Post by grodog on Mar 6, 2011 11:33:33 GMT -5
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!
===
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!