Need Advice/Thoughts

Jason Vey · Post by **Jason Vey** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 2:31 pm

So my roommates for Origins have requested that we get a hotel room game going, and it seems to me this is an ideal chance for me to finally use C&C and really get into it.

Now, I obviously don't have time by next Wednesday to put together a game from scratch. Not too much of a problem, since there's a wealth of pre-written stuff out there, but rather than random mods, I'd like to string them together somehow.

I had a thought this morning. Let me know what you think, and perhaps give me some thoughts on other mods that might work in this, and how I can connect them.

It seems to me that Assault on Blacktooth Ridge AND Dark Chateau are about tribes of orcs and goblins that get a bit too brave. I'm thinking about connecting the two, making it the same (huge) tribe of orcs and goblins, and having them be under the employ of a Lich king named Azteroth, who rules a country (actually a small continent) to the East.

Azteroth is discussed in my setting of Domaria (into which I've placed Yggsburgh and Dunfalcon, only very slightly altered). The country is at war with a small human kingdom called Lightwolfe, probably a good 3 months' ride away from where Yggsburgh is (it's located in the Kingdom of Dunneland, about 1650 miles away).

My initial thought was to place Blacktooth Ridge somewhere in the mountain range just to the west of Lightwolfe, then move the adventure across the continent to Yggsburgh for Dark Chateau. To do that, I'll need at least one, possibly two, other modules to pop in there and connect. Each one should be a piece of the puzzle leading them back to Azteroth. Azteroth's goal should be simple enough: he wants to conquer the continent of Verfold, and is trying to set up a way in. My details on that are sketchy. What purpose are the orcs serving? Just to cause chaos and weaken defenses, or are they doing something more nefarious, like trying to assemble an artifact that'll allow him a portal? Azteroth himself is a few thousand years old, so he probably knows of some nasty ancient artifacts. The assaults on Blacktooth Ridge obviously weaken part of his archenemy, Lightwolfe. And the Dark Chateau, well, searching a powerful wizard's abode seems a given if you're trying to find magical artifacts. Zagyg, of course, wouldn't have left anything that powerful behind, but it's a logical linking thread.

That's where I am, now. My question for you all is, does this seem like a solid idea for the game, and do you have any suggestions for other scenarios I can cook up or use to get this moving? Purchasing anything now is not an option, as I'm saving for Origins next week.

In addition to Blacktooth and Dark Chateau, I have Return to Blacktooth Ridge, Lion in the Ropes, The Rising Knight, The Beacon at Enon-Tor, Shadows of the Halfling's Hall, Mortality of Green, The Mysterious Tower, and Fingers of the Forsaken Hand, as well as a few other non-C&C-specific Mods: DCC's Aerie of the Crow God and The Blackguard's Revenge, D&D 3.5 Tomb of Horrors, AD&D Ravenloft and Ravenloft 2, OD&D Keep on the Borderlands (which requires a bit too much work and prep for this game), the D&D adventure that came with the D&D: Wrath of the Dragon God movie, and of course any of the freebies on WotC's D&D site are an option. I can convert from 3.0/3.5 to C&C on the fly, no worries there.

Of all these adventures, I've skimmed Shadows of the Halfling Hall, started to read Dark Chateau, and am reading Assault on Blacktooth Ridge. I collect mods that I may someday need, but rarely read them right away, so I'm looking to you all for advice and connecting threads.

Whew, that was a big post. Thanks in advance for your help and advice!

Zudrak · Post by **Zudrak** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 4:56 pm

Hi GreyElf,

Having just run The Beacon at Enon Tor for my first-ever C&C game this past Saturday, I would highly recommend it. The adventure only took 4.5 hours, so I am not sure if you are looking for something more involved or not. The 4.5 hours did include pizza for dinner, though.

Have a great game, whatever you play!

Happy gaming,

Zudrak
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Combat_Kyle · Post by **Combat_Kyle** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 4:58 pm

Stringing the two together for a Con seems like it would take a long time to play. My gaming group spent 6 5 hours sessions just getting through AobtR. Of course if they skip all of the role-playing and potential side quests that are possible with the background of the NPCs it might be a good module for a Con. The idea of blending the two together seems pretty cool.
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miller6 · Post by **miller6** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 5:01 pm

If you're looking for adventures which are goblin/orc related and tough as nails but not too lengthy to complete in a session or two, you might consider throwing in the Killer Cave mods I posted on this forum
You wouldn't be the only one who did (Treebore incorporated them in a chain of adventures too as did I in my own campaign).

Brian Miller
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Jason Vey · Post by **Jason Vey** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 5:44 pm

Combat_Kyle wrote:
Stringing the two together for a Con seems like it would take a long time to play. My gaming group spent 6 5 hours sessions just getting through AobtR. Of course if they skip all of the role-playing and potential side quests that are possible with the background of the NPCs it might be a good module for a Con. The idea of blending the two together seems pretty cool.

Well this isn't a slotted con event. It's what we'll be doing in the hotel room when we're not doing other things.

Treebore · Post by **Treebore** » Wed Jun 21, 2006 8:28 pm

I don't get why you say Keep on the Borderlands is too much work to convert? Whether it is the 1e or 2E version you should be able to convert it in your head as soon as you look at the entry. AC 3=AC17 in C&C, HD= to hit bonus, HD= saves level bonus and any challenge ratings needed. For goblin types all physical stats are treated as Prime unless they are a spellcaster. Easy.

As for the events behind the Assault on Blacktooth Ridge series, it is to lead to war with someone called the Witch Queen behind it all. Some kind of old consort to Unklar, the Horned God. So replacing her with a lich weaving a tangled web is very appropriate, I think.

Jason Vey · Post by **Jason Vey** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 12:17 pm

Treebore wrote:
I don't get why you say Keep on the Borderlands is too much work to convert? Whether it is the 1e or 2E version you should be able to convert it in your head as soon as you look at the entry. AC 3=AC17 in C&C, HD= to hit bonus, HD= saves level bonus and any challenge ratings needed. For goblin types all physical stats are treated as Prime unless they are a spellcaster. Easy.

As for the events behind the Assault on Blacktooth Ridge series, it is to lead to war with someone called the Witch Queen behind it all. Some kind of old consort to Unklar, the Horned God. So replacing her with a lich weaving a tangled web is very appropriate, I think.

It isn't that Borderlands is too much work to convert. It's too much work to prepare. Borderlands isn't your basic one-shot adventure scenario. Very few of the NPCs are spelled out, and the dungeon crawl itself is anything but ready-to-go. The writers deliberately left a lot of "fill in the blanks" type stuff so that you could customize Borderlands to be the base of operations from which your PC's operate. That's all well and good, and I think it's a fantastic idea. But not for a quick and go, slapped-together mini campaign.

My big problem with combining Blacktooth with Chateau is getting my players 1650 miles across the continent (750 of which is mountainous terrain) without saying, "the entire 3 months of travel passes without incident," but also without making 360 random encounter checks (assuming an average of 4 per day). So I'm thinking a filler encounter or two with the conspiracy along the way is in order.

Combat_Kyle · Post by **Combat_Kyle** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 3:24 pm

The Grey Elf wrote:
It isn't that Borderlands is too much work to convert. It's too much work to prepare. Borderlands isn't your basic one-shot adventure scenario. Very few of the NPCs are spelled out, and the dungeon crawl itself is anything but ready-to-go. The writers deliberately left a lot of "fill in the blanks" type stuff so that you could customize Borderlands to be the base of operations from which your PC's operate. That's all well and good, and I think it's a fantastic idea. But not for a quick and go, slapped-together mini campaign.

My big problem with combining Blacktooth with Chateau is getting my players 1650 miles across the continent (750 of which is mountainous terrain) without saying, "the entire 3 months of travel passes without incident," but also without making 360 random encounter checks (assuming an average of 4 per day). So I'm thinking a filler encounter or two with the conspiracy along the way is in order.

To my knowledge, these two modules aren't in the same campaign world. You could make them be say 60 miles from each other.
_________________
CK the CK
"My goddess touched me at an early age."

-Grikis Valmorgen, Paladin

The beginnings of my homebrew campaign world and info for my play by chat game:
http://kbdekker.googlepages.com/home

Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 3:39 pm

The Grey Elf wrote:
It isn't that Borderlands is too much work to convert. It's too much work to prepare. Borderlands isn't your basic one-shot adventure scenario. Very few of the NPCs are spelled out, and the dungeon crawl itself is anything but ready-to-go. The writers deliberately left a lot of "fill in the blanks" type stuff so that you could customize Borderlands to be the base of operations from which your PC's operate. That's all well and good, and I think it's a fantastic idea. But not for a quick and go, slapped-together mini campaign.

Hi Grey Elf. Based on the above info, I'd really recommend The Rising Knight! You can run it as it is, add/change/delete stuff and if your group ends up finishing it, you can then move to Assault on Blacktooth Ridge. RN has direct hooks to AoBtR, so it might be a good way to go for what you're trying to do at that con.
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Tadhg · Post by **Tadhg** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 3:43 pm

Combat_Kyle wrote:
To my knowledge, these two modules aren't in the same campaign world. You could make them be say 60 miles from each other.

Yggsburgh/DC isn't set in any campaign world, but could easily fit into Aihrde. I'm putting Yggsburgh/Dark Chateau just west of the Blacktooth Ridge, as both areas will be our main home bases.
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"Enjoy a 'world' where the fantastic is fact and magic really works!" ~ Gary Gygax

"By the pricking of my thumbs, Something wicked this way comes:" - Macbeth

serleran · Post by **serleran** » Thu Jun 22, 2006 3:50 pm

If it were me, I would just use T1: The Village of Hommlet, or Castle Zagyg. Either is chock full of adventure possibility, having more than enough for a room game at a con, unles,s of course, you're not going to the con and just staying in your room. I suppose the best question is: how many hours do you plan on running it? If its like 40, then CZ will work, but you'd need something extra with T1, for example (and, in that case, I'd suggest going with something equally useful, like Saltmarsh.) Anyway... the less time you have, the less stuff you need. I bet you could wing it.

Jason Vey · Post by **Jason Vey** » Fri Jun 23, 2006 11:57 am

serleran wrote:
If it were me, I would just use T1: The Village of Hommlet, or Castle Zagyg. Either is chock full of adventure possibility, having more than enough for a room game at a con, unles,s of course, you're not going to the con and just staying in your room. I suppose the best question is: how many hours do you plan on running it? If its like 40, then CZ will work, but you'd need something extra with T1, for example (and, in that case, I'd suggest going with something equally useful, like Saltmarsh.) Anyway... the less time you have, the less stuff you need. I bet you could wing it.

I think I've got it worked out. I'm set on Blacktooth and Chateau, because I've already read them (and the Con is next week). A good hook adventure is going to happen during their journeys as they start to encounter villages and settlements stricken with a "burning plague," which eventually they'll discover is turning people into Dawn-of-the-Dead-2004-style zombies (except without the brain weak spot). That should get me from one side of the continent to the other.

I should mention that since everyone except 2 players that might play in the game are local as well, so the game might actually continue when we get back to town.

grrrowler39 · Post by **grrrowler39** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 11:59 pm

So, Grey Elf, what did you do, and how did it go?
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