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[Tawmis]

The other adventurers who have been stuck on the island helping goblins against the Kuo-Toa, enter their third session and finally encounter the "Blue Holder"...

http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... scovery-03

[Tawmis]

And back over to the "Work Group" and their ongoing battle with the Drow...

http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... nturers-32

[Rath Darkblade]

Two Galeb Duhr reveal themselves...

What is a Galeb Duhr? It looks like a kind of earth elemental?

Cave Fisher, huh? I certainly hope the party salvaged every last bit of it, including the eggs (if any). I also hope none of them tried to drink the contents of the eggs, or they would have hallucinations for quite some time (if not worse).

Why did it have to be spiders? Why not? Everything in the Underdark is better with spiders.

But several thousand spiders? Eeeuuggghh. *shudder* No point in standing and fighting, huh? Yuck.

What is the "You again?" creature in the picture?

Also, what is the "All our spidery friends" creature in the picture? I don't believe I've met either of them.

...Adrian trips in the dark (Critical Fail on Stealth)

Well ... Paladin. Not exactly noted for stealth, are they. Just wait until he gets a Holy Blade or a Holy Mount, though.

What the heck is this four-armed creature? I googled it and found you wrote about him in the "Giant in the Playground" forum, that he was a goblin that was tortured by the drow and went mad. He looks ... much, much bigger than a goblin.

Then I saw a picture of Doomsilk, and he looks like a drow. A threatening drow, sure, but just a drow. Nothing special. Spear in the chest would be enough to finish him off. Oh, and it appears like he has a Skyrim Steel Sword on his belt, eh? But then again ... the image comes from "The Elder Scrolls: Legends", so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Is that a dwemer spear he's holding?

Just curious ...

[Tawmis]

Two Galeb Duhr reveal themselves...

What is a Galeb Duhr? It looks like a kind of earth elemental?

No; technically. They're just intelligent race of rocks.

Why did it have to be spiders? Why not? Everything in the Underdark is better with spiders.

The why did it have to be spiders is a reference to Indiana Jones, "Why did it have to be snakes?"

What is the "You again?" creature in the picture?

They're called Chitine. They fought they a long time ago. http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... nturers-04

Also, what is the "All our spidery friends" creature in the picture? I don't believe I've met either of them.

They're called Choldrith. They'd just dealt with them not to long ago: http://tawmis.com/kneurth/adventure-not ... nturers-25

What the heck is this four-armed creature? I googled it and found you wrote about him in the "Giant in the Playground" forum, that he was a goblin that was tortured by the drow and went mad. He looks ... much, much bigger than a goblin.

Called Draegloth. Here's info - https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Draegloth

However, the origins and all that are different in my world.

Then I saw a picture of Doomsilk, and he looks like a drow. A threatening drow, sure, but just a drow. Nothing special. Spear in the chest would be enough to finish him off. Oh, and it appears like he has a Skyrim Steel Sword on his belt, eh? But then again ... the image comes from "The Elder Scrolls: Legends", so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. Is that a dwemer spear he's holding?
Just curious ...

I just used it for visual. But he's an amped up Drow. There's different levels of Drow in D&D.
He's basically similar to a Drow Mage - but he has access to both alchemy potions and spells - and commands quite a bit of monsters at his disposal.

[Rath Darkblade]

Question ... I'm starting to write my next story, and my hero is going to Carthage (today's Lybia!) So ... what would be some good desert monsters to throw at him?

I thought of basilisks, manticores, and griffons. Can these be found in the desert? I've looked them up, but they seem to be only mountain/forest monsters.

Also, Carthage itself is not yet the large city it would become in later centuries, but it's a port town. Does that mean there could be hydras or giant crocodiles for my hero?

Aha, but being a port town, there could be some shady characters around (especially on the port itself). It's no secrets that ports aren't exactly safe places. A few rogues? An assassin (eventually)? The setting is obviously real-world, so I guess I can't have any kind of magic-users - no wizards, sorcerers, warlocks, clerics etc. Or am I wrong?

What do you reckon? Can D&D stuff co-exist in a real-world setting? After all, quite a lot of D&D is inspired by real life mythology. Why not the other way around, hmm?

[Tawmis]

Question ... I'm starting to write my next story, and my hero is going to Carthage (today's Lybia!) So ... what would be some good desert monsters to throw at him?
I thought of basilisks, manticores, and griffons. Can these be found in the desert? I've looked them up, but they seem to be only mountain/forest monsters.
Also, Carthage itself is not yet the large city it would become in later centuries, but it's a port town. Does that mean there could be hydras or giant crocodiles for my hero?
Aha, but being a port town, there could be some shady characters around (especially on the port itself). It's no secrets that ports aren't exactly safe places. A few rogues? An assassin (eventually)? The setting is obviously real-world, so I guess I can't have any kind of magic-users - no wizards, sorcerers, warlocks, clerics etc. Or am I wrong?
What do you reckon? Can D&D stuff co-exist in a real-world setting? After all, quite a lot of D&D is inspired by real life mythology. Why not the other way around, hmm?

It's your story, your world! You could make these things be where ever you want.

[Rath Darkblade]

OK. But are there any other monsters I can throw at my hero? I'm just wondering -- what some good desert monsters, or good sea monsters? Is the Monstrous Manual online? I'd like to look at their stats/abilities for some inspiration.

Also, there should probably be someone (something?) behind it all. There usually is in adventures. Maybe not an evil wizard, though. A rival city-builder, possibly -- and his accomplice, a cleric/priest who summons these monsters!

But "EVIL Monsters"(TM) are a double-edged sword. Maybe, instead of killing them, my hero can reason with them and turn them against the rival city! Or beat them down to prove he's stronger. (Yes, I know it's been done before. It's a trope, after all).

[Tawmis]

I am sure if you looked, you could find previous versions of the Monster Manual online. Some D&D sites even have the stats and such.

The way I create a lot of my adventures - I look through the monster manual and think of how/why MonsterX might be there. I never follow what the MM says, for monster locations.

Why wouldn't a Basilisk exist in both a swamp and the desert? Or forest? Anywhere it could find food. Only place it wouldn't probably, is arctic regions because it's a lizard that's cold blooded.

Same as Manticore and everything else.

[Rath Darkblade]

Found it! Oh boy, oh boy -- a treasure trove of monsters. All right ... of course I won't use them all -- not even more than three or four. I have to keep the mythology (Greek/North African) consistent, for a start. (No Chinese dragons etc. here).

The other factor, naturally, is avoiding copyright issues. So no Demigorgons, no Dracoliches, etc. etc. On the other hand, WOTC don't own a copyright on (say) Medusa, gorgons, chimera (chimerae?), manticores, basilisks, griffons etc. I'll do my own research, as I always do, and then decide how to "twist" the monster around, so it can serve the story.

So ... my hero is a prince, the Prince of Troy, escaping from his shattered city after the Trojan War. He's not very experienced in fighting (say, level-2), but he does have a bunch of followers - sailors, citizens, etc. None of them are fighters or rogues, but they'd have their own skills.

So if he's adventuring alone, a Chimera would definitely be too much for a level-2 adventurer. A Manticore ... maybe. I'll have a look at some others. Thanks, Tawm

[Tawmis]

So ... my hero is a prince, the Prince of Troy, escaping from his shattered city after the Trojan War. He's not very experienced in fighting (say, level-2), but he does have a bunch of followers - sailors, citizens, etc. None of them are fighters or rogues, but they'd have their own skills.
So if he's adventuring alone, a Chimera would definitely be too much for a level-2 adventurer. A Manticore ... maybe. I'll have a look at some others. Thanks, Tawm

Well if it's a story, the hero doesn't really need to worry about "levels"

[Rath Darkblade]

True -- I'm just thinking about how to portray him. A level-2 fighter would not be very strong or experienced (yet), so that's how I'll write him. Of course, the story itself won't talk about levels, feats, skills or XPs -- that would be silly! But it will give me some ideas of what he can do, and I can write these skills/feats into the story.

For instance, instead of the feat "Lucky Soul", I could write in a few lucky strikes or dodges. Instead of saying "He had 8 points in the Diplomacy (or Intimidation) skill", I could show him persuading (or intimidating) people (or even monsters?) to do what he wants. And so on.

I think of my job as a bit of a DM -- I plan out what the story is, who the characters are, what my hero's strengths/weaknesses are (if any), what he should learn, how he gets there. Then I break it up into scenes, each scene lasting about 2000 words (or as long as necessary, like a D&D session).

Then within each scene, I describe the scenery and the people, write the dialogue, roll (or fudge) some dice behind the scenes in my hero's favour/disfavour, and so on. I describe what his goal is in the scene, who stands in his way, what he decides, what the outcome is -- and maybe a cliffhanger or two! -- just like a D&D session.

Sometimes my hero surprises me. He doesn't follow the script, but does something completely unexpected, because it's smart or funny. Then I sigh, think "Okay", and change my plan. (Again, like a D&D session...)

How to fudge rolls? Suppose my level-2 hero encounters a chimera. Obviously it could roast him alive, but suppose the dragon head is tired of the whole "fly-roast" business and starts arguing with the lion head. "You always think you're in charge, just 'cos you're the king of the beasts!"

"Shut up and flame him! I want to eat his face!"

"Oh, go eat your own face."

"What?!"

"Growling at me all the time. I'm not your servant! I'm a dragon, I am!"

"Excuse me for butting in--" The goat head starts.

"What do you want?" The dragon head snarls. "Go chew your cud again, I know you like that!"

"Excuse me--" The hero says.

"Shut up, you! We're having a civilized conversation here!"

The lion head roars. "Will you stop faffing about and flame him already? Or I could claw him. Shall I claw him a bit?"

"Too much effort. Let's fly a bit and see if we can find a horse or something," the dragon head says.

"Baaah! Speaking as a vegetarian, I object to the rough treatment of living creat--"

"Shut up, goat!"

...and so on. While they're arguing, the hero jumps on his camel and rides away. This gives them something new to argue about - shall we flame the camel? Nah, they smell bad. Anyway, camel meat gives me wind, etc.

What do you think? OK, yes, there's an obvious inspiration from Monty Python. I'm just doing a little brainstorming here -- all of this can change later ...

[Tawmis]

Sometimes my hero surprises me. He doesn't follow the script, but does something completely unexpected, because it's smart or funny. Then I sigh, think "Okay", and change my plan.

To me, those are some of my favorite moments when I write. When the character takes on life of their own and tells me how the story goes.

[Rath Darkblade]

Yep! That's when I know that my character isn't just a list of attributes on a page (e.g. he is stupid, strong and stubborn, and he wants [ABC] or [XYZ] -- but how will he get it? That's the starting point... and suddenly "he" comes up with a plan all of his own!)

[Tawmis]

I keep needing these - so I am going to store them here and hope when it comes up - I remember I put them here.

[Rath Darkblade]

I saved them for you, Tawm - so if you can't find them, please feel free to PM me whenever you like, and I'll PM them to you.