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ToA as an E8 game?

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der kluge	ToA as an E8 game?	Lead	[-]
Posts: 15 (02/08/08 09:24:10) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Tags : None E8 is a variant of E6, which is a variant of D20 whereby the level caps at 6th. The intent is to create a more gritty, more realistic experience, without significant modifications to the game. I'm running ToA in a PbP in an E8 game. Given two things: It's PbP, and It's E8 What significant modifications should I make to the dungeon? I was thinking about dropping most of the unnecessary encounters - rats, cave morays, bats, probably even stirges to speed up the game play. I'm also thinking about dropping the Tsuthoga areas, and the stirge demon areas. I want to keep the Basilisk level, and I'll keep the cult, though I'll significantly lower the CR of that area. Obviously, I'll drop the lowest levels since they'll be way too high in EL. I've still got Crystal Lake filled with giant toads, so I was reluctant to drop the Tsuthoga, but I might replace it with something else. Suggestions?
der kluge		#1	[-]
Posts: 12 (02/18/08 16:22:19) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	So, here's what I did - Entrance level - map unchanged. I intend to put a different guardian (something EL 8 or below) blocking the way to level 4. This will probably not be a demon, but maybe an undead tied to the area. Wraith, or Spectre, perhaps. Level 1- Basically unchanged. I trimmed up some of the dead caverns around room #3. I don't want to deal with fights against dire rats in a PbP game. It will just slow it down. Pool in room 12 was trimmed up and goes nowhere. Level 2 - Area encompassing rooms 3-4, including Stirge Demon areas was cut. The demon doesn't fit into the political goings on, and is too high level for an EL 8 game. Actually, he's kind of a wuss, but that's another topic. Also cut out the rooms 23-26 and the natural stairs leading to them. Removed room 6 - with the Earth spirit statue. Level 2a - Retained areas 1 through 7, minus room 5. Everything else removed. Level 3 - As is, though I intend to remove many of the non-critical encounters (cave morays, I'm looking at you). Level 4 - Chopped area rooms 12-14. Only kept two entrances (and did not add in the errata'd third). eastern exit now leads to level 1. Western exit leads to level 2. No other exits from level 4. Level 5, 5a, 6 - removed. After I lower the CR in area 4 to something manageable, the entire dungeon caps somewhere around EL 8, which works out quite nicely.
Seppuku Squirrels		#2	[-]
Posts: 2668 (02/26/08 11:32:15) Undead Swarm Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	I wouldn't drop the Tsuthoga or Death Slaad. This is not something the PCs should be fighting anyway. Some battles are the talking, not the sword swinging.
der kluge		#3	[-]
Posts: 13 (02/27/08 13:36:09) Reply Quote More My Recent Posts Message Me Connection Blocking Invite Ignore User's Posts	Seppuku Squirrels wrote: I wouldn't drop the Tsuthoga or Death Slaad. This is not something the PCs should be fighting anyway. Some battles are the talking, not the sword swinging. Well, I've never been a big fan of that level anyway. I would like to find a simpler way to explain the corrupted Crystal Lake, but until then, this level just won't exist. Even if I did leave it, I'd have to modify all the combat encounters in it to adjust for an EL ~8 or lower. Most of the combats here are in the 11-13 range. I'm not opposed to leaving the entire level, but replacing its contents with something else entirely, but that seems like an awful lot of work. I'm also having a hard time resolving the idea of how deep this level is with the idea that it has an underground lake. Seems like by the time you've reached level 5 in this place, you're already well under the water table level at that point - unless it's assumed that the entire complex is way higher in elevation than Crystal Lake is.

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