Joseph Goodman
once said that great adventures start with great stories, or words to that
effect. As we examined and converted the
Keep and the
wilderness, we began to see themes emerge. Our story so far is of a
conflict between Sintar the Knower and the Hidden Lord, what can be known
versus the Great Unknown, and even sites like The Caves of the Unknown can fit
into this rivalry.
The base line of The Keep on the Borderland is also a
story about civilization holding fast against the forces which lurk beyond –
monsters, humanoids, and lawless men. We have seen this story both in the Keep
itself, and in the wilderness encounters. The bandit camp in the wilderness
thus becomes an important thematic component of the adventure, and we might
even consider replacing the various humanoids in the Caves of Chaos with groups
of tribal barbarians – possibly going so far as to recast the Keep as an
occupying force, and the barbarians the land’s original inhabitants! Players in
this case are suddenly faced with an interesting choice: Are we on the side of
the Keep, or on the side of the indigenous people? Certainly, this change would
answer the “monster hotel” criticism that is sometimes levied against the
module.
(Please note that “barbarians” is being used here in a
Howardian sense, and is certainly not a pejorative! Consider, for instance, the
Gaels resisting Roman occupation, or Scotland opposing the British. A judge who
wanted a more Hyborean setting could even make the Keep an Aquilonian intrusion
into Cimmeria!)
I am going to assume in what follows that we are keeping the
humanoids in the Caves of Chaos as their diverse humanoid groups. That doesn’t
mean that we cannot raise the specter of colonialism in our conversion – there
is no reason whatsoever that humans cannot be the invaders in lands which were
historically the dwelling places of orcs, goblins, and the like. The diversity
of creatures makes a better example for conversion. Moreover, I think the
adventure already has a pretty strong answer to the “monster hotel” criticism
built into it.
The Caves of Chaos
Like the wilderness map before it, the map to the Caves of
Chaos is a cartographic masterpiece with a great sense of place. Not only that,
but the representation of the Caves of Chaos matches up very will with the
ravine appearing on the wilderness map. Excellent stuff!
The Caves themselves are divided into eleven main areas,
using letter codes. These are A. Kobold Lair, B. Orc Lair, C. Orc Lair, D.
Goblin Lair, E. Ogre Cave, F. Hobgoblin Lair, G. Shunned Cavern, H. Bugbear
Lair, I. Cave of the Minotaur, J. Gnoll Lair, and K. Shrine of Evil Chaos. Luckily,
the core rulebook offers us statistics for kobolds, orcs, goblins, orgres,
hobgoblins, bugbears, minotaurs, and gnolls. A large portion of our conversion
work is already done for us! Of course, not all of these creatures are chaotic,
so what do we do about that?
I have always run this module under the assumption that the
disparate monsters were drawn here by the evil clerics in Area K, and I
continue to go by that assumption. Intelligent monsters are here because the
clerics offer help and advice for overthrowing the Keep. Unintelligent monsters
are drawn by the evil power of the altars in Area 58. The humanoids are uneasy
allies, as Gary Gygax lets us know
on page 14 (Tribal Alliances and Warfare) and by the Bugbear’s offer of
“shelter” to all humanoids!
Obviously, I am not going to go through each room of the
Caves of Chaos here. We can, however, look at the basic steps we want to take,
and then look at some more specific examples. One of the first things we want
to do is go through the listed treasure and reduce it to roughly 10% on
average. In this way, 40 gp may become either 4 gp or 40 sp. We need to
remember when doing this that platinum and electrum are different in DCC to any
version of D&D. In Basic D&D, 5 gp = 1 pp and 1 ep = 5 sp. Keep this in
mind, or your treasure conversions can get out of hand. 50 pp in Basic D&D
reduces to 25 gp in DCC; reducing it to 5 pp instead nets your players 500 gp
value, as a DCC pp is worth 100 gp! Likewise, 1 ep in DCC is worth 10 gp, so
you should keep in mind the silver or gold value instead.
Magic items are rarer in DCC than in Basic D&D, and DCC
assumes non-standard magic items. As you go through the Caves of Chaos, cut
uninteresting magic items aggressively. Some might be made fine examples of
mundane craftsmanship – a weapon that does +1d damage, for instance, or armor
with a reduced Fumble Die. When you do decide to keep a magic item, give it a
full DCC write-up. In terms of potions, decide what the exact effects are. If
you own a copy of the 1st Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide, pages
221-222 offer considerable help in describing what magical substances look,
smell, and taste like.
Scrolls in many games – including Basic D&D – are of the
“one use” variety, but that does not need to be true in DCC. I have written or
converted a number of adventures (both for Goodman
Games and for third party publishers) where scrolls followed different
rules. For an easy example of this, imagine that the PCs find a scroll of chill touch. The first time it is used,
it gives an automatic spell check result of 18-19. When used again, it gives a
result of 12-13. Should the PCs dare to use it a third time, it gives a result
of 1 before bursting into cold flames and being consumed. Don’t forget that scrolls
can also have unique manifestations, mercurial effects, or anything else the
judge can imagine.
Another obvious thing to do is to Make Monsters Mysterious.
As we discussed in part
2, the DCC core rulebook provides tables to help differentiate various
humanoids from each other. It isn’t necessary to use every table for every
humanoid group, but it is nice to provide some variety. This is especially true
for the two orc tribes in the cave system – one group is a chalky white color,
while the other has bull-like horns…does this second group revere the minotaur?
In order to do a conversion, you will also have to decide
the DCs of various locks (to pick), traps (to locate and to disable), secret
doors (to find) and saving throws (to make). In the case of saving throws, you
may have to determine effects both for a success and a failure (see Appendix P
in the core rulebook for example poisons). Here
is a post discussing saving throw DCs in DCC. This
post may also help. For skill-type checks, the thief skill descriptions on
pages 34-36 of the core rulebook and the basic DC 5/10/15/20 baseline on page
66 is also worth reviewing.
You will also have to decide whether or not humans and
elves, for instance, wear different sizes of armor in your campaign world.
There are two suits of elf-sized chainmail in Area 27, for instance. Can these
just be added to number of human-sized suits? Should they be ignored? Are they
made of mithral, or does an elf just have to suffer if they wear them?
Ultimately, the answers should be based on how you see your milieu working. A
suit of mithral chainmail – let alone two – is a tremendous boon to an elf PC,
who might not have the Intelligence needed for successful spellcasting.
There are 64 keyed locations in the Caves of Chaos, and
looking at them all is beyond the scope of this exercise. For those of you
puissant enough to have joined
my Patreon, I offered a chance to both indicate what systems/adventures you
were interested in exploring (and we shall get to them all!) in the Conversion
Crawl Classes series of posts, and which areas of the Caves of Chaos you were
particularly interested in looking at. There were no replies to this second
query, so I will choose three to look at myself. All of these are in Area K,
because that strikes me as the most interesting and/or difficult area to
convert.
58. TEMPLE OF EVIL CHAOS: This huge area has an arched ceiling some
30’ or more in height. The floor is of polished black stone which has swirling
patterns of red veins through it. The walls behind the draperies, and the
ceiling as well, are of dull black rock, while the west wall is of translucent
red stone which is seemingly one piece, polished to mirror-like smoothness. A
great bell of black iron stands near the entrance point, with a pair of mallets
beside its supports. To the south are several long benches or pews. There are
three stone altars to the west, the northernmost of pure black, the middle one
of streaked red and black, the last of red with black flecks. At the western
end of the temple area is a dais of black stone, with four lesser chairs on its
lower tier and a great throne above. The chairs are of bone; the ivory throne
is set with gold and adorned with gems of red and black (10 black stones each
worth 100 gold pieces, 10 red stones each worth 500 gold pieces, and one large
red stone worth 1,000 g.p.). The signs and sigils upon these seats are of pure
chaos and evil. The other walls are covered by draperies of deep purple with
embroidered symbols and evil sayings, done in scarlet and gold and black thread.
As soon as the party enters the place, black candles in eight great candelabras
on either side of the place will come alight magically, shooting forth a
disgusting red radiance. Shapeless forms of purple, yellow and green will dance
and sway on the western wall, and if anyone looks at them for more than a
moment, they must save versus Spells or be mesmerized into chanting a hymn to chaotic
evil. Should three or more voices be so raised, the iron bell will sound
automatically by magic, but even one such chant will alert the guards of the
head cleric (see below). Zombie guards will enter here in 3 rounds after entry,
even if the party is quiet.
First things first, let’s reduce the gem values to 10 black
stones with 10 gp each, 10 red stones with 50 gp each, and one large red stone
worth 200 gp. This last stone is worth twice as much as our general
recommendation (10%), but we can afford to be generous.
All of the strange effects are caused by the three altars,
which may or may not relate to the Hidden Lord. Each altar takes 50 hp damage
to destroy, and the damage must come from a single attack or it is ineffective.
If all three altars are destroyed, the hold of Chaos and Evil upon the caves
comes to an end, and unintelligent monsters are no longer drawn here. We could
even go so far as to say that all of the un-dead in Area K are immediately
destroyed when the last altar is shattered. All lawful characters participating
in the events reroll their Luck, and, if the new roll is higher, that becomes
their new Luck score.
Let’s say that the saving to avoid being mesmerized into
chanting is DC 15, as we want at least one PC to fail the save if we are even
halfway lucky. And let’s give a duration for chanting – 1d7 rounds – during which
the PC can do nothing else save attack anyone interfering with them using
deadly force (as determined by the judge). And, at the end, why not require
another save (DC 10 + rounds chanted) to recover. Failure means that the PC is
secretly bound (as per patron bond,
cast on other, spell result 1d8+10) to a fell patron. The judge can quietly let
the player(s) of bonded characters know what has happened when it seems best.
62. THE CRYPT: The door to this room is bolted shut. This long hall
is of roughly hewn stone, with a low ceiling. In it are many coffins and large
sarcophagi with the remains of servants of the Temple of Chaos. The sixth tomb opened
will contain a wight: (AC 5, HD 3*,
hp 13, #AT I, D drain one level, MV (30’), Save F 2, ML 12). There is no treasure
buried with any of the remains, but there is a secret compartment in the
wight’s tomb; this contains a sword +2,
a scroll of protection from undead, a
helm of alignment change, and a
silver dagger worth 800 gold pieces because of the gems set into its pommel.
Page 381 of the core rulebook has two tables to help make
un-dead mysterious, and to offer some variety. We already know what evil power
our wight has – level drain in Basic D&D – and we are going to select
rather than roll for its appearance: perfectly preserved but ice-cold to the
touch. And let’s make that silver dagger (reduced to 80 gp value) clutched in
its hands rather than in a secret compartment. In DCC terms, our wight might be
statted up like this:
Wight: Init +0;
Atk cold touch +2 melee (XP drain), AC 15; HD 3d12; hp 19; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP
un-dead, XP drain (Will DC 20 or lose 1d5 XP); SV Fort +5, Ref +0, Will +4; AL C;
Crit U/1d8.
XP drain does not result in loss of
levels, although any lost XP must be made up before new levels can be gained.
If XP is reduced below 0, the victim dies and rises as a wight after 1d5 hours.
Of the magic items in the wight’s tomb, the only one I find
interesting is the sword +2, which
could be completely rolled up using the tables in the core rulebook or the Purple Sorcerer app. I would then add that anyone who dies
while possessing this sword rises 1d5 nights later as a wight, and seeks out
the current owner of the sword to slay them. This gives the clerics a motive to
bury the sword with the most recent user. Oh, and whatever may otherwise be
determined, the sword is obviously +2 and Chaotic.
In fact, with a little help from Purple Sorcerer, we come up with the terrifying Blightbane:
Blightbane, +2 Chaotic Long sword
Intelligence: 9
Communication:
Speech
Bane 1: Wizards
(Ability score drain; sword inflicts normal damage plus 1d4 points of Intelligence
drain per hit.
Bane 2: Dragons
(Shattering blow; on a critical hit, sword inflicts an additional 1d10 damage).
Bane 3: Lawful Dragons
- Extended critical threat range;
attacker scores criticals against bane at 1 more result on the die (e.g., if
normally score criticals on 19-20, now score on 18-20).
- Unreasoning hatred; sword urges
wielder to attack bane at every opportunity (ego check).
- Neutralization; after a direct hit,
sword prevents bane from using its breath weapon for one full day.
Special Purpose 1:
Slay lawful dragons
Special Purpose 2:
Destroy the world’s kingdoms, one by one
Special Purpose 3:
Reward the ambitious at all costs
Power 1:
Eviscerator. When rolling damage, the wielder rolls an additional damage die
every time he rolls an 8.
Power 2:
Regenerator. When wielding this blade, the wielder’s natural rate of healing is
doubled. In addition, the wielder recovers twice as many hit points as usual
whenever a cleric lays hands upon him.
Power 3: Spell
magnifier. The wielder casts all spells at +1 caster level.
Power 4: Un-dead
Curse. Anyone who dies while possessing this sword rises 1d5 nights later as a
wight, and seeks out the current owner of the sword to slay them.
Given the power and nature of this weapon, we can say that
it is hidden well. A DC 20 Intelligence check locates the secret compartment
(remember that an elf has an automatic Intelligence check with a +4 bonus to
notice such things).
Note that the door is bolted from the outside. Characters
can easily unbolt the door (no roll required!) but incautious PCs who leave
living foes behind them and who have no one guarding the door may easily find
themselves locked within.
64. CELL: The door is of iron, locked and barred, but a window is
set in the door. This is the place where prisoners are kept until tortured to
death or sacrificed in the area above. There are several skeletons still chained
to the wall, and one scantily clad female – a fair maiden obviously in need of
rescuing! As she is partly around a corner, at first only her shapely legs and
body up to the shoulders can be seen. Those who enter and approach closer are
in for a rude shock! This is actually a medusa
recently taken by the evil priest’s zombie guards. (AC 8, HD 4**, hp 20, #AT 1,
D l-6 plus poison, MV (30’), Save F 4, ML 8.) An opponent hit by the medusa’s
attack has been bitten by the asp-hair and must save vs. Poison or die. Persons
looking at the creature – including those fighting her from the front – must save
versus being Turned to Stone by the medusa.
Not being above such things, the
cleric had plans for removing its snakes, blinding it, and then eventually sacrificing
it at a special rite to a demon. The medusa will spare one or two of the
adventurers from her gaze, promising them she has magic which will turn their companions
back to flesh again, if they will free her from her chains. She does, in fact,
have a special elixir, a potion of stone
to flesh in a small vial, enough liquid to turn six persons, who have been
turned to stone, back to normal, but she does not intend to give it away. If
freed she will attempt to “stone” her rescuers.
First off, the “elixir” is probably an oil, as the medusa’s petrified
victims won’t be drinking anything! We can give the locked door a basic DC 10
for picking the lock, but should probably note where the key can be found.
This encounter is designed as a “caution should win the day”
challenge. First, incautious adventurers may be petrified or slain outright by
the medusa. Second, trusting adventurers may discover that she has no intention
of honoring her bargains. My conversion for the medusa would look like this:
Medusa: Init +2;
Atk biting serpents +6 melee (1d6 plus venom), AC 12; HD 4d8; hp 20; MV 30’;
Act 1d16; SP infravision 60’, half damage from non-magical weapons, venom (1d3
Stamina plus Fort DC 15 or die), petrifying gaze (Reflex DC 15 averts;
otherwise 1d3 Agility and Will DC 12 or turned to stone, petrified at 0 Agility);
SV Fort +1, Ref +3, Will +0; AL C; Crit n/a.
You will note that I gave the medusa 1d16 for her action
die, and gave her a high attack bonus to compensate. This is because I just
could not see her snaky “hair” causing the kind of critical hits M/1d10 would have
provided. I also liked the idea of slow petrifaction if you meet the medusa’s
gaze, even if you do save. Note that characters can fight without having to
worry about her petrifying gaze by not looking at her (-1d penalty to attack
rolls) or by using a reflective surface (-2 penalty to hit).
If you want a closer look at the statblock breakdown for Basic D&D, see Part 2.
I mentioned my
Patreon earlier, and members of that august group who let me know what
systems and/or adventures they wish to see addressed are welcome to let me
know. If you are finding this series of value, and feel like tipping, here is a way to do so. Even
the smallest contribution is appreciated.
Next: Holmes Dungeons
& Dragons: Zenopus’ Tower
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