Canonfire!

Thu Apr 22, 2010 9:31 am Updating the U series *possible spoilers to follow*

I'm considering the U series as something to update for a 4e campaign, but the main problem is one of the players is an old-timer with a good memory who played through it as a 1e module. I'd like to totally surprise him by changing everything around. Has anyone every done a reboot of the U series, or any part of it that totally turns the existing premise on its head. One thing I'm considering for U1 is having the haunted house be really haunted, but then that's going to be difficult to tie in with the rest of the series, or at least I'm not thinking of anything. Anybody got any experience or just any ideas they wouldn't mind sharing?

Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:09 pm

I haven't actually run the adventures yet but if you are looking to have the "haunted house" really haunted if you know anything about the old timers adventure in U1 you might want to include any of the original group that died in or near the house or even the pirates.

One thing you haven't said is if it from you are looking to kick start the adventure off at 1st or not.

Thu Apr 22, 2010 12:34 pm

Thanks for the reply. I don't know anything about the last time the "old-timer" went through it, other than it was back when everyone was playing 1e and 2e, so I wouldn't be relating back to that. This will be all new characters in an all new campaign, starting off at 1st lvl. Basically, I don't care if he remembers the basic layout - a 2 story haunted house on a cliff overlooking the sea, with caves that access the water underneath. What I'm looking to do is change the given premise - that the house isn't really haunted, but being used by a gang of smugglers who make it appear that way to keep people from interfering with their operations.

Thu Apr 22, 2010 3:41 pm

The U series is sacred to me. Be warned.

Thu Apr 22, 2010 4:44 pm

Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:13 pm

Last time I DMed it, beefed up the assassin in the house and gave him some invisiblity.
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Thu Apr 22, 2010 11:27 pm

Last time I ran it Ned was actually who he said he was and the smuggler's had been stealing arms from a merchant in Seaton.

Of course if you are running it in 4E, the Rob Liefeld equivalent of the various incarnations of the game, you can just tell the PC's what happens before combat starts again.

Fri Apr 23, 2010 8:25 am

Yeah, changing Ned would be a surprise for players who already know about him. I always felt that the old "I'll tie myself up/lock myself in a cell and pretend to be a prisoner" thing was kind of a lame anyway, and way too prevalent in published adventures.

One idea I've had was, like I said, have the house (I'm changing it more to a fortified manor) be really haunted by the ghost of the wizard/alchemist, and have the crew of the Sea Ghost be undead formed from pirates that attacked the manor 20 years ago and killed the wizard; their undeath being the result of a curse he laid on them as he was dying. But then how to do that without it being too much like Pirates of the Caribbean? I also don't really see any way to lead into U2-3.

The other idea is to have the abandoned manor be a center of worship for a Dagon cult that has ties in the town among some of the more prominent citizens. This could lead into U2-3 pretty easily, as the PCs fight their way up the hierarchy of the cult. U2 could be an older cult complex, and U3 could be played more as written, with the sahuagin being behind the cult.

Fri Apr 23, 2010 9:22 am

Fri Apr 23, 2010 9:37 am

How about having the "old time" the module was played 20 years in the past.

Some grizzled oldsters in the area remember the happenings with a lot of embellishments thrown in (good fodder to get extra free drinks at the tavern from the new whipper snappers in town).

So, the new PCs can find out that there was once some pirates using the cellars of the house as a base. But today the house is so derelict it's almost falling down... you could have the attic caved in, and most of the 2nd floor unstable to walk on for anyone other than a gnome or halfling due to weight.

The main floor will in places cave through to the cellars.

Perhaps in the interim the new smugglers have expanded the cellars and/or the secret caverns with worked and rough areas.

Change it up in terms of the smugglers as well... perhaps their leader was a member of the band that was slain those years ago, and has learned a lot about how to make the position more defensible, etc....

Fri Apr 23, 2010 5:37 pm

You could have Ned just be a patsy. The real bad guy just happens to have a brain, and has been placing evidence that implicates Ned, just in case anybody ever catches on to the real bad guys doings. Poor Ned. Laughing

That is just one thing you could do. There is a lot of info on Seaton/Saltmarsh out there to make use of.
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Sat Apr 24, 2010 6:35 pm

Sat Apr 24, 2010 7:28 pm

Sun Apr 25, 2010 2:51 pm

As far as U1 i would change up the weather first, have it raining or thunder storm ( giving more spookey-ness to the haunting) make the old alchemist skeleton undead. Change the code.

U2 i would change up the bullywug ambush up, have it be their lair, a quick draw jobfor their lair and give them a "big" pet of some kind.Nice side trek Smile

U3 theirs not much i would change except having all 3 floors underwater.

The U series is a classic to me and i feel a little sick for making these changes.

Sun Apr 25, 2010 4:53 pm

I made the Bullywugs responsible for raiding a monastery on the road northwest of Bale Keep. The PC's tracked them back to their lair.

Mon Apr 26, 2010 8:59 pm

All interesting ideas, especially yours, BG. Thanks for the replies. If I do go with this series and it turns out good maybe I'll post some of it up.

Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:37 pm

I should mention my minis company is making wugs, sea devils, and lizardmen. I like the U series.

Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:09 pm

Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:10 pm

Sat May 01, 2010 6:51 pm

Make Ned a ghost his soul is trapped in the house because of what he did 20 years ago. The only way he can rest is if all of the original adventurers come back and offer their forgiveness. The actual adventure could be gathering the hero's. If you want to add another twist have the pcs somehow find a way to get a bullywug chieftain to forgive Ned because his actions caused the death of his people. The old adventurers might be the bargaining chip for the bullywug chieftain to give his forgiveness to Ned in exchange for revenge on the adventurers who killed his kind. However Ned will need everyones forgiveness in order to pass on to the afterlife in the end leaving the place haunted no more.