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

[Demon Gnome]

My group I am running through since WLD came out will be finishing up with region C this week and after a chance to sell & restock (my WLD is a series of dungeons in different places, and they can't change their mind and not go back to the dungeon even if they wanted to as the Mark of the Righteousnous will mysteriously pull them back.) will be moving on to Region I. Now's the time to really make them worried about whats going on.

Btw, current group is:
Elf Rogue 7
Human Bonded Summoner 7
Half Elf Wererat (thanx to longtail) Rogue/Sorcerer 2/2
Dwarf Fighter 7
Human Warlock 7

 

[hitomikitage]

Well, my players didn't get through region B like I thought they would. After Friday's session, they had to spend a sizable chunk of time trying to figure out how to get out of the secret room beyond the blink dogs (the stalagmite room with the quarterstaff in it) in region B. It was particularly interesting because the Goblin Rogue set off the trap trying to disarm it, so it increased the open locks check beyond what they were capable of hitting. That made for some interesting attempts to get the guys that were trapped in the room out.

The Saturday session saw them exploring the Holy Goblin area. This was particularly crazy, since they decided that they would just try locking the goblins in their respective rooms while they explored the rest of the area. Little did they realize that the hobgoblins had a key to their door, and let everyone else out and waited in ambush on them in the dark corridors. Then, part way through the fight, one hobgoblin ran off and let the dire wolves out of their room. So the party was throwing down with 15 goblins, 3 goblins riding worgs, 3 hobgoblins, and 3 dire wolves. That took most of the rest of the session. At the end, they managed to save everyone and finish off the goblin religious types, and even clean out the vargoulle room (although the human thief acrobat did get hit with the dragon bile contact poison, losing all but 3 of his strength, and falling off the wall because he could no longer hold his own weight.)

The games have been a blast so far and everyone is having a good time, (as far as I can tell) even if they do get frustrated by high DC checks for opening locks on doors and by animals that trip as part of their attack. I am currently having them feel a pulse of negative energy about the same time each "night" (tough to tell night from day in this dungeon) when they rest, coming somewhere from the north. Hopefully they will take my hint, and start going north, since I am pretty psyched to run the undead region (region N) when my players get there.

I will try and keep a running update after each weekend I run (currently running every other weekend on Friday and Saturday) and letting you know any pitfalls I come across in the dungeon as well as any my players come across.

Thanks,
Howard

 

[Jim Hague]

My group I am running through since WLD came out will be finishing up with region C this week and after a chance to sell & restock (my WLD is a series of dungeons in different places, and they can't change their mind and not go back to the dungeon even if they wanted to as the Mark of the Righteousnous will mysteriously pull them back.) will be moving on to Region I. Now's the time to really make them worried about whats going on.

Btw, current group is:
Elf Rogue 7
Human Bonded Summoner 7
Half Elf Wererat (thanx to longtail) Rogue/Sorcerer 2/2
Dwarf Fighter 7
Human Warlock 7

Ooh, the first group to reach I. Let me know how that goes, DG...as always, I'm happy to help out if needed.

 

[BOAZ]

So, I finally pitched my campaign idea to the group and they are pretty psyched to start the dungeon crawl.
They will be using 'gestalt' characters with the requirement to select one of the following classes as their secondary class: Cleric, Monk, Paladin, Favored Soul or Healer; the concept behind this is that they all belong to the same secretive holy order, which is charged with protecting the land from the evil below.
I still haven't decided on the world, but obviously it won't be that important.
Since the characters will be much more powerful, and can venture much further into the dungeon than your average group, did anybody start the WLD in a different location? Maybe H?

 

[Soul]

Are there any links to CrimsonScribes player maps yet, or are they still just being passed around via e-mail?

 

[Demon Gnome]

Ooh, the first group to reach I. Let me know how that goes, DG...as always, I'm happy to help out if needed.

My original plan was to run the PC's through A, B, C, M, N, but they have been through much of C and haven't leveled as far or as fast As I planned, and so I decided to slip in an extra lvl 7-9 region, namely I as it ties in with M. Not to mention I just looks so freaky it'll be fun. They are going to regret their lack of a healer once they start becoming diseased. Unlike region A when they were last diseased they can't just rest somewhere and wait it out as many rooms in I will simply aflict you with thre same or new diseases again =P.

 

[Demon Gnome]

Also what would you suggest about how to handle the bonded summoner in the group? He has a medium earth elemental (class feature) and often uses its ability to simply move through any stone/earth freely to simply have the elemental look through a wall to see whats in a room in advance ( granted with a 4 intelligence it is usually VERY vague on descriptions =P). I know some regions of I have walls covered/encased in flesh which will prevent it from traveling through.

 

[jim pinto]

Also what would you suggest about how to handle the bonded summoner in the group? He has a medium earth elemental (class feature) and often uses its ability to simply move through any stone/earth freely to simply have the elemental look through a wall to see whats in a room in advance ( granted with a 4 intelligence it is usually VERY vague on descriptions =P). I know some regions of I have walls covered/encased in flesh which will prevent it from traveling through.

this question seems to answer itself. the walls are fleshy in places.

the southern halls should be 0% chance to pass wall through
the central halls should be 50% chance to pass wall through
the northern halls should be 90% chance to pass wall through

 

[Jim Hague]

My original plan was to run the PC's through A, B, C, M, N, but they have been through much of C and haven't leveled as far or as fast As I planned, and so I decided to slip in an extra lvl 7-9 region, namely I as it ties in with M. Not to mention I just looks so freaky it'll be fun. They are going to regret their lack of a healer once they start becoming diseased. Unlike region A when they were last diseased they can't just rest somewhere and wait it out as many rooms in I will simply aflict you with thre same or new diseases again =P.

jim's got some good percentages going there - the Southern Halls are covered in all forms of noxious goop, living and otherwise, that could conceivably prevent the passing through walls bit.

As for the lack of a healer...look through the intro to I carefully - they're going to regret getting injured at all. Healing won't be a problem, no sir. Just, y'know, ignore that weird skin color...or the scales...or the slime.

On the GMing front, I very much reccommend emphasizing the sheer wrongness of I - Mahir and his cronies were experimenting with Magic Mortals Were Not Meant to Know, and it shows here. The enemies, tactically, don't have to be relentless - have them retreat at half HP, only to reappear later, changed by the trapped magic/positive energy in the Halls. Things there drip, they spurt, the dribble and run. Everything is wet, hot and close.

The contamination in I seeps into everything, in little ways. Got leather goods? Have them bloat up, grow pale, warm...is the leather alive, or is it just magic? The PCs' belongings won't attack them (probably), but there's a ton of nice touches that can be used. Follow the tryptych of good horror - terrify, horrify, then gross out, in that order. By the time the PCs get to Siglinde or the drow, they should seem a relief by comparison to something like Madness or Anguish.

 

[EricNoah]

Just got a copy for christmas. Holy cow, it's huge! I'm enjoying reading it and looking forward to reading the advice in this thread. Not sure if I'll get to run it any time soon but who knows?