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| Halls of the Mountain King - session write-ups & queries |
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| ristarr |
 Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 7:12 pm Post subject: |
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I wish I had found this thread earlier. I have been running this for quite awhile now and had a lot of the same questions. We just finished the Test of Lore and the battle with Paracelix and Miss Flintknapper, so we are about a 1/2 a session ahead of you.
The players had a lot of trouble getting the details of clues, so I just had Verdun take them to the Masters. They figured out the main plot ok, just didn't investigate enough to find out the info needed to solve the puzzles and failed most of the Rabscuttle perception checks.
We recorded all of the sessions so far and they are posted on my website if you want to listen. It turns out to be a lot of hours of recording since we tend to stray off topic a little ( and tend to be a little graphic and/or obscene ).
Here is the first session of the adventure.
The PCs are members of a mercenary group in service to a duke. Over a series of events one of them got possessed and participated in an assassination attempt. The easy escort duty to the mountains is meant as a way to keep them out of the publics eyes until the news gets old.
I think the airship trip was the highlight. I made a 4 level model out of thin plywood and PVC of the ship ( got to use it for both ). I think this helped to establish the mood of a voyage.
We are actually going to make this section the last. I am itching to create some adventures for them.
-- A different Richard |
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| ristarr |
| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 7:39 pm Post subject: |
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I forgot to add that we used a Jenga tower ( like Dread ) for the timing of the Boiler explosion. I took some pictures of this and you can see the model of the ship in some of them ( I am not a carpenter or even crafty ).
Pictures of session |
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| Therabyd |
| Posted: Mon Nov 08, 2010 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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Hey, ristarr! I've been enjoying your AP, although I'm about a session behind. The Jenga mechanic for the boiler was inspired!
Let me know if you've got any questions about Eye of Grajava.
_________________
Mike Furlanetto
Lead designer of Dark Deeds in Freeport
Contributor to Halls, Red Eye, Tales of the Old Margreve, and Lost City
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| richgreen01 |
| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:26 pm Post subject: |
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Hi,
Here's what happened in Monday night's session. The remorhaz mini didn't provoke the players to attack - probably just as well! One question that did come up is how Paracelix and Jorunn manage to get through the puzzle doors. I just said that they hadn't locked behind the PCs. I also went with concealed pits (easy DCs to spot) with hilarious consequences (for me at any rate!)
Not sure if it's just me but this chapter seems much shorter than 1 & 2 - we should finish it next session. I'm then going to add a side quest as the PCs get back on the trail of the dastardly Heinsoo. This will involve a trip down the Great Stair and will use some of the stuff in the Iron Gazetteer.
18th Quintilis (contd)
Brave Ella opens the puzzle door to the Test of Valour and Bolval translates the dwarven runes inscribed into the floor: “Second, the faithful of Korak do not bow to the smoke of temptation, but rather seek their goal with the same focused determination a smith uses to forge his metal for the glory of Korak.”
Krivinn decides to follow the path of the faithful and strides boldly through the room in a straight line, ignoring the side corridors and the pile of ash in the centre, and falls into a concealed pit. Bolval does exactly the same thing, falling into a second pit! Both pits have nasty looking spikes making it hard for the PCs to climb out so they decide to stay put for now and pray.
Khuma and Saethus investigate the pile of ash and determine there’s no disintegration trap in the area; they also notice that the side passages hold beautiful treasures sitting on pedestals. Meanwhile, Ella finds a pair of secret doors, leading to two more corridors. The ranger continues carefully through the room, looking for traps, followed by the other two. Then, an incendiary gas trap goes off, catching half the party in its blast. Scared that another explosion might follow, Krivinn and Bolval teleport out of their pits and the PCs open the third and final puzzle door to the Test of Lore.
The room beyond contains iron racks holding copper tablets telling the history of Mount Rygar and the Golden Citadel. As the PCs take a short rest, Jorunn Flintknapper and Paracelix Zhedan appear, claiming to have come to help but Bolval is on to them! As the two dwarves move to attack, Saethus opens fire with a lightning bolt, revealing Paracelix’s true diabolic nature. Jorunn attacks Bolval, striking him several times with her urgosh and bringing him to 8hp and Paracelix traps Ella, Saethus and Khuma in molten gold. The devil also steals Krivinn’s sword but the paladin isn’t phased and just draws his executioner’s axe. Saethus takes down Paracelix with magic missile but as Krivinn goes to get his sword, Jorunn hits him with a critical. The paladin strikes back but then the dwarf hits him again twice, knocking him unconscious. Fortunately, Khuma is on hand to heal the dragonborn and Jorunn falls to ongoing fire damage from Bolval’s flame strike.
After searching the room and studying some of the copper tablets, the PCs touch the carnelian eye carving and are transported inside the Eye of Grajava. Here, they talk to Rygar, the Voice of the Mountain, who explains that the dwarves were given the Teardrop of Grajava to cleanse the mountain of Mammon’s taint but instead hid it here for safekeeping. Ella does much of the talking and the PCs are able to convince Rygar that they will use the Teardrop to get rid of the Cult of Mammon. Khuma asks about his tribe’s missing Great Bear Totem and learns this is somewhere in Parsantium. Ella also asks Rygar if he knows about Heinsoo but he doesn’t; he advises her to speak with Caradlather.
Krivinn takes the Teardrop and puts it inside his bag of holding. After the PCs rest, they all touch the anvil carving on the wall which returns them to the Forge of the Fire Blessing. Here, two cultists of Mammon and nearly a dozen devils await....
Cheers
Richard |
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| richgreen01 |
| Posted: Wed Nov 10, 2010 12:42 pm Post subject: |
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| ristarr wrote: |
I forgot to add that we used a Jenga tower ( like Dread ) for the timing of the Boiler explosion. I took some pictures of this and you can see the model of the ship in some of them ( I am not a carpenter or even crafty ).
Pictures of session |
Genius idea! And love it that you made an airship model!
One thing I did to make sure the players got the clues they needed was add quite a bit of extra graffitti to the walls off the Great Stair. The editing of the adventure could have been better as a lot of the clues on the tables at the beginning of Eye don't match what went before exactly or quote the wrong page numbers! It took me a while to figure this out and I'm very glad I read ahead enough to realise.
Would be great if you could post any questions you have here on future chapters so we can compare notes!
Cheers
Rich |
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| Brandon Hodge |
| Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2010 8:08 am Post subject: |
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| I can't express enough how giddy those pictures made me! A frikkin 3D airship??!!?? Yes, please! Using a Jenga tower for the boiler countdown mechanism??? How AWESOME is that??? Really all out there, Richard! Very, very cool. I'm not sure there's a greater satisfaction for a game designer than actually knowing all your effort pays off when, you know, people get together and PLAY what you've written, so I really appreciate BOTH Richards for sharing these experiences. So cool! |
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| richgreen01 |
| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2010 11:31 pm Post subject: |
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Hi,
Here’s what happened in Monday night’s session which marked the end of Chapter 3 of Halls of the Mountain King. We're going to get one more session in before Christmas - a side quest to the Library of Thorvir Runeshadow.
19th Quintilis (contd.)
Realising they need to get up to the altar-forge of Korak to sacrifice the Teardrop of Grajava, Saethus decides to open an arcane gate to a spot right next to it. Unfortunately, he is bound by the fiery gold chains of the kyton nearest to him, rooting him to the spot. The eladrin still manages to get the gate open but the PCs are held in place by the bludgeoning shadowy tentacles conjured by Tarisaul Eris, a cultist of Mammon. Khuma escapes the tentacles and dives through the arcane gate, appearing next to the altar. The shifter smashes the Teardrop on the forge - when he does so, it shatters in a rapidly expanding sphere of cerulean light. Tanya Hrovitz, priestess of Mammon, and her diabolic allies are not amused, and immediately set upon the shaman who is alone on the ledge.
Brave Ella is next through the gate but ends up in trouble as the Mammonites’ attention switches to her. Tanya’s infernal greedfire blinds the elf ranger and Khuma, and to make things worse, Ella is also bound by a kyton’s chains. Krivinn comes to her rescue, using hero's poise, and the ranger makes her first death save. Bolval who has been slow to react finally steps through the gate and Ella is healed.
Poor Saethus is now on his own on the lower level, facing a kyton and a hamatula. He’s caught in the kyton’s fiery chains several times but eventually manages to dispose of the devil using thunderwave. Meanwhile, up on the ledge, Ella splits the tree to kill Tanya and a hamatula. The last hamatula dies to Krivinn’s divine sanction when it attacks Bolval, and Eris is killed as he makes for the door to the Great Stair.
The battle over, the PCs loot the bodies, finding a +3 amulet of double fortune on Tanya and a +3 robe of avoidance on Eris. The party enter the secret chapter house to report to Most Silent Master Caradlather. Their actions have purged the unmined orichalcum of Mammon’s curse and cured anyone with gold fever. As a reward, each PC gains Korak’s Boon (a permanent increase to one ability score). Caradlather also gives Ella a map showing how to reach the Library of Thorvir Runeshadow via the Endless Stairs. There the ranger hopes to confront the evil Heinsoo!
Cheers
Richard |
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| richgreen01 |
| Posted: Sat Dec 25, 2010 1:30 am Post subject: Interlude: The Library of Thorvir Runeshadow |
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Hi,
We played our final session of 2010 on Monday. This side quest to Halls actually relates to the main plot of the Parsantium campaign and Ella the ranger's background. I used Stefen Styrsky's Endless Stair skill challenge on p.50 of the Iron Gazetteer for the trip to the Library of Thorvir Runeshadow, reducing the DCs to Easy & Moderate for 11th level PCs and making them group skill checks. Worked pretty well.
Lucy who plays Ella is going travelling in Latin America for a year so needed to write her character out of the game but allow her the option to return. As you will see, she ended up in a coma!
21st Quintilis
Leaving Bolval in the upper Halls to help Sharden care for the refugees, Brave Ella, Khuma, Krivinn and Saethus head down the Endless Stairs, following the map to the Library of Thorvir Runeshadow they were given by Caradlather. Their route is difficult and treacherous, taking them across deep crevasses, past the lair of a large troll warband, and through caverns flowing with boiling lava. After struggling to climb a steep cliff to rejoin the stairs, the PCs run into a stairwell troll leading a trio of javelin-hurling troglodyte impalers. These monsters are no match for our heroes and are soon dealt with - Ella makes the killing shot on the troll with her last fireburst arrow after Krivinn has softened it up with his greatsword.
After eight hours of travel deep into Mount Rygar, the PCs at last come to their destination: an oak door marked with the symbol of a book indicates they have found the library. The party step inside the dusty chamber which is lit by glowing magical globes and contains stone bookcases holding hundreds of books and scrolls. As the PCs start to look around, they are attacked by the books themselves (which form into deadly swarms, by the stone statues of dwarven scholars (possessed by earth spirits) and by a ghostly librarian. The battle is long and deadly - Krivinn uses his knightly intercession to protect Khuma and uses his divine challenge and divine sanction to get as many enemies to attack him as possible. Meanwhile, Ella has been cornered in an alcove with a book storm inflicting deadly paper cuts on her which won’t stop bleeding. Saethus is also in trouble as a book storm attacks him over and over again, and eventually the wizard falls unconscious and fails his first death save. Khuma has already been forced out of the room by the librarian’s angry hush so Krivinn flings the dying eladrin through the door too so the shaman can heal him! Ella beats a hasty retreat, followed by Krivinn; the PCs breathe a sigh of relief having got out of the room alive.
When the PCs withdraw, the books return to the shelves, the statues become statues again, and another ghostly librarian appears, more ancient-looking than the first. This is the ghost of Thorvir Runeshadow himself. Krivinn apologises for the damage the PCs have done to the library; in response, the ghost challenges them with a riddle:
“What is it which, if you name it, you destroy it?”
None of the PCs are able to answer correctly, confirming Thorvir’s opinion that they are dunderheads and dullards. Before throwing them out of his library he reveals that not long ago a dwarf burst into the library, stole a book and left a note behind. Brave Ella takes the note, which is from Heinsoo (clearly a master of disguise!) and immediately succumbs to the deadly contact poison on it, falling to the ground, foaming at the mouth!
Have a great Christmas everybody! We'll be kicking off Deeper Darkness on 10th January, all being well!
Cheers
Richard |
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| nmilasich |
| Posted: Sun Dec 26, 2010 3:50 pm Post subject: |
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Hi,
I'm planning to start Halls of the Mountain King tonight or next saturday, depending on my players, and I'm quite excited. I have a few questions.
The mammon cultists have several spells, like Wealth ward and mesmerizing hoard. I have the ironcrag gazetteer but that does not have those spells, although that is what the adventure suggests. Could you please let me know where I can find that info?
Nick |
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| richgreen01 |
| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 12:09 am Post subject: |
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| nmilasich wrote: |
Hi,
I'm planning to start Halls of the Mountain King tonight or next saturday, depending on my players, and I'm quite excited. I have a few questions.
The mammon cultists have several spells, like Wealth ward and mesmerizing hoard. I have the ironcrag gazetteer but that does not have those spells, although that is what the adventure suggests. Could you please let me know where I can find that info?
Nick |
Hi Nick,
That sounds like the 3.5 version - the spells should all be in Dwarves of the Ironcrags which is the 3.5 gazetteer. The Iron Gazetteer is for 4e.
Richard |
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| nmilasich |
| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 10:21 am Post subject: |
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Hi, Rich.
I have the 3.5 Dwarves of the Ironcrags. It doesn't have Mammonite spells. It has dwarf spells, and stuff on the Kariv, and a section on the brotherhood. Is there more than on version of 3.5 Dwarves of the Ironcrags?
Thanks for the help.
Nick |
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| richgreen01 |
| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 2:58 pm Post subject: |
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| nmilasich wrote: |
I have the 3.5 Dwarves of the Ironcrags. It doesn't have Mammonite spells. It has dwarf spells, and stuff on the Kariv, and a section on the brotherhood. Is there more than on version of 3.5 Dwarves of the Ironcrags?
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You're right! I've checked my Halls folder and it looks like a bunch of Mammon cult material was cut from the final version of the adventure and Dwarves of the Ironcrags. Here are the two spells you mentioned. Let me know if you need any others!
Mesmerizing hoard
Illusion (Pattern) [Mind-Affecting]
Level Cupidity 2
Effect Visions of treasure in a 10-ft.-radius spread
Mesmerizing hoard works like hypnotic pattern, except as noted above.
Wealth ward
Abjuration
Level Cupidity 3
Components V, S
Target Wealth touched up to 1 cu. ft./level8
Duration 1 day
Wealth ward works like glyph of warding, except as noted above.
Cheers
Richard |
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| nmilasich |
| Posted: Mon Dec 27, 2010 3:30 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks! I'm looking forward to the encounters on the Drake. I took a page from you guys and made a multi-level model myself.
Nick |
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| richgreen01 |
| Posted: Sun Jan 09, 2011 3:33 am Post subject: Deeper Darkness queries |
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Hi,
I'm starting to run Deeper Darkness on Monday and have a few queries if Tim, Eileen or Ben are reading this!
p.97-99 The text is a bit unclear about the dropping ceiling. It looks like this should kick in at some point during the encounter with the quake and the mephits and finishes when the mephits are killed, but does it also continue to attack the PCs during the Race to the Rescue skill challenge.
- I have to say the quake looks very deadly to me, given that the PCs may well be stuck in its area of effect due to being restrained or immobilized by the mephits. Perhaps this should only strike once or twice in the encounter, then the ceiling starts to drop?
- It seems odd that the easier skill checks in the skill challenge (Heal, Nature, Perception) are the ones where two failures = one failure in the overall challenge!
p.100 The area numbers referred to under "Development" & "Explosive Gas" (2, 4, 6, 8, 9) don't exist on the map on p.96 which is numbered 18-34. Any ideas which corellates to which?
p.117 I'm worried this seems like too much treasure, even considering the fact that Eye of Grajava didn't have much so I'll be reducing this. I did add one or two additional magic items to the Forge of the Fire Blessing encounter at the end of Eye.
Any comments or suggestions gratefully received! I'll let you know how it turns out!
Richard |
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| richgreen01 |
| Posted: Tue Jan 11, 2011 10:52 pm Post subject: Deeper Darkness - first session |
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Hi,
Here’s what happened in Monday night’s game. I had the earthquake strike twice in the first encounter, then the dropping ceiling kicked in. This worked quite well and the whole encounter proved pretty challenging for the 4 PCs who are between 9th & 11th level. The skill challenge went well too, particularly as two ex-PCs needed rescuing, but I still don't understand quite why it was written as it was.
The PCs were nicely creeped out by the caged fetal savant too!
22nd Quintilis
The PCs are back in the Great Hall, having brought the comatose body of Brave Ella up from the Library of Thorvir Runeshadow and entrusted it to the care of Father Jappe, priest of Morwyn.
Suddenly, the whole hall starts to vibrate as a tremendous earthquake shakes the mountain! The tremors catch the PCs, trapping them under falling rubble as a group of mephits appear. Saethus and Khuma manage to take cover next to one of the big pillars where they are attacked by the earth mephits, but Krivinn and Bolval remain stuck in the epicentre of the quake and are blasted over and over by the dust mephits. Then, things get even worse when the ceiling starts to drop. The paladin subjects the elemental creatures to his divine sanction to get them all to attack him while the bloodied but fearless Bolval charges into melee and Saethus and Khuma attack from range. After a few rounds in which the dwarf cleric uses all his healing magic to keep himself and the other PCs still standing, the mephits are finally slain and the ceiling seems to have stopped dropping.
The Great Hall is now in darkness and the screams of the injured and dying refugees ring out from beneath the collapsed ceiling and piles of rubble. The party crawl around, rescuing their trapped comrades Sharden and Ella, and also Captain Clovis, Sawbones and Boso from the Manticore, Father Jappe and Jorgen Stravbard. Halston, the greedy merchant who bought the airship's cargo isn't so lucky - Khuma finds the fat human trapped under debris and "accidentally" drops a large stone on his head while supposedly trying to rescue him.
The PCs and the other survivors manage to crawl to safety but there's a new danger - explosive gas is seeping up through the floor and the Shank which powers the ventilation system for the citadel appears to have stopped working. Varden Redfel, First of the Stair Guard, asks the party to head downstairs to repair the Shank; Brother Sigil of the Illuminated Brotherhood will accompany them as a guide.
The party head down the Great Stair once again, emerging into Undermountain Square at the entrance to the Royal Residences. As they follow Brother Sigil's directions to the Ash Chapel of Korak, they pass two massive pillars, carved to represent well-muscled dwarves forearms holding aloft the world. To their left, the party spot a strange sight - a cage hanging from a building holds a deformed Forsaken child. Krivinn shoots at the creature with his crossbow but only succeeds in causing it to wail hideously. The racket attracts a patrol of Forsaken of the Red Eye, a fearsome dogmole juggernaut at their head. Fortunately, Krivinn still has the tanglefoot bag he picked up ages ago and manages to immobilise the beast long enough for Saethus to take out half the derro with his spells. The other PCs concentrate on attacking the bombardier whose shot causes Brother Sigil to stab Bolval in a brief homicidal rage! Once the Forsaken have been dealt with the party are able to slay the dogmole, although not without Khuma finally slipping into unconsciousness after fighting on for a while on 1 hp or so.
Cheers
Richard |
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