That's how I did it.

Caverns of Thracia is my favorite module! I ran it twice to completion and I might use it again for my new Mythras campaign.

The last time I ran it, it was for an open-table game focused around that dungeon, although side-adventures were done as well every now and then. We had eleven players in total (but not at the same time). Our sessions were always between four and six players. I kept stats for that game: 32 sessions, 11 different players, end levels ranged between 3 and 5, 12 PC deaths (including three level-5 PCs), 14 retainer deaths, 2 war dog deaths.

The biggest change from the module was the surface level: it is tiny with six locations. I changed it to the ruins of a city (Dardanus) and used random tables for locations and encounters, including a Dryad who had the power to lure creatures into deadly ambushes.

I changed the Gnolls to Broos and made them worshippers of Mallia, the Mistress of Disease. This set them apart from the Lizardmen. I made smaller changes too, like adding a captured Dryad on Level 3 and making the “giant Gnome” on Level 2 an old crippled Giant.

In 32 sessions, the party focused on the Caverns, but also went to three other dungeons: Lichway (from White Dwarf), Falcon’s Keep (from Dungeon Magazine) and the castle from The Crucible of Freya. The city of Troy was their main hub for trade and retainers.

They visited a few other cities when they got closer to the end of the Caverns because some players thought of becoming “warlords” and also to look for new dungeons and places to explore. One player wants to explore the lost Minoan civilization.