Cooperative Dungeon IV: Update

[Phineas Crow]

I like it. The entire party is going to die horribly, slimed and rotting, but I like it.

Its a lot tamer than what I had originally planned, which was to use a giant croc (CR 4) and huge viper (CR 3) with the mummy.

(I think "rabidly"="rapidly", BTW)

Good catch, I probably read that section three times and missed that.

 

[tarchon]

Its a lot tamer than what I had originally planned, which was to use a giant croc (CR 4) and huge viper (CR 3) with the mummy.

Well, one thing they'll have going for them is that any sane PC will have made preparations to fight a mummy by the time they get to this point.

 

[tarchon]

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

I worked something kind of like it into 15, but somebody could always put something else in if they want to.

 

[ikazuchi]

Some quick questions.

Okay, here a short list of things:
1) The doppleganger in Rm.13 probably knows the heiroglyphs and Hieretic languages.

2) I can slide a rosetta stone into Rm.12 or Ferret can slide it into rm 13. Since those are the libraries, not a big surprise.

3) As for the tomb complex, if the PCs miss the hidden door, there's still the human prisoners the gnolls are sacrificing to question (if they resucue them), the doppleganger, the theif in the storage room, books in the libraries (rooms 12 & 13), and any gnolls they can interrogate. If after all that and the obvious escavation, the PCs should find the rest of the bloody tomb.

Other issues:
Rooms 1 & 2: If there are gnolls here, who have been here a while, plus any grave robbers that might have wandered by since the tomb was sealed, why are there any precious-stones laying around easily (and not-so-easily) grabbed? If the PCs can take the gems (the lapis lazuli eyes), the gnolls, at the very least, should already have done so.

Rooms 3 & 4:
Some of the ELs (Daytime ELs of 6-8) at the beginning of a dungeon for 3rd level characters is kind of like an awaiting meat grinder. Should those encounters be toned down?

Room 17: The Elhoriad Encounter
Since the Elhoriad is not a part of the SRD, doesn't that encounter need a major revamping? This was brought up and then kinda dropped.

And finally:
What is the final-ish back story for the tomb that we're going with? That'll help cement alot of the flavor for the tomb. Alot of us can go clean up our rooms with the same history binding them together.

 

[ikazuchi]

I had planned (hoped) that room twelve would be extremely well lock and not entered, but don't change for me. This way it makes sense that the doppelganger in my rooom is unharmed and the room can be unlocked. Perhaps a text can be written in that the next room is only for the higher priests etc, and the lock be smashed beyond repai/picking but not openable.

Also if toth did go demon by accident, and I don't think it should be my descion alone, I can change it quite easily, I even have a good replacement to go in there.

Can I have the asp rod if it's up for grabs. I can hide really sneakily.

I figure the ritual that bound the wight to room 12 keeps him from leaving room 12, even so far as he can't enter the hallway or room 13. As an idea, when the doppelganger entered the room, he escaped the wight. Now however, if attempts to exit the room, the wight immediately manifests to strike at him, and that's why he hasn't left room 13. The gnolls orginally entered room 12, touched a book, and the wight appeared and almost killed the offending gnolls. Not willing to deal with really creepy undead over a bunch of worthless books, the gnolls marked the room as dangerous and bached the lock to even further remind the stupid ones not to wander in.

I'll redo the Door: section of room 12 to make it more difficult to enter (I think I set it too easily as it was, after all, that's one mashed lock).

The doppleganger, however, should be reluctant to exit room 13 if the PCs didn't fight the wight (by some strange streak of luck). If he does, and the wight hasn't been slain, it should form immediately to strike at someone who has 'violated the memory of Toth Nekamek'.

Also, would it significantly raise the EL if whenever the wight disappates (3-4 rounds after it removed the threat to the library, either through killing it or chasing it off), when it does reappear (another trigger, or someone already marked reentering the room) it is completely healed by the spellls binding it as protector of the libraries?

 

[Conaill]

Ferret: there's a problem with the Doppelganger in #13 the way you've written it. It's not immune to aging, and I believe the tomb has been sealed for "over a millenia" (see #21).

Now, of course we don't know how *old* doppelgangers get. If you want, we could make him Venerable age: -6 to all physical stats, +3 to all mental stats. Would make it a very different encounter of course: more subterfuge, less combat. Could give him an extra class level to make up for the loss of physical stats, but not all encounters have to be CR 4 or 5+.

Alternatively, we could assume that the front part of the tomb (#2-14) has been sealed much more recently - perhaps only a century ago. Or we'd have to redo the total age of the tomb - I think most of us would prefer it to be at least a few centuries old though...

 

[Trainz]

Rooms 1 & 2: If there are gnolls here, who have been here a while, plus any grave robbers that might have wandered by since the tomb was sealed, why are there any precious-stones laying around easily (and not-so-easily) grabbed? If the PCs can take the gems (the lapis lazuli eyes), the gnolls, at the very least, should already have done so.

Thanks for bringing that up, I have modified the description of room 1 to reflect that.

 

[Conaill]

Hmm... not sure I see any changes in #1. Still says "The two huge jackal statue's eyes and reliefs sculptures are gems, lapis lazuli worth 10 g.p. each (26 in all)."

Regarding the "Rosetta Stone"... let's *not* make it a stone, they'd be expecting that . There's no reason we couldn't have multiple aids for reading the inscriptions. For example, I would make the +2 bonus in #15 a non-stackable insight bonus (seems to fit better). Then we could also have a translating dictionary between hieratic and hieroglypics in the library, giving a circumstance bonus (for being able to consult the dictionary) that reduces the hieroglyphic DC to the hieratic DC +5. And perhaps a set of notes by one of the gnoll clerics that gives another +2 circumstance bonus to both DC's. Combining all three, hieratic DC would drop to 16, and hieroglyphic to 21 (or 19, depending on how the last two stack).

 

[Wycen]

Regarding the "Rosetta Stone"... let's *not* make it a stone, they'd be expecting that . There's no reason we couldn't have multiple aids for reading the inscriptions. For example, I would make the +2 bonus in #15 a non-stackable insight bonus (seems to fit better). Then we could also have a translating dictionary between hieratic and hieroglypics in the library, giving a circumstance bonus (for being able to consult the dictionary) that reduces the hieroglyphic DC to the hieratic DC +5. And perhaps a set of notes by one of the gnoll clerics that gives another +2 circumstance bonus to both DC's. Combining all three, hieratic DC would drop to 16, and hieroglyphic to 21 (or 19, depending on how the last two stack).

I have a book in room 7 that could have a few notes regarding translation, though the condition of the book means the players might overlook it.

Ferret: there's a problem with the Doppelganger in #13 the way you've written it. It's not immune to aging, and I believe the tomb has been sealed for "over a millenia" (see #21).

Depending on treasure level, maybe a ring of sustenance could be used, or perhaps the room has a connection to the astral (thus slowing time), or maybe the doppleganger was imprisoned, via the spell, which puts the target in status. However, I believe I read that idea in another room, so best not to over use the trick.

 

[Trainz]

Hmm... not sure I see any changes in #1. Still says "The two huge jackal statue's eyes and reliefs sculptures are gems, lapis lazuli worth 10 g.p. each (26 in all)."

Do a forced refresh of that page (shift F5 or somesuch)

Features :

The two huge jackal statue's eyes and reliefs sculptures are gems, lapis lazuli worth 10 g.p. each (26 in all). They are 10 feet or more above ground, so are not readily reachable. Climbing the facade and stone statues is a DC 20 climb check. Standing from the ground, it is hard to see that there are gems in the sculptures and statues eyes (spot check DC 16) but close examination (if climbing) will make them very obvious.