Rappan Athuk

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Mordekai82
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Rappan Athuk

Post by Mordekai82 »

Searching for megadungeons I bumped into that one, and I have a few questions:

1) ¿Is it any good?
2) ¿Compatibility with C&C?
3) I intend to put a lvl 1 party of 4 through it, but I'm afraid they will get their asses kicked. ¿Any suggestion?

M.

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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Treebore »

The Sword and Wizadry is pretty close to the same kind of stat blocks we use in C&C.

Is it good? Well, I have never made it through the whole thing, even back when it was 3 realtively simple modules back in 2001 to 2003. However, the parts I did make it through were fun.

It has parts that can be suitable for starting at level one, but realize in D20 and 5E terms, it will take you up to 20th level or higher.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

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Buttmonkey
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Buttmonkey »

I think a 1st level party will get its ass kicked in Rappan Athuk. You're probably going to have to start them at higher level, put them through some other adventures to get them experience, or modify the difficulty level of RA to make it suitable for 1st level play.
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Mordekai82
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Mordekai82 »

Good, I got the Swords & Wizardry. Maybe I should train them a bit with some adventures. Thanks guys!

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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Treebore »

Mordekai82 wrote:Good, I got the Swords & Wizardry. Maybe I should train them a bit with some adventures. Thanks guys!
If you have that version, then you should also have the material that starts them in the areas outside of RA, so you have the material for starting them at 1st level.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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Mordekai82
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Mordekai82 »

Treebore wrote:
Mordekai82 wrote:Good, I got the Swords & Wizardry. Maybe I should train them a bit with some adventures. Thanks guys!
If you have that version, then you should also have the material that starts them in the areas outside of RA, so you have the material for starting them at 1st level.
It comes with a big wilderness area! Is that it?

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dachda
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by dachda »

It's up for a new kickstarter for a 5e version, but will have new maps, new art and new levels. If you're thinking of buying it this might be where to get the latest and greatest.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fr ... o-down-the

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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Treebore »

Mordekai82 wrote:
Treebore wrote:
Mordekai82 wrote:Good, I got the Swords & Wizardry. Maybe I should train them a bit with some adventures. Thanks guys!
If you have that version, then you should also have the material that starts them in the areas outside of RA, so you have the material for starting them at 1st level.
It comes with a big wilderness area! Is that it?
Yes.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Treebore »

dachda wrote:It's up for a new kickstarter for a 5e version, but will have new maps, new art and new levels. If you're thinking of buying it this might be where to get the latest and greatest.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fr ... o-down-the
Those of us who have the S&W version, or PF, can get all the new material at the $35 pledge level they have. Considering how I haven't even made a dent in all the Expansion material for their last version, I am not really feeling a need to buy even more.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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dachda
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by dachda »

I'm thinking about it as I have none of the Rappan Athuk material. It's so popular it seems it may be worth the cost.



Treebore wrote:
dachda wrote:It's up for a new kickstarter for a 5e version, but will have new maps, new art and new levels. If you're thinking of buying it this might be where to get the latest and greatest.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fr ... o-down-the
Those of us who have the S&W version, or PF, can get all the new material at the $35 pledge level they have. Considering how I haven't even made a dent in all the Expansion material for their last version, I am not really feeling a need to buy even more.

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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Treebore »

dachda wrote:I'm thinking about it as I have none of the Rappan Athuk material. It's so popular it seems it may be worth the cost.



Treebore wrote:
dachda wrote:It's up for a new kickstarter for a 5e version, but will have new maps, new art and new levels. If you're thinking of buying it this might be where to get the latest and greatest.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/fr ... o-down-the
Those of us who have the S&W version, or PF, can get all the new material at the $35 pledge level they have. Considering how I haven't even made a dent in all the Expansion material for their last version, I am not really feeling a need to buy even more.
I will guess you will get at least 300 hours of gaming out of it.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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dachda
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by dachda »

Wow!
Treebore wrote: I will guess you will get at least 300 hours of gaming out of it.

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Persimmon
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Persimmon »

I have the SW version and I'm currently reading it. It's pretty cool but as Buttmonkey noted, not suitable for first level. The wilderness areas have some easier encounters, but even there I'd recommend at least 4th level characters to have a real chance of surviving. Though to be honest, I haven't actually played it yet. In my campaign all first level characters get a 20 HP "kicker," but I still wouldn't start them with Rappan Athuk. And if you're converting to C&C, I'd think that SW is easier than 5E in terms of conversion.
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T1Hound
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by T1Hound »

I have the 3.x versions

What is the best way to get the s&w version?

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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Omote »

I had the v3.5 version, and now I have the S&W version. In the heydey I ran Rappan Athuk to it's conclusion, in that the PCs encountered Orcus. 2 party members didn't make it out of that titanic battle, but the Lost Lands were saved... if only for a short time. The current S&W version version forms the basis of my current CC&C Lost Lands campaign since it's release. The players and current campaigns use Rappan Athuk as a basis for training newer characters, and exploring the upper levels which are ripe for low-level denizens to flock to, and in playing C&C.

While Rappan Athuk has gone cold since the last big foray into it's depths, the heartbeat of evil beats slowly once again.

The S&W version works perfectly fine using C&C, but of course it's not a straight conversion. If you have played or GMd C&C and older versions of D&D, converting it on the fly is entirely possible. Might take some practice, but works well.

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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Treebore »

T1Hound wrote:I have the 3.x versions

What is the best way to get the s&w version?
Probably easiest to get the PDF's at Frog Gods website. If you want all of it, to get the newest material, you have to back at the $35 level on their current RA KS.
Since its 20,000 I suggest "Captain Nemo" as his title. Beyond the obvious connection, he is one who sails on his own terms and ignores those he doesn't agree with...confident in his journey and goals.
Sounds obvious to me! -Gm Michael

Grand Knight Commander of the Society.

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spudeus
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by spudeus »

Omote wrote: In the heydey I ran Rappan Athuk to it's conclusion, in that the PCs encountered Orcus. 2 party members didn't make it out of that titanic battle, but the Lost Lands were saved... if only for a short time.
That sounds epically cool . . . my fear would always be that the Name Battle would end anticlimactically (in a TPK or somehow the big bad going down in two rounds).

I'm in for the 5e version kickstarter - the dungeon's rep precedes it to the degree I'd like a full-color deluxe version on my shelf, whatever the system.

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JohnD
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by JohnD »

I'll be buying the Fantasy Grounds version when its released.

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Kayolan
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Re: Rappan Athuk

Post by Kayolan »

Zelkor's Ferry and the surrounding wilderness is a campaign in itself, I ran RA for about half a year and the players just got to the dungeon proper only near the end. There was so much they wanted to do and we had a lot of fun exploring it and developing the campaign that way, even though much of the wilderness map was still left unexplored.

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