The Dragon of Duncaster

This subforum is for discussion of the Iron Falcon Rules for Classic Fantasy Role-Playing. Maybe someday they'll have their own forum, but for now I'm keeping the discussion here.
User avatar
Solomoriah
Site Admin
Posts: 12393
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Location: LaBelle, Missouri
Contact:

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by Solomoriah »

Uploaded a new version today: http://ironfalconrpg.com/download.cgi/D ... ter-r3.pdf

Longman, how do you wish to be credited in this adventure? That is, by what name?

I've incorporated some of your ideas in the version I just released. I expanded on the scroll library a bit and detailed the falling-ceiling trap. I've also switched from spiders to wasps (so they are a threat to fliers).

About the character levels:

Obviously this isn't a first level adventure; just as obviously, eighth level types are going to kick the butt of the dragon rather harshly, especially with a full table. So that puts the level range down to 2-7, nominally. Eight level 2 characters wouldn't stand much of a chance against an 8 hit die dragon, and four level 7 characters would probably stomp the dragon. So 3 to 6. If I go ahead and give the dragon an ally, level 3 types won't have much hope, but the level 6 party might still stand a chance.

Gah.

Let's say we're looking at levels 4 to 6. In the next release I'll put in the cleric. He's not so much an ally as an acquaintance, but he's willing to assist the dragon for money, and the dragon has already told him he'll pay for assistance if he's attacked. The cleric isn't really interested in the dragon otherwise; his thing is the temple. He has rites to carry out, and research into ancient mysteries to conduct, and undead monsters to animate.

Whoops. Forgot. Iron Falcon doesn't give Animate Dead to Clerics.

So.

I'm going to do what I said I wouldn't. I'm going with the magic altar thing, where the cleric animates a dead body lying on it by means of casting a Prayer spell. That makes the cleric at least 6th level; let's go with 7th instead, just for good measure. He'll have a personal guard of the toughest zombies in the dungeon (I'll roll up all their hit point totals, then assign the toughest ones to him).

Ah, and now the twist comes to me. The dragon has a wand of fear; instead of that, I'm going to give it a wand of polymorph. It wears it around its neck on a slender steel chain, and uses it to transform itself. It can assume a human form in this way, or turn into a smaller, faster flier (perhaps a pegasus) to escape. It would consider doing this only if reduced below half hit points with no remaining breath attacks for the day... better to flee than to be slain. Probably it would have weapons and armor prepared for a transformation to human form; I could substitute a melee weapon for the shortbow in its hoard to address this also.

What do you think?
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
User avatar
Longman
Posts: 3616
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:12 am
Contact:

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by Longman »

I think it sounds like fun.

A few things -

"Steve 'Longman' McKenzie" would suit me fine. Thanks. If you want to enter me as a co-author that's cool, but you could also say "with design ideas from", and I'd be happy with that.

I was gonna say levels 4-6 as well, so we are totally on the same page there.

I hadn't looked at the Caves of the Unknown, but yeah - the undead-raising altar is an identical idea, isn't it?

Animate Dead is a 5th level MU spell and if we make the cleric into an 9th level MU, he could be too tough.

Instead of the altar idea, could you make the cleric a lower-level MU, and give him access to some 5th level scrolls or a ring of spell storing from a previous master, or something like that? That would limit the amount of zombies he could make, as well.

I really like the polymorph wand idea but I figure the players need some hint that Sygoreth can do this. On the rumors table, can there be some mention of someone having once seen Sygoreth turn into a young man in armor, when he thought no one was looking?

One thing - how does the Cleric / MU NPC get into the cave himself? I figure he could be paying low-level bribes to the humanoid guards to let him walk the halls between area 5 and the 2nd level.

RE: the monsters in areas 4 and 5: could these simply be an ambush by the humanoids, and a couple of humanoid guards? It could be the sort of encounter where they need to be killed as fast as possible before they can raise the alarm.

In terms of humanoid type - I vote gnolls. They aren't as sneaky as bugbears.

One final thing - the different orientation of the maps (outdoor has east at top, the others north) might be initially confusing to some. It was for me anyway.

So, can you add in notes on the northern stairwells on the level one map, saying 'from area 2' and 'from area 5'?

Cheers,

Steve.
black1blade
Posts: 570
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 2:21 pm

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by black1blade »

I would really suggest giving some advice about spells in the section describing the dragon's tactics.
User avatar
Solomoriah
Site Admin
Posts: 12393
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Location: LaBelle, Missouri
Contact:

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by Solomoriah »

Longman wrote:I think it sounds like fun.

A few things -

"Steve 'Longman' McKenzie" would suit me fine. Thanks. If you want to enter me as a co-author that's cool, but you could also say "with design ideas from", and I'd be happy with that.
I've decided to give you co-author credits. When I combine Dragon of Duncaster with Dungeon of Kyros, I'll list myself first, then Alan Jett (original author of DoK), and then you. Does that sound good?
Longman wrote:I was gonna say levels 4-6 as well, so we are totally on the same page there.

I hadn't looked at the Caves of the Unknown, but yeah - the undead-raising altar is an identical idea, isn't it?

Animate Dead is a 5th level MU spell and if we make the cleric into an 9th level MU, he could be too tough.

Instead of the altar idea, could you make the cleric a lower-level MU, and give him access to some 5th level scrolls or a ring of spell storing from a previous master, or something like that? That would limit the amount of zombies he could make, as well.
I'm going to use some other sort of anti-cleric magic item to grant him the power to animate the dead. I'll hide the item in the secret room adjacent to the temple, which is where I'm going to place the anti-cleric himself (unless encountered as a wandering monster).
Longman wrote:I really like the polymorph wand idea but I figure the players need some hint that Sygoreth can do this. On the rumors table, can there be some mention of someone having once seen Sygoreth turn into a young man in armor, when he thought no one was looking?
I've put something like that in. Sygoreth isn't "young" though. I've decided he'll appear as a wizard in that guise; I'm not sure it will even figure into the actual adventure, though.
Longman wrote:One thing - how does the Cleric / MU NPC get into the cave himself? I figure he could be paying low-level bribes to the humanoid guards to let him walk the halls between area 5 and the 2nd level.
Sounds like a plan. Or perhaps they're just afraid of him.
Longman wrote:RE: the monsters in areas 4 and 5: could these simply be an ambush by the humanoids, and a couple of humanoid guards? It could be the sort of encounter where they need to be killed as fast as possible before they can raise the alarm.

In terms of humanoid type - I vote gnolls. They aren't as sneaky as bugbears.
Yeah, gnolls sound good, and the ambush is probably how I'll do this one. It's not a big enough dungeon for a lair, but maybe a raiding party camps on the first level on a regular basis.
Longman wrote:One final thing - the different orientation of the maps (outdoor has east at top, the others north) might be initially confusing to some. It was for me anyway.
They are all oriented consistent with the titles and numbers; I've done it this way before to use the page efficiently and never had a complaint. However...
Longman wrote:So, can you add in notes on the northern stairwells on the level one map, saying 'from area 2' and 'from area 5'?
I'll probably put the notes in the dungeon key rather than try to fit them into the map.
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
User avatar
Longman
Posts: 3616
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:12 am
Contact:

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by Longman »

Solomoriah wrote:I've decided to give you co-author credits. When I combine Dragon of Duncaster with Dungeon of Kyros, I'll list myself first, then Alan Jett (original author of DoK), and then you. Does that sound good?
That sounds fine, cheers.

So we got an evil cleric who is is a tentative alliance with the polymorphing dragon, gnolls who make the place a base when they pass by this way and have set up an ambush, and gargoyles that everyone avoids. Plus the trap, and the scroll library. I can get started on a few new rooms soon.

Incidentally how far is the bluff from the town? A day and a half on foot?
User avatar
Solomoriah
Site Admin
Posts: 12393
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Location: LaBelle, Missouri
Contact:

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by Solomoriah »

Eh, let's say a day.

Zombies and/or skeletons as the undead in the lower level. Really, given the level spread, should just be zombies. Iron Falcon zombies are weaker but faster than "later" zombies, so there may need to be a lot of them to challenge the party.

Well, not so much challenge them as slow them down and give the dragon and/or anti-cleric time to notice their approach.
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
User avatar
Solomoriah
Site Admin
Posts: 12393
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Location: LaBelle, Missouri
Contact:

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by Solomoriah »

Just uploaded R4: http://ironfalconrpg.com/download.cgi/D ... ter-r4.pdf

I've done some of the changes we talked about above. Take a look and tell me what you think.
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
User avatar
Solomoriah
Site Admin
Posts: 12393
Joined: Thu Nov 13, 2008 8:15 pm
Location: LaBelle, Missouri
Contact:

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by Solomoriah »

And now, another new version: http://ironfalconrpg.com/download.cgi/D ... ter-r5.pdf

The above-ground area is detailed now, and I'm starting on the first level underground. Any suggestions regarding specials?

Also, a few more rumors for the table would be cool.
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
black1blade
Posts: 570
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 2:21 pm

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by black1blade »

"They say a wizard came through these parts about 50 years ago. Apparently his skills where unremarkable in all accepts but the fact he could morph his appearance with the wand he possessed."
User avatar
Longman
Posts: 3616
Joined: Tue Mar 11, 2014 4:12 am
Contact:

Re: The Dragon of Duncaster

Post by Longman »

will get onto this in the next day or so.
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests