# IRON DM revival!



## incognito

How about it Nemmerle?!?

When the last one fininshed up, we were going to do another in Spetember I belive, but here it is almost November and...no IRON DM!

Tell you what, guys and gals - if there is enough interest (and trust), I'd even run it...


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## JoeGKushner

What is the Iron DM?  What does it require?  I've only seen the threads but never read 'em before.


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## alsih2o

i am sooooo in....


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## Wicht

I would play if someone started it


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## Wulf Ratbane

I am SO in.


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## Griswold

I'm there 

G.

P.S. WOOT! 100th post!


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## seasong

Oooh!  Oooh! Let me in! Please!?!?


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## Mathew_Freeman

Explanations please! What is Iron DM?


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## seasong

For those asking what Iron DM is:

The Last Iron DM Game

In essence, it is a single elimination tournament where pairs of DMs have 24 hours to combine several surprise "ingredients" into a full scenario. The judge(s) then pick apart the two scenarios and pronounce a winner, who moves on to the next round.

The usual starting number is 8, the ending number is 1.

Prize: You get to put IRON DM in your .sig, lording it over those lesser masters of quickly created scenarios.


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## mmadsen

I also ran a less competitive Iron DM Home Game.  Feel free to post a scenario even now!


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## Psion

mmadsen said:
			
		

> *I also ran a less competitive Iron DM Home Game.  Feel free to post a scenario even now! *




Actually, I was just thinking about doing that the other day when you brought it up!


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## incognito

OK gentleman,

I am going to give Nem until 5PM EST to pick up the reins of Judging the next round of IRON DM, and then...well, then let the games being.  

By the way: the first  8 people (and 3 alternates) to reply with something along the lines of: I am SO in!  Will in fact, be in.

So far:

alsih2o
Wulf
Wicht (would you prefer to be an alternate?)
Griswold
seasong 


Mmadsen did indeed do a fine unofficial version - I belive he had no time limit - this however, will be "official" (that's why I'm waiting for Nemmerle's yea or nay).  

Keep your eye on the thread around 5PM!


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## Rune

I am, as they say, SO in!

[edit]...as long as I'm not one of the first contestants, because tonight is way too busy for me![/edit]


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## MavrickWeirdo

Nemmerle hasn't posted on the boards for months, 

(Come back Nemmerle we miss you.)


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## ladyofdragons

wow!  what a great idea, I missed this the last time it came up.  would definitely be a fun thing to try.


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## Wicht

I meant I am in assuming we have a judge - count me in


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## Psion

Depending on time frame, I'm in

(reviews, y'know.  )

Edit: That looks like 8.


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## Tuerny

I would like to try it too


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## Mirth

incognito,

I came late to this thread, but PLEASE count me in as an alternate. PLEASE!!! (Is that enough begging?)

Jay


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## CTD

Im sooooo in. 

or at least would like to be


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## Zog

I'm in as an alternate, if you please!  

Assuming the first 8 are claim, as they seem to be!

Iron DM is very cool!


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## Psion

mirthcard said:
			
		

> *Psion,
> 
> I came late to this thread, but PLEASE count me in as an alternate. PLEASE!!! (Is that enough begging?)
> *




It's enough for me.

However... you'll notice that I'm not the one in charge if this event... just a po' potential participant like yourself.


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## Fast Learner

Durn, wish I'd read the thread last night!

I am SO in (but it appears as an alt)!


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## Fast Learner

Or... early this morning (would have had to use the time machine to read it last night, and that would have been cheating).


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## Wicht

so the contestants are
1. alsih20
2. Wicht
3. Wulf
4. Griswold
5. Seasong
6. Rune
7. Ladyofdragons
8. Psion

With Alternatives being
Tuerny
Mirthcard
CTD
Zog 
and Fastlearner


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## incognito

That filled up rather more quickly than I expected!

We do indeed have enough players.

Here is the finalized list, please chime in if you wish to be moved off the list, to give the alternates a chance.

1) alsih2o
2) Wulf
3) Wicht 
4) Griswold
5) seasong
6) Rune
7) Lady of Dragons
8) Psion (you will not have to go first, but give way to alternates if you are stapped for time this week)

Alternates
A1) Tuerny 
A2) mirthcard
A3) CTD

Note to all who go in late...sigh...I feel badly, that is the nature of Iron DM...I did wait until after noon for our west coast pals.

Given that Nemmerle is mssing in action, I am going to start this round early.

As before the rules are simple:
I pair people off as competitors and give them a set of 6 "ingredients".

The ingredients are elements that must be used in the designing of a scenario/adventure - which should be written up in overview form - players can be as specific as they like - but detailed stat-blocks and the like are not weighed as heavily as uniqueness and playability of the ideas.

The results are then judged by me and the winner moves on to the next round. . . 

players will have 24 hours from the posting of the ingredients to post their entry - which should give plenty of time for someone who is not immediately around when the ingredients are posted to get their entry done. Entries usually range from half a page to a page and half of writing (three or four paragraphs) - overly long entries run the risk of boring the judge 

As usual, we ask that those not involved in a round not post any suggestions or ideas about the posted ingredients. 

The Iron DM is a grueling competition, and I am not nemmerle, so you can expect differnt (but not necessarily less harsh) critique and selection of a superior story.

I'll give another 40 min or so for assorted comments and last min changes, and then we are off to the races.  For those selected, let me know in advance via email if you don't want to be one of the "first" pair selected at (**coff**) random.


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## Mirth

Good luck, everyone! Don't eat any bad shellfish or anything… (***crosses fingers***)


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## seasong

incognito said:
			
		

> I'll give another 40 min or so for assorted comments and last min changes, and then we are off to the races.  For those selected, let me know in advance via email if you don't want to be one of the "first" pair selected at (**coff**) random.



I'm good for anything but Friday, so put me in as soon as you wish .

Good luck to everyone!


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## seasong

Oh, and 3-4 paragraphs is probably a bit short - most of the stuff from the last Iron DM were about 5-7. If you prefer 3-4 paragraphs, that's cool with me, mind .

edit: Actually, I mis-estimated, too. A fair number of them were around 10+ paragraphs, and 3 page-downs. Yipes!


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## ladyofdragons

okeydoke.  Everything except friday night is good for me, since that's game night, and my existing campaign has to take precedence.  And it's ok to collaborate, yes?  My hubby & I usually design adventures together.


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## The Forsaken One

Count me in.


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## Psion

incognito said:
			
		

> *8) Psion (you will not have to go first, but give way to alternates if you are stapped for time this week)
> *




That's fine... just so long as I have a little time to plan around it. Friday's my game night too (we normally game Thursday too, but this week it's cancelled, so no prob there), but if the rounds are 24 hours, I should have time to do it in the afternoon.

I have to plan a side adventure for this Friday anyways... so maybe I'll kill two birds with one stone.


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## incognito

taking into account certain writer's Friday night's gaming habits 

our first contenstants shall be:
Ladyof Dragons  AND seasong!

please reply with a simple "I'm ready" post and I'll post the ingredients.  Once posted you will have 24 hours to make your submission.  

I should mention, some longer posters submissions got a little...well...long.  I  personally think 3 parapgraphs is short, but don't feel that great lenght  = great results.  

oh, and on the question of collaboration.  I'll allow it - but it must be the SAME person or no person.  The post must also come from the log in "ladyofdragons" to be accepted.  Let's not all make this a habit though, ok?  it is intended to be one persons skill set, really.

Ok, please reply when ready...


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## seasong

Ready!

To ladyofdragons: salutations and best of luck.


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## ladyofdragons

oh wow.  agh!  the pressure!  not a problem on the login, I'm the usual poster and will do all of the actual writing 

ok, I'm ready to go.  best of luck, seasong!


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## Wicht

Good luck guys

Query:  Is there going to be 24 hours between each set or will/can there be multiple contests running at the same time?


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## ladyofdragons

ok, I'm on my way home from work, I'll pick the ingredients up at 5:00.  ack!


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## incognito

*Round 1!*

Good luck to both our (new) contestants.

Here are you 6 ingredients:
Mountains
Unable to be flanked
Teleport
Ravid
Cold Slaves
Ghost touched spiked gauntlet

I note the local time as 3:55 EST
Please take your time, and remember: once a post it submitted, you may not edit it  - so check that spelling (not that _I_do, you understand).


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## Wulf Ratbane

*Re: Round 1!*

What does RAVID mean?


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## incognito

*For Wulf*

Ravid (MM)

Medium-Size Outsider
Hit Dice: 3d8+3 (16 hp)
Initiative: +0
Speed: Fly 60 ft. (perfect)
AC: 25 (+15 natural)
Attacks: Tail slap +4 melee, claw +2 melee
Damage: Tail slap 1d6+1 and positive energy, claw 1d4 and positive energy
Face/Reach: 5 ft. by 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Positive energy lash, animate objects
Special Qualities: Fire immunity, flight
Saves: Fort +4, Ref +3, Will +4
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 10, Con 13, Int 7, Wis 12, Cha 14
Skills: Listen +7, Move Silently +6, Spot +7
Feats: Multiattack*

_edited for space[/]_


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## Wulf Ratbane

Whoooops! Sorry bout that.

Next time a simple, "MM" will do. 

WOTC and these crazy new monsters. It's hard on us old-timers. What will they think of next...


Wulf


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## ShadowWolf

*Iron dm question*

what is a Ghost touched spiked gauntlet?

it sounds like a template or something.


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## Wicht

Incognito,
I have a lectureship to attend next monday and tuesday so if its possible to schedule me into the next round I would appreciate it.


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## mmadsen

*Re: Round 1!*



> Mountains
> Unable to be flanked
> Teleport
> Ravid
> Cold Slaves
> Ghost touched spiked gauntlet



I welcome scenario entries using these six ingredients over on the Iron DM "Home Game" Revival thread.  Just wait until everyone's finished with their official entries here first.

Until then, I'd love to see entries (on the other thread) using any of the ingredient lists we've used so far in past competitions.  For example:

Carnival
Manticore
Crystal Hypnosis Ball
Stirges
Con Games
Giant Snakes

Bones
Earth Elemental
Ghouls
Magic Key
Kuo-toa
Holy Ground


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## incognito

Wicht will be selected for the next pairing

Oh gosh, ShadowWolf, if you are kidding, let me know.  Other wise, please check the DMG under magical weapons.

I say 'oh gosh' becasue it only get's worse from here, complexity of ingredients-wise....

Advanced Ogre Mage, 1/2 Dragon, Celestial, Were-Squid

 [kidding, of course]


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## The Forsaken One

> Were-Squid


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## Wulf Ratbane

incognito said:
			
		

> *Oh gosh, ShadowWolf, if you are kidding, let me know.  Other wise, please check the DMG under magical weapons.*




Well, to be fair (and I realize I'm coming off an embarassing goof myself) I think you mean to say Ghost Touch.

Ideally you would say _Ghost Touch_.

"Ghost touched" doesn't really "mean" anything in the rules-language of d20.

I had assumed, however, that you were being deliberately imprecise, so that folks could write their entry using it to mean either _Ghost Touch_ or, as you have it written, "touched by a ghost."


Wulf


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## Vaxalon

And how does the PRESENT Iron DM fit in on this?

Will you be continuing the tradition of having the winner of the tournament face off against the current Iron DM for the title?

Or will you disqualify me simply because I haven't checked the boards for a few hours?


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## hong

*Re: Iron dm question*



			
				ShadowWolf said:
			
		

> *what is a Ghost touched spiked gauntlet?
> 
> it sounds like a template or something.
> *




A spiked gauntlet is a gauntlet with spikes on it. It's a weapon dealing 1d4 points piercing damage. See the PHB.

The ghost touch enchantment lets a (magic) weapon hit incorporeal creatures without having to roll the usual miss chance. See the DMG.

A ghost touch spiked gauntlet is presumably what you'd use to keep a ghost down.


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## seasong

*Up There (level 4-6)*

*Adventure Summary (the short version):* The Uggrahd mountain is ruled by the Buhkenahk orcs. The orc tribe sends their youths partway up the mountain to become adults, and sometimes an orc goes to the very top and gets a wish. Ancestor spirits haunt the mountain, and use a ghost-touched gauntlet to drop huge snowballs on the youths to 'test' them. Irene is a slave of the orcs who froze on the mountain, stole the gauntlet, and is now using it to drop boulders instead of snow. The PCs will climb the mountain, and in the process might free slaves, lay Irene to rest, steal the gauntlet, gain a wish, or die a horrible, chilly death.

*Background*

Uggrahd ("up there" in orcish) is a steep mountain whose peak juts nearly three miles above sea level. The mountain is part of a range, far from civilization (save a few human mining towns within a few days' hard march). It is also the center of the Buhkenahk ("broken knuckle" in orcish) orcs, a tribe of nearly 2,000 orcs scattered throughout the nearby mountains.

Every few months, a small group of youngsters is sent up to climb to a narrow pass near the top, and the survivors are pronounced adults; sometimes a young orc is inspired to climb to the very top, which is a sure sign of future leadership among the tribe. According to Buhkenahk myth, an orc who makes it to the top gets one wish. The Buhkenahk often bet on these climbs, and this is one of the primary means of redistributing wealth among the orcs.

The Buhkenahk keep slaves from their raids to ease their lifestyle, and so are slightly more cosmopolitan than most other orc tribes. Still, they treat their slaves as callously as one might expect, and most slaves eventually die of exposure or beatings. An unusual quirk of the Buhkenahk, however, is that a slave who manages to climb the mountain is freed (and even adopted into the tribe, if both sides are amenable to the idea).

The area near the top is haunted by ancestral ghosts friendly to the tribe, but they like to test potential adults by dropping snowman-sized snowballs on them. They do this with the Garashkuhg ("our fathers died" in orcish), a spiked gauntlet that has been enchanted by generations of orcish belief. It is a spiked gauntlet +1, ghost-touched (meaning the ancestors can 'wear' it and move things in the physical world with it).

Recently, a human slave attempting to climb the mountain died of exposure. Unfortunately for all involved, the human slave was Irene. Irene was a stubborn, vindictive and vicious woman in life, and death in the ghost-rich region has not improved her attitude much. She has stolen the gauntlet from the other spirits, and has been using it to drop heavier things than snowballs on the orcs trying to achieve adulthood, usually killing them. Irene looks like a frozen corpse, with cracked blue lips, frosty white skin, and eyes reddened by burst capillaries.

*Hook*

*Hook #1:* The PCs are hired by someone in the nearby human towns to rescue an enslaved relative/lover/etc. You can tie this into your normal campaign (perhaps a merchant the PCs often do business with) or just use Farmer John Doe for a one-off. The relative/lover/etc. could be a generic slave, or Irene (in which case, the PCs would be obligated to lay her to rest).

*Hook #2:* The Buhkenahk like having slaves, and they've gotten quite good at subdual tactics (nets, subdual damage, overbearing). The PCs could be captured and, in the course of their brief captivity, learn that climbing the mountain is their ticket home. If you think they'll remain captive for more than a few days, you could even have them meet Irene right before she makes the climb herself. Note that escape other than by climbing is suicidally dangerous (~2,000 orcs in all), but could also be attempted. In this case, you may wish to let the PCs overhear about the wish or gauntlet - they may return to this scenario another day.

*Hook #3:* The PCs have heard of the wish on top of the mountain, and have approached the orcs for permission to climb it. If the PCs are persuasive enough, the orcs would be willing to make a few bets on a bunch of pansy outsiders surviving. Some of the smarter orcs may lay a trap or two to "ensure the bet".

*Hook #4:* Ghost-touched weapons are rare and not well known, so PCs needing one for another ghost-related quest may have heard of the Garashkuhg gauntlet, and be seeking to steal it themselves. This will be a difficult task - they'll have to contend with 2,000 angry orcs, one angry Irene, _and_ the mountain.

*Adventure Goals*

*Climbing the Mountain:* Regardless of how the PCs end up among the Buhkenahk, all of the goals listed under Hooks will eventually require that the PCs climb the mountain. Climbing the mountain will take a few days at best, in freezing conditions, harsh winds and slippery rocks. If the PCs have a token that Irene might recognize (if they were coming to rescue her), she'll likely help, rather than hinder, their progress. Otherwise, she'll be trying to kill them while keeping the glove out of sight. Climbing to the _peak_ is more difficult - there is a tough cliff about 30' high, a narrow pass (see The Ravid & The Armor, below), and then a 40' high sheer cliff to the top.

*Rescuing Slaves:* Whether or not the PCs came to rescue slaves, the opportunity will be there. The Buhkenahk like betting, and when the PCs decide to climb the mountain, a number of them will want to bet with the PCs on whether they make it. If they fail, there are many things the orcs might want: an agreement to serve as a slave for a year, an ear lopped off (to show who won the bet) or an "Grahk Beat Me" tattoo, and so on. The orcs will also willingly bet their own slaves against this - they don't believe the pansy PCs can make it where so many strong orcs fail.

*Irene:* Irene is a vicious, dirty foe. She is completely incorporeal (only damaged by +1 weapons or magic, with 50% chance to ignore damage from any corporeal source), and uses the glove to shove large rocks onto the PCs or (driven to desparation) to wield a longsword taken from an orc corpse. She can be laid to rest by giving her a token from a relative/lover/etc., or by convincing her that she is dead and that she needs to let her vengeance go so she can be free (appeals to "you're still a slave to this place as long as you stay" will work best).

*The Peak:* There actually is a powerful (CR 10 or higher) Lawful Neutral outsider at the peak. He prefers not to be disturbed, but will grant a single _wish_ to any group that manages to make it to the top. Non-tribe members he will also teleport to any location they wish, as he prefers to deal with grovelling orcs who don't make hard wishes. In addition to the challenges of the peak, he has added a pet ravid, below.

*The Ravid & The Armor:* The ravid lies at the final, narrow pass to the peak as its point of defense, to prevent flanking and to ensure that its animate armor need only fight one or two people at a time. The armor is full plate and still has the frozen corpse of an orcish hero in it. The ravid has the Spring Attack feat, and will use this to lash opponents from behind the armor.


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## seasong

That was a lot harder than I expected.

To incognito, I hope the one-paragraph summary of the entire adventure at the beginning makes up for the number of paragraphs afterward.


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## incognito

*The champion returns..and bookeeping*

ohhh - VAX!

As per the last round of IRON DM - the winner of this round, and you, will face off in a winner-take-all 'write off.'

Check back every once in a while to see th thread progression - if we get submisisons early, I'll start the next pairs early.

For those wondering about the "Ghost Touched" vs "Ghost Touch"   - I'd love to say I was allowing creative use of the ingredient, but really it was just a typo.  Now that I've admitted that, I'll be sure not to deduct any points from a ghostly michael jackson scenario, should one be forthcoming 

seasong -I'm takin' a peek at your submisison now - it's ALWAYS hard to go first.


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## ladyofdragons

ok, I haven't looked at seasong's post but I know from a glance mine is a lot longer.  I do have all the stats for the various NPCs, but left them out for brevity's sake.  Anyone wants them I'll post them separately.

*Ingredients* 
Mountains
Unable to be Flanked
Teleport
Ravid
Cold Slaves
Ghost Touched Spiked Gauntlet


*The spirits of Anuk’Tai* an adventure suitable for a party of average 6th level adventurers.

*Background* 
Over a thousand years ago, the great monk Nau-phen, leader of the grand order of the Phoenix disappeared from the great north plains, taking with him the mysterious Staff of Law, an artifact of great power that supposedly granted the ability to change the very fabric of reality.  The order of the phoenix was destroyed nearly 500 years ago by the members of the order of the Crow, a rival group of monks dedicated to the fine art of assassination.  In the long years that followed, the cold from the north grew over the mountains, the great ice sheets advanced down to the northern edge of the mountain range that bordered the plains to the north.  The area is now mostly inhabited by tribal peoples, with a few scattered towns that link the road between the great kingdom of Amaldris to the southwest and the more temperate, sheltered sea kingdom of Barassa to the northeast.  20 years ago, Jinak, the latest leader of the order of the Crow, was able to glean from ancient texts the area he felt the old monk had disappeared in: the top of the great mountain Anuk’Tai in the center of the Arbarin Mountains. His group created a monastery on the mountain, inhospitable and nearly impossible to infiltrate, to base their quest to capture the Staff.  They have enslaved members of the local barbarian tribes and some townspeople in their efforts to build the monestary and search the mountain within and without for the artifact.  Jinak has finally reached the cave containing the Staff. While slaves hack away at the thousands of years of ice surrounding the ancient monk, he has begun the second part of his plan, needing to charge the staff which is powered by positive material energy.  To do this he had captured a Ravid to charge the staff, but the Ravid escaped before they uncovered the staff, and he is seeking to recapture it.

*The Adventure* 
The party is traveling through the town of Tinpei.  It is mid-autumn, and the snows have already piled on the road making travel slow.  Tinpei’s only inn, The Hearthstone, is mostly empty of travelers this evening.  The party is seated on one of the tables near the outer wall  by the large fireplace when one character’s favorite weapon (randomly chosen) starts shaking, then quickly extracts itself from its owner and begins to swing wildly around the room.  It quickly bolts out the door and rounds the corner (speed 60’).  The characters, hampered by the snow, will have a hard time keeping up with it (the weapon in question was the accidental addition of items to a Ravid, who happened to be passing outside the building).  It rounds another corner between two larger buildings, where the characters come upon a group of black-swaddled and masked individuals looking rather surprised (by the ravid that just flew between them and away), who have three local tribesman down on their knees and tied.  Their leader quickly casts a wall of fog between the party and themselves, and by the time the group gets through the wall of fog, the kidnappers and their hostages are gone (they have been teleported away).

Investigation should reveal some of the following information:
1. The disappearance of tribesman and some townspeople has been going on for several years.  It does not happen often, and the black swaddled kidnappers have been seen before but have ‘disappeared like magic’ before they could be caught.  People believe that the kidnappers are actually mountain spirits in the service of the great mountain protector, who apparently is angered by something the people have done.
2. In the past few days others have had similar occurrences of items getting up and flying around.
3. A long silver dragon has been seen in the area at a distance twice in the last two days.  
4. Spirits haunt mount Anuk’Tai,  and have since earliest rememberings.  The great mountain protector spirit has been seen on the mountain trails for hundreds of years.  Lately though, things have changed.  The shelter and shrine to the great mountain protector was destroyed several years ago, and after every attempt to rebuild it it is destroyed again.  People simply don’t go there anymore.
5. One of the latest kidnapping victims is the only son of tribal chief To’Duk, and he is desperate to get his son back, willing to pay in gold.

The PCs, whether motivated by their need to get their weapon back, the kidnapping of the tribesman, the gold of To’Duk, or the mystery of it all, are pointed to the ‘mountain spirits and the great mountain protector’s shrine as a possible source of the strangeness of the area.

*The great mountain protector's shrine*
This is a small round stone building with a thatched roof.  The building's roof has recently seen some damage, and the stout door has been blown off its hinges.  Windswept snow covers the interior floor.  Inside there are a few small beds and tables that have been broken in pieces, and the shrine above the fireplace has been desecrated.  

Searching the shrine turns up a small scrap of black fabric hanging on one of the shattered furniture pieces.  After a few minutes, the room becomes extraordinarily cold, even colder than the biting winds from outside.  A wind whips through the door, blowing out any flame-based light sources.  The fireplace begins to glow with a blue aura, and the ghost of a warrior calmly steps through the chimney wall into the room.  He is dressed in ancient garb, mailed in splint mail and spiked gauntlets, and carrying ancient styles of sword.  He bows deeply to the party.

If the party tries to initiate combat or turn the spirit, the ghost will bow and walk backward into the fireplace again, saying "I thought you were here to help.  My pardons if I intruded".  If the party attempts to parlay with him, he will explain that he is Te-run, honored and trusted companion and guard to Grand Master Nau-phen. When Nau-phen died on the top of Mount Anuk'Tai (from his advanced age), Te-run placed the master on a bier, and guarded him faithfully until his own death.  Stalwart in his charge to guard his master, he continues his guard a thousand years beyond death.  He can only roam the mountain and the shrine that was built here at its foot by the tribes.  He can tell them of the order of the Crow and their monestary at the top of the mountain, and how they have recently found the cave containing the grand master's remains.  Apparently the evil monks destroyed this shrine repeatedly because there was no other place that the ghost could go to request help.  He asks the PCs if they might help him stop the evil group from activating the Staff, and can tell them that the monks will need to charge it with positive material energy, which they hope to get from a small "dragon spirit" that they had captured.  He can also tell the party about a teleporting gate that the monks paid handsomely to set up, about three miles to the east of the shrine.  He says he will meet the party when they reach the monestary, but now needs to return to his master.

On the way to the gate, the party sees through the swirling snow in the far distance a group of black-dressed monks fighting with a small bright flying dragon-creature, and several flying animated articles.  One manages to lasso the creature, and he and the creature suddenly disappear.  The rest of the monks (5 5th level monks) turn and face the party.  

After the party battles the monks (or retreats till they go away) they can proceed on to the gate.  The gate itself is a small niche in the slope of the mountain, about 3' across.  Inspection shows small stones embedded in the rock face on either wall of the niche, carved with mystical symbols.  Just walking into the niche doesn't activate the gate, a command word should be spoken.  A successful spellcraft check (DC 13) will show that the characters on each rock together spell a word that when spoken will activate the gate.  If the party doesn't have spellcraft abilities or read magic combined with an intelligence check, hide a scrap of paper containing the word in a tiny crack in the rock face (Search DC 20)

*The Monestary*
The walls are built of rough-hewn stone quarried from the mountain.  The monestary is rather small, consisting of a temple, an exercise room, two communal living areas for the monks (with floor mats), a kitchen, two smaller private rooms (one for Jinak, one for Ten-fan the Wizard/Monk), and a large holding cell containing about 8 tribespeople.  No other people are found within the monestary.  A successful pick locks (DC 13) should open the door to the tribespeople.  The son of To'Duk is not among them.

If the slaves are questioned, the PCs find out that the monks have a 'magic man' (cleric) who is able to enspell them for hours to get them to work out in the icy mountaintop, digging through the ice and rubble to find a cave of some kind.  4 of the tribespeople agree to lead the PCs to the door leaving the monestary out into the whipping winds of the mountaintop (in fact, they will insist that they get the chance to avenge themselves upon their captors).  The others are still under the influence of the enchantment, and prefer to stay within their cell to await their next meal.  The cave is about a half mile away, reached through winding crevices in the mountains surface.  When they reach the cave, they can peer around the corner of the last crevace to see that 2 monks guard the cave mouth.  There is some shouting and hissing going on in the cave.  Te-Run appears behind the party and explains that the two tribesman inside have just about released the Staff from its icy home, and that the fighing is with the dragon-spirit who is apparently giving the monks a hard time.

The PCs should be able to either defeat or distract the guards and enter the cave.  Inside the cave is almost complete pandemoneum.  Two tribesman chipping away at a wall of ice, they have just about uncovered the staff resting on top of the body within. Several monks are battling with the Ravid, and there are various objects (kama, slings, poles, nunchaku, ice picks) flying around the cave beating on anyone within reach (1 in 10 chance of an item attacking a PC in any given round).  A spellcaster of some sort is casting spells to aid in the battle agains the ravid, and a particularly mean looking monk is barking orders.  One of the monks notices the PC's arrival and will shout out a warning.

Combatants: Jinak (Mnk6/Asn6), Ten-fan (Wiz5/Mnk4), 6 Mnk2, 4 Mnk5
Ravid (per MM), 2 Bbn2, 2 Bbn4, PCs.

Basically, chaos ensues.  Jinak is interested only in recharging the staff, which will be freed two rounds after the PCs arrive in the cave.  Once he has it in his posession, he is going to try to get the ravid to attack him with a positive energy burst so he can activate the Staff.  The ravid is trying desperately to escape, and is attacking the monks around him.  Once per round a random object has a chance of joining the fray as per the MM, and may choose to attack a PC or tribesman.  Te-Run stays at the edge of the fray away from Jinak, getting in blows where he can.  Ten-fan will actively cast spells, but he is divided between protecting Jinak, subduing the ravid, and defeating the PCs.  The monks will divide themselves between the ravid and the PCs.  The four tribesmen who followed the PCs will fight the monks and attempt to free their companions, who 3 rounds after having completed their task will snap out of their thrall and begin to fight the monks.  

The suggestion is that once the staff is free, Jinak will start trying to attack the ravid, though he will need to get there through the various animated objects and must fight the party if necessary.  The ravid is very confused and attacks randomly each round, energy attack to one attacker and claw attack to another.  Hopefully the PCs are able to defeat Jinak before he activates the staff, otherwise he will use his ring of teleportation to escape as soon as the staff is active (seeing as he does not yet know how to use it).

*The Big Finish*
The PCs have either defeated Jinak or he has escaped with the staff (further adventur hook?).  Ten-fan wil also attempt to escape if possible.  The Ravid will escape as soon as there is a chance for him to do so.  Hopefully the PC who lost his weapon will be able to retrieve it before the Ravid takes it away again.  The one tribesman uncovering the Staff is the son of To'Duk, and his father will happily pay the PCs in a bag of gold dust (gathered from the mountain streams, equivalent of 25 gold) for his safe return.  If the PCs have managed to save the staff, Te-run is very happy for their help, and will reward them by giving them his gauntlets, the only item of worth he has left.  He has the PCs return the staff to the body of the master and seal the cave with an avalanche.  If the PCs failed to save the staff, Te-run still thanks them for their help, but since he has failed to effectively protect his master he realizes that his time of usefulness has ended, and he fades away to join his master in eternity.


----------



## ladyofdragons

gah! doh!  I knew there was something I forgot, darn it.  Jinak has an amulet that exudes a radius of protection against ghosts.  I'm guessing it's a bad thing to go back and edit though. (the amulet was listed in with Jinak's belongings, and when I cut it out I forgot there was no other mention of it).


----------



## seasong

*Re: The champion returns..and bookeeping*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> For those wondering about the "Ghost Touched" vs "Ghost Touch"   - I'd love to say I was allowing creative use of the ingredient, but really it was just a typo.  Now that I've admitted that, I'll be sure not to deduct any points from a ghostly michael jackson scenario, should one be forthcoming



Darn, I coulda done Mikal Jaxin, the undead half-elf bard! 


> seasong -I'm takin' a peek at your submisison now - it's ALWAYS hard to go first. [/B]



Darn tootin'. But also a lot of fun .


----------



## seasong

Hey ladyofdragons, nice scenario . I'll not comment on anything specific until incognito is done beating on us, but it looks good.


----------



## incognito

> Darn, I coulda done Mikal Jaxin, the undead half-elf bard!




Formerly a Drow? (ouch...)


----------



## ladyofdragons

seasong said:
			
		

> *Hey ladyofdragons, nice scenario . I'll not comment on anything specific until incognito is done beating on us, but it looks good. *




yours looks pretty good too .  I wish I'd been able to be as brief as yours.  I think it was the stress making me babble on at the fingers, hope I do better if I do this again


----------



## seasong

incognito said:
			
		

> Formerly a Drow? (ouch...)



Aheh. Okay, joke submission time (based on too many M.J. music movies):

High in the Dreamland Mountains, a famous half-elf (formerly drow) bard named Mikal Jaxin, flush with the riches of his trade, hired hundreds of gnomish inventors and illusionists to construct a vast playground of delight. He then opened the gates to children everywhere, as a place of safety and joy.

Unfortunately, it was also an immense resource, one which all too soon tempted the attentions of La-Toia, a vicious drow matron of Mikal's former House. She killed Mikal and enslaved the children present at the mountain, and set them to rebuilding the playground to power her spells.

Mikal, however, had dealt with the undead often enough in his long life to know a bit about the afterlife, and his spirit scurried into his signature glove, which left the Dreamland Mountains on its dancing fingers to seek aid.

After two weeks, the glove has arrived in town, and, via amazingly dextrous pantomine, has explained what is needed. The PCs are hired (or just agree to help, this is M.J., after all) to help.

Mikal's plan is fairly simple: he has the key to the teleport wards all around the Dreamland Mountains, but La-Toia doesn't know that, so the party should be able to teleport in and catch her by surprise. Mikal is willing to help, if someone wants to wear him.

(While worn, the glove provides the wearer with the Dancing Combat feat: you dance constantly, shifting direction and tempo fluifly and instantly, making it impossible to flank you and giving AC +2; unfortunately, there is also a 20% chance that any attack you make will be interrupted by the glove grabbing your body various.. places).

The enslaved children will watch the fight scene from the cold, snowy landscape outside. When the PCs win, they will come in to warm up.

After the children warm up, Mikal's ghost will rise up out of the glove (de-enchanting it) and be rewarded for the good in its heart by being turned into a dragon-like positive energy creature: an intelligent ravid, who will live out its days defending children who go to the Dreamland Mountains, and playing with them on the gnomish rides.

edit: I'm a bad person, aren't I?


----------



## Psion

LOL! That was pretty good seasong.


----------



## incognito

*The stories are in!*

double post


----------



## incognito

*the stories are in!*

hello posters - glad to see both stories are up early!  Makes my job all the more eeeevil...I mean...easy  

I have finished my eval of seasong's scecnario, and am looking now at ladyofdragons.

Before I post my comments. I'd lie to see who is ready to go against *Wicht* for the next pairing.


----------



## incognito

*Round 1 judging!*

For the first round of competition we have two good entries, so it seems, no matter who advances, the competition will be tough

Getting down to brass tacks…
Starting in order of appearance: seasong!

Let’s start with what is great about seasong’s submission, and there is a lot to like.  The realism of the orc tribe.  She includes elements of language, cruel gambling, coming of age ceremonies, slavery, simple economics, and the orc’s ancestors, giving this particular tribe a very real feel.  We don’t wonder (as I often do when reading mini adventures), what motivates them.  They are evil with a small “e.” 

Another piece of particularly good work in this adventure is the versatility of the plot hooks! (4!!)  Even though I am not a big fan of the ‘wish” hook, I can make this adventure fit in to almost any adventuring party – very well done, seasong!  Stealing the gauntlet indeed!

We _are_ left with a few questions, like: How did the slave, Irene,  wrestle the spiked gauntlet from the Orc ancestors?  Why don’t they take it back?  How exactly do the slaves go about getting a chance to get to the top of the mountain for freedom? Why doesn’t the Ravid die of exposure?  What CR 10 lawful outsider grants wishes?  

This does lead me to a few of the scenario’s shortcomings.  Of all the ingredients, the Ravid and the teleport seemed tacked on, an afterthought.  It’s certainly an interesting use of “unable to be flanked” -  that I will grant you.  But the bonus teleport, and to have yet another mysterious spirit on top of the mountains, with a ravid guradian leaves a little to be desired.  You already have the spirits of the ancestors, and the spirit of Irene.  What you need is the spirit of a realtor to divvy up the ethereal land better in that mountain range! 

Moving on to: ladyofdragons 

What we have here is a lovely story that almost tells itself!  Rich in history, and fleshed out with a good variety of NPCs, this story has a decidedly Asian feel to it in my mind – the mark of a good tale, by the way, is good visualization.  Warring clans of monks, the enigmatic death of the Phoneix leader, a Staff of Law (Thomas Covenant, anyone?) leave the reader (typically the DM) with a rich series of scenes in his head, which helps flesh out an adventure.

Unfortunately, the gooey goodness ends there.  More than seasong’s submission, this adventure feels forced.  The hooks are harder to bite on, and the events that are supposed to lead the adventurers from one place to he next can easily break down. What happens if the obscuring mist does not stop the party (druids with animal friends & blindsight? Dispel Magic?).  Also in the final scene, I am left with the impression that the assembled NPCs Jinak (mnk6/Assn6) CR:12, and  Ten-fan (Wiz5/Mnk4) CR:9 would mop up a measly CR5 Ravid, without the barbarians, even if forced to use subdual only.

Also we have a few rules issues.  Staves cannot be recharged.  The speed of an animated object is 30’ not 60’  blah, blah.  I’m not so concerned about those as I am concerned with the party being killed in encounter1 (5, 5th level Monks)!  That’s EL9?  For a L6 party?  Not to mention trying to fight Jinak later on. Finally we have the omission of an ingredient: What cannot be flanked? I noticed none of the barbarians were L5…so, what happened?

Based on these observations, and some gut feelings about how playable a scenario is vs how well the writer used all the ingredients specified , I award this round to:


*SEASONG*


Note: The boards are ugly and slow…if this continues, I will have to delay the next pairing until tomorrow AM, or late tonight…


----------



## ladyofdragons

oh well.  congrats seasong.

btw,  the Mnk6/Asn6 is a 6th level assasin, which is unable to be flanked.


----------



## Piratecat

With the boards unstable, you may want to email entries to Incognito, and then post them. That way, he'll know that they were done on time, even if the boards are wonky.

Incognito, make sense?


----------



## ShadowWolf

*what can't be flanked*

a rogue ie the  monk/assasin. can not be flanked  that is why he is a main npc in ladyofdragons' entery.  we had no access to the boards last night so were unable to clerify untill today


----------



## Wicht

Congragulations Seasong 

(and a good job to Ladyofdragons)

Incognito, I am here and will be available most of the day.


----------



## incognito

Good Morning!

It is a birght and chilly day in Beantown!

I like PirateCat's suggestion of emailing me if the boards are slow.

LadyofDragons: I apologize - L6 Assassins indeed cannot be flanked.  I must admit, I missed it. I do generally prefer to see the ingredients used or called out in a more direct manner.  And reading your story was like reading a chapter in a good book, your descriptive skill are to be admired!

OK, folks, I need a competitor willing to take on the Wicht!  Oh and Wicht, chime in of you are ready to go!


----------



## Piratecat

Incognito - I notice that your email isn't available. You may want to change that in your control panel, or set up a temporary hotmail email account if you want to keep your main address private.


----------



## incognito

PC - shown now, correct?


----------



## Piratecat

Yes indeed!


----------



## Wicht

incognito said:
			
		

> *Oh and Wicht, chime in of you are ready to go! *




I am ready


----------



## incognito

Stand by big W,

as soon as someone esle chimes in I'll post the ingredients.

By the way, sicne to day is friday, I won't be posting my review until Sunday, as Saturday I plan to be nursing a monster hangover, and spending quality time with my dog, Koby.



Let's go alsih20, Wulf, Griswold, Rune, Psion! Who want's it!?

(uuugh...too much coffee)


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

incognito said:
			
		

> *Let's go alsih20, Wulf, Griswold, Rune, Psion! Who want's it!?*





HA! You may wait a long time for a _volunteer_ to tackle Wicht in round one. Do you want him to face a veteran (Wulf, Rune) or fresh meat? Or perhaps you can roll a die and pick someone.

This weekend is not great for me until Sunday evening (travelling on business) but I'll keep an eye out here should I be the unlucky one.

Next week is pretty much wide open however...


Wulf


----------



## Tuerny

If noone else is willing to face Wicht, I as the first alternate will be more than willing to challange him. ;-)


----------



## incognito

I just need someone to step up so I can post the ingredients - no preference for newbie vs vetran.

alsih20 said he may be into it for today, but I don't want to wait until the boards slow down to get this goign...ahh the trails and tribulations of being IRON DM judge...

unless, Wulf, you want to 'crank one out' during the day today, b4 the flight.


----------



## seasong

ladyofdragons said:
			
		

> I wish I'd been able to be as brief as yours.  I think it was the stress making me babble on at the fingers, hope I do better if I do this again



Despite dire words about length earlier in this thread, I think that any given submission will need to be whatever length it _needs to be_. The joke scenario I whipped up needed less than a single viewable page, but that's partly because (a) a lot of the details can be filled in by pop culture, and (b) there weren't that many details in the first place.

Both of our scenarios, on the other hand, had lots of drippy detail goodness, which simply requires more words. I mean, I got berated for leaving out details about the Outsider, and I was already at 2 1/2 page downs .

There's also the element of writing skill. Your scenario (as has been pointed out) read like a story, and length was never really an issue.


----------



## seasong

I'd, ah, *looooove* to go against Wicht, but, ah, you see, I'm already done for the first heat, and, well, I don't like to complain, but my fingers are cramped a bit, a touch of the night airs, you see. Ah, good, I knew you would understand .

Not that Wicht is famous for dominating the first round or anything...


----------



## incognito

> length was never really an issue.




...see guys?  size doesn't matter!  

 

yuk, yuk, yuk


----------



## Wicht

I'm a bit surprised at the trepidation of going against me in the first round - I will have you know that in the very first Nutkin Iron DM tournament I lost the first round.  (And its not like I have ever won one of these anyway  )

So what do you say Wulf.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

Wicht said:
			
		

> *So what do you say Wulf.  *




You know, I heard Rune talkin smack about you after the last one.

Not really an option to crank one out during the day today, but if no one steps up by, say, 8:00 PM tonite (when I should be home from my flight), I am game.

Hell, I'm game now if I have until 8:00 PM tomorrow for my entry, if you want to look at it that way.

And I have a built in excuse when I get beat. 

EDIT: Just want to say, if you pull me, post the ingredients before 2:30 PM or so, then I can at least think about it on de plane.


Wulf


----------



## incognito

*The Brutal nature of IRON DM*

it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

(Or: those that attend this message thread regularly get prefrential treatment).

Tuerny: as an alternate, If I do not hear from one of the std 8 by 12:00 EST you will replace the 8th Seed, Psion (sorry Psions) - Wulf's last post will possibly override this, depending on his position.

Wulf: Given the slowness or the boards at times, I am willing to give you, and Witch until 8PM tomorrow, if no one else thinks this is horribly wrong.  I will post the ingredients at 2PM EST

Wicht/Wulf - agree?


----------



## Wicht

That's fine by me as I will be gone from the boards most of the afternoon myself.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

*Re: The Brutal nature of IRON DM*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *Wulf: Given the slowness or the boards at times, I am willing to give you, and Witch until 8PM tomorrow, if no one else thinks this is horribly wrong.  I will post the ingredients at 2PM EST *




Some accomodation for schedule is appreciated-- travel today and the media booth for the Breeder's Cup on Saturday will keep me fairly busy until tomorrow evening. But I do have some time "in between" and... and... the stones to tackle Wicht.

If Wicht is game with the extended time, so am I. I hope that noone else has a problem with it as it has no impact on anybody else's round (other than the interminable wait between rounds/judging) but if someone does have a problem with it, I can wait.

Wulf


----------



## incognito

*Wicht/Wulf* 

Unless I hear reasonable objections from the other seeds, plan on being paired.

Wulf, if anything, being on a flight is an advantage - I fly quite a bit and seeing differnt people/places get my imagination stirred.

I will post the ingredients at 2PM (EST), again, but would appreciate naysayers on the extended round to chime in by 12 (EST).

Good luck gentlement - I have read Wulf's prior IRON DM submisisons, and Wicht's story hour, so you can expect scathing commentary if we don't see grade "A" material.

or should I say _nemmerlesque_


----------



## seasong

As promised, now that it's been brutalized by incognito, here's my own tainted thoughts about my entry.

Irene: Ouch. I included her because, in my head, I was running the scenario and a cranky ghost channeled through. Honestly, however, she's completely unnecessary to the scenario. She doesn't really add anything, and snowball throwing orcish ancestors would probably be more interesting than a violent boulder-dropping poltergeist. Another 24 hours and she'd have been neatly excised from the equation.

Wishing On A Mountain: The extra space given by removing Irene would have been best put to use giving some backstory on the wish-giver at the mountain top. I _really_ should have given some time to the orcish mythology... it could have worked pretty well to have the duty-bound servant of a whimsical orcish god up on that peak.

Teleport: Yeah, the bonus teleport was tacked on. I got desparate . I'm still at a bit of a loss on how to include it without making the scenario stink of cheese, particularly given the target party level of 4-6. Maybe a teleport trap on the way to the duty-bound servant that would set the victim back at the bottom of the last cliff (a ravid to test orcish strength, a teleport trap to test orcish cunning?). As a side note... the ravid doesn't die of exposure because its master only sends it to the pass when someone is coming up the mountain. Poor wee thing.

Slaves Yearning Free: Okay, I didn't explain this very well, but here's the paragraph that should have been in there:



> Climbing 'up there' is extremely difficult. It takes a small band of young, well-equipped orcs a few days to make the freezing, sometimes sheer climb, and they still manage to lose a one or two every time they do it. A tired, cold slave inadequately dressed and equipped is very unlikely to survive the first day... still, a slave already near death or highly desparate may try, and every decade or so one might succeed. The orcs are fairly tolerant of attempts. It keeps slaves from trying the seemingly more difficult task of running away (by the time they're that desparate, they're climbing), takes care of burial needs for the near death slaves, and provides solid entertainment in the form of bets for a few evenings (there's always _someone_ who will bet on the slave). A slave who wants to climb the mountain simply declares the intent, loads up as much food as he or she can carry, and goes. The orcs send a few warriors part of the way with the slave to make sure the slave is actually going, but otherwise don't interfere. It's an adulthood rite, after all, and a private matter between a person and his or her gods.




So, I guess in summary, I coulda done better. I hope I do in round 2 .


----------



## Mirth

First of all,

Great scenarios, seasong & ladyofdragons. I always scoop up ideas from these Iron DM contests. Lots of good bits in these two.

Secondly,

Besides Wulf & Wicht, no seeds responding?!?! WTF?!?!?

Chances getting better all the time… [*** wrings hands and crosses fingers ***]

Jay


----------



## Tuerny

mirthcard said:
			
		

> *
> Besides Wulf & Wicht, no seeds responding?!?! WTF?!?!?
> 
> Chances getting better all the time… [*** wrings hands and crosses fingers ***]
> 
> Jay *





For me too!  

Vaxalon you are going down!


----------



## incognito

*alternate smack-talk goodness*

Hi Tuerny & mirthcard

Stay tuned to the Message Board Monday morning, that's when I am hoping to send off the next pairing (AFTER Wicht/Wulf).  I am hoping to do a doubes (2 sets of 2).  Forewarned is forearmed!

If you keep a sharp eye, you could sneak in under the wire - Tuerny was THIS CLOSE to bumping Psion (man Psion, I AM sorry, seriously).

In the meantime, keep up the trash talk - but know that some of the poster's here write SO well.  Check out Wulf's: Amnesia/Egg/Spear-Cursed backbiter from last Iron DM.

*Wicht/Wulf:*

Keep an eye out for the ingredients - coming veeeeery soon.


----------



## Griswold

I'm here , but for a short time only, I have a midterm in the morning (Saterday classes suck!) I need to prepare for  so I'd like to go in the 3rd or 4th round if that's cool?

Thanks,
Gris.


----------



## Tuerny

Hehe. Actually Vaxalon knows I am kidding. I talk to him all the time and know that if for whatever reason I am lucky and skilled enough to make it that far that I will have quite a challange ahead of me.


----------



## Psion

Hey, what gives... you emailed me, and then I come back from lunch and you are offering up my spot.  And I already said that Friday was not good for me. 

If ya' gotta jettison me, go ahead. I do have other things I should be doing. But I'm warnin' you if you do, the competition with get stiff, as Jesse is no creative slouch.


----------



## incognito

*Wicht/Wulf Ingredients...GO!*

Mushrooms
Dryad
Hand carved pipe
Underground lake
a conflict of interest
Awakened dove - with levels of Ranger 

until 8PM Sat. gentlemen - start your engines...
edited for spelling


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

*Re: Wicht/Wulf Ingredients...GO!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *Mushrooms
> Dryad
> Hand carved pipe
> Undergrond lake
> a conflict of interest
> Awakened dove - with levels of Ranger*




Conflict of interest? Somebody refresh my memory... Aren't we talking about Wicht "dryad in the ship's mast" here? How's that for a conflict of interest?

Dibs on the "dryad in the hand-carved pipe!"


Wulf


----------



## incognito

*Psion, apologies*

I am not trying to give away your slot - really!

As the 8th seed, and because I was getting strapped for time pairing-wise, I was emailing a few of the bottom seeds to get the ball rolling after Thursday's server slowdown.

Monday is better for you, yes?

I like Psionics


----------



## Rune

Sorry I'm late, incognito!  Haven't been able to access the boards so much.

...And, damn!  I was holding out for a round with Wulf, as I've already tested myself against Wicht (and came out lucky ).

Well, maybe I'll still get my chance.

Now, if only I could learn this "smack"-speak, with which you all seem familiar.

Oh, and I've read some of Teurny's stuff.  He would, indeed, be a tough competitor.

Good luck, Wicht and Wulf.  In two seperate Iron DM contests, you have each entered my favorite entrees.

I don't know who to bet on.


----------



## Psion

*



			Monday is better for you, yes?
		
Click to expand...


*
Should be. The weekend would be better yet, but I guess I could endeavor to get some reviews done instead. Or I could take a hack at this one in the home game... 

Conflict of interest, eh? Sound like a rough one. "Once there was this reviewer that also playtested..."


----------



## incognito

*Re: Wicht/Wulf Ingredients...GO!*

seems like it's harder for Wicht, Wulf...

can't post the same story twice yuou know...

truth be told, the generator I used popped out Nymph, but somehow I typed Dryad and so Dryad it will stay...


----------



## MerakSpielman

I just read through this thread. 

I'd never heard of Iron DM until now. 

This is REALLY COOL!!!

I would have loved to get in on it.   oh well...

Question: What generators are you using to come up with the lists? I'd love something like that to give me ideas for my games.


I'd be willing to start a petition to have an IRON DM game _always_ going on here.


----------



## Tuerny

Thanks for the vote of confidence Rune and Psion 

< pimping > Have either of you gotten the chance to check out my story hour?< /pimping >


----------



## seasong

Wulf & Wicht: Good luck! I look forward to seeing your entries . I'm on pins and needles already at having to face off with either one of you.


----------



## Psion

*Re: Re: Wicht/Wulf Ingredients...GO!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *truth be told, the generator I used popped out Nymph, but somehow I typed Dryad and so Dryad it will stay... *




Awww... nymph is so much more open to creative interperetation!


----------



## mmadsen

> I just read through this thread.  I'd never heard of Iron DM until now.  This is REALLY COOL!!!  I would have loved to get in on it.   oh well...I'd be willing to start a petition to have an IRON DM game _always_ going on here.



MerakSpielman, you can always get in on the home game I'm running in the Iron DM "Home Game" Revival thread.  Psion and I have already posted scenarios with this ingredient list: Bones, Earth Elemental, Ghouls, Magic Key, Kuo-toa, Holy Ground.  Join us!


----------



## incognito

*the generator:*

Is highly secret - if i were to reveal its origins, someone might use it against me!

or laugh...

Another reason it remains a secret is that it is not electronic, and not entirely random, but random enough for our purposes.

MerakSpielman:
I think Quarterly Iron DM should about cover this.  After all the hard work, seems like the title holder should be able to bask in the glory/brag in the sig. file for a short while!

However, keep you eye in the General Forum, for I'll run this again, if I there is anyone left speaking to me, once this round is over...

 

Griswold: be sure to stop by Monday before noon EST!


----------



## Wicht

*Re: Wicht/Wulf Ingredients...GO!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *Mushrooms
> Dryad
> Hand carved pipe
> Underground lake
> a conflict of interest
> Awakened dove - with levels of Ranger
> *




Noted.

And even though he has a 5 hour head start on me, I shall endeavor to provide satisfaction 

And if I lose I have a built in excuse


----------



## Vaxalon

The thread appears to need a little bump...


----------



## Gizzard

> Is highly secret - if i were to reveal its origins, someone might use it against me!




Drat, I was just about to ask the same question.  It really would be fabulous to have this sort of "idea generator" for my own campaign.  Perhaps you can give some sort of hint as to how it works?  In payment for any hints given I offer the tidbit below:

Did anyone else notice SK Reynolds discussion of how he came up with the character concepts for "Cabal: Bonds of Magic"?  He flipped through a dictionary until he found a word that inspired him.  Two of the words he mentioned were "overextend" and "hole", which I found very interesting since  I'm not sure I could have done anything productive with them.


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## the Jester

_Nothing to see here...edited at author's request...Dinkeldog_


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## Wulf Ratbane

*The Face of Evil*
for 4th to 7th level characters 

Mushrooms
Dryad
Hand carved pipe
Underground lake
a conflict of interest
Awakened dove - with levels of Ranger 

*As the trees part and you approach the clearing, the pungent, fecund smell of wet earth assails your nostrils, growing stronger as you approach a once-mighty oak. The blackened, bare-limbed tree has begun to list eerily to one side, thrusting up mounds of glistening earth like a skeletal hand clawing its way out of the grave.*

*DM’s Background*
The ancient oak has the unfortunate distinction of not only being home to a dryad, but also of driving its roots so deep into the earth that it has tapped an underground lake that is home to a thriving colony of myconids. Spores from the colony have worked their way into the water and up through the roots, bringing dangerous hallucinogenic mushrooms to the surface. Tree, dryad, and myconids now form a crazed microcosm. There is, in fact, no evil at work here; but will the arrival of the adventurers spell doom or salvation for Nature’s innocents?

The myconid spores have instigated many interesting effects. First and formost, their _rapport_ spores have suffused the area, making it difficult for even the dryad to resist the effects of their other spores. Most notably, she has gone quite mad from their _hallucinogenic_ spores. Crazed, but ultimately innocent, she spends her time in varying degrees of bliss, stupor, lust, and rage.

This adventure is best for good-aligned PCs and their wisdom, judgement, and alignment will be tested. There is guidance for them here in the form of an awakened dove (Rgr4) given sentience through prolonged contact with the _rapport_ spores. Like the party, however, the ranger-dove is likely to see a conflict of interest here: is there no way to salvage tree, dryad, and myconids, all?

*Hooks*
The simplest way to set this adventure is to drop it into the path of the PCs the next time they travel through the woods. You may try a similarly traditional approach by allowing the PCs to overhear a story (perhaps told by a sole “survivor” of the dryad) of a dangerous flesh-eating witch that has taken residence in the old wood. The story is vague—necessarily so as it is relayed by a dazed survivor—but if the PCs are persistent, some woodcutter will be able to direct them towards the old oak. Even if the PCs bypass this hook, you can still drop the encounter on them as they leave town.

*The Approach*
As the players get closer to the oak tree they may spot or hear (DC15) a white dove cooing softly in the uppermost branches. Before they round the tree they will hear the dove’s song echoed beautifully (but somehow eerily) on some kind of flute. Eventually the PCs will spot the dryad, leaning against her tree, playing on a set of ivory hand carved pipes. Even at a distance, the pipes are clearly carved from hollow bones, and as the party watches, the dryad will take her knife and absently pluck a bit of marrow from one of the pipes. Now the party may spot (DC20) two or three odd-shaped mounds, the fungus-covered bodies of other fallen adventurers. After a moment of fiddling with her pipes (and ignoring the PCs) she will call out, “Dance!” As she plays her pipes, the bodies of the fallen adventurers will rise as zombies (fungus zombies, though the PCs are unlikely to realize this-- Knowledge (nature) DC25) and begin an awkward dance.

*Call to Action!*
In all likelihood the PCs will be ready to act by now. Give them free reign to act as they please, keeping in mind this eventual desired outcome: At some point, the dove will fly down to distract them, calling out “Peace!” or “Flee!” as necessary (see below). Below is a list of additional events with which you can pepper this encounter:

1) _The dryad will attempt to charm a PC._ She may attempt this even if there is no combat, though there is no malice in her attempt—merely madness and lonliness. She’ll choose the most muscled and least armored target first, followed by any lightly armored target, then an armored target, and finally an unarmored target. The dryad will treat the encounter as a game, coyly hiding behind the tree, running, laughing and giggling. NOTE: Both the dryad and the tree benefit from _protection from elements: fire_—a potion-like effect bestowed on them from the myconid sovereign below.

2) _The mushrooms will raise an alarm._ On the first round after hostilities begin (which could even include raised voices, threats, or anything that would alarm the dryad) the myconid colony will be aware of the threat. On the second round the tree will release a cloud of _hallucinogenic_ spores that will affect everyone within a 30’ radius of the tree as if with a _confusion_ spell. Note: This can get deadly, fast, if the PCs attack each other. At the DM’s option, if the dryad has not been attacked, she may well try to charm hostile PCs to end any hostile _confusion_ conflict; the mushrooms can also unleash _pacification_ spores.

3) _The dove’s animal companion will return to protect the dryad._ The dove has befriended a wild boar that came frequently to the tree to nibble on the mushrooms. As a result of the dove’s guidance and the shrooms, the boar has the “warbeast” template (+3 Str, +3 Con, +1 Wis, +1 HD, +1 Spot and Listen, CR3). The boar should arrive a few rounds after combat starts (if necessary). You may also have the fungus-zombies attack, if desired.

4) _The dove will intervene directly._ He casts his one spell for the day, _entangle_, centering it on the tree so as to protect it from all sides. As stated above, the dove will call out, “Peace!” and “Flee!” He knows a few choice words in Common, Elven, and Sylvan, but for the most part is accustomed to communication through _rapport_ spores and cannot speak. The dove will eventually flee if persistently attacked.

*Ending the Hostilities*
The hostilities can end in several ways. The PCs may be defeated or driven off, or the dryad may be slain, both of which could be considered a failure, and worth little XP. The presence of the dove and the mushrooms all around should convince the players that there is more at work here. By approaching peacefully the PCs should be able to search the tree and the soft ground around, which will eventually give way to a sinkhole that leads to the underground lake. 

Climbing down the rotten, fungus-eaten roots of the oak, the PCs should shortly encounter the myconids. They may well choose to wipe out the myconids (and if the ranger-dove is with them it will elicit cries of sadness and pity). Granted, this is not an easy fight—the myconid sovereign alone is CR7 and he will be attended by numerous lesser myconids. Even so, unless the PCs have some means of reversing the damage done to the tree by the fungus, the dryad and her tree are likely still doomed.

The best solution revolves around the dove. If the PCs approach the myconids peacefully, they may be invited into _rapport_ with them, so that they can more easily communicate. The myconids will make clear that they have no intention of relocating, happy as they are with their lake. At some point the dove will interject, now fully able to communicate. He will explain his existence, with only foggy memories of his happy life before with the druid, but a strong sense of having “woken up” after spending time around the mushrooms. 

Leave the answer for the PC's to discover: The dove will mention his awakening almost in passing ("Tis sadness indeed to awaken to life with my beloved only to see her wither away...") With a little more probing, the PCs should find that the myconid sovereign is able to create the _awaken_ effect through special spores. 

With luck and clever diplomacy, the PCs may be able to convince the sovereign to fully _awaken_ the oak itself. Oak and dryad may then uproot and relocate to another portion of the forest, leaving the myconids to their lake. In time, the dryad and her oak will return to health.


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## Wicht

*It’s all about the Mushrooms*

_“*It’s all about the mushrooms*” is a 3E adventure for PCs of the 5th to 6th levels, though it can easily be adjusted for other levels, particularly the lower levels.  The adventure tests the PCs wits as much as their battle prowess and at the beginning of the adventure the DM needs to stress that the PCs are not allowed to wantonly kill their opponents.  The adventure is set in the Deepglade Woods, a small woods about 40 miles from a mountain range.  The DM should feel free to move it to any similar forest or woods in his campaign world._

*Background*
 The Deepglade Woods enjoy a tremendous amount of magical protection for such a small forest.  Living within the woods are two powerful druids who, over the years, have worked to create a small sylvan wonderland.  These druids recognize decay as a part of nature but they prefer to keep decay to a minimum and maximize beauty and growth.  Within the woods are two small elven villages, many sprites, fairies and nymphs, several unicorns, and even a few treants.  All work together with the druids to make their home safe and beautiful.  

It was not always thus however.  There was a time when the two druids, one a dryad and the other a human male, despite their mutual goals, worked against each other and the forest suffered.  Their conflict of interest was of a most unusual nature.  They were fighting over mushrooms.  

The dryad’s tree is located at the edge of a clearing in which particularly rare and tasty mushrooms grow.  The dryad, named Autumn Hue, as a youth had developed a taste for these mushrooms.  Every year she harvested them and made mushroom pies, mushroom casseroles and mushroom salads upon which she would feast.  The human druid, Wimbles Oakarm, had wandered into the forest as a young man and had fallen in love with Hue.  As Wimbles himself was an attractive man, Autumn found his attentions desirable.  The romance was for a time very passionate and it was Wimbles who trained Autumn as a druid.  During this time, Wimbles built a house for himself across the clearing from Autumn’s tree.  Wimbles also liked mushrooms, but the trouble did not start until he discovered that the mushrooms in the clearing could be used to brew a _potion of longevity_.  A single dose of this potion would restore 1-4 years of a man’s life.  However, a single dose required the entire harvest for a year.  Autumn, who dearly loved her mushroom casseroles, mushroom pies and mushroom salads was horrified.  The fighting over how to best use the mushrooms grew fierce.

Finally, the two were so mad at each other that they found themselves unable to cooperate effectively to aid the forest around them.  Evil creatures were taking advantage of the distraction and were moving into parts of the woods.  They had to decide, which was more important, their mushrooms or their home?  Being generally wise individuals, they realized that their conflict of interests could best be solved with third parties.  They developed a contest in which each side would hire adventurers and send them on an errand.  The first team to complete the errand would win and the sponsor of that team would get the mushrooms that year.

	This has been going on for a long time now (thanks to the _potions of longevity_ which Wimbles shares with Autumn when he is the winning party) and the two druids have managed to settle their differences and turn their forest into a virtual wonderland of nature.  This year the PCs will have the chance to compete in the competition

*Hooks*
There are a number of ways for either Wimbles or Autumn to acquire the PCs as their team.  

1) A local village is well aware of the competition and in fact each year, the two druids advertise the competition. Locally, it is something of a festive time and any adventurers in the area will be told about it and encouraged to apply as a team in the competition.

2) A previous employer could recommend the PCs to Wimbles or Autumn and they will personally contact the PCs and offer them the _Pipe of Fog_” if they successfully compete.

3) Alternately, the PCs, after doing some service for the woods, is asked to participate as a team.

4) A merchant hears of the _pipe of fog_ and pays the PCs to attempt to acquire it.  This could either be done be enrolling in the competition or by trying to be a “third” team.  Of course the two druids will be pretty upset by anyone who upsets their competition  and thereby throws the whole mushroom issue into doubt. 

5) Wimbles occassionally sells his _Potions of Longevity_ and the PCs are commissioned quite heavily to obtain one.  Wimbles agrees to sell them the potion if they win the contest for him.  

*The Rules of the Game*
	For a prize this year, Wimbles has created a _Pipe of Fog_.  He hand-carved and personally enchanted this item.  It is a long stemmed, intricate pipe, that when lit and smoked creates a constant _obscuring mist_ around the smoker.  The winning team gets to keep the item for their troubles.

	The pipe has been placed in an island in the middle of a vast underground lake.  In order for a team to win, they must retrieve the pipe from the lake and successfully return it to Wimbles and Autumn.  Along the way, the teams must face three challenges and each other as well.  However, though the two teams are allowed to attempt to hinder the other team in any fashion and may even attempt to steal the item once it has been obtained, they are absolutely forbidden to kill or bodily injure any opposing team member or any animal.  Doing so causes that team to automatically forfeit the competition.  They are also forbidden from stealing the two items necessary for their opponents to compete

The two druids keep a close eye on things through the use of a dove whom Wimbles has awakened.  This dove, which has a few levels of ranger, both tracks the teams, answers/arbitrates rules questions if necessary, and makes daily reports to the druids.  Interfering with the dove’s work is also against the rules.  The dove is simply named Dove.

*The course*
The competition is fairly straightforward.  Both teams start out in the Deepglade Woods.  They must locate a family of wolves just north of the woods and manage to retrieve a key from the wolf lair (without injuring any of the wolves of course).  There are two keys in the lair, but each team is only allowed to take one.

From the wolf lair, they must travel towards the mountains.  About fifteen miles from the wolf lair is a tribe of ogres.  The teams are allowed to kill the ogres, but it is not necessary to the completion of the competition.  What is necessary is that the teams acquire one of the two maps in the possession of the ogre chieftain.  This can be done through stealth, force or even through outright negotiation and purchasing the map.  

Using the maps, the teams must discover the entrance to a series of caverns.  These caverns lead down to a vast underground lake.  The lake is about a quarter of a mile in diameter and there is a small island in the middle of the lake.  Sitting on the island is a locked safe.  The key from the wolf lair unlocks the safe.  The PCs must figure out a way to transverse the lake to get the pipe out.  Having done that, assuming they beat the other team, they must then make it back to the woods without losing the pipe. 

*The complications*
If everything went smoothly, it wouldn’t be as much fun.  There are a number of variables the DM can feel free to throw into the competition.  Some suggestions are as follows though the DM may desire to throw in additional encounters (particularly within the caverns)

1) There is a “third team.”  They are trying to acquire the pipe for a merchant who will pay handsomely for it. (This is assuming the PCs are a legitimate team).  This “third team” has nothing preventing it from killing the PCs (but the rules do not forbid the PCs killing them either.)

2) The PCs stumble into a swarm of giant bees.  The rules of the contest prevent them from killing the bees.  They must figure out another means of escape.

3) A troll starts tracking the PCs and attacks them on their way to the mountains.  The dove spots the troll and warns the PCs, who must then decide whether to prepare an ambush or press on and risk being attacked unexpectedly.  

4) A dire boar is lairing in the mouth of the caves and must somehow be got around without violence.

5) A young blue dragon has recently taken up residence in the lake the PCs are supposed to navigate.  This could be quite a surprise to the PCs and if the DM uses a dragon there, he might consider allowing the other team to cooperate with the PCs to kill the dragon (which is allowable under the rules).

*The other team*
The DM can comprise the other team any way he desires, but the following is suggested.  It should have one cleric who makes good use of Hold Person spells and a wizard who knows the Sleep and Charm spells (and if possible dispel magic).  A ranger with good animal abilities would also be a plus and finally a rogue or a rogue/fighter.  The other team should be of approximately equal level to the PCs.  In dealing with the wolves, they will attempt to lure the wolves out of their hole with food and then put them to sleep, allowing their rogue to slip in and get the key.  They will first attempt to negotiate with the ogres and if that does not work, they will attempt stealth.  To cross the lake, their cleric will employ water-walk.  If they can, they will foil the PCs with dispel magics and sleep spells.  

	If the PCs get the pipe first, they will attempt to steal the pipe after using a sleep and  hold person.  The NPC wizard might even try to use charm person on one of the PCs if he gets a chance.  It is a two day journey from the caves to Deepglade Woods, so the losing party has plenty of time to try something.

*Completion*
The first team to get the pipe back wins.  If this is the PC team then they are lauded with praise and awarded the pipe.  If the NPCs win, the PCs are thanked but that is all their reward.  Either way, the elven villages throw great parties at the end of the contests and the PCs are invited to join in.  If they won they are, of course, the guests of honor.


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## Wicht

I just read yours Wulf.

Good job.


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## alsih2o

well, after a nightmarishly busy friday in the gallery i am more than ready to be smacked around by....er, um, i mean to smack around whoever is ready to best me...er, i mean whoever is brave enuf to face me!

 (edit: originally posted under "Jester" as he was using my P.C. right before me, thanks to dinkledog for the help)


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## Wulf Ratbane

You too, Wicht. Good luck!

It always amazes me how different two entries can be. Especially for this one, the ingredients all seemed to plop together in a certain way, at least to me, that I really thought we would be stepping all over each other.


Wulf


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## Wicht

Just thought I would bump this up to the top for Incognito before it fell to the second page.


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## tleilaxu

I just finished reading Wicht's entry (and am starting on Wulfs). I thought that wicht's was a really brilliant way to put the ingredients together and I'd actually like to use this adventure idea sometime.

If I can pipe in with my own criticism, what should the DM do if the PCs -do- use violence, either intentionally or unintentionally? What if the situation goes haywire? And also, the Dryad just wants the mushrooms for a cassarole? Funny, but it stretches the suspension of disbelief a bit. 


Just finished Wulf's story. Brilliant! Extra points for including psilocybin mushrooms!

It is hard to say which will be chosen....


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## The Forsaken One

Ugh Wulf, that was pure genius, wicht nice job, but IMHOp) Wulf won this hands down.

VERY nice job Wulf, that impressed me.


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## Psion

Incognito,

As much as I hate to say it, go ahead and drop me. I have business travel coming up and there are some things I need to get caught up on.


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## seasong

This is exactly why I love the Iron DM threads. Wulf, Wicht, you guys rock.


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## tleilaxu

Hey, I'll take the place of the alternate that gets picked to replace Psion!


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## Tuerny

Even though the I am the one being bumped up to the empty slot, I am sorry Psion 

I was looking forward to reading your entry.

Oh well.

I am looking for my chance to compete.


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## Mirth

Sorry Psion. Congrats Tuerny. 

I… can… almost… touch… it… [***reaching out from the first alternate slot now***]


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## incognito

Gentleman:  Gods it's early. 

 I have read both entries once, and I am now RE-reading them.   In this case, with the scenarios being SO different, I do not want to assign positives or negative attributes to these adventures, without carefully considering what aspects are MOST important to me and to the IRON DM competition.

I can say this:  Becasue of nature of IRON DM, one of the top ranking considerations will always be good use of the ingredients.  Followed closely by the playability of he scenario.  Originality is important, but not a crucial as a well woven, integrateable adventure.

***Special Thanks to Psion and Tuerny for the early notificaion of the alternate swap - saves me a bunch of posts and feverent emails Monday morning.

Talk to you all soon!


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## incognito

*More Brass Tacks.*

For those us you reading who take a passing interest, but do not have unlimited time to do ingredient research, here’s the definition of CONFLICT OF INTEREST, so when I comment on it, down the line, we are all one the same page:

CONFLICT OF INTEREST - _Refers to a situation when someone has a competing professional or personal obligations, or personal or financial interests that would make it difficult to fulfill their duties fairly._

Now the Judging (in order of appearance): Wulf!

Wulf never fails to amaze me, when it comes to creating a unique, engaging, colorful scenario. Point in case: not only does Wulf provide a Conundrum (how to help the Myconiods, and the Dryad co-exist without causing “problems” to nearby denizens),  but also gives a solution that should NOT be immediately obvious to the players – even savvy ones.  One very minor nitpick. Wulf goes the extra mile with a description of the tree in the opening of his scenario, but there is a conspicuous lack of the mushrooms by the tree!

This scenario is an easy drag and drop random encounter, with little plot hook needed.  The Dryad does what she does, and the players are drawn in accordingly.  Use of the underground lake/sinkhole is masterful, and the bone hand carved pipes are just the right amount of grisly.  Buuuuut (and there’s always a but)…Drayds don’t have any ranks in perform, although it can be used untrained, and come to think of it – where aret he personality changes I expected to be detailed in this dizzy dryad.  She is supposed to be filled with bliss, rage, lust, and stupor – but her MO is to charm the PCs - typical dryad.  

And while I really like the concept of the awakened dove acting as a clue to the solution of awakening the tree – why do I have images of a dwarven fighter/rogue smashing the dove to the ground with an axe, quipping “There’s your ferkin’ peace, ya little white pigeon!”  No points off for that imagery in my head –  this particular ingredient was better used in this scenario, of the two.

I do think Wulf missed the concept of conflict of interest.  Only with a liberal interpretation of a party “performing their duties fairly” could we see any party feeling  badly for simply killing the  - what was it? “dangerous flesh-eating witch…”

But I have more criticism in me – so let’s turn to Wicht’s entry:

Pure and simply, this adventure is fun.  We have rules, teams, the French judge(dove), we have prizes (who doesn’t like prizes!), we have complications.  I especially like option 5) if we have the dragon strong enough so that the two teams HAVE to cooperate.  DM rat bastardlyness there is at it’s best!  The hooks are more than adequate to snare an obtuse/contrary party.  Of course, with a pair of high level druids running around, this does require more thought than just a casual drop into your world – the Human druid being at least L9 and all.

Fine use of the Dryad, and the mushrooms, and somewhat importantly, we see a better use of the _conflict of interest_ ingredient.  The druid has the conflict of interest: He can gain personally by making the potion, however this would disrupt the life and happiness of his paramour, the dryad, by nature a woodland resident – and possibly disrupt the natural cycle of the mushrooms. I make the argument it is seen as a druids duty to nurture and protect the (Deepglade) woods.

But we do have a few story blahs:  Why do we need those elven villages?  Or the Treants/Unicorns for that matter. What do they add to the plot?  They play no role in the adventure, except for a brief nod at the end to throw an elf after party.  Call me grumpy (and you would be too if you were up at 5AM walking a dog), but I can’t see the losers being too psyched about that elf party.  And man!  As if pipes weren’t smoky enough!  Now you have one that creates an annoying obscuring mist?  What a lame prize (but decent use of the ingredient – although it’s no bone carved pipe with bits of marrow hanging on…).  Finally, the Ogre’s – what’s up with that?!  Did the Druids approach the Ogres and let them know that they’re part of a contest in which they are likely to be killed by an adventuring party?  Ogres are usually Chaotic evil for the love of glub!  Also, seems like the Druids could also just SCRY the two teams, I’m not convinced that the dove/ranger is really needed (although he does have a good spot check, and can mediate disputes).

In the end, the choice was hand-wringing, but clear..  Wulf’s story and set up were better, more brilliant...BUT…it’s just simply too likely to run amok, have the point missed entirely, or get by passed (Run, Forest!  Run!).  It takes a very special party to resolve this encounter as intended, too special, in this judge’s opinion. What’s the point in beautifully crafted scenarios if no one understands them?  [sarcasm]Sigh: When I was a kid, we role played every scenario, even the orc in a 10’ corridor scenario. [/sarcasm]. 

So, respectfully, I award this round to: *Wicht!*


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## Wulf Ratbane

Ok, I'll admit it: That was unexpected... 

Congrats to Wicht! I will see you all again in the next competition... Perhaps I should spend more time with a dictionary and less time with my shiny new Monster Manual II...


Wulf


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## incognito

Hey Wulf,

Not for nothin' kid - I think you have amazing skills, and the set up ABSOLUTELY did not dissapoint, just the expected excecution from the players.

If you want, as seasong did, feel free to post exposition.  The readers of this thread are interested in what you have to say.


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## Wulf Ratbane

It occurred to me as I was posting my entry to comb your analysis of the earlier rounds for hints into what you were looking for, but that seems like cheatin' to me.

So I'll let the adventure stand on its merits and chalk it up to a difference in DMing style between myself and the judge. If you find the adventure too open ended and morally ambiguous, then that just tells me I did it right. 


Wulf


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## Wicht

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> *Ok, I'll admit it: That was unexpected... *




Oh great, now I feel like a heel for winning 


Just kidding
edit: I really am just kidding.  I know how you feel.  I really enjoy Iron DM but the arbitrary nature of the judging does beg for something more concrete, something you can point to and say - there is where they did better than me.



			
				Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> *Congrats to Wicht! I will see you all again in the next competition...  *




Thank you and I look forward to it.

Personally I thought your idea was great and the hooks were good but found the ending too closed.  In most parties I have ever DMed, that single desired outcome would never have happened.  Most players would ask questions only after the evil flesh eating witch was dead.  

As to notes about my idea.  The druids are in my mind levels 10 to 15 and are fairly powerful.  They are not however movers and shakers outside of their little domain.  They have no interest about the world beyond their woods.  The note about the elves, unicorns, etc was just to give the forest the sort of flavor I was looking for.  It is a fairy wonderland thanks to the cooperation of the two druids.  This cooperation has been hinged for many years on this contest, thus it is an important event for the whole region.  The conflict of interest in my mind was whether the druids would let their personal desires come before their duty to protect the forest.  As to the ogres having the maps, the druids planted it on the ogres in such a way as to not let the ogres know what the maps were.  The ogres can't read and therefore do not understand the maps, but they look pretty and so they keep them.

Someone might think it farfetched that the dryad would prefer mushroom casseroles to potions of longevity, but perhaps the mushrooms act similar to chocolate only more so 

The dove could perhaps be fleshed out a little better.  If I was running the contest I would make him _the_ major npc.  He is the Jiminy Cricket of the contest.  The druids can watch the contestants via magic, but the dove allows on the spot rules questions to be answered and can caution the players before they do something foolish.   

In the same vein of fleshing out the idea, I would really build up the beginning of the contest. I would make it a major event, with unicorns, fairies, elves, treants and all present to see the teams off.  The elvish party at the end was just a tack on, but the winning team would be the toast of the region for a whole year.  and might thus be in line for other propositions from those who knew about them.


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## Wulf Ratbane

Wicht said:
			
		

> *Personally I thought your idea was great and the hooks were good but found the ending too closed.  In most parties I have ever DMed, that single desired outcome would never have happened.  Most players would ask questions only after the evil flesh eating witch was dead.*




Again, a difference in DMing style. I don't think it's right to (1) underestimate the average player or (2) encourage or compensate for "unthinking" behavior. For example, I was particularly off-put by Wicht's suggestion in his opening paragraphs that the DM explicitly warn the players not to try to fight their way through his adventure.

Perhaps it is my long years, but the reward in D&D is no longer getting from point A to point B, but rather the things the PCs (and their players) learn along the journey. 

So the "average player" kills the dryad, searches the area, and quickly discovers the mushrooms and the innocent nature of the dryad. What the player takes home from that experience is the "treasure" I provide as the DM. 

Wicht-- no need to feel like a heel... You're a respected competitor, I just _really_ thought I had you on that one. My disappointment is heightened by your reputation.


Wulf


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## Wicht

Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> *For example, I was particularly off-put by Wicht's suggestion in his opening paragraphs that the DM explicitly warn the players not to try to fight their way through his adventure.
> *




What I meant by that suggestion was that the Druids, in explaining the rules of the contest, would make it clear that killing an animal during the contest would result in a loss (that blurp would probably be edited out if I rewrote it and added in under the rules thus clarifying what was meant).  I certainly did not mean a metagame warning which I would personally find repugnant as well.   



			
				Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> *So the "average player" kills the dryad, searches the area, and quickly discovers the mushrooms and the innocent nature of the dryad. What the player takes home from that experience is the "treasure" I provide as the DM. *




If that is your goal I can relate - you are setting up a moral quandry with the expectation of failure.  However, the idea would then be better served by making it the introduction to a longer adventure in which the adventurers try to rectify their mistake.  Any ideas in that direction?


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

Wicht said:
			
		

> *If that is your goal I can relate - you are setting up a moral quandry with the expectation of failure. *




Not at all. I admit to setting up a moral quandry, but I _don't_ expect that most PCs would fail-- we differ on that assessment, so let's get that out of the way first and foremost.

My adventures don't typically run A --> B. They present situation A, and whether the PCs end up at B, C, D, or E isn't important, it's _how and why_ they ended up at B, C, D, or E. The scenario A as presented stands on its own; the "home" DM can figure out what further scenarios may be presented at B, C, D, or E  with ease. (Far easier than tying together the original 6 ingredients, at any rate...)



> *However, the idea would then be better served by making it the introduction to a longer adventure in which the adventurers try to rectify their mistake. Any ideas in that direction?*




Not within the 3-4 paragraph attention span of incognito, no. (Hey, he said it, not me!)

You are proceeding along the assumption that there is something "wrong" with the scenario if it stands alone. You see B, C, D, and E as just more branches along a flowchart that leads inexorably to Z-- with Z being the denouement, the "moment of success" of the hypothetical "longer adventure." My opinion is that there need not necessarily be any "success;" learn from the experience and move on to the next.

Again, this is totally a matter of style. I readily accept that there are folks out there who prefer a light-hearted march from A --> B through a faerie wonderland, as opposed to a dark, morally ambiguous scenario that stands a good chance of leaving the PCs feeling like the bad guys. Neither style is better than the other; but my own personal preference lulled me into a false sense of security about my entry. 

Wulf


----------



## Psion

Tuerny said:
			
		

> *Even though the I am the one being bumped up to the empty slot, I am sorry Psion
> 
> I was looking forward to reading your entry.
> *




If I get time, I'll put something up in the home game. But it's a good thing I did drop... I got saddled into even MORE obligations today...


----------



## seasong

Wicht said:
			
		

> edit: I really am just kidding.  I know how you feel.  I really enjoy Iron DM but the arbitrary nature of the judging does beg for something more concrete, something you can point to and say - there is where they did better than me.




I don't know. DM preferences are part of the fun, for me. I mean, Iron Chef has everything to do with the judges being arbitrary, whimsical, tasteless bastards... people watch it to see the cooking art being performed, and to rail at the judges.

And incognito, I don't think you are an arbitrary, whimsical, tasteless bastard. Rather, you are a fine example of perfect objectivity, ceaseless dependability and exquisite taste. Ahem. 

And I'm glad I didn't have to pick between the two.


----------



## Gizzard

> DM preferences are part of the fun, for me.




Yep.  I think I disagreed with about 25% of the decisions in the previous Iron DM -- and those I disagreed with I often disagreed with strongly.  But, so it goes; thats why you have one judge.  

(Tangent: Hmmm, that makes me wonder if you could run this contest as a poll format.  Somehow I dont think it would work, and if thats so then part of the fun must be seeing one judge do his thing.)

Analysis: Wulf's (it was Wulf, wasnt it?) entry last time with the Cursed Backbiting Spear and the Evil Monks is still probably my favorite thing to come out of the Iron DM contest.  Its interesting to note that its got the same elements of moral ambiguity as his current entry.  Why, then, do I like the previous one much better than this one? 

Is it possible that there is an element of "justice" in the previous one that is missing here?  Fara has chosen to corrupt herself and so if the PCs should end up killing her they aren't totally unjustified.  With the Dryad, the corruption seems inadvertent and if she gets killed it would be much more of a tragedy.  (Note that I am considering these consequences first; Wulf may run a game where players think first and act second, but the scenario should be suitable for the majority of players, not only experienced, thoughtful players. ;-)

Anyway: dont get me wrong and think I dont like Wulf's scenario.  (I will be printing it out in a second and storing it away in my binder of "Favorite Iron DM Things" so it has a lot to recommend it IMHO.)  Just offering some thoughts now that the judging is done.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

Gizzard said:
			
		

> * Its interesting to note that its got the same elements of moral ambiguity as his current entry.*




As will they all; that's my style, even if it costs me.



> *Is it possible that there is an element of "justice" in the previous one that is missing here? Fara has chosen to corrupt herself and so if the PCs should end up killing her they aren't totally unjustified. With the Dryad, the corruption seems inadvertent and if she gets killed it would be much more of a tragedy.*




Gah! Why this necessity to coddle the players? If they kill the dryad and feel bad about it, they've _actually learned something_. Why present them with options if they can do no wrong?



> *Wulf may run a game where players think first and act second...*




Oh, God, no. They do stupid things _all the time._ But, I let them.



> *Anyway: dont get me wrong and think I dont like Wulf's scenario.  (I will be printing it out in a second and storing it away in my binder of "Favorite Iron DM Things" so it has a lot to recommend it IMHO.)  Just offering some thoughts now that the judging is done. *




If you or anyone else runs the poor dryad scenario, I'd love to hear how it goes down. I don't know, maybe players are automatically distrustful of Fey, but I truly think most players would look for an excuse not to hurt a dryad.


Wulf


----------



## alsih2o

i am now wishing i had had my turn before these four, i am shaking in my boots from the production i have seen here....


----------



## seasong

*Wulf:*  I liked your scenario (as I've mentioned before), but I will point out that art rarely wins over craft. One thing that probably could have helped it win (without compromising your principle of moral ambiguity and hard lessons) would have been to give it a strong Russian or Slavic feel. The most probable outcome of the scenario is depressing, and Russian/Slavic fairy tales practically ooze that kind of tragic choice. Personally, I would have given the PCs a somewhat better _opportunity_ to make the right choice - not because I think players need to be handheld through an adventure, but because they also don't need to be set up for failure... which this scenario skates the edge of.

With that said, I _do_ like it, and I'll be adapting it for my own use in a Russian fairy tale at some point. I can't give specifics, as half my players read these boards . (I don't mind them figuring out what I've done to them afterwards, of course).

*alsih2o:* Well, look at it this way... YOU won't have to go up against Wulf or ladyofdragons.


----------



## Gizzard

> Gah! Why this necessity to coddle the players? If they kill the dryad and feel bad about it, they've actually learned something.




Actually, I was more afraid that they'd kill her and not feel bad about it.  With Fara, the players get hit with the realization of what happened when they find her letter to herself.  So, the scenario wraps up nicely.  Here, unless the players have read the MM2 (which I discourage) or the PCs get a good Knowledge (Monstrous Fungus) roll then they'll probably never figure out exactly what happened.  PCs: "Hey, remember that forest witch thing that animated all those mushrooms?" "Yeah, that was pretty weird." "Weird?  That was downright evil with the Zombies and all.  Good thing we killed her before she bushwacked anyone else." "Yeah.  But I always wondered where her little witch hut was.  I bet it was full of treasure."  

If that happens, I dont think the encounter worked as a gameplay element; as Incognito says: _What’s the point in beautifully crafted scenarios if no one understands them?_  But thats a style preference, not an absolute judgement.


----------



## incognito

*Ladies and Gentleman!*

....Let's get ready to ruuuummble!

ok - it's true, I'm a boxing fan.  I feel like, as the referee of this last match, I took an inadvertent punch from Wulf-san, but let me explain:

This is what I love about IRON DM.  Even when you lose a round, it is the exposition of discussing the underlying ideas, and thought process that lead to a submission which captures interest.  Agree with me or disagree, but do it in the thread, and talk it out.  That starts the synapses firing for all the aspiring DMs out there who long for new and creative ideas for their campaign.

That being said, I am hoping to run 2 matches at the same time today, so chime in Rune, Alsih20, GrisWold, and Tuerny when you are ready.  

First two to respond will pair up!


----------



## alsih2o

i got vaseline on my cheekbones and a sharpened pencil in my hand....color me ready


----------



## Mirth

Just jumping the gun a bit, but I'm ready should anyone not show up. Not that I hope that happens.


----------



## incognito

ali: vasaline on the cheekbobes?  Should I be worried? I am keeping an eye to this board for you competitor

Mirthcard: well, you certainly are persistend, and maybe you will get your chance!


----------



## Tuerny

Well, I was kind of hoping to go head to head with Rune in the first round, but I am sure that alsih2o will be a worthy opponent


----------



## alsih2o

incognito said:
			
		

> *ali: vasaline on the cheekbobes?  Should I be worried?  *




 isn't that what boxers do? am i being overly aggressive? should i not have on silk trunks? does this mean i can remove the mouthpiece?


----------



## incognito

*next pairing: Tuerny/alsih2o*

Ok, contestants, here are your ingredients, and good luck (I want a clean fight, etc. etc.)


Wraith w/levels of Bard
Magic ring of irony
A large city
Tasty pudding 
The Tree of Knowledge
Barbarian rage

it's 10:20 EST, by my watch, you 24 have hours.

edited for EST time, added 24 hour round limit


----------



## Tuerny

A magical ring of irony?

Well thats interesting....


----------



## alsih2o

incognito: 24 hrs? is that right?

 yuerny: good luck! send me any spare ideas you have


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

*Re: Ladies and Gentleman!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> [BI feel like, as the referee of this last match, I took an inadvertent punch from Wulf-san... [/B]




The vaguaries of Iron DM judging are not new to me; it's all good.

In fact-- high praise here-- that surprise judgement was downright nemmerlesque.


Wulf


----------



## Rune

Tuerny said:
			
		

> *Well, I was kind of hoping to go head to head with Rune in the first round, but I am sure that alsih2o will be a worthy opponent  *




I'm flattered!  Or...uh...not, depending on what you meant by that. 

Dagnabit.  Good batch of ingredients, too.

Well, I'm here and ready until just before 1:00 PM Eastern Time (US), but after that I won't be able to get on the net until after 5:00 PM.


----------



## Tuerny

I meant it in a good way.
 

I have been greatly impressed by your story hours in the past and would like the challange of throwing my creative talents against yours. 

Plus you never did respond about Ral-Auth and I want to beat you down in revenge.


----------



## Rune

*Re: Ladies and Gentleman!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> I feel like, as the referee of this last match, I took an inadvertent punch from Wulf-san, but let me explain:




I wouldn't read too much into it.  Allow me to quote Wulf from the last game:


> _Originally posted by Wulf Ratbane_
> Hmmm... I was thinking along the same lines, rg, and then I just decided that the seemingly arbitrary nature of the Judge was one of the lynchpins of the whole Iron DM concept.
> 
> And I think that's kinda cool.
> 
> I guess given two entries of equal merit, nemm might lean one way or the other just on his personal preference for how they are structured, but I don't think that would persuade me to change my methods.




I pretty much hold the same view.



> _Continuing with incognito_
> This is what I love about IRON DM.  Even when you lose a round, it is the exposition of discussing the underlying ideas, and thought process that lead to a submission which captures interest.  Agree with me or disagree, but do it in the thread, and talk it out.  That starts the synapses firing for all the aspiring DMs out there who long for new and creative ideas for their campaign.




I'll be happy to discuss/defend my submissions if I win, but don't expect me to do so when I lose; I didn't do it last time and I won't do it this time.  I didn't want Nemm to get the impression that I didn't respect his judgement, whether or not I agreed with his assessment (although, truthfully, I had hoped some more of the allusions would have been noticed, but that was my own side-meta-game) and I won't defend my losing entries (if any, ) in this one for the same reason.

Also, I think you're doing a great job of being _nemmerlesque_.  I just hope we don't have to give you your  own adjective, because _incognitoesque_ would just be too difficult to say! 
 

Now, to business.  Although judging from the amount of people betting against me last game (in at least two seperate entries!) I wonder if I'm fan-_least_-favorite going into this match...


----------



## Griswold

Morning folks!

So I guess it's me and you Rune eh?

-G.


----------



## Rune

Tuerny said:
			
		

> I meant it in a good way.
> 
> 
> I have been greatly impressed by your story hours in the past and would like the challange of throwing my creative talents against yours.




In that case, thank you!



> Plus you never did respond about Ral-Auth and I want to beat you down in revenge.




I'm...er, getting to it.  I wanted to give it the detailed (dare I say, nemmerlesque?) analysis that it deserves and haven't had the opportunity to do so, yet.  If you want the short version: It's on my list of games to run if I ever get paid to not work..  That is, if I ever have the time to do lots of extra campaigns.


----------



## Rune

Griswold said:
			
		

> *Morning folks!
> 
> So I guess it's me and you Rune eh?
> 
> -G. *




Looks like it.  Good luck!



...but not _too_ good, you understand...


----------



## seasong

*Re: Re: Ladies and Gentleman!*



			
				Rune said:
			
		

> I'll be happy to discuss/defend my submissions if I win, but don't expect me to do so when I lose; I didn't do it last time and I won't do it this time.  I didn't want Nemm to get the impression that I didn't respect his judgement, whether or not I agreed with his assessment (although, truthfully, I had hoped some more of the allusions would have been noticed, but that was my own side-meta-game) and I won't defend my losing entries (if any, ) in this one for the same reason.



I think picking apart a losing entry, and getting the author's opinion on the matter, is at least half the fun. The comments I made on my own entry (dropping Irene, etc.) are pretty much identical to what I would have said if it lost:

_"So, I guess in summary, I coulda done better."_


----------



## Tuerny

Cool. 
I look forward to it.

I have been meaning to revise it again for awhile, and once I get your analysis I will probably sit down and do it.


----------



## Rune

*Re: Re: Re: Ladies and Gentleman!*



			
				seasong said:
			
		

> *I think picking apart a losing entry, and getting the author's opinion on the matter, is at least half the fun. The comments I made on my own entry (dropping Irene, etc.) are pretty much identical to what I would have said if it lost:
> 
> "So, I guess in summary, I coulda done better." *




Perhaps I should clarify.  If I had said anything about Nemm's judgement of my final entry, it would have been defensive, and that, I didn't need to do.

I suspect it'll be the same in this one.


----------



## Rune

Tuerny said:
			
		

> *Cool.
> I look forward to it.
> 
> I have been meaning to revise it again for awhile, and once I get your analysis I will probably sit down and do it. *




Well, if you're just waiting on my analysis to do it, go on.  I have a lot on my table, right now.  It's slow-going.


----------



## incognito

*final pair Rune/Griswold*

well he-LLO nurse!

OK guys, your set  of ingredients:

Fine sand
Shadow Dragon
A dead God
Unusual coins
Githzerai Monk
Maintaining balance

the time is now 11:45 EST, you have 24 hours as well, and I will have a lot of reading and writing to do tomorrow!

Good luck R, and G!

edited for Dragon, rather than dagon


----------



## Tuerny

I actually have lots of stuff to do as well. 
I was just saying that whenever you get around to it, it would serve as a good encouragement for me to actually get down and do the revision.


----------



## Griswold

*Re: final pair Rune/Griswold*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *well he-LLO nurse!
> 
> OK guys, your set  of ingredients:
> 
> Fine sand
> Shadow Dagon
> A dead God
> Unusual coins
> Githzerai Monk
> Maintaining balance
> 
> the time is now 11:45 EST, you have 24 hours as well, and I will have a lot of reading and writing to do tomorrow!
> 
> Good luck R, and G! *




is that Shadow Dagon supposed to be a Dragon?


----------



## Rune

*Re: final pair Rune/Griswold*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *well he-LLO nurse!
> 
> OK guys, your set  of ingredients:
> 
> Fine sand
> Shadow Dagon
> A dead God
> Unusual coins
> Githzerai Monk
> Maintaining balance
> 
> the time is now 11:45 EST, you have 24 hours as well, and I will have a lot of reading and writing to do tomorrow!
> 
> Good luck R, and G! *




Been reading Piratecat, much, have we?


----------



## Mirth

D@mn, d@mn, d@mn   I was really hoping to get in on this one. Now I have to wait six months (or longer) again and hope that I'm around for those few scant moments when the recruitment happens. Oh well, good luck guys!  I'll be reading…


----------



## Rune

*Re: Re: final pair Rune/Griswold*



			
				Griswold said:
			
		

> *
> 
> is that Shadow Dagon supposed to be a Dragon? *




I was just gonna have it be my dead god!


----------



## Griswold

*Re: Re: Re: final pair Rune/Griswold*



			
				Rune said:
			
		

> *
> 
> I was just gonna have it be my dead god!  *






 



Good luck to ya!


----------



## Rune

*Re: Re: Re: Re: final pair Rune/Griswold*



			
				Griswold said:
			
		

> Good luck to ya!




Et tu.

Seriously, though, incognito, is that supposed to be a Shadow Dragon?

Or is it really Shadow Dagon?


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

*Re: Re: Ladies and Gentleman!*



			
				Rune said:
			
		

> *Allow me to quote Wulf from the last game:*




Whew! Glad I haven't made a liar out of myself. 

I probably wouldn't have had as much to say if (a) it was anyone other than Wicht and (b) I wasn't so damn sure I had him. _I had him, dammit!_ I will go to my grave convinced I had the better entry... which is different from last time, because when I lost with my Quicklings entry, I _knew_ I was beat.

One of the most frustrating things about losing a round is how, in hindsight, how little it would have taken to pull it all together. (Just a few more sentences explaining how to get the party back on track...)



> *I wonder if I'm fan-least-favorite going into this match...  *




Hey, if it's any consolation, you're my least favorite. 

(I am sending you a package today, btw...)

Wulf


----------



## seasong

*Re: Re: Re: Re: Ladies and Gentleman!*



			
				Rune said:
			
		

> Perhaps I should clarify.  If I had said anything about Nemm's judgement of my final entry, it would have been defensive, and that, I didn't need to do.



Okay, I can agree with that. And we'll see how I'm feeling when I'm getting my rear end handed to me on a platter next round .







> _Originally posted by incognito_
> Fine sand
> Shadow Dagon
> A dead God
> Unusual coins
> Githzerai Monk
> Maintaining balance



Wow. That's a _nice_ set of ingredients. When you guys are done with it, I may have to toss something into mmadsen's home game.


----------



## Rune

*Re: Re: Re: Ladies and Gentleman!*



			
				Wulf Ratbane said:
			
		

> *
> 
> Hey, if it's any consolation, you're my least favorite.
> 
> (I am sending you a package today, btw...)
> 
> Wulf *




Thanks!    Would that package be the Half-Orc book I ordered via your site, Friday, or am I finally getting that croc-laser?

About your match with Wicht, I'll let you know (whether you're interested or not) which one I thought was the better entry when I'm out of the contest.  Sooner or, hopefully, later.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

*Re: Re: final pair Rune/Griswold*



			
				Rune said:
			
		

> *Been reading Piratecat, much, have we? *




Next round:

Zombie Toddlers
Drunk Southern Girls
Guns
Cattle Mutilations
Maggot Stew
Anal Probing


----------



## seasong

Dagon, dagon, who has the dagon?


----------



## Rune

seasong said:
			
		

> *Dagon, dagon, who has the dagon? *




Or, try this Dagon.


----------



## Griswold

seasong said:
			
		

> *Dagon, dagon, who has the dagon? *





Here's another Dagon 

and another 




-G.


----------



## el-remmen

Nice to know life goes on without you.  .  .

And the mean-spirited bastardly judging is part and parcel of the contest - when we have run these in the Rat Bastard's Club (you guys would drool) with different judges there are obvious stylistic differences - part of the fun of the game. . .

Good luck to everyone. . .


----------



## mmadsen

> D@mn, d@mn, d@mn   I was really hoping to get in on this one. Now I have to wait six months (or longer) again and hope that I'm around for those few scant moments when the recruitment happens. Oh well, good luck guys!  I'll be reading…



That's what the home game is for, mirthcard.  Now get over there and post a scenario!  (Or try your hand at offering up _nemmerlesque_ criticism!)


----------



## Tuerny

Isn’t it Ironic (an adventure for four characters of any level). 
For the sake of convenience I am going to be using the names of places and religions in the Scarred Lands. This ideas is easily transportable into most any setting and where appropriate I will provide an explanation of what this particular item refers to. This adventure is easy to modify for use with most any level but is best when used with low to mid-level parties. The bardic wraith may be a bit challenging for lower level parties but it is easy to make it so that rather than attacking adventurers who fail to solve the riddle, that it merely refuses to let them pass. The adventure starts out in a large city and must be somewhere near a dangerous range of mountains. 

Background:
 Prince Wicht, leader of the large city of Rika has somewhat of a problem. A long-time connoisseur of magical rings he recently acquired a ring that he was told would, when activated, greatly increase his charisma. He was lied to. In fact, it was a cursed * magical ring of irony * that, even though it increased charisma for a time, resulted in the situation being turned against the user in some ironic way.  
This would become apparent to the good prince Wicht when he used it to help his diplomatic skills while negotiating a peace settlement between two clans of dwarves who lived at the borders of his domain. In order to help facilitate this settlement, Wicht had purchased a rare and expensive type of * tasty pudding * known as Gadav. Gadav has been used as a traditional means of brokering peace between the dwarves of the region for generations. Unfortunately, it was not to be. Upon activating the ring of irony it twisted the Gadav from a peace offering to a method for instigating further conflict. 
Each of the dwarves who ate the tasty pudding were twisted into a * barbarian rage * and within minutes the dwarves were fighting it out, resulting in deaths on both sides and calls for unending war. Wicht, horrified by the results of his peace talks, was immediately suspicious of what happened. The dwarves had appeared to be on the edge of a settlement before they had eaten the Gadav. He brought in his house wizard to investigate the pudding for traces of poison or magic but was unable to find any. This did little to allay the good prince’s suspicions.
In response he contacted the local temple of Madriel (goddess of healing, the sun, agriculture, and mercy) to discover what had really happened. They revealed the source of his affliction (the ring) and that the only way to free himself from its curse was to bring it, and a good amount of the yummy Gadav, to the Tree of Knowledge, which is found in the monster-haunted Keldar Mountains.

Plot Hooks:
The best way to get involved in this adventure is to be associated in some way with Prince Wicht, the Temple of Madriel, or one of their allies. If the PCs have no previous connection to anyone that is associated with these groups then they can always be brought in by the most evocative part of Wicht’s reward: The remaining batch of Gadav. After all, who can resist the sumptuousness that is Gadav?

The Adventure:
On the surface the PC’s job appears to be relatively simple. Get the Prince to the Tree of Knowledge and back again. Unfortunately there is a complication. The magical ring of irony has a secondary effect beyond that instigated by its usage. By its mere presence it causes ironic things to happen around its owner. The PCs will have to deal with the results of this irony on the way to the Tree. 
In addition the PCs will have to find a way to keep the Gadav intact while dealing with the various dangers involved with the adventure. Wicht will provide a glass containers to carry the pudding in, but it is up to the PCs to make sure that nothing happens to it.
On the way to the Tree itself there are a number of encounters, both combat-based and otherwise, that the PCs can be involved in. Beyond the typical encounters with orcs, trolls, and griffins the PCs can encounter the following potentially ironic encounters: 

1)	A fair maiden is being accosted by a group of humanoids of an EL equal to their level. In the event the PCs decided to help the maiden (Wicht will insist they do so) and defeat the humanoids, they will find out that the maiden has disappeared. One of the dying humanoids will, as he perishes, ask them why they would aid a vile rogue who is making off with a relic of blessed Madriel…
2)	The PCs encounter an awakened giant spider caught in its own web. It begs the PCs to free it.
3)	The PCs find a large glade filled with the petrified forms of cockatrice, basilisks, gorgons, and medusas. 
4)	The PCs encounter an azer whose clothes are on fire. He runs around screaming that he is burning alive. If the PCs splash him with water he thanks them heartily and walks away. 
5)	The PCs pass through a village where a paladin is being held while awaiting execution for attempting to poison the village. A priest of Belsamath (or another appropriately evil deity) is being heralded as a hero for stopping the paladin’s foul plot. If the PCs investigate they find that the paladin really is guilty and that the priest really did save the village.

After these encounters (and any more the DM chooses to add) the PCs will arrive at the mountain valley that holds the legendary Tree of Knowledge. However, one more challenge blocks the PCs way before they might finish the quest. The spirit of a bard (a *wraith bard* 4) who long ago sought out the Tree of Knowledge out but was cursed to guard it for all eternity after insulting the Tree, blocks the PC’s path and demands that they answer a riddle before they gain access to the Tree. They have three guesses.

The riddle is this:
"I never was, am always to be,
No one ever saw me, nor ever will
And yet I am the confidence of all
To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball."
The answer is tommorow.
In the event the PCs are unable to answer the riddle on their third guess then the wraith bard refuses to let them pass. They may seek to destroy it if they like. 

	The *Tree of Knowledge*, an elder treant, has been waiting for the PCs and welcomes them, and the prince, by name. After the party gives the Tree of Knowledge the Gadav he offers to be rid of the ring if the Prince will build and maintain seven shrines around his city to Denev (or another appropriate nature deity). Wicht agrees and the Tree of Knowledge does away with the ring, swallowing it inside of himself. 

Aftermath: 
	Wicht fulfills his promise to the Tree of Knowledge. Seven shrines to Denev are erected within a year. The PCs are also paid well for their services with an appropriate amount of money, magical items, and/or tasty pudding. Wicht and/or the Temple of Madriel will probably have a number of other things that the PCs can do, especially with the warring dwarves and the stolen religious relic. The PCs also might choose to investigate some of the strange occurrences they ran into along the way such as the glade of petrified monsters or the fate of the paladin who tried to poison the village.


----------



## incognito

gosh darn it - even WITH the spell checker!?!?!

it is DRAGON...I will allow a 2 hour extension for the participants, fair enough?

nemmerle! 

Wow - where have you been?  Hope your not upset that ran IRON DM?  (you don't appear to be)


----------



## seasong

mmadsen said:
			
		

> That's what the home game is for, mirthcard.  Now get over there and post a scenario!  (Or try your hand at offering up _nemmerlesque_ criticism!)



Hey mmadsen, I just critiqued your sample scenario over in the home game. I know it was just a sample, but Psion's was already critiqued out .

Also, standing offer: if anyone liked what I did to mmadsen's sample, post something in the home game over the next day or two and I'll try to post an appropriately _nemmerlesque_ critique. I've got to keep myself busy while I'm waiting for incognito's second round .


----------



## incognito

*Hey, I resent that!*

ok, true belivers:

a hint on where I get the keywords:

NOT from Story hours!  Daaaang, that would be a pretty blatant rip off.  I found it _very_ interesting, in fact, when P-Cat first posted his Githzerai Monk (although this is the favored class of this race).  Tell me someone has ever heard of a 'magic ring of irony' before?

Wulf: I agree with the assesment that it would've taken just a tiny nip and a tuck to have the round go your way.  (Which I hope is not interpreted as taking anything away from Wicht's entry, which after all, won the round)

Rune: I tink it's ok to Trash the IROM DM judge, as long as it's done in the same impersonal spirit that the IRON DM judge makes his commentary with.  And a little _seasongesque_ kissing up does not hurt either!


----------



## seasong

*Re: Hey, I resent that!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> Rune: I tink it's ok to Trash the IROM DM judge, as long as it's done in the same impersonal spirit that the IRON DM judge makes his commentary with.  And a little _seasongesque_ kissing up does not hurt either!



Heh. I'm not sure I want that adjective .


----------



## Tuerny

For those of you who have noted that I edited my text above, I apologize. I thought you were allowed to edit text as long as your opponent had yet to post.

I have contacted incognito about this and he saw my original, unedited text and he will judge based on that.


----------



## Lordnightshade

I'm seeing some great stuff here, and to raise the stakes a little I just wanted to let all the contestants know that the Rat Bastards Club is watching this competition closely. 

We are in the process of recruiting new members, so if any of you are interested in joining our ranks reply to this thread. 

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=444675#post444675

We have 4 positions; I think it would be fitting if some of our new members came from this competition. 

I look forward to hearing from you! 

And best of luck with the remainder of the competition! 

"I am the Rat Bastard King! I can do anything!"
-Jim Morrison (modified)


----------



## alsih2o

*iron d>m> entry*

The mightly oak shows itself through a huge girth and great height. The willow shows itself through an ability to bend rather than break. The _Tree of Knowledge_ shows itself it its roots, and what they nurture.

 Adventure goal: To rid the sprawling cemetary of a "large city" of a dangerous wraith

 Scenario: The Tree of Knowledge is said to lend special powers to any spell made into a scroll using its bark as paper. Many people have spent their time foolishly looking for the fabled tree in the massive old growth forest on the horizon and many have spent the last of their lives in the swamps beyond scanning and searching the massive roots. 

 Boroo the bard spent most of his time searching for the famous tree, hoping for the great rewards its bark can bring. Boroo was a handsome and cunning musician, but his greed always served to break his plans. When travelling in the wood he came upon some pilgrims and offered to play for his supper. He endeared himself to the pilgrims, taking his time to play many songs. Taking special care to thank them for a warm meal and good companionship. And taking the ruby ring from the hand of a merchants wife as he left.

 Overconfident in the lore he had heard of wishing rings he assumed that this ring, set for 3 stones but bearing 2, must be such a ring, with 2 wishes left. He donned the ring and wished to "be beside the Tree of Knowledge".

 Boroo did not realize that he had actually stolen a _Magic Ring of Irony_ . The ring has the ability to 3 times pervert the deepest wish of anyone who wears it and uses a charge(destroying one of the stones). The ring left him buried at the edge of a lesser nobles mausoleum. Boroo had time to go mad before dying, and time to dwell on the tree.

  While corpse hunting a local necromancer sensed the panic and pain of the bard, aand waited for him to die. After all life passed from the man the necromancer exhumed him and turned him to a _Wraith_ which he failed to control. The wraith immediately began to wail dirges it new from life as a bard and the necromancer fled for his home, in fear of being exposed. 

 The tree of knowledge is a small, gnarled tree.Sitting atop the long unattended tomb of the long forgotten lesser noble it resembles a windblown young dogwood but its root grow wide and strong around 2 sides of the structure . In its massive root system live 4 gnomes sworn to defend the tree over a century ago. 2 of them are Venerable and 2 are Old. They have lived a forgotten life in the cemetary without complaint for better thana century, but have not left the root system out of fear for 5 days.

  If the adventurers enter the cemetary at night the _Wraith(with_ 3 _levels of bard)_ will taunt them, singing low dirges about the tree of knowledge, giving hints to guide them to it. If they approach the tree the wraith will attack, thrilled with his twisted possesivenes of the tree. If the battle does not go his way or the sun begins to rise he will retreat into the stone mausoleum. 

 If the wraith is defeated the gnomes will emerge, and ask that the secret of the tree be preserved. If the characters swear an oath to this they will be invite into the root system (which can hold all the gnomes and 5 medium sized people, uncomfortably). Once inside they will be treated to a _Tasty Pudding_ created by the gnomes from sap drained from the roots and will offer the p.c.'s 3 sheets of the trees famous bark, to be removed by them with great care.

 If the characters refuse to keep the secret or are unconvincing in their oath or try to take anything from the tree the gnomes with attack in a shocking display of _Barbarian Rage_ for small men as old as they are. the 2 old gnomes are 3rd lvl barbarians, the 2 venerable gnomes are 5th lvl barbarians.

 If the characters manage to aquire the bark through any means it makes any divine spell cast upon it "Empowered" (per the feat). If the gnomes help, the characters will recieve enough bark to make 4 medium scrolls. If the players get the bark without the gnomes help they can get enough bark for 3 minor scrolls.


----------



## incognito

*Lordnightshade*

If you ask me, Mr. Nightshade,

There are certain posters on this thread who should _already_ be in the RBDMs club.  Get with the recruiting, sir!

I can't name them, of course, that would show favoritism!
.
.
.

To the readers, and the contestants: I have read both Ali's and Tuerny's entries and I am writing up my comments now...should be less than an hour before posting.


----------



## Lordnightshade

*incognito*

Well Mr. incognito, I have to say I agree with you, and I am very impressed with a lot of what I see here. 

However, we only want to accept those people who have a genuine interest in joining our ranks. 

That is why I posted the interview thread. 

I have my fingers crossed, and I sit in eager anticipation, hoping that I will see many of the contestants here over in my thread. I would love to offer membership to a few of them! 

Also there are a few contestants who ARE already members of the RBC.  
Lordnightshade

"I am the Rat Bastard King! I can do anything!"
-Jim Morrison (modified)


----------



## incognito

*Tuerny vs alsih2o*

Well, I have to say it: this rounds submissions were not quite the quality of the previous rounds.  Although I find interesting story elements in all the submission, both these entries had more weaknesses then strengths.  

As I’ve done before,  I’ll detail the specifics in the order they were posted  - so lets go first to Tuerny’s submission:

We begin the submission with a fairly glaring problem: This adventure will fit for characters _of any level._  While I’m not saying that their are not adventures that can be applied to characters of any level, those are among the most difficult to craft. With the elements Tuerny has laid out in this story, I think it is _ironic_ that the author would expect a coherent result from a party of L4 PCs, and a party of L16 PCs.

Speaking of, Irony is the one of the highpoints in the submission by the way – Tuerny has gone out of his way to provide a series of ironic situations for the PCs to encounter, the best example being the Stone Gorgon, Cockatrice, Medusa, and Basilisk.   I did chuckle. Even here though, we see some short comings: How/Why would an Azer care if his clothes were on fire?  I understand it is an “unexpected result,” but without some fleshing out of the concept, it just seems contrived.

Let’s move to story inconsistencies.  Assumedly, this Wicht (apologies to the poster: Wicht), has a good head on his shoulders – after all, he was selected to mediate a peace agreement between the dwarf clans.  So why would he provide _glass_ containers for the pudding on an overland trek?  Why not wooden caskets?  Iron flasks?  Also, why wouldn't players just teleport up there with the prince, and his pudding, and ring.  And how about this elder Treant - can eat magic rings, create wraiths, likes pudding …(Why is this exactly?)

Story elements: at least some were well used.  I like the idea that there is a pudding so great, that it is used to broker trade agreements, etc.  But at some point it becomes farcical, like when it is offered to the party as part of the reward.  Fine use of the ring, although some of the ironies made me wince.  The tree of knowledge as a Treant in interesting, if only something more ingenious had been done with it. I find it _ironic_, that although the story starts inside a large city. Most of the adventure takes place outside of it.  I also submit the bard-wraith is tacked on as a plot device for a riddle.

However, we do have another submission, and it is alsih2o’s

Here we have all story, no adventure.  But unlike the ladyofdragons’s scenario, this one doesn’t flow particularly well.  Where are the plot hooks? The plot twists/turns?  Also, for bookkeeping purposes – what level should adventurers be?  With Ali's adventure, we do have an idea at least.  A Wraith with three levels of bard is CR7(ish).  And  4 gnomes that have varied levels of Barbarian  is probably the same.

Boroo’s stolen sing is not a magic ring of irony – it’s a magic ring of doing crappy stuff to NPCs.  I find nothing ironic about being teleported into a mausoleum near the tree of knowledge.  I am indifferent to the story arc of the necromancer waiting for the Bard to die, then creating a wraith he could not control.  It uses the ingredient, but it is not well, woven.  And where is the ring now?  And what happens if the PCs find the tree during the day?

Not that the tasty pudding, or the barbarian rage is well used either (you know, for all those underground gnomes without darkvision who decide to become barbarians – and like pudding).  Ali’s scene does take place in a city, but it is in an unattended, “long forgotten” tomb of a lesser noble.  I do like the fact that Ali made the tree to be nothing more than a nondescript looking, gnarled plant – the quintessential diamond in the rough.  It is just the story that surrounds it is too…unfocused.  


In the end, I award the round to the least awkward submission.  alsih2o simply does not have much of an adventure.  I feel like players are “spawned” in the cemetery.  As a matter of course, I hack the monster in the 10x10 mausoleum.  After, I’m accosted by (underpants) gnomes -  to keep a secret in return for bark.  Tuerny, on the other hand, although he has laid the foundation for a low earning, Disney movie, has at least put together an adventure that gives other DMs ideas to modify.

**This was a particularly brutal IRON DM review.  Readers who are not contestants, please understand that writing these submission (heck, writing anything) is very tough.  I can tell you now “tasty pudding” and “magic ring of irony” do not lend themselves to an easily written story.  I welcome positive comments in this thread to give our two reent contestants the pat on the back they certainly deserve.

For those unclear, the winner is *Tuerny!*.


----------



## Tuerny

Wow.
I won yet for some reason I feel vaguely dirty. 
Bleah.  

Hopefully I will redeem myself in the next round.


----------



## Rune

I know this is a bit late, but could anyone russle up the stats for a shadow dragon (say, adult).  I realized way too late (when I was at home, nowhere near the internet) that it isn't a core monster or in the MM2.  Or that I'm blind.


----------



## incognito

*Showdow Dragon*

Rune: hopefully, since only the outline is required for a story submisison, knowing the shadow dragon is corporeal, usually lives undercound, and has a level draining breath weapon would be a good start.  

Also, Shadow Dragon is in Monsters of Faerun if anyone has that on hand


----------



## alsih2o

*Re: Tuerny vs alsih2o*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> * I can tell you now “tasty pudding” and “magic ring of irony” do not lend themselves to an easily written story. *





  a strong truth incognito . your review is harsh, and pretty much comes to the same conclusions i came to...at least for my "story" 

 congrats to tuerny. remember, feeling dirty and winning beats feeling dirty and loosing 

 i, personally struggled terribly with this one, always coming up with a story more than an adventure. i felt this set of ingredients was tougher then the others, but i suspect that that is a normal feeling when it is your turn 

  *sigh* i guess my only redemption now is to post 2 brilliant submissions in the home game.....better get to work


----------



## Rune

*Re: Showdow Dragon*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *Rune: hopefully, since only the outline is required for a story submisison, knowing the shadow dragon is corporeal, usually lives undercound, and has a level draining breath weapon would be a good start.
> 
> Also, Shadow Dragon is in Monsters of Faerun if anyone has that onehand *




Thanks.  Had a hunch it was that book.  My brother has it, but I don't.

Actually, all I need is the alignment and CR, though.


----------



## Tuerny

I can help.
You want them posted here, or e-mailed?


----------



## Tuerny

Adult Shadow Dragon has a CR of 12
Alignment is Always Chaotic Evil


----------



## Tuerny

*Re: Re: Tuerny vs alsih2o*



			
				alsih2o said:
			
		

> *
> 
> i, personally struggled terribly with this one, always coming up with a story more than an adventure. i felt this set of ingredients was tougher then the others, but i suspect that that is a normal feeling when it is your turn
> *





Yeah, I spent most of my time researching irony. 

I think that it is more than normal feelings however. I think that I could have done much better with, for example, Rune and Griswold's ingredients. Those just scream interesting adventure ideas in ways that tasty pudding never will. ;-)


----------



## Rune

Thanks!


----------



## Lordnightshade

Rune: Shadow Dragon CR: Wyrmling 2; very young 3; young 5; juvi 7; young adult 10; adult 12; mature adult 15; old 17; very old 18; ancient 20; wyrm 21; great wyrm 23. 

Alignment is Always Chaotic Evil

Anything else you need?

[edit] Not quick enough... hehe oops...


----------



## incognito

*about tasty pudding*

****anyone here read through Sunless Citadel?

I though I might actually be giving TOO much story influence when I added this ingredient.


----------



## alsih2o

*Re: about tasty pudding*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *****anyone here read through Sunless Citadel?
> 
> I though I might actually be giving TOO much story influence when I added this ingredient. *




 nope, never even seen it, i actually assumed you had misspoken about "hasty pudding"


----------



## seasong

*Rat Bastards:* I've posted my interview in your thread, with a scenario I'm reasonably proud of (for a few hours work).

*Tuerny:* Congratulations. I hope to face off with you at some point with ingredients more to your liking .


----------



## Rune

*The Fishy God[/ b]

Ingredients:

Fine sand
Shadow Dagon
A dead God
Unusual coins
Githzerai Monk
Maintaining balance

A Primer on the Pantheon:

Dagon’s reach is far.  It extends into the Astral, where sects of Githzerai Monks worship him in massive temples.  His reach extends also into the Shadow, where Dark temples house his followers.  So, too, does the Prime offer up sacrifices to Dagon, the Fish-God, where the astral and the shadow meet.

Once, Dagon was but a simple god of agriculture; he was a bastion against the wilderness, an immense tower of civilization in the wilds.  This is how his power waxed enough to dominate his pantheon.  As the world urbanized, Dagon’s sphere of influence grew.  All of the elder Gods, the creators, have, long ago, yielded to the Fish-God, or perished to his hosts.

One slight problem has arisen with his schemes of power, however; Dagon is dead.  Fortunately, most of the rest of the Pantheon doesn’t know it, yet.

In his place, a creature of the Far Realm stands, clothed in the image of the dead God.  It is the Shadow Dagon.  Its likeness is so imperceptible that the other gods, powerful as they may be, cannot distinguish this Shadow Dagon from the true, dead Dagon.

...Except that this Shadow Dagon has no divine power.  At all.  It is a dangerous game that this false god plays, for the other gods of Dagon’s pantheon are also native to the Far Realm.  Many suspect the true nature of the Shadow Dagon.  Others...know.

Here, begins our adventure:

This adventure is intended to be used as a diversionary scenario from the current campaign.  The PCs may begin this adventure while on any errand, as long as they are traveling through a wilderness that can support standing water (that is, probably not a desert) at some point.  Most of this adventure will take place on a demiplane created specifically for the trial that is to come.  The PCs should comprise a party of around 4 level 10 characters.

The adventure begins with the encounter of three groups of pilgrims in the wilderness.

One group, the largest, is made up of some fifty Prime-mortals, mostly human clerics.  The second group consists of about twenty Githzerai Monks, most with levels in cleric.  The final group consists of but a single entity, an adult shadow dragon.  Every member of the pilgrimage wears a strange icon—that of a half man-half fish, save for the conspicuous shadow dragon.  These are worshippers of Dagon, who have each seen a vision of the god’s death in this wilderness, which they do not comprehend.  All of these worshippers are unusual in all three planes; Dagon’s reach is wide, but he is no longer widely remembered.  Nor, for that matter, is the rest of his pantheon.

With each person, the vision varied, but in all cases, the image of Dagon was clearly seen falling through the earth into a wide, but shallow, pool.  The pilgrims are all traveling to this pool and should, keeping their current pace, reach it in the early afternoon.  The pool, specifically, is the spot that Dagon was killed, but more importantly, the fine sand that lines the bed of the pool is all that remains of the dead god.  An observer will quickly note that the shadows of countless fish flit along the fine sand, but the pool is most certainly empty.

Each of the worshippers have lost all granted divine abilities and spells, but most choose to believe that Dagon has found disfavor with them.  Only a few dare mutter musings closer to the truth.

Most of the pilgrims will treat the PCs civilly, provided that the PCs don’t provoke them by insulting them or, especially, eating fish in front of them.  Two of the pilgrims are not disposed to be so generous, however, and are actively hostile toward the PCs; they attempt to instigate trouble at every opportunity.  One of these is a Githzerai Monk, who identifies himself with the uninspired name, "Human-bane."  The other is the Shadow Dragon, whose name is just beyond the limit of mortal speech.

"Human-bane" has a grievance against the "lesser races" of the Prime, particularly humans, because he was once held captive for a dozen years in a dungeon in a human city.  He was constantly infuriated that such an inferior race could overpower and dominate him for so long.  Like many who hate, he is quick to categorize broadly and overlook specific cases.  Demihumans are not much better to "Human-bane" than humans.  He is a githzerai monk10/cleric(with no powers)5.

The shadow dragon, on the other hand, is just a jerk.  More precisely, he is just a very big bully.  In fact, being chaotic evil, the shadow dragon can't actually even be a cleric of the Fish-God, who was lawful evil.  The shadow dragon is an Adult with no levels in anything, whose worshipping of Dagon has always manifested itself, primarily, in the collection of sacrifices.  His choice of deity resulted from a brush with death when he was very young, from which he was saved by some worshippers of the Fish-God.

As is often the case with such individuals, an underlying low self-esteem has caused them to join together as compatriots.  They are not friends, but they seek social affirmation for their cruelty within each other.

If the PCs travel with the pilgrims, these two NPCs will attempt to provoke the party into a fight almost constantly.  Should the PCs fight the two individuals, the rest of the pilgrims will stand back to watch; they are not permitted to engage in combat against the other worshippers of Dagon, but they are getting tired of the two pilgrims' foolishness.

If the PCs are winning the fight against "Human-bane" and the shadow dragon, they will disengage short of death, if they can.  They will show no mercy to the PCs, even performing coup de grace attacks on fallen PCs, if they get the opportunity.

If the PCs do not travel with the pilgrims, "Human-bane" will become especially suspicious of them and will double back to harry them, enlisting the aid of his dragon ally.  When they catch up to the PCs, combat is inevitable, and the results will likely be lethal.  If the PCs kill "Human-bane" and the Shadow Dragon, they will immediately find themselves falling into a deep slumber, from which, they will awaken in a demiplane constructed by the gods of Dagon’s pantheon as a type of court.

If the PCs do not kill, or do not fight at all, the Shadow Dragon and the Monk, they will awaken in the demiplane of the court after their natural slumber.  By morning, the Shadow Dragon and the Monk are dead and the PCs will be on trial.  And their accuser really doesn’t care if they are guilty or not.

In the Balance:

Once in the demiplane, the PCs will find that they are confronted with a massive scale, ornately decorated, but unbalanced.  In one side, two unusual coins rest, one far larger than the other, but both massive.  The smaller of the two is minted with the image of a githzerai wracked in pain.  The other is of a dragon, similarly contorted.

Shadowy figures ebb and flow on the fringes of the vision of any mortal observers; these are the gods of Dagon’s pantheon.  They speak in whispered voices that echo through the mind, usually in tongues so unsuited for the mortal mind that all who hear them must make an immediate Will save against DC 20 or suffer 1d6 points of subdual damage.  This save must be made every round that the PCs stand before the gods, whether successful, or not.

The PCs will quickly learn that they are on trial for the murder of these two worshippers of Dagon.  Dagon is, in fact, their accuser.  His solution is a simple one; the balance that has been disrupted by the murder of his worshippers must be regained by placing the PCs on the other end of the scale.  First, of course, they will have to be minted into coins.

If this were the crux of the trial, it would be over immediately, of course, especially if the PC actually did kill the two worshippers.  The truth is, however, that the PCs aren’t the ones who are really on trial.  Rather, it is Dagon, or, more accurately, the Shadow Dagon, who is being tried.  The members of Dagon’s pantheon, those defeated and relieved of equal shares in power can sense that Dagon seems to have lost his power and are taking the opportunity to dethrone him.

In order to maintain the (admittedly, lopsided) balance of power that Dagon has built up, the Shadow Dagon needs to prove that no power has been lost.  If the slayers of his worshippers do not go punished, he has clearly lost even the most rudimentary powers.

Of course, the Shadow Dagon is, relatively speaking, pretty powerless.  Consequently, it is not concerned in the slightest with finding out who killed the worshippers, or why.  The PCs are likely suspects (whether actually guilty, or not) and the Shadow Dagon intends to rush them toward death as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, the other gods don't want this to happen, especially the two who actually murdered Dagon.

They will do everything in their power (which is quite a bit) in order to delay the outcome of the PCs' trial.  After many hours, the trial will be adjourned and the PCs will be allowed to roam the demiplane as they will—in another dozen hours, they will be summoned to the scale, once again.

While the PCs are free, they may choose to do several things, some of which might include

...the exploration of the demiplane.  Should the PCs choose to do this, they will find that it is not as featureless and dark as it at first appears.  After half an hour of walking in any single direction, they will begin to see that the demiplane echoes the landscapes of their own world.  Except the influences of the Far Realms still creep through; massive tentacles break the forest lines and the mountain ranges and the sun crawls from west to east through the sky.  Observant PCs may begin to guess that this demiplane is closely related to the Far Realm.
...an inquisition of the gods.  This is particularly risky, as none of the gods will appreciate being addressed directly by mortals, but each will answer according to its motives, that is, if the gods believe that answering the mortals will help to bring about the downfall of Dagon, they will do so (although not necessarily truthfully).  The Shadow Dagon, of course, will answer no questions.  The only thing keeping it from attacking the mortals outright is the fact that Dagon’s sphere of influence included civilization and order.  The two murderers of Dagon will not , under any circumstances, admit to murdering the Fish-God.  This would bring suspicion and distrust down upon their heads, were it known.
...an attack on the gods.  As this isn't really a viable option, the deities in this adventure have not been given stats (if, indeed, deities should even be given statistics).  However, if the DM feels the need to provide stats for the gods, it is suggested that the power level far exceed that of the party.  This option should be pretty obviously suicide.
...an attack on the Shadow Dagon.  If the PCs figure out the truth about the Shadow Dagon, they may decide that they could possibly win a fight against it.  Certainly, the other gods would be pleased to see this happen.  They will not, however join the fight under any circumstance.  In their minds, at least, if the PCs are killed outside of the trial, the deaths of Dagon's worshippers have not gone avenged and Dagon loses the trial.  If the PCs somehow defeat Dagon (the two murderers know that this is possible, because they know that the Shadow Dagon is an imposter), the gods are rid of Dagon permanently.
...a retreat.  If the PCs have the ability to leave the demiplane through magical means, there is nothing stopping them from doing so (unless they try to do it in front the Shadow Dagon, who will attempt to put a stop to it by any means at its disposal).  In fact, the other gods would be very pleased if this were to happen, they would take such an event as a clear failure on the part of Dagon to defend his own worshippers.  The only rewards that the PCs will gain, here, however, are life and freedom.  Should the PCs attempt to regain entrance into the demiplane, they will find that relocating and entering the demiplane to be quite impossible.  This means that having part of the party escape to find reinforcements (perhaps because only part of the party is able to escape) is not necessarily a viable option.

The Shadow Dagon is a Chaotic Evil Outsider Aberration (lots of tentacles, but mostly just for show) that is, in most respects, the equivalent of a level 15 human rogue.  However, every round spent in contact with the Shadow Dagon (for instance, every round spent engaged in combat with the Shadow Dagon), the characters lose a little bit of their sanity.  This is represented by dealing 1d6 subdual points each round unless a successful Will save at DC 30 is made.

Concluding the adventure:

If the PCs are successful in aiding the gods in exposing the Shadow Dagon as a false Dagon, they will be rewarded with their lives and will be returned to their home plane.  The gods, while cruel, cold, and alien, are not without a sense of humor, however, and the PCs will not return empty handed.  The gods will send with them the two massive gold coins.  These coins are solid gold, save for the skeletons inside of them, and are large enough to sink even the strongest economy.

Furthermore, as a final gesture of malicious good-will, the gods will gift the PCs with piles and piles of fish.  Of course, this will greatly trouble and displease any pilgrims who still happen to be around, when the PCs return, but, hey.  What’s a little salt in an open wound to the gods?

Even if the PCs are minted into coins and weighed in the balance, the Shadow Dagon's trial is not over.  The only end that it will ever have, really, is death--the other gods are just waiting for some kind of slip-up.*


----------



## mmadsen

> Hey mmadsen, I just critiqued your sample scenario over in the home game. I know it was just a sample, but Psion's was already critiqued out .



Excellent, seasong.


> Also, standing offer: if anyone liked what I did to mmadsen's sample, post something in the home game over the next day or two and I'll try to post an appropriately _nemmerlesque_ critique. I've got to keep myself busy while I'm waiting for incognito's second round .



Let's get to it, people!  And, alsih2o, I heard you!  I'm expecting two brilliant submissions in the home game thread...


----------



## Griswold

> OK guys, your set of ingredients:
> 
> Fine sand
> Shadow Dragon
> A dead God
> Unusual coins
> Githzerai Monk
> Maintaining balance



*******************************************
Shadows of Insanity


An adventure for higher level D&D characters ( figuring around 15th)

Background
**********

	To the west, deep beneath the fine sands of the Burning Desert lies the ruins of a temple once dedicated to a god now long dead. With the death of the god, whose name is now lost to time, the temple sunk deep beneath the sands, coming to rest in a large cavern deep in the underdark. It was many, many years ago that a young shadow dragon, Mathalynix, took up residence in the temples now shattered sactuary. 

	As years stretched into decades, Mathalynix settled into his lair, and attended his second favorite pass time aside from hoarding treasure, namely meddling in the afairs of others. Evil to the core, the wiley Shadow Dragon has been manipulating his underdark neighbors, both directly with slaves and indirectly, in various ways to enrich himself and keep them at each others throats. This was great fun until a group of mindflayers descovered Mathalynix and assulted his lair. Rather then kill the Dragon, the Mind Flayers mentally enslaved Mathalynix and his slaves, figuring to turn the dragon on local Drow and Snifvneblin villages. 

                 Fate would intervine here in the form of a group of Githzeria Monks who on Rrakkma, had come accross what appered to be an illithid outpost. Unaware of the Dragon, the Githzerai Monks attacked the illithids in the temple. The illithids on the defensive and anctious to test thier new "weapon", turned the Dragon apon the attacking Githzerai. Though successful in destroying several of the attacking monks, something went horrably wrong and the Illithid lost control of the now enraged Dragon. Mathalynix's mind, free of the mental control, descended into madness, destroying many of the Illithids and Githzarai before they could escape.Once his temple was secure again, he imprisoned the surviving Monks to question them. One lone Githzerai Monk, Zert,  managed to escape into the tunnels and to relative safety with a handful of unusual coins. This was several days ago. Mathalynix, wounded in battle, now recouperates in his sactuary, plotting the destruction of everthing within his reach. His dementia slowly eating at what is left of his sanity. 

Hooks:
******


1) In an underdark campainge, mathalynix represents a real threat to the PC's community. They can become aware of this threat by either finding Zert baddly wounded, and learning of the pasts days events, or Zert could wander into the PCs community and they could be assinged to check out his story.

2) Zert passes away in the tunnels and a map of the area and the unusual coins make it to the surface where the PCs come accross them through a merchant or friend.

3) If the PCs are themselves Githzerai, they may be tasked with tracking down the now lost hunting party.

4) Zert makes it to the surface and encounters the PC's and asks for thier help.

Aftermath
*********

If Mathalynix is killed, the area around his lair will be safe from his assaults and many snirvneblin, drow, myconid lives will be saved (don't know if the drow lives are good, guess that depends on the campiang ). the PCs will get alot of loot and the Monks will be freed.

If mathalynix lives, he will destroy the small settlements around his lair, taking slaves and amassing more wealth. The Monks, after he questions them, will be killed.


----------



## incognito

*Griswold!*

edit: you just made it!


----------



## Griswold

*Re: Griswold!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *edit: you just made it! *




Man, Whooo, I had a rotten morning!  

-G.


----------



## incognito

attacked by Dragon charming Illithids again?

Man, I *hate when that happens! 

On a more serious note: I have read both parties submissions, and will respond in some time.  I ahev to go look at a Saab convertible right now   - yeah, life's rough all over!

Something to think about in the meantime:

Who wants to be the first pair for ROUND 2? (Rune/Gris - you'll have to wait to see who wins this round!)


----------



## Tuerny

I am willing to go for it. 
I would prefer to try to do it soon rather than this weekend as I expect to be rather busy this weekend with my game and preperations for my two tests next weekend.


----------



## seasong

I'm game.


----------



## seasong

Oh, and I'm still looking for stuff to critique in the home game.


----------



## Rune

Glad I didn't try to play chicken with you on the posting time, Griswold; I would have lost for sure!

Sorry to hear you've had a rotten morning!  Hope things start looking up.


----------



## Griswold

Rune said:
			
		

> *Glad I didn't try to play chicken with you on the posting time, Griswold; I would have lost for sure!
> 
> Sorry to hear you've had a rotten morning!  Hope things start looking up. *



LOL, I didn't really intend too, but you know how it goes, you put stuff off, then everything flys outa control, oh well, such is life.

Thanks tho!  everythings better now.


BTW nice entry Rune!

-G.


----------



## incognito

*Rune vs Griswold...*

In our parallel round of IRON DM, we have two submissions that get us back on track with the type of quality we are used to seeing from the capricious minds here on the boards (capricious being a compliment in this context, of course!)

Let get right into it with Rune:

Dragon AND Dagon.  Looks like the jokes on me Rune!  I have a laundry list of positive things to say about this scenario.  ALL the ingredients looked like they were hand picked for Rune, which is the hallmark of truly innovative and captivating writing.  In past posts I have stated that my attention span can wane if a submission is too long.  I read this post twice and didn’t notice on wasted second.

Let’s highlight some of the more brilliant bits.  The Kangaroo Court: Without defining more than a single deity we are assailed on all side with the imagery of these elder, forgotten gods.  The feeling of eeriness is uncanny but with just the few sentences Rune lays down.  So too the use of the ingredient _maintaining balance_: in it’s the most obvious aspect – the giant scale- used as an ‘in game’ literal symbol of maintaining balance by having the party pay for the deaths of the Dragon and the Monk, as well the less obvious aspect of the shifting balance of power between the Shadow Dagon, and the Other Deities. Finally, we have the balance of rewarding the players with a princely gift (the coins), and at the same time dumping the fish on the players, in front of the pro-ichthyoid clergy.

Consider the time spent on the relationship of the Shadow Dragon and the Fish God.  It is one thing to say: Once there was an evil dragon who worshiped a fish god.  It is quite another to give insight into the childhood of an intelligent species, bringing us up to date with its evil psychology, and justification for its actions, culminating in an explanation of its current group of compatriots.

There are faults to this entry, as there are faults to any entry submitted in short period of time.  Rune explains that this adventure is suitable for 4, L10 characters.  The Shadow Dragon, outside and by himself is _at least_ CR12.  With a 15 level Githzerai Monk (even without spells or class abilities the Gith gets feats, ability point increases, save increases, and BAB advancement) the adversaries get out of EL whack.  If hostilities commence, and Rune has gone out of his way to indicate that the NPCs are provocative fight lethally…well – just expect fatalities. Other shortcomings:  I need more description of the trial.  It is long, and ultimately without resolution, but with the attention to detail paid to other parts of this story, the big blank of happening during the trial is a let down.  And what about the plane shifting issue?  He mentions it by name, but you can bet that most parties are NOT going for reinforcements, they are getting the hell out of dodge!  A nip here, a tuck there….that’s what this needs.


And speaking of nips and tucks – let go on to the next entry: Griswold!

I know there is more than meets the eye, here.  Griswold elaborately sets up an insane shadow dragon, using the time honored illithid element.  Then simply drops it in the player lap (!!) as a series of believable, if non-ingenious plot hooks.  I feel like I got half of a submission – which might well be true, given Griswold’s next immediate post.

So – what did I like in this scenario?  The history of the dragon, and the backfire of the Illithid ‘ultimate weapon.’  Makes you think of what would’ve happened if NASA engineers had designed the Death Star – thing would blown up in their faces (“Metric conversion issue, Lord Vader”).  We see the Gith introduced in a logical fashion.   Gith hate Flayers;  No new pantheon needed.  A variety of plot hooks is another bright spot.  Although not as versatile or well planned as some previous submissions, we are given choices as to how to get involved – whereas in Rune’s scenario, you get caught up in the motion, like it or not.

I’m not going to take as much time to point out shortcomings of this adventure.  I do think the use of coins was weak, and poorly incorporated.  All in all, the single biggest flaw was the abrupt cut off from the well flowing history, to present day adventure.  Similar to waking up from a very entertaining dream by an annoying roommate…My best guess is that given another 24 hours, we would see some serious fine tuning to Griswold’s idea.

It is the cruel, fish god way of the IRON DM contest, though, that there is only the 24 hours.  And so with his submission: an overwhelmingly superior piece of DMing goodness, I’m happy to award this round to *RUNE.*


----------



## incognito

*ROUND 2!*

We have two sacrifices...er..volunteers, and I have **just ** enough time to post the pairing and the ingredients before I have to do work (ack!)

The pairing: Seasong and Tuerny

The ingredients (c'mon spell checker!):

Throne of human fat
Rousing music
Fragile mechanical clock
Salamander couriers
Betrayal
1/2 Fiend Xorn

Good luck in this second, deadly round!  4:30PM EST by my clock, see y'all in 24 hours.

edited for EST time - hey, no post is perfect


----------



## seasong

Oooo, this one's gonna kill me. Good luck, Tuerny!


----------



## Tuerny

Good luck to you as well Seasong. You have already proven yourself to be a most skilled story creator. I will have my work cut out for me to meet your level of skill.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

Good LORD but those are some ugly ingredients!


----------



## incognito

ya like that, don'tcha Wulf!

 

(Zombie Toddlers and Anal probing indeed!)

Harumph!


----------



## Rune

*Re: Rune vs Griswold...*

I won?  Hmmm.  There's something fishy, here...



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> Dragon AND Dagon.  Looks like the jokes on me Rune!




Sorry about that, but Dagon inspired me a whole lot more than the dragon did. 



> ALL the ingredients looked like they were hand picked for Rune, which is the hallmark of truly innovative and captivating writing.




Where do I send the check, by the way?



> In past posts I have stated that my attention span can wane if a submission is too long.  I read this post twice and didn’t notice on wasted second.




Given more time, my scenario would have been longer.  There was no way it would have been shorter.  I took a gamble.



> There are faults to this entry, as there are faults to any entry submitted in short period of time.  Rune explains that this adventure is suitable for 4, L10 characters.  The Shadow Dragon, outside and by himself is _at least_ CR12.  With a 15 level Githzerai Monk (even without spells or class abilities the Gith gets feats, ability point increases, save increases, and BAB advancement) the adversaries get out of EL whack.  If hostilities commence, and Rune has gone out of his way to indicate that the NPCs are provocative fight lethally…well – just expect fatalities.




Ah, and now to the defense!  I'm so used to throwing encounters at my players that most people would consider insanely overpowered, that I sometimes forget that many groups have differing philosophies on the importance of a good challenge.  I typically expect my players to outwit me in order to stay alive.  They usually do.

But, on to my rationalization of the ELs.  First of all, the Githzerai monk/cleric is essentially nothing more than a level 10 monk with extra hit points.  At most, I'd give him CR11.  This pretty much means the EL is, what 14ish?  Considering that this is one of only two likely combats, that doesn't seem to bad to me, keeping in mind my philosophy presented in the previous paragraph.  Ah, well.  



> Other shortcomings:  I need more description of the trial.  It is long, and ultimately without resolution, but with the attention to detail paid to other parts of this story, the big blank of happening during the trial is a let down.




Yeah, that, unfortunately, is the part that got axed due to time-constraints.  I had hoped that I had given enough information on the motives of the gods (and Shadow Dagon) that this wouldn't be too hard to wing, but given more time, this would, of course, have to be detailed.



> And what about the plane shifting issue?  He mentions it by name, but you can bet that most parties are NOT going for reinforcements, they are getting the hell out of dodge!




Probably.  It seems like kind of a non-issue to me, though, as I figured that most level 10 parties wouldn't be able to _all_ escape so easily.  If they all do, well that's the end of that adventure, sure.   But so what?  If my party bailed out like that, I'd keep them _very_ paranoid that they could be summoned back at any time (an option I considered, by the way, but felt went counter to the motives of the gods).

Anyway, enough about that.

Griswold, I really liked where you were going with your entry and I'd love to see a more fleshed out version, if you ever decide to do so!

Mmmm.  Mindflayers and fish.


----------



## The Forsaken One

If the name "Jubilex" doesnt show up in the comming entries assisted by some Half fiend Xorn Mechanics/Oozemaster by jubilex mutilated and cursed Gnome.

I'm giving up.


----------



## Rune

Griswold said:
			
		

> BTW nice entry Rune!




Thank you.  As I said in my last post, I like where you were going with yours.  I wish you had been able to finish it.


----------



## tarchon

*Re: Tuerny vs alsih2o*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *
> Speaking of, Irony is the one of the highpoints in the submission by the way – Tuerny has gone out of his way to provide a series of ironic situations for the PCs to encounter, the best example being the Stone Gorgon, Cockatrice, Medusa, and Basilisk.  *




In its basic sense, irony is a rhetorical device in which the speaker or author uses deception or dissemblence for some effect (without the actual intent to convey false information).  The simplest form of this is stating something not literally true, such as "that was so funny, I forgot to laugh", usually for humorous or sarcastic effect. 

It also occurs in the form of feigned ignorance, commonly used during argument to draw an opponent into elaborating on an absurd statement and to thereby demonstrate its absurdity.

The most recent and derived sense of the word describes when an author sets up a situation within the context of the work and then introduces an incongruity (thus deceiving the audience in its expectations), usually for humorous though occasionally dramatic effect, especially to bring across the "moral of the story" (for example when an NPC who was assumed to be the bad guy turns out to be the good guy.)

Simple contextless self-contradictions such as a spider caught in its own web are only irony in the same sense that "why did the chicken cross the road?" is wit.  If you haven't created an expectation in the audience and you simply dump an unexplained self-contradiction on them, that hardly qualifies.   It more qualifies as paradox, though even with paradox there should be more substance to it than simple self-contradiction.  

The garden of petrified petrifiers is hardly even self-contradictory.  Maybe they just looked at each other.  There's no more irony there than if people armed with swords had killed each other with swords.

A real irony in this last sense would be something like if the bard had gone to the tree seeking knowledge of music and gained a stilted academic knowledge that snuffed the creativity of his music (turning him lawful).  The plot plays on the audience's expectations (of the Tree of Knowledge) to deceive them about the true outcome, and it is done for some effect, in this case illustrating the difference between technique and art in music.

An even more devious approach might  be to have the ring create situations which appeared to be ironic but in the end turned out not to be ironic at all.


----------



## Piratecat

I read your analysis of irony, and yet all I can think about is a throne of human fat.  What's up with that?


----------



## Griswold

*Re: Rune vs Griswold...*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *In our parallel round of IRON DM, we have two submissions that get us back on track with the type of quality we are used to seeing from the capricious minds here on the boards (capricious being a compliment in this context, of course!)
> 
> Let get right into it with Rune:
> *




Rune, Gratz! I thought your entry was excellent, I especially liked the way you wove in Incognito's typo  very good stuff! 



> *
> And speaking of nips and tucks – let go on to the next entry: Griswold!
> 
> I know there is more than meets the eye, here.  Griswold elaborately sets up an insane shadow dragon, using the time honored illithid element. Then simply drops it in the player lap (!!) as a series of believable, if non-ingenious plot hooks.  I feel like I got half of a submission – which might well be true, given Griswold’s next immediate post.
> *




Aye, I got crammed for time this morning and it shows.




> *
> So – what did I like in this scenario?  The history of the dragon, and the backfire of the Illithid ‘ultimate weapon.’  Makes you think of what would’ve happened if NASA engineers had designed the Death Star – thing would blown up in their faces (“Metric conversion issue, Lord Vader”).  We see the Gith introduced in a logical fashion.   Gith hate Flayers;  No new pantheon needed.  A variety of plot hooks is another bright spot.  Although not as versatile or well planned as some previous submissions, we are given choices as to how to get involved – whereas in Rune’s scenario, you get caught up in the motion, like it or not.
> *





This is I think the longest post I've made on EN wolrd yet  and my first shot so your critique and the experience was well worth it!



> *
> I’m not going to take as much time to point out shortcomings of this adventure.  I do think the use of coins was weak, and poorly incorporated.  All in all, the single biggest flaw was the abrupt cut off from the well flowing history, to present day adventure.  Similar to waking up from a very entertaining dream by an annoying roommate…My best guess is that given another 24 hours, we would see some serious fine tuning to Griswold’s idea.
> *





I have to agree with you, It was jarring. I also realized after posting that I had forgetten to emphasize the maintaing Balance ingrediant, which would have been fairly obvious once I got to detailing the communities that Mathalynix's lair was near. 



> *
> It is the cruel, fish god way of the IRON DM contest, though, that there is only the 24 hours.  And so with his submission: an overwhelmingly superior piece of DMing goodness, I’m happy to award this round to RUNE. *




Gratz! again Rune and good luck in coming rounds!

-G.


----------



## Rune

*Re: Re: Rune vs Griswold...*



			
				Griswold said:
			
		

> Rune, Gratz! I thought your entry was excellent, I especially liked the way you wove in Incognito's typo  very good stuff!




Why, thank you!  Honestly, if he hadn't made the typo, though, I probably wouldn't have had a submission!



> Aye, I got crammed for time this morning and it shows.




I know how it goes--almost happened to me (I _should_ have been doing a writing assignment for my Milton class!)

For what it's worth, you had me very worried while I read the first part of your entry, before I scrolled down and realized that it wasn't finished.  I hope you play in a future Iron DM game, because you certainly have the potential to do well (methinks).



> Gratz! again Rune and good luck in coming rounds!




Thank you, again!


----------



## Gizzard

> ...yet all I can think about is a throne of human fat. What's up with that?




Yeah, I know.  What a great ingredient.  I wont say any more until the entries are in, but it definitely boggles the mind.  In a good way.


----------



## Tuerny

*Re: Re: Tuerny vs alsih2o*



			
				tarchon said:
			
		

> *
> 
> In its basic sense, irony is a rhetorical device in which the speaker or author uses deception or dissemblence for some effect (without the actual intent to convey false information).  The simplest form of this is stating something not literally true, such as "that was so funny, I forgot to laugh", usually for humorous or sarcastic effect.
> 
> .......
> 
> An even more devious approach might  be to have the ring create situations which appeared to be ironic but in the end turned out not to be ironic at all. *




See, this is why I became a Computer Science major rather than an English major 
The irony was the hardest part of the scenario for me, and I was just hoping I got close enough to it to squeak by the round.
Which I did. 
I like this round's components much, much better and think I have learned alot from the last round.


----------



## Tuerny

*Dawn at the Court of the Midnight Earth King*

I apologize ahead of time for the length of my post. This is the shortest I could see myself making it without cutting something important.

Dawn at the Court of the Midnight Earth King
An adventure for PCs of 7th level

* Background *:

	The conflicts of the elemental planes are as constant and never-ending, with countless battles being fought between good and evil, earth and air, water and fire. Every so often something that happens that throws the balance out of whack, sending things into chaos for some time. A thousand years ago one of these things happened. The Evening Earth King, a powerful xorn under the domain of the Court of Elemental Earth, found a mystical, yet fragile mechanical clock known as the Mechanical Clock of Urmushan that promised to increase his power twofold. Despite the protests of his loyal, dao servant Moluch ibn Taifar, The Evening Earth King tapped into the power of the clock, and was infected with evil becoming the Midnight Earth King. 
	Soon after this transformation, the Midnight Earth King’s home was turned into a place of horrors and the Mechanical Clock of Urmushan was hidden inside a throne of human fat the Midnight Earth King had purchased from some of his devil associates. 
	As the years passed the Midnight Earth King found himself in battle after battle with the forces of the Court of Elemental Good. Recently he found himself slowly losing power as the one thousandth anniversary of his empowerment by the clock approached. Fearful of this, he sent Moluch to investigate ways that one might empower oneself again with the clock. Moluch did so, using the vast libraries of the City of Brass, and not only discovered how to restore the power of his lord but also how to turn him to the power of good. He would have to get a group of noble-hearted mortals to shatter the clock, just before the time on it ran out. If, however, the clock were rewound the evil and power of his lord would be increased to its maximum once again. Moluch decided to betray his lord, and, in this manner, save him. 
	Moluch did not dare directly lie to his lord, so he instead told him that only a band of good mortals would be able to rewind the clock. The Midnight Earth King took what Moluch said as the truth, and instructed his chief salamander courier, Iva-ruch-al the Everburning to gather such a group of mortals with a lie about removing the evil from his heart so that he may be empowered once again. Iva-ruch-al the Everburning agreed, but decided to throw in tales about his old enemy, Moluch ibn Taifar, so that perhaps the dao might be removed once and for all.
	Enter the PCs.

* Basis *:
This adventure assumes that the group is primarily of good aligned characters that have some fame in the region. Previous interaction with the elemental planes is also helpful. Characters with high rank in search and gather information is essential.
The adventure begins with a salamander courtier, Iva-ruch-al the Everburning (a noble salamander), giving them an invitation to a ball in the Court of the Midnight Elemental King.

The invitation itself will serve as a gateway to the party and by tearing it on the hour of midnight on the night of the next full moon the PCs will be magically transported there. 

If the PCs do any research on the Midnight Earth King they discover that he is a member of the Court of Elemental Evil that has is renown for his elemental balls. He occasionally invites mortal these balls and they typically return in one piece, assuming that they do nothing to anger him.

* The Ball of the Midnight Earth King *:

If the PCs choose to go then the ripping of the note results in the PCs appearing before the Midnight Elemental King [Half-fiend elder xorn, 30 HD]. All around him are a plethora of Azer, Salamanders, Xorn, mephits, and genies of various sorts. In a gravely voice, the Midnight Elemental King welcomes them to his ball, and tells them to enjoy themselves and bring word of the hospitality of the Midnight Elemental King back to their home realm. 

The ball is dominated by the elementals dancing in bizarre forms and styles. In the corner is a band of jann whose raucous music frequently overwhelms the sound of voices. If the PCs wish to make conversation or gather information then they must do so in the ten minute breaks between the thirty minutes of music. Each gather information check requires two of these breaks to complete. 

The following pieces of information can be gathered if they ask the right sort of question and make Gather Information checks:

1)	The Midnight Earth King has been collecting clocks for centuries. For his own personal amusement he has a habit of hiding them in places that are directly proportional to their importance. (DC 25)
2)	The Midnight Earth King is currently losing out in his constant battles with the Noon-day Air Queen. He is growing desperate and is looking for some way to turn the battle back in his favor (DC 25)
3)	Moluch ibn Taifar has served the Midnight Earth King ever since the Midnight Earth King came to power, serving as his right hand man and chief enforcer. (DC 20)
4)	Iva-ruch-al the Everburning and Moluch ibn Taifar are old enemies and have been constantly at odds. The Midnight Earth King has kept that struggle from erupting into a battle so far but has also been showing increasing favor to Iva-ruch-al as of late. (DC 25)
5)	A powerful, visiting efreet noble by the name of Sheila Of the Ten Thousand Fire-spawned Diamonds will tell the PCs with a DC 30 information gathering check or a liaison with any particularly attractive PCs that Moluch ibn Taifar that was recently at the libraries of the City of Brass doing in-depth research on the Mechanical Clock of Urmushan. 
6)	An aging earth mephit servant will tell the PCS with a DC 30 information gathering check or a promise to aid him for an hour with his duties that the Mechanical Clock of Urmushan was the first clock that the Midnight Earth King ever collected and that his essence is directly tied to it.


If at any time the PCs approach the Midnight Earth King and question him about the clock he will insist that he lost it long ago and that it is no longer a thing of importance. If they press it further he will warn them away. If they get insistent he will send his honor guard of six xorn and six salamanders to destroy them. 

* Timed Encounters * 
At 1 AM Iva-ruch-al the Everburning, the Midnight Earth King’s chief salamander courier who brought the PCs the message, approaches the PCs and tell them that they were brought in for the purpose of completing an important mission. He can’t trust anyone in his court because of the fear of potential betrayal. Only the PCs, who are widely renown for their good hearts and dedication to justice, were considered above suspicion.
Iva-ruch-al the Everburning tells the PCs that the Midnight Earth King desires to change his ways and move towards the light. However, in order to do this the fragile but mystically powerful Mechanical Clock of v must be found and rewound. He warns them however; that there are powerful elements in the court would like to see the Midnight Earth King continue with his reign of darkness. He tells them to be particularly careful of the dao, Moluch ibn Taifar. 
He also warns them that they have until dawn, because of the Mechanical Clock of Urmushan strikes the hour of eight then the Midnight Earth King will remain a servitor of evil for another thousand years.  

At 3 AM, the Midnight Earth King will retire to one of his quarters for a while and will send Iva-ruch-al the Everburning to fetch the PCs. When they arrive he dismisses his servants. When he is alone with them he will tell them that the reason he does not pursue the clock himself is that he does not remember where he put it and if he is seen as actively wanting to change particularly evil elements of the court will likely rebel against him. Only by seeing it as a change brought about by outside forces will the court accept that the change was implemented by the dictates of the Path of the Four-Fold Elements. He says that all he can remember about the location of the Mechanical Clock of Urmushan but he remembers that the secret to finding it can be found within the Hall of Clocks. 

At 5 AM, or just before the PCs are heading to retrieve the clock, Moluch ibn Taifar will approach the PCs and request a private audience with them. If they agree then tells them that he knows that they are here to find the Mechanical Clock of Urmushan but that the information they have on its workings is wrong. He warns them that he has been with the Midnight Earth King since he was a normal xorn many years ago and that the Mechanical Clock of Urmushan is a thing of evil. The Midnight Earth King only became a half-fiend after he tied his essence to the clock and that the only way to free him would be to destroy it. He had decided to *betray* his lord to the PCs because the evil of the Midnight Earth King must not continue. If it does so it will only result in destruction for thousands of elemental creatures. 
 He also warns them that both Iva-ruch-al the Everburning and the Midnight Earth King are planning to betray them and destroy them once they reset the clock. If they reset the clock, which is something only good creatures can do, they will empower his evil for another thousand years and enable him to gain the edge he needs to kill the Noon-day Air Queen 

*Exploring the Palace of the Midnight Earth King*:
The Palace of the Midnight Earth King is divided into the following areas

1)	The Ball Room, which is described above.
2)	The Hall of Clocks:	The number of clocks in this area is almost disturbing. Hundreds and hundreds of clocks of all shapes, sizes, colors, and features can be found ranging from sun dials to the disturbing Bone Clocks, powered by negative energy, to the Fey Clocks which each house a miniature brownie responsible for making sure the clock works properly.
If the PCs investigate the clocks they won’t be able to find anything of interest or special importance, unless they specifically look for a pattern based on the time the clocks are showing. If they do so they will notice that in most cases the clock to the left of a particular clock is one hour earlier, each one to the right is one hour later and that the clocks above and below are each identical in time. After this a simple search check (taking five minutes) with a DC of 20 will be able to find all of the clocks that are not correct. If they are pull in correct order than the roof will open a number of wholes and start spewing out human fat for a few moments before they close up again. At that point a few random clocks are reset so that they point to an incorrect time.  
In the event the PCs fiddle with the clocks in some other way the clocks will reset themselves to their original locations after twenty minutes. 
3)	The Hall of Windows:	The windows open to countless vistas showing a variety of different planes and worlds. If an individual goes through one of the windows it serves as a one-way gate to said location.
4)	The Embassy of Fire:	This area serves as a gate to the elemental plane of fire, specifically the City of Brass. Visitors from this location must pass through the contingent of guards to go to and from the Palace. 
5)	The Embassy of Water This area serves as a gate to the elemental plane of water, specifically the Fortress of Ten Thousand Pearls. Visitors from this location must pass through the contingent of guards to go to and from the Palace.
6)	The Fortress of Earth: This serves as the main base of the Palace and is where all military and personal locations of the inhabitants of the fortress. The PCs will not be allowed in here unless they have the capabilities to fight their way through countless salamander and xorn guards. 

*Conlusion*:

Once the PCs have figured out that the clock is located within the confines of the throne of human fat they must find a way to access it without being caught onto. Considering that everyone of importance in the party wishes for them to actually find the clock, this is not too hard. Simply reaching into the human fat that composes the throne and feeling around will find it. Recovering it is simply a matter of pulling it out. 
Once the clock is pulled out it will begin ticking very loudly and everyone around the room will turn to look at the PCs. Moluch ibn Taifar will rush over and urge the PCs to destroy it. Iva-ruch-al the Everburning will insist that they not do that as it will result in a thousand years of hardship and woe. The Midnight Earth King himself will not intervene, instead sitting off to the side to see how this unfolds.
If the PCs destroy the clock then they have released the Midnight Earth King from his evil. Iva-ruch-al will be enraged and will attack the PCs. Interestingly enough, the throne of human fat will also, during the first three rounds of combat, reform itself as a human fat golem (consider it to be the equivalent of a flesh golem) and attack the PCs as well. 
If the PCs reset the clock then the Midnight Earth King laughs in a way that only earth elementals can and orders his guard of salamanders and xorns to kill the PCs and Moluch. Moluch calls them pathetic fools but yells that they must get to the Hall of Windows. The PCs must now flee the horde of a six normal salamanders and six normal xorns and make it to a window to some place safe. If for whatever reasons it looks like the PCs might defeat the guard then Iva-ruch-al will join the battle. If the PCs somehow defeat him too, the Midnight Earth King says they have earned the right to leave, but if they ever come back he will destroy them himself.  
	If the PCs choose merely to flee something similar to rewinding the clock happens, only the Midnight Earth King and Iva-ruch-al attempt to go after the PCs immediately, rather than letting them leave. 

* Aftermath *:
	If the PCs have freed the Midnight Earth King from the influence of the Mechanical Clock of Urmushan they have made a powerful, new ally in the elemental planes. The Midnight Earth King will gain the half-celestial template becoming the Dawn Earth King. He will also reward the PCs handsomely for their aid.
	In the event the Midnight Earth King remains a servant of evil and the PCs escape they have made a powerful, new enemy. The Midnight Earth King will periodically send his agents to harass the PCs. Of course, if the PCs rewound the clock than he will have a lot more power to expend for this, as he will have the ability to defeat the Noon-day Air Queen. In the event the PCs just fled then harassment will be rare as he will have to devote most of his resources to holding onto his realm.


----------



## Tuerny

Well it looks like I committed a fatal flaw. I put raucous music when I meant rousing.
Alas.



At least I was able to redeem myself after my last adventure.


----------



## Wicht

Congragulations to the last two winners 

I will be ready to go up against Rune anytime (except between noon and five tomorrow) but Wednesday morning or evening is fine.


----------



## Vaxalon

By means of a bump, I would like to state that as the finals get closer, I would appreciate it if the winner's competition against me be delayed until I say I am ready... I am preparing for this weekend's game, and that takes precedence... I am a DM first, Iron DM second, and I can't afford to be checking the boards on an hourly basis.


----------



## incognito

*Irony: let's talk turkey*

There is actually quite a bit of debate, even amongst those of the enlish literature bent about the proper use of Irony.

This is becasue  there is more than one type of Irony.  There are 4, In my literary opinion:

Socratic Irony: a pretense of ignorance and of willingness to learn from another assumed in order to make the other's false conceptions conspicuous by adroit questioning 

Dramatic irony is when an audience perceives something that a character in the literature does not know.

Verbal Irony: The use of words to express something other than and especially the opposite of the literal meaning.

Irony of situation: When there is a discrepency between the expected result and actual results

Usually, irony is also a form of humor because it can juxtapose two opposite ideas in a clever or unexpected manner. Irony is a difficult trope because a simple expression can be made ironic simply by changing the inflection of your voice. 

That being said, tarchon's situation is a little of Dramatic Irony, and Irony of situation, and is a very fine example:



> A real irony in this last sense would be something like if the bard had gone to the tree seeking knowledge of music and gained a stilted academic knowledge that snuffed the creativity of his music (turning him lawful). The plot plays on the audience's expectations (of the Tree of Knowledge) to deceive them about the true outcome





*This does not mean some of Tuerny's exmaples were invalid* although we all can agree some were contrived, or weak.

Especially the Set of statues: and here is why.  See our boy trarchon _assumed_ that the creature statues all pertified each other.  That may not be the cse, although both the PC's and the players may assume it is - creating a paranoid situation when the truth is something else entirely.

Alternately, you have the more obvious irony that all these creatures met their end in the same manner they so brusquely dole out to others.  Like it would be IRONIC if a dark ages exceutioner was himself beheaded - see the differrence btwn that and simple swordsmen? 

But I guess that's enough on this topic, let's stay focused


----------



## seasong

_Throne of human fat
Rousing music
Fragile mechanical clock
Salamander couriers
Betrayal
1/2 Fiend Xorn_

I really apologize for the length of this. The scenario got out of hand at about 2am this morning, and I just couldn't stop writing. If I lose for that, "I regret nothink!"

*The Clock of Elemental Evil (level 18-20)*

*Adventure Summary:* The PCs stumble onto the plot of a powerful fiend, and must set it right. A scenario that can easily be used for a Kick In The Doors campaign or an Intrigue & Puzzles campaign. 

*Background*

The majority of the adventure will be taking place in the Clock Tower. The clock itself was constructed by a somewhat mad wizard as a gift to the local community... so the local community can be anyone he would have felt indebted to, from a small village he was born in to a major city that sponsored him in its wizard university. It doesn't much matter, so cut and paste into the world and location of your choice.

If he'd known this adventure would stem from it, of course, he might never have built it in the first place.

The wizard was Urgid the Great, and he died fifty years ago, a decade or so after building the tower. Now referred to as Urgid's Clock (originally The Elementastic Clock Tower), it is considered the last marvel of his career, and the best.

The basic tower is a six story structure built around a single, massive water clock, and into which a thriving community of elemental creatures has been brought into service. Tours through the clock tower are a weekly occurrence, starting at the bottom and going up through the tower on a solid spiral staircase, coming out in the gardens at the top, and then following a second spiral staircase down the outside of the tower.

Every few days, the denizens of the tower put on a music production of some sort. The show is usually produced by the salamanders, but xorns have been known to add a bass element to the chorals, and the water elemental at the center of the clock has been known to sing in a surprising soprano when she can be bothered.

*The Elemental Community*

Xorns (of all sizes) form an industrious society near the base of the tower. Urgid has set up a rather unique enchantment for them, which alters their waste byproducts into rare ores, minerals and gems... so long as they remain working in the tower. It only works for wastes produced by xorns (it merely reassembles the components, it does not create them). In return, the xorns spend a chunk of each day swimming through the tower and making sure everything is working. They can generally be considered skilled laborers, capable of replacing parts, replacing masonry, and so on. The xorn society in the base of the tower rather resembles industrial age, blue collar rural - a typical xorn spends 4-12 hours a day doing a bit of labor, comes home to family, spends Friday nights playing poker with the buds... Xorns are all of average intelligence, and generally apathetic towards anything that is not _doing their job_ or _taste testing vanadium/corundum/etc_.

Mabilan, an elder water elemental (Huge, 40' tall in wave form) is actually the entirety of the water in the clock. Originally the 'goddess' of a small stream when Urgid found her, she now considers herself the 'goddess' of the flow of time. She's not insane, per se, but she definitely has a powerful opinion of herself. For the most part, Mabilan does not interact with the others but contents herself to flow up and down the water clock much as she did in the stream. When she does detect a problem (clogging in the flow, a leak, etc.), she usually taps on the walls near the xorns, who have an appropriate level of awe for her raw power.

At the top of the tower, there is a kind of aerie garden, intended for use by sylphs and their like. In general, however, it is unpopulated - the airy kind are too flighty to be bound to a particular place, and Urgid prefers willing servants. Occasionally a sylph (I'd use the dryad stats, but with air-related spell abilities) can be found in the garden.

Inside the main body of the tower is a small community of salamanders, led by Ur Shannar (a noble salamander and level 10-15 fighter), a tempestuous aristocrat with a strict code of honor. Ur Shannar serves in the tower as a matter of life debt to Urgid, but has come to enjoy the simplistic lifestyle that is required of her. The other salamanders are of all types, and are Ur Shannar's subjects. She and Mabilan have something of a petty feud going on, but it is not particularly real. The salamanders are the primary craftsfolk of the clock tower, producing gears when the xorns need replacements, creating and setting off pyrotechnics for special occasions on Urgid's calendar, and so on.

Two of the noble salamanders, in particular, have become enamored of entertainment as its own pursuit, and have gained levels in bard (in the recent past, they have been producing choral theatre productions). Their names are Maur Umisan and Ki Thanal. They're a bit bubble-headed, but the most friendly with all of the various denizens of Urgid's Clock and with the outside world.

*Enter The Fiend*

Fathashick is a fiend whose forte is necromancy. He is a Huge humanoid of corpulent dimension, vicious demeanor, and a subtle and cunning manner. His symbol is a throne of human fat, and has been mimicked occasionally by necromancers wishing to draw on his power. His stats are unimportant - if he ever actually shows up, it needs to be an epic level game anyway.

Regardless, his goal is to spread as much misery as possible, and to that end, he has taken an interest in Urgid's Clock, which easily represents one of the more powerful elemental factions in a single location on the Prime Material. Acquiring it, however, looked to be rather difficult.

So he created an _agent_, impregnating one of the xorns with his own foul essences, to birth Xiang, a half-fiend xorn of unusual intelligence (INT +4 for being a 1/2 fiend). Xiang, separated from his kind by his comparative brilliance, seduced by dreams sent from Fathashick, and spurned by the salamanders he thought he belonged with ("What does this earthy body of mine matter? Is it not our minds that matter?"), Fathashick gradually became a cleric of Fathashick (domains Death, Evil and Healing). Xiang has been Fathashick's agent now for a decade, and with Fathashick's aid, has gradually worked his way into the salamander's good graces. Recently, he has gained enough of Ur Shannar's respect to become her advisor and confidante.

Over the past year, he has been slowly persuading Ur Shannar to decide that her life debt to Urgid has been abused by Urgid, and that the region must (a) pay for the abuse and (b) bow down before Ur Shannar's might.

*Current Events*

Although honorable, Ur Shannar is still a salamander, and sometimes weak. Recently, she came to the conclusion that she would do these things... but still maintain the tower as she had promised.

Xiang, now confident of his position, has presented her with a means to the end. By creating a temple to Fathashick, Xiang will bring about the power Ur Shannar needs to rule a large area from inside the clock. The core of that temple will be a throne altar made of human fat tallow.

A few weeks ago, three tours went in to the tower and were reduced to a waxy tallow by salamanders under fear of Ur Shannar. A few more humans came in to investigate and were similarly transformed. The elementals in the clock tower are not very familiar with the world outside, and are not sure _why_ humans come in every week like clockwork - they just do, just like the clock hands always comes around to the top. The tours have stopped coming, however, and Ur Shannar and Xiang want to know why.

They will be sending out flame brother scouts (flame brothers are a type of lesser salamander) to acquire more humans to finish the throne. The flame brothers, however, are working for Maur Umisan and Ki Thanal. They don't know why Ur Shannar has suddenly changed, but it doesn't sit well with their own beliefs, so the flame brothers are carrying messages (engraved in small steel plates, in the Ignam language) from the two bards  (left behind when they take each victim - they don't dare not take a victim). This is the only current contact between the clock and the outside world, as Ur Shannar, possibly suspecting betrayal from the two, has declared a moratorium on choral productions.

*Hooks*

*Hook #1:* The obvious - the tours into the tower disappeared, and the townsfolk want to know why. The clock itself seems to be working perfectly otherwise. And now, recently, steel plates in an unknown tongue have been appearing... while citizens who are particularly fat have been disappearing. The PCs are hired to investigate.

*Hook #2:* The angsty - the PCs were on their way through town when a valued friend or henchman was taken. In his/her place is a steel plate written in Ignam.

*Hook #3:* The oblivious - the PCs need something from Ur Shannar or another elemental subtype. Salamanders are known as being among the world's best forgers of steel, and a artifact-level Flamebrand might need something made by them. Or perhaps they want to hire her (or even Mabilan) to assist them in a fight elsewhere. Or they might wish to steal the xorn's gem collection. Regardless, they want in the tower for their own purposes, and may or may not know about the current attitude towards humans.

*Hook #4:* The evil - the PCs are evil, and have been approached by Fathashick to assist Ur Shannar, in return for granted lands and powers within her future domain. Of course, the PCs may or may not suspect that Ur Shannar will just add them to her throne when she's done with them, or that Fathashick is intending to use Ur Shannar to take those lands for himself.

*Goals*

Oddly enough, this entire scenario can be completed with only one more death: Xiang's. Ur Shannar can be talked down and shown that her honor has not been abused, or Mabilan can be persuaded to cool things down and talk to her, the xorns could be convinced to help (the PCs would need to know how Xiang came about, though, or else they won't be bothered with it), etc. It's unlikely that Xiang can be talked down, however... he's spent a lifetime outside of society and developing his personal brand of smouldering hate for those who reject him.

However, it's likely that there will be a lot of beatdown and death anyway.

*Stop the Throne's Completion:* The real goal of the throne is to allow Fathashick to manifest in the tower. Once that's done, he's going to destroy the noble salamanders and any xorns that Xiang does not specifically request protection for, and establish a temple to spread his obscenity with. Depending on your campaign, the throne may be near or far from completion.

*Stop Ur Shannar:* Ur Shannar is powerful. She's a noble salamander with enough levels of fighter to pose a serious threat to your PCs. She can be stopped by killing her, persuading her that her honor has not been abused, persuading her that Fathashick/Xiang will betray her, or by persuading Mabilan to talk to her. There are also two bardic salamanders in her retinue who may be worth talking to - they have her ear somewhat better than the rest, although still not as well as Xiang.

*Stop Xiang:* If the PCs kill Ur Shannar, he will pose as her helpless servant unless he thinks the PCs know the truth. If the PCs attempt to attack him, he'll make a run for it, swimming into the earth itself. If the PCs have already talked to the xorns and explained to them what Xiang is (and who his father is), they will try to help stop him, mostly by blocking his immediate egress into the earth. Regardless, if he gets away, he can make a real dandy long-term villain. Give him enough levels of cleric to matter, but his real strength lies in his ability to persuade others to do bad things.

*Save Urgid's Clock:* It may seem silly, but Urgid's Clock is very important to the local people, and to numerous scholars, historians and fans of the mad old tinkerer. The xorn community and Mabilan can repair minor damage, but a real knock-down, drag-out fight could well destroy the clock. Refraining from its destruction should be worth some roleplaying XP.

Also, since it's not as blatant as the others, I thought I'd point out the various betrayal elements :
Xiang betrays everyone but Fathashick
Ur Shannar betrays her own honor (with potential redemption)
Maur Umisan and Ki Thanal betray Ur Shannar
Fathashick betrays everyone but Xiang


----------



## seasong

Now that I've posted...

Tuerny, looking good . We definitely went very different directions on this one... not something I was sure would happen with such specific-seeming ingredients. As before, I will save my commentary until after incognito has brutalized us .


----------



## incognito

*early submissions!*

I will take lunch hour at my desk (it is 11:30 here EST)
and read both submissions again, and declare a victor.

Seasong - 2 AM?  Dang,  that's devlotion to your craft!

Note that you BOTH had plenty of time to fine tune, you were not due for quite a while.  You can be sure something to this effect will pop up during commentary.

Rune/Wicht how are you guys situated for starting this afternoon?


----------



## seasong

*Re: early submissions!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> Seasong - 2 AM?  Dang,  that's devlotion to your craft!



Not my fault. My muse is a sadist.







> Note that you BOTH had plenty of time to fine tune, you were not due for quite a while.  You can be sure something to this effect will pop up during commentary.



Unfortunately, I can't edit myself without a day's worth of break in between writing and editting. I finished that this morning, right before bussing to work, and I did some last minute edits at work, but otherwise, I just can't see the numerous things that are probably wrong with it .

So, yeah, I know it could use more fine tuning, but I won't be able to do it until tomorrow.

Plus, sad as it is, I have to work at the workplace today .


----------



## Rune

*Re: early submissions!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> Rune/Wicht how are you guys situated for starting this afternoon?




Well...it _is_ game-night, tonight, but...what the hell.  I'm not running the game.

I go to work at won't be able to check the boards between 2 and 5 Eastern Time, but I'm good for this afternoon.  As long as it starts before my game, which is, Idunno, 7 or 8ish.


----------



## incognito

*Tuerny vs Seasong*

Well, well, well...I knew with this list of ingredients, that we would get some high magic scenarios, I just did not realize how high magic the minds of our aspiring IRON DMs could be!

Funnily enough, the two scenarios approach this story from two different directions.  Tuerny goes with the low level PCs as the dupes/shills and brings the PCs off the material plane, while seasong brings nearly the entire cast of elementals to the material, and has the PCs exposing the dupes/shills.  Amusingly, both parties incorporate a little sex in their entries this time ‘round!

Tuerny has indeed redeemed himself: capturing a worthwhile politic flashpoint that has a defined, time driven, storyline - reminiscent of ‘real time’ movies, or the recent television show ’24 hours.’  In a classic sense, the party members are the fall guys, and whatever path they choose to believe, they will pay a price.  Let’s look at some of the highpoints.

Good use of betrayal, and rousing music (I won’t count the typo against you Tuerny, given my past errors).  Single betrayal tends to resolve quickly, and violently, where multiple betrayals is the stuff of politics – The party will be drawn in by the rumor mill presented  by gathering information - or hey, maybe by the seductive Sheila Salamander (yuk, bad name).  Notice that Tuerny will not allow the plot to stagnate – he advances the story at certain time increments.  The main objective is made relatively easy, find the Throne, and withdraw the clock.  The dilemma in this case is who to trust. Where is that _divination_ spell when you really need it?  I can say that this adventure, unlike our ring of irony romp, has some meatiness to it – there is lots of stuff the PCs are likely to want to do – this is a good place to get into trouble of one sort or another.

Which does bring me to a few let down’s in the story.  The ½ Fiend Xorn is a little too removed from his own destiny.  This is the Xorn that quested for this artifact, yet now can’t get up off his earthy butt to determine the correct way to restore his power?  And if he trusts the Dao so implicitly, why is he finding more and more favor with ‘Iva-ruch-al’ (The betraying Salamander: I know, the sheer number of names in this round got my head spinning too).  Despite a well laid out ballroom scene/area, the rest of the palace really contains only one room worth mentioning – the clock room.  And I have to admit, I am pretty confused by the language as to what exactly this room does.  I get the significance of spewing human fat, as a hint. The expected leap of faith for the party to change the clock time (given the sheer number of clocks), is a little ambitious.  Finally, I have to add that the mechanical clock ingredient felt tacked on.  The item hidden in the throne of fat could’ve been ‘the well greased bicycle chain of power’ as easily as a mechanical clock.  That clock _never_ should’ve been hidden in the throne.  Mistake IMO. On the redeeming side, the concept of “time running out” and a mechanical clock is something that Tuerny exploited better than seasong.  

Let’s take a look at seasong’s entry now, seeing as how I’ve coincidentally mentioned her…

The ‘Good’basics.  Seasong’s set up is prettier, with better descriptive text, and a more vivid, enchanting location.  I want to see that tower , if I am a player in seasong’s world, more than I want to attend Tuerny’s ball.  Great NPC description and motivation.  Plot hooks!  The appetizer to any well thought out scenario, seasong has once again given her characters a reason to want to be a part of the…ahem…festivities. Next up, the betrayals in seasong’s submission are more heartfelt, and better woven.  Truthfully, seasong is an outstanding writer who makes us invest emotion in the NPCs – makes DMing this session easier, and is certainly a prime consideration in an IRON DM contest.

Unlike seasong’s last tale, however, this adventure has some cracks in the tapestry that are tougher for me to ignore.  Why are Xorns the ones repairing the clock, are they notable swimmers, besides being strong?  For that matter I have grave doubts about Salamanders being their at all.  It’s a WATER clock from cripes sake, seasong!  I might have been tempted to buy in if all 4 elements had a unified, strong presence in the clock, but you very clearly stated “the airy kind are too flighty to be bound to a particular place…” The other thing to consider here is the challenge rating for the players.  At high level, knowledge is king, and little or nothing is done to protect the web of intrigue you have strived so hard to create.  Stated simply, you need some obstacles to prevent a simple divination spell from making this a 1 hour encounter.  I’m not so much worried about the combat threats in this scene.  Although you state that a L15 fighter, Noble Salamander would be a serious threat to PCs, I’m pretty sure some of those high level spells would ruin his day. (Banishment/Dispel Evil – hey! Even Otto’s Dance).  I would’ve liked some nefarious plot devices to give this NPC and ‘Xiang’ some teeth.  Why is Xiang so persuasive by the way – average fiendish Xorn CHA is 12…

This one was actually a tough call.  I think seasong got a little ahead of herself trying to come up with a good challenge for high level play, and Tuerny got himself a little too spread out.  Remember the problem I mentioned of waning attention span?  I hit the wall with Tuerny.  I did have once question – if the PCs in Tuerny’s scenario end up giving the Xorn another 1,000 years of eeeevil power – why exactly have they made a “powerful, new enemy?”

The decision comes down to this: Is seasong’s tighter story and well fleshed plot hooks a stronger draw than Tuerny’s more fast and loose, but time based, conclusion driven  scene? Seasong gets me there and makes me happy I came, but I may undo all her threads quickly.  Tuerny gets me there, and I may miss some or all of what is going on, based on my skill set, but it will draw to a conclusion as either way.

In round one we saw Wulf lose, when a better story did not give the PCs enough chance to get involved.  This round, we will see Seasong win because although everything she created may well come undone, she got me there very and fascinated me with the scenario, even if I was able to (later) step all over her intent.

A close shave, but *SEASONG* takes it.


----------



## MerakSpielman

That's a really good scenario Seasong! Consider it stolen, as the elemental aspect will work really well in my next campaign.


----------



## Tuerny

*Re: early submissions!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *I will take lunch hour at my desk (it is 11:30 here EST)
> and read both submissions again, and declare a victor.
> 
> Seasong - 2 AM?  Dang,  that's devlotion to your craft!
> 
> Note that you BOTH had plenty of time to fine tune, you were not due for quite a while.  You can be sure something to this effect will pop up during commentary.
> 
> Rune/Wicht how are you guys situated for starting this afternoon? *




I unforunately also really lack the time to go back and edit and re-edit it until it meets my vision of perfection. To many other projects I am involved in at the moment, though I really wish I had put rousing music in instead of raocous music.

::sighs::


----------



## incognito

Tuerny, seasong - it took me 2 hours just to write the review!!!

glad I did not run a double today!

Where oh Where is Wicht?


----------



## Tuerny

Congratulations seasong 

Yours really was a great scenario, I could have very well seen it going either way. 

Good luck against the winner of the next round and, if you make it that far, the dreaded Vaxalon!


----------



## seasong

Now that's the kind of pain I like. I'll see if I can patch some of those gaping holes when I get off work .

For the record, I thought Tuerny had me beat.

Regarding the water clock construction & maintenance, however, I stand by my story. The xorns are perfect for the job, and so are the salamanders. Heck, I wouldn't have had the idea until I read the MM descriptions . I'll cover that later, too, while I'm patching the holes you poked.


----------



## Lordnightshade

I thought the Xorns and the Salamanders worked really well, seeing as Xorns can swim through the stone of the clock tower to make repairs wherever they were needed (they could get to many places inaccessible to anyone else) And the salamanders worked good for forging the gears and things that needed to be replaced. 


EXCELLENT job there Seasong!


----------



## Wicht

> Where oh Where is Wicht?




You called?

I just got home. 

I am ready to go whenever Rune is.


----------



## incognito

I am all for the Salamanders crafting and the Xorn's swimming if we hadn't made this a WATER clock, as I stated.  How about a solid state, stone clock...

A) There was no story element which required it (just had to be fragile, and mechanical)
B)They can swim through any stone or earth EXCEPT METAL (see the SRD, my doubting Thomases!)

1-800-IM RIGHT

   

(just a little humor , guys...take this post with a grain of salt)


----------



## incognito

*Serendipity baby!*

Rune/Wicht

you guys are up - I know Rune is at work, but he will pick the thread up at 5, and I would expect during 24 hours, at least some time would be lost.

6 ingredients
Water table
Gibbous moon
A noble sacrifice
Autumn
Elite kobold knights
Medallion of thoughts

the time is now 3:30 EST, by my count...

good luck, that last round had ME sweating


----------



## seasong

incognito said:
			
		

> I am all for the Salamanders crafting and the Xorn's swimming if we hadn't made this a WATER clock, as I stated.  How about a solid state, stone clock...



Ah, I see the problem - visual .

A water clock is mostly stone by mass, with a few rare ceramic exceptions. Urgid's Clock also includes (quite naturally) a six story stone building which also requires maintenance. There's plenty for the xorns to do.







> A) There was no story element which required it (just had to be fragile, and mechanical)
> B)They can swim through any stone or earth EXCEPT METAL (see the SRD, my doubting Thomases!)
> 
> 1-800-IM RIGHT



I called and called and called, but no one answered. And the whole time, my phone was ringing, but as soon as I switched over, nothing. Very annoying.


----------



## incognito

huh - lookit that - maybe there _was_ a visual disconnect there, seasong....

The waterclock I saw was mostly glass and metal, with the water acting to turn a bunch of gears, levers, and spindles (which were in there as much for display as for funtion).

With a huge, elder water elemental inside I got the impression of 6 stories, but narrow in diameter, and...per the ingredient...fragile (fragile stone clock gears is harder for my coarse imagination to wrap around).

Still thinking that Salamander is just waiting to hack that water elemental...heh!


----------



## seasong

incognito said:
			
		

> *huh - lookit that - maybe there was a visual disconnect there, seasong....
> 
> The waterclock I saw was mostly glass and metal, with the water acting to turn a bunch of gears, levers, and spindles (which were in there as much for display as for funtion).*



*Honestly, a lot of it COULD be glass... but glass is just melted, fine sand for the most part, which does not have the metal problem for the xorns. And even with a lot of glass, there will be a veritable TON of stone to support it.

And fragile? Heck yes. It's fragile even if the cistern is solid stone - the clock parts are mostly hanging gears and carefully balanced weights. Without them, you've got a very expensive water storage tube.

But a visual disconnect is the author's burden, so mea culpa.








			With a huge, elder water elemental inside I got the impression of 6 stories, but narrow in diameter, and...per the ingredient...fragile (fragile stone clock gears is harder for my coarse imagination to wrap around).
		
Click to expand...


The gears are metal - hence the salamanders. I probably should have included some discourse on the design of water clocks .








			Still thinking that Salamander is just waiting to hack that water elemental...heh!
		
Click to expand...


Yeah, I would have liked to have put together a bit more on their "friendly feud". Especially since the water elemental is such a delightful combination of simple mind + megalomania.*


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## seasong

Okay, it's earlier than I expected, but it looks like I've got some time to post, so...

Firstly, Tuerny, you rock . From the elemental plane politics to the stooge factor, I'm stealing a bunch of it. Especially since I saw that you and I had _both_ used the clock to frame the scenario... only you'd framed the scenario in _time_ instead of space. And while your setup might have been lacking a bit, you more than made up for it with a crafted scenario that could go a lot of different ways... without ending the scenario. So, I know this isn't _nemmerlesque_ critique, I just really liked your scenario.

Now, on to my thoughts on mine.

*Elements:* My use of the rousing music was weak. And I think that the fragility of the clock was not tied well enough into the scenario. Despite these two weaknesses, I thought that my use of the 1/2 fiend xorn, salamander couriers (with the etched metal messages) and betrayal were all very good. I'm pretty mediocre on the throne of fat - it wasn't weak, but I didn't bring out the lovely imagery it screamed for!

*Major Flaws:* Definitely need to go over it with a fine-toothed comb for knowledge magics. Xiang could perhaps be given some good counters.

For combat, also, Xiang should perhaps have more bite .

Ur Shannar, on the other hand... Well, we disagree on how scary Ur Shannar is, but for me, it boils down to this: a wizard can potentially (25% chance) _banish_ Ur Shannar in a single round. Ur Shannar can potentially (~60% chance) kill a CON 12 wizard in a single round. Me, I'd find that scary. (work shown below)

Wizard, INT 20, Banishment, save DC is 22
Ur Shannar, Will save +16, has to roll a 5 or less to fail (25%)

Ur Shannar, BAB 38/33/28, spear dmg 3d8+13 (including specialization) (avg 26.5)
Wizard, AC 20, hp 70, Ur Shannar has to roll a 1 to miss
3 hits = avg 75.5 hp, wizard dead or dying

*Stepping On Intent:* Agh! Yes. I'm generally good enough (or evil enough) that I can pull this sort of thing off, but a prepackaged scenario for public consumption needs to have everything covered. Not everyone can be a seasong . Divination protection for certain aspects of the intrigue (so the players have to _work_ their spells to get the data) would be the big first step for that.

*Xiang's CHA 12:* Actually, if I'd statted everything out, he would have had higher WIS and CHR for his cleric class - I saw him as being built like a PC, rather than strictly a xorn. But I, ah, didn't actually communicate that .


----------



## alsih2o

hey kids, if you don't mind me pimping it...

 i am starting a similar thread in the art forum for folks who wanna join in.

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=29116

 similar but different, the art thread will not be a competition (yet  ) but is based more on drawing (or sculpting, painting, rendering) differently than we normally do and looking to improve ourselves through regular practice.

 since i had my butt handed to me over here (hi tuerny  ) i have the time to do parrticipate, weekly assignments, any level of development allowed.


----------



## incognito

*again, exposition*

Many thanks to seasong for the insight into the driving forces behind the scenario!

Tuerny - go for it man!  Let the inquiring minds of IRON DM hear what you have to say about the bursts of imagination that gave rise to this very well done adventure.

I'll say it again, with emphasis... *close shave*


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

*Re: Tuerny vs Seasong*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *In [Tuerny's entry], the party members are the fall guys, and whatever path they choose to believe, they will pay a price.*






> *A close shave, but SEASONG takes it. *




Geez, I can't even serve as a decent cautionary example.


Wulf


----------



## Tuerny

Ha ha, 
If you insist incognito.

Actually I am not sure what exactly inspired me to write the adventure. The main thing that jumped out at me were the pair of elemental type creatures so I thought it would naturally have to be in some sort of elemental region.

The rousing music sounded like it leaned towards some sort of party.

The Xorn was half-fiend and anything that had a throne of human fat obviously would be something created by an evil force.  Since I as already planning on making the plane in the elemental planes, I decided to make the Midnight Earth King an evil elemental ruler, with the salamander couriers, being his servant in some sort of mixed-elemental party.

To be quite honest I am not sure where my idea for the usage of the clock came from. Inspiration is a fickle muse and that she is purely responsible for my choice in this case. 

The betrayal were the hardest part to work into the adventure. In my earlier versions of the adventure the Midnight Earth King was genuinely trying to revert to good, and the dao was going to betray him by ambushing the PCs. However, as I worked on it, it occured to me that it would be a much more rewarding and dastardly adventure if things weren't so clear-cut for the poor, unfortunate PCs. When I am GMing I like to make things as multi-layered and obscured as possible so I thought I should carry that over into this adventure as well, since the betrayal ingredient seemed to scream for it so.  

Seasong, I was also highly impressed with your scenario. It was set-up in a manner similar to how I usually write up my own personal adventures with a location, some important NPCs that I know really well, and a vague idea of how I want things to go. Most groups I have been with have been a bit too unpredictable to really be able to write a structured adventure for, so I just go from the basis I have written. 

I did think you sort of fell short in using the rousing music aspect of the scenario but otherwise I am suitably impressed in the implementation of the ingredients. 


Does that work incognito?


----------



## seasong

Just a note that I will not be able to compete on Friday. As long as the deadline is Saturday afternoon, I don't care, but if the finals deadline on Friday, I can't make it .


----------



## incognito

much obliged Tuerny!

seasong: I also have Friday off coincidentally...

I can either given the keywords sometime Saturday/Sunday,  or simply wait until Monday morning.

when we see who the winner of today's round is, we can resolve scheduling conflicts - as Vaxalon (the defending champ), is only available next week as well!


----------



## Wicht

*Dog Days and Kobold Knights*

_*“Dog Days and Kobold Knights”* is a 3e adventure for a party of 7th to 8th level PCs.  It features an enigmatic message from the gods, a princess kidnapped by kobolds, a drought and a noble sacrifice.  There are two distinct parts to the story involved in this adventure.  While the main text of the adventure devotes itself to the second half of this story, creative DMs can easily introduce the PCs to the events of the story during the first half and some ideas are presented later to help do just that.  The Kingdom of Klusky, featured in the adventure, can be easily changed to suit  any campaign.  The three gods involved should be a lawful evil deity worshiped by kobolds, a chaotic good deity worshiped by elves and a lawful good deity worshiped by humans._

*Synopsis*
A severe drought has hit the land, lasting through the spring, summer and now into autumn.  As hope fails, a divine message is sent, a noble sacrifice at the right time will bring rain.  A sacrifice is prepared and the PCs are hired by the king to carry out the sacrifice at the proper location.  Before the PCs can do that, the kings daughter is kidnapped by kobolds who intend to use her as a “noble” sacrifice to bring rain.  The king sends the PCs to rescue the princess.  The PCs descend through a deep well, giving chase to the kobolds who are in fact heading to same spot the PCs were hired to make sacrifice at.  Events come to a head when, upon arriving at the Table of Water, the PCs find that a group of Elves has arrived to sacrifice their high-priest in order to bring rain.  Which group will end up making a noble sacrifice?  Only the actions of the PCs will decide.

*Background *
The Kingdom of Klusky has been experiencing an extended drought.  Not a drop of rain has fallen since the winter snows melted.  Furthermore, a strange sign has been noticed in the sky.  The dog constellation, normally seen only during the dry summer months, has been prominent in the sky during the whole course of the drought.  This has caused many to speculate that the drought is of divine origin.  Perhaps the gods are displeased with the people for some reason.  The clerics of Klusky’s primary deity, a lawful good god of sun and rain, has been silent throughout the spring and summer.

The Kingdom is not alone in its problems.  The drought has affected two other kingdoms near to Klusky.  The first is the elven kingdom north of Klusky.  Like Klusky, the elves are unable to discern the reason for the drought, though they too have recognized the divine hand at work.  The second kingdom near Klusky to be affected is a large underground kingdom of kobolds.  These kobolds are sometimes a minor nuisance to the people of Klusky, but few suspect its true size.  The kobolds in question have developed a rigid society, held together by a respect for law and a devotion to their god.  The drought has affected them as well for the water table has almost vanished and the underground springs are drying up.  

In fact the drought is a test, arranged by the mutual consent of the three deities in question.  Each noticed their devotions had decreased of late and each wished to spur their followers on to greater adoration and respect.  Therefore they arranged a drought.  But they have also each agreed to a contest to see which has the more devoted and wiser followers.  As autumn began, each sent a vision to every single one of their clerics, asking for a noble sacrifice to bring rain.  They are testing, first, how their followers will interpret a “noble sacrifice,” and secondly, which will be the one to actually offer the sacrifice at the proper location.

The kobolds have decided that the sacrifice of the virgin daughter of the King of Klusky will fit the bill.  They have made arrangements for their best soldiers, knights in service to their own king, to kidnap the girl and transport her to the Table of Water where they will offer her to their god for a bride.  The marriage ceremony will unfortunately include the death of the girl.

The elven high priest has decided that the most noble sacrifice possible is himself.  He therefore plans to travel with a small group to the Table of Water where he will lay himself on the table and call down pillars of fire upon himself, giving his life for that of his people.

The humans have decided…  well that’s where the PCs come in

*Plot Hooks*
The DM can introduce the PCs to this scenario in a number of ways.  If the PCs possess a cleric of one of the deities in question, then he will receive the vision like every other cleric in the realm.  The vision will come at the first full moon of the fall, giving the people three full weeks to come up with their sacrifice.  The vision is simply that of a night sky above a strange stone table (the Table of Water).  The constellation of the dog is reflected in the water as is a gibbous moon.  A voice then intones, “When gibbous shines the harvest moon and arid stars linger, Rain will come with sacrifice: Noble, Pure and Good.”

If the DM desires to bring the PCs into the plot at this early stage, they can be commissioned by the king to search for a proper sacrifice.  Visiting different sages will give the PCs different answers to the sacrifice.  Some ideas for the sacrifice are as follows:
1) A young gold dragon
2) A vessel of pure water
3) A holy sword
4) A flawless diamond

DMs should feel free to expand on any of these ideas but must remember that the PCs will only have two weeks to fetch the item in question.  In truth, the gods are more interested in how their demands are interpreted than the actual sacrifice (with an exception, as noted in the conclusion.)

If the DM decides to bring the party in after the item has been chosen, the king and his advisors have decided to offer up the king’s holy sword, a relic from his ancestors.  It is in fact a +5 holy sword.  Ideally, the PCs (assuming they are good aligned) will be called by the king who wishes for them to carry his sword to the Table of Water where they are to offer it up as a sacrifice.  The king offers to richly reward them if the rains come.  

If the DM wishes to not have the PCs be the party making the sacrifice for the kingdom, then the kidnapping of the princess by the kobolds can introduce the PCs to the events of the story.  In such a case the DM should arrange for a party of Clerics sent by the king to also be at the Table of Water at the climax of the adventure.

*A Kidnapping*
However the DM arranges it, the PCs should be at the kings castle when the events described hereafter unfolds.  

In the courtyard of the castle of Klusky is a deep well which has never gone dry.  Even now, there is still a small amount of water in its depths.  However the water table has been so lowered by the drought that the depth of the water at the bottom of the well is only about a foot deep.  The kobold knights, sent by their king, have found the well to be the perfect way into the castle of Klusky, for there is now a passage at the bottom, where once there was a swift underground stream.  A week before the gibbous moon, fourteen days after the vision, a squad of kobolds ascends into the castle, sneaks into the princesses’ chamber and kidnaps her, carrying her back down the well.  

An alarm is raised, and the king, now more mindful of his daughter than of the drought, demands the PCs descend down the well and rescue her.  The demands are of course laced with offers of rich reward mixed with dire threats for failure.  

*The chase*
The kobolds have planned well and have left numerous challenges for any pursuers.  Tracking the kobolds through the underdark should not be difficult, but the kobolds should always be at least a few hours ahead of the PCs (no matter how slow or fast the PCs move they should have a constant sense of being just behind the kobolds.  

Some of the encounters should include:
1) An umber hulk left at the bottom of the well to slow down pursuit.  This brute has been “tamed” and trained by the kobolds and a kobold handler (Rog 3, Exp 2) gives orders to the umber hulk.  Should the PCs kill the handler, there is a good chance the umber hulk will grow confused and either falter or flee (or it might attack in rage).

2) A corridor with a series of wire triggered traps (falling rocks, etc.).  A group of three kobold knights is at the other end (Rog 3, Fgt 2), waiting to pepper PCs with arrows as they attempt to cross the corridor.  DMs should take care to present the kobolds as a dichotomy of values.  On the one hand these particular kobolds see nothing wrong with stabbing their opponent in the back.  On the other hand, they are well trained and will meet death with honor, even saluting their opponents as they die or as they kill them.  They are evil, but they are also extremely lawful honoring the three concepts of Land, Law and Lord.  

3) Two basilisk in cages.  The cages are rigged to open when the PCs trip a wire.

4) A huge earth elemental.  This is not a trap and the encounter can be made more interesting by the addition of a few kobold bodies, suggesting the kobolds themselves fought the elemental as they passed.  The elemental will attack anyone in its territory, until either they flee, take away half its hit-points, or manage to get around it.

5) A great gulf (a hundred feet across and just as deep that must be crossed.  The kobolds had a rope bridge they used, but they cut it after crossing.  

6) A mass of 20 to 30 goblin warriors waiting to ambush the party.  These goblins are servants of the kobolds, but they are thirsty as well and having been told that the PCs will prevent water from coming again, they will fight fanatically.  If captured, the goblins will talk (unlike the kobold knights) and will relate the fact that the kobold clerics received a vision calling for sacrifice

The PCs should be underground for a week, following the kobold trail through mile after mile of tunnel and obstacles.  Eventually the Kobolds will surface at a cave near to the Table of Water.  The PCs should exit the cave just as the sun is setting and the real fun should start.

*Sacrifice at the Table of Water*
The Table of Water is an ancient and sacred place.  It is a large stone table, slightly concaved, in which there is always a thin layer of water.  The table top rest upon a large rock engraved with ancient and unknown letters.  Legend says that one can sometimes see the future reflected in the water.  Others say that the water upon the table is sacred to the gods and can sometimes cure disease.  One interesting fact not often noticed is that the table never reflects the sun or moon, though it reflects the stars and the clouds with mirror like clarity.

The table is located in a clearing at the very peak of an old hill.  PCs should be able to follow the kobold tracks to the table even if they do not recognize their locale. As the PCs approach the table, the kobolds already have the princess dressed for her “wedding” to their god and have her bound upon the table.  At the same time, a group of elves is approaching from the north.

The ten kobolds (8 of which are knights (Rog 3, Fgt 2)) are led by a 6th level cleric and a 5th level sorcerer.  The elves, a party of five, are led by a cleric (8th level).  The high priest of the elves wears a _Medallion of Thoughts_ and also a _Ring of Truth_ (operates as a detect lies spell).  This makes it hard for people to lie to him (which may be important in any negotiations with him.)  With the priest are two of his fellows (5th level clerics) and two bodyguards (6th level fighters).  

Though one can never tell exactly how these things will play out, the elves will likely assist the PCs in fighting the kobolds.  The kobold priest will attempt to sacrifice the girl while the others fight.  It will take him 6 uninterrupted round to complete his ritual.  If the girl dies, rain will come immediately and the remaining kobolds will attempt to flee back to their caverns.

If the PCs and the elves defeat the kobolds, the elvish cleric will demand they allow him to offer himself.  The PCs may or may not agree to this.  If they try to stop it, it will take intense diplomacy to get the cleric to agree to let them offer an alternate sacrifice first.  If they do not stop him, he will die upon the altar, calling a pillar of fire upon himself and the rain will come, but with disastrous results.

*Conclusion*
The best outcome is, of course, the PCs being allowed to offer up whatever sacrifice they have prepared or been given.  Doing so will bring rain if the sacrifice fits the three qualities required.  When the rain comes, the dog constellation will vanish from the sky, returning the following year only at its normal time.

Should the sacrifice made by either of the good aligned groups (the elves or the humans) involve a sentient being, the rains will bring with them great floods that will destroy many villages and homes in both the elven and human kingdoms.    

If the rain comes, the king will handsomely reward the PCs and even more so if they save his daughter.  The reward can be whatsoever the DM decides is fitting but can easily include land and titles.  If the PCs prevent the high-priest from sacrificing himself and manage to bring the rain, he will be embarrassed and ashamed and will offer the PCs either his medallion or his ring out of gratitude for the lesson learned.


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## Greybar

Wicht,

Beautiful.  I loved the title "Dog Days and Kobold Knights" and it got better from there.  I would run this for the players in my game (who are at 8th) if I could fit it.

John


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## Rune

*Figments of Thought*

_Ingredients:_
Water table
Gibbous moon
A noble sacrifice
Autumn
Elite kobold knights
Medallion of thoughts

This scenario is designed to be played with four low level characters, anywhere between levels 1 and level 3 should provide a good game, depending on the degree of challenge that the players and the DM prefer.

_History:_
A simple, seemingly innocent medallion passes through history in the hands of children.  This bauble is small and most curious; its origin is unknown.  It is also cursed; it feeds on the thoughts of people, but children especially.  When in the possession of this medallion, the child will begin to have wildly fantastic dreams and daydreams, far more so than is characteristic to even the most imaginative child.  Unfortunately, this is only a secondary power of the item.  This medallion also has the ability to create reality out of thought.  More specifically, it takes the thoughts (fantasies, usually) and creates real, physical representations of them somewhere in the local vicinity.  Once created, these fantasies are completely uncontrolled, save for an inexplicable desire to possess the medallion.  They are their own entities--and they may well be malevolent.  This would be but a minor problem, if it was known, but the medallion has, thus far, never been connected with the presence of these "living fantasies."  Part of the reason for this is that it has the unusual ability to avoid detection by any adult who is not specifically looking for it.

No records exist that indicate that an adult might ever have possessed the medallion; in all cases, the child in possession of the medallion has perished well before reaching maturity.  Upon the death of the child, all of the manifested figments of imagination resulting are snuffed out of existence with the thought of the child and the medallion, once again, becomes lost to history, until it is found by another child.  

_Background:_
Two days ago, one such boy has found the medallion while out "adventuring" in the fields near his village, a six-year old boy named Halel.  His head was always full of fantastic stories of the "heroes of yore," but now his every waking--and sleeping--moment is consumed by fantasy.  This wouldn't trouble the villagers so much, except that, currently, these fantasies, fairy-tales and bedtime threats seem to be coming to life.

These are not the village's only problems, of course.  Because of a slight drought and subsequent poor harvest the year before, the villagers have found a druid who agreed to aid in calling forth rains during the planting and growing seasons.  In exchange, he set forth this price:

_When fat the moon,
but not yet full,
abundance soon
will call its due.

Rain-saved fields
drown through and through
when harvest gold
calls for its fool 

When fields yield well,
your dead shall rise
in a lake not here,
yet welling from the grave._

By this, the druid meant to say that the extra rains that he has called forth will cause the water table to rise to such an extent that the graveyard in the lower valley is going to be covered up by a lake.  He has no idea that the dead really would rise; he merely meant that they would float to the surface of the lake (which, strictly speaking, isn't even true, as they are buried).  Clearly, the druid is no master wordsmith; his obfuscated jumble of imagery falls short of the wit and wisdom that his inflated ego insists exists.  His confusing riddle only points out the natural consequences of bringing too much rain into the region.

The villagers, however, believe that he has caused the lake to form on the graveyard and caused the dead to come forth from it.  The dead, as a matter of fact, have begun to crawl forth from the lake.  In reality, these are the medallion’s undead, they are not the deceased ancestors of the villagers.  Last night, in frustration with Halel's over-active imagination, his parents told him that the zombies from the graveyard would come eat him, if he did not go to bed--a common enough bed-time threat in the village.  Halel dwelled on that prospect for a period of time that was far too long to be healthy; now, unfortunately, they actually _are_ coming to eat him.

Of course, these are not the only legends walking the land.   In the short period that Halel has possessed the medallion, he has thought into existence both the Elite Kobold Knights of the Lizard King and the Valiant Prince Wurger and his Lady, Hals, for whom he sacrificed his life, as the fairy-tales tell, so that she might live happily ever after.

_Hooks:_
This adventure takes place in Autumn (day or night), while the (or, at least _a_) moon waxes beyond the half-full state, that is, it is gibbous and waxing, nearly full.  It is the eve of a night holy to the druids in the region and observed in wild revelry in the village; the first full moon of the harvesting season is a very important night.  If the PCs are to encounter this village, they will need to be traveling in an area with rolling hills, for this is where the village rests.  As the PCs descend into the valley, they will see a cluster of cozy houses just above a beautiful lake, both in the midst of lush vegetation.  It is harvest time and the village clearly has a plentiful crop.

However the PCs happen upon the village, they should soon realize that a mystery (or, perhaps several mysteries) confounds the village.

Any time spent in conversation with the villagers will reveal that they are very nervous about something, however peaceful their surroundings may appear.  Apparently, many of them believe that certain common legends have been coming to life.  The PCs may even have heard of some of these legends.  The two most prevalent ones follow:

_Once, many a year ago, in a land not too distant, lived the great and powerful Lizard King.  He was a brother to the dragons, similar to them, but bound to the land, for he had no wings.  His kingdom was great, for it was wealthy and strong, but Lizard King was lonely.  His life lacked love.  One day, he gathered together his greatest warriors, his elite kobold knights--the cousins of the dragons--to search the land far and wide for a bride for the Lizard King.  But no bride was to be found.  In disgrace, the knights returned to the Lizard King and trembled at his feet.  The Lizard King knew then that he must die alone.  But the knights would not have it.  They said to the king, “We will find a magician and he shall make you a bride.”  And they went to find a magician.  And, lo!  The knights did find a magician, but the magician said that he could only make a bride for the Lizard King with the draconic blood of the knights.  For days the knights deliberated, but finally, they decided that they should sacrifice themselves that their Lizard King might have a mate.  Some say, however, that they have seen the elite kobold knights of the Lizard King of late.

Not so long ago, but still within the days of yore, Valiant Prince Wurger fell in love with the most beautiful maiden in the world, Lady Hals.  It came to pass that Lady Hals was once kidnapped by Prince Wurger's wicked brother, who intended to force her to marry him.  Prince Wurger knew that his brother was jealous of the Prince and desired the throne, which was Wurger's inheritance.  He, therefore, went before his brother and begged him to free the Lady Hals.  He made his brother sign an oath of blood that stated that Lady Hals could go free, safely and untroubled, if Prince Wurger stayed in her place to be dealt with as his brother wished.  The brother agreed and became king, while Prince Wurger spent the rest of his life rotting in a dungeon cell.  Rumor implies that both Prince Wurger and Lady Hals are at last reunited in this time and place._

Most of the villagers have yet to add the zombies from the graveyard to their list of walking fantasies, but a few of the villagers that have been down by the lake may tell the PCs that they've seen people climb out of it.  Should the PCs go down to the lake, they will possibly encounter a group of 1-6 zombies either climbing out of the lake, or milling about on the edge.  They will certainly fight if provoked, but do not even notice the PCs, or anyone else, for that matter, otherwise.  They are being drawn toward the medallion that created them and are slowly, almost sporadically, making their way toward it.

If the PCs are not sufficiently swayed by any of these tales to stay within the village and snoop around, an encounter with Halel might well change their minds.  The PCs should be able to immediately tell from conversation with the boy that his mind is overactive--his thoughts feverish.  He speaks of the living legends almost as if he has gone out and seen them all; if the PCs later encounter these legends, they may chance to notice that the boy's attention to detail is uncanny, particularly since Halel has yet to encounter any of the legends, himself.  They are coming, however, as the PCs may discover.

_The trouble with thinking:_
While in (and around) the village, the PCs may:


...investigate the newly risen lake.  If they actually go to the lake, they will surely encounter some zombies on the way toward the town and still more crawling from the lake.  These zombies do not attack them, or even seem to notice them, unless provoked, at which time, they will fight as they normally would.  The PCs may assume that the presence of the zombies is linked with the rising of the lake, especially if they manage to hear an account of the druid's "prophesy."  Even more misleading, the only accurate account of the "prophesy" will come from the village's mayor.  The rest of the villagers will say things like, "That druid cursed us in return for the rains.  He told us he’d make the dead rise from his lake and he did.  If everybody would have listened to me, we never would gone to him with our problem in the first place."  If the PCs, for some reason, actually swim to the bottom of the lake, they will see that a graveyard does, indeed, rest in the center of it.
...seek out the druid.  It is possible for the PCs to find the druid who helped the village to prosper during the planting and growing seasons in the local countryside, though it would not be easy.  Their best course of action would be to hire a tracker, although a druid in the party might be able to find the other druid with a successful wilderness lore check at DC 20.  The druid, of course, knows nothing about the living legends, nor does he know about the undead.  If the PCs can stand talking to the obnoxious man long enough, they may learn that the rain-summoning ceremonies were actually rituals requiring a full dozen druids.  These other druids are not to be found locally, but will be back in the vicinity during the full moon.
...do a little investigating to discover the cause of the rumors of living fairy-tales.  Their best source, as many will tell them, is to speak with the town historian, a withered old man who has memorized much of the local oral lore.  In fact, while the recent events are shocking, the historian will inform the party that they have happened at least thrice before.  In each case, the events culminated in the death of a single child by legends--even, in one case, a good legendary figure.  The historian has no clue why this may be and he has absolutely no records that the medallion even exists.
...try to find the living fairy-tales.  The zombies should be fairly easy to come across, should the PCs go looking for them, but the kobolds, Prince Wurger, and Lady Hals are all actively (and seperately, in the case of the kobolds) avoiding detection and would be exceedingly difficult to locate in the surrounding countryside.  A successful track check at DC 25 might locate one of the two parties, but they will certainly not stay to converse with the PCs if they are found.
...speak with the children of the village.  It will not take long for the PCs to learn that one of the children in town, Halel, has had an uncharacteristically over-active imagination lately.  Many of the children--and not a few of their parents--believe that the child is cursed and wonder if his imagination might have something to do with the walking legends.  Their tone is generally superstitious and generally incredulous.
...speak with Halel.  If this is the first time that the PCs have encountered Halel, they will discover that he is, apparently, quite a bright kid with a hyperactive imagination.  He is constantly chattering about various different legends and fairy-tales, but often comes back to the tales of the kobold knights and of Prince Wurger, two of his favorites.

_Concluding thoughts:_
At some point, the PCs may figure out that there is something about this boy that is, in fact, causing the fairy-tales to manifest themselves.  If they think to ask Halel about any unusual things that have happened to him lately, Halel will not think to mention his discovery of the medallion, unless the PCs very specifically lead him in that direction.  If they think to query him on any unusual items he may have found, he will readily remember the medallion, at which point, the PCs will be able to notice it hanging around his neck.  This, of course, is only half the solution.

Somehow, in order to spare the boy's life (whether they know it or not), the PCs will have to convince the boy to part with the medallion.  They don't have long to act, in two nights' time, the kobolds will raid the town, riding in on ponies, and generally smash up the town as they seek for the boy with the medallion.  The kobolds are not being discrete, nor particularly discerning; any innocents that they come across during their raids are systematically tortured with typical kobold cunning and, ultimately, killed.  There are five kobolds, each with 3 levels of Fighter.  The village has no real guard to oppose them, but can call forth men in defense when necessary.  It can, within 2d4 rounds of the start of the raid, produce a standing force of fifteen level 1 warriors and one level 3 warrior, all equipped with farming tools.  If the Elite Kobold Knights find the boy (which should not take too long, as the village has less than two dozen homes), they will kill him, claiming that that is the only way to get rid of the advancing host of undead and future monstrosities from the mind of the child.  They are fully aware that they will cease to exist when the boy is dead; they consider it a noble sacrifice (despite the fact that the undead are not actually being destructive...unlike the reptilian knights).  They little know that the medallion is calling its creations to it.

Prince Wurger and Lady Hals (both level 3 rogues) will choose this time to descend upon the boy, preferring to do so before the kobolds arrive.  They have been watching him for some time and know exactly where he is to be found.  The two will attempt to steal the medallion, for they do not wish to be destroyed when the boy is killed (as they assume is inevitable) and believe that, if the medallion passes into their possession before he his killed, they will have control over it.  If it becomes clear that the kobolds (or the zombies, steadily approaching) will kill the boy before they can retrieve the medallion, Prince Wurger and Lady Hals will engage the enemies.  Before the arrival of the other foes, if no other tactic has worked, Prince Wurger will (quickly) tell Halel the following fairy-tale, while Lady Hals watches in stony silence:

_"Once upon a time, there was a Valiant Prince, named Wurger, who was betrothed to the most beautiful Lady Hals.  Regrettably, the Prince had an evil brother, who kidnapped the beautiful Lady Hals and wed her.  In a righteous fury, Prince Wurger stormed his brother’s castle and caught the two in the throes of lovemaking.  Prince Wurger’s brother was already running for the nearest exit as Wurger strode to the beautiful Lady Hals, wrapped his strong hands about her precious throat, and strangled the life out of her.  Now, give me that medallion, or the same shall happen to you!"_

The threat is, of course, an empty one, as killing the boy would certainly not advance their plans.  If the PCs are present during this encounter, the boy will have just enough courage to refuse.  The Prince and the Lady will have no compunctions about attacking the PCs.  If the PCs are not present, the boy's decision will be delayed by the entrance of the kobolds, if they are still alive.

When the zombies finally show up, within half an hour of these events, they arrive in packs of 2d4.  There are a total of thirty zombies that might show up.  They have only one desire in their mindless heads; to destroy the bearer of the medallion.

If the boy is successful in surviving all of these assaults, as he will surely only be with the aid of the PCs, he will only think of more fantastic characters as time goes on.  Eventually, he will perish, quite possibly, along with more of the villagers.  If the boy does perish, all creations of the medallion will instantly cease to exist and the medallion will likely be lost until the next child comes across it (unless this happens in the presence of adults who are specifically aware of the medallion).

If the PCs realize this, they may attempt to:

...talk the boy into giving up the medallion.  If they do this, the boy will surely protest, unless they can make a convincing argument that this is for the best.  He very much likes _his_ medallion and cannot understand how any of the living fairy-tales or bedtime stories are related to the medallion.  If the PCs do somehow convince him to be rid of the medallion, any and all of these figments of thought will cease to exist, but the new possessor will find that his or her thoughts will also trigger the item and will be no less controllable.
...take the medallion by force.  This may be a fairly simple task, but the results would be as described above, save for the additional enmity of the boy, the boy's parents, when they find out, and some members of the village.
...kill the boy, or convince him to kill himself.  If the PCs believe that this is truly the best course of action for the village, they may attempt to see it through.  If the PCs try to kill the boy, his thoughts will be panicked and may create some truly terrifying creatures, but this will only matter if the boy survives for long.  If the PCs attempt to convince the boy to kill himself (informing him, for instance, that it would be a noble sacrifice), they will have to be very persuasive, as Halel cannot make the connection between the fantasy people and the item.
...leave the village.  If the PCs take this somewhat less than heroic approach, they will surely doom the child to death at some point, if not many more in the village, as well.

Ideally, the best that the PCs can hope to accomplish is to take the medallion and study or destroy it.  Study of the item will actually be necessary before the item can be effectively destroyed.  Any adult character in possession of the medallion will find that 1d3 figures (or groups of figures) from his or her thoughts will physically manifest somewhere in the local area every week.  Any child in possession of the medallion will create double that number.  The effects of this can easily be negated by constantly passing the medallion back and forth between possessors.

If the PCs are successful in saving Halel and the rest of the villagers, they may be rewarded with an abundant supply of harvested food and will be welcome in the village at any time in the future, but if they are now in possession of the medallion (and if the villagers know about it) they will be asked to move on before the upcoming festival.


----------



## Vaxalon

*This isn't your father's Iron DM*

After reading that epic post, I'd like to point out that Iron DM was always supposed to be an OUTLINE, for a SHORT adventure that would be done in a session or two.  The entries have changed a good deal since it was instituted, and I'm not sure it's a good thing.

I mean, part of the challenge was always _elegance_.  Getting all the ingredients in, and well mixed, without diluting them too much.

I mean, if you were watching Iron Chef, and the ingredient was "Squid" would you feel that the Chef had cheated if he put a single drop of squid ink in a soup, and said that the soup therefore included squid?

I feel that the current trend towards verbiage is NOT a good thing, and that's not because it threatens my ability to hold onto the office, I could really care less whether I retain it or not, but because it values other things besides skill, such as the lack of social obligations or outside employment.


----------



## incognito

*submissions are in, time is up*

Hello Wicht/Rune.

Both submission have been read once by me, and due to length are requiring several readings (thanks _Rune!_)  

apologies for the delay!


----------



## Gizzard

> I feel that the current trend towards verbiage is NOT a good thing...




Then you'll simply have to show people the _correct_ way to make an Iron DM entry in the finals.  ;-)


----------



## seasong

*Re: This isn't your father's Iron DM*



			
				Vaxalon said:
			
		

> After reading that epic post, I'd like to point out that Iron DM was always supposed to be an OUTLINE, for a SHORT adventure that would be done in a session or two.  The entries have changed a good deal since it was instituted, and I'm not sure it's a good thing.



Given the original requirements given by incognito, I'm sure he'd agree with you, but I think that the _competitors_ (and I include myself in that) have gotten carried away with our own literary muses.

Plus, it's always easier to add text than to cut it down in a manner that reads well.

Thank you for the reminder.


----------



## Wicht

*Re: This isn't your father's Iron DM*



			
				Vaxalon said:
			
		

> *I feel that the current trend towards verbiage is NOT a good thing, and that's not because it threatens my ability to hold onto the office, I could really care less whether I retain it or not, but because it values other things besides skill, such as the lack of social obligations or outside employment. *




I was noticing myself that my own entries are getting longer each time.  I type my entrys on word and thus have noticed they are about double what they were in the last contest.  

I will point out three things however: 

1)  I still typed and proofread the whole thing within about 80 minutes this morning.  

2) Nemmerle himself was the one responsible originally for allowing longer posts.  My first few entries were very concise and I never felt I benefitted contest-wise from being shorter than the other guy in length. 

3) If they are too long they will likely lose the judges interest.


----------



## Rune

*Re: This isn't your father's Iron DM*



			
				Vaxalon said:
			
		

> After reading that epic post, I'd like to point out that Iron DM was always supposed to be an OUTLINE, for a SHORT adventure that would be done in a session or two.




I seem to remember getting hammered by the audience during the last tournament for practicing that philosophy.  I have more to say on this subject, but I'll wait until after the judgement to do so, as it involves my submission, above.


----------



## Lordnightshade

Wicht, what's your email address? If you don't want to post it, email me: lordnightshade@yahoo.com.


----------



## Wicht

Lordnightshade said:
			
		

> *Wicht, what's your email address? If you don't want to post it, email me: lordnightshade@yahoo.com. *




Its wicht@uplink.net


----------



## incognito

*Wicht vs Rune*

Wow, I expected this would happen, just not so soon.  Two very compelling entries. In this case, the list of ingredients was fairly straight forward, so no defining of literary terms needed – let’s go straight to the judging!

First up, Witcht.  This entry was quite a bit tighter (although related to, as we will see later) than the Round 1 submission.  Again Witch is paired with an experienced IRON DM, which has got to mess with your head.  Per my style I shall comment on the strong points of this submission.

The background:  Those crazy gods, always testing us mortals!  What’s likeable about this bit of set up is the three contingents seeing the same vision in three different ways, although it is interesting that all three parties think to sacrifice another living being, depending on what point you drag the PCs in.  Also, we have time based variability in the plot hooks.  Depending on your party make up, Wicht uses _timing_ of events, rather than different story arcs to get the party interested.  Well done. GREAT use of several ingredients: The dual use of the Water Table, Use of the Kobold Knights (on a holy quest for their cleric, don’tcha know), and the open interpretation of nobles sacrifice – again each type off sacrifice interpreted differently in the eyes of the Gods.  Although it is not as creatively well woven, the use of the Medallion to make sure the Elf gets the straight story is a well prepared way for the DM to exercise some control over that messy final scene. 

Some lose ends:  If you are going to have a drought, autumn is too late to do anything about it – you’re already screwed for the winter.  We also have a slight hiccup in the King’s choice for a sacrificial weapon.  As a DM, I have a problem with doling out such a powerful weapon that early in the PCs careers. (a +5, Holy Sword is worth 98,000 GP! – whoa! I’m good, baby, but not _that_ good!!!).  Also, since it’s possible as one of the 3 main story hooks, that a third party of clerics will sent by the King, I think it’s than a flaw that this is not detailed, when so much trouble has been made to set up the final scene.  Some of the obstacles included in the Kobold chase were a stretch, but since we are told in advance to omit some of them, if desired, I think DMs will choose ones that fit their particular campaign. 

I have a few issues with the final scene. Like in Round 1, we can see Wicht likes 3 groups competing. A) It’s a DM logistics nightmare.  There are 10 in the Kobold band, 5 in the elf bad, and 4 in the party band.  Not to mention, there are conflicting interests within the group of NPCs!  A different tactic is to have the each player control one contingent at this point (1 for the party, 1 for the Kobolds, 1 for the Kings clerics, 1 for the elves, etc).  This frees up some DM resources, at least.  Then finally, we have the logic hole in the conclusion.  If truly the gods are testing the three powers, then why is their a problem with the elf sacrificing himself?  It is certainly noble, even if it’s not what the Gods are looking for, and the story readers are given no alternate item for the elves to sacrifice.  

Onto Rune’s submission…whew!
Rune must’ve been wearing the self same amulet he describes in his scenario.  He really opened it up creatively and word-count wise.  While I am no master of simple _elegance_ referred to by the peanut gallery in this thread, the word count with spaces eclipsed 19K! I warned IRON DM potentials not to get so wordy, or they would risk losing the judge (who works, after all). Were this not such a grand submission filled with exciting concepts and original ideas, it would lost simply by virtue of this..

But it’s SO good!  We all know the 3E magic Item: *Medallion of thoughts*; it simply allows the user to detect thoughts.  A fun item and certainly used by Wicht in its most obvious aspect.  Not for Rune though, he has created an artifact that could be used through the course of a campaign, if handled correctly: Brilliantly so, because he has the adventure start off at a low level, allowing him to continue the story. The “Things to do in a small town” section was well written, covering many of the ideas which DMs can sometimes forget to cover (DM: “Find the legends?  Who thinks to do that!?”)

OK, and now we get to some of this scenario’s short comings (besides length, and let’s get off that). With a post using so many elements, there are bound to be some holes.  Here are 5 that I found.  What did the Druid actually want from the Town in return for the Ritual?  Why do Prince Wurger and Lady Hals have levels of Rogue?  How is it possible that this Medallion has never been discovered by adults?  (No method to this power is ever revealed.  And in the ‘concluding thoughts section’, we even see that the medallion does function for adults) Why are the Kobolds being noble by killing the boy? (This is even questioned by Rune, himself)  Why does Wurger tell the boy such a horrible story when he’s unlikely to understand the underlying meaning, as it is fairly adult, and it’s cruel in nature? ( to quote Rune: “Halel cannot make the connection between the fantasy people and the item.”.  I understand the nature of the medallion creating figments who desire nothing more than to take the medallion, but they can easily take it from him without bullying or killing him, so why do it?)  Finally, what happens if the figments get the Medallion? – seems like this is the likely outcome, given the medallions long past.

Even If I have missed details in this story that answer one or more of these questions, I think they serve to illustrate a point.  And that point is, the scope of this story is simply too large, too ambitious.  It is not the length, per se, although that certainly contributes to it.  The use of unique legends, the sub-plot: Druid’s water table (used to include the water table ingredient, of course),and  the resolution of conflict between the villagers, Halel, the figments and the ongoing curse of the medallion, all combine to make a story that is an amazing read, but ultimately distracts the DM from running this scenario.  If this had been an IRON DM _campaign_ contest. Well, Rune would’ve taken it.

So, it is my ‘tough love’ decision to award this round to *Wicht* who seems to have the uncanny ability to cater to the DM masses.

Congratulations are in order for BOTH contestants, however.


----------



## incognito

*Round 3!!*

Seasong and Wicht:

I propose the following:  I will email a former IRON DM contestant with the ingredients, who is able to post them tomorrow night.

You will then have 24 hours (ending Saturday) to complete your entry.

The poster of the ingredients will mark the time when he posts.

I need a volunteer who will be around Friday, if this is acceptable, or course...


----------



## seasong

Rune, there's always the over riding factor regarding length: what will win?

For incognito, regardless of Vaxalon's personal vision of the Iron DM competition, well-fleshed NPCs, solid story roots, and interesting locales obviously play their part (since they're the only nice things incognito had to say about my last one ). So some amount of length is practically _required_ to get those things in.

On the other hand, there's something to be said for the art of brevity. The joke scenario I posted was shorter than any other scenario thus far... but I'd put it up against any of my other submissions for completeness of interesting characters, story and locale. I don't know if it would have won, of course .


----------



## seasong

Agh, bad timing on my part.


----------



## Wicht

*Re: Wicht vs Rune*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> * (a +5, Holy Sword is worth 98,000 GP! – whoa! I’m good, baby, but not that good!!!).   *




Just for the record, neither am I.  The plan is, after all, that the PCs will offer it up as a sacrifice.  If they didn't, in my campaign at least, the king would want it back.  It is his after all.  

***************************

Good job Rune and I look forward to the next matchup. 


***************************



> _by greybar_
> *Wicht,
> 
> Beautiful. I loved the title "Dog Days and Kobold Knights" and it got better from there. I would run this for the players in my game (who are at 8th) if I could fit it.
> 
> John*




Thanks.  Its nice to hear when you do this someone say, "I want to run that." 

********************************



> _by incognito_
> *I propose the following: I will email a former IRON DM contestant with the ingredients, who is able to post them tomorrow night.
> 
> You will then have 24 hours (ending Saturday) to complete your entry.*




That works for me.


And now I gotta finish up work for my game tonight with my boys.


----------



## Lordnightshade

Wicht, check yer email!


----------



## Tuerny

I should be around all Friday. 
I have off from class and will just be doing OOP homework. (easy)


----------



## Rune

Congratulations, Wicht!  A well-deserved victory.  I am amazed that you were able to write such a concise and well-crafted scenario with such _crappy_ ingredients.

Kudos, sir.  It is an honor to even lose to you, where once I barely squeaked by.  You are, as we all know, a truely gifted contestant.

Now that that's out of the way, allow me ammend my last post (in response to Vaxalon).  I believe, despite the length of the post, that my entry _was_ just an outline, albeit a detailed one.  Furthermore,  I have a difficult time seeing how my scenario could be stretched into multiple sessions.  It just happens too fast.


----------



## seasong

*Re: Round 3!!*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> Seasong and Wicht:
> 
> I propose the following:  I will email a former IRON DM contestant with the ingredients, who is able to post them tomorrow night.
> 
> You will then have 24 hours (ending Saturday) to complete your entry.



Works for me.

Wicht, I have to admit, I'm quaking. I've been competing in the Talented Unknowns corner (heck, I _am_ a Talented Unknown), while you've been going up against the Seasoned Veterans. And I still think I should have lost the last one.

But, in the name of smack-talking shrimps everywhere, "You goin' down, uh huh!"


----------



## incognito

*need Tuerny to reply fast, and 'Runic' comments*

Tuerny: please check your yahoo account and reply to me so I can get you those ingredients.

Wicht/Seasong, I was thinking of having him post at 6PM EST. Is this kosher?

Rune: Hey, don't blame the random generator for crappy ingredients.  I actaully thought other roudns had FAR tougher stuff to work with - it's a prefernce thing I guess..

and didn't you EXCEL with *Shadow Dagon?* - one man's trash, is another man's treasure!  Also Rune, give us exposition...your fans demand exposition!


----------



## seasong

*Re: need Tuerny to reply fast, and 'Runic' comments*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> Wicht/Seasong, I was thinking of having him post at 6PM EST. Is this kosher?



Kosher.


----------



## Rune

*Re: need Tuerny to reply fast, and 'Runic' comments*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> Rune: Hey, don't blame the random generator for crappy ingredients.  I actaully thought other roudns had FAR tougher stuff to work with - it's a prefernce thing I guess..
> 
> and didn't you EXCEL with *Shadow Dagon?* - one man's trash, is another man's treasure!  Also RUn, give us exposition...your fans demand exposition!




Well, because the judge insists, if I actually see some evidence that I actually have fans (what a funny concept ), I will gladly provide exposition on my entry sometime tomorrow (okay, I'll probably do it, anyway...).  Tonight, though, I'm just going to read [pimping mode on]Wulf's Heroes of High Favor: Half-Orcs[/pimping mode], which came in the mail yesterday, and go to sleep, 'cause I am _really_ tired.

About the ingredients, some of them were nice, but somehow "water table" doesn't exactly suggest "fantasy" in my mind.  Woo, precipitation!  Yeah!


----------



## Vaxalon

Yes, of course, a compelling plot, interesting characters, and an evocative setting are important.

In my humble opinion, they are not more important than the ingredients.

It's not supposed to be easy.   You've got competing interests to consider.  When the reader comes across an ingredient, he shouldn't have to think, "Wait, was that an ingredient?"

Instead, he should think, "Wow, that's so strange, and so prominent, that must be an ingredient!"  Ideally, an ingredient should be such a prominent part of plot, character, and/or setting that the reader can pick out what the ingredients were without having known ahead of time.


----------



## incognito

*the former contestants have 'the stuff'*

Tuerny did not email me  - and I have to run...

Sooo...

I emailed the ingredients to ALL of the eliminated IRON DM competitors (spell checked 'em first).

Wulf, Tuerny, Griswold, Lady of Dragons, alish2o, Rune

all of you have them.  PLease do NOT post them until 6PM Friday EST.

Until then, folks

*Happy Halloween*


----------



## Wicht

*Re: need Tuerny to reply fast, and 'Runic' comments*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *Wicht/Seasong, I was thinking of having him post at 6PM EST. Is this kosher?
> *




It works for me.


----------



## Vaxalon

*Re: Re: need Tuerny to reply fast, and 'Runic' comments*



			
				Rune said:
			
		

> *About the ingredients, some of them were nice, but somehow "water table" doesn't exactly suggest "fantasy" in my mind.  Woo, precipitation!  Yeah! *




One of the keys to my victories has always been interpreting troublesome ingredients creatively.  

Let's take an ingredient that would be even MORE troublesome in your average fantasy game:

*Subscription renewal*

"Ugh!" you think, "Such a modern concept!  Okay, well, in a particularly advanced city, they have a printing press, and colored inks, and they publish this magazine..."

Wrong idea.

First of all, I look at the word "Subscription."  What does it mean?  A subscript is a bit of text written below the line of a main element of text.  Subscription could ALSO be the practice of writing lines below the main line of text in a book.

Now, "renewal"... starting to get ideas?   I am.

Every hundred years, the Grand Holy Book of Rulsali comes up for editing.  The monks bring it out to the high temple, and all the greatest scripture scholars come to decide what changes they are going to make.  They debate, and decide, and eventually new lines are written below the existing lines, in a dozen or two very carefully selected places.  This practice, known as "The Sub-scription," has allowed a very lawful and otherwise conservative church to make subtle changes through the years that have kept it a vital and meaningful force in the lives of its adherents.  It is known as the "Festival of Renewal" and in the holy city of the high temple, the entire month is a celebration.

"Troublesome" ingredients are an opportunity, not a curse.


----------



## Tuerny

I am sorry I didn't respond. I was at a Halloween Party. 

I will make sure those are up at 6 tommorow.


----------



## seasong

Tuerny... Awww, I was looking forward to six posts of the ingredients!

Vaxalon: Regarding story vs ingredient use. Check out my joke scenario. Slightly over halfway down the page. I'd be interested in your thoughts on it as regards this discussion.

_edit: fixed hyperlink._


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

*Re: Re: need Tuerny to reply fast, and 'Runic' comments*



			
				Rune said:
			
		

> *Tonight, though, I'm just going to read [pimping mode on]Wulf's Heroes of High Favor: Half-Orcs[/pimping mode], which came in the mail yesterday...*




[cough]review[/cough]


----------



## Vaxalon

seasong said:
			
		

> *Vaxalon: Regarding story vs ingredient use. Check out my joke scenario. Slightly over halfway down the page. I'd be interested in your thoughts on it as regards this discussion.*




Humor aside, that goes too far the other way; it's a good start but needs more flesh.

It's much closer to what I recall as being the norm in previous tournaments.


----------



## Tuerny

*Ingredients*

Here they are 
You have until 6:00 tommorow to post your outlines for this, the final round of Iron DM before facing the current champion...Vaxalon....



Miniature keep
Potion of Glibness
Champion ogre fighters
Nostalgia
Tome of Hushed Rumors
Mindless Tentacle


----------



## Rune

*Re: Wicht vs Rune*

As incognito has requested an exposition for my last entry, I shall provide one.  Keep in mind that this is not a challenge to incognito's judgement, nor a declaration that I believe his critique was _wrong_; while I would have critiqued it differently, I probably would still have awarded the round to Wicht.  So...



> _Originally posted by incognito:_
> Onto Rune’s submission…whew!




Sorry about that.  In an effort to compensate for some less-inspiring ingredients and Wicht's superior characterization, I pushed the word-count through the roof.  Good thing I didn't have more time to work on it .


> The “Things to do in a small town” section was well written, covering many of the ideas which DMs can sometimes forget to cover (DM: “Find the legends?  Who thinks to do that!?”)




Actually, the funny thing is, that option was the last thing I added to the scenario before I submitted it!  I do wonder if it should have been more brief, nevertheless, but it was probably the strongest part of my entry, so...no.



> What did the Druid actually want from the Town in return for the Ritual?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And here, we come to my first _outgoing_ plothook.  I (possibly foolishly) didn't think that his actual motive was important enough to flesh out; it really could be anything the DM wants it to be for future adventures.  There are several other places where I leave this kind of question unanswered.  In a work that was already about three times longer than it should have been, I drew the line at stepping on the DM's toes.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Why do Prince Wurger and Lady Hals have levels of Rogue?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Prince Wurger and Lady Hals have levels in Rogue to hint that either they aren't as nice as the fairy-tales suggest, that the medallion twists the thoughts of the user, that they have lots of skill points to devote to diplomacy, bluff, intimidation, and the like, or that they are really good at flanking sneak-attacks.  As a side-note, I played a little game with their names, as I often do with my NPCs, providing extra clues for _very_ observant players.  In this case, I used German words.  "Wurger" is (almost--it lacks an umlaut) the German word for "strangler" and "Hals" is the word for "throat."
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How is it possible that this Medallion has never been discovered by adults?  (No method to this power is ever revealed.  And in the ‘concluding thoughts section’, we even see that the medallion does function for adults).
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, it is:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> _Originally posted by Rune:_
> Part of the reason for this is that it has the unusual ability to avoid detection by any adult who is not specifically looking for it.
> 
> No records exist that indicate that an adult might ever have possessed the medallion; in all cases, the child in possession of the medallion has perished well before reaching maturity.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> 
> 
> No adults have ever discovered the medallion because they haven't known to look for it.  The (fairly blatant, I thought, but perhaps not) hint, here, is that the medallion prefers to prey on the thoughts and imagination of children.
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> Why are the Kobolds being noble by killing the boy? (This is even questioned by Rune, himself)
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> Didn't say they were being noble.  That was simply their way of rationalizing their method of achieving the medallion.  This is probably the time to bring up the issue of "nobility," however.
> 
> Perhaps it got lost in the length of the post, but, as I did with the "in the balance" theme in my last entry, I echoed the "noble sacrifice" theme thrice in this entry.  In all three cases, however, there was something wrong with the idea.  In the kobold's case, it is a flawed rationality that leads to the concept.  In the case of Prince Wurger, it is just a lie.  At the end, one of the options presented the players is to
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> ...kill the boy, or convince him to kill himself...If the PCs attempt to convince the boy to kill himself (informing him, for instance, that it would be a noble sacrifice), they will have to be very persuasive, as Halel cannot make the connection between the fantasy people and the item.
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> Here, of course, the noble sacrifice would be on the part of the boy (for the lives of the villagers), but something is wrong with this sacrifice, as well, primarily that it isn't the best way to save the day.  The means, here, don't make up for the end.
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> Why does Wurger tell the boy such a horrible story when he’s unlikely to understand the underlying meaning, as it is fairly adult, and it’s cruel in nature?
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> Because simply saying, "I will strangle you, if you don't give me that medallion" isn't that powerful a threat; the kid might not believe it would seriously be carried out.  However, destroying the child's long-cherished belief in the goodness of the fairy-tale hero _would_ have made the threat powerful enough to almost certainly be believed, which was necessary, because it, in fact, would not have been carried out.  Of course, there's another level to this, as well.  It hints to the possibilities that the medallion twists its creations towared evil, or that the fairy-tale, itself, was a lie.  In either case, the Prince Wurger of the medallion is clearly not prone to nonviolent solutions.
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> I understand the nature of the medallion creating figments who desire nothing more than to take the medallion, but they can easily take it from him without bullying or killing him, so why do it?)
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> Can they?  I don't remember implying that anywhere.
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> Finally, what happens if the figments get the Medallion? – seems like this is the likely outcome, given the medallions long past.
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> As I _didn't_ think this was necessarily that likely, I thought I'd ultimately leave that decission up to the DM, but the hints point to the creations ceasing to exist.
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> Even If I have missed details in this story that answer one or more of these questions, I think they serve to illustrate a point.  And that point is, the scope of this story is simply too large, too ambitious.
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> The ironic thing is, that's pretty much what did me in in the last tournament, too (it's ironic, because one would expect me to learn from my mistake, not embellish upon it).
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> It is not the length, per se, although that certainly contributes to it.  The use of unique legends, the sub-plot: Druid’s water table (used to include the water table ingredient, of course),and  the resolution of conflict between the villagers, Halel, the figments and the ongoing curse of the medallion, all combine to make a story that is an amazing read, but ultimately distracts the DM from running this scenario.
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> Alas, too true.  These things were all intricately developed to compensate for Wicht's superior characterization.  The Druid, though, accounted for three ingredients, not just the one.  I will also note that he did have a very specific purpose; he was a red herring.  Very important.
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> So, it is my ‘tough love’ decision to award this round to *Wicht* who seems to have the uncanny ability to cater to the DM masses.
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> Does that mean I'm really loved?
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> Congratulations are in order for BOTH contestants, however.
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> Danke sehr!
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> I have one final thing to say about my stylistic choices; it is clearly (as two tournaments have shown) a bad Iron DM tactic, but I tend to try to bury things deep in the text, where they will, hopefully, be overlooked at first.  I like to think that anyone leasurely reading the scenario multiple times (in other words, Rune ) will pick up something new every time.  This is why my submissions can easily become burdensome.  It's a conceit, I know (and, hell, I might not even be doing it well, or right), but it's just one way I justify spending so much time and energy on the submissions when I don't actually have any time in my life.  I suspect that other entrants have similar conceits.
> 
> Is that a lengthy enough exposition for a lengthy entry?
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> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


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## Wicht

*The Arena of Garmo*

_This is a 3e adventure for characters of 10th level though it can be adjusted fairly easily for other levels, particularly the low ones.  As it is set in a gladiatorial arena, it is quite possible for the adventure to feature numerous fights and action sequences, however the actual meat of the story is intended to be mystery and horror (in fact this adventure would do well as a mix of CoC and D&D).  The city of Garno can easily be changed to fit any campaign world._

*Synopsis:*  The PCs are made aware of something sinister at the local arena.  Several strange deaths have occurred and the arena, on the surface devoted to law and justice, is possibly becoming a more sinister and evil place.  One of the priests in the arena has been corrupted by occult readings and he plans on summoning forth a hideous entity.  To do so he needs to discover the hiding place of an evil sacrificial dagger, a dagger that must then be used to shed the blood of ten stalwart men.  The PCs learn of his plan and arrive to witness the beginning of the summoning, a summoning that occurs in the middle of a gladiatorial tournament.  The PCs must stop him before it is too late.

*Overview:*  The Arena of Garno is run by Lawful Neutral priests who serve a god of law and justice.  The arena thus serves two functions, it provides entertainment and it gives a place to which hardened criminals can be sent.  There are therefore also two types of gladiators who fight and die in the arena: entertainers who are treated well and make good money, and convicts who, when not fighting, are kept tightly locked up.   The arena is a very profitable enterprise for the church and they want to keep it that way.

The head of the arena is an old and hardened priest, Agris Flint, who in ages past was a renown warrior of justice.  Now he is old and filled with nostalgia for the glories of his past.  This makes him often cold and short with others.  Nothing modern seems as good to him as how things used to be.  This grim man is served by four other priests and below them is a host of nearly a hundred guards, animal handlers, weapon masters, cooks and slaves.  At any one time there are approximately twenty professional gladiators living in the arena and between fifty and a hundred prisoners.  The arena was built to hold upwards of two hundred prisoners, so many of the arena cells naturally stand empty.

Targio Rendisti is a level 10 cleric who has been corrupted away from law and justice to the service of a god of chaos and destruction.  Always an avid bibliophile, Targio had the misfortune of collecting three rather obscene manuscripts which warped his mind as he studied them.  They are the Book of the Restless Dead, The Tome of Hushed Rumors and the Book of the Mindless Tentacle.  His sanity gone, Targio pledged himself to the service of chaos and secretly renounced his god.  Now he plans to bring chaos and ruin to the arena and then to the city of Garno.  

The Book of the Mindless Tentacle contains an evil ritual which will bring forth a great demon of destruction and chaos.  Targio plans on unleashing this demon upon the arena.  To complete the ritual he needs a special dagger.  This dagger has been lost for many years.  However a study of the Tome of Hushed Rumors has convinced him that it was his own former church which hid away the evil dagger and in fact it is likely in possession of his own superior, Agris Flint.  But he needs to find out where the dagger is.

The dagger is hidden in a magical storage box shaped like a miniature keep.  The keep itself is the storage area for several cursed and evil relics, of which the dagger is only one.  Agris, as the keeper of this prison for evil magic has taken the extra precaution of placing the keep in a glass ball filled with water and fake snow.  Thus a prison for evil magic is disguised as a simple knick-knack, one which Agris keeps near him.  

*Hooks:*  There are at least three ways for the PCs to become involved in the events of this story.  
1) The PCs are hired by Agris, or even by his superiors, to find out who is behind the mysterious disappearances and deaths plaguing the arena of late.  Divination has failed to reveal a name and there is a suspicion of something sinister afoot.

2) The PCs are tempted by an offer of a great deal of money to participate in the soon to be held Grand Tournament of Justice.  They arrive early at the arena and become enmeshed in the events and people

3) The PCs (or one of them) are found guilty of a crime and are sentenced to serve for a time in the arena.  They are notified that the winner of the Grand Tournament of Justice is promised his freedom.

*Atmosphere:*  The atmosphere in the arena should be one of cold justice, grim men and a certain sense of impending doom.  Of all the priests, Targio seems the most likeable and Agris seems the most callous.  The gladiators are hard and feel the certainty of their own deaths.  They have little time for the problems of others.  The workers around the arena recall better days and feel like the arena is slowly dying.  Some of them hope the coming Grand Tournament of Justice will help revive things but many doubt it.

*A chain of events:*  When the PCs arrive at the arena, Targio is already well on his way to achieving his desires.  He is an avid potion maker and has used potions of glibness to escape the detection of his superior’s detect lies spell.  He is slowly torturing and killing those whom he thinks might know the location of the dagger.  In the meantime he is preparing certain individuals to help him complete his ritual.  Besides a small group of cult members, Targio has also recruited a group of ogre fighters who are powerful gladiators.  They do not know of his plot but they are key to him achieving it.

Targio will discover the location of the dagger twelve hours before the Tournament starts.  Agris himself will accidentally let it slip at a meal.  A few hours later Targio will have killed Agris and entered the magic keep.  Retrieving the dagger, he will then give it to his ogre champions, telling them that it is magical and will help them win in the arena.

As soon as the ogres kill ten men with the dagger the ritual will have commenced.  From a station high above the arena Targio will chant and wail and bring forth a horrible demon which will kill all in the arena.

This is how it will work unless the PCs interfere.

*Encounters:*
The DM should begin the adventure only a few days before the big tournament.  The PCs should only just be beginning to learn who is who when things start happening.  Furthermore, the DM can use matches in the arena to give the PCs a distraction (and down time).

Ordinary footwork and divination spells will reveal little except that there is something evil growing in the arena.  A few cult members may attack the PCs, but they will die before speaking and even then they have never actually seen the face of their leader.  They do however know that something big is about to happen at which the faithful will receive justice.  

Targio’s own mechanisms will eventually give him away.  A demon, a Zoyvut, burst out of Targio’s room and starts attacking people.  It had been imprisoned by Targio and has managed to break free.  A search of Targio’s room will reveal the evil tomes and many other foul secrets as well.  There is a drawing of the sacrificial dagger on Targio’s desk.  Unfortunately all this happens just as Targio has entered the keep.

When the PCs go to tell Agris (presuming this is their action), they find him dead, in his room, with smashed glass and water on the floor, the miniature keep from the globe on a desk.  When the PCs figure out how to enter it, they will find that the keep is well guarded.  Those guards, the ones who have some measure of intelligence, are pretty angry at how Targio had just lied to them and stole an item and they therefore attack on sight. In addition to these intelligent constructs, clay and stone golems patrol the halls, attacking any they see.  The PCs must figure out methods of dealing with these many guards.

The PCs should be able to eventually discover that an evil knife was taken out of the keep.  But even as they leave the keep the tournament is starting.  Arriving at the arena, the PCs will see a fight between the ogres and a group of about twenty men.  The men are doomed but the crowd is cheering and loving every minute of the fight.  If the PCs can stop the ogres from killing ten people with the dagger (which they should recognize from the picture in Targio’s room) they will disrupt the ritual.  If the ogres manage to kill ten people, tentacles will erupt from the arena floor and begin attacking people.  These huge rubbery tentacles are mindless and will kill indiscriminately.  Fighters and spectators alike will be attacked.  They, however, are just a distraction.  Walking on Air over the arena is a chanting, wailing Targio.  If the PCs get distracted and fight the tentacles Targio will complete the ritual and bring forth a huge and unique demon of destruction.  If the PCs get to this point they are in bad shape and will be witness to tremendous amounts of destruction. 

*Conclusion:*  Ideally the PCs get to the arena in time to stop the madman’s ritual from being completely finished.  But if they do not stop the ritual and wisely flee, a subsequent adventure could easily be created around a search for a weapon with which to kill the huge demon of destruction.  If they stop the ritual, any imprisoned PCs will have earned their freedom.  Likewise if the PCs were hired, those hiring them will honor their obligations and richly reward the PCs for a job well done.  Completion of the adventure will leave two loose ends – what to do with the books Targio owned and what to do with Argis’ magical keep.

Notes:  This is an adventure that really needs to be better fleshed out with layers of intigue, subtle hints and a few maps to do it proper justice.  Any DM wanting to use it is encouraged to spend the time to create a couple of foreshadowing events, one or two red herrings, a few meaningless gladiator matches and a more detailed overview of the magical keep.  However I think the idea as is is fairly solid and should provide a fun outline for the right group.


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## seasong

Miniature keep
Potion of Glibness
Champion ogre fighters
Nostalgia
Tome of Hushed Rumors
Mindless Tentacle

A few preliminary notes: My use of nostalgia was somewhat subtle, so I'll just point it out here: Baron Malsteffan is a nostalgist for old marvels, Urgid's in particular. His nostalgia (and desire for same) is what drives him to take the fantastic risk of imprisoning the (rather dangerous) PCs, thus leading to the action part of the adventure.

Also, I wanted to edit this some more, but I've been sick with a sore throat and pounding head since yesterday, so I want to sleep more than I want to edit, and I'm posting this rather early.  Anyway, I accept the responsibility for and consequences of my laziness .

*The Baron's Toys (level scalable from ~7 to ~13)*

*Summary:* The PCs stumble across _The Most Dangerous Game_, writ small.

*Preparatory Tidbits*

In the grand tradition of modules and scenarios everywhere, a pair of brand new nasties.

*Special Spell: Shrink Person (Sor/Wiz 6)*
This functions identically to _shrink item_, but the target is one Medium-sized or smaller creature per level (Large creatures count as two Mediums, Huge creatures can not be shrunk in this manner). Stats are otherwise the same as _shrink item_. This is the source spell for Urgid's Miniature Keep.

*Special Spell: Black Tentacle Sigil (Sor/Wiz 3)*
An unholy combination of Evard's Black Tentacles and Sepia Snake Sigil. It functions just like Sepia Snake Sigil, but when activated, a single Evard's Black Tentacle comes out of the scroll and grabs the closest person to the scroll (usually the reader). There is no save, but the tentacle must make a successful grappling attack. The tentacle lasts for an hour per level (in this scenario, it is cast at 10th level), but will only grapple the first target it latches on to.

*Background*

*Urgid the Great* was a mad old wizard who spent his life creating strange marvels of magic before dying, fifty years ago, at the hands of an experiment gone awry. This adventure focuses on a few of his more obscure marvels, and the aristocrat who acquired one of them.

*It all began* when the PCs acquired a musty pair of tomes in one of their many adventures elsewhere. Stitched into the leather binding of each is a single magical sigil: Remember on the first, and Forget on the second. Despite the dire sound of that, the books do not do anything to the reader, but merely present text in a steady, elegant script. The author is Urgid, of course, and the title page of each contains a dedication "To that forgetful old bastard, me."

_Remember_ (subtitled _Tome of Lost Thoughts_ on the inside page) contains short, one-line entries, each one a memory or passing thought from the reader's past. They are out of context, often obscure, and rarely useful... but very compelling to read. Although there is no magical effect, readers have been known to lose days of their life to reading through past memories and vignettes written in an elegant hand.

_Forget_ (subtitled _Tome of Hushed Rumors_ on the inside page) also contains short, one-line entries... but each one is a local rumor. Some are silly, like "Bridgette likes Brunweld", but others are important, or even sinister... The book does not check for accuracy, but simply faithfully transcribes the rumors.

Note: Some PCs simply _are not_ curious, and won't take any time to read either of the books. Target the one who is curious, or make the first rumor they read valuable (possibly leading to an easy treasure that you don't mind giving them) or juicy. This will generally get them to check it every so often.

As the PCs are passing through a small barony, one of the rumors is written in red ink rather than black: "Baron Malsteffan has been kidnapping people and putting them in a gladiatorial dungeon for kicks". There is no further explanation, and the next entry on Baron Malsteffan is nearly three pages deeper, and in the normal black, saying "Baron Malsteffan drinks too much."

Note: The reason for the red ink is simple and reasonably innocent: Urgid enchanted the book to show red if the rumor involved him in some way... in this case, the "dungeon" is something he created.

*Baron Malsteffan is* a decadent, sadistic aristocrat who really shouldn't have the status he has, but he manages to keep his pleasures reasonably hidden, and he inherited a great deal of treasure from his father, so there's not usually much stopping him. As for his pleasures, Malsteffan only really likes three things: cruelty, alcohol, and antique toys of mechanical and magical nature. In the latter, he is a great collector of a number of things, and a subtle connoisseur of the works of Urgid, Daern, Whitefeather and other wizardly toymakers. His only true regret in life is that the best makers have passed away, preventing him from chaining them to a lab where they could produce such things for him forever.

He is not a particularly _nice_ connoisseur.

One of his prizes, acquired only a year or two ago, is a 1/12th scale model keep, which measures almost twelve feet across, four feet deep, and two feet high. The gate at the front has "URGID'S KEEP" written in bold letters. It is accurate in every detail, and remarkably compelling. This alone would delight the Baron, but it has an additional property: when a certain password is spoken in its presence, anyone standing immediately in front of the keep shrinks to 1/12th scale themselves, and can then enter the keep normally. A second, different password unshrinks the person. A maximum of 12 people per day can be shrunk in this fashion, but there is no limit over time.

Our goodly Baron has, indeed, been kidnapping people and promising them freedom if they can acquire a scroll located on an alter in center of the keep. While that's basically a lie, he keeps a sizable stash of _potions of glibness_ to help his victims swallow the story.

To defend the scroll, he has hired the services of a pair of champion ogrish fighters (scale to your party's power level) who stand guard over it. In return, he pays them a fair amount, lets them out on weekends, and provides 1/12th scales feasts and the occasional peasant girl. It's an easy life for them. He has also placed _black tentacle sigils_ on important doorways, and the scroll itself has a _black tentacle sigil_ cast on it, which Baron Malsteffan will renew when he needs to.

He has also stocked the dungeon with a number of other beasties, but nothing as powerful or intelligent as the ogres.

*Action & Resolution*

*Going to the Authorities:* Unfortunately, the only authorities above the Baron are also outside of the Baron's lands... and the rumor won't show up in the book while somewhere else. Plus, the book does not confirm rumors, it only repeats them. The PCs will need to acquire evidence, and plenty of it, which will probably mean visiting the Baron.

*Oh Help Me Sir!:* Peasants may approach the PCs to help them. They have dark suspicions about the Baron (which is why the rumor showed up), and will pay what they can to hire the PCs.

*Visiting the Baron:* The Baron is generally friendly with adventurers. Firstly, they have been known to bring him delightful treasures (and he would be _very_ interested in either of Urgid's tomes). Secondly, they won't be missed if he adds them to his miniatures collection. If the latter seems probable (and if he finds out they have the tomes, or that they suspect him, it is), he will invite them to see his "marvelous collection of rare and unusual items". When he's showing them the keep, he'll shrink them, suck down a _potion of glibness_ (disguised as a glass of wine, which he is known for), and then explain the "find the scroll and freedom" thing. Once they're in the keep, he'll arrange for the ogres to acquire the tomes from them.

While shrunk, everything that is also shrunk operates normally for the PCs, but interations with the larger world are more difficult. All damage is 1/12th normal (so a 6th level PC's fireball will do 1d3 damage to the Baron) and vice versa (a 1d2 stomp by the Baron is the equivalent of 6d4), all movement is converted from feet to inches (20 inch move for dwarves), and so on.

*Getting out:* The password to unshrink is "Urgid's Miniature Keep". This can be discovered by accident, the DM may leave hints in a keep library book, or the PCs may simply guess it based on the gate at the front of the keep. Regardless, anyone inside the keep is teleported out and then unshrunk - other PCs will not know that they were unshrunk immediately.

*Baron Malsteffan:* A reasonably powerful wizard in his own right, Malsteffan will present a reasonable fight, but will yield before he is killed. At that point, he would willingly sign a confession, then attempt to flee before the authorities come for him. If the PCs kill him (with or without a confession), they're going to be in trouble with the higher authorities - he's still an aristocrat, after all.

*Information Spells:* The Baron is paranoid enough to protect himself rather well. However, he has not really shielded the passwords of the miniature keep, so clever PCs may discover it in this manner. Discovering the truth about the Baron, however, is considerably more difficult.

*Twists*

More than my other scenarios, the hushed rumor aspect really begs for some additional twists to throw in:

*Baron Malsteffan isn't what he seems, only more so:* He could be an ogre magi, a necromancer using peasant bodies for his experiments, a 1/2 fiend, etc.

*The real Baron Malsteffan:* A sadistic doppleganger replaced the real Baron, and has twisted his innocent love of toys into something sinister. The real Baron is trapped in the keep, desparately hiding from the ogres. He's afraid to unshrink, because the doppleganger is waiting for him, but when the PCs find him, he's willing to unshrink with them (so he'll be defended).

*"Champions":* The ogre "champions" are as alcoholic as their employer. Peasants are all well and good, but they have no intention of fighting seasoned adventurers. Instead, they offer up the password to get out in return for a promise that they can loot the Baron's estate.

*Ogre Games:* Baron Malsteffan isn't responsible for any of it. In fact, the ogres moved in on their own, and he is completely unaware of their presence in his toy, or the fact that they've been sneaking out in the dead of night and kidnapping people for fun. In this instance, the ogres should be _extremely_ tough to beat, but the good Baron will give the PCs both passwords right from the start, for a more traditional "in, out, in" dungeon crawl with the ogres at the end of it.


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## seasong

Wicht, nice scenario. Good luck to you .

I'm probably going to be zonked out on medicines until tomorrow, so:

If I lose: being zonked doesn't matter.
If I win and Vaxalon's ready to go: As long as the deadline is not before Sunday afternoon, I should be okay. But I'd prefer a day or two of rest, if I can get it.


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## Wicht

seasong said:
			
		

> *Wicht, nice scenario. Good luck to you . *




Thank you and same to you


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## incognito

*Ha!  You guys didn't expect me here soon, eh?*

The doctor is IN, and he is reading the submissions, now.

A winner will be posted in while, if y'all want to trash talk in the meantime... 

That will determine the winner of this IRON DM, and a small gold crown.

for the BIG_GOLD_CROWN the winner must face off against Vaxalon, which will occur Monday, as soon as VAX, and the winner are ready.

As per the last IRON DM grand championship, in addition to the "strandard ingredients, there will be a serious of optional ingredients, which need not be used.  If they are used well...bonus points.  Ahh, but if they are used poorly (judged arbitrarily by your own IRON DM judge, of course), you will have points deducted!


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## incognito

*R3: Wicht vs Seasong*

Just a quick reminder: Use of the ingredients is one of the key elements in winning a round.  Not the only element, but key.  In this round, explained in some detail later, BOTH Wicht, and seasong have tacked on the ingredient _Nostalgia,_ which is a little disappointing to me.  It seems easier to work this ingredient into a short adventure than a concept like _A conflict of interest_ which you really have to nail down.  But let’s get to the story judging.

Witch’s entries certainly get stronger as the contest goes on.  This IRON DM judge is left to wonder if he is actually sand bagging.  The strengths in this short adventure far outweigh the weaknesses.  Let’s go over some of them:

The atmosphere – shockingly, Wicht far outstrips seasong in this ‘arena.’  In many places in this scenario, he reinforces the feel of the location.  The attitudes of the NPCs, and even the timing of events drives home the gloomy, grim location that is Garno.  And speaking of timing, I’m a big fan of “the back up plan” in case the PCs fail to bite, or miss in game plot hints.  Wicht has devised an adventure which can go the investigative route, or can simply allow the escaped demon to set the wheels in motion.  Good use of the ingredients - besides nostalgia, which feels like a tacked on attitude to the NPC Agris. There is the delightful keep, the clever, indirect use of the potion of glibness to weasel out of the _Zone of Truth_ spells (since there is no spell _detect lies_), and the Book of Hushed Rumors as a plot advancement device  - which kept me focused as a reader and DM on this story.

Interesting Note: Both writers included one extra tome which had little or nothing to do with the scenario – Wicht: The Book of Restless Dead, and Seasong: Remember. My guess it that with a longer timeframe to flesh out their submissions, these would’ve been more tightly incorporated…But I digress…  

We do have a set of weaknesses/vagueness in this submission.  How do I get into Wicht’s Keep?  Maybe Agris will tell me?  Awww…he’s dead.  And I would have preferred Wicht to flesh out how to gather info from the NPC in more detail if they chose not to go the combat route.  Witch wisely cuts of the direct divination angle, but most DMs reward parties for not always being hack and slash, and here we have a good opportunity.  Another flaw I felt present in Wicht’s entry was timing of some events.  What happens if the PCs encounter Targio in the Keep?  Unless the adventure stays VERY scripted (which is fine, but let me know up front), there is the significant possibility that the PCs will bypass the demon, and head into the keep, first.  And although I love Witch’s Keep as a story element. The combination of pissed guards, AND Stone and Clay golems that attack on sight, may leave the PCs too weakened to resolve the final fight scene between the Ogre Champions, the Tentacles, AND The mad cleric.  I’d like to see some detail added as far as reigning in the encounters.  This is an important factor in timing-based adventures.


Talking about adventure resolution gets me thinking more about seasong’s entry.  So let’s pick apart the good, the bad, and the ugly in our rising star of IRON DM competition.

I am going to work backwards through seasong’s submission, because I talk about what’s best, first – and his best stuff comes at the end, rather than the beginning.  More specifically: the Twists.  Use of a second (or third, or fourth) layer to this relativly short scenario really adds to the meat I have become used to in a seasong entry.  While we all can agree that Baron Malsteffan is the villain we love to hate – it’s often better to hate him, then like him, and maybe even hate him again later.  Twists gives us these options.  Then the image of 1/12 size ogres sneaking out late at night to terrorize the local town is so amusingly fascinating, I immediately went out and scripted a mini adventure on my own, utilizing the concept.  Other positives: The potion of glibness in a glass is a great, slick, way for the Baron to get away with (dare I cliché?) _murder._  Although I like Witch’s indirect/defensive use of the potion better – I like seasong’s FLAIR better.

So what’s missing?  The entry is missing some of seasong’s usual strong points, namely; hooks.  If the Book of Hushed Rumors is to be introduced to the party earlier in the campaign – you are betting A LOT that they will check with the book while in the Baron’s lands.  Even worse, depending on what else they are involved in, an entry in red may not interest them.  Worse still, some of the other hooks are dependent on reading and having interest in the entry, so if ‘A’ does not lead to ‘B,’ you can’t get to ‘C.’  I have two major problems with the adventure (the bad, and the ugly?).  Given the spell that seasong detailed – there is a WILL save involved in the shrinking.  Since one or more of the PCs are likely to try to resist the spell and attack the Baron, we have an implicit story problem, since we have to make the Baron strong enough to take on the 1-3 party members, or weak enough that one wonders if the PCs will just take him out from the start.  The other is spell based again.  Last time seasong failed to detail Divination precautions.  This time he fails to account for _Dimension Door/ Teleport._  In Wicht’s adventure, the PCs want to be in the keep, in seasong’s they don’t  - which means that seasong must go out of his way to prevent escape, and he misses the boat (a little). This really forces us to use one or more of the ‘Twists” section – and hey – some of those twists are fantastic – but then they shouldn’t really be in an ‘extra’s’ section, but included in the main adventure.

By a larger margin than I expected at this stage in the competition, I award this round to *WICHT.*  I feel I must mention the bad timing of seasong’s cold.  However, for a first time IRON DM competitor, seasong availed himself very well indeed.

Expositions!  I demand expositions!


----------



## seasong

I'm a bit loopy on drugs right now , but I'll try to render some exposition.

Firstly, I agree with the judgement. My entry was well below what I consider my own par, and I'm pretty disappointed in it.

Regarding hooks, I'm an idiot. I had a bunch of hooks useful for it, but I usually write the hooks _last_, so I can come at the adventure from a multitude of approaches. At the point where I would have been writing my Hook #1, Hook #2, etc., I was posting the submission and going to bed. Here's what it would have been (short form - I'm pretty doped):







> Hook #1: Curiosity: The PCs are checking the Tome of Hushed Rumors (Forget), and stumble across the red-inked rumor. Curiousity ensues.
> 
> Hook #2: Oh Help Me Sir!: Peasants may approach the PCs to help them. They have dark suspicions about the Baron, and will pay what they can to hire the PCs. (You'll notice I put this in the wrong section entirely - silly me).
> 
> Hook #3: Greed: The Baron is well known for having a lot of really _cool stuff_, from Daern's Instant Fortress to Urgid's Trapping Box to Whitefeather's Mechanical Songbird. The adventure could easily be turned into a "thieves who robbed a wizard, are shrunk, and tossed into the keep" one... heck, the ogres could be prisoners.
> 
> Hook #4: Baron's Greed: The PCs are looking for a buyer for this stupid book the DM loaded them with, and the Baron just happens to be one such. Of course, he's a little low on cash this month, so he'll just pop the PCs into the keep .




Regarding the Shrink Person spell: Meant to do this, looks like I forgot. The _magic item_ that has the spell has a prerequisite does NOT allow a Will save. But it doesn't matter - there'd always be some spell resistant PC to muck things up .

For Dimension Door/Teleport, on the other hand, I'm quite happy with things the way they are... remember, the PCs will remain at the 1/12th scale, so _just_ leaving the keep isn't enough. They don't have to remain in the keep for that. The only way to return to normal size is to use the password. Although, what I did forget, was Dispel Magic and similar things. Damn.

Maybe I should make it a shrinking sub-dimension with animated doubles in the miniature keep! That would fix most of the spell problems here. Kinda cheesy though .

On to some other things you were kind enough NOT to say:

1. Baron Malsteffan was simply not strong enough a character for me to be happy with. I would have liked to make him more compelling - the wine glass of glibness was the place where I really started to channel him, and I should have gone back and done more work.

2. Had I my druthers, I'd go with the _doppleganger_ twist as the main. The 'flair' you mentioned would have gone very well with a wizard-levelled doppleganger, and I could have made him a truly lovely villain.

3. I would have preferred to put more in about the process of getting out of the keep. I kind of limped on that one.


----------



## Tuerny

Congratulations Wicht!

I am sorry seasong 

Hopefully you will still make the Rat Bastard DM's Club!


----------



## Wicht

*Re: R3: Wicht vs Seasong*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *Witch’s* [sic] *entries certainly get stronger as the contest goes on.  This IRON DM judge is left to wonder if he is actually sand bagging.
> *




This just goes to show that one never can tell.  I thought this was the weakest of my three entries thus far. 

Note: I actually thought my first was quite a success but that is perhaps because I wrote it with an unusual goal in mind.  I started out by asking myself, "_What would Willie Walsh do with these ingredients_," and proceeded to write what I considered a Walshish type adventure.  The last two entries more closely fit my actual DMing style. 

As to thoughts on this submission:

The nostalgia was present in two places.  One was, as noted, the attitude of Agris.  But another was in the general attitude of the people in the arena who felt the arena was past its prime.  I chose to use nostalgia as part of the mood and not as a motivating factor.  Part of the mood was thus decay, of which nostalgia becomes a symptom.  

I was rushed this morning and not being sure I would be home later to tighten up the submission I sent it in as was.  One thing I immediatelly realized was a failure to adequately explain the miniature keep.  A spoken word would allow entry and exit to it and it functioned as a pocket dimension in the form of a keep.  The word could be gleaned from Agris, who, though dead,yet spoke (speak with dead spell would work).  Clues in his apartment would also point to the actual word which was "Chains."  The word could also be worked into prior conversations with Agris so the PCs might not be totally in the dark.  

In the keep, clever PCs would negotiate rather than fight and at level 10, even some of the golems might, if not encountered in huge numbers, not completely drain the party.  Yet a party that foolishly battles and drains their own resources will likely lose in the final fight it is true.

One other thing I considered this morning but did not have time to address was the issue of the PCs meeting Targio in the keep.  In such a case, it might be interesting to have Targio use one of the other evil artifacts in the keep to slow the PCs down before escaping.  The PCs would then still have to figure out what was stolen and why.  

As I noted in the submission, I think the idea needs a lot more actual flesh on it such as red herrings and secondary characters.  Nevertheless I am glad the good judge liked it so well and I am delighted to have the opportunity to face Vaxalon on Monday.


----------



## seasong

Wicht, I also wanted to offer my congratulations to you. You've been strong this whole competition, and I've enjoyed everything you've dished up for us. 

And as the resident "rising star", I hope to face you again in the future, only as a veteran, and with a more winning, less losing .


----------



## seasong

Tuerny said:
			
		

> Hopefully you will still make the Rat Bastard DM's Club!



Well, honestly, I think they've already picked... and I'm pretty young to the boards, still, for them to choose me over someone with more history.

Wicht, on the other hand, they have no excuse not to invite .


----------



## Tuerny

Ack!

What makes you think that?

I just got my application in too.


----------



## seasong

They were waiting for the Iron DM game to go through it's paces so they could see us all in action, and that has happened - really, the final round is less interesting for that purpose than the first two rounds. And Lordnightshade did say this:







> Tuerny, I think we will have this going for a few days but not much more than that.
> 
> Perhaps just until the end of the Iron DM competition.



Also, the only posters in the Rat Bastard thread right now are people submitting interviews, which is a shift from the first few days, when Rat Bastards were posting individual responses.

They may be holding out a fourth chair just in case, but they've had about a week to look over the Iron DMs and other posters, and plenty of data provided to them. If I had to guess, I'd say Wicht and Angelsboi (based on past stuff, since I never saw his interview).

But don't take my word for it. I'm just guessing .


----------



## Tuerny

Yes, but didn't they also say they would post when they were done screening for applicants?


----------



## Rune

Tuerny said:
			
		

> *Yes, but didn't they also say they would post when they were done screening for applicants? *




That's the way they've done it in the past.  I would bet that they're still deliberating, but probably not for long, so if anyone hasn't applied and want's too,  you should probably go ahead and do so, soon.

I guess.


----------



## Rune

*Re: R3: Wicht vs Seasong*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> In this round, explained in some detail later, BOTH Wicht, and Rune have tacked on the ingredient _Nostalgia,_ which is a little disappointing to me.




Freudian slip, incognito?

Congratulations, Wicht; great entry, as usual!  And congratulations to seasong, as well!  Sometimes it's tough being a rising star, but you presented yourself very well.  I'll be looking for you in future events and maybe, just maybe, I'll get a chance to challenge you.


----------



## incognito

*congrats & Future IRON DMs*

The small gold crown rests in Wicht's hands.  Congradulatiosn are certainly in order.

He will face VAX on Mon.  

And if you all enjoyed this competition, and it's judge  - I would be pleased as punch to run the IRON DM once a quarter.  After all, a valuable venue like this deseves to be kept alive!

So Rune, Season, Tuerny, and everyone else - chances are good you will 'meet again!' [insert evil laugh of your choice here]


----------



## Lordnightshade

We are still looking at the applications, and waiting for the members to vote, but I think we are really close to some final decisions. 

Perhaps some may surprise you, others won’t. It all depends on how the votes go, there’s not much activity in the RBC over the weekend as most members are running their own games and such. 

I’m hoping to send out offer letters by tomorrow though, but we will see how the final votes play out. 

When we do make our decision we will post something along the lines that we have chosen and the applications are now closed. 

I don’t know that we will be able to offer critique on the other applications that didn’t make it in, since there are a lot of them and only a few of us. 

Also look for a bit more news in that posting as to further development of the Rat Bastard’s Club and how we are going to make it more accessible to more people going forward (I.E. We will have a public forum that anyone can post to and get help.)

Still our main focus will be the private forum as that’s were the truly secret ideas can be born. 

Congratulations Wicht, you did great here! 

Seasong, I have been very impressed with you this whole time and so I must offer you congratulations as well.


----------



## seasong

Lordnightshade said:
			
		

> We are still looking at the applications, and waiting for the members to vote, but I think we are really close to some final decisions.



Yeah, I sometimes jump the gun . Tuerny, don't listen to me, I'm drugged to high heaven. Mmmm, medicine.







> Also look for a bit more news in that posting as to further development of the Rat Bastard’s Club and how we are going to make it more accessible to more people going forward (I.E. We will have a public forum that anyone can post to and get help.)
> 
> Still our main focus will be the private forum as that’s were the truly secret ideas can be born.



That looks like a very cool idea.







> Seasong, I have been very impressed with you this whole time and so I must offer you congratulations as well.



Thank you .


----------



## Vaxalon

The present holder of the title of Iron DM ENworld finally arrives on the stage.  Resplendent in his silver satin Iron DM outfit, he holds a simple clipboard under one arm, mechanical pencil held loosely and confidently in hand.

He bows first to the moderator, and then to Wicht.

"Mister Moderator, I am ready to defend my title."


----------



## Tuerny

*Re: congrats & Future IRON DMs*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *The small gold crown rests in Wicht's hands.  Congradulatiosn are certainly in order.
> 
> He will face VAX on Mon.
> 
> And if you all enjoyed this competition, and it's judge  - I would be pleased as punch to run the IRON DM once a quarter.  After all, a valuable venue like this deseves to be kept alive!
> 
> So Rune, Season, Tuerny, and everyone else - chances are good you will 'meet again!' [insert evil laugh of your choice here] *




Excellent. I hope I get an oppurtunity to compete again next time.


----------



## incognito

*Warm your engines*

The wily champion, VAXALON has thrown the gauntlet; he is ready

WICHT, when you are ready as well, throw up a post.

I have prepared the ingredients.


----------



## Wicht

_Wicht stumbles blearily onto stage mumbling something about a late night._

I am here and more or less ready to go 

Post the ingredients when ready good judge.

And best of luck to you Vaxalon.


----------



## Wulf Ratbane

Hoowah!

I've been waiting to see this matchup for some time now... but who to cheer for?

Wicht Cons: He smoked me out of this round early on. I'm still smartin'.

Vaxalon Cons: He's had it too easy as champ, what with only having to defend his title once per contest. He's the dreaded "end boss."

Wicht Pros: He's been aiming at this win since the first contest.

Vaxalon Pros: Panache!

Hmm...


Wulf


----------



## incognito

*The time has come*

Vaxalon vs Witch

Here are the 6 MAIN ingredients:
Military coup
Priest's sister
Animated violin
Death Slaad
Level playing field
Brilliant energy falcion 

Here are 6 OPTIONAL Ingredients:
Spell Mastery
Omlette
Worried gnomes
Misleading Map
_Quench_
Analogy

For those unclear on the optionals:
They count FOR you if used well within a submission.  They count against you if they were used poorly in a submisison.  *Most Importantly:* The positive use of the optional ingredietns are ONLY considered if the submissions are close, in grading.  However, if used poorly - they will always count against you.

Good luck, gentlemen.  I have 10:25 EST.  Submissions due in 24 hours.


----------



## Vaxalon

*Re: The time has come*



			
				incognito said:
			
		

> *
> ...
> Brilliant energy falcion
> ...
> Omlette
> ...
> *




I assume you mean "Brilliant Energy FALCHION" and "Omelet/Omelette"?


----------



## seasong

The woes of a spell-checker past its prime, methinks .


----------



## incognito

oh!  So I'm past my prime now, eh seasong?!

Just kidding of course.

Brilliant Energy FALCHION
and 
Omelette

...are the correct ingredients.  I'd give the posters more time, but by now you are used to my foolish antics, are you not?


----------



## Vaxalon

*Crown on a knife edge*

CROWN ON A KNIFE EDGE

This adventure should be attempted by PC's of around tenth level; powerful enough to be able to take on a Death Slaad in single combat, but it needs to be a tough fight.

A pair of _worried gnomes_, Geedel and Geidel, contact the PC's.  They were the legal representatives for princess Lobelia Fuscue, onetime Royal Wizard and *sister* to the high *priest* Canterbin Fuscue, head of the official church of the land.  Lobelia has been convicted of trafficking with demons.  Because executions are not allowed by the Church during the Festival of the Surusian Games, she is presently waiting in prison.  While her cell is warded with an antimagic field, the gnomes are concerned because some of the things she has been asking them to bring her could be used as spell components.

As a condemned prisoner, she has the right to ask for certain "comforts" to ease her time until the day of execution.  As long as they aren't dangerous or too costly, the gnomes are bound by law and tradition to provide them.

Geedel and Geidel have already taken their case to the King, but he wouldn't hear of any warnings, having faith in the cell and the prison warders to prevent her from causing any mischief.

The straw that broke the camel's back for the gnomes was when they found out that Lubelia's laboratory had been broken into.  It was very expertly done, but only one item was taken: a magical violin she had been working on.  This was particularly troublesome, because she had asked for a violin to be delivered to her cell the previous day.  They are worried that somehow this unknown magical device has been delivered to her in prison, for some unknown purpose.  Since "Locate Object" spells have failed to locate the violin, they worry that it may be safe inside her antimagic field.

The Surusian Games are an annual festival of peace, celebrated by several nearby nations, with friendly contests and sporting events, culminating in an Orcball tournament on the final three days.

There are a number of ways that the PC's can investigate.

1> Look into the construction of Lobelia's cell

This will require either a very favorable reaction, or an unusually good scam to accomplish, but if successful will reveal that Lubelia herself enchanted the cell, and that Canterbin certified it secure.

Visiting Lobelia will be difficult, but if they manage it, they will be unable to find a magical violin; only the mundane one will be found.

An extremely careful search may discover that the antimagical field ends a fraction of an inch above the floor; since this is completely insufficient for spellcasting, it is judged to be a simple mistake on Lobelia's part.

Only if the tapestry on her wall is placed on the floor, is the magical "passwall" passageway to a secret chamber below revealed.  This should be a highly unlikely event.  This is where the magical violin, the body of the real Lord Marshal, and his magical sword (which isn't just a brilliant energy falchion, but a HOLY brilliant energy falchion, and thus not wieldable by the Death Slaad) are found, shielded against detection by lead lining on the walls.  

Lobelia has had to be very careful to conceal this, because her brother Canterbin is very perspicacious.  The PC's should be no more able to pierce the veil than he was.  She will not stand for a great deal of disruption; "I am going to be executed within the week; may I not have some quiet to make peace with my God?"  the prison guards will not put up with hauling everything out of the antimagic field and analyzing it.

2> Interview Canterbin

Canterbin claims to despise Lobelia, and all that she represents.  Canterbin is conservative, stolid, and law-abiding; he claims that Lobelia was always a "loose cannon" and that his disappointment with her knows know bounds.  It was, in fact, he himself that discovered her crimes.

Canterbin is very much a creature of habit, almost obsessive in his daily rituals and requirements that things always be done exactly the same way.

Anyone familiar with the two of them can confirm this; the two have been at each others throats for years.

3> Check court records.

Lobelia offered little in the way of defense.  In point of fact, she was discovered in the company of a demon, in peaceful conversation, and little in the way of defense could be made. The trial really was whether she deserved the death penalty, rather than whether she was guilty or not.

4> Check prison records

Lobelia has had three visitors since her conviction - Geedel and Geidel, and Marzash, the Lord Marshal of the Army, a well-known paladin.  Prison gossip is evenly divided over whether Lobelia was asking the holy knight for some kind of absolution, or if they were lovers.

If the PC's don't check the prison records, they should learn of the visit before too long, probably on the grapevine.  If they don't investigate the Lord Marshal after hearing that he had visited her cell, they deserve to fail at the mission.  This is the lynchpin; do your best not to let them miss it.

An interview with the Lord Marshal turns out to be somewhat difficult to accomplish; he has been spending his time in seclusion at his country house, some miles out of the city, and the _map_ to this house that is available from the servants at his home in the city turns out to be _misleading_.  Eventually, however, the PC's find it.

Something is definitely wrong.  The creatures of the forest that live nearby the house are lying in great heaps, dead of a myriad of terrible wounds.  The Lord Marshal is also acting strangely, and refuses any contact with the PC's.  In spite of the fact that he is encountered wearing all of the other items of regalia associated with his office, he is not found with the *brilliant energy falchion* that is the primary mark of his office; instead he is bearing a flaming burst falchion.

If the PC's attack him at this point, he will flee.  There is too much at stake to fight now.  The Lord Marshal will always seem to be just out of reach; whatever stratagem they use to try to catch him, he's always too far.

What has happened is that in spite of her lack of spellbooks, her *spell mastery* has allowed her to cast certain spells, including Planar Binding, within the safe confines of the secret room under her cell.  It was her plan all along to be arrested and placed in this cell.  The fact that her brother Canterbin was so incredibly predictable made it even easier.  She asked the Lord Marshal to come to her cell and pray with her.  While he did so, the Death Slaad attacked and easily overcame him.

On the morning of the last day of the games, the Lord Marshal visits Lobelia in her cell, and takes the magic violin.  He takes it directly to the colosseum where the games are reaching their climax.  If he is pursued by the PC's, he will lead them to the vacant underground chamber where the final confrontation will take place.  There, he will show his true nature.   He is a *Death Slaad*, summoned by Lobelia for the purpose of bringing down the theocratic nation in a bloody coup.  He *animates* the *violin*, causing it to emit a terrible screech that makes speech impossible and spellcasting difficult.  He summons other slaadi, and attacks.  His only task is to keep them from getting to the violin, but he wants a good fight, too.  If the violin is allowed to play for twenty rounds, the colosseum will be razed to the ground by the sonic vibrations building up in it; in other words, the *playing  fields will be 'leveled'*.

If the plan is successful, there will be a *military coup*; the "Lord Marshal" will declare that the destruction of the colosseum, with the high priest, the king, and thousands of the city's faithful, to be a sign from God that they had erred terribly in convicting Lobelia.  He will exonerate her and raise her up as the new monarch, and then quietly disappear.


----------



## Wicht

[size=3[b]Arcim’s Folly[/b][/size]

_Arcim’s folly is a 3e adventure for a party of PCs of at least 15th level.  It is located in an extraplanar city but the PCs do not necessarily need to be capable of planar travel to arrive at the city.  Several of the encounters should be well below a 15 EL, but the time limit given to the PCs as well as the non-stop nature of the encounters will insure that the party is well tested._

*Synopsis:*  The PCs are given the task of finding the sister of a recently deposed priest-king in the war-torn city of Arcim’s Analogy.  Her name is Adriu and she is in hiding.  The PCs must first locate a group of Gnomes who are still loyal to Arcim, the former ruler.  These gnomes, once they are convinced of the PCs intentions will direct the PCs to a bard named Tirst who knows the hiding place of the woman.  The PCs must save Tirst from a group of soldiers who are also looking for Adriu.  If they do this, Tirst directs the PCs to an abandon arena where Adriu, the girl, is waiting.  The PCs get to the arena just as a group of Slaad arrive.  The Slaad naturally want her as well.  If the PCs defeat the Slaad, they once more encounter the soldiers who will attempt to stop them from leaving the city.  

*Background:*  Arcim is a neutral good priest, who after many years of bloodshed and adventuring across the planes dedicated himself to the pursuit of peace.  Seeking to establish a utopian society in which all alignments, creeds and races could dwell together, he founded a city and named it Arcim’s Analogy.  It was connected to the Material Plane via the Plane of Shadows and contained gates to numerous outer planes.   Within his city, violence was outlawed upon pain of expulsion and all were commanded to get along.  In his mind he was creating a mini multi-verse in an attempt to show that coexistance was possible.  However his own pacifist leanings contained within themselves the seed of his fall.  In reality things were not always so peaceful in the city of peace and many of it’s citizens refered to it as Arcim’s Folly.

Arcim’s chief of police, a lawful neutral half-orc named Grisfird Axehelm, tried for many years to carry out his king’s wishes, but as year after year went by, he deemed it almost impossible to keep the peace using Arcim’s methods.  Finally Grisird initiated what he hoped would be a bloodless coup.  Rallying those soldiers he knew to be loyal to him, he informed the priest-king that Arcim’s sister, Adriu, was being held hostage and that if Arcim stepped down from the throne and left his city, his sister would be released unharmed.  Arcim, desiring to avoid confrontation, complied.

In reality Grisfird did not have Adriu.  She had managed to evade his men and was somewhere in the city hiding.  Furthermore, with the departure of Arcim, chaos broke out in the city as several factions saw an opportunity to sieze power.  Somehow word soon leaked into the street that Adriu was not in Grisfird’s custody and now there is a mad scramble to find her.  Each faction assumes that the one who has Adriu in their control will be able to gain the support of Arcim and therefore the support of those still loyal to Arcim.  

Arcim, now on the material plane, has also heard, via certain factions still loyal to him, that Adriu is in hiding in the city.  The priest is very upset at what has happened and is considering ways to retake his city.  In the meantime though, he would prefer it if his little sister were out of harms way.

*Plot Hooks:*  The easiest way to bring the PCs into the adventure is to have Arcim hire them to enter the city and retrieve his sister.  If Arcim hires them, he directs them to first seek out the Whistlow family of Gnomes who, when given the proper passphrase, will help them locate Adriu.

Alternately, the DM can have one of the other smaller factions involved in the city hire the PCs.  This would be a good way to introduce PCs new to the planes to a society or race that the DM wants to incorporate as a major story arc in his campaign.  

If the PCs are already planar adventurers, DMs might decide to have the PCs in the city when Grisfird initiates his coup.  Within a day, there is word of dueling rewards being offered by competing factions to the person or persons who turns Adriu over to them.  

*Getting to the City:*  If the PCs do not begin the adventure in the city, which is likely, there are two ways they can reach the city.  The most dangerous route is to travel there via the Plane of Shadows.  However, it is likely that such a method of arrival will take the PCs too long.  The other way is to travel via a gate created by Arcim.  Arcim has the means to open a gate to a small, empty warehouse inside the city.  If the PCs find Adriu and wish to give her into the care of her brother, Arcim can open the gate into the warehouse at any time.  If Arcim is the one who hires the PCs, he will inform them that he will keep a close eye on them via scrying and that as soon as they return to the warehouse and make a certain sign, he will open the gate for them.

The city also has gates, some of them permenant, into several of the outer planes, including Limbo, Arcadia and Gehenna.  

*Arcim’s Analogy:*  Arcim’s once peaceful Analogy is now a picture of the war torn outer planes.  Grisfird’s control is slight and several competing factions war openly in the street.  Given enough time, Grisfird will bring things under control.  But the recent coup has thrown everything into chaos.  Small bands of demons and groups of celestials seek to eliminate one another.  Githyanki and Githzerai are fighting one another openly.  There is also a Slaad element that sees an opportunity to make the city a place through which planar armies can march on their way to fight in other planes.  They have as their goal the conquest of the city so that they might then charge tolls to those passing through.  As the PCs journey through the city, they will witness frequent clashes and they will also see Grisfird’s military police seeking to restore order.

In addition to the fighting which is going on everywhere, there is still a thriving business aspect to the city.  Mercanes and other planar merchants continue to ply their trade, many of them now selling weapons to various groups and individuals.  Street merchants hawk their wares and many of them are unscrupulous.  One popular scam is for merchants who spot newcomers to the city to attempt to sell ‘magical’ maps to the unwary.  They will claim to have a map showing the place of anything in the city.  PCs who tell these vendors they are seeking Adriu will soon find themselves in possession of a map that purports to show the woman’s location.  Such maps, however, inevitably send their owners on wild goose chases as the magic in the map causes the desired location to constantly shift.  Such maps are considered great jokes amongst the citizens of the city who enjoy watching the unfortunates who try to follow the maps.  

Besides the encounters detailed hereafter, DMs are encouraged to embroil the PCs in several small street fights.  These should not be particularly deadly to the PCs, but they will slowly drain the PCs resources.  The DM should also maintain a constant sense of urgency to the adventure.  The PCs must find the Adriu before other parties do.  If the PCs dawdle too long, DMs should feel free to alter the encounters to reflect the progress made by other groups.  If the PCs take too long they may have to rescue the girl from the dungeons of Grisfird or the clutches of an evil Death Slaad.

*The Whistlow Gnomes:*  Whether the PCs are hired by Arcim or not, they will be directed to first visit the Whistlow Gnomes, a large family of illusionist.  These gnomes are loyalist to Arcim and the PCs will be told that they will be able to point the PCs in the right direction.  The Gnomes will only give the PCs information if they believe the PCs are sincerely working for Arcim and not against him.  The recent coup has them extremely worried and suspicious.  They will not trust the PCs merely because the PCs tell them to.  If Arcim hires the PCs he will have given them a passphrase, “Omelettes require broken eggs,” which will insure the gnomes assist them.  If the PCs are working for another party they will have to prove their trustworthiness to the gnomes through other methods.  If the gnomes grow suspicious of the PCs, they will give them one of the maps described above.  In point of fact, the Whistlow gnomes are the chief creators and wholesalers of the minor magical maps.

If the gnomes decide to trust the PCs, they will direct them to find a bard name Tirst.  He habitually frequents some of the cheaper bars in the city and can be identified as being the one with a talking violin.  They know that Tirst knows where Adriu is.

*Tirst:*  Tirst the bard is fond of cheap booze and bad songs.  He is also in love with Adriu and is one of the few people the woman currently trusts.  When the PCs find Tirst, he will be in a dive named “The Sailor’s Gut.”  It is a place that is dangerous and oft avoided.  It is also a place where people do not to ask questions.  Tirst is hiding there.  He is drinking, singing and generally wondering how he can smuggle Adriu out of the city to her brother.  

Tirst is easily recognizable because of his violin.  It is a magical and intelligent violin.  It  can play itself and can work minor charms through its music (sleep and friendship spells in the main).  As Tirst drinks, his violin hovers in the air next to him playing melancholy airs.  Tirst is slightly drunk and the PCs must figure out some way to win his support and sober him up enough to be of help to them.  Given enough time this would be easy but just moments after the PCs find Tirst, another group enters the bar.  These are soldiers sent to arrest Tirst.

The soldiers (Fighters level 5) are led by a Captain Helsoford, a Fighter level 14.  Helsoford is armed with a +3 Brilliant Energy Falchion and is a dangerous opponent.  If the PCs let Tirst be arrested, the soldiers will soon know the location of Adriu.  The sensible thing for the completion of the mission is to keep the soldiers from arresting the bard.  If Helsoford loses half of his men he will order a retreat (assuming he is alive) all the while threatening the PCs to leave things alone if they know what’s good for them.  Helsoford will then have some of his men keep an eye on the PCs from a distance in order to see if they will lead them to the woman.

If the PCs keep Tirst from being arrested and convince him that they can get Adriu out of the city, he will reveal that she is hiding in an old arena on the edge of the city.  This arena is currently unused, but it has an anti-magic field around it which protects Adriu from scrying.  

*The Arena:*  Eventually the PCs should discover Adriu is hiding in the old arena on the edge of town head there to retrieve her.  Adriu herself is a neutral good Wizard, level 10.  She has lost her spell books but she possesses Spell Mastery over several spells and will have these prepared.

The arena itself was designed as a place where contestants could joust and spar and where magical interference would be impossible in fights.  The floor of the arena is still perfectly level, but the seats are falling apart and the building itself is in bad shape.  The actual floor of the arena possesses a permanent Dead Magic Field.  Outside the floor of the arena, in the seats, or any of the various rooms of the arena magic works normally, with the exception of fire spells.  Some now dead architect had the idea to put a permanent Quench spell on the whole arena to prevent fires.  Magical and non-magical fires alike are affected by the spell.  

Adriu is hiding in one of the rooms around the arena floor.  The PCs will have to find her.  However things are made more complicated by the arrival of some Slaad who are also looking for her.  The Slaad, who break apart into smaller groups, will seek to kill the PCs on sight, rightly assuming the PCs are after the same thing they are.  The Slaad are led by a crafty Death Slaad.  He is the one with a vision of turning the city into a thoroughfare for fiendish armies and he will gladly share his vision as he fights.  In his mind such a thoroughfare would help spread chaos throughout the multiverse.  

Assuming the PCs defeat the Slaad and find Adriu, they are still not out of the woods.  Even as they start to leave the arena, Captain Helsoford (or his replacement) leads a squad of men to arrest Adriu and the PCs.  The PCs will have to get through the soldiers to finish their job.

*Conclusion:*  If Arcim’s sister is returned safely (or even if she is killed) the priest will have slightly changed his worldview and will begin planning on recapturing his city.  The PCs may or may not decide to help him do this.      Alternately, the PCs may end up seeing Grisfird (who will be a good ruler) return the city to peace and law and decide to support him against the weaker Arcim.  As mentioned before, if the PCs do not rescue Adriu from her hiding place in the arena, they may have to rescue her from even more difficult circumstances.  However it ends up, the DM should be able to use the conclusion of this adventure to propel the PCs into further adventures outside the material plane.


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## incognito

*update*

both submissions are in, and I will be re-reading both (not due to length, just due to the seriousness of the final round).

It will be a double post, when I make my decision.

Hint: the optional ingredients are a factor in this one..


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## incognito

*The optional ingredients (OI)*

OK, we knew that they would play some factor, these secondary ingredients, and I factored them in like this.  Make a list of all the OIs used, give a check, if used well, a dash if used poorly, and an X if contrived/tacked on  Begin reading with a relative bias based on how many _more_ X's the more offending poster had.

So here's the breakout.

Vaxalon
Worried gnomes: the idea of a pair of gnome lawyers fit into a very confortable palce in my head.  Although they needed fleshing out (more scenario commentary in the review post), they were a bright idea. {check}

Misleading map:  Boorish/tacked on.  Ok, so the the eath Slaad does nto want visitors, I get it - but the value of the misleading map is suspect.  Why do the sevants ahve a misleading copy?  poorly incorporated. {X}

Spell Mastery: nicely done, and makes perfect sense as part of Lobelia's master plan.  Tied in with the summoning of the Death Slaad, and a way for her to slay the (clichely stupid) Paladin.

Wicht
Worried gnomes: yes, gnomes favored class is illusionist, and yes, this makes sense they they are the chief creators of the map.  Well done. {check}

Misleading map:  see worried gnomes entry, but also as a plot device to spoil the party looking for the 'easy' solution to finding Adriu. {check}

Spell Mastery: Althoguh amusing that both submissions contained anti-magic fields, there was simply no reason for anyone to know or care that Adriu has spell mastery.  it would be like saying she was a Libra.  Just no relevant. {x}

Omlette: No one had to say the use of ingrdiens had to be lenghty, just well used.  This was was - part of a simple pass phrase.  {check}

Analogy: The enforced anti-violence laws are an analogy for utopian peace.  I get it, and it used, although not brillant. {dash}

Quench:  Yuk, horrible, supremely tacked on?  None of the NPCs explicity use fire, not does it advance the plot or adventure in any way.  The worst tack on! _Wicht!_ - {X}

***********************************

And so to sum up, I reviewed these submissions with a slight (2 vs 1) anti Wicht bias.

the Formal write up is forthcoming...I promise.


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## Lordnightshade

Arrrgh!! The anticipation is killing me!! Who won!?


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## Wicht

Lordnightshade said:
			
		

> *Arrrgh!! The anticipation is killing me!! Who won!? *




You?!  I got heartburn.  _Of course it could just be I ate too much at the Pizza Hut buffett for lunch._


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## incognito

*BIG GOLD CROWN*

I’ll skip the normal banter and head right to it – both contestants know the rules.

Does anyone wonder why Vaxalon is the current IROM DM champ?  If they do, a perusal of the scenario set up by VAX should set the bar.  It’s important to realize players may not immediately feel that Lobelia is guilty, if only because that is the obvious conclusion to draw.  The use of many of the core ingredients is masterful.  The *brilliant energy falchion* is not only used as a way to identify the false Lord Marshal, but is ALSO a symbol of state, which means that the PCs cannot simply abscond with it once the adventure is over (GP value is at least 98K) - and hey, I did hammer Wicht about throwing around items like this, so I’m glad it’s probably NOT going to be used in the main adventure.  Amusing is the inclusion of *Level playing field*, which Vax subjects to his unique interpretation – and since it is well done…I cannot help but enjoy it.  What strikes me most is Vax’s use of strong NPCs.  Not strong in power, but strong in personality.  Canterbin hates his sister – as only a truly messed up family member can.  The gnomes are truly worried – seeing their duties as being compromised.  Lobelia is a schemer who is really willing to take risks, not just follow through with the same old coup.  Leveling a stadium with visitors (and undoubtedly nobility) from several nations is downright chaotic and evil – she certainly recruited the right outsider for the job.  Finally, Vax’s submission is rules-tight.  I did not see any gaping hole where one spell, or one action by the PCs would unravel his thread…  And I was lookin’!

So where does Vax fall short?  Three areas, some major.  Plot hooks.  There is only one.  If the players feel that the worried gnomes are just busybodies: adventure over.  In past entries we’ve seen other IRON DMs try to include hooks that work for a variety of parties, and I expect the same or better from Vax accordingly.  Next, level of detail – yes, Vax did highlight all the relevant points, and kept his submission - with spaces - to under 8K.  But I need to know more about Canterbin; give me examples of his rigid routine – just one line!  And give me examples of his rigid intolerance – beating a delinquent acolyte is always a winner.  Also, I want the final day(s) at the arena more detailed: Who’s there?  Where are they sitting?  How does the Slaad _know_ the heads of state will perish?  Speaking of, one ingredient was a little forced.  The annoying violin bringing down the house stands out as a ‘must be used because it’s an ingredient’ rather than the rest which weave SO well.  Finally, and I know VAX said he wanted a challenging end boss but whoa! A CR13 Sladd vs L10 characters.  Lemme tell ya, I fought a Death Slaad at level 12, and it gave us a whoopin’. 25% of your parties resources does not mean for every fight, 25% of the party should die (_implosion_ anyone?).  The only saving grace is that this is the end boss, and the only combat spec’d out (By the way, 20 rounds of combat ensures the party will either kill the slaad or be killed, the violin threat is a non-issue, except to casters heh, heh).


Wicht falls on the other end of the spectrum – submitting a series of challenges that the party should be able to handle easily – the PCs just have to be quick about it, and they know it.  There is a good stuff to say about this submission.  It introduces some high level areas for the PCs to visit, no matter how things work out.  It gives rise to the idea of a ‘blood less coup’ - an out of the box idea, to any coup-type submissions I’ve ever run across.  We also have plot devices (misleading maps) intended to foil the party if they get too heavy handed; enforcing the role-play. Like Vax’s this one is rules tight – no loopholes that will bypass the adventure, getting the party to endgame before other interested parties can catch up, ruining the ‘ending.’  Even if the party uses _commune_ a yes/no series of questions will not short circuit this adventure.  Not bad!

That’s where the goodness ends, I’m afraid.  There is actually a lot NOT to like about this submission as well.  Several of the key ingredients are tacked on.  The captain of the guard’s *brilliant energy falchion,* the *level playing field,* and the *animated violin* are not woven, they are just in there.  One of the big disappointments though, is the general lack of description of the utopian city.  We get the ‘fighting in the streets’ visual driven home very well – but why do so many outsiders want to live here in the first place.  I got the feeling that the adventure called for this city to be something magnificent, yet I felt no awe in its description here. And where is the Grisfird Axehelm?  Don’t get me all juiced up about this NPC and then leave him out of the action!  Instead we get a (dare I say?), run of the mill Death Slaad.  Neither IRON DM hopeful gave the Slaad a name, but Wicht’s slaad seemed more….vanilla. Oddly, one of the things Wicht’s does well, also tastes pretty vanilla to me here:  Plot hooks.  We have 3, but they are SO predictable - find Adriu for a reward.  While reading it, I thought – gee, wouldn’t it be neat if the PCs were their training for their next level, or doing important research in this unique city, such that it was vital for them to return the city for peace, inherently?  If I can think up a hook that quickly, it means the hooks were underdeveloped (but hey, better than Vax’s, which were slim and none).

With that, it should be clear that I have found the winner of this round
.
.
.
.
.
.
and STILL IRON DM, BIG_GOLD_CROWN bearer…ladies and gentlemen:

*VAXALON*


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## Imhotepthewise

incognito, having supped deeply on the contents of the arcane writ, comes across an obscure passage left by a disgruntled competitor that, once read, opens a window to a pocket universe and is...

Sucked In!!!!

The window slams shut.

Bummer.


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## incognito

I do request exposition  

In closing:

Please, gentle readers - pats on the back not only to Vax and Wicht, but to anyone you thought was a good submitter.

I'll be the first - Wulf, you got screwed by that good for nothin' judge 

and Finally - I hope you all enjoyed the IRON DM format, your flames...er...suggestions for next quarter's contest are sincerely appreciated.


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## Rune

_It should have been you, Wulf..._

...er, I mean, Congratulations again, Vaxalon.

And congratulations for putting up a good fight, Wicht!  Having lost against both of you, I can attest to the fact that you are both _really_ tough competitors.

Well, g'night folk, it's been fun.  Hope I get to play in the next one!  So many people I still need to test myself against.  Wulf, seasong, Tuerny...


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## Wicht

Good job Vaxalon.

Well, what can I say?  It all seemed like a good idea at the time of course I was operating at the time on only 4-5 hours of sleep yesterday. 

In my defense...

The quench spell operating on the arena grounds was a factor I thought might be a nasty surprise for PCs (especially ones fond of fireballs and the like).  It was not just thrown in, it was meant to make the battle more interesting.  Likewise the spell mastery was meant to mean the though she had lost her spellbooks Adriu could still be an aid to the PCs in some small way.  My bad in that my prose was lacking.

The level playing field was incorporated into another aspect of the adventure - the city of Arcim's Analogy was supposed to be a level playing field for a variety of cultures to interact on - perhaps I should have mentioned that more specifically.  As well, in my sleep deprived mind, the real analogy was that the city, designed to promote harmony had become a mirror of the fighting of the outer planes.

The violin should have been made more a factor in the encounter with Tirst and I probably should have given more detail to the Death Slaad (though I felt my entry was already getting too long).

In the end I think two things hurt me 1) trying to keep it as concise as it was and 2) a major lack of sleep the other night 

Ah well... *I Shall Return!*

In the meantime Wulf has had his revenge


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## Tuerny

_Oh yes, Rune you will have your day, oh yes you will......._ 


::coughs::

Yes, I want to say I as duly impressed by all of the competitors who made it to round 2. Every one of them put out some top notch entries, and I must say I am duly impressed. I hope I get an oppurtunity to face all of you again in the next round of........
IRON DM!


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## Imhotepthewise

Sorry.  Would have been funnier if I'd caught him before he posted.  I have really enjoyed following this contest.  I look forward to the next round.  All of the entries were interesting and deserve respect.


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## Wicht

Rune said:
			
		

> *It should have been you, Wulf... *




Yeah well, I still think my ghost dryad in the mast should have got me further too


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## seasong

Congratulations, Vaxalon! And congratulations to everyone else. I didn't go a single (non-me) round without stealing at least two wonderful ideas. They are all mine now. MINE!


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## Vaxalon

*Thank you, everyone.*

Thank you, Wicht, for a contest well-played.

Thank you, Incognito, for a contest well-run and well-judged.  I could not take issue with any of your rulings.

I would like to announce now that this will by my last term as Iron DM Enworld.  Three times is enough for anyone; for me to continue to compete would smack of arrogance.  In three months, I will not be defending my title.  I will be glad to hand over my silver satin Iron DM jumpsuit at that time.

Besides, the seams are starting to rip out... probably won't last past Christmas anyways...


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## incognito

*Oh NO!*

Vax...

Noooooooooo!

You deny the next winner of IRON DM the right to (try and)depose you?

Hmmmm....

I will have to think of something suitably...well, *EVIL * to do to compensate.

If you reconsider, of course, that's fine too...


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## Wulf Ratbane

*Re: Thank you, everyone.*



			
				Vaxalon said:
			
		

> *Three times is enough for anyone; for me to continue to compete would smack of arrogance.[/SIZE] *




Yeah, cause that big honkin' banner in your sig was so subtle. 

I personally would like to see you hang on to it. Your wit, your arrogance, your panache... seriously, the heart and soul of Iron DM is in all your posts (and in the consistently capricious judging).



			
				Wicht said:
			
		

> *Yeah well, I still think my ghost dryad in the mast should have got me further too   *




Me too, man. Me too. 

But man... Arrgh... I could taste your blood in the water! 

Khaaaaaaaaaaaaan!


Wulf


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## Vaxalon

I'm touched.

We'll see what happens in three months... if you really want me to defend it, I'll defend it.  Maybe I'll run a poll.


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## incognito

PirateCat, can you archive this thread?  Or should I ask in Meta?


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