Cooperative Dungeon IV: Update

[Conaill]

Thanks. I changed the name to Shawabti BTW - just a synonym really. I noticed that there's a CR 7 Ushabti planned for Horde Book 5: Tomb of the MUMMY by Behemoth3. Best to avoid any confusion...

Of course, for visual effect it's best for Yinepu to call on the Shawabti swarm *just* before he casts Darkness. "You see something stirring all around the walls. Then everything turns black..."

 

[tarchon]

Hmm, last one in.


OK, here's what I've got so tell me what you think. I'm totally willing to edit for format, content, or whatever. Just let me know.

It's a great tomb-room - just two things, first "magi" is plural - one is a "magus," and the other thing is that the QUOTE descriptions are the text designed to be read to the players when they enter the room, so they shouldn't contain anything that isn't fairly obvious to players entering the room and just looking around casually. Like, you have text that indicates what they would be able to read with a Comprehend Languages spell, which the players may or may not choose to cast. Definitely avoid giving away anything important that players would have to do investigation to figure out.
What several other people and I have done with inscriptions is to give their meanings in the text for the DM with a Decipher Script difficulty. The convention that's slowly evolved in the previous rooms is that there's a Hieroglyphic script which is DC 30 and a second script, Hieratic, which is DC 20.
Historically, those are Egyptian writing forms. Hieroglyphics are the familiar picture writing that was (after a very early initial period) used mainly for formal and religious inscriptions. Hieratic is a simplified form of hieroglyphic writing that was used mainly for writing on wood and papyrus (in reality, it was very rarely used for inscriptions), but it encodes the same language, just with simpler symbols and more streamlined rules. Additionally, there was a 3rd script in that family called Demotic which was developed very late in Egyptian history and actually was used in inscriptions, but sticking with a two-tier system of hard Hieroglyphics and easier Hieratic in this dungeon makes sense. My feeling on it is that things that you really want to be read should be in the DC 20 category (or perhaps even less), since a DC 30 is going to require real effort for PCs in the 3rd-5th level range.

 

[Conaill]

The convention that's slowly evolved in the previous rooms is that there's a Hieroglyphic script which is DC 30 and a second script, Hieratic, which is DC 20.
[...]
My feeling on it is that things that you really want to be read should be in the DC 20 category (or perhaps even less), since a DC 30 is going to require real effort for PCs in the 3rd-5th level range.

Yeah, that's a point I wanted to bring up as well. Shouldn't we lower those DC's? By a *lot*? I don't see how *any* 3rd level PC is going to get a DC 30 Decipher Script check without some help... [Hmm.. then again, I guess it is possible to "take 20" on Decipher script, but many parties don't have anyone with Decipher Script at a +10]

If we stick with the DC's as listed, we should at the very least include some sort of "Rosetta stone". Maybe a translating dictionary from a later era in one of the libraries (which would imply that the front part of the tomb was in use well after the actual hidden chambers were sealed up), or perhaps a volume that the gnolls brought with them...

 

[Conaill]

That'll teach me to look at the actual skill first:

DECIPHER SCRIPT (INT; TRAINED ONLY)

Check: You can decipher writing in an unfamiliar language or a message written in an incomplete or archaic form. The base DC is 20 for the simplest messages, 25 for standard texts, and 30 or higher for intricate, exotic, or very old writing.

Action: Deciphering the equivalent of a single page of script takes 1 minute (ten consecutive full-round actions).

Try Again: No.

Ok, so it seems like the DC's are within the recommended range. But the "Try Again: No." implies you can't take 20, so the DC 30 is pretty much useless for a low-level party (and the DC 20 will be really tough as well). Also forget about having to read anything in a hurry...

We should really add some sort of translating dictionary, I think. Even a +10 to skill wouldn't be outrageous: makes the Hieratic automatic with a "take 10", but the Hieroglyphics will still be plenty hard...

 

[Phineas Crow]

[snip]...We should really add some sort of translating dictionary, I think. Even a +10 to skill wouldn't be outrageous: makes the Hieratic automatic with a "take 10", but the Hieroglyphics will still be plenty hard...

...or a stack of comprehend languages scrolls.

 

[fnork de sporg]

I could put Comprehend Language as one of the spells written in to the walls of room 11.

 

[tarchon]

That'll teach me to look at the actual skill first:
Ok, so it seems like the DC's are within the recommended range. But the "Try Again: No." implies you can't take 20, so the DC 30 is pretty much useless for a low-level party (and the DC 20 will be really tough as well). Also forget about having to read anything in a hurry...

We should really add some sort of translating dictionary, I think. Even a +10 to skill wouldn't be outrageous: makes the Hieratic automatic with a "take 10", but the Hieroglyphics will still be plenty hard...

Yeah, I based the Hieroglyphic DC on that. Traditionally, it's always been a pretty tough task in D&D. In the earlier editions, it was next to impossible to get Read Languages up to any kind of decent percentile until mid-levels. I was figuring that spells would probably be required unless there was a bard in the party who'd really put some serious ranks into Decipher. For Hieratic, a typical 3rd level bard will have about a 1/4 chance, and since there are plenty of inscriptions floating around, anyone with ranks in it will probably pick up a few of them here and there.
I agree though, it might be nice to throw in an abecedary or something that gives a circumstance bonus. +10 might be a bit much since this is supposed to be a very hard skill, but +2 or +5ish might be reasonable. I could drop one in 15, though it might work better in another room, like the library. Historically, abecedaries have been found on writing tablets, stones, occasionally even ornaments.

 

[Trainz]

Wow. I really like the Rosetta stone concept. Please insert it in one of the rooms.

 

[Phineas Crow]

While its not finished yet, I've updated what I have for room #21.

All I really have to do is clean it up some and strengthen the traps.

 

[tarchon]

While its not finished yet, I've updated what I have for room #21.

All I really have to do is clean it up some and strengthen the traps.

I like it. The entire party is going to die horribly, slimed and rotting, but I like it.
(I think "rabidly"="rapidly", BTW)