Pretty simple in and out, but it was fun.

The layout:



Last time a wizard had confiscated the party's boat. They decided to go settle the issue. That bottom part is the cavern under the tower, which you can access at low tide via an old dock:



The thief could desolidify so he got right by that portcullis. Then he let everyone through, but they tripped a magic alarm while investigating those vases, alerting the welcoming committee:



The part just barely got back through the portcullis and brought it down before they got there. Of course, the big gorillas knew how to open it, but the slowdown was just enough to throw some molotov cocktails into the corridor and fry the big boys...at least two of them. The third was smart enough to go alert the wizard.

(Plus of playing with DF stuff: for me at least it's easier to keep track of where everyone is and how the dungeon reacts organically over time.)

After rescuing a beautiful sorceress and her familiar from the slave pits in that room with the four-armed gorillas, the gang came into the wizard's underground summoning cavern:



The thief tried to get across the river to the pentagram and the nice goodies stored by it:



which promptly brought a water elemental up. Desolid prevented him from getting instantly killed, but he was caught up in the magical creature's influence nonetheless. The fighter/mage/noble/hunter (Stormbringer background thing, sigh) and the sorceress managed to control the waves and attack the elemental with magic long enough to distract it and then pen it up while the thief finished his work.

Then it was up the stairway



to the garden



where the gardener



as well as the remaining girallon, both made invisible by the now-alert wizard, attacked the party by surprise. One NPC killed and several more wounded. About time!

Then up to the stairs, where I got another NPC kill and one PC at death's door with the old "Only a True Knight Shall Pass to Clasp the Maiden's Hands" trick:



With two characters lightning-fried on the ground they figured it out on the third try. Mermaid was a teleport access to the wizard's home level:



But all the closeups on my camera crapped out so I can't show you the goodies. Then I lost power and couldn't take photos of the actual session.

Comment the second: It occurred to me after doing this basically smallish setup and taking a couple hours on it that another way to use Dwarven Forge stuff would be just to set up a few choice areas to be cool and evocative (and where you think minis are likely to be a plus), use the pieces in those, and run the rest of the dungeon freeform or with battlemats if you absolutely have to. Cost effective, atmospheric, and doesn't cut down on the unknown factors in the dungeon depths nearly so much.

They didn't find a treasure I hid in a cave crevasse though, and didn't spot the secret door even when they knew there was no other way into the wizard's bedroom (which gave him time to send a couple of mezzodaemons after them.... sweet). So that all was pretty cool.

Cool stuff. I really like the MageKnight Dungeons terrain pieces - the tables, chairs, altars, and stuff. Useful and cheap. Too bad the game went away.

I think the cavernous lake is my favorite DF set. I keep meaning to put together a miniatures game using it.

I have a vested interest in this product, but I've found the D&D dungeon tiles pretty useful for fast dungeon set-up. They look a lot prettier than an eraseable map, and the MK terrain stuff looks nice on them. I treat the tiles like Legos, sort them by size, and build rooms and passages on the fly. I used them for a game at work, and it went well.

It's weird, but I had a big bag of terrain that I never used with my erasable mat. It always looked weird on a mat, but it looks nice on the dungeon tiles.

You guys are totally nuts. In a good way!

What droog said. The lake is truly awesome. Also, I want a raise NOW. That's at least 500 bucks sitting on that table.

Lastly, even though he's hid it in the back I notice Cali owns Everway! Me too. Love it, never played.

This sounds like a great D&D adventure (though I see little, if any, connection to Moorcock's works).

Quote from: Pierce InverarityThat's at least 500 bucks sitting on that table.

No, it's a whole lot of free time sitting on that table.

Is it Ken St. Andr's Stormbringer or new Stormbringer?

Quote from: jdrakehThis sounds like a great D&D adventure (though I see little, if any, connection to Moorcock's works).

To be fair, the thread tag is pretty up front about it.

Quote from: MelanTo be fair, the thread tag is pretty up front about it.

You know, in retrospect, you're right -- the first time I read it, I didn't realize that the OP meant he was using the Stormbringer system to run D&D-style adventures :duh:

Excellent stuff, Calithena.

Btw does anyone have the link for the Moathouse setup that Gygax and co. were using for their Village of Hommlet battle game at a recent con? That was cool beyond belief.

Quote from: mearlsCool stuff. I really like the MageKnight Dungeons terrain pieces - the tables, chairs, altars, and stuff. Useful and cheap. Too bad the game went away.

Thanks! Yeah, the MKD terrain boxes have a lot of stuff in them and you can find them cheap from hobby stores trying to unload MK product. I bought like two sets each of two different boxes for like $2.50 each (plus the hated postage) on Ebay.

Quote from: Pierce InverarityWhat droog said. The lake is truly awesome. Also, I want a raise NOW. That's at least 500 bucks sitting on that table.

Lastly, even though he's hid it in the back I notice Cali owns Everway! Me too. Love it, never played.

More like a G when everything's taken into account. Though most of the important stuff you could get for say $600, the second half is parts of other sets and odds and ends that just fit right. The thing is, though, once you get into DF you'll find yourself wanting that stuff. I mean, you make 90% of a beautiful dungeon that you've already spent a few hundred on, and you're going to squint at a couple hundred more to make it perfect?

The only good thing I can say about the cost is that it's all nice, very reusable stuff and buying does slow down once you have enough that you can bust out a decent setup with what you have. I have at least another $2K of DF I'd purchase in my dreamworld, but I can buy it a little at a time now. And it retains about 80% of its value on Ebay, in some cases more if you're willing to ship internationally. So if you decide it's not for you after all you can recoup most of your investment with some work.

Everyway is pretty cool to read, though I've never played either (unless you count chargen, which you shouldn't). It's another game that touches on the heart of fantasy. I remember back in high school me and my crew would sometimes just do a tarot reading to resolve certain complicated situations (or to add adventure elements) and so I've got a fondness for the cards. Plus the card-based chargen is awesome. All it needs is crunchy critical hit charts and big spell lists and it would be one of the great RPGs.

Quote from: MelanIs it Ken St. Andr's Stormbringer or new Stormbringer?

Stormbringer 1e by KsA is the only version of the game I have ever or will ever play. Except for the screwed up starting skill percentages (house rule: I add the three stats instead of the bonuses, so skills start in the thirties-forties instead of zeroes-tens) it's a game that still holds up pretty well I think.

We were playing Stormbringer characters in the Young Kingdoms, an Ilmioran prince who picked up a nasty runesword to save his father's lands which demanded that it be returned to R'lin K'ren A'a in exchange for its service, and a wily Vilmirian first mate who essentially serves as the party thief. I simplified the combat system in some ways because we had to get through this run in about three hours (these two friends are moving far away next week, this was the farewell game).  

The role playing and young kingdoms-y stuff was in the setup. The dungeon took a lot of D&D elements (as it often does: one great advantage old and new D&D have over all other RPGs is the huge list of elements readily available to plug into your adventures. 3e crimps this somewhat through its complex system which makes it harder to cannibalize things but then makes up for it by having a whole shitload of system-specific monster books available for it. I prefer to grab out of random supplements for any game that happens to be on my shelf which is why I prefer OD&D/T&T/Stormbringer type systems with pretty manageable GM backwork....like say Mazes & Minotaurs, which is going to be my system of choice for my next campaign).

Quote from: DrewExcellent stuff, Calithena.

Btw does anyone have the link for the Moathouse setup that Gygax and co. were using for their Village of Hommlet battle game at a recent con? That was cool beyond belief.

The rest of the pics are here: http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?p=332091#332091


I think I'd like more than two players for this kind of minis/combat heavy play in the future. Also, this kind of D&D or 'D&D' is a wargame; a role-playing wargame, to be sure, but still a wargame. The key difference is instead of keeping a constant focus on crafting cool individual scenes (combat or role-playing) you have an unfolding tactical and strategic situation which needs to be coped with organically.

Even in an in-and-out like this; the time dimension allows both sides to move around, and there are various teleporters which allow for flanking strategy, etc.

Thanks for reading my thread!

By the way, I have a dehumidifier running 24/7 in that basement, and the games only moved there recently as part of a home improvement thing - and I'm sealing all those crates in plastic today. I don't know why I feel compelled to mention this but I do.

That's a sensible idea; I was meaning to ask whether that was brown mold or fireballed black pudding on the floor, but I decided not to take the risk of sounding like an asshole. :keke:

Very cool, Cal.  Thanks for sharing.  :cool:

Quote from: CalithenaBy the way, I have a dehumidifier running 24/7 in that basement, and the games only moved there recently as part of a home improvement thing - and I'm sealing all those crates in plastic today. I don't know why I feel compelled to mention this but I do.

Is that basement located in Ypsi?  Michigan can get horribly humid this time of year ...

Quote from: Calithena....like say Mazes & Minotaurs, which is going to be my system of choice for my next campaign....

Original or revised?

thanks for sharing, calithena!  that's amazing stuff.  gotta start playing the lottery . . .