Dangerous Journeys...

[darjr]

Can someone talk about Necropolis? I think I've seen it converted to LJ, was it?

 

[Philotomy Jurament]

Necropolis apparently started life as a high-level generic "Fantasy Master" (with AD&D in mind) adventure, was subsequently published as a Dangerous Journeys/Mythus adventure, and was later released as a d20 product, as well.

There was a recent Knights-n-Knaves discussion on Necropolis, too. It's a cool (and tough) high level adventure, and definitely feels very "Gygaxian."

 

[Garnfellow]

Mechanically awful, just awful. Some interesting bits of classic Gygax flavor scattered throughout, but it was a hard slog to find them.

One of the greatest things Necromancer Games ever did was to translate the mega-adventure Necropolis into the d20 system.

 

[Fifth Element]

Heh. I still have poster advertising the game as Dangerous Dimensions before TSR forced the name change.

The product that never was.

Is that the reason for all the new terminology in the game as well? Seems to me TSR's lawsuit named a whole bunch of D&D terms (hp, AC, etc, etc) as being evidence that Mr. Gygax was infringing on their IP. Whether or not that had any validity, I wonder if he changed everything to avoid the issue?

 

[howandwhy99]

There are some good Gygax adventures in there. Most notably "Necropolis", which is a high level adventure. This releasing of high level adventures with brand new systems is something he did with D&D too (G series). "High Time at the Flying Pig", or something similarly named, as well as a slaving ship adventure are both pretty nice. The magazines included some interesting one's too, but those are harder to find.

The "Epic of Aerth" is an excellent setting book and interesting to read, especially if you are interested in his other campaign settings like Greyhawk's Oerth.

The game rules are a skill-based cluster system and extraordinary in their bulk. The descriptions are interesting, but the system is probably too much for most groups to want to keep up with.

Both the main Mythus book and the Mythus Magic book are good for inspiration though. But the Bestiary isn't. It focuses on mundane animals, rather than mythical and magical monsters.

Can someone talk about Necropolis? I think I've seen it converted to LJ, was it?

Necromancer Games converted it to 3.5... or maybe 3.0 just before the switch in 2003.

Necropolis is an adventure in an alternate earth Egypt in the middle of the pyramid building dynasties. The adventure ramps up from about mid-levels to very high levels with the understanding the PCs could or would return throughout the campaign. It starts with a large player handout introduction in true high Gygaxian language and in a small rural town. It progressively gets bigger and harder with different steps along the way. In short, a minor cult leads to a major temple, behind which is a maze-like crevasse of burial crypts.

The real centerpiece of the module is the final crypt, which is as large and deadly as anything found in S1. I would say it is not as unfair in design for the PCs exploring it, but it includes many wrong turns and devious false endings. The Egyptian mythos is clearly something Gygax was proficient in writing for and he published at least two novels of the same for the game's book publishing side as well. Paizo republished his novels only a couple or so years ago, so they should be available to supplement this adventure, if one were so inclined.

 

[grodog]

There are some good Gygax adventures in there. Most notably "Necropolis", which is a high level adventure. This releasing of high level adventures with brand new systems is something he did with D&D too (G series). "High Time at the Flying Pig", or something similarly named, as well as a slaving ship adventure are both pretty nice. The magazines included some interesting one's too, but those are harder to find.

I'd be very curious to hear more about any EGG adventures for DJ/Mythus: the only one I'm aware of is Necropolis, which did start out originally as a New Infinities "Fantasy Master" project, as Jason alluded to:

Two collaborators are working along with me to create n up-to-date version of the campaign I began in 1972... My two (extremely able) co-workers will help me get together full details of the original Castle and Dungeon setting used in those halycon days, the original City setting ditto, and Atlas/Gazetteer books detailing the complete world... Scenarios which are not directly connected to the immediate vicinity of the castle and city will be done occassionally too. These will be identified as belonging to the campign, and as with all of the products, will e offered to you under the FANTASY MASTER logo. Now underway is one called NECROPOLIS. If you like the module I wrote called TOMB OF HORRORS, you'll love this one.

 

[howandwhy99]

I'd be very curious to hear more about any EGG adventures for DJ/Mythus: the only one I'm aware of is Necropolis, which did start out originally as a New Infinities "Fantasy Master" project, as Jason alluded to:

What are you interested in knowing? The only GDW adventures published in book format are the three I mentioned. The non-Necropolis adventures are both in the primary Mythus book. "High Times" is a basic rules introductory bar adventure, meant to start characters and players out new to the system. It's not bad. The other is a break free from bondage starter adventure entailing taking control of a ship sailing around the faux-Mediterranean Sea of Aerth, finally ending in Aegypt (the alternate version). From there one could start Necropolis or a city adventure, but I don't think anyone would be ready by then.

The Journeys Magazines had a number of adventures and interesting flavor pieces. One lighthouse murder mystery particularly stands out in my mind, but I can't recall the details.

 

[CharlesRyan]

Basically, it reads like Gygax was trying to re-invent AD&D . . . .

We used to refer to it as "E. Dangerous Journeys."

 

[Fifth Element]

The "Epic of Aerth" is an excellent setting book and interesting to read, especially if you are interested in his other campaign settings like Greyhawk's Oerth.

Out of curiosity, did he ever use Uerth as a setting for any of his games?

 

[grodog]

What are you interested in knowing? The only GDW adventures published in book format are the three I mentioned. The non-Necropolis adventures are both in the primary Mythus book. "High Times" is a basic rules introductory bar adventure, meant to start characters and players out new to the system. It's not bad. The other is a break free from bondage starter adventure entailing taking control of a ship sailing around the faux-Mediterranean Sea of Aerth, finally ending in Aegypt (the alternate version). From there one could start Necropolis or a city adventure, but I don't think anyone would be ready by then.

Thanks. I wasn't aware that the rulebooks contained starter scenarios.

The Journeys Magazines had a number of adventures and interesting flavor pieces. One lighthouse murder mystery particularly stands out in my mind, but I can't recall the details.

Thanks, I'll have to try to dig those up too, perhaps.