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

[rvalle]

how come it's so quiet here?
Or am I the only one not seeing any new posts.

Anyway - my players are about to start I this coming weekend. (and look like progressing from E without any rogues - should be interesting)
Any advice from those that have done it before to make it memorable, yet survivable?
Any gotchas or other problems I should be aware of?

My group is ALMOST ready to start I. I have a 'dm' version of the map if you are interested. Its not as good as I would have hoped but its something.

I'm also a bit worried about the rogue thing. My group sorta has one... a rogue/druid but the player is pushing the druid bit and wants the wild shape thing next level. I'm curious to see how things go when they start to hit the traps. Region E was pretty trap free as long as you were not evil. Thats about to change in a big way.

Right now I'm going to leave things as they are and see what happens. I can adjust later.

rv

 

[rvalle]

Well, Sunday morning I ran my first WLD session for my parents. 2 players, 1st level gestalt characters. My father is playing a fighter/wizard and my mother a cleric/rogue.

They went through A1 -A4 and then doubled back to A10. They were in A20 when we stopped. They've already used up their alchemist's fire and are beginning to understand that resources are a problem. I'm going to have to plant some random bits of stuff to refresh them once in a while (alchemist's fire, other potions besides healing, etc...) to help make up for the limited characters. I'm also tempted to have them "rescue" a good NPC fighter pretty quickly.

I'm going to use "level up" rooms rather than experience points in this campaign. Anybody else doing that? What rooms in A would be good level-up points?

Any other advice welcome!

Running your parents though?! Too funny!

I'm just leveling up the characters 3 times per region. No special rooms, no exp... I just judge when I think they should bump up: once early in the region, once in the middle and once towards the end.

We've finished 2 regions and so far its working well. 2 regions is still pretty early in something like this though.

rv

 

[Jim Hague]

My group is ALMOST ready to start I. I have a 'dm' version of the map if you are interested. Its not as good as I would have hoped but its something.

I'm also a bit worried about the rogue thing. My group sorta has one... a rogue/druid but the player is pushing the druid bit and wants the wild shape thing next level. I'm curious to see how things go when they start to hit the traps. Region E was pretty trap free as long as you were not evil. Thats about to change in a big way.

Right now I'm going to leave things as they are and see what happens. I can adjust later.

rv

Well, if they avoid looking for the lab, the traps are less of a problem. Mind, that loses a swell plotline, but...

I'd say if they have serious urgings in that direction, their dear pal the dark naga can supply them with an 'individual of those particular skills'...for a price.

 

[Gilladian]

Running your parents though?! Too funny!

I'm just leveling up the characters 3 times per region. No special rooms, no exp... I just judge when I think they should bump up: once early in the region, once in the middle and once towards the end.

We've finished 2 regions and so far its working well. 2 regions is still pretty early in something like this though.

rv

I've been playing DND off and on with my parents since I was 11 (that's over 30 years, now!). When we moved to Texas when I was 13, the first thing he told us was "There's a game shop in town!". My dad is 73 and gaming is still one of his favorite things to do. I doubt we do more than 2-3 regions before we get tired and quit, though.

I'm also going to post a map somewhere in a store-room - just a partial thing, with sections missing and maybe a big burn in the middle, so we don't have to spend too much time mapping.

Thanks for the reassurance on the XP thing - I think I'm going to do exactly what you've done.

 

[erucsbo]

I'm also going to post a map somewhere in a store-room - just a partial thing, with sections missing and maybe a big burn in the middle, so we don't have to spend too much time mapping.

I made a map of A like that and put it in region E. Still waiting for James to upload them to his site, but I have put them up on a temp website in the meantime (check #1562 above (post 2918906) for the link).
I may have another copy of a map of A somewhere that I also doctored if that doesn't suffice. Let me know and I'll put it up on the same site.

 

[rvalle]

Well, if they avoid looking for the lab, the traps are less of a problem. Mind, that loses a swell plotline, but...

I'd say if they have serious urgings in that direction, their dear pal the dark naga can supply them with an 'individual of those particular skills'...for a price.

Hmm, I like that.

Though... I suspect the encounter with the Naga won't last long. Several of the characters are now Garrison members and they are taking their 'anti-evil' bit seriously. I think it will go something like this

Dm spends hours planning conversation threads, plots, and plans.

Characters find the Naga.

Naga: "Well hello, I've been expecting..."
Players: "I cast a lightning bolt!" "I charge!" "I throw a spear!"

DM: "Sigh, darn players...."



rv

 

[rvalle]

I've been playing DND off and on with my parents since I was 11 (that's over 30 years, now!). When we moved to Texas when I was 13, the first thing he told us was "There's a game shop in town!". My dad is 73 and gaming is still one of his favorite things to do. I doubt we do more than 2-3 regions before we get tired and quit, though.

Thats cool. Maybe I can get my kids to run games for me when they get older.

rv

 

[Hussar]

I've been playing DND off and on with my parents since I was 11 (that's over 30 years, now!). When we moved to Texas when I was 13, the first thing he told us was "There's a game shop in town!". My dad is 73 and gaming is still one of his favorite things to do. I doubt we do more than 2-3 regions before we get tired and quit, though.

I'm also going to post a map somewhere in a store-room - just a partial thing, with sections missing and maybe a big burn in the middle, so we don't have to spend too much time mapping.

Thanks for the reassurance on the XP thing - I think I'm going to do exactly what you've done.

That is just bloody way cool. Bravo.

Yeah, the idea of dropping maps and map fragments from time to time is a good one. Heck, the humanoids would likely have something like that on them. At least a map of their area and markings for the really obvious and deadly traps. Like the door to the armory in Region A. 10d6 lightning bolt incinerated our party cleric. My first kill. Ahh, the memories.

 

[erucsbo]

Though... I suspect the encounter with the Naga won't last long. Several of the characters are now Garrison members and they are taking their 'anti-evil' bit seriously.

I've played quite heavily on the fact that evil is trapped within the dungeon while it is alive (or undead). If evil is killed the soul is not lost and probably is being used by more powerful evil trapped in the dungeon (ie. the WorldEater) to make themselves stronger.

I had the party members who were garrison members get the mental warning that a ward had been breached. By the time the party got there there was a pile of drow bodies (and some damaged inevitables and celestials). Then one of the pulses of negative energy that I have emanating from N swept through animating the bodies, which started shuffling towards the NE. When the ebb pulse occurred the bodies collapsed and I allowed those with high enough spellcraft or knowledge:religion to roll to see the souls being dragged from the bodies and pulled to the north east through the walls.

The party now knows that killing evil destabilises regions, stopping evil from keeping itself in check and individually weak enough for the wards and garrision members to deal with them. Killing evil in fact is feeding the more powerful evil beings, shortening the time and effort they require to break their bonds and endangering the few remaining guardians of the dungeon.

 

[Odhanan]

I'm also going to post a map somewhere in a store-room - just a partial thing, with sections missing and maybe a big burn in the middle, so we don't have to spend too much time mapping.

Thanks for the reassurance on the XP thing - I think I'm going to do exactly what you've done.

Maps as player's handouts? Denizens of the Dungeon having some partial area maps on them? Way cool indeed!