World's Largest Dungeon in actual play [Spoilers!]

Small update.

My group banded together and pleaded with their DM for a game this past weekend even though one wasn't scheduled. So, their DM (me) agreed. All players and the one more player I needed showed up.

They conquered much more of region A. On this session, however, they got cocky.

They decided to fight the kobolds who were staked out because they wanted exp. They had just parlayed with the kobolds and their attack was unprovoked. (Room with 4 warriors, one sorc and a krenshar). When the kobold sorc cast Web and half the party was entangled by it, they realized how bad of a choice that was.

The sorc was taken to unconscious four times and only because the cleric had the 'travel' domain ability of free action, he was saved from death because she activated it, walked over and cast her cures on him round after round. (He was entangled and thus a prime target for most of the kobolds).

The fighter in the party broke free relatively easily, of the web, and then forced his way in. The cleric went also and the two of them alone were enough to take down all but two kobolds. (They eventually went down themselves). The cleric died on that battle from failing to stabilize. The rogue was webbed but not entangled and picked off the last two kobolds just barely. (He had 1 HP remaining and was the only party member left conscious and able to do anything)

They got no exp from the battle, but did take away some loot. After receiving no exp, the party was much more apt not to pick fights for no reason.

They attempted to take out the room with 6 mean fiendish darkmantles - twice - and ended up running both times.

They are still a level 2 party btw.

I play rooms with their encounter conditions and one thing the party has come to realize is that rooms with shifty shadows (how I describe the CONCEALMENT encounter condition) usually mean darkmantles. Add in that the darkmantles themselves can cast "darkness" and they have come to really despise darkmantles.

But that still didn't stop them from attempting the mantles. And when six mantles started hitting their fighter (whom they had sent ahead) and the fighter was taking massive damage, they still faught on until the fighter finally hit the floor.

Good times. =)

The fighter did die at one point and the party took the appropriate exp loss for his death.

So once they wisened up and decided to skip the darkmantle room, they went the back way in to the chapel (the secret door you are not supposed to be able to open from the reverse side - I let them open it).

The fight with the Owlbear netted another fighter death. No crits and he still took 26 HP damage in a single round. Don't forget this is a level 2 fighter.

But they emerged victorious and with more exp. But not by a huge margin. They almost bit it there too.

Another rest and then they find Longtail's room.

Longtail knew they were coming by a mile. The party is neither stealthy nor quiet.

So he was prepared. They opened the door, saw nothing, a mage stepped in and got hit with a magic missile spell. Then, they saw their opponent, flying above them.

The party was persistent and the cleric was a HP battery for the sorc again until Longtail ran out of spells and cast invisibility and flew away. The party did all told, five damage to Longtail.

They were counting spell points and someone kept saying "OK, he is at least a level 3 sorcerer" (then a level 4, then a 5...)

It was quite amusing. And the party hasn't seen the last of Longtail. =)
 

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Longtail Fun

Unbeknownst to them, the PCs entered the WLD in the company of a first-level thrallherd. She was abandoned back in Region A while the party went off and did their own thing. At this point she has Longtail as a thrall and a whole whack of the remaining humanoids as believers. I'm quite looking forward to the point where they figure out what's happened. :]
 


BlueBlackRed said:
I would strongly suggest you dump this idea.
The region has enough of the monsters (hordes, dread wraiths, morhgs, etc.) repeated throughout the region that it gets monotonous already. Repeating the same extact encounters over and over just makes it worse.

The PCs are 16+ level. The Dread Wraiths have been a pain, but most of the early prison inhabitants are locked up. They almost penetrated to N2 the first time in, with only one mass death ward (they will have two or more next time). They were also without their main spellcaster (17th level mystic theurge).

So, I see what you mean, but its the encounter conditions in this place that make it challenging. Remember that I have had several custom lairs and dropped in a few places where they could buy/sell loot. So they may be better equipped than your average WLD party. They also got a good point buy (about a 32 point equivalent) at the beginning.

They will figure out some way to pass previous encounters more efficiently (especially when I award them less or no XP the second time around).

I think they can do it.
 



BlueBlackRed said:
Unless it's 100x easier to set up, not a chance in Baator.

Easier to set up than..... a ghoul on a date with a paladin? Help me out here.

I'm considering making a go at it, but I also want to do a couple other mods (Ultima 3, and Module B2), so this might be something I could help with, but I don't see me doing on my own.

Of course I keep saying that, and I keep thinking; "but it's right there..."
 



N223 scrolls

Back in the dim dark ages when I started playing D&D ('81), the first dungeon I made and ran a party through had a very well hidden secret trapdoor under which was a Ring of Gaxx (check the Artifacts in the 1ed DMG). Why? Because I wanted to have something I considered way cool in the dungeon, but hidden enough that it was unlikely that the party would ever find it (and they didn't). Stupid in hindsight and thankfully it didn't ruin the game.
I got a similar feeling from N223. Has anyone actually had a party find the scrolls? It is so far out of left field that I really struggle with its purpose except perhaps as a panic button or a way to violently shift the game flow in to a new direction. (ok - it states its purpose but it reads like a kludge).
Having said that, I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing, but would like to have the players able to reach it not completely blind to what is going on.

How have others of you who have had parties go through N handled it (if there are any of you still reading)?

I'm inclined to add it to the foreshadowing events that can be thrown in to other regions (certainly wouldn't give clues in N where the named undead might encounter them).
Maybe clues could be garnered in the Hidden Library in E, and from Cyrlebrai in G about the existance of the scrolls and where they may be found.

thoughts? comments?
 

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