Greyhawk Campaign Index

As I’ve done for some of my other campaigns, I’ll be maintaining a master page with links to all posts concerning my World of Greyhawk campaign. This is that page, and henceforth it’ll be listed on the upper right side of the blog (under “Akratic RPG stuff: campaigns”). I will update it whenever I have a new post related to the campaign.

 

The party: The Quixotic Quartet (3rd level version) 

 

Althaea: High Elf Wizard (abjurer). 

Erik: Mountain Dwarf Fighter (battle-master).  

Cedric: Human Cleric (war) of St. Cuthbert.

Godric: Human Rogue (arcane trickster). (Cedric and Godric are brothers.)

Adventure summaries:

 

Part 1: Fort Endurance and the Dim Forest Adventures (Coldeven 578)

Part 2: From Fort Endurance to Hommlet (Coldeven – Flocktime 578 CY)

Part 3: Arriving in Hommlet (Flocktime 578 CY)

Part 4: First Foray into the Moathouse (Flocktime 578 CY)

Part 5: Recovering and planning in Hommlet (Flocktime 578 CY)

Part 6: Return to the Moathouse (Flocktime 578 CY)

Part 7: Victory in the Moathouse (Flocktime 578 CY)

Part 8: To Gneissvale and Back Again (Flocktime - Wealsun 578 CY)

Part 9: The Tomb of Serten and the Helm of Laga Vulin (Wealsun - Richfest 578 CY)

Part 10: The Eyes of a Catoblepas, the Wings of an Owlbear (Richfest - Reaping 578 CY)

Part 11: The Tower of the Blue Wizard and a Coven of Hags

Part 12: The Manor of Quesse, a Startling Revelation, and a Long Rest

Miscellaneous posts:

• System (Into the Unknown) notes:
• House rules for Into the Unknown (5e variant)
• Rest and Recovery in ItU vs D&D 5e
• Into the Unknown versus 5e D&D
• Switching campaign to Into the Unknown

• No new Greyhawk setting book? Phew!

• The Two Gords of Greyhawk

• Some Thoughts on Greyhawk and the Golden Age of Gygax

• Ghosts of Saltmarsh: some initial impressions

 

 

Credits: The original cover of The Village of Hommlet module (top) by Dave Trampier. The pictures of the characters are taken from the D&D Beyond website.

Edit (2023-06-22): I've removed "Classics" from the title of the campaign. So far only one "classic" adventure has been used (T1, The Village of Hommlet, as updated in Goodman Games' "reincarnation" of The Temple of Elemental Evil), and I'm not sure if any others will be used. Hence the original title no longer seemed apt. 

 

 

From the Shroud #3: A Crypts and Things Fanzine

 

Want some new material for Crypts & Things?

 

Well, you’re in luck! Newt Newport of D101 Games is at work on the third issue of the From the Shroud fanzine for C&T. I’ve backed the kickstarter for it and encourage anyone fond of C&T to do the same. More information available here.

 

By Crom!

Into the Moathouse (Greyhawk campaign)

 

PART 4: INTO THE MOATHOUSE (Flocktime 578 CY)

 

4.1 First Foray into the Moathouse (Flocktime 7^th – 8^th)

 

The seemingly inebriated yet strangely competent Elmo leads the intrepid adventurers — Erik (the mountain dwarf fighter from the Lortmils), Althaea (the high elf wizard from the city of Tringlee), and the brothers Godric (the human rogue from the Barony of Shiboleth) and Cedric (the human cleric of St. Cuthbert) — from the village of Hommlet to the ruined moathouse. The journey takes several hours along the “High Road” before branching off on a rough trail to the ruins. After setting up camp about 300 yards from the moathouse (on a small hill that overlooks the trail), the adventurers decide to explore the place a bit before sundown. Elmo remains at the camp to guard the party’s supplies.

 

The party approaches the rotting drawbridge into the fort. As they do so, from the fetid marshy water of the moat leap six giant frogs. The amphibious horrors attack the party. One frog’s tongue attaches itself to Althaea before the mage blasts it with some magic missiles. Cedric destroys another frog with a guiding bolt. Erik is hit with another frog’s tongue, but he immediately smashes the sticky appendage with his warhammer. Althaea hits two more frogs with her magic missiles, killing one. The surviving two frogs flee in terror. Althaea casts “alarm” on the drawbridge. Slightly battered from the encounter, the party returns to their campsite to rest for the night.

 

The party breaks camp early the next morning (the 8^th day of Flocktime). They approach the moathouse with caution. Althaea casts “invisibility” on Godric. The rogue then proceeds ahead of his companions and investigates the grounds of the ruined fort. Entering the old great hall, Godric discovers a number of crossbowmen waiting in ambush in the hallways off of the chamber. He communicates this information to Althaea in response to the wizard’s “message” cantrip. The elf then informs Cedric and Erik.

 

Proceeding cautiously so as not to alert the bandits that they are aware of them, the party waits for Godric to strike first and distract their enemies. The rogue casts “colour spray” on a few, blinding them. Cedric then enters the fray, casting guiding bolt; Althaea follows, and uses up her magic missiles. However, there are more bandits than the party anticipated, as a handful are hidden behind arrowslits that look upon the entrance to the great hall. Erik blocks an arrowslit with hit shield and relies on his trusty Warhammer to smash other opponents. After an exhausting battle, all the bandits lie dead save two: a scruffy fellow named “Vick” who surrenders to the party begging piteously for his life, and the leader of the band who disappeared behind a reinforced door.

 

The party interrogates Vick. They learn from him that the bandit leader’s name is “Rex” and that the bandits have a secret exit from the moathouse in the back chamber. Vick also reveals that the leader of the moathouse is a mysterious “Master” who dwells in the tunnels beneath the fort, with his bodyguards and forces of gnolls and bugbears. Vick also mentions some creatures in the upper ruins that the bandits avoid: a giant insect, a massive spider, and a large lizard. The party also learns that Vick is originally from Safeton and is not especially loyal to his fellow brigands.

 

The party then discovers a stairway off the great hall that delves into the underground. Althaea casts “alarm” on it. Leaving the fort and circling around to the northeast, Vick shows the party the bandits’ secret exit from their safehouse. Althaea casts another “alarm” spell on the exit.

 

The party then returns to their campsite. They find Elmo sipping some gnomish whiskey. The party ties up Vick and leaves him in the care of Elmo. Althaea casts (yet another) “alarm” spell, this time on the rotting drawbridge. The party then proceeds to the secret exit where they rest for an hour.

 

Althaea casts “invisibility” on Godric. The rogue then enters the fort via the secret exit. Inside the bandits’ lair, despite the powerful stench of unwashed men, Godric sees no sign of Rex or anyone else. However, he does spot a chest under some rubble. The rest of the party joins Godric. Althaea spies a secret door. Erik clears away the rubble around the door, while Cedric and Godric begin to clear off the debris over the chest. The secret door is opened, revealing hidden stairway going down. Still invisible, Godric descends and finds himself in a small, clear chamber with secret doors on the eastern and western walls. The rogue returns to the bandit hideout and reports his finding. Althaea then goes down the stairs and begins to cast (yes, yet another!) “alarm” at its base when the western secret door opens. Confronting the startled elf is a hideous ogre!

 

Frightened and out of spells, Althaea flees up the stairs. Fortunately, the ogre to does not pursue her but instead runs through the eastern secret door, shouting incoherently. The party returns to their campsite.

 

4.2 Fighting the Moathouse pursuers (Flocktime 8^th)

 

Back at the campsite they tell Elmo what happened. Surprising the adventurers, Elmo heals the wounds of Cedric and Godric—there would seem to be more to this village bumpkin than the party realizes! After chatting with Cedric, Vick is converted wholeheartedly to the worship of St. Cuthbert. Vick also explains that the pebble (with the eye symbol) is used by the bandits to recognize one another when in civilized lands—apparently there are a number of bands operating in the area, not simply the ones based in the moathouse.

 

As the party deliberates about what to do, Althaea hears a mental “ping” from one of her many alarms. She infers that the forces of the moathouse are in pursuit of the party! Deciding that they are unlikely to be able to flee all the way back to Hommlet, the adventurers elect to make a stand, using their high ground and terrain to their advantage. Erik and Althaea distribute some caltrops and a hunter’s trap around the perimeter of the campsite, while Godric hides nearby. Cedric, Emo, and Vick ready their ranged weapons.

 

After a dozen minutes or so the denizens of the moathouse are spotted. There are two groups: six gnolls with Rex arrive in the area on the trail that connects the moathouse to the high road, to the west of the campsite; nine bugbears skulk towards the campsite from the north.

 

A mighty combat ensues! Elmo reveals himself to be an effective warrior. But despite causing the band of bugbears considerable grief, one of the heinous humanoids strikes a lucky blow as slices off the villager’s head! Vick is skewered by a gnoll’s spear after helping to kill his former leader, Rex. Cedric prays that St. Cuthbert will accept the former brigand’s soul into the god’s celestial cathedral.

 

Eventually all the gnolls are slain, but four of the bugbears manage to flee. The party loots the bodies, finding another pebble on Rex, and minimal treasure on the others (some silver, gold, and platinum coins, a lump of blue quarts, and gold and silver necklaces). Also on Rex’s body is a crude map of the area around the moathouse. It seems to indicate a secret entrance to the lower level of the moathouse about 120-150 feet to the east of the ruins. Most of the armour and weapons of the humanoids are dumped into a nearby pond so that they cannot be used again.

 

With heavy hearts, the party carries Elmo’s body back to Hommlet. Sore and exhausted, they arrive at the village around midnight.

 

[Regional map from Goodman Games' version of The Temple of Elemental Evil. The red dot indicates where the party was ambushed en route to Hommlet. The pink square indicates the location of the Moathouse.]

[The picture of the Moathouse at the top of this post is by David Trampier and appears in both T1 and T1-4.] 

[The previous log entry can be found here.]

One Dungeons and Dragons: the 2024 version (edition 5.5)

I guess it was inevitable. A new “version” (the word “edition” seems to be verboten at Wizards of the Coast these days) of Dungeons and Dragons is coming in 2024. It’s currently being called “One D&D,” I suppose to emphasize the compatibility of the 2024 version with the 2014 5^th edition rules.

 

WotC is at pains to stress that everything that has been published for fifth edition will be usable/compatible with the 2024 rules. Of course, this doesn’t prevent it from being a new “edition” in any sense—1^st edition AD&D modules can be used easily with 2^nd edition and vice versa. But given the ways that the 3^rd, 4^th, and 5^th editions were all incompatible with each other (and with earlier editions)—they were essentially different games altogether—and the divisions that these shifts caused among players, I can understand why WotC would want to do what they can to highlight that no equally dramatic change is coming up in two years.

 

Anyhow, I think that 5^th edition is … fine. I enjoyed using the Adventures in Middle-earth version of the rules for my Mirkwood campaign, and I am enjoying using the core rules for my current Greyhawk campaign. As I’ve mentioned before here, I'm using Gygax's version of the setting (1983 box set) as my base, modifying a few things, and filling in some details here and there. I’m only permitting character options that make sense for the setting (so no tieflings, dragonborn, warlocks, etc.). I don't use the “inspiration” rules or “feats.” Does it feel exactly like 1e AD&D? No, certainly not. But it's not that far off in terms of the actual player experience, I think. We’re having fun with it in any case.

 

After taking a quick look at the current play test document for One D&D, I already have a couple of concerns. 

 

I don't like feats at all and (as I just mentioned) I don't use them in my campaign. Making them optional was one of the best things about 5^th edition. So I'm disappointed that they now seem to be no longer optional in the play test document. Likewise, I don't like inspiration and don't use it in my game. Not using inspiration keeps the game a bit more “gritty” and dangerous. But inspiration now seems to be required (for humans at least).

My current take is this: I use some modest tweaks to maintain a somewhat “old school” feel to my 5e game. This has been easy to do, and I'm a little concerned that this may be harder to do in 5.5e. But perhaps my worries will prove unfounded. Or perhaps I’ll just stick with “my version” of 5^th edition (I certainly will do so for my current campaign). And after I finish the Greyhawk campaign—which very well may not be for a couple of years—I expect I’ll be in the mood to run something different in any case. (Perhaps Against the Darkmaster or Lyonesse...)

Planescape coming in 2023

Here’s the lineup of 2023 releases for Dungeons and Dragons (5^th edition):

 

-       Keys from the Golden Vault

-       Bigby Presents: Glory of the Giants

-       Phandelver Campaign

-       The Book of Many Things

-       Planescape

 

The last item is the only one of real interest to me (although I likely will at least look at the other books).  

 

I didn’t pay much attention to Advanced Dungeons and Dragons during the second edition era (I played briefly in one campaign, which was fine). An exception was the Planescape setting. My interest was prompted by the Planescape: Torment computer role-playing game (which I didn’t play until 2000, after the setting’s print run had finished up). Upon finishing the CRPG, I tracked down the box set. Even though I never did anything with the setting, I was—and remain—a fan of it.

 

Perhaps I’ll finally run a Planescape campaign once this book becomes available. At the very least, I'm keen to read about it.

Against the Darkmaster Player’s Handbook now available

As I’ve written here before, I’m a big fan of Against the Darkmaster. It's my favourite FRPG since Mythras. But the core rule-book, while magnificent, is rather huge and unwieldy, and includes a lot of material unnecessary for players.

 

So I’m delighted that Open Ended Games has published a Player’s Handbook version of the game. Moreover, it should be more widely accessible in print form than the core rules, given that it’s available via print-on-demand at DrivethruRPG.

 

If you were ever a fan of MERP (Middle-earth Roleplaying), or simply are curious about a fun, low-powered FRPG with lots of entertaining critical hit descriptions, then check out Against the Darkmaster. 

 

(Running a heavily modified version the old ICE campaign module The Court of Ardor with Against the Darkmaster is a future goal of mine.)

Crypts And Things had gone Platinum

Kudos to D101 Games on the platinum status of Crypts and Things at DrivethruRPG! 👍

 

 

First Visit to Hommlet (Greyhawk Classics Campaign)

PART 3: ARRIVING IN HOMMLET (Flocktime 578 CY)

[Part 2 here]

 

3.1 First Night in Hommlet (Flocktime 5^th)

 

After a difficult journey from Verbobonc, the doughty adventures— Erik (the mountain dwarf fighter from the Lortmils), Althaea (the high elf wizard from the city of Tringlee), and the brothers Godric (the human rogue from the Barony of Shiboleth) and Cedric (the human cleric of St. Cuthbert)—arrive at Hommlet.

 

The party pauses on a small ridge above the village, which now lies to their south and southeast. To their left (east) stands an impressive Church of St. Cuthbert. It is finely crafted and its two stories peer down upon the village. Cedric forms a plan to visit the church the next day. The only taller structure that the party can see is a tower to the southeast, also on a hill, that stands several stories high. A swiftly flowing stream divides the village in two. South of the stream the party spies a large two-story building that they infer must be the region’s famous inn, The Welcome Wench.

 

Descending from the ridge, the party passes a trading post, a moneychanger, a smithy, and a couple of other commercial establishments, as well as a few farmhouses. Althaea is puzzled by the presence of a moneychanger in such a small settlement. Erik, though, is uninterested in anything other than the inn, so the party soon finds itself within The Welcome Wench.

 

 

Scattered about the common room are over a dozen customers. Among them are many farmers and other locals, as well as some merchants and their guards. The party notices a rough looking individual drinking alone at the bar. They suspect that this might be Zert (the swordsman mentioned by Gurth and Twick back at The Electrum Eel in Verbobonc). By the fire sits a young pale blond man dressed in blue; he is reading a book and trying to ignore the noise around him. Behind the bar work the innkeeper and his wife—the party already knows their names from Gurth and Twick: Ostler and Glora Gundigoot. Also working in the common room are three young serving women.

 

The party sits down at a long table. Althaea is suspicious of the young pale man reading the book and tries to keep an eye on him. Glora comes by the table to take the party’s order. Erik, in his usual spendthrift way, orders several rounds of the “Ghostpale Ale,” as well as fine meals of porkbelly and mushrooms for everyone.

 

Erik also orders drinks for the swordsman, who subsequently joins the party. He is indeed Zert, who chats amiably with the group. Erik enthusiastically relates the tale of the ambush south of Verbobonc to Zert, as well as the party’s goal of “finding adventure.” Zert offers to help the party in any of their future endeavours for an equal share of the loot. He is keen to use his blade “Betty” again soon. He also suggests that the bands of brigands plaguing the region likely are operating out of the Gnarley Forest, and is dismissive of the notion that anyone might be using the nearby Moathouse as a base. According to Zert, the Moathouse was utterly ruined following the Battle of Emridy Meadows a decade ago, and its rubble is unlikely to be habitable now.

 

After finishing up the first round of drinks, Erik switches to “Umberdeep Ale.” The shadowy brew packs a decent punch, much to the dwarf’s delight. Zert thanks the dwarf for his hospitality and retires for the evening. As the party discusses their plans, a tall pale man dressed in fine brown clothing descends into the common room. His jet-black hair is tied into a ponytail and his bright blue eyes indicate partial elvish heritage. Noticing the unusual group, he approaches the table and greets them in Elvish and then switches to Common.

 

Chatting affably, he explains that his name is Furnok, and that he is an accomplished “treasure finder.” With a brilliant smile, he produces some knucklebones and cards. Godric loses a game of knucklebones; Althaea subsequently loses a game of cards (“Emperor’s Folly”). Following the games, Furnok explains that he is in need of additional coin—more than he can ever hope to win off travellers in the inn—and offers his services as a treasure finder to the party.

 

Althaea asks if Furnok knows the young book-reader. He does, and somewhat amused by the elf’s suspiciousness, calls over Spugnoir. The young man explains that he is an aspiring mage who was accompanying a group of merchants through the Kron Hills when they were attacked by bandits. In his ensuing flight, Spugnoir lost his spellbook, and is currently working on replacing it while staying in Hommlet. His current efforts involve inscribing the few spells he has memorized into his new book, but he remarks that he hopes to find others to add, if possible. 

 

After a couple more drinks, the party decides to retire. They rent a private room on the second floor. It only has two beds, along with a table and a couple of chairs, but the party wishes to stay together in case the mysterious mage (from the ambush between Verbobonc and Hommlet) seeks revenge. Althaea cautiously casts “Alarm” on the door and window. Bedrolls are placed on the floor to provide sufficient sleeping places for all.

 

3.2 Preparations in Hommlet (Flocktime 6^th – 7^th)

 

The party starts the day with an elaborate breakfast. Afterwards Cedric and Althaea go to the Church of St. Cuthbert. There they are greeted by the aloof priest Calmert. When shown the letter from Bishop Haufren, though, Calmert’s tone becomes unctuous, and he asks Credric and Althaea to wait in the church’s pleasantly decorated audience chamber. Calmert then goes to fetch Canon Terjon, who arrives shortly afterwards.

 

Cedric describes his dreams of an evil rising in the region—a mysterious ancient nemesis of St. Cuthbert—and the information he gained from the Shrine of Istus (the shrine told him: “Travel to Hommlet, near the city of Verbobonc; those who follow St. Cuthbert there will aid you in your efforts”). Shaken by Cedric’s words, Canon Terjon mentions the increasing troubles with brigands and humanoids near the village, as well as the disappearance of Canon Y’dey (the previous head of the Church) a couple of months earlier. When shown the pebble with the symbol of the eye, Terjon remarks that he can recall no such symbol associated with the forces of the Temple of Elemental Evil a decade ago. Nonetheless, he surmises that it likely is used by some kind of secret organization. At the conclusion of their meeting, Terjon gives Althaea and Cedric a flask of holy water to assist them in their endeavours.

 

Before departing the church, Cedric visits the altar room. A life-sized statue of St. Cuthbert, holding a cudgel in his right hand and beckoning visitors with his left, stands behind the altar. The altar itself is a carved from a single piece of bronzewood and is decorated with an image of the saint’s crumpled hat, as well as smaller images of billets and star bursts. Cedric casts some of the church’s holy sticks on the altar and discerns the following two sayings of the saint:

·       “Evil which cannot be removed must be eliminated.”

·       “Preach quietly but have a large cudgel handy.”

Now infused with zeal and holy fervour for his cause, Cedric leaves the church. Althaea discretely rolls her eyes and follows. They return to the inn.

 

While Cedric and Althaea are at the church, Erik strikes up a conversation with a local named Elmo. The dwarf buys the villager a pint. Elmo seems to know the area around Hommlet quite well. Erik hires Elmo to guide the party to the Moathouse, offering him two gold pieces in advance, and another two gold pieces after they return.

 

Later that morn, the party goes to the Trading Post. Outside of the establishment’s door a shield and lantern hang from chains. On the shield is displayed a sword and a wedge of cheese. Inside. the party is greeted by two merchants, a sluggish obese fellow named Rannos Davl, and a tall, wiry individual with bulging eyes named Gremag. Erik and Althaea purchase some rations; Godric obtains a suit of studded leather armour.

 

Shortly afterwards, the party meets up with an armoured and surprisingly well-equipped Elmo. The villager guides the party along the eastern “High Road” out of Hommlet. After several hours of marching through the low hills and rough terrain beyond the village’s farmlands, the party arrives at the ruined Moathouse.

…

 

 

Art credits: 

- Pictures by Dave Trampier (from the original Village of Hommlet module).

- Hommlet map by Lavernius Regalis (from here).
 

 

 

 

David Warner, RIP

David Warner was a very accomplished actor. 

 

But I’ll forever associate him with the character “Jon Irenicus” of the computer role-playing game, Baldur’s Gate 2: Shadows of Amn.

 

Anyone who has ever played that game will recall his work for the lead villain. The opening lines will echo in my mind’s ear throughout the rest of my days:

Ahhh, the child of Bhaal has awoken.

It is time for more experiments...

RIP, Shattered One.