This anthology is attention-grabbing in that these aren’t brand-new adventures, so they convey with them some expectation of consistency with the unique adventures. Whereas we all know that WotC is on the lookout for probably problematic content material to handle, the journey itself carries an expectation of unfolding the identical manner that the unique did.
Whereas taking a look at this chapter, I pulled out my useful copy of OAR4 The Misplaced Metropolis that Goodman Video games produced just a few years in the past. Nevertheless, I used to be taking a look at it as a lot to reference the older journey as I used to be on the lookout for variations within the 5e conversion.
Authentic Credit for The Misplaced Metropolis (1982)
Design: Tom Moldvay
Growth: Tom Moldvay, Jon Pickens
Enhancing: Harold Johnson, Jon Pickens
Artwork: Jim Holloway, Harry Quinn, Stephen D. Sullivan
Playtesting: Dave Cook dinner, Helen Cook dinner, Clint Johnson, Steve Kaszar, Invoice Wilkerson, Jeff Wyndham, and the Kent State College Gamer’s Guild
What’s Completely different
Apart from the 5e statistics, not rather a lot adjustments on this journey, though I didn’t do an in-depth reread. Not less than not till we get into the Extending the Journey part. There’s a Raiders of the Misplaced Ark homage in one of many hallways that will get eliminated, and a few of the factions that have been extra gender-specific turn into extra egalitarian. That does make the factions really feel rather less dogmatic than within the unique. There are some creatures that the unique journey notes are good methods for the DM to impart data to the PCs if the DM needs, and this journey makes a few of that journey sharing slightly extra specific.
Each the unique journey and the difference comprise an “Extending the Journey” part, however the unique journey has some further instance dungeon ranges that aren’t utterly fleshed out, not not like In Search of the Unknown, an early D&D journey that was extra about presenting dungeon ranges and conjecturing on what may be positioned in numerous sections. This conversion provides two potential extensions, one resulting in the underground Cynidecean metropolis itself, and one resulting in a temple of Zargon which will contain Zargon the Returner . . . returning. Contemplating he’s a CR 17 creature, you in all probability don’t need to spring this on 1st stage characters.
What’s Completely different, Half Two
I didn’t do a strict reread of OAR 4 The Misplaced Metropolis, the license D&D 5e conversion completed by Goodman Video games again in 2020. In the event you haven’t heard of them the OAR sequence (Authentic Adventures Reincarnated) have been books completed by Goodman Video games that featured interviews with TSR workers, essays in regards to the journey featured within the guide, pages reproducing the unique journey (typically greater than as soon as if there have been completely different printings with adjustments), and a D&D 5e conversion. Whereas many of the physique of the journey was the identical, however with 5e statistics or presentation, there have been typically expansions of the fabric along with the conversion. For instance, OAR 1 Into the Borderlands populated the dungeon ranges that have been left partially undefined in Into the Unknown, and it does one thing comparable with the instance dungeon ranges in The Misplaced Metropolis.
Past being much more literal in its conversion, which means that a few of the factions retain their gender restrictions, NPCs aren’t expressly depicted as sharing data that isn’t requested of them, and so on., OAR 4 The Misplaced Metropolis has its personal model of Zargon.
Measuring Zargons
The Zargon that seems in OAR 4 is a CR 13 creature, whereas the Zargon introduced in Quests from the Infinite Staircase is CR 17. A number of the highlights of this disparity embody the next:
- Zargon’s CR 13 model really as an armor class one larger than CR 17 Zargon
- CR 17 Zargon has 78 extra hit factors than CR 13 Zargon
- Each Zargons have Legendary Resistance
- CR 13 Zargon regenerates 5 extra hit factors per spherical than CR 17 Zargon
- Each Zargons have multi-attack, however CR 13 Zargon has extra assaults
- The injury potential (i.e. the typical injury if all assaults hit, of CR 13 Zargon is 133 hp, versus CR 17 Zargon’s 71 hp
- Each Zargons are +12 to hit
- Each Zargons have a slime-based space assault that recharges on a 5-6, however CR 13 Zargon averages 18 factors of injury and blinds targets, whereas CR 17 Zargon averages 38 factors of injury and inflicts the poisoned situation
- CR 13 Zargon has Legendary Actions which let it do 10 factors of injury with out an assault roll, make three tentacle assaults, or forged a spell (for 1, 2, or 3 actions)
- CR 17 Zargon has three reactions per spherical, which permit him to counter a spell and trigger 6 factors of injury to the caster, or to make a save-based assault to do 7 factors of poison injury
A number of the creatures that first appeared within the OAR sequence, and later appeared in D&D 5e merchandise, had the identical stats that that they had within the OAR product, which I’m assuming is a case of editorial approval and oversight. That’s why this Zargon being completely different is attention-grabbing to me, as a result of that’s not the case right here. It’s additionally a reminder that I do not know what the magic spreadsheet of monster design really weighs in monster design for WotC, as a result of the CR 13 Zargon hits simply as persistently for extra injury than the model that’s 5 CR larger.
I’m additionally not a fan of the transfer from Legendary Actions to further reactions for some creatures. I assume there may be concern that folks don’t bear in mind to take Legendary Actions, however I’m unsure that giving one thing a number of reactions fixes that downside, as a result of I believe I’m extra prone to neglect that one thing has multiple response per spherical than to neglect it’s Legendary Actions.
Paintings
We’ve received 18 items of artwork on this chapter, together with an image of the door within the Infinite Staircase that results in this journey, numerous areas, the masks worn by the Cynidiceans, and 5 maps, together with an underground cityscape. There’s an attention-grabbing mosaic displaying the rise of Zargon, in addition to a picture of Zargon rising from the lake of slime. Whereas these suitably creepy pictures of our Returning mono-horned, mono-eyed monster, one of the best picture of Zargon is within the appendix along with his stats.
The Framing Machine
The setup connecting this journey to the story framework of Quests from the Infinite Staircase is fairly transient, about on par with the connections we received with Keys from the Golden Vault. There’s a paragraph detailing the want that Nafas has obtained, from individuals asking for deliverance from the creature that destroyed their society. That is particularly framed as “scout this location out and let me know what’s happening there.”
There are additionally some notes on the place you might place the ziggurat in Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, and Mystara. Essentially the most intriguing placement to me is setting it in Anauroch within the Forgotten Realms, as a result of it in all probability takes much less effort to border this as a Netherese enclave that fell early within the empires historical past than it does attempting to find out how the gods and Zargon match into Dragonlance, or reconciling the distinction between gods and immortals in Mystara.
Nafas’ directive works with the unique premise of the journey, i.e. attempt to discover a manner out when you get locked in, as a result of it simply requires the PCs to lean one thing to report again, and never the destruction of Zargon or his cult. That mentioned, I wouldn’t have minded a extra particular objective inside Nafas’ request that gave the PCs a motive to maintain trying round even as soon as they discover the exit.
Journey Overview
There will probably be some spoilers happening in right here, so if you wish to be shocked, this can be the time to search out one other hall to discover.
This might not be the primary time you hear this setup on this guide, however you run right into a pyramid within the desert. On this case, it’s a ziggurat, a stepped pyramid. As quickly as you enter, the door closes behind you, and it is advisable to discover an exit. As you might be on the lookout for that exit, you run into 4 completely different factions, three of which don’t work properly with each other, and one other one actively working in opposition to everybody else.
That is an journey for 1st stage characters, and for those who’re utilizing story-based development, you get your ranges while you first run right into a faction, while you first enter the fourth tier of the ziggurat, and while you escape.
Deep beneath the ziggurat is the stays of Cynidicea, a metropolis that fell way back when the inhabitants encountered an aberration exiled from the 9 Hells, Zargon the Returner. Within the time because the metropolis fell, everybody has adopted the customized of sporting masks. Whereas everybody from Cynidicea wears a masks, the entire members of a faction put on matching masks. Three of the factions need to assist Cynidicea return to its former glory, however every faction is beholden to a special god of their outdated pantheon. Whereas not enemies, the factions are all rivals resulting from their affiliation with completely different deities. The fourth faction is the cult of Zargon, which is dominating the descendants of the Cynidiceans, and sometimes sacrificing them to their deity.
One factor you could discover is that for an journey referred to as The Misplaced Metropolis, the journey doesn’t really happen in a metropolis. The individuals are current within the ziggurat as a result of there are vital areas with which means to the fallen metropolis. This consists of holy websites for all three of the gods, in addition to the crypts of the fallen king and queen of Cynidicea. There’s additionally an entire stage that’s dominated by the cult of Zargon.
When the PCs meet the three factions not aligned with Zargon, they’re given the chance to affix them. Becoming a member of them makes them friendlier. Not becoming a member of them makes them slightly extra aloof, and in the event that they be part of a special faction, the opposite factions turn into cautious of them, not absolutely trusting them or eager to share sources.
There are a number of locations the place the PCs run into ghosts and different undead. It behooves the PCs to not assault undead on sight, not simply because they could lose, however as a result of multiple ghost within the ruins gives data, both offering further context for what’s happening, or telling the PCs the place the exit is. However, there are nonetheless skeletons, zombies, and ghouls which can be lower than pleasant to individuals enamored of respiratory.
There are a number of locations the place the PCs can discover proof of what occurred to Cynidicea, together with a mural that reveals the rise of Zargon and the autumn of the town. It’s really fairly noteworthy to have a look at what number of set ups and pay offs there are with regards to story. You’ll find out in regards to the relationship of the king and queen, a priest and his brother, and a few of the occasions that led to Cynidicea’s demise. Assuming your gamers are keen to speak to a few of the undead within the ruins, it’s really fairly straightforward to supply them sufficient data to level them at these mysteries. Actually, there are a variety of individuals keen to share data within the journey, which I respect, on condition that some older adventures present plenty of hoops to leap via earlier than the PCs get actionable intelligence.
Extending the Journey
There are two locations within the ziggurat the place the PCs can both discover a passage to a brand new location, or, for those who don’t need to discover extra of Cynidiciea story, they discover some collapsed passages. The brand new underground model of Cynidicea has a pleasant map, numerous areas, and notes on how the factions are working inside this metropolis. If you wish to journey right here, you’ll be making up your individual data based mostly on the placement data supplied.
In the event you wander down the passage that results in The Mouth of Zargon, the encounter space may give the PCs whiplash, relying on after they discover this part of the ziggurat. If the PCs have already picked up a stage, they could be capable of deal with most of this part of the ziggurat, because the vary of creatures is from CR ⅛ to CR 4 . . . till you get to the first altar of Zargon, which features a CR 7 aberration in service to Zargon, and even worse, if the cultists of Zargon handle to sacrifice somebody, the CR 17 Zargon reveals as much as make his presence recognized. A celebration that may tackle Zargon goes to steamroll most of this part of the ziggurat, however there’s a extensive hole between 2nd stage and “can tackle a CR 17 aberration.”
Ideas on Chapter 2: The Misplaced Metropolis
Given a few of the adventures I bumped into after I began my D&D profession, I believe I’d have absorbed this slightly higher than Carry on the Borderlands, if solely as a result of it’s fairly clear that the PCs have a objective, discover the exit, and if they’re inquisitive about any of the mysteries they run into, that’s on them to discover past discovering the exit. Whereas I already talked about that “you discover a mysterious pyramid within the desert” is a fairly widespread start line for earlier adventures, it does strike me that no less than a few of the setup of this journey echoes Jenell Jaquay’s Darkish Tower, though that journey has two very stratified factions quite than a group of opposed factions struggling by the hands of a fourth.
I discussed this above, however I want there was an extra goal to tie this into Nafas’ request. Perhaps describing a selected merchandise in Darius’ workplace that’s wanted for summoning Zargon, which means that the PCs would have completed a measurable good for the Cynidicean descendants, as a substitute of simply doing a reconnaissance run via the ziggurat that won’t collect than a lot data relying on how targeted the PCs are on simply discovering the exit and utilizing it.
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