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

[jim pinto]

its obvious your PCs are smart... but power-gaming, min-max, buffing like death ward are boring loopholes designed to avoid "thinking" through problems.

if they rely on daddy's credit card to bail them out of a jam, then you need to either, cut off their allowance (the room casts dispel magic on them), or charge them so much, they can never pay off the debt.

but, that's just my DMing style... i would never allow someone to have a medallion of magic missile eating... its lame... it serves on purpose only... and if the PCs did get one, i'd hit them with acid damage...

or a slow spell

or confusion

or maximized color spray

or a cone of cold that drains dexterity

i'm sure the final battle is going to rock, but if the pcs beat down the last two undead lords with death ward, well .... that's like playing street fighter against a twitch player that knows ryu special monkey death punch

anyway... i would like to hear how this one ends... and its not cheating to bring undead back to life in the prison, fyi

and if you couldn't tell... its a really slow work day

 

[Qwillion]

BlueBlackRed

I have an undead monster I think will fill your nich.

I can email too you if you like, It has been playtested by 7 groups including my own. It's a template (as all undead should be) I have a Npc that has the template applied to her that should make combat intersting email me at worldsmith at gmail dot com I will send it.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

its obvious your PCs are smart... but power-gaming, min-max, buffing like death ward are boring loopholes designed to avoid "thinking" through problems.

I'll get them for their constant buffing and charging actions eventually. I thought I had them with the Vinnara fight (she talked with them until their 1 round/level spells wore off). Awesome fight that night.

if they rely on daddy's credit card to bail them out of a jam, then you need to either, cut off their allowance (the room casts dispel magic on them), or charge them so much, they can never pay off the debt.

but, that's just my DMing style... i would never allow someone to have a medallion of magic missile eating... its lame... it serves on purpose only... and if the PCs did get one, i'd hit them with acid damage...

or a slow spell

or confusion

or maximized color spray

or a cone of cold that drains dexterity

I generally avoid magic items like that. The party's access to buying items is limited. For a short time they had 2 Scarabs of Protection and I solved that by ruling that the scarab's magic is used prior to Death Ward because the 2 effects stack and the more powerful one, the scarab, was used first. They currently have 1 scarab of protection with 2 charges left that they don't wear anymore.

i'm sure the final battle is going to rock, but if the pcs beat down the last two undead lords with death ward, well .... that's like playing street fighter against a twitch player that knows ryu special monkey death punch

They'll probably take down Kasteoficiss with difficulty, but no major loss. As only some of her minions have drains, Death Ward means only so much. And since she has spells...

Invistis has no real problem with Death Ward. His spells that are thwarted by it have been changed for the most part. And it's not like he doesn't have Dispels and Dysjunctions at hand.

and if you couldn't tell... its a really slow work day

Heh, where do you think I've found the time to upgrade the bosses?

I have an undead monster I think will fill your nich.

I can email too you if you like, It has been playtested by 7 groups including my own. It's a template (as all undead should be) I have a Npc that has the template applied to her that should make combat intersting email me at worldsmith at gmail dot com I will send it.

My e-mail address is on my blog page.

 

[Hussar]

Another option is from a recent Dragon Magazine, October's. It has a series of "Hauntings" templates that you can add to any area. The "Bad Place" haunting would absolutely rock in Region N. Think of Ammityville Horror. Not only are the nasty bad guys trying to get them, but the entire region is as well. This is something I think I will add to the region when the time comes.

Something to remember is that all the undead in the region regenerate every day or so. If the party is taking their time, picking through a few encounters until their buffs run out, then running home to rest, it won't work very well. The priests only get their spells back every 24 hours. By that time, or perhaps a little while later, everything they've killed has come back again. This could lead to the party coming in, killing, leaving, coming back and then being cut off as they try to leave again.

Just a thought.

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Something to remember is that all the undead in the region regenerate every day or so. If the party is taking their time, picking through a few encounters until their buffs run out, then running home to rest, it won't work very well. The priests only get their spells back every 24 hours. By that time, or perhaps a little while later, everything they've killed has come back again. This could lead to the party coming in, killing, leaving, coming back and then being cut off as they try to leave again.

I got rid of the undead coming back. Too much of an irritation to fight the same thing over and over and over again. Especially once you've grown beyond the power of a monster to the point where it's a nuisance.
Now certain ones may come back in the final fight.

As for clerics only getting spells once every 24 hours, I've written that rule off for this particular campaign.

 

[rvalle]

Sorry to drag this back down to Region B...

Did anyone deside how to handle the Barghest's Blink ability? I've desided to run the D-door as the weak version (100 foot range). I was thinking of running Blink the same way. Instead of 50% miss drop it to 20% as the critter spends much more time on the Material plane. Drop the 20%'s to 0.

Any other ideas people have used?

rv

 

[primarchone]

Sorry to drag this back down to Region B...

Did anyone deside how to handle the Barghest's Blink ability? I've desided to run the D-door as the weak version (100 foot range). I was thinking of running Blink the same way. Instead of 50% miss drop it to 20% as the critter spends much more time on the Material plane. Drop the 20%'s to 0.

Any other ideas people have used?

rv

Hi!

My solution for all types of teleportation, blink, etc is that it works normally within the confines of ONE region. That is, you could use a teleport spell to zip from one section within a region to another, but not to another region (and of course not outside the dungeon).

I do the same thing with blink and dimension door. I find that it keeps the threat of such creatures, but does not violate the overall purpose of the dungeon.

Primarchone

 

[BlueBlackRed]

Blink, Dimension Door, Teleport, Bags of Holding, and the like do not work in my version.
Yeah it nerfs some of the monsters abilities, but it hurts the party just as much if not more when their non-melee types are suddenly in the thick of it.

 

[Traevanon]

Okay, its custom Lair time! In region N, room 1 there are a series of tunnels leading to a central area featuring a Devourer. This is where I will place The Tower of Galenus, the Demonologist. The Devourer will remain in his lair below the tower, which is built on top of the 80ft hill of black stone. Unsturdy construction of the devourer's tunnels will be removed, along with the Tremor and Poor Footing effect. Instead Deep Darkness and Stagnant Air will be in effect in the Devourer's lair.

The map can be downloaded or viewed at:
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mwa/archive2003

It will use the Wizard's Tower Map from the WotC Map a Week project July 2003.

Designed for a six to eight player level 13-14 party, the tower will be populated mostly by constructs, demons and will be heavy on arcane spell users and magical traps.

Box Text:
Overlooking both the lava river and the smooth carved face of the Crypt, the Tower of Galenus rises over 100 feet above the tall mound of black rock into a maelstrom of fire and lightning which obscures the upper levels. A twisting path leads up the hill to massive doors guarded by two large statues in plate mail. A light too bright for torchlight emanates from windows high up near the clouds. There is a smaller, human sized rough tunnel down at your level, which slopes downward into darkness under the black rock mound.

DM Info:
The upper reaches of the tower are obscured by a 36HD Tempest CR19 (MM2 pg 193) which acts to prevent the PCs from entering through the top of the tower and also casts lightning bolts and drenching rain (also steaming up and concealing the entire area) if the PCs attempt to enter the tower anywhere but through the first floor.

The Tempest can be boosted as high as Colossal (49HD) or reduced to normal (24HD) to balance the encounter. If you have no access to MM2 just use Cloudkill for being within the actual tempest and Call Lightning and Control Weather Effects available for use against intruders.

Do you think this is an appropriate area for such a sub-dungeon?

 

[rvalle]

Well, between the 3 of us we have all 3 options covered: it don't work at all, it works as normal (in one region), it works but in a lessor fashion.



rv