Download adventure HD2: The Shrine of the Black Ones

[Trodax]

Very nicely done thulsa, thanks for sharing!

[Strom]

Wait a minute, didn't you give me some advice not to long ago:

You might put a spoiler warning in the Subject of such topics. There are players reading this forum too, you know...

- thulsa

I guess I did, but shouldn't players know to stay away when the subject is "Download adventure..." ?



- thulsa

Even Shub-Niggurath thinks thats whack.

Just ribbing ya - thanks thulsa for the pdf!

[Malcadon]

WOW! I like it.

Is cool to see some classic D&D module being converted into the Conan game. I'm looking forward to The City of the Spider-God, and any others you are going to make.

Keep up the good work.

[Hervé]

Great job as usual from Thulsa. It really looks good...
I just printed the stuff, I'll get back to you after some reading.

[Bjorn the Barbarian]

Looks very promising. I'll let you know how my players like it after I spring it on them.

Thank for sharing Thulsa.

[DaveNC]

Thanks for all of the hard work Thulsa! The adventure looks great - I remember playing the original wwaaayyy back when...

[merkkari-masa]

thanks alot

[thulsa]

Is cool to see some classic D&D module being converted into the Conan game. I'm looking forward to The City of the Spider-God, and any others you are going to make.

Yes, there will definitely be more conversions coming. However, far from all D&D modules really fit a sword and sorcery setting, so don't expect to see a conversion of The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror anytime soon!

- thulsa

[Aholibamah]

Oh one question--why did you change Sancha from the silly trollop she is in the story to the sly and dangerous pirate lady she is in your adventure? I don't mind the change but I'm sort of curious.

[thulsa]

Oh one question--why did you change Sancha from the silly trollop she is in the story to the sly and dangerous pirate lady she is in your adventure? I don't mind the change but I'm sort of curious.

Sure, glad to answer any questions.

Two reasons:

1) In the original module (Shrine of the Kuo-Toa), the prisoner is a female drow held by the Kuo-Toa. And since she is a drow, she is (by D&D logic) evil and bound to betray the PCs later.

2) By naming her Sancha, players who are familiar with the story will assume she is indeed only a "silly trollop", which should (hopefully) help to catch them off-guard when she does betray them.


- thulsa

[Aholibamah]

It will also catch them off guard when they find out she can actually fight well--kinda like me when I took on my girlfriend at kendo the first time.

[thulsa]

It will also catch them off guard when they find out she can actually fight well

Yeah, make sure she starts combat by directing all her 4 attacks as sneak attacks on some poor unsuspecting flat-footed player character... preferably as the PCs are about to fight some other opponents...

- thulsa

[AKAmra]

Thulsa,
I just read The Shrine of the Black Ones and wanted to say Thanks for a great adventure, I'm starting a Hyborian game and introducing my sons to Conan - it's a great help and I'm looking forward to The City of the Spider God.

[Arkobla Conn]

Thulsa

From Ages anon until now, you've continued to impress. My group is getting back into Conan from a bit of a break and this is RIGHT where I want it (level wise). I can't wait to spring it on them!

Well done!!

[thulsa]

Thanks for a great adventure, I'm starting a Hyborian game and introducing my sons to Conan - it's a great help and I'm looking forward to The City of the Spider God.

My group is getting back into Conan from a bit of a break and this is RIGHT where I want it (level wise). I can't wait to spring it on them!

Thanks guys, appreciate the feedback. Let us know how it played out when you're done with it!

- thulsa

[Spectator]

Everyone died. 2-4 fate points later they died again. Basically it was like "Custer's last stand" they kept fighting and kept getting over powered. All the boys I had (3 players and each had two characters (their own and a pre=generated Pirate PC). ) didn't play as smart as the black ones. Plus the RAW the Black ones are essentially about 50 7-8th level characters, just too many. THis was the first time Idid npt pull any punches on my characters and they hated me for it. I did promise them that I would allow them a 6th level character for their next PC, as a base-build, instead of having them start at 3rd level like I did last time (I never start my boys at first level, I don't believe in the 14 year old farmboy picking up a sword and running away kind of thing).

well that's how its played, ifany other GMs run their campaign they should see a massive pile of bones freshly picked by raves and jackals on one of the hilltops between the beach and the greenstone citadel. Probably about 650 sp of jewelty on the corpses still, enjoy.

[thulsa]

Everyone died. 2-4 fate points later they died again. Basically it was like "Custer's last stand" they kept fighting and kept getting over powered.

What levels were the PCs? Did they just do a frontal assault, or did they try to use stealth?

- thulsa

[Spectator]

10th level. each character. 6 PCs total.
I played the Black ones as pretty smart bad guys.
I made sure they did plenty of sneak attacks before ganging up 'en masse'

Like I said, I pulled no punches.
I was thinking... yeah I could have the PC be in an easily defendible spot, like a hallway, where numbers of attackers would be limited to the width of the hallway, but then I thought about it again and relaized that the Blackies are probably smart enough to do a frontal assault in a terrain that is best suited for defense. Essentially the Black ones played as smart as the PCs and the PCs suffered immensely.

When the PCs holed themselves in a defensible tower in the ruins, I basically had the blackies encircle and besiege them. Time was on their side, not the PCs.

It was ugly, and I gave no quarter. THe PCs weren't expecting this although I'm sure one of them pre-read the adventure on line. It was a terrible feeling for me to kill them off, but it makes a terrible point that you need to pick your fights at the right time and place.

[Majestic7]

When the PCs holed themselves in a defensible tower in the ruins, I basically had the blackies encircle and besiege them. Time was on their side, not the PCs.

It was ugly, and I gave no quarter. THe PCs weren't expecting this although I'm sure one of them pre-read the adventure on line. It was a terrible feeling for me to kill them off, but it makes a terrible point that you need to pick your fights at the right time and place.

How did your players take it? I actually think that sounds like a wonderfully atmospheric, desperate situation. A bit like playing out Night of the Living Dead in Hyboria. I must admit that I have trouble doing TPK's (Total Party Kill) myself, at least on purpose. That is why I like the massive damage rule, the dice do not lie. Takes off some guilty from my conscience while keeping the characters mortal.

[thulsa]

I'm sure one of them pre-read the adventure on line

Oh man, that's cheating!

Even if he didn't know that he was going to play the module, he should have avoided reading it (unless he planned to DM it himself, of course, but I'm assuming that wasn't the case here).

There has to be a certain level of trust between the DM and the players.

- thulsa