"Into the Wormcrawl Fissure"

[Silver Moon]

Anybody run this module from Dungeon #134 (May 2006) ?

Fifteen games ago I began what I had planned to be a short module, with the Playing Characters impersonating a Pirate crew in order to attend a Pirate Council in Sasserine, which I dovetailed in the module "War of the Weilded" from Dungeon #149.

It ran nine nights with what I planned as the module finale being the Pirate Council, where they would find that a Quasi-Demigod was the pirate leader who had set his sites on the Character's home continent for a war six-months later, basically foreshadowing for a future epic-length pirate-themed module. The game ended prior to the wrap-up and when we picked up for night #10 a player came up with a well thought out major strategy proposal to prepare for the upcoming war. To make a long story shorter, we've now done five weeks of significant scouting and infrastructure building which has led to them ending the last game heading out to investigate an underground cavern where enemy mounted wyverns are rumored to be laired.

Looking for a cavern map to use I recalled the module from Dungeon #134 had one - and reading it over it not only has a vast cavern but mounted wyverns, a high-level mage, a spired castle, a nasty female villainess and other Chaotic Evil monsters - all elements that tie directly to the story that I've spun thus far. So tonight I'll start that module - I'll have to tweek around one-third of it to fit the current story, but all-in-all it should be a pretty good fit. So, what are your experiences?

 

[demiurge1138]

I ran Into the Wormcrawl Fissure as part of the Age of Worms, where it was originally designed for... and it went great. The party especially enjoyed the cold war between the lillend and the lich outside of the Tabernacle of Worms itself (particularly the player of a death master in the party, who viewed the lich as a hero and regretted having to destroy his current body). My one caution is if you're going to keep the worm-doors as written, they can be a big fun-killer, as they're pretty much impossible to open without very specific preparation.

Demiurge out.

 

[Agamon]

I've only just started it myself, but it looks like more of the same for the high level end of AoW. I haven't really enjoyed running it since the end of The Prince of Redhand. Probably more of a problem with the game than the adventures, though, I'll admit. The players want to see it through, so I'm game, I'm just trying to speed it along...

Now for something at least slightly useful. The Lillend v Lich thing is pretty cool, but the Tabernacle of Worms kinda leaves me cold.

 

[Holy Bovine]

I'll echo what the other posters have said - outside the Tabernacle the adventure is great. Once you hit it though it is (yet another) dungeon slog. I chopped out almost the entire dungeon delve and just had the party meet Dragotha with a horde of minions (after shattering two powerful magical weapons with a group of Nightwalkers ).

 

[Silver Moon]

Good advice, I may skip the Tabernacle itself. Thank you.

 

[Silver Moon]

I've reread through the module in advance of tonight's game and have decided to retain the Tabernacle structure but to repopulate it with the force of gnoll-piloted wyverns, as that is the primary group that the adventuring team are seeking. I will run the majority of the module remainder as written.

 

[Silver Moon]

Second game played out with the group chatting with the Lillend in her tower - she asked them for their stories and they role played out telling her them (and with almost 26 years of games to draw from they had a lot of stories). I was able to tie in the party's own history with that of the red dragon who used to live in the fissure (the one worshipped by the kobolds). At this point they are considering bringing her an artisan from their spin-off party to stay with her. They are now debating whether to try to free the remaining two pieces of the figher's soul or not. Fun module so far, not sure exactly what direction it will go from here.

 

[Silver Moon]

Thanks again for the advice, we finished up the module last night after ten games. The players bypassed the Cathedral, finding it sufficient enough to get informaiton about it from the ghost for a return trip in the future. All-in-all, a very fun module.