So over the Thanksgiving weekend I hit 100 followers! And in the time since I started this post I hit 101!
I have some discount codes for Drivethru I'll be posting soon for everyone in my follow list, my way of saying thanks.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Getting back in to it
Ok, sorry for the long delay. Holidays, work, school. You know the drill.
I am going to start my end game for the "Dragon Slayers" game. Here is how it is going to go.
The Dragon Slayers are in Glantri now having just solved the mystery of the Palace of the Silver Princess (module B3).
I was going to have them go on to S4 and WG4, but instead I think it will go like this.
First I am going to have to go to the "Forbidden City" (module I1) since I worked on the Wikipedia article a lot. Then move on to the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (module S4) one of my favorite adventures. Here they will need to get the copy of Iggwilv's Demonomicon. Then naturally move on to WG4, the Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun and then finally ending in Death's Ride (module CM2) then moving on to Tiamat's lair for the big "boss battle". Though I am going to have to up the challenges in all the modules since the characters are now between 14th and 17th level.
What I am thinking of doing is expanding S4 and WG4 into one larger supermodule. There is so much information out there on S4 and it is a module I have owned since 1983, so I am very familiar with it. Plus there is a lot of cool things in S4 that play well into the overall arc. We need a copy of the Demonomicon and the Wonderous Lanthorn would be cool to have as would the Prison of Zagig (great place for Tiamat after the Dragon Slayers destroy her physical body).
Something to look forward to.
The Dragon Slayers are in Glantri now having just solved the mystery of the Palace of the Silver Princess (module B3).
I was going to have them go on to S4 and WG4, but instead I think it will go like this.
First I am going to have to go to the "Forbidden City" (module I1) since I worked on the Wikipedia article a lot. Then move on to the Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth (module S4) one of my favorite adventures. Here they will need to get the copy of Iggwilv's Demonomicon. Then naturally move on to WG4, the Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun and then finally ending in Death's Ride (module CM2) then moving on to Tiamat's lair for the big "boss battle". Though I am going to have to up the challenges in all the modules since the characters are now between 14th and 17th level.
What I am thinking of doing is expanding S4 and WG4 into one larger supermodule. There is so much information out there on S4 and it is a module I have owned since 1983, so I am very familiar with it. Plus there is a lot of cool things in S4 that play well into the overall arc. We need a copy of the Demonomicon and the Wonderous Lanthorn would be cool to have as would the Prison of Zagig (great place for Tiamat after the Dragon Slayers destroy her physical body).
Something to look forward to.
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Up next, Lost Caves, Hidden Temples and Death's Ride
So I am starting up my end game for the Dragon Slayers.
I think their next to the last adventure will be the old D&D Companion Adventure Death's Ride. I remember going through this one when I was younger and I think it will be a perfect fit for this group.
It will help build up some of the action for the next campaign and it is a good cap for this campaign.
I am going to do S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth first, and maybe squeak in WG4 The Lost Temple of Tharizdun. There is a blue dragon in S4 that just might become Korbundar in CM2.
Now the question I have for you all.
Does anyone know if CM2 had been updated to 3.x rules at all? I have a ton of RTF/DOC files of modules that people updated back in the early days of 3.0. I have them for a lot of modules, but what I don't have is one for CM2.
Anyone know if something like this is out there?
I think their next to the last adventure will be the old D&D Companion Adventure Death's Ride. I remember going through this one when I was younger and I think it will be a perfect fit for this group.
It will help build up some of the action for the next campaign and it is a good cap for this campaign.
I am going to do S4 Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth first, and maybe squeak in WG4 The Lost Temple of Tharizdun. There is a blue dragon in S4 that just might become Korbundar in CM2.
Now the question I have for you all.
Does anyone know if CM2 had been updated to 3.x rules at all? I have a ton of RTF/DOC files of modules that people updated back in the early days of 3.0. I have them for a lot of modules, but what I don't have is one for CM2.
Anyone know if something like this is out there?
Ingrid Pitt, First Lady of Hammer Horror, dead at 73
Just saw this.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-11823418
Having gone on a Hammer bender here just recently I saw a lot of Ingrid Pitt movies.
Of course she did more than Hammer films, but that is what she will be best remembered for.
You can see her filmography here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingrid_Pitt and here, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0685839/.
Her website, http://www.pittofhorror.com/
She will be missed.
Having gone on a Hammer bender here just recently I saw a lot of Ingrid Pitt movies.
Of course she did more than Hammer films, but that is what she will be best remembered for.
You can see her filmography here, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ingrid_Pitt and here, http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0685839/.
Her website, http://www.pittofhorror.com/
She will be missed.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Return to the Palace of the Silver Princess, Session 3, Finale
Well we finished the adventure.
I changed it a bit and actually had the character fight Arik of the Hundred Eyes who was in reality not so much of a god, but a really, really powerful fiendish beholder. Set him at 20 HD and let the group of characters, 6 of them, 10th to 14th level, deal with him.
In the end it was pretty awesome really. Lots of fun. Everyone got a chance to level up and I forgot how much book-keeping 3.x is.
Now need to figure out what to do for the next adventure before they take on Tiamat.
I changed it a bit and actually had the character fight Arik of the Hundred Eyes who was in reality not so much of a god, but a really, really powerful fiendish beholder. Set him at 20 HD and let the group of characters, 6 of them, 10th to 14th level, deal with him.
In the end it was pretty awesome really. Lots of fun. Everyone got a chance to level up and I forgot how much book-keeping 3.x is.
Now need to figure out what to do for the next adventure before they take on Tiamat.
Return to the Palace of the Silver Princess, Session 3
Heading into Session 3 of "Return to the Palace of the Silver Princess" today. I am basically running a combined version of the Green and Orange covers, updated to 3.x and increasing the threats to cover levels 10-14.
I am expecting the characters to get through most of the adventure today, we have a few hours.
Should be fun!
I am expecting the characters to get through most of the adventure today, we have a few hours.
Should be fun!
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Orcus as the Boss? Immortal level D&D? What's my End Game?
I have been thinking about the whole Orcus as the big bad in 4e. It's cool and it has a lot of fun about it. But there is a big issue I have with it. Orcus is a brute. He his not a planner or plotter. He smashes and destroys.
In my game multiverse Orcus used to be a Primal God. In 4e I am fine with this being called a Primordial, but now he is a demon. He is a demon prince and a very, very powerful one, but an over arching plot seems a bit cerebral for him. I am thinking that maybe Orcus is nothing more than the weapon being used by someone more powerful, but behind the scenes. But who and for what ends?
I mean Orcus is no dummy, but as a demon he is more concerned with destruction than labyrinthine plots.
Here are some thoughts on some potential players.
Vecna - God of evil knowledge and a lich, but what does Orcus have that Vecna wants? What could Vecna be using Orcus for?
Asmodeus - The Blood War may be in cold war mode now, but maybe the Arch duke of Hell needs Orcus to get the seed of evil.
Tharizdûn - This one is easiest. Tharizdûn wants out of his prison. While everyone thinks Tharizdun is imprisoned either in the Abyss or the Astral, he is in reality imprisoned in the lowest point in Hell. Asmodeus is still his jailer. I would make him a bit like Lucifer in Dante's Inferno, chained to very bottom of hell. Asmodeus thinks he is draining power off of Tharizdûn, which is why he is a god-like power now. Tharizdun is allowing this knowing that he gains a little more control over Asmodeus. Who is using who? Well I guess that depends on who wins in the end.
Iggwilv - The Witch Queen wants the Abyss, and Orcus is one of the big things in her way. I have been dying to use her is some way.
So here is my plan.
Iggwilv and Asmodeus are working together to manipulate Orcus. He is being propped up as this huge threat so the PCs take him out. Iggwilv is directing the PCs to do this while also working on Orcus telling him that doing this will make him a god. The plan is to have the PCs kill Orcus and deliver his wand somewhere it can be destroyed. The PCs end up in Hell and hand over the Wand to Asmodeus. Asmodeus has told Iggwilv that he wants the extra shard and she can keep the Abyss. In truth Asmodeus is being manipulated by Thaizdun. Orcus' Wand and Asmodeus' Rod together will free him.
Yes, this is bit much for a D&D plot, especially a D&D4 one, but I like the idea. If the PCs play this right they could defeat Orcus, Iggwilv and Asmodeus all in one fell swoop.
The old AD&D adventure H4 Throne of Bloodstone is an influence here since the goal there is to destroy the Wand. The E1-3 series for D&D4 focuses on Orcus wanting to become a god. So I will merge them a bit. The whole Tharizdun bit is a bit recycled from the Gygax "Dance of Demons" book, but that is fine really.
Part of this though also depends on something else.
To defeat Orcus in the E series takes the characters right to 30th level. To then take on Iggwilv, Asmodeus AND Tharizdun then is something else altogether.
So I had yet another idea. What about Immortal Level D&D. Reading over the Mentzer D&D BECMI set I do see how well Immortal level play can work and that is something Immortals would do, stop the imbalance of Tharizdun coming back into play. I am just not quite sure how to do that in D&D4 just yet. I am sure I'll figure it out. Though I did ask about it on RPG.Net.
Presently I am working on finishing my 3.x campaign. Since the 4e characters are the kids of the 3.x ones I can start planting some seeds now. Drop the name Tharizdun and Iggwilv. Mention Orcus' and Asmodeus' rise to power. Might need to figure out how Vecna and Raven Queen fit into all of this. Maybe once Orcus is dead Vecna becomes the new patron of the Undead. Am I ready to get rid of Orcus once and for all?
Hmm. Interesting thought.
In my game multiverse Orcus used to be a Primal God. In 4e I am fine with this being called a Primordial, but now he is a demon. He is a demon prince and a very, very powerful one, but an over arching plot seems a bit cerebral for him. I am thinking that maybe Orcus is nothing more than the weapon being used by someone more powerful, but behind the scenes. But who and for what ends?
I mean Orcus is no dummy, but as a demon he is more concerned with destruction than labyrinthine plots.
Here are some thoughts on some potential players.
Vecna - God of evil knowledge and a lich, but what does Orcus have that Vecna wants? What could Vecna be using Orcus for?
Asmodeus - The Blood War may be in cold war mode now, but maybe the Arch duke of Hell needs Orcus to get the seed of evil.
Tharizdûn - This one is easiest. Tharizdûn wants out of his prison. While everyone thinks Tharizdun is imprisoned either in the Abyss or the Astral, he is in reality imprisoned in the lowest point in Hell. Asmodeus is still his jailer. I would make him a bit like Lucifer in Dante's Inferno, chained to very bottom of hell. Asmodeus thinks he is draining power off of Tharizdûn, which is why he is a god-like power now. Tharizdun is allowing this knowing that he gains a little more control over Asmodeus. Who is using who? Well I guess that depends on who wins in the end.
Iggwilv - The Witch Queen wants the Abyss, and Orcus is one of the big things in her way. I have been dying to use her is some way.
So here is my plan.
Iggwilv and Asmodeus are working together to manipulate Orcus. He is being propped up as this huge threat so the PCs take him out. Iggwilv is directing the PCs to do this while also working on Orcus telling him that doing this will make him a god. The plan is to have the PCs kill Orcus and deliver his wand somewhere it can be destroyed. The PCs end up in Hell and hand over the Wand to Asmodeus. Asmodeus has told Iggwilv that he wants the extra shard and she can keep the Abyss. In truth Asmodeus is being manipulated by Thaizdun. Orcus' Wand and Asmodeus' Rod together will free him.
Yes, this is bit much for a D&D plot, especially a D&D4 one, but I like the idea. If the PCs play this right they could defeat Orcus, Iggwilv and Asmodeus all in one fell swoop.
The old AD&D adventure H4 Throne of Bloodstone is an influence here since the goal there is to destroy the Wand. The E1-3 series for D&D4 focuses on Orcus wanting to become a god. So I will merge them a bit. The whole Tharizdun bit is a bit recycled from the Gygax "Dance of Demons" book, but that is fine really.
Part of this though also depends on something else.
To defeat Orcus in the E series takes the characters right to 30th level. To then take on Iggwilv, Asmodeus AND Tharizdun then is something else altogether.
So I had yet another idea. What about Immortal Level D&D. Reading over the Mentzer D&D BECMI set I do see how well Immortal level play can work and that is something Immortals would do, stop the imbalance of Tharizdun coming back into play. I am just not quite sure how to do that in D&D4 just yet. I am sure I'll figure it out. Though I did ask about it on RPG.Net.
Presently I am working on finishing my 3.x campaign. Since the 4e characters are the kids of the 3.x ones I can start planting some seeds now. Drop the name Tharizdun and Iggwilv. Mention Orcus' and Asmodeus' rise to power. Might need to figure out how Vecna and Raven Queen fit into all of this. Maybe once Orcus is dead Vecna becomes the new patron of the Undead. Am I ready to get rid of Orcus once and for all?
Hmm. Interesting thought.
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