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henebry
2007-04-06, 10:04 PM
Ever since the maps appeared for AD&D G1-G3 modules (Against the Giants) (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mwa/archive2006) on the Wizards.com site, I've been thinking about how to incorporate those classic adventures into my campaign. I'm not really interested in rolling my way through a tiresome series of dungeon crawls, but I'd love to put the characters in the position of having to infiltrate these complexes to get vital information or perform an assassination.

Anyway, this train of thought led me to create a landscape for the Keep of the Fire Giant King. My primary influence was Monument Valley, AZ (http://www.astronomynotes.com/nature/shoffner/MonumentValley2.jpg), (the site of so many classic Westerns), but with active volcanoes.

Here's the landscape map I created (click for a large version):

http://s134.photobucket.com/albums/q105/henebryc/th_The-Witches-Kitchen.jpg (http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q105/henebryc/The-Witches-Kitchen.jpg)

I've included the map-a-week in my landscape, to give a sense of scale. (I'm assuming that this use doesn't violate copyright, as I'm only modifying an image which Wizards.com made publically available.) Green shows the high plateau, about 500 ft above the level of the gorge; tan shows the gorge, with walls pretty close to sheer after the first 20' (Climb DC 25).


geysers erupt periodically, spraying the area with scalding mist
lakes of boiling mud
a deadly vale (a depression where CO2 gathers, displacing the air and killing any who decend to retrieve the gems which glitter on the bones).


The Fire Giants' complex has been carved into the plateau at the end of a narrow cul-de-sac and guarded by a natural geyser.

I'd love to get responses from the community on this plan so far, and even collaborate on how to run the module so that it doesn't degenerate into a dungeon crawl.