Generic Modules to Greyhawk - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Generic Modules to Greyhawk

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
cwslyclgh
Jan 09, 2004 13:35:17 With this thread I hope to start a discussion about various “generic modules” and how they could best be placed in the world of greyhawk. The scope of this thread will not be limited to any specific edition (thus OD&D. 1st, 2nd, and 3e modules are all eligible for discussion here) but it will not, as of yet, discuss ways to convert modules designed for other campaign settings (such as FR) to greyhawk. (A special note about the B-series of modules, although most these have nominally been placed in the mystara setting almost as an after thought, very few of them actually have anything campaign specific in the actual module text, and thus are eligible, infact the introduction to B-1 places it as a greyhawk module.)

How I am hoping that this works is that we will pick one module at a time, discus how and where it would best fit into the world of greyhawk, and talk about what changes would need to be made in order to make the module fit (such as changing the temple of this deity to a temple of Pholtus, etc.)

Ok, now that I have come up with the concept, would anybody like to decide which generic module we should start with?
#2
Greyson
Jan 09, 2004 14:08:25 Wes, what about Ravenloft? I mean the original 1983 TSR module I6 Ravenloft, by Tracy and Laura Hickman. Not the deluge of other RL material that followed the next 20 years.

The last time I played I6 Ravenloft was in 1987 or 1988, my personal AD&D heyday, and I DMed it in Greyhawk. We made Strahd an ethnic Oeridian since he formerly commanded an army (migrating Oeridian tribes was my interpretation) and set his castle in the mountians west of Exag in Perrenland.

As indicated above, I6 Ravenloft was a stand-alone adventure, and a very good one, I still believe. I had a tough time deciding where to put it. And, 15 years later, I still wonder if there is a better place for Strahd's self-glossed Barovia.
#3
cwslyclgh
Jan 09, 2004 14:23:21 I6 is indeed eligable.

Strahd as Oeridian I buy as well, although I am not sure that I wouldn't wait and set his mortal life after the oeridian migration and make him a subject of the great kingdom or Nyrond, maybe setting his small baronry in the southern Rakers north west of Knurl and south east of Stradsett.
#4
robbastard
Jan 09, 2004 14:38:27
Originally posted by Greyson
The last time I played I6 Ravenloft was in 1987 or 1988, my personal AD&D heyday, and I DMed it in Greyhawk. We made Strahd an ethnic Oeridian since he formerly commanded an army (migrating Oeridian tribes was my interpretation) and set his castle in the mountians west of Exag in Perrenland.

Actually, my location for Ravenloft wasn't too far from yours--I placed it in the Sepia Uplands, about where they meet the Vesve.
#5
zombiegleemax
Jan 09, 2004 15:24:12 I also placed Strahd in Perrenland, I don't remember where exactly its been such a long time since I ran it. I guess it just makes sense with the whole gypsy Balkan feel of it. The newest Dragon has a nice update of the module.

As an aside I had the oppurtunity to play I6 with Tracy Hickman as the DM at a con. It was a blast. Back in the good ole days.
#6
Greyson
Jan 09, 2004 16:15:25 Very cool, guys. Ah yes, Lassiviren, the Balklunish-Gypsie connection works well in my estimation. We made the same connection back then. Today, I think I would try a Rhennee connection, but I am not sure if the Rhennee time-line will allow that. I think they are a good fit too, culturally.

I see Wes's point about Strahd and his potential in the east. Will the Rhennee fit better in that region? Again, I wonder about the time-line. Robb, the Sepia Uplands is a great spot, I think. I personally "felt drawn" to Perrenland when placing I6.

I bought TSR's 1993 AD&D 2nd Ed. RM4 House of Strahd when I got off of Active Duty in 1996. And the second version of Strahd featured in Dragon 315 is the Strahd from the 1993 reprint/update. Strahd is very, very dangerous as detailed in RM4 and Dragon 315. But, I never played RM4 and just rediscovered it rummaging through boxes last summer.

Cool, the esteemed Tracy Hickman. Did you get anything autographed, Lassiviren?
#7
Argon
Jan 10, 2004 20:04:46
Originally posted by Greyson
Very cool, guys. Ah yes, Lassiviren, the Balklunish-Gypsie connection works well in my estimation. We made the same connection back then. Today, I think I would try a Rhennee connection, but I am not sure if the Rhennee time-line will allow that. I think they are a good fit too, culturally.

I see Wes's point about Strahd and his potential in the east. Will the Rhennee fit better in that region? Again, I wonder about the time-line. Robb, the Sepia Uplands is a great spot, I think. I personally "felt drawn" to Perrenland when placing I6.

I bought TSR's 1993 AD&D 2nd Ed. RM4Ravenloft when I got off of Active Duty in 1996. And the second version of Strahd featured in Dragon 315 is the Strahd from the 1993 reprint/update. Strahd is very, very dangerous as detailed in RM4 and Dragon 315. But, I never played RM4 and just rediscovered it rummaging through boxes last summer.

Cool, the esteemed Tracy Hickman. Did you get anything autographed, Lassiviren?

Think about it you could of just explained the actual origins of the Rhennee. The Rhennee resemble the Vartha from the ravenloft boxed set which were supposed to be the replacement race from the module. The Rhennee could of originally started off on their caravans and eventually many went to the river and streams which prevent from ever being rooted in another lands soil. The Water is their refuge.
#8
cwslyclgh
Jan 11, 2004 1:37:17 So the Perrenland area seems to be the general concesus... I can go with that...what other changes would you suggest be made to make it "greyhawk"?
#9
Greyson
Jan 11, 2004 7:20:15 The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind (HSoR) is too generic in I6. The module indicates it is Lawful Good and mentions some benefits associated with wielding the holy symbol. The 1991 AD&D 2nd Ed. Ravenloft: Realm of Terror boxed set gave the HSoR some more detail, but I didn't have that when I DMed I6 in the mid-eighties.

I do remember struggling with trying to decide between Heironeous and St. Cuthbert (using Cuthbert's primary LG alignment as indicated in T1-4 ToEE's appendix [pg. 122]) as the HSoR's patron power. I thought Heironeous was a good fit, given our glossing of Zarovich as an Oeridian and former general. But, my friend Ryan, was playing his Cleric of the Cudgel. So, we associated the HSoR with Cuthbert. It worked very well.
#10
cwslyclgh
Jan 11, 2004 14:20:44 I would probably make it sacred to Pholtus(based mosty upon the appearence and the fact that pholtus is a sun god) although I think Heironeous would fit very well given Strahd's background as well.
#11
Greyson
Jan 11, 2004 19:34:00 Good thinking, Wes, regarding Pholtus. While I have a personal distaste for Pholtus, I agree that he is the best fit for the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind. My first choice, barring any consideration, is Pelor. He is my favorite of the GH dieties. But using Pelor is not loayl to the Oeridian theme we all agree upon.

So, if I DM I6 again, I will use Pholtus - He of the Blinding Light is the most suitable diety.

Regarding Argon's comments on the Rhennee - I like the idea of establishing the Rhennee with I6's Vistani Gypsies. But, as indicated above, the timeline does not work well. There is no record of them until about CY 150. The Rhennee are not in the Flanaess early enough to associate with Zarovich if we set his mortal life near the initial Oeridian movements east.

But, one can use Wes's suggestion of placing Zarovich much further east with Aerdy migrants and adjust the timeline to accommodate the Rhennee's later appearance. I like both scenarios.
#12
zombiegleemax
Jan 12, 2004 10:32:51
Cool, the esteemed Tracy Hickman. Did you get anything autographed, Lassiviren?

Unfortunately no, at the time Dragonlance was really huge and we used those characters as pregens for I6. I remember playing as Raistlin, and since Tracy knew the module inside and out it was really a lot of fun.

I like the connection between Strahd and the Rhennee. I wonder how well that works with what has been written in cannon so far?
#13
Greyson
Jan 12, 2004 13:15:58
Originally posted by cwslyclgh
...wait and set his mortal life after the oeridian migration and make him a subject of the great kingdom or Nyrond, maybe setting his small baronry in the southern Rakers north west of Knurl and south east of Stradsett.

Wes made this indication early in the thread. The key to moving Zarovich east is to "wait," establishing him later in the Common Year era making the Vistani and Rhennee connection a bit smoother.

Or, move the Rhennee's first appearance back several hundred years if you want to keep Zarovich in the Northwest. Either way, Zarovich's Vistani/Rhennee associates can be the surreptitious, land-dweling Attloi group of the Rhennee.

The former is more canon-friendly, and probably easier to implement. The latter, moving the Rhennee's emergence from the Adri, will raise more canonical eye brows.
#14
cwslyclgh
Jan 13, 2004 18:35:04 Ok we have talked about I6 Ravenloft, but here are many more generic modules out there... anybody have a suggestion as to which the next one we talk about should be?
#15
zombiegleemax
Jan 13, 2004 19:49:38 The Desert of Desolation was a pretty good series. I3 was the best of the bunch IMO. It starts a river reflowing where there used to be a civiliztion. Obviously Sea of Dust or Bright Desert. I always thought because the Gods were Egyptian flavored (Ahmen RE), It should be in the Bright Desert. I never pictured the Suel Pantheon as being at all similar to the Egyptian. Now that Rary is there however, I am not sure the Bright Desert is appropriate.

Maybe I3-I5 happen before the Greyhawk Wars, and the possiblility of Civilization re-emerging there is what draws Rary to it?

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 cwslyclgh Jan 09, 2004 13:35:17	With this thread I hope to start a discussion about various “generic modules” and how they could best be placed in the world of greyhawk. The scope of this thread will not be limited to any specific edition (thus OD&D. 1st, 2nd, and 3e modules are all eligible for discussion here) but it will not, as of yet, discuss ways to convert modules designed for other campaign settings (such as FR) to greyhawk. (A special note about the B-series of modules, although most these have nominally been placed in the mystara setting almost as an after thought, very few of them actually have anything campaign specific in the actual module text, and thus are eligible, infact the introduction to B-1 places it as a greyhawk module.) How I am hoping that this works is that we will pick one module at a time, discus how and where it would best fit into the world of greyhawk, and talk about what changes would need to be made in order to make the module fit (such as changing the temple of this deity to a temple of Pholtus, etc.) Ok, now that I have come up with the concept, would anybody like to decide which generic module we should start with?
#2 Greyson Jan 09, 2004 14:08:25	Wes, what about Ravenloft? I mean the original 1983 TSR module I6 Ravenloft, by Tracy and Laura Hickman. Not the deluge of other RL material that followed the next 20 years. The last time I played I6 Ravenloft was in 1987 or 1988, my personal AD&D heyday, and I DMed it in Greyhawk. We made Strahd an ethnic Oeridian since he formerly commanded an army (migrating Oeridian tribes was my interpretation) and set his castle in the mountians west of Exag in Perrenland. As indicated above, I6 Ravenloft was a stand-alone adventure, and a very good one, I still believe. I had a tough time deciding where to put it. And, 15 years later, I still wonder if there is a better place for Strahd's self-glossed Barovia.
#3 cwslyclgh Jan 09, 2004 14:23:21	I6 is indeed eligable. Strahd as Oeridian I buy as well, although I am not sure that I wouldn't wait and set his mortal life after the oeridian migration and make him a subject of the great kingdom or Nyrond, maybe setting his small baronry in the southern Rakers north west of Knurl and south east of Stradsett.
#4 robbastard Jan 09, 2004 14:38:27	Originally posted by Greyson The last time I played I6 Ravenloft was in 1987 or 1988, my personal AD&D heyday, and I DMed it in Greyhawk. We made Strahd an ethnic Oeridian since he formerly commanded an army (migrating Oeridian tribes was my interpretation) and set his castle in the mountians west of Exag in Perrenland. Actually, my location for Ravenloft wasn't too far from yours--I placed it in the Sepia Uplands, about where they meet the Vesve.
#5 zombiegleemax Jan 09, 2004 15:24:12	I also placed Strahd in Perrenland, I don't remember where exactly its been such a long time since I ran it. I guess it just makes sense with the whole gypsy Balkan feel of it. The newest Dragon has a nice update of the module. As an aside I had the oppurtunity to play I6 with Tracy Hickman as the DM at a con. It was a blast. Back in the good ole days.
#6 Greyson Jan 09, 2004 16:15:25	Very cool, guys. Ah yes, Lassiviren, the Balklunish-Gypsie connection works well in my estimation. We made the same connection back then. Today, I think I would try a Rhennee connection, but I am not sure if the Rhennee time-line will allow that. I think they are a good fit too, culturally. I see Wes's point about Strahd and his potential in the east. Will the Rhennee fit better in that region? Again, I wonder about the time-line. Robb, the Sepia Uplands is a great spot, I think. I personally "felt drawn" to Perrenland when placing I6. I bought TSR's 1993 AD&D 2nd Ed. RM4 House of Strahd when I got off of Active Duty in 1996. And the second version of Strahd featured in Dragon 315 is the Strahd from the 1993 reprint/update. Strahd is very, very dangerous as detailed in RM4 and Dragon 315. But, I never played RM4 and just rediscovered it rummaging through boxes last summer. Cool, the esteemed Tracy Hickman. Did you get anything autographed, Lassiviren?
#7 Argon Jan 10, 2004 20:04:46	Originally posted by Greyson Very cool, guys. Ah yes, Lassiviren, the Balklunish-Gypsie connection works well in my estimation. We made the same connection back then. Today, I think I would try a Rhennee connection, but I am not sure if the Rhennee time-line will allow that. I think they are a good fit too, culturally. I see Wes's point about Strahd and his potential in the east. Will the Rhennee fit better in that region? Again, I wonder about the time-line. Robb, the Sepia Uplands is a great spot, I think. I personally "felt drawn" to Perrenland when placing I6. I bought TSR's 1993 AD&D 2nd Ed. RM4Ravenloft when I got off of Active Duty in 1996. And the second version of Strahd featured in Dragon 315 is the Strahd from the 1993 reprint/update. Strahd is very, very dangerous as detailed in RM4 and Dragon 315. But, I never played RM4 and just rediscovered it rummaging through boxes last summer. Cool, the esteemed Tracy Hickman. Did you get anything autographed, Lassiviren? Think about it you could of just explained the actual origins of the Rhennee. The Rhennee resemble the Vartha from the ravenloft boxed set which were supposed to be the replacement race from the module. The Rhennee could of originally started off on their caravans and eventually many went to the river and streams which prevent from ever being rooted in another lands soil. The Water is their refuge.
#8 cwslyclgh Jan 11, 2004 1:37:17	So the Perrenland area seems to be the general concesus... I can go with that...what other changes would you suggest be made to make it "greyhawk"?
#9 Greyson Jan 11, 2004 7:20:15	The Holy Symbol of Ravenkind (HSoR) is too generic in I6. The module indicates it is Lawful Good and mentions some benefits associated with wielding the holy symbol. The 1991 AD&D 2nd Ed. Ravenloft: Realm of Terror boxed set gave the HSoR some more detail, but I didn't have that when I DMed I6 in the mid-eighties. I do remember struggling with trying to decide between Heironeous and St. Cuthbert (using Cuthbert's primary LG alignment as indicated in T1-4 ToEE's appendix [pg. 122]) as the HSoR's patron power. I thought Heironeous was a good fit, given our glossing of Zarovich as an Oeridian and former general. But, my friend Ryan, was playing his Cleric of the Cudgel. So, we associated the HSoR with Cuthbert. It worked very well.
#10 cwslyclgh Jan 11, 2004 14:20:44	I would probably make it sacred to Pholtus(based mosty upon the appearence and the fact that pholtus is a sun god) although I think Heironeous would fit very well given Strahd's background as well.
#11 Greyson Jan 11, 2004 19:34:00	Good thinking, Wes, regarding Pholtus. While I have a personal distaste for Pholtus, I agree that he is the best fit for the Holy Symbol of Ravenkind. My first choice, barring any consideration, is Pelor. He is my favorite of the GH dieties. But using Pelor is not loayl to the Oeridian theme we all agree upon. So, if I DM I6 again, I will use Pholtus - He of the Blinding Light is the most suitable diety. Regarding Argon's comments on the Rhennee - I like the idea of establishing the Rhennee with I6's Vistani Gypsies. But, as indicated above, the timeline does not work well. There is no record of them until about CY 150. The Rhennee are not in the Flanaess early enough to associate with Zarovich if we set his mortal life near the initial Oeridian movements east. But, one can use Wes's suggestion of placing Zarovich much further east with Aerdy migrants and adjust the timeline to accommodate the Rhennee's later appearance. I like both scenarios.
#12 zombiegleemax Jan 12, 2004 10:32:51	Cool, the esteemed Tracy Hickman. Did you get anything autographed, Lassiviren? Unfortunately no, at the time Dragonlance was really huge and we used those characters as pregens for I6. I remember playing as Raistlin, and since Tracy knew the module inside and out it was really a lot of fun. I like the connection between Strahd and the Rhennee. I wonder how well that works with what has been written in cannon so far?
#13 Greyson Jan 12, 2004 13:15:58	Originally posted by cwslyclgh ...wait and set his mortal life after the oeridian migration and make him a subject of the great kingdom or Nyrond, maybe setting his small baronry in the southern Rakers north west of Knurl and south east of Stradsett. Wes made this indication early in the thread. The key to moving Zarovich east is to "wait," establishing him later in the Common Year era making the Vistani and Rhennee connection a bit smoother. Or, move the Rhennee's first appearance back several hundred years if you want to keep Zarovich in the Northwest. Either way, Zarovich's Vistani/Rhennee associates can be the surreptitious, land-dweling Attloi group of the Rhennee. The former is more canon-friendly, and probably easier to implement. The latter, moving the Rhennee's emergence from the Adri, will raise more canonical eye brows.
#14 cwslyclgh Jan 13, 2004 18:35:04	Ok we have talked about I6 Ravenloft, but here are many more generic modules out there... anybody have a suggestion as to which the next one we talk about should be?
#15 zombiegleemax Jan 13, 2004 19:49:38	The Desert of Desolation was a pretty good series. I3 was the best of the bunch IMO. It starts a river reflowing where there used to be a civiliztion. Obviously Sea of Dust or Bright Desert. I always thought because the Gods were Egyptian flavored (Ahmen RE), It should be in the Bright Desert. I never pictured the Suel Pantheon as being at all similar to the Egyptian. Now that Rary is there however, I am not sure the Bright Desert is appropriate. Maybe I3-I5 happen before the Greyhawk Wars, and the possiblility of Civilization re-emerging there is what draws Rary to it?