I am working out a campaign, and have decided I am concentrating on Tharzidun, specifically dealing with the Lost Caverns and the Forgotten Temple of Tharzidun, and the new epic threat Shogarth that WOTC just published recently. What I need is a few other sources I can use. I am beginning the campaign in Saltmarsh (Dungeon adventure set there that has Cultists as a major player in the adventure), but I need some more low level and mid level stuff. I was going to use Red Hand of Doom, but I've decided it would be too much of a distraction from the plot with little actual story use. I'm not running the Secret of Saltmarsh series, since I am basing this campaign on Saltmarsh after my previous group did run through the Secret of Saltmarsh, etc.
I've been considering using some aberrations, but my favorite, the Illithid, don't really fit. Aboleth fit, and will work near the coast, or in the depths of some underground lake, but their aquatic nature do tend to limit their usefulness. Any ideas here would be stellar. Anced is running the Temple of Elemental Evil stuff, so I can't really use that or its environs.
I also want to include a bit more of Pazuzu. I have a Dungeon Adventure featuring him and kenku, which have to be among my favorite new humanoid races. Unlike the raptorans, they make a bit of sense, and a tie to Pazuzu makes them particularly effective for me. I figure that if any group of people can point me in the direction of good modules/ideas I've missed, its this group.
are you specifically looking for suggestions for ideas from a particular edition... or are you willing to entertain ideas from all editions (that you can shape into something for your needs)?
I'll use anything from any edition. I'm decent at conversions, and I can wing it when I can't convert it. I was more looking for a few more ideas I hadn't seen.
I'd never even heard of the Gord novels until I started posting and reading this board. :) Anything specific you can give me?
Dungeon #13 had a fairly nice adventure for character levels 2-4 called "The Moor-Tomb Map" (reprinted Dungeons of Despair)which I set on the eastern edge of the hool marshes when I ran it (I was running a game set in the saltmarsh area at the time) and it worked out very well (although the adventure would work just as well set in another swamp such as the rushmoors). While not directly tied to Tharizdun, there are places where links could be inserted, (or it could be used as a side adventure to help the group gain levels, I am mainly suggesting it because it is a lower level adventure with a setting that would work well in the area that you are using).
If the characters need to information about Tharzy, Iggy, Doud's wonderful Lanthorn, the location of the lost caverns etc. you could use the adventure "A little Knowledge" from Treasures of Greyhawk which involves going to a sage's tower (the sage in this case turns out to be a gynosphinx). The adventure is desined for an average party level of 4th level characters (about 24 total levels in 2e terms for which it is writen, but realy the challenges with in it are suitable for any characters below about 9th level when spells such as true seeing become available).
I can't think of too many Kenku adventures off the top of my head, however the first adventure in A Hero's Tale deals with Kenku attempting to steal an artifact which helps "keep chaos in check". Infact all of the adventures in that book could potentialy be added to your campaign, they are about chaos increasing on the material plane because of the affects of a powerful artifact called the chaos bell, and it could easily by tied to Tharzy, a series of warning signs that his return could be fast approaching.
Against the Cult of the Reptile God can easily be converted to a kenku theme as opposed to a reptile theme. I loved running that adventure. Feast of Goblyns is another that you could include, it is a fairly modular adventure (at least it was for me). Additionally, Dungeon magazine (the online incarnation at present) released an adventure recently that was very Innsmouth-like with an aboleth and Dagon and squidy-hijeenks and whatnot. Try those. Fish men rule.
Sounds like you should check out Dungeon #121 (April 2005 issue). The cover has a great pic of Iggwilv and Graz'zt by Wayne Reynolds. There are two really good adventures here that you could use: "Fiend's Embrace" is a 4th level dungeon with ties to the Lost Caverns, and "The Styes" is a creepy 9th level dungeon involving a cult of Tharizdun dominated by an aboleth. Some great stuff in this issue that I highly reccommend.
I'll use anything from any edition. I'm decent at conversions, and I can wing it when I can't convert it. I was more looking for a few more ideas I hadn't seen.
I'd never even heard of the Gord novels until I started posting and reading this board. :) Anything specific you can give me?
The secret to releasing Tharizdun lies in combining three artifacts called Theorparts. The Scarlet Brotherhood has one, one is in the Forgotten City in the Sea of Dust, and I cannot recall where the third one is - maybe Iuz has it? maybe Graz'zt?
I used the Theorparts in our campaign. One piece was the catalyst for the Defiled Glades in the Vesve and was found in a warded cairn somewhere in the badlands. A covey of hags led by a night hag and Blackthorn from Slavers (who I edited to be a half-demon ogre mage sorcerer) disguised themelves and their hill giant and ogre minions as faeries and fooled the pcs into retrieving the artifact.
That piece fell into the hands of Lareth the Beautiful who also managed to locate a second piece in the Lost City of the Suloise in the Suss Forest(and coincidentally his exposure made a good explanation as to how he becomes the prophesied Champion of Elemental Evil).
The Scarlet Brotherhood does indeed possess a piece too and the Black Brotherhood cult led by a yuan'ti pureblood cleric marched a hit squad in pursuit of Lareth to join all three pieces.
The night hag offered the pcs a deal - to remove the two pieces from Oerth and gift them to Nerull who had no desire to see Big T released and who had no intention of using the artifacts on Oerth but they just couldn't bring themselves to hand over an artifact to an evil deity.
In the end they gave both parts to Mordenkainen who claimed that he would split up the theorparts and hide them again. The Black Brotherhood still owns its piece as far as I recall...
The Theorparts can make for a lot of fun with lots of different factions wanting to use them for lots of different reasons.
Sounds like you should check out Dungeon #121 (April 2005 issue). The cover has a great pic of Iggwilv and Graz'zt by Wayne Reynolds. There are two really good adventures here that you could use: "Fiend's Embrace" is a 4th level dungeon with ties to the Lost Caverns, and "The Styes" is a creepy 9th level dungeon involving a cult of Tharizdun dominated by an aboleth. Some great stuff in this issue that I highly reccommend.
Trevor Watson
I'm actually using Fiend's embrace (C'mon, Iggwilv's on the cover, how could I NOT use when I am running Lost Caverns ), and I saw the Styes adventure...I'll have to give it another look since I have decided to drop Red Hand of Doom.
The secret to releasing Tharizdun lies in combining three artifacts called Theorparts. The Scarlet Brotherhood has one, one is in the Forgotten City in the Sea of Dust, and I cannot recall where the third one is - maybe Iuz has it? maybe Graz'zt?
What exactly are these artifacts supposed to do? I've never heard of them.
What exactly are these artifacts supposed to do? I've never heard of them.
I think they fit together to form the Eye of fire which is the symbol of the elemental evil god. However they might also form the inverted ziggurat of Tharizdun also. Personally I would keep with the Cthulhu feel of Tharizdun and actually have the Theoparts when joined act like an Elder sign which would help keep the Big T imprisoned. It would be an interesting twist on the bad guys.
The secret to releasing Tharizdun lies in combining three artifacts called Theorparts. The Scarlet Brotherhood has one, one is in the Forgotten City in the Sea of Dust, and I cannot recall where the third one is - maybe Iuz has it? maybe Graz'zt?
What exactly are these artifacts supposed to do? I've never heard of them.
I apologize, but it has been too many years since reading the books to recall. In the campaign that I ran, I used them as red herrings that the party never actually recovered so it didn't make much of a difference.
It's been a while since I've read the Gord books as well (and it looks like now I'll have to go back and re-read them), so I don't recall exactly what the Theoparts did either. In a general sense, the three of them would join together and release the big 'T', with appropriately catastrophic consequences for all.
I do remember that they were items of great (and evil) power - Iuz uses one to help destroy the Horned Society in the books - but the specifics escape me offhand.
As to the appearance, I seem to remember them being described as simple geometric shapes (if I remember right, one was a sphere and another a cube) with a surface that looked like it was both in constant motion and utterly still at the same time.
They were also (as I recall) described as having a disturbing 'vibration' or 'sound' to them which could only be felt/heard by someone actually touching them. I seem to remember it being described that it was the harmony of the three different vibrations that would actually set 'T' free.
The only specific power I remember them having was the ability to find the other two Theoparts. If you go by the books, though, you would have to find the 'first' part, which would then lead you to the 'second,' and on to the 'third.' In this case, tripping over the 'third' would get you nowhere - except a lot of evil power, of course.
What exactly are these artifacts supposed to do? I've never heard of them.
The Theorparts are from Gary Gygax's "Gord the Rogue" series. United, they could be used to unlock Tharizdun's prison and release him into the multiverse. Individually, they conveyed a great deal of Tharizdun's power to the wielder. Graz'zt got a hold of one and it enhanced his power (allowing him to turn into a giant and kill hundreds of demons with each blow) to the degree that he united a third of the Abyss behind him (the other two thirds allied with Demogorgon's camp or Iuz/Zuggtmoy/Iggwilv's camp, and only because Demogorgon had a Theorpart granted him by Nerull and Iuz had his own as well).
"I am working out a campaign, and have decided I am concentrating on Tharizdun, specifically dealing with the Lost Caverns and the Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun..."
You could use the 2ndE AD&D Monstrous Arcana supplement & trilogy by Bruce R. Cordell (i.e. The Illithiad, A Darkness Gathering, Masters of Eternal Night, and Dawn of the Overmind's, from 7 to 10th level), featuring Illithid's who are trying to take over the world by turning off the light, which is the worlds sun! The darkening could hamper the rest of the gods senses on the world allowing the aberrations to complete their task, which they have done successfully on other worlds; Adding the new 3.5E Elder Evils book, for the Apocalypse Signs: Dead Sun & Seal of Binding. While the outside world is going crazy from the coming of the Apocalypse and by illithid broods terrifying the populace, their rituals continue to find a way to release Tharizdun from his secret crystalline prison hidden away in the Lost Caverns?
Quote:
"What I need is a few other sources I can use. I am beginning the campaign in Saltmarsh..."
Illithid’s can work anywhere, but if you're looking for more a coastal watery environment, Bruce R. Cordell created another 2ndE AD&D trilogy, featuring sahuagin (i.e. The Sea Devils, Evil Tide, Night of the Shark, and Sea of Blood, 5 to 9th level) that could be used in continuing from the ending of the Saltmarsh trilogy (Where DID those evil sahuagin come from?)? With this trilogy and the illithid trilogy both are great for ending campaigns.
Quote:
"I've been considering using some aberrations, but my favourite, the Illithid, don't really fit. Aboleth fit, and will work near the coast, or in the depths of some underground lake, but their aquatic nature do tend to limit their usefulness."
In the supplement Sea Devils there is a more sinister alien aberration called the anguiliian, a lamprey eel creature. They live in the deeper reaches of the bottom of the waters. They are controlled by the Deep Mother that dwells in a huge fish called The Dominion! The PC's must stop the ritual that summons Sekohla/which easily can be Shothragot! There are maps on cities and caves and temples and land already done for you! And there's the Apodalypse, an undead aberration of human and shark gone wrong.
Quote:
"I also want to include a bit more of Pazuzu. I have a Dungeon Adventure featuring him and kenku, which have to be among my favourite new humanoid races. "
Using the Captain Gnash story from Exemplar of Evil the city temple he is looking for could be one that has fallen under the sea from one of the sahuagin/Deep Mother rituals to sinking an island (similiar to the lizardmen of Salmarsh)? And the island is guarded by Pazuzu cultists that can fly and scare away ships and anyone from landing on the island. The sahuagin trilogy could then be used as the PC's need to be led there by Gnash and then have to go explore under water while their ship is constantly harassed by swooping Pazuzo gaurdians?
Last edited by Gravenhurst on Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:36 pm; edited 5 times in total
It looks like quite an elaborate response to Mike's original post, but inside the quote box instead of outside of it. That makes it hard to read, but it's there.
It looks like quite an elaborate response to Mike's original post, but inside the quote box instead of outside of it. That makes it hard to read, but it's there.
Oh shoot, sorry guys. How did everything stay in the box? How to correct that? And yes I got carried away with some ideas. I think I'll edit it a bit shorter!
Thanks rasgon, I have fixed it!
Last edited by Gravenhurst on Tue Apr 22, 2008 5:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
Oh shoot, sorry guys. How did everything stay in the box? How to correct that? And yes I got carried away with some ideas. I think I'll edit it a bit shorter!
I don't think you were carried away; there's nothing wrong with being lengthy, at least not the lengths we're dealing with here. I meant "elaborate" in a positive sense. I think Cebrion just didn't realize you were doing more than quoting.
When you're quoting someone, you can type:
Code:
[/quote]
to end the quote box and begin saying what you have to say, and then type:
Code:
[quote]
when you're ready to make a new quotation box.
Type:
Code:
[/quote]
again when you're finished.
So, for example, I have.
Code:
[quote="Gravenhurst"]Oh shoot, sorry guys. How did everything stay in the box? How to correct that? And yes I got carried away with some ideas. I think I'll edit it a bit shorter![/quote]
I don't think you were carried away; there's nothing wrong with being lengthy, at least not the lengths we're dealing with here. I meant "elaborate" in a positive sense. I think Cebrion just didn't realize you were doing more than quoting.
You could use the 2ndE AD&D Monstrous Arcana supplement & trilogy by Bruce R. Cordell (i.e. The Illithiad, A Darkness Gathering, Masters of Eternal Night, and Dawn of the Overmind's, from 7 to 10th level), featuring Illithid's who are trying to take over the world by turning off the light, which is the worlds sun! The darkening could hamper the rest of the gods senses on the world allowing the aberrations to complete their task, which they have done successfully on other worlds; Adding the new 3.5E Elder Evils book, for the Apocalypse Signs: Dead Sun & Seal of Binding. While the outside world is going crazy from the coming of the Apocalypse and by illithid broods terrifying the populace, their rituals continue to find a way to release Tharizdun from his secret crystalline prison hidden away in the Lost Caverns?
Hmm, I had originally thought of using those adventures (they were among my favorite to play in), but the jury is still out on actually using them. The means by which they get to the Second/Third Adventure is something I'm hesitant to include. Unless I go with autopilot only, suddenly I have a flying base of operations, where I had wanted a geographically stationary and political active base of operations. But I can make it so they don't overuse it. So I may just go ahead and use them....hmm, anyone ever done any conversions of those adventures?
Quote:
Illithid’s can work anywhere, but if you're looking for more a coastal watery environment, Bruce R. Cordell created another 2ndE AD&D trilogy, featuring sahuagin (i.e. The Sea Devils, Evil Tide, Night of the Shark, and Sea of Blood, 5 to 9th level) that could be used in continuing from the ending of the Saltmarsh trilogy (Where DID those evil sahuagin come from?)? With this trilogy and the illithid trilogy both are great for ending campaigns.
I may use this adventure (once I find it) for my other game, but not this one.
Quote:
In the supplement Sea Devils there is a more sinister alien aberration called the anguiliian, a lamprey eel creature. They live in the deeper reaches of the bottom of the waters. They are controlled by the Deep Mother that dwells in a huge fish called The Dominion! The PC's must stop the ritual that summons Sekohla/which easily can be Shothragot! There are maps on cities and caves and temples and land already done for you! And there's the Apodalypse, an undead aberration of human and shark gone wrong.
This definately sounds like the capstone to my Saltmarsh game (where the PCs are actuallu going through the Saltmarsh series, unlike the new group that will end up facing the incarnation of Tharzidun *eg*
Quote:
Using the Captain Gnash story from Exemplar of Evil the city temple he is looking for could be one that has fallen under the sea from one of the sahuagin/Deep Mother rituals to sinking an island (similiar to the lizardmen of Salmarsh)? And the island is guarded by Pazuzu cultists that can fly and scare away ships and anyone from landing on the island. The sahuagin trilogy could then be used as the PC's need to be led there by Gnash and then have to go explore under water while their ship is constantly harassed by swooping Pazuzo gaurdians?
Worth looking into, though I think I will just make the Kenku and Pazuzu a regional threat, and once they move beyond it, they move beyond the threat.
Hmm, Winter comes to Saltmarsh...how screwy would that be.
I'll likely move the game at that point to some other area.
Hehe! My ferret-on-crack brain didn't even see past the giant quote to the fact that it contained a repsonse within it.
I'll certainly remember to look for this type of thing in the future.
And for those who din't know it, Troll Lord Games will be publishing "Saga of Old City" soon. This first book in the Gord the Rogue series is set in Greyhawk and the main plot of the book series centers on the freeing of Tharizdun and the destruction of Greyhawk, though this is only touched on in the first book. Hopefully TLG will be publishing the whole series, as it contains much information on Greyhawk and its characters(though some of it in later books is altered due to IP issues). Even still, I highly recommend them. See the link:
What exactly are these artifacts supposed to do? I've never heard of them.
The Theorparts are from Gary Gygax's "Gord the Rogue" series. United, they could be used to unlock Tharizdun's prison and release him into the multiverse. Individually, they conveyed a great deal of Tharizdun's power to the wielder. Graz'zt got a hold of one and it enhanced his power (allowing him to turn into a giant and kill hundreds of demons with each blow) to the degree that he united a third of the Abyss behind him (the other two thirds allied with Demogorgon's camp or Iuz/Zuggtmoy/Iggwilv's camp, and only because Demogorgon had a Theorpart granted him by Nerull and Iuz had his own as well).
wow thats a good story!
could you tell the name of the books?
Try reading the post *just above yours*. There is even a link to the newly(or soon to be) re-published first book in the "Gord the Rogue" series entitled "Saga of Old City". _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
Try reading the post *just above yours*. There is even a link to the newly(or soon to be) re-published first book in the "Gord the Rogue" series entitled "Saga of Old City".
oops!
my bad!
sorry for the silly question, but this story have "d&d(o/c)" aventures flavor/elements, like a novelization of a module, or does it have non-d&d elements?
It has most of those elements. The entire series is fairly entertaining and has little tidbits about Greyhawk scattered throughout. I recently re-read the entire series. _________________ - Moderator/Admin (in some areas)/Member -
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), and I saw the Styes adventure...I'll have to give it another look since I have decided to drop Red Hand of Doom.
