[Fire Mountain Games] Throne of Night


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One thing that he has done that is very crooked is to sell print copies of his Way of the Wicked series and as of today he has not delivered. Same with print copies of book 1 of Throne of Night. I believe some people are out $120 on WotW print alone. He will not respond to anyone about their orders.


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Kevin Mack wrote:
Actually I still dont think he has lied or stolen anything (Then again I was pretty certain from the start that this was going to be a lot more complicated/longer than he planned.)

Me neither. I have no real problem with an ambitious project falling behind - I'm pretty sure Ultimate Psionics fell behind schedule as did a couple of the Frog God Games kickstarters (or offshoots from them, anyhow). I've never been concerned, since both of them have remained engaged with their supporters. Even Paizo have slippages from time to time (though not of this magnitude) but they have a clear process to keep things up front about what's going on.

I'm pretty relaxed about people taking their time to get it right, provided they keep talking to me and explaining what's going on. After an absence such as the last one (especially given the negative sentiment on the comments section of the kickstarter), I was perplexed that Gary didnt make any effort to explain what had gone wrong.

There might be personal dramas impacting on his ability to deliver and I dont expect him to share his life with us. But even a reference to "private issues" or some kind of revision of his timeframe would have been better than calmly proceeding as if nothing has gone awry, imo.

Shadow Lodge

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I think the most disappointing thing is that Fire Mountain Games was coming off of such a huge amount of good reviews and goodwill for Way of the Wicked...and he's essentially thrown it all away due to nothing more than a lack of communication. Even today's "update", the first in six months, was nothing substantial. It only offered a few pictures, no real update on progress or explanation of why there was a six month communications blackout.

I hope that this project is eventually completed. But I don't see myself doing any more business with Fire Mountain Games in the future, regardless of the eventual outcome of this Kickstarter.


Is it possible that this update is only being posted now (close to the deadline for the project - March 2014) to satisfy kickstarter criteria that delayed projects need to keep backers updated?

The KS FAQ says:
If problems come up, creators are expected to post a project update (which is emailed to all backers) explaining the situation. Sharing the story, speed bumps and all, is crucial. Most backers support projects because they want to see something happen and they'd like to be a part of it. Creators who are honest and transparent will usually find backers to be understanding.

It's not uncommon for things to take longer than expected. Sometimes the execution of the project proves more difficult than the creator had anticipated. If a creator is making a good faith effort to complete their project and is transparent about it, backers should do their best to be patient and understanding while demanding continued accountability from the creator.

If the problems are severe enough that the creator can't fulfill their project, creators need to find a resolution. Steps could include offering refunds, detailing exactly how funds were used, and other actions to satisfy backers.

I hate to think it, but posting this update, now, could be just a way to keep kickstarter at bay if serious questions are asked by backers about the likelihood of this project being completed (especially this close to the estimated completion date).

Maybe I am just being too cynical/suspicious...?

I gotta agree with Kthulhu too. Even if this does get completed, there will be no further support from me via kickstarter, and possibly not even for completed products, given the way we have been treated us as backers.

Grand Lodge

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Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber

If you are, it's the tamest cynical statement we've had so far.


Meh. I still haven't got the a link for the first PDF and I doubt I'll get a link to the second. It's all well and good to (eventually) produce the book, you also have to deliver it to the people who kickstarted the project. >:(

RPG Superstar 2015 Top 16

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On a positive note:

I'd like to say that Mr. Clarke's art is only getting better & better. That cover of #3 (the Dwarven city of Dammerhall) is fantastic!


FMG's stated goal was for this kickstarter was to raise money so that they could "do real print runs" and "not have to rely on print-on-demand services".

We gave them $40,640.00 with which to "make real print runs".

"Real print runs" have to be scheduled months in advance and the publisher knows several months beforehand when the books will be finished printing.

So...where are the print copies?

Why do we have no information at all on the projects primary purpose and goal and only receive information on PDF's which cost the company nothing to develop?

If the physical copies of book 1 should have been "ready in a few weeks" four months ago and they were being printed in "real print runs" then they should be ready right now. After all those print runs had to be scheduled months in advance.


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It amazes me that, after 5 pages of comments complaining about the lack of updates, when we get an update, those same people complain that it isn't good enough. Surprise surprise.

We've been given a timeframe for the next instalment, and art previews to show work is still being undertaken on book three. It has also proved wrong the cynics that said Gary had disappeared into the wide blue yonder with our money. We just need patience. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the books incomplete until mid 2015... I've been waiting a lot longer for 'The Winds of Winter'.

In five years time after finishing play on an epic and original campaign we will look back and have totally forgotten a years delay. The series, the company, and Gary will be remembered for the quality of the product first and foremost, and that will determine the success of future kick starters. Whatever the nay-Sayers may think.

Provided the quality is there Gry can take as long as he likes, in fact I'd say it is imperative he does so. The reaction to his update only goes to show why he would stay away - a number of posters using any comment as a reason to launch an attack. Who wants to work in that environment. The surest way to guarantee defensiveness is to go on the offence.


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The Sword wrote:

It amazes me that, after 5 pages of comments complaining about the lack of updates, when we get an update, those same people complain that it isn't good enough. Surprise surprise.

We've been given a timeframe for the next instalment, and art previews to show work is still being undertaken on book three. It has also proved wrong the cynics that said Gary had disappeared into the wide blue yonder with our money. We just need patience. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the books incomplete until mid 2015... I've been waiting a lot longer for 'The Winds of Winter'.

In five years time after finishing play on an epic and original campaign we will look back and have totally forgotten a years delay. The series, the company, and Gary will be remembered for the quality of the product first and foremost, and that will determine the success of future kick starters. Whatever the nay-Sayers may think.

Provided the quality is there Gry can take as long as he likes, in fact I'd say it is imperative he does so. The reaction to his update only goes to show why he would stay away - a number of posters using any comment as a reason to launch an attack. Who wants to work in that environment. The surest way to guarantee defensiveness is to go on the offence.

For my part, I'm not complaining about it being late. I'm complaining about not being kept in the loop.

The delay doesnt matter to me at all. What bothers me is promising one thing and then not explaining why when you change your undertaking. (I dont understand why I havent gotten book one yet, for example - I dont really care that I havent gotten it yet, I care that he hasnt told me why).


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Steve Geddes wrote:
The Sword wrote:

It amazes me that, after 5 pages of comments complaining about the lack of updates, when we get an update, those same people complain that it isn't good enough. Surprise surprise.

We've been given a timeframe for the next instalment, and art previews to show work is still being undertaken on book three. It has also proved wrong the cynics that said Gary had disappeared into the wide blue yonder with our money. We just need patience. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see the books incomplete until mid 2015... I've been waiting a lot longer for 'The Winds of Winter'.

In five years time after finishing play on an epic and original campaign we will look back and have totally forgotten a years delay. The series, the company, and Gary will be remembered for the quality of the product first and foremost, and that will determine the success of future kick starters. Whatever the nay-Sayers may think.

Provided the quality is there Gry can take as long as he likes, in fact I'd say it is imperative he does so. The reaction to his update only goes to show why he would stay away - a number of posters using any comment as a reason to launch an attack. Who wants to work in that environment. The surest way to guarantee defensiveness is to go on the offence.

For my part, I'm not complaining about it being late. I'm complaining about not being kept in the loop.

The delay doesnt matter to me at all. What bothers me is promising one thing and then not explaining why when you change your undertaking. (I dont understand why I havent gotten book one yet, for example - I dont really care that I havent gotten it yet, I care that he hasnt told me why).

/Agree wholeheartedly.

Delays are par for the course on Kickstarter, but keeping your backers (financiers!) in the loop is a small courtesy, forgotten by many (but not all - I wont mention any names, but a certain other high profile RPG Kickstarter has been WELL OVER 12 months late, but kept it's backers informed about progress and delays along the way. Only now are they starting fulfilment, but with good communications a multitude of 'sins' are easily forgiven).

I still have concerns that are not fully alleviated by the update, but my position appears to be the same as Steve's...Delays are actually OK (and somewhat expected), just talk to us so we don't have to worry about it unnecessarily.

Sovereign Court

I accept some amount of risk when I finance kickstarters. The one for torn Armor for instance, I can partly forgive. Because a blunder was made and an explanation offered.

I will take what I can from this one and move on from the creator, that's it.


The first one was fantastic, I got a recent update, and the new art looks fantastic.

Good enough for me.


Well, color me surprised. Two updates in seven days. It would seem that FMG has managed to regain a portion of their previous momentum not seen since this kickstarter was in its infancy. Good for them!

Still no word on the print copies that comprise this kickstarters sole reason for being necessary though. Hopefully that will be addressed in the next update.

Dark Archive

Well another update and nice looking hex map for Book 2.
Book 2 still looks to be on track for the end of this month.
Promising news.


Just a helpful hint from me, don't buy any of the new books from this adventure path unless there are 5 books released already. Only if 5 are done you can be halfway sure this gets finished at all.

Since FMG needs about 6 months for a book to release until now ,and there is no sign that this will change in the near future, this wont happen before 10-2015. If you buy it and start playing it you will be through with it long before the next book comes out, if it comes out at all. The author is unreliable at best and didn't respond to questions on kickstarter for nearly 5 months, the only reason he releases the second book is probably because 1 year from the kickstarter start has passed and he was overdue for 5 of 6 books and people start talking about suing him for refunding.

And of course, don't ever back Fire Mountain Games or Gary McBride up on kickstarter or anywhere else ever again!

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

Well, I think that not buying the books will only result in the books being sold out when you want them.

This is like people who cancel their AP subscription because they have too much material to play right now. They love the APs but cannot get through them fast enough to keep up with the schedule.

For FMG - they Way of the Wicked was excellent. And what I see of this kickstarter it is also.

Would more communication be nice? Yes... Am I upset about it? No. Would I not buy this AP or the next? How could I not buy it (or them)... Would I badmouth FMG and Gary? Of course not - his work is excellent.

Would I recommend his work? Yes, it is awesome.

Guess I am not worried about immediate gratification.

I have contributed to many kickstarters over the past few years and even if this came out to next year some time it is by far not the worst kickstarter I have backed.

One of my first was a monster book by some unknown company but I was new to kickstarter and excited about helping something new get off the ground. I may see that one some time in the future but I no longer really care about it.

There is a film that looks like it is in a legal situation and therefore may never make it out into the light.

There is one that should have been out last month by the first estimates that I will likely not see until next winter.

It just is the way it is... And I would not suggest anyone else not support these companies or their efforts. Some of them I may not support in the future which is my choice but I would not suggest anyone else do so.


Shem wrote:

Well, I think that not buying the books will only result in the books being sold out when you want them.

This is like people who cancel their AP subscription because they have too much material to play right now. They love the APs but cannot get through them fast enough to keep up with the schedule.

For FMG - they Way of the Wicked was excellent. And what I see of this kickstarter it is also.

Would more communication be nice? Yes... Am I upset about it? No. Would I not buy this AP or the next? How could I not buy it (or them)... Would I badmouth FMG and Gary? Of course not - his work is excellent.

Would I recommend his work? Yes, it is awesome.

Guess I am not worried about immediate gratification.

I have contributed to many kickstarters over the past few years and even if this came out to next year some time it is by far not the worst kickstarter I have backed.

One of my first was a monster book by some unknown company but I was new to kickstarter and excited about helping something new get off the ground. I may see that one some time in the future but I no longer really care about it.

There is a film that looks like it is in a legal situation and therefore may never make it out into the light.

There is one that should have been out last month by the first estimates that I will likely not see until next winter.

It just is the way it is... And I would not suggest anyone else not support these companies or their efforts. Some of them I may not support in the future which is my choice but I would not suggest anyone else do so.

I pretty much agree with this (although I won't be supporting their kickstarters any more).

However, I think it's important to warn future backers that Gary doesn't stay in contact during the fulfilment stage. If I'd known that going in, I still would have pledged (and wouldn't be as upset now). Being late doesn't matter - that wasn't a term of the contract. Staying in contact was.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder Adventure, Rulebook Subscriber
Aream wrote:
Just a helpful hint from me, don't buy any of the new books from this adventure path unless there are 5 books released already. Only if 5 are done you can be halfway sure this gets finished at all.

This only applies if you intend to run the adventure path. If you are a GM looking to run your own campaign in the darklands and want extra material it doesn't matter if the rest is never published.

Silver Crusade RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16

It's odd that he sent out the download info, but there has not been an update on Kickstarter.


Welcome to the wonderful world of Trying-To-Comprehend-What-The-Devil-Gary McBride-Is-Doing!

Dark Archive

And new Kickstarter update went out for ToN. WotW Book 7 should be out in the next couple weeks and an important bit for those that have been waiting for the shipping of the books...

"And finally, we getting close to doing our first round of physical shipping. I do not yet have the precise date, but books should be going out by sometime in early May. I'll try next week to have an update with definite dates."

Wayfinders

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Kickstarters are stupid. Dont do them and you should be fine. There's a lot of talented writers and game designers out there of which Gary is definitely one. Would I give any of them money to write and publish something? No. Show me the product and I will decide whether its a good purchase or not.

Kickstarters are stupid. You may be putting someone into business that has no idea how to run a business and then you get mad that they cant run a business when you put them there in the first place. Don't assume that because someone can design a killer game that they can run a business. Left lobe , right lobe thing, anyway...

What were we thinking? Good heavens......


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Macgreine wrote:

Kickstarters are stupid. Dont do them and you should be fine. There's a lot of talented writers and game designers out there of which Gary is definitely one. Would I give any of them money to write and publish something? No. Show me the product and I will decide whether its a good purchase or not.

Kickstarters are stupid. You may be putting someone into business that has no idea how to run a business and then you get mad that they cant run a business when you put them there in the first place. Don't assume that because someone can design a killer game that they can run a business. Left lobe , right lobe thing, anyway...

What were we thinking? Good heavens......

The fact that you don't like something, such as Kickstarter, doesn't make it "stupid".

Scarab Sages

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Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

I like kickstarters. I personally contributed to about 8 of them in the past month.


Lack of communication for a bit aside, I've really liked what I've seen in both books. I'm a bit nervous about starting one up for fear a longer delay might arise. Maybe I'll wait till book 3, but then, they seem to be focusing on some WotW material next and that might be an even longer pause.

Scarab Sages

Pathfinder Maps Subscriber

They are working on both Throne 3 and Wicked 7 at the same time. They are finishing them up.


Shem wrote:
They are working on both Throne 3 and Wicked 7 at the same time. They are finishing them up.

Excellent. Number 3 , if I'm reading things right, will include a part that I figured was very important... that is, drawing other dwarves to help with the empire. That's one thing that had me going 'hey' when I read the first one. It was the realization that

Spoiler:
We're going to have a double handful of dwarves at most trying to re-establish a dwarven empire? Not possible if all they have are deep gnomes in their kingdom ;)

So I now can picture some amusing scenes with arranged marriages and matchmaking... Dwarven style.


Kickstarters are definitely not for everyone, and yes, you are betting on the competence of the people running it. I generally do a risk/reward analysis - how cool is the product? How likely is the group, what is their track record. Also, I expect them to often be late. Groups like open design and dwarven forge will get things in on time, but they give themselves 1 year to complete their contract.

Anyway, I am glad to see throne of night, I think it is very cool, but it is and will be very late in coming. For the quality of the work, I accept that price, I'm not happy about it, but I accept it. For another work I am as interested in, I would kickstart Fire mountain. But only if they complete the rest of throne well and within 2014, including physical copies.

Each of us has to answer this question for themselves and vote with their pocketbook.


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I sure hope the PDF for book 3 is available soon. I just started GMing the AP, and while that should mean I've got a long while to go, I'll feel more secure about getting through it when I know #3 is out there to get.

*Fidget*

Grand Lodge

Ridge wrote:

I sure hope the PDF for book 3 is available soon. I just started GMing the AP, and while that should mean I've got a long while to go, I'll feel more secure about getting through it when I know #3 is out there to get.

*Fidget*

When Gary said "coming soon" a lot of us figured it'd be either last week or the week before. Give him four weeks, kind of deal. Now we're hoping for this week or next.


kevin_video wrote:


When Gary said "coming soon" a lot of us figured it'd be either last week or the week before. Give him four weeks, kind of deal. Now we're hoping for this week or next.

Thanks. I hope you're right

Dark Archive

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Unfortunately his finishing soon statements have never been very good. I would not hold my breath on waiting for any of the books at this moment. When they come out they should be good but just don't count on them anytime soon.

Grand Lodge

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brad2411 wrote:
Unfortunately his finishing soon statements have never been very good. I would not hold my breath on waiting for any of the books at this moment. When they come out they should be good but just don't count on them anytime soon.

Mike, the artist, said he's been pushing Gary to get things done more regularly, and he himself admitted that the artwork is taking longer to do then even he thought it would take him and apologies for that. So right now it's a bit of a combination of them both, but it was said that books 4-6 all have a little work done on all of them as well.

But yeah, we'll see how things go for releases.

@Ridge -- Worst case scenario, you get to a part where the book you need isn't read, just message me and I'll give you some one shots that work well alongside this campaign. It's open world so you can easily throw it in there. I found them while worrying about whether or not my group would be able to continue the campaign. Unfortunately, I'm no longer running it do to so many people having moved for schooling in other cities, which also caused us to lose our venue to game at.


Kevin, that is extremely kind. I think it will be awhile before I have to worry about that, but I'll certainly keep the option in mind

Grand Lodge

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Ridge wrote:
Kevin, that is extremely kind. I think it will be awhile before I have to worry about that, but I'll certainly keep the option in mind

No prob. They take a little converting (I've already done the basics) but they themselves are open world, and can easily be advanced to whatever you need. I'm re-reading one right now actually.

Unfortunately, I learned that two of the ones I had bookmarked are no longer available as it turns out various sites have stopped hosting anything related to D&D. I find that kind of stupid considering they had the traffic, but they're going more business-like and less gaming. Still, I've got others that work just fine.


Try the link on internetarchive.org or search google for the file name if you have it.

Care to share here?

Grand Lodge

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Thanael wrote:

Try the link on internetarchive.org or search google for the file name if you have it.

Care to share here?

I greatly appreciate that link. Now I've got the major one down, as well as the ones I had set aside for Way of the Wicked as well. Unfortunately, there's a couple still giving an error so those look to be forever lost. Quite unfortunate. Other than that, it works with the exception of being amazingly slow.

The big one though was this. It's a "get back a dwarven keep" adventure. A little high in level, but if you're done Book 3 then it's fine.

The other big one that I would use is the dungeoneer book. Trust me when I say you can easily find a copy of this. Practically falls on your lap. The Faerun books have the majority of the 3.0/3.5 conversions. Don't freak out about the mind flayer adventure though. It's your world so you can bring them back. However, if you're really that concerned, there's a netbook that doesn't exist that can help with that.

If you can't find any of the 2.0 creatures converted, head here, another site that was taken down but converted a lot of the older monsters for us.

Grand Lodge

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A few guys on FMG's Facebook have agreed to release tidbits of what they did together in Gary's absence. The GM ran it all the way to level 20. So far he's released up to Book 3. Not detailed, but enough to give everyone the gist.

It's jokingly called

Throne, Done Right:
I did not bother with a drow storyline as I was very dissatisfied with the explorer story of book 1 and that is what my players wanted to play. Here is the recipe for my version of book 1. Use the earthquake as planned to cut off the entrance that they used. Use the raided caravan as planned to introduce Ivy. Have Ivy inform them of both her hometowns location as well as the creeper controlled iron mines and their dwarven slaves. Replace Fastervault with a generic mine map and populate it with young (stunted and malnourished) dark creepers. Place a clue there that this abandoned dwarven mine (and others further below) were once a part of a trade route from dammerhall to the surface. (I used some old dwarven records for this). Allow the PC's to rescue a populace of deep dwarven slaves held in captivity by the creepers. Use these freed slaves to both provide a base population for their first settlement and to keep the PC's exploring to provide for them (use the needs of their new fellows to spur the exploration of the crystal caverns). If using the kingdom building rules consider the mine a placed resource worth double normal value due to scarcity of dwarven quality iron goods. Convert the fungal jungle to a crystalline one. Populate it identically but substitute the (toned down) crystal creature template from the advanced bestiary for all denizens except the skis'raal. Move the gnomish populace of Fasturvault to the abandoned gnomish outpost in the jungle and add a cave in the mount that leads to fasturvault proper. Run the gnomish portion as written. Leave the drow tower and other encounter areas as is (adding only plentiful mushroom gardens growing down the walls in the mists which form daily at the great dropping off point). Give them plenty of time to grow their kingdom. Use the skis'raal as a potential threat to the kingdom, but later reveal them to be drow puppets kept in thrall by the drow controlling their food supply.After the PC's have repulsed the drow attack on fastervault as well as dealt with the crystalline myconids in one fashion or another allow them to either build an army to defeat the drow at the tower or to do the deed personally. Either way they then secure a food source which can sustain their populace. (Treat this as twenty-five hexes of farms if using kingdom building rules). Ta Da. End of Book 1.

Book 2 was much more challenging to write (and to play). Create a hex map. Dropping off point in the south. Lava caverns in the west. Sunless Sea in the north (settlements along the sea can have fisherires and foundries too if using kigdom building or Ultimate Rulership rules, respectively). Place a long, narrow cavern containing a great fungal jungle to the east (these hexes can be made into farms). Populate the north with skum villages on the sunless sea, undead drow sailors and a shipwreck, and a scheming young aboleth with a grotto and plenty of slaves. Populate the lava caverns with thoqqua, fire elementals, and some salamanders. Populate the jungle with ogres reskinned to use both the fungal creature and jotun-blooded (like a hill giant) templates as well as advanced fungal wolves and some myconids with the plague bearer template. Place another abandoned dwarven mine in the jungle with clues about Dammerhall being across the sunless sea and populate the mine with the reskinned ogres, some earth elementals and a xorn. Place a drow large town on the sunless sea located on the remnants of a dwarven fortress. Populate the town with drow and more dwarven, svirfneblin, skis'rall and fungal and crystalline myconid slaves. Make the PC's have to either siege the town or infiltrate it then instigate and lead a slave rebellion in order to gain control. I used lots of stats from my copy of Rise of the Drow for the drow in the old fortress. Make the PC's have to storm the trap-filled dwarven fortress themselves to remove the Drow Slave-Baron (I used a wizard and more than a few demons). Amongst the treasure in the tower place a remarkable ruby (actually a key to a secret passage to Dammerhall in book 3) and a crystalline statue of a Demon lord of your choice (actually a spellbook containing notes that the Slave Baron has cobbled together about the possible locations of secret doors into dammerhall). Arrange it so that the PC's can capture one of the drow ships in port here during the uprising as they will need it for book 3. Finally make sure and dot the map with several smaller caverns and have several of them contain nests for whatever worm-type monster you think your players can handle (I used thoqquas modified with the acidic creature template). Finally make sure that the PC's have at least one "random" encounter with a khargra (First Edition Fiend Folio) just to put the fear of god in them. In order to motivate the PC's in this chapter when they begin exploring this map, any time on their first or second trip, have them encounter some escaped slaves which include a dwarf who claims to have been a part of an expedition similar to theirs which set off 20 years ago but ran afoul of the drow from the tower in book 1. He tells the PC's that their members eventually succumbed to the slave barons torturous interrogations and revealed all they had known about dammerhall to the wicked baron. He goes on to explain that the baron destroyed the records before their eyes, but may have made a secret copy before he did so. Run this one like a true sandbox. Sprinkle in other humanoid villages if you wish (I did. I used more svirfneblin and a village of skulks led by a talented skulk ranger). That pretty much takes care of the mechanics end of book 2. The real trick with this one is dealing with the repercussions of player actions. For example, when I ran this my players went for the fungal jungle first wanting to claim the territory as additional farm hexes. The skulks (who lived nearby and ate the fungus themselves) did not initially appreciate this at all. It took the PC's helping them to safely colonize the jungle before they would consent to joining their kingdom. During the siege of the drow town several drow ships (made of fungal-wood, by the way) escaped across the sunless sea to their capitol laden with refugees. This resulted in a drow counterattack to retake the town about six months later. In the lava caverns region my players decided to try and block the lava from flowing out of one cave into another (both were large multi-hex caves) by engineering a controlled cave-in and redirecting the lava flow into a tertiary passage. I allowed this but it resulted in the collapse of the tertiary passage and the lava was forced through a vent into the sunless sea creating an island of steaming dangers several miles down the coast from their new town and providing access to the sea for several monsters from the fire elemental plane. Needless to say travel by ship near this isle is now far from safe. They did manage to transplant fungal specimens to their newly cleared cavern and use the territory to create more farms and several quarries though. This was instrumental in gaining the favor of the svirfneblin & deep dwarven townfolk who lived in the western portion of the map as this settlement was deeply impoverished being composed almost exclusively of escaped slaves.

When I ran the third installment of my own series I really wanted to showcase the sunless sea, so I pretty much made the whole newest hex map an underground sea. The last map is oriented towards the south of this one and the Drow capitol is located on the northwestern end (a hex or two up a primary passage) while the secret entrance to Dammerhall is concealed in a primary passage exiting the map to the north east. Drow dominate the area around their capitol ruthlessly. Any encounters in that area should reflect this (Drow batrider patrols do this pretty well). Near the center of the map I placed an archipelago of giant multi-mile wide stalagmites. One of these is the secret location of a dark elven naval port (formerly a dwarven one) complete with concealed sea caves equipped with drydocks. I named the archipelago "The Tallspears" and the drow naval fortress I called "Nala-Vesse". It was from Nala-Vesse that the counterattack against their nation was launched and organized. This area is meant to be a mass combat encounter. If the PC's come here without an army then try not to kill them but impress upon them the strong drow military presence here. Nala-Vesse is administered by a circle of powerful dark elven demoniacs who are in turn guarded by powerful flesh-warped minions (I used a 30 point buy when I built these warriors). Nala-Vesse is not the only military presence on this map though. There is a drow fort (similar to Vothys) near the northern-center portion of the map in the only (secondary) tunnel connecting the eastern portion to the western portion. Entry into that secondary passage from the east is prevented by a secret door (DC 30) concealed along the eastern primary passage. Now there are also a few subsurface locations to take note of. The first is near the eastern edge of the sea and is known as "The Upwelling". In this area the water surges upwards and outwards pushing ships away from its choppy surface. Near the ocean floor here there is a cave from which flows an endless torrent of pure elemental water. These waters in this area are chock full of monsters from the elemental planes and a family of Marids have taken up residence in a seafloor tower near the entrance to the deepwater cave. On the northeastern side of the Tallspears there is a subsurface community of Skum led by a powerful water bloodline sorcerer who continually raid all shipping through the central sea. To the west, living amongst several atoll-like reefs lies a community of sightless albino prehistoric Sahaguin (Add Blindsight 60' and Scent abilities to them) who have a sizable number of shark, dire shark and even shadow shark allies. They are led by powerful undead shamans and four-armed shadow princes. The community of Sahaguin is locked in an old and bloody struggle with their southern neighbors, a community of Kuo-Toa who dwell in an undersea grotto in the massive caverns eastern wall. There is another location of note is located near the south-western portion of the map south of the upwelling. There is an undersea grotto he which serves as a spawning ground for aboleths. There are always a horde of baby aboleth in this grotto attended by skum, sahaguin and kuo-toan slaves. In the northeastern portion of the ocean is a hex where the waters are choked with sea weed and guarded by advanced sargassum fiends and advanced shambling mounds with the aquatic creature template. In the center of this hex is an island composed entirely of plant matter. I stocked this island with fungal versions of dinosaurs and with a plethora of flesh-eating plants. Hidden in the deep seaweed off the isles northern shore lies an ancient dwarven ironclad. The ship is populated with dwarven undead including the ghost of the ships commander. The ghost and undead dwarves keep returning to life fueled by a haunt-driven desire to complete their last mission and deliver their missives containing the word of and nature of Dammerhalls fall to the Dwarves of the southern caverns. The missives are sealed in a waterwarded chest in the Commanders quarters. Once these missives are safely in the hands of the PC's then this crew can finally rest. Until then though they will resist any attempt to board the ship. Only the Commander can be reasoned with, but he is most distrustful of any Dwarf not born of a Dammerhall bloodline. The missives detail how the city was lost after a conflagration of fleshfreezing black flames spread from the lower foundries into the city proper. Over the course of several days the dwarven defenders tried to combat this unknown menace with magic and steel and flesh, but to no avail. The city was lost. The flames consuming all before it. That takes care of most of the major locations on the map. I also placed a few mushroom covered isles as red herrings around the sunless sea. I ran this one in true sandbox style. Letting them explore as they pleased, except for the area around the Drow Capitol. Impress upon them, if they visit here, that this city is a metropolis full of dark elves. Well guarded & forbidding. And patrolled by Drow, Undead and Demons! The entrance to Dammerhall is located in the ruins of a wayshrine located in a cul-de-sac off the previously mentioned primary passage. The door is opened by a magic stone shape effect, its magic aura suppressed by a spell as to be nearly undetectable (DC35). If the ruby from the Drow Fortress in part two is placed in the center of the kings family crest it opens this magic door and reveals the passage to the lost realm of Dammerhall. The real secret to running this adventure was liberal use of random encounters as well as weather on the sunless sea. Something about the morning mists, noon tides and evening swells just sold it for my players.
I should have mentioned that in part 3 the mushroom covered islets in the sunless sea can be used in kingdom building turns as either farm hexes or as resource hexes. I also forgot to mention that the wayshrine containing the secret door to Dammerhall is now a roper lair. In part 4 there are quests involving how to secure each district of the city as well as quests concerning how they restore each district to functionality. Additionally, there is a side-quest dealing with another Dwarven clan with ties to Dammerhall which tries to use their close blood-ties to the former kings as leverage to take the throne from the PC's.

The work he's done is appreciated.


kevin_video wrote:

A few guys on FMG's Facebook have agreed to release tidbits of what they did together in Gary's absence. The GM ran it all the way to level 20. So far he's released up to Book 3. Not detailed, but enough to give everyone the gist.

It's jokingly called ** spoiler omitted **...

Thanks, Kevin. It is good to know that people are reading and enjoying my version of ToN.

My hope is that folks might find a tidbit or two that they might like to use for their own campaign, or, perhaps even use it to continue a campaign that has stalled for lack of material.

I am glad you are enjoying it and it means a lot to me that you felt it was worth reposting here.

Best Wishes,
David Taylor
a.k.a. Weslocke

Grand Lodge

Weslocke wrote:
I am glad you are enjoying it and it means a lot to me that you felt it was worth reposting here.

Oh absolutely. There's no way I'd let all that hard work go for not when many of people here are unsure what's going to be happening for their campaigns over the next year. I just hope that when you send your next update on FB that you do it here too.


kevin_video wrote:
Weslocke wrote:
I am glad you are enjoying it and it means a lot to me that you felt it was worth reposting here.
Oh absolutely. There's no way I'd let all that hard work go for not when many of people here are unsure what's going to be happening for their campaigns over the next year. I just hope that when you send your next update on FB that you do it here too.

Certainly, Kevin. I will make a point to post the next chapter here as well. Happy Gaming!


1 person marked this as a favorite.

Has there been any word when Book 3 is coming out? My group is going to be starting soon and it would be nice to know so we don't have to stop.

Thanks.

Grand Lodge

Fencer_guy wrote:

Has there been any word when Book 3 is coming out? My group is going to be starting soon and it would be nice to know so we don't have to stop.

Thanks.

No word other than "coming soon".


I'm thinking of increasing the scale on the world's wound map, to make the wound more of a hexcrawl like the mushroom jungle was. Does anyone know how to separate the background image from the hex overlay?

Grand Lodge

I haven't seen it yet, then again I haven't seen the last four books, but in the module Castle Whiterock by Goodman Games, there's a mushroom that can be grown and harvested in one of the lower levels that allows spellcasters to get their spells back after just two hours of sleep. I don't know exactly how it works because I haven't read it, but right now I'm playing through it and don't want to cheat by looking it up. Anyone who wants to check it out, by all means please do so. It might make a world of difference for your spellcasters. Now that I'm aware of such a thing, I think I'll always have some available in my future campaigns.

Grand Lodge

kevin_video wrote:
Thanael wrote:

Try the link on internetarchive.org or search google for the file name if you have it.

Care to share here?

I greatly appreciate that link. Now I've got the major one down, as well as the ones I had set aside for Way of the Wicked as well. Unfortunately, there's a couple still giving an error so those look to be forever lost. Quite unfortunate. Other than that, it works with the exception of being amazingly slow.

The big one though was this. It's a "get back a dwarven keep" adventure. A little high in level, but if you're done Book 3 then it's fine.

Update. The link has been completely removed, it would seem. Even the archive can't get it. If anyone actually downloaded it, let me know. If I'd known this was going to happen I'd have saved it myself, but I figured it'd be safe with internet archive. I was gravely mistaken.

Grand Lodge

So I found the toadstools from the Castle Whiterock module that'd be perfect for this scenario. Unfortunately, I don't see a way to grow them yourself. I'm guessing Survival and KN (nature) checks would be required. The crimson shelf fungus would have to be converted as per the guide for poisons.
Our DM ruled that for the yellow puffballs if you were spontaneous you got your spells as per normal, spellbook prepared got to change and choose your spells after another hour of meditation, and prayer prepared would get back what spells they'd already used (can only pray once per day at a specific time kind of hinders change).

Magic Toadstools:
Magenta toadstools: If applied to a wound, these fungi provide a +4 bonus to any Heal checks.

Yellow puffballs: If eaten, the imbiber must make a DC 20 Will Save or fall into pleasant sleep (as per the spell) for 2 hours. During this time, the imbiber has wonderful dreams, and wakes rested as if he slept for a full 8 hours.

Crimson shelf fungus: The spores released by this fungus are a debilitating poison. It's possible to learn how to concentrate these into a paste suitable for applying to weapons: Injury, Fort DC 15, 1d4+1 Dex/unconsciousness for 2d6 rounds.

Orange-capped toadstools with bark-like stems: If imbibed, and a successful DC 20 Fortitude save is made, the imbiber gains +2 to Constitution for the next 6 hours. Failure results in the imbiber becoming sickened for 1 hour.

Hope these bring about some kind of benefit for everyone playing.

Grand Lodge

kevin_video wrote:
kevin_video wrote:
Thanael wrote:

Try the link on internetarchive.org or search google for the file name if you have it.

Care to share here?

I greatly appreciate that link. Now I've got the major one down, as well as the ones I had set aside for Way of the Wicked as well. Unfortunately, there's a couple still giving an error so those look to be forever lost. Quite unfortunate. Other than that, it works with the exception of being amazingly slow.

The big one though was this. It's a "get back a dwarven keep" adventure. A little high in level, but if you're done Book 3 then it's fine.

Update. The link has been completely removed, it would seem. Even the archive can't get it. If anyone actually downloaded it, let me know. If I'd known this was going to happen I'd have saved it myself, but I figured it'd be safe with internet archive. I was gravely mistaken.

Got it working again with a different link. The official name of this is called The Long Mine of Klangdensturm. Get it while you still can.

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