainer pickup for clerics (or anyone else with the prerequisite), so have toned it down. As long as the cleric (or at least their level for turning) is the same as the maximum character level in the party it works most of the time. Also means that it can buff the mooks, but not the boss monster when used in combat.

*snip*

Doesn't seem to big of a deal to me. Given an 18 Cha, you heal everyone 15 hp over 5 rounds. It's not going to save anyone if they're being pummelled by something large, so, it's a nice heal. Gives the cleric something do to in those regions that don't have a whole lot of undead. It's not even all that useful in combat since the bad guys will likely benefit as well.

I wouldn't have a problem with it. No one ever dies between combats anyway, and this lets people keep going without having to rest all the time.

As far as spell components, I don't worry about them if they are under 1 gp. The party is assumed to have them. It will matter if someone is grappled, but, then again, if the wizzie in the party is grappled, he's cooked anyway. The cleric has his holy symbol, so, no biggie.

 

[tbug]

As far as spell components, I don't worry about them if they are under 1 gp. The party is assumed to have them. It will matter if someone is grappled, but, then again, if the wizzie in the party is grappled, he's cooked anyway. The cleric has his holy symbol, so, no biggie.

So basically you give all spellcasters the Eschew Materials feat for free? I agree that it doesn't usually matter, but the WLD seemed like that one time that it would be hard to cast spells without the feat.

I always try to run games whatever way will be the most fun for the players. If yours want to ignore spell components then this is obviously the way to go.

 

[Dracorat]

I give my casters a spell pouch which summons up all items that are less than a GP in value.

That way I can still sometimes do the traditional plot line of "you have been kidnapped and your stuff taken" and the spell casters without Eschew are screwed.

 

[tbug]

My PCs have been wandering in and out of Region E a fair bit. They've met both barghest packs, but haven't identified either of them. My players don't know what barghests are and so the PCs don't either. They know what blink dogs are, at least vaguely, and have assumed that this is what Morat's pack is. They encountered Sarraas and her pack only in goblin form, and have assumed that they really are just goblins. They've even brokered a peace treaty between them and the Holy Goblin Empire.

For various reasons, several of the celestials (Besar, Sanjid, and Spers) are being held by Morat. The PCs know this but have been told that they're sequestered in a meeting. Lilig is already dead. I've been playing that Morat basically just wants to be left alone, but people keep imposing themselves on him. I'm trying to decide if he'll just kill the celestials or try to bargain for something. He can't hold them for very long.

It would be nice if they survived, so I might just have Sarraas rescue them, return them to the Inevitables (who, as far as she knows, are part of the same group), and hope to negotiate a treaty as a result.

Any better ideas?

 

[rvalle]

For various reasons, several of the celestials (Besar, Sanjid, and Spers) are being held by Morat. The PCs know this but have been told that they're sequestered in a meeting. Lilig is already dead. I've been playing that Morat basically just wants to be left alone, but people keep imposing themselves on him. I'm trying to decide if he'll just kill the celestials or try to bargain for something. He can't hold them for very long.

It would be nice if they survived, so I might just have Sarraas rescue them, return them to the Inevitables (who, as far as she knows, are part of the same group), and hope to negotiate a treaty as a result.

Any better ideas?

Wow, did you tone down the Celestrials? Besar and company are quite the tough characters (at will mirror image, lighting bolt 2x/day, turn into a whirlwind and move ...100?, Holy weapons that do +2d6 damage and Besar gets 2 attacks a around at +8 damage.

I had the Garrison and Morat's pack basicly ignore each other. The baghersts didn't want to mess with the Holy weapons and there were too many of the baghersts for the Garrison to take out easily. If a Garrison member got close to the Baghersts they wolf-guys would run away and the Garrison member would go on his way.

Anywho... can the party and Sarra's pack plan a rescue together? If Morat can get the Garrison members to swear that they and their co-workers will leave him alone that should be a good deal (for Morat). That would put the party in an intersting spot... are they co-members' of the Garrison? They could have free reign to attack the Pack.

rv

 

[tbug]

Wow, did you tone down the Celestrials? Besar and company are quite the tough characters (at will mirror image, lighting bolt 2x/day, turn into a whirlwind and move ...100?, Holy weapons that do +2d6 damage and Besar gets 2 attacks a around at +8 damage.

They were tricked (in part because of the actions of the PCs, in part because of the inaction of the PCs), disarmed, and charmed (that was quite a trick, but with enough barghests trying it they managed it). They know that they can't keep the celestials on ice for long, and basically I need to decide nowish what they're going to do. Even a coup de grace isn't likely to slay one of these guys, but a pack could take them out.

I had the Garrison and Morat's pack basicly ignore each other. The baghersts didn't want to mess with the Holy weapons and there were too many of the baghersts for the Garrison to take out easily. If a Garrison member got close to the Baghersts they wolf-guys would run away and the Garrison member would go on his way.

This is how things were in my game at the point where the PCs arrived. A lot has happened since then, and the celestials thought that they were going into a meeting with some mutated blink dogs.

Anywho... can the party and Sarra's pack plan a rescue together? If Morat can get the Garrison members to swear that they and their co-workers will leave him alone that should be a good deal (for Morat). That would put the party in an intersting spot... are they co-members' of the Garrison? They could have free reign to attack the Pack.

The PCs aren't members of the garrison, so they wouldn't be bound by the celestials' word. They already have an alliance with Sarraas (though they think she's a regular goblin). The problem is that they've been tricked into thinking that Morat is a good guy, and they've ignored hints that this isn't true. I think that the PCs are content to leave the celestials in Morat's company, and I'm loathe to take the freedom to make that mistake away from them.

I suspect that the PCs are going to spend most of their time in Region A tonight, finally dealing with a portal that's been left alone for far too long. That would give me a bit more time to ponder.

If I need them to survive and the PCs do nothing, I'll have Sarraas rescue them and get an uncomfortable deal out of them. If I don't need them to survive and the PCs do nothing then the garrison will lose three more members.

I would have liked to have left the garrison strong and in charge of its region when the PCs finally left, if only so that they'd know that there was a stronghold behind them if necessary. Sadly, this is only going to happen if they take steps to make it happen.

I suppose one of the bralani could escape as the lone survivor, or something. That would definitely blow the whole "blink dogs are really barghests" story I've been stringing along for the last couple months, but maybe this is the best climax to that story I'm likely to get.

 

[Hussar]

So basically you give all spellcasters the Eschew Materials feat for free? I agree that it doesn't usually matter, but the WLD seemed like that one time that it would be hard to cast spells without the feat.

I always try to run games whatever way will be the most fun for the players. If yours want to ignore spell components then this is obviously the way to go.

They don't have Eschew Materials for free. If they get grappled, they are still hosed. But, I figured that wizzied get boned enough without having them do too much bookkeeping. Besides, it doesn't help them with the more expensive spells anyway. I basically have handwaved away spell components simply because I just didn't want to be bothered.

Heh, I have enough problems keeping PC's alive without making it more difficult. Just had fatality 12 last week. Failed save against the Abyssal Basilisk in G. Stone rogue. Although, I think that this will be short lived since they've already made contact with Raverna and she can cast Break Enchantment. Evalan can do so as well, so, it probably won't be the end of this PC.

I love it when people's metagaming bites them in the posterior. My two metagamers both thought that gaze attacks required activation. Charge the basilisk! Only to get forced a fort save at the beginning of each turn. The basy is about half dead, when we had to end the session. We'll see if I can nick a few more PC's as well. I doubt it. The barbarian and the paladin/monk just have insane fort saves. Then again, the barbarian failed a fort save vs the Dretch's stinking cloud when they first arrived. Great fight. 9 Dretch made for a really fun little festivity.

BTW, how's this for a plotsy? There is a secret door between C and G. The celestials obviously know about it since they built it. However, they aren't entirely sure where it is. THere is a nice little library in the Morgh's lair. I figure that there could be a book of maps or clues to the entrance in that library and the Garrison could send the party to go retrieve it.

Assuming the party does, they will head back through C (through the prison) and enter the Horde's home from the back. The angels lead an attack on the front to draw away the demons (at least some of them) buying the party time to get in and get the Flame.

This lets me use a couple of the minor lairs, a big running battle and then end the region with a big climax battle as the demons launch an all out offensive to get the Flame back. I'll have Cylerbrai die just as the flame is returned to take him out of the fight since the Solar could likely take on the entire Demon horde by himself and win. Run a serious of four or five fights, Heroes of Battle style, EL -2, -2, par, par and +2, and finish up the region.

Whatcha think?

 

[pokedigimaniac]

Best of luck! For one of the best takes I've seen on the Region G 'climactic battle,' you can check out the longest-running LJ PbP WLD game:

http://spacecrime_wlg.livejournal.com/

The Region G stuff specifically starts at:

http://community.livejournal.com/spacecrime_wlg/59872.html

The BIG FINAL BATTLE HOO HAH really needs you to read the whole section on Region G to 'get it,' as it's a conglomeration of a lot of stuff. Teaser: The party ends up having to take on Glebshayy and Gwarny'z at the same time, while the ghost PC rushes the Flame of Aranas back into the celestials' area as fast as he can, hoping to bring the aid of Cyrlebrai.

Because, quite frankly, at full power, sure, Cyrlebrai might be able to take on all the demons at once. Maybe. Very doubtful - don't forget the mariliths and more. But remember, he's been powering the whole darn region for quite some time. He's not going to recover instantly - even when he's given the Flame, he's going to be quite drained, only having access to a very few of his powers. Think of it as DM fiat - he has what he needs to save the party's ass if they need it, but not much more than that. Read the spacecrime_wlg area for a GREAT usage of Cyrlebrai in the final battle.

Man, I can't wait till my group hits Region G. Good luck!

P.S. Another reason to read the Region G bit - you get to see their encounter with the blackguard, where the lil' kobold flies up towards a spark high up in the air, thinking it's a spying quasit - and ends up running for his miserable life from a diving nightmare! Classic D&D, I tell you. Classic.

Oh, and as for your plan to run 5 fights, Heroes of Battle style, make sure they have a little aid between fights - a hound archon cleric throws a Mass Cure Moderate Wounds or something their way, perhaps. That punishing of a run of battles, no matter what the ECLs, will drain the hell out of them.

An interesting side note. In my campaign (the currently continuing WLD campaign - the other one is leaving WLD for now, as the players are sick and tired of it) the party joined the garrison, and saw the history of The Prison - that's honestly what it is, and the celestials saw no need to make up a fancy name for it. In my case, Cyrlebrai is the oldest celestial in there, as he's been in there since the beginning - he was the one who called for it to be built in the first place when the gods would not intervene. The party also 'saw' the capture of Lord Kraveshk, and bits and pieces of the other celestial garrisons and bits of history. It's all leading in together - it should be quite enjoyable. An epic fight, for sure.

And, honestly, I'm going to have lots of FUN with Region C, thanks to Hussar's hard work on the region and adapting it for OpenRPG. Region C is just fun overall, with all the different things in it. I'm looking forward to deciding what role Arum plays - I'd love for him to be a recurring character that turns up all over the place, or at least leaves a trail behind. After all, he left Region C, the way I see it. He certainly didn't leave the dungeon, though. So, whereever the party goes - Arum's been there first. Perhaps he's still around! Who says that Invistis is the only lich in the dungeon? Not all liches have to be evil. After all, there's definite potential for a mad lich who lives on, racked with guilt over his part in the destruction of the way of Merunda. Personally, I just want a chance to run that darned random encounter from N where the lich comes up asking for diamond dust. Really.

So, yeah. Going to run C very very soon. I just need to play with Open some more, and decide what sort of spin I'm going to put on the region. I may just have to steal Hussar's incredible idea of Nardarik thinking he's Arum. Or not. We'll see! So many possibilities...