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

[Hussar]

Just an update in case anyone cares.

My lot went in the back door into the Horde's lair. For the very first time, they went through a section of the WLD without messing with every single door and room. I was so proud. They went through the trap section of C without disturbing so much as a mouse. They did, on the other hand, rest in the Halls of the Celestials to buff up before braving the Horde.

This meant that all the PC's weapons are now holy. The halfling paladin/monk/Pious Templar now has holy/axiomatic weapons and a +3 to hit and damage from the buffs in the halls. The halfling is now death on toast.

He's having a ball.

The party got spotted at the crossroads of the Horde's main hall. I sent out one vrock to investigate and the party obliterated it, but not before it spored them. A round later, the second vrock and Gwarny'z arrive. More sporey goodness and Vrock number two buys it. Gwar, on the other hand, uses his stenchyness to nauseate every PC except for the aforementioned halfling.

The halfling proceeds to rip off his head. Took a fair beating doing it, but, he did it.

So, now the path is clear to go deal with Glebshayy after a bit of healing time.

Gleb is going to be buffed to the gills. I still think the party is going to make mincemeat out of him with all their buffs, but, we'll see. I'm not all that interested in making this bit a really titanic battle. The PC's have the upper hand, they have the element of surprise, and, dammit, they have the higher ground... whoops went a little too far there. I think it's going to be a quickish fight, grab the flame, free the prisoners and hot foot it out of there.

Then comes the real fun.

 

[erucsbo]

Siglinde question (Region I)

Jim Hague (or anyone else who knows) - is Siglinde really a drider (as per I36) or a drow (as per I31), or a former drider who wants to return to being a drow? I'm getting mixed messages from the different Encounter explanations.

thnx

 

[jim pinto]

Jim Hague (or anyone else who knows) - is Siglinde really a drider (as per I36) or a drow (as per I31), or a former drider who wants to return to being a drow? I'm getting mixed messages from the different Encounter explanations.

thnx

her stats should tell the truth

not sure why the encounters are conflicting (don't have my book in front of me, sorry)

 

[erucsbo]

her stats should tell the truth

not sure why the encounters are conflicting (don't have my book in front of me, sorry)

her stats are those of a Dark Naga (or closer to that than Drider or Drow).

I31 says that she was once part of Mahir's trusted circle of casters, but that vile arcane energies and the attacks of Madness stripped away her natural form.

oh - and why would Mahir have had a spellbook when he was a sorcerer?

 

[BlueBlackRed]

oh - and why would Mahir have had a spellbook when he was a sorcerer?

Change it to a book of evil rituals instead.
According to one of the non-core sourcebooks, anyone can cast/perform rituals if they put in enough effort.

 

[jim pinto]

her stats are those of a Dark Naga (or closer to that than Drider or Drow).

I31 says that she was once part of Mahir's trusted circle of casters, but that vile arcane energies and the attacks of Madness stripped away her natural form.

oh - and why would Mahir have had a spellbook when he was a sorcerer?

it's a "spellbook" in flavor only... he's a ritualist and the book represents all sorts of arcane magic and experiments

lots of room to expand on that for the right campaign

she should have been a drow before then, who was experimented on and turned into a "naga" instead of a drider... not sure why there's confusion in the text

so that's MY answer, until Hague comes on here and says otherwise

hope that helps

 

[Jim Hague]

her stats are those of a Dark Naga (or closer to that than Drider or Drow).

I31 says that she was once part of Mahir's trusted circle of casters, but that vile arcane energies and the attacks of Madness stripped away her natural form.

oh - and why would Mahir have had a spellbook when he was a sorcerer?

Pinto (the other jim there) has the right of it - Mahir's book is meant to be one used for arcane rituals, instead of a standard spellbook. You could also take a page from Mongoose's excellent Scrolls of Seklos supplement for the Conan RPG, which has a nifty feat (Craft Abomination) and set of rules for doing exactly what Mahir was up to, complete with consequences.

Ironically, given the intended Howardian/Lovecraftian feel of I, I picked up Scrolls of Skelos about a week after I submitted the final draft of I to Alderac. I cussed. A lot.

Going into slightly more depth on Region I - while writing it, I was very much going for the REH feel of powerful, corrupt magic and pacts with unspeakable powers, and the fallout from those acts. Hence you've got Siglinde transformed into a Dark Naga (a nod to the Drow in my home game, which are serpent-themed instead of spider-themed) and the weird regenerative/mutating energies that suffuse I, along with the double-ugly tag team of Anguish and Madness.

When I ran my playtest group through it, they didn't twig right away to the humanoid and semi-humanoid inhabitants being Drider and Drow, thanks to even the lowliest slave having minor mutations from healed injuries; the Driders are quite quick with the lash and torture, knowing that only massive injury or immediately fatal wounds will end a slave's life.

Just a little color to add in there. As always, I'm glad to see folks out there and enjoying the hard work everyone put into the WLD - the writers, artists and fans all.

 

[jim pinto]

italy

italy!!! world cup baby!!!

er

um

this isn't espn.com

what's going on?

 

[erucsbo]

italy!!! world cup baby!!!

er

um

this isn't espn.com

what's going on?

As an Australian it is nice to see that a side can win the world cup based on fantastic dramatic performances in fooling the referees to award them penalties.
Seriously - congrats to Italy. It's some reassurance to know that the toughest match the Azzuri had in the knock-out phase (except for the final) was against the Socceroos, and that it took the eventual champions (and a dodgy umpiring decision) to knock the Australians out of their first World Cup finals campaign in over 30 years.

 

[erucsbo]

Pinto (the other jim there) has the right of it - Mahir's book is meant to be one used for arcane rituals, instead of a standard spellbook. You could also take a page from Mongoose's excellent Scrolls of Seklos supplement for the Conan RPG, which has a nifty feat (Craft Abomination) and set of rules for doing exactly what Mahir was up to, complete with consequences.

thanks Jim. As the party has picked up a few spellbooks now (Boyikt's from A and the 2 necromancers from E) I'll redesign it to make it obviously something that a sorcerer was using rather than looking like a wizard's spellbook with a ritual at the end.

Going into slightly more depth on Region I - while writing it, I was very much going for the REH feel of powerful, corrupt magic and pacts with unspeakable powers, and the fallout from those acts. Hence you've got Siglinde transformed into a Dark Naga (a nod to the Drow in my home game, which are serpent-themed instead of spider-themed) and the weird regenerative/mutating energies that suffuse I, along with the double-ugly tag team of Anguish and Madness.

When I ran my playtest group through it, they didn't twig right away to the humanoid and semi-humanoid inhabitants being Drider and Drow, thanks to even the lowliest slave having minor mutations from healed injuries; the Driders are quite quick with the lash and torture, knowing that only massive injury or immediately fatal wounds will end a slave's life.

cool. Conan the Barbarian was on TV last night after I got home from the party's first foray in to I, so I taped it and will watch it before the next session.

I'll make Siglinde a transformed drow rather than drider - thanks for the clarification.


adventure-wise. only had 4 out of 8 players show up (so we actually got something done).
The party started without any "rogue" skills, and headed north. The initial descriptions of pustules bursting underfoot and shreds of flesh hanging from the walls like bad wallpaper made them seriously think about abandonning the idea of heading north and going east instead. They easily dispatched the scuts and Disciples of Madness by lobbing fireballs in the rooms. The Gricks in the ready room caused a little more panic (and the guy playing the sorcerer wants me to allow the Purify Spell feat from Book of Exalted Cheese (er, Deeds) so that he can bomb the party without causing too much damage to PCs), but they still went through mostly unscathed. Then the cleric (Mystic Theurge) ended up curing everyone back to full hitpoints (so I am yet to have the PCs experience the 'healing effect' of the region).

And they have picked up a drow! Dressed in rags, whip scars on his face, arms and legs and looking for Jolinaar the party said that he should come with them so that they can protect him from the Spider Kings and other nasties and he can find the hidden stuff and open traps and doors. Asking him how he managed to get so good at disabling traps etc - he said that one had to if they wanted to survive. They asked him how he learned the skills - he said that his friends taught him - by dying when they didn't do things properly. This looks like being quite interesting - especially as he appears to be totally inept at combat

btw - the mirror/scrying room (I12) - has anyone used that for scrying on particular rooms?
I said that they were all dark except for one that they had recently fireballed (where embers gave enough light for them to identify the room). I'd like to have them see stuff that piques the curiosity, allows them to get some (perhaps misleading) intel on what is happening, and is dangerous viewing on a full stomach.