Thoughts of Darkness

[Isolde]

This is a 24-30 level adventure in which you can still die even if you are at that level, and if they had written the real level requirement and not 12-15 which is a suicide by ToD it would have sold more. It would also help if they added all the missing stuff and thought about it a bit.

This is my favorite worst, yet inspiring adventure in all of ravenloft and D&D in general.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

This is my favorite worst, yet inspiring adventure in all of ravenloft and D&D in general.

Yes it is an overkill in general. If I ever run it I will still keep it as a 12th-15th level but I would exclude all the drow elves as it makes it more underdark than alien domain. I would minimise the hack 'n slash and make it a more stealthy adventure. Maybe I would have a slave riot happening as the PC's infiltrate the complex to avoid unnecessary combat. I would use Bonespur more as a character in depth rather than someone who appears fights and disappears. I have already bought a miniature that is perfect for the tadpole High Master as well as a menacing L size for 28mm miniature for the High Master

Levitation base optional

[alhoon]

This is a 24-30 level adventure in which you can still die even if you are at that level, and if they had written the real level requirement and not 12-15 which is a suicide by ToD it would have sold more. It would also help if they added all the missing stuff and thought about it a bit.

This is my favorite worst, yet inspiring adventure in all of ravenloft and D&D in general.

Simply put, it should NOT be a 24-30 level adventure.

[Isolde]

Stuff related to the adventure;
https://www.completecompendium.com/appendix/mindflay/
Psionics fumbles from the 2e handbook, these would effect mind flayers of course . They should all be psionicists and not mages (having magic makes them stronger as magic has no fumbles) as the only reason they can also have magic is because not everyone had the psionics handbook. They also have 90% magic resistance. It also maintains and enhances their weirdness.

Fumble results follow for the typical Mind Flayer powers. The book states "Both results are optional. DMs can use these results - or devise something similar - to add spice and a small element of risk to psionics" as there are positive and negative effects but its more fun using them both than not.

control body; The psionicist suffers partial paralysis (an arm or leg) for 1d10 turns.

levitation; The psionicist doubles his weight for one round. If he falls, he
suffers an extra d6 points of damage.

body equilibrium; The psionicist's weight instantly rises by a factor of 10; he must use
body equilibrium to fix the problem.

probability travel; The character attracts the attention of an astral creature, which may
or may not be hostile, at the DM’s discretion.

teleport; no effect

astral projection; The psionicist attracts the attention of a powerful creature in the
astral plane.

domination; The victim knows that someone attempted to dominate him

mindlink; The psionicist must save vs. petrification or be stunned for 1d4
rounds.

awe; All contacted characters view the psionicist as pathetic and
ridiculous.

contact; Further contact with this mind is impossible at this experience level.

ESP; The psionicist develops a splitting headache and suffers a -1 penalty
on all telepathic power scores for one hour.

ego whip; No additional effect.

id insinuation; The psionicist's id is unleashed; the resulting rage imposes a -1
penalty on all his attack rolls and power checks for one turn.

post-hypnotic suggestion; The intended victim is aware of the attempt.


Since this is ravenloft, then it would be great if a DM added more "mutates into ogre-like mind flayer tentacle horror" or something like "turns into a slime puddle with pseudo-pods barely resembling tentacles for movement" and other fun stuff. These would effect nobles and the elder brain of course.

[Jerem]

Hello,

I have a question regarding this module.

The poster map does not contain any text while it is said that the interior cover map is a reprint of this poster, and it does contain info.

So I think there was a miss during the production of this module, what do you think ?

[Isolde]

The module (alternative title; Total Party Kill) has many errors and omissions. From not providing stats for the 20th level metapsionicist high master illithid, to giving standard stats for him and not making him a noble illithid to many others. It has no official errata and is also for double the level listed (25-30) if played as suggested by the writers, and you can still die in that case as well.

https://www.completecompendium.com/appendix/ulithari/

Everything is forced on the players and the dm. Its structure sucks. No official errata, but it would not have fixed this abomination that begs for apocalypse . Bonespur is a joke (17th level thief with "get me out of here" item) of an npc enemy character. Annitella looks like a mind flayer, creating scenarios where the heroes kill her. Vampire mind flayers (up to 8 levels drained per round, yes eight and their thac0 should have been worst) are the definition of lazy monster creation. Strahd, Lyssa (up to 5 levels drained per round) and vampires in general stick out like a sore thumb thematically. Needed more and details maps. If the cleric is gone you just die in the blink of an eye as you can end up level 1 pretty fast. Elder brain gets no stats, not even a stat block and is in effect as powerful; not as an avatar of a god but as the god in his planar home palace. Some times xp rewards shift for the same enemies (some drow) and various errors exist in hp stat blocks. Drassak gets no proper stats, just the wrong mind flayer high master mess. No party stats for drassak's party before they were caught, it would have been good. Near infinite 16th level drow mages, 15th level drow fighters and 12th level duergar that you would have to capture all drow and duergar cities in oerth and faerun in order to get that many and still would not be enough.

And so many other things.

see also

https://archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/91669877
https://archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/91763315

[Jerem]

thank you

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

This is the most difficult adventure of Ravenloft, at least combat-wise, and every time i have ran it. as suggested in the adventure itself (12th to 15th level with specific limits on items). the heroes have died. A 20th level party has died as well.

It also lacks some things for which there is no errata. The high master illithid stats are missing, a 20th level metapsionicist. The elder brain has no real problems and thus lacks the darklord issues that are meant to define darklords in ravenloft. The mind flayer vampires can drain 8 levels per round. There are other issues with it as well.

It does not seem to have been playtested in the least bit, despite having playtester names in the adventure.

At the same time the cover art is great, the interior art is very atmospheric, the maps are useful and the domain itself Bluetspur is an excellent lovecraftian despair and horror realm. But its too deadly and too oppressing to the degree it might as well be a layer of the abyss itself. The adventure is great as an accessory for the domain of the elder brain in which is takes place in. But even as an accessory little make sense mechanics-wise as he seems to have an inconceivable supply of drow and duergar as if he has a printing machine for 12th to 16th level thralls.

What were your experiences? How did you improve it? Despite all its flaws its been a favorite of mine.

I didn't try the adventure myself, so take what I say with a grain of salt, but:
1) Maybe it simply wasn't meant to be survived? Maybe the creators thought the futility is part of the horror?
2) I think what people don't get about the God Brain is that it's not a gothic horror villain doing it wrong, it's a cosmic horror villain. The whole thing is that it's unknowable. You aren't supposed to understand what it did that was bad enough for an elder brain to become a darklord. You aren't supposed to understand what its torment is. Had you found out, you'd be driven mad by the knowledge.
3) That said, if you still feel like it's a problem, VRGtR actually fixed it.

VIEW CONTENT:

The God Brain is dying from a mysterious disease it brought upon itself trying to take for itself the powers of the other elder brains. 'Dying' by its kind's standards. It'd still live for longer than Ravenloft itself had existed so far, but the knowledge it's eventually going to die drives him mad.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

There is already a 2e version of the God Brain's background The Book of Sacrifices, pp24-26, "The Illithid God-Brain", by Matthew L. Martin

The Illithid god-brain was once a human psion named Seldrid, whose city of Thaan was besieged by the illithid. In his struggle against them, he began to admire them, and believed that the war between their races would hone humankind into a superior race. When the illithid faltered long short of this goal, he sought them out and discovered that their elder brain was dying. In the interests of forging his supreme race, he betrayed his own people and was assimilated into the elder brain. He then used his knowledge of the Thaani defenses to conquer them and have their leading psionicists' brains added to his gestalt as well. Thus, he and the entire illithid civilization were transported to Ravenloft, and the former psion became darklord of Bluetspur. However, he can no longer experience feelings and emotions directly, nor can he stray from the briny pool in which he rests

[TheArcaneWeirdo]

There is already a 2e version of the God Brain's background The Book of Sacrifices, pp24-26, "The Illithid God-Brain", by Matthew L. Martin

The Illithid god-brain was once a human psion named Seldrid, whose city of Thaan was besieged by the illithid. In his struggle against them, he began to admire them, and believed that the war between their races would hone humankind into a superior race. When the illithid faltered long short of this goal, he sought them out and discovered that their elder brain was dying. In the interests of forging his supreme race, he betrayed his own people and was assimilated into the elder brain. He then used his knowledge of the Thaani defenses to conquer them and have their leading psionicists' brains added to his gestalt as well. Thus, he and the entire illithid civilization were transported to Ravenloft, and the former psion became darklord of Bluetspur. However, he can no longer experience feelings and emotions directly, nor can he stray from the briny pool in which he rests

I read that one. But I feel like it's trying too hard to fit the God Brain into the gothic typecast. Not every monster has to be secretly human.

[Isolde]

There is no subtle mystery in the adventure, its just a badly made abomination that mocks the customer. If played as suggested even 25 to 30th level heroes indeed may die aplenty. And its not really fun with all the repetitive stuff and the production line drow/duergar and the rest. The domain is a mess that could never function as suggested (even with the magical fantastical ecology excuses) and worst than a layer of hell (all the oppressive etc die rolls) which it should not be as that role is meant for indeed a layer of tartarus.

But in this foul product there is the wonderful opportunity to create something great, as we have said before, due to the art and a few other elements in the thing. Its the joy of taking some utterly, totally and completely fucked up piece of furniture (made by a moron) and creating a truly cozy and fun thing out of it. I have been more inspired by this train wreck of a module than any other. And its quite clear to me, and others i assume, that some very bad adventures are a great incentive for fun creativity.

[Mephisto of the FoS]

But in this foul product there is the wonderful opportunity to create something great, as we have said before, due to the art and a few other elements in the thing. Its the joy of taking some utterly, totally and completely fucked up piece of furniture (made by a moron) and creating a truly cozy and fun thing out of it. I have been more inspired by this train wreck of a module than any other. And its quite clear to me, and others i assume, that some very bad adventures are a great incentive for fun creativity.

I couldn't agree more, there are many cool elements in there such as the Shattered Brethren, The Brotherhood of Contemplative Power, Vampire Illithid creation, Lyssa Von Zaovich, the Illithid God-Brain, Bonespur, Mount Makab complex.