I remember growing up with Pool of Radiance. It wasn’t the first video game to bear the AD&D brand, but it was the first one based on the AD&D 1E rules. BioWare’s Baldur’s Gate introduced the AD&D 2E rules to video games.

It is interesting to note the time frame between the release of a new edition of D&D rules and the subsequent appearance of a video game using those rules. A year after the publication of those first rulebooks, the dungeon crawl video game called dnd was released, based on many of the basic concepts found in the rules.

AD&D 1E was published in 1977, but Pool of Radiance wasn’t released by SSI for another 11 years. There is a similar gap for 2E: rules in 1989, yet Baldur’s Gate not arriving until 1998. The third edition of Dungeons & Dragons received a quicker response from video games. A year after the rules were released in 2000, Stormfront Studios released a new game bearing the Pool of Radiance name that implemented major portions of the 3E rules. The first full implementation of 3E came in 2002 with the release of Neverwinter Nights from BioWare.

Next month will mark the two-year anniversary of the 4E rules for Dungeons & Dragons, and there has not been a whisper of a pending video game that utilizes those rules (at least, not that I’ve heard). I find this a little unusual given the obvious influence video games–MMOs, in particular–have had on the new rules. It would stand to reason that 4E is ready-made for a video game adaptation.

Is it reasonable to expect a 4E video game this soon? Do current production schedule trends suggest another two years or more before we see a 4E video game? Or is the license languishing in limbo because its held by some deadbeat publisher? Will the game be an action clickfest like Oblivion or a real-time fire-and-forget in the tradition of BioWare RPGs? Who do you think will be the developer/publisher? Leave your answers in the comments.Similar Posts:

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The door was unlocked, so I led everyone in, where we were confronted by three snarling mutts. They leaped at us, but were quickly dispatched with a few sword strokes and sling bullets.

Montaron wondered what was so valuable that it required three guard dogs, but I shrugged, wiped off my blade, and walked out. As we headed back toward the mine, a solitary guard hailed us.

“You, there, stop! You shouldn’t be wandering around out here. It’s dangerous. There are monsters about. You should return to Nashkel, where it’s safe.”

“Ha! Safe?” I made no attempt to contain the sarcasm and bitterness in my voice. “Is that what you call assassins ambushing you at the inn? I’d rather take my chances with wandering monsters. At least you know what to expect from them.

“Besides, we’re the adventurers the mayor hired to help with the problems in the mine. So, thanks for the warning, but we can take care of ourselves.”

“It’s true we could use some more fighting men,” the guard said.

“And women,” Jaheira muttered behind me.

“Emerson, the foreman, will tell you he’s got everything under control, but don’t listen to him. Anyway, good luck.”

We parted with the guard and headed toward the mine.

“Hey, what’s that over there?” Imoen said. “It looks like somebody is carving a face in the side of the cliff.” We all stopped and looked. There was indeed a man carving a face in the cliff rock. Intrigued, we walked over, and as we drew near, I could hear the man talking to himself as he worked.

“Ah, beauteous creature. You are my masterpiece. Never should I have stolen those emeralds, but there was nothing else that would capture the majesty of thine eyes. I did what must be done. I must complete thee! Wait, there is someone here.” He turned to face us, a wild look in his eyes.

“Who are you? Twas that relentless Greywolf that sent you, wasn’t it?”

It was the second time today someone had mistaken me for this Greywolf or one of his degenerate bounty hunter companions. “I have nothing to do with anyone named Greywolf, nor would I want to.” If it weren’t for the fear I heard in the man’s voice, I might have lashed out with more anger.

“Thank, Deneir, I thought I was done in. I am not cut out for a life on the run. Mayhap you could help a foolish sculptor finish his epiphany?” He paused, the desperation plain on his face. I let the silence hang between us.

“Please,” he begged. “Guard this place, for surely Greywolf will come seeking the bounty on these gems. ” He held out his hands, revealing two perfect emeralds. I heard Montaron smack his lips

“Look, I could care less about your masterpiece, or your troubles with Greywolf. If you stole those gems, you deserve whatever’s coming at the hands of this bounty hunter.” I watched as the sculptor’s shoulders sagged in defeat.

“However, it just so happens that I’m interested in having a little talk with this Greywolf, myself. So, how about I hang around for a bit, and if he happens to show up, I’ll settle my business with him, first. If he’s still up for taking you in afterward, I’m afraid you’re on your own.”

“I…I thank you. Perhaps that will be enough. I have been drinking potions of speed to aid my work, and I have not slept since I began, days ago. My name is Prism, by the way.” He turned back to the face. “She is beautiful, is she not? A monument to my foolishness. I saw her but once, in Evereska, yet said nothing. She passed from mine eyes, and mine heart hath cursed me for it.” With that, he went back to his work with a fervor while we stood nearby and waited.

“Why are we wasting our time with this crazy man?” Jaheira asked. “What are you up to, Drakyn?”

“I’m taking a stand.” I stared her straight in the eye until she looked away. No one else challenged me, though I caught a concerned glance from Imoen out of the corner of my eye. The clink of Prism’s chisel against the stone marked the passing of time. Finally, as the sun set and shadows spread over the rocky ground, a lone figure appeared, walking toward us.

“I have come for you, Prism,” he called. The man wore a leather vest that exposed his muscular arms. He gripped a longsword in one hand, its blade rimed in ice.

“No! Not yet! My work is nearly done,” Prism pleaded.

“Prism wishes only to finish his masterpiece,” I said, stepping forward. “Why not let him? What harm can it do?”

“Who are you fools? Don’t tell me you made your situation worse by hiring some bodyguards, little man?”

“Who we are is unimportant? What is important is that we are armed to the teeth and we mean to stop you from hurting Prism, or anyone else, ever again, bounty hunter.”

“You’ve made a deadly mistake. None cross Greywolf and live.” He raised his sword and charged. We fired a volley of missiles then Khalid and I closed, trading blows with the bounty hunter. One of Greywolf’s strokes connected with my arm, and I felt a piercing chill as the blade cut through my armor and drew blood.

I cried out in pain and Jaheira moved to my side. She began to chant and light appeared around her hands. She grabbed my arm and the light flashed, leaving no trace of the wound or the chill. We continued our attack. Greywolf dished out more pain to both Khalid and I, but we eventually prevailed. I claimed the bounty hunter’s sword for my own.

“It is finished,” Prism cried. He had continued to work during the battle. “My work is complete.” Prism yawned. “Thank you for your help.” He sat down at the base of the cliff and leaned against the face’s cheek.

“O, sweet creature. My effigy to thee is done. Perhaps our paths shall cross in distant Realms, and I will find the courage to say thy name.” Prism closed his eyes, and I thought I heard him whisper, “Ellesime.” Then he lay still. Not even his chest rose or fell with breath.

“How sad,” Imoen said. “Hey, what are you doing?”

“He’s not going to need these anymore,” Montaron said. We all looked to see the halfling up on the scaffolding, removing the emeralds Prism had set for the face’s eyes.

“But…he died to make this tribute to his one true love. And we fought that bounty hunter so he could finish. Are you just going to stand there and let him do this, Drakyn?”

“Prism stole those emeralds, Imoen. He had no right to use them in his work. We will turn them over to the proper authorities once we have finished clearing the mine. Bring them here, Montaron.” I held my hand out to the halfling. He glared at me, but when he saw no one else protest, he gave them over.

“Sleep lightly, taskmaster,” he hissed. I frowned. Perhaps I needed to rethink my companions sooner than later.Similar Posts:

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Sure that the goblins were trying to lead them into a trap or ambush, the heroes looked through the doorway to see a group of humans and hobgoblins armed and waiting in some sort of mess hall. Day charged in and pushed the enemy back, and Elazul created some icy terrain, causing several of the Bloodreavers to slip and fall. Once the ice melted and some of the slavers fell, the rest of the heroes were able to maneuver into the room, and Ansis unleashed his thunder of judgment, dazing the remainder of the enemies.

After the last Bloodreaver fell, the heroes discovered a pile of loot sitting on one of the tables. It appeared the slavers had been gambling before the battle. The coins and gems were pocketed. Day acquired a new +1 lifedrinker scimitar and gave her old +1 lifedrinker longsword to Elazul. Then it was back to the doors.

Day inspected the doors for traps, determined they were safe and unlocked, and threw them open. Inside was a shrine to Moradin, with a statue of the god up on a balcony at the far end of the room. Stairs led up the sides of the room to the balcony, and Bloodreaver archers stood at the tops of each staircase. A length of chains and manacles lay on the main floor, guarded by a dire wolf and Krand, chief of the Bloodreavers. The fight was fast, furious and bloody. Krand fell first, followed by the wolf. Elazul’s summoned abyssal maw helped the pace.

A key was found on Krand, and the heroes found a chest in his quarters that the key unlocked. Inside they found more coins, a suit of magical chainmail and a contract. According to the contract, the slaves from Riverdown had been sold two days ago to someone named Murkelmor Grimmerzhul. We ended the session with the heroes discussing the idea of claiming the Chamber of the Forge as their own base of operations.Similar Posts:

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There are some mechanical differences as well. Monster Slayers emphasizes math by retaining hit points and die rolls with bonuses. I eschew math and favor teamwork, as many of the Hero powers require coordination between players. I’m going to stick with Fantastic Adventures, but I’ll admit to some bias.

Speaking of scenarios, I spent last week writing up the four I used in playtests with my son and put them together as the official Fantastic Adventures Basic Edition Scenario Book. Each scenario includes:

• an Adventure Hook that provides a story explaining why the Heroes are fighting the Monsters
• brief instructions for the Adventure Master on how to play the Monsters
• Stat cards for each Monster type used in the Scenario
• a map key that shows the starting positions of the Monsters and explains any terrain features
• a full scale (1″ squares) map that can be printed out for use with the Scenario

I don’t plan on producing any more FABE Scenario books. What is provided here should be enough of a template for Adventure Masters to come up with their own Scenarios. I’d love to hear your thoughts, especially if you’ve played the game with your kids.Similar Posts:

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The group moved on as quickly as they could, with Rendil giving them a tour of the Hall as they walked to the his aunt’s establishment, the Halfmoon Inn. Rendil introduced everyone to his Aunt Erra once they arrived, and Erra offered them free room and board as thanks for rescuing her nephew. As she showed them to their rooms, the heroes discreetly asked where they could find Gendar (Rendil had only given them information on the west half of the Hall).

Everyone returned to the common room and the group had some dinner. Brugg showed up to harass both Erra and the heroes. Ansis made a snide remark, but Erra showed she needed no help standing up to the ogre and told him to get lost. He gave the group the evil eye as he left. Rendil hovered around the group as they ate, asking if they needed any help going after the Bloodreavers. Day elicited directions to their hideout, an old temple of Moradin called the Chamber of the Forge.

After dinner, the heroes headed over to Gendar’s, passing by the large, bronze statue of a dwarf standing inside some sort of ritual circle. They entered Gendar’s shop and introduced themselves. Gendar was a dark-skinned, white-haired elf with a patch over one eye. He inspected the dagger from Bairwin then handed over the fortune stones. As the group left, Gendar asked if they were interested in some additional work. He had sent some agents to an area in the Labyrinth called the House of Silence to acquire an ancient scepter for him, but they were long overdue. If the heroes were to find the scepter and bring it to him, he would compensate them handsomely.

The group returned to the Halfmoon Inn and called it a night. The next morning, they awoke, had breakfast, and headed to the Chamber of the Forge. They followed the miners’ runes that Rendil had identified and soon found themselves in the narthex of the temple. Twin statues of noble beasts with the heads and wings of eagles and the bodies of lions held lit lanterns in their mouths before a pair of great stone doors. The image of an anvil was carved across the doors, and hammers radiated in a circle from the anvil headfirst. A balcony ran along the west wall about fifteen feet up.

The doors were closed and locked, and goblin voices were heard on the other side, so the group stepped back out into the tunnel to discuss strategy. Gullyven volunteered to try to pick the locks. He was successful, and shouted “Bam!” in triumph. Day quickly threw the doors open and the two goblin sentries in the hall raised the alarm.

A third goblin and a bugbear joined the forces in the hall, while another goblin appeared on the balcony to snipe at Ansis and Simpson standing on the steps at the rear of the group. The statues provided some cover for the gnome bard, but both grew tired of being shot at and pushed their way inside.

Meanwhile, Day had moved forward to engage the enemy and create some space between her and her “squishies.” Elazul turned the terrain under the goblins icy and paired with Gullyven to alternately scorch then electrocute the goblins. The four enemies in the hall fell, but the goblin on the balcony fled to warn his allies. The heroes tried to take a short rest in the hall off the balcony, with Gullyven using ghost sound to fake noises like they were dying and Day holding the door closed, but were interrupted by a hobgoblin archer sneaking around behind them and an unsuccessful attempt to yank the door from Day’s grasp.

Then the door that Day was holding closed began to shudder as heavy blows fell upon it from the other side. In seconds, the wood cracked and shattered, revealing a force of hobgoblins and grey-skinned dwarves on the other side.

The group fought hard against the enemy, with Elazul’s staff adding the Cold damage keyword to his scorching burst, thus overcoming the duergars’ resistance. The devil-dwarves fled and the hobgoblin warchief called for his forces to regroup in the chapel. We ended the session there.

I’m not a fan of the duergar beard quills, like many others, so I re-skinned the power as poison darts they wear on a bandolier. One of the duergar got to throw his darts before the pair fled in this encounter, but I think Day’s armor protected her from the attack.

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It’s hard to wait until he can read, however. So, inspired by the stories of ChattyDM and NewbieDM’s RPG for Kids, I’ve been tinkering with some concepts for an “introductory” roleplaying game. My goal was to develop a set of rules that can be easily grasped by children between the ages of 5 and 9 while familiarizing them with terms and mechanics found in Dungeons & Dragons 4E.

I settled on two primary design principles to meet this goal. The first design principle was the elimination of any math. My son has a good grasp of numbers, but I didn’t want to bog the action down with any addition or subtraction. All dice rolls are taken at face value, and conflict is resolved with opposing rolls. Hit Points were replaced with 3 or 4 health statuses that could be checked off.

The second principle was to be able to display all the information a player had to know about their character onto a single 3×5 card. That meant eliminating things like skills and races, and distilling the classes down to their core functionality. In early playtests, I used just four classes, one for each role: cleric, fighter, ranger, and wizard. I added a second striker, the rogue, in the last game.

Game play uses the encounter format familiar to any dungeon delvers. I set up the combat with a little bit of story and then its straight to the action. So far, the playtests have involved players running multiple characters (my son played all five heroes in the last game). I’m interested in seeing how it works with 4-5 players handling one hero each.

I’m satisfied enough with the rules for the Fantastic Adventures Basic Edition to make them available for download. I’d love to hear feedback. I’m currently working on an Advanced Edition that incorporates hit points, skills, quests, and powers as card decks.Similar Posts:

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Arrows and sling bullets cut down the first two bandits. Two archers appeared, and I ordered Khalid to charge them while I drew my sword and engaged the remaining two hobgoblins that charged toward us, their blades held over their heads.

The battle ended in our favor, and quiet returned, broken only by our heavy breathing and the feeding of the bandits’ fire. Montaron gleaned some coins from the bodies of the fallen then we continued our trek. A few more hours of walking and we crossed the bridge that led into Nashkel.

A soldier in the dragonhelm of Amn stopped us and asked our business. When I told him we were here to see the mayor, he grunted and warned us off making a bad situation worse.

“What things aren’t good?” I asked.

“What is good around here, anymore? Our iron is rotten and there are demons in the mines. And then there is Commander Brage…commander no longer, I should say. Stripped of his title and wanted for the murder of his wife and children. Just went into a rage one night then fled into the hills after committing the deed. He was a good man….” The soldier sniffed and wandered away. I looked at my companions in puzzlement, but no one offered me any advice, so I led on to the inn.

I spotted the innkeeper at the bar counter of the inn’s common room and made my way toward him. I got no more than two steps before I heard an unfamiliar female voice call out to me.

“Just fancy my luck seeing you stroll in here, bold as day.” A woman in mail and helmet approached from across the room, and I wondered if I was about to be propositioned. Her next words erased that thought from mind. “I expected a hunt and a chase, but who am I to argue a few easy coins in the purse. May the Lord of Shadows guide you swiftly to your death.”

I had had enough of yet another confrontation with nameless assassin. I needed information. I needed a name. “My name is Neira, a hunter of bounties, and there is a lovely little sum on your head. Satisfied?”

“I will defend myself if I must,” I replied. “If you wish to die, then attack, but I would give you the opportunity to reconsider.”

“By all means defend yourself. This profession would lack any intrigue if you were to simply lay down and die.” The assassin began to chant and we moved into action. Her flippant rejection of my parley drove any ounce of mercy out of me and I held nothing back. Neira fell under our combined might. Among her belongings was another bounty notice. The reward had grown again.

The innkeeper still had the nerve to charge us full price for the room. Jaheira convinced us to seek out Mayor Ghastkill, so I grabbed our keys and we headed out to find him. It was not hard. We followed the main road through town and Jaheira pointed him out as we neared the temple of Helm.

“Hello there. Jaheira,” he called and hastened toward us. “I am happy to see you, though sorry it is under these circumstances.”

“What? You mean being ambushed by assassins in your town’s inn?” I asked, my voice thick with sarcasm.

“Hmm? No. Is this true?” Ghastkill looked at Jaheira for confirmation and she nodded. “My apologies for your treatment. I take it the attackers did not survive.”

I snorted in response.

“What exactly is the trouble here?” Jaheira asked.

“You have heard of the iron shortage? Nashkel is in the thick of it. Our mine is all but shut down. Workers go missing and the ore is tainted. Bandits raid the caravans coming and going. I barely have enough guards to protect the citizens. I need you to go into the mines and investigate.”

“We’ll do what we can,” I grumbled.

“Thank you,” Ghastkill said. He gave us directions and the name of the foreman we should speak to. We took our leave. We were unable to get very far, however, before we were accosted by a fat man in a yellow vest who bore an uncanny resemblance to the town’s innkeeper.

“Oh, you have returned. And so soon. No, say not another word. I wouldn’t think of making you wait any longer for your reward. When the council had told me they had procured none other than the famed bounty hunter Greywolf to rid the woods of bandits, I new we could expect swift justice.

“I would never have predicted success this quickly, though. Yet, who else could it be strutting back into town but you, dressed…as you are. Please accept the 200 gold pieces, as well as the heartfelt thanks of Nashkel.”

The last thing I wanted after the encounter at the inn was to be associated with bounty hunters. I ground my teeth together until I could think of something to say that didn’t include the man’s hygiene or parentage. “You must have made some mistake, sir. I am not this ‘Greywulf’ you speak of. Keep your money, it is not mine to take.”

“You are…not Greywulf? Oh, sweet Helm. I almost gave 200 gold pieces to a complete stranger. If the Captain hears of this, he’ll have my hide. Thanks for your honesty, sir. There are those who would not have done such as you did.”

“Yeah, like me,” Montaron muttered. I waved the man off and we continued on to the mines.Similar Posts:

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ACTION POINTS
Your character may perform a number of actions during her turn. You may also choose to delay your character’s action to a predetermined point later in the round, or to ready an action for execution based upon a predetermined situation. The cost of those actions must be equal to or less than the total number of Action Points the character has.

Characters start with 5 Action Points plus additional Action Points equal to their Endurance modifier, which can be spent to perform various actions during their turn in a combat round. The Action Hero feat gives a character 1 additional Action Point. Changes to a character’s Endurance modifier immediately affect the number of Action Points they have available.

Action Points automatically renew themselves at the start of the character’s next turn. Unused Action Points from a round cannot be saved and added to the Action Points available in the next round.

COMBAT ACTIONS
A combat round represents 10 seconds of in-game time. Table X.X lists actions a character can take during their turn in a combat round, and the associated cost in Action Points. This section defines those actions.

Activate Item
Your character can activate or use items such as potions, rods, scrolls, staves or wands. See Magic for more details.

Attack
Your character can perform one melee, unarmed or ranged attack with a single weapon. In general, melee attacks are against an opponent within 5ft, but some melee weapons provide reach, allowing your character to attack an opponent 10ft away.

Ranged weapons are thrown or shot at an opponent. A ranged weapon can be used at a maximum distance of three times its range increment (long range). For each range increment after the first (short range), your character suffers a -2 penalty to his Attack Ability Check.

Punches and kicks are considered unarmed attacks. Unarmed attacks cause non-lethal damage. Damage from unarmed attacks still requires a Survival Ability Check (see Damage and Dying), but failure results only in loss of conscious. Another Survival Ability Check can be made each subsequent round, with no penalty, to see if consciousness is regained. Characters with at least one (1) level in Unarmed Strike have the option of causing lethal damage with their unarmed attacks.

Cast Spell
See Magic for more information about casting spells in combat.

Draw, Reload, or Sheath Weapon
Your character can equip a weapon to use in combat, or put a weapon away to free her hand. This applies to any item they wish to hold or put back. If you character has at least one level in a weapons skill, she may draw a weapon of that type without spending an action point. Drawing ammunition (e.g., arrows) or dropping a weapon does not cost an action point.

Your character can reload ammunition into a ranged weapon. This includes drawing the ammunition from its pouch or quiver.

Move
Your character can move up to one Speed increment. See Adventuring for more details on movement.

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COMBAT ABILITY CHECKS
There are five ability checks commonly made during combat: Action, Attack, Block, Dodge, and Survival. The first four are described below. The Survival ability check is described in the section on Damage and Dying.

Action
An Action ability check determines when your character’s turn is resolved during a round. Roll a d100 at the start of combat and add your character’s Agility modifier, as well as any modifiers from relevant Feats. The highest result goes first, followed by the next highest, and so on. The order stays the same for each subsequent round, unless someone’s action causes them to change when their turn is resolved.

Attack
The Attack ability check represents your character’s ability to strike her opponent on her turn. To make an Attack ability check, roll a d100 and add any modifiers from the relevant Attributes, Skills and Feats. If the result is greater than her opponent’s Dodge or Block ability check, your character hit.

Block
The Block ability check represents your character’s ability to deflect his opponent’s blow with a weapon or other hand-held item. A character must have the Parry feat in order to make this ability check. You may make either a Dodge or a Block ability check against an attack, but not both.

To make a Block ability check, roll a d100 and add your character’s Strength modifier, as well as any relevant Skill levels or Feat modifiers. If the result is equal to or greater than his opponent’s Attack ability check, the item blocked with absorbs the damage instead of your character. If the damage dealt by the attack is greater than the hardness of the item used to block, the item is destroyed.

Dodge
The Dodge ability check represents your character’s ability to evade an attack from his opponent. You may make either a Dodge or a Block ability check against an attack, but not both. To make a Dodge ability check, roll a d100 and add any modifiers from the relevant Attributes, Skills and Feats. If the result is equal to or greater than his opponent’s Attack ability check, your character avoided harm.

DAMAGE AND DYING
When your character is successfully hit by an attack, they suffer damage and must make a Survival ability check. Roll a d100 and add your character’s Endurance modifier (spells and feats may provide additional modifiers). If the result is equal to or greater than the total amount of damage your character has sustained, also called Wounds, he survives the attack.

If your character fails the Survival ability check by less than 10, he is knocked unconscious. If the roll failed by 10 or more, your character is dying. You must make another Survival ability check the next round. Failure a second time means your character is dead.

Succeeding on the second Survival ability check means you have a chance to stabilize. If your roll succeeded by 10 or more, you are unconscious and no longer dying. Otherwise, you must make another Survival ability check the next round. A Heal Wounds spell will automatically stabilize a dying character.
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After a bit of small talk, Gideon explained to Ansis how he had tracked a group of slavers who had raided a village in the Barony of Harkenwold to Thunderspire Mountain. The ranger reported his findings to Lord Markelhay, who then sent him to Winterhaven in hopes of recruiting Ansis and his comrades to destroy the slavers and return the captives to their homes. Markelhay offered a bounty for the former task, while Baron Stockmer posted a reward for the latter.

When Day, Gullyven, and Elazul returned, the heroes discussed the news. Day and Ansis both were quick to advocate going after the slavers. The others agreed, and Elazul revealed that they could cut days off their travel time by using the teleportation circle at the top of Valthrun’s tower, which linked to Nimozaran’s tower in Fallcrest. Lord Padraig happened to enter the inn, and the party informed him and Gideon of their plans.

The next morning, the heroes gathered at Valthrun’s tower and the sage cast the ritual. It was at this point that the players made a decision I hadn’t planned for, but was completely logical and should have been expected. In my defense, the week had been hectic, and I was left with only a couple hours prep time before the session, and I had to accommodate the possibility that they might still go to Stone Tooth. I had planned the first three encounters for that option, and another four encounters if the party had decided to stop and visit the Baron before making their way to Thunderspire.

The players went straight to Thunderspire.

I had a general idea of what would happen, but had not created the encounters in DnD4E Combat Manager. Thankfully, my players were patient and entertained themselves as I hurriedly assembled what I needed. I described their climb through the gorge that lead to the massive gates decorated with towering dwarf statues that glower down at those who approach. Yes, in my version of the Nentir Vale, Saruun Khel is an ancient dwarven city that fell during the Bloodspear War, not a city of minotaurs.

Inspired by the Tower of Sunset sidetrek, I had a pair of gargoyles swoop down and attack the party as they neared the gate. The heroes destroyed one of the creatures and the other flew off after being bloodied. They reached the gate and traveled down the Road of Lanterns, illuminated by copper lanterns held by 10-foot-tall dwarf statues spaced every 100 feet. The Road descend down into the mountain, zig-zagging a couple times before leading to the Seven-Pillared Hall. I ran the encounter with the Bloodreaver hobgoblins and Rendil Halfmoon, and the adventurers made short work of the slavers.

Looking at the map of the labyrinth again, I see that the location marked for that encounter is actually off the Deep Stair. The description for the Deep Stair also confirms this. That means that the players would have had to pass through the Seven-Pillared Hall first, instead of stumbling across the Bloodreavers just before they arrive at the Hall. Not a major detail, but I always thought the setup for the encounter was contrived. Having the PCs rescue Rendil as a minor quest from his aunt would have been a better execution, in my opinion, and I likely would have done it that way if I had adequately prepped.Similar Posts:

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