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

[BlueBlackRed]

well, I'll be running the WLD after Xmas (background: Wilderlands + CSIO [+ maybe Blackmoor])
- so, after reading about various PC deaths within the first area, I'm wondering:

How do you handle the introduction of replacement characters in the WLD? Prisoners? Survivors of other parties? No explanation at all? Or what?

Our group's explaination: Whatever works best at the time.
Sometimes that's simply telling the players to ignore certain glaring problems. Other times that involves a minor revision of the ongoing story. Or maybe it could be the lame, and over-used, long-lost sibling character.

 

[Bigwilly]

And they're off...

First session on Friday night with a goliath barbarian, human fighter/rogue, elf rogue and halfling barbarian. My whiny players have been playing 12th level characters and didn't want to start out at 1st level as they felt they could get killed too easily, so I have allowed them to start at 2nd level, except the goliath who is ECL+1.

They are not a particularly nice group of people and are likely to die trying to save themselves rather than help their fellow party members. They will be joined next session by an elven necromancer - although still trying to work out how they will meet up with him.

Headed east from the first room, slaughtered the orcs in A2 for no real reason beyond laughing at them - the halfling is a psycho and the fighter/rogue a bit trigger happy.

Then they ran into the first of the darkmantles (A8 I think) and if I hadn't been a little generous on grapple checks it would have killed the goliath.

This was followed by a rat swarm which nibbled on the other three party members before they killed it with alchemist's fire and a flask of acid.

Made their way to Orgoth's room, where they decided to rest up. A couple of darkmantles tried to pay a visit during the night but a bit of fancy spearwork took them out of the picture.

Bigwilly

 

[DaveMage]

They are not a particularly nice group of people and are likely to die trying to save themselves rather than help their fellow party members. They will be joined next session by an elven necromancer - although still trying to work out how they will meet up with him.

If they enjoy killing this much, then they may naturally attract a necromancer who wants to go along for the ride - maybe have the necromancer simply shadowing them, reveling in the death they've caused.

 

[Bigwilly]

Not evil enough

If they enjoy killing this much, then they may naturally attract a necromancer who wants to go along for the ride - maybe have the necromancer simply shadowing them, reveling in the death they've caused.

I think they are going to find the necomancer bound and gagged with an orc tearing the pages out of his spellbook one by one. I'm sure the necromancer's player won't be too happy about this, but the rest of the party will love it.

Bigwilly

 

[DaveMage]

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but the WotC book Libris Mortis lists optional rules for haunted places (on page 6 I think), including ways to remove a haunted presence.

These rules would be an excellent way to introduce unique undead into the WLD in areas listed as "haunted" in the encounter conditions. It may also provide a means to change a "haunted" area into a "safe" area - which could save a PCs life.

 

[jim pinto]

boring!?!?

I'm not sure if this has been mentioned before, but the WotC book Libris Mortis lists optional rules for haunted places (on page 6 I think), including ways to remove a haunted presence.

These rules would be an excellent way to introduce unique undead into the WLD in areas listed as "haunted" in the encounter conditions. It may also provide a means to change a "haunted" area into a "safe" area - which could save a PCs life.

one of the obstacles of the book, is making the dungeon interesting, yet only drawing from the Monster Manual, something everyone had read and re-read.

DMs that need to spice up their games for jaded PCs, should consider drawing monsters from other sources. so long as the region A creature is fiendish, it really doesn't matter what it is.

change up the rooms once in a while and replace the darkmantles with fiendish kobolds (that died at the hands of the stirges), or whatever else you can find in the proper CR range.

or steal an encounter from a region you know they'll never visit.



peace

 

[DaveMage]

I take it you were referring to BlueBlackRed's comment above, and not the suggestions about purging the haunted areas.

Actually, though, I like the fact that only the SRD was used. That way, it can be advertised that with the core books and the WLD, you really won't need anything else for years of gameplay - and the DM doesn't have to create a single thing! (Although they may want to modify a thing here or there.)

On a related note, is AEG doing anything with the WLD for Gen Con SoCal, or is the promotional focus going to be on the Accordlands? I won't be attending, but I'd love to hear how the WLD is received there.

(I still think there should be WLD T-shirts. )

 

[JamesL85]

World's Largest City....

I'm hoping that Mr. Pinto can give some basic info about this product: is it a REAL product, or just a joke; and if it's real, is it another "take your character from 1st to epic level thing, or what???

Just curious.....

 

[CrimsonScribe]

I've been told that the add was placed by marketing without consulting the design/development team and that work hadn't yet begun on such a product.

Of course, if it was made, I'd be 99% likely to purchase it. In order to make it 100% it would have to include material for both an epic level continuation from the WLD and also be playable as a 1st-20th game. (I know that's a big ask, but it is only 1%).

 

[jim pinto]

I've been told that the add was placed by marketing without consulting the design/development team and that work hadn't yet begun on such a product.

i love rumors that start with my mom's gardner's neighbor knows a guy who...

fyi... i wrote the advertisement

i commissioned the art

i placed the text on the page

i may have been involved at some level, but i'm not sure...

Of course, if it is made, I'd be 99% likely to purchase it. In order to make it 100% it would have to include material for both an epic level continuation from the WLD and also be playable as a 1st-20th game. (I know that's a big ask, but it is only 1%).

it'll be a generic city, usable by all levels of gamers.

and that's all i can say about it