So, you've gone out and
acquired Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil, and you'll be running a
campaign set in this world. One of the first thing you'll discover is that while
RTEE has a wonderful campaign for characters that start at 4th
level, if you want folks starting at 1st level, you'll need some interesting
side adventures. You'll also note that the nearest large city,
Verbobonc, has almost no detailed information on it.
In this node, I'll be sharing the backplot, rules errata, and interesting features of the world around the module, as it becomes available and relevant to my players. Yes, this means there will be information withheld from these nodes. If you want some of my sekrit DM information, feel free to contact me.
Rules Errata
- Aggregated Bonuses for Multiclass Characters
- d20 rolls
- Whenever a d20 is rolled, with the exception of initiative, a 20 is read as a 30, and a 1 as a -10.
Locations
- Verbobonc (this information will eventually move to its own node)
- Located about a day northwest of Hommlet, Verbobonc was placed under siege during the War of Seven Gods. At that time, a massive wall was erected around the inner and outer city, measuring 15 feet thick at its base, tapering to a 10 foot width at its 30 foot height. Built and repaired by clerics with the stone shape spell, the wall is seamless for its length. Unfortunately, after the war, the population spilled outside the walls, forming the new city outside the walls. Smugglers and other unsavory folks have built tunnels through the walls in the intervening years. The outer city, located just within the perimeter of the walls, is a maze of small side streets, difficult to patrol, but catering to the needs of those who would prefer not to be taxed. The eastern section is known as the Adventurer's Quarter, although with adventuring on the decline, it has become more and more seedy.
- Celene
- Just south of Hommlet is the former elven kingdom of Celene. In the last ten years, people discovered that the elves had all vanished, leaving behind human and half-even rangers on their borders. Some of these folk have turned to banditry to sustain themselves.
- Enstad
- A city about 40 miles southwest of Hommlet.
The Tower of Far Sight is located in Enstad.
Items
- Stimbox
- A left-over from the War of Seven Gods, the stimbox can be used to slightly boost the encounter level of various encounters
Events
- War of Seven Gods
- The war 22 years before which culminated in the Battle of Emridy Meadows.
People
- Levin the Artificer
- A shopkeeper in Verbobonc, Levin the Artificer sells spell and item components, as well as carrying an plethora of magic items below 2,000 gp value, with an assortment at higher values.
- Skine
- A combat sorcerer (6th level), Skine takes on odd jobs. One such job is as a fake caravan master, triggering an ambush on some surprised bandits (and surprising some wandering first level adventurers).
- Killaree
- A Shaper/Crystal Singer shopkeeper in Hommlet. She's fled the fall of Maltara to the forces of Hextor, and a good mentor for psis.