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

[erucsbo]

...The party was on the way out the door when the monk charged her and started a melee.
... I thought this might be a tough fight but I had no idea it would turn out to be an almost tkp!
... And he rolls a 1. ...
They are 16th level now. They should be 18th by the time they finish N and maybe 19th after the Dragon. I suspect O will be a cake walk but it should be fun for the party to do a beat down on some bad guys on the way out.

rv

How have you fond the monk?
One of my players (currently straight cleric) is thinking about a monk instead. - Especially considering that the party will be heading to N soon I'm worried about how effective they really will be (versus the cleric that will either become NPC or gone).

Funny how the fights can turn out easier or tougher than planned. Swapping a major combatant from one side to the other can certainly turn a battle on its head.

So you plan on having the party go for Tyrus after the World Eater? rather than the other way around?

I had the part make it to the garrison in G - and have given them some goals to accomplish. First one was to find the Inevitable recharge room as that will allow the inevitables from the garrison in E to get back to full strength, freeing up some of the celestials in G so that they can help the party if required.

First use of "Find the Path" spell has occurred and I allowed it because it gave me the opportunity to direct them where I wanted and overcome some of the frustration element. The only other "location" they know about that they might try and use the spell for is the chamber of the World Eater (they know how to get to Tyrus if they want to). Not quite sure how I'll handle that one yet.

We actually had a full house last night - 9 players! Will be losing one (Sorcerer) after next session (moving interstate) and the rogue will follow a few sessions later (partner of the player moving interstate), but that will still leave us with 2 straight clerics, Mystic Theurge, Eldritch Knight, Fighter, Bard/Druid (don't ask) and Assassin (who has alignment shifted away from evil and will be following the Arcane Trickster path).

They rescued the aquatic elves from the merrow, resisted the temptation of the intact cells, but did deviate from the Find the Path to check out the water spider mound and have found the lizardman. The water spider had broken the surface of the water and was approaching the party when we broke for the evening. Will be interesting to see if they go for the battle or retreat to the narrow passages (where it can't follow).

Once they have completed that section I'll give them a level (up to 13th), allow for some restocking at the Garrison, and see if they want to tackle Tyrus or go straight for the tomb.

 

[erucsbo]

The water spider had broken the surface of the water and was approaching the party when we broke for the evening. Will be interesting to see if they go for the battle or retreat to the narrow passages (where it can't follow).

They couldn't resist a battle, though they did back away to the corridor and cast wall of force, with a gap that they could get through.
The spider spraying acid went some way to having them back away.
The Druid/Bard attempted Speak with Animals, but with a negligible int score the spider was getting confused about "food". If you recall the FarSide cartoon where the person is speaking to the dog and all the dog hears are certain familiar words then it was something like that.
The Mystic Theurge cast Baleful Polymorph and turned the spider in to a toad. Spider rolled a 1 on the save. Threat ended.

They found the Inevitables recharge room but kept going and found the chest with the gemsect swam. 1 fireball later the threat (and chest) were gone.

Did have some fun with the greater barghests at the tail end of the session as they were looking for alternate ways back around to the garrison from the recharge room.
The projected images soaked up Blade barrier, enervation, fireballs and lightning bolts until the invisible blinking beasties flanked and attacked the sorcerer at the back of the party.
Just about everyone ended up going invisible and lightning bolts and weapon damage (that managed to get through the blink) eventually brought them down.
Will have to double check the illusion rules again just in case a battle with Tyrus is forthcoming as there were some "disagreements" over whether or not saves should have been made. I would think that unless specifically stated that they are disbelieving, that any such rolls would need to be made in secret, and a player stating "I don't believe it" (when a ranged touch attack failed) isn't necessarily the same as someone stating "I disbelieve it".

 

[rvalle]

How have you fond the monk?
One of my players (currently straight cleric) is thinking about a monk instead. - Especially considering that the party will be heading to N soon I'm worried about how effective they really will be (versus the cleric that will either become NPC or gone).

Funny how the fights can turn out easier or tougher than planned. Swapping a major combatant from one side to the other can certainly turn a battle on its head.

So you plan on having the party go for Tyrus after the World Eater? rather than the other way around?

I had the part make it to the garrison in G - and have given them some goals to accomplish. First one was to find the Inevitable recharge room as that will allow the inevitables from the garrison in E to get back to full strength, freeing up some of the celestials in G so that they can help the party if required.

First use of "Find the Path" spell has occurred and I allowed it because it gave me the opportunity to direct them where I wanted and overcome some of the frustration element. The only other "location" they know about that they might try and use the spell for is the chamber of the World Eater (they know how to get to Tyrus if they want to). Not quite sure how I'll handle that one yet.

We actually had a full house last night - 9 players! Will be losing one (Sorcerer) after next session (moving interstate) and the rogue will follow a few sessions later (partner of the player moving interstate), but that will still leave us with 2 straight clerics, Mystic Theurge, Eldritch Knight, Fighter, Bard/Druid (don't ask) and Assassin (who has alignment shifted away from evil and will be following the Arcane Trickster path).

The Monk is very effective. I, perhaps mistakenly, added some feats to the game and he's managed to get his AC, including touch, up into the 40's. Plus when he attacks he's getting 5-6 attacks and doing +25 damage on each one. They are able to crush all the 'minor' battles and only the boss fights are a challenge.

Lets see... the current party is the Monk, a Bard, Cleric, Sorc (with 2 levels of Rogue dipping for improved evasion), Fighter (with 2 or so levels of Ranger for 2 weapon fighting), and a Druid all 16th level.

You know... I've checked on how 'bad' the Dragon fight is but not the World Eater one. Using the on-line Encounter Calculator with 6 18th level Characters the Dragon fight came out to something like Overwhelming. Well shoot, now I have to go and check it.

6 18th level characters vs the CR23 Dragon is Very Hard. 18th vs the CR 20 World Eater is Challenging. Though that doesn't take into account anything else that shows up when the World Eater breaks free.

Currently the ice is melting around Tyrus's prison. I can use that to force them to face him whenever I want. I think I'll have them fight the World Eater at 17, level up to 18 and fight Tyrus, level up to 19 and then have them start fighting their way out.

In G the party was able to capture the thingy to power up the region saving the Garrison leader. I didn't run it exactly as written... in the book the demons basically have an unending army out there forcing the party to 'solve the problem instead of a head on attack'. But in order to get to the power up gem they have to travel out in the open and start fighting demons with telepathy who can summon others to the fight quickly. I basically used what was in the book and let the party slowly whittle the demons down and win. Watch out for that 6 armed demon. She was the cause of several party deaths. She's nasty!!!

Once freed I let the two Garrisons hook up and then they went to D to take care of 'a little Tarrasque problem'. This keeps them busy and stops them from overly helping the party.

I got lucky with Find the Path... the party just figured it wouldn't work and never tried it. My plan was to let it work inside one Region but not let it go from Region to Region.

9 players! Wow. I think our all time max was 8. We're down to 6 now and seem pretty steady there. Thats plenty for me.

rv

 

[erucsbo]

The Monk is very effective. I, perhaps mistakenly, added some feats to the game and he's managed to get his AC, including touch, up into the 40's. Plus when he attacks he's getting 5-6 attacks and doing +25 damage on each one. They are able to crush all the 'minor' battles and only the boss fights are a challenge.

thanks - based on that I may allow the monk but will be careful on what feats are allowed.

Using the on-line Encounter Calculator with 6 18th level Characters the Dragon fight came out to something like Overwhelming. Well shoot, now I have to go and check it.

If I add in 2 Astral Devas (EL14 - freed from the Pyrefaust) and 2 NPC paladins (level 13) to the party then it makes Tyrus an Overwhelming encounter - but therefore still doable, especially if they have had time to buff and they learn the lesson of illusions from fighting the Greater Barghests last session They would have to get to level 16 to have it Very Difficult instead.

Watch out for that 6 armed demon. She was the cause of several party deaths. She's nasty!!!

I've had G completed off-stage. The Garrisons are now connected and now that the party has found the recharge station for the inevitables they can spare some celestials to assist against Tyrus.

If they get to the World Eater I'll consider whether or not to allow them to be able gate in some celestials to deal with the mooks.

 

[rvalle]

I took a vote on what the players wanted to do.

1. Play by the book and slog it out.

2. Remove some of the mooks from N and keep going doing the big more insteresting fights.

3. Have the Garrison take over clearing out N and the party goes to fight Tyrus. Afterwards they go and help on the final push on the World Eater.


It was close between 2 and 3 but we finallized on 2.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

2. Remove some of the mooks from N and keep going doing the big more insteresting fights.

Something I probably should have done.

 

[rvalle]

Something I probably should have done.

Well, I took a page out of your book and don't have the bad guys respawning every night. They do come back after a week (or as close to a week as my bad book keeping allows for).

rv

 

[rvalle]

Hey erucsbo have you figured out how you are going to do the Dragon's illusion?

rv

 

[erucsbo]

Hey erucsbo have you figured out how you are going to do the Dragon's illusion?

rv

pre-rolled will saves are the order of the day I think.
It's a figment so will disappear if struck, unless Tyrus causes it to react otherwise, which he wo'nt. I imagine the party, unless they pick up that it is an illusion beforehand, will try and coordinate a massive strike at once.
I've given hints before that Tyrus had been trapped in a magical sleep and therefore probably isn't tired, so there may be some disbelief attempts, or at least detect magic.
I'll run it pretty much as written after that I think.

 

[morgue]

Chronology

Hey folks

I've been flipping through my WLD recently, contemplating a run at it, and I decided I'd really like to get my hands on a chronology of the dungeon - there's lots of references to "two years ago", "ten years ago", "fifty years ago", etc., and it would be useful to pull them together.

I haven't read this whole thread, but I've scanned a lot of it. jim pinto mentioned that someone had made a chronology (in post 1118) but I can't find it.

Any leads, anyone?