Necropolis suggested levels?
- Thread starter Voadam
- Start date
howandwhy99
Adventurer
The D20 version, IIRC, is for levels 10-16. I don't think DJ was based on levels.
If you're running it, you may want to check out the Testament roleplaying book, too.
If you're running it, you may want to check out the Testament roleplaying book, too.
It is actually meant for levels 10 to 18. However, most Necromancer Games modules are designed for parties of 6 characters, not 4, and I know from personal experience that it wouldn't hurt to have 6 players in Necropolis. In fact, it wouldn't hurt if the party was starting at level 12 and got up to level 20.
VorpalBunny
Explorer
Six 12th-level characters should do OK to start with - the adventure is difficult enough that they won't have an easy time of it.
I found Necropolis unplayable with a party of ca 8 PCs & Cohorts level around 10-13, although that was partly the impenetrable scenario itself rather than the power level - but there are EL 18-22 encounters in it early on. One EL 18 encounter killed 2 PCs w no real survival chance. I would tend to suggest a party of 15th level or so - but many encounters are ridiculously easy while others are impossibly difficult, so whatever level the DM starts the PCs at it will take a HUGE amount of work to run successfully. In my case it nearly destroyed my campaign before we aborted it and did something more fun instead.
Thanee
First Post
Yep, Necropolis was probably the adventure/campaign with the most PC deaths I have played in (my cleric was the only character that didn't really die, many died multiple times and I cannot count how many times we retreated (teleported) to Silverymoon to get our share of true resurrects).
Our DM said, that many of the NPCs were extremely weak designed and no challenge at all, but some encounters were just ridiculously tough (of course, our party was a bit below the suggested level, so that could very well be the reason).
The campaign itself was pretty cool, tho, except for Rahotep's grave...
Bye
Thanee
Our DM said, that many of the NPCs were extremely weak designed and no challenge at all, but some encounters were just ridiculously tough (of course, our party was a bit below the suggested level, so that could very well be the reason).
The campaign itself was pretty cool, tho, except for Rahotep's grave...
That part was horrible (completely stupid and pointless riddles (I still havn't figured out what that stuff was meant to be), which basically could only be resolved with trial and error, which in turn led us into numerous death traps). Part of that surely was that our DM wanted us to not rely so much on our magic and added a ever-recurring 'trap' that hit us with Mordenkainen's Disjunction (with ridiculous caster level to punch through our anti-magic field) like twice per evening. Not really one of his brightest inventions (he's a pretty good DM otherwise, but that was just plain silly)... needless to say, that this ruined the campaign in the end... and I really should have followed my intuition and just don't go back there and leave them to their fate... shall the gods clean up the mess... pah! Anyways, I'm sure that it could be done better, so cannot really blame it on the adventure! 
Bye
Thanee
Voadam
Legend
So do you think it would be appropriate for a party of four who will be 15th level characters by the time we are finished with our current set and who have high stats and item wealth (one of them is lower level with an ECL template and vow of poverty).
They have an arcane trickster, a paladin, a fighter/cleric, and a water elemental template exalted druid shifter.
They have an arcane trickster, a paladin, a fighter/cleric, and a water elemental template exalted druid shifter.
StalkingBlue
First Post
It sounds like your intended starting level will be appropriate - if your players don't care whether a scenario is plausible and don't mind frequent character deaths to inescapable, over-the-top ECL encounters.
I have to agree with S'mon - I bought Necropolis and considered running it for my old group, but then I got to play in it in S'mon's game, and that taught me not to go near it as DM. S'mon is a brilliant DM, but even he didn't get the scenario to fly. Thanee sounds like she's had a similar experience playing in it.
ECLs range from ridiculously easy to ridiculously difficult, with no clues to PCs or players which is going to be which. Almost worse, it's impossible in some cases for the DM to make sense of how things are meant to work, the scenario is that badly written. If you mean to run it, never mind at which levels, you've got your work cut out for you.
I have to agree with S'mon - I bought Necropolis and considered running it for my old group, but then I got to play in it in S'mon's game, and that taught me not to go near it as DM. S'mon is a brilliant DM, but even he didn't get the scenario to fly. Thanee sounds like she's had a similar experience playing in it.
ECLs range from ridiculously easy to ridiculously difficult, with no clues to PCs or players which is going to be which. Almost worse, it's impossible in some cases for the DM to make sense of how things are meant to work, the scenario is that badly written. If you mean to run it, never mind at which levels, you've got your work cut out for you.
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