Post/Author/DateTime	Post
ieattrollsforbreakfast 11-23-06, 09:31 AM	Can anyone give me a summary of what appeared in the Dragon article about Dreadhold? I'm writing a campaign beginning with the PCs' escape from the prison, but it might be some time before I can get hold of the back issue and I'd like to start as soon as I can :) While I'm at it, does anyone have any ideas for how to run such a campaign? A have a few ideas jotted down already, but it'd be great to see how the rest of you would handle it.
Incudine 11-23-06, 10:35 AM	Hi, I don’t have the Dragon article but just a couple of ideas (I love Dredhold!!) Sorry if they are not very well structured thoughts, but my mind is quite burned out at the moment… apologies  For how I imagine dreadhold: The fortress is a biiiiiig hole in the ground, 200 hundreds meter deep and at least 80meters in diameter, with a massive (20meter wide) pillar raising at the centre, the cells are located on the external circle. Each cell contains one prisoner. A series of continual torches illuminate the whole prison 24h/day, there is now darkness to hide in Dreadhold The central pillar is where the guards are, observing through darkened glasses (guards can see the cells, but the prisoners cannot see them, therefore they never know when they are observed to increase paranoia, more info if you search for Panopticon prisons on the web), no bridge connects the pillar to the cells. The only way to move between the different levels is thought cages that are lowered from the top of the hole, if prisoners create problems the cage is released and let fall with the prisoner inside. The winch for the cages is fitted with a spring scale, this way guards know if an invisible prisoner is hiding in a cage. The walls of the hole and the pillar are covered with a constant grease spell to stop climbing. (Prisoners with natural wings…. Have them cut off when imprisoned) During the day prisoners are used to keep digging the hole, creating more cells and expanding the prison. Guards observe them working from the pillar (the digging in the pillar is done by the guards) in case of riots the guards rarely intervene, usually leaving the prisoners at the bottom of the hole without food and water for a few days solves the problem, if prisoners cause to much problems or assault the pillar guards just release some alchemist stuff (fire, ice, noxious smoke…) from the top. Always active on the cells is a series of spells to block teleports, spells etc etc. I was thinking of the prison guards waking up prisoners every 2 hours to interrupt sleep ( and regaining spells/power points), (not sure how to prevent clr spells thou) An antimagic field could be nice, but at the same time I like the idea of the guards still being able to use spells to supervise/control prisoners. In the prison there is no heating, water and food is left once a week in the cells when the prisoners are working at the bottom. Prisoners work in 8 hours shifts (8h work, 4h sleep/rest, 8h work, 4h rest), but the digging never stops with the sound of hammers and picks echoing 24h a day in the whole prison. All prisoners are kept constantly fatigued I was definitely inspired by the film “the fortress” with Christopher Lambert hope this helped Incudine
Identitystolen 11-23-06, 11:05 AM	OK, I've the Dragon article in question and a Mark of Heroes campaign book thingy that happens to be about escaping Dreadhold. Basic summary of the Dragon article: Starts out with background, and how it was used as a island of exile with Karrn the Conqueror and was known as Blackrock. No real prison then, just a small village of exiles and criminals. Then King Galifar I hired Kundarak to start building the prison we all know and love today. With the fall of Galifar, Kundarak took a more mercenary approach to their prison, where they'll take anyone for a fee. Next is the island description, where is takes a look at the harbor, Gaolgate (the village formerly of exiles, now guards), and the defensive trench that leads to the prison from the village. Then there is the description of the prison fortress itself and all the goodies you can expect to encounter inside. The description includes the layout, means of communication, the 5 prison wards (which include everything from high end living quarters to dank, lightless, cells buried under the island), the guards and wardens, defensive capabilities, and rules for visiting. Also gives nice little tips on how to use the Prison in your campaign. Also, the article has boxes of extras which include infamous prisoners, Terms of Imprisonment, stats, maps,and rumors about the prison. The MoH campaign book basicly has the players thrown into a cavernous mine of sorts where prisoners mingle (and are never seem to be put into cells.) I can't find anything that really corresponds with this in the Dragon article, unless you wish to throw something in below the Deep Ward (which is the max security area in the article 100ft down.) You must get a hold of a pirate captain who knows a way out, but in order to gain his attention you need to gain 'respect points' (or somesuch thing) with the various factions. If you get enough in time, he shows that he has broken in the sewer system, but its blocked by monsters (and at the end a nasty puzzle trap, but he doesn't know that.) The way also leads up back into the fortress itself, and he really only has plans to escape himself and ditch his crew, but will take the PCs along if he has taken a liking to them. A lot more to all of that, but I'm not sure how much I'm allowed to post on the boards. Overall, the Dreadhold prison break scenario is overall one of my favorite in Eberron. Gave my gobli rogue a chance to really shine! :D
ieattrollsforbreakfast 11-23-06, 01:18 PM	<snip> hope this helped Incudine Sure did, thanks! You've got a nice image of Dreadhold there, the trouble is I think it's a little too escape-proof for my campaign. I'd consider something that secure if my PCs were just visiting, but they have pretty much no hope if they are to escape that! OK, I've the Dragon article in question and a Mark of Heroes campaign book thingy that happens to be about escaping Dreadhold. <snip> Thanks, that's exactly what I needed! Looks like its worth picking up, so the hunt is on to find it... The mining thing is mentioned in the ECS, which refers to rumours of Kundarak using prison labour to mine for Khyber dragonshards. I had planned a similar thing to the MoH adventure, with the only chance to mingle be in the mines, but I'd drag the PCs back to the cells quite often. The 'respect points' idea sounds like a good one too. I don't know how its done in MoH, but as a DM I'd keep that behind the scenes. The tricky is coming up with factions of prisoners and ways to earn their favour. Any ideas? I'd like to include one group of aberrant marked, possibly from House Tarkanan. I remember reading somewhere on these forums there might be a manifest zone in Dreadhold. Any truth to that?
Syltorian 11-23-06, 01:25 PM	I remember reading somewhere on these forums there might be a manifest zone in Dreadhold. Any truth to that? It's a manifest zone to Lamannia. This basically means that it is very difficult if not impossible to destroy natural materials - stone (walls) and wood (doors). I believe it also purifies food and drink...
Syltorian 11-23-06, 01:46 PM	Incidentally: There is a web enhancement for this Dragon issue on Paizo. It includes two new items (one magical), and two famous prisoners. Find it here: http://paizo.com/dragonissues/344/DR344_Supplement.pdf
Identitystolen 11-23-06, 02:49 PM	Heres the factions in the MoH book: They had a goblinoid/ogre faction led by a infamous hobgoblin brigand, largest group in the mining area. The warforge group dedicated to the Lord of Blades is the best armed since they use their inhuman endurance to pound out weaponry. The Valenar warband is just that, but if you get on their good side (mainly by getting the spellbane collars off of them) they might help in your escape. The Bladelings have the magical fire power considering they have a key to rid themselves of the spellbane collars. Also their natural combat abilities help them out. Then there is the pirate crew who are trying to bust out. The first mate is a uncover Lyandar agent who was investigating them for attacking House ships, and the captain is borderline insane, but brilliant, with something talking to him in his head. There is the blind, immortal, mogrelfolk prophet (who has some rather miserable, but sometimes useful, visions to share) who follows you around until trying to be helpful... That is unless you try to kill him, then he ignores you. Finally, a helpful warden who'll give you what info he can via the (for lack of a better term) remote control golems. But get caught talking to him and you'll be unpopular.
HarmonysRage 11-23-06, 04:19 PM	What is MoH?
Syltorian 11-23-06, 04:44 PM	Mark of Heroes (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebmoh/welcome)
ieattrollsforbreakfast 11-27-06, 01:59 PM	Well, the campaign is coming along nicely, so thanks for your help everyone! If anyone who reads this plays on the Real Adventures board, you'll probably see it up on there in a week or so. There is just one more major piece to the puzzle: Why are the PCs locked up, anyway? I'm looking to have the PCs be rich/famous heroes, imprisoned for crimes (in which case they were framed) and/or conspiracy (as in, they uncovered something they weren't supposed to know). Any suggestions? At the moment, I'm leaning towards the PCs uncovering a plot by the Dragonmarked Houses to overthrow the rulers of the Five Nations, but I've also thought about them having uncovered the truth about Kaius III, or them being framed by some organisation for an assassination (who is another detail that needs to be iron out). The reasons for imprisonment is going to be the focus of the game once the PCs have escaped, so it has to be a good one!
Syltorian 11-27-06, 08:11 PM	Can you give us more information on your PCs? It'd be easier to help you with determining why they were locked up if we knew about their class, alignment, race, connections to houses or organisations and the like. The question "why were they locked up" hides another one: "why were they not simply done away with?" Kaius needs a very good reason to keep people who know his secret alive. It's perhaps the greatest catastrophe that could happen short of a repeat of the Mourning. It'd be war with Thrane, civil war in Karrnath. If the PCs are so popular that it could cause Kaius trouble to kill them, arrange it to look like the Emerald Claw killed them. Now the King of Karrnath got popular sentiment mobilised against his enemies, and has done away with a security risk. If he sends them to Kundarak, and does not take extreme precautions (seperating them from everybody else, silent cells, etc), the news can spread, especially to Kundarak, who are in charge of the prison. Given Kundarak's reputation, such opportunism is a slight risk, but it is still a risk. I'm also pretty sure that some of the prisoners sent there by, say, Phiarlan, are undercover. You'd find all kinds of interesting bits and pieces, conspiracies, details about crime networks, plots, terrorist organisations, etc, etc. The Twelve are also not going to keep anyone who knows about their little plot alive, unless they are on the same side, of course (but then, why imprison them?). Phiarlan and Thuranni should have no trouble arranging an accident. Ghallanda controls most of the food they eat; easy to poison them. The next ship they take will have an unfortunate shipwreck, courtesy of Lyrandar. Droaam monsters can turn bandits and would be difficult to connect back to Tharashk. So many accidents, all of which cannot be traced back to the houses (the best crime-solvers are members of those same houses themselves). Why then keep such a risk alive? So you want them to have stepped on someone's toes strongly enough to be sent to Dreadhold, but not killed outright. Some in Dreadhold have been kept alive because they would just come back if they were killed (e.g. if the anti-Keeper was killed, the Dark Flame would select a new one). If you kil native outsider, he too will reform later on. Do the PCs have clones ready somewhere, somewhere where only they know? If so, it would give you a reason to keep them alive. The best idea so far seems to be to frame them for a crime they did not commit. Perhaps by the Chamber. They might need to be in Dreadhold to help the Prophecy along. Some NPCs/PCs could be there for their own reasons, and the Chamber completes the set by framing those others it has decided are chosen by the prophecy to be there as well. Turn Crown's Evidence after being part of a larger plot (Emerald Claw, for example, or the Ashbound). That should give them lighter sentences: Dreadhold rather than death. If they all belong to the same house, maybe someone higher up has a qualm against them, and manages to blame security leaks on the PCs. As a high authority in his house, he can sent people to Dreadhold. The PCs haven't quite figured out what happened to make this person their enemy (perhaps they came close to something threatening, perhaps his rakshasa adviser didn't like them, perhaps he just needed someone to blame his own strange activities on and found someone at random). Where do you send them too, by the way? Golden Ward, Red Ward, Stone Ward or Deep Ward?
Incudine 11-28-06, 10:54 AM	In an adventure I run I had the PC escorting Thumas, an ex- mercenary army commander to dreadhold. Basically:the commander (Brelish) was framed for the massacre of a village in Karrnath, by Attanasius, a Brelish army commander (part of the aurum) that in reality odered the slaughter of the civilians (as reprisal for his family being killed by karrns). Attanasius convinced Thumas to accept the charges on the promise to spare his soldiers from the inquest (Attanasius was on the inquest board thanks to the aurum). Anyway, the PCs had to escort Thumas undercover from wroath till dreadhold, on the way they are attacked by lots of parties (Karrns, aurum assassins prompted by Attanasius and thumas' soldiers trying to free him). they discover that Thumas is actually not a bad person. they then decided to go to the village in karrnath to investigate (carrying Thumas around with them, still a prisoner). Attanasius started a plot against them, with the brelish army and deneith marshals looking for them. when they found proofs of what happened they went to wroath to confront attanasius, just to find out he died "falling from a sky coach in sharn" with his feather fall ring still in his pocket. the guards found his diary in his room (forged by the aurum) where he admitted that he was guilty of the massacre and that his mental status was not very good, as he started hearing the voices of the victims at night. this lead to the idea that it was a suicide (in reality the aurum decided to close its llink to attanasius). What would have happened if the PC were captured before they found proofs? and were not killed ? For me they would have ended up in dreadhold as well with Thumas....... and that's when the campaign may start for you.... PC trying to escape, clear their names, discover what happened in the village and "arrest" Attanasius? ah, and a couple of karrns in dreadhold may still try to kill Thumas (and the Pc) as revenge (make sure attanasius make them aware who they are) just an idea Incudine
ieattrollsforbreakfast 11-29-06, 01:14 PM	Can you give us more information on your PCs? It'd be easier to help you with determining why they were locked up if we knew about their class, alignment, race, connections to houses or organisations and the like. Unfortunately not, the campaign is to start in Dreadhold, so the players haven't created their PCs yet. The question "why were they locked up" hides another one: "why were they not simply done away with?" <snip> You're right, risky information and/or uncovering a plot isn't really the way forward. So you want them to have stepped on someone's toes strongly enough to be sent to Dreadhold, but not killed outright. Some in Dreadhold have been kept alive because they would just come back if they were killed (e.g. if the anti-Keeper was killed, the Dark Flame would select a new one). If you kil native outsider, he too will reform later on. Do the PCs have clones ready somewhere, somewhere where only they know? If so, it would give you a reason to keep them alive. The PCs aren't nearly going to be high enough level for that to be an option, so it looks like it's going to have to be the framing scenario. Where do you send them too, by the way? Golden Ward, Red Ward, Stone Ward or Deep Ward? I don't have the Dragon article yet, what's the difference? <snip> That's a pretty good idea, with a bit of adaptation to the organisations I'd prefer to use (probably House Tarkanan, the Aurum and maybe the Lords of Dust), I think something similar will work nicely. Thanks for the help, the end is now in sight :)
lordalm 11-29-06, 04:10 PM	If they are starting in the prison, which is the big bad uber prison. They could be there for more mundane reasons. The Lhazar Principalties probally just throw anyone that they want to suffer (not kill outright) there. Kundark would defientaly hide/imprison anyone that interfered with house business. Mohr holds send them there, Kundark connection again. And the power organization based out of there as well, forget its name. Where they just born there? Making them guards or progeny of prisoners, which will make the real world a very intersting place for them when and if they manage to escape....
Flame_Drake 11-29-06, 10:39 PM	Trolls, you scared me so much with this topic! I don't have the Dragon article yet, what's the difference? Okay, I don't have the article on hand, but I can give you a run down of each. Red Ward: Big locks, thick walls and powerful dwarven wards are the thing here. This is the main ward in Dreadhold and holds what you would consider "normal" prisoners. It takes up three of the towers and bit over half of the main floor. Gold Ward: The ward for the powerful. Disgraced generals, Former Sea Princes and Dragonmarked Heirs are examples of the People you can find here. The types of guards in this ward aren't that different then the Red Ward. The difference is the rooms themselves, which are much more luxurious to accommodate for the greater prestige of the people contained withing. Pianos, candles, books, real food, all of these may be provided. Also, prisoners from this ward in good standing may be allowed to visit Dreadhold's library under supervision, and are the most likely to have visitors allowed into the Prision. It occupies the fourth tower and a bit of the main floor. Stone Ward: The Stone Ward takes up the rest of the main floor. The residents of the Stone Ward are permanently stone to fleshed and too dangerous to be allowed to be placed in the Red Ward, but for whatever reason, neither can they be placed in the Deep Ward. Some of them cannot be allowed to die, and a number of people paid good gold to the House to turn them to stone and awake them when the Dwarves judge that the War was over. Deep Ward: As its name implies, the Deep Ward is located deep under the rest of the complex, and is home to the most dangerous magical and political enemies of the Five Nations. Almost all of the Cells here are dead magic zones and there is no magical lighting. Shortly after being given the crown, Kaius III shaped a prisoner to the Deep Ward and only the Lord Warden knows the identity of this person. At least one and possibly more Liches are known to be chained to the walls of cells in this Ward. Further supplementary information can be found here (http://paizo.com/dragonissues/344/DR344_Supplement.pdf) Cheers, Drake
ieattrollsforbreakfast 11-30-06, 07:22 PM	Trolls, you scared me so much with this topic! Heh, no need to worry. I have no plans to send Zil an co. to Dreadhold. Yet. Okay, I don't have the article on hand, but I can give you a run down of each. <snip> Thanks, it looks like the Red Ward is what I'm after, though I'll have to have them locked up on the main floor to allow them access to underground tunnels.
mrockwell 12-01-06, 10:54 PM	Graeme Davis' book Blood and Honor also deals with Dreadhold; however, I think the write-up in Dragon presents a much more interesting take on the prison.