Mad God's Key - Dungeon Magazine 114

Mad God's Key is a starter adventure for a campaign beginning at 1st level. It is an urban adventure that is perfect for introducing characters to a larger city, taking PCs on a trip through various districts. Originally written for D&D 3.5, it is another one that easily lends itself to conversion into other editions including 5e.

Fits like a glove . . . This can be put almost anywhere from Greyhawk (the setting it is written for) to Waterdeep, or in my case, Ptolus. While most of it takes place inside the city, there is one part that occurs outside. In the case of Ptolus that doesn't have to happen and the small dungeon is a great match for the district where I'll be placing it.

I'll be using this to start things off in the city of Ptolus when the characters arrive. The characters in my campaign are already quite a bit above the levels the scenario is designed to handle. Some adjustments are being made, but there's no harm in leaving some segments as an easier challenge as long as the story progresses properly. 

No detailed spoilers are included in this post. It'll all come out when the game session write ups are posted in the future, but some things will be mentioned.

The adventure begins in the Guildsman District when characters become involved in recovering a stolen key (the title of the adventure gives that much away). The trail leads to the Docks, to the Warrens, to Oldtown, to the Temple District, and then the Necropolis. The opportunities opened up by this progression make showing off what Ptolus has in store easy. There are more districts in Ptolus that are not touched on in this adventure, but something needs to be left for later. 

NPCs fall into place almost seamlessly for organizations within Ptolus. Later plot possibilities can be set up as if they belonged there the whole time. 

There is not a clock ticking to get things done, but it feels that sooner might be better than later, and sooner makes more sense for the course of events as some take place the same day that things get rolling. Spots do remain available to squeeze other stuff in between events, but you will want to keep the players involved in the plot so keep outside influences to a minimum.

As I write this post I am trying to goad myself to get on with painting a number of miniatures and pieces of terrain that will make for a good 'welcome to Ptolus'. Anyone that has followed this blog for any amount of time likely knows that motivation is often a weak point for me. At least I have them ready to be primed.

If you can land yourself a copy of Dungeon Magazine  #114 get it for this adventure.

Lord of the Scarlet Tide - Dungeon Magazine 85

In Dungeon Magazine issue #85 is an adventure titled Lord of the Scarlet Tide. Written for 3rd edition it is simple enough to convert for 5e. While the adventure as written is somewhat bland, the core elements can slide into a Ptolus campaign with little adjustment.

The premise revolves around a trapped powerful aberration being partially freed. I'm changing things so that someone took a magical tablet (one of five) that holds the necessary information for keeping it imprisoned. The creature causes a fungal disease to spread from its prison far below the city. Getting the tablet back where it belongs and performing the ritual to recapture the creature or defeating the monster is the goal.

The ideas and some encounters lend themselves easily to Ptolus. The big bad could easily be Galchutt. There’s also a non-typical mind flayer using what can pass perfectly as chaositech. Infected townsfolk, a behir, kuo toa (who originally imprisoned the thing), and ghosts are encounters to be had.

I originally intended to use this in my first Ptolus campaign for one of my two groups. Never got around to it before the campaign came to a halt.

I planned to have Castle Shard send the characters to a high end auction being secretly held. They would be told as cover to bid on whatever they chose (limited budget of 2,000 gold) while remembering everything being auctioned and report back. That is where they would learn about the tablet and its connection to the disease, or similar info that helps put the clues together.

Dungeon of the Fire Opal - Dungeon Magazine 84 (Part 1: areas 0 through 6)

The Dungeon of the Fire Opal as it is called here, is a restocking/reimagining of the original sample dungeon from the 1st edition AD&D Dungeon Masters Guide. I used to stare at that section of the 1e DMG and mentally try to stock the rest of the dungeon. Only the first few rooms were described since it was being given as an example of play.

With the launch of 3rd edition D&D they revisited the dungeon map, fully stocking it and giving it a background story, that of the ruin of a monastery once run by evil monks who had a great treasure in the form of a fist shaped fire opal reputed to have magic power.

Since I'm going through issues of Dungeon Magazine looking for adventures to link to a Ptolus campaign, I thought it might be fun to once again take this classic map and restock it to represent a section of Ghul's Labyrinth beneath the city.

Occasionally it might be interesting to reskin and modify a monster, and to make new traps and events to experience. 

So let's get started: If you need a quest giver to send the party on their way consider Wynn Rabinall, leader of the Order of the Fist. He has received word that a magic item in the form of a fist shaped fire opal may be in this area of the dungeons. He has asked the group to check out the rumor.

Unless otherwise stated, all areas are unlit.

Unless otherwise stated ceiling height is 10 feet.

All secret doors require a DC14 or better perception to spot.

All areas other than 0, 1, and 3 are grey stone.

If you choose to include random encounters here are some suggested creatures for areas 1 through 13: All of these are from the 5e Monster Manual beginning with page 323;  Giant Centipede, Giant Fire Beetle, Phase Spider, Swarm of Insects, Bandits. Roll a d8 for encounters and on results 7 & 8 use these two events: 7 - a soft hum can be heard with no discernable direction, 8 - a mild vibration can be sensed through the soles of the feet. 

Area 0: Beyond the shattered remains of what was once a glass and bronze door is a polished pale green set of steps leading ahead and downward 30 feet.

Area 1: The pale green stone here matches that of the stairway, smooth and polished, appearing almost as if it is a single piece. The scent of ash from a recent fire meets your nose.

A - In the center of the room is a pile of ash and charcoal from where someone recently lit a fire. Around the remains of the fire are sooty footprints leading back toward the stairs. On the ceiling directly above where the fire had been is a soot stain.

B - In the corner is a pile of torn cloth. Investigating the scraps of cloth reveal by their smell that they once held bits of hard cheese and jerky.

C - Down this short hallway is a stout wooden door slightly ajar. The sound of running water can be heard from beyond the portal.

Area 2: The door opens into a cave chamber with a ceiling height of 15feet. There is a stream running through it with a wider pool toward the far end. Laying face down near the center of the room is a plate armor clad body with its head submerged in the pool. It is wearing a sword in its sheath and has a backpack still strapped on. In the pool can be seen small white fish lacking eyes. The fast flowing stream is clean and fresh.

Encounter - The body is a mimic that took this form when it detected noise in area 1. It will attack if disturbed. 5e Monster Manual page 220.

 Area 3: The ceiling here is 30 feet high. The walls here are of a sickly yellow colored stone. Along the east and west walls are a total of 6 semi-transparent glass and steel cylinders, 12 feet tall and 5 feet in diameter. Four of them are filled with a greyish liquid and large shadowy forms can be seen floating inside. Two along the east wall are broken, the liquid spilled across the floor. There is a strange wet form laying on the floor half out of one of the broken cylinders. The creature is a log mass of hair with a bulbous head. Protruding from what passes for eye sockets are nests of fine metal wires.

A - Creatures crossing the threshold into this chamber must make a DC12 Charisma saving throw. Success results in a tingling sensation along their arms and back. Creatures failing the roll also suffer 1d6 Psychic damage and have the poisoned condition for 1 minute. Additional saves may be made at the end of the creature's turn to end the condition. Creatures succeeding on the saving throw or for whom the condition ends are immune to the effect for 24 hours.

B - Metal scaffolding is erected along the south wall reaching to a height of 20 feet. The center 30 feet of wall beginning 10 feet above the floor are covered with large steel panels. The center section of steel panels conceals a wide secret door. 

Areas 4 & 5: Stored here are basic supplies including lengths of rope, leather sacks, iron spikes, lamp oit, shovels, pick axes, hammers, and the like. The rooms have obviously been explored and several crates have been opened. Hidden in the secret crawl space (3 foot by 3 foot) between rooms 4 & 5 is a small chest containing 134 copper pieces, 76 silver pieces, 13 gold pieces, and 3 small pieces of jade worth 25 gold each. The chest is locked and protected by a poison needle trap, DC15 perception check to detect. DC 13 Dexterity saving throw to avoid. Failure results in 2d10 poison damage and the poisoned condition for 1 hour.

Area 6: Immediately inside the door is a pit trap, 10 feet deep requiring a DC13 Dexterity check to avoid. The mechanism for disarming the trap and leaving the floor in place is to open the door outward. A well preserved human body lies at the bottom of the pit. If investigated it has a short sword, dagger, leather armor, and a potion of healing.

The surfaces of this room are coated in a thin rime of frost. The temperature is slightly below freezing. The walls are lined with metal shelves holding small crates of food stuffs including raw meat. Spaced every 10 feet on the ceiling are 1 foot by 1 foot metal boxes. These boxes cause 1d4 cold damage if touched. Breaking one open (Strength check DC 20 or 10 points of damage from blunt weapons) releases Brown Mold. 5e Dungeon Masters Guide page 105.

For every 1 minute of time spent in the room using a lit torch, the temperature drops 10 degrees. After a 30 degree and greater reduction, creatures are required to make a DC12 Constitution check. Failure results in 1d4 cold damage. When the temperature is reduced by 60 degrees or greater, another saving throw is required to avoid further cold damage and a level of exhaustion. These checks continue for every minute spent at these lower temperatures.

You Own How Many Player's Handbooks?!

Four. This could be the end of the post, but of course it's not the end.

When 5th edition D&D launched in 2014 I decided to pick up two copies of the Player's Handbook, two copies of the Monster Manual, and one copy of the Dungeon Master's Guide. This was initially because I took advantage of a huge sale at a friendly local game store concurrent with my pre-order of the 3 core books from an online retailer, and having a spare PHB at the table has benefits.

It has always been the case that rules, spells, and other information need to be looked up during play. I have never met a gamer yet that can actually memorize and spontaneously recall everything in the book despite one who claimed she had an eidetic memory.

When I began playing AD&D in 1981 at least half of the large group picked up their own copies of the Player's Handbook despite being a bunch of cash strapped teenagers, and we always had plenty on hand at the table (and we read them too). Over the years that has not always been the case. 

During the second edition years I stuck mainly to 1st edition rules until close to the end of 2e. Within my group I was the only person to pick up the 2nd edition PHB. I suppose that was a good thing because less than two years later the campaign switched to 3rd edition (pre-official launch, I had an advance copy because I worked at a distributor and had to drum up sales) and more of the players picked up their own copies.

When 3e revised into 3.5e, most of the owners of the 3e version upgraded to copies of 3.5e so there wasn't a shortage at most tables where I played the game.

I did in fact pick up the 4e books and honestly tried to play, but over time it became apparent that it wasn't working for my group so I only know of two of us that had the book. This was what lead to me having a rekindled enjoyment of Old School Rules.

About two years ago I decided to switch my campaign over from using the Lamentations of the Flame Princess rule set to 5th edition Dungeons & Dragons to take advantage of the update of Monte Cook's Ptolus. We would have been playing 5e in the run-up to receiving the revised Ptolus, but COVID had other ideas.

Wait, what about the third and fourth copies of the PHB? Knowing it would take some time for my large group to get familiar with the differences between the OSR system and the modern game, I decided having ready access to the books was a good idea. 

My goal was not just to make the rules available at the table, but to have them available to the players between sessions. Besides myself, all but 3 of my potentially 10 strong player group (if everyone played at once) live under the same roof. By making copies accessible the thought was that the players could get a jump on class, race, and system knowledge. I don't know if that is working, but suspect not. 

Regardless, they have adapted quickly to fifth edition and enjoy playing with the newer rules. The books see lots of activity during the game sessions as players are seeking info on what their characters can do, what their spells do, and how to beat the crap out of their opponents. 

One of the four copies stays at home along with a copy of the Monster Manual and DMs Guide, for my use preparing to DM sessions. I also play in a Roll 20 group and find it handy then as well.

I'm aware that Wizards of the Coast are planning a special relaunch of the game to celebrate the 50th anniversary of D&D. What has been said so far is that this will not be 6th edition, but more like a 5.5e. I will certainly be picking up one copy of the book to join in the celebration of my favorite hobby, but I have no interest in trying to convert everything again.

So there you have it, four copies of the 5e Player's Handbook.

An Adventure in Restenford: A Lesser Known Lendore Isles Scenario

For fans of Len Lakofka's Secret of Bone Hill and the sequels Assassins Knot and Deep Dwarven Delve, there is another adventure set in the town of Restenford.

In Dungeon Magazine issue #71 is Priestly Secrets written by W. Jason Peck. The story involves the characters in a recovery mission for the church that definitely does not go as one might expect. Everything takes place in Restenford keeping the incidents contained and not involving overland travel other than movement in town.

No spoilers will be shared here since I hope readers will have a chance to play or DM the fun.

An object of importance has been "misplaced" resulting in a threatening infestation and worse. In the course of recovering the item and resolving the root issues, the party will not only encounter opposition in combat, but also challenges of a physical/terrain nature to overcome. 

I ran this for my old campaign group during the transition from second to third edition. The adventure is written for second edition, but can easily be converted to any other edition. The game went great and while the party made it through intact they did have some difficulties that almost resulted in losing a party member to a natural hazard.

While the characters will not get rich from the treasure available, there is the possibility that looting of the available treasure could give the DM the chance for a tie-in later in the campaign.

My original copy of issue #71 was, along with thousands of dollars worth of mostly gaming gear, "lost" during my last move. This is still a sore point. I just paid for a copy of the magazine from an Ebay vendor, it wasn't cheap, but at least I have it back in my collection.

Priestly Secrets will not make it into my Ptolus campaign as-is, but the premise is solid and the core elements easily fit into the setting. By placing the adventure in the Temple District or in North Market near the Necropolis, you can also have some of it take a detour through the sewers and it will still make sense. If it does make the cut, it will end up involving a priestly order that handles burial preparations and funerals, and I'll have to determine how to draw in the PCs since there won't be a Baroness requesting a cleanup.

You may discover a less expensive source for the issue than I did, and I highly recommend getting your hands on it if you are a DM.

Players Guide to Ptolus

For those unfamiliar with the setting the campaign is moving to, here is a link to the Players Guide to Ptolus. 

You can buy the dead tree version or you can download the free .pdf

https://www.montecookgames.com/store/product/a-players-guide-to-ptolus/  <---- Link. You may need to copy and paste because Blogger is being difficult as I write this post.

This 32 page guide will give you a solid understanding of the setting without spoiling the secrets and true depth of detail within the setting.

The setting was originally released in 2006 for the D&D 3.5 edition. It had been used by Monte Cook as a playtest bed for D&D 3.0 and was part of his campaign world prior to that time. Recently updated to D&D 5e it retained all of the detail of the original, just converted stats to match the later system.

TM and © 2021 Monte Cook Games, LLC

Campaign Update: Another Casualty, Risky Behavior Takes a Toll

The campaign has seen a seventh character death. This time a trap nearly slew half the party. A pair of house rules used in combination saved all but one. The dungeon was a tomb comprised of five rooms, each having its own dangerous element. Everything could be defeated or avoided by paying attention and careful tactics. Sadly it was risky carelessness that ended the adventure.

I first ran this dungeon for some friends at GenCon in 2000. That party of first level characters (3rd edition rules) succeeded in beating the dungeon despite being under powered for the challenges. Players can and do often think their way to victory. After returning from the convention I tried out the dungeon for another group of friends and it also went well for that group.

This time the group triggered the first three traps resulting in them retreating from the tomb with a valuable monkey idol and a bunch of papyrus inventory lists for the containers in the second room. (Using the Lamentations of the Flame Princess rules in a standard style D&D setting). This group ranged in levels up to fourth and it was the 1st level elf that failed to survive the third trap.

The third trap exploded for maximum damage taking down three out of the six member party and leaving the rest badly injured. The first trap only caught one party member for low damage, and the second caught them all for low damage. The accumulated damage from all three traps was enough to convince them to gather their dead and retreat.

Fortunately this group of players, mostly novices, take the risk of character death without complaint and enjoy the game.

Below is the dungeon for your perusal and use.

Outside of the now cleared tomb entrance are two overgrown pillars and an obelisk.

Room 1: 30' x 40' The walls are covered in murals painted to depict a battle. The most prominent figure rides a chariot and is shown decapitating an enemy.

Before the door leading further into the tomb is a trap door into a 10' pit. The key to the door is hidden in a box painted to disguise it as part of the wall. The pit trap becomes active after using the key to unlock both it and the door. Opening the door triggers the pit. 1d6 damage.

Room 2: 30' x 40' Lining the walls are crates, giant urns sealed by clay lids, barrels of wine, and shelves bearing clay pots and boxes containing small scrolls in an ancient language. (inventory lists and warnings of the trap in the room.

In the largest giant urn are Thousands of carnivorous beetles, magically preserved awaiting their release to eat greedy grave robbers. Beetle swarm, 1d3 damage/round (1hp damage/round with save) to all in the room. Swarm will follow characters if not destroyed. Swarm has 10hp.

Room 3: 30' x 120' Murals line the walls depicting a funeral procession for the warrior in the murals of the first room. As the funeral proceeds down this long chamber the figures become more gaunt, eventually appearing as skeletons.

There is a pedestal upon which sits an ornate monkey idol (1000 gold or silver depending on which standard is used in your campaign). The pedestal is painted showing flames emanating from upraised hands of an angry looking monkey.

Removing the monkey idol without disarming the trap results in 2d6 damage from fire to all in the chamber, save for half.

Room 4: 90' x 90' This room is completely shrouded in magical darkness which is generated by a rod held upright near the center of the room. Destroying the rod (5hp) removes the magical darkness.

There are 4 10' deep pits (1d6 damage) spaced about the room and 6 skeletons (5 hp each) that will attack intruders. There is also a bejeweled (5 gemstones, random value) throne centered on the northern wall. Sitting in it opens the secret door hidden behind it.

Room 5: 50' x 50' Centered in this lavish room is a dais upon which rests a large sarcophagus. The sarcophagus is decorated in gold, silver, copper and onyx, in the image of the occupant. Tapestries line the walls and the floor stones are painted in bright colors. The ceiling is painted to depict the sun and moons circling a crown.

There is a concealed opening on the north wall that leads to a cliff.

There are no traps present, but disturbing the sarcophagus wakes the mummy. The mummy wears 5 pieces of gold jewelry (random value) and an Amulet of Shielding (protects from magic missiles, 20 points worth of damage, can be recharged).

RIP Game Cat, You are missed.

A couple of weeks ago my friend decided that it was time to humanely euthanize her 16 year old cat, Selene, who was suffering from cancer. The poor girl had reached the point of having great difficulty eating and had exposed bone where the earlier surgery had removed a large tumor and she was not healing anymore. Right up till the end, Selene was a very affectionate cat.

She was also quite curious as can be seen in the photo of her trying to figure out what everyone was doing at the game table during a session of 3rd edition D&D back in 2000. A player stepped away for a moment and up popped Selene to look across the table at the dice and miniatures. My friend, a camera bug, snapped a quick shot that went on to become a LOLcat picture. (Thank you to the person that turned Selene into a LOLcat.)

The picture of Selene distracting an orc with her +3 cheeseburger will remain on the blog in its regular space. Here, for a better look is that picture again.

RIP: Selene