5e conversion notes for S2 - White Plume Mountain

[Bumamgar]

I have just uploaded 5e conversion notes for S2 - White Plume Mountain to the downloads area.

Attached are the conversion notes for S2 - White Plume Mountain, including 5e versions of all new magic items as well as a new monster, the Kelpie.

You can find the file here in the downloads section. Please use this thread for comments.

 

[ren1999]

Have you updated it with help from the DMG yet?

http://dnd5.weebly.com

 

[Blue Phoenix RPG]

I hope you don't mind but I think I improved upon the area 7 geyser room a bit. Let me know what you think I'd appreciate any constructive criticism.

7. Geyser Cavern:

Wooden disks. Between the two stone platforms, a series of wooden disks is suspended from the ceiling by massive steel chains. The disks are about four feet in diameter, and three feet apart. Each disk is attached to its chain by a giant staple fixed in its center. The disks swing freely and will tilt when weight is placed upon them. Creatures can move from disk to disk by taking their action to make a successful DC 10 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check. It takes 54 seconds (6 seconds x 9 platforms) for a creature to cross the cavern this way, assuming no failed checks. For every failed check it costs 12 more seconds until they jump to the other disc. For every success it takes only 6 seconds. If at any time a check fails by more than 5 points the creature falls off the disc into the boiling mud. Advantage: If the creature has a total of 25 or more points in Strength and Dexterity and had Athletics or Acrobatics trained they gain an advantage on dice rolls. Disadvantage: If the creature has less than a total of 20 or more points in Strength and Dexterity and does not have Athletics or Acrobatics trained they suffer a disadvantage on dice rolls.

Phosphorescent scum. The disks and chains, as well as the walls of the cavern, are covered with a wet, slippery algal scum that lives on the water and nutrients spewed up from the geysers.

Geysers. Points A and B mark the locations of geysers. Geyser A spouts once every five minutes. Geyser B spouts once every three minutes, with both geysers firing at the same time once every 15 minutes. When the geysers erupt, they reach nearly to the roof of the cavern, and creatures holding onto the disks or chains will take damage from the scalding hot water and may be washed off to fall into the mud below. Hanging on requires a successful Strength check, with the DC depending on which geyser is erupting and which disk the creature is standing on (see chart for DC and base damage). If the creature succeeds on a Dexterity saving throw with the same DC they only take half damage from the scalding water, as they were able to quickly shield sensitive portions of their body from the blast. Any PC observing 18 minutes will see the pattern and go after both have spouted.



Boiling Mud. 50’ below the wooden disks is a deep pool of boiling mud. Falling into the mud (failing a Strength DC check) causes 50 feet of falling damage (5d6). Creatures starting their turn in the mud take 5d10 fire damage. Additionally, the mud is very thick and hard to swim or maneuver in, requiring a successful DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check to stay afloat or maneuver. If the creature is in the mud but adjacent when a spout erupts they will take 5d10 damage and be thrown upwards to the nearest platform, causing 6 seconds on the clock to go by. However, this will allow for a Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Strength (Athletics) check of the same DC which corresponds to the chart above. If the DC check fails then the creature again falls and the whole process of taking damage starts again.

(end notes)

Some of my logic here is obvious probably others not. I don't believe players should get an automatic disadvantage because of the slime it's already in the DC. For those like mages who don't have strength or dexterity going for them the whole thing is really scary but for dexterous or strong characters should be easy. I also included timing mechanisms so DMs can keep track of everything. I'm uncertain if 12 seconds is long enough to penalize a bad save, I was thinking of going 18 seconds instead because of a back and forth the PCs would have to do to get the discs in sink. Let me know what you think...

 

[Jason Raper]

I recently ran this conversion using the notes above. My group seemed to not have near the amount of challenge or danger as I experienced playing the first edition version. The characters are sooooo much more powerful than before. I plan on running it again, but I really feel the challenge rating/difficulty needs to be raised up. Not quite sure how I'm going to do it yet. Probably just increase the HP of enemies and quantity of them and maybe bump up the Save DCs slightly as well. I've discovered how much a pain in the ass cantrips are for DM's in this adventure. Numerous times it was a cantrip (like Mage Hand, Mending, or Eldritch Blast) that saved the day.

 

[bmcdaniel]

I plan to run this in about a week. Here are my notes about how I expect to run the geyser room.

Features
• Door opens to stone platform in large natural cavern. Ceiling about 50 feet above platform, and "floor" about 50 feet below. Opposite the main entrance, about 80 feet away, is another platform.
• Floor is actually a deep pool of bubbling, boiling mud. Very hot steam rises from mud. Two large mud geysers.
• Between the two platforms are a series of 9 wooden disks suspended by massive steel chains and attached by staples. Discs swing freely and will tilt.
• Everything is covered by condensed steam and wet, slippery algal scum giving off a low phosphorescent glow.

Traversing the Discs
• Each time a disc is traversed, it swings wildly, taking valueable time to arrange to traverse to the next disc. Traversing from one disc to another requires

[B]Time	        Check[/B]
1 minute	DC 8 Athletics (Str) or Acrobatics (Dex)
½ minute	DC 12 Athletics (Str) or Acrobatics (Dex)
6 secs. (1 rd)	DC 16 Acrobatics (Dex)

• Failure resuts in no progress (but time is used). Failure by 5 or more results in the PC falling in the boiling mud.
• This check is made at disadvantage if a PC is wearing armor that would cause disadvantage on a stealth check (Plate, Split, Chain mail, Ring mail, Half plate, Scale mail, or Padded).
• Using mage hand, unseen servant or similar effects to move a disc closer give advantage on the check.

Geysers
• Geyser A spouts every five minutes. Geyser B spouts every three minutes, and both spouting together every 15 minutes.
• When geysers erupt, scalding water reaches nearly to the ceiling of the room, and hot mud splatters all over.
• PCs on a disc will take damage and may be washed off to fall into the boiling mud below.

	[B]Geyser A	Geyser B	Geyser A and B
Disc	DC	Dmg	DC	Dmg	DC	Dmg[/B]
1	16	3d10	6	1d4	20	3d10
2	18	4d10	8	1d4	22	4d10
3	20	5d10	10	1d6	24	5d10
4	18	4d10	12	1d10	22	5d10
5	16	3d10	14	2d10	20	5d10
6	14	2d10	16	3d10	20	5d10
7	12	1d10	18	4d10	22	5d10
8	10	1d6	20	5d10	24	5d10
9	8	1d4	18	4d10	22	4d10

• A PC caught on a disc makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking full damage on a failure, half damage on a success.
• A PC caught on a disc makes a Strength saving throw. Failure by 5 more results in the PC falling into the boiling mud. Failure by less than 5 results in the PC being pushed off the disc, but they grab on. They can pull themselves back up on the disc with the same check to traverse a disc.

Boiling Hot Mud
• Falling in the mud causes 5d10/1d4 bludgeoning damage.
• When the boiling mud is first entered, and every round a PC being his round in the mud, he takes 5d10 fire damage (no saving throw).
• "Swimming" through the mud is very difficult, requiring a DC 20 Strength (Athletics) check to move, costing 2 extra (i.e. 3 total) feet to move 1 foot. Failing the check by 5 or more means the PC is sucked under the mud. A PC can hold its breath for a number of minutes equal to its Con modifier. See PHB 183 if the PC runs out of time.
• If next to a geyser when it spouts, a PC will lift into the air, taking 5d10 extra fire damage, but can catch onto a disc with a DC 16 Athletics (Strength) or Acrobatics (Dexterity) check.
• Climbing the slick, algal walls is very difficult, requiring a DC 18 Athletics (Strength) check (and costing 2 extra (i.e. 3 total) feet to climb 1 foot. i.e. climbing 50 feet to the stone platform requires spending 150 feet of movement. Any failure in the climb check results in the PC sliding back down in the mud.

 

[bmcdaniel]

Played this over the weekend and it was great fun. Highly recommended. My players especially enjoyed the dynamic of Keraptis as the DM's alter ego, and peeking behind the curtain (for example, I included an Azer repair crew who moved around the dungeon resetting traps and repairing damage to the dungeon). If you can, maneuver one or more PCs to be ejected from the mountain via Wave.

Anyway, my notes are too messy for others to use, but I thought others might enjoy my battle maps. I tried to upload to ENworld, but couldn't figure out how, so here they are on a onedrive account: http://1drv.ms/1k1N23z

Cheers,
BMM

 

[Bupp]

Great maps. Downloaded!

 

[darjr]

Here is the zip as an attachment.


Hmmm guessbi don't know how either. I'll try and out it in the downloads section.