S1: Tomb of Horrors - OOC

[kinem]

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So I'm currently between games as a PBP DM. I'm mulling an idea for a human-centered high-technology high-magic homebrew world but that's not ready yet.

So for a little 'light diversion' I might like to run the infamous old school killer dungeon. Every DM thinks about it ...

I've never played it, but certainly have become too familiar with it to ever fairly be a PC in it.

I'm thinking that might be a common problem. Ideally, I'd like very highly experienced players who haven't ever been around the block enough times to play it or read through it Though if you read it a long time ago and have forgotten most of the details I think that's fine.

Rules would be Pathfinder, 4 PCs, level 9. Setting would be Greyhawk. (See post #12 for character creation rules, and house rules here.)

I considered Return to the ToH but that module, while it has a lot of cool things in it, is too long for PBP. Also, it contains the original ToH but is for higher (15th) level characters. Basically, in RttToH, your high level PCs face threats; waltz through the ToH losing only a few PCs along the way; face more threats; then face even worse threats and probably all die So for now I think the original should be given its fair share of attention.

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Edit:

house rules:

A wizard can choose at 1st level not to form an arcane bond or get a familiar, and would get a wizard bonus feat instead.

A wizard can learn witch spells but treats them as one spell level higher.

A witch can choose at 1st level not to have a familiar and would get a bonus feat instead, which must be a metamagic feat, item creation feat, or hex-related (or otherwise witch-related) feat. Such a witch prepares and learns spells using a spellbook in the manner of a wizard.

A witch can learn wizard spells but treats them as one spell level higher.

A paladin's (or anti-paladin's) smite damage applies only up to once per round, though missed attacks don't count against this limit.

New feat:

Mojo Skin:
Whenever you get magical tattoos as "slotless" versions of standard slotted magic items, it only costs as much as the standard items. (Normally it costs twice as much as the standard items.)

Modified feat:
The spell level adjustment for Persistent Spell is +3.

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

You can count me as interested as most of my (few) games as a player are on halt.

 

[Ballistic]

I would be interested as well. Its been a long time since I've even looked at anything from 3.5, meaning I haven't looked through this adventure in a really long time.

 

[kinem]

Good.

Strahd & any newcomers: What is your level of ToH knowledge, and how often can you post? I prefer a 1/day target rate but realize that's often unrealistic.

 

[Ballistic]

I have zero experience in ToH, which from your original post thats what you want, correct?

I can hit your target of one post per day but I doubt you'll get that from a PbP site.

Also if I'm accepted and the thread takes off, I plan on playing a paladin, race is still undetermined.

 

[kinem]

No experience with ToH is best, yes.

One thing I will say for those who don't already know is that the module is heavy on traps, so there should be at least one PC who is good at dealing with them. With a lot of thoughtfulness, preparation, and luck it was possible to get through the original version of the module without much combat or damage. If you lacked a little bit in one of those areas, you were dead. The updated version of the module is less deadly but has more monsters.

 

[Myth and Legend]

Oh I'm intereted but I promised myself I'll just run one game and that's it. However, I've done research in ye olden days when I still had the time to run several games. The 3.5 conversion is dubbed "The tomb of mild inconveniences" because it's so much easier than the AD&D variant.

I've glanced over the AD&D book back when I was considering either running that or doing my own conversion to 3.5, and I also was considering running a game set in ancient Netheryl at the time before Kraster's folly.

Ok so anyway, I've spoiled the end for myself if nothing else, and the only way I'd want to play is if by some miracle you'd consider running the original module or you want to do your own conversion (be it with prep or on the fly)

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

I played many adventures but ToH I did not.

 

[kinem]

I'll run it if I can get at least 3 players.

Using the original wouldn't work with 3.5 or Pathfinder, but doing my own conversion might. I was already planning on modifying some of WotC's conversion.

How deadly do you guys want it to be? As examples of the different options:

1) Poison does ability damage if you fail a save (as normal in 3.X), but a single dose is unlikely to be fatal.

2) Poison is save or die as in the original (AD&D). (If you got poisoned in the first place, it's your own fault because you were insufficiently cautious!)

A) Search checks can be performed as normal, usually by visual inspection, and usually pose no danger.

B) If you don't prod that dusty surface with your 10' pole (which nobody would dare leave home without), you don't even get a search check of it. Prodding the wrong thing can be dangerous, as is missing a trap

 

[Strahd_Von_Zarovich]

1.B. sounds like fun.