Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 pringles Apr 18, 2004 22:07:30	I started a dark sun campaign three week ago based around the Verdant Passage. Well, my player must stop Kalak from transforming into a dragon using is Ziggurat. None of them had read the verdant passage and they were new to the world of Dark sun except for one. In my campain, Rikus,Neeva,Sadira and Agis doesnt exist. Instead its my 4 player. We have a Mul gladiator, a thri-keen cleric of water (played by my girlfriend), an half-elf ranger (female) and the leader of the group, an elf preserver/thief/psionic. I started my campain with the adventure from dark sun boxed set 1 edition (A little knowledge). After that, they went to Tyr and the preserver elf got into the Veiled Alliance. They asked him to break into the Golden tower to find information of what is the real purpose of the Ziggurat. They kidnapped a group of Templar, put there costume and went into the templar quarter. Then, using dimension door, they got into the golden tower. Using stealth and tactic, they fanally found a book describing Kalak evil scheme (i had made drawing of the ziggurat and kalak transforming into a dragon on top of it). They almost got caught by Kalak himself talking with Sascha and Wayans (one of the player was hiding under the bed, the other behind a curtain). This was really intense. It was the first time my player were really frightened (i mean REALLY FRIGHTENED) They finally escaped using dimension door. Almost got caught by Templar outside. (Kalak had found a ceramic bowl one of the player had broken and he called the guard to search). Well,they barely escaped alive. After this, the Alliance asked them to find a way to destroy Kalak. So they went into the Crimson Shrine (in the Under Tyr) were they found an undead who told them that he heard about an old book saying how to protect themselve from defiler magic. This book was in the hand of Grak of Grak Pool. So they went to Grak Pool, stole the book. It talk about a spear made from the wood of a tree that date before the time of Magic and the Way can grant protection from psionic and Magic (this wood is from the Last tree; see psionic artifact of Athas). So now, that what they did. Next week, i will send them in the Dragon bowl, where there an old water elemental temple that contain a drawing of where the Last Tree is. After this, they will have to go into the forest to find Nok and now , I'm in need of idea how to present the Hearthwood spear. Character are now at level 6, and i want them to be at least level 12 when they will have to fight Kalak. Time is running out cause the ceremony is set at the end of Priest defiance year and they are now at the High Sun. But before they go to the Dragon bowl, i plan to do a little adventure in the middle with the same character concerning problem with two merchant house who do battle agaisnt each other. I hope this will boost there level up. I find this really interesting to keep the story of Athas but changing the main character. After this, they will have to fight the invading army of Urik and the Dragon who will come to take his levy. Mouahahahaha Evil laugh :D What do you think about all of this?
#2 superpriest Apr 18, 2004 23:02:11	They almost got caught by Kalak himself talking with Sascha and Wayans It was scary enough when Wayans was in the D&D movie... But your idea is really cool! I ran the Freedom adventure for my players, but though I kept Rikus and the rest, I had my party interact with them. The Verdant Passage pretty much goes as written, though my PCs fought in and survived the Ziggurat Games. For Road to Urik (and Crimson Legion), I had the PCs not instead of the thri-kreen, save Rikus when he is in the desert. Rikus ended up in a yuan-ti temple ruin. For introducing the Heartwood Spear... I dunno. I suppose you could use Nok's challenges, maybe having the party captured as in the novel. But make the challenge longer, and give the party several difficult challenges.
#3 korvar Apr 19, 2004 4:31:06	When I was doing a similar thing with my first Dark Sun campaign, I put the characters through a sort of mystical quest - drawing on African and American Indian creation myths. Basically, they had to recreate various legends. I wanted to make it seem dreamlike, and otherworldly. I didn't particularly manage it very well, but it's something you might want to try... It would also allow you to put in some sessions without actually advancing the timeline too much ("...you open your eyes again... mere minutes seem to have passed since your visionquest started...")
#4 zombiegleemax Apr 19, 2004 4:39:03	heh. raise your hand if you haven't modified the original flipbook adventures to include the PCs doing some of the stuff that took place in the novels (or played under a DM who did so). i bet i don't get many takers. ah, those were the days...
#5 pringles Apr 19, 2004 9:37:20	Well, in fact, i never read the Verdant passage, i cant find it. The only information i know are from the rpg book. The only Dark sun novel I have is The amber enchantress. So if you can give me some other information about the Verdant passage: - Where Nok? - How did he give the spear to the party? - What else important monster or Npc they will have to fight?
#6 pringles Apr 20, 2004 14:21:19	For introducing the Heartwood Spear... I dunno. I suppose you could use Nok's challenges, maybe having the party captured as in the novel. But make the challenge longer, and give the party several difficult challenges. What are these challenges??? I have never read the book.
#7 zombiegleemax Apr 20, 2004 15:17:18	Nok is in the Forest Ridge. I read Verdant Passage, but don't remember more. However I suggest to keep it that way (ie Nok in the Forest Ridge), and describe the forest as an unbelivable, and very strange and dangerous environment. It is for people, who grown up in desert, and not used to such claustrophobic environment. By the way Nok is a descendant from old time nature masters, so the challenges are aimed to prove that the party don't follow the defiler way.
#8 pringles Apr 20, 2004 21:19:50	Here what i plan to do, give me some feedback. When my player gonna find the book about the Last tree in the Temple under the water of Lake pit, they will learn about the nature-bender and that there an old ``Insert dungeon, pyramid,old city,whaterver here`` in the forest ridge that date back to an old age (blue age in fact) and I will try to lure them (with hints,riddle and such) to this place. So they will have to plan a journey into the forest ridge. When they come in this forest, they will be hunted by a Halfling tribe using poison tipped arrow. I will try to capture the Pc one by one (like really freaking them, they never know who is attacking them, just see some shadow, attack and then retreat, kinda like the US soldier in vietnam) but each night, one of the PC will dissapear. I will put some nasty trap too. They will all end tied in the middle of a Halfling village ready to eat. Then,after having made some fun for myself torturing the PC, they will ahve two choice: 1. Try to free themselve 2. A pack of Sloth will attack the village, and the halfling will ask the PC to fight with them. And then, they will earn the respect of the tribe (or fear after having freed themselve) and the ``chief``, Nok, will talk with them. If all go like planned, they will ask him information about a weapons made from the last tree (the hearthwood spear).
#9 pringles Apr 27, 2004 1:47:44	Ok, so I never read the novel but, I though about something. Sasha and Wayans were still loyal to Rajaat when he got banished in the Hollow. Then, the two were strip of there power and took by Kalak as personal adviser. Then, Kalak made his attempt to be a Dragon. Maybe Kalak became a puppet in the control of Sasha and Wayans. They still wanted to bring back the war bringer so, both wanted Kalak to become a Dragon, so he would kill Boris and then, Rajaat will be released. But Kalak plan were stop, so the two needed another way to bring back Rajaat. That when they used Tithian, Rikus and Sadira. They conviced Tithian to try to stop the dragon from getting his levy (so Rajaat can be released). Tithian and Sadira had no knowledge of Rajaat, so they were easier to fool than Kalak. Finally, Rikus managed to kill the Dragon releasing Rajaat. Sacha and Wayans had both succeded. Unfornetly for them, Sadira and the other SK managed to throw back Rajaat in the Hollow. What do you think???
#10 pringles Jul 25, 2004 17:29:49	Well, they finaly almost made it; Here what happened. They had to go in an old temple in the Lake pit. So, first problem was to get in Dragon bowl. No problem, they used a glider. After that, they had a couple of problem with some monster in the scrub plain around the lake. Then, they met the druid who guarded the Lake. They had to find the entrance of the Temple, and the only way to do it was to find the corpse of an old gang of elve rider that got killed by the druid. These raider had found the temple but got killed when they came back. (In fact, I had a new player at that time, (an elven Neutral evil fighter/thief) and its hard to bring a new player when the group are in the DRAGON BOWL, so I had to find a way to bring it in the group.) So the other player using a raise dead scroll bring back to life this elfe (the new player) and then ask him for the entrance of the temple. Then, they had to go in this temple. The entrance was under water but inside, there was air pocket. As I said in this thread, it was in this temple they will find the information about the hearthwood spear. So they finally found a stone with halfling writtinbg on it (dated back from the Blue age). The writting was about an old tree on the highest peak of Athas. That tree originated before the time of magic and the way (psionic) in a time called the Blue age. It say that this tree is immune to magic and psionic. So the player had found the material to creat a weapon to kill Kalak, After having fought a Water elemental (one of the PC got killed), they went directly to Urik (encountering Wyvern that killed another player, later raised back from dead). Then, after some subplot concerning the assembling of 1000 slaves and a gladiator match, they went to find this Highest peak (in the ringing mountain.) So they plan the long jounrey and go for the Ringing moutnain. Encoutner a couple of monster, rest in Fort courage. Elve stole some of the magical item of the PC. Then, they went in the Smoking corwn and find the Dragon nest where the Dragon drain the life of 1000 Urikite slaves per year. It was a big bowl of ash and bone and the PC got really afraid when they figured what it was. The dragon had made this just two week ago. Then, they continue inside the ringing moutain, got lost, find there way back, get into the forest ridge, almost got eaten out by halfling and some other horror, then they finally find the Highest peak, climb it, encounter monster, half of the party got kill or heavy injured. FInaly, they reach the top and found the tree, cut a branch and head back to Tyr. Next session is the big gladiator game with the final act of this one year long campaignn. The PC are average level 7/8. So they will have to get lucky and intelligent to succeed. The game is next week, il tell you if they succeed.
#11 zombiegleemax Jul 26, 2004 1:52:20	I find the Verdant passage to be the easiest book to find in used shops, and probably the best of the lot. Crimson was good, Amber was alright and then they just sort of slide down hill. The Giants were fun, book five was a nessary evil to find out what happends, but I had to force myself thru that one. Don't get me started on Sorek's adventures... I like Abbey's books. I have not found Cinnebar's Shadow yet. (its the last book I need to complete the set). Some bugger on eBay took me money but did not send the novel. Back to square one. I am reading Hamanu's story (book 5 of theChronicles of Athas Series) and it is good so far, I am really into learning about his life and how the day to day operations of the city-states work. ...sorry to fly off track, but eBay is a great place to drudge up old Dark Sun material.
#12 gforce99 Jul 26, 2004 9:47:02	Thats funny, Crinnabar Shadows is the only one I haven't read too. Good job Pringles, I really like reading your campaign stories. Anyone else have some?
#13 pringles Jul 28, 2004 8:01:56	The thing I post here is just a small review of the important even. Friday we play the last game of that campaign before taking a break of Dark sun. They will have to kill Kalak. After that, I will post here and on my website, the complete story with all what hapened. There a lot of funny thing happening, like one of the player (a girl playing an half-elven female) got pregnant from another player (a guy playing an elven xenophobic male) after there character were drunk. They were in an Inn and that player say, ``I have one silver piece, let spend it on Beer and wine to celebrate our recent victory over a Braxat. `` So they drink 1 Sp of wine made from Kank nectar. After that, they role-played the character really drunk, and then me, I said after rolling some dice, DM -``So the night past and both of you awake in the same bed`` Both player- ``AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH`` The guy playing the elf was of course upset to have slept with a bastard (the half-elf). Couple of week later, they encounter an old Psionic sage. There 5 character but the sage keep talking about them like if they were 6. The player ask, Who is the six one? They even draw there blade searching for an invisible follower. And the sage point the stomach of the 1/2 elf ``Its there``. Funny look on there face, complete shock. AFter that it was funny cause the elf was protecting the half-elf whenever a danger come. Before that, he didnt care of the half-elf.
#14 pringles Jul 31, 2004 11:27:02	So they finally made it. They went back to Tyr with Psionic teleport. They built up a plan with Tithian. Tithian will keep the Templar away form Kalak while the PC kill him. So they went to the gladiator tournament, fought a couple of oppenent, then some mosnter (nearly goth killed by a Braxat,a Beasthead giant and a Bhrog, The gladiator Mul wealding the hearthwood spear got his arm destoryed by the giant with a critical hit. ). Then, when the final combat came, the PC elve tryed to convince all other gladiator to work with them to overthrow Kalak. So the last fight came in, Kalak got into his Ziggurat to transform while the PC and other gladiator battled the Gaj. Then, the elve psionist PC teleported all the player on top of the Ziggurat, fought the guard there and then, when down to hunt Kalak. They found him transforming in the vault with three Rock golem guard, a 7 lvl templar and 2 half-giant bodyguard in chain mail. The Mul with the spear went to Kalak, completly immune to magic and psionic (cause of the spear) while the other fought agaisnt the golem, the templar and the half-giant. I tried to Transmut rock to mud and transmut mud to rock under the foot of the Mul to stock him on the ground, but the psionist countered that. He was rerally hard to kill, but they finally made it in 5 round (I had two round in that that he eated obisidan sphere and advanced a dragon age) and one round were he unleashed hell on the Mul but reealised he was immune to magic and psionist. The only spell he succeded casting was a lighting bolt, on the Cleric (saving throw succesfull), a contingency, and spell turning (with his ring of spell turning ) all spell that PC launched agaisnt him. After Kalak died, the Golem continued to fight and killed the Mul and the cleric (got raised from dead) and when they had kill the golem, it was all over ad we finished the game with Tithian crowning. Kalak had achieved 23 level dragon hood before dying. :P (he was 21 before the transformation). Funny thing is that all the player lost 1 point of Str, 1 point of Con, 1 point of Dex, and the mage have casted Dispel magic during the fight destroying all the potion they had brought at high price for this fight without having effect on Kalak spell. lol They were suppose to die and not succed, but since we do this campaign since a lot of time I gave them some chance. They were very lucky on there dice rolled and I gave them some chance when I rolled my dice. Iniatlly, Tithian was supposed to send a team of wizard and half-giant guard to kill in the Ziggourat after Kalak death, but I wanted to continue this campaign. The mage/Psiocnicist PC wanted to get in the Golden tower for Kalak spell book, but I convinced him that would be foolish while preparing Sacha and Wayans psionisct in case he was really doing it (no chance they will get a sorcerer king spellbook. ). Now we gonna play some 7th sea campaign (another rpg game) and it six week, probably I will do another Dark sun campaign with Urik invasion and then, Dragon Crown. I want to change something in that quest tough. I will do it in the year of the Messenger and the Order, instead of using the pisonatrix to annihate psionic on Tyr use another device that use Mass telekinesis to lure the Messenger so it can crash on Athas (The order want to restore the balance by whipping all life. ) It's jsut an idea I am playing with.
#15 jon_oracle_of_athas Jul 31, 2004 16:45:57	Just a technical issue - where would the Order be when the Messenger hits Athas?
#16 pringles Nov 27, 2004 13:37:46	So after a break of 4 month playing 7th Sea rpg, yesterday we played again my Dark Sun campaign 5 month after the event that happened in my first campaign.My player were happy to get back at playing there old character (Thri-kreen water cleric lvl9, Mul gladiator lvl 8, Elf defiler/psionist/thief lvl 7/7/8, Half-elf ranger lvl 7). As you know, Rikus,neeva and sadira dont exist in my campaign. Its the PC that killed Kalak with the hearthwood spear. So we are now in the year of the Wind reverance (or free year 1) and Tithian is now the king of Tyr. The PC that are in the Veiled alliance (in fact,they ARE the Veiled alliance since the former alliance of Tyr got wiped out during the Priest Defience by the templar cause one of the PC talked too much. ) They had to retreive a Raise Nation (see dragon king) scroll stolen by an ex-Tyr templar (Fanzefir) that fled to the city of Nibenay. The pc need this scroll to raise an army of undead to fight the army of urik that his coming down on Tyr. I will not tell every detail here cause it will be too long. So the Pc went to Nibenay, tried to find the Templar. In there investigation, they learned that the templar was captured as a Tyr spy trying to break a slave revolt in Nibenay (that was false cause the templar wanted to find a defiler friend in Nibenay to raise an army of Undead and take Tyr for himself). The templars of Nibenay (my player kept saying joke about them being nude) sended the Tyr templar to work as a slave in the stone quarries west of Nibenay (see the map of the city). So the PC went there, and they found that all the slave there at been taked into the Ivory plane to work in a salt mine (in fact, it was the dragon levy but the PC didnt know that). So they went in the desert to find a 1000 slave column guarded by a lot of guard and templar. They made themselve captured as escaped slave to get in the column. It was cool cause they didnt know what awaited for them at the end of the trip :D So they tried to find Fanzefir in the column, finally found him and then,tried to make an escape plan with him. That when the column arrived in a big field of bone in the middle of the saltflat (north of Outpost 19). And then suddenly, all the guard and templar left during the night after casting Silence on the column. So they all tought they were free (even if they knew something was going to happen, my player are not that dump. ) Then the Dragon came. My player were in shock. In fact, they were yelling insult at me cause i had put them in front of the dragon and they had no weapons,armore or anything and there constitution was low due to a lack of water during the forced march (even if with weapons and such, they could'nt beat the dragon, they are lvl 8-9). So the dragon begin to suck the life energy of all the slave that run everywhere in shock. Fortunetly, the PC psionist has the Science Teleport, so they escaped alive, but in bad shape (the animal defiling effect on them removed 1 point in every stats. They would had loosed more if they didnt have teleport. ) The pc were really mad at me. Suck to be them , they didnt see it coming, lol. So they went back to Nibenay with the templar Fanzefir, they retrieved the scroll in the hole the templar had hidden his scroll and now, they are going back to Tyr. Next week game, they must built there army, found a ruin to use the scroll and they will have to make an alliance with the elven tribe and thri-kreen tribe to fight Urik army. An hard task await them, and they dont know that the templar now with them will try to use the PC army to take Tyr for himself after. The PC mule learned about Kled and Kemalok trough his dwarf friend, and they will probably go there to raise an army of Undead. Caelum will be there. In mym campaign, his in fact the brother of the mule father, but the PC dont know this. Sorry for my bad english, im french canadian. Hope you like reading my game.
#17 pringles Dec 12, 2004 16:53:51	Update The Pc when to Kled (Caelum is the uncle of the mule PC). En route, they encountered a tribe of Thri-kreen that hunted the PC. The pc thri-kreen talked to the tribe leader and he convinced him to join the PC army with his tribe. Next ,the PC went alone to Kled. They convinced Laernicus to let them in Kemalok ruine so they can use there Raise nation scroll to make an undead army. I made a little Crimson legion ripe-off, the Pc mul got the Belt of Rank (belt of King) and the PC ranger half-elf retrieved the Scourge of Rkard (she dont know how powerfull it is, they didnt read Prism pentad). My pc then, went to Tyr with there army. They had 2000 skeleton, 150 dwarf warrior from Kled and Caelum, and a 100 Thri-kreen. They could had hired 300 elfe, but when they encountered the elf camp, the pc prefered to walk away fearing they will ahve problem with the elf. So they arrived to Tyr while it was assieged by the Urik army (5000 pikeman slave, 1000 archer slave, 500 half-giant, 200 templar, two tower on wheel, war machin and such) So we runned a big battle with battlesystem, that clymaxed with a fight between the pc and the Urikite leader (with his bodyguard) in the King garden of Tyr (it got defiled pretty bad). The PC army won but the mul gladiator PC got his leg cut-off while fighting the Urikite leader, Lubar the great serpent, a Yuan-ti templar (lvl 14). This one escaped with spell when his army lost. That the end of this dark sun scenario. We will not play till this winter (january). The pc mul is a little mad that his now with a wooden leg :D . I didnt wanted to sell him a regenaration scroll (none available for now) I want to have him walk with a wooden leg for a while. They also encoutnered Alar Ch'aranol, leader of the Pyreen (see MC1). He asked the PC to find a way to fight the Dragon (since the PC encountered the Dragon in personn). He talked to them about the cleaning war and the Pristine tower. (He didnt told the PC about Rajaat being imprisoned and he dont know that Borys, the 13 champion is in fact the dragon. In my campaign, Alar think the Dragon is a result of the cleansing war (like he appeared from no-where at the end of the war)) Now I dont know if I will run Arcane shadow then Dragon crown or a personnal scenario I made that consist of the PC discovering that Tithian hired raider to kidnapp people in Tyr and nearby village for the Dragon levy (more a political intrigue scenario than adventuring).
#18 pringles Jan 16, 2005 2:20:29	We played again. I runned Arcane shadow modified. The first part was the same as in the book, except that the chief Templar was Lubar, the one my Player fought during the war against Urik (see above). And instead of going south, they had to make it too Dragon bowl so the druid there can heal Kornugat. It's a great scenario, and my player had a lot of fun.