Hello and Greetings lovely person.
This is my Redux / Redo version of my walkthru
of the D&D S2 Module.
I hope my voice will sound alot better in
this version when compared to my previous
version.
[♪♪ music ♪♪]
Hello lovely person.
This is RPGmodsFan.
Captcorajus and I collaborated on doing a
review of the legendary Dungeons & Dragons
Module S2 "White Plume Mountain", which was
written by Lawrence Schick.
The review is broken up into two parts.
Captcorajus has done the first part, so I
would recommend going to his YouTube channel
and watching his video before watching this
one.
Link is in the description below.
This video is the second part of the review,
and is appropriate for Dungeon Masters only.
Also, I want to give a big Thank You to Captcorajus.
His YouTube Channel was my inspiration to
start my own YouTube Channel.
Some time ago, I discovered his channel when
I searched YouTube for videos on classic D&D
Modules to watch for nostalgia purposes.
So, please, check out his channel.
The "White Plume Mountain" Adventure was originally
set in Greyhawk.
However, it can be run in a number of settings.
"Tales from the Yawning Portal" does provide
some suggested locations for the Adventure.
At the time of its original publication, TSR's
main Campaign Setting was Greyhawk.
"Tales from the Yawning Portal" suggests a
location that is in the northeastern part
of the Shield Lands, near the Bandit Kingdoms
and the Great Rift.
For Faerun, aka the Forgotten Realms.
Campaign Setting, "Tales from the Yawning
Portal" suggests a location near Mount Hotenow
within the Neverwinter Region .
For the Dragonlance Campaign Setting, on the
world of Krynn, "Tales from the Yawning Portal"
suggests a location near Neraka in the Khalkist
Mountains.
For the Eberron Campaign Setting, the "Tales
of the Yawning Portal" suggests locating the
Adventure on the continent of Xen'Drik, within
the mountain range known as the Fangs of Argarak.
Here is my take on Keraptis' Note to each
of weapons’ former owners.
Search ye far or search ye near
You’ll find no trace of the three
Unless you follow instructions clear
For the weapons abide with me.
North past forest, farm and furrow
You must go to the feathered mound
Then down away from the sun you’ll burrow
Forget life, forget light, forget sound.
To rescue Wave, you must do battle
With the Beast in the Boiling Bubble
Crost cavern vast, where chain-links rattle
Lies Whelm, past water-spouts double.
Blackrazor yet remains to be won
Underneath inverted ziggurat.
That garnered, think not that you’re done
For now you’ll find you are caught
I care not, former owners brave
What heroes you seek to hire.
Though mighty, I’ll make each one my slave
Or send him to the fire.
I am Keraptis, and my thrall RPGmodsFan will
be giving you a tour my lovely dungeon.
He will be discussing the Module itself, and
this video will contain MAJOR SPOILERS.
Unless you are a Dungeon Master who will be
running this Module for their players,
OR are a Player who already played through
this module and are watching this Video for
nostalgia purposes, I would suggest NOT to
watch the rest of this video.
You have been warned.
I like the way the artist Jason Thomson describes
the S2 Module.
He succinctly describes it as "A theme park
dungeon with mud baths, saunas, aquariums,
and a kayak ride".
The MacGuffins of this Module, is for the
Player Characters to retrieve 3 sentient weapon
artifacts.
Whelm: a dwarven warhammer that basically
is a Hammer of Stunning with the additional
power to detect gold, gems and goblins.
Wave: a trident with various water powers
and can dehydrate enemies on a nat 20 roll.
and Blackrazor: a soul-eating greatsword,
grants haste and immunity to charms and fear,
but is detrimental to the wielder versus undead.
Blackrazor is a black sword that shines like
a piece of night sky filled with stars.
It is an obvious rip-off of Stormbringer from
Michael Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné stories.
Lawrence Schick submitted his S2 Module to
TSR as a work sample.
He says that "[he] would not have put it into
the scenario if [he] ever thought it might
be published."
Here is suggestion for the Dungeon Master
to use when running the S2 Module.
Again, this is only a suggestion:
Instead of having all 3 owners hire the Player
Characters, only have one of them hire the
Party.
This way you can have 2 other adventuring
parties active in this Adventure.
One can serve as rivals.
The other can serve as rescuers when direly
needed, and can consist of Replacement Characters.
Supposedly, a wizard named Keraptis stole
the 3 artifacts, and challenges the owners
to come and get them in his abode of White
Plume Mountain.
There is only one problem with that.
Keraptis lived more than a millennia ago.
Can this be the real Keraptis?
Or an imposter?
Well, that is up to the Dungeon Master to
decide.
Personally, I would make Keraptis an very
powerful lich.
This would explain a lot of potential problems
with the Module.
Being a lich explains how Keraptis is still
active during the Player Characters' time.
Being a very powerful lich explains how he
was able to compel many monsters to be in
his dungeon.
After a millennium, the Lich Keraptis got
bored and lonely, despite having many monsters
for company in his dungeon.
I would also make Keraptis an egotistical
narcissist.
Instead of what a normal and sane person would
do to get attention, he, instead, steals 3
powerful artifacts from their powerful owners.
Being an egotistical narcissist, Keraptis
relishes seeing others suffer.
The Module starts with the Player Characters
at the outskirt of White Plume Mountain.
South of a great swamp, it stands alone in
a vast area of dismal moors and tangled thickets.
White Plume Mountain is almost a perfectly
conical volcanic hill.
It rises about 800 feet (or 244 meters) above
the surrounding land.
After some searching, the Player Characters
can find a small natural cave in the side
of a hill about two miles from the Plume,
known as Dead Gnoll’s Eyesocket, which they
can use as shelter and to rest.
At its south slope, the Player Character will
find a cave-like entrance known as the Wizard's
Mouth.
White Plume Mountain is a volcano formed from
ancient slow lava leakage, with a systems
of old lava tubes.
The white plume that gives the mountain its
name and fame is a continuous geyser that
spouts from the very summit of the mountain.
An underground stream runs through the mountain.
When the water reaches the Magma Chamber,
it is instantly converted to steam and ejected
out of the volcano's blowhole, forming the
continuous geyser that White Plume Mountain
is famed for.
The 3 weapon artifacts are located in 3 different
areas of the dungeon.
Whelm is located in a dark room near the southeast
corner of the map, and is guarded by a vampire.
Wave is located near the north end of the
map, and is guarded by a giant crab.
Blackrazor is located in a room near the southwest
corner of the map, and is guarded by an orge
magi [or by an oni].
At the end of Wizard's Mouth cave is a rusty
spiral staircase that descends about 100 feet
(or 30 meters).
The Player Characters will feel a continuous
low vibration that is noticeable everywhere
in the dungeon.
This vibration is from the Plume's geyser.
The dungeon of the Module is full of monsters,
puzzles and wacky traps in more or less equal
proportions.
In other words, it is not a Trap-heavy dungeon,
nor is it a Monster-heavy dungeon.
The south central region of the dungeon is
flooded.
The murky water, with floating patches of
green and white scum, is a foot (or 30 cm)
deep.
The water can be drained by opening a valve
at the bottom of a 10 foot (or 3 meter) pool
at Area Number 9.
A mangy and bedraggled gynosphinx squats in
the middle of a three-way fork.
Passage into the intersection is blocked off
by a Wall Of Force.
The gynosphinx will ask a riddle to the Party.
If they answer correctly, she will lower the
Wall Of Force.
If they answer incorrectly, they will have
to resort to bringing down the Wall and then
fight the gynosphinx.
In Room Number 4, suspended from the ceiling
are 9 silvered glass globes.
When the Party has entered this room, the
door will slam shut.
Nothing can open it (from either side), except
for the key that is in the globe located in
the south center of the room.
The rest of the globes have false keys.
A few have treasure, a few have false treasure.
One has 3 shadows, another has an air elemental.
Lined up against the north wall of Room Number
5 are 5 Flesh Golems.
Each has a number on its chest.
5, 7, 9, 11, and 13.
Number 5 says,
"One of us does not belong with the others.
If you can pick it out, it will serve you,
and the others will allow you passage.
If you pick the wrong one, we will kill you.
You have sixty seconds."
The answer is 9, because 9 is not a prime
number.
As a funny sidenote, I reran the S2 Module
for some friends who already been
through it.
I keep the map the same, but changed around
more than half of the rooms.
In this room, I had the illusion of Jeri Ryan's
Star Trek Voyager Character '7 of 9' over
all 5 golems, and keep everything else the
same.
My friends know that I love OLD Star Trek
and that I have a crush on the '7 of 9' character.
So, after much [...uncontrolled laughter.
Oh, I am still laughing at this :-]
So, after much debate amongst themselves,
they reluct... [... more laughter]
...they reluctantly answered "7".
Then I had Number 7 reply "7 is the incorrect
answer.
9 was the correct answer."
One of my Player Characters then blurted out
"See, I told you he doesn't always think
with his...".
Then the Jeri Ryan look-alike Flesh Golems
attacked the Party.
Cavern Number 7 is a natural large cavern.
50 feet (or 15 meters) below is a deep pool
of boiling mud.
There are 2 geysers here.
The northern most geyser will sprout once
every 5 rounds.
The southern most geyser will sprout once
every 3 rounds.
From one end of the cavern to the other is
a series of 4 foot (or 1.2 meter) diameter
wooden disks, suspended from the ceiling by
massive steel chains.
So, the challenge here is to get across without
being scorched by the steam erupting out of
the geysers.
Room Number 8 is affected by a darkness spell.
So, when the Player Characters open the door,
they will see utter blackness.
The vampire Ctenmiir lairs here.
Under his coffin, in a niche in the floor,
is the warhammer Whelm, as well as the vampire's
considerable treasure.
Room Number 10 appears to be a water-covered
room.
The danger here are 2 Kelpies in the 15 foot
(or 5 meter) deep pool within this room.
Kelpies make their D&D debut in this Module.
Area Number 11 is a 30 foot (or 9 meter) long,
oily, cylinder shaped and spinning corridor.
Watching through a hole in Room Number 12
is Burket, a 4th level fighter.
If he sees intruders get halfway through the
spinning cylinder, he will shoot a flaming
arrow at it, igniting the oil.
Burket's lover Snarla is nearby.
She is a 7th level mage, and she is also a
werewolf.
At Area Number 14 are a succession of 3 thick
metal doors.
These doors were meant to be emergency doors
to prevent the dungeon from being flooded
by the boiling lake in Cavern Number 15.
The subterranean Boiling Lake is more than
100 meters deep, extending down to the red-hot
rock below.
The lake is fed by an underground stream and
then runs off to Area Number 16.
The runoff cascades down lava tubes to the
base of the blowhole.
There the water strikes the magma, instantly
converting it to steam and ejected out of
the volcano's blowhole.
The corridor from the dungeon continues onto
a stony platform that ends in an oval shaped
platform into the Boiling Lake.
The whole stony platform would have been submerged
in the Boiling Lake if it not for a domed
elastic transparent skin that keeps the water
out.
Here lives the guardian of Wave, a giant crab,
the biggest anyone has ever seen.
The waterskin walls are susceptible to being
punctured, cut, etc.
So, violent spells, such as fireball, lightning
bolt, etc., missed range weapon attacks, etc.,
can easily puncture the water skin.
Wave is inside a heavy chest, along with other
treasure, at the north end of the oval platform.
A series of undamageable and unremovable copper
plates lines the walls of
Corridor Number 19.
They set up an induction field that causes
metal objects passing between them to become
heated to eventually superheated (which will
burn through cloth).
Eight ghouls are in Secret Room Number 20.
They lie in wait to ambush the Party.
In addition, the ghouls are wearing amulets
that protect them from being turned.
Near the ends of this wide and long hall are
two 5 foot (or 1.5 meter) wide open pits that
are lined with rusty blades at their bottoms.
The walls, floors and ceilings of the pits
and the section of the Hall between them is
coated with a 100% totally frictionless substance.
Even a heartbeat can cause a character to
slip.
The end of the Hall is hidden by an illusionary
wall, making the Hall seem 10 feet shorter
than what it really is.
Fly, levitate, jump, dimension door, blink,
and teleport spells will not work
in this room.
In Room Number 23, water not only flows thru
the room, it also floats.
Flowing out of a hole from the north wall,
half a meter off the floor, is a stream suspended
in mid air.
The water is 1 meter deep.
The brisk current then exits thru a hole on
the west wall.
Also in the room are 6 kayak, but no paddles.
In Room Number 24.
eight fighters, under the command of Sir Bluto
Sans Pite, await here to net and ambush any
who come thru the floating brisk stream.
There are secret doors [which] are labeled
with the number 25 [on the displayed map].
These doors can only be opened by a special
key that Sir Bluto has.
Upon entering Chamber Number 26, the Player
Characters will look out and down an enormous
chamber defined by terraced steps that ring
the entire area and descend toward a central
enclosure.
Basically, the room is an inverted ziggurat.
At level with the door is a 10 foot (or 3
meter) wide walkway.
The next tier down is a 3 meter wide and 3
meter deep pool of water, enclosed on its
sides by glass walls.
In this aquarium are 6 giant crayfish.
The next level down is a 3 meter wide sand
covered tier with 6 giant scorpions.
This terrarium is enclosed on its sides by
glass walls.
The next tier down is also an aquarium, but
has 4 sea lions instead.
Three manticores pace about the lowest tier.
They will fire their spikes from their tails
at intruders.
The Module states that their wings have been
clipped, so they are unable to fly.
In my game, in order to spice things up, as
a DM, I returned the manticores ability
to fly.
Yes, I can be a cruel Dungeon Master.
Chamber Number 27 has lavish furnishings and
decorations.
There is a 6 foot (or almost 2 meter) tall
hookah in the corner.
Within the room is Qesnef, an ogre magi, which
is an oni in D&D 5E.
When the Player Characters enter, he will
already be shape changed to the form of a
halfling.
Blackrazor, along with Qesnef's valuables,
will be hidden beneath a divan.
Initially, Qesnef is meant to be a roleplaying
encounter.
Perhaps, Qesnef will invite the Player Characters
for a smoke, while pointing towards the hookah?
What transpires next?
Well, this is up to the DM.
And so ends the S2 "White Plume Mountain"
Module.
Or does it?...
If the Player Characters should succeed in
obtaining two or even three of the magical
weapon artifacts and are finally leaving for
good, they will be stopped at Area Number
2 by the return of the Wall of Force.
A voice will speak to them out of the air:
“Not thinking of leaving, are you?
You’ve been so very entertaining, I just
couldn’t think of letting you go, especially
with those little collector‘s items of mine.
And since you’ve eliminated all of their
guardians, why, you’ll simply have to stay
...  to take their places.
I’ll have to ask you to leave all of your
ridiculous weapons behind and let
Nix and Nox escort you to the Indoctrination Center.
I’ll be most disappointed if you cause me
any trouble, and Nix and Nox
have to eliminate you.
Don’t worry - you’ll like it here.”
The Force Wall disappears, but coming up the
south passage are 2 efreeti
named Nix and Nox.
If need be, this encounter can be made tougher
by the addition of 1 or 2 more efreeti ([named]
Box and Cox).
If the Party is defeated, they will be taken
to the bottom of the pool in Area Number 9
where there is a concealed door that leads
to Keraptis' Indoctrination Center.
There they will be brainwashed and will end
up as the new guards in the White Plume Mountain
dungeon ...
If the Player Characters manage to escape,
their next task is to return the artifacts
to their owners.
If they instead decide to keep one or more
of the weapons, needless to say their owners
will be most displeased.
Hence, this can be used as Plot Hooks for
future adventures.
Such as the displeased owner hiring rival
adventuring parties to retrieve the weapon.
"Roll Credits"...
Displayed are the Credits found within the
Module itself.
One new monster makes its debut in this Module,
and that is a Kelpie.
A Kelpie is a form of intelligent, aquatic
plant life that resembles a pile of wet seaweed.
It is able to shape its body into various
forms, often assuming the aspect of a beautiful
humanoid in order to lure people into deep
water.
"White Plume Mountain" is one of the best
and one of my favorite Dungeons & Dragons
Modules.
Well, the I6 Ravenloft Module is my favorite,
and S2 "White Plume Mountain" is my second
favorite.
It has the right balance of monsters, puzzles
and traps.
With the exception of Blackrazor, which I
love anyway, it is filled with original and
well thought-out ideas.
All of which makes it fun [and memorable].
Thank you for watching.
Hope this video has been informative and entertaining.
I want to say thank you very much to Captcorajus
for collaborating with me on this Review of
the White Plume Mountain Module.
Please check out his YouTube Channel.
He has quite a bit of videos on D&D.
Till next time, this is RPGmodsFan
saying Cheers, Have a Good Day, and Goodbye.
[♪♪ music ♪♪]
