PDA

View Full Version : Adventure Recommendation



Shhalahr Windrider
2008-11-26, 09:32 PM
Some players from a previous D&D 3.5 campaign of mine have requested I run a new PbP adventure with their old characters. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to come up with everything myself, so I need to run a published module. I'm not too keen on the free ones from the Wizards website at the moment, since those tend to be a bit more skeletal, with blank spots to be filled by the DM.

Party will consist of:
Elf Ranger 6/Shifter 6 (homebrew shapeshifting prestige class)
Human Warmage 12
Wemic Psychic Warrior 7 (wemic homebrewed down to 3 racial HD, +2 LA)

Any recommendations?

RTGoodman
2008-11-27, 01:20 AM
Well, it depends on the types of adventures you all prefer. Goodman Games's Dungeon Crawl Classics series has a lot of good dungeon crawls (of course), and you can usually find them pretty cheaply (or even for free) if you do a bit of searching. I can't think of any particular ones of the top of my head, but take a look and see if there are any you like.

If you're looking for a longer-term kind of game, I suggest maybe Paizo's Savage Tide adventure path from Dungeon Magazine (though it could be harder to find), or maybe even RHoD (which is my old stand-by for when people ask what to run). I think they might be a good level (if slightly higher) for Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, which could interest them if they'd like to fight Drow and whatnot.

Alternatively, Tomb of Horrors. :smallamused:

Keld Denar
2008-11-27, 01:47 AM
I think they might be a good level (if slightly higher) for Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, which could interest them if they'd like to fight Drow and whatnot.

+1 Demonweb is TONS of fun. I played through it with characters that were 10 turning 11th level. You could easily just toss an extra foe or 2, or add a few extra hp to most of the baddies to bring it up to a 12th level challenge. Its really really flavorful, especially the time you get to spend in Sigil near the beginning. I LOVE Sigil.

Plus, you get to kill Drow? Whats NOT to love about killing Drow? Well, except when you run out of Drow to kill, but this mod is jam packed full, so you'd be hard pressed to run out too terribly quick!

EDIT: Shhalahr, when did you turn into a Beholder? I suspect one Lord Sylvanos had something to do with this. *shakes fist*

On the bright side, you can take levels in Beholder Mage :)

Fax Celestis
2008-11-27, 01:57 AM
Also recommend Demonweb Pits. Will heartily also recommend avoiding Castle Ravenloft: it's a neat concept, but I didn't feel the adventure was very cohesive and required a lot of guesswork (on the part of the players) and prodding (on my own part).

potatocubed
2008-11-27, 02:26 AM
Another vote for Demonweb Pits. It's one of the best things to come out of 3.5 if you ask me.

Shhalahr Windrider
2008-11-27, 10:00 AM
Well, it depends on the types of adventures you all prefer.
Right now I'm feeling I'm up for anything by way of suggestion. Most of the adventures I ran in the previous campaign were Urban and Wilderness Exploration.

The adventure should be fairly forgiving. One player is more of a 2e nut, and I always got the impression that another mostly played the game 'cause it's what his friends do rather than interest in the game itself. So neither of them are especially well versed in 3.5 rules and tactics. And the third member usually saves the tactical exercises for actual gameplay, so he's not likely to consider strategies he hasn't used or seen in the past.

This group would possibly be better served by something that presents obvious choices. They tend to be reactive rather than pro-active, and so have been known to get lost when I try to make adventures more open ended.


Goodman Games's Dungeon Crawl Classics series has a lot of good dungeon crawls (of course), and you can usually find them pretty cheaply (or even for free) if you do a bit of searching. I can't think of any particular ones of the top of my head, but take a look and see if there are any you like.
Yeah, I'll take a look. Forgot about those.


If you're looking for a longer-term kind of game, I suggest maybe Paizo's Savage Tide adventure path from Dungeon Magazine (though it could be harder to find), or maybe even RHoD (which is my old stand-by for when people ask what to run).
RHoD… I should know that, but I'm blanking out here.


I think they might be a good level (if slightly higher) for Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, which could interest them if they'd like to fight Drow and whatnot.
Higher level's good. Overcomes the small party size, unoptimized builds, and rules inexperience.


Alternatively, Tomb of Horrors. :smallamused:
They are definitely not ready for that. Though at least two of them would be entertained if using different characters.

(Plus, the 3e update uses stuff from Libris Mortis, which I don't have. :smalltongue:)


EDIT: Shhalahr, when did you turn into a Beholder?
I've had this going since Nov. 3. Had a brief existence as a ghost for Day of the Dead. Then I came back to life as this.


I suspect one Lord Sylvanos had something to do with this. *shakes fist*
That might explain the popcorn craving. (Or is that a beholder racial trait?)


On the bright side, you can take levels in Beholder Mage :)
Doesn't that require you to lose your center eye? (Or was that changed in 3e?) I wouldn't want to do that. Antimagic eye is too useful. If it gets in the way, I can always polymorph to something else. I am a Mage of Transformation, after all.

[hr]
As to the Demonweb Pits:
224 pages seems a bit long for what I was expecting. But this had that new format that spread most encounters over entire pages, right? So the adventure itself could be smaller than it seems. In terms of scope, how does it compare with, say, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil?

Now, although this adventure is planned as non-continuity with the previous campaign, I was making the assumption it was set in the same campaign world. This world was sealed off from the other planes, so on the surface an adventure that uses plane-hopping seems a bit off. But then if the campaign had reached the conclusion I was planning on rather than slowly dying as it did, the planar seal would likely have been broken, and Graz’zt was meant to be a player. So we could pretend that all happened, though it would mean there's definitely no ressurecting the old campaign without giving spoilers.

While we're on the topic of the Expedition series, anyone have anything to say about Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk?

And how come the description Expedition to Undermountain doesn't have any indicators as to what level it's written for?

Keld Denar
2008-11-27, 10:26 AM
Doesn't that require you to lose your center eye? (Or was that changed in 3e?) I wouldn't want to do that. Antimagic eye is too useful. If it gets in the way, I can always polymorph to something else. I am a Mage of Transformation, after all.

Yea, still requires that. Regardless, Beholder Mage is a pretty kickass class. What was that other Beholder class? Tyrant or something?


As to the Demonweb Pits:
224 pages seems a bit long for what I was expecting. But this had that new format that spread most encounters over entire pages, right? So the adventure itself could be smaller than it seems. In terms of scope, how does it compare with, say, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil?

Thats a formating thing. The adventure itself is only about the first 1/3 of the module, or less. The rest is all each specific encounter. The DM that ran it for me complained about this, because he had to keep flipping back and forth. Still, thats about the only downfall of the module.



While we're on the topic of the Expedition series, anyone have anything to say about Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk?

This one is ok, but the highest it plays for is level 8ish, IIRC. Not gonna be much fun for a group of 12s.


And how come the description Expedition to Undermountain doesn't have any indicators as to what level it's written for?
No idea, sorry.

Fostire
2008-11-27, 10:41 AM
They are definitely not ready for that. Though at least two of them would be entertained if using different characters.

(Plus, the 3e update uses stuff from Libris Mortis, which I don't have. :smalltongue:)

I've played it and the libris mortis stuff can be easily removed and it won't affect the game at all

Attilargh
2008-11-27, 11:04 AM
RHoD… I should know that, but I'm blanking out here.
Red Hand of Doom, I believe.

Fax Celestis
2008-11-27, 11:14 AM
Expedition to Undermountain is designed for ECL 1 characters and will bring them to ECL 10 by its conclusion, if I'm not mistaken.

Castle Greyhawk...haven't played it, though it looks functional.

Charity
2008-11-27, 11:33 AM
RHoD is too low level Shhalahr, it would require a lot of manipulation, it ends at about 10-12th level, and it's a long one.

potatocubed
2008-11-27, 11:54 AM
As to the Demonweb Pits:
224 pages seems a bit long for what I was expecting. But this had that new format that spread most encounters over entire pages, right? So the adventure itself could be smaller than it seems. In terms of scope, how does it compare with, say, Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil?

DWP* is way, way shorter. It has the 'new, easy to use' adventure format that consists of flipping back and forth between the front and back of the book, so the size is misleading. It's also the 3e product that comes closest to that original Planescape feel, which I love.

*Possibly stands for Demonweb Pits, possibly for Dual-Wielded Penguins.


While we're on the topic of the Expedition series, anyone have anything to say about Expedition to the Ruins of Greyhawk?

Promising idea, needs work. It comes in squarely at 'mediocre' on my personal ranking system.

Keld Denar
2008-11-27, 12:31 PM
*Possibly stands for Demonweb Pits, possibly for Dual-Wielded Penguins.


Do you mean penguins wielding a weapon in each hand? Or a person wielding a pair of penguins, one in each hand? Mayhaps the latter, and each of the penguins is simultaniously performing the former? Inquiring minds wish to know.

A better acronym might be EDWP*.

*Possibly stands for Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, possibly for Exotic Dual-Wielded Penguins. Cause you know....katanas!

Why do I feel in such a slap-stick mood today? See my last post in the CE thread for more whitty banter.

:P

Shhalahr Windrider
2008-11-27, 10:45 PM
Okay, looked at the adventures available for Dungeon Crawl Classics. For level appropriateness, I'm looking at The Dread Crypt of Srihoz (http://www.goodman-games.com/5024preview.html), Vault of the Dragon Kings (http://www.goodman-games.com/5029preview.html), Bloody Jack's Gold (http://www.goodman-games.com/5003preview.html), Thieves of Fortress Badabaskor (http://www.goodman-games.com/4600preview.html), and The Iron Crypt of the Heretics (http://www.goodman-games.com/50125preview.html). Anyone got anything to say about those?

Oh, and Weaponized Penguins FTW!