[Story] Round 4; the Grand Finale: Rolzup vs Inem

[hvg3akaek]

Round 4; the Grand Finale: Rolzup vs Inem

Originally Posted by Chairman Haga

Many battles have now passed, and many contestants have fallen. Colours have mixed, been absorbed, and painted over: but now, one colour shines forth above all the others. Yes, there are but two contestants that remain: but they stand united in their origin, for both started from the YELLOW corner, and neither have wavered along their journey!

Together, they faced off against the Draconic Challenger, and dodged everything the Electric Challenger could throw against them. There, their paths to victory split, but neither stumbled. Rolzup was forced to face the reddened Fairy Challenger, before barely surviving the Ghostly green. Meanwhile, Inem outgrew the green Fiery Challenger, and outlived the blue Psychic Challenger.

Now, the pair turn to each other, again, but this time, there will be only one survivor! Will it be the Challenger of Ice, who has eaten his competition, who has claimed his own crown, and survived the stampede? Or will it be the Challenger of Grass, who has not ceased growing, but continues to sprout more roots - who has effectively become immortal? With scores so close that only the "early submission" bonus separated them, this will be a match to remember!

Of course, there can be only one Iron DM each year, and now is the time for that decisive battle to decide which of these fine athletes will be emerge as something truly wonderful to behold! For as has happened many times before, you will now face off against each other. Only by using the following ingredients, and crafting an encounter or adventure to truly rival all others may you claim the heavy burden of the title of Iron DM 2016!!

The main judges for this round are:

• Everyone!!!

The ingredients for this round are:

• an Insane Vampire!!
• a Pesky Admirer!!
• a Frozen Jungle!!
• a Worthless Artifact!!
• a Shopping List!!
• and Political Manoeuvrings!!

You can also use any (or none) of the following bonus ingredients:

• a Loud Mouse!!
• a Tavern with No Alcohol!!
• Poisoned Rice!!
• Ship Combat!!
• and, if you haven't used it yet, your Round Zero encounter/adventure!

Let the Dungeon Mastering....BEGIN!!

Rules You are to write an encounter, or a general short-adventure arc, using the four items / concepts above. All rules found here are to be followed. The guidelines for the Judges' scoring can be found here. The entry is to be no longer than 3,000 words, which includes *everything* you put into the post. Judges are instructed to stop reading at that time, or to deduct points if you go over. The use of a spell check and word count is highly recommended. Please make a simple post in this thread when you first read it, to let the judges know have seen it, and that you are on board. It doesn't have to be anything more than "read!", or something like that! You have 7 days from the time this post is made to complete and submit your entry (in a new post; don't edit your first post!). It is not expected that you use all this time - the extra time has been given to ensure that, no matter what your timezone, your schedule, your sleep habits, your work or student life, or emergencies that could crop up, you should have ample time to complete your adventure. Posting when you are done, and not waiting until the end, is also recommended, and rewarded. You should post your entry into this thread within the generous timeframe, and ensure it is secreted (to the above judges) and spoilerbuttoned. Feel free to also PM your judges to let them know you have posted, if you wish. (DO NOT PM them your entry - just let them know your entry is submitted). If your post is not made within the 7 days, you will be automatically disqualified. If you have issues, be sure to PM or hvg3akaek at gmail dot comemail hvg3akaek *before* your round is closed. Once posted, do not edit your entry. The use of the "preview" function is thus also highly recommended.

[Rolzup]

I have read. I am ready. I am more than a little daunted, but curiously relieved that all of the ingredients have the standard number of heads....

[Inem]

The grassy challenger blossoms forth from the earth of the arena and gives his opponent a pitiful look. "I guess you have not been able to escape this madness either, so we meet once more. It appears our paths keep crossing. But this will be the first time only one of us can prevail. Be warned, I've had a very tough road to get here. I plan on seeing this through to the very end." And so, his roots spread deeply into the earth of the battleground, the challenger examines the ingredients in front of him. A smile creeps onto his features. "Well now, this should be interesting..."

[Inem]

 

Frozen in Time

A Pathfinder Adventure for Four 10th Level Characters

Introduction "In the dark days, war on a scale never seen before covered the material plane. Calacha the Black Flame had achieved power like no other mortal. Desolated strips of land were left behind where the archmage and his armies walked. Many tried to oppose Calacha, but even a final alliance between humans and elves stood no chance. In the end, a desperate trap was set. A rumor of a source of eternal life lured the mage deep into the Jungle of Alara, but when he reached it, time froze. Supposedly, Calacha still stands there today, suspended in time. But people feared some of his men would find the mage and end the spell binding him. The jungle needed a guardian, with a lifespan long enough to outlive any remnants of Calacha's legacy. And so it came that the first guardian of Alara was the vampire Yar Al'Jacquen. An agreement was reached, where Yar would guard over the jungle, and in return mortals gave him blood willingly. Over time, the world forgot about Calacha, but Yar Al'Jaqen's keep grew into the city of Tath Mordra, with the remnants of Alara at its heart. Now, humans and vampires live in peace in this unique metropolis where anyone is welcome…" - The Tale of Tath Mordra

Adventure Hook Several hooks can be used to get the PCs to Tath Mordra: They come seeking information no mortal remembers, but one of the undead populace might They acquired some treasure and need a place with deep coin purses to sell it In a previous adventure, the PCs stumbled across an impressive looking rod. They have been unable to sell it for a reasonable price because despite giving off an unidentifiable magical aura, the rod does absolutely nothing. They are pointed to Tath Mordra, where the ruling vampire, Raaz Al'Sair, has been looking for this particular item This adventure starts after the PCs have sold the rod to one of Raaz' vampire retainers in Tath Mordra, or a while after the PCs have arrived in the city for another reason.

Tath Mordra Though a large part of this unusual city's inhabitants is human, there is also a significant population of vampires who make up the ruling class. The mortals of Tath Mordra willingly pay a blood tax and offer up their corpse after death. The blood keeps the vampire population fed, and the corpses are raised for menial labor. In return,Tath Mordra's citizens enjoy a more relaxing lifestyle rather than working themselves to death on a farm. Due to the vampire population, Tath Mordra boasts a unique architecture, consisting of multiple roofed levels, with no sunlight penetrating anywhere. Dim magical lighting is set up so the mortal population can navigate the city, but even so visibility is limited to 90 feet. Scrolls and wands of healing spells, which are considered weapons that could be used against the ruling vampires, are nearly impossible to find within the city.

Mystery Shopper Wandering around the city, the PCs hear a scream from an alleyway. There, they find a dead body, with a symbol painted on the ground in blood. The authorities arrive in the form of two vampires, but they refuse to get closer than a few feet. They claim the body is poisoned by garlic, which makes it no longer their responsibility, before departing. A Sense Motive check (DC20) reveals that more so than the garlic, the blood symbol is keeping them from investigating. A Knowledge(Local or Nobility, DC21) check or gathering information (Diplomacy DC21) identifies the rune of the ruling vampire, Raaz Al'Sair, clarifying why the vampires had no interest in getting involved. Searching the body (Perception DC20) reveals a container of rice that smells strongly of garlic, with one third missing, and a rather unusual shopping list. List Wands of cure critical wounds(6) Holy water(20 flasks) Garlic rice Silver short swords(5) All of the items on this list can be considered anti-vampire weaponry. The garlic rice is less straightforward, but asking around (Diplomacy DC20) reveals its purpose: Vampires cannot abide the smell of garlic, but carrying around cloves of garlic is considered an insult that could lead to an angry vampire killing the offending mortal. So instead, mortals feeling threatened consume garlic rice. This way, a vampire sneaking up on them would be surprised by the smell, giving the mortal a moment to react. As rice takes a long time to digest, the garlic protection permeating the body lasts longer than with pure garlic. If the PCs search of the crime scene was thorough (Perception DC25), they find a scrap of a leather sack. The dead man might have already acquired some of the items on his list, but his killer took them. The only clue for the PCs to follow up on is the shopping list, written on stationary which carries the emblem of a tavern by the name of "Blood Thirst".

Blood Thirst This tavern does not serve alcohol, instead catering to vampire customers. The menu lists a variety of blood (by race, gender and virginity of the donor). Kadrey, the owner, informs the PCs that while his clientele can get by on the city’s blood donations, some of the more refined palettes prefer specific 'vintages'. At this point, Kadrey asks the PCs if they are interested in selling (for only a handful of gold pieces per pint). If the PCs mention the shopping list, Kadrey promises to make some inquiries for the PCs, and asks them to return in a few hours. He leaves via his gaseous form, and disappears through the cracks in the ceiling, off to somewhere else in the city. Conspiracy A few hours later, Kadrey, who has returned, ushers the PCs to a back room. After the door closes, translucent mist seeps through cracks in the walls. Five vampires materialize, wearing elegantly decorated crimson robes and obsidian masks to disguise their faces. They introduce themselves as belonging to the Council of Nine, the highest ranking members of the ruling vampires in Tath Mordra besides the king himself, and inform the PCs that the death of the man they have found is grave news. They have made some inquiries about the PCs and were pleasantly surprised to learn of their competence. The vampires would normally never consider bringing strangers into this matter, but the situation is desperate. The masked figures frequently change who is speaking to further obfuscate their identities (DC30 Perception check to notice only four of them ever speak). They explain that as long as the PCs cannot identify them, if they betray them to Raaz, he will not know which of the members of the Council of Nine were involved. They are sure, however, the PCs will take their side in things. Raaz Al'Sair, while the most powerful vampire in Tath Mordra, is not as powerful as many of the rulers before him. He has been paranoid about someone overthrowing him since the moment he took the throne. Centuries of paranoia have driven Raaz to insanity. While he has long sought a way to increase his power, what he has decided to do now threatens all of reality. The vampires tell the PCs the story of the founding of Tath Mordra (see introduction). The story is true, they say, and at the heart of the king's keep, the central part of the Jungle of Alara still remains, frozen in time. Calacha still remains trapped, but if he were released from his temporal prison, he would be powerful enough to threaten the destruction of the world once more. The ritual that keeps him locked up unfortunately also prevents any harm from befalling him. He is frozen in time, and can neither do anything nor can anything hurt him untill the ritual is disrupted. Which is exactly what the king plans to do. Raaz has been tracking down a powerful artifact, the Rod of Black Fire. Though Calacha was mightier than any mortal ever seen, this artifact increased his power even further. After being frozen with Calacha, it was hidden elsewhere in the world. But just like Calacha, the artifact cannot be destroyed (nor can it do anything) as long as the ritual remains intact. Recently, the king has come into possession of this seemingly worthless rod (courtesy of the PCs if that hook was used), and now plans to unfreeze the Jungle of Alara. While this will render the rod usable again and increase Raaz' power significantly, it will also unleash Calacha back onto the world, an undesirable scenario for anyone currently living in it, mortal or vampire. Because of this, some members of the Council of Nine have decided to stop their ruler. Their plan was for the five of them, together with a select few mortal retainers, to swarm Raaz and destroy him. They intended to arm themselves and their human followers, figuring Raaz would be caught off guard. The death of the man organizing weapons, however, is a sure sign the king has caught wind of the coup. Given that he now possesses the rod, he will likely speed up his timeline. The annual feast celebrating mutually beneficial collaboration between mortals and vampires is scheduled for this evening at the castle. It is likely Raaz will use this distraction to slip into the jungle to disrupt the ritual. No time remains to recruit anyone besides the PCs. While it should be in the PCs interest to stop the king from unleashing Calacha, the conspirators also offer a reward of 25000 gp for their help. They hand over invitations to the banquet, before disappearing in clouds of smoke to keep an eye on Raaz prior to the feast in a few hours. Time is insufficient to acquire black market goods (like Holy Water or Cure Wands), but PCs can go shopping for other supplies. Along the way, they are ambushed.

Roaring Mouse The reason the king has discovered the planned coup is because the conspirators have a traitor in their midst. The youngest of their number (who was not allowed to speak at the meeting), Aria, has secretly sold out her co-conspirators to Raaz in exchange for political power. She currently has the least influence on the council and if the coup succeeds will be at best fifth in a new order. To ensure her side wins, she had the man the conspirators sent out weapon shopping assassinated. Knowing about the man's anti-vampire precautions, she hired a mortal assassin, Mishu the Roaring Mouse. Now, Aria has set him on the PCs to stop them from actually showing up to the banquet. Mishu, a Ratfolk Assassin with a hint of dragon blood has made a home in Tath Mordra for the simple reason that he would not be accepted anywhere else. Use the stats for a Death Initiate Assassin (CR12, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game:NPC Codex) except for small size and add the Dragon Roar feat (Pathfinder Roleplaying Game:Ultimate Combat). Mishu drinks a potion of Barkskin before trying to get close to the party (Perception vs. his Stealth check with a +25 modifier), maneuvering to catch as many of the PCs as possible in the 15 foot cone of his Dragon Roar, before retreating and throwing flurries of Shuriken. He will attempt to flee if dropped below 1/3 of his HP. If killed, searching his body (Perception DC20) reveals a piece of cloth with an emblem the PCs recognize from the cloaks of the Council of Nine. Aria intentionally gave him this, claiming it was insurance for him, but actually trying to cast suspicion on her co-conspirators.

Banquet The PCs head to Raaz Al'Sair's keep, either to help the conspirators or to stop their assassination attempt. In the banquet hall, ten places are set for the king and his council members. Three of the seats, including the king's, are currently empty. Since at least some of the conspirators are present, the coup must not have begun yet. Distraction! Suddenly, the PCs are approached by Hannah, the attractive daughter of a wealthy merchant. This is Aria's latest ploy upon seeing that the PCs have turned up. She has used her Dominate ability and ordered Hannah to go up to one of the PCs and distract them by flirting. Hannah praises the PC, and is clearly interested in taking things further (Sense Motive check DC15 to notice she is being dominated). If the PCs cast Protection from Evil, her domination might be suppressed (+5 Will Save vs. DC22). In this case she tells the PCs she remembers Aria of the Council of Nine cornering her.

The Jungle A few minutes later, a vampire comes up to the PCs, informing them that his lord, one of the council members, has tasked him with escorting the PCs to the basement. After several minutes of winding staircases, they reach a large gate that has been broken open. Beyond lies the Jungle of Alara, suspended in time since the day Calacha was trapped. Large trees rise up under the domed ceiling, birds hover mid-air and throughout the trees stand Calacha's frozen troops, some human, some golem, decked out in uniforms with a black fire emblem. Resistance A trail of dead human retainers indicates where the conspirators fought their way after their insane king. The PCs encounter no resistance except for a group of five Vampire Spawn (CR 4, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game:Bestiary). The battle should be easy, but costs some resources. Clearing The PCs reach the clearing at the center of the jungle, not long after the conspirators do. They are currently trying to talk Raaz down from what he is doing, but to no avail. The insane vampire king stands on one side of an enormous pair of scales, clutching the rod, with ten dominated hostages before him. The other side of the scale is empty, yet the whole thing seems perfectly balanced. The conspirators explain that ritual lasts while the scale remains balanced, but a certain amount of blood spilled on either side will tip it in that direction. Several of Raaz' vampire retainers block the way from physically reaching the king. At this point, Hannah shows up unless previously dealt with in a manner that would prevent her from following the PC she is forced to adore (Aria's domination is still in effect and any suppression via Protection from Evil will have ended by now). She is scared, but Aria's command prevents her from leaving. Raaz offers the PCs the choice of siding with him, in return offering to ensure each of his hostages survives their blood donation. The battle erupts, with the council members trying to push through Raaz' guards and reach him. Combatants What Tactics Conspirators 2 Enlightened Vampires, 2 Vampire Savages (CR12 and CR10, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game:Monster Codex) Reach Raaz Aria Vampire (CR9, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game:Bestiary) Betray conspirators, fireball in their midst Raaz' retinue 6 Vampire Warriors (CR8, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game:Monster Codex) Protect Raaz Raaz Vampire Lord (CR15, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game:Monster Codex) Finish Ritual Hannah Mayor Aristocrat (CR5, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game:NPC Codex) Stay close to admired PC, constantly in danger of being killed Calacha's Golems Glass Golem (CR8, Pathfinder Roleplaying Game:Bestiary2) see below Each round, Raaz kills (or injures if the PCs sided with him) one of his victims, the spilled blood tipping the scale. Each time, the ground immediately begins shaking (DC17 Reflex Save for everyone or be knocked prone), and part of the spell freezing the forest falls away. All around, Calacha’s troops can be heard moving around. In the clearing, several of Calacha's golems have been frozen. For every two rounds that Raaz spills blood on his side of the scale unanswered, one of the golems unfreezes and indiscriminately attacks whoever is closest, making it harder for the PCs to reach Raaz. Reaching the other half of the scale is easier than fighting through Raaz’ retainers. Here, the PCs can spill their own blood to rebalance the scale (standard action, 1d4 Consitution damage each time) and buy more time. Vampires must make a DC25 will save to attack any PC who consumed some of the garlic rice they found (enough for two). Possible Outcomes Raaz can be stopped by reducing him to 0 HP, or by taking the rod from him (he has no interest in unfreezing time until he retrieves it). The ritual succeeds when blood has been spilled six times more often on one side than the other. At this point, the rod in Raaz' hand begins to glow and he escapes via 'Gaseous Form'. The scale transforms into an angry looking mage. He orders remaining golems to kill anyone present, before teleporting away in chase of his rod.

Aftermath If the PCs stopped the ritual, the conspirators hand over the promised reward. The rest of the Council is less happy with their king being killed (if reduced to 0 HP the conspirators kill him while he is helpless), however, and the subsequent power struggle threatens the fragile balance of mortals and vampires in Tath Mordra. If the PCs fail, or side with Raaz Al'Sair, the hostages survive but there are now both an insane vampire king with a powerful artifact and an incredibly powerful ancient mage on the loose. In either case, the scene has been set for a potential follow up adventure.

Ingredients	Usage
Insane Vampire	Raaz, insane enough to risk the destruction of the world
Pesky Admirer	Hannah, dominated to distract the PCs, quite troublesome during the final battle
Frozen Jungle	Calacha's prison, frozen in time. Scene of the final battle.
Worthless Artifact	Rod of Black Fire, worthless because frozen in time
Shopping List	How the PCs stumble across the conspirators plan
Political Manoeuvrings	Coup d'état by the council and Aria's double-cross
Loud Mouse	Silent Ratfolk Assassin with a Roar attack
Tavern with No Alcohol	Blood Thirst, where only blood is served
Poisoned Rice	Garlic rice, used to ward off vampires

[Rolzup]

 

A Few Impossible Things

(A D&D5e Adventure for a Party of 10th to 12th level PCs.)

Adventure Summary Primarchon Vath, ruler of the City, is dying. His heir can save him...if, with the aid of the PCs, he can obtain four impossible things.

A Political Poisoning It was inevitable that Primarchon Vath would be betrayed: such is the nature of politics. Nor is it surprising that this betrayal would be at the hands of his oldest friend Belogath Rimpling. Lord-Bishop Rimpling is a ruthless, clever, and ambitious man, despite the affable face that he wears in public The weapon was a plate of Baagese Bitter Rice; a rare delicacy laced with a subtle and exacting poison. Ironically enough, this poison actually served to enhance the rice’s flavor as well as its deadliness. The Primarchon’s last words before succumbing to the poison were to remark upon how delicious it was. The poison has not yet killed Primarchon Vath: it has put him into a sleep from which he may never awaken. Physicians and clerics labor by his bedside, but all they can do is delay the inevitable. (The City has a great many gods. More than a few are divinely poisonous. And Lord-Bishop Rimpling is an applied theologian of no small skill.) Rumors planted by the Lord-Bishop have placed the blame for the poisoning on Kolan Vath, the Primarchon’s heir. Kolan, outraged by these scurrilous accusations, has shouldered the burden of saving his father’s life. And, like Lord-Bishop Rimpling, Kolan is a theologian in a city filled with gods.

Kolan Vath Kolan Vath fancies himself a hero in the making. Only circumstance has kept him from the chance to prove his mettle to the world...and to his father. Kolan has made a careful study of heroes, and keeps a series of secret journals in which he chronicles the imagined adventures of his favorites. And Kolan’s idol is [PC Of Your Choice]. It is because of this that he will reach out to the party, imploring their aid in his quest to find a cure for the Primarchon. In return, he can only offer his gratitude...and vast rewards. Kolan will be a problematic companion; desperate to prove himself to his idol, he will take foolish risks to in order to display his martial prowess, thus necessitating frequent rescue. With each failure his desperation will grow...and he must be kept alive, for his own sake, and for the party’s. )Kolan has been schooled in swordplay and is not entirely helpless, but he is not nearly as skilled as he believes.) █▌Kolan Vath, Fighter 3 -- AC:13, HD:3, ATTACK:1d8+2 (Sword)▐█

Impossibilities Kolan has made an extensive study of the City’s so-called “Dei Minor”: small gods, unseen and forgotten, who dwell in the metaphysical wainscoting of more powerful faiths. One such god, who Kolan has become friendly with, is the much-diminished trickster figure Phub Who-Did-Impossible-Things. Phub, manifesting as a chimpanzee with the head of a raven, can be convinced to help Kolan and the party (Religion 20, or Diplomacy 15), in exchange for the composition and dissemination of a ballad about himself. The bawdier, the better -- he wants his name to be known once more. In order to do the impossible, Phub will need to brew a potion from impossible ingredients. Still slightly omniscient, he will be able to list four such things that are within the party’s power to obtain, and names associated with them: • A bottle from a tavern that serves no alcohol. ("Shang Strex") • The roar of a mouse. ("Orx Ibbich") • A priceless artifact that is entirely worthless. ("Glom Seggroth") • A flower of living ice. ("Penultima Thule") The roar and the flower will be contained within the bottle, which must be brought to Phub along with the artifact. From these things, a cure may be brewed. (The investigative avenues in the following sections are suggestions only; the DM should keep in mind the party's capabilities, and uses sources relevant to their skills, connections, and proclivities. If nothing else suggests itself, Charisma, Intelligence, Persuasion, or Investigation checks are almost always appropriate ways to collect information.)

The Thirsty Worm INVESTIGATIONS (Suggested Skill: Investigation) ►DC 10: There is a Necropolis below the City, where things dead and less than dead congregate. ►DC 15: Shang Strex is the name of a vampire who dwells within the Necropolis, the owner proprietor of a tavern called The Thirsty Worm. ►DC 20: The Worm is accessible through a tunnel that leads beneath the Temple of the Dog. ►DC 20: The Worm serves nothing so wholesome as liquor; its patrons prefer Blood, ichor, and even more noisome fluids. ►DC 25: Strex is quite mad, and believes that he is NOT a vampire. The Necropolis is precisely the sort of underground labyrinth that one would expect, haunted by undead of all sorts. It is possible to obtain safe passage by the swearing of certain oaths before the entities known as Those Who Hold The Gates; these oaths are: • Offer no harm, save in self-defense. • Speak not the names of the Divine. • Bring with you no light, and no flame. It is entirely possible to travel the Necopolis without first obtaining safe passage, but it will be far more dangerous. Depending on the time of day, The Thirsty Worm is either very busy or (no pun intended) almost entirely dead. Even here, hidden from its light, the folk of the Necropolis feel the sun’s presence above and are reluctant to wander far from their lairs. It is not an unattractive place from the inside; the lighting is dim, and there are countless mirrors hanging upon its walls. Shang himself wears a crude wooden mask literally nailed to his face, and delights in pointing out the reflection of this “face” in conversation. If he has a reflection, after all, he cannot possibly be a vampire. He will not suffer contradiction. Depending upon the party's temperament, obtaining the bottle could be as easy as purchasing one from Strex. He will offer a selection of fine bloods, expounding upon the particular virtues of each bottle, and going into great detail over the source of a given vintage. While not, as Strex will assure them, a vampire himself, that doesn't mean that he cannot enjoy the taste of blood. He himself favors the blood of children: “There is an unquestionable piquancy to a younger vintage; thus the expressed preference of the true connoisseur.” If the party has obtained safe passage, attacking Strex will violate their oath. He is easy enough to provoke into an attack, however; an accusation of vampirism will enrage Strex beyond all reason (Insight 15). If Strex’s mask is removed (Via an attack with Disadvantage, AC 25) he will turn into mist and flee into the floorboards, lest he be confronted by his own lack of reflection. Literally any bottle from Strex's stock will do, but will need to be emptied and thoroughly cleaned. █▌Shang Strex, Barbarian/Vampire -- AC:16, HD:18, ATTACK:1d8+6 (Claws) SPECIAL: Rage, Shapechange, Legendary Resistance, Regeneration, Spiderclimb, Bite, Charm, Children of the Night, Vampire Weaknesses▐█

The Academy Esoteric INVESTIGATIONS (Suggested Skill: Arcane) ►DC 10: Orx Ibbich is a professor at the Academy Esoteric ►DC 15: Ibbich is researching souls, and the transmigration thereof. He successfully transferred souls from one animal to another; his most recent effort has placed the soul of a cat within the body of an elephant. The resulting beast is lethally cuddly. ►DC 20: If transferred into a mouse, the soul of a lion would almost certainly roar -- with indignation, if nothing else. ►DC 20: Ibbich is a gambler, and a poor one. He is deeply in debt to some very humorless individuals. ►DC 25: Ibbich, having offended many of his colleagues, is on the verge of losing his funding. Direct access to the Academy may be difficult, depending on the party’s history. Happily, Ibbich also frequents a particular gambling den, and may be confronted there if this suits the party better. A prickly fellow, it will take some effort (Persuasion 15) to convince him to listen to a stranger. The mention of money will help, more than a little. Ibbich will be quite open to the idea of transferring a lion’s soul into a mouse; indeed, the idea amuses him to no end, and would make for a far more portable demonstration of his technique than his Catephant. The procedure will require money (for “Rare Components”) as well as a lion; Ibbich will supply the mouse. The process of obtaining, handling, and transporting a live lion offers many opportunities for both players and DM. A few likely sources in the City include: • The Perpetual Circus • The beast-pits of the Grand Arena. • The Market Always In Motion. • The Zoological Gardens of the Order of Seven Blind Virgins. Immich’s ritual will take four hours, and at the end of it he will have a very bold mouse and a very timid lion. Inducing the mouse to roar will be easy, and the bottle obtained from The Thirsty Worm will somehow contain it nicely. █▌Professor Orx Ibbich, Wizard 6 -- AC:12, HD:6, ATTACK:1d4 (Knife) SPECIAL: Spellcasting▐█ █▌Lion -- AC:12, HD:4, ATTACK:1d8+3 (Bite) SPECIAL: 50’ Speed, Pounce, Running Leap▐█

The Cabinet of Curiosities INVESTIGATIONS (Suggested Skill: Persuasion) ►DC 10: Glom Seggroth is a merchant, with a great deal of wealth and very little sense. ►DC 15: Glom collects rare and exotic artifacts for his “Cabinet of Curiousities”, the more expensive the better, and he will not easily part with any of them. ►DC 20: Glom’s estate is well-guarded, and extensively trapped. ►DC 20: Amon Glom’s collection if an item called “The Spear Most Splendid”; Phub, deeply amused, knows this particular artifact well. “The Spear Most Splendid” was created by Phub some centuries ago, when he was in the fullness of his power. Despite its magnificent appearance, it is a poorly made construction of tin and rotted wood. Despite its fabled reputation, the Spear would be less than useless if it were to be used in combat, crumbling at the first thrust. The powerful magics with which Phub has invested the Spear serve only to make those who see it want it beyond all reason. Purchasing the Spear from Glom is possible, but not easy. He drives a very hard bargain, and will not part with the Spear unless it is in return for an even more (apparently) valuable item. Mere cash will not even be considered. Glom will deal fairly and straightforwardly with the party if he is approached politely. If the party chooses a less...respectable way of obtaining the Spear, they will need to contend with Glom’s security. This is no small feat; Glom employs guardians both mundane and otherwise, along with intricate traps. In order to reach the Spear, the party will need to get past: • Hounds -- A pack of savage dogs, trained to make as much noise as possible when they scent an intruder. • Locks -- The doors and windows of the Cabinet are secured by excellent locks. (Dexterity 25) • Alarms -- There are bells attached to the interior of each window, which will peal if the window is opened. Perception: 20, Dexterity: 20 • Guards -- Well-trained and very well-paid, armed with swords and nets, they patrol the halls in a regular pattern. • Trapped Doors -- Interior doors within the Cabinet are equipped with poison needles that jab those who do not use the correct key. (Perception: 25, Dexterity: 20)[/B] • Golems -- Two Stone Golems occupy the room that holds Glom's greatest treasures, and will mercilessly attack any intruder. • The Spear Most Splendid -- A final trap; if the Spear is removed from its wall, a poisonous gas will be sprayed into the room. (Perception: 20, Dexterity 25) █▌Hounds (12) -- AC:12, HD:1, ATTACK:1d1+1 (Bite) SPECIAL: 40’ Speed, Ruckus▐█ █▌Guards (8) -- AC:14, HD:4, ATTACK:1d8+2 (Sword) SPECIAL: Net▐█ █▌Stone Golem (2) -- AC:17, HD:17, ATTACK:3d8+6 (Fist) SPECIAL: Immutable Form, Magic Resistance, Slow▐█

Penultima Thule INVESTIGATIONS(Suggested Skills: History, Religion) ►DC 10: Penultima Thule is a frozen land in the far North, at the very edge of the world. ►DC 20: Ul-Ulgorat, a primal god of the hunt, fled to Penultima Thule after he was driven from his pantheon's paradise for unspeakable crimes. Once there, Ul-Ulgorat raised a jungle from the ice in a doomed attempt to recreate his lost paradise. ►DC 20: The Academy Esoteric has been studying the jungle for some decades now, and have established a Teleport Circle in a small outpost on the Jungle's edge. If the party is on good terms with the Academy, they will be given access to the Teleport Circle. If not, a hefty bribe may ease the matter...and if that fails, there is always the option of subterfuge. Taking passage on a ship to Penultima Thule is simply not practical; the Primarchon will die well before the party reaches their destination. The Academy's outpost is a single story stone building upon a rocky promontory overlooking the Jungle of Ul-Ulgorat. Currently unoccupied, it has been kept magically warm and clean. There are a handful of books here; observations of and dissertations upon the Jungle. Taking a few hours to peruse these books will be time very well-spent. (Advantage on Nature and Survival rolls in the Jungle.) The Jungle itself is a strange and beautiful sight. Leaves tinkle and chime in the frigid winds, and there is constant motion among the icy trees and underbrush. Finding a flower, however, will prove to be an unexpectedly daunting task. Jungle or no, the ice remains clear and colorless. Details are very difficult to pick out from the surrounding "vegetation", and no small effort will be required to locate a suitable blossom. A skilled naturalist could perhaps draw upon her knowledge of mundane plants to determine where best to search.... (Perception: 30 to find a flower. Nature: 20 will allow Advantage on subsequent Perception rolls.) The Jungle of Ul-Ulgorat is a dangerous place, and the party will face many hazards as they search: • The Weather -- The cold is perhaps the greatest foe the party will face as they venture into the Jungle. Unless they are magically protected, they risk freezing to death. (Constitution Save 15 every half-hour or temporarily lose 1d4-1 points from the character's Constitution score. If Constitution drops to zero, unconsciousness will quickly follow.) • Fire -- Using fire in the Jungle can be very effective...and dangerous. A careless Fireball, for example, will melt holes in the ice and send trees toppling. It can also be used to clear a path forward, if judiciously aimed. • Icy Underbrush -- The leaves and grasses of the Jungle are sharp, and can easily slice skin. Moving at any great speed through the Jungle may prove fatal. (Dexterity Save: 15 when Running, or suffer 2d6 slashing damage.) • Wildlife -- Various animals of living ice prowl the jungle, including the savage Frostigers.. █▌Frostigers (3-4) -- AC:16, HD:8, ATTACK:1d8+3+2d6 Cold (Bite) SPECIAL: 50’ Speed, Pounce, Running Leap▐█

Making the Impossible Once he has the ingredients in hand, Phub will begin brewing the Primarchon's cure. This will involve burning the Spear to ash, mixing that ash into the bottle with the roar and melting flower, and then sealing the bottle with the molten tin from the Spear's head, all the while dancing and chanting in a language that predates the discovery of fire. This process takes the better part of a day. If asked, Phub will cheerfully admit that he has no idea how much, if any, of this ritual is truly necessary...but it is best not to take chances in such matters. (At the DM's option, an attempt might be made to interfere with the ritual. Lord-Bishop Rimpling will dispatch a squad of his guardsmen to the little shrine where Phub makes his home, with instructions to kill all who they find.) Delivering the result to the Primarchon is a task all its own; Rimpling has his chambers under guard, and has every excuse that he needs to forbid entrance to Kolan, let alone the PCs. Once more, subterfuge of one form or another will be called for. Thankfully, the cure is easy enough to administer. Opening the bottle under the Primarchon's nose will release the roar, which will startle him into a gasp that will inhale the curative vapors. He will waken upon the instant. The Primarchon will have no idea what has occurred, or how long he has been unconscious. The last thing that he remembers is the exquisite taste of the bitter rice.... █▌Rimpling's Guard, Fighters 5 (12) -- AC:16, HD:5, ATTACK:1d8+3 (Sword)▐█

If and Aftermaths IF If any of the items cannot be obtained, Phub will offer other (albeit more nebulous) suggestions: the shadow of a flame, water from a river that runs uphill, and similar impossibilities. If the PCs have a brilliant idea for an impossibility of their own, run with it. IF the Primarchon dies, Rimpling will "reluctantly" seize power for himself and make every effort to crush Kolan. IF Kolan dies during the quest, but the Primarchon is still cured, he will turn to the PCs for support and aid going forward. Who better to trust than those who have saved his life? IF, through some miracle, everything goes well? Kolan will shower the party with gold, the Primarchon will be in their debt, and Rimpling will be have new targets for his ire.

[RonarsCorruption]

 

Inem's Frozen in Time Runnability 4 + system, level, setup. Quite good. + The DCs are all set and mechanics are clearly marked. The DCs are pretty low, but I dinged you for that elsewhere. + The monsters are referenced perfectly. Very clear and easy. Presentation 3 - You literally have a rumor that gives details of this villain, that says “eventually people forgot about him”, presumably excepting this recounting of him, right? + The scenes are each very clearly set out. + I appreciated how everything was nicely formatted; especially that complicated final encounter. Writing 3 + Your writing was clean and clear and engaging. Playability 1.5 - all those DC 20 checks are pretty easy. A mediocre level 10 character trained in common skills like Sense Motive or Perception will have something to the effect of +15 – meaning it’s not even worth rolling. In fact, there’s only like, one roll the PCs have even a moderate chance of not succeeding immediately on. - I love that wands and scrolls of cure are banned – but for the PCs sake I’d have liked to see a comment on potions – are they a popular substitute? Also banned? Engagement 3.5 + There’s a lot of good things drawing the PCs into the adventure. ++ I especially like that one of the hooks into the adventure is something that sets up one of the later propblems – that’s a really brilliant way to get the PCs involved, because they caused the problem, even if none of the NPCs blame them, the PCs are aware. - That time-frozen jungle seems to follow some weird rules. Is it just the things, and not the air and such? What about stepping on time-frozen grass? Creativity 4 ++ I really like the accommodations made for the vampires in the city, and how dominant that is in the adventure. + While weird, that final confrontation sure is interesting. An Insane Vampire 3.5 + The current ruler of the city and the antagonist of the adventure. Got it. + It sounds like Aria is a bit off, too. A Pesky Admirer 2 = admirer? Maybe, but Hannah is not so much an admirer as just some woman the PCs met. - Also, I’m not really satisfied with the explanation of how Aria got her into the banquet on such apparently short notice. A Frozen Jungle 3 + Ooh, I like that it’s frozen in time, and not like, frozen in ice. Clever twist. = Although the mechanics for it are super unclear and handwavey. A Worthless Artifact 3.5 = it better not just be a throwaway ingredient used for an adventure hook ++Nope, it comes into play again later as a key element. Which makes the idea that maybe the PCs sold it in the introduction a brilliant play. A Shopping List 2 + Its there and hooks the PCs into the adventure… - - but in a city ruled by vampires carrying a list of physical proof that you’re fighting them sounds like a really bad idea. Political Maneuverings 5 + The king wants to ensure he wont be overthrown + the council wants the king overthrown now + the traitor wants to overthrow the council ++ Really, this is all quite brilliant And bonus ingredients of: A Loud Mouse +1 + I’m hesitant about this, but while it feels a little bit tacked on, it is a solid and reasonable piece that works enough that you can barely see the tacks. And by tacks, I mean there’s no really good reason to have a ratfolk with a feat that lets him make noise instead of any other assassin. A Tavern with No Alcohol +1 + Another clever tie in to the vampire overlords, a tavern that instead serves blood is a fun twist. Poisoned Rice +1 + Brilliant use of this. Rice (slightly) poisoned against vampires for mortal use is a great idea. Ship Combat 0 Not present. Summary 41 I thought this was a really solid adventure. It was self-contained but reached out and offered lots of new hooks, it was well written and formatted, and it was predictable without being formulaic. I mean, there’s a few plot holes, but in a tight wordcount and deadline you can’t patch everything.

 

Rolzup's A Few Impossible Things Runnability -1 + system, level, PC count, all solid. + I love your mini statblocks, very clear and useful. - - “The City” provides no details or statistics. I guess it could be any city? But you start to go into a lot of specifics about the place, making it seem like it should be one particular place – even though you give it no real details. Maybe this is the same place as your previous adventures? It kinda sounds like it, but the adventure seems to assume the readers are familiar with the setting already and gives nearly no introduction, which is a big flaw. - - - - - So, this isn’t an adventure. This is four standalone mini-adventures inside a mini campaign, each of which contains one ingredient that it feels like you couldn’t figure out how to actually work into one adventure. While it’s technically acceptable, I feel that for a competition like this, it is the minimum possible way to deliver upon the ingredients provided. Like… if on Chopped, for example, the chef prepared four mini-dishes each of which showcased one of the mystery ingredients, rather than one dish that uses them together. Individually, each element is fine, but together… it doesn’t really work. - - Also, there is a lot of information in this adventure left for the GM to do for themselves with minimal or no guidance. How to get a lion, for example, is just a list of descriptive names. Presentation 4 +++ Everything is well organized, with lists of knowledge checks, and possible routes for the PCs to take very clear. Each encounter is clear and distinct. Writing 3 + Your writing was clear and engaging. Playability 2 = Since much of this adventure is left up to the DM’s disgression, it’s hard to say how well players will enjoy this. - However, what is there is… really hard. A 12th level character has a proficiency bonus of +4. Assuming 20 in that attribute, they might make these checks at +9. The checks in this adventure range from 15 (not too hard) to 30 (literally impossible), with the majority of the checks being 20 (challenging). Unfortunately, when a borderline maxed out PC still needs to roll a 11 on every single check, the adventure is probably too hard. But when the party needs to roll a 21 or better on a d20 to get the last item, then there’s a serious issue. And other than gaining advantage (not useful, as it’s just a reroll, not a bonus) you don’t offer the PCs any obvious help. Engagement 3 + It’s hard to say if the PCs will be engaged by this. I suppose if they like the setting, they’ll love the adventure. And if they don’t like the chaotic crazy land, this adventure will just annoy them. Creativity 5 +++++While it also serves as a detriment, this adventure is endlessly creative. Everything is weird and wonderful in a way that I really love. An Insane Vampire 4 +++ At a distance it looked like this was going to be another tacked on ingredient, but… The guy is fun! I really like the character and his weirdness, and how that can be used to the party’s advantage. A Pesky Admirer 3 ++ Draws the PCs into the adventure, thinks himself grand but ultimately isn’t that good, he’s a very interesting character. - Of course, he is a fighter, who in a previous line you say is a theologian. Why not make him at least a paladin? A Frozen Jungle 3 + Like every other setting in this adventure, the frozen jungle is very interesting, as is the challenge for finding the flower. Of course, like everything else, it seems to be totally disconnected from anything else. A Worthless Artifact 3 + The spear that makes you want it uncontrollably is kinda interesting, as is the scene set around obtaining it. A Shopping List 2.5 = shopping list? I guess in one sense, but the party isn’t out to buy those four impossible things, presumably, making it more of a scavenger hunt list. It’s a small distinction, but… well, I’m not subtracting any points for the distinction. I’m just not really impressed by it as a result. Political Maneuverings 3.5 ++ The adventure is brought about by the political maneuverings of the Lord Bishop. And bonus ingredients of: A Loud Mouse 0 - one of a list of effectively random things the party must obtain. Indeed, it feels particularly random, even in execution. A Tavern with No Alcohol +1 + A tavern that instead serves blood is a fun twist. Poisoned Rice +1 + Kicks off the adventure, though there’s nearly no way the PCs will be aware of this particular dish. Ship Combat 0 Not present Summary 37 In the end, I was lukewarm about this adventure. Individually, each of the scenes was fine. There were lots of interesting characters to meet and colorful locales to visit, and each scene was self-contained and clear. Unfortunately, the thread stringing them together was weak, at best. The opening and closing work well together, obviously, but everything between them is just a bunch of random misadventures. It isn’t a coherent story, and the fact that it isn’t is only pulled together by a god of random shenanigans.

 

Although the scores vary only by a few points, there is no doubt in my mind: Inem, you provided the best dish this round, and you have my vote to receive the crown of 2016 Iron DM.

[Squeak]

 

How easy would it be to run this adventure? (5points)
The background was good, but I felt that it was missing some of the stats I was hoping for. +0
Total Score 3

How well is the scenario/adventure presented? (5 points)
Good attention to detail. +1
Total Score 4

How well is the scenario/adventure written? (5 points)
Formatting was fine, particularly the one area where the 'combatants' were laid out. +0.5
Total 3.5

What would this scenario/adventure be like to play? (5 points)
It was a classic ethical dilemma -- the prisoners or the world. Would be fun. +1
Total Score 4

Is the story interesting to read? (5 points)
Absolutely. The histories were great. +1
Total score 4

How creative is the scenario/adventure? (5 points)
Pretty creative with a lot of attention to detail. +1
Total score 4

an Insane Vampire!! (5 points)
I see him more as power hungry, despite your attempts to sell him as insane. But it was a noble effort. +0.5
Total score 3.5

a Pesky Admirer!! (5 points)
Definitely there, but it seemed a bit forced to me. +0
Total Score 3

a Frozen Jungle!! (5 points)
Integral to the plot +1
Loved the tweak on the word frozen. +1

Total score 5
a Worthless Artifact!! (5 points)
I don't know if I consider it worthless... It was unused, not worthless.
But it was still integral to the plot. +0.5

Total score 3.5

a Shopping List!! (5 points)
Well incorporated, worked with the rest of the plot. +1

Total score 4

and Political Maneuverings!!! (5 points)
Tough ingredient, you did what you could with it. +1

Total score 4

Bonus ingredients:

a Loud Mouse!! Loved the interpretation here. +1
a Tavern with No Alcohol!! Great idea here, loved the blood as wine. +1
Poisoned Rice!! Nicely incorporated. +1
Ship Combat!! Nope.
Your Round 0 adventure Nope

Total Score 48.5

 

How easy would it be to run this adventure? (5points)
The format of the encounters were good +1
But there was not enough information on what to do with the adventures.
Total Score 3

How well is the scenario/adventure presented? (5 points)
I actually felt this was a weak point. It wasn't an single adventure, it was several mixed together -1
Total Score 2

How well is the scenario/adventure written? (5 points)
The writing and background was fine, but it felt a little wooden to me. -0.5
Total 2.5

What would this scenario/adventure be like to play? (5 points)
I like the background, but so much of this seemed open to DM discretion here to say. +0
Total Score 3

Is the story interesting to read? (5 points)
Not as much story telling as I wanted it to be. -0.5
Total score 2.5

How creative is the scenario/adventure? (5 points)
I can't give you a lot of marks here, as it seemed to be several things thrown together rather than a single solid adventure -0.5
Total score 2.5

an Insane Vampire!! (5 points)
I liked the idea that he didn't think he was a vampire. +1
Total score 4

a Pesky Admirer!! (5 points)
I liked the way you used the PC's as the hero. +1
Total Score 4

a Frozen Jungle!! (5 points)
You had a frozen jungle +1
But I don't see that it really needed to be frozen. -0.5

Total score 3.5

a Worthless Artifact!! (5 points)
I liked the spear that was worthless. +1
But it should have had more mechanics. I mean, if it crumbles apart in combat, then wouldn't it have been gone long ago? -0.5
Total score 2.5

a Shopping List!! (5 points)
More like directions on what to do rather than a true shopping list. -1
Total score 2

and Political Maneuverings!!! (5 points)
Great job here with a very tough ingredient +1.5
Total score 4.5

Bonus ingredients:

a Loud Mouse!! Liked the use. +1
a Tavern with No Alcohol!! Funny that both of you used blood as a replacement for alcohol +1
Poisoned Rice!! There, but didn't need to be rice. But I'm giving you a full point because I like the fact the poison made the rice taste better. +1
Ship Combat!! Nope. Interesting that you both skipped the same items.
Your Round 0 adventure Nope

Total Score 39

 

Inem topped Rolzup by the score of 48.5 to 39.

Well done and congratulations to both contestants.

[Melchior]

 

Inem's 'Frozen in Time' Story Playability: The adventure looks like it would be a lot of fun to play. There's a little bit of something for just about every archetype to have an opportunity to contribute, though admittedly, some of those DCs look like they'd be pretty easy for a party of level tens. 3.5/5 Engagement: Vampires are undead, and one of the more popular and overused undead, but since it was an ingredient I can't really hold that against you. Besides, you do a good job making the vampire theme feel organic, and more importantly it doesn't feel stifling or trite. I actually quite like the setting you've established and I really like the complicated overlapping conspiracies with everybody out to backstab the others. There's a lot of opportunity for some good roleplaying here.4/5 Creativity: The overall plot is fairly standard 'stop the omnicidal maniac' but you do a good job spicing it up with some interesting world-building and cool backdrops. 3.5/5 Technical Runnability: You do a good job laying out everything that a prospective DM would require to run their adventure. Events progress in a logical order and things are clearly presented in such a way that I feel it would be easy to implement this adventure. 5/5 Presentation: Everything is clearly laid out and organized such that I wouldn't have any trouble running this. You do drop a rather heavy block of exposition right in the middle however, which is a little daunting. 4/5 Writing: Your writing was good. I didn't notice any mistakes. 5/5 Ingredients Insane Vampire: The main bad guy. Fairly standard and expected, but solid enough. 3/5 Pesky Admirer: I guess this works well enough, even if her attraction is rather arbitrary and artificial since she's been dominated. 3/5 Frozen Jungle: Frozen in time. Ha, I get it. Pretty clever usage, actually. 3.5/5 Worthless Artifact: Also known as Chekhov's Wand. 3/5 Shopping List: In a city openly ruled by a vampire elite, carrying around a list of anti-vampire weaponry seems like an exceptionally poor idea. 2.5/5 Political Manoeuvrings: There's a whole lot going on. Wheels within wheels as they say. I like how you managed to make it elaborate without getting ridiculously over-complicated. 4/5 Bonus Ingredients Loud Mouse: Don't think I didn't see what you did here. +1 Tavern with No Alcohol: I suppose a vampire bar would have no use for alcohol, now would it? +1 Poisoned Rice: Rather unconventional use of 'poison' but within the context of the adventure it fits. +1 Total: 47/60

 

Rolzup's 'A Few Impossible Things Story Playability: The adventure itself largely looks like it would be a lot of fun. Each of those encounters sticks out as both entertaining in ways beyond simple hack and slash combat, which can be hard to come by. Unfortunately you are hurt somewhat by your presentation. This does not really feel to me like a proper adventure, just a group of encounters that exist completely independently from each other held together by the loosest of narratives. This is made especially telling by the fact that you go into almost no details what-so-ever about moving the party from one encounter to the next. While the pieces themselves are funny, and interesting, the adventure as a whole feels much less than the sum of its parts. Moreover, I seem to recall that I had the very same criticism concerning your final round entry last year, so I'm dinging you even more for repeating the same mistake once again. 1/5 Engagement: It's engaging enough, though it largely depends on the whether or not the party enjoys the rather wacky setting. Personally, I do, though the fact that this basically boils down to the 'the Fetch Quest to Rule Them All' does hurt it somewhat in that regard. 3/5 Creativity: Everything about this was very creative, as I've come to expect from you. I love the setting you've created here. 5/5 Technical Runnability: Considering that the adventure is little more than a collection of largely independent mini-quests that can be done in any order that the party or DM pleases, it's not easy for me to gauge this. The scenario/encounters themselves are largely well done and would be very easy to implement, though some of them seem rather hard. All the required information is there, and the encounters are very interesting and sound like they would be fun to implement. The problem is that everything else in the adventure is woefully lacking. Most DMs might gloss over interim travel but the fact that the adventure seems to imply that the DM should know about the City, but you provide no information on it, kind of throws the absence of such information into stark relief. 2.5/5 Presentation: Everything is put together very nicely. 5/5 Writing: Your writing is great, as usual. 5/5 Ingredients Insane Vampire: An interesting, if somewhat quirky, character. A vampire who is deluded enough to not believe he is a vampire is a fun approach. 4/5 Pesky Admirer: I like how he's an NPC who idolizes one of the PCs. At level 12 it stands to reason that the PCs are fairly renowned, if not practically living legends, and it's nice to see that actually acknowledged. 4/5 Frozen Jungle: It's there, but there really isn't any reason that it has be other than that you needed to check off one of the ingredients. 2/5 Worthless Artifact: If the spear is so worthless that it literally destroys itself upon use in combat, how did it ever get so famous in the first place, let alone survive as long as it has? 2/5 Shopping List: For a very loose definition of 'shopping' I suppose. Really just makes the fetch quest nature of the adventure all the more apparent. 2.5/5 Political Manoeuvrings: It serves as the primary justification in setting up the adventure. You did a good enough job with this though I might have liked to see a little more involvement by the PCs other than simply participating in the fetch quest. 3/5 Bonus Ingredients Loud Mouse: Clearly included just to fill out an ingredient. Has little bearing on anything, and unfortunately is not interesting enough to stand on its own merits. +0 Tavern with No Alcohol: A little funny that you took the same approach as your opponent. I suppose the vampire ingredient made this a little too tempting an approach. +1 Poisoned Rice: The fact that the Primarch's last words are praising the taste of the poison that did him in was just absurd enough to make me laugh. +1 Total: 41/60

[HenryLockwood]

 

How easy would it be to run this adventure?
+ Good range of hooks/campaign integration ideas
Total Score 4

How well is the scenario/adventure presented? (5 points)
+ Very clear sequence of events, and very good layout.
+ I can easily see where the information is when I need it.
Total Score 5

How well is the scenario/adventure written? (5 points)
+ Very crisp, efficient writing.
- ... but there's little room for drama in it.
Total 3

What would this scenario/adventure be like to play? (5 points)
There's a risk that the prohibition on healing could cause problems
+ But... the combat doesn't start early on, and this actually works more as a balancing factor than a hindrance.
Total Score 4

Is the story interesting to read? (5 points)
++ I found myself wanting to read the adventure instead of judging it.
Total score 5

[/B]How creative is the scenario/adventure?[/B] (5 points)
+ Great introduction and setting!
Total score 4

an Insane Vampire!! (5 points)
Hmm. He's OK. Almost seems like a hapless NPC instead of a villain or adversary.
Total score 3

a Pesky Admirer!! (5 points)
She was definitely there, but felt like an incidental item rather than a real part of the adventure.
Total Score 3

a Frozen Jungle!! (5 points)
++ Frozen in time, not temperature - I like this idea.
Total score 5

a Worthless Artifact!! (5 points)
Not quite worthless... + but powerless.
Total score 4

a Shopping List!! (5 points)
+ A vital Clue
Total score 4

and Political Maneuverings!!! (5 points)
+ Vampire scheming, where vampires are not inherently evil: very well done.
Total score 4

Bonus ingredients:

a Loud Mouse!! +1 Hmm... Since he's ratfolk, I'll give you this one.
a Tavern with No Alcohol!! +1 an important location, and well written.
Poisoned Rice!! +1 Very nice - I like the explanation of why it is present.
Ship Combat!! 0
Your Round 0 adventure 0

Total Score 51

 

How easy would it be to run this adventure?
+ Really clear sections for each objective
+ Excellent description of the PCs motivations for each subquest
- You missed off stats for, e.g., the poison gas trap.
- Is there a time limit? Or is it one of these CRPG-style "the PCs arrive just in time" jobs?
Total Score 3

How well is the scenario/adventure presented? (5 points)
+ I know where to find everything I need
Total Score 4

How well is the scenario/adventure written? (5 points)
+ This displays your usual flair for description.
Total 4

What would this scenario/adventure be like to play? (5 points)
+ Even though it's a FedEx quest, it's an interesting variation on it.
Total Score 4

Is the story interesting to read? (5 points)
"Ruler gets poisoned, PCs go to find a cure" - not as original as some.
Total score 3

[/B]How creative is the scenario/adventure?[/B] (5 points)
Total score 3

an Insane Vampire!! (5 points)
+ "I'm not a vampire" is a very good take on insanity.
Total score 4

a Pesky Admirer!! (5 points)
++ I really like this one - you've made him a part of the adventure, as well as a hindrance.
Total Score 5

a Frozen Jungle!! (5 points)
++ Original, and a really good location for a scene or two.
Total score 5

a Worthless Artifact!! (5 points)
Mmm. It's there, but not great.
Total score 3

a Shopping List!! (5 points)
+ I like the way you've worked with this one.
Total score 4

and Political Maneuverings!!! (5 points)
Definitely there, but not really part of the adventure.
Total score 3

Bonus ingredients:

a Loud Mouse!! +1
a Tavern with No Alcohol!! +1
Poisoned Rice!! OK, it's there, but it could just as well have been a poisoned dart or a spell.
Ship Combat!! 0
Your Round 0 adventure

Total Score 47

 

By the whisker of a noisy mouse, Inem!

[Avner]

 

Frozen In Time Runnability - Everything is there to run the adventure. 5pts Presentation - Easy to read and find information - 5pts Writing - Writing was smooth and easy to follow. 5pts Playability - I worry about the PCs trying to keep the rod. As the inital hook seems somewhat flawed in that sense as most Players I have encountered are not easily willing to unload a magic item, even a useless one. 3 pts Engagement - There are definitely som enaging parts to the adventure, lots of conspiracy and intrigue and complex situaitons, but there wasn't anything that specifically made me feel like I had to play it. 4pts Creativity - Some interesting takes on some of the ingredients. I like the Roaring Mouse and the political intrigue you developed. 5pts INGREDIENT: an Insane Vampire!! Raaz - Very well done. 5 INGREDIENT:a Pesky Admirer!! - Hannah - Not integral to the story but more than just a plug in 3 pts INGREDIENT:a Frozen Jungle!! - Frozen Jungle, Like the time angle 5 INGREDIENT:a Worthless Artifact!! Worthless Artifact - I don't believe the rod is all that worthless here. The PCs can see its value in that it is magical, they just want to get it to work. On the other side of that the whole adventure is based on the fact it is incredibly powerful. 3 pts INGREDIENT:a Shopping List!! The one on the dead body, not in the hook. 4pts ]BONUSINGREDIENT: Poisoned Rice 1 point BONUS INGREDIENT: a Loud Mouse!! 1 point, loved it BONUS INGREDIENT: a Tavern with No Alcohol!! 1 point Vampire Bar!! Total: 50 Points

 

A Few Impossible Things Runnability - Everything is there that needs to run the adventure 5pts Presentation - Information is accounted for but not the sequence and formatting could have been better. I found myself not reading the adventure as linerally as I would like to when judging it. 3pts Writing - I loved the take on the adventure but ws most intrigued by h5ow the betrayal lead to Kolan hiring his celebrity adventures and then attempting to tag along opposed to just sending them out to do the job. The environments encountered on the adventure were very creative. 5pts Playability - The only problem I would see is the possibility for failure if they try and sail the ship to get the ingredients. As long as this becomes prevelant so the players no what risk they are taking I think it is a suitable consequence. 4pts Engagement - I feel like there is a little something for everybody here. Areas of political intrigue and social interaction, sneaky dungeony type areas for the parties dungeneers and finally some good solid chances for combat for those folks. The enviornments also offer a change of scenery that would keep the players guessing. 5 pts Creativity - This years Iron DM has been full of creative entires and this is no different. I loved the primal got creating a jungle out of a frozen iceland, the admirer of the heroes who calls on them when he is in trouble and the vain vampire who is in denial. Really some great stuff 5pts INGREDIENT: an Insane Vampire!! A vampire in denial, love it!! 5pts INGREDIENT:a Pesky Admirer!! - Kolan, very well done I hadn't thought about it from that angle. 5pts INGREDIENT:a Frozen Jungle!! - Loved the description of chiming leaves, made it incredibly visual. It also felt incorporated well into Ul-Ulgorat and his primal nature. 5pts INGREDIENT:a Worthless Artifact!! The Spear was good, truly worthless but fit the story, 5pts INGREDIENT:a Shopping List!! List of ingredients for cure, fits nicely in adventure 5pts INGREDIENT:Political Maneuverings! Belogath Rimpling 4tps INGREDIENT:Poisoned Rice Baagese Bitter Rice; 1pt BONUS INGREDIENT: a Loud Mouse!! Ingredients within Ingredients 1pt BONUS INGREDIENT: a Tavern with No Alcohol!! The Worm 1pt ! Total: 59 Points

[GodRosen]

 

Inem

 

DM Perspective
How Easy would it be to run this scenario/adventure? 4
How well is the scenario/adventure presented? 5
How well is the scenario/adventure written? 5

Player Perspective
What would this scenario/adventure be like to play? 5
Is the story interesting to read? 5
How creative is the scenario/adventure? 5

Ingredients:
an Insane Vampire: 5
a Pesky Admirer: 3
a Frozen Jungle: 5
a Worthless Artifact: 4
a Shopping List: 3
Political Manoeuvrings: 5

Bonus Ingredients:
A Loud Mouse Y
a Tavern with no alcohol Y
Poisoned Rice Y
Ship Combat N


Feedback
Pretty good adventure you have here. I was very much entertained. Though there is one problem I ran into. Now this is not at all applicable for all people or adventurers, but people are dumb, unfortunately. There is one story of a role playing game I heard of where the party went though an adventure or enough of a campaign to level and got 0 treasure. To add to that their DM wasn't even picky about making them pass their search DC. All the PCs had to say was "I search..." and being they never did they didn't find any gold or get any treasure. Now you maybe wondering how does this apply to your adventure? Well more than half your adventure seems to be dependent on finding the shopping list. Now I will have to say that at 10th level hopefully these PCs will have learned the importance of searching. Though if they don't or if they fail their search check this adventure suddenly becomes a little less easy to run as some adjustments will need to be made to get the group back on track. Other than that fantastic work. I feel there could have been more usage from the pesky admirer and the worthless artifact. Then we go back to the possible issue with the searching failure with the shopping list ingredient as that could cause it to not be found. Once again good adventure I was entertained. Thank you.

Total Points: 57

Rolzup

 

DM Perspective
How Easy would it be to run this scenario/adventure? 4
How well is the scenario/adventure presented? 5
How well is the scenario/adventure written? 5

Player Perspective
What would this scenario/adventure be like to play? 5
Is the story interesting to read? 5
How creative is the scenario/adventure? 5

Ingredients:
an Insane Vampire: 3
a Pesky Admirer: 4
a Frozen Jungle: 4
a Worthless Artifact: 5
a Shopping List: 5
Political Manoeuvrings: 3

Bonus Ingredients:
A Loud Mouse Y
a Tavern with no alcohol Y
Poisoned Rice Y
Ship Combat N


Feedback
Good job on your adventure it was very nice some things to note. For the shopping list ingredient it was a very good usage much better than your competitor. Though he did use the Insane Vampire ingredient much better than you did. Your competitor also used the Political Manoeuvrings better than you. These were ingredient uses I would have liked to have seen more of though the course of the adventure. I liked your "Shopping list of impossible ingredients" then use this round's ingredients as that shopping list. One thing I did wonder about was with Orx Ibbich. It says he is in debt. How much debt? With that info it could help the DM coordinate how much money will get him motivated.


Total Points: 56

[hvg3akaek]

Originally Posted by Chairman Haga

At last, the echoes from the final battle have died down, the judges have deemed it safe to come out, and now have completed their decrees. Once again, both contestants have fought and performed admirably, but there can be only one winner, only one Iron DM.

The Icy Challenger, Rolzup, has vanquished many foes, and achieved many victories. In this final round, a total score of 47.5 was achieved, a most impressive rating. But this one was one impossible thing too many - the ice has been frozen in time, and the victory goes to the immortal and ever-growing Grassy Challenger, Inem, who managed to gather up a total score of 51.1, and has thus claimed ownership of the Iron DM title for 2016! Congratulations!

And well done to all others who participated in the competition this year - all the challengers and hopefuls, all the judges, and all the audience! Continue to write, run, and participate in great adventures over the next year, and stay tuned for next year's competition, and everyone's chance to take on Inem to snatch that crown for yourself!

 

Judge	Inem	Rolzup
Avner	50	59
GodRosen	57	56
HenryLockwood	51	47
Melchior	47	41
Admin RonarsCorruption	41	37
Squeak	48.5	39
Early Submission	2	1
TOTAL	51.1	47.5