D&D 4E Dragon Mountain (4e conversion - complete!)

[Quickleaf]

I converted Dragon Mountain to 4th edition, for level 11-14 characters.

The conversion is 99% done, and downloadable as a PDF right here!

[sblock=what's this all about?]
Are you converting the whole thing? I'm focusing my conversion on books II & III (the mountain itself), and focusing on the spirit of the adventure rather than a room-by-room conversion. While I'm staying true to original boxed set adventure, I am also taking some artistic license, especially where striking a balance between "old school delve" and "exciting encounters" is concerned.

Why are you doing this? I'm doing this for my game group's new campaign as they requested a big dungeon in part of it (and apparently I am notorious for having very few to no dungeons in my campaigns ).

What will I need to run this conversion of Dragon Mountain?
Some sort of core rule book for 4e, and the Monster Vault/DDi.
You don't strictly need the original out-of-print Dragon Mountain, though the maps from there would be helpful, and I highly recommend it.
Lastly, it's not necessary but I recommend downloading a copy of Fourthcore's "Undermountain Mechanical Trap Reference Cards" from over here: http://slamdancr.com/wp/hardcore-essentials/ (once their site is back up and running).

For those who don't know... The original “Dragon Mountain”, by Colin McComb and Paul Lidberg, was a published by TSR in 1993 (back in the heyday of 2e). It was a boxed set mega-dungeon for high-level characters (10th-15th), pitting them against kobolds. These kobolds seem to have been based on "Tucker's Kobolds" by Roger E. Moore in Dragon #127 (1987).

An excellent review of the original module can be found here: http://www.rpg.net/reviews/archive/9/9589.phtml

What are Tucker's Kobolds? Mean nasty little buggers. In fact, you can read the original article here: http://www.tuckerskobolds.com/.[/sblock]

We have a campaign web page which tracks our party's journey thru the Mountain (session #4 - 13): http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaigns/banner-marches

The thread where I get help hammering out the design of Infyrana the Red Dragon Mage as a 3-stage boss monster:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/showth...ncounter-for-this-party&p=6103168#post6103168

If you use anything, let me know how it went Looking forward to your feedback!

 

[Manbearcat]

The moment the 4e ruleset emerged, I felt that it would be perfect for a Dragon Mountain conversion. Further, my surmise was that it would not just do the job, but actually be considerably better than the AD&D 2e version given the depth of the 4e hazard and trap system and the Skill Resolution framework's ability to actually mechanically handle functional (i) parlaying with the Kobold tribes, (ii) setting up an effective double cross between them and (ii3) Exploration challenges of the Dwarven Citadel and assuming control of the tech for the PC's own ends. Finally, 4e's monsters have considerably more tactical depth (which maps perfectly to the fictional accopmaniment) as well and you should be able to leverage the minion rules and swarm rules to create actually interesting tactical combats (rather than solely strategic ones).

One thiing I will say is that the first portion of the story needs considerable rewrite and a couple of major changes:


1 - Use a hook that actually makes sense and doesn't get marginalized halfway through the first chapter. Given the story of the mountain, there are plenty of available hooks. I would make the "Hook NPC" be a member of an ancient order of sages/seers that are cloistered away in a nearby abbey or tower. They would be keepers of chronlogy dating back to perhaps 10000 years ago and carry information that is all but lost to the current era. When the mountain manifests, unlike all of the layfolks, they should know the omen of ill portent at hand. The Mountain plane-hopping should lead to a cataclysm that absolutely obliterates the region. This has happened twice before in the last 10000 years, absolutely decimating all civilization in the area (extinction level event). The current settlements rest upon the utter ruination of an extremely old city and then the rebuilt settlements (that were destroyed in its second passing). Only the abbey survives the destruction as it rests right on the border of the "blast radius."


2 - You have to nerf the hell ouf of the Amulet of Dragon Warding. DM was an epic level campaign predicated upon Tucker's Kobolds and ran like a meatgrinder that all but surpassed ToH if played correctly. The artifact was basically a "quick-fix" item for the PCs to even dream of surviving the horrors within. It was something that you had to remove immediately following the game or it would destroy any future campaign (assuming your PCs survived that is...which I suspect was not all that common.). 4e's ruleset will remove much of the absurd swinginess and the PCs have their healing surges and have their own means of intra-combat healing. It is unnecessary. The difficulty should come from raising the encounter budget based on the strategic, terrain (murder holes and all the rest) usage by the Kobolds, their tactical depth (that 4e has in its arsenal), swarms, and the high level traps and hazards (Encounter budget should probably never be below L + 3 - and commonly at L + 5 -if you want to recreate the difficulty level).

However, obviously given how central it is to the first part, you have to make it relevant/mandatory. I would make the Amulet of Dragon Warding an artifact created by that order of sages/seers. It should contain a Ritual to undo the High Magic that Infyrana instilled in the mountain which allows it to plane-hop (and thus induce the historical cataclysms). Perhaps, the Ritual has to be brought to her lair and the Ritual unleashed...which destroys some sort of conduit for the High Magic (perhaps an Arcane Gate or some such). Obviously confronting and/or destroying Infyrana would be necessary to ensure the Ritual's success (as you would need uninterrupted access to her lair).

If you wish, you could give it some minor, plot-centric powers. Primarily amongst them would be:

- Aid in locating the entrance to the mountain lair (or perhaps opening it once you reach the top).
- Some effect that clearly dileneates the time-frame for the mountain to plane-hop and the cataclysm to again unfold. This will pit the PCs against time, induce dramatic tension akin to a "24-like countdown."
- The secondary effects such as the glowing effects for poison and kobold proximity should remain.
- You could give it some sort of minor aura that helps deal with Infyrana's aura/fire attacks - Perhaps aura 5; Allies in aura gain Resist Fire 5. However, by that level, the PCs should have effects that give them that sort of protection (and greater) so it would likely be superfluous.


3 - All of the relevant NPCs need more bite, depth and more relevancy to the main plot. Some ideas:

- Lothar the Shiv's band can be a group of competing group of adventurers who are hired by a powerful syndicate or mage. They are attempting to gain the amulet, gain access to the mountain, defeat the dragon and claim the horde for their employers. Obviously that would pit them against the PCs.

- Piergeron could be a long line of templars (dating back to the ages of the last catclysm) sworn to protect the region from another event. However, his entire order could be founded on a mistaken premise; Adventurers antagonizing/attacking the dragon force her hand and make her use her high magic to plane-hop (partially true). If all threats to Infyrana, and her plane-hopping magic, are rendered innert and a peace accord is reached with the dragon, then the risk of cataclysm would be nullified. He and his order are crusader's working accidentally as proxies for the Infyrana. Any aggression toward her or attempt to locate the Amulet and enter her lair (setting up a confrontation and ensuing cataclysm) would be met with resistance by he and his order. Obviously, this would pit him against the PCs and Lothar's efforts.

- Hittel could either by a charmed assassin of Infyrana or....he could, like Piergeron, belong to an ancient order dating back to the previous cataclysms. However, this is an order of religious zealouts that worships Tiamet, Infyrana and/or Ancient Dragons in general. When she returns, that order sends their greatest assassin (Hittel) to murder any threats to her divine will.


That would:


- provide the PCs a sensible hook
- give the PCs incentive (but not absurd power) to pursue the Amulet
- establish regional and chronlogical continuity for the story
- provide each of the major NPCs a Dragon Mountain relevant agenda rather than the (mostly) incoherent color that they provide in the original. They would be antagonistic toward the PCs and each other. This is what I did with them when I ran it and it worked great. 4e should do the job considerably better.

 

[Quickleaf]

Would you believe I forgot I started this thread?

[MENTION=6696971]Manbearcat[/MENTION] Yeah, Book I is the weak link, which is why I'm not going to bother converting it or the amulet.

Here's my first stab at a basic kobold stat block for the module. Essentially it's a minionized version of a level 1 kobold (same XP value), with some abilities to let it focus fire, move & shoot, and avoid getting trapped in damaging zones.

Kobold
Level 9 Minion Skirmisher
Small natural humanoid

HP 1; missed attacks never damage a minion,
AC 23; FORT 21; REF 22; WILL 21 (+4 defenses vs. traps)
Initiative +10
Speed 6; can split move before and after attacking
Perception +5 Darkvision

Traits
Mob Tactics: The kobold gains +1 attack per kobold ally adjacent to the target (max +5)

Standard Actions
Javelin (Melee/Ranged Basic), At-Will: +14 vs. AC; 7 damage; if thrown ranged 10/20

Minor Actions
Shifty (At-Will): The kobold shifts 1 square)

Triggered Actions
Narrow Escape (Immediate Reaction, At-Will): When a close/area attack misses the kobold, it shifts 3 squares.

Skills: Athletics +8, Stealth +13, Thievery +13
Ability Scores: Str 9, Con 12, Dex 18, Int 9, Wis 13, Cha 10
Languages: Common, Draconic
Alignment: evil

 

[Manbearcat]

@Quickleaf

Looks good. Obviously each tribe has the nuance of their own terrain/lair and their own strategic power plays. However, are you planning on giving each tribes' Kobolds a unique encounter power to differentiate them (or something to that effect?)

 

[Quickleaf]

Looks good. Obviously each tribe has the nuance of their own terrain/lair and their own strategic power plays. However, are you planning on giving each tribes' Kobolds a unique encounter power to differentiate them (or something to that effect?)

Yes, I plan on differentiating them in different ways.

For example: Clan Black Death is known for its poison arrows, so their kobold archers gain this to their basic attack: “If the attack also beats the target’s Fortitude, they take ongoing 5 poison damage (save ends); on their first failed save the target is also blinded (save ends).”

Another example: Clan Blood has "mighty wyrmpriests" as their defining feature, so their kobold wympriests gain 3 extra encounter spells: hold person, charm of the defender, and invoke the dragon.

Since you're interested, I've attached my work to date on the conversion. Everything is very rough and scattershot right now, but lots of cool idea kernels.

EDIT: This is an outdated version of the conversion. See first post for link to current version.

 

[Quickleaf]

One design question I have is about the King of Kobolds encounter (in the original boxed set it's the Orange section of Level III). The original module had a kobold named Kargonoth who was actually a polymorphed fire giant, with the tough stats to match. This was one of the those "GOTCHA" moments that typifies old school dungeon design. Nothing wrong with it, but I'm not sure what to do with it.

Keep it? Adapt it? Change it into something else entirely?

 

[pemerton]

[MENTION=20323]Quickleaf[/MENTION], I don't know the module other than by barest of reputation, so this post might be completely off-base.

But I'm guessing the module involves a big red dragon at some point. So maybe the fire giant is the servant/ally of a big volcanic (catastrophic) dragon, trying to inflitrate/corrupt the kobolds to some anti-red-dragon agenda. Put in the requisite clues (maybe an azer or two, or a fire archon, or something) so the players can do something meaningful with the situation if they want to.

As for the actual mechanics of a polymorphed fire giant, I would be wanting the fact that it's a fire giant to come out in the course of combat (otherwise what's the point?). So when it's bloodied the magic on it should be dispelled and it grows to Large size (pushing aside any creatures in the three new squares that it needs) - and that would probably also be a nice point for it to summon its volcanic dragon friend to deal with the pesky PCs.

For extra colour, you could have the arrival of the dragon wipe some kobolds off the map, or cause them to panic, giving the PCs an opportunity to recruit/bully some into helping against the dragon and giant, or whatever makes sense given the backstory and your group.

 

[Manbearcat]

Keep it? Adapt it? Change it into something else entirely?

I would keep it but change the back story. I would listen to pemerton's advice here:

As for the actual mechanics of a polymorphed fire giant, I would be wanting the fact that it's a fire giant to come out in the course of combat (otherwise what's the point?). So when it's bloodied the magic on it should be dispelled and it grows to Large size (pushing aside any creatures in the three new squares that it needs)

However, a couple of things that need clarification from you and a couple of things to clarify for pemerton since he isn't fully versed in the source material.

Infyrana (the Ancient Red Dragon in question) is assumed to be the oldest and most powerful Red Dragon perhaps ever. She is also an archmage of the highest order. Given her age, she has accrued an extreme number of enemies. Toward the end of evading them, she has enchanted her lair (the mountain) with High Magic (perhaps from an artifact) causing it to literally plane shift through the cosmology in an unpredictable fashion. Every so often, it shifts to the Prime Material Plane. As both color (and primarily a contrivance to make it a closed adventure setting, impermeable to the power of epic level PCs), teleportation/extra-planar magic do not work in the mountain...as well as, presumably, summoning spells...a product of Infyrana's high magic. Further, she is basically an epic level Diviner, with spies everywhere (one of which is herself polymorphed as a kobold), as well so pretty much nothing happens in the mountain that isn't known to her. So a secret coup with a rival dragon, and then summoning the dragon would be quite difficult.

All of that being said, I don't know how this is being played. Highleaf currently has a level 14 antagonist, so this seems to be mid-paragon tier. As such, there must be some adjustments to the implied setting (and the main antagonist - Infyrana) that has been made that I am not privy to.

So then, the way I personally would run it is something like this:

- Kargonoth and his clan long ago infiltrated the mountain in an attempt to conquer the mighty Red and claim her for their kingdom. Infyrana routed them but left him and his major lieutenants (perhaps 3 of them) alive, humilitating them by polymorphing them into the lowly form of kobolds, serving as an example to usurpers and enslaving them to her will forevermore (both unbelievable slights to mighty fire giants).

- They are extremely demoralized but growing desperate and bitter as the centuries progress. If the PCs are able to defeat them in battle and show their potential, they will seize upon the opportunity to possibly win back their form and their freedom. Perhaps Kargonoth knows a secret weakness...something in her lair...something that a Skill Challenge must activate in order to permanently undo the magic and return them to their form, stop the plane-shifting and bind the dragon from being able to escape her lair (if defeat is imminent). Perhaps he knows of a location or of a means to carry on a parlay (possbily another Skill Challenge) that isn't under the watchful eye of Infyrana (thus allowing them to broker their secret deal).

- If the Fire Giants are successfully un-polymorphed, they will be an assett in the final fight. However, their attacks are all Fire keyword and thusly irrelevant to Infyrana. You'll either heave to refluff their martial attacks to not have the Fire keyword or figure something else out.

- So. Bloodied equals a short suspension of the polymorph magic (like death by lycanthropy polymorphs a beast back to human), revealing their true form and the fight is on. After they are defeated (or maybe 5 minutes), the magic reasserts itself and they are transformed back to kobolds. Therefore, make their defeat be turning back into kobolds and attempting to submit to the PCs and invoke a parlay (and then go the route above).

Or. You could go pemerton's route and have them be agents of one of Infyrana's powerful extra-planar enemies. If you go that route, you're going to have to reflavor some things or you're going to have to have a strong explanation for the ability for them to maintain their duplicitous ends (while under the watchful eye of Infyrana) and then find a way for them to summon the extra-planar enemy while in the mountain. Perhaps the Skill Challenge to destroy the artifact in her lair that maintains the High Magical protections and teleportation effect? You could do something nifty with the Skill Challenge and have the PCs "recode" the artifact to briefly suspend the anti-teleportation/summoning magic, program it to plane-shift to some remote area of the cosmos and then kersplode. The two powerful creatures could be tearing each other apart while the PCs engage in a Skill Challenge to get out before the place plane-shifts and kersplodes.

At the end of it all would be an interesting situation with the Fire Giants and the PCs. A nice thematic conundrum embedded into the whole.

 

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=42582]pemerton[/MENTION] I like the dragon vs dragon intrigue you've set up!

The conversion still keeps the assumption that Dragon Mountain plane shifts.

Also, while I'm doing this conversion with other 4e players who might want to use it in mind, I am using it in my campaign with some tweaks. IMC it has been in its current spot in my world for 60+ years.

As both color (and primarily a contrivance to make it a closed adventure setting, impermeable to the power of epic level PCs), teleportation/extra-planar magic do not work in the mountain...as well as, presumably, summoning spells...a product of Infyrana's high magic.

I'm undecided whether or not to keep those contrivances. The kobold mage Nahal uses teleportation within the mountain between his underground island lab and his quarters in the palace, so clearly there is a way around the restriction. Also, several of Nahal's prepared spells*seem* like summoning magic (though I'm sure they had a different school in 2e). Perhaps providing a workaround the PCs can exploit as you suggest...

All of that being said, I don't know how this is being played. Highleaf currently has a level 14 antagonist, so this seems to be mid-paragon tier. As such, there must be some adjustments to the implied setting (and the main antagonist - Infyrana) that has been made that I am not privy to.

I have Infyrana as a level 15 boss monster, a mature adult red dragon, not an ancient one. If she were ancient (level 30) she would be so far beyond the reach of the PCs' abilities that it wouldn't be funny. That said, I gave her spell casting ability equivalent to a level 15 PC as well as a pyromancer paragon path. Coupled with the 3-stage boss monster format, and the hazards of her treasure hoard, this makes her significantly more of a threat than a typical red dragon.

Actually, one of my favorite parts of conversion/design was making her treasure hoard part of the final battle. She can roll in it as a form of second wind, she can charm PCs to go near cursed items (one of which actually turns you into a kobold!), and in desperation she can use magic items from her hoard (potentially destroying them in the process, heartbreaking for PCs and adding a layer of metagame urgency to "save the magic items!").

Perhaps Kargonoth knows a secret weakness...something in her lair...something that a Skill Challenge must activate in order to permanently undo the magic and return them to their form, stop the plane-shifting and bind the dragon from being able to escape her lair (if defeat is imminent). Perhaps he knows of a location or of a means to carry on a parlay (possbily another Skill Challenge) that isn't under the watchful eye of Infyrana (thus allowing them to broker their secret deal).

I love it! Maybe a focus used for the ritual needs to be destroyed via some kind of magic puzzle...This sounds like it would be somewhere in the mountain's heart, a heavily guarded/high threat zone.

IMC there's a deva PC whose grimoire (a rare intelligent magic spell/ritual book) was taken by Infyrana. In a past life he died trying to recover it, fearing what the dragon could do if she unlocked the grimoire's powers. I'm going to hint that something in his grimoire allowed Infyrana to cast the High Magic which allows her to plane shift Dragon Mountain.

- If the Fire Giants are successfully un-polymorphed, they will be an assett in the final fight. However, their attacks are all Fire keyword and thusly irrelevant to Infyrana. You'll either heave to refluff their martial attacks to not have the Fire keyword or figure something else out.

Yeah, I'll probably limit it to just the one fire giant, and I'll give him some untyped damage and ways around fire resistance perhaps.

I actually think Karganoth might have been sent by an efreeti sultan(a) from the City of Brass. I would like to bring the volcano dragon into it too, I'll need to think on it some more. Infyrana turned him into a kobold as humiliation, and until the PCs show up he has been biding his time pretending to serve the kobold king while unable to reach the artifact focus that might restore him.

And +1 for "kersplode"!

 

[Manbearcat]

@Quickleaf

Sounds like you have the making of a grand adventure! My guess is that your campaign is going to be far, far better than the initial source material. You have better tools for it and a much better, more coherent vision than the 2e adventure had. I'm sure you guys will have a blast.