[IRON DM] Winter '04 Tournament (IRON DM ANNOUNCED!)

[Noskov]

Q&a

First off, as I already had way too long an entry, I kind of hoped some of the questions you asked would be implied. I hoped that if you looked up or actually read into the story, it would all make more sense. It may not be perfect, and I took some liberties, but I thought most of your questions could be answered if you examine the text.

There were seven paragraphs of background, but never once was the dryad mentioned in it, and yet she is what the PCs are supposedly going to quest for and save. When you've had that much expostion and there are still things that have yet to be explained in the "meat" of the adventure you have clearly done something wrong.

The PCs were not out to save the Dryad, they were out to save their friend. Considering what happened to him, I would assume that anyone would see that you can't get far in life having those visions. The Dryad is a ghost becasue of the traumatic death she suffered. She, like many ghosts, wants peace. I admit to forcing on the hook, but I had no choice - space. I was going to go through how the dryad was looking for a savior and was easily swayed in her love, (Thus the confrontation with the paladin.) but didn't want to use the space.

The Dryad isn't mentioned in the background because no one but the paladin and the other man knew abou her. The background was based off what the PCs would know from the perspective of local legend. The only reason I mentioned that she was a dryad at all was to make the hangman's tree more potent. She was hung by her own life tree, which would not kill her. Then, when he set the tree afire, she burned alive without ever actually burning (the rope would not be intact if she had physically burned.)

- There is no attempt to explain why the particular PCs is affected by the curse.

That was because I hoped it would be surmised by the "love" comments from the dryad. That may be a big assumption, but I needed to save space. She picked him because she wanted a romatic love figure to come and save her from her torment.

- The paladin finding out about the cursed PC is dependent upon word of it going around town, which is not guaranteed - though I guess PCs are likely to go seek out the paladin for advice and aid if they know or learn about him.

Actually, I didn't expect the PCs to go to the paladin. They could, but most people had more or less written him off as a coot. My assumption was based on it being a 500 person town. I went to a 500 person high school. If something big happend, everyone would know within hours...tops.

- Why did the hobgoblins become ghosts? As far as I can discern from the Tolstoy-esque introduction, their destruction had nothing to do with the dryad and the paladin's fall from grace. And do I even need to add the fact that the ingredient was "Hobgoblin War Party", not "Hobgoblins Ghosts" and they are not much of a war party when the PCs get to interact with them?

They were a war party when they were seiging the village. Their destruction is how the paladin found the dryad. The dryad raised them as ghosts for the specific purpose of keeping in whoever she selected to free her in the forest. She had complete control of the swamp and everything in it. Thats how she manipulated the mist with herself and the hobgoblins appearing wherever they pleased and whispered to the PCs through it as well. If you missed it, the swamp was once the valley where the paladin chased and killed the Hobgoblins and discovered the dryad. It became a swamp after the melted snow ran off the mountains and put out the forest fire. Without trees to absorb water and moisture, the valley became a swamp. Geogrophy

- The hobgoblin ghosts are nothing more than a means of rail-roading the PCs, and seem like quite a near impossible challenge to overcome for any group - even a 5th level group, which this adventure is supposed to be balanced for at the upper end.

Originally, I didn't set any level limits. I did that at the time of post assuming it was required. As far as I'm concerned, most adventures can be scaled any way you want them to be based off the DM's ability to do so. It was a railroad. It was intentional. She was a smart dryad, what can I say. There was a small chance to escape. Besides, even if they were forcing it, the PC could only be healed by going anyway.

- A hangman tree is a monster, not just a tree someone was hanged from. Though the ingredient need not have been the monster, it could have simply have been a tree someone liked to hang people from - but that was not quite the case either.

I am well aware what a Hangman's tree is, but I don't particularly like it as a monster and thought the idea of the dryad being hung from her own life tree was quite a nice touch on the hangman's tree idea. I never looked at it in your perspective, so I guess now that you mention it, it's not the best use. It was originally intended to have more meaning, but again....too much story.

- Why does the dryad want to drown the cursed PC? What does that have to do with anything? Why does destroying her or having the PC be drowned have the same effect of lifting the curse? Should it not be the paladin?

If you don't get the part of the dryad picking the PC because she is "in love" with him, you won't get this. She is dead. She's a ghost. She want's to be freed, but she wants her lover to come with her, or take the paladin with her. Either will work and I was trying to give options instead of a linear path to what happens. The breaking of the curse was to take the dryad's body and lay it in the water, then wash his eyes out. If they kill the dryad, the curse is still broken. If the paladin goes in with her, the curse is still broken. If the PC dies, well, it doesn't really matter does it?

And of course (Enkidu's), the description of the Foggy Moors, was a good use of environment to affect fights and the search for the hobgoblins. Too many DMs ignore or forget about environment which is a shame - it makes the difference between a boring trade off of blows until the person with the least hit points and worse armor class falls and an actual intriguing and engaging fight.

I thought this was to set up a story for an adventure to be played around, not to tell a DM how to DM. This is not a knock at Enkidu either. I didn't include any details about how swamp affects a character because that's a DM's job.

 

[Noskov]

For the Record

Sour grapes

 

[Noskov]

Ehem

 

[Paka]

I take it personally exactly because this statement did not apply to your judgement of our competition. That on top of the "Nice Try" before the competition started just gets my Jockies in a bunch.

Noskov, I'm sorry you took it hard. As someone who got dinged from the first round of the Holiday Iron DM, I've gotta tell ya that you'll come to peace with the whole thing when you realize that the Iron DM contest is built around just one person, judging.

Nemmerle isn't biased because he's a bad person. He's biased because he's human and the myth of the unbiased judge is just that, a myth.

I hope you had fun writing your entry and will stick around to pat me on the head and stop MY whining when the judgement for my entry comes in.

 

[cstyle]

Nemmerle isn't biased because he's a bad person. He's biased because he's human and the myth of the unbiased judge is just that, a myth.

Speaking of which, there should be an annual IronDM Masters Tournament that is judged by three people. All contestants would have to have a tournament championship to their credit to get in. What do you all think? If I don't win this one, which would put me in the masters, I'd be willing to fill a judge's seat!

Course, finding three people that actually have the time to judge one of these, all at the same time, now that could be difficult. It's hard enough finding the time to be in one, let alone judge it!

 

[el-remmen]

Noskov,

I'm sorry you feel that way. But it still stands that your entry would have been better if you had cut out some of the long-winded intro and included some of the points you angrily told me in your rebuttal.

As for the "Nice Try" nickname - it was meant as something you would say to an opponent, I'm really sorry if that wasn't clear.

 

[Noskov]

My bad I guess

Noskov,

I'm sorry you feel that way. But it still stands that your entry would have been better if you had cut out some of the long-winded intro and included some of the points you angrily told me in your rebuttal.

As for the "Nice Try" nickname - it was meant as something you would say to an opponent, I'm really sorry if that wasn't clear.

I'm sorry for reading too deep into the "Nice Try" nickname. I guess that's my subconscious. I almost told you to go ahead a put in a substitue when you posted the ingredients because I wasn't going to bother wasting everyones time if it was just going to be a wash. I decided to go ahead and try. Then, when I saw the decision and the way you delivered it, I was nothing short of offended. I figured if you had it out for me in the first place, you could have just disqualified me or told me that you could not judge me fairly based on you not liking the things I said. (Still thinking it was because of my brazen trash talking going over the line.)

I still think you could have gone about it differently. Everything in your judgement was a criticism of my submission or a praisal of my competitor's. I can deal with criticism, but your points were the things I thought were actually good about the story (if the assumptions I hoped were made were there). The only ingredients you don't criticize of mine are not mentioned at all. I have read most of the IronDM competitions and never once saw such a one-sided decision. This, on top of my appearent misunderstanding of the nickname, made it look a little too biased to me...maybe it's just my ego tripping.

Anyway, I still agree with the decision, just not your method of delivering the decision. That's all.

 

[el-remmen]

Round One - Sixth (and Final) Match-Up:

"Now and" Zenld vs. "The Ever-Impronouncible" Tleilaxu

Ingredients
-----------------
Conspiracy of Dopplegangers
Mass Suggestion
Otherworldly Dogs
Panic
Suspicious Lizardfolk
False Reward




We're starting it off simple.

You have 24 hours from the time stamp of this post.

Remember you 'ingredient review' at the end of your entry.
Remember, NO EDITING after you've posted.
Remember, NO READING your opponent's entry if he posts before you do.
Remember to include the the Round/Match and Opponent Info at the top of your entry (see above).

Good luck to both of you.

 

[Dave Turner]

Round One - Fifth Match-Up:

Dave "To Everything There is a Season" Turner vs. "Jaka" Paka

Ingredients
-----------------
Slaughter of Halflings
Ogre Ghouls
Ballista
Daern’s Instant Fortress
Celestial Kobold
Pathetic Plea for Help

Blackstone, by Dave Turner
An adventure for 3rd level PCs

Synopsis:

As the PCs travel overland from one location to another, they are met by a sallow, desperate halfling riding a pony. The halfling tells the PCs that his town has been overrun by an infestation of ghouls. Many townsfolk have been infected or transformed into ghouls and only a tiny enclave of untainted halflings still survive. The halfling urges the PCs to save the remaining halfings.

When the PCs arrive at the town of Blackstone, they find death and isolation. Many of the Halflings have been turned into ghouls and roam the town trying to find and eat the few living survivors. The town leaders have barricaded themselves in an Instant Fortress, but are running out of food and water. From the roof of the towns’ former temple, ghouls have set up a pair of salvaged ballista and are slowly chipping away at the Fortresses’ strength.

The PCs must enter the town and find a way to save the remaining townsfolk and put an end to the ghoul epidemic.

DM’s Background:

Lordar Threndel was a halfling ranger born and raised in Blackstone. When he reached maturity, he enlisted in the town’s militia and was assigned to the prestigious ranger unit that provided early warning and defense for Blackstone. After several successful and remarkable years as a ranger, Lordar was given command of his own band of rangers, which meant that he had two junior rangers under him.

Four weeks ago, Lordar’s band was investigating a well-known cave complex at the outer limits of his territory. Although not very deep, the complex was spacious and often provided temporary shelter to roving bands of goblinoids. On the day that Lordar arrived, he noticed the tell-tale signs of current use. Lordar took his band in close to determine the strength of the force inside. The cave was occupied as Lordar suspected, but not by goblinoids. A large pack of goblin ghouls had created an ambush and Lordar’s band walked right into it.

Lordar and his rangers were transformed into ghouls. After the change, Lordar quickly recognized that the current Ghoul Lord was vulnerable and slew her, becoming the new Ghoul Lord. Although Lordar’s thoughts were now dominated by the ghoulish desire for living flesh, he still retained his past memories. He knew the perfect place to find living flesh: Blackstone.

Lordar’s plan was simple. He would infect as many townsfolk as surreptitiously as he and his band could manage without exposing their growing numbers. When he had enough ghouls under his command, he would launch an open attack and consume the entire town, satiating his desire for living flesh and swelling the ranks of a fledgling ghoul army. He divided his ghouls into three groups, each led by a halfling ghoul and sent them to infect the farms on the outskirts of Blackstone. Within a week, he had a hundred ghouls. He was even able to ambush and transform a small band of ogres, who became ogre ghasts. (Sidenote: any creature of 4HD or greater who succumbs to ghoul fever becomes a ghast. Ogres have 4HD, so I’ve deviated from the ingredient and made them ogre ghasts, as the rules suggest)

Two weeks ago, in the dead of night, Lordar’s ghoul army descended upon Blackstone. Lordar used his knowledge of the town’s militia and defenses to give his group a huge tactical advantage. Before the dawn, the militia had been defeated and dozens of halflings were infected or slaughtered . Since that time, the living townsfolk have been fighting a losing battle as more of their members either die or become infected with ghoul fever.

Before the end of the first night of battle, Ardal Doon (male, Fighter 3, LG), the Captain of the Guard, used the town’s Daern’s Instant Fortress to create a safe haven from which to organize the town’s defenses. Several of Blackstone’s leaders were able to find refuge in the Fortress before it was surrounded: Torrak the Wise (male, Cleric 3, NG, worshipper of the campaign’s sun god), Mayor Gwynn (female, Commoner 2, NG), and 15 of the towns elite slingers. All nearby sources of food have been depleted and the fate of those inside the fortress is grim as the Lordar’s ballistae take their toll.

The Hook:

The PCs are traveling along a little-used road when a halfling on a pony suddenly appears over the nearest hill and races towards them. Average Spot checks reveal that both pony and rider are exhausted and wounded. If the PCs make efforts to hide or avoid the halfling, he cries out for them to stop and speak with him.

Muryn Longtooth (male, Warrior 1, CG) fled Blackstone a day ago, after failing to defend his family from ghoul attack. He didn’t emerge from the battle unscathed, however. His skin is graying, his eyes are becoming yellowed and rheumy, and his nails and teeth are elongating as ghoul fever consumes him. He tells the PCs that his town of Blackstone has been overrun by ghouls and that there are still survivors within the walls that need help. He is wracked with guilt over the death of his family and offers a pathetic plea for help to help what few townsfolk remain alive.

Muryn is able to relate the following information about the situation. Anything not mentioned here is left to the DM to improvise:

- The attack was two weeks ago and the majority of the townsfolk have either been slaughtered or transformed.
- The town’s leaders were able to erect the Instant Fortress in the central square, but seeing the Fortress and fighting through the ghouls to reach it are two different things.
- There are small isolated groups of living halflings hiding in the town, desperately trying to escape or merely survive.
- Muryn caught glimpses of large humanoids on the roof of the town hall, but wasn’t able to figure out what they were doing.
- He cannot provide a reliable estimate of the number of ghouls, but he guesses that it’s two hundred or more.

Once the PCs have finished talking to Muryn, he asks them to kill him. The thought of what he is transforming into is awful for him and he wants to die. It’s up to the PCs to determine what Muryn’s fate will be. A remove disease spell will rid him of the ghoul fever. Other options aside from killing Muryn might involve tying him up with rope until he can be magically cured.

Blackstone:

The town is named for the materials used in its construction, namely an unusual black granite quarried nearby. Coupled with the wood-shingled roofs, this gives the town a decidedly dark atmosphere, even during the day. The wooden palisade that protects the down still stands, but all the gates into town have been smashed. Prior to the ghoul attack, Blackstone held nearly 500 halflings. Less than one hundred remain now, scattered in small bands around Blackstone or in the Instant Fortress.

The overall mood in Blackstone is eerie emptiness. The streets are utterly deserted and there are plenty of signs of battle. There are overturned carts next to rotting piles of spilled vegetables. Many doors and windows have been smashed. There are small fires burning in a the ruins of a few buildings. The Instant Fortress is a gleaming metallic beacon rising above the rest of the town. Aside from the noises that the wind makes and causes (such as a loose shutter banging against the wall), the town is still.

Encounters:

The following groups and locations are likely sources of PC interaction. Rather than playing the town as some kind of massive dungeon-crawl, the DM should allow the PCs to explore the devastated town and insert these encounters whenever he feels it’s appropriate. The length and pace of the time in town (and the adventure in general) is entirely in the DM’s hands. The town is crawling with ghouls and the DM should make it plain that the PCs need to maintain a low-profile to avoid being overrun. DMs should be lenient when deciding whether or not the actions of the PCs have

Ghouls: The ghouls in this town are overwhelmingly halfing ghouls. They wander in packs of 4-6 (depending on the size and strength of the PC party), searching for flesh to consume. PCs could encounter them in any number of ways:

- The ghouls could ambush the PCs
- The PCs could stumble across some halfling ghouls eating their fellow townsfolk
- The PCs might come to the rescue of some surviving townsfolk
- The ghouls might be looking for spears that can be used as ammunition in the ballistae
- The ghouls are looting the town to bring to Lordar, as he has ordered.
- The PCs might encounter one of the ghasts, with or without some ghouls

Use a ghoul encounter as a way of picking up the pace of the game if it’s slowed down, whether the ghouls attack or simply appear and must be avoided. An interesting option is to surprise the PCs with encounters with ghoul animals, like dogs or ponies, or ghoulish halfling children. (Sidenote: Strictly speaking, ogres are Giants and only Humanoids can become ghouls. Since the ingredient allows for this bending of normal ghoul rules, I feel it’s appropriate to allow ghouled animals) The patrols are largely disorganized and scattered. If ghouls are avoided, the PCs might hear them discussing Lordar and activity at the town hall. Ghoul patrols are active both day and night.

Halfling Survivors: By and large, these are desperate people who are panicked. They are either afraid to move for fear of encountering ghoul patrols or trying to make their way to the Instant Fortress. They are generally found in groups of 3-5 and are dirty, hungry, and frightened. They will try to get PCs to escort them out of the city or to the Instant Fortress, depending on how the DM wishes to portray them. In some cases, they might be too scared to move at all, but will still give PCs what information they can, such as the location of the town hall.

The Instant Fortress: Erected in the center of the towns large plaza, the Fortress is in dire shape. It has been reduced to 21hp, thanks to a combination of particularly strong ballista shots and an initial attack by the ogre ghasts with their metal-shod greatclubs. The halfling defenders nearly killed a ghast during one assault, however, so Lordar switched tactics to the ballistae. There are gouges in the Fortress as well as a few holes where the ballista spears actually penetrated the walls.

Four slingers keep watch from the crenellations day and night, taking shots of opportunity against any ghoul that ventures too close. The Fortress is constantly watched by hidden packs of ghouls who often kill any surviving halflings who make a dash for the Fortress.

If the PCs can meet or communicate with the defenders, they learn the following:

- The defenders know that the ghasts and ballistae are the key to turning the tide of the ghoul infestation. Without the ballistae or ogres, Lordar has no means of damaging the Fortress. The defenders could then slowly take back the town, using the Fortress as an unassailable base of operations.
- They can tell the PCs a bit of Lordar’s story and explain that the town fell so quickly in part because of Lordar’s knowledge of their defenses.
- They will offer a substantial reward if the PCs agree to help clear the town of the ghoul infestation. The DM should choose a suitable reward based on his campaign.
- With Lordar eliminated, the ghouls might turn on each other in the fight for flesh.

Town Hall: The hall is located some distance away from the Fortress. Lordar ordered a pair of ballistae be ripped from the watchtowers and brought to the roof to fire at the Fortress. At night, a ghast mans each one and fires spears scavenged from the town. Often the shots shatter against the Fortress, but the ghasts get lucky sometimes and manage to overcome the incredible hardness of the Fortress.

The building itself has been transformed into an abattoir. There are dozens of halfling bodies in various stages of being eaten strewn throughout. In some rooms, infected halflings whimper and cower in the corners as they await their transformation. The following encounters are possible inside the Town Hall:

- Lordar (male, 3 HD ghoul, CE) holds court in the central council chamber, a hemispherical room with a 15’ ceilings and ringed with benches and desks. He’s usually attended by some goblin ghouls who are the original pack that he encountered in the caves. He might be hearing reports from ghouls returning from the town or accepting treasure that the ghouls have scavenged.
- Rhedd and Teodoc (male/female, 2 HD ghouls, CE), Lordar’s former lieutenants, can be found separately with their personal retinue of ghouls.
- The roof holds the two ogre ghasts, the ballistae, and several ghoul assistants who help load the spears into the ballistae. This a large pile of ammunition here comprised of a mixed selection of spears.

Aethon: This is a wildcard in the town. Aethon is a celestial kobold (male, Cleric 4, CG) and a servant of the Sun God. Like the PCs, he was traveling near Blackstone when he received a vision from his god. The halfling priest Torrak (who is trapped inside the Fortress) prayed for his god to help him and Aethon is the Sun God’s answer. Aethon obeyed his god, but is only a single kobold. He’s been in Blackstone for a few days and has been unable to successfully approach the Fortress. He hides in the ruins and tries to find survivors, whom he escorts out of town before going back in for more.

The DM should arrange for the PCs to encounter Aethon. They will find him single-handedly holding a pack of 4 ghouls away from an injured halfling child, using prayers and a talisman of the Sun God. If the PCs befriend Aethon, he agrees to join them in their struggle to restore Blackstone.

Conclusion:

Once the PCs have killed Lordar and the ghasts, the ghouls lose their cohesion. Over the next few days, they turn on each other as the threat of Lordar’s discipline has evaporated. Combined with brave sorties from the Instant Fortress (perhaps with PC aide), the ghouls can be driven off or destroyed.

This still leaves Blackstone in a precarious position. They are vulnerable to attack from regular bandits or goblinoids that periodically threaten the town. If the DM wishes to move the PCs along, he might have a relief force of nearby halfling allies arrive to provide security until Blackstone is back on its feet.

Slaughter of Halflings – the inhabitants of Blackstone and the ghouled halflings
Ogre Ghouls – the ghasts who are firing ballistae
Ballista – On the roof of the town hall
Daern’s Instant Fortress – Located in the town plaza and the final hope of the halfling defenders
Celestial Kobold – possible ally for the PCs
Pathetic Plea for Help – Muryn’s plea in the adventure hook.

 

[Paka]

Nice adventure, Dave. Good luck.

Let us brace ourselves for impact. The judgement is-a-comin'.