Dregoth Ascending - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Dregoth Ascending

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
banshee
Apr 17, 2004 14:20:40 Was the module Dregoth Ascending ever released? I remember that the folks at Athas.org were supposed to finish it up, but I've seen nothing aside from a link to a teaser.

Is that particular project dead or still going on?

Banshee
#2
flip
Apr 17, 2004 15:33:23
Originally posted by Banshee
Is that particular project dead or still going on?

It's not dead, but it's ... er, very, very Epic Level ... it had to be shelved for a while, until core could get to a state where we can focus on what the epic level stuff is going to look like.
#3
nytcrawlr
Apr 18, 2004 10:11:36
Originally posted by flip
It's not dead, but it's ... er, very, very Epic Level ... it had to be shelved for a while, until core could get to a state where we can focus on what the epic level stuff is going to look like.

Being I'm just in the monster bureau now I don't get to hear what else is going on *cough*.

Are you guys even working on the epic rules at this point?
#4
jon_oracle_of_athas
Apr 19, 2004 12:33:18 I'm currently putting together the Epic Bureau, a new Bureau in the Templarate.
#5
Shei-Nad
Apr 19, 2004 12:51:25 How come I seem to be the only one who never played epic level games? In fact, we never even came close, no matter who's the DM. The best we did was to get from 1st to 6th level, or 3rd to 8th, but we never even reached 10th!

Imagine what's its going to be like in Dark Sun!!!

PC: OMG!!! I leveled! I actually leveled!!!

DM: Yeah, too bad all the other PCs are dead.

PC: Yeah... too bad...
#6
zombiegleemax
Apr 19, 2004 13:05:48
Originally posted by Shei-Nad
How come I seem to be the only one who never played epic level games? In fact, we never even came close, no matter who's the DM. The best we did was to get from 1st to 6th level, or 3rd to 8th, but we never even reached 10th!

Imagine what's its going to be like in Dark Sun!!!

PC: OMG!!! I leveled! I actually leveled!!!

DM: Yeah, too bad all the other PCs are dead.

PC: Yeah... too bad...

Yeah, I just compulsively made my players make new characters. ;) I was like "Hm, I have NO idea how to DM for characters over 8th level, sooooo, 'Hey guys, you wanna make new characters?'" Apparently my players dreaded leveling up. I dunno why...
#7
Grummore
Apr 19, 2004 15:29:28
Originally posted by AthasianDirge
Yeah, I just compulsively made my players make new characters. ;) I was like "Hm, I have NO idea how to DM for characters over 8th level, sooooo, 'Hey guys, you wanna make new characters?'" Apparently my players dreaded leveling up. I dunno why...

Look like the same thing for me, I never had characters as DM or as player myself over level 12... I dont know, I like these level as I feel been higher level would disturb too much the things in a setting.

I always though killing gods was a strange and inaccessible things to do.
#8
xlorepdarkhelm_dup
Apr 19, 2004 21:32:16 In a related issue - your e-mail address bounced my response back, Jon. I'll try resending it when I get a chance.
#9
banshee
Apr 19, 2004 21:35:03
Originally posted by Grummore
Look like the same thing for me, I never had characters as DM or as player myself over level 12... I dont know, I like these level as I feel been higher level would disturb too much the things in a setting.

I always though killing gods was a strange and inaccessible things to do.

It still should be. Most Powers have a CR of like 50 or so. There's a huge gap between level 21 and 50

In 14 years of DMing, I think I've had two campaigns reach what are now considered Epic levels. One was Dark Sun.....but the characters still only reached about lvl 16. The other was Dragonlance, where they reached about Level 24.

My current Planescape game has being going since 1997, and the characters are all between level 12 and 9 at the moment.

Other than that, I tend to reset the game well before we reach high levels.

Banshee
#10
dawnstealer
Apr 20, 2004 0:05:45 It's usually more the players than myself. I've been GMing for close to 20 years (began playing when I was nine), and, after a certain point, most people just want to try something else.

On that note, I have had a few games that have gone pretty high in the levels department. One player became a dragon and managed to fill the vacuum in Raam. Short-lived, however, when Dregoth and his merry band showed up.
#11
zombiegleemax
Apr 20, 2004 7:51:23
Originally posted by Grummore
Look like the same thing for me, I never had characters as DM or as player myself over level 12... I dont know, I like these level as I feel been higher level would disturb too much the things in a setting.

I always though killing gods was a strange and inaccessible things to do.

Yeah.. there is something about "epic" levels that I find incredibly unappealing. Though, in DS it COULD be fun to let your characters think they can take on a Dragon-King. I mean, not that they'd last long, but it WOULD be amusing.

I just don't like it when you get to those levels, because the super high fantasy plane-jumping, consorting with devils, etc. is just uninteresting to me.
#12
zombiegleemax
Apr 21, 2004 12:41:08 I agree. My players moan that the highest my campaign has ever gotten is 13th level. Cry me a river. Above 13th and 14th levels the game just gets really really complicated and harder and harder to tell good stories.
#13
dawnstealer
Apr 21, 2004 14:13:45 Not necessarily. The trick is coming up with a villain who's hidden behind a web of underlings. Also, having them be generally one level higher than the PCs is a good way to go.

Once the PCs cross the "big 10th level" barrier, you can still keep the game interesting, but you have to plan for it while they're still in the lower levels. My way of doing this is coming out with a timeline: "This is what this NPC will be doing on this day." The PCs then change the timeline as they interfere.

As the nemesis figures it out, they will come up with more and more complex plans both to see their own through, and to bring down the PCs. While some of this might be "tough" thugs, more often it's setting the PCs up against an adversary they can't win against (at least, not without role-playing, which is the whole point, after all), such as a nightmare beast or sorcerer king or, for a twist, the Order or an Avangion.
#14
nytcrawlr
Apr 21, 2004 17:53:29 I've always found that an Undead Tarrasque with a pet dwelf makes for a interesting, yet very challenging, encounter.
#15
zombiegleemax
Apr 21, 2004 18:01:44 You could always throw Space Halflings at them, commanded by the evil overlord, Buck Rogers.
#16
zombiegleemax
Apr 21, 2004 20:01:29 Where did the space halflings thing come from?
#17
dawnstealer
Apr 22, 2004 11:26:23 Duh: it comes from that one book with the stuff in it.
#18
zombiegleemax
Apr 22, 2004 11:43:35
Originally posted by Dawnstealer
Duh: it comes from that one book with the stuff in it.

Oh yeah, I remember that one now. It's the one with all of the words in it.
#19
dawnstealer
Apr 22, 2004 11:49:17 RIGHT. That one.
#20
zombiegleemax
Apr 22, 2004 13:35:47
Originally posted by Shei-Nad
How come I seem to be the only one who never played epic level games? In fact, we never even came close, no matter who's the DM. The best we did was to get from 1st to 6th level, or 3rd to 8th, but we never even reached 10th!

As a DM, my player's PCs only once, in my 11 years of DMing, reached above 12th level, they're all about 17th level now, in a scenary similar to DarkSun. Some have become kings, others high-priests of some deity and others are just that thing that a Master need to keep the game always interesting..

As a player a I've gone a little further, I was a Dwarf Fighter18/Cleric 21, my deity was so happy me with that granted me semi-godship (I became an Avatar). Also, in the same adventure we had an Half abyssal Elf Fighter 17/Mage 20.

Ah, we were friends!!!
We used to hunt ultra-techno-power-plus vilains just for fun!
#21
xlorepdarkhelm_dup
Apr 22, 2004 14:05:15 I've had campaigns where I give away XP fast enough that players launch into Epic levels quickly I've also done campaigns where I'm a miser, and a character's lucky enough to make it to level 5 It all comes and goes on a whim for me.
#22
jon_oracle_of_athas
Apr 22, 2004 16:38:40
As the nemesis figures it out, they will come up with more and more complex plans both to see their own through, and to bring down the PCs. While some of this might be "tough" thugs, more often it's setting the PCs up against an adversary they can't win against (at least, not without role-playing, which is the whole point, after all), such as a nightmare beast or sorcerer king or, for a twist, the Order or an Avangion.

Or the perfidious Lord Doomspike, the hunting cacti!
#23
dawnstealer
Apr 22, 2004 17:04:14 Doomspike, sitting in the center of his web of needles...

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 banshee Apr 17, 2004 14:20:40	Was the module Dregoth Ascending ever released? I remember that the folks at Athas.org were supposed to finish it up, but I've seen nothing aside from a link to a teaser. Is that particular project dead or still going on? Banshee
#2 flip Apr 17, 2004 15:33:23	Originally posted by Banshee Is that particular project dead or still going on? It's not dead, but it's ... er, very, very Epic Level ... it had to be shelved for a while, until core could get to a state where we can focus on what the epic level stuff is going to look like.
#3 nytcrawlr Apr 18, 2004 10:11:36	Originally posted by flip *It's not dead, but it's ... er, very, very* Epic Level ... it had to be shelved for a while, until core could get to a state where we can focus on what the epic level stuff is going to look like.** Being I'm just in the monster bureau now I don't get to hear what else is going on cough. Are you guys even working on the epic rules at this point?
#4 jon_oracle_of_athas Apr 19, 2004 12:33:18	I'm currently putting together the Epic Bureau, a new Bureau in the Templarate.
#5 Shei-Nad Apr 19, 2004 12:51:25	How come I seem to be the only one who never played epic level games? In fact, we never even came close, no matter who's the DM. The best we did was to get from 1st to 6th level, or 3rd to 8th, but we never even reached 10th! Imagine what's its going to be like in Dark Sun!!! PC: OMG!!! I leveled! I actually leveled!!! DM: Yeah, too bad all the other PCs are dead. PC: Yeah... too bad...
#6 zombiegleemax Apr 19, 2004 13:05:48	Originally posted by Shei-Nad How come I seem to be the only one who never played epic level games? In fact, we never even came close, no matter who's the DM. The best we did was to get from 1st to 6th level, or 3rd to 8th, but we never even reached 10th! Imagine what's its going to be like in Dark Sun!!! PC: OMG!!! I leveled! I actually leveled!!! DM: Yeah, too bad all the other PCs are dead. PC: Yeah... too bad... Yeah, I just compulsively made my players make new characters. ;) I was like "Hm, I have NO idea how to DM for characters over 8th level, sooooo, 'Hey guys, you wanna make new characters?'" Apparently my players dreaded leveling up. I dunno why...
#7 Grummore Apr 19, 2004 15:29:28	Originally posted by AthasianDirge Yeah, I just compulsively made my players make new characters. ;) I was like "Hm, I have NO idea how to DM for characters over 8th level, sooooo, 'Hey guys, you wanna make new characters?'" Apparently my players dreaded leveling up. I dunno why... Look like the same thing for me, I never had characters as DM or as player myself over level 12... I dont know, I like these level as I feel been higher level would disturb too much the things in a setting. I always though killing gods was a strange and inaccessible things to do.
#8 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Apr 19, 2004 21:32:16	In a related issue - your e-mail address bounced my response back, Jon. I'll try resending it when I get a chance.
#9 banshee Apr 19, 2004 21:35:03	Originally posted by Grummore Look like the same thing for me, I never had characters as DM or as player myself over level 12... I dont know, I like these level as I feel been higher level would disturb too much the things in a setting. I always though killing gods was a strange and inaccessible things to do. It still should be. Most Powers have a CR of like 50 or so. There's a huge gap between level 21 and 50 In 14 years of DMing, I think I've had two campaigns reach what are now considered Epic levels. One was Dark Sun.....but the characters still only reached about lvl 16. The other was Dragonlance, where they reached about Level 24. My current Planescape game has being going since 1997, and the characters are all between level 12 and 9 at the moment. Other than that, I tend to reset the game well before we reach high levels. Banshee
#10 dawnstealer Apr 20, 2004 0:05:45	It's usually more the players than myself. I've been GMing for close to 20 years (began playing when I was nine), and, after a certain point, most people just want to try something else. On that note, I have had a few games that have gone pretty high in the levels department. One player became a dragon and managed to fill the vacuum in Raam. Short-lived, however, when Dregoth and his merry band showed up.
#11 zombiegleemax Apr 20, 2004 7:51:23	Originally posted by Grummore Look like the same thing for me, I never had characters as DM or as player myself over level 12... I dont know, I like these level as I feel been higher level would disturb too much the things in a setting. I always though killing gods was a strange and inaccessible things to do. Yeah.. there is something about "epic" levels that I find incredibly unappealing. Though, in DS it COULD be fun to let your characters think they can take on a Dragon-King. I mean, not that they'd last long, but it WOULD be amusing. I just don't like it when you get to those levels, because the super high fantasy plane-jumping, consorting with devils, etc. is just uninteresting to me.
#12 zombiegleemax Apr 21, 2004 12:41:08	I agree. My players moan that the highest my campaign has ever gotten is 13th level. Cry me a river. Above 13th and 14th levels the game just gets really really complicated and harder and harder to tell good stories.
#13 dawnstealer Apr 21, 2004 14:13:45	Not necessarily. The trick is coming up with a villain who's hidden behind a web of underlings. Also, having them be generally one level higher than the PCs is a good way to go. Once the PCs cross the "big 10th level" barrier, you can still keep the game interesting, but you have to plan for it while they're still in the lower levels. My way of doing this is coming out with a timeline: "This is what this NPC will be doing on this day." The PCs then change the timeline as they interfere. As the nemesis figures it out, they will come up with more and more complex plans both to see their own through, and to bring down the PCs. While some of this might be "tough" thugs, more often it's setting the PCs up against an adversary they can't win against (at least, not without role-playing, which is the whole point, after all), such as a nightmare beast or sorcerer king or, for a twist, the Order or an Avangion.
#14 nytcrawlr Apr 21, 2004 17:53:29	I've always found that an Undead Tarrasque with a pet dwelf makes for a interesting, yet very challenging, encounter.
#15 zombiegleemax Apr 21, 2004 18:01:44	You could always throw Space Halflings at them, commanded by the evil overlord, Buck Rogers.
#16 zombiegleemax Apr 21, 2004 20:01:29	Where did the space halflings thing come from?
#17 dawnstealer Apr 22, 2004 11:26:23	Duh: it comes from that one book with the stuff in it.
#18 zombiegleemax Apr 22, 2004 11:43:35	Originally posted by Dawnstealer Duh: it comes from that one book with the stuff in it. Oh yeah, I remember that one now. It's the one with all of the words in it.
#19 dawnstealer Apr 22, 2004 11:49:17	RIGHT. That one.
#20 zombiegleemax Apr 22, 2004 13:35:47	Originally posted by Shei-Nad How come I seem to be the only one who never played epic level games? In fact, we never even came close, no matter who's the DM. The best we did was to get from 1st to 6th level, or 3rd to 8th, but we never even reached 10th! As a DM, my player's PCs only once, in my 11 years of DMing, reached above 12th level, they're all about 17th level now, in a scenary similar to DarkSun. Some have become kings, others high-priests of some deity and others are just that thing that a Master need to keep the game always interesting.. As a player a I've gone a little further, I was a Dwarf Fighter18/Cleric 21, my deity was so happy me with that granted me semi-godship (I became an Avatar). Also, in the same adventure we had an Half abyssal Elf Fighter 17/Mage 20. Ah, we were friends!!! We used to hunt ultra-techno-power-plus vilains just for fun!
#21 xlorepdarkhelm_dup Apr 22, 2004 14:05:15	I've had campaigns where I give away XP fast enough that players launch into Epic levels quickly I've also done campaigns where I'm a miser, and a character's lucky enough to make it to level 5 It all comes and goes on a whim for me.
#22 jon_oracle_of_athas Apr 22, 2004 16:38:40	As the nemesis figures it out, they will come up with more and more complex plans both to see their own through, and to bring down the PCs. While some of this might be "tough" thugs, more often it's setting the PCs up against an adversary they can't win against (at least, not without role-playing, which is the whole point, after all), such as a nightmare beast or sorcerer king or, for a twist, the Order or an Avangion. Or the perfidious Lord Doomspike, the hunting cacti!
#23 dawnstealer Apr 22, 2004 17:04:14	Doomspike, sitting in the center of his web of needles...