Overview of the Adventure; The Dragon of the Thunder Hills

[skulldixon]

New writeup about the Adventure of the Dragon of the Thunder Hill along with some notes on this to think about before running it and possible changes i think might help improve it overall.

https://monstersandmusings.blogspot.com/2021/06/runequest-adventure-review-dragon-of.html

[jajagappa]

6 hours ago, skulldixon said:

New writeup about the Adventure of the Dragon of the Thunder Hill along with some notes on this to think about before running it and possible changes i think might help improve it overall.

A lot of good thoughts on the adventure and the possible changes make sense.

On this:  "There is not any clear direction on what to do while the Heroes are traveling in the forest. It's left up to the GM to decided what to do here with a few somewhat helpful hints."

Though in a different scenario context, I've just had a group of PC's in one of my games go meet Tarndisi for advice.  I drew on some ideas out of the HQG Sartar Companion, specifically:

1) the way to Tarndisi's Grove requires going through the lands of the Black Spear clan and they are effectively the enforcers of the arrangements made centuries ago between Colymar and Tarndisi.  The Black Spear challenge the PC's, and take them to the chieftain's hall to learn why they travel there.  It's a good opportunity to introduce another clan (and clan leader) and see how diplomatic the PC's can be.  If they win over the Black Spear clan chieftain, then he will: a) have one of his patrols lead them to the right place to enter the woods; b) ensure they know the words of respect to enter the woods, and not to bring axe or fire into the woods; and c) ensure they know what path to take once they've entered the woods.

2) the Colymar Wilds surrounding Tarndisi's Grove are partially in the Otherworld and partially in the Spirit World.  It's very easy to take a wrong path in these woods and never return to the mortal world.  But there is a silver-lit path that winds through the woods that leads to Tarndisi's Grove.  The elves do guard this and will either shadow or confront intruders.  It's easy to go off path, or to encounter unusual Otherworld beasts (I like to use the Five Majestic Beasts from Heortland Mythology here, but the ur-beasts from 13G are also good choices and I think the Lost Myth of the Fangplace from 13G fits quite well too).  Or you might encounter visible spirits - perhaps even lost ghosts - people who got lost and disappeared years ago.

[jajagappa]

fyi, on my second point, check out the Adventure Seed on p.119 of the Adventure Pack.  Bonus points if you connect this to the RQ Classic Apple Lane and the missing ward. 🙂

Lost Spirit
While one or more of the adventurers is passing near Tarndisi’s Grove, a spirit calls out repeatedly for Kareena to aid her, though says nothing else. Anyone familiar with Apple Lane knows of the God-talker there. The spirit is trapped in a ghostbush in the Silver Wood on the Spirit Plane, and only someone who can walk the Spirit World can reach her.

[Nick Brooke]

There are a couple of paragraphs at the back of The Duel at Dangerford with some extra colour for Tarndisi's Grove and researching the Dragon. I'd be tempted to run any expedition into an Aldryami forest or the Colymar Wilds as something out of "Mythago Wood." If you haven't read that book and "Lavondyss," both by Robert Holdstock, do yourself a favour and check them out: they're great fun, and very heroquest-relevant. (The series is long, and IMO goes downhill after those two, but they're awesome)

[skulldixon]

1 hour ago, jajagappa said:

fyi, on my second point, check out the Adventure Seed on p.119 of the Adventure Pack.  Bonus points if you connect this to the RQ Classic Apple Lane and the missing ward. 🙂

Lost Spirit
While one or more of the adventurers is passing near Tarndisi’s Grove, a spirit calls out repeatedly for Kareena to aid her, though says nothing else. Anyone familiar with Apple Lane knows of the God-talker there. The spirit is trapped in a ghostbush in the Silver Wood on the Spirit Plane, and only someone who can walk the Spirit World can reach her.

I have other plans for the Lost Spirit adventure seed, though that is a great suggestion.

22 minutes ago, Nick Brooke said:

There are a couple of paragraphs at the back of The Duel at Dangerford with some extra colour for Tarndisi's Grove and researching the Dragon. I'd be tempted to run any expedition into an Aldryami forest or the Colymar Wilds as something out of "Mythago Wood." If you haven't read that book and "Lavondyss," both by Robert Holdstock, do yourself a favour and check them out: they're great fun, and very heroquest-relevant. (The series is long, and IMO goes downhill after those two, but they're awesome)

Totally. If only I had The Duel at Dangerford at the time, those paragraphs would have help. 

[Lordabdul]

6 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Bonus points if you connect this to the RQ Classic Apple Lane and the missing ward. 🙂

The what? (I can't spot what this is referring to)

[skulldixon]

5 minutes ago, lordabdul said:

The what? (I can't spot what this is referring to)

Spoiler

Kareena's ward is a NPC in the old Apple Lane books. She died during the great winter, but its not spelled out very well in the GMAB.

 

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, skulldixon said:

Spoiler

She died during the great winter, but its not spelled out very well in the GMAB.

 

In fact, I'd say it is rather open ended.  There's an assumption of what happened, but how/where?  The seed suggests the NPC actually got too close to the Colymar Wilds and got lost within.

[skulldixon]

Hmm. I didn't think about that.. Thats good a good angle as well.