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

[alex_jurkat]

Map E questions

Hey all,

As jim mentioned on the other thread, I worked through Map E recently and came up with some questions. Some jim answered and some he was unable to. I've posted both so everyone can benefit from jim's responses. For the missing ones, if Lee would please respond, it would be greatly appreciated.

The first thing I noticed was the serious ELs of the place. The front macro-map key sets this area as levels 4-6, but the encounters are mostly in the 7-9 level, particularly in the early going. Leaving out the traps, which are primarily triggered by evil types (none of those in my group), here's the rundown:

EL 2: E2
EL 4: E88, E89, E91
EL 5: E60, E90
EL 6: E17, E50, E98
EL 7: E7, E12, E22, E33, E45, E47, E48, E57, E58, E92, E93, E95, E97,
E99
EL 8: E21, E49
EL 9: E7, E100
EL 10: E87

jim response: it was intentionally set up this way to provide a solid challange for 4-6 level characters.

Q: Are all the glyph traps in this region only activated by evil? Most specifically say that, but others (such as the one in the random encounter chart on page 236) don't. That makes me think that I need to pay careful attention to whether a trap is only for evil folks, but it could just be a typo.

jim response: some are trigger by everything so you do have to pay attention to the conditional text for each trap.

Q: There are two rooms marked E5 on the map. Which one is the real one? Should the other one have a different marking?

jim response: the ghost can be found in that entire area, but the one on the left is the room described in the read aloud text.

Q: Will the ghost accompany the characters on their adventure or is
it tied to this room?

jim response: He can leave. He's not the kind of ghost that's tied to a room, but rather the kind that is tied to a cause. He won't chase the PCs beyond E5, because he won't let himself get lured into a trap

Q: Also, the entry states that the ghost does not chase the characters beyond E5, "but pursues them unrelentingly until then." Since E5 is only one room, I'm not sure what the latter phrase means. Unless E5 is all the rooms between the two E5s, and that's the area the ghost will travel into.

jim response: Correct.

Q: E8 on the map contains doors. But the description makes it sound like it's only accessible via the all-door (cool concept by the way). Is the map marked wrong?

jim response: Correct; those doors should not be there.

Q: There are two trap entries in the text of E10. Both are the same. What's going on here?

jim response: One is for the door, one is for the staff, both are against evil.

Q: In E11, the text discusses doors on the east and west sides of the room. The map shows no doors in room E11.

jim response: post this question to the spoiler thread for lee hammock to address (looks like a mistake)

Q: E13 seems very far from E12. Shouldn't Phinadar's quarters be closer to his workshop? Is the map mislabeled here?

jim response: E13 has a built in forge. Feel free to move E12 if you like, but he probably chose it for its size again . . . ask lee hammock on the spoiler thread.

Q: On E19, there's a false door in the corridor to the south-east of this room. It looks much like the designation in E18 for the all-door. Does that false door mean something?

jim response: It means the writer didn't do anything with it when I designed the map. Feel free to use it as you like.

Q: No E44 is marked on the map. Where should it be?

jim response: Just north of E35.

Q: E46 room description is of closet accessible only by all-door. On map, a hallway is designated E46.

jim response: Ask online.

Q: In the tactics section of E57, the text talks about Menerr "running around the long way through E57". Since this is room E57, I assume that means Menerr runs through E58 to get to the members of the pack in E60 etc. But E58 is heavily trapped so I can't image Menerr would pick that route for seeking help.

jim response: He knows how to bypass the traps, which means PCs that chase him are in for a surprise.

Q: E63 room description suggests it's only accessible by all-door. On map, there's a corridor and door into this room.

jim response: Ask online.

Q: Farggalaan's lab and quarters (E86, E87) are a fair distance from each other but they are along the same hallway. His disposal room (E88) is through a secret door and across a large room, seemingly part of the huge insect grouping. Is E88 mislabeled?

jim response: Ask online.

Q: E92 text describes it as a sparring room. Map designation is on a complex corridor area.

jim response: Ask online.

Q: E99 text states that baying draws Leirkos from E100. According to the map, E100 is a long, long way from E99, through numerous winding corridors. Indeed, E100 is very close to E101-103, home chambers of the celestials. It would seem that the celestials and the head of the shadow mastiffs would run into each other just exiting their front doors. Should E100 be located closer to the E93-E99 area?

jim response: Ask online.

Thanks for the help and congrats to all on getting this puppy produced. Looking forward to many long sessions running it.

Alex Jurkat
Eden Studios
www.edenstudios.net

 

[jim pinto]

I don't know what I'm going to do. I've had the Region E map and the WLD book out becouse I've been working on it for my game this weekend. I looked around for the map everywhere today and couldn't find it. Eventually I did find it in the backyard when I was doing the daily dog doo duty, torn to bits by my daughter's dog Kaos (he is aptly named). I have no idea how it got outside in the first place, nothing like this has ever happened before. I'm really upset and don't have any idea how I'm ever going to run this region without simply making a hand drawing of a new map.

Anyone know of any way I can purchase a region map seperatly?

i know you're lying and just want a free jpg of the map

where do i send it?



seriously... i made jpg for you... where do you want it?

 

[Lee Hammock]

Hey all,

As jim mentioned on the other thread, I worked through Map E recently and came up with some questions. Some jim answered and some he was unable to. I've posted both so everyone can benefit from jim's responses. For the missing ones, if Lee would please respond, it would be greatly appreciated.

No problem, glad to help! I am answering using my files and such since I do not have my copy, so hopefully everything will jive.

The first thing I noticed was the serious ELs of the place. The front macro-map key sets this area as levels 4-6, but the encounters are mostly in the 7-9 level, particularly in the early going. Leaving out the traps, which are primarily triggered by evil types (none of those in my group), here's the rundown:

EL 2: E2
EL 4: E88, E89, E91
EL 5: E60, E90
EL 6: E17, E50, E98
EL 7: E7, E12, E22, E33, E45, E47, E48, E57, E58, E92, E93, E95, E97,
E99
EL 8: E21, E49
EL 9: E7, E100
EL 10: E87

jim response: it was intentionally set up this way to provide a solid challange for 4-6 level characters.

What Jim said. It is skewed a bit higher than normal, but I think the spacing of the combat encounters with other helpful encoutners (the celestial garrison, even Fargalan the goblin necromancer could be friendly) and the "anti-evil" nature of many of the traps ameliorates this somewhat. The PCs have several places to go for aid once they make contact and they have numerous rooms they can retreat too if need be.

Q: Are all the glyph traps in this region only activated by evil? Most specifically say that, but others (such as the one in the random encounter chart on page 236) don't. That makes me think that I need to pay careful attention to whether a trap is only for evil folks, but it could just be a typo.

jim response: some are trigger by everything so you do have to pay attention to the conditional text for each trap.

Lots are evil only, but not all. The celestials who built the place were mainly worried about evil creatures stomping around the garrison, but a neutral creature in a bad mood can still cause a lot of damage in the right place

Q: There are two rooms marked E5 on the map. Which one is the real one? Should the other one have a different marking?

jim response: the ghost can be found in that entire area, but the one on the left is the room described in the read aloud text.

Uhhh, yeah. This project has taught me I am sooooooo not a cartographer. My carto-fu is weak indeed.

Q: Will the ghost accompany the characters on their adventure or is
it tied to this room?

jim response: He can leave. He's not the kind of ghost that's tied to a room, but rather the kind that is tied to a cause. He won't chase the PCs beyond E5, because he won't let himself get lured into a trap

Q: Also, the entry states that the ghost does not chase the characters beyond E5, "but pursues them unrelentingly until then." Since E5 is only one room, I'm not sure what the latter phrase means. Unless E5 is all the rooms between the two E5s, and that's the area the ghost will travel into.

jim response: Correct.

Actually, not quite correct, but hey, it works just as well.

The original intention was that the ghost would appear in E5 and can go from E5 to the dead end at E4. He's stuck in those rooms as that's the general area he died in (thus presenting an area the PCs could retreat too if they befriend him). Sorry for confusing that up. The to E5 it seems will haunt me until the end of my days.

If the party needs some extra oomph, having him accompany them is definitely a good idea and introduces a really interesting NPC for the party to have around with them. Not many D&D PCs get to hang out with their resident friendly ghost.

Q: E8 on the map contains doors. But the description makes it sound like it's only accessible via the all-door (cool concept by the way). Is the map marked wrong?

jim response: Correct; those doors should not be there.

Yeah, no doors there.

Q: There are two trap entries in the text of E10. Both are the same. What's going on here?

jim response: One is for the door, one is for the staff, both are against evil.

Yep.

Q: In E11, the text discusses doors on the east and west sides of the room. The map shows no doors in room E11.

jim response: post this question to the spoiler thread for lee hammock to address (looks like a mistake)

E11 should be the cross shaped room to the northeast of E10. Two secret doors on either side should be marked on the map. Again, my carto-fu weak and no copy to double check.

Q: E13 seems very far from E12. Shouldn't Phinadar's quarters be closer to his workshop? Is the map mislabeled here?

jim response: E13 has a built in forge. Feel free to move E12 if you like, but he probably chose it for its size again . . . ask lee hammock on the spoiler thread.

Originally I had several rooms between E12 and E13 which got cut for space, so moving them closer together is an easy solution. Alternately here are the unedited, unstatted rooms that were inbetween originally.

E29. Phinadar’s Storeroom
This room appears to have been ransacked at some point in the past, but someone later made a concerted effort to tidy it up. Several shelves have been crudely mended into a rickety tower of poorly nailed together wood, giving the impression that its structure will fail at any minute. These shelves are filled with a large numbered of labeled bags, bottles and boxes, most of which seem to hold a wide variety of mundane goods. A single torch in the north end of the ceiling lights this room.

Initial Attitude: Hostile

Encounter: This room serves as Phinadar’s personal store room for his non-magical supplies, such as extra clothes, shoes, or whatever else he has been able to scrounge up in the dungeon. Few items in this room are in good repair, but most are serviceable, at least in the short term. A single shadow hides amongst the goods at the south end of the room charged with keeping anyone other than Phinadar from taking goods from this room.

One shadow hides in this room and will attack anyone that enters that is not Phinadar, but if the party accompanies Phinadar he can convince the shadow that they are okay.

Tactics: The shadow will try to hide amongst the shelving, gaining cover, while striking out at the PCs. Spotting the shadow before it attacks requires a Spot check, DC 22. It will not flee and will fight until destroyed.

Treasure: This room contains at least 1 of every item listed in core rulebook I under adventuring gear, special substances and items, tools and skill kits, simple weapons, light armor, and clothing except there are no spyglasses or alchemist’s labs. More than one of each item may be present at the DM’s discretion. Most of these items have suffered a few hit points worth of damage and none are in prime condition.

EL: 4

Scaling: NA

Mooks: One shadow (18 hp)

E32. Phinadar’s Alchemical Workshop
This room has been scared black by numerous fires and most of the ramshackle furniture has burn marks on it. There are several large stone tables spread around the room, each of which has a few blast marks and cracks from abuse. About the room there are many glass containers and complex contraptions made of steel and glass piping, through which flow a wide variety of colorful and clear liquids. A startling, and at times revolting, flurry of smells fills this room. There is a door on the north, south, and eastern walls. The door on the eastern wall is closed has the word “TRAITOR” scrawled across it in crude common capital letters. Two torches attached to the ceiling provide illumination.

Initial Attitude: NA

Encounter: Phinadar uses this room for alchemical research, but he hasn’t been doing much since he decided that alchemy was not going to help him against the celestial wards or against his shadow masters. He occasionally experiments when he gets bored, but more often uses his lab for brewing alcohol than anything else.

Tactics: NA

Treasure: All the tools in this room comprise a fully functional alchemy lab. A Search check (DC 10) finds 2 thunderstones, 2 tanglefoot bags, 10 sunrods, 3 tindertwigs, 1 smokestick, 3 flasks of acid, and 4 flasks of alchemist’s fire.

EL: NA

Scaling: NA

E33. Fargalan’s Old Workshop
Across the door to this room “TRAITOR” has been carved in large letters in common. The room beyond appears to have seen little use recently. Dust has settled on nearly ever surface, but it also has been the site of great violence. Most of the furniture in this room has been overturned or broken and amongst the wreckage there seems to be little of value. There is a door in the eastern, western, northern, and southern walls.

Initial Attitude: NA

Encounter: This room was Fargalan’s workshop before he fled. When Fargalan escaped Seraxes had Phinadar remove everything of value and destroy the remaining furniture. Nothing of value remains.

Through the north door a passage lies that ends in a secret door. The secret door is hidden on both sides, requiring a Search check (DC 30) to find. The door slides up into the ceiling after a small cable hidden in a spider web in a corner next to the wall is pulled. There is a similar trigger on the other side as well.

Tactics: NA

Treasure: NA

EL: NA

Scaling: NA

E34. Fargalan’s Old Quarters
In crude capital letters “TRAITOR” has been carved in this door. The door itself has been crudely barred shut.

Breaking the bar requires a Strength check (DC 15). Once the PCs break the bar read the following.

This room seems to have once been someone’s living quarters, but now all that remains is a scattered and broken selection of furniture. All the debris has been left about the room without concern and the untouched dust makes it evident no one has been here for some time. It is illuminated by a single torch mounted in the ceiling.

Initial Attitude: NA

Encounter: This room was once Fargalan’s living quarters and he took most everything of value when he fled. Everything else was taken by Phinadar, who then destroyed all the furniture and barred the door at Seraxes direction.

Tactics: NA

Treasure: NA

EL: NA

Scaling: NA

Q: On E19, there's a false door in the corridor to the south-east of this room. It looks much like the designation in E18 for the all-door. Does that false door mean something?

jim response: It means the writer didn't do anything with it when I designed the map. Feel free to use it as you like.

Ran out of All-Door stuff, so it should just be a collapsed room or some such. Or if anyone else has All-Door ideas...

Q: No E44 is marked on the map. Where should it be?

jim response: Just north of E35.

Yep.

Q: E46 room description is of closet accessible only by all-door. On map, a hallway is designated E46.

jim response: Ask online.

Granted, this is from my map not the final. It is a hallway shaped room, but there are no doors into the room. I since it is the hidden robe room I pictured it being sort of like a long walk-in closet filled with robes.

Q: In the tactics section of E57, the text talks about Menerr "running around the long way through E57". Since this is room E57, I assume that means Menerr runs through E58 to get to the members of the pack in E60 etc. But E58 is heavily trapped so I can't image Menerr would pick that route for seeking help.

jim response: He knows how to bypass the traps, which means PCs that chase him are in for a surprise.

Yep.

Q: E63 room description suggests it's only accessible by all-door. On map, there's a corridor and door into this room.

jim response: Ask online.

There are two E62s listed. The one to the right of the big central garden room is the one accessed by the All-Door.

Q: Farggalaan's lab and quarters (E86, E87) are a fair distance from each other but they are along the same hallway. His disposal room (E88) is through a secret door and across a large room, seemingly part of the huge insect grouping. Is E88 mislabeled?

jim response: Ask online.

I figured Fargalan wouldn't want his waste close to his home for fear of a) alchemical acicdents and b) attracting bugs, but moving to the small room directly above E6 would work as well. Or maybe he started dumping his stuff in the Lost Garden, getting all the plants in there pissed at him.

Q: E92 text describes it as a sparring room. Map designation is on a complex corridor area.

jim response: Ask online.

Originally I was thinking a sparring room wiht lots of little wings, one for each discipline (one little hallway with fighting mats for wrestling, one with wooden swords, etc.) but with all the doors I realize that really doesn't mesh. So as an alternative I'd say the square room north of E89 would work just as well.

Q: E99 text states that baying draws Leirkos from E100. According to the map, E100 is a long, long way from E99, through numerous winding corridors. Indeed, E100 is very close to E101-103, home chambers of the celestials. It would seem that the celestials and the head of the shadow mastiffs would run into each other just exiting their front doors. Should E100 be located closer to the E93-E99 area?

Err, yeah. That's a bit more complicated. E100 should be closer to E99. In my original design I had all of E93-E100 in the eight small square rooms in that region, but removed one of them and left it blank for a reason I cannot now remember. Basically putting E100 anywhere closer to E99 would work, or if you don't like any of the options, switching E93-E100 around to fit in those rooms as well works.

Gah, this is me flabbergasted at my lack of map-fu.

 

[twofalls]

Prsion Encounter Area A66/A68

Lee sent me his test copy, and that will do Jim. If you want to send the jpg my address is jamesbeadle@sanguinesentinels.com. I appreciate both of you for your help. I've put a lot of work into getting section E up and going and finding that torn up map was wrenching.

For those of you who enjoy content, I've worked up A with one of Jim's alternate themes. Here is a sample of one of two of the encounters I've created.

A66) PRISON – HOUND ARCHON LUMIERE - Lumiere was in charge of maintaining the cells that held the minor fiends in areas 60 – 65 and watching over them. Over two centuries ago when the first earthquake wracked the Dungeon the cells were weakened and Lumiere was trapped by a warding that went awry. Over time the fiends escaped their bonds and fled their prison gleefully tormenting the Archon as they left. Watching as he failed his sacred duty one fiend at a time nearly broke Lumiere’s sanity.
The ward that holds him is divinely wrought and cannot be dispelled or even affected by magic at the disposal of low level PC’s (the negation wand from Region E would dispel it). It prevents him from taking any magical or physcial action beyond its 5' radius. Lumiere’s mind has cracked a bit further due to the length of his confinement, he feels the gods of light have abandoned him because his charges escaped on his watch. The fact that it was the entrapment of the darmaged Ward that caused him to fail his duty has been lost in the twisted pathways of his mind and he wont acknowledge it even if the PC’s point this out to him. Recently his righteous rage has been further fueled by the Imp Achsyyx who has been coming here to torment him. Archsyyx has told him stories of how his ArchDevil master is going to flood the world with the armies of Hell.
Unless they give him cause not to, Lumiere will believe the PC’s are pure of heart and spirit because he is so desperate for aid he is willing to convince himself of nearly anything. He will tell the PC’s that this section used to be a testing area and holding pen for the lesser Fiends of the in the prison. Here also were the forges of the garrison where armaments, magical items, and all manner of items necessary for the maintenance of the Dungeon were manufactured. He’s been told that Longtail has been slain by a Kyton by Achsyyx but doesn’t trust the information. He can further tell the PC’s about the plans the ArchDevil has for the world of Muerta, and this he believes as truth due to his mania, finding no inconsistency in believing only parts of the Imp’s story. He does know correctly that the humanoids that have infested the area recently are being hunted by fiends that had once been imprisoned here in Region A. He believes that the gods have ordained that it is his duty to thwart the Imp and its master’s plan to invade the world and tells the PC’s that they must find a means to free him so he can do their will. He tells them to contact Lord High Commander Saerius Lorsenahll in the Garrison north of here and tell him of this divine mission. He is certain that the Lord Commander will either come himself or give the PC’s the means to free him from the warding. The Hound Archon has no sense of time, his mind being unable to cope with the centuries that he has been trapped here.

He knows little else about the Dungeon other than its history, why it was built, that it’s many thousands of years old, and that the fiends have broken free and are running rampant but shouldn’t be able to leave the prison itself. He is reluctant to waste time on such matters and thus doesn’t mention the orc who has recently passed this way fleeing to room A68 north of here. He puts what pressure he can on getting the PC’s to leave immediately to find the Lord High Commander.

Hound Archon – pg. 29 MM 3.0

A68) GUARD POST – The orc that fled to this room had been assaulted by Lemure Devils and barely escaped with his life. Bleeding to death he fled into the prison blindly not knowing where he was going, barely able to see through the ruin of his face. He came across Lumiere in A67 and was further terrified by the trapped Archon, so he fled up the hall and into the open doorway there. Closing the heavy door against the horrors behind him he crawled to the center of the room where his strength gave out. That is where he was found by the spirit of an Osyluth named Ga’brutru several hours ago. The Devil is currently attempting to finish possessing the body of the dying Orc before its life force expires.

Though severely weakened the orc contains a fierce spirit that refuses to give up and for the past several hours it has been fighting a loosing battle with Ga’brutru for control of its own fading body. The Orc has become emaciated and is growing a dull grey white carapace over its thin limbs. Its head is becoming skull like and its eyes have sunk into their sockets and are now glowing with a faint evil red light. The Devil currently controls nothing more than the Orcs head, and can speak through its mouth. It sits upright in a lotus position in the center of the room, a trail of its own blood leading to its location. Ga’brutru has access to only a few of its fiendish abilities which are Charm Person, Animate Dead, and Fear (all at a weakened DC 10). It will attempt to deal with the PC’s to prevent them from slaying its form before it has completed taking control of its host and finished its transformation. It will offer long life, power, magic, gold, whatever the PC’s seem to desire to keep them from attacking it, and if that fails it will attempt to charm anyone who tries to harm it.

 

[alex_jurkat]

Originally I had several rooms between E12 and E13 which got cut for space, so moving them closer together is an easy solution. Alternately here are the unedited, unstatted rooms that were inbetween originally.

Those are great. I'm calling them E12A through E12D. Post more, post more!

Granted, this is from my map not the final. It is a hallway shaped room, but there are no doors into the room. I since it is the hidden robe room I pictured it being sort of like a long walk-in closet filled with robes.

There are no hallways with no doors as far as I can see. I'm going to close off the door in the room to the left of E48 and call that E46.

I figured Fargalan wouldn't want his waste close to his home for fear of a) alchemical acicdents and b) attracting bugs, but moving to the small room directly above E6 would work as well. Or maybe he started dumping his stuff in the Lost Garden, getting all the plants in there pissed at him.

Sounds good. I'm going to designate the small room above E6 as E88 (still means he needs to know about the secret door tho).

Originally I was thinking a sparring room wiht lots of little wings, one for each discipline (one little hallway with fighting mats for wrestling, one with wooden swords, etc.) but with all the doors I realize that really doesn't mesh. So as an alternative I'd say the square room north of E89 would work just as well.

I'm going with the recently vacated E88 as the new E92. Looks like an exercise hall to me.

Err, yeah. That's a bit more complicated. E100 should be closer to E99. In my original design I had all of E93-E100 in the eight small square rooms in that region, but removed one of them and left it blank for a reason I cannot now remember. Basically putting E100 anywhere closer to E99 would work, or if you don't like any of the options, switching E93-E100 around to fit in those rooms as well works.

I'm going to designate the small room above what was previously E92. Far enough from the rabble for a little privacy but still near enough.

Thanks for all your help,
Alex Jurkat
Eden Studios
www.edenstudios.net

 

[DaveMage]

jim & Lee: Thanks for all of the input! This will be a great thread to reference in the future.

 

[Lee Hammock]

Those are great. I'm calling them E12A through E12D. Post more, post more!

Ask ,and you shall receive.

This first group is should be scattered around the central territory of the shadows.

E16. Seraxes’s Snack Vault
The smell that strikes you as soon as you open the door of this small, pitch black room is that of a charnel house. The room is filled almost to knee depth with the bodies of a wide variety of creatures, from rats to humanoids. Some have clearly been dead for years, while others seem to have only been here a few months. The entire room reeks of death and decay.

Initial Attitude: NA

Encounter: This is the room where Seraxes stores his meals before and after eating them. The poor souls who suffered such torment eventually ended up the victims of Seraxes or his minions and the remains are carried in here by Phinadar, who searches the bodies beforehand. Nothing of value remains in the room, but PCs who enter the room must make a Fortitude save, DC 12, or become nauseas for 10 minutes.

Tactics: NA

Treasure: NA

EL: NA

Scaling: NA

E17. Ruined Artificer's Library
This darkened room is covered wall to wall and floor to ceiling with collapsed shelves and books, few of which remain in food condition. At some point in the past this room was damaged by both fire and violence and there are several piles of ashes were books were burned in mass. Now the books lay unused and untouched.

Also there are two shadows hiding in this room that attack anyone who enters.

Initial Attitude: Hostile

Encounter: This room served as one of the many libraries that made up the garrison. Its books specifically covered facets of magic item creation and information on the spells used to create the wards of the dungeon. If a character spends six hours researching using the books in this room the character receives a +4 competence bonus to a single Bardic Lore, Spellcraft, or Knowledge check involving magic items, but the character must be able to read celestial to use the books.

The two shadows are supposed to guard this room from interlopers and attack anyone who enters other than Phinadar.

Tactics: The shadows hide amongst the books and shelving, attacking when the PCs investigate the books. Detecting the shadows before they strike requires a Spot check (DC 22).

Treasure: Several of the surviving books would be valuable to collectors in the outside world. There are five such books, each of which can be sold for 500 gp, but each book weighs 20 pounds.

EL: 5

Scaling: To increase the difficulty of this encounter, add 1 shadow.

Mooks: 2 shadows (18 hp x2)

E18. Ruined Library of the Planes
This room is partially illuminated by a single torch in the north end of the ceiling, but several large bookshelves have been pushed to block much of the light, casting the room in a shadowy twilight. The rest of the room is dominated by badly balanced piles of books. Most of the books have escaped serious damage, but the ones of the floor have suffered water damage from a small pool of water that has formed from a drip in the ceiling.

Initial Attitude: Hostile

Encounter: This room was a library that stored information specifically about the outer planes and it survived the worst of the damages due to the fact both Ezrael and Fargalan tried to keep the books intact. Both hoped to learn of the history of the various prisoners of the dungeon to see if any of them may be worth freeing. If a character spends six hours researching using the books in this room receives a +4 competence bonus to a single Bardic Lore or Knowledge check involving the outer planes, but the character must be able to read celestial to use the books.

There are two shadows stationed here by Seraxes to defend the books.

Tactics: The shadows attack separate targets as soon as they enter the room, but the shadows avoid the northern end of the room, disliking the light.

Treasure: Several of the surviving books would be valuable to collectors in the outside world. There are five such books, each of which can be sold for 500 gp, but each book weighs 20 pounds.

EL: 5

Scaling: To increase the difficulty of this encounter, add 1 shadow.

Mooks: two shadows (20, 19 hp)

E20. Ruined Magical Workshop
This room as been thoroughly ransacked several times at least. None of its many shelves and tables stand up right and a bewildering array of torn papers, strange powders, and metal fragments are splayed across the floor. There are numerous tools, such as tongs, hammers, and cauldrons, present amongst the wreckage, giving the room the appearance of having been a workshop of some type in the past. There is no light source in this room.

Initial Attitude: NA

Encounter: Any character passing a Spellcraft or Knowledge (Arcana) check (DC 15) can recognize this room has formerly having been a magical workshop. The door on the western wall has written in large letters across it “Danger” in both common and celestial.

Tactics: NA

Treasure: A Search check (DC 20) will find the following in the room: a 100 gp pearl, 5 silver bars worth 5 gp each, 100 gp of gold dust, 2 scrolls of detect magic, and a masterwork warhammer.

EL: NA

Scaling: NA

E21. Magic Supply Room
This unlit room seems to have been ground zero for a large explosion at some point in the past. All the shelving that once probably dominated the room has been blown to splinters and hundreds of broken glass vials litter the floor. This seems to have been a store room of some sort, but its contents were destroyed long ago.

Initial Attitude: NA

Encounter: This room served as a storage room for the magic workshop in E20. Unfortunately at one point during the battle following the second earthquake several rampaging monsters knocked over the wrong combination of containers and created a large explosion, destroying most of the contents of this room. The materials that remain on the floor are still dangerously volatile. Any PC who enters this room must make a Balance check (DC 10) each round or step in one of the volatile compounds, which inflicts 2d6 points of fire or acid damage at the DM discretion, Reflex save DC 12 for half damage.

Tactics: NA

Treasure: With a Search check (DC 20) the following can be found in this room: 100 gp of powdered jade and an exquisitely carved jar depicting a sleeping dragon worth 100 gp.

EL: NA

Scaling: NA

E22. Supply Room
The room appears half wreckage, half order, all covered in darkness. Obviously a store room of some type, half of its shelves have been pulled down and destroyed while the other half stand stacked with a large number of bags and boxes. The room stinks of rotting food dust lies think on almost every surface.

Initial Attitude: Hostile

Encounter: This room served as a store room for some of the more mundane supplies needed by the garrison. While it has suffered some damage, Ezrael new some of these supplies would be useful in the future so he kept it in good repair. Seraxes has kept up the practice, more out of tradition than any feeling that he’ll actually need the supplies. Three shadows guard this room and attack any one who enters that they do not recognize.

Three shadows wait in this room and attack anyone who enters that they do not recognize.

Tactics: The shadows lurk in the racks on the north and south walls, hiding in amongst the shadows and piles of goods. They will seek to surprise characters that come to inspect what’s on the shelves, leaping out when the characters get within arm’s reach. Spotting the shadows before they attack requires a Spot check (DC 22). Due to the misplaced importance Seraxes places on this room one of the shadows will flee to Seraxes throne room (E15) to get help after one of the shadows is destroyed.

Treasure: A Search check (DC 5) will fine at least 1 of every item listed in core rulebook I under adventuring gear and clothing. There may be more of each item at the DM’s discretion.

EL: 6

Scaling: To increase the challenge of this encounter, add 2 shadows. To decrease the challenge, remove 1 shadow.

Mooks: 3 shadows (21, 20x2 hp)

E24. Waste Disposal Room
This unlit room stinks of waste and sewage so much so that all other smells are imperceptible. The center of the room is dominated a large round pit that seems to be the source of the smell, but much of the floor around the edge is covered in an unidentifiable mess of feces and garbage.

Initial Attitude: NA

Encounter: This room originally served as a garbage disposal and outhouse for the garrison using a disintegration spell that activated whenever refuse was thrown into the pit. Unfortunately eventually the magic on the disintegrate spell ran out due to lack of upkeep and now the dungeon residents simply throw their waste into the pit and let it pile up on the bottom. The pit is fifty feet deep, but the bottom twenty feet are filled with a disgusting mess of garbage, feces, corpses and similar unpleasant materials. Any character that enters this disgusting stew must make a Fortitude save, DC 18, or take 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage and become nauseas.

Tactics: NA

Treasure: NA

EL: NA

Scaling: NA

E27. Arming Room for Lord High Marshal Serenneth
This quiet and musky room is filled with empty armor and sword racks. It once held dozens of weapons and several suits of armor, but now these are all but empty. A thick layer of dust permeates everything and more than a few rusted blades lay on the floor of the room. A banner hangs near the ceiling on the south wall of an eye over a flaming sun.

Initial Attitude: NA

Encounter: Once serving as the personal arming room of Lord Serenneth, housing his personal collection of weapons and armor, it was opened to the other members of the garrison during the battle after the first earthquake. Most of the weapons contained here are now scattered amongst the lower levels of the dungeon or lost completely.

Tactics: NA

Treasure: Except for one sword all the weapons left in here are non-magical weapons that the Lord High Marshal kept for sentimental value. These blades have all rusted away due to lack of care and are now worthless. The one magical blade that remains is +1 rapier that is hidden under several other rusted weapons and requires a Search check (DC 20) to find.

EL: NA

Scaling: NA

E42. Map Room
This room once contained a number of tables and desks made of wood and stone, but all the desks of wood lie in shambles around the room. There are stone shelves built into the walls of the room, all scarred black by flame. Ashes cover the floor nearly an inch deep and all the shelves hold the burnt remains of book binding and scroll cases. On the eastern wall of the room a large undamaged map hangs. The entirety of the room is without light.

Initial Attitude: Hostile

Encounter: This room served as a map repository for the garrison. Unfortunately it was ravaged by flame and most of the maps were destroyed, and many of those that survived later succumbed to rot after the delicate environment of this room was destroyed.

The map on the eastern wall of the room is a map of section E, though it does not detail what any of the rooms are. The map is enchanted to be damage resistant and has a hardness of 20 and 30 hit points; it also cannot be removed from the wall without cutting it free or knocking part of the wall apart. Behind the map is a secret door that can be found with a Search check (DC 25) that is opened by pressing a small discolored stone in the center of the door. The door is opened in the same fashion from the other side.

Seraxes has placed three shadows in this room to guard it and prevent anyone from getting access to the maps.

Tactics: The shadows have nowhere to hide so they will attack immediately and will not flee.

Treasure: A Search check (DC 20) reveals the following under the layers of ash: 1 map of section A, a map of section B, and a scroll of read magic.

EL: 6

Scaling: To increase the challenge of this encounter, add 2 shadows. To decrease the challenge, remove 1 shadow.

Mooks: Three shadows (21, 20x2 hp)

E43. Guard Room
The door to this room contains many holes drilled through its surface, most not larger than an inch across but two larger holes are located at waist height. Inside the remains of a complex piece of engineer lays in pieces. Obviously some manner of crossbow or ballista, this device appears to have fired a large volley of arrows and two spears simultaneously, probably through the holes on the door, wrecking havoc on any who got in its path. Unfortunately the device seems to have been savagely attacked in the past and is no longer functional. Four corpses also lay in the back the room, all impaled on spikes wedged into the floor. There is no light in this room.

Initial Attitude: NA

Encounter: This room served as a guard post to stop creatures from section A from entering section E. Eventually it was overrun and its defenders slain, along with their ballista. Fixing the ballista would require many finely made small parts that cannot be created within the confines of the dungeon.

Tactics: NA

Treasure: 143 arrows and 6 spears can be found with a cursory inspection of this room.

EL: NA

Scaling: NA

Hope y'all find it useful!

 

[jim pinto]

maps in jpg format

since i was kind enough to send twofalls a jpg of map E,
i guess i should share it with the group. in all fairness,
i should make one for A and B as well, since most people
are going to be entering those regions, too.

so.

since posting to our own website can sometimes take longer
that i would like, does anyone know of a good place to "host"
these maps so people can download them at will.

let me know.

 

[twofalls]

If you want to send them to me Jim, I'll have my webmaster post them at www.sanguinesentinels.com. The webpage is just going up, but we can make a section for them. He wont get to it until next week as he will be gaming with us this weekend and that starts tomorrow at noon.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

First off, the a--kissing.
From the little I've read (skimming and 50% of A), the WLD is possibly the best laid out "module" I've seen in my 2 decades of gaming. Excellent job on the sensible setup in the book. It has supplanted "Skarda's Mirror" as my opinion of the best D&D module ever published.

Now what I would like to know from everyone who is running it, how are you all going about keeping track of EVERYTHING that is going on? I know I'm going to have to delegate a few tasks to players and take a hefty amount of notes. But I think even then it won't be enough. I'm not about to tell the players that they can't enter section B until they've cleared section A 100%. So that means keeping track of everything is that much harder.
We won't be starting the WLD for a couple of weeks, so that gives me the chance to find out what the other people who are running it are doing. So please, let me know what you have done (or are intending to do) that has worked for you, or what you've done that hasn't worked.

Thanks,
BBR