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  1. - Top - End - #1
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

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    Default Isle of Dread Adventures

    Hey all

    Im planning on using the Isle of Dread as a main focus for my next campaign, I found the playtest version made for D&D next a very good fleshing out of the island but I think it needs more. I'm thinking about merging the central plateau with Dwellers of the Forbidden City because as it stands the base of the Kopru is kind of small and not really worthy of an empire. Speaking of empire, the kopru are not just stagnating, they're trying to reclaim dominion over the island and soon the coast. I have the coastlands set up as not unified, very rural peasants, more in common with the early dark ages than the standard d&d setting. No kings or central authorities, i might have a minor baron.

    What I ask of you, dear playgrounders, is to suggest me some adventures that could fit on the isle of dread to help flesh it out as a great hub of adventure and also maybe some ideas for a hook in adventure to the isle itself since the Isle should be started at more or less level 4. Im thinking maybe a Cult of the Reptile God scenario except making Explicita Defilus a servant of the Kopru charming humans for their dark sacrifices.

    Im woefully ignorant of classic adventures so please, dont be afraid to chuck them at me!
    What I'm Playing: D&D 5e
    What I've Played: D&D 3.5, Pathfinder, D&D 5e, B/X D&D, CoC, Delta Green

    Quote Originally Posted by stoutstien View Post
    Modern in sense of design focus. I consider any system that puts more weight in the buttons that players mash over the rest of the system as modern.

  2. - Top - End - #2
    Ettin in the Playground
     
    Lord Torath's Avatar

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    Default Re: Isle of Dread Adventures

    I've heard of others putting Dwellers of the Forbidden City in the central volcano.

    I used the standard plot hook: a sudden rainstorm on the way back from a dungeon reveals a map and journal entry. When that didn't seem to be enough, I had the cleric's superiors send her there on a mission to prevent what their seers had predicted was a future empire of evil (the kopru).

    I staged an uprising of the Zombie Masters in each village on the same night. In the middle of a big feast, hundreds of zombies and a few other undead supported by clerics attacked each village, as well as the Wall. The PCs defeated the attack in their village, but I had two of the other villages fall to the undead. The PCs then got to help purge them. If the PCs failed, I might have had another village or two fall as well.

    Another idea I flirted with: Lycanthrope uprising. Lycanthropes are relatively common on the southern half of the isle, but are shunned by the villagers, even those some of them (Werebears, weretigers) should be allowed. I figured I'd have some wererats, maybe a wereboar or two, and possibly even some werewolves roaming the jungles, capturing or killing any weres who won't join their cause, and slowly gathering forces in some old ruins. As soon as they have a critical mass, they'd attack the local villages. PCs would discover the plot, and possibly talk the locals into better treatment on at least the non-evil ones.

    I had the Kopru just starting to expand their failing empire, having charmed a young red dragon to their cause a year or so earlier. The fishing village had been abandoned, and the surviving villagers had built a stockade directly beneath the PCs' path down from the volcanic cone. Charmed villagers had been formed into a mining crew, and were digging a tunnel through the cone wall on the opposite side of the caldera (allowing the Kopru to expand their influence). I enlarged the dungeon to allow easier access to the Kopru for the inhabitants, and assumed all the inhabitants of the central isle had been charmed.

    I expanded the Rakasta a bit, and gave their encampment a migration path. I also created a large tribe of gnolls (with hyenadons) to pester and harass them. Gave them a reason to have the PCs help them (rescue kidnapped cubs, etc.). Plus, if anyone wants a really cool mount, they ride Sabre-Toothed Tigers. Or possibly Dire Tigers depending on Edition.

    Finding a reason to get them to the north half of the island was trickier. When I played it, I wanted to fill in the whole map. My players wanted to head right back home after killing the kopru.
    Warhammer 40,000 Campaign Skirmish Game: Warpstrike
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  3. - Top - End - #3
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: Isle of Dread Adventures

    Quote Originally Posted by Lord Torath View Post
    I've heard of others putting Dwellers of the Forbidden City in the central volcano.

    I used the standard plot hook: a sudden rainstorm on the way back from a dungeon reveals a map and journal entry. When that didn't seem to be enough, I had the cleric's superiors send her there on a mission to prevent what their seers had predicted was a future empire of evil (the kopru).

    I staged an uprising of the Zombie Masters in each village on the same night. In the middle of a big feast, hundreds of zombies and a few other undead supported by clerics attacked each village, as well as the Wall. The PCs defeated the attack in their village, but I had two of the other villages fall to the undead. The PCs then got to help purge them. If the PCs failed, I might have had another village or two fall as well.

    Another idea I flirted with: Lycanthrope uprising. Lycanthropes are relatively common on the southern half of the isle, but are shunned by the villagers, even those some of them (Werebears, weretigers) should be allowed. I figured I'd have some wererats, maybe a wereboar or two, and possibly even some werewolves roaming the jungles, capturing or killing any weres who won't join their cause, and slowly gathering forces in some old ruins. As soon as they have a critical mass, they'd attack the local villages. PCs would discover the plot, and possibly talk the locals into better treatment on at least the non-evil ones.

    I had the Kopru just starting to expand their failing empire, having charmed a young red dragon to their cause a year or so earlier. The fishing village had been abandoned, and the surviving villagers had built a stockade directly beneath the PCs' path down from the volcanic cone. Charmed villagers had been formed into a mining crew, and were digging a tunnel through the cone wall on the opposite side of the caldera (allowing the Kopru to expand their influence). I enlarged the dungeon to allow easier access to the Kopru for the inhabitants, and assumed all the inhabitants of the central isle had been charmed.

    I expanded the Rakasta a bit, and gave their encampment a migration path. I also created a large tribe of gnolls (with hyenadons) to pester and harass them. Gave them a reason to have the PCs help them (rescue kidnapped cubs, etc.). Plus, if anyone wants a really cool mount, they ride Sabre-Toothed Tigers. Or possibly Dire Tigers depending on Edition.

    Finding a reason to get them to the north half of the island was trickier. When I played it, I wanted to fill in the whole map. My players wanted to head right back home after killing the kopru.

    I really like the idea of the zombie master betraying the villages. Maybe the one at Tanaroa was charmed all along
    I actually might no use the Rakasta in my game just because I'm not the biggest fan of their aesthetic as a race, but then again having distinct races feels more iconic than a bunch of human tribes.
    What I'm Playing: D&D 5e
    What I've Played: D&D 3.5, Pathfinder, D&D 5e, B/X D&D, CoC, Delta Green

    Quote Originally Posted by stoutstien View Post
    Modern in sense of design focus. I consider any system that puts more weight in the buttons that players mash over the rest of the system as modern.

  4. - Top - End - #4
    Dwarf in the Playground
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    Default Re: Isle of Dread Adventures

    Caverns of Thracia can also work as random ruins somewhere.

  5. - Top - End - #5
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: Isle of Dread Adventures

    The Caverns of Thracia are maybe a bit too deep for the island. My idea is to spread some adventures around the flesh out the island but if the players go into the caverns of thracia theres a strong chance they wont come out for a long time and basically surpass the whole island.
    What I'm Playing: D&D 5e
    What I've Played: D&D 3.5, Pathfinder, D&D 5e, B/X D&D, CoC, Delta Green

    Quote Originally Posted by stoutstien View Post
    Modern in sense of design focus. I consider any system that puts more weight in the buttons that players mash over the rest of the system as modern.

  6. - Top - End - #6
    Bugbear in the Playground
     
    Lizardfolk

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    Default Re: Isle of Dread Adventures

    Quote Originally Posted by Trask View Post
    The Caverns of Thracia are maybe a bit too deep for the island. My idea is to spread some adventures around the flesh out the island but if the players go into the caverns of thracia theres a strong chance they wont come out for a long time and basically surpass the whole island.
    I think I might have been mistaken here. I took another look at Caverns of Thracia and its not that long. I might use this.
    What I'm Playing: D&D 5e
    What I've Played: D&D 3.5, Pathfinder, D&D 5e, B/X D&D, CoC, Delta Green

    Quote Originally Posted by stoutstien View Post
    Modern in sense of design focus. I consider any system that puts more weight in the buttons that players mash over the rest of the system as modern.

  7. - Top - End - #7
    Barbarian in the Playground
     
    DwarfClericGuy

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    Default Re: Isle of Dread Adventures

    Quote Originally Posted by Grac View Post
    Caverns of Thracia can also work as random ruins somewhere.
    One of the greatest modules ever made. Highly recommend it!

  8. - Top - End - #8
    Troll in the Playground
     
    Flumph

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    Default Re: Isle of Dread Adventures

    Modules C1: Hidden Shrine of Tomoachan, U2: Danger at Dunwater and WG6: Isle of the Ape might be useful for mining ideas/encounters from.

    ETA: Dungeon magazine #114 has a reworked IoD adventure. Dungeon magazines #142-145 also have adventures set on the IoD as part of the Savage Tide adventure path.
    Last edited by nyjastul69; 2016-11-18 at 03:55 PM.

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