Trolls and the trollish Trolling that Trolls do.

  The other day, the group I DM for encountered a Troll in a dungeon.  They fought it, defeated it, but did not initially use fire or acid, so even after the troll was down, it regenerated and started to get back up.  One of the players resumed the attack, this time expressely telling me he was chopping the troll to bits, and expressed incredulity toward me when I said the troll was still regenerating.

Now, D&D is a game that has always had a lot of room for interpretation, flexibility, and imagination.  That's what makes it so fun.  There is a possible downside, however.  In a fantasy world, there really aren't a lot of concrete rules on exactly how things work.  Pick up five different fantasy novels, and you'll get five different mechanics on how magic in that realm works, or how dragons work, etc.  There's a lot of flexibility because it's driven by imagination, not by science.  Why is that a downside in D&D?  Because sometimes you have expectations by players that don't match each other or the DM.  Normally, this is handled by players deferring to the DM since the DM is the referee,  the one who sets the stage and the one who writes the adventure.  That means the DM alone determines how the elements of the fantasy setting function.

Sometimes, players struggle with that.  

In this case, the player had the expectation that chopping a troll to pieces would kill it permanently and thus end its regeneration.  When it didn't, the player (to his credit) didn't try and argue that it should, and he didn't get nasty or anything like that.  What he did do was start trying to think of ways in which this could be used in silly, game-breaking ways.  One example was taking a piece of a troll, putting it in a box, and then using it as a kind of troll-grenade on the assumption that the chunk of troll would start to regenerate into a new troll and burst out of the box.

And hey, in some sillier, more cartoony campaigns, that might fit perfectly into the setting.  It doesn't in mine, and here I was, now having to come up with answers on the minutia of how trolls work in my campaign world on the spot, and I have continued to get ribbed about it since.

Now, I have been a DM for over 35 years.  This isn't the first time I've had a troll in my campaign.  The problem is that I don't like trolls very much, so I don't often include them in my campaigns.  The last time I did was probably back in the 3rd Edition days, and frankly, I don't remember how I handled it.  I do know that it's come up before.  

The 'problem' with D&D (And I don't necessarily think it's a bad thing) is that D&D uses a lot of abstraction when it comes to combat.  We represent all damage, fatigue, morale, etc., all in one stat:  Hit points.  That means there's no rules-based mechanism for dealing with severed limbs or called shots or anything like that in 5E.

99% of the time, that's all you need because D&D was never intended to be a combat game.  Combat was intended to be just one tool in a toolbox of different ways to respond to the various in-game situations.  Why are 90% of the rules in D&D about combat?  Well, that's because while combat is just one tool, it tends to be the one most frequently used out of the toolbox, and for most players, it's the tool that's most fun to use.

The description of a troll says that a troll regains 10hp per round if it was not burned by acid or fire in that round.  That's fine in a purely abstract sense.  Do enough damage to get it to or below 0 HP, do it with fire or acid damage, and all's done.  Easy peasy.

The problem comes in when we want to get more detailed or the scenario isn't that straightforward.  Indeed, what happens when a Troll is hacked to pieces?  Well, based on what we have written, it regains 10 HP per round. 

Alright, so what does that look like in-game?  A troll has to go from being a mess of troll parts on the floor into a fully functioning, combat-ready troll in the span of one round.  Why?  In D&D, you are at 100% combat effectiveness even if you only have a single hit point.  This is where abstraction starts to break down.  The rules, as designed, don't cover that situation.  Now, that's okay. This is why we have a DM and not just some weird decision matrix or overly complex combat rules.  (Looking at you, Twilight:2000) 

Indeed, what happens if a troll is cut precisely in half?  Do we get 2 trolls?  Do the 2 halves pull themselves back together into the original troll?  What if the parts are physically separated by a wall or by being in a container?   There's no help from the rules to answer those questions, so it's up to the DM.  That's perfectly fine.  Again, this is why we have a DM.

But here's where the players need to be part of the solution.  If you want to come up with creative and game-breaking ideas like putting troll bits in boxes or generating additional trolls based on the idea that separated bits regenerate into individual trolls, you've got to cut the DM some slack.  I know it was all just for a laugh, but at one point, I got the vibe that I was being criticized for not having immediate and perfectly consistent responses to those questions.  Maybe I was just misunderstanding, but it did get frustrating. 

So, since then, I've given it some thought and started thinking about how we used to handle stuff like that back in the day when we were teenagers playing 1E and coming up with all kinds of dumb stuff like that all the time.  Here's how trolls work mechanically in my campaign now:

One troll does not regenerate into multiple trolls under any circumstances.  Ever.  If a troll is cut perfectly in half and the two halves are separated, they regenerate up to the point where all that's left is for the halves to be brought together.  At which point they'd fuse, and you have a working troll.  The same is true for a troll hacked into multiple bits.  They'll regenerate, and if they're close by, they'll reattach as they do, and soon (very soon), you have a working troll.

So, what happens if you put a piece of troll in a box?  Well, you have a box with a chunk of living troll tissue in it, but that's all it will ever be.

What I like about this is that it opens up possibilities for in-game scenarios.  Imagine a low-level campaign in which a troll (who isn't evil) hires a party of adventurers to go and recover its arm, taken by a tribe of orcs during a raid.  The PCs bring back the arm, and it reattaches to the troll. The PCs get paid, and all is well.  Or if the scenario is a Valentine's Day scenario, a troll's heart has been stolen (literally) by a troll that was into him, but she's just too fugly even by troll standards and so he wants his heart back. 

Q&A Section: 

• Hold on, if the troll is missing his heart, how can he be awake and functioning?  Well, rule of funny, my friend.  Rule of funny.  Sometimes consistency has to take a backseat to fun.  If you're somebody who is bothered by that lack of perfect consistency for the sake of comedy, then sit out that session or something, I dunno.  This is my DM style.

• Okay, okay, okay, so what if you cut off a troll's arm and incinerate it to ash?  Is the troll forever without a limb now?  For the short-term future, yes.  You'd have a one-arm troll for a very long time, as it regenerates the limb very, very slowly.  Eventually, the missing arm would just die (see below), and the Troll would regain a new one.

• So what happens if you take a troll, cut it up into 100 pieces, put the pieces in 100 jars, and then bury the jars in separate places?  Would you have these pieces just be alive in a sort of limbo forever?  Well, first, if the PCs do that, then all of their alignments change to CE to represent that they're sadistic bastards.  To answer the question, eventually, the separate pieces would die.  After all, a troll needs to eat, breathe and poop just live everything else.  That tells me that the tissues of the body require sustenance, and without it, they have to die sooner or later.

• So, a troll can starve to death?  Yes, it can.  It just takes a while.

• Hah!  Then that means a troll can be killed by means other than just by burning!  Yes, yes, you're very smart.  Now shut up and keep reading.

• Alright, what about cutting off a troll's head?  Would the head still be alive?  Would the body be able to walk around headless and crash into stuff?  Yes, the head would be alive, and no, the body wouldn't walk around knocking things over (Unless it would be really funny,  then maybe).  What happens to your brain when it has no blood pressure?  You go unconscious.  What happens to your body if its connection to your brain via the spinal cord is severed?  Your body goes limp.  So it is with trolls.  Still alive but effectively inert.

• So it sounds like you're saying the Troll grenade idea wouldn't work.  Good morning.

• Well, at the time, you said each piece would become a troll.  Well, I changed my mind.  This is me notifying the players of a ruling that will affect future sessions.

I'm just going to go with this.  It acknowledges the regenerating property of trolls but heads off game-breaking scenarios that would spiral into an unrecoverable level of silliness.

• So what you're saying is that there's no way we could weaponize an incapacitated troll to be used against enemies.  I'm not saying that.  Just providing the mechanics of how trolls work.  Want to cut a troll into pieces, stuff the pieces into a barrel, and then use a catapult to fling it into an enemy's courtyard?  Go right ahead.  That would be perfectly in keeping with what I've written above.

• What if we WANT it to get silly?  If you want that kind of silly, I'd be more than happy to come up with an adventure that runs on that level of silly.  I just don't want it to become the norm in my regular campaign.  I've complained before that I like my D&D to be darker and more serious.  That level of silly is NOT the direction I'd want to take things in the regular campaign.

• Well, above, you said you might trade consistency for funny.  Now you're saying you don't want silliness.  You're being contradictory.  I said I don't want silliness to become the norm.  I didn't say we could never get goofy.  I'm just exercising my DM's perogative to throttle it.

Solo D&D. It's a Thing.

 So if you're like me, you're the forever DM.  You want to play, but you don't have anyone who's willing to run a campaign so you can play a PC.  Or maybe you don't have a gaming group at all.  Is it possible to play alone?

Yes.  

Thanks for reading!

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Ok you want details.  Got it.

There are a couple of different options when it comes to playing solo D&D.  

Option 1:  There are published modules designed specifically for the purpose.  For example, Blizzard Pass.

Not to be confused with the other M1 module Into the Maelstrom.

You can get it digitally on DriveThru RPG or you might be able to find an original copy on eBay.  It would involve a little conversion to the current edition of D&D unless you want to create a Basic D&D character.  There are several solo modules for various levels.  Not too long ago I played this one:

It was... not easy.  But still not a bad option.

They play like a Choose Your Own Adventure book where it gives you options and when you choose one you go to a specified paragraph to see what happens next.  The problem is that there is not a huge number of these modules and you could work your way through them fairly quickly.

Option 2: Run a regular module with a party of PCs.  Now, this naturally creates some conflicts of interest.  Regular modules assume the people playing them aren't the ones reading it, so you'd have access to all the maps, secrets and warnings the PCs normally wouldn't.  There's just no way around that, but there are some things you can do to mitigate.

1. Dice it.

Many of the decisions the party makes might be influenced by foreknowledge of what's coming up.  For example, you can see the map, so you might choose the door that does NOT lead to the giant pit trap.  One way you can make things more"fair" is to use dice to determine which direction the PCs go and then run it accordingly.  Maybe allow a Wis check if there's something about a certain path that might discourage players from choosing it.  

2. Inspiration

When do you award Inspiration to a party of DMPCs?  There's no way to be completely objective in deciding whether or not you had a wonderful idea and should give Inspiration for it.  Instead, give Inspiration whenever the PC rolls a Natural 20.  You have no control over that, and it does represent the PC doing something exceedingly well.

3. Handling Traps, Secret Doors and Other Hiden Things

You know from the map where the secret doors are.  You know from the text descriptions where the traps and hidden compartments are.  The PCs don't.  So how to simulate it?  What I do is if time is unimportant, just decide the PCs are always searching for secret doors and the Rogues are always looking for traps.  You don't need to bother to roll when there's no trap or secret door, just assume the PCs looked and didn't find anything.  If time DOES matter for some reason then you might rely on a Perception or Insight check to see if the PCs think to search or check, and go from there.

4. Other Secrets

Sometimes there's no way to simulate PC decision-making with dice and you'll just have to roleplay it.  Just go ahead and imagine how the PCs would react, what they'd reasonably be able to deduce, and play it out.  It isn't like there are any wrong answers here.  This is for you so have fun and don't worry about being perfectly objective.  It isn't like someone will be standing there watching over your shoulder, grading you.  

5. Persistence and World Building

This is my favorite part.  By "persistence" I don't mean "keep at it!"  I mean objects are persistent in the game world.  They exist there and they matter.  As a DM, when I play solo adventures I have the actions of my DMPCs actually affect the campaign world in a way that can be of help to the players when I'm running the game for others.  Here's a little example.

Some time back my gaming group cleared out the Moathouse in the Temple of Elemental Evil adventure.  After they left, it sat there, continuing to be a ruin.  Now, I had decided I wanted a nice, small dungeon to try running some PCs through, and the Moathouse was just right.  So, to keep continuity in my game world I didn't just want to run it again as it was, so I instead got out the module Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil where the Moathouse appears again, only now with different foes within.  

So, I ran them through that version, narratively explaining it as it's a D&D world... an empty dungeon won't stay empty for long as monsters and villains take up residence.  My PCs went through, cleared the dungeon, and it was pretty fun!  It didn't stop there though, because now it's intertwined with the campaign world which is a living, breathing setting.

The lords of the nearby village of Hommlet then decided that this Moathouse, being only a day's ride from the town and a danger, needed to be dealt with once and for all.  They had two options.   Either raze the ruins to the ground and bury the dungeon, or restore the small castle and garrison it.  They chose the latter, in order to have a stronger defense of the town.  One of the PCs was granted lordship over the small castle and it is now fully restored in my campaign world.

Main Level

Upper Level

This is where it helps the other players:  I am generally stingy as a DM when it comes to magic items.  I usually do not have "magic shops" of any kind and I don't load the PCs down with a ton of magic items in adventures. That said, my players have been telling me they'd like more magic items to appear in game.  One part of my solution is to take the items my DMPCs find in these solo sessions, and the ones they don't need are stored in a vault in a place like the restored Moathouse (now known in my campaign world as Utreshimon's End.)  PCs who have a couple of levels under their belt can come to a place like this and possibly barter for some of those items.  There's also a secured library with captured spellbooks, so the Wizards can have a place to go research new spells.  

In this way, my DMPCs and solo adventures are having a real impact on the campaign world that's fun for me and benefits the players.  

Is 5E Really Easier Than 1E? Let's Do Science (Sort Of)! Part VI - Clean Air At Last?

 We continue following a party of Dungeons & Dragons characters as they work their way through the Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan.  The twist?  We're actually watching parallel universes.  One is a 5th Edition party, the other is 1st Edition.  Which game is easier?  So far, the 1E party is struggling a lot more.  Let's get back in there and see. 

Area 29: The Tomb of Pelota

5E:

  After moving roughly northward when possible, the party finds more glyphs.  There's still a little time left on Morton's Comprehend Languages spell, so he is able to read the text.  He says, "There's a pit here, which we are not to open unless we're willing to face the challenge of something called 'pelota.'"

Mikhael, concerned about the poison gas, decides against it and the party moves on.

One hour and seventeen minutes in the dungeon.

1E:

After moving roughly northward when possible, the party finds more glyphs.  Weyland's Comprehend Languages spell ended a while ago, and the party is unwilling to waste any more time.  They continue on. 

Comments:

I know this was pretty anticlimactic.  If the PCs stop to open the pit, they get drawn into a game of 'pelota' which rewards the party with some decent treasure, but if your time is running out you aren't likely to stop.

Side note:  'Pelota' is the Spanish word for the type of ball used to play Soccer.

One hour and twenty-six minutes in the dungeon.

Area 30: The Guardian Beast

5E:

Mikhael leads the party into a large room filled with cats... stuffed.  It is intriguing, but the party is still injured and Mikhael is loath to stop to look around until they at least know whether they're close to escape from the poison gas.  Continuing northerly, he chooses the set of double doors in the hope they lead to a main exit.

One hour and eighteen minutes in the dungeon.

1E:

Mikhael leads the party into a large room filled with cats... stuffed.  It is intriguing, but the party is still injured and is becoming desperate to escape from the poison gas.  Continuing northerly, he chooses the set of double doors in the hope they lead to a main exit.

One hour and twenty-seven minutes in the dungeon.

Comments:

This is actually a fun room, but it's hard to imagine a party of adventurers who are in crisis wanting to stop and see the sights.

Area 37: Bed of Xilonen

5E:

  The odd, treelike thing growing from the middle of the pool in this room.  Obviously, the party will have to get past it.  Mikhael decides it's time to prepare, just in case.  Cure spells are cast between characters to get everyone as strong as possible.

Carefully, Mikhael and Stone approach, weapons drawn, and start making their way around the pool, watching to see if the odd treelike creature reacts to them.  It does, starting to bend toward the warriors.

Morton reacts immediately hurling Vicious Mockery at the creature, and it recoils.  Nathair casts Spirit Guardians and moves close enough that her guardian spirits envelop the creature.  Stone roars a battlecry and wades into the water to attack the creature, but neither of his strikes finds its target.  Mikhael follows suit, and lands two blows with his longsword, channeling divine power into the beast at his maximum potency as Stig moves behind to strike at it with his shortsword.  Shrieking, it wraps two tentacles around Stone and Mikhael.  It pulls Mikhael toward its mouth and bites deeply into him.  Weyland casts Cloud of Daggers into the creature.

Morton again viciously mocks the creature and begins an inspiring song to boost Mikhael.  Nathair moves closer to prepare in case she needs to intervene directly.  Stone furiously strikes twice at the creature again, with one blow being massively devastating.  Mikhael raises his weapon and finishes the beast off.   

The party moves on, planning to possibly return later to search the dead creature.

1800 XP Earned

One hour and twenty-three minutes in the dungeon.

1E:

There is no time to don their armor, so Stone goes without and brings Morton with him.  

They approach carefully, weapons drawn, and start making their way around the pool, watching to see if the odd treelike creature reacts to them.  It does, starting to bend toward the two adventurers.  Lashing out with a tentacle, it grabs Morton who is now paralyzed.  Stone roars a battlecry and wades forward into the water, slashing at the creature with his axe, but the oily water causes him to lose his footing.  Stig wades quickly up behind the creature and attacks with his shortsword but doesn't wound it as deeply as he'd hoped.  The situation is becoming desperate.  Nathair charges forward top club at it with her mace.  Mikhael, badly wounded and armorless, joins the charge but also loses his footing in the slippery water.  Weyland casts Magic Missile, sending three magical arrows into the center of the beast.

Tentacles waving wildly, the creature retaliates, pulling Morton closer to its maw while lashing out at Nathair, Stig, Stone and Mikhael.  It grabs Mikhael and Stig, paralyzing Stig and pulling both toward its mouth as well.  Stone swings at his target and misses badly.  Mathair clubs it with her mace while Mikhael and Stone both try to injure the creature, but their weapons do not find their mark.  Weyland, out of offensive spells, considers using his quarterstaff and charging the beast.

The creature grabs Stone with a tentacle and paralyzes Stone, pulling him closer.  Nathair shrieks a war cry and clubs the monster one last time with her mace, and with a shudder, the beast falls.  WIthn o time to lose, Mikhael, Nathair and Weyland pull their paralyzed comrades from the grip of the dying creature and pull them out of the water and through the double doors.

One hour and thirty-two minutes in the dungeon.

Comments:

  Well... that battle with the creature in 1E.  Ouch.  It actually makes 1E look harder because of the terrible die rolls I was getting when running through the combat.  Never in all my years of playing this game do I recall so many consecutive natural '1s' rolled for PCs to hit.  Not only to hit but damage rolls of '1' on the die and even multiple '1s' when Stig got his backstab attack in.  Just for fun, at one point I rilled the 2d6 to determine if the character slipped in the oily water.  I said out loud "I'll get a 3."  I tossed the dice.  A '1' and a '2.'  I actually looked around to see if I was somehow being pranked.

All of that said, the 1E version of the creature is a lot more dangerous but also much easier to kill.  

Area 39: Chamber of the Second Sun

5E:

Making their way down the corridor after the tentacled beast, the party finds another door.  Opening it, they find a room actually lit by the sun through a large hole in the ceiling.  As they enter, they realize that they can breathe easy.  The gas vents out through the hole.  Around the rim of the hole are four baboons, agitated and screeching, but they do not come in.  

The party begins scouting the room and discovers a massive snake with two heads in the center, moving toward them.  Nathair steps toward it and crouches down, letting it approach.  As it draws near she begins to pet it, stroking it and speaking softly to it.  Her Yuan-ti nature allows her to befriend the creature.  The party realizes this snake is why the baboons will not enter the chamber, and so they decide this will be a good enough place to rest.

We no longer need to keep track of dungeon time.

1E:

Making their way down the corridor after the tentacled beast, the party finds another door.  Nathair, Mikhael, and Weyland drag their paralyzed comrades toward it.  They are on their last legs and if they cannot find fresh air right away, Mikhael is not likely to be alive in ten more minutes.

They reach the door and practically fall through it.  Panting, they realize that the air here is clean.  The gas vents out through a hole in the ceiling.  Around the rim of the hole are four baboons-like creatures, agitated and screeching, but they do not come in. 

As the paralyzed members of the party begin to regain their movement, Mikhael assists Stone in donning his armor.  The room isn't secure yet and they have not moved from the entrance.  Once Stone is in his armor again, he, Nathair, and Morton move to scout the room.

The party begins scouting the room and discovers a massive snake with two heads in the center, moving toward them.  Nathair steps toward it and crouches down, letting it approach.  As it draws near she casts Speak With Animals, hoping it will work on this creature.  She is able to convince it to let them be, and it slithers away into the darkness.  The angry baboon-like creatures are enraged, but still do not dare come down.  

We no longer need to keep track of dungeon time.

Comments:

  The PCs are only halfway through the dungeon at this point, but will no longer have to contend with the poison gas as long as they don't go back the way they came.  There is lots of treasure and XP to be had there, so using this room as a base to operate from is a perfectly viable plan.

Healing for the 5E party will be easy.  One long rest and they will all be back to 100%.  Not so with AD&D.  Characters heal naturally at the rate of 1hp per day + CON bonus.  To heal faster requires the use of magic.  The 5E party can be up and ready for action tomorrow.  The 1E party would take a few days.  

Final Impressions:

Well, I think it's obvious that the 5th edition version of the game is a lot easier.  It gives the PCs more leeway, more options, more spells, and more effective actions.  In every way, the advantage goes toward the 5E group.  In our experiment here, we saw that not only was the 5E party having an easier time with the encounters, but it was also able to solve some problems allowing them to avoid combat or other dangers entirely.  I had originally intended to take this series of posts all the way to the end of the dungeon but I think we've seen enough to give us lots of insights.  I'm sure I made a few mistakes along the way, but hopefully, they were evenly distributed between the two systems so they wouldn't impact the final result too much.  

I think a more important question here is:  Which system is more fun?  I really think the answer to that question depends on what you're looking for.  5E is much more complex mechanically in terms of how PCs function and use abilities.  1E, on the other hand, is more complex in terms of the environment.  It's more "realistic" in the sense that it tries to function as a more grounded and believable environment.  !E also relies very heavily on DM's discretion in terms of things like XP values, time, and reactions.  The Dungeon Master is much more involved in determining how things work, while just about everything in 5E is prescribed in the rules.

I find myself somewhat torn.  I like the more "primitive" and loose style of AD&D.  I like being presented with a challenge and trying to come up with creative solutions, especially when risk is high and resources are low.  I like to roleplay.  I like to puzzle things out.  I like to really put myself in the place of the character and think about what would make the most sense.

On the other hand, contemporary D&D is much more consistent with many rules simplified.  The downside of it for me is that individual characters become incredibly complex, with lots of moving parts, and in game, it can be hard sometimes to remember all of the things the character can do.  That's the challenge for me.  Character Classes in 1E tend to be very simple.  It's the world around them that's detailed and complex.  In 5E it's the opposite.   I suspect this has to do with making D&D easier to translate into a computer game with the end goal being AI Dungeon Masters.

And there's a negative effect to that.  When I'm running my 5E campaign, I've been noticing a sharp decline in creative problem-solving among the players in favor of expecting all of their options to be listed somewhere on their character sheet.  It's gotten so bad that I once had a player complain about a puzzle they encountered in a dungeon.  "Can't I just roll an Intelligence check to solve it?"  He didn't even want to try to solve the puzzle himself. 

I will admit that this particular module was far from the ideal to do this experiment.  It did help show the contrast between the philosophy behind the two game systems, but that poison gas element was incredibly annoying and tended to push the characters through the dungeon more quickly, without them being able to "stop and smell the roses."  The room with all of the cat statues has some cool stuff going on it in but we'd never know because by the time a party gets to it, they're in bad shape and just can't afford to hang around.  When 1E Mikhael made it into room 39, he had 2 hit points left.  In a few minutes, he'd take damage again, and would almost certainly have died.  Unlike 5E,  there are no death saves.

So I think, for this module at least, 5E was more fun because the poison gas wasn't as much of a factor.  I think if I get a chance to do this again with a different module, I may feel differently.  (There's Tomb of Horrors, after all...)

So is 5th Edition Dungeons and Dragons easier than 1st Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons?  Absolutely, yes, at least in terms of PC survival.  Whether or not that's a good thing is up to the individual, but I don't think there's any argument that 1E is much less forgiving.  

Is 5E Really Easier Than 1E? Let's Do Science (Sort Of)! Part V - Will It Be Over Soon?

 I have a feeling the next few rooms are going to be a big decider.  Without further ado, let's find out.

Area 23: Light Ahead

5E:

The party sees a light, flitting about ahead of them.  Cautiously they continue down the corridor, following the light.  Upon reaching a pit, they see the light has gone.  The pit is only five feet wide, and so each party member decides to jump it (Athletics roll).

Everyone makes it across except Weyland, who trips and tumbles down into the pit.  He is injured but not severely.  With little effort, Stone lowers a rope to him and Weyland is able to climb out.

Nathair has been examining the triangular obstacle in their way and sees scrapes on the floor suggesting it is movable.  Mikhael and Stone grab hold and push, rotating the triangle to the left, creating a narrow passage through.  The party makes its way past the triangle and once again see the moving light ahead.

They begin to feel ill and weakened but continue.

One hour and three minutes in the dungeon, and the poison gas is having an effect.

1E:

The party sees a light, flitting about ahead of them.  Cautiously they continue down the corridor, following the light. 

Upon reaching a pit, they see the light has gone.  The pit is only five feet wide, and so each party member decides to jump it.

Nathair examines the triangular obstacle in their way and sees scrapes on the floor suggesting it is movable.  Mikhael and Stone grab hold and push, rotating the triangle to the left, creating a narrow passage through.  It is too narrow to pass by with their equipment and armor on, so they have no choice but to remove it to fit through, then don their armor again on the other side.  Removing Mikhael's armor takes far too long, and the effects of the poison gas get worse.  Both he and Stone are forced to leave their armor behind, or taking the time to put it back on would cause even more gas exposure that they cannot afford.  

Weyland staggers, very weak.  Stone produces a Potion of Extra Healing from his pack and offers it to him.  Weyland drinks deeply, and by the time he is finished he feels fully refreshed.  He thanks Stone for the boon and assists him in lashing his plate mail armor to his pack so it doesn't need to be left behind. 

The party makes its way past the triangle and once again see the moving light ahead.

One hour, sixteen minutes in the dungeon 

Comments:

The real killer here is that the new version of the module specifies a slightly wider gam to slip through, while the old version explicitly says that characters must doff their armor to make it.  Donning and doffing armor takes a long time, especially for the heavier armors.

1E Stone's potion has restored 1E Weyland fully, but there are others who will soon be close to death as well.

Area 24: Light Ahead

5E:

As the party moves carefully along the corridor, Nathair notices something unusual in the ceiling.  She and Stig take a round to examine it and realize it's a trap.  Stig uses his thief's tools to disable the pressure plates that trigger it so the party can move across safely.

One hour and four minutes in the dungeon.

1E:

The party quickly makes its way down the corridor.  The danger of traps or surprises feels minor compared to the danger of remaining in this place much longer.  For this reason, Stig is not checking for traps as they move, and when they step on a pressure plate in the floor, a trap is triggered.

Two heavy doors fall in front of and behind them.  There is very little gap between the bottom of the door in front of them, but fortunately, Stig has a crowbar.  As he gets the crowbar out to hand to Mikhael, a noise above their heads is heard, revealing a series of holes now open above them.  Stig hands the crowbar to Mikhael who uses his strength to wedge it under the door and pull, creating a small gap.  Stone and Stig reach down and grip the bottom of the door, pulling up with all their might.  Mikhael joins them and together they are able to lift the door just as sand begins pouring into the space from the holes in the ceiling.  The party darts under the door, escaping the trap.

One hour and nineteen minutes in the dungeon 

Comments:

The trap works mechanically the same in both versions, but things happen a lot faster in the 1E version.  The party would have five rounds to figure out a way to escape in 5E before the sand pours in, but only a few segments in 1E.

Area 25: The Nest of the Warriors

5E:

The party enters a chamber with several large fire beetles.  The creatures take no notice of the party.  Perfectly happy with this state of affairs, Mikhael slowly leads the party into the room.  Because their path so far has generally taken them north, he chooses the northern exit.  The party leaves the room without trouble.

One hour and six minutes in the dungeon.

1E:

The party enters a chamber with several large fire beetles.  The creatures take no notice of the party.  Perfectly happy with this state of affairs, Mikhael slowly leads the party into the room.  Because their path so far has generally taken them north, he chooses the northern exit.  The party leaves the room without trouble.

Once they've reached the door and entered, Stig nearly falls over.  Nathair uses a Scroll of Cure Serious Wounds to give him a boost.

One hour and twenty-one minutes in the dungeon 

Area 26: Ramp / Area 27: Stairs

5E:

The party makes its way up the stairs, taking care to look around but not wanting to move too slowly.  As a result, the trap near the top of the ramp is unnoticed.  Mikhael triggers it.  A massive millstone begins thundering down the ramp toward the party, crushing nearly all of them.  It continues down the ramp and crashes through the doors to the Fire Beetle Nest.  Mikhael is badly injured but he stands, seeing that Weyland and Morton have avoided being crushed.  A loud buzzing from below ominously warns that the party is in danger.  Mikhael calls forth his power, places his hands on Nathair, and revives her.

Quickly he moves over to Stone as Nathair kneels beside Stig, and they each cast Cure Wounds as the Fire Beetles begin coming up the ramp, angry.  The party, all on their feet now, rush up the stairs and around the corner, out of sight.

One hour, twelve minutes.

1E:

The party makes its way up the stairs, moving as quickly as they can, hoping the elevation change might bring them out of the area of poison gas.  They reach the top and round the corner.

One hour and twenty-two minutes in the dungeon 

Comments:

This is an instance where the 5E version in the dungeon was much more dangerous than the 1E version.  To notice the trap, a PC would have to make a DC 20 Perception check.  Nobody's Passive Perception is that high and since I didn't have them moving very slowly there was no Investigation check to find the trap.  Once triggered, it takes a DC 15 Dexterity save to avoid damage.  A failure means 5d10 damage.  A failure by more than 5 means maximum damage. 

Meanwhile, the 1E version is only triggered on a 3/8 chance.  If it is set off, a Saving Throw vs Petrification is made, with +2 if the PC hugs the wall.  If they fail, they either take 1d8 points of damage, their backpack is smashed, or their pack is torn off but recoverable.

That is very, very kind for 1E.  I suspect again, that it's throttled back due to the poison gas threat.  I'm honestly surprised at how much more deadly the 5E version is.  It could have wiped out the entire party had their rolls been much worse.  (And they were bad.)   

Area 28: The Arc of Nanahuatcin

5E:

The party enters a hall littered with broken statues.  Ahead, a spherical creature with eyestalks is visible.  The party begins drawing weapons to face the Beholder, but Nathair calls out.  "Wait!  It isn't as it seems.  Weyland, strike it with a spell!"  Weyland doesn't understand but trusts Nathair's word enough to cast Chill Touch at the creature.  The beast bursts like a balloon, with bits and spores falling to the floor.  Now he understood.  A Gas Spore.  They wait a few moments for the air to clear, then proceed through the hall to the other side.  

100 XP earned.  

One hour and fifteen minutes in the dungeon.

1E:

The party enters a hall littered with broken statues.  Ahead, a spherical creature with eyestalks is visible.   The party begins drawing weapons to face the Beholder and as soon as it's spotted, it begins to slowly move toward the party.  Stone cannot seem to draw his crossbow, the bronze axe again teleporting into his hand.  Stig has drawn his Shortbow and he fires, missing the first shot but his second arrow flies true. The creature explodes, to the surprise of the party.  "A gas spore," mutters Weyland.  After a short pause to let the air clear, the party continues through the hall to the other side.

120 XP earned.  

One hour and twenty-four minutes in the dungeon 

Comments:

It's fortunate for Stig that in 1E, bows get two shots per round.  The dice have not been kind to either party in these last few rooms.

It's worth noting that in both editions, exposure to the spore disease in the Gas Spore is fatal if not cured by a Cure Disease spell.  1E gives the victim 24 hours.  5E gives them 12 hours + Constitution score.

Impressions:

Well, this part moved quickly for both parties but especially the 5E group.  This is good for the 1E PCs because they're nearly out of resources to mitigate the effects of the poison.  

Is 5E Really Easier Than 1E? Let's Do Science (Sort Of)! Part IV - OK, Now It's Getting Serious

 Well, things aren't looking great for the old guard, are they?  

I think it's important to remember that the main problem facing the 1E party is the poison gas.  It's a brutal mechanic that is unique to this dungeon, but I really do think it's counterbalanced by the relative lack of combat and traps.  There is a specific downside though... PCs with low hit points are the most vulnerable.  At least with combat, the more fragile PCs can hang back while the warriors bear the brunt of the hits with their superior Armor Class and hit points.  That tends to result in the party weakening more uniformly.  This poison gas may well end 2 PCs while the others continue on for a while longer.

The 5E party has it pretty good.  The gas affects them much more slowly, but even if it didn't they have resources to deal with it more effectively.  For example, in 1E, Nathair can memorize a maximum of 3 Cure Light Wounds spells.  If she does, then that takes up all of her spells of that level.  The spell itself is also less effective, healing only 1d8.  Weyland was very, very unlucky when she cast it on him TWICE, healing him for only 4 total hit points with two castings.  Meanwhile, 5E Nathair has four slots to cast Cure Wounds with and can use her six higher-level slots to cast it even more powerfully.  All of that and still has the flexibility to cast other spells if needed.  And to put the icing on the cake, each casting heals 1-8 + 5 with her high Wisdom.  That means a single casting is guaranteed to heal better than both of her attempts in 1E did in this case.  This is a stark reality that definitely points toward 5E being considerably easier.  Not only is the environment generally kinder to PCs, but they also have better resources for dealing with it.  (Don't forget they have equal or higher hit point maximums, too.  

Still, it's too soon to draw any conclusions.  It would be great to get some combat.  Hopefully, the 1E party will live long enough...

Area 12: The Tomb of Hurakan

5E:

    Mikhael leads the party to the end of the corridor.  He briefly considers the door across the hall from the secret passage, but Nathair points out that they need to go up to get away from the gas, and the water on the floor is flowing toward that door and therefore, downhill.  The party reaches the other end of the corridor and Weyland does a quick check for traps.  Finding none, the party approaches the door.

Thirty-six minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

1E:

    Mikhael leads the party to the end of the corridor.  He briefly considers the door across the hall from the secret passage, but Nathair points out that they need to go up to get away from the gas, and the water on the floor is flowing toward that door and therefore, downhill.  The party reaches the other end of the corridor and Stig does a quick check for traps.  Finding none, the party approaches the door.

Fifty-three minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

Comments:

    Not every insight by a PC has to involve a die roll.

Area 13: Child of Zotzilaha

5E: 

Mikhael pushes the door open.  The party hears a surprised squeal and a splash.  The surface of the water in this room ripples as if something just fell into it.  Seeing the passage to the South, Nathair surmises that this will lead back the way they came, and they should go through the doors on the opposite side of the room.  They approach the water, and a beautiful young woman's head comes up out of the water.  "In a hurry?"  she asks, and giggles.  Only Morton, who still has his Comprehend Languages spell up, understands her.  "Yes..."  he stammers.  "Can you help us?"  Her face contorts into a vicious grin.  "No."  With that, she drops back under the water. 

"We don't have time for this," mutters Mikhael.  Nathair points.  "There's a ledge just under the water.  We can use it to reach the door!"  

Mikhael nods and rushes toward the ledge, the rest of the party following.  He leads them to the ledge and draws his weapon, watching the water for signs of trouble.  Stone rushes onto the ledge and makes his way as fast as he can manage to the doors at the other end.  Nathair casts Spirit Guardians and moves up to the ledge and then a few feet out on the ledge.  Stig and Morton stay out of the water but prepare to move.  Suddenly the water starts frothing and bubbling as Nathar's Spirit Guardians begin attacking the woman, now invisible in the water.  A moment later, a column of water forms into a humanoid, points a trident at Stone, and a blast of water lashes out at him.  Stone braces himself in time, and keeps his footing.  An instant later, a massive eel swims up behind him, and a loud spark and burst of steam emanates from the creature, with Stone at the center of it.  He grits his teeth and hangs on, intending to open the doors.  Weyland points at the eel and releases a blast of freezing energy at it as Mikhael rushes toward Stone to help him.

Stone jerks the doors open and turns to face his foes.  He tries to reach for his warhammer but finds himself compelled to draw the axe from the tomb instead.  Nathair moves quickly to reach the door and manages to jump through, but remains close enough to the fight so that her Spirit Guardians continue to ravage her enemies.  Morton now moves across the ledge as quickly as he can, with Stig right behind him.  Enraged now, the water creature lashes at Stone again this time he is caught off guard and is smashed hard and sent flying into the corridor beyond.  The giant eel now turns its attention to Mikhael and attacks him with electricity.  He is unharmed and prepares his return stroke.  Weyland rushes toward the water but suddenly vanishes, reappearing beyond the door with Nathair and Stone.  Mikhael strikes twice, channeling divinity through his blade on the second strike and the eel goes still.  He moves toward the door.  Stone gets up and moves back toward the room but cannot see their enemy.  He noted with satisfaction that Mikhael has dispatched the eel.  He prepares in case the woman in the water reappears.  Morton reaches the doorway with Stig and they get out of the way as Nathair draws her mace.  

From the center of the pool, the creature, a Nereid, appears, her hands up in surrender.  She is badly bruised and beaten.  "Please... spare me,"  Mikhael responds.  "Why should we do that?"  She pauses.  "I will give you my treasure in exchange for my life."  Mikhael knows time is short but agrees.  "Quickly." 

She resurfaces a few moments later with a wooden box, waterlogged.  Inside there appear to be valuables.  Stone takes the box as the party moves down the corridor.  "We have spared you because mercy is a virtue taught by the gods," Mikhael says.  "Remember that."  He turns and follows the party.

1,150 XP is gained.

Forty-five minutes in the dungeon.  No ill effects from the gas.

1E:

As the party approaches the door, Nathair notices a light coming through what appears to be a keyhole.  She holds her finger up to her lips and leans down to look through.  She sees a young woman sitting by the edge of a pool of water.

     .  Mikhael pushes the doors open and the party hears a surprised squeal and a splash.  The woman has darted into the water.  Seeing the passage to the South, Nathair surmises that this will lead back the way they came, and they should go through the doors on the opposite side of the room.  They approach the water, and the young woman's head comes up out of the water.  "In a hurry?"  she asks, and giggles.  Only Weyland, who still has his Comprehend Languages spell up, understands her.  "Yes..."  he stammers.  "Can you help us?"  She smiles and nods.  "Oh yes, come join me in the water!"  All of the men are mesmerized and start to move toward the pool.

Nathair notices the shawl left behind by the young woman and casts Detect Magic as the other party members start to move toward the water.  She also notices this woman moving toward the shawl while keeping the men's attention on her.  Nathair rushes to the edge and grabs the shawl.  The woman in the water's eyes flash with anger.  In her flirtiest voice she says "The first one of you men that brings me her shawl can come swim with me!"  Only Weyland understands this, but when he says "Don't worry, I'll get it for you," the others realize what he's doing and move toward Nathair to grab the shawl.  Even through the pain of the poison gas, they all focus only on doing whatever will please the beautiful lady in the water.  Nathair responds by telling them "I bet she only lets one of you win, I suppose that'll be the strongest, don't you?"

The men respond by aggressively grabbing the shawl from her - and then each trying to grab it for himself.  Five men tugging on one garment results in the shawl being ripped to shreds.  The woman in the water, a Nereid, shrieks as she dissolves into the water of the pool.  

Snapping out of it, the men realize what is happening.  Nodding in thanks to Nathair, Mikhael leads the party toward the pool.  He sees that the edges of the pool are very shallow near the walls, and starts to lead the party toward the door.  Once he has set foot into the water, an enraged giant eel attacks.

An electrical jolt runs through Mikhael and he staggers but retaliates by trying to stab his longsword into the creature.  He is unsuccessful.  Stone brings his axe - which has teleported into his hand - down upon the creature but slicing through the water dulls the force of his blow.  Stig wades into the water to strike the creature from behind and stabs into it, but the creature continues to fight.  At last, Weyland is able to slay the creature with a Magic Missile.

The party is exhausted but does not dare stop to rest.  They make their way to the door opposite the entrance and open it.

1,040 XP gained.

One hour and three minutes in the dungeon.  The PCs continue to suffer the effects.

Comments:

    We've finally had our first real combat, such as it was.  There are a lot of things to point out here.

• It took a lot longer for the 5E party to finish the battle.  This is because 5E monsters have a lot more hit points than their 1E counterparts.  Case in point:  The giant electric eel in 5E had 42 hit points while the 1E version had 10.  At first, this may seem like a major advantage for the 1E party, but look what it took to kill it.  A strike from a Fighter was reduced in damage by the eel being in the water.  The backstab from the Thief just rolled badly, and a Magic Missile from Weyland finally finished the job.  (Remember that the 5E Paladin and Fighter each had two attacks while their 1E counterparts each had one.)  I really think the boost in monster hit points is more about making combat last longer than anything else.
• Notice that in 5E, a Saving Throw was provided to allow PCs to avoid the damage from the electrical attack.  No Saving Throw exists in 1E for the same thing.
• Notice also the 1E Nereid was able to completely entrance all of the men in the party.  No Saving Throw.  It is fortunate that Nathair was smart enough to make the connection with the shawl and use it.  This shortened the battle considerably and made it easier.  Had Nathair not made the connection it would have been up to her to battle the Nereid and the Eel by herself.  
• On the subject of the shawl, the 1E version of the module specifically said that she leaves it on the shore, while she is wearing it in 5E.  This is possibly due to making the content a bit more family-friendly in 5E but consider also that the 5E Nereid would not be immediately destroyed by having the shawl destroyed.  Again, this suggests a greater challenge to 5E characters.

And how about that mesmerizing effect, eh?  Only affecting males, no Saving Throw... (You won't see that in a modern D&D module.)  To say nothing of the Nereid's Kiss, which in 5E causes significant damage but in 1E is instantly fatal, no Saving  Throw. 

There's something else I'd like to point out.  The difficulty of a 1E encounter is higher from a strictly mechanics-based perspective, but I think that encourages a lot more creative thinking and roleplay.  Clever players don't just treat their weapons and spells as the only tools they have to resolve every battle.  If the 1E party had attempted to win the encounter in the same way as the 5E party, they may very well have been wiped out whereas the 5E party wasn't even in significant danger.

Let's continue.

Area 14: Flooded Hall

Another hallway.

5E:

The party makes its way down the corridor but the water is cold and deep enough to slow them until they get out of the flooded section.  They climb the stairs and reach a pair of bronze doors.  Weyland briefly examines them to find traps but there are none, and as they're unlocked, the party goes through.

Forty-nine minutes in the dungeon.  No ill effects from the gas.

1E:

The party makes its way down the corridor but the water is cold, but they are able to get to a set of stairs that leads up and out.  They climb the stairs and reach a pair of bronze doors.  Weyland briefly examines them to find traps but there are none, and as they're unlocked, the party goes through.

Fifty-one minutes in the dungeon.  No additional ill effects from the gas.

Comments:

    There is a slight variation in the map here.  The water in the old version goes right up to the stairs.  The new version, by contrast, explicitly says the water is three feet deep and thus slows the party.  I think speed bumps like this are placed in the newer version to make it more likely the party will take damage from the gas at least once.

Speaking of the gas, I think it serves a different purpose in each of the two versions.  In 1E, I think it was a way to hurry the party along in the dungeon to prevent them from dilly-dallying.  In 5E, I think it had more to do with preventing the PCs from taking a Long Rest in this section.

Area 15: The Great Hall

5E:

Mikhael leads the party down the wide gallery, eventually reaching an arch at the far end.  He proceeds through the arch, not realizing there is a wall there, because of the mural painted on it combined with the darkness and poison gas.  

Embarrassed, he backs out of the arch.  Is this a dead end?  Perhaps they should go back.  He discusses the question with Nathair and Stone while Stig, Weyland, and Morton wander back, looking at the murals painted along the walls.  They notice nothing unusual.  As the discussion continues, Morton notices something odd about the Sun painting.  Finding a large "button" on it, he takes it upon himself to press it.  Eight feet from the floor, a secret door clicks open.  

Seeing the exit, the party gathers around the doorway and, working together, gets each person up and into the passage.

Fifty-five minutes in the dungeon.  No ill effects from the gas.

1E:

Mikhael leads the party down the wide gallery, eventually reaching an arch at the far end.  He proceeds through the arch, not realizing there is a wall there, because of the mural painted on it combined with the darkness and poison gas.  

Embarrassed, he backs out of the arch.  Is this a dead end?  Perhaps they should go back.  He discusses the question with Nathair and Stone while Stig, Weyland, and Morton wander back, looking at the murals painted along the walls.  Weyland realizes there's something odd about the Sun painting.  Finding a large "button" on it, he takes it upon himself to press it.  Eight feet from the floor, a secret door clicks open.  

He calls to the rest of the group and they quickly enter the secret passage.  Just as they pass through the entrance, Stig doubles over in a severe coughing fit.  He is close to death and will almost certainly not survive another ten minutes here.  Mikhael calls upon his power and lays his hands on Stig, who recovers somewhat.  Nodding his thanks, he stands, and the party continues.

One hour, one minute in the dungeon.  Time is running out.

Comments:

    The 1E party was very fortunate to find the secret door right away.  Searches in 1E take a lot longer and that would have been devastating.

Area 17: Hall of the Great Spirits

5E:

  Mikhael opts to take the first opportunity to turn, but as the party starts down the corridor to the left, Stig notices something shiny in the mouth of one of the sculptures.

Separating from the group, Stig examines the eagle head.  Surely this golden bracelet must have a trap.  Indeed, he realizes the trap would snap closed like a bear trap (Investigation roll).  He jams a wedge from his thief's tools into the hinge and pulls the bracelet free (Thief's Tools roll).  When he gets his wedge back, the beak snaps shut.  He quickly catches up to the party who has been waiting for him, irritated.

Fifty-eight minutes in the dungeon.  No ill effects from the gas.

1E:

  Mikhael opts to take the first opportunity to turn, but as the party starts down the corridor to the left, Stig notices something shiny in the mouth of one of the sculptures.

Separating from the group, Stig examines the eagle head.  Surely this golden bracelet must have a trap.  He looks over it carefully but sees nothing amiss so he grabs the ring and pulls it free, immediately causing the eagle's beak to snap shut on his arm.  He cries out in dismay and cannot get the beak to open.  The party rushes over and immediately sees what happened.  Stone finds he is able to draw his warhammer, and strikes the eagle beak quickly.  Stig groans in pain but does not say anything.  Stone strikes again, seeing more damage now to the beak.  Stig grits his teeth from the pain of the second blow.  A third blow, and the beak is broken and Stig is freed, although his arm is injured.  A glare from Mikhael is not enough to stop Stig from taking the ring, however.  He meekly follows the party out of the room.

One hour, seven minutes in the dungeon. 

Comments:

    Stig is very lucky that the 1E version of this trap only causes penalties to his "to hit" and Armor Class as a result of the hits to the eagle head.  The 5E version would have inflicted considerable damage.  Then again, Stig's odds of finding the trap were higher in 5E.  Stig now fights at a -3 to hit and an Armor Class of 5 for a while.

Impressions:

We're really seeing more of a difference now.  Combat and abilities are working very differently, and for the most part those differences are subjective.  That said, the 1E party continues to struggle against the clock.

Is 5E Really Easier Than 1E? Let's Do Science (Sort Of)! Part III - There Must Be Some Kind of Way Out of Here

We continue working our way through both versions of the Hidden Shrine of Temoachan in an effort to get a more reality-based perspective on whether 5E D&D has been made easier since the time of 1E AD&D.  The party has made it through the first few rooms successfully, though the 1E party is suffering more.

I'll admit that in the early stages, my expectations were flipped in that the difficulty between editions is a lot closer than I'd thought, but at the same time we can see that the 1E party is going to start having some real problems before long.

Having cleared the tomb of Tloques-Popolocas the party continues down the corridor.

Area 6: Rubble-filled Staircase

5E: 

  The party moves down the corridor and turns left.  The dim light of their torches and spells does not penetrate far into the thick darkness but it quickly becomes evident that they can go no further as the stairs are caved in.  Mikhael briefly considers trying to excavate but Weyland, upon examining the pile and making an Investigation check, declares that it is impassible.  Frustrated, Mikhael leads the party back down the corridor and into the large, muddy room.  

  The giant crayfish is wary, but since Mikhael leads the party around the wall to the north and does not approach, it remains calm.  The party reaches the top of a flight of stairs.

Twenty-Five minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

1E: 

  The party moves down the corridor and turns left.  The dim light of their torches and spells does not penetrate far into the thick darkness but it quickly becomes evident that they can go no further as the stairs are caved in.  Mikhael briefly considers trying to excavate but after a brief discussion with the party that route is abandoned as impassible.  Frustrated, Mikhael leads the party back down the corridor and into the large, muddy room.  

  The giant crayfish is wary, but since Mikhael leads the party around the wall to the north and does not approach, it remains calm.  The party reaches the top of a flight of stairs.

Some of the party members start coughing and hacking, with Weyland especially feeling light-headed.

Forty minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

Area 4: Mud-Filled Doorway 

5E: 

Mikhael leads the party down the stairs onto the landing, but it is filled with deep silt that prevents the party from pulling the door open.  He takes his shield and, with Nathair helping using hers, tries to scoop the silt away from the door.  The semi-liquid silt just pours back, however, and after a minute of trying, the party can see that this approach is not working.  His frustration mounting, Mikhael reluctantly leads the party back up the stairs, becoming concerned that the strange gas may soon start to affect the group.  Once again staying close to the wall in the mud room, he leads the party through the door on the west side of the room.

Twenty-Eight minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

1E: 

Mikhael leads the party down the stairs onto the landing, but it is filled with deep silt that prevents the party from pulling the door open.  He takes his shield and, with Nathair helping using hers, tries to scoop the silt away from the door.  The semi-liquid silt just pours back, however, and after a minute of trying, the party can see that this approach is not working.  His frustration mounting, Mikhael reluctantly leads the party back up the stairs, becoming concerned about the injury the group is suffering from the poison gas.  Once again staying close to the wall in the mud room, he leads the party through the door on the west side of the room.

Forty-three minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

Comments:

I considered using 1E Morton's Purify Water spell to clear the silt, but I am just not sure it would work.  Besides, if they got through the door, the 1E party would be separated from the 5E party and I don't need that headache. 

Area 8: Courses of the Gods 

5E: 

Mikhael leads the party down a flight of stairs to a door.  Weyland makes an Investigation check to find traps and finds none.  Pushing the door open, Mikhael peers inside sees no immediate danger, and leads the party through.  Stig inconspicuously grabs the silver pyramid as he passes by it, but fails his sleight of hand roll miserably the others know it, but they still don't care.

Thirty-one minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

1E: 

Mikhael leads the party down a flight of stairs to a door.  They are no longer moving at the same level of caution because the party's ability to keep soaking the poison gas damage is running low.  Stig makes a Find Traps roll and finds none.  Pushing the door open, Mikhael peers inside sees no immediate danger, and leads the party through.  Stig inconspicuously grabs the silver pyramid as he passes by it, succeeding in his Pick Pockets roll and nobody notices.

3gp gained.

Forty-seven minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

Comments:

Sometimes nothing happens in a dungeon room, especially in one like this where time is of the essence.  1E takes longer to search than 5E, and it shows when PCs are no longer trying, and just trying to make it through.

Area 9: Stone Statue

 5E:

Mikhael leads the party through a door and around a corner, soon coming to a statue on one side.  Weyland and (Stig assisting) rolls Investigation (with advantage) to look for traps.  They find none, and Stig asks Mikhael to give him a boost up onto the tray.  Weyland stops this.  The statue is top-heavy and may fall if Stig climbs onto it.  Stig rolls Acrobatics to use the other wall features to climb high enough to reach the gem eyes.  As he leans over, he fails a roll and falls onto the tray, toppling the statue.  

Stig falls with the statue and is lightly injured.  With the statue down and broken, the party realizes there is a passageway behind it.  They gather the gems and the sword from the statue and decide to investigate the tunnel.  Might it be a way out?

Thirty-four minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

 1E:

Mikhael leads the party through a door and around a corner, soon coming to a statue on one side.  Stig rolls to Check for Traps and succeeds.  He finds none, and Stig asks Mikhael to give him a boost up onto the tray.  He gets up onto the tray easily, but his weight causes the statue to topple over.

With the statue down and broken, the party realizes there is a passageway behind it.  They gather the gems and the sword from the statue and decide to investigate the tunnel.  Might it be a way out?

4gp treasure (the onyx eyes)

Fifty-one minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.  Each character takes more damage.  Nathair casts Cure Light Wounds on Weyland, healing only 1 hit point.  She casts it again and heals him for 3 more.  She has no more Cure Light Wounds spells memorized.  Morton casts Cure Light Wounds on Stig but only heals him for 2 hit points.  

Comments:

The 1E party is in a bad way and getting worse.  To compound the problem, their healing resources are running low.  Things aren't looking great for Stig and Weyland.  

Area 10: Secret Passage

5E: 

Mikhael leads the party through the passageway quickly, takes the left and, after a short time, can see the other end of the passageway is wedged open.  The party quickly makes for the opening and exits the tunnel.

Thirty-five minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

1E: 

Mikhael leads the party through the passageway quickly, takes the left and, after a short time, can see the other end of the passageway is wedged open.  The party quickly makes for the opening and exits the tunnel.

Fifty-two minutes in the dungeon exposed to poison gas.

Comments:

Nothing really to say here.  It's a hallway.

Impressions:

I can see why there are few encounters in this dungeon.  The 1E party is barely holding together and I wouldn't bet on the survival of Stig and Weyland.  The 5E group is holding up fine, having used relatively few resources and not yet injured, except for Stig who is his own worst enemy.