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

[Bathnor]

Thanks for the advice Erucsbo. I've been doing experience at a much slower rate. I havn't even given my PCs an experience total, I've been leveling them up when I think they should level.

So far they have wanted to explore every nook and cranny of the dungeon. At the end of the last session they were talking about going back and trying to search the couple rooms in region A that they passed over.

I decided on the gesalt campaign because i only have 3 players, well 4 now, we had someone start last week. So far even the fights that have had one creature have been challengeing for them. Like their fight with the rat man, its never good when you have 2 NPCs helping you (the 2 lizardfolk), yet both the healers are on the ground bleeding to death. Granted I made him a sorc7/wizzy7 so I knew they'd be in for a heck of a fight.

I'll let em level up to 4 tonight and see how it goes. I've been gesalting the encounters a bit before the players get to it. I've done A, and most of E and B. As for the doors going to F from E, I guess I'll figure that out when they players get that far.

 

[Bathnor]

Week 4 in the dungeon...

So at the start of the fourth session I awarded everyone with enough experience to become second level. Now theer classes are Monk2/Fighter2, Fighter2/Ranger2, and finally cleric of Mystra 2/Sor2.

They decided to head south from the labratory where they had rested. The came upon the old cell with the big red gem floating in the middle of it. The dwarfs eyes lit up and she started to rush in to the room to take some of the gem. The cleric thought better of the idea and put a hand on his shoulder to hold him back. He cast a detect magic and saw that the gem glowed with magic.

The dwarf didn't think that it would be that big of a deal, but just to be safe she took one of the dead kobolds at the gem. She couldn't throw it very far (she was sick when he was a kid so he doesn't have good str). this led to her getting damaged when the thing exploded. Lol, now the party jokes about holding her back when they go into a new room.

They checked out a small hallway right near the gem room but decided to leave it alone for the moment. They instead monved to the west and found the room with the dead kobolds and the fiendish dire rats. They fought bravely, exccept for Torag who just stayed in the back not doing a lot.

The dwarf started calling him fodder again. This time it made him mad. He started attacking her hoping to kill her and flee before the other two could react. He did manage to hit her, but not enough to put her out. This ended up being a one on one fight, the other party members just readied actions and let them fight. Lol then after she had Torog down they started telling her to be nicer to the help.

The fighting from the two also attracted the attention of the two Rat Swarms in the room down the hall. Now the monk and the dwarf end up getting swarmed by the rats each taking several points of damage. It was a tough fight for them. The cleric even got hit by the smite good ability. I love smite!! They did eventualy kill the swarms.

The next area they came to is the entrance to the next section of the map to the north. Now I first started maping on one piece of graph paper. One square is 10". As the party moves around I add the pieces of paper as the come across them. I also color code each session on the map. Each week gets a light color, thats coded to the weeks at the bottom of the map. They asked me, when I put up the new piece to the north, " UMMM,how big is this place!!" lol The portion they are in is just north of the Portal Room in A. It's the section between the 2 regions. Its lit by the continual flames in the ceiling. The door is also spiked shut from this side.

They decided to camp and call it a night here. They took a bit of tiime to level their characters earlier. It was getting pretty late lol. So we stoped for the night. They were talking about heading "back" and checking out more of the section to the south.

 

[Bathnor]

Week 5 Lantern Archon and first tatoo is used ...

Well, after resting (they were attacked by more rats while camping)they decided to head to the west. They came to the different workshops and decided to fight the full stirges. It was a pretty easy fight for them. As they were coming out after the fight they spotted a glowing ball of light about the size of a soccer ball. The monk thought it could be a Will o Wisp. The cleric made a knowledge check and saw it as a Lantern Archon.

I used a voice program for the Archon. This way I can change the voice for each one. They learned a bit from it though. This was a prison built by celestials and angels for evil of all kinds. It was built before the first Dwarf or Elf ever walked Fearun. To the north lies the celestial garrison, to the east lies the mighty goblin empire.

The party did ask other questions but the archon didn't have any answers for them. After this they came upon the room with eight stirges. Everyone took come CON drain during the fight. Stirges can be really nasty creatures lol.

Well they came to the Trog area next. They knew something was up when they got to the stinky area. They didin't know if it was Trogs or trash, so they pressed on. They got to the ambush point and out popped 7 trogs. One ran for the door in the back and the other 6 charged at the players.

The party thought that they could have an advantage over the Trogs if the pulled back to the other side of the dead darkmantles. As they were retreating to their position the Trogs caught up to them and started attacking them. They also heard chanting coming from the room the Trogs had come from. The Trog Cleric is a cleric2/bard2. The Bard actualy proved to be quite usefull for pumping the other trogs up so they can hurt the party more. They party has taken quite a beating at this point. There are only 2 trogs left and the bard still plays in the other room. Then more trogs come charging up the corridor at them. (the ones that were with the bard). The party tried to stay their ground. The dwarf was the first to fall under the trog assult. This caused the monk to want to fall back up to the cleric. He was his by some of the trogs AoO attacks and he fell into unconsiousness as well.

The cleric/sorc being the only party member standing decided to grab the monk and get away as fast as he could. So he drags the monk up the passage to the north. The Trogs didn't follow the cleric past their hideout. This left the dwarf laying there bleeding to death. She died and awoke 7 hours later.

Her body and head hurt like hell (-1 con permant) and he tattoo had used its one charge. She also didn't have any of her gear on her. She was nekid in the dungeon. Trogs close by and her party is gone . She snuck away, found a dead orc in one of the rooms and took his armor and an axe and a dagger.

She then went down to the water pillar room to wash the scent of trog and orc off of her. There was an earthquake and everyone in the region took damage.

the Cleric took the Monk up the hallway to the north and was going to camp on the hallway. he noticed the secret door in the northern wall and decided that it'd be best to camp behind a secret door and went through with the monk in tow. It opened up into a bedroom (region B). He left the monk there and went to fill his waterskins.

He ran into the dwarf in the pillar room and they got more water and went back to the bedroom and gave it a quick search. They found a scroll of lesser restoration here. They didn't find the secret doors in this room. They did notice that the hallway leading to this room was lit up and the room that they were in had the same fixtures on the ceiling but none of them are working. So they camped here and called it a night.

The Dwarf is saying she wants revengo on the Trogs. Well I think they all do. They also need to heal some CON from the stirges.

 

[Bathnor]

Week 6 ..

I still think that gesalting the Trog cleric into a cleric/bard was really helpfull. The renforcements helped as well. So after licking their wounds the party decided to go check out some areas near the big gem that exploded.

They found 2 storage rooms the dwarf almost hit by some black mold in one of them. They also found a bathroom that was pretty stinky. They also found a locked door that they tried to break. They couldn't seem to do it and decided to leave it be.

They same to the foggy prison room. They didn't even go in, they just peeked in the door and went on their way. Maybe it's because I sent them to Ravenloft for a bit in my last campaign. My players seem to be afraid of foggy places for now!

They checked the door to the north and it was locked. The Dwarf managed to set of a glyth trap that was on the door. She was trying to break down the door, but didn't have any luck. They decied to continue exploring.

The two lizardfolk in the room had heard the trap go off and the "knock" at the door. They waited a bit and then checked it out. They saw the backs of the party as they were leaving the area. They decided to follow them at a distance to see why they were in the area. Kalhiss is a Rgr3/Rog3 and Slissth is a Dru3/Ftr3.

They party didn't notice that they were being followed. They continued on to the long hallway. Lots of open doors leading in every direction. There are dead bodies of kobolds and orcs and darkmantles everywhere.

They continued on to the east. They were met with Darkness and some darkmantles in the next room. The monk was grappled and the fight was on. This was another tough fight for the party. There's six darkmantles, but their bigger than the others they have fought. The two lizardfolk decided to help them out. The monk got knocked uncounsious a couple of times as was the dwarf. The cleric got hit a few times but was lucky with his grapple rolls.

When the fight was over they lizardfolk invited the party back to their home so they could rest and talk. They told the same story as the ogre that they had come in as part of the rat mans army, but then he disappeared and the orcs, trogs, and kobolds started fighting again. They figure they came into this place about 2 - 2 1/2 weeks before the party came in. They havn't found an exit but have kind of kept to themselves since the fiendish creatures started coming in.

They decide to join the party in hopes of finding an exit for this hell. The party camps for the night and we decide to end the session. The monk wants to take some grapple feat, he wants to use it against those damn darkmantles lol.

 

[Bathnor]

Week 7 ...

After a nights sleep they decided to go back to the long hallway and check out the doors. They fought the darkmantles in the room with the Dagger of Venom. The dwarf also set off both of the traps when she tried to get the dagger after the fight.

Then then went to the pedastle room that had nothing on it. A fireball traped hallway didn't bother the monk because of evasion. He was disappointed that the room beyone was empty.

They went back and fought some more darkmantles in a room that was feared. The monk decides that he definatly needs that grapple feat now.

They came to the orc section of hte dungeon. They managed to impress the orcs in the first room so they were sent in to the chieftan. They managed to kill him after trying to taunt him. The cleric/sorc cast a ray of enfeeblement on him which was a big help. The cheiftain was a Barb5/Fighter5. The remaining orcs hald a contest to see who would be the newest cheiftan. They made a truce with the orcs the party would leave them alone if the orcs left them alone.

The party decided to camp with the orcs and ogre. I let them level up to 3rd level. Human Monk3/fighter2 cleric of Azuth1; Dwarf Fighter3/Ranger3; Human Cleric of Mystra3/ sorcerer3. By this time the party is out or rations and has resorted to eating darkmantles. They tell me they taste like sushi.

 

[erucsbo]

Region N starting to move

The party survived the ambush by the Dread Wraiths with successful turning driving several of them away. As the party moved north trying to follow them I had them hear noises which they tracked to Vinarra's throneroom.
Wisely they decided not to attack but engaged in diplomacy instead.
Reveal of the existence of lever rooms and copper keys that Vinarra wants from Invistis and Kasteoficiss, in exchange for the way out of the tomb.

The party is now heading towards the south and while passing by the Central Vault many got knocked off their feet from a tremor to the north.
They are looking forward to not having Dread Wraiths to fight

 

[rvalle]

Wow, the thread is getting popular again.

Hey erucsbo, thanks again for that Map of N. Very nice. I'm using it for every game right now.

My group:

They FINALLY found Isvistis whom I've bumped up to Level 22 as we usually have 6 players in the party. I dumped the familiar though as I didn't feel like going though the work of leveling it up.

I also swapped out some of his spells for ones in the Spell Compendium.

The battle took place in the throne room with all the golems in it. Pretty much ran by the book except I had to make one change. I don't quite get how the book ways saying it should work but Isvistis is a projected image at the start of the fight. Per the rules he has to have line of effect to the image. The way the book makes it sound he's in another room at the time. I 'fixed' this by putting some eye holes at the south end of the room where the secret door is and place the lich there. If characters got close to the area I'd roll a spot check for them.

Not ones for talking the two fighters charged up to the throne to take out the lich quickly. They just as quickly learned he wasn't real. Mean while all the golems started moving around.

The party mage cut the room in two north and south cutting off the line of effect and thus killing the image. The party thinks that he is invisible so the cleric casts True Sight and starts looking around.

Many Walls of Force later they figure out he has to be in the south east corner. The ranger-rogue starts to move along the wall looking for... something. The battle had gone on for a long time by this point and they were getting frustrated and he had the best spot check in the party... so he sees a pair of glowing eyes in the wall and hears a muttered 'Oh oh...'.

The sorcerer used a limited wish to cast a stone shape to get though the door (much 'fun' was had with the sorcerer and bard being deaf from the Shout trap further down the hallway. Many spells were stopped by the 20% fail chance including this one the first time it was cast).

The lich had been casting aoe spells left and right doing damage but it was all quickly healed up by the party. Nothing worse was able to get though their saves or hit their AC.

The two fighters quickly flank the lich and get ready to pound him into little bone shards.

The party cleric pulls out her big gun and casts Mass Heal hitting all but 1 party member and the lich. The lich arcs his back as blue energy plays over him and screams... and then stops and says 'That tickled'. (I had to point out that he wasn't healed from the spell but wasn't harmed by it either. The party started to come up with some weird ideas about how he wasn't actually undead.)

Knowing he was in a bad spot he defensively casts Time Stop getting 2 rounds. He moves back to the intersection and then casts Prismatic Sphere.

One player hates the idea of bad guys getting away so he hops in figuring his good saves will keep him alive. He manages to make every save and stands before the lich unharmed!

He yells back that the lich is there so the Monk follows... and rolls a 4 for the save vs Petrification and turns into a statue.

The lich casts a Disintegrate and only misses the character before him because of the +4 AC he has from a Bard Song. The lich then walks out of the sphere to the East.

Not to be denied the character follows... and rolls a 1 on the save or die poison effect and slumps to the floor.

They party has no way to get though the Sphere and no one else wants to jump though (the monk was brought back by a Limited Wish Stone to Flesh).

Someone mentions they need a Rod of Cancellation... and I remind the one character that is left from the very beginning that they found such an item way back at the beginning that would work once a week (I think it was in Region A or maybe E). I wouldn't let it be on them but they could go back and get it.

I let the party auto pound the remaining golems into scrap metal as they could easily do it with minimal damage to themselves and all that damage would be healed up at the Garrison and so it would just be a pointless battle of them trying to pound 300 points of damage into each one.


Even though they left the poisoned character for dead I might do something fun like have Isvistis bring him back to question him. The party can return while this is happening and rescue him.

This battle took 2 gaming sessions.. about half of one and all of another (each one being about 4 hours long).

rv

 

[rvalle]

The party is now heading towards the south and while passing by the Central Vault many got knocked off their feet from a tremor to the north. They are looking forward to not having Dread Wraiths to fight

My group was quite sick of fighting Dread Wraiths after a while. The whole Spring Attack from the walls and back in again ticked them off.

It took many sessions and some levels and new spells before they developed tactics to fight them.

rv

 

[erucsbo]

Wow, the thread is getting popular again.

Hey erucsbo, thanks again for that Map of N. Very nice. I'm using it for every game right now.

glad to help

Many Walls of Force later they figure out he has to be in the south east corner.

Note that WoF must be unbroken. All it takes is something to get in the way (wire strung across the room, invisible blocks etc) to defeat it

Q: since the wall is invisible, does the caster actually know that it has failed due to not being able to be continuous and unbroken? Could be interesting if the characters think that the WoF is up and make decisions based on that.

Someone mentions they need a Rod of Cancellation... and I remind the one character that is left from the very beginning that they found such an item way back at the beginning that would work once a week (I think it was in Region A or maybe E). I wouldn't let it be on them but they could go back and get it.

Shadow king in Region E - my party has it but has never used it and doesn't know it only works 1/week.

 

[Bathnor]

Group Loot?

Greetings fellow WLD delvers. I still need to get caught up on my partys exploits through the WLD. I made a post about group loot on the Wizards boards and I thought I'd post it here and get your opinions.

I am currently running a 3.5E version of the Worlds Largest Dungeon set in the Forgotten Realms. I am running it as a gesalt campaign as I usually only have 3 players and a 4th who will show up sporadicaly.

This coming week will mark their 14th session down in the dungeon. The party has been in the dungeon a long time (sometimes they need to camp more than once a session).

Here's where my dilemma comes into play. My players (most of them) like having a "group loot pile". If no body wants an item or whatnot then it goes onto a seperate sheet of paper. They can then divy up the gold that they make so they can buy better gear. I don't have a problem with them having a group loot pile. I have a problem with how they implement it.

I don't think that it should go onto a seperate sheet of paper. I think each PC should have a section of their equipment list be for the group loot stuff that they are carrying. When they get to town they can sell the stuff and take the loot or donate it to the group, it would be the players choice.

This would help on lots of fronts. It would make my job easier as DM because I would know who was carrying what. It would also make it better for the players who don't want to donate to group loot (the thief in the party). It would also make it so that stuff doesn't get written down more than once. (someone takes something from the group sheet but it never gets erased).

Also because they are going to be in the dungeon for a very long time you have to figure in encumberance as well. You don't want one person carrying everything because it would eventualy slow them up. Also with one person carrying everything what if that person falls into a pit of lava or green slime? What if he gets turned into a Shadow? (I have had 2 PCs so far be turned into shadows). Opps .. there goes all the treasure you guys had been saving .. so sorry. I have told them that I want the group loot sheet broken up among themselves ... it doesn't mean they have to keep it or claim it for themselves. So far I have been ignored

!!

The main person for the seperate sheet style is a LN Monk4 /fighter2 cleric 2. He keeps the sheet with his character. So since he is the main one for it and he keeps it with his character then he is carrying all of the stuff. (101 lbs starts to encumber him so he can't carry much anyways with out losing monk abilities so he's already screwed that way) The other alignments in the party are 2 CN and 1 CG.

So tell me fellow DMs, what should I do? Have you had similar problems and how did you handle it? Take the sheet and divy everything myself? Kill the Monk so they lose all the treasure in the group loot pile? Maybe then they won't keep all of their eggs in one basket. I did tell them my wishes, so I won't feel bad if it happens. There are no bags of holding and stuff like that in the Dungeon .. the Wards keep extradimensional spaces from working. Perhaps an alignment chance for wanting to "keep" all of the treasure for himself (LE perhaps?). Perhaps not give out any more treasure until the sheet is divided up? Opinions? Thoughts?