Well, I got to taking a look around and guess what I discovered?  Today is my 100th post here.  Now I’m sure that the vast majority of you are going to skip on through an off topic post, and frankly I don’t blame you a bit.  However, I did want to pass on a couple of links which are important to me, if not important to the rest of you.

First:

A link to the first chapter of my novel The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep.  For those of you who don’t know, in addition to playing copious amounts of Dungeons and Dragons and preparing adventures for said game I also write stories, poetry and novels.  The Cleansing of Darnuth Keep is my first novel published entirely online and as the title of this post declares this is a shameless promotion of that work.

For those of you out there looking for something to read, well I have to say that I enjoyed writing it as much as I have enjoyed reading just about any other work of fantasy out there. What you’ll find on the site is are the various chapters, each published weekly (though I suspect some of the links are a bit broken as I don’t maintain that site as much as this one).

Second:

If you want to get the entire book in one easy to read .pdf file, well you’ll have to pay for that.  $5 will get you the e-book version, which is much more convenient that trying to navigate the links (did I mention that the entire novel isn’t up yet?).  There are, of course links on the site or you can follow the direct link here.  You’ll need to enter a name (doesn’t have to be your real name) and a valid email address.  You need a valid email address because that is where the download link will be sent.

In any event I do hope you drop on by and check out a chapter or two or three or twenty.

Finally I would like to send out a huge thanks to all those of you who have made reaching 100 posts an enjoyable experience.  There have been a number of comments on several topics, many of which are quite frankly of very different opinion than my own.  I think this is wonderful.  Some of you have very much inspired me to try different things and to think in new ways, which is always refreshing.  Others have simply made me wonder at your upbringing.  To each of you I express public gratitude.

As always, have fun with your game!

Welcome back to Dungeons and Dragons Corner.

You can find Character Sheets Here.

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I’m not talking about the old backstabbing mechanic from yesteryear (don’t even get me started on the different iterations from various versions of the game) I’m talking about when one character in the party decides to grab the loot and/or slit throats on his way out of town, leaving a wake of destruction and a really pissed off party behind.

Going against the party has a lot of ramifications.  First, it is likely to cause some out of game friction.  If, for example, you play in a game with your wife/girlfriend, then slitting her character’s throat in her sleep may cause you to sleep on the couch in real life.  In other words it really does piss of the players, not just the characters.  If you make enough people mad (or just one mad enough) you may find that you as a player are no longer welcome in your group.

Next, understand that in all likelihood this is a suicidal path.  There are times when the evil-doer gets away with it.  Usually this is because there is generous support from a willing DM.  In most cases, however, the resources that the other members of the party can garner are simply overwhelming for one lone character.  So if you decide to undertake this option, beware that it will most likely ultimately result in some sort of permanent retirement.

Now, for role-playing purposes, I highly recommend that you play a character that is evil from the start.  This can and will make for some interesting interactions from the start of the adventure.  If you play a good paladin for sixteen levels and then wake up one day and slaughter your companions there just isn’t a good way to explain it.  Many people have tried in many different ways, but the truth is it always feels unsatisfactory.  Plus it usually carries more out of game consequences.  When the evil warlock who the party recruited because they needed his support starts poisoning the water, nobody is surprised.

I recommend this sort of option only for more experienced players.  In general once this happens the main adventure gets forgotten entirely.  For this reason it could really piss of a DM, and if you do it to a new DM they may really do some horrible things to your character by way of retaliation.  A group that has been playing for a while, will know how to handle the situation better and there is a greater chance that everyone at the table will find a way to enjoy it.

Now, if you are going to do this and get away with it, here are my suggestions.  First, play an evil character.  Second, make yourself as valuable to the party as possible.  Third, gain a measure of control over at least one other party member.  Fourth, blame it on someone else.  Finally, get your DM’s permission first.

In case your wondering these experiences are also almost always the most memorable.  People will talk about it for years to come.  You will be regaled in D&D history.  And you will never be trusted again.

As always, have fun!

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So it doesn’t happen all the time, but it does happen.  You get tired of playing the character that you are playing.  This could be a result of some mistake you made during your build that you didn’t anticipate, or a bad fit for the party or a maybe you just fell out of love with dwarves.

Whatever the reason, you may find that your enjoyment of the game is significantly diminished.  My first rule of playing any game is to have fun, and especially when I sit down for D&D, so if this is causing your game to be un-fun then it needs fixing right away.

You have several options here.  First, though you may want to really think about what is causing you to wish to play something else.  Odds are good that when you know the reason you can find the solution easier.  Now, talk with the DM.  This may sound a bit difficult to some players, but the truth is you just have to do it.  The DM will most likely be able to help you find a solution that won’t hurt the group.

They may suggest quietly retiring the character.  The character may just buy a tavern and settle down or may get married and start popping out kids.  Retirement is a good option because it allows the character to come back later in a new adventure if things change.

The DM may allow you to simply rework your character into what you want.  If the changes are relatively minor this can be the best option.  If all you want to do is swap out a feat (and you don’t want to wait a level for retraining) then your DM might just allow you to do it.  It doesn’t hurt to ask.  However don’t make a habit of this.  I know that I cut some slack to newbies, but if you’ve been through more than a session or two with me I expect that you understand the rules and the consequences of your decisions.  A lot of DM’s are like this.  They don’t want to have to spend time memorizing everything on your character sheet and doling out character building advice to all the players when they could be spending that time preparing new encounters.

Finally, you may be asked to play the character out.  Now, if you are a subversive sort of person this may be your opportunity to go really wild, taking total risks and behaving in a totally suicidal manner.  Open every door.  Charge into every battle.  Take on every trap.  Eschew aid from the party cleric.  In short, do what it takes to get killed.  The change of pace alone may renew your love for your character

Whatever you do, have fun with it!

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Is there such a thing as too much realism in a fantasy game?  Most people that I have talked to would agree that yes there is a line that can be crossed where the game gets too real and it is no longer fun.

So where do you draw the line?  My simple answer is “when it isn’t fun anymore.”

Unfortunately in a game as dynamic as D&D, the definition of what is fun is as varied as the people who play it.  This means that the amount of realism that should be included in your game in order for it to be fun will also be different for each player.

Some players want the game to feel as real as anything.  They want the game to feel as close to real life as possible.  This could mean live action role-playing and speaking in character at all times or complex house rules to govern occasional situations that arise.  Grappling and disarm rules, for example, have evolved over the various editions of D&D.

Realism can also come in the form of the way that the game world evolves.  Treatment of social structures, businesses, commerce, family life, religion, and so forth can all be made more realistic – that is they can more closely mimic actual organizations or people, or they can draw closer to some fantasy ideal.  The level of realism again needs to reflect what is fun for the players.

Some players really want to be involved in a game that is totally foreign to their lives.  They want to imagine themselves doing and saying things completely different from what they live day to day.  Other players would rather play a game much closer to their lives.  They simply want to extend their imaginations to the point where they are the heroes in an existence that greatly mirrors their own.

As players it is important to understand where the expectations begin to impinge on the expectations of others.  If the degree of realism for one player is so diametrically opposed to another player’s then they may not be happy in the same group.  This means that they need to communicate with each other in order to find a compromise or agreement; even if the agreement is that one or the other leaves the group on peaceful terms.

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Like other aspects of a fantasy world, religion can be very important to making it feel believable and alive.  Often religion is used as a hook to start various adventures.

One caution I would make would be to try to give it as original a feel to it as possible.  In our world there are many, many religions and as many viewpoints about it as there are individuals on the planet.  Most of us, if we are religious, have a monotheistic view, but in reality our definitions of deity are so varied that we may as well worship a dozen different divinities.  The point I am making is that it is okay to draw upon the world around us in order to get NPC’s or PC’s with realistic feelings and reactions to religion.

Most people who get a knock at the front door by missionaries from one church or another do not respond favorably.  We have reasons.  We have purposes.  We just don’t care.  Often we play practical jokes on them.  More often we just ask them to go away.  Sometimes we get harsh, even violent with them.  Sometimes we invite them in and willingly listen to their messages, seeking something better in our lives.

The same thoughts and feelings also affect people in fantasy lands.  Most don’t attend church – unless they have to.  Most of them who do don’t follow everything the church says unless there are strong social consequences.  Some follow the teachings because they are strong believers.  Even these people struggle with aspects of the teachings.  They have temptations.  They have weaknesses.  Most of the time they succeed, but sometimes they fail.

Bringing a bit of this realism to a character can really give them a feel that goes beyond the numbers and the statistics.  A rogue who was raised by a cult somewhere may still struggle with guilt about leaving them behind.  Perhaps he hates the life he has chosen, but lacks the strength of character to change.  Maybe he has tried before and failed.  Maybe he is just waiting for the right person to push him over the edge.

Perhaps the cleric that you play is devoted only in word but not in feeling.  She has studied and goes through the motion, but really doesn’t have any conviction.  Perhaps she is a corrupt priestess or maybe just happy to live a comfortable life living off of the donations of the followers – until forced into an adventure.

Taking a different view of religion – other than blind devotion – can take your character to a new dimension of interest and playability.  At some point most of our characters will react with a cleric of some faith or another.  Put a little thought into how the character really feels about it and the session might go a bit differently than expected.

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Do you remember your first character?  How about your first adventure?  Who did you play with?

My first character was a magic-user.  I played under basic Dungeons and Dragons rules (the red box).  My brother was DM.  My Dad wanted to know what we were up to so he chipped in and played a thief.

A 1st level magic user and a 1st level thief under the basic rules wasn’t much.  We crawled through some dungeon that my brother drew up.  We missed the secret door (of course) and triggered the trap.  I think we had a total of about 4 HP between us so needless to say we didn’t last very long.

But I fell in love with the game.  I fell in love with magic users and went on to play several more later.

What about you?  What was your first character?  Your first adventure?  What hooked you?

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Local area encounters can be spiced up by using small variations in terrain.  Overland travel can become its own encounter by providing different types of terrain for the characters to traverse.

Overland travel can really make a session interesting.  Travelling through a desert where temperatures fluctuate throughout the day and night provides for unique challenges.  Combine that with a lack of water, food and other resources, and the characters will be in a position to do more than hack and slash at the nearest enemy.

Hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and forest fires can all also change up the scenario quite a bit.  Often these kinds of natural disasters are too much for low level parties to handle.  Mid-level parties generally have the resources to deal with these sorts of problems though they can be a test.  At higher levels, fighting dragons in hurricanes in swampland with danger from multiple sources makes things more interesting than yet another dungeon encounter.

Mix terrain with weather, disasters and clever monsters that use the terrain to their advantage and you have a recipe for something interesting and challenging.

Have fun with it!

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So I’ve been getting all this email lately about making monster cards for D&D.  Don’t get me wrong, I don’t mind one bit.  I rather enjoy the fact that people out there care enough to ask rather than just moving along the internet to some other site.  However, in the interest of saving everyone some trouble I’m going to give out the how and where of making monster cards for Dungeons and Dragons 4th edition.  3rd edition users can follow these directions but frankly you’ll be disappointed.  I don’t know if there is a 3rd edition template out there.  If so, somebody please put the hyperlink in a comment below.

Okay, so the first thing you need to do is visit http://magicseteditor.sourceforge.net/ and download a little program called Magic Set Editor.  This program is 100% free and has been around for quite some time.  It is a beautiful and nifty little application that can be used to make all kinds of cards for just about anything you can think of.

Next download DDM RPG Stats Side template.

The set editor requires that you have templates installed for all of the various cards that you want to make.  Again the template is free.

Now just go to town making the monsters that you want.  If you are like me then you won’t have any pretty pictures to put on your cards.  You may have noticed that I don’t publish art on the cards on this site.  There is a reason for this.  That art belongs to somebody and in general artists like to get money when people use it.  I have very little of this money and use it mostly to buy food and clothes for my children, so my cards end up with art.

But I’m sure that if you were to print cards and use them only at your table that nobody would no the difference if you downloaded some nifty artwork and printed them on your cards.  If however you started distributing those cards across the internet and trying to sell them to make millions (good luck with that), then somebody will get pissed off and toss a lawyer your way (and don’t think the DMG will help you out of that mess).

Really that is just about all there is to it.  If you are looking for support or help about using the set editor then frankly I’m about the worst person you could ask.  I will simply direct you back to the link above and say look it up on their message board which is pretty popular and full of answers to just about every question you could invent.

In case you are wondering you can poke around the internet (might I recommend Enworld) and find templates for making magic item cards and power cards as well.  However, since the new Character Builder from wizards prints these automatically and calculates all of the values you need automatically I honestly have to suggest using their software unless you have some serious compunction against supporting the company that brought us the game.

If I get enough interest I will hook up a post with some links to the different magic item templates and other useful accessories for Magic Set Editor as they pertain to D&D.  Otherwise ’nuff said.

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So I’m browsing the web and I came across www.spellfury.com.  Understand that I’m pretty much into whatever has to do with D&D or sword and sorc type stuff.

Spellfury doesn’t really have much to do with D&D other than it is a sword and sorcery type live action movie.  Okay, movie might be a bit of a stretch.  Basically it looks like a bunch of like-minded people getting together and filming some serious live-action role-playing with some low-budget special effects thrown in for fun.

What can I say, its pretty fun stuff.

Personally I never got into live-action role-playing.  Not because I have a particular aversion to live-action role-playing, but more because circumstances never really came together for it.  Between the wife and kids I barely have time for the role-playing that I do let alone gearing up for a live game.  That, and all the friends I have (had) who do live action role-playing now live in other states (which is to say that I now live in another state).

But I digress.  The point is that if you are into low-budget fun and checking out others who are also into low-budget fun then check out spellfury.com.  It is worth the short trip over, and if you don’t like it then it is worth the short trip back to leave your opinion here.

Now, be forwarned that the website is nearly impossible to navigate.  There is a huge clutter of art in various locations, so it can be more than just a tad difficult to figure out where to go.  Luckily the movie bits are all there on the front (at least I didn’t find any anywhere else), so no worries about navigating through a jumble of links to get to the juicy bits.

There is also a message board, though at the moment it appears to be more or less dead.

Did I mention low-budget?  As in friends getting together to have fun, which is what D&D is all about.  You can call it cheesy.  You can call it simple.  There are lots of things to call it.  Mostly I think it is just fun.  I think that is what I liked about it.  It is just people having fun with what they love, regardless of the opinions of others.  That is something I can respect.

I’ll be following their continued adventures until inevitably they run out of time and/or money and the project dies.

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Okay, I know I’ve been promising forever, well finally its here.  The Keep On The Borderlands, updated, revised, edited and so forth for 4th edition.

Want the link?

The Keep On The Borderlands.

It is also available on the downloads page.

Now, before we all go getting horribly excited, I should mention that there are a few changes from the original.  Like the map of the caves of chaos, and the encounters are in no way suitable for a first level party.  I figure levels 3 through 5 will work.  However, I am promising to release a prequel (fully playable with this module) just as soon as I can.  Basically it will be a 1st to 2nd level dungeon crawl that takes place underneath the keep (you didn’t know there was a dungeon there did ya).

In other news, I included printable monster cards in the full .pdf version only for monsters that do not appear in the monster manual.  I’m trying to avoid legal issues here, so please just support what you have.  Someday the monster cards that are on this site currently will probably have to come down.  Let’s all hope that dark day never comes.

In yet other news I updated a bunch of the NPC’s, so if you happened to already download them you’ll  want to do it again.  Included in the module are abbreviated stats for all of the important ones.

If there are questions, my contact information is here and there on the site.  Naturally I will be happy to ignore questions until it is convenient for me.

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Okay, here it is the custom made battle map that I am using to run my Keep On The Borderlands – more specifically the Caves of Chaos.  It measures 55 inches by 73 inches, which is why my excel version of the Caves of Chaos map is a bit different from the original.

I’ll walk you through how I put it together, and then give a room by room tour (at least for some of the rooms).

Ok, let’s get started.

I started off with some upholstery fabric that I picked up at JoAnn’s Fabric and craft store. They were running a sale and I got it dirt cheap. Usually this stuff sells for $25.00 a yard and I got it for $3.00 a yard. 2 yards = 6 bucks for the base.

The material used for the walls I got a similar deal on, but I only need half as much (actually less than that, but half is a good starting point.

If you should attempt an insane project like this yourself, I recommend very much that you choose a fabric that has a pattern that lends itself to making the 1” grid. If possible, get fabric that already has a 1” grid on it, like a checkerboard or plaid. The lines on this particular fabric are spaced at ¼” so it was pretty simple to make my grid.

Okay, for the next step I started marking my grid and gluing down my walls. If I had it to do over again (which of course I do), I would recommend drawing out the grid in its entirety first. I used a green permanent fabric marker. They are machine washable and really do a very nice job. A word of warning here, though. You have to let the marker dry for a couple of hours before you expose it to steam.

Why is this important? Well mostly because I used a lot of steam.

In order to attach the walls I used fabric glue, which comes in little rolls. The rolls come in a variety of widths from 1/8” up to 2”. I chose the 1” width, but the 7/8” would work just as good, if not better. In order to stick the walls to the base you cut a strip of wall and a strip of glue and then place the wall on the base with the clue in between. Then put a damp cloth over the wall and apply a hot iron (set to wool) for about 20 seconds. The instructions on the glue say to keep it there for 10 seconds, but I found that keeping it there longer really helped, especially with some other types of fabric, like denim, which I used for the pool in area G.

Here we can see what the whole thing looked like with all the walls done but no trees, water, or furniture. At this point I was experimenting a bit with the fabric markers to see how they would look for drawing in furniture and stuff. I decided to go ahead and cut out shapes for most of the furniture like tables and chairs later on because they added more dimension to the dungeon. After finishing the walls I went ahead and glued down the trees, water, and major furniture elements like tables, chairs and altars.

After finishing all of the gluing I went back with a fabric marker and drew in the rest of the elements that I wanted including furniture, fireplaces, the kobold garden, and the magic runes in the temple of chaos.

All told the project took about 50 hours of work, but it is really a wonderful little blanket to have around. My kids just love it. And as for gaming, it really does bring a whole new dimension to the game experience.

Want a close up tour of some of the rooms? Let’s get started.

Area 1: Entrance. I don’t show the pit trap, but will place it down when the PC’s discover it. The red star represents the cave entrance. There are no furnishings in this area, so it is kind of boring visually. The kobolds get to use the narrow hallway to hold back the PC’s if they turn aggressive.

Area 2: Dump. I admit that I had a hard time drawing trash, so it looks a bit like scribbles. When the PC’s go poking around they will find the rats and scorpions waiting.

Area 3: Also visible in this picture is area 3, the Storage area. Crates, barrels and bags are all drawn out. Mixing colors with the fabric markers is a bit difficult, but they are outlined with black and then colored in with yellow and bronze. The yellow doesn’t show up too well in the photos.

Area 5: This is the kobold king’s lair. If you are paying close attention you will have noticed that I switched areas 6 and 5 on my final map. Why? Well because I screwed up and glued in the king’s throne here. Not a big deal I guarantee the players will not know the difference. I tried to get a bit creative with the fireplace, the lantern, and the little playing cards on the table.

Area 6: This is the kobold main living quarters. Notice the large fireplace and exposed rug. The kobolds like to lounge here next to the fire. They also have a couple of oversized sofas.

Area 4: If you’re wondering what happened to area 4 so am I. At the time of this writing I’m just noticing that area 4 got left out. I guess I’ll stick the guards in the hall somewhere.

Obviously this continues on for the rest of the caves.  If you want to see the whole thing then you’ll just have to download the entire module.  I’ll post links for that next week, I’m just putting on the finishing touches.

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Okay this isn’t actually my last post about the Keep On The Borderlands, but pretty close.  I’m going to go in depth on how I made my map of the keep and how I made my map of the Caves of Chaos, which I haven’t previewed yet.  Both are pretty spectacular, and I will begin those for next time.

Today I just wanted to go over what else is going on besides the keep and the caves.

First of all there is a small group of lizardmen who occupy a marshy area along the river.  They have no interest in the keep and so long as they are left alone they won’t bother anyone.  Eventually, however, Lord Drell will want to know what is going on in the marshes and will ask the PC’s to investigate.  Or they will go wandering around and find them.

There are no maps for these encounters in the original module and I haven’t made any either - so do your best.

Encounter groups in the marshes include:

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Not much else to say about that.  The other big group is the raiders that are working in conjunction with the temple of Cyric.  They hang out in the woods to the west of the keep and avoid the caves as much as possible.  To start with their group includes Tandoro and :

The raiders will attack pretty much anyone coming from the west or north.  They are avoiding the area around the caves of chaos on purpose.  Flin follows orders pretty well, but he is an opportunistic sort of fellow and will suggest that the PC’s speak with his boss, Simiobolt.  If the PC’s attack him he will look out for his own life before worrying about his troops.

Throughout the course of the adventure it is possible that the raider group will grow.  Chant Havelove will recruit kobolds, goblins, orcs, possibly even gnolls or bugbears.  If the raiders manage to get a large enough group, Chant will have them attack at night.  He and his followers will arrange to have the gate open.  If the raider group has 30 or more members the raid will be successful.  If there are between 20 and 30 members there is a 50% chance of success plus 5% for each member over 20.  If there are less than 20 members there will be no attack.

If the PC’s join the raiders, then success or failure will depend on their actions.

Okay, a quick preview of my map of the Caves of Chaos.  I’ll be explaining what it is and how I made it next time.

Just a link because it is a very large, non-optimized file.  Map-sample.

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This is the final installment of the Caves of Chaos section for my Keep On The Borderlands series.  Next time I will wrap it all up with notes about the raiders and other things outside of the keep.  Today, though it is all about gnolls and the Cult of Cyric.

At the end of this post is a list of all the treasures available.  As described in an earlier post, the dungeon is very open in its design, so just drop treasures of the appropriate levels when the characters earn them.  There are a couple of points that should definitely have treasures, like the orc chieftains and the minotaur, but otherwise there isn’t much set.  This also allows for greater flexibility in case the PC’s don’t end up fighting much of anything.

Cavern J: Gnolls

The immediate entrance to this cave is a natural, unworked cave that has nothing of note about it.  DC 19 perception will reveal the presence of footprints that have been concealed.  The guards are actively listening, however, and if the characters make much noise the guards will come to investigate.  When they see that there are intelligent creatures they will put away their weapons and offer to talk.

Lighting:  The entrance cave is always dark.  Other areas of the cave are dark during the day except for fires to keep the creatures warm.  These fires give off dim light.  At night the caves have bright light.

Terrain:  The entrance cave is difficult terrain.  Other areas of this complex are normal terrain except where there is furniture.  Furniture is difficult terrain.

The gnolls are much more powerful than a low level party can easily handle.  They are not immediately aggressive and will in-fact be friendly and approachable.  All of the gnolls speak common fluently.  If the PC’s start aggressive actions it would be wise to warn them that this does not look like a fight they can win.  Allowing a wisdom check DC 10 should allow them to feel that these are dangerous adversaries.

If provoked, the gnolls will fight.  They will fight to the death, however they will capture the PC’s if possible.  If they do capture the PC’s they will strip them naked and march them to the gates of the keep in broad daylight.  They will demand to speak with Lord Drell.  Drell will parley with them from the battlements.  The gnoll chief will demand to know the purpose of the intrusion on his home.  Drell will suggest that they speak together more comfortably.  Drell will hire the gnolls as guards to help build a town, lumber mill, and ferry near the river.  The PC’s should receive no XP for getting captured in this manner.

The gnolls only recently came to the caves after facing blizzard conditions and starvation.  They came begging for food and were turned down by everyone.  Eventually they moved into these caves, choosing to slaughter the little goblin tribe that lived here before them.  The keep was just beginning to become active again at that time and they didn’t like thier chances against the soldiers.  Since coming here the gnolls have discovered that they do not like the politics of the situation.  They cannot afford to lose any of their number and will not risk open conflict if they don’t have to.

Area 46: Guard Room

The gnolls are alert and actively guarding.  They will approach intelligent creatures peacefully, and invite them to talk rather than to fight.  They will invite the PC’s to talk come in and talk with their leader, but will agree to send a messenger and have him brought to the entrance chamber as well.

Area 47: Lounge

The gnolls here are the back ups for the guards in area 46.  If a fight breaks out they will immediately run to help.  Otherwise they pass the time here drinking and talking.

Area 48: Store

The gnolls keep a store here where they sell common items.  The store is locked during the day but open at night when the gnolls are active.  The chief has the key.  Items for sale include basic adventuring equipment, 2 suits of medium sized chainmail, and 3 longswords.

If the PC’s ask about food or lodging they will be directed to the bugbears.  If the bugbears are no longer available then they will allow them to sleep in the entrance area for 1sp each per night.

Area 49: Sleeping Chamber

The gnolls gather here when off duty or during times of council.  If the PC’s parley with the chief it will happen here.

If the PC’s somehow to get here without alerting everyone, there will be only one gnoll here tending to a pack of hyenas.

Area 50: Chief’s Chamber

The gnoll chief takes council here with his advisors.  He is an old, battle-scarred creature that is worried about the continued survival of his tribe.  Before the winter blizzards his folk numbered nearly a hundred, but they have come south from the drought and unkind lands of Netheril.  At first they sought refuge at the abbey, but were immediately attacked by undead and withdrew.

The gnolls can be convinced to speak with Lord Drell rather easily, however they will request to do so in person and at the keep.  If the PC’s ask to look around for mining possibilities, the gnolls will agree for 10gp.  There are no immediate indications that there is good ore on this side of the valley.

If the gnolls parley with Drell, he will hire them as described in the introduction.  The gnolls can only be hired as mercenaries if they are guaranteed a permanent residence as a reward.  The PC’s don’t really have this to offer.

If by some chance Chant Havelove or Simiobolt Hold gets a chance to negotiate with the gnolls they will agree to join the raiders because Chant will promise them the keep as a reward.

Area K: The Cult of Cyric

To quote original text “Red strata intertwines with bulging black veins running through the hewn rock walls beyond the entrance. The wide corridors and chambers are deathly still. A faint groaning sound, and a shrill piping may be occasionally heard, barely perceptible even if the party is absolutely silent and listening.”  This cave has clearly been worked, even to the casual observer.  In addition there is a faint smell of decay on the air, though it is by no means overpowering, and after a few moments inside the characters will get used to it.

The cult is here to regroup and then further its own plans.  At the moment thier primary objective is to figure out what to do about the keep.

If the PC’s attempt to negotiate, Simiobolt Hold will attempt to get them to join his side and lead the raiders against the keep.  As a reward they will be given control over the keep (the PC’s will have to work out their own deal with the gnolls if they also join).  He will also pay the PC’s up to 50 gold to spy for him at the keep, though he will not reveal Chant’s identity until he fully trusts the PC’s.  He will offer a reward of 100 gp for rescuing Deliria from the hobgoblins.  He will pay them to assassinate Drell’s officers and advisors for 50gp x the target’s level.  After the first assassination he will trust the PC’s fully and will reveal Chant’s identity and ask the PC’s for advice on how to proceed.

If the party is playing evil characters, and they are doing so from the start the GM may want to consider having Chant approach them openly and invite them to meet with Simiobolt early on.  If any of them have prior connections with the cult of Cyric (or if they would like to) they could come to the keep on false pretenses of helping Drell, but really be looking for Simiobolt.  Conquering the keep could be a fun adventure all its own.

For most games, however, the PC’s will see the undead guards and just start killing everything, which works just fine.

Lighting: All passages have bright light.  All rooms have bright light unless otherwise noted.

Terrain:  The terrain is normal except where there is furniture.  There is no risk of fire like other areas of the caves because the humans are smart enough to keep their fires in fireplaces or stoves.

Area 51: Boulder Filled Passage

This passage suffered a cave in.  It leads to the Caves of the Unknown, which is to say it leads to an adventure you will have to make yourself.  It will take a good team a month to dig it out.

Area 52: Hall of Skeletons

Evil energy fills this hall.  The power of undeath is almost tangible here.  The altar at the far end of the hall glows with a very, very faint purple light (dim light on the altar squares and for 1 square away from it).  Otherwise this room is completely dark.

A DC 18 religion or arcana check will tell the characters that the skeletons in this room draw their power from the altar.  Any undead within 10 squares of the altar receives resist 10 to radiant damage.  The altar can be disabled by a skill challenge DC 18 with 3 successful religion or aracana checks before 6 failures.

The undead will attack the PC’s unless they are accompanied by a member of the Cult (including Deliria).

Area 53: Guard Room

This room is always dark.  The undead will attack the PC’s unless they are accompanied by a member of the Cult (including Deliria).

Area 54: Acolyte’s Chamber

There are 2 Acolytes here.  They use the statistics for human mages, but they are wearing holy symbols and their powers are radiant rather than arcane.  They will act surprised and ask the PC’s what they are doing.  If they wish to negotiate, they will bring them to the guest room and ask them to wait.  Simiobolt will meet them there with his personal undead attendants as well as the acolytes and their guards.

If the PC’s can offer no reasonalbe explanation the acolytes will attack.  One of them will run to alert Simiobolt.

Area 55: Chapel of Evil Chaos

Okay this is a throwback to the original module and is pretty out of place in 4th edition.  If you want to play it nice and keep it 4th edition, just leave out the jewels and make the room essentially empty except for the altar.

From the original text: “This place is of red stone, the floor being a mosaic checkerboard of black and red.  The south wall is covered by a huge tapestry which depicts a black landscape, barren trees, and unidentifiable but horrible black shapes in silhouette - possibly demons of some sort - holding aloft a struggling human. A gray sky is torn by wisps of purple clouds, and a bloody moon with a skull-like face on it leers down upon the scene. Four black pillars support the domed ceiling some 25’ overhead. Between these columns, just in front of the tapestry, is a stone altar of red veined black rock, rough-hewn and stained brown with dried blood. Upon it are 4 ancient bronze vessels - a shallow bowl, a pair of goblets, and a ewer, a vase-shaped pitcher. They are also bloodstained but obviously worth a great deal of money. (The value is 1,000 g.p. for each cup, and 2,000 g.p. for each of the other items, but these are relics of evil, and any character possessing them will not part with them or sell them nor allow others to handle them.)

If a character picks up a relic, the relic makes an attack +14 vs. Will.  If it misses the character gets an immediate feeling of utter evil and can be allowed to put down the relic.  On a hit the character is immediately overcome with an obsession about the object.  Within 6 days the character will become a servant of chaos and will return and replace the relic and then stay to guard the altar forever.

If someone attempts to destroy the altar or the relics the bell in room 58 will sound.  All of the cult members and their guards will immediately come to this area to investigate.

Area 56: Adept’s chambers

The adepts will behave the same as the acolytes in room 54.

Area 57: Hall of Undead Warriors

From the original: “There are four files of the undead here, two of 10 skeletons each, two of 10 zombies
each. The former face south, the latter north.”

If the bell in room 58 is struck they will issue through the doors and attack anyone in the temple who is not a member of the cult.

Area 58: Temple of Evil Chaos

From the original: “This huge area has an arched ceiling some 30’ or more in height. The floor is of polished black stone which has swirling patterns of red veins through it. The walls behind the draperies, and the ceiling as well, are of dull black rock, while the west wall is of translucent red stone which is seemingly one piece, polished to mirror-like smoothness. A great bell of black iron stands near the entrance point, with a pair of mallets beside its supports. To the south are several long benches or pews. There are three stone altars to the west, the northernmost of pure black, the middle one of streaked red and black, the last of red with black flecks. At the western end of the temple area is a dais of black stone, with four lesser chairs on its lower tier and a great throne above. The chairs are of bone; the ivory throne is set with gold and adorned with gems of red and black (10 black stones each worth 100 gold pieces, 10 red stones each worth 500 gold pieces, and one large red stone worth 1,000 g.p.). The signs and sigils upon these seats are of pure chaos and evil. The other walls are covered by draperies of deep purple with embroidered symbols and evil sayings, done in scarlet and gold and black thread. As soon as the party enters the place, black candles in eight great candelabras on either side of the place will come alight magically, shooting forth a disgusting red radiance. Shapeless forms of purple, yellow and green will dance and sway on the western wall.”

If anyone looks at the shapes on the wall for more than a moment they will suffer an attack +12 vs. will.  On a hit they will “be mesmerized into chanting a hymn to chaotic evil.”  While chanting the character is able to perform other actions, but will not be able to leave the temple.  In addition they take a -4 penalty to insight and perception checks while the curse lasts.  The curse can be broken by Simiobolt.  It will also automatically be broken if the character is attacked by any of the residents of the temple.  An unaffected character may make3 successful DC 22 religion or arcana checks to disable the wall.

The relics in this area are not cursed, but anyone attempting to sell these items in civilized lands will have to explain their association with the cult of Cyric.  Lord Drell will demand that the characters destroy the items immediately or try them as cultists.  The characters will meet a similar fate in all good lands.

“Should three or more voices be so raised, the iron bell will sound automatically by magic, but even one such chant will alert the guards (in area 59).”  Even if the characters are quiet and avoid the trap, the guards from area 59 will arrive in 3 rounds.

Area 59: Chambers of the Evil Priest.

Simiobolt Hold is here.  If his guards are summoned to the chapel he will follow 10 squares behind them.  If the PC’s arrive here somehow without an invitation he will kill them without mercy.

Area 60: Guest Chamber

This is Chant Havelove’s room when he visits the temple.  It is plainly furnished and currently dark and empty.

Area 61: Torture Chamber

There is a rack and various items used for torturing people here.  The torturer is a rather unstable individual who will invite the players to voluntarily participate.  Failing that he and his assistants will attempt to coerce them, shouting “come play with me, we’ll have fun!” while he attacks.

Area 62: The Crypt

This is an ancient burial site.  The cultists do not come here.  It is always kept pitch black here.  There are 3 sarcophogi here, each requiring a DC 18 strength check to open.  1 of them is empty (optionally place a treasure in it).  The other two each contain a battle wight.  If one of the sarcophogi containing a wight is opened, the other wight will automatically awake and foce open it’s own sarcophogus the following round.  Both will attack any intruders, including cult members.

Area 63: Storage Chamber

This is a place where the cultusts have recently started storing stuff. They probably won’t be using it for long because a pair of gelatinous cubes have taken up residence here.  The cubes will attack and eat anything they can get their hands on.

Area 64: Cell

As the PC’s approach this area they will hear moans and angry hisses.  If the PC’s listen (perception DC 16) they will hear “die Simiobolt” and “release me” in very slurred, snakelike common.  The medusa was tricked and trapped here by Simiobolt.  He is simply waiting for her to starve to death.

The PC’s can negotiate with her through the door if they choose.  She will agree to help them kill Simiobolt.  A successful insight check, however, will reveal that she is lying - at least partially.

If the PC’s open the door, she will take them to the temple and will fight Simibolt with them.  Afterwards, however, she will turn and attempt to kill the PC’s as well.

If the PC’s just release her and don’t go with her to fight Simiobolt, she has a 50% chance of winning that fight.  If the PC’s come back and she was victorious, she will have turned the acolytes to stone and will have placed the statue of Simiobolt on one of his altars.  She will attack and turn to stone anyone entering her lair.

Okay folks, that’s it for the Caves of Chaos.  Really not much else to it except for a few things that can happen out of doors.  Except for the raiders these are essentially unecessary for the core of the adventure.  64 rooms to go through is an awful lot.  Doing this module will easily take the PC’s to level 4.  My suggestion for handing out treasures is to make sure that 2 or 3 are given out in each cave section, either one at a time or in bunches.  The first level treasure with lots of coins is intended to be handed out a few coins at a time as the players search bodies of dead guards.  But it could also be used as a treasure all on its own.

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