Trilodroid: G2 Against the Giants, Preparation - better loot, fixes to things

Monday, June 30, 2025

Comic versions

Note, the kid is playing 5e characters, but using some 1E ideas from the original modules.

UPDATE: Not an easy fix. If the boulders are big enough to work for 21 foot tall giants, how the heck could you move them? If they are say 10 feet high, maybe somehow they move on slippery ice, but then do the giants have a 10 foot gap above the boulders that they see out of and see you approaching? Or if no giants are there, do your guys just climb over the boulder and avoid moving it (maybe that is the answer). Also I hadn't considered... glacial wilderness so can't be normal doors.

G2 is even more combat and deadly (environment) than G1. Might have to refer to the 5e writeup more.

Much of the deadly is environment stuff, which I typically DM fix by default.
"More than anything, G2 is defined by its environment: the icy caverns of the frost giants. This gives rise to some rather deadly mechanics: a 1 in 6 chance of each character slipping on the ledges, which leads to almost-certain death unless the party is roped together (and if they are, there’s still a fair chance the entire party will plummet together to their doom). A misty cavern gives a 2 in 6 chance of slipping, dropping held items, and then a 1 in 4 chance of those items disappearing forever down a crack…" is a quote from merricb.
MAYBE I'll control some NPCs that I totally control with him, to slip off. ?? He doesn't want to control or deal with more NPCs that he controls long term.

" two mated white dragons – and woe betide the party that stumbles into their lair unprepared! We also get a ring of wishes, but that is guarded by another fearsome monster. And with a note that if certain magics (like fireball and lightning bolt) are used to defeat the monster, the ice will melt, and the treasure will be lost. This isn’t inspiring writing: magic users already had enough trouble being relevant, and having dangerous encounters where them participating is a mistake? No thank you!" by merricb. Yeah I agree, that's no fun.

UPDATE: we are playing through... I just make it a tiny chance ice will cave in from the ceiling and it's more likely to hit the bad guys if he fireballs. Also, I do make a foggy mist after fireball or firewall, so that vision is limited to about 60 feet. Came into play in room 7+8 where the 16 ogres are.
Doubt we need a ring of wishes. Kid already has one Wish from Strahd to use.
What could we put in here... LOOT

how about some damn "Boots of No Slipping", that seems like loot someone woulda been wearing down here.
A Ring of Warmth, to keep from freezing. Same.
Wand of cold = in 2e Cone of Cold spells, which I think I will keep as that with limited charges that can't be turned back on. 5e turns it into a Staff of Frost... but already got that from the Strahd areas.

Might need to add in some clues for interest. Like another drow clue. Maybe a piece of a weird temple (like in G1... but it lead to underworld underdark which made sense physically... can G2 be that close to the Underdark?... it could be a 2 day descent if you are high up in a mountain)... but I've read other ppl say that they would like to see another temple hint. Maybe just refer to the blocked off cave and say "out of game, I'll tell you, this leads deep into the underdark and another weird temple".

Wonder if this text written out G1-G2-G3 campaign has some good ideas... probably, too long to read right this second: https://rpggeek.com/thread/1517067/toms-against-the-giants-campaign-ic-thread-ch-1-st/page/8

Trilodroid