(no subject)

[dragonofdispair]

so bragging about all the work i put into a short dnd campaign...



even if i didn't intend to kill them all at the end of it, this would be a rather difficult campaign. like a video game set on "expert". or at least a good video game set on "expert", because some there don't seem to be very much of a difference between the easy and hard settings.

this game (meaning dungeons and dragons in general) there is a difference, and which setting a player plays on is entirely dependent on how evil the dm is.

i'm an evil dm.

so why this game is an expert setting game... difficult enemies, very few healing potions, very few magic items and the only magic weapon is the wizard's rod, the best lootable equipment belongs to the drow which will be destroyed under a light spell, and there is only one place in the story where resting and recovering spells and such is really possible.

so let's start with the playable characters:

Human Paladin
bonuses: savethrow bonus, detect evil, aura of protection, priest spells, three attacks/two rounds, lay on hands (healing ability)
negatives: no infravision, must retain a good alignment

Dwarven Warrior:
bonuses: savethrow bonus, to-hit bonus against orcs and hobgoblins, three attacks/two rounds, plus one damage due to strength, infravision, undercommon (language common to all sentient underdark denizens,
negatives: 20% chance a magic item will malfunction, no extra powers

Elven Ranger
bonuses: 90% resistant to sleep and charm spells, infravision, three attacks/two rounds, stealth skills, priest spells, tracking ability, animal handling, +4 bonus to attack rols vs drow, speaks drow, savethrow bonus, one extra healing potion, and the possibility of picking up a follower at the beginning of the the quest, is one of the two available characters who can wear drow armor and clothing, priest spells
negatives:must retain a good alignment, starts out with only leather armor

Elven Mage
bonuses: 90% resistant to sleep and charm spells, infravision, wizard spells, animal familiar, rod of terror, cloak of protection+1, can wear drow equipment
negatives:high thaco, high ac, cannot wear armor without interfering with spellcasting, require to roll system shock if familiar dies, must always have his spellbook, can use magic items flawlessly

Halfling Thief
bonuses: savethrow bonus, infravision, backstab damage bonus, rogue skills, cloak of protection,
negatives: high ac, cannot use any melee weapons bigger than a dagger, cannot use full-sized bows

so enough about the pcs -- lest get to how to kill pcs 101

i wrote an underdark campaign. yay for me.

it's short, so it's a very linear story. still, i've included lots of places where an adventurer can make detrimental mistakes and get themselves lost forever even without getting to the boss fight.

event progression is thus: they get plot hammered at a destroyed village and start going hunting for orcs, they find an owl with a broken wing, they find the orc camp and free the prisoners, they find the drow are behind the attack, npc healer joins party, go drow hunting, find an in-progress battle between the drow and the deep gnomes, find a map to the drow commander, find a trapped door, fight driders, open door, walk into ambush. with a dragon. and just in case that's not enough to kill them, there's a bonus encounter -- a glyptar in the dragon's hoard.

point's i'm especially smug about -- the owl. it's actually a talking owl, who if they treat nicely will accompany them on the quest. if they kill it, the paladin and the ranger lose their class abilities for the duration.

loot -- all drow items will disintegrate if they are touched by sunlight or the light from a light spell

the lizard woman healer -- is almost completely helpless.

before the deep gnome battle -- if they make a wrong turn they could be lost forever

if they don't have a character that reads drow in the party -- interpreting the maps will be difficult

the door -- has a guardian spell on it that will attack the players

the deep dragon -- 'nuff said

the glyptar -- on top of being awesome in and of itself is wielding a sunblade.