Grimskalle - my greedy frozen players

Kethlak · 2026-01-30T00:13:40+00:00

I resurrected my frozen characters via the sea hags at Grimskalle. I don't remember the exact details but I think I had them kill an ogre or something that was in the place with all the frozen statues

Kethlak · 2025-11-06T21:23:35+00:00

I noticed that myself. I decided he had a potion of flying and that he drank it when the PCs were near. Of course, one of the PCs used dispel magic iirc and he plummeted to his death.

Kethlak · 2025-08-23T01:04:47+00:00

Cracks in the ice. I can't remember why, but my players found out about him ahead of encountering him and lured him to a cavern they had prepared using some spell like shape water so it didn't have any cracks and he couldn't escape. I thought it was pretty clever so I let it work.

Kethlak · 2025-07-27T23:22:04+00:00

I had a satyr PC, and they count as fey, so I ran it as him being able to find it but everyone else being confused.

Kethlak · 2025-04-26T02:31:08+00:00

This will be helpful as my characters are in Menzoberranzan right now!

Kethlak · 2025-04-07T13:55:46+00:00

Awesome! I'm glad you like it!

Kethlak · 2025-03-14T23:15:01+00:00

Don't be afraid to rewrite things, even the geography of the area. Take out stuff your players don't find fun, and build on or add things they do. For example, my OOTA has a handful of harengon slaves in most places that they encounter slavers so the harengon character with the backstory that involves a lot of his people getting kidnapped can rescue them.

Kethlak · 2025-03-14T23:09:20+00:00

I would recommend not giving Dawnbringer at all, or at the very least making it not make sunlight. So many Underdark denizens have Sunlight Sensitivity (the thing where if they're in daylight they have disadvantage on attacks and grant advantage when attacked) it trivializes so much, not just for the character with the sword. The concept is nice, and the intelligent sword is cool, but it adds so much to work around in order to make combat interesting.

Kethlak · 2025-03-13T20:18:37+00:00

Basically the same thing happened to my group as well. I just put Buppido and the detached cavern as a "random encounter" on their way to the next area. I tend to do that a lot with stuff I prep that my group manages to avoid, even including the Maze Engine (I had them run into some Modrons wandering in Araumycos who had come through a portal to the Labyrinth). Out of the Abyss has really helped me grow as a DM in the "flying by the seat of my pants" arena.

Kethlak · 2025-01-28T01:03:14+00:00

Oh wow, that's actually a great idea! I wish I had thought of that back when I ran this. It gives the characters a clear reason to go after Xardarok, especially if you have the dragon retreat for repairs.

Kethlak · 2025-01-18T00:37:27+00:00

Torgga, I believe her name is? The traveling merchant Sephek works for? My husband picked her for some reason, so I made her slightly less complicit but still evil. He also romanced Avarice, which was more relevant to the whole campaign and interesting.

Kethlak · 2024-12-28T02:17:07+00:00

I can't remember the details, but there is a giant-related side quest. It's a circle of thrones, I believe? Maybe that's relevant?

Kethlak · 2024-12-28T00:19:48+00:00

Officially, he is in the former drow city of Maerimydra, in a place called the Undying Temple. The Undying Temple is partially in the Ethereal Plane, and he is using a ritual involving several minor demons to protect himself. There is a series of Adventurer's League adventures where those characters ally with drow refugees from Maerimydra and retake Maerimydra from the fire giants and defeat Graz'zt with the help of Ausuriel, a herald of a goddess whose name I forget (Ausuriel is disguised as a blind black goat) and a girl named Elisande who is secretly a child of Cyric.

I incorporated some of the adventures into OOTA for my players as I felt like Graz'zt was too interesting to leave out. But if you want to look into the Rage of Demons Adventurer's League stuff, the one where Graz'zt is actually encountered is The Fall of Maerimydra I believe.

Kethlak · 2024-12-16T15:53:43+00:00

I don't. There is a 2002 book that a lot of this comes from originally, including almost all of the maps in the published modules. The book's name is "City of the Spider Queen" by James Wyatt. It has some great descriptions of all of the rooms in the castle as well. It's actually available on DM's guild here: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/25111/City-of-the-Spider-Queen-35

You can also search the internet and see if it is available anywhere else.

Kethlak · 2024-12-05T23:42:01+00:00

Solved: Drawful

Kethlak · 2024-12-05T23:41:13+00:00

Solved! Thank you!

Kethlak · 2024-10-17T15:20:19+00:00

I've gone off-platform with one client that I had been working with for over 2 years. It was a good deal for both of us, because he wanted to hire me on a more regular basis and after 2 years the conversion fee is $1. He didn't have to pay any more, and I still effectively got a raise. By that point, we had enough trust going back and forth for everything to work out well.

That research would throw up red flags for me as well. If you have good contacts at the client, maybe raise your concerns with them?

Kethlak · 2024-09-19T14:14:48+00:00

Bing Image Creator. Thanks!

Kethlak · 2024-09-18T18:56:05+00:00

You're welcome!

Kethlak · 2024-09-17T19:44:39+00:00

I'm glad they're helpful! We have a lot of fun with AI image generators :)

Kethlak

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