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

[chrisheff]

Still trapped in the extra-dimensional mansion, the party waited hoping the trap
would reset itself and allow them to escape. Meanwhile Glanrak kept and eye on
the room from the hallway, hoping the trap would reset. Vaeth checked every few
minutes and after about twenty, he was able to see into the room again and not
just see solid rock; the trap had reset. [NOTE: they were definitely worried for a while there] The party then quickly made their way back to the original hallway, and decided to circumvent the trap room. They fought more undead and finally made their way back to the hall around the main burial chamber.

One of the morghs they fought actually bartered for its unlife when it knew it
was near death. The party was able to get some information from it before
killing it. They discovered that the morghs were underlings of one of the three
contesting factions in this region; lead by the priestess of death,
Kasteoficiss. The morgh would not say what the priestess was or what her plans
were. Her enemies were factions lead by the ghost Vinnara and her wraith
minions, and the lich Invistis and his golem minions.

Shaara began having visions of Incantus the Vengeful. He stated he would be
sending Shadow Demon to speak with them. Shadow Demon appeared as they rested
and told them Incantus wanted what was inside Mechanus. The demon said it could
be taken out without hurting Mechanus and that the party would then be shown the
way out of the undead region. The party asked for the night to think it over.
When Shadow Demon returned in the morning, the party had set a trap for it and
killed it.

They discovered the third hall leading towards the chamber; this one guarded by
a shield guardian that proved extremely difficult to defeat. The portal beyond
was still functional, meaning that at least three of the four portals to the
central chamber were still sealed. The party prepared to move on to check the
fourth.

End of session 22.

 

[chrisheff]

As they prepared to continue, little did the party know that in the next 24 hours, three of them would die and one would be magically imprisoned.

The party decided to leave the final door of the inner chamber, and instead try to find the ghost who was one of the three powerful undead controlling the area. They didn’t have to search long, as after making their way through a trap laden hall, they discovered her lair. Solara and Glanrak felt completely separated from their gods upon entering her domain.

The party entered and Vinnara the ghost greeted them and said she wished to speak with them. She told her tale and answered their questions, stating that she has been imprisoned here for 4,000 years and that she knows she cannot escape. All she wants is to rule the area without competition and that she wants the World Eater to remain imprisoned. She stated that Invistus, the lich only wanted power; whether or not that included releasing the World Eater, she did not know. The Mummy Lord Kasteoficiss however wished to release the World Eater. The priestess of death believed the Nightcrawler to be the avatar of her long lost god. Vinnara told the party that if they were to destroy the mummy, she had a pile of magic items she would give them as they were useless to her. She also promised them she would show them to a portal which would bring them out of the undead area very close to the exit from the dungeon. She also mentioned Kasteoficiss was in league with a cambion demon who had recently entered the undead area. The party assumed this was Incantus, the Vengeful, and it gave them more incentive to deal with the mummy.

They left Vinnara and started out to the mummy’s domain. They battled morghs, two of whom read scrolls, one with a spell that killed Shaara. She was raised by Solara. They also set off traps that become more and more deadly the closer they got to the mummy. One trap killed Zathras, but he was quickly revived by Solara. Another killed Solara, but luckily she and Vaeth had planned ahead and stored a raise dead spell in one of Vaeth’s contructs, allowing Solara to be raised.

Finally they entered the throne room of Kasteoficiss and there found Incantus and the Chronomancer. Zathras entered the room first and engaged the mummy’s alip servants. Incantus came forward and cast an imprisonment spell on the rogue, who was trapped inside an orb and disappeared into the floor. Mechanus rushed forward to confront the cambion who wanted the object within his chest. Before Incantus could cast another spell, Mechanus swung his intelligent sword, N’han Dae downwards, invoking the sword’s powerful retributive strike ability. The sword cut into the cambion and then exploded, taking the powerful demon sorcerer with it in an explosion of light and dark. A faint spirit of light could be seen rising from the explosion, leaving the sword which had held it’s spirit for so long. When normalcy returned, Incantus was gone, and Mechanus held naught but the burnt out hilt of N’han Dae.

With the powerful demon gone, the battle quickly turned to the party’s favour. The Chronomancer stopped time and made his escape, leaving Kasteoficcis alone to deal with the party. She cast a few spells but was thwarted by Mechanus’ immunities and then she was quickly cut down and destroyed.

The party brought word of her demise back to Vinnara who kept her promise and gave the party the magic items. She stated she would show them the portal if they wished, but they had just the one chance. She would not show them later.

The party had to decide what to do. They did not want to leave Zathras to his prison, but they were not powerful enough to cast the spell needed to free him. They considered striking a deal with the one being nearby who was powerful enough - Invistus the lich. They considered their options…

End of session 23.

 

[chrisheff]

Session 24:

Vinnara mentioned to the party that there were three lesser beings in the region that were trying to become more powerful; a ghost named the Forgotten One who was once her companion, a wight named the Black Empress, and a lich who calls himself Saint Azamond and was once Invistis’ apprentice. The party decided to search for these lesser beings while they decided what to do about Zathras.

They found The Black Empress’ original tomb, and upon searching it, discovered Zathras! Or so they thought. The person they found was not the Zathras they knew, but rather Zathras’ brother… also named Zathras. He became lost in the dungeon when he went looking for his brother. The church of Pelor sent him into the crypts where he met the Celestial Doj, who sent him in the direction of the party. Zathras joined the party hoping he could aid them in freeing his brother Zathras.

The party searched the area once controlled by the mummy Kasteoficiss, battling numerous of her remaining allip servants. Throughout the search, Vaeth seemed distracted and quiet.


Session 25:

The party was immediately set upon by the three lesser undead mentioned by Vinnara. The party had trouble at first, but soon dispatched the wight and ghost. The lich escaped however.

Looking for a place to rest, the party met a Lillend and her elf companion. Glanrak sensed the powerful evil emanating from the elf, but the Lillend was known to be a creature of good and she vouched for the elf. She told a tale of sections of the dungeon collapsing in on itself and disappearing. Vaeth mentioned that he had lost contact with The One Tree and that he feared it had disappeared from the dungeon. It seemed the dungeon was slowly collapsing. The party continued, thinking on the matter.

They found a room guarded by four powerful golems. After a long battle, the golems were destroyed and the party found two scrolls hidden within the walls; a scroll of destruction and a scroll of freedom. They had found the means to free Zathras!

The party returned to the mummy’s lair and used the scroll to free their companion. Zathras was very happy to see Zathras. The party decided that with the dungeon collapsing in on itself, it was time they tried to make their way to the exit and escape this foul place. They left the undead area behind and travelled through a bog-like area on the edge of an underground lake. A wall of astral blackness could be seen far in the distance. Though they could not actually see it moving, they sensed it was slowly engulfing all in its wake.

Following the cavern north, the caves turned icy. The party encountered frost giants, but dispatched them without too much difficulty. They found human slaves who said they were fishermen from Purmill, a village the party knew was in the Griff Mountains in the icy north of their world of Greyhawk!

The party freed the slaves and continued their journey, skirting a giant bear and its behir companion. Close to what they hoped was the exit, the party discovered a titan held prisoner in a magical block of ice. They began trying to free the titan.

End of session 25.

 

[Remus Lupin]

I've seen this thread on the boards for such a long time, it hadn't occurred to me: This thread is about 8 years old! I wonder if that's some kind of record.

 

[chrisheff]

As the party was still deciding on what to do next to free the titan, they were attacked from both ends of the tunnel. A large group of frost giant warriors was charging in from the north, while the giant polar bear and remorhaz was approaching from the south.

The battle was long, but the giants were ill prepared for the combination of Solara’s blade barrier, and Glanrak after he was made huge-sized by Vaeth.

The bear and remorhaz proved more difficult, but the party was able to deal with them eventually as well. When the bear was killed, it reverted to its human form; that of a large barbarian.

Unfortunately, three of the human slaves were killed during the battle, but the ice imprisoning the titan was also weakened, and the legendary giant was freed. He stated that he was the original guard of the exit to the dungeon, but that the exit had merged with mountains and been cut off from the dungeon whenever it would leave this world. Frost giants from this world invaded and imprisoned him here centuries ago. When the titan learned that this world was home to the slaves and some of the party, he told them to go with a glad heart. Now that the dungeon had collapsed in on itself and finally winked out of existence, he was free to return to his home.

The party escorted the slaves down the final tunnel into the wintery day. They were home! They brought the slaves safely to their village and then Solara used her magic to bring the party back to the church of Pelor in Lankhmar. They had escaped Aquelestria, the World’s Largest Dungeon…

Epilogue:

Shaara returned to her village, and was treated no differently, regardless of her new skills and powers. That is until the village was attacked by a couple of ogres a few years later and Shaara defeated them single-handedly. After that she was hailed as a hero and she lived under their adoration for the rest of her life.

Vaeth had a new world to explore, spending some time with Solara, some with Mechanus and much on his own. He gathered more power until he was ready to travel the planes in search of The Tree.

Solara eventually made her way back to Greyhawk City to the main Cathedral of Pelor after writing detailed descriptions of her travels for the church of Pelor in Lankhmar. She made a copy of the report for the heads of the Pelor religion. She championed the church to return more to its roots in the protection of the innocent and the destruction of undead/hellish/fiendish creatures and eventually became a High Priestess of Pelor, and the third most powerful person in the entire religion.

With the aid of Vaeth, Mechanus was able to identify the item inside himself that Incantus was after: an artifact called the Jacinth of Inestimable Beauty. While this powerful artifact had the power to do good, it was corrupting to most, and very dangerous if in evil hands. Vaeth's insatiable curiosity was piqued when the item was identified, enough to worry Mechanus. So Mechanus did what he felt was best, and willed his own energies to consume the artifact within him. Now no one could be corrupted by its beauty and power. Mechanus still adjusts to the world of Greyhawk, as are the citizens still adjusting to him. He still stays in touch with his old party, but mostly travels and explores on his own.

Glanrak travelled back to his home with the hammer, Ramnak, and the stories of adventure. Looking back on his quest, he was more convinced then ever of his purpose in service to Moradin and his people. He spends his days searching for other lost dwarven artifacts and relics, bolstering the strength of his people.

It didn’t take long for Zathras the swashbuckler to get a ship of his own. To the chagrin of some of his old companions, he raids along the Wild Coast, though mostly plundering orc vessels and pirates. His ship, the Serratine, is romanticized in story and song.

Elsewhere…

The beautiful Devil smiled as she watched the form approach, its head bowed in shame or supplication or embarrassment or perhaps all three. She leaned back in her obsidian throne and waited. The figure went to one knee before her. It lifted its head slowly, its one horn, once a vibrant blood-red, was now blackened and cracked. His face was also badly scarred, but was showing signs of healing.

“Well?” she asked after making him suffer a while longer.

“I failed,” came the reply.

“So I gathered,” she answered, trying to sound angry, when in fact she was close to tears of laughter. “Such a simple task,” she went on. “So very simple. Yet you manage to get yourself captured by Celestials, and imprisoned by them for two centuries. Finally when you escape, you allow yourself to be defeated by a group of mortals! All because of a piece of colored rock!”

“Forgive me, I…” he began.

“Silence!” the chamber rocked with her voice, and her minions trembled and hid. “The gem is destroyed…”

At this, the figure looked fearful. She leaned in close to him.

“As it should have been long ago. Think of what it has cost you!” She let that sink in before continuing. “When you are fully healed, you will return to the Realm, ruling as you still should have been. Go now.”

The figure stood and slowly walked away from Glasya, the Princess of the Nine Hells.

“And Venger…”

Incantus stopped in his tracks, a stinging look on his face at the mention of his True Name.

“Don’t fail me again,“ she finished.

Incantus turned to her and bowed. “Yes, mother,” he said, and left the throne room.

 

[chrisheff]

So ends my WLD campaign, which lasted I believe just over a year. It was extremely fun, but if I had to do it again, I would allow Core-only rules. I also should have stuck with the rules as written as far as conjuration magic went, and not allowed it, as that magic eventually became very powerful for the party. I started by allowing a few optional rules here and there but they soon got a little out of control, especially with players who really know how to min/max. The party was definitely too powerful for the dungeon as written, but there were still some party deaths and still some tough binds.

So we all had a great time. Now Ray (Vaeth) will be running a Darksun campaign which I will be playing in and we're going to playtest 5th edition D&D starting on Friday.

Thanks for following along!

 

[erucsbo]

So ends my WLD campaign, which lasted I believe just over a year. ...
Thanks for following along!

thanks for posting.
Mine last much longer than a year and I think that was what helped things turn sour. The shorter time you took worked in your favour.

All the best with the next campaign - may you roll 20s when you need them and 1s when it doesn't matter.

 

[ckelble]

I just started reading this forum feed and i have a LOT of pages still to go through. I am going to run the WLD in Pathfinder for my group shortly but I am hearing a lot of good ideas from other DM's I plan on including into my own game. I don't suppose anyone here still has the writer's notes from the beginning of the forum? Also, while reading the through the first couple sections of the book are DM's setting a course for their players of allowing them to progress thru as originally intended? I am just curious what has and hasn't worked for other groups.

 

[chrisheff]

I just started reading this forum feed and i have a LOT of pages still to go through. I am going to run the WLD in Pathfinder for my group shortly but I am hearing a lot of good ideas from other DM's I plan on including into my own game. I don't suppose anyone here still has the writer's notes from the beginning of the forum? Also, while reading the through the first couple sections of the book are DM's setting a course for their players of allowing them to progress thru as originally intended? I am just curious what has and hasn't worked for other groups.

As you'll see when you get to my posts, I had two major "problems" when I ran my campaign and I would do these differently if I were to run the WLD again:

1) I would allow Core rules only. I allowed a bunch of stuff outside of the Core rules and without realizing it, my PCs got very powerful... too powerful for the dungeon really. I don't know Pathfinder, but if it's on par with the Core rules (PHB only for PCs) then you should be alright.

2) The second one is cutting back on XP a little. I don't know if I'd do what the book says to do, but maybe even just cut back 10-20% of the xp earned every session. Otherwise the party will probably level too quickly.

Other than that, the book plays pretty well as written, though there may be some areas you want to tweak or add a personal touch too, and some of the posts here will give you some good ideas.

 

[ckelble]

As you'll see when you get to my posts, I had two major "problems" when I ran my campaign and I would do these differently if I were to run the WLD again:

1) I would allow Core rules only. I allowed a bunch of stuff outside of the Core rules and without realizing it, my PCs got very powerful... too powerful for the dungeon really. I don't know Pathfinder, but if it's on par with the Core rules (PHB only for PCs) then you should be alright.

2) The second one is cutting back on XP a little. I don't know if I'd do what the book says to do, but maybe even just cut back 10-20% of the xp earned every session. Otherwise the party will probably level too quickly.

Other than that, the book plays pretty well as written, though there may be some areas you want to tweak or add a personal touch too, and some of the posts here will give you some good ideas.

Pathfinder is D&D 3.75.

I am mainly sticking to the PHB with limited outside options.

I have decided not to deliver experience the normal way since I am aware of people character's leveling quickly. Not only that, I have noticed that when I don't deliver XP in the normal way, the players are less by the numbers and more bout the role-play.