RPG Addicts | We Know You're Hooked

This familiarity thing has some merit but I wouldn't delve too deep to keep things simple. E.g. elves don't have other benefits like moving unindered through natural forest terrain that would count as difficult for anyone else. Similar for dwarves marching through rubble.
In my interpretation dwarves are medium because while they are stocky and have shorter legs their arms are pretty much the size of a human's so they don't have disadvantage with weapon size but they have disadvantage on movement.

About the names on the stone slabs in Chapter 1 and riddles in general

Strictly OOC.
I didn't want it to make it too hard but didn't expect you to figure this out too early.
Well, not immediately at least.
But our great puzzle solver @{DM Hael} slammed the door on the my nose pretty hard and fast
I certainly hope that Silent "Mister Single Circuit" Giant didn't mean to figure this out IC. Well maybe recognising Sirrith's name though I'm not sure he would even remember that after a good night's sleep. Well maybe he has enough reasons to memorise that name after all.

As a general rule, I would like to remind all of you how I like to handle riddles.
IC-- play your character faithfully!
If you think there's no chance your character would figure out that much, don't write it IC!
If you have a recommendation on a party member's (typically, NPC's) next action think twice how to word it... Or don't word it IC.

OOC-- work together!
Maybe your official Mensa scores don't rate too high individually but as a group you may brainstorm a few days and come up with a solution that would've anyway occurred to the party's genius (IC speaking).
NPCs have a bad habit of omitting any serious brain activity unless provoked. If you ask if Maul has a certain spell memorised or have any idea what Murkatos should do with his (currently) meager magic assets write OOC and he may do so... IC
Similarly, throw your meta information together (e.g. as players you probably know the resistances and vulnerabilities of all opponents) and feel free to discuss how much of a chance a ranger, rogue, bard or priest of Lirr has to actually have that information from past experience or studies. Someone with undead / chemicals / divine rituals / arms all throughout his background probably knows tidbits others of the same level may not.
Just remember. Metagaming is thin ice. If unsure, ask the DM -- preferably in private if your idea may impose spoilers for others.

I have to confess this game is getting more and more fun as we progress. I dug up my old notes; so old that they predate the year when I bought my notebook to write this adventure (2010). So old that they predate the release of D&D 3.0 (2000). And re-reading them I'll have to adjust the upcoming chapters because I forgot quite some great moments I planned back in my mid teen days. Hope you enjoy playing as much as I enjoy telling this story!

Oooh, shit just got real... This is fun!

Created the current maps on roll20. Unfortunately I don't know about splitting parties so placed the two maps (dwarven ruins and cellars of hate) side by side. Enjoy and tell me if something's ambiguous, poorly visible or simply doesn't work.

Apologies for Toot; if you feel serious lack of visualisation I'll do your part as well but if you are okay with plain text descriptions for the time being then let's go that way and hopefully you'll be able to join the party.

I think Silent Giant is on to something with the names. I know all the letters are there to make out everyone's names, even Toot's. I don't know if rearranging them in a certain order unlocks something, though my brain power could work on this all day and I might be chasing my tail.

I think the blue sapphires represent how many missions we need to complete and how many were successful, maybe Silenthos' tomb is Merri's because she died? Hence only 1 sapphire.

I think we are looking at a "possible" future.

Also, to open the metal door that shoot's lightning we just need to knock and ask to see the Wizard of Oz.

And I think Lugar wants that innocuous bejeweled dagger and sheath And, if Lugant's tomb is Lugar's, love the fake jewels! hahaha!

Commenting only on those that you can easily check IC.
While Merri was pretty impressive for a female elf the skeleton in the sarcophagus marked 'Silenthos' is definitely someone more robust, even if not as large as Giant.

RE Spider Webs:  Funny thing about Spider Webbing is that it isn't Flammable.  The web from web spells burn but I wasn't able to find rules in my game for burning real spider web.  Googling burning web and the best I came up with is Spider Webs will shrivel a bit.  [See here]  But if there is dust on them then they would burn.  I guess that depends how long the webs have been there.  But if the DM wants them to go up in flame like in the Hollywood movies then of course that's their choice.  

Thankfully I didn't have to house rule anything cuz the Players were afraid the whole cavern would go up in flames and kill all the captives the spiders had hung up to eat. 

If anyone knows of any rules for burning real Spider webs then please PM me.

The spider webs on this plane are flammable hehehe

While looking to see if the Unicorns 10' Circle of protection against Evil would give Boo resistance to the creatures Unnatural Presence, I noticed that non-good summoned creatures can't move through the warded area.  Therefore the Earth elementals can't enter or receive the Circles bonuses.   

The spell does grant those inside Protection from Evil which states that it gives resistance against enchantment charm or compulsion.  Not much is said about the Unnatural Presence ability but it sounds like a Compulsion to me.  But obviously it's up to you, the DM, to decide if the spell offers protection.

Re nongood creatures. Personally I cannot find such a thing written. The only statement about nongood creatures is that "the spell prevents bodily contact by summoned creatures. ... Good summoned creatures are immune to this effect". Which does not mean they cannot enter or that they are not warded (what's more the ward explicitly states it's regardless of alignment) just that they cannot make natural attacks against a warded creature. An interesting aspect, though, that theoretically Toot, with his neutral alignment, recoils from any bodily contact with the unicorn!

So I will let the jermlaine ride the unicorn (because it's summoned) but let's keep this in mind in the future.

The unnatural presence, on the other hand, is supernatural but not spell-like and I have no memory of Su in general (or in any specific case) having school or subtype. closest match would be the fourth level Fear (Necromancy [Fear, mind-affecting[) From the aspect of PfE / MCaE, however, it is not an attempt to control, only to influence.