AD&D 1e, blending adventures. Advice?

[TheJudicator]

Hello, recently exposed DM here. I've been doing such for close to a year, sticking primarily to 1st edition. Recently, I had the great pleasure of seeing my group complete the adventure I ran, the esteemed T1-4, the Temple of Elemental Evil. Given a reprieve to plot and continue the next steps of this group of characters, I have made the decision to prepare them for G1-3, Against the Giants, with the intent of taking them all the way through the chain, culminating to the climactic end at Queen of the Demonweb Pits.

While I do have some ideas to flavor up the adventure, tailored to the characters' personal stories, I am wondering if anyone has ever done this adventure line before, or has some insight of a way to integrate the two more seamlessly? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

If needed, I can provide additional information with regards to the characters and the outcome of the events during the Temple campaign.

Thanks much!

[Balain]

Hmm I know I have played them all the way through but it was so long ago I don't recall how you went from g1-3 to d1-3 to Q1 exactly I think it was notes about the giants working for the drow? If not well you could use that find papers/letters/plans the drow are giving the giants with maps and a drow location d1?

Hmmm d3 to q1 you end in a drow temple with an egg and some objects and have to open a portal the the demon web to put a stop to the drow once in for all if I remember right.

By the way I loved the old 1st edition modules. They had flaws but were fun to play.

My favorite for some unknown reason to me even was s3 expedition to the barrier peaks.

[Premier]

Can't suggest anything, personally, but go ask this question on the 1st edition subforum of Dragonsfoot and you should get a dozen replies.

[hamlet]

A nice gentleman named Pradavolk (or something along those lines) is doing a G1-3 D1=3 Q1 adventure over on Dragonsfoot. He's excellent and very happy to answer questions about how he did it if you ask him nicely.

According to the old TSR buffs, T1-4, A1-4, G1-3, D1-3, and Q1 were the first adventure path, supposedly taking players from level 1 to level . . . a lot . . . and were the great Greyhawk adventures. Conceivably, you didn't need a lot of extra material in there to pad things out as they were, retroactively, all part of one long continuous story.

I've always wanted to try it that way, but never got around to it.

[TheJudicator]

Wow. As a side note, allow me to say I'm rather impressed by the fact that there are so many responses in such a short time!

I will definitely hop over to Dragonsfoot and check it out there. I'm a little familiar with the site.

After reading through G1-3, I do notice that they give the skeleton of a plot hook to D1, and I can only hope D3 does the same to Q1. What I'm more looking for, and I suppose I should have made this more clear, is the transition from T-4 to G-1, one that doesn't naturally take place!

For a start, I have given the players an ingame seven year "break", to develop plotlines from them and myself alike. Hmm...yeah, I should also mention the outcome of the Temple as well.

--Spoiler Alert--
Hedrack, Senshock, Barkinar, and Falrinth all ended up fleeing the Temple ( obviously not all together, as Falrinth was opposed). The temple ended up being wholly destroyed with the destruction of Yellowskull, though not before they banished Zuggtmoy by removing all the gems from her throne (with consequences they have yet to find out -wink-)

--End Spoiler--

I think that about sums it up. I'll be happy to provide additional info if needed. Thanks a lot!

[hamlet]

What I'm more looking for, and I suppose I should have made this more clear, is the transition from T-4 to G-1, one that doesn't naturally take place!

A1-4 are the next, traditional steps. The compiled Slavers series has a link in to T1-4 right in the intro for you, though you can modify it to fit as you want.

Also, there's no solid link of G1-3 to prior adventures. It's really a matter of somebody more powerful than the PC's shows up and orders them to go investigate. You'll kind of have to invent something yourself, probably along the lines of rumors about giant raids and maybe even have the players deal with a few raids themselves. Eventually, any player worth his dice will get curious as to the source of these raids and go to look.

Also also . . . the link between D3 and Q1 is . . . tenuous. Up until that point, the players' grip is with the Elder Elemental Evil, not Lolth. There's no real pressing reason, other than the desire to go thrash a demon lord, that the PC's would have for raiding her temple and then her home plane. Rather, it's the Elder Elemental Evil (which is NOT Tharizdun) that they'll have been after the entire time until that point. Again, you'll have to tailor things for your party if you want them to follow through on that. Or, better yet, twist things about and have them hunt down the other first, and cross a sect of Lolth worshippers badly enough that they'll then want to go swat her down.

D3 gets complicated, and Q1 gets . . . very wierd.

[Greylond]

Yea, T1-4, A1-4, D1-3, Q1 is THE classic AD&D campaign. If you've never DM'ed it, I highly recommend it.

[Lord Torath]

Also, there's no solid link of G1-3 to prior adventures. It's really a matter of somebody more powerful than the PC's shows up and orders them to go investigate.

If you can find the super module Queen of Spiders (G1-3, D1-3, Q1), it contains a fair link between the A1-4 and G1. It also does a slightly better job of tying the Giant modules together, something more than "kill the bad giants or we kill you!" that the original modules had. Your mileage may vary.

Anyway, I think those are some of my favorite modules! Have fun!

[ken-do-nim]

A1-4 are the next, traditional steps. The compiled Slavers series has a link in to T1-4 right in the intro for you, though you can modify it to fit as you want.

Also, there's no solid link of G1-3 to prior adventures. It's really a matter of somebody more powerful than the PC's shows up and orders them to go investigate. You'll kind of have to invent something yourself, probably along the lines of rumors about giant raids and maybe even have the players deal with a few raids themselves. Eventually, any player worth his dice will get curious as to the source of these raids and go to look.

Also also . . . the link between D3 and Q1 is . . . tenuous. Up until that point, the players' grip is with the Elder Elemental Evil, not Lolth. There's no real pressing reason, other than the desire to go thrash a demon lord, that the PC's would have for raiding her temple and then her home plane. Rather, it's the Elder Elemental Evil (which is NOT Tharizdun) that they'll have been after the entire time until that point. Again, you'll have to tailor things for your party if you want them to follow through on that. Or, better yet, twist things about and have them hunt down the other first, and cross a sect of Lolth worshippers badly enough that they'll then want to go swat her down.

D3 gets complicated, and Q1 gets . . . very wierd.

Not only that, but the link between G3 and D1 is tough, because Eclavdra, the evil mastermind, is right there in G3. Sure, she might get away and flee down the tunnel to the drow homeland, but more than likely she will just get killed by the party on level 2 of G3, giving the party no further reason to proceed to D1 if they figure out who she is.

Oh and btw, G3 has a huge flaw in that regard. The Drow are supposed to have free reign of the g3 dungeon, but the doors are specifically stated to require giant strength to open, and the way from level 2 to level 3 is via a great portal. Eclavdra does not have the strength to open that door. She'll be stuck on level 2 :)

[hamlet]

Not only that, but the link between G3 and D1 is tough, because Eclavdra, the evil mastermind, is right there in G3. Sure, she might get away and flee down the tunnel to the drow homeland, but more than likely she will just get killed by the party on level 2 of G3, giving the party no further reason to proceed to D1 if they figure out who she is.

Oh and btw, G3 has a huge flaw in that regard. The Drow are supposed to have free reign of the g3 dungeon, but the doors are specifically stated to require giant strength to open, and the way from level 2 to level 3 is via a great portal. Eclavdra does not have the strength to open that door. She'll be stuck on level 2 :)

One could presume a giantish body servant . . .

A fire giant on the outs with his lord stuck with fetch and carry duty for the puny drow.

[rexreg]

i have been lucky enough to DM T1-4, A1-4, GDQ1-7
the slaver series ties in very nicely to the temple & the giants
should you have the option, DON'T leave the A series out

my DM-ship of this series was w/ 2nd ed. characters & took a LOT of play time

when finished, however, you have characters that are firmly tied into Greyhawk & may utilize all of the other 2nd. ed. Greyhawk modules (i'm a fan of the vecna stuff)

[hamlet]

i have been lucky enough to DM T1-4, A1-4, GDQ1-7
the slaver series ties in very nicely to the temple & the giants
should you have the option, DON'T leave the A series out

my DM-ship of this series was w/ 2nd ed. characters & took a LOT of play time

when finished, however, you have characters that are firmly tied into Greyhawk & may utilize all of the other 2nd. ed. Greyhawk modules (i'm a fan of the vecna stuff)

Question for you then, since you ran it in 2nd edition.

How did you handle the giants and dragons? In 2nd edition, they got a significant power boost over 1e, and that, I think, would have posed somewhat of a problem for appropriately leveled characters.

Did you adjust numbers, or did you just use the 1e versions of the monsters?

[Lord Torath]

Also, that last section of Q1 can be replaced with the fan-made "Skein of the Death Mother"

www.dragonsfoot.org/ad

It gets rid of the hokey spider ship at the end, and replaces it with a dark, scary, demony lair. It keeps the key encounters, loses the "weird but funny" stuff, adds a lot of interesting encounters, and maintains the dark feel of the previous modules and sections. I thought it was much better than the original ending.

[rexreg]

Hamlet, to answer your question about giants and dragons....
i base their stats 2nd ed...i ran this several yrs ago, but as i recall, Hill Giants ran around 130 hp & the other types increased from there
dragons were also done as 2nd ed. monsters
also, i allowed the giants their strength bonus to hit & damage

[rexreg]

also, i must admit to not using queen of the demonweb pits...
i used a homebrew that his Cthulhu as the 'true' enemy...he was trying to break back into the prime material plane

[Premier]

Hamlet, to answer your question about giants and dragons....
i base their stats 2nd ed...i ran this several yrs ago, but as i recall, Hill Giants ran around 130 hp & the other types increased from there
dragons were also done as 2nd ed. monsters
also, i allowed the giants their strength bonus to hit & damage

Just be aware that giants (and, I'd say even more so, dragons) got a serious power boost in 2nd ed.. So if I were to run the Giants modules with 2E giants for some reason, then I'd also have a better-than-prescribed party.

[hamlet]

Just be aware that giants (and, I'd say even more so, dragons) got a serious power boost in 2nd ed.. So if I were to run the Giants modules with 2E giants for some reason, then I'd also have a better-than-prescribed party.

I know that. That's why I asked how he handled it.

I'm so confused.

[rexreg]

"I check the door for traps by kicking it in."

i bumped the hp & added Str. bonuses to the giants to bring the monsters to par w/ the characters

all of the characters (but for a Kensai created from the 1st ed. Oriental Adventures) were created using the Player's Option materials; stats were above average (4d6, re-roll ones, high three dice for scores)

[hamlet]

Ah. That explains it, then.

You used the evil, forbidden material to produce horrifying miscagenations of D&D characters.

I understand.

*runs off to fetch torch and pitchfork*

EDIT: And before somebody gets offended . . . that was a joke. Aimed at me, making fun of myself, not anybody else.

[rexreg]

indeed, hamlet...there is little more terrifying than a Player's Option Human Cleric...

unless, of course, you use point buy races, too...

[hamlet]

Oh I feel queasy.

[Bruendor_Cavescout]

I was planning on trying to run a Temple-Slavers-Giants campaign, but it all kinda fell apart after I finished running Temple. There are some things that don't make perfect sense, but that's what rewrites are for!

Lareth the Beautiful makes a perfect recurring villain for the campaign - he's a drow that shows up early on in the story, and has the potential for players to truly hate. As a result, I wanted to make him the face of the Elder Elemental Eye. The players might defeat him in the moathouse, but Eclavdra has more plans for this faithful servant. She has him raised and sends him into deep cover with the slavers. He takes Edralve's place amongst the Slave Lords - most likely by assassination, then subsuming her role through illusion magics.

This sets up the "gotcha" fight towards the end of the Slavers. Let's be honest - it's a bit heavy-handed to say that PCs are knocked unconscious without any way to stop it. So, here's your perfect chance to run a completely unfair encounter, but have a perfect justification for it. Lareth knows these people. In fact, he's been working to get the party here to ruin the Slavers' plans. Still, he needs the PCs to be defeated here, so he uses his abilities to make certain the Slavers are ready for the group. Make the Slavers higher level than the PCs, and make sure they can't run away. Close off their escape routes. Prevent them from teleporting away. Use their tactics against them. Then, once they're defeated, Lareth reveals himself as the reason they've even gotten this close.

Lareth will try to escape once the events of the finale start to take place. He will also try to set up the beginning of the GDQ series, manipulating Stalman Klim into attacking the party so quickly after his defeat. This will lead the party to the remainder of the story.