An all module AD&D campaign

Deewun · Post by **Deewun** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 5:28 pm

First post, better make it a doozy.

I've been playing and running Ravenloft since '97. I love every piece of it, and have to thank anyone who was/is involved that may read this. Thank you, you've shaped my artistic style, my writing voice, and my GM-technique with one simple setting. Thank you.

So, I've been talking about and collecting this game for years, ever since I ran "Neither Man Nor Beast" back when I was a teenager. And this Halloween, a few of my close friends have pestered me into running the game again. We are setting it up in the idea that we'll run some of the modules I own, and if they enjoy it, make a campaign out of it.

I'm now trying to weave together a campaign made only of modules. I know I'm going to start with "Neither Man Nor Beast" again as a kind of homage of going full circle. But if the game goes well, we'll continue with these characters (or at least the ones that survive and then new ones to replace them), but I'm at a loss for what modules to use. I would like to weave them through around twelve, if at all possible, and I love "Servant of Darkness" and "Shadow Rift", so they will more than likely take up the middle section of the game, more than likely followed by "Bark at the Moon."

I don't particularly care about a through-thread of travel, but that is a bonus. I know I want to save the Grand Conjunction and the Grim Harvest plots for a later date, if they enjoy this one.

What other modules would you use? Or what are some just well made modules that you have used before that you would suggest. Thanks for all your help.

Joël of the FoS · Post by **Joël of the FoS** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 8:24 pm

I suggest discussing with each player having a dark secret / personality traits / etc. that you could exploit during the campaign. Makes things funny for the players and makes them involved...

Deewun · Post by **Deewun** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:16 pm

Ha, thanks Joel, that certainly could be a nice thing to do on top of all the other things like that I have planned.

What I'm looking for are opinions and thoughts on the AD&D adventure modules. Which ones are fun, interesting, or just plain useful (avoiding the Grand Conjunction group and the Grim Harvest group).

Thanks again for the help guys.

Joël of the FoS · Post by **Joël of the FoS** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:23 pm

You'll may be find here that Evil Eye has it all - vistani, mysteries, humans as the baddest guys, etc.

In my top 3.

Deewun · Post by **Deewun** » Fri Sep 25, 2009 9:38 pm

Oh, ok, great! I actually have that one, I keep putting it off, though now that I look back, I'm not sure why, ha. Is it accurate to its stated difficulty?

Joël of the FoS · Post by **Joël of the FoS** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 8:25 am

Stated difficulty? You mean the level for PCs in this adventure? Yes, IIRC.

Deewun · Post by **Deewun** » Sat Sep 26, 2009 11:09 am

Yeah, the "3 to 5 PCs of 3-5 level" or whatever. Just getting my ducks in a row.

Any other module suggestions?

Lucien Doomdark · Post by **Lucien Doomdark** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 7:02 am

Sadly enough, I was considering the same thing with an eye to conversion. I did have an Excel document with the minimum and maximum suggested character level and the modules' presumed place in the timeline.

I was planning to run a long but whistlestop tour of the Ravenloft plot arcs (van Richten, Grand Conjunction, Requiem etc). Then I realised that I didn't have the time or the experience to run a D&D game and besides, I was supposed to be doing a Masters....

I think I've got it backed up somewhere and if I can dig it out I will...

MadStepDad · Post by **MadStepDad** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 12:28 pm

I'm the MadStepDad and I approve this thread.

Disgregarding the entire GRAND CONJUNCTION series (through which I had very good gaming fortune - check my board for the complete campaign recap http://madstepdad.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=recap) I present a few campaign outlines for you.

Start low with NEITHER MAN NOR BEAST (levels 1-4). Introduce them to RAVENLOFT with good Doctor Fran and show them the mongrelman and broken ones that are the product of the Darklord's torment.

Then, using the broken ones and mongrel man as a segue, move into CIRCLE of DARKNESS, where - with just a bit of modification - you can begin the adventure with PETCHKO and his gang of broken ones and move into the cults of G'Henna from there. It's a bit of stretch between levels, but don't be beholden to them. Adjust them as you see fit.

After fleeing G'Henna the Mists kidnap the players and drop them... in Odaire where THE CREATED begins. In escaping Odaire you could run them through SHIP of HORRORS and begin your Grand Conjunction quest from there.

Or, for a more sophisticated approach try this:

Play starts in Paridon with HOUR of the KNIFE, an investigative adventure that could place your characters in a more high-brow setting with more thought-provoking angles.

From there, they are asked to further investigate the recent strange activity of the plains cats that inhabit Nova Vassa in THE AWAKENING. Through their travels and research, they meet VAN RICHTEN who asks them to aid him further in ANCIENT DEAD (a short story from CHILLING TALES also involving a mummy).

Returning from Har'Akir to Mordent where Van Richten hails from, opens the door for HOWLS in THE NIGHT about the hauntings of Mordent moors. At adventures end, the players being suffering from strenous nightmares...

...that leads them directly into THOUGHTS of DARKNESS and the horrors of Bluetspur... which I'm coincidentally running my PCs through right now over on the Gothic Earth board here at this site (cheap plug!). Good luck with the campaign arcs and let us know how they go!

peace,

MSD

Deewun · Post by **Deewun** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 1:52 pm

Lucien Doomdark wrote:Sadly enough, I was considering the same thing with an eye to conversion. ...

I think I've got it backed up somewhere and if I can dig it out I will...

I'm actually not looking to convert. I prefer AD&D rules system to just about all other DnD formats. I think it is more elegant and builds better characters that don't rely on "munchkining" and "power-gaming" like the more recent systems do. Plus, that's why I want to run the modules, since they are already AD&D. Thanks for the offer though!

And thanks for the reply, MadStepDad, lots of great ideas! I'd quote, but that'd take up too much room.

I definitely will be starting with Neither Man Nor Beast, and I loved your idea to bridge that into Circle of Darkness and then The Created. I don't think I want to mess around too much with the difficulties and suggested levels, but I think that those have some strong potential for the story, especially if Circle of Darkness is used closer towards the middle/end of the campaign, bringing back some broken ones would be very interesting, especially with the possibility of a PC being a broken one. (Sidenote: I don't like letting PCs just make random new PCs when one of theirs dies, I prefer it being part of the narrative, so former NPCs is the way to go; plus, I have an addiction for mutilating and transforming my PCs, be it Broken Ones or Lycans. Actually, I think one of my player's will be actively WANTING to become one of those two, so that actually makes Circle of Darkness that much more interesting.)

Howls in the Night is a strong possibility, as is The Awakening. They've both been on my radar for awhile, I just haven't gotten the chance to look through them yet. I'll have to give them a read.

I think thematically Hour of the Knife isn't going to mesh well with the others, so I'll probably save that one for now.

I'm trying to save the Grand Conjunction for another campaign, so Ship of Horrors is going to go on the shelf for now. Though I am going to have to take a look at your own campaign. I'm also going to stick with strict modules for the time being, I believe, saving the shorter "hooks" for when I have more time to really connect together a full campaign of my own design.

I've been eyeing Thoughts of Darkness as a campaign topper for a long time. Especially since there really isn't anything "higher" on the module difficulty levels, and I don't feel like dealing with Strahd this outing.

A campaign seems like it is beginning to form. Let me lay out my thoughts for everyone to see:

- Neither Man Nor Beast (1-4)
- The Created (2-4)
- Howls in the Night (3-5)
- The Awakening (4-6)
- Circle of Darkness (5-7)
- The Evil Eye (4-6) <-- Joel's recommendation, and I think it plays nicely with "Servants" and "Shadow Rift" for a little trilogy of terror
- Servants of Darkness (4-6)
- The Shadow Rift (7-9)
- Dark of the Moon (5-9)
- Thoughts of Darkness (10-12)

There is a lot of room between Dark of the Moon and Thoughts of Darkness. Any suggestions for some other modules at that higher end of the campaign, probably something to bridge the gap between levels 8 and 10?

Joël of the FoS · Post by **Joël of the FoS** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:07 pm

If I can add something, in your planning make sure you add a little fey weirdness a few times in the campaign before playing Shadow Rift. It will make this adventure more interesting and possibly more terrifying. Get ideas from VRGttF!

In Evil Eye, its (great) loose format can help you add any story thread related to the PCs starting (or ending) in it.

Deewun · Post by **Deewun** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:11 pm

Joël of the FoS wrote:If I can add something, in your planning make sure you add a little fey weirdness a few times in the campaign before playing Shadow Rift. It will make this adventure more interesting and possibly more terrifying. Get ideas from VRGttF!

Good call. Now to go grab a copy!

Joël of the FoS · Post by **Joël of the FoS** » Sun Sep 27, 2009 4:19 pm

Ashington Manor (DT&DL) is also a short side trek which is different and fun.

And while doing HitN in Mordent, I suggest tying this to the fun insubstancial halo adventure idea from JW Mangrum (a search of these boards here will quickly find it).

I did this and it was a real fun. Players loved it. If you want to read more about it, I played many of these and you can read my journals: Evil Eye (sessions 4-8 ); Ashington Manor (sessions 13), Howls in the Night (session 17, 22-23), Insubstancial Halo (27-30) and feys (some starting elements in 33, 34).

Ron's campaign journal had fun twists on the Evil Eye too.

Joël

Lucien Doomdark · Post by **Lucien Doomdark** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 4:59 pm

If you're still looking to fill the gap with an AD&D module then I have put up my spreadsheet...I had deleted it but quickly drew it up again this evening: http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key= ... Kcnc&hl=en[

It is pretty basic but I hope it can be of some use.

Deewun · Post by **Deewun** » Mon Sep 28, 2009 5:36 pm

I think your link is broken, it won't bring anything up when I click it.

I've been searching through my library, and I found an old module Web of Illusion. I don't actually know much about it, is it a good one? I like the interplay of the cold of Vorostokov followed immediately by the sweltering jungles of Sri Rajii, but I wonder if you folks have any experience with that module.

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An all module AD&D campaign

An all module AD&D campaign