grodog's Black Reservoir (GaryCon & NTX spoilers)

[grodog]

I put the spoilers blurb up in the title, in case you'd be able to play Jeff, or anyone else attending GaryCon this year.

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IIRC Scott has created his own version of the BR already---has anyone else? It's one of the options I'm putting before the players in my GaryCon and NTX events this year, and thought it would be a good idea to see if anyone had some fun ideas worth tossing into the mix beyond what I've already got going.

Here's my outline:

- I've distilled the short story elements down and analyzed those: in OD&D sea monsters start @ purple worm size and inflict 3-4 dice in damage, then get up to 2-3 times bigger (I'm assuming ~purple worm size, since Erac wasn't killed in a single bite); the size of the BR being at least 250' from E to W, with at least 2 entrances/exits to it; I have some vague recollection of an underground lake encounter table, perhaps from D1-3 or Warriors of Mars---it's not in OD&D or Greyhawk or the DMG at any rate---I was hoping to use it to help flesh out the encounters, but c'est la vie
- I've added a new number of new encounters based on ways I want to spice up the level (including modifying the giant crabs, based on the description of their carapaces being so reflective, so they'll be spell-turners): some aquatic ropers; perhaps some black perytons to give the pteranadons a run for their money; I may replace the Sorcerer of the Tower with a vampire (perhaps Plincourt!); some giant gars and other fish; etc.
- I'm starting to work on the hex-based dungeon level map today (probably at 25 feet per hex); this will probably end up at least partially echoing my S4 Lake Level maps, but that's OK by me since I happen to like that set of maps

Here are a few open Qs I have:
- I've compared the description in the story to Gary's original level 1 map (from the original castle, before it was taken over and rebuilt by Rob, Ernie, and Terry), and the PCs descend through what is labelled in CZ:UW as key #136B, which leads to CZ's level 3 The Dungeons; in the story, the PCs descend quite a ways, which makes me think that the original stair there goes deeper than level 3 (and the story description of the zig-zagging trying to go north doesn't match well to the original level 3 map, either); so I'm thinking that the original level was somewhere between levels 4-9 in depth or so, with the monsters coming mainly from the levels 4-6 tables, since the Sorcerer appears on the level 5 table, and the purple worm (sea monster) appears on the level 6 table
- I'm trying to work up some rough idea of the level of challenge for my pregen PCs (which are a large party of 6-9th level PCs), so my dungeon level monsters baseline will be higher than the original; I'm probably targetting my version of the BR (or at least the version as I'm thinking of it right now: I am eventually going to put ~3 of these types of areas in the Castle dungeons in different locations, with interconnections between them) to be ~level 7-8 or so; the con version will be accessed through one of my other levels (The Waterworks), which also connects up to the Greyhawk City Sewers map somewhere/eventually (and therefore the Selintan); I may add some sort of Nemo-like direct connection to the Nyr Dyv too, which seems appropriate based on the sea monster getting in there; intelligent creatures will be somewhat scarce (ropers excluded), since I want it a strong aquatic battle ground feel to the level

So, any suggestions would be very appreciated

Thanks!

[Scott]

There will be spoilers to my dungeon in this discussion...








Yes, I have the same path via 136b.
The original was a level 4 sub-level, and it was part of the redone castle. The elf wardens didn't show up until then, if I remember correctly.
I'll post more later, I gotta run now.

[Scott]

Let's see. Erac adventured in the post re-working of the castle. And as much as the Greyhawk Ruins dungeon is maligned, there's quite a bit of Gary and Rob's combined dungeon in there. There were elves, dwarves, and ogre that guarded three different dungeon level progressions, and a fourth that had a secret entrance, but these were all part of the redone system. There was the castle on top. I think 3 levels below that, and then it broke into four seperate dungeons, N, S, E, & W I assume. The elves guarded the eastern dungeon, and the BR was an offshoot of L4.
My dungeon is based on the original setup.
I have Erac and co. following the spiral staircase all the way down to its end on level 3. But the 136 stairs will get you there too. From the central staircase on L3, the party travels to the SE corner where the elves are set up. From there they go down to the SE corner of L4, where they try making their way north. The acces to the BR can be found there.

[Scott]

It sounds like you're going OD&D with this, Allan?

[grodog]

Mar 6, 2011 11:44:41 GMT -5 Scott said:

Yes, I have the same path via 136b.
The original was a level 4 sub-level, and it was part of the redone castle. The elf wardens didn't show up until then, if I remember correctly.

The description from the story matches the original Castle level 1 map to a tee (in terms of describing their entry to the Castle and the marching to the elf cavern on level 1), and IIRC from comments from Rob, the elves were in the original Castle too (he and Ernie and Terry hated to pander to their extortionist ways ).

Mar 6, 2011 12:27:43 GMT -5 Scott said:

Let's see. Erac adventured in the post re-working of the castle.

Hmmm, and Erac died in the Pools level, IIRC, right? That was definitely in the expanded Castle (again, per Rob).

Mar 6, 2011 12:27:43 GMT -5 Scott said:

There was the castle on top. I think 3 levels below that, and then it broke into four seperate dungeons, N, S, E, & W I assume. The elves guarded the eastern dungeon, and the BR was an offshoot of L4. [snip]

But the 136 stairs will get you there too. From the central staircase on L3, the party travels to the SE corner where the elves are set up. From there they go down to the SE corner of L4, where they try making their way north. The acces to the BR can be found there.

In the story, the PCs descend to level 4 (via your notes), then find another stair that leads them to the BR itself, which is down at least one more level (or a sub-level, side-level, quasi-level, etc. ).

I don't think I have any maps or lore about the level 4 levels at all, from either the Original or Expanded Castles, so I can't work backward from the story to those or vice-versa. Some of Rob's ERK maps were slotted into the Expanded Castle, of course, and I'll see if there are any annotations there that might further hint at those intermediate connections.

Mar 6, 2011 12:44:41 GMT -5 Scott said:

It sounds like you're going OD&D with this, Allan?

No, definitely AD&D: I'm just going back to the OD&D sea monster stats, etc., to help me gauge the monsters' relative strength or so. I'll definitely be running it in AD&D.

[Scott]

Level 4 notes I can think off the top of my head:
It was a crypt level with lots of undead. Obmi and a gang of gnolls were originally encountered there. The prison of the nine was also a sub level of the 4th.

[Scott]

I think I had the sea monster set as a plesiosaurus, but the water is full of all kinds of fish creatures.
There are giant crayfish and crabs near the shore. Giant snapping turtle hunts the water and the shore. I haven't detailed it yet but I was considering a koalinth tribe.
There are a few scrags and merrow. Aquatic zombies and ghouls/ghasts. And a sea hag might be found. Kelpies can be encountered. Piercers are located in some of the lower ceiling areas near the far edges of the cavern. The sorcerer's lair is the real highlight of the place.

[grodog]

Thanks for the input, Scott: I'll post some more details after this weekend. I've worked up much of the map, and need to finish that and then get keying

[Scott]

Post a report of the action.
Maybe we could compare notes on the sorcerer.

[grodog]

The two sessions went well! I'll post some session recaps soon.

[grodog]

Here's a quick summary of one of my sessions. I'm writing my own this evening

[Scott]

You didn't post a link.

[grodog]

Doh!: sicklypurpledeathray.blogspot.com/2011/03/gary-con-iii.html

[Scott]

Thanks.

[amalric]

From reading the original report on Erac's expedition to the BR, I just took it for a huge, empty - though no less dark and impenetrable - lake. I had the sea monster terrorising anything so unfortunate to enter's it's domain, but apart from the crabs and the pteranodons I didn't think much else would live down there.

But dungeon-dwelling monsters thrive on more than unfortunate adventurers, I suppose, and I really like how you guys fill things out - or in, if you like.

Very nice.

[grodog]

My scanner's been crapping out on me, due so some funkiness with Photoshop's TWAIN drivers seemingly, but I hopefully fixed that last night and will do some scanning of the maps and keys I put together. Most of it is, truthfully, two big WM tables, as well as the placed encounters.

More soon, hopefully

[grodog]

In case anyone else is curious (Scott read this already):

==
A (Quick) Return to the Black Reservoir

Last night I DM'd my version of the Black Reservoir for Guy Fullerton's crew (who game at Apple weekly), as well as Jon Oakes, and Luke Gygax and his friend Brendan. Their party of 9 6th-8th level pregen PCs---a nice mix of classes, including two clerics, a ranger, a fighter, an MU, two dwarves (F and F/T), an Elf MU/T, and a 1/2E druid---ventured into the Stygian depths of Castle Greyhawk once more.

My version of the BR differs somewhat from the one in Gary's original story: it's filled with a black and chilled foggy mist; the water is black and cold, and mysteriously silent and non-responsive: once they were away from the shore, it's almost like being in a sensory deprivation tank, or being in space. The "shore" is a slate-like smooth stone shelf that extends ~10' into the cavern from the cavern's wall, and slopes down to the water's edge, which drops off precipitously (depth was hard to gauge due to the poor light and murkiness of the waters, but they sounded the depths using rope once they moved into the waters).

They explored westward along the southern shoreline near their entry point for awhile, found a huge iron ring ("the knocker" as it shall forever now be known) inset into wall, and discovered a couple of large columns just on the outer edges of their light sources. They checked out one of the columns for awhile (using a combination of spider climb and a rod-of-lordly-might-like magical climbing pole), but after circumnavigating one of the columns (a large hexagonal monolith stretching up over 200' and down into the water as well), they returned to their entry point and proceeded eastward.

There they found a large raft moored on the slate shelf, and continued past it to a nearby cave, which sprouted 4 pairs of attacking giant albino crab arms! Battle ensued, and after casting magic missile at one of the fiends, the elf MU/T discovered that the strange armor of the crabs had spell turning properties! Luke's MU managed to paralyze one of the crabs with a wand (I forgot about the spell turning that time :oops: ), and they rest of the party took the others down (although not without suffering some damage during the battle, including Brendan's PC who got nailed with a pair of natural 20s for 20 total points of damage).

Amongst a nearby larger cave, they found the sculling oars for the raft, and then ventured out into the murky waters, following what proved to be a line of columns leading northward away from the bleak shore into the interior of the cavernous lake. Each pillar was ~20' across, and was ~30' apart from the next-nearer pillar. They proceeded up past ~5 or 6 pillars when they ran into a long line of pillars spaced closely enough to block the progress of the raft beyond them. They followed an intersecting line of similar pillars to the southwest, and at the apex where they began to turn back to the northwest they were surprised by a dragon turtle, which breathed 71 hp worth of scalding steam into the party. Four PCs were killed outright by the blast, but the survivors attacked and ministrated to the fallen but not-dead-yet comrades. In a round of simultaneous initiative, the cleric of Pholtus cast a continual light at the eyes of the dragon turtle while he was snapped up in the beast's mouth and two of the dead PCs were knocked into the waters as well. Blinded by the light, the dragon turtle fled with its meal, and the surviving PCs retreated to the shore.

There they regrouped, and ventured back to the site of the combat to recover their comrades' corpses for resurrection. Upon arrival back at the apex of the columns, they saw a strange stalagmite-like tentacular sea creature with two eyes and a large maw holding onto the corpse of the MU (who had a continual light coin on a thong around his neck) and examining it posessively. The PCs opted not to battle the aquatic roper, which backed away from them around a column, carrying off the MU's corpse for dinner.

Using a ring of swimming and potion of water breathing, they were able to locate the fallen ranger and dwarf F/Th, and to escape back to the surface and the city of Greyhawk. And that is where we called it a night. A good time was had by all, seemingly