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Jadedgod
Acolyte
USA
9 Posts |
 Posted - 20 Jul 2016 : 11:37:04
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Hello everyone. I am getting back to Dungeons and Dragons after a fairly long hiatus away, due to not really enjoying 4th edition and a fair amount of other things.
Well I'm back, and wanting to run some adventures in 2e (revised) era realms. I plan on running the adventure in the Shadowdale booklet using 5e rules. My problem is that all the campaign work i had done went up in flames years ago, and i want to run a campaign based off of the NPC bad guy at the end of the adventure, "Beneath the Twisted Tower".
I was wondering if anyone might have some advice on converting this adventure to 5e, and if anyone might have some campaign ideas for this particular adventure. Thank you in advance.
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The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. |
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe
Czech Republic
605 Posts |
Posted - 20 Jul 2016 : 15:36:02
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| I do not have access to this adventure but I have made extensive research on this area and it's underground. If you could be more specific (who is the bad guy, what is your group) I would gladly write down some suggestions. |
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Jadedgod
Acolyte
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 23 Jul 2016 : 03:07:51
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The main bad guy is a drow wizard by the name of Kurastan. He is working with an Aboleth to transform dwarves into gibberlings to destabilize the shadowdale area. I was thinking of running something like the "Night Below".
Kurastan is working with the Aboleth on more then just transforming dwarves. The Drow of the Shadowdark and the Aboleth are working on a plan to dominate all of the Dalelands and eventually Cormanthor and Sembia.
The Adventure is going to be for levels 1 - 3. I wanted to build something more after that. Its just hard to find info about the Shadowdark (Dalelands underdark). So if you have any info, that would be greatly appreciated. My group hasn't come together yet. Trying to build some campaign stuff before getting together. |
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. |
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe
Czech Republic
605 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2016 : 09:40:06
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I have found very little about Kurastan. My main source of information were adventures City of the Spider Qeen and Shadowdale:Scouring of the Land. There is a map of Shadowdark and a lot of mentioned drow characters. Nearby city of Maerymidra is also detailed but only after being ruined and there is also outpost Sith Morcane under southern Daggerdale.
For your campaign concept I would just say that aboleth alone is a really big fish for 1-3 level characters so I presume that those are your villans for much later time in game. |
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe
Czech Republic
605 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2016 : 09:45:37
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| If you would be intersted I might try to write down my notes about those places and occupants in my version where Maerymidra is still standing and they later take Shadowdale into their hands as in mentioned adventure. It mainly depends on how much focus do you want on the underdark in your game. |
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Jadedgod
Acolyte
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2016 : 16:31:17
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| I would certainly appreciate those notes. Thanks. :-) |
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. |
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe
Czech Republic
605 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2016 : 17:26:58
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About the city of Maerimydra I would use the link to my previous post
http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=15818
House Chumav is said to have the stronges military presence in the city and I have placed house T'sarran as the first of other pillar of power - religion - their matron mother is nominal head of Church of Lolth (her second daughter is actualy heretic servant of Kieranselee and hides in ruins of different city under Vaasa). Third house Mar-Shin is mainly about mercantilism with other races. Strange thing in this city is they have common area for slaves for all houses. I haven't found a good explanation for this yet.
Other then the city there are houses Morcane that rules mentioned outpost Szith Morcane and house Dhurniv that was formerly a important house of the city but later got banished due to loosing Land under the Shadow (Shadow dale) to elves of Cormanthor.
I am running the game in 1370+ DR using most of the turmoil written for this area and it is full of possible adventures but it also destabilise whole region with wars and such - I am not sure it is for everyone's taste and it is also quite difficult to keep in mind all changes that happen around the heroes.
If you want to get dwarves into play also (as in your mentioned plot hook) there is a abandoned dwarven city under northen Daggerdale called Tethyamar and dwarves around dalelands still longs to get it back. |
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe
Czech Republic
605 Posts |
Posted - 25 Jul 2016 : 17:34:22
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Another spin that I am still thinking is to make connection of drow city of Maerimydra with elven house of Maerdrym from Myth Drannor (Khelben Blackstaff is actualy from this family). I find it strange that both are so close and with no evidence of connection.
I have also delved into history and this drow settlement is most probably derived from Narathmault now known as Dun Tharos in Narfell.
BTW if Brimstone also decides to post here it could get confusing due to the same icons :-) |
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Jadedgod
Acolyte
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2016 : 04:23:01
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Very true lol. Thank you for the info, I am working on refining and building the plot. I've decided to work on adding the night below (heavily modified). I want to make Kurastan into a Vhaeruen worshiping drow trying to sieze the city from the Lloth worshipers. He has a deal worked out with the Aboleth. He helps the aboleth create their spell of domination and they help him to take over the city. I also have a number of other plot seeds.
I really enjoyed the Balder's Gate Series and i want to include the Bhaal Spawn. An order of Assassins, which survived the culling by Bane, are trying to resurrect Bhaal, as one of their number is a child of Bhaal. I also have a lot of other little things I'm working on. Would you know anything about the large Underdark Lake/Sea called "The Reachmere"? I can't find anything about this area, through any of the editions. I am thinking about placing an ancient aboleth colony there, and using that as the base for the aboleths rituals.
Note: Where would i find info on Tethymar? |
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. |
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Jadedgod
Acolyte
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2016 : 04:32:16
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| Note: Drow tend to fight amongst themselves, however, what is to say the Drow of Maerimydra, due to their small size, do less in order to stay strong. Plus, having a central pen for slaves allows them to spend less resources on guards overall, and more attention on the buying and selling of slaves. This is also WAY more secure then having slaves at each individual house. Something happens? blanket bomb the entire slave complex, and start fresh. |
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. |
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe
Czech Republic
605 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2016 : 13:30:22
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quote:
Originally posted by Jadedgod
Very true lol. Thank you for the info, I am working on refining and building the plot. I've decided to work on adding the night below (heavily modified). I want to make Kurastan into a Vhaeruen worshiping drow trying to sieze the city from the Lloth worshipers. He has a deal worked out with the Aboleth. He helps the aboleth create their spell of domination and they help him to take over the city. I also have a number of other plot seeds.
I really enjoyed the Balder's Gate Series and i want to include the Bhaal Spawn. An order of Assassins, which survived the culling by Bane, are trying to resurrect Bhaal, as one of their number is a child of Bhaal. I also have a lot of other little things I'm working on. Would you know anything about the large Underdark Lake/Sea called "The Reachmere"? I can't find anything about this area, through any of the editions. I am thinking about placing an ancient aboleth colony there, and using that as the base for the aboleths rituals.
Note: Where would i find info on Tethymar?
Vhaerunian drow sounds great but there are a lots of them on surface right now (if you use this time period).
Why do aboleths need a spell of domination when they can create a thraal army with their own abilities? He should be able to quite powerful to even speak with them let alone convince them into aliance. Or he has something else to offer to them...
For assasins there is a guild house of grandfather of assasins between Damara and Vaasa and as it was quite prominent it make sense that they will have a bhaalspawn in their midst. If you want closer than Zhentarim or Sembian assasin group sound also good but I do not know any specific.
Reachmere is also blank page for me. Lake of Shadow has a kraken and Moondeep sea had a Kuo-Toa city. Aboleth colony there sounds good but it is long way from both Shadowdale and Maerymidra. Official info on Lake of Shadows mentions a few aboleths that live there under the kraken that make it a good spot for single drow to persuade them to help him. Perhaps for some future help against kraken?
About Tethyamar - I have also written some info in these halls.
This thread contains most of the official sources: http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=7702
Basics are that long ago dwarves were driven out by Zhentarim sponsored army of goblins lead by demonic allies (namely Barghests). BTW this dwarven city was a reason for creation of Daggerdale and Zhentil Keep (Flostren's hold). |
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Wrigley
Senior Scribe
Czech Republic
605 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jul 2016 : 13:37:02
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quote:
Originally posted by Jadedgod
Note: Drow tend to fight amongst themselves, however, what is to say the Drow of Maerimydra, due to their small size, do less in order to stay strong. Plus, having a central pen for slaves allows them to spend less resources on guards overall, and more attention on the buying and selling of slaves. This is also WAY more secure then having slaves at each individual house. Something happens? blanket bomb the entire slave complex, and start fresh.
Economicaly it make perfect sense but drows are paranoid and with a good reason for it. Once you allow access to your slaves to other houses you cannot be sure when hypnotised slave will stab you in your bath or poison your food. Also as slaves are a busines property they have some value and if you have a common slave pens how do you divide them? You could say that you take those prized to your own pens but it is still not so good a solution. One that I tend to prefer is that all slaves are owned by church of Lloth who dispenses their work for the city itself. The problem here is that T'sarran house are in control of that church so they would also control most of the slaves in the city... |
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Jadedgod
Acolyte
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2016 : 19:14:01
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| I had planned on Kurdistan helping the aboleth gain priestess of Lloth and using his followers to gain other spellcasters that the aboleth are using to gain control of the weave. Or fashion some powerful mythal... or who knows what else. Kurastan is just one pawn the aboleth have amongst many in their bid to control the surface lands. |
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3286 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2016 : 20:07:59
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quote:
Originally posted by Wrigley
BTW if Brimstone also decides to post here it could get confusing due to the same icons :-)
 |
"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3286 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jul 2016 : 20:18:22
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| One of the Fabled Elf Blades of Cormanthor is hidden under Shadowdale. It's in the Lair of the Lich Alokair. It was in Shadowdale: The Scourging of The Land Adventure. |
"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep |
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Jadedgod
Acolyte
USA
9 Posts |
Posted - 13 Aug 2016 : 18:57:43
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| In an effort to not make another thread. Is there any info on the current state of the Dalelands and the moonsea/sembia/cormyr. 5e info needed. |
The Road goes ever on and on
Down from the door where it began.
Now far ahead the Road has gone,
And I must follow, if I can,
Pursuing it with weary feet,
Until it joins some larger way,
Where many paths and errands meet.
And whither then? I cannot say. |
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froglegg
Learned Scribe
317 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2016 : 14:58:26
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quote:
Originally posted by Jadedgod
In an effort to not make another thread. Is there any info on the current state of the Dalelands and the moonsea/sembia/cormyr. 5e info needed.
The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide is your best bet for now.
John |
Long live Alias and Dragonbait! Kate Novak and Jeff Grubb the Realms need you more then ever!
On my word as a sage nothing within these pages is false, but not all of it may prove to be true. - Elminster of Shadowdale
The Old Grey Box gets better with age! |
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Brimstone
Great Reader
USA
3286 Posts |
Posted - 20 Aug 2016 : 21:09:42
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You might want to check this scroll out.
You may find it useful... |
"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep |
Edited by - Brimstone on 20 Aug 2016 21:17:48 |
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Shadowdale campaign
