Lord of the Iron Fortress- question and spoilers (sorta)

[buzzard]

Ok I'm running my victims, er, I mean players through this module. Pretty straight forward business. Lots of big bad guys to fight, ect. However the module references a Pit Fiend name Lydzia (I think that was the name) in many place. It has spells that she cast affecting the place, and a room with her lackeys present. However it does not, anywhere that I have seen, actually document her, or place her in the module. Am I missing something? Is she away on vacation? Is there a description I passed over? I will probably just place a run of the mill Pit Fiend (ha ha) in the module somewhere to alleviate this error. Does anyone familiar with this adventure have any suggestions where to place said ugly mug? I imagine I could throw her into the final encounter but that would likely make it too rough. I'm just not quite sure. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Buzzard

 

[Schmoe]

Lydzin is, indeed, just an "average" pit-fiend. Read the text for area number 10, and you will see that she is part of the final encounter. The text also gives advice as to what spells she will have prepared during the final battle. Her quarters are in area number 18, just in case you need that information.

By the way, I'd be very interested in hearing how this module plays out. Maybe you could start a story hour thread? (nudge nudge)

 

[buzzard]

oops

Doh!
I guess I was misled by the fact that every other consequential character was listed in the appendix, even the dragons. I didn't read the final battle closely enough. Oh well live and learn reading comprehension.

Buzzard

 

[coyote6]

The dragons got entries in the Appendix because the MM doesn't give default spell lists, feats, & skills for dragons; it lists stuff they'll normally have, but doesn't spell 'em out exactly. Effectively, every dragon is like a character with classes. Ergo, they had to include entries for every dragon.

The pit fiend is "just" a normal pit fiend, and thus not worth an entry.

(I think the PCs will have enough trouble with her being an exceptional pit fiend. )

 

[buzzard]

Oh yes, as for writing up all of it in a Story Hour, it is rather unlikely. I don't keep notes of what happens exactly, and would have only my spotty memory to go on. I can sum up the gist of how the module has been going though.

I will say right now that if your characters don't play it at least vaguely as intended, they will have a hard time even getting to the Fortress.

Spoilers:

For example, they only barely got the name of their destination of the Efreet. Walking into the shop initially with a Palladin of Heronoius doing the the talking probably wasn't the best idea though. They certainly didn't get the cube hopping spell from him. Then, once they got to Acheron, the Drow on the spider comes riding by. The Drow says" Get out of my way!". So they did, and she went through the portal. So much for getting information from her. I had to cook up a Githyanki agent who was snooping around in a tent city (can't have permanent structured on colliding cubes can we?) on the entrance cube to act as their guide. He will, of course, desert them whenever it becomes convenient. He is only concerned with possibly Illithid collusion in the plan.

Of course my tent city rationale does bring up a question- why hasn't the iron fortress been smashed flat? The module doesn't describe it being in a depression (though I put it in one). There's no god on this cube to intervene for it's preservation after all.

Buzzard

 

[Carnifex]

In terms of cities etc in Acheron, in my Planescape campaign, I had several cities where the 'streets' were just trenches dug into the ground in a massive network, with underground dugouts being accessible from entrances in the sides of the trenches. Makes for excellent defences in the myriad battles that always happen in Acheron.

I haven't got the module in question but I have to agree it seems a bit odd that the fortress - if it is, as I suspect, a really big edifice - hasn't been flattened. Can anyone else shed any light on this?

 

[Rpjunkie]

I am currently playing in this adventure with average party of 15th level.... I have a Sun Elf Evoker along with a fighter/paladin, cleric, and Arcane archer/fighter/thief/sorc. We have entered the iron fortress and SPOILERS.............................................................................................................................




WE have charmed an illithid and have gained a shield guardian.. charmed a cloud giant. and i am about to use a spell from Monte cooks Boem2 witch lets me call a person by name and if they fail save they have to come by any means possible including magic to me.. can you say ambush.. I'm gonna call the big nasty.. we know his name from the illithid and Giant. We are gonna pummel him... my saves for 7th level enchantments are in low 30s


hahaha RPJ

 

[Rpjunkie]

bump............

 

[buzzard]

My party dealt with the Cloud Giant and the Hydra last night. I was a touch merciful or I would have wiped out the party. The hydra breathed for 30d6 cold damage into the hallway. This kicked in the wizzards contingency so away he went. The rest of the party was quite messed up. They the Cloud giant went. I was wavering between Unholy Blight and Horrid Wilting. I decided on the former since I did not want to kill everyone. The latter would have left maybe one person standing.

Dealing with the Infernal Lynerian Cryohydra was also rather interesting. It was finally resolved by head chopping followed by fireballs. It took a while, with a full round of punishing attacks being dealt to the body to no avail.

I may write up the events for a short story hour posting.

Buzzard

 

[Wolfspider]

WE have charmed an illithid and have gained a shield guardian.. charmed a cloud giant. and i am about to use a spell from Monte cooks Boem2 witch lets me call a person by name and if they fail save they have to come by any means possible including magic to me.. can you say ambush.. I'm gonna call the big nasty.. we know his name from the illithid and Giant. We are gonna pummel him... my saves for 7th level enchantments are in low 30s

Has your DM approved the use of the spell from BoEM2? I don't know if I would. I could see this being misused quite a bit.

Think of it this way: How many badguys that you've met in the past know your character's name? Would you want THEM forcing you to come to them in this way?

What's good for the goose is good for the gander, I say!

Of course, if your DM has approved the spell, all's right with the world. I just hope he knows what a can of worms it opens...no adventure will be safe once the party knows the name of the Big Bad.