Tor of the Vulture Lord
Author: Alex Edwards (aka SandboxSorcerer)
System: AD&D/OSRIC
Party Size: ?
Level Range: 1-9
A Roc nests in the ruin of a temple set on a 250 ft stone pillar overlooking a desolate hex. Brigand Horde [and] other Creatures of Chaos use the caverns beneath the temple as a base from which to raid local settlements. Rumours of roc/brigand attacks! Rumours of Gold! Rumours of Demon Cults! Princess Jara was kidnapped, Rescue her!
Can't get much more D&D than that.
I'm always interested by how different people process information. Everyone's brains work in unique ways, and it's part of what makes me question the effectiveness of including a Clarity score in my reviews as it's only my impression of what's "clear" or not. What I'm about to say isn't a criticism, but an observation.
When I first opened this document and began looking it over, my brain wouldn't allow me to actually read it due to the unusual format choices. My eyes could not settle on a specific area of text. I would start to read a line, get a few words in, and then the surrounding formatting would cause my vision to swerve off into a different line. It was rough. To read it, I had to copy-and-paste the writeup into a Notepad doc. I'm really glad I did because once I got the text into a format my brain could process, I discovered a site I really like.
It somewhat misses the mark for what I think of as an adventure site—a discrete location for a quick adventure and then on to the next thing. This one is built more like a semi-permanent location that the players may interact with throughout the campaign; thus, the wide range from 1st to 9th (!) level. The place is set up as a fortification, within an improbably-shaped geologic feature (but in a fantasy world with stone-shaping magic, "improbable" is an almost-meaningless word).
The writeup recommends having low-level parties be "picked up by the roc and deposited in the nest." I'm not sure how that is supposed to work, but I can imagine how my party would react to that bit of railroad-y removal of their agency to resist. I'm also not sure how the roc would grab all of the party members at once (it only has two claw attacks each round and it should still have to roll to hit), and do so without killing them (raptors are not gentle when they snatch up prey... they impale it to death with their talons en route to a feeding location). Guidelines are given for other entrances that a higher-level party may attain.
The text then describes a litany of villains and other enemies the party will encounter during their exploration of the site. It's all very terse and list-like. Big Judges Guild feel. These are rough DM's notes, but like the best JG stuff, the terse descriptions do a great job of giving you the right pieces of information to completely grok what the NPC is all about.
Leading the brigand horde is a 9th-level Chaotic Evil fighter named Vordred, the titular Vulture Lord. His "champion" is Kahiel, a 7th-level Lawful Good fighter who is a secret agent of a religious order known as "The Victorious Wind Dervishes," dedicated to reclaiming this sacred site from these evil people. A demon-obsessed 7th-level magic-user named Bokon assists the Vulture Lord, summoning quasits, succubi, and vrocks so as to control them.
Making up Vordred's army are 120 brigands, a "[m]otley crew of cutthroats," along with a dozen deadly assassins (1st level) and his personal guard of six 2nd-level fighters called "The Rotting Claw." The Vulture Lord has also brought under his control a legion of monstrous beings: vulchlings, harpies, mongrelmen, and a minotaur mercenary. The final piece in this section details some of the other NPCs likely to be encountered in the tor, including the kidnapped Princess Jara (who is a 3rd-level Lawful Evil assassin and the minotaur merc's secret lover. The two of them plot to usurp Vordred. Very good.)
Below this long table of NPCs and monsters is a fairly thorough order-of-battle for the various forces arrayed here. When the roc-poop hits the fan, Kahiel will summon a band of her fellow do-gooders—who await her signal in the nearby wasteland—to attack the tor, James Bond climax-style. Like the NPC roster, these guidelines are tersely written, but they give you all the right details to figure out what needs to be done and when. It's very well done.
The first page wraps up with a logical Wandering Monsters table (no encounter chance or timeframe for rolling is provided, but a note about doubling the number encountered during an alarm is good). There are a few quick notes about the dungeon interior, including lighting and locked doors, and an indication as to which areas are exteriors and which are interiors. The second and third pages are dedicated to descriptions of the keyed locations.
The dungeon key starts at the very top of the 250' high mesa with an exterior location: the roc's nest. This obviously assumes the DM is going with the "roc snatches the party up" intro to the adventure. Of course there's a giant egg in the nest, along with a bunch of arms and armor and a cache of gold coins. The next few locations are also exteriors on top of the cliff, mostly some old temple structures and a ruined palace crawling with vulchlings. Investigating the temple reveals that it was once dedicated to the goddess Nike (the matron of the Wind Dervishes), but is now desecrated and defiled, and recommitted to the witch goddess, Hecate. A secret passage leads from the temple into the mountainous interior.
On the far side of the tor's summit is a "[s]mashed fountain garden... [n]ow overgrown with grape and olive." (Good bit of description.) One of the Vulture Lord's bodyguards is up here with a handful of brigands keeping an eye on the wastelands surrounding the tor. A dangling rope allows PCs to rappel down to a (possible) cliffside entrance into the interior.
The text then jumps into the top level of the interior with the Vulture Lord's throne room and great hall. The space is filled with "[l]ocal humanoids await[ing an] audience with Vordred," but there is only a chance he is present. For visiting humanoids in several interior areas, the text recommends using orcs or lizardmen, or "campaign appropriate NPCs." Some may view this vagueness as a failure of the designer's responsibility, but I see it as a helpful bit of modularity because it doesn't really matter—the local humanoids probably want nothing to do with any fight between the party and the Vulture Lord. I can see it both ways.
Down below in the great hall, the brigands revel with wenches and are attended to by mongrelmen servants. Not much to do here but fight, though there is a chance the champion is present. Her private chamber is just off this hall, where she keeps carrier pigeons in a cage with evidence of her betrayal. There is a chance she is here if she has not already been encountered. A curtain hides a mural of her true goddess "destroying beastmen" (presumably mongrelmen?), which is really a secret door into a tomb of mummified Nike priestesses wielding +1 Battleaxes.
There are several of these secret tombs hidden throughout the complex, and part of Kahiel's endgame is to release the mummies into the complex, believing them to be good spirits. She is mistaken about the mummies' reaction, however, which could make for an exciting change to the dungeon environment.
There's another desecrated temple to Nike where the occultist magic-user has been summoning demons (and he may be here when the party enters). This is actually the lower level of the temple above, connected by a secret stair behind the statue. A hoard of treasure is scattered about the statue's base. The magic-user's chamber is nearby, occupied by a succubus and a quasit. The latter demonling is likely his familiar, but the text isn't clear (he does have the spell Find Familiar in his spellbook).
It's important to identify this fact because the 7th level magic-user has an average of 18 hp (maybe 25 if he has a decent CON), while the 3 HD quasit has an average of 13-14 hp. If the party kills the quasit as a familiar, the magic-user immediately loses double its hit points, so maybe 26-28 damage. It could very well be that one of the Vulture Lord's main allies simply drops dead elsewhere. That's an awesome possibility, but the text identifies the quasit only as one of the "summoned demons."
One other thing to mention here: The magic-user is only 7th level. He is facilitating his demon summoning via scrolls of Monster Summoning VII, a 9th (!) level spell. These are written to specifically summon succubi or vrocks, making them even more valuable and complicated to manufacture. These could be sold on the open market for 2,700 gp each (per DMG, maybe more for the demon specificity). Several caches of these scrolls (14 total) are found throughout the adventure.
Putting aside the question of who is spending the time and labor to craft these scrolls for him, he has an automatic 55% chance of wasting it with a reading failure due to the level difference. So of the 14 scrolls in his possession, he will only successfully cast 7, maybe 8 of them. Even if successful, the spell only lasts about 3 turns (assuming a 19th-level casting, per magic scroll guidelines in the DMG). Why would he waste a scroll summoning a succubus to sit around here for 30 minutes (unless he's present, in which case...)
Sorry, maybe this is all a giant quibble on my part, but things like this leap out at me so I would not be doing my duty as a good judge and critic if I didn't discuss it. I do ascribe to the notion that NPC magic-users do not fall under the exact same restrictions as "adventuring magic-users," and so I too afford them some flexibility in their capabilities, so long as it doesn't break the established norms. My own submission for this year's contest was built on such NPC flexibility.
I feel like this element could have been made less mechanical (via the scrolls) and explained more simply: A tome of demon summoning or other item that opened (holds open) a portal in the desecrated temple; perhaps he is under the sway of a succubus who is directing the summoning of her fellow demons; or maybe he has a demonic patron who is arranging these "loaner demons" in exchange for sacrifices. Something else that a DM can use to explain the situation narratively without rubbing against the rules logic.
Other areas on this level include the Vulture Lord's chambers, his harem of orc (!) concubines, aviaries for hippogriffs and harpies, and a treasure vault with a vrock demon bathing in gold coins. Oddly, the dangling rope from the summit above leads to a barred window into the treasure vault, but to get through them requires a Bend Bars check.
Why is this rope here and how do the brigands pass through the window? And why would the Vulture Lord want his underlings tromping through his loot pile on their way to-and-from work? And why would you put a barred window into your treasure vault?? (The vrock demon and skeletons living here don't need air.) For that matter, why would you waste a demon summoning scroll to have the demon swim around in your boss's gold for 30 minutes?
All minor points and I'm somewhat taking the piss here, but you know...rooms should make sense. Fortunately, this is the only one that doesn't work. The rest of the complex is pretty well-grounded.
The next level down is mostly dormitories and storerooms for the Vulture Lord's forces. The minotaur's quarters are here as well, where Princess Jara is chained to the wall (I suppose submission is a pretty sensible strategy for handling a relationship with a minotaur...she's playing the long game here).
The lowest level includes a well chamber (critical in any good fortification), a prison, a natural cave with a secret tunnel to the outside (or entrance in), and a fortified gate guarded by brigands. A long staircase ascends from the gate cavern straight through the brigand barracks, and up to the great hall. It's all laid out in a sensible, if fairly pedestrian manner.
The final section consists of a Wandering Monsters table for the exterior area surrounding the tor, along with some Referee Notes that would better serve the adventure by moving them to the top of the document. Some final notes about the roc's egg and what may happen if the party takes possession of it are great, but should also be nested under the description of its roost.
Treasure amounts to about 51,250 gpv in coins and objects, with another two dozen gems of unspecified value. There are also nine hippogriff eggs worth 1,000 gp each according to the Monster Manual. The roc egg can be sold for 2d6x100 gp, which seems low compared to hippogriff (or owlbear) eggs. A roc is a primal force of nature and a potent weapon. Powerful beings (like giants or kings) might pay a fortune in gold for such a creature, but the value as written would average only 350 gp. Bokon's spellbook is worth 20,000 gp (or 10,000 xp) per UA guidelines. Without knowing gem values, all of this together comes to a grand total of 80,600 gp, a little over 16,000 apiece for a party of five—about enough to go from 5th to 6th level.
Magic items are plentiful but not particularly powerful. Drums of Panic, a set of Pipes of the Sewers, and a Crystal Ball are the primary items, and there is a wide variety of +1 weapons (53 of them actually, including a composite bow, a pair of flails, and two whips!) along with a +2 Longsword and +2 Battle Axe found throughout the site. Magic armor is limited to suits of +1 and +2 Chain Mail, as well as three sets of +1 Robes. The rest of the magic treasure consists of over 40 potions and 14 scrolls of Monster Summoning VII. The magic is worth about 60,000 xp or can be sold for more than 200,000 gp.
If the party is ever looking to outfit their army of henchmen with an arsenal of magic weapons, this is the place for them.
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1) THEME
(How strong/consistent is the adventure's premise, flavor, and setting?)
The site has a distinct vibe going for it: Chaotic Evil bandits in a solitary mountain lair in the middle of wastelands; rocs, harems, mummies, demons, dervishes, etc. All very sword-and-sandals-ish and oh-so Judges Guild-y. It feels like a place Conan might sneak into to rescue the princess.
I really like it as a campaign site lorded over by a villain who can carry a lot of menace and create mucho problemos for local communities until the party decides to do something about it—a campaign super-villainous lair well-suited for a big takedown when the party reaches 5th-7th level. In fact, the site feels very much like the kind of place a party may set up shop after some negotiation with the dervishes.
The text's stated premise, however, intends for the tor to be a recurring adventure site over the course of the PCs' careers—from 1st to 9th levels. I just don't see that happening (or how it's even possible). The party will be slaughtered at low levels, just by the sheer force of mass represented by the brigands and their allies. A party at 8th or 9th level will barely notice this site as any sort of threat (though the roc remains a challenge).
While the active fortress is ill-suited for an extended set of separate forays (a smart enemy just wouldn't allow it after the first or second incursion by the PCs), it's perfect for an infiltration/assault mission to tip the various hostile factions into chaos and betrayal, at which point the whole house of cards can come tumbling down with the party's help.
And though the text is sparse and the elements are not described with much verve, the writing still manages to impart the right information to get your brain working and connect all the elements together so that it feels like a proper "place." I dig it and can think of many ways it would be useful to a DM's campaign beyond just a one-and-done (even though that is the implied objective of an adventure site).
SCORE (THEME) = 4 / 5
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2) MAP AND ART
(How complex/useful is the map and/or art? How easy is it to grok the layout?)
The map is keyed with letters, though arranged in a randomish manner that I can't quite explain. But the layout is easy to grasp and the complex feels appropriate to what the structure is supposed to be. The profile thumbnail at the top is handy, as are the notations on the map itself. It's a good map if a bit vague in places.
SCORE (MAP/ART) = 4 / 5
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3) CLARITY
(How easy is the writeup to read/parse quickly? How well does the information flow?)
The format of this adventure is all over the place. The first page is single-column justified, but most of the individual text pieces are single-line, so the justification doesn't help readability much. Every other section is shaded, ledger-style, with section titles in black with reversed text. Names and creatures are bolded, while personality notes are italicized. There is a rudimentary stat block given for each NPC or monster type, mostly listing AC and HD (with damage given for natural attacks). NPC descriptions include possessions and personal treasure.
The remaining pages switch to two-column justified format using the same ledger style as above, but highlighting monsters in yellow and treasure in light-blue (treasure text is also italicized). It's all a bit of a mess, I'm sorry to say.
As I mentioned at the beginning, I couldn't read this manuscript as presented. I had to pull the text out of the published document, strip out all the strange formatting, and add line spacing to give the dense, multicolored text room to breathe and allow my brain to process it. Once I did that, the quality of the writing and design came out, but if I'm hoping to run this tonight, I shouldn't have to do that. This whole thing needs to be taken apart, reorganized, and reformatted to make it truly shine.
I'm scoring this slightly higher than I probably should because I think the author effectively channeled Bob Bledsaw's writing style very well (something that is not easy to do despite its apparent simplicity). I am filled with nostalgia when I see that done right, so this adventure site gets a bump up. Reorganized and reformatted, this is easily a score of 3 or even 4. It's good stuff and deserves better.
SCORE (CLARITY) = 2 / 5
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4) INTERACTIVITY/INNOVATION
(How well does the adventure use the rules to create interesting play?)
The stronghold is all very naturalistic and laid out like an actual brigand's fort would be, with very little environmental interaction required to get around from area to area. There are a few secret doors, some bars to bend (maybe), a Climb check is required to reach one entrance by rope (though how this works for non-thieves isn't provided). Other than that, there's not much to fiddle with inside.
The factional intrigue is definitely ripe for interaction, but an assaulting party may not become aware of any of the internal pressures or opportunities to undermine the Vulture Lord. If this was telegraphed to the party earlier (perhaps via an emissary from the dervishes), or if they manage to capture and interrogate some prisoners, they might figure out an effective strategy.
The likeliest outcome is a lot of fighting, however.
SCORE (INTERACTIVITY) = 2 / 5
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5) MODULARITY
(How easy would it be to drop/integrate the adventure into an existing campaign?)
This setup will require some campaign finesse as its limitations are somewhat set in stone (no pun intended). You'll need a place where civilization has a tenuous grasp and brigands are free to roam and pillage. You'll need a barren wasteland to surround the tor, because the open ground is what makes this site difficult to approach or assault with an army. And you'll need to be willing to incorporate a marauding roc into the area.
None of this is terribly difficult, I think, for most campaigns, but the site does require specific elements to work properly, which may limit its modular use. As a campaign feature inserted from the get-go, allowing its presence to impact the party's regular adventures in some way, it works great. Make the players want to level up so they can get rid of these brigands who keep robbing them on the way back from another dungeon, or who keep pillaging the town where the party rests and recuperates.
You may also have an issue with the sheer number of magic weapons to be hauled out of this place, or the possibility that the party gets their hands on a roc hatchling (Charm Monster would work great!), or the other possibility that the characters manage to seize this mountain fortress for themselves. (For the record, I'm okay with all of that.)
SCORE (MODULARITY) = 3 / 5
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6) USABILITY
(How much work will the referee have to do to run this adventure at the table tonight?)
If you can read this as formatted, then you won't have to do anything at all. I have to believe that most humans will struggle to make their way through this document (at least at first), meaning you will likely have to do what I did: Pull everything out of the PDF into a new document and reformat it for readability.
Despite that bit of effort, the site is complete and thorough, and you should have everything you need to run this without a lot of narrative holes or outstanding questions to resolve. It's very well thought-out, and that's great. Again, scoring this slightly higher than I should because the content is so good. With reworking, this is easily a 4 (maybe even 5).
SCORE (USABILITY) = 3 / 5
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7) OVERALL THOUGHTS
I think the author misfired a bit when he set this up for a range of levels. It's perfect as a campaign thorn-in-the-side to a party as they level up, culminating in an awesome showdown between the characters and the Vulture Lord who has been terrorizing the area. But the players will likely experience this site all at once rather than piecemeal throughout their careers as the author intends.
I'm glad I persevered through the layout issues, though, because this is a solid site for an adventure.
FINAL SCORE = 3.0 / 5
I rather liked this one myself. Definitely one of my favorite CONCEPTS from ASCII...just needed a lot more specificity and execution (to make it playable).
ReplyDeleteIt was a pleasure peeling back the wonky formatting and uncovering the gem of an adventure inside. I was genuinely surprised how much I liked it.
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