World's Largest Dungeon?

[jessemock]

I agree with Tharen. Not a good indicator if vermin with no Int scores specifically seek out targets by class. Hope this isn't a common sign through the product...

john

Plus, why are fire beetles, scorpions, and spiders hanging out? Do they like each other?

 

[thundershot]

Plus, why are fire beetles, scorpions, and spiders hanging out? Do they like each other?

[strongbad mode] Oh yeah, man! Those guys, they go way back. They were pretty good buds in high school. They all used to hang out, drink brewskis, hit on the ladies, and knock over liquor stores... There was even the practical joke they played on the monstrous centipedes involving a dire goat. Man, those were the days... [/strongbad mode]




Chris (can't wait for this adventure!)

 

[Kentares]

You can say whatever you want but...

... this product has a lot of potential. Even if one doesnt like dungeon bashing... eheh. I´ll buy it. It will save me a lot of time for the nest couple... of years...

 

[Kentares]

You can say whatever you want but...

... this product has a lot of potential. Even if one doesnt like dungeon bashing... eheh. I´ll buy it. It will save me a lot of time for the next couple... of years...

 

[jim pinto]

Well, I didn't want to be greedy.

Two a week sounds good to me!

I'm really looking forward to seeing how this all works out. I like the detail that's gone into the two rooms that have been posted, and I hope that this is the standard for the other rooms.

For jim pinto: You've made references that the dungeon is modular so that you don't have to go through the whole thing to get use from the product, but what if someone *wants* to go through the whole thing? Are the areas linked in such a way that the reward (story, sense of accomplishment, etc.) would be greater if you do get through the whole thing? In other words, is there an overall story arc (or multiple ones) that would be realized if this dungeon became the sole basis for a campaign?

yes there is.

a lot of thought went into the background of the story.
a way to tie everything together thematically, as well
as flavor wise. originally, we thought it would be enough
to just have a big dungeon with lots of cool stuff in it,
but before i drew a single map, kevin millard and i brainstormed
a story that (i hope) everyone will nod and say... whoa.
that's never been done before.

so. run it as 16 seperate adventures or one giant campaign
its up to you.

 

[jim pinto]

I think I have to play the Advocatus Diaboli.

Bias: What I know o tWbD ist from the various Tidbits Pinto posted in this Threat. For a projekt this large, the previews gleaned can only be a very, very small bit of the whole content.
This is just my first impression, but as you know. First impressions tend to stick.

1) The map(s).
While certainly large and detailed, they don´t strike me as, for the lack of a better word, cool. They remind me of the various Undermountain maps from the 1st. or 2nd Edition boxed Sets.
Ok, I get nostalgic feelings but when I look at maps from Ed Bourelle for example this map lacks appeal.

2) The posted encounter.
On the first view it is nice and detailed. Good Idea to include the complete Stats and not only HP and the reference page in the MM.
But:



Well, these are Insects without any intelligence! So how can they employ tactics? They should attack randomly. As a player I would protest, if they ignore the front row fighter and head straight to my wizard who hides behind the cleric.
Next it strikes me as strange, that so many different insect species just wait for the PCs instead of a) just eating the other species or b) wander to a room with better feeding opportunities.
I don´t like this encounter very much.

Reminder: This was just my first impression!


What do you say?

the map you saw is printed at 1/100th of the final scale
(its over 6 feet tall).

as for tactics, the tactics of this encounter allow the DM to
use the monster's to the best of their natural abilities. tactics
can easily be ignored for logic, or for systemic reasons. but,
if the DM really wants to torture the PCs, he'll conveniently
have the scorpion closer to the dwarf barbarian with the low
AC.

since the introduction of the book, which i haven't posted,
details what monsters are DOING when the PCs enter a room,
its completely random whether they are eating grubs, playing
mah-jong, or relaying stories about the PC that got away.

 

[Leopold]

I say let the man finish his work and post more rooms!!!!

 

[jim pinto]

I say let the man finish his work and post more rooms!!!!

Since today's theme was about "boring" rooms, i thought i'd post something I just finished editing/writing.

Its 1030pm and the proofreader hasn't checked this, so if there are any mistakes I apologize.

And Leopold... i won't count this as one of the two for the week.

Fair?




C86. Former Adventurers’ Chamber

Though this small Room was originally designed to hold a prisoner, the lock was destroyed long ago.

The stench of decay pervades in this room and a look inside instantly reveals the source of the foul smell. The body of a dwarf, curled up in the fetal position, lies in the southwest corner. Almost no meat remains upon the skeletal corpse, but the odor of rotted flesh lingers.

Initial Attitude: N/A
Encounter: Long after its original captive was gone, the Room was used as a bedchamber. A dwarven male lies on a rotten blanket in this bedchamber, his cancerous form so diseased it doesn't even attract flies.

Anyone touching or examing the dwarf's body must suceed at a DC 18 Fortitude save or contract demon fever (which is normally a disease only spread through injury).

Demon Fever—Contact, Fortitude DC 18, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d6 Con [When damaged, character must succeed on another saving throw or 1 point of damage is permanent drain instead.]

Tactics: N/A
Treasure: There are three old bedrolls in the corner, plus a diseased and rotted blanket on which the dwarf rests. A successful DC 20 Search check reveals a leather scroll case and a small copper holy symbol (worth 5 gp) hidden in the closed skeletal fist of the dwarven corpse. The case contains three divine scrolls — calm emotion, freedom of movement, and protection from evil.
EL: N/A
Scaling: To increase the challenge of this encounter, add devil chills. To decrease the challenge, replace demon fever with mind fire.

 

[Tharen the Damned]

the map you saw is printed at 1/100th of the final scale
(its over 6 feet tall).

Ok I take back what I said about the map. Gimme a good map and I am hooked. Gimme a bad map and... Well, is ist possible, that you post a small part of it in the final scale?

as for tactics, the tactics of this encounter allow the DM to
use the monster's to the best of their natural abilities. tactics
can easily be ignored for logic, or for systemic reasons. but,
if the DM really wants to torture the PCs, he'll conveniently
have the scorpion closer to the dwarf barbarian with the low
AC.

since the introduction of the book, which i haven't posted,
details what monsters are DOING when the PCs enter a room,
its completely random whether they are eating grubs, playing
mah-jong, or relaying stories about the PC that got away.

I think this is take on encounters is dependend on individual style. As I said, I don´t like it, but many other DMs might.

C86. Former Adventurers’ Chamber

Though this small Room was originally designed to hold a prisoner, the lock was destroyed long ago.

The stench of decay pervades in this room and a look inside instantly reveals the source of the foul smell. The body of a dwarf, curled up in the fetal position, lies in the southwest corner. Almost no meat remains upon the skeletal corpse, but the odor of rotted flesh lingers.

Initial Attitude: N/A
Encounter: Long after its original captive was gone, the Room was used as a bedchamber. A dwarven male lies on a rotten blanket in this bedchamber, his cancerous form so diseased it doesn't even attract flies.
Anyone touching or examing the dwarf's body must suceed at a DC 18 Fortitude save or contract demon fever.

Demon Fever—Injury, Fortitude DC 18, incubation period 1 day, damage 1d6 Con [When damaged, character must succeed on another saving throw or 1 point of damage is permanent drain instead.]

Tactics: N/A
Treasure: There are three old bedrolls in the corner, plus a diseased and rotted blanket on which the dwarf rests. A successful DC 20 Search check reveals a leather scroll case and a small copper holy symbol (worth 5 gp) hidden in the closed skeletal fist of the dwarven corpse. The case contains three divine scrolls — calm emotion, freedom of movement, and protection from evil.
EL: N/A
Scaling: To increase the challenge of this encounter, add devil chills. To decrease the challenge, replace demon fever with mind fire.

I like this "boring room" desription very much. I can whip up a Fight encounter on the fly if need be (open MM or ToH and take out monster), but I have to rake my brain for a good "boring room".

So my second impresson is much better than the first.

 

[jim pinto]

week of april 1st

i was so tempted to post a funny encounter today,
with half-dragon clowns and sandwich golems

but realized that time would be better served actually
editing this book.

that said, what kind of encounter do you guys want to
see today?

i'll post it by the end of the day, if i have something edited,
but its your call.