Greetings All,
I have been running a group through "Curse of the Emerald Cobra" .
The intrepid adventures have made it about half the way through the adventure.
This module is one of the best that I have encountered in years. It is extremely well balanced and lends itself well to being customized to fit my campaign.
I thought that you might like a quick overview on how the characters have fared so far....
The Adventurers are composed of:
A 7th level Fighter (spiked chain specialist)
A 7th level Wizard (with an Improved Familiar Quasit)
A 3rd level/ 4th level (Favored Soul/Sorceror)
A 6th level Druid (With a Hyena animal companion)
A 6th level Ranger (Archery specialist)
***SPOILERS****
***************
***************
Sent to the Isle of Tiahuaco in seach of the "Bone Blade" by a descrete patron, the party went Voltigeur and became involved in the search for the missing artifacts and the lost guardian Melisine.
That led to the entrance to the dungeon...... <more on next post>
Praise for the Emerald Cobra ***Some Spoilers***
Moderators: DJ LaBoss, finarvyn, Harley Stroh
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Angry Tiki
- Ill-Fated Peasant
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- Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:48 pm
- Location: Fla, USA
Praise for the Emerald Cobra ***Some Spoilers***
--The Angry Tiki has spoken.
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Jeff LaSala
- Cold-Blooded Diabolist
- Posts: 469
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- Location: NYC
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Good stuff, eh, Tiki?
Well I certainly am a fan of this one, too.
Just about Background Story element in this adventure was fully fleshed out in the boxed set!
Come, Mike Ferguson....post!
Well I certainly am a fan of this one, too.
Just about Background Story element in this adventure was fully fleshed out in the boxed set!
Come, Mike Ferguson....post!
Goodman Games: DCCs: #29, #31, #35, #48, #49, #51; Hero's Handbooks: Dragonborn, Tieflings; Level Up
Wizards of the Coast: The Darkwood Mask
Blindsided Books: Savant
Ashlock.org; NY Speculative Fiction Examiner
Wizards of the Coast: The Darkwood Mask
Blindsided Books: Savant
Ashlock.org; NY Speculative Fiction Examiner
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Angry Tiki
- Ill-Fated Peasant
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:48 pm
- Location: Fla, USA
****** SPOILERS***********
>
>
>
(Note that the party did enter the other rooms in the module, but they either defeated the guardians quickly or did what they needed to do to locate any hidden items that they needed for later. What follows are afew of the more interesting encounters)
The Adventurers were not fooled by the "sparkles in the sand" in Room 1-2 and imediately suspected a trap. The druid summoned Natures Ally out on the sand (Wolves) that caused the Bullete to attack.
The Fighter tried to engage the creature and managed to strike a few telling blows, but he was too badly injured after 2 rounds and was forced to retreat.
The archer, a few magic missile spells and a lightning bolt finished it off.
They figured out the door in the room purely by accident.
The next big challenge was Room 1-6:
The adventurers gained the initiative and the Wizard threw a
Fireball into the room...killing the guardians, but destroying a large portion of the loot.
Area 1-9 was great (from a DM perspective that is.). The Druid flew safely across the bridge in shapeshifted avian form. The Fighter and Ranger decided to play it safe...to avoid a possible fall, they crawled across the bridge on their bellys. They made it about half-way before those big uglies dropped in on them.
It was a tough fight with the Ranger nearly getting rended to death. The Wizard and Sorceror had stayed back "just in case" and their storm of magic missiles saved the day.
In area 1-10 the Druid decided to fly down (in bird form) into those dark caverns below and smacked inadvertantly into the invisible force floor, Thus discovering the secret of the room.
In area 1-11 The players spent over 5 minutes arguing about which door to open. They failed their listen checks and a Necotene slid in behind them and launched a surprise attack... It scored a regular hit and a critical hit on the Favored Soul/ Sorceror...killing him (damage + the poison effect). After it pulled its fangs out of the i'll fated adventurer's neck, the now "aware" party made short work of it.
The party retreated from the dungeon to recover at this point.
They managed to call in a favor from an ally and was able to get the dead character raised (Their one and only chance at that I might add.)
The FS/Sorceror suffered the usual experience loss for being raised.
After being gone for 48 hours..they returned to the dungeon to try again...but something new was waiting for them this time.... <next post..the return and area 2>
>
>
>
(Note that the party did enter the other rooms in the module, but they either defeated the guardians quickly or did what they needed to do to locate any hidden items that they needed for later. What follows are afew of the more interesting encounters)
The Adventurers were not fooled by the "sparkles in the sand" in Room 1-2 and imediately suspected a trap. The druid summoned Natures Ally out on the sand (Wolves) that caused the Bullete to attack.
The Fighter tried to engage the creature and managed to strike a few telling blows, but he was too badly injured after 2 rounds and was forced to retreat.
The archer, a few magic missile spells and a lightning bolt finished it off.
They figured out the door in the room purely by accident.
The next big challenge was Room 1-6:
The adventurers gained the initiative and the Wizard threw a
Fireball into the room...killing the guardians, but destroying a large portion of the loot.
Area 1-9 was great (from a DM perspective that is.). The Druid flew safely across the bridge in shapeshifted avian form. The Fighter and Ranger decided to play it safe...to avoid a possible fall, they crawled across the bridge on their bellys. They made it about half-way before those big uglies dropped in on them.
It was a tough fight with the Ranger nearly getting rended to death. The Wizard and Sorceror had stayed back "just in case" and their storm of magic missiles saved the day.
In area 1-10 the Druid decided to fly down (in bird form) into those dark caverns below and smacked inadvertantly into the invisible force floor, Thus discovering the secret of the room.
In area 1-11 The players spent over 5 minutes arguing about which door to open. They failed their listen checks and a Necotene slid in behind them and launched a surprise attack... It scored a regular hit and a critical hit on the Favored Soul/ Sorceror...killing him (damage + the poison effect). After it pulled its fangs out of the i'll fated adventurer's neck, the now "aware" party made short work of it.
The party retreated from the dungeon to recover at this point.
They managed to call in a favor from an ally and was able to get the dead character raised (Their one and only chance at that I might add.)
The FS/Sorceror suffered the usual experience loss for being raised.
After being gone for 48 hours..they returned to the dungeon to try again...but something new was waiting for them this time.... <next post..the return and area 2>
--The Angry Tiki has spoken.
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Mike_Ferguson
- Deft-Handed Cutpurse
- Posts: 288
- Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2002 5:27 pm
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Angry Tiki
- Ill-Fated Peasant
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:48 pm
- Location: Fla, USA
Fantastic job!Mike_Ferguson wrote:Awesome!
Glad you're enjoying it - it was a fun adventure to write as well.
Keep us posted on how your group fares in the rest of the dungeon!
I was always a big fan of the old school module Dwellers of the Forbidden City and Curse of the Emerald Cobra has that same great serpenty taste
My campaign takes place in good ole' Greyhawk and the Isle of Tiahuaco fit perfectly in the Olman Islands.
Thanks for a very well balanced and FUN module.
IMHO this is a big green gem in the DCC crown.
--The Angry Tiki has spoken.
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Angry Tiki
- Ill-Fated Peasant
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:48 pm
- Location: Fla, USA
More on the exploits of my adventurers:
*********SPOILERS********************
*************************************
*************************************
The party of adventurers recomposed themselves and picked up two more member (2 guest players joined):
6th level Rogue
5th Level Wizard/ 1st level Ooze Master
At this point the party dynamic changed, so the Scaling information came in very handy.
Since the party had reteated for a little while, I decided to do a quick restock of some of the rooms of area 1.
The Random ecounter table came in handy here:
In area 1-5, the party ran into a pair of Rust Monsters.
(These adventures would gladly stand toe to toe with a demon or a dragon and fight down to their last 5 hit points, but throw in a rust moster and the run in circles screaming like little girls.)
They unloaded some of their most powerful spells and half dozen horded +2 arrows into the beasties.
On returning through area 1-9 they were ambushed by a Phase Spider while on the bridge. The Chain fighter suffered from poison on that one.
When the Party reached area 1-11 again, they guessed the correct door. (they did not take the Druid character's advice which was to for all of them to open all of the doors at once, Darn!
>)
Upon arriving at area 2-1 the party made short work of the Lizard folk but not before the warning bell was set to ringing.
the party proceeded to area 2-3 from there where the tactics listed in the encounter proved to be sound.
The Spiked Chain fighter lost his footing on the bridge trying run up on the lizard folk. He failed his save and tumbled to the ground below.
The Druid's animal companion Hyena followed in his footsteps and also took the fall.
The Wizard/Oozemaster fell but managed to save and was hanging from the bridge by his finger tips.
The Rogue set about rescuing the Wiz/Ooze. While the Ranger, Druid and FS/ Sorceror pressed the attack.
The Lizard folk ranger released the Shaduars and all hell broke loose.
The remaining spellcasters in the party laid down a barrage of magic missiles which had a telling effect in the battle.
Laha (the Lizard ranger) used his bow to harrass the embattled party.
Down below, the Chain fighter survived the falling damage, but soon started to get pelted by ranged attacks from other platforms. After grabbing some cover, he chugged two cure moderate wounds potions that he had squirrled away and began a climb up the tree to the platform (he wears a chain shirt for armor).
The battle had raged for about 6 rounds at this point.
The party slowly gained the upper hand with the spellcaster playiing a pivitol role.
As the Chain fighter clamored back onto the platform he had to face Laha one on one. Laha got in a few good licks but was no real match for the chain fighter's Improved Trip attack.
The last of that Shaduars was defeated a round later.
We left the adventure there as a cliffhanger as it was getting late and the players needed to go home.
The adventures had won the platform and were trying to patch up their wounds. The Druid's Hyena was alive, but still on the ground below the tree platforms.
We are going to pick up the game again this coming weekend and I'll post the results afterwards.
I'm excited about DMing the rest of this adventure. It has proven to be a good challenge for this party.
*********SPOILERS********************
*************************************
*************************************
The party of adventurers recomposed themselves and picked up two more member (2 guest players joined):
6th level Rogue
5th Level Wizard/ 1st level Ooze Master
At this point the party dynamic changed, so the Scaling information came in very handy.
Since the party had reteated for a little while, I decided to do a quick restock of some of the rooms of area 1.
The Random ecounter table came in handy here:
In area 1-5, the party ran into a pair of Rust Monsters.
(These adventures would gladly stand toe to toe with a demon or a dragon and fight down to their last 5 hit points, but throw in a rust moster and the run in circles screaming like little girls.)
They unloaded some of their most powerful spells and half dozen horded +2 arrows into the beasties.
On returning through area 1-9 they were ambushed by a Phase Spider while on the bridge. The Chain fighter suffered from poison on that one.
When the Party reached area 1-11 again, they guessed the correct door. (they did not take the Druid character's advice which was to for all of them to open all of the doors at once, Darn!
>)Upon arriving at area 2-1 the party made short work of the Lizard folk but not before the warning bell was set to ringing.
the party proceeded to area 2-3 from there where the tactics listed in the encounter proved to be sound.
The Spiked Chain fighter lost his footing on the bridge trying run up on the lizard folk. He failed his save and tumbled to the ground below.
The Druid's animal companion Hyena followed in his footsteps and also took the fall.
The Wizard/Oozemaster fell but managed to save and was hanging from the bridge by his finger tips.
The Rogue set about rescuing the Wiz/Ooze. While the Ranger, Druid and FS/ Sorceror pressed the attack.
The Lizard folk ranger released the Shaduars and all hell broke loose.
The remaining spellcasters in the party laid down a barrage of magic missiles which had a telling effect in the battle.
Laha (the Lizard ranger) used his bow to harrass the embattled party.
Down below, the Chain fighter survived the falling damage, but soon started to get pelted by ranged attacks from other platforms. After grabbing some cover, he chugged two cure moderate wounds potions that he had squirrled away and began a climb up the tree to the platform (he wears a chain shirt for armor).
The battle had raged for about 6 rounds at this point.
The party slowly gained the upper hand with the spellcaster playiing a pivitol role.
As the Chain fighter clamored back onto the platform he had to face Laha one on one. Laha got in a few good licks but was no real match for the chain fighter's Improved Trip attack.
The last of that Shaduars was defeated a round later.
We left the adventure there as a cliffhanger as it was getting late and the players needed to go home.
The adventures had won the platform and were trying to patch up their wounds. The Druid's Hyena was alive, but still on the ground below the tree platforms.
We are going to pick up the game again this coming weekend and I'll post the results afterwards.
I'm excited about DMing the rest of this adventure. It has proven to be a good challenge for this party.
--The Angry Tiki has spoken.
-
Mike_Ferguson
- Deft-Handed Cutpurse
- Posts: 288
- Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2002 5:27 pm
Ah, Iaha - the lone voice of reason amongst the lizardfolk. He's possibly my favorite NPC in that adventure. (And he's nasty with the bow, too.)
Glad to hear the puzzles are challenging your players - I like putting them in the adventures (obviously), but I'm always worried that they might prove too challenging - meaning that they just frustrate the players and drag the adventure down. I don't like puzzles where the adventure completely grinds to a halt until somebody stumbles onto an obscure answer. It sounds like your group is dealing with the puzzles in "Cobra" reasonably well, though.
(It's also hard for me to gauge how tough the puzzles that I put in my adventures are at times as well - during the initial playtest of "Cobra", one of my players took a quick glance at the puzzle in area 1-11, said "oh, well that's obvious", and opened the correct door in under three seconds. Fortunately, the rest of my group was about as equally horrified as I was - I thought it would've been worth at least a good twenty minutes of inter-party discussion and arguing ... as well as at least one wrong door opened.)
Anyway, it sounds like you and your group are enjoying the adventure - keep the posts coming!
Glad to hear the puzzles are challenging your players - I like putting them in the adventures (obviously), but I'm always worried that they might prove too challenging - meaning that they just frustrate the players and drag the adventure down. I don't like puzzles where the adventure completely grinds to a halt until somebody stumbles onto an obscure answer. It sounds like your group is dealing with the puzzles in "Cobra" reasonably well, though.
(It's also hard for me to gauge how tough the puzzles that I put in my adventures are at times as well - during the initial playtest of "Cobra", one of my players took a quick glance at the puzzle in area 1-11, said "oh, well that's obvious", and opened the correct door in under three seconds. Fortunately, the rest of my group was about as equally horrified as I was - I thought it would've been worth at least a good twenty minutes of inter-party discussion and arguing ... as well as at least one wrong door opened.)
Anyway, it sounds like you and your group are enjoying the adventure - keep the posts coming!
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Angry Tiki
- Ill-Fated Peasant
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:48 pm
- Location: Fla, USA
-
Angry Tiki
- Ill-Fated Peasant
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:48 pm
- Location: Fla, USA
A long time coming but here is the finale of the adventurers actions:
After a few weeks of of off and on playing, we have finally finished the module.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The adventurers managed to engage a few of the other platforms and succeed in fighting the snake folk....
But, when it came to area 2-5, the stuff really hit the fan.. a few of the adventurers were poisoned by the Cobra backed Inphidians, while the chain fighter who was doing well with his trip attacks, suddenly failed a saving throw and was turned to stone by a basilisk warrior.
The party won the fight but was exausted and forced to retreat back to town to heal and search for a cure for their "stoned" companion.
After spending a lot of money on healing and a cure for the petrified fighter, they returned 2 days later.
I had the Xorn from the encounter chart move under the door in area 1-2 and refused to let the door open (holding it from below) until he was offered a sufficient bribe of precious metals.
The druid tried to summon a Thoquaa to attack it but the xorn just ate the creature.
Finally they conceded and gave up a large chunk of hard won gold to the Xorn.
Upon emerging back into the crater, the party was promptly attacked by a large group of lizardfolk... most of the lizard folk fell in the first 4 rounds.
The favored soul character finally got wise and tried to parley with the lizard folk (He speaks Draconic). The remaining lizardfolk, convinced that the party was powerful, agreed to stay out of the way while the party attacked the pyramid.
The party guessed the Jeweled dagger - door connection quickly and rapidly figured out the puzzle in are 3-1.
They went to area 3-4 next and avoided the mirror (they feared that it was some sort of magical trap).
The battle in area 3-5 was a tough one. The adventures had to make a fighting retreat to room 3-4 (as the 2 Yuan ti had filled the hallway with magic darkness.) In a brutal fight that lasted a full 17 rounds, they finally defeated the 2 yuan ti and claimed the sword there. They then circled back and went to area 3-2.
Area 3-2: THe party suffered greatly in this room as they found the fireball trap the hard way (by triggering it) and were hit by the Naga's fireball spell in the same round. By the end the battle, every party member was below 10 hit points.
The party retreted to area 3-5, spiked the doors closed from the inside and rested.
8 hours later, a rejuvinated party entered area 3-6. the rogue managed to detect the nasty pit trap and the party avioded a grizzly death.
Downstairs... They encountered the Sepia Snake and learned despair.
This was a tough battle and as DM I thought that I might just have a TPK on my hands, but the players managed to pull it of without loss of life, but the Druid did get caught in the snakes webbing and was "suspended" by its soecial power.
The adventurers retreated upstairs again and the rogue stmbled onto secret prison (area 3-3). they freed the dwarves and decided to retreat again to town (having to pay off the Xorn again to get out).
After 2 more days of recovery they returned to launch another raid.
The Battle in are 4-4 was challenging to the adventurers as the sorcerors spells (wall of fire, lightning bolt etc) downed 2 members of the party, but they were saved from doom by a few well placed healing spells.
Area 4-5 was anti-climatic as Tlilcohuatl was dispatched quicky.
Thinking that it was just a matter of finding "a treasure room" after that, the party entered room 4-6.
The "god" there decimated them. It died in the end but the rogue was killed by having his head bitten off by that tentacled horror. Only 2 members of the party... The ranger and the chain fighter were left intact..the rest went insane. They never guessed the moster's weakness.
So it ended with the survivors returning to town with the missing items and seeking some sort of healing for their insane companions.
It was an adventure that they will never forget.
After a few weeks of of off and on playing, we have finally finished the module.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The adventurers managed to engage a few of the other platforms and succeed in fighting the snake folk....
But, when it came to area 2-5, the stuff really hit the fan.. a few of the adventurers were poisoned by the Cobra backed Inphidians, while the chain fighter who was doing well with his trip attacks, suddenly failed a saving throw and was turned to stone by a basilisk warrior.
The party won the fight but was exausted and forced to retreat back to town to heal and search for a cure for their "stoned" companion.
After spending a lot of money on healing and a cure for the petrified fighter, they returned 2 days later.
I had the Xorn from the encounter chart move under the door in area 1-2 and refused to let the door open (holding it from below) until he was offered a sufficient bribe of precious metals.
The druid tried to summon a Thoquaa to attack it but the xorn just ate the creature.
Finally they conceded and gave up a large chunk of hard won gold to the Xorn.
Upon emerging back into the crater, the party was promptly attacked by a large group of lizardfolk... most of the lizard folk fell in the first 4 rounds.
The favored soul character finally got wise and tried to parley with the lizard folk (He speaks Draconic). The remaining lizardfolk, convinced that the party was powerful, agreed to stay out of the way while the party attacked the pyramid.
The party guessed the Jeweled dagger - door connection quickly and rapidly figured out the puzzle in are 3-1.
They went to area 3-4 next and avoided the mirror (they feared that it was some sort of magical trap).
The battle in area 3-5 was a tough one. The adventures had to make a fighting retreat to room 3-4 (as the 2 Yuan ti had filled the hallway with magic darkness.) In a brutal fight that lasted a full 17 rounds, they finally defeated the 2 yuan ti and claimed the sword there. They then circled back and went to area 3-2.
Area 3-2: THe party suffered greatly in this room as they found the fireball trap the hard way (by triggering it) and were hit by the Naga's fireball spell in the same round. By the end the battle, every party member was below 10 hit points.
The party retreted to area 3-5, spiked the doors closed from the inside and rested.
8 hours later, a rejuvinated party entered area 3-6. the rogue managed to detect the nasty pit trap and the party avioded a grizzly death.
Downstairs... They encountered the Sepia Snake and learned despair.
This was a tough battle and as DM I thought that I might just have a TPK on my hands, but the players managed to pull it of without loss of life, but the Druid did get caught in the snakes webbing and was "suspended" by its soecial power.
The adventurers retreated upstairs again and the rogue stmbled onto secret prison (area 3-3). they freed the dwarves and decided to retreat again to town (having to pay off the Xorn again to get out).
After 2 more days of recovery they returned to launch another raid.
The Battle in are 4-4 was challenging to the adventurers as the sorcerors spells (wall of fire, lightning bolt etc) downed 2 members of the party, but they were saved from doom by a few well placed healing spells.
Area 4-5 was anti-climatic as Tlilcohuatl was dispatched quicky.
Thinking that it was just a matter of finding "a treasure room" after that, the party entered room 4-6.
The "god" there decimated them. It died in the end but the rogue was killed by having his head bitten off by that tentacled horror. Only 2 members of the party... The ranger and the chain fighter were left intact..the rest went insane. They never guessed the moster's weakness.
So it ended with the survivors returning to town with the missing items and seeking some sort of healing for their insane companions.
It was an adventure that they will never forget.
--The Angry Tiki has spoken.
-
Mike_Ferguson
- Deft-Handed Cutpurse
- Posts: 288
- Joined: Sun Dec 22, 2002 5:27 pm