Return to theTomb of Horrors

[Arcane Runes Press]

James;

I love that module. Best time (2E) I've had running a module. My advice:

1) Let the Dim Triad play with your PCs. In my own game I actually replaced them with "the Stranger", sort of a malignant spirit of the area who did horrible "pranks" and various twisted things to the group. Anyway, had I run it in 3E I would have used the Dim Triad, since they don't just drain levels forever like vamps in 2E. GRRRR. I digress. The point is, the Dim Triad are old, twisted and evil. If the PCs are basically untouchable at night (magic items, whatever), let the Triad use mind games. For example, from my own game, one of the PCs was killed in the swamp while sleeping. The next morning the other characters found the body with its throat slit and a note that read "Hello" stuffed in its mouth. They also each found a numbered scrap of paper on their person. Next morning they found a pile of bodybags on a rock numbered 1-4. Yes, my campaign played fast and loose. The point is, work hard to make the swamp creepy. It will make them more paranoid and actually help them survive all the twisted logic of the Tomb.

2) Don't telegraph the traps. It's WAY too easy to give away the solution to various puzzles just through concern that the party lives to see the all the neat stuff in the city of Moil. Even worse, it's all too easy to give away some of the more subtle traps by overemphasising the description of certain items.

3) For myself, I changed the Black Academy. Too much like a dark Hogwarts for my liking. At the least I suggest breaking up the monotony of endless necromancers with some other evil sorts. Monks, rogues, etc...., possibly from the slaveyards area of the city. I used a dark version of my player's characters to give them a good foil. The leader was a fallen paladin (Blackguard in 3E) who was a future version of my wife's paladin. Worked out nicely.

4) Don't be afraid to "cheat". Don't get me wrong, I don't mean cheat in the sense of fudge dice (Though I do this myself), I mean that you shouldn't be afraid to invent non-PHB spells and powers to give the challenges of Moil a more ancient, otherworldly feel. This is a good chance to unleash spells and items from Relics & Rituals or other 3rd party sources. Characters in 3E are generally more powerful than in previous editions. Be generous with the powers and, especially, protections you give the beasties in Moil.

5) Along the same lines, make sure the Ice Wights (name?) have a chance to actually DO something. They are highly intelligent, so make sure they use good tactics.

6) Make sure the undead swordsman has a VERY high SR. The encounter is set up as a duel to allow a warrior type to have his moment in the sun. Ensure that he can. Consider giving him protection like an iron golem or rakshase, so that spells simply don't work. Your fighter/ranger/barbarian/monk/samurai etc player will thank you. I have a conversion of the bad guy. I'll try and dig it up if you like.

7) Cut loose as a DM. Have a blast unleashing twisted hell on your players. They will LOVE you for it. Properly run, Return to the Tomb of Horrors makes a great climax for a campaign, or, at the least, an epic adventure not soon forgotten.

 

[James McMurray]

Arcane Runes Press: I'd love to see your conversion. Thanks for all the great advice too. I'll definitely have to swipe your body bags idea. The party sleeps in Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, but since the Dim Traid will mostly be able to see invisible, that'll just be a sign to them that someon powerful is in the swamp, and will set them on alert if the party uses it.

They'll toy with the group at first, leaving things outside the entrance. If the group insists on staying in the mansion, they'll be sure to set up an ambush for when the group comes out in the morning.

 

[CWD]

They'll toy with the group at first, leaving things outside the entrance.

Hah! Blair Witch anyone?

CWD

 

[Trevalon Moonleirion]

jester--
get to scanning that adventure, boy! LOL Seriously though, it would be interesting to see what you had done with the conversion--I have most of my converting done on paper as well.

 

[Harlequin]

cool...

Id really like to see anyones conversion for this module...

If you could post it on the conversion group it would
be much appreciated

Or email Morrus with it and he will put it on his Conversion page


Harlequin

 

[the Jester]

I tell ya, I can't wait to run it... I'm actually going to run both RttToH and Return to the Hill of Skulls (an old killer dungeon in my game) concurrently with two different groups of high-level pcs. My only problem is motivating them to go into the two most dangerous adventures ever.

Sigh... maybe I'll try to scan some of the pages and post them... I started with the online conversion of the original Tomb and went from there.

 

[GravyFingerz]

I am willing to post the conversions of the Dim Triad and Mistress Ferranifer

(Note, I do not use assassins IMC. I felt they were too crappy, so I made their one redeaming feature a feat. I also used the new Ravenloft 3e book for them. They are Eminent vampires, more then 500 years old but less then 600 years old. Mistress Ferranifer is a Patriarch Vampire, over 1000 years old. I havent chosen her spells yet, but you can do that.)

Death Attack

You can make an attack which kills your foes outright.

Prerequisites: Sneak Attack +4d6, Hide 13 ranks, Move Silently 13 ranks.

Benefit: If you study an opponent for three rounds and catch him with an attack that would normally deal sneak attack damage, you can kill him outright. Your opponent must make a Fortitude saving throw against DC 10 + half your Rogue levels + your Intelligence modifier. If he fails this saving throw, he dies instantly. If he succeeds, he suffers normal damage plus sneak attack damage.

**********

Absalom Vampire Male Ftr12: CR 16; Medium-size Undead; HD 12d12 (84 hp); Init +12 (+8 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 50 ft.; AC 29 (+8 Dex, +2 Armor, +1 Deflection, +8 Natural); Atk +17/+17/+12/+12/+7 melee (+1 keen rapiers, 1d6+10 damage); Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.; SA domination, energy drain, blood drain, children of the night, create spawn; SQ damage reduction 25/+3, turn resistance +7, cold and electricity resistance 20, gaseous form, spider climb, alternate form, fast healing 8, shroud of darkness, dimension door; AL CE; Fort +9; Ref +14; Wil +7; Str 24; Dex 26; Con -; Int 16; Wis 16; Cha 22;

Skills: Jump +12, Listen +20, Move Silently +24, Spot +20;

Feats: Alertness, Ambidexterity, Blind-Fight, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Improved Critical (Rapier), Improved Initiative, Improved Two-Weapon Fighting, Lightning Reflexes, Mobility, Spring Attack, Two-Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse (Rapier), Weapon Focus (Rapier), Weapon Specialization (Rapier);

Possessions: Bracers of Armor +2, Glovers of Dexterity +2, +1 Keen Rapier (x2), Ring of Protection +1

**********

Blaesing Vampire Male Rog12: CR 16; Medium Undead; HD 12d12 (78 hp); Init +13 (+9 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 50 ft.; AC 29 (+9 Dex, +2 deflection, +8 natural); Atk +22/+17 melee (assassin's dagger, 1d4+7 damage); Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.; SA domination, energy drain, blood drain, children of the night, create spawn, sneak attack +6d6; SQ damage reduction 25/+3, turn resistance +7, cold and electricity resistance 20, gaseous form, alternate form, fast healing 8, improved evasion, uncanny dodge, invisibility, shroud of darkness; AL CE; Fort +4; Ref +20; Wil +8; Str 20; Dex 29; Con -; Int 22; Wis 19; Cha 21;

Skills: Balance +24, Bluff +28, Climb +20, Escape Artist +24, Hide +42, Jump +20, Listen +29, Move Silently +42, Search +29, Sense Motive +27, Spot +29, Tumble +24;

Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Death Attack, Dodge, Expertise, Flick of the Wrist, Improved Critical (Dagger), Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Quick-Draw, Weapon Finesse (Dagger), Weapon Focus (Dagger);

Possessions: Assassin's Dagger, Boots of Elvenkind, Cloak of Elvenkind, Gloves of Dexterity +2, Ring of Protection +2

**********

Harrow Vampire Male Mnk12: CR 16; Medium-size Undead; HD 12d12 (98 hp); Init +14 (+10 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 90 ft.; AC 31 (+10 Dex, +6 Wisdom, +1 armor, +2 deflection, +2 class bonus); Atk +21/+18/+15/+12 melee (Unarmed strike, 1d12+7 damage); Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.; SA unarmed strike, stunning attack, ki strike +1, flurry of blows, domination, energy drain, blood drain, children of the night, create spawn, improved energy drain (x2); SQ still mind, slow fall (50 ft.), purity of body, wholeness of body, leap of the clouds, improved evasion, diamond body, abundant step, damage reduction 25/+3, turn resistance +7, cold and electricity resistance 20, gaseous form, spider climb, alternate form, fast healing 8,; AL LE; Fort +9; Ref +21; Wil +15; Str 24; Dex 30; Con -; Int 19; Wis 22; Cha 21;

Skills: Balance +21, Concentration +17, Hide +29, Jump +48, Knowledge (Arcana) +14, Listen +28, Move Silently +29, Tumble +22;

Feats: Alertness, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Expertise, Improved Critical (Unarmed Strike), Improved Initiative, Improved Trip, Lightning Reflexes, Power Attack, Sunder, Weapon Finesse (Unarmed Strike), Weapon Focus (Unarmed Strike);

Possessions: Bracers of Armor +1, Gloves of Dexterity +4, Ring of Jumping, Ring of Protection +2

**********

Mistress Ferranifer Vampire Female Nec18: CR 23; Medium-sized Undead; HD 12d18 (137 hp); Init +13 (+9 Dex, +4 Improved Initiative); Spd 60 ft.; AC 36 (+9 Dex, +5 Armor, +4 Deflection, +8 Natural); Atk +18/+13 melee (Slam, 1d6+9 damage); Face/Reach 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.; SA domination, energy drain, blood drain, children of the night, create spawn; SQ damage reduction 30/+3, turn resistance +8; cold, fire, and electricity resistance 20; gaseous form, spider climb, alternate form, fast healing 10, shroud of darkness, frightful presence, animate dead, command undead; AL NE; Fort +10; Ref +21; Wil +19; Str 28; Dex 28; Con -; Int 28; Wis 20; Cha 23;

Skills: Alchemy +30, Concentration +27, Knowledge (Arcana) +30, Knowledge (Geography) +30, Knowledge (History) +30, Knowledge (The Planes) +30, Scry +30, Spellcraft +30;

Feats: Alertness, Brew Potion, Craft Wand, Craft Wondrous Item, Combat Reflexes, Dodge, Empower Spell, Extend Spell, Forge Ring, Heighten Spell, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes, Quicken Spell, Scribe Scroll, Silent Spell, Spell Focus (Necromancy), Still Spell;

Possessions: Amulet of the Void, Boots of Speed, Bracers of Armor +5, Cloak of Resistance +4, Major Circlet of Blasting, Ring of Evasion, Ring of Protection +4

 

[James McMurray]

Thanks for the posts everyone! Keep posting those conversions!

For what its worth, so far i've done the following:

- converted the mountain giants to fire giants

- made the leader a 7th level fire giant cleric

- changed the fire elemental to a para-elemental (ice) mainly because my player's have ever seen one, and they've seen tons of fire elementals.

- made the vampires a Wujen, Weaponmaster (Katana), and Shugenja, just so I could use my OA

- made the gate gaurdian a bone golem, but used the stats of a lead golem from CCI (changing the poisonous gas breath to Doomwail (R&R) once per 4 rounds.

- Made Morrow an advanced Dark Naga, with her children standard sized dark naga.

Keep 'em coming folks!

 

[Henry]

...For example, from my own game, one of the PCs was killed in the swamp while sleeping. The next morning the other characters found the body with its throat slit and a note that read "Hello" stuffed in its mouth. They also each found a numbered scrap of paper on their person. Next morning they found a pile of bodybags on a rock numbered 1-4. Yes, my campaign played fast and loose.

Oh, Sweet Holy Crap. Why can't I come up with ideas that good?Guess I don't torture enough helpless animals or something.

Seriously, consider that one stolen for home use. Thanks!

 

[James McMurray]

Well, we had an extremely eventful game this week. Of course, there was hardly any fighting giants going on, but that's ok.

The party teleported into the keep rather than flying up, so the boulder nets didn't get used. The giants knew which room they'd be appearing in and generally at what time, so they had one exit to it covered, and the other exit was used by the Osyluth to lure the party towards the para-elemental. The party opened one door and dropped a blade barrier, hurting 3 giants and forcing them to flee (except for the poor giant that got hit with Tasha's Hideous Laughter and had to laugh himself to death in the quesinart of doom.

The illusions then drew the party into the room and they set off the para-elemental, who did some serious damage to the group, but didn't kill anyone. A couple party members did get Dimensional Anchored, and a Wall of Ice kept people out of the fight between the paladin and the para-elemental for a while.

The party started to head up to the giants, and then wonder-of-wonders decided to parlay!!! The giants knew they had a good defense set up, and the deal finally ended up being that the party would raise the giants they had previously killed, with the party covering half the materials cost and the giants the other half. The end result was that the party managed to get the info they needed, without anyone getting grabbed and dragged of the cliff.

The info led them to the city of Necromancers (Skull City). After a brief scouting mission, the rogue met one of the Dark Nagas that patrols the walls, and found out that the gate can see invisible. He also correctly guessed the password, so the next day the party walked straight into town. It was early morning, so the only things the party saw on the streets until they reached the Academy were 3 zombies, one continually trying to walk through a wall, and 2 milling about aimlessly.

As they approached the academy, they saw 4 black-robed people walking out and towards the big black tent (where spare undead are kept). At that point, we realized that the paladin had at least three symbols to Heironious in plain sight, so the necromancers saw them and fled back into the academy, shouting an alarm.

The party followed, and when they got inside, they fought Leon (a troll Fighter 7) and a few low-level necromancers for a few rounds, while some necromancers fled shouting for instructors. The cleric had a flame strike cancelled by two readied magic missiles, while the sorcerer killed several necromancers and the rogue and paladin engaged the troll (who they couldn't tell was a troll due to his fully encompassing armor.)

The cleric put a wall of stone at the entry to the academy, preventing anyone in the city from coming in. He counted on the sorcerer’s teleports to evacuate if needed. He also placed a blade barrier at one entrance to keep the area secure while they fought. The sorcerer placed a wall of force at the other entrance. Unfortunately, they didn't know that those weren't the only exits.

A few rounds later, the troll was dead, and academician Drake (a 10th level Cleric of Evil / 6th level Contemplative was warned. As were the Dim Triad (Vampire 12th level Weapon Master, 12th level Wujen, and 12th level Shugenja). It would take them a while to reach the area, as they wanted to buff themselves with spells first, but that's ok, the party had other problems. The Rogue had picked up a book without saying the command word first, and been attacked by a Minor Death (as per the eck of Many Things). The paladin had tried to help, and gotten a death of his own. A round later, the cleric arrived to help, and not having seen the paladin's error, also got a death of his own. No one was killed, but a few cure spells were wasted. While that was going on, the cleric heard spell casting behind him, as Drake had stepped through the blade barrier and then cast heal (a Madness score of 8 will make you do things like that ).

The sorcerer made his save against the destruction, and so he "only" took 30 points from the 10d6. The paladin charged the cleric and nicked him. But the cleric then (using smite, power critical, strength domain, Assassin's Senses, improved crit, and a +5 Dagger of frost*, flaming burst*, keen*, brilliant energy, unholy, and shock*) dealt well over 200 points to him in a single round, dropping him like a rock. This was right after he had used his haste action for a maddening scream on the paladin, dropping his AC and ensuring he wouldn't be fighting back. First party member killed. The sorcerer, upon seeing the cleric with Avatar (from R&R) cast, failed his save and was fleeing for 16 rounds due to fear.

The cleric ran over, and slathered a Resurrection salve on him (single use wondrous item, acts as Resurrection). when he stood back up, he dropped the cleric of evil in one round with his own smiting holy avenger critical action. Unfortunately, he only dropped the guy to -5. On the evil cleric's action, he cast Revive the Fallen. Its a subconscious, 6th level cure light wounds that we created for this campaign. It replaces harm, which was removed from the game altogether. That got him to 6 or so hit points, and with his haste action he stood up and cast Heal. Shortly thereafter, the Dim Triad arrives.

The paladin manages to hurt but not kill the cleric, and then gets killed by the Weapon Master in the Dim Triad (second party death, second for the same guy even). The party cleric successfully tuns two of the vampires (because I forgot the turn resistance and the effects of the Dark Intrusion). However, he didn't manage to do it before the Rogue got turned to Stone by the wujen vampire. Third party death (kind of).

the cleric fled, following the sorcerer, in the hopes that he could get them out of there. He found him, with the evil cleric hot on his heels and the remaining Dim triad wujen also chasing. He casts remove fear on the sorcerer, who readies an action to blast the first thing coming through the door. The cleric also readies a turn attempt, knowing there's another vampire coming. The turn succeeds (again because I forgot the dark intrusion and turn resistance). The evil cleric summons a bebilith, which fails to destroy the good cleric's armor and then gets blasted back to the abyss.

The evil cleric moves in, and gets blinded by a Holy Smite, but responds with a symbol of hopelessness, effectively removing the sorcerer from the battle. The two clerics fight for a bit, and when the evil cleric runs out of heals, he word of recalls back to his sanctuary (right down the hall). He heals a bit, while the party cleric drags the sorcerer towards the paladin's corpse. Of course, during this time, the poor hopeless sorcerer had also been blinded by a cloak of righteousness the evil cleric had cast. The two clerics end up fighting again, as Drake's sanctuary is right around the corner from where they are, and the cleric gets dropped to 2 hits before killing Drake. The troll then comes back (having regenerated partially, but been ordered to guard the front door.) His charge attack misses the cleric, who then drops him again. The cleric and blind sorcerer move to the paladin and teleport out.

End result:

Between True Resurrection, Resurrection, and xp, the paladin stayed the same level, but lost about 5,000xp.

The True res means the party accepted a quest to wipe out the Academy, so the sneaky approach to just get through to the Tomb of Acererak is out of the question.

Academician Drake will be raised, but down a level.

The party rogue gets returned to flesh and made into a vampire thrall of the Dim Triad.

The Black academy is aware of the party and will be more ready for them next time.

The leader of the Black Academy (Nuala from the Ravager of Time that I ran previously) knows the party in and out, and can have them scryed for so that a beefed up duplicate of a couple of the instructors can teleport into the party's location for an ambush.

The odds are very good that the party will suffer at least one more death before they even make it back to the Academy.