IRON DM revival!
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el-remmen
Moderator Emeritus
Nice to know life goes on without you. . .
And the mean-spirited bastardly judging is part and parcel of the contest - when we have run these in the Rat Bastard's Club (you guys would drool) with different judges there are obvious stylistic differences - part of the fun of the game. . .
Good luck to everyone. . .
And the mean-spirited bastardly judging is part and parcel of the contest - when we have run these in the Rat Bastard's Club (you guys would drool) with different judges there are obvious stylistic differences - part of the fun of the game. . .
Good luck to everyone. . .
That's what the home game is for, mirthcard. Now get over there and post a scenario! (Or try your hand at offering up nemmerlesque criticism!)D@mn, d@mn, d@mnI was really hoping to get in on this one. Now I have to wait six months (or longer) again and hope that I'm around for those few scant moments when the recruitment happens. Oh well, good luck guys!
I'll be reading…
Isn’t it Ironic (an adventure for four characters of any level).
For the sake of convenience I am going to be using the names of places and religions in the Scarred Lands. This ideas is easily transportable into most any setting and where appropriate I will provide an explanation of what this particular item refers to. This adventure is easy to modify for use with most any level but is best when used with low to mid-level parties. The bardic wraith may be a bit challenging for lower level parties but it is easy to make it so that rather than attacking adventurers who fail to solve the riddle, that it merely refuses to let them pass. The adventure starts out in a large city and must be somewhere near a dangerous range of mountains.
Background:
Prince Wicht, leader of the large city of Rika has somewhat of a problem. A long-time connoisseur of magical rings he recently acquired a ring that he was told would, when activated, greatly increase his charisma. He was lied to. In fact, it was a cursed magical ring of irony that, even though it increased charisma for a time, resulted in the situation being turned against the user in some ironic way.
This would become apparent to the good prince Wicht when he used it to help his diplomatic skills while negotiating a peace settlement between two clans of dwarves who lived at the borders of his domain. In order to help facilitate this settlement, Wicht had purchased a rare and expensive type of tasty pudding known as Gadav. Gadav has been used as a traditional means of brokering peace between the dwarves of the region for generations. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Upon activating the ring of irony it twisted the Gadav from a peace offering to a method for instigating further conflict.
Each of the dwarves who ate the tasty pudding were twisted into a barbarian rage and within minutes the dwarves were fighting it out, resulting in deaths on both sides and calls for unending war. Wicht, horrified by the results of his peace talks, was immediately suspicious of what happened. The dwarves had appeared to be on the edge of a settlement before they had eaten the Gadav. He brought in his house wizard to investigate the pudding for traces of poison or magic but was unable to find any. This did little to allay the good prince’s suspicions.
In response he contacted the local temple of Madriel (goddess of healing, the sun, agriculture, and mercy) to discover what had really happened. They revealed the source of his affliction (the ring) and that the only way to free himself from its curse was to bring it, and a good amount of the yummy Gadav, to the Tree of Knowledge, which is found in the monster-haunted Keldar Mountains.
Plot Hooks:
The best way to get involved in this adventure is to be associated in some way with Prince Wicht, the Temple of Madriel, or one of their allies. If the PCs have no previous connection to anyone that is associated with these groups then they can always be brought in by the most evocative part of Wicht’s reward: The remaining batch of Gadav. After all, who can resist the sumptuousness that is Gadav?
The Adventure:
On the surface the PC’s job appears to be relatively simple. Get the Prince to the Tree of Knowledge and back again. Unfortunately there is a complication. The magical ring of irony has a secondary effect beyond that instigated by its usage. By its mere presence it causes ironic things to happen around its owner. The PCs will have to deal with the results of this irony on the way to the Tree.
In addition the PCs will have to find a way to keep the Gadav intact while dealing with the various dangers involved with the adventure. Wicht will provide a glass containers to carry the pudding in, but it is up to the PCs to make sure that nothing happens to it.
On the way to the Tree itself there are a number of encounters, both combat-based and otherwise, that the PCs can be involved in. Beyond the typical encounters with orcs, trolls, and griffins the PCs can encounter the following potentially ironic encounters:
1) A fair maiden is being accosted by a group of humanoids of an EL equal to their level. In the event the PCs decided to help the maiden (Wicht will insist they do so) and defeat the humanoids, they will find out that the maiden has disappeared. One of the dying humanoids will, as he perishes, ask them why they would aid a vile rogue who is making off with a relic of blessed Madriel…
2) The PCs encounter an awakened giant spider caught in its own web. It begs the PCs to free it.
3) The PCs find a large glade filled with the petrified forms of cockatrice, basilisks, gorgons, and medusas.
4) The PCs encounter an azer whose clothes are on fire. He runs around screaming that he is burning alive. If the PCs splash him with water he thanks them heartily and walks away.
5) The PCs pass through a village where a paladin is being held while awaiting execution for attempting to poison the village. A priest of Belsamath (or another appropriately evil deity) is being heralded as a hero for stopping the paladin’s foul plot. If the PCs investigate they find that the paladin really is guilty and that the priest really did save the village.
After these encounters (and any more the DM chooses to add) the PCs will arrive at the mountain valley that holds the legendary Tree of Knowledge. However, one more challenge blocks the PCs way before they might finish the quest. The spirit of a bard (a wraith bard 4) who long ago sought out the Tree of Knowledge out but was cursed to guard it for all eternity after insulting the Tree, blocks the PC’s path and demands that they answer a riddle before they gain access to the Tree. They have three guesses.
The riddle is this:
"I never was, am always to be,
No one ever saw me, nor ever will
And yet I am the confidence of all
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball."
The answer is tommorow.
In the event the PCs are unable to answer the riddle on their third guess then the wraith bard refuses to let them pass. They may seek to destroy it if they like.
The Tree of Knowledge, an elder treant, has been waiting for the PCs and welcomes them, and the prince, by name. After the party gives the Tree of Knowledge the Gadav he offers to be rid of the ring if the Prince will build and maintain seven shrines around his city to Denev (or another appropriate nature deity). Wicht agrees and the Tree of Knowledge does away with the ring, swallowing it inside of himself.
Aftermath:
Wicht fulfills his promise to the Tree of Knowledge. Seven shrines to Denev are erected within a year. The PCs are also paid well for their services with an appropriate amount of money, magical items, and/or tasty pudding. Wicht and/or the Temple of Madriel will probably have a number of other things that the PCs can do, especially with the warring dwarves and the stolen religious relic. The PCs also might choose to investigate some of the strange occurrences they ran into along the way such as the glade of petrified monsters or the fate of the paladin who tried to poison the village.
For the sake of convenience I am going to be using the names of places and religions in the Scarred Lands. This ideas is easily transportable into most any setting and where appropriate I will provide an explanation of what this particular item refers to. This adventure is easy to modify for use with most any level but is best when used with low to mid-level parties. The bardic wraith may be a bit challenging for lower level parties but it is easy to make it so that rather than attacking adventurers who fail to solve the riddle, that it merely refuses to let them pass. The adventure starts out in a large city and must be somewhere near a dangerous range of mountains.
Background:
Prince Wicht, leader of the large city of Rika has somewhat of a problem. A long-time connoisseur of magical rings he recently acquired a ring that he was told would, when activated, greatly increase his charisma. He was lied to. In fact, it was a cursed magical ring of irony that, even though it increased charisma for a time, resulted in the situation being turned against the user in some ironic way.
This would become apparent to the good prince Wicht when he used it to help his diplomatic skills while negotiating a peace settlement between two clans of dwarves who lived at the borders of his domain. In order to help facilitate this settlement, Wicht had purchased a rare and expensive type of tasty pudding known as Gadav. Gadav has been used as a traditional means of brokering peace between the dwarves of the region for generations. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Upon activating the ring of irony it twisted the Gadav from a peace offering to a method for instigating further conflict.
Each of the dwarves who ate the tasty pudding were twisted into a barbarian rage and within minutes the dwarves were fighting it out, resulting in deaths on both sides and calls for unending war. Wicht, horrified by the results of his peace talks, was immediately suspicious of what happened. The dwarves had appeared to be on the edge of a settlement before they had eaten the Gadav. He brought in his house wizard to investigate the pudding for traces of poison or magic but was unable to find any. This did little to allay the good prince’s suspicions.
In response he contacted the local temple of Madriel (goddess of healing, the sun, agriculture, and mercy) to discover what had really happened. They revealed the source of his affliction (the ring) and that the only way to free himself from its curse was to bring it, and a good amount of the yummy Gadav, to the Tree of Knowledge, which is found in the monster-haunted Keldar Mountains.
Plot Hooks:
The best way to get involved in this adventure is to be associated in some way with Prince Wicht, the Temple of Madriel, or one of their allies. If the PCs have no previous connection to anyone that is associated with these groups then they can always be brought in by the most evocative part of Wicht’s reward: The remaining batch of Gadav. After all, who can resist the sumptuousness that is Gadav?
The Adventure:
On the surface the PC’s job appears to be relatively simple. Get the Prince to the Tree of Knowledge and back again. Unfortunately there is a complication. The magical ring of irony has a secondary effect beyond that instigated by its usage. By its mere presence it causes ironic things to happen around its owner. The PCs will have to deal with the results of this irony on the way to the Tree.
In addition the PCs will have to find a way to keep the Gadav intact while dealing with the various dangers involved with the adventure. Wicht will provide a glass containers to carry the pudding in, but it is up to the PCs to make sure that nothing happens to it.
On the way to the Tree itself there are a number of encounters, both combat-based and otherwise, that the PCs can be involved in. Beyond the typical encounters with orcs, trolls, and griffins the PCs can encounter the following potentially ironic encounters:
1) A fair maiden is being accosted by a group of humanoids of an EL equal to their level. In the event the PCs decided to help the maiden (Wicht will insist they do so) and defeat the humanoids, they will find out that the maiden has disappeared. One of the dying humanoids will, as he perishes, ask them why they would aid a vile rogue who is making off with a relic of blessed Madriel…
2) The PCs encounter an awakened giant spider caught in its own web. It begs the PCs to free it.
3) The PCs find a large glade filled with the petrified forms of cockatrice, basilisks, gorgons, and medusas.
4) The PCs encounter an azer whose clothes are on fire. He runs around screaming that he is burning alive. If the PCs splash him with water he thanks them heartily and walks away.
5) The PCs pass through a village where a paladin is being held while awaiting execution for attempting to poison the village. A priest of Belsamath (or another appropriately evil deity) is being heralded as a hero for stopping the paladin’s foul plot. If the PCs investigate they find that the paladin really is guilty and that the priest really did save the village.
After these encounters (and any more the DM chooses to add) the PCs will arrive at the mountain valley that holds the legendary Tree of Knowledge. However, one more challenge blocks the PCs way before they might finish the quest. The spirit of a bard (a wraith bard 4) who long ago sought out the Tree of Knowledge out but was cursed to guard it for all eternity after insulting the Tree, blocks the PC’s path and demands that they answer a riddle before they gain access to the Tree. They have three guesses.
The riddle is this:
"I never was, am always to be,
No one ever saw me, nor ever will
And yet I am the confidence of all
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball."
The answer is tommorow.
In the event the PCs are unable to answer the riddle on their third guess then the wraith bard refuses to let them pass. They may seek to destroy it if they like.
The Tree of Knowledge, an elder treant, has been waiting for the PCs and welcomes them, and the prince, by name. After the party gives the Tree of Knowledge the Gadav he offers to be rid of the ring if the Prince will build and maintain seven shrines around his city to Denev (or another appropriate nature deity). Wicht agrees and the Tree of Knowledge does away with the ring, swallowing it inside of himself.
Aftermath:
Wicht fulfills his promise to the Tree of Knowledge. Seven shrines to Denev are erected within a year. The PCs are also paid well for their services with an appropriate amount of money, magical items, and/or tasty pudding. Wicht and/or the Temple of Madriel will probably have a number of other things that the PCs can do, especially with the warring dwarves and the stolen religious relic. The PCs also might choose to investigate some of the strange occurrences they ran into along the way such as the glade of petrified monsters or the fate of the paladin who tried to poison the village.
Last edited:
seasong
First Post
Hey mmadsen, I just critiqued your sample scenario over in the home game. I know it was just a sample, but Psion's was already critiqued outmmadsen said:
.Also, standing offer: if anyone liked what I did to mmadsen's sample, post something in the home game over the next day or two and I'll try to post an appropriately nemmerlesque critique. I've got to keep myself busy while I'm waiting for incognito's second round
.
incognito
First Post
Hey, I resent that!
ok, true belivers:
a hint on where I get the keywords:
NOT from Story hours! Daaaang, that would be a pretty blatant rip off. I found it very interesting, in fact, when P-Cat first posted his Githzerai Monk (although this is the favored class of this race). Tell me someone has ever heard of a 'magic ring of irony' before?
Wulf: I agree with the assesment that it would've taken just a tiny nip and a tuck to have the round go your way. (Which I hope is not interpreted as taking anything away from Wicht's entry, which after all, won the round)
Rune: I tink it's ok to Trash the IROM DM judge, as long as it's done in the same impersonal spirit that the IRON DM judge makes his commentary with. And a little seasongesque kissing up does not hurt either!
ok, true belivers:
a hint on where I get the keywords:
NOT from Story hours! Daaaang, that would be a pretty blatant rip off. I found it very interesting, in fact, when P-Cat first posted his Githzerai Monk (although this is the favored class of this race). Tell me someone has ever heard of a 'magic ring of irony' before?
Wulf: I agree with the assesment that it would've taken just a tiny nip and a tuck to have the round go your way. (Which I hope is not interpreted as taking anything away from Wicht's entry, which after all, won the round)
Rune: I tink it's ok to Trash the IROM DM judge, as long as it's done in the same impersonal spirit that the IRON DM judge makes his commentary with. And a little seasongesque kissing up does not hurt either!
seasong
First Post
Re: Hey, I resent that!
.
Heh. I'm not sure I want that adjectiveincognito said:Rune: I tink it's ok to Trash the IROM DM judge, as long as it's done in the same impersonal spirit that the IRON DM judge makes his commentary with. And a little seasongesque kissing up does not hurt either!
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