Appendix N your DCC #28

If it doesn't fit into a category above, then inscribe it here, O Mighty One...

Moderators: DJ LaBoss, finarvyn, michaelcurtis, Harley Stroh

Post Reply
Harley Stroh
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1805
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:02 am
Location: On the run.
Contact:

Appendix N your DCC #28

Post by Harley Stroh »

So by now a few PCs have made it through the funnel, you’ve played through all the Free RPG Day material, and you’re wondering where to get your Appendix N adventure fix while we wait for the core book.

Fear not, hearty adventurer! In this thread we’ll delve into that stack of “obsolete” 3/3.5/4e DCCs and see what steps can be taken to bring them, stats and soul, into alignment with Appendix N.

This is more an art than science, so everyone should feel free to chime in with their vision of Appendix N, conversions and anything else that might crop up. It goes without saying that any errors are due to yours truly. Finally, props to Jedi for suggesting the conversions.

So, ‘ware of spoilers and let’s begin!

DCC #28: Into the Wilds
Image

Wilds seems like a good place to start because it is low level, has some issues (addressed here) but has also inspired some really cool fan material (seen here). Also, it has an exploration / sandbox flair, giving PCs and players a chance to plot and plan their next expedition. The adventure owes a lot to Keep on the Borderlands, but our version will hopefully hew closer to REH’s “Beyond the Black River.”

In the original Wilds, the chief antagonists are a band of bat-riding goblins, a clan of savage raiders, and a small troop of human rebels, all set among the Foehammer Spires, an ancient dwarven citadel that has long since fallen into ruin.

The original backstory tells of two dwarven heirs that cause the fall of the citadel due to their own backstabbing and infighting. It isn’t a terrible stretch to change these dwarves to a dying race of primitive humans. Fallen from their former glory, the last of the race’s pure blooded nobility descend to infighting and regicide. The survivors abandon their accursed citadel, settling into clan warfare that stretches down the centuries, even as constant inbreeding causes both clans to devolve into subhuman monsters.

One clan (formerly goblins) are now a smaller, nimble race, that still retains some knowledge of metalworking. Fleeing their stronger brothers, they have taken up residence atop the high spires, where they learn to tame the fanged, winged lizards native to the rocky ledges and craggy peaks.

For visual inspiration I've gone here and here.

Statistically, we’re looking at something along these lines:

Sons of Sodoutym: Init +1; Atk +0 falx (dmg 1d4+1) or barbed javelin +1(dmg 1d4+1); AC 14; HD 2d6+1; HP 8; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will -1; AL CE; XP XXX.
Possessions: Barbed javelins (2), leather armor, falx, riding harness.

Winged Terror: Init +1; Atk +0 bite (dmg 1d6) or claws +1 (dmg 1d4); AC 13; HD 2d8 HP 12; MV 50’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -1, Ref +1, Will -2; AL CE; XP XXX.

The second clan has adapted to life on the forest floor, becoming hulking, lumbering monstrosities, akin to Frazetta’s Neanderthals, here. Though they have lost nearly all of their former knowledge of metallurgy and science, the pure-blooded descendants of the noble line still retain a racial memory of magic.

Subhuman Raiders: Init +0; Atk +2 club (dmg 1d6+2); AC 13; HD 2d8+1; HP 10; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -2; AL CE; XP XXX.
Possessions: Club, flint knife, hide armor, wooden shield.

Working a little further into the adventure the glaring exception to Appendix N is obviously the Goblin Moonshine Still, Area 1-10b.

Though fun in D&D, the goblin-run still is definitely not a fit for Appendix N. But that’s all right. We can muck with the encounter and it will give us an out for Azubal (see below).

Rather than trying to maintain an explosive still, the subhumans are furiously at work worshipping a small dark shrine to Sodoutym, keeping it constantly swabbed with fresh blood, lest the idol become angered. The crusty accumulation of centuries of dripping blood coats the floor of the chamber, like dribblings from a thousand crimson candles.

Weird superstition? Or are the degenerate subhumans forestalling something far more worse? Only one way for the PCs to find out …

If the blood is permitted to dry, the small idol explodes in a blast of arcane flame. Worse, it releases the spirit of Azubal – divine handservant to the foul Sodoutym – from area 1-11.

Though weakened from centuries of imprisonment, Azubal can prove a deadly foe to low level PCs. Rather than a vampiric goblin armed with an elf-slaying flail, Azubal is now a blood-sucking spider demon, with a barbed tongue that lashes out at will, raking foe’s skin and lapping at their wounds.

Azubal: Init +4; Atk +2 barbed tongue (dmg 1d6+4); AC 20; HD 2d8+1; HP 11; MV 40’, climb 25’; Act 1d20+1d16; SQ Regenerate 1d4 hp/round, gaseous form, immune to turn unholy, unable to enter direct daylight; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +6; AL CE; XP XXX.

That's about does for the first third of the adventure. In the next post we can tackle the dungeon proper.

//H


MARV EDIT: Changed the title of the thread slightly. Seems like it would be nice to have a new thread for each DCC module that Harley updates! :wink:
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
User avatar
DCCfan
Steely-Eyed Heathen-Slayer
Posts: 638
Joined: Sun Jun 03, 2007 6:23 am
FLGS: The Comics Club
Location: Auburndale, FL

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by DCCfan »

Thanks for the conversion. 8)
"When creating your character,choose an ethical system that can justify nearly any fit of temper, greed, cowardice, or vindictiveness, for example, Chaotic Violent..."

THE PROTOCOLS, ADVANCED PROTOCOL #10
User avatar
JediOre
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1127
Joined: Mon Apr 05, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: In a galaxy far, far, away (Missouri)

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by JediOre »

I'll be using it today!
Harley Stroh
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1805
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:02 am
Location: On the run.
Contact:

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Harley Stroh »

Heh. I better get chopping on more of those stats then. :)

//H
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
User avatar
Ogrepuppy
Tight-Lipped Warlock
Posts: 921
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 11:26 pm
Location: the Towers of Carcosa

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Ogrepuppy »

I already had a healthy respect and love for ItW.

You've just jacked that respect-o-meter up to 11 (and a half)!

(May I request a small update/DCCRPG-i-zation to your Tower of the Black Pearl when you're done with ItW?)
User avatar
Count Zero
Far-Sighted Wanderer
Posts: 35
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 7:52 am
Location: Buffalo, NY

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Count Zero »

Any follow up on this? If DCC goes over well with the group i might give this a whirl.
I'm the quiet neighbor with the big freezer.
Harley Stroh
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1805
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:02 am
Location: On the run.
Contact:

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Harley Stroh »

Thanks for the interest, guys. I've been distracted by new patrons, so I needed a little prodding. I should be able to update this (and hopefully finish off the adventure) tonight.

//H
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
Harley Stroh
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1805
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:02 am
Location: On the run.
Contact:

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Harley Stroh »

Thank you all for your patience. Let’s see if we can’t get a little more late night DCC conversion in.

Moving on from the lairs, to the dungeon proper: Encounter Area 2. Previously we had established this as the lost citadel of a dying race of primitive humans.

The thundering waterfall and its perils convert to Appendix N fairly well. The statuary in area 2-5 obviously change from dwarves to our race of humans.

In the Smithy of Kings, the Salamander Flamebrother can be reskinned as a captive demon – once forced to forge weapons, now trapped without hope of escape. Driven insane by its centuries of meaningless servitude, the demon can be played a couple of different ways. Perhaps it treats with the PCs, calling out to them from the flaming forge, hoping to gain its freedom. Or perhaps it lost all traces sanity centuries ago. Perhaps both statements are true, leaving the judge to play out the role of the desperate captive balanced on a knife's edge of sanity, descending into violent madness with the slightest provocation.

Barbed salamander (type I demon): Init +0; Atk bite +4 melee (dmg 1d8); AC 15; HP 4d12; MV 30’ or swim 30’; Act 1d20; SP barbs, demon traits; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +0; AL C.

Pressing on through the dungeon we encounter the retainers of the White Lady. These can hold true to the original intent: mercenaries preparing a coup against the rulers of Wildsgate.

For those fortunate or clever enough to make it into Encounter Area 4, the Tomb of the Dwarven Lords holds some sinister traps. The flooding corridor, the false door, and the crushing boulder of doom fit well with the Appendix N canon, as death traps that were never meant to be survived.

The gelatinous cubes (Area 4-5), though are up for discussion. In practice, they are somewhat less than a climax.

Looting the Vault of Zamuk, the PCs uncover the Sword of Barons, a magical blade worthy of their quest! In retrospect, perhaps a +2 bonus is merited by the effort required to win the blade, and the mighty cleaving quality can be translated to the DCC RPG thusly: Each time an enemy is slain with this blade, you automatically receive another attack (but cannot move). Of course it is up toe the judge to determine whether or not the bloodthirsty blade can attempt to force its wielder to attack an ally.

//H

(P.S. I can't promise it will happen, but if I can steal some time away this weekend, I'd like to do a comprehensive list of stat block conversions, before moving on to Tower of the BP.)
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
Harley Stroh
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1805
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:02 am
Location: On the run.
Contact:

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Harley Stroh »

Forgive the incomplete post; I'll update as I go.

Stat Block Compilation, 10/3

Azubal: Init +4; Atk +2 barbed tongue (dmg 1d6+4); AC 20; HD 2d8+1; HP 11; MV 40’, climb 25’; Act 1d20+1d16; SQ Regenerate 1d4 hp/round, gaseous form, immune to turn unholy, unable to enter direct daylight; SV Fort +3, Ref +3, Will +6; AL C; XP XXX.

Bat Swarm: Init +3; Atk bite +5 (dmg see above); AC 10; HD 1d4; HP 2; MV 25’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will +0; AL N; XP XXX. Every round, make an attack roll against any PC within the chamber – for every point equal or above the PC’s AC, the bats inflict 1 point damage.

Dire Bats => Winged Terror: Init +1; Atk +0 bite (dmg 1d6) or claws +1 (dmg 1d4); AC 13; HD 2d8 HP 12; MV 50’; Act 1d20; SV Fort -1, Ref +1, Will -2; AL C; XP XXX.

Flamebrother Salamander => Barbed salamander (type I demon): Init +0; Atk bite +4 melee (dmg 1d8); AC 15; HP 4d12; MV 30’ or swim 30’; Act 1d20; SP barbs, demon traits; SV Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +0; AL C.

Ghoul: Init +1; Atk bite +3 melee (dmg 1d4 plus paralyzation) or claw +1 melee (dmg 1d3); AC 12; HD 2d6; MV 30’; Act 2d20; SP un-dead traits, paralyzation, darkvision 100’; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C; XP XXX.

Goblins => Sons of Sodoutym: Init +1; Atk +0 falx (dmg 1d4+1) or barbed javelin +1(dmg 1d4+1); AC 14; HD 2d6+1; HP 8; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +0, Ref +2, Will -1; AL C; XP XXX.
Possessions: Barbed javelins (2), leather armor, falx, riding harness.

Raiders => Subhuman Raiders: Init +0; Atk +2 club (dmg 1d6+2); AC 13; HD 2d8+1; HP 10; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will -2; AL C; XP XXX.
Possessions: Club, flint knife, hide armor, wooden shield.

Shadow => 2d3 Shades: Init +0; Atk chilling touch +1 melee; Dmg 1d4 Str & Con; AC 20; HP 6; MV 30’; Act 1; SV Fort +0, Ref +1, Will +2; AL CE; XP XXX. The core book shadow is too powerful for low level PCs. Consider substituting in multiple shades.

Skeletons: Init +0; Atk claw +0 melee (dmg 1d3) or by weapon +0 melee; AC 9; HD 1d6; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead, half damage from piercing and slashing weapons; SV Fort +0, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C; XP XXX.

Zombies: Init -4; Atk bite +3 melee (dmg 1d4); AC 9; HD 3d6; MV 20’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead; SV Fort +4, Ref -4, Will +2; AL C; XP XXX.

To do:
Flying Warhammer
White Dragon
Kos, Liath
War Dancers
Savage Heroes
Savage Witchdoctor
Aborn, Argun, outriders.
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
User avatar
Ogrepuppy
Tight-Lipped Warlock
Posts: 921
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 11:26 pm
Location: the Towers of Carcosa

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Ogrepuppy »

Prod.

(You said you needed prodding, yes?) :lol:
Harley Stroh
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1805
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:02 am
Location: On the run.
Contact:

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Harley Stroh »

:twisted:

Received!

(Thank you, Ogre. And thanks, too for picking up Crime Pays. Another conversion I need to do for you ...)

//H
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
User avatar
Ogrepuppy
Tight-Lipped Warlock
Posts: 921
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 11:26 pm
Location: the Towers of Carcosa

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Ogrepuppy »

Harley Stroh wrote:(Thank you, Ogre. And thanks, too for picking up Crime Pays. Another conversion I need to do for you ...)
You're a busy man, and I'm not demanding anything....but Mama didn't raise no fool, and I won't turn down anything you shoot my way!

:mrgreen:
User avatar
Klyngster
Far-Sighted Wanderer
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 3:01 pm
FLGS: I'm Board! Games
Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Klyngster »

If anyone is interested, I could post my conversion of 'Hive of Villainy' after I run it this weekend.

All I'll lay on you right now are two words - mead hall.
Harley Stroh
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1805
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:02 am
Location: On the run.
Contact:

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Harley Stroh »

Klyngster wrote:If anyone is interested, I could post my conversion of 'Hive of Villainy' after I run it this weekend.

All I'll lay on you right now are two words - mead hall.
Yes, please!

//H
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
User avatar
finarvyn
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 2599
Joined: Fri Jun 26, 2009 3:42 am
FLGS: Fair Game, Downers Grove IL
Location: Chicago suburbs
Contact:

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by finarvyn »

Klyngster wrote:If anyone is interested, I could post my conversion of 'Hive of Villainy' after I run it this weekend.

All I'll lay on you right now are two words - mead hall.
Start up a new thread for it.

I'd hate to have it get lost in the middle of this one!
Marv / Finarvyn
DCC Minister of Propaganda; Deputized 6/8/11 (over 11 years of SPAM bustin'!)
DCC RPG playtester 2011, DCC Lankhmar trivia contest winner 2015; OD&D player since 1975

"The worthy GM never purposely kills players' PCs, He presents opportunities for the rash and unthinking players to do that all on their own."
-- Gary Gygax
"Don't ask me what you need to hit. Just roll the die and I will let you know!"
-- Dave Arneson
"Misinterpreting the rules is a shared memory for many of us"
-- Joseph Goodman
User avatar
Klyngster
Far-Sighted Wanderer
Posts: 37
Joined: Sat Mar 10, 2012 3:01 pm
FLGS: I'm Board! Games
Location: Madison, Wisconsin

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Klyngster »

finarvyn wrote:Start up a new thread for it.

I'd hate to have it get lost in the middle of this one!
Same here. Will do. Thank you!
User avatar
Ogrepuppy
Tight-Lipped Warlock
Posts: 921
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 11:26 pm
Location: the Towers of Carcosa

Re: Appendix N your DCC!

Post by Ogrepuppy »

Ogrepuppy wrote:Prod.

(You said you needed prodding, yes?) :lol:
POKE!
Harley Stroh
Cold-Hearted Immortal
Posts: 1805
Joined: Wed Sep 15, 2004 4:02 am
Location: On the run.
Contact:

Re: Appendix N your DCC #28

Post by Harley Stroh »

:)

If only Joseph would stop giving me these darn modules to write, I could get back to these threads.

//H
The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.
User avatar
Ogrepuppy
Tight-Lipped Warlock
Posts: 921
Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 11:26 pm
Location: the Towers of Carcosa

Re: Appendix N your DCC #28

Post by Ogrepuppy »

Harley Stroh wrote:If only Joseph would stop giving me these darn modules to write, I could get back to these threads.
Oh, by all means, write modules! Much more important! That way I can give GG my dirty, filthy digital money!
User avatar
bitflipr
Wild-Eyed Zealot
Posts: 73
Joined: Tue Apr 17, 2012 11:14 am

Re: Appendix N your DCC #28

Post by bitflipr »

Could some guidelines be given on converting 3.5e monster block stats? Perhaps some of us could convert our own modules easily if there was some process to follow.
Post Reply

Return to “DCC RPG General”