[1E] Collaborative Project: Mapping the Depths of the Earth

Gnarley Bones · Post by **Gnarley Bones** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:38 pm

P&P made a comment in the Reviews section of how great it would be in we could get together and flesh out D3.

It would be great!

Would there be interest in this? I know that I've heard many comments about how useful it would be to have some of the other, undescribed encounter (on the large-scale map of the cavern systems) areas prepared in the event the PCs go "off the map." When my players were spelunking through D1-3 two years ago or so, I found no real support on-line. I don't think it's really been done before -no doubt because of the scale. However if we broke up the dozen or so encounter areas between a dozen or so people, you can see how this could come together quickly.

From there, and assuming there is interest, perhaps we could collaboratively move into the Vault itself and more fully describe the noble family holdings and Erelhei Cinlu -all eumlating the Gygax style and brevity -First Edition only, no long-winded 2ed dissertations and no emo or manga drow. Just good old-fashioned decent-into-the-depths-of-the-earth spelunking!

We could set a limit on the length of each description. Say 5 pages or so for the larger caverns.

Any interest? We could start by dividing up the known undescribed encounter arears and work our way to the Vault. Each person could take an encounter for themselves, to keep it manageable. I'd be more than happy to spearhead and collect the contributions for possible publication here at DF.

For myself, I would like an encounter area not far from the "main thoroughfare," the Fungi Caverns, a warren peopled with vegepygmies and weird mushroomy danger. And not only because I already prepared it two years ago and my players decided to attack a mind-flayer outpost instead (damn them!).

Thoughts, feedback, interest?

CHECK HERE FOR RUNNING TALLY:

The running tally:

Hex J2/48: Gnarley Bones: Vegepygmies and fungal creatures

Hex N2/51(?): Papers & Paychecks: drowads!

Hex K/4: Istarlome: Pech, dwarves, evil NPCs

Hex K2/26 (and beyond): Istarlome: Svirfneblin Stronghold

Hex C2/20: Istarlome: Fire giants -Complete! (?)

Hex B2/24: Elfdart: ________

Hex R2/28: Wheggi: ______

Hex S2/43: grodog: Beholder -Complete!

Hex ___: Runecrow: Mind flayer outpost -Complete!

Hex ___: Handy Haversack: Temple of the Elder Elemental God

Hex ___: JDJarvis: The Rock Garden (pech)

Hex ___: doktorhook: ____

Hex: E2/43: cwslyclgh: grimlocks & basilisk

Hex: ___: Predavolk: ____

Hex: ___: Disjected: Escaped slaves

Hex: ___: thenraine: stone giants

By "Complete," I mean a rough draft has been completed, not that proofing, etc. has been done.

Handy Haversack · Post by **Handy Haversack** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:40 pm

Sure, I'd take on something. Sounds like a good idea.

Gnarley Bones · Post by **Gnarley Bones** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:43 pm

There's one!

The Warrens of the Vulture Species that Gets up to 23,000 Feet

PapersAndPaychecks · Post by **PapersAndPaychecks** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Two.

I've got a fair bit of material to bring to this from something I was already working on (working title: Encyclopedia Subterranica).

KewlMarine32 · Post by **KewlMarine32** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:49 pm

hmmmmm, that is interesting.... I would like to hear more... Maybe I can provide some insight and suggestions... Contributing to this project would maybe get a few people to understand how I really think...

PapersAndPaychecks · Post by **PapersAndPaychecks** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:50 pm

Incidentally, I made that suggestion in May 2005, and yet I'm still really fired up about it.

Gnarley Bones · Post by **Gnarley Bones** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 2:53 pm

/looks back at thread.

It's a good idea whose time has come!

JDJarvis · Post by **JDJarvis** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:11 pm

I'm in.

doktorhook · Post by **doktorhook** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 3:51 pm

me too!

cwslyclgh · Post by **cwslyclgh** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 4:00 pm

I developed one of the encounter areas for my game years ago... I could go through my old notes and type it up on the computer.

Runecrow · Post by **Runecrow** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:31 pm

It's a great idea. Make room for me, too.

Istarlömé · Post by **Istarlömé** » Fri Jul 21, 2006 11:09 pm

You can count me in.

predavolk · Post by **predavolk** » Sat Jul 22, 2006 3:44 am

I'd be interested in fleshing out D3 more than the rest, but I might end up doing so as my players wander through the series any how. So a tentative "I'm in".

Gnarley Bones · Post by **Gnarley Bones** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 2:11 am

Okey-dokey:

Having reviewed the map, this project will take a bit of work. There are 41 "Encounter Area[s] to be Designed by DM or in a Forthcoming Module."

Yikes. However, of those 41:

22 are small encounter areas, no larger than those presented as "lead-ins" to the set pieces in D1-3. Each one of theseb would probably be a page and a half, if not less.

14 of the 41 are major encounter areas, on the scale of the Caverns and Warrens of the Troglodytes and the Shrine of the Kuo-Toa. These areas have some meat to them, perhaps 5-10 pages for each encounter.

And there are four areas that are as big, or possibly bigger than The Vault of the Drow. These would be mini-modules in and of themselves. In keeping Gygaxian brevity, they should be able to be described in 10-15 pages.

Probably of the most interest may be the two encounter areas on the shore of the Sunless Sea and the large island within the Sea itself.

For myself, I would like to lay claim to Hex J2/48 for the fungal caverns.

Other ideas?

Things I think that are to be expected:

1. Mind Flayer outpost
2. The Stronghold of the Kuo-toans (D2 was only their shrine)
3. A svirfneblin area of control
4. Kingdom of the Ghouls? (Is Dungeon 70 good?)
5. The Temple of the Elder Elemental God

Other ideas?

PapersAndPaychecks · Post by **PapersAndPaychecks** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:23 am

The Mind Flayer outpost wants to be generally to the east of the area described in D1-3 (this is clear from D1).

I'll probably take several encounter areas eventually, but I'd like to start with just one: a cavern quite close to the one Gnarley's taken, which includes a very different take on the fungi.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 2:41 pm

redacted

wheggi · Post by **wheggi** » Sun Jul 23, 2006 2:46 pm

This sounds like fun. If you don't mind, bookmark me one of the small encounters. A2/28 if it's cool with everyone.

- Wheggi

Istarlömé · Post by **Istarlömé** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:10 am

I'd like to develop several areas. Those would be the large area made up of K2(J2)/26-28 and the areas leading to them. Those being E2/25, C2/20, K/4 and L2/31

K2(J2)/26-28: Svirfneblin area of control with L2/31 as part of it.

K/4: Several Pech and Dwarves enslaved by a party of nasty humans.

C2/20: The lair of a group of Fire Giants collecting toll on the passage at A2/20

E2/25: TBA

Handy Haversack · Post by **Handy Haversack** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 1:23 pm

Gnarley Bones wrote: 5. The Temple of the Elder Elemental God

I'd like to handle this, and I think I would set it very, very close to Erelhei-Cinlu itself, close to the Fane. What think? And this Elder Elemental God might be rather familiar to some . . .

Marco · Post by **Marco** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:03 pm

In D1, the leader of the pack of ghasts & ghouls has a map that leads to one of the undescribed 2-hex encounters. This should most likely be the location of a ghoul kingdom of some sort. I'm at work, so I don't know exactly the coordinates of the encounter area the map leads to.

I suppose it could be heavily-inspired by the ghoul kingdom in the CoC product "Dreamlands". A giant chasm, lined with little warrens whose mouths open onto the gulf. The bottom is filled with layers upon layers upon layers of bones tossed into the chasm by the feasting ghouls. Burrowing through the bones are lots of purple worms (instead of the dholes you get in CoC).

There are a whole bunch of suggested 1-, 2-, and 3-hex encounters in one of the appendices of the GDQ1-7 supermodule. They give lots of ideas for things like rothe herds, a city of mind flayers, a completely deserted city whose streets are patrolled by clay, stone, and iron golems, with a sealed tower in the center containing some mysterious evil being.....

Another huge source of 1e ideas is the Dungeoneer's Survival Guide. There is, of course, also the Night Below campaign set, if people don't mind looking to 2e stuff for inspiration. I personally don't like the encounters in Night Below all that much -- they don't have enough of a 1e feel to me. But some of them are pretty interesting, like the island populated by undead servants of Tharizdun. That sort of thing would make for an interesting connection with Eclavdra's plots.

Just tossing ideas out there. Personally, I don't think I'll have the time to do more than one or two single-hex encounters.

Marco.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 3:04 pm

redacted

Runecrow · Post by **Runecrow** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 4:47 pm

PapersAndPaychecks wrote:The Mind Flayer outpost wants to be generally to the east of the area described in D1-3 (this is clear from D1).

Were you wanting this one, P&P? If not, I'd like to do the mind flayer outpost.

predavolk · Post by **predavolk** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 6:02 pm

Handy Haversack wrote:
Gnarley Bones wrote: 5. The Temple of the Elder Elemental God
I'd like to handle this, and I think I would set it very, very close to Erelhei-Cinlu itself, close to the Fane. What think? And this Elder Elemental God might be rather familiar to some . . .

I might end up doing this myself. Personally, I'd put it closer to the Kuo-Toans, but that's just in my campaign. I'll take a look at the map tonight and see if there's any areas I'm likely to need in the next couple of adventures. Might as well kill two birds!

PapersAndPaychecks · Post by **PapersAndPaychecks** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 7:02 pm

Runecrow wrote:Were you wanting this one, P&P? If not, I'd like to do the mind flayer outpost.

You're welcome to write it!

Because I don't use the psionics rules I struggle to use mind flayers effectively.

Elfdart · Post by **Elfdart** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 10:19 pm

deleted

wheggi · Post by **wheggi** » Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:25 pm

Oh, and just to give a head's up: my little slice of the pie is going to be an encounter with a beholder. Its one of the monsters I've always felt never got proper representation in 1st Ed. AD&D and this would be the perfect place to set up an encounter with one of these bad boys.

- Wheggi

Marco · Post by **Marco** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 12:07 am

Oh, and just to give a head's up: my little slice of the pie is going to be an encounter with a beholder. Its one of the monsters I've always felt never got proper representation in 1st Ed. AD&D and this would be the perfect place to set up an encounter with one of these bad boys.

I agree, except that I have overdosed so much on beholders in 2e, that the creature has been completely ruined for me. Even for use in 1e, where it's essentially never been seen, except as a wandering monster in D1-3.

Marco.

Gnarley Bones · Post by **Gnarley Bones** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:29 am

Marco wrote:There are a whole bunch of suggested 1-, 2-, and 3-hex encounters in one of the appendices of the GDQ1-7 supermodule. They give lots of ideas for things like rothe herds, a city of mind flayers, a completely deserted city whose streets are patrolled by clay, stone, and iron golems, with a sealed tower in the center containing some mysterious evil being.....

I own the originals, I've never heard of such a list in the compilation. What else do they have?

I had the following thoughts:

Possible Encounters

1. Cloaker (I loves 'em)
2. A large gallery with multiple cave fishers
3. Warrens of jermlaines, rats, osquips and wererats
4. A derro or duergar patrol/invasion
5. Something insecty, like a giant ant lair or Aspis labyrinth
6. Githyanki raid

I'm going to move this over to the Workshop.

Gnarley Bones · Post by **Gnarley Bones** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:33 am

PapersAndPaychecks wrote:I'll probably take several encounter areas eventually, but I'd like to start with just one: a cavern quite close to the one Gnarley's taken, which includes a very different take on the fungi.

Looks like there's a large cavern due north of mine, starting in Hex N2/51.

Gnarley Bones · Post by **Gnarley Bones** » Tue Jul 25, 2006 1:35 am

wheggi wrote:This sounds like fun. If you don't mind, bookmark me one of the small encounters. A2/28 if it's cool with everyone.

- Wheggi

Is that the right Hex?