Depending on play style, and if it's a heavy RP group. It could be anywhere from 4 - 10 hours.
Number Players
Designed for Multi-Player, but can be played single player, with my recommendations.
Language
English
Level Range
High Search/Spot skills are ESSENTIAL, as is thorough investigation of areas, and placeables.
Races
Any
Tricks & Traps
Heavy
Roleplay
Medium
Hack & Slash
Medium
Classes
A balanced party is HIGHLY recommended. Single players should have some means of disarming traps, opening locks, and they MUST have some way of increasing strength to 23 temporarily, or permanently.
Scope
Epic
DMNeeded
No DM Required
Single or Multiplayer
Single Player or Multiplayer
Max Character Level
32
Max # Players
06
Min # Players
01
Min Character Level
22
Content Rating
Everyone
Alignments
Any
Gameplay Hours
06
Description
Somewhere in a lost and lonely valley of grim and foreboding aspect, and feeling, lies a labyrinthe crypt. To slay the unwary and uninvited, it is filled with terrible traps and not a few strange and ferocious monsters. They guard rich treasures, both precious and magical. Be warned that the Tomb was built by the demi-lich Acererak, who still wards his final haunt. This being is said to be possessed of powers that make him nearly undefeatable. By all accounts, it is quite unlikely that any adventurers ever find the chamber where his bones lie, for the passages and rooms of the Tomb are fraught with terrible traps, poison gases, and magical protections. Futhermore, Acererak has so well hidden his crypt that even those who avoid the pitfalls are not likely to locate it. Only the bravest and strongest should even consider the attempt, and if they do locate the Tomb, they must be prepared to fail.
Posted by werelynx2 at 2012-05-13 02:09:10 Voted 9.50 on 05/13/12
Soloed with Bard/RDD. I was really surprised when I casted "stone to flesh" on stone wall and it really changed into flesh.
- strips resurrection spells from me at the start
- gives loads of undroppable items that have no use in single player, good that in the end there is undroppable items stripper
- level-up at the begining: you can level up as many times as you want
- no Percy where he should be according to the walkthorugh(maybe caused by my PC being a bard too)
- still haven't figured what does the portal wand do, maybe it teleports you to the party leader?
- Typos: "psell" - description of oil of etherealness; "test of body - you must defeat MY in combat" - Ghool's conversation; "bright_blue","pale_blue"&"pale_green" - statues with spheres; "oyur" - Alia conversation
- Glowing stick: teleport disappears after reloading, had to spawn it using console(toh_succor_stick)
- no stolen items merchant
- interactive door system - when you unlock the door and leave it, it closes itself. Player have to unlock the door then force it open. Also when recovering traps it usually does not give the trap to the PC.
_________________________ Thanks Rolo:)
Posted by murf09 at 2010-01-30 09:36:24 Voted 9.50 on 01/30/10
Thanks for a great mod. The "extras" you created really added to a classic PnP.
I started with a 27th lvl (17 F, 7 W, 3R) Character -- gained 2 lvls. Plenty high enough for all things except the final enemy. My Open locks, Search, and Disable traps skills were around 35 with epic skill focus. With the help of magic, they made it too easy. I did not use one lock pick and there are plenty of items sold and found in the game that assist with traps, curses, lvl drains, etc.
Posted by Ghool at 2009-08-26 12:14:16 Voted 10.00
jeblanton2;
Please do note that the solutions to all of the puzzles, and a walkthrough of the entire adventure came bundled with the module.
The maps should be sufficient to get you past any places you're stumped, but if those still don't help, just check the DM readme file for a description of every single area, what is found there, etc.
This module has, by far, one of the most comprehensive maps and readme I've ever included. You'll likely get answers to your question quicker that way as well. ;)
Posted by Ghool at 2009-08-21 13:05:00 Voted 10.00
Oh yes, I'll have to say that you have NOT tried every door in the Maze if you have not found the way through. ;)
Posted by Ghool at 2009-08-21 13:03:32 Voted 10.00
To get out of the Maze by using a random door will not get you out.
There are a series of three doors, when used, each one will give you a 10% chance of being transported to the exit door.
There is a path through the Maze.
Not all of the doors lead to random places.
A lot of the doors have a fixed transition.
There is a way out, but it will take a bit of deduction to figure out which doors lead to random places, and those which do not. That is key.
Well, I completed the Bloodore quest, but now the maze in the Illithid lair has me stumped. I've walked through every single door, but none of them lead to the exit.
So what cryptic clue can you give me to help out this time? :-)
Posted by Ghool at 2009-06-01 13:36:06 Voted 10.00
Don't worry my friend, even if you fall and survive, you will still be able to complete the quest.
I've just started, but I'm afraid I'm already stuck. Working on the Bloodore quest, I can't find a way across the chasm to get into the mysterious cave. I guess the ropes are involved somehow, but I can't figure out what to do with them.
Posted by Ghool at 2009-05-25 12:28:39 Voted 10.00
Thanks for the comments and praise Yrkoon.
I'm humbled, really.
I just wanted to make an adventure that I would have liked to play.
I made it like the modules I played as a kid, and I found that the 'official' stuff lacked finesse, and detail in the surroundings. So, in my labors, I did my best to correct that, and I'm glad you took note, and enjoyed.
-Ghool
Posted by Yrkoon at 2009-02-02 07:57:35 Voted 10.00 on 02/02/09
For the first time ever, I'm going to give out a 10.00 rating.
This is, by far, the best Mod I have ever played. The 'professional' feel to it is clearly heads and shoulders above the 2 dozen or so other Hall of Fame mods I've played. It feels like a Premium Mod, or an official expansion pack, complete with a detailed user manual and strategy guide. Amazing. No, check that. IMO this mod was better than Kingmaker, Witches Wake or SoU.
The atmosphere and detail is dazzling and mindblowingly creepy. The game forces you to slow down, concentrate, and pay attention to everything... under penalty of death. That's the way it should be. My old Pen and Paper DM would have had our characters grusomely slaughtered if we employed the mindless "seek and destroy" mentality that typical CRPGs these days reward players for.
And the detail in this game, the obvious "labor of love" here... wow. Deep in the bowels of the tomb you'll find a throne or two... sit on one of them and see what happens LOL "all hail lord Yrkoon" :D
You'll enter a room, and text will come up describing everything you're seeing, feeling and smelling.
Incidently, I played this mod as a single player. I don't see why you're making it a point to advertise it as "designed for multi-player" or whatever. You shouldn't sell it short. Just call it both and leave it at that. Let the DM readme guide tell the rest.
All that being said... here's my other thoughts:
-The Maze was tedius. I got through it but I didn't enjoy it...
--apparently I missed Executioner quest at the mindflayer temple-place, and so I didn't get the weapon. (is it a multi-player only thing?) Not that it matters. I probably wouldn't have used it much anyway. I imported my Fighter/Weaponmaster from HoTU and had my fully-upgraded-by-Rizolvir Greatsword. I was using that instead ;) (Acererak has damage reduction? really? Didn't notice! :P )
-The Shackles of the Servant are awesome. Earlier on this thread you said that in addition to regeneration, they give you an extra attack. I don't think that's true. I'm pretty sure they *double* your attacks. My fighter was attacking as fast (or faster) than an epic-level monk using his fists.
-I never got the Genie to appear at the urn. Here's what happened. I got to the Urn. clicked on it... got the dialogue, failed a lore check, then chose the option to exit the dialogue (so that I could save my game, and quaff a potion of lore, etc, then try again). But when I did that... nothing. I got no dialgue choices.
Anyway, that's my .02 plus some change.
Posted by Ghool at 2008-12-04 09:33:39 Voted 10.00
Berngaard:
That's all there is. Just save your character, and exit the game.
BariToni:
Back in the Laboratory, there's an item named 'Jar of Greasy Jelly' with a single use 'Unique Power'. If you use this item first, you'll have a 100% chance to find the second half of the 'First Key'. Otherwise, you have to keep entering the conversation after it ends in order to have a one time 10% chance of finding the half of the key before the acid burns you.
Due to the way the scripting works, conversations automatically end when damage is applied to the PC object. Thus, you must re-enter the conversation each time you wish to grope around for the half of the 'First Key', or simply use the 'Jar of Greasy Jelly'. As I've stated in the module description; Thorough investigation of placables and areas is essential. :)
I don't check this thread often, but if there's any other questions, I'll answer them, although maybe not in such a timely manner. ;)
Posted by Berngaard at 2008-12-03 20:15:51 Voted 9.75 on 09/03/08
In my previous post, I should have called out, "Hey, Ghool, or anyone who's completed the mod," how does one escape from the Arena and Ghool's world?
Berngaard
Posted by Berngaard at 2008-11-29 03:38:08 Voted 9.75 on 09/03/08
Hey, Ghool?
After one defeats Acererak, how does one escape from 'Ghool's World?'
Berngaard
Posted by BariTony at 2008-10-18 10:34:44 Voted 10.00 on 02/08/08
Help with glitch. Spoilers.
I'm having a problem getting the second key out of the acid vat in the laboratory. As memory serves, you have to grope around for it, but when I choose the 'keep groping around' option, it exits conversation mode. I've already used my wish with the Efreet. Is there a workaround for this?
Thanks
Posted by Ghool at 2008-09-15 13:29:31 Voted 10.00
Thanks for the votes! It's been a while since I've checked on this thread, and if memory serves correctly, there were a few glitches I ran into once in a while with Acererak. For the most part though, he worked as intended, and BePower is correct about the Oil of Etherealness; it will make your battle versus Acererak much easier. If I recall correctly, Ethereal Visage will also work to circumvent the Demilich's defenses.
Cheers!
-Ghool
Posted by Berngaard at 2008-09-10 07:12:56 Voted 9.75 on 09/03/08
BePower,
Thanks for the tip; I missed the reference about oil of etherealness. I believe my character does have it.
Thanks for the other tips, too!
Tiffinki
Posted by BePower at 2008-09-10 06:20:58 Voted 9.50 on 09/09/08
SPOILERS
Are you using the oil of etherealness? Somewhere in the module it says that's required to hit him. There are 2 places where you can find it, one of them being where you found the siren, the other I forget.
In case you are using it, I hope you have spent some points in Use Magic Device as a rogue. If so you can use scrolls to prep up, including spell mantle that would protect you against curse, doom or ray of enfeeblement and maybe even a black blade to watch him waste his spells before you join the fray of battle. Shadow shield and major globe of invulnerability are also good choices. Pack up some greater restoration scrolls and restoration potions, that should end those penalties. And you could use a potion of speed with a scroll of true strike for 9 seconds of bliss, rinse and repeat as necessary. If you haven't invested in UMD... then I don't know :P
IIRC there's an item in the module that gives you +8 STR and +5 CON, good stuff for melee. Other gear that is worth considering would be a greater amulet of health and the dragon slippers, then you only need to find a helm that protects you against mind-effects or stockpile on clarity potions, since you will be wanting some gloves that gives attack bonuses.
Yours is a great build, I love playing with monk/rogues. Sometimes I dip in wizard or sorc for 1 level, just to have true strike whenever I want. That said rogues are not very useful when you go against undead/constructs, all those immunities simply kill the class so I usually take only 1 level in rogue later on to crank up UMD.
Have fun!
Posted by Berngaard at 2008-09-09 15:53:23 Voted 9.75 on 09/03/08
Hey, BePower?
My character is a monk (Monk 26, Rogue 7), but it's very, very hard to hit Big Ace (I think my monk needs a natural 20 to strike him).
I didn't look, but I'm suspicious that Big Ace cast a curse or something - one that reduces Strength to 4 or imposes a massive penalty on attack rolls or something along those lines. I could easily be wrong about that, though.
Any advice on preventing that, if it's so? And, are there any measures that an epic monk with rogue levels could take to increase attack bonuses? Perhaps I've overlooked something.
In this case, there may also be a glitch in the program. An epic monk's unarmed attacks are supposed to be considered Epic for the purpose of bypassing DR, but as I followed the action, it didn't look like that was so.
Along the same line of thought, the siren was scarcely able to hit him, even with a +20 sword (though I'm aware that her BAB and other bonuses might be pretty wimpy).
Thanks for any advice,
Tiffinki
Posted by BePower at 2008-09-09 10:03:03 Voted 9.50 on 09/09/08
Ghool, you died. Easily. :p
This is a great module, but it really showcases that some things are broken. I don't know if it's epic d&d or bioware implementation of it but aside some evil traps (you're a sadistic %^%$&^lol) the module was just too easy. All you really need is some choice immunities (just buy it) and you're set.
It took me a while to realize some subtleties about the door system. At first I thought unlocking it was worthless and changed nothing, only later on I saw it lowered the open DC. Silly me.
@Berngaard: *** MAJOR SPOILERS *** Mordenkainens Disjunction + Black Blade of disaster to make him waste his spells while you sit and watch. Then another MD and pelt him with Isaac's GMS (you might want to memorize it also with still/silent/empower/whatever just to have tons of it). Another way is to wield a good weapon, haste, belt of strength, true strike and lay waste to him, I was doing 100+ damage per round this way. Be prepared to watch him heal himself to full hp... Greater stoneskin/spell mantle comes in handy, as 32+ SR (monks should do really well).
Posted by Berngaard at 2008-09-03 02:59:43 Voted 9.75 on 09/03/08
Hey, Ghool or anyone?
I made it through to the Big 'Ace,' but I can't nail him. Since I'm familiar with demiliches for D&D 3.x, I feel dumb asking this, but... how do you destroy one? Nothing my character can do does more than scratch him.
(I've even got the siren with me, and I've outfitted her with a +20 sword (!))No help there.
Thanks for any tips,
Tiffinki
Posted by Tlactar at 2008-05-21 15:52:15 Voted 10.00 on 05/21/08
Really a great and fun module. I wish there were more good modules like this out there for epic level characters!
Posted by BariTony at 2008-02-08 14:48:01 Voted 10.00 on 02/08/08
Ghool,
Awesome PnP conversion! I cut my teeth on the old D&D Basic rules and although I never played the original S1 PnP version, I was the victim of many a Gygax module. It certainly felt like a GG module as I was playing it!
Spoilers...
I soloed this with an epic shadowdancer (fighter 6 / rogue 6 / shadowdancer 18) and actually didn't have any troubles completing it. Obviously I could find / disarm traps and open locks, I bought a belt of storm giant strength in HoTU, and had equipped an epic amulet of health which I never take off. (IMHO, the latter along with cowl of warding should be standard equipment for epic rogues and fighters.) This is probably the only character I had lying around that could handle this module solo. It was nice to see my old PnP instincts hadn't decayed too much - I actually had to go back to an earlier save several times just to see what nasty thing would happen if I had taken the obvious traps. (i.e. Should I take the curtain of mist, the demon mouth, pull the lever in the trapped chest or just take the secret door in the wall? DUH!)
Others may rate this module much lower and complain about the arbitrariness of some of the traps - but I had a great time and actually laughed out loud more than once when something particularly nasty happened to my character.
Posted by Ghool at 2008-02-04 12:46:00 Voted 10.00
OH yes, you can always just kick the crap out of my avatar and just take the key. But, rest assured it'll be a tough battle.
Thanks for the feedback and vote! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
-Ghool
Posted by Ghool at 2008-02-04 12:44:01 Voted 10.00
SPOILER!!!!
The answer is curiousity (sp?). If you spell it wrong, he'll still let you into Ghool's World.
Cheers!
-Ghool
Posted by freenow4u2 at 2008-02-03 16:38:34 Voted 9.00 on 02/03/08
Me and my husband had a great time playing this. took us 3 days to finish. Although it was hard for me not thinking in D&D terms, because i've played D&D very little. but still awsome. Although had a question for you Ghool. I can't figure out your riddle. If there a clue you can give us?
Posted by aesclealm at 2007-12-27 06:38:39 Voted 9.75 on 12/27/07
I HATED THIS MODULE.
It has everything I despise about old school DnD - hours blundering around after secret doors, monsters impossible to kill unless you deal just the right type of damage - if you haven't got a particular attribute/skill/spell you're screwed. Having said that, as you're an epic level character you can often buy/enchant/bludgeon your way around these limitations (e.g. buy a Ring of Clear Thought +10 and helm of the watchman for searching for secret doors) so in hindsight it wasn't too bad. Most of the encounters are fairly faithful to the second version of the PnP module so if you liked that you'll wet yourself.
After saying all that it was executed beautifully. The author didn't overeach himself too much and actually managed to transcend the Gygaxian rubbish it was based on. My one criticism would be that the ending felt a bit anti-climatic. Having the object to remove all the annoying undroppable items was a cool touch though, modules like "Darkness over Daggerford" take note!
I'm looking forward to DMing it sometime in the future.
Posted by Ghool at 2007-11-24 14:34:36 Voted 10.00
Ah woops, forgot to answer one thing;
I did have plans to build 'Dungeonland', and it's sequel, 'Land Beyond the Magic Mirror' for NWN, and NWN2. What I found was that NWN required me to make a bunch of custom models (which I can't, and simply don't have the time for) to make the adventures look and feel the way they were supposed to.
NWN2 was a big letdown for me, as multiplayer is virtually unsupported, and the DM client is sketchy at it's best. I have since left it behind until it has better MP support, a fully functioning DM client, and at least -some- 'Wizards' as NWN did. Until then, you won't see anymore modules from me. ;)
Posted by Ghool at 2007-11-24 14:27:53 Voted 10.00
I still watch and update my modules all the time. I only post when some one has a question, or difficulties. ;)
That said, let's move onto your problem;
SPOILERS FOLLOW:
The Venerator, which can be found in the Illithid Lair - Dark Temple, is a 'boss-type' Illithid. He *should* drop a device (Micellaneous: Thin. It looks like a gold contraption with a red gem in the middle) which will open a locked Control Panel in the same room as he's found, which contains a black, 'Malformed Statuette'. This is the same room where you found him and several Illithids sacrifice a girl, after which a bunch of 'Mindless Husks' burst forth from some tubes of green goo standing in that very same room. If this sounds unfamiliar, then you've missed him.
One question I have to ask is this;
Have you installed the CEP hak into the module? If you have, then be aware that it causes a bug which can cause some NPC's to *not* drop the inventory they're supposed to. I'm unsure if it's also a bug without attaching the CEP, but I can't say for sure.
If you've already slain the venerator, and he hasn't dropped the device you need, there is an easy fix; have one of you jump in as a DM, and bring up the 'Creator' interface. From there, look on the 'Items' tree, and in that window, you want to fin the 'Custom' tab. What you are looking for is on the 'Custom 1' tree, and is named 'The Venerator's Device'. Click on that item, and hit 'Create'. Target one of your party members, click on them, and voila, they'll have the Venerator's Device.
If that's too complicated, you don't NEED to complete any of the side-quests. They will simply make your trip through Acererak's final haunt much easier.
I hope that helps, and if you have any more questions, simply post, and I'll answer.
I really hope someone reads this, since the last post was long ago. I am playing this wonderful mod with my wife, son, and daughter... so far we love it. BUT, we have spent hours searching the Illithid Lair, and we cannot figure out how to free Alia. She mentions the Venerator's Device, but we have no idea where that is. We killed a few "boss" type mobs back in the Dark Temple, but I don't beleive any of them were named The Venerator. In any case, we have looted and interacted with everything before and after the maze, and none of us have this mysterious device. Can anyone help us? We are really enjoying it, and I'd hate to switch mods because of this.
*** Sincere thanks for the mod, Ghool... now I want you to make LAND BEYOND THE MAGIC MIRROR!!! =)
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