[No-Artpunk] #8 The Taking of Icewyrm Hold (ACKs)

The Taking of Icewyrm Hold
ShocktoHp
ACKs
Lvl 9
Page count: 34+ 1 map
Classification: Protected Cruiser

The quality of NAP III has continued to remain excellent and entry number 8 does not break the streak. A second chance at an ACKs scenario, taking advantage of its MASS COMBAT rules, to create what always should have been possible for ACKs (given some of its roots are in BECMI) but simply not instantiated in module form. The gods of NAP commanded, and Shocktohp delivers. A robust scenario with a few warts in presentation but excellence where it counts.

There is going to be, in the bright future of high level play, a western and an eastern roman empire. In the west you have fully actualized AD&D, complete with Archdevils, cubes of Force, spheres of annihilation, planar travel and timestop spells, with domain parts present but not prominent. In the east, different but no less mighty, you have ACKs, with its spells a little lower and more restrained, but with a fully integrated strategic and tactical domain/mass combat part. Committed to one, or the other will be the systems minor. Only madmen shall claim allegiance to both.

Robust premise. The far northern city of spearpoint under Lord Robert Duchamp (titular PC) is having a spat of bother with his newly acquired domain. The gold mine and timber yard have been knocked out of commission. The natives are getting uppity. Perhaps more disconcertingly, a tide of eternal ice is encroaching on the small domain, caused by the ancient hereditary rulers of the land and their ties with the nefarious Cryolich. Very nice bonus points: some complications are proposed, including an impending royal debt, a peasant uprising under a charismatic criminal or the, less tactically rich but more imposing GRIM CRUSADE variant, which blankets the entire land in eternal ice and removes the player settlement.

Scale is…8 miles?

Big deal, you say. An ice-lich threatens a region. So what? As always, the devil is in the details, my lovelies. The domain is given full stats, an army, the forces of frostwyrm keep has an army that can travel on the polar winds. The ice has its own random encounter tables and properties. If areas are reached without the PCs having dealt with them first, they will join the enemy forces. There’s an artifact that protects against the cold to be uncovered, but its guarded by a tribe of lizardmen, who in turn are worshipped by the nomads etc. The nomads can be allied with (this part is mentioned but left rather vague), vanquished, there’s different NPCs, they can be bargained with etc. Its not a superabundance, but there’s a depth, a meat to it that is appreciated and you will feel during the game. If there is any doubt this was an ACKs module, this is the type of graininess I am talking about.:

Not quite floor-tiles and latrine levels but we are getting there. Do not be alarmed. On the next section may be found the Lizardman’s considerable hoard of coins.

Everything that would be absent in a CM scenario is fully integrated here. What the effect on your domain is if you recover and resettle the lumber mill or the gold mine. The effect if Spearpoint is ever laid siege to. These sorts of permutations, actual gameplay, that’s this adventure.

The weakest section of the adventure is the abandoned gold mine. A lair assault. Even here, there are multiple entrances, sentries, there is an order of battle (disguised among the encounters), traps and so on. However, everything has been abstracted up the wazzoo. Warren number 6 is just a random table simulating some sort of maze-like environment, with different cave occupants, and if you don’t have someone with a caving proficiency you are going to get lost, no special weapon for the goblin chief, no prisoners to free, the random cave occupants are indefinetely large and thus unorganized, no big or secret hoard etc. Despite it being the weakest, it is still quite alright. I do suspect a 9th level party is going to absolutely tear through this and I would have liked a real map. Also a reminder to bold your notations of monsters in the descriptions so I know what I am looking at and whether I should be alarmed and consider something like pre-rolling the hit points and noting those or even just including the stat blocks.

Icewyrm Hold on the other hand. Now THIS is a high level location. Proper fortress surrounded by walls of Ice and Granite. Corpses are frozen into the walls. The Gatehouse/wall can use a bit of work, especially on the map side. BUT. A Gatehouse golem guardian. A chance to freeze if you touch the enchanted Ice/land in the wrong place. Occasional orders of battle, but most of it is attack via ambush. Random encounters, and the malevolent powers of the Ice lich that are triggered under certain conditions. Nasty traps to bait high level characters: An illusory rooftop leading to a 30 ft. drop into an inner garden filled with memory moss. An area that if scried/clairvoyanced blasts the viewer. BUT Also. Multiple means of eggress. Wards. Guards. Passwall opportunities (despite reduced effectiveness). Secret areas. NASTY encounters with groups of spectres, archer bushes in the royal garden and shadows. Semi-friendly NPCs. Unique creatures like the Frost Skeleton, Painting Geist, Nomads called by the Curse on the bloodline to serve the lord of Icewyrm Hold!

There are occasional grumbles, mostly relating to either the editing (missing non-critical information), a more optimized format or the level of resolution. Its almost like the author is thinking more on a strategic level where the whole of the interlocking parts is given prominence but the quality of single rooms is occasionally weaker (or just needed another editing pass). I have included a weak note and two high notes to illustrate my way of thinking.

I like the aforementioned wicked curveballs too: A dungeon level with anti-magic wards. And then an extra bit of depth where you can reverse engineer the ritual. Hard to transport statues. Weird stuff (perhaps too ‘weird’ for the ACKsman. Is a royal statue wielding a scepter that will transform the unworthy trying to grab it into a newt (save avoids) considered too outre? Clever sections: A frozen treasure chest, hewing it out triggers a tonne of random encounters but melting it does not. Also clear indications of writing for the system you are using. Descriptions and permutations of using the library for magic research. Mass combat. Domain material. Note of needing certain proficiencies. I don’t think this was written by an ACKs grandmaster but I believe this was written by a guy who read and certainly DMed ACKs.

Treasure is generally well done. As per ACKs format, treasure concealment is mostly scorned. But guarded, made heavy, specified and touched up and nicely divided between coinage, art objects, consumables and the occasional magic items. The Iron Rod of Rulership is a welcome twist on a well known classic, and extends its effect on a domain morale, making it extremely valuable in way that simple raw power could not. Total treasure in the fortress is 135.000 gp, about 1/4 of a level up for 4 9th level characters, 80% of it locked away in heavy fragile statues. Accidental assymetry or sly social commentary? Combined with spoils in other areas, it is grudgingly acceptable.

Premades are excellent. Decent loadouts, holdings and followers for a change. Eyes of the Eagle, a +3 weapon, Rod of Ressurection. The mage having no magic items is a bit of a huh? moment but everyone else is stacked, far closer to what we were carrying around in our ACKs game (extrapolated of course). Quick and dirty statblocks are provided for relevant henchmen.

Pictured: ACKs porn

I should mention the lich part, which is also very good. The Cryolich is mostly busy conjuring up eternal winter so his interaction with the party is handled via the Malevolence table. UNTIL they breach the doors (take lightning damage if you fuck with the door) and face him, after which he does start becoming a serious problem. Its going to be 1 v 5 almost certainly, which seems easy, but the Phylactery is properly fucking hidden for once, so don’t expect to be able to kill the Lich in one fell swoop. The one thing I would recommend is a description of the Lich’s backup plan when he is killed and reforms. Does he attempt to re-occupy the fortress and continue the ritual? Does he have a backup plan?

The Taking of Icewyrm Hold is a (apparently) succesfull illustration of something that did not exist prior to this: An introductory domain level scenario where the domain part and the adventure part interact, one as an extension of the other. I don’t quite trust myself to read ACKs orders of battle the way I read dungeons yet, so if this all plays out as smoothly as it reads is currently unknown. But for the adventure part, well done, very solid execution of a more grounded premise with some excellent highlights. Great job on using Dwimmermount conversions of AD&D monsters and using them effectively. The permutations in the beginning provide additional replay value and a great way to add additional complexity. What a good entry 🙂 Like a more complete, compact version of CM1.

What a terrific variety and quality we have observed so far. And we are not even halfway there.