Adventure Seeds! - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Adventure Seeds!

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
cam_banks
Jun 25, 2003 18:22:44 Inspired by the challenges of Terry/Ferratus, and after having a word with Dragonhelm, I've decided to start posting adventure hooks, seeds, scenes, and set pieces to the Nexus and Dragonlance.com more or less by request. I encourage others to do the same, especially regarding parts of Ansalon (or Taladas!) that many people don't believe would make good adventures or locations.

I'll be posting my slap-dash adventure seeds featuring Gellidus tomorrow, since it may be that folks would like to see it and get some ideas from them. I will say however that I don't think Gellidus should remain as pigeonholed as perhaps the Fifth age boxed set portrays him, especially now that three Dragon Overlords have gone and the Gods are back. I should also point out that I know nothing about Frost's fate in the future, and I fully expect the books and supplements to contradict these suggestions, since they're really all just "what if?" scenarios.

So in the mean time, what else would folks like to see treated? Consider this something of an open call. I'll make use of some of the requests and post a little every day or so, when my other work permits.

Cheers,
Cam
#2
ferratus
Jun 25, 2003 19:22:44 Excellent idea! It will get the ball rolling for some discussion, or nothing will.

I'm glad we agree that Gellidus was too pigeon-holed in the 5th Age to be truly interesting. I am genuinely curious to see what you will come up with in regards to Gellidus. Even with a revised personality and a revamped attitude, I don't really know what to do with such a huge dragon.

See, Sable's domain and size makes sense. She wanted to create an ecosystem "from scratch" so she flooded her swamp and ****d (dammed) up the ocean bay. It also makes sense for her to have a lot of hit dice, since she can use that Hit Dice to determine how many "spawn creatures" she can control. With her 20 or 40 HD or whatever she has, she can control many Master Spawn, who in turn can control units of servitor spawn. She also has the ability to craft numerous magical items and free willed abberations.

But Gellidus doesn't really make sense. His whole background was that he didn't want to rule over Icewall because he was unimpressed with the prospects of ruling over "a few Thanoi and scattered ice barbarians". He wanted a place of population. However, the 5th Age had him turn Southern Ergoth into a land of eternal winter, and ship in Thanoi. I simply don't understand.

I mean, if he likes towns and cities, and likes sadistically playing with and ruling over mortals, why doesn't he govern them? Why did bury all the cities, towns and fertile lands under ice so that people had to flee or starve? If all he does is roll around in the snow, why did he need Southern Ergoth? Why do we need all that snow in a campaign setting when we already have Icewall?

In a melted Southern Ergoth, I don't understand why he has to be so big. I mean, if you are going to do an epic level campaign, you think you'd only do "Kill the big dragon" as a finale only once. To do it twice would be very redundant.

My thinking was that anything that involved sadistically playing with humans, stirring up wars, surviving in a time when the gods returned, stealing treasure... that could all be done with a smaller dragon who had the proper amount of brains. So I went looking for Gellidius' brains, and found them in the character of Shiver, a young dragon that whispers plots into his ears. So I figured I would dump the tarrasque, and keep the brain around. Despite being 1/8th his size, I beleive Shiver is more than capable of filling his shoes.

[edit because the electronic censor doesn't recognize the difference between an ocean wall and a lesbian slur]

[Oh, one final thing. I noticed today in Dungeon #100, page 72. There was a picture of a Colassal sized creature 200 feet long. It had an entire fortress on its back. For scale, they used birds flying around the towers of that fortress, and in the picture they are barely specks. Gelledius is that big. Malystryx was twice that size. It makes me wonder if there is going to be a retcon of the dragon overlord sizes, given what happened in Vanished Moon. I don't possibly see what a dragonlance could do to such a massive creature. It would be like stabbing us with a spear that belonged to an ant.]
#3
jonesy
Jun 26, 2003 6:36:54
It makes me wonder if there is going to be a retcon of the dragon overlord sizes, given what happened in Vanished Moon. I don't possibly see what a dragonlance could do to such a massive creature. It would be like stabbing us with a spear that belonged to an ant.

Retcon why? That was exactly how it was described in Vanished Moon. Neither Beryl or Malys were greatly affected by just a dragonlance. Divine intervention by Takhisis did the job.
#4
cam_banks
Jun 26, 2003 10:25:53 The Gellidus adventure hooks are up at Dragonlance.com. I had to divide them into four parts, so you can locate them at the following addresses:

http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/hook.asp?id=11952
http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/hook.asp?id=11953
http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/hook.asp?id=11955
http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/hook.asp?id=11956

Enjoy! If you can do better, which you most likely could (given I just threw those together yesterday), please make use of the submissions section on Dragonlance.com and the Nexus to contribute to the Adventure Hooks section. We're sorely in need of more!

Cheers,
Cam
#5
ferratus
Jun 28, 2003 13:24:59
Originally posted by jonesy
Retcon why? That was exactly how it was described in Vanished Moon. Neither Beryl or Malys were greatly affected by just a dragonlance. Divine intervention by Takhisis did the job.

Takhisis abandoned Mina when she was fighting Malystryx.
#6
ferratus
Jun 28, 2003 13:27:25 Pretty good stuff Cam, but basically all twenty adventure seeds revolve around the same premise. "Stop this chain of events from happening or else Gellidus will cornhole us".

I've got the same scenerio for my own adventure where Gellidus is slain, but I doubt I'd want to play 20 levels of adventures with that exact same premise.
#7
cam_banks
Jun 28, 2003 14:55:14
Originally posted by ferratus
Pretty good stuff Cam, but basically all twenty adventure seeds revolve around the same premise. "Stop this chain of events from happening or else Gellidus will cornhole us".

That's a common theme but by no means the only premise. That's more or less why I grouped them together in that fashion. Gellidus shifts at points from being a force of nature, to an enactor, and even a victim. The heroes even get several opportunities to win his favor or extract favors from him, depending on the circumstances.

Cheers,
Cam

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 cam_banks Jun 25, 2003 18:22:44	Inspired by the challenges of Terry/Ferratus, and after having a word with Dragonhelm, I've decided to start posting adventure hooks, seeds, scenes, and set pieces to the Nexus and Dragonlance.com more or less by request. I encourage others to do the same, especially regarding parts of Ansalon (or Taladas!) that many people don't believe would make good adventures or locations. I'll be posting my slap-dash adventure seeds featuring Gellidus tomorrow, since it may be that folks would like to see it and get some ideas from them. I will say however that I don't think Gellidus should remain as pigeonholed as perhaps the Fifth age boxed set portrays him, especially now that three Dragon Overlords have gone and the Gods are back. I should also point out that I know nothing about Frost's fate in the future, and I fully expect the books and supplements to contradict these suggestions, since they're really all just "what if?" scenarios. So in the mean time, what else would folks like to see treated? Consider this something of an open call. I'll make use of some of the requests and post a little every day or so, when my other work permits. Cheers, Cam
#2 ferratus Jun 25, 2003 19:22:44	Excellent idea! It will get the ball rolling for some discussion, or nothing will. I'm glad we agree that Gellidus was too pigeon-holed in the 5th Age to be truly interesting. I am genuinely curious to see what you will come up with in regards to Gellidus. Even with a revised personality and a revamped attitude, I don't really know what to do with such a huge dragon. See, Sable's domain and size makes sense. She wanted to create an ecosystem "from scratch" so she flooded her swamp and ****d (dammed) up the ocean bay. It also makes sense for her to have a lot of hit dice, since she can use that Hit Dice to determine how many "spawn creatures" she can control. With her 20 or 40 HD or whatever she has, she can control many Master Spawn, who in turn can control units of servitor spawn. She also has the ability to craft numerous magical items and free willed abberations. But Gellidus doesn't really make sense. His whole background was that he didn't want to rule over Icewall because he was unimpressed with the prospects of ruling over "a few Thanoi and scattered ice barbarians". He wanted a place of population. However, the 5th Age had him turn Southern Ergoth into a land of eternal winter, and ship in Thanoi. I simply don't understand. I mean, if he likes towns and cities, and likes sadistically playing with and ruling over mortals, why doesn't he govern them? Why did bury all the cities, towns and fertile lands under ice so that people had to flee or starve? If all he does is roll around in the snow, why did he need Southern Ergoth? Why do we need all that snow in a campaign setting when we already have Icewall? In a melted Southern Ergoth, I don't understand why he has to be so big. I mean, if you are going to do an epic level campaign, you think you'd only do "Kill the big dragon" as a finale only once. To do it twice would be very redundant. My thinking was that anything that involved sadistically playing with humans, stirring up wars, surviving in a time when the gods returned, stealing treasure... that could all be done with a smaller dragon who had the proper amount of brains. So I went looking for Gellidius' brains, and found them in the character of Shiver, a young dragon that whispers plots into his ears. So I figured I would dump the tarrasque, and keep the brain around. Despite being 1/8th his size, I beleive Shiver is more than capable of filling his shoes. [edit because the electronic censor doesn't recognize the difference between an ocean wall and a lesbian slur] [Oh, one final thing. I noticed today in Dungeon #100, page 72. There was a picture of a Colassal sized creature 200 feet long. It had an entire fortress on its back. For scale, they used birds flying around the towers of that fortress, and in the picture they are barely specks. Gelledius is that big. Malystryx was twice that size. It makes me wonder if there is going to be a retcon of the dragon overlord sizes, given what happened in Vanished Moon. I don't possibly see what a dragonlance could do to such a massive creature. It would be like stabbing us with a spear that belonged to an ant.]
#3 jonesy Jun 26, 2003 6:36:54	It makes me wonder if there is going to be a retcon of the dragon overlord sizes, given what happened in Vanished Moon. I don't possibly see what a dragonlance could do to such a massive creature. It would be like stabbing us with a spear that belonged to an ant. Retcon why? That was exactly how it was described in Vanished Moon. Neither Beryl or Malys were greatly affected by just a dragonlance. Divine intervention by Takhisis did the job.
#4 cam_banks Jun 26, 2003 10:25:53	The Gellidus adventure hooks are up at Dragonlance.com. I had to divide them into four parts, so you can locate them at the following addresses: http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/hook.asp?id=11952 http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/hook.asp?id=11953 http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/hook.asp?id=11955 http://www.dragonlance.com/fan/rules/hook.asp?id=11956 Enjoy! If you can do better, which you most likely could (given I just threw those together yesterday), please make use of the submissions section on Dragonlance.com and the Nexus to contribute to the Adventure Hooks section. We're sorely in need of more! Cheers, Cam
#5 ferratus Jun 28, 2003 13:24:59	Originally posted by jonesy Retcon why? That was exactly how it was described in Vanished Moon. Neither Beryl or Malys were greatly affected by just a dragonlance. Divine intervention by Takhisis did the job. Takhisis abandoned Mina when she was fighting Malystryx.
#6 ferratus Jun 28, 2003 13:27:25	Pretty good stuff Cam, but basically all twenty adventure seeds revolve around the same premise. "Stop this chain of events from happening or else Gellidus will cornhole us". I've got the same scenerio for my own adventure where Gellidus is slain, but I doubt I'd want to play 20 levels of adventures with that exact same premise.
#7 cam_banks Jun 28, 2003 14:55:14	Originally posted by ferratus Pretty good stuff Cam, but basically all twenty adventure seeds revolve around the same premise. "Stop this chain of events from happening or else Gellidus will cornhole us". That's a common theme but by no means the only premise. That's more or less why I grouped them together in that fashion. Gellidus shifts at points from being a force of nature, to an enactor, and even a victim. The heroes even get several opportunities to win his favor or extract favors from him, depending on the circumstances. Cheers, Cam