D&D Missing Delve Released! (April 1st 2009)

[RTGoodman]

Hey, Wizards released a new delve missing from the Dungeon Delve supplement, and it's got a LOT of really cool stuff. Check it out HERE (http://wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/duad/20090401).

I'm particularly excited to see the return to D&D of Flumphs, Stenchkows, Brain Moles, and Flail Snails, but I'm certainly glad we got to see a certain iconic Gnome (and his minion) make an in-game appearance.

Man, if I had a D&D group, I'd definitely run this as soon as possible.

[Starbuck_II]

Wow, this is an actual adventure and upon reading it: it is fun as well!

The treasure isn't bad, the battles are/is humorous, and it has Francis the Badger!

He is the star of 4th edition: glad he is making his first battle historical.


Notes:
Francis is Epic! He can't be killed. I'm suprised he serves the Gnome when he is so strong.

I think every player should play this adventure just once.

Also, how long before Francis returns to punish the players? After all, he can take them.

Maybe attempt another attack next adventure?

[LoopyZebra]

There was some speculation about who the BBEG released in MM3 would be, but now I think its obvious.

It's Francis the Badger.

I like the adventure. It's nice to have stats for some of these useless monsters.

[hamlet]

Hey! I like Brain Moles!

[oxybe]

flumphs. man.

flumphs.

[Mando Knight]

This. Is. Awesome. The Elite Minion Brute Francis the Badger and his Flumph Headstabber allies are just icing on the cake. And the Gwiffons on top. And it's one a' them Confetti-type cakes.

[chiasaur11]

Flumphs are a player race, too, which makes this even better.

I mean, their dailies are kinda amazing.

[hamlet]

flumphs. man.

flumphs.


Pfft!

You try striking terror into others' hearts as a Cthuhloid Flan!

[AngryRussian16]

Im actually running a game today, and I want to do this so bad

The only problem is that I left the last session on a cliffhanger, Im sure I can work it out some how

[RTGoodman]

Im actually running a game today, and I want to do this so bad

The only problem is that I left the last session on a cliffhanger, Im sure I can work it out some how

No worries - just tell everyone that they'll have to be on the edge of their seats for one more week. Last April Fools Day we were in the middle of an adventure from the Savage Tide adventure path, and we took the week off to run (a slightly modified version of) "Something's Cooking." Which, of course, is my suggestion for your 3.x April Fools Day gaming sessions, if your group isn't familiar with it. The other possibility is, of course, Tomb of Horrors. :smallwink:


EDIT: Also, one of my favorite parts of the adventure:


The PCs can choose to fight, gaining surprise, or
leave, in which case you should question their ability
to play the Dungeons & Dragons® game, and remind
them that vast stores of treasure are no doubt in their
future should they fight.

[LoopyZebra]

I decided to run this after talking it over with my players. I just have to tie it into my world, maybe adjust the encounters and the treasure, and we're all set. I think I'm going to run with the idea that the adventure is actually some sort of drug/spell-induced hallucination and do something they shouldn't have in the hallucination, for moral and practical reasons (like the Oblivion Fighter's Guild quests, come to think of it).

EDIT: Is Something's Cooking the 3.5 adventure with the calzone golem? That adventure is bloody golden. Easily one of the most remembered sessions by my players.

[Colmarr]

Is Something's Cooking the 3.5 adventure with the calzone golem?

Yep :smallbiggrin:

Written by Andy Collins or his missus (Gwendolyn Kestrel). I can't remember which.

[LoopyZebra]

Sigh. The good ole' days.

4th Edition needs stats for a calzone golem.

[NPCMook]

I sent this to my DM and told he should modify it for level 7 players, We'll still breeze through it, but it should be fun...

[Inyssius Tor]

I have seen a bunch of published 4e adventures and mini-adventures, and this is by far the best one I have encountered.

Also, later on in my campaign, my players are going to run into Fomorian warriors riding gigantic Flail Snails. That has got to be the third-best way to break a siege that has ever been devised.

And, of course, a suitably leveled-up Francis and The Gnome in the high Heroic and Paragon tiers.

Oh, and I have to say I like the idea of making it semi-hallucinatory, so that players can crash the Monster Party and drink all the tea without feeling bad afterward.

EDIT: EAR-SEEKERS!

[Kurald Galain]

Bah. You should totally be able to make your own armor out of those snails. We'll call it the pale flail snail scale mail. You can use the squishy parts for a (dwarf-only) alcoholic beverage, which would be the flail snail tail ale is drank out of a grail, and doesn't go stale.

Also, I want to be able to use those as player characters, so I can be a druid and invoke the flail snail bale hail to bail my friends out of jail.

[Colmarr]

4th Edition needs stats for a calzone golem.

Voila!


Calzone Golem
Level 4 Elite Brute XP 350
Large natural animate (construct)

Initiative +2 Senses Perception +3; darkvision
Burning sauce (fire) aura 1; enemies that begin their turn in the aura take 5 ongoing fire damage (save ends).
HP 136; Bloodied 68 AC 18; Fortitude 19, Reflex 14, Will 17 Immune disease, poison, sleep; Saving Throws +2 Speed 6 can't shift
Action Points 1

Slam (Standard, at-will)
Reach 2; +7 vs Armor Class; 2d8+4 damage.

Sauce spray (Standard, recharge 5, 6) Fire
Close blast 3; +5 vs Ref; 3d8+4 fire damage and 5 ongoing fire damage (save ends).

Final meal (when reduced to 0 hit points) Fire, Zone
The calzone golem explodes in a burst of scalding sauce. Close burst 2; +5 vs Reflex; 3d6+4 fire damage. In addition, the area of the burst becomes a zone that lasts until the end of the encounter. A creature that begins its turn in the zone takes 5 fire damage.

Alignment Unaligned Languages --
Str 18 (+6) Dex 10 (+2) Wis 12 (+3)
Con 18 (+6) Int 3 (-2) Cha 3 (-2)

Now, a disclaimer. I'm not a DM. I don't even have access to the DMG or the MM. I do however have a kindly DM who emailed me the stats for some MM golems. It's the first time I've been inspired to try my hand at monster design.

The Calzone golem is based on the Rimefire Golem because (level difference notwithstanding) the themes are the same - a hard-hitting brute with elemental damage.

As written though, I don't think it would make for a terribly exciting combat. Aside from the aura, it doesn't really have much in the way of surprises or tricks (although I suspect the sauce spray will come as a nasty shock). I'm also unsure about the Final Meal power. In my experience, solos and elites tend to be the last enemies to go down so the efficacy of a death power that creates a zone is debatable. I put it in largely because it's a scaled down version of the Rimefire Golem's power.

I also suspect that as a level 4 monster, it shouldn't be large.

The Math comes from Asmor's 4e Monster Math Cruncher (http://www.asmor.com/scripts/4eMonsterMathCruncher/)

[LoopyZebra]

CALZONE GOLEM!

:smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin::smallbiggrin:

I think it would be fun to fight if properly complimented with other monsters and scenery. I'm not an expert on balance, but he does seem a tad deadly though. His size isn't a problem. Ochre Jellies (a lvl 3 elite brute) and Gelatinous Cubes (a lvl 5 elite brute) are both large. (There is no lvl 4 elite brute in the MM to compare directly to.) His defenses are comparable, but the main thing is that this guy can dish out a TON of damage. I suppose this is (partially) balanced out by the fact that his attack bonuses are noticeably low.

[Colmarr]

the main thing is that this guy can dish out a TON of damage. I suppose this is (partially) balanced out by the fact that his attack bonuses are noticeably low.

Yeah, his Slam damage is from the "high" column for level 4 brutes. His Sauce Spray is from the "medium" column. Final meal is from the "low" column. I figured if you've worked your way through 136hp, you shouldn't really then get hit by MASSIVE damage.

His low attack bonus and defences come from being a brute. Compared to a same level soldier, he has +20hp, -4 atk and -4 defence. I don't really see how that's a fair trade, but that's what Asmor's Cruncher gave me. :smallsmile:

[LoopyZebra]

Well, elites all get +2 to saving throws and he has that. The Monster Cruncher (I played around with it a bit too) does tell you to add to the defenses, which should make the defenses work and which you already did.

EDIT: You seem to have edited out the question about defenses, but this was what this was referring to.