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errant42
Memunite
(10/18/03 5:56 pm)
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RttToEE: Attempt #002
My first party's attempt to make the dreaded Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil ended in a crushing defeat at the Fire Bridge. No one escaped that ill-fated expedition, and so now we're getting ready to make a second go at it.
But I didn't want to just press the Magic Rewind Button and say that the events of the first attempt had never happened. The cult was allowed to continue their plans unabated (other than some minor interference from other would-be heroes and the people of Hommlet). The players made new (1st-level) characters, and we started a whole new campaign... I ran them through some custom stuff, and through Speaker in Dreams. We're finishing up the Standing Stone (they'll be about 8-9 level when we finish), and I think I'll start Attempt #002 next.
Of course, I didn't mention anything about RttToEE, nor that I had a copy of the original ToEE. I just let them forget it, assuming that the problem (which they didn't even know the full extent of yet) worked itself out.
So what do you think would happen if the heroes failed and the cult were allowed to continue? I've decided to shift the focus back to the Temple itself, running a game that will end up looking more the original than the Return, featuring all 4 nodes being fully functional, and the characters racing against time to stop the final stages of Tharizdun's liberation.
Many of the NPCs from the Return are still around, but I got rid of a lot (and the PCs killed several). The CRMs are mostly cleared out, as the Doomdreamers moved all operations and resources to the Temple to bolster it in the final hours of the ritual. Hommlet was taken over by magic and force, and while its dark masters have returned it to a state which looks normal (so as not to arouse the suspicion of passers-through), it is a shell of its former self. Anyone have any other thoughts on what to do here?
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 Siobharek 
Cherub
(10/20/03 1:05 am)
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ezSupporter
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Re: RttToEE: Attempt #002
I think the idea is great, but there'll be a lot of work involved on your part, including re-drawing the old maps from ToEE. First off, how did you like the Fanes? A lot of the denizens there might have been moved whole-sale to the dungeons below the temple.
Or perhaps the remaining NPCs have fiddled with the Tourbillion in the Inner Fane and created a permanent gate between the Fanes and the Recovered Temple dungeons.
Perhaps they have even managed to open up Zuggtmoy's old abode. One might imagine the altar with her essence being moved there for additional powers.
You might also want to consider that there are more elemental lords around than just Imix. Does their presence affect the surrounding area? For instance, if Imix and Ol-Hydra have both been summoned, there might be a lot of geysers in the area, as well as flooded swampland and uncontrolled fires.
Those are a few thoughts about specific aspects. In general, your job will be picking and choosing what to carry over.
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. |
errant42
Memunite
(10/20/03 8:00 pm)
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Re: RttToEE: Attempt #002
Those are some great points and ideas... I was planning to move many of the residents of the Fanes (and some from the CRMs) to the temple dungeons, and I really like the idea of a gate. It may even provide cunning (or lucky) PCs with a back-door for a surprise attack, since the ToAC itself has shifted out of focus for the cult.
Here's a question for the experts: what are the final stages of the Doomdreamers' plans? Once all of the nodes are re-opened, what last steps must the cult take to free Tharizdun? I'd like the hour to be as late as possible, but still have one or two important tasks that the DDs must accomplish (and the PCs can interfere with).
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Siobharek
Cherub
(10/20/03 10:59 pm)
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ezSupporter
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Re: RttToEE: Attempt #002
Well, if all four nodes are open and the demon lords summoned, then that's basically it.
If you run that part of the adventure as read - all the four gems are in the cult's possession so all they need is for Bob the Builder to come along and excavate - then it's even harder. All that stands between the PCs and the end of the world as we know it™ is a few thousand cubic feet of rock. Which has already been removed because all four nodes are operational.
Therefore, I propose, that you check out the Binders post in the BoB. There, Mak makes some extremely interesting suggestions that - especially if you run a Greyhawk campaign - are just great.
If you do that, you can regulate the Doomdreamers' progression even better by making each binder hard to find. And it gives you the opportunity to switch between dungeon exploring and treasure hunts in whatever locale you wish.
If you like the Binders idea, I have more suggestions, but I'll stop for now. And I'm glad to of help 
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. |
errant42
Memunite
(10/21/03 9:18 am)
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Binders
Interesting... so each of the Elemental Princes' binders must be recovered from various remote (unknown) locations in order to be placed in the nodes. I'm actually playing in FR, but I might be able to adapt this to work. What are your other suggestions, if you don't mind?
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Siobharek
Cherub
(10/21/03 10:50 am)
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ezSupporter
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Re: Binders
One idea was to about where to put the Binders. I might put the Earth Binder in an old dungeon (suggestion: The Mud Sorcere's Tomb from an old Dungeon magazine), have the Water one be in the depth of the ocean - are there any water communities that might have that kind of treasure?, and the Air one be in the possession of a genie pasha on the Plane of Air, who may sell it to one side or the other. Especially the last Binder might lead to some interesting role-playing as the PCs and the cultists will have to play nice in order to be allowed to bid against each other.
More than the elemental gems, the Binders are items that can be used, and probably are. Deciding who will be using them and how they feel about the cult and the PCs chasing them will certainly, IMHO add depth to the adventure.
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. |
errant42
Memunite
(10/21/03 4:38 pm)
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Re: Binders
Hmm... yes... I like that. Particularly the idea of an extraplanar auction. I have been trying to figure out where to go after RttToEE, but if I can delay the final confrontation longer, say until the PCs are 18-20th level, it will give me an excuse to make some really nasty bad guys. The Ogremoch/Earth binder will be a flat dungeon crawl, but in competition with Temple forces (a party of anti-PCs... this is getting better and better). I'll probably give the cult the Olhydra/Water binder (unless the PCs seem fired up about an undersea adventure... but I'll be surprised if they are).
And the Yan-C-Bin/Air binder is in possession of (who?)... someone powerful and impartial to the conflict, but self-interested... an arch-fiend, maybe? I've been sowing in some BoVD intrigues throughout the campaign, and there are plot threads involving several arch-fiends, so I'd like to involve some of those in the final stages.
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msherman
Kalkydrite
(10/21/03 7:42 pm)
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Re: Binders
I'm using the freebie adventure Monte wrote for the WotC website, Thicker Than Water, which revolves around some decendants of a powerful Air Elemental (it's implied that he is in turn a son of Yan-C-Bin, I'm not sure how explicit that is in the published adventure, but it's true IMC). The BBEG in that adventure, a Nightshade, will be the guardian of the Air Binder.
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Siobharek
Cherub
(10/21/03 10:26 pm)
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ezSupporter
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Re: Binders
I did think there was a sense of deja vu about my reply. Check out this thread for additional Binder ideas.
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. |
errant42
Memunite
(10/22/03 7:03 pm)
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Re: Binders
Interesting. I like the idea of the Nodes being inside the Binders... I think. I'll have to see how that affects what I had planned. I had thought of something along the same lines as the time-travel deal, but dismissed it as too much work. It would be cool, though... I might try to think of a way to pull it off without too much paperwork.
One more thing that I need to work out: what exactly is Lareth's role in this new setup? Is he the only one that free the Princes from the Binders?
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Siobharek
Cherub
(10/22/03 10:56 pm)
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ezSupporter
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Re: Binders
It will be much less work to just have him be the Chosen One, the way he is it in the module. Basically, he's the very, very weak link in the chain. Take him out, and teh whole plan is for naught until a new Champion can be found. IMC, Imix blew a fuse when Lareth went down. He took a 5-point Power Attack, which meant that for the last 6 seconds of his existence, he missed royally.
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. |
errant42
Memunite
(10/23/03 8:47 pm)
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Re: Binders
Yeh, I already have plenty of work to keep me busy for a while. All things considered, I might run them through one more (Heart of Nightfang Spire has been gathering dust since I got it) in order to buy myself some time to put this all together. Of course, that also means that they'll be around 12-13 level by the time they resume RttToEE. When all is said and done, considering that the Binders scenerio involves one or more side-treks, I'd expect them to be around 19-20 level by the time of the final confrontation with the Inner Circle of the Doomdreamers, and that will be the end of the campaign, one way or another.
In any case, thanks for the help, and if you come up with any other ideas, send them my way.
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Roland the red
Memunite
(10/24/03 7:52 am)
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The Mud Sorcerers Tomb...
...man that was a great adventure! I'll have to dust it off and convert to 3.5 for my latest victims...er...players!
Roland the Red
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errant42
Memunite
(10/24/03 11:20 am)
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Re: The Mud Sorcerers Tomb...
Incidentally, since both Siob and Roland seem to think so highly of it, where might I be able to obtain a copy of The Mud Sorcerer's Tomb?
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Siobharek
Cherub
(10/24/03 10:18 pm)
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ezSupporter
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Re: The Mud Sorcerers Tomb...
It's in Dungeon #37 - I said it was old  - so your best bet is probably e-bay.
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. |
errant42
Memunite
(10/25/03 8:38 pm)
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Re: The Mud Sorcerers Tomb...
Ugh... that's gonna be hard to find. I'll keep my eye out for it, but I'll hav to start looking for something else as well. I've got a while before we get that far, so I'm not too worried.
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errant42
Memunite
(11/1/03 11:49 pm)
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Occupied Hommlet
The party is nearly through the Heart of Nightfang Spire, and will likely be 12-13 level by its completion. They will find clues in Nightfang Spire that lead them to Hommlet--the occupants of the Spire are actively opposed to Tharizdun's return, and were pursuing agendas against the Doomdreamers.
In order to ensure their continued privacy at the Reawakened Temple, the cult has taken over Hommlet in order to better control the area. An initial assault (lead by Naquent and D'Gran) killed or captured all threats and rounded up the townsfolk. Using tanbrosh addiction and mind control magic, many were subjugated. Those that couldn't be reliably controlled (Elmo, Rufus, Burne, Spugnoir, etc) were killed or replaced by various means. Y'Dey remains in the keep dungeon, subject to the DD's twisted depredations, but still unbroken.
Travellers are assured that there are no troubles in the area, and that the ToEE is long dead and inactive. Stubborn adventurers are sent to the Moathousem which has been repopulated with "bandits" (temple guards out of uniform) and bugbears, and all traces of the DDs or their schemes removed. The bugbears, supported by a small kennel of howlers, guard a small treasure trove (provided by the DDs)-- hopefully, just enough to send a party of adventurers away happy. If someone persist in causing trouble, or begins using Hommlet as a base for attacks on the Temple, they can be easily removed as they eat or sleep in the Welcome Wench.
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Siobharek
Cherub
(11/2/03 1:58 am)
Reply
ezSupporter
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Re: Occupied Hommlet
That sounds like a very good plan indeed! I look forward to hearing more, as I don't have any more to contribute right now. Looks to me like you've got all the bases covered.
Siobharek
...it is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing. |
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