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

[Xiag]

I've been playing DND off and on with my parents since I was 11 (that's over 30 years, now!). When we moved to Texas when I was 13, the first thing he told us was "There's a game shop in town!". My dad is 73 and gaming is still one of his favorite things to do. I doubt we do more than 2-3 regions before we get tired and quit, though.

I'm also going to post a map somewhere in a store-room - just a partial thing, with sections missing and maybe a big burn in the middle, so we don't have to spend too much time mapping.

Thanks for the reassurance on the XP thing - I think I'm going to do exactly what you've done.

If you know you're only going to hit 2 or 3 regions, you should possibly consider hand picking the 3 you really want and layering them with stairs instead of east/west north/south exits. It will help get to the storys you want and not have them half doing parts of areas you're not really interested in.

As for XP, I just award 25 xp per CR of a creature or EL of a trap to each player. It pushes them comfortablly past the level bumps in most areas, and doesn't feel as arbitrary to me. With bonus xp if they do something creative, something that adds to the fun of the game, or if they achieve a milestone.

There are some thin areas where this doesn't quite hold up, but there are some areas where it's more than enough.

I also start cutting that down if there's more than 4/5 players in a party.

 

[alienvampire]

I've been trying to come up with a solution to the resource problem. I did not want to tailor the magic items to fit the party needs - I feel that it breaks the fourth wall. I've come up with a solution that not only fixes the problem, it makes for great role-playing.

I have introduced an NPC Artificer that roams around the dungeon. He offers to purchase unwanted items from the party and also offers his services in item creation. He is sort of a "Q" to the party's "James Bond", if you will. In case the party has an inclination to shake him down, I gave him a Warforged bodyguard to act as a peacekeeper.

This has worked out wonderfully. Not only does this enable the party to custom order magic items, it gives them an outlet to sell off the loot that they acquire. Making him a recurring NPC also adds some role-playing opportunities.

Just thought that I would share this little tidbit. This has truly enriched our WLD camaign.

- Jonathan

 

[Max Rebo]

We played again, this time the entire game took place in the upper part of Region M and just outside Region N. I changed some stuff around, mainly adding some roaming dinosaurs since my players dig that sort of thing.

Anyway, after getting their butts kicked by the giant shield guardians, they have decided to roam around and kill stuff to level up before going back. Heh.

The party's newest member (a gnome mystic theurge) killed the devourer from N1 with a critical hit from a searing light spell. 108 damage. Ouch.
They fought two t-rexes. I had them from the wotc giants of legend set so I used em. The cleric was eaten twice but somehow survived.

They fought the three advanced belkers,which to be honest, was kind of lame. I've never used belkers before and probably never will after this one. Boring.

They then found a vampire's crypt that I added to the region. I've added yuan-ti to Region J as followerers of Tyrus so I came up with a backstory for this vampire. He was a yuan-ti that was lured into the vampires crypt in J and was essentially chased away by the repulsed yuan-ti tribe after they learned he was undead. He took up residence north of the lava flow.
(Hey, good enough, right?)
I added this area since my one player has been anxiously awaiting where the yuan-ti would show up at. Since it looks like they'll be skipping Region J altogether, I slipped one in here.

That was it. Overall, a fun session.

 

[jim pinto]

I've played quite heavily on the fact that evil is trapped within the dungeon while it is alive (or undead). If evil is killed the soul is not lost and probably is being used by more powerful evil trapped in the dungeon (ie. the WorldEater) to make themselves stronger.

I had the party members who were garrison members get the mental warning that a ward had been breached. By the time the party got there there was a pile of drow bodies (and some damaged inevitables and celestials). Then one of the pulses of negative energy that I have emanating from N swept through animating the bodies, which started shuffling towards the NE. When the ebb pulse occurred the bodies collapsed and I allowed those with high enough spellcraft or knowledge:religion to roll to see the souls being dragged from the bodies and pulled to the north east through the walls.

The party now knows that killing evil destabilises regions, stopping evil from keeping itself in check and individually weak enough for the wards and garrision members to deal with them. Killing evil in fact is feeding the more powerful evil beings, shortening the time and effort they require to break their bonds and endangering the few remaining guardians of the dungeon.

****!!

i wish i'd thought of that

brilliant

****ing brilliant

 

[Traevanon]

I wish I'd thought of it too... wow. That would change things.

The quick 2 cent suggestion I'd offer to people starting the WLD would be to print out the map of the current (or near future) region, grab a set of 4 highlighters of different colors, go though the section in the text and color the map in according to the divisions given in the text.

As for alienvampire's wandering Artificer...

I did a similar thing. As you probably know the dungeon is divided into diagonal layers for suggested levels. Region A, then B and E, then C, F and I and so on. For each section according to its layer I made one of the NPCs into someone the party could convince to make magic items for them. There were limits however. In region A, Boyikt the Kobold could make Masterwork and silver items. In region B, Hammerfist (I think that's his name) the Hobgoblin could make +1. In Region I there is a Drider who actually resides in M, but deals through the Drow in I that will make +2 items. And so it goes.

Coming from experience, if you are going to allow free spending of money I'd suggest going one step further and making a list of items that each vendor specializes in. The Drider in the example above could make Ghost Touch, Unholy, Flaming and Fiery Burst weapons. Also, limit the amount of 5000/10000gp diamonds that are available for use ressurecting people (if you are allowing that option).

Good luck!

 

[Hussar]

The quick 2 cent suggestion I'd offer to people starting the WLD would be to print out the map of the current (or near future) region, grab a set of 4 highlighters of different colors, go though the section in the text and color the map in according to the divisions given in the text.

If you go here I've done a number of the maps in pretty much this exact way. Can't remember which ones I've done, just look for the DM's Master Maps. I'll be doing K probably this week, and hopefully J as well. Got me some free time, so I'm trying frantically to get as ahead as I can.

Ok, that's a lie since I'm frittering time away here. But, that's my intention anyway.

 

[rvalle]

If you go here I've done a number of the maps in pretty much this exact way. Can't remember which ones I've done, just look for the DM's Master Maps. I'll be doing K probably this week, and hopefully J as well. Got me some free time, so I'm trying frantically to get as ahead as I can.

Ok, that's a lie since I'm frittering time away here. But, that's my intention anyway.

And I've done I as well. It looks like James isn't keeping the site up to date though...

rv

 

[erucsbo]

And I've done I as well. It looks like James isn't keeping the site up to date though...

I'll serve them if you all are happy for me to host the files until James get's his site updated (at which point I'll make mine unavailable again).

 

[JediSoth]

Wish my players luck

I have a WLD game coming up this Sunday...wish my players luck. They're around level 12 and are just about to engage one of the cryohydras in Region O. Granted, they've got classes and abilities that aren't in the SRD (along with those no save, no SR, ranged touch attack orb spells), so they're a little tougher than typical CR12 characters, but still...we could have TPK on our hands this Sunday if they press on into Region O.

JediSoth

 

[rvalle]

And another character falls...

In what was to be the last battle of E, the players went after the remaining Baghests (Sarras' pack). Then went because the Baghest have some magic items gleaned from a fallen party member, because the Baghest are evil and because the party made 7th level and thinks they are tough.

Game before this they attacked the Baghest guard posts and killed/drove off 15 or so in scattered small fights. We stopped that game just as they approached the big room where Sarras was waiting.

Fight was:
5 characters of 7th level (Bard, Fighter, Cleric, Cleric, Druid/Rogue) plus an NPC fighter of 6th level.

VS

13 'normal' Baghest
Sarras and Menarr (Greater Baghest)
Phil-something (7th level Wizard)

While the party had fought the Baghest several times there were some things they didn't know.

1. The mass-bulls strength ability
2. The mass-enlarge ability
3. The fact that Menarr even existed (he started the fight invisible along with 4 small Baghests)

The fight started off well for the party. The fighter can crank his AC up to 30 (+2 full plate, +2 shield, Combat Exp). He can also Enlarge AND has Whirlwind. The Baghest held back and he entered the room, enlarged and went to town.

Then one of the Clerics dropped a Holy Smite into the room. Since the Baghest are Evil Outsiders a good portion of them took 7d6 damage. Ouch.

That along with the fighter taking swings at just about everything in the room dropped several of the small Baghest early and it looked like it was going to be a route.

Then Sarras called in the Mage (whom the party had left crying in the dark a while back after they killed all the Shadows) and he cast Haste on Sarras and the smalls near her. She does a mass bulls str. Mennar pops in (surprise!) and he does mass bulls str on his group.

Now the party has a fight on their hands...

Sarras starts to howl and does so for a full round....

At end she and all the rest of the pack start to grow... and grow... all the 'smalls' become large and she and Mennar become Huge.

And now the party talks about running.

Before they can get everyone to the door Sarras shreds the druid/rogue down to -9 with one bite and then does a bite/claw/claw (2 bites because of Haste) on the NPC fighter for 30 some points of damage.

The NPC fighter is trapped in the room. He can either move and take 3 or so AoO's or take a 5 foot step and face the brunt next round. He tries to do a fighting withdraw and moves the 5'. Sarras drops him next round.

Everyone else makes it to the hallway. The Baghest were more interested in driving the PC's off then killing them all so they just shadowed the party out of their area.

While the Baghest were able to fight to a draw I figure they are not interested in a round 2. I'm thinking they turn into Goblins and move enmass to B.

rv