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Tuesday, August 12, 2025

G3 Next Time, preparing; TSR Lizardman Logo Stories

As an aside, how about this cool story posted by Ernie Gygax (bottom of comments) related to the Lizardman logo changed to the Wizard. The article talks about technical difficulties: https://playingattheworld.blogspot.com/2018/10/artistic-arcana-impostor-lizardman.html



G3, the Hall of the Fire Giant King D&D Module

Maybe use alt statblocks here: https://www.emptyhexes.com/monster-mondays/fire-giants

Take note on Firegiants' look, they have jutting teeth/jaw/mouth, just like in the 1e drawing, see:  https://adnd2e.fandom.com/wiki/Fire_Giant 

They are tall, but squat, resembling huge dwarves. An adult male is 18 feet tall, has a 12-foot chest, and weighs about 7,500 pounds. Fire giants have coal black skin, flaming red or bright orange hair, and prognathous jaws that reveal dirty ivory or yellow teeth. They can live to be 350 years old. 


Entrance Desc. and Map stuff:

Use some of this AI generated description/tactical info stuff. Gonna take some out of course. 

The mouth of the cavern yawns wide, its jagged archway blackened and cracked from centuries of molten heat. Rivers of sluggish magma ooze from fissures in the basalt cliffs, casting a hellish orange glow that dances along the obsidian walls. The ground crunches underfoot with a brittle layer of cooled slag, sharp and glassy, littered with warped fragments of rusted armor—remnants of intruders who came too close. Sulfur and scorched metal sting the air, while deep within the tunnel, a low, resonant rumble echoes—like the breathing of something massive. The shadows within seem to shimmer from the heat, but every so often, a faint glint of gold or steel betrays the treasures—and dangers—that lie beyond.

Funny how cha7tgpt cut off the legend. 


Tactical info:

Here’s a battle-ready tactical breakdown for the Firegiant king’s cavern entrance:


Map Dimensions & Layout (Entrance Zone)

  • Width: Main cavern mouth ~40 ft across at the base, narrowing to ~25 ft after the first 15 ft in.

  • Depth to First Bend: ~60 ft before the tunnel curves, breaking line of sight.

  • Ceiling Height: 30–35 ft, slightly irregular with hanging basalt stalactites.


Choke Points (((my note, game module says 1 entrance only, 2d6 fire dmg if bad luck timing)))

  1. Slag Funnel – Just inside the entrance, fallen rock and cooled slag create a 10 ft wide path between sharp debris. Movement is halved here unless wearing heavy armor protection (or immune to piercing damage from jagged edges).

  2. Heat Vent Crevice – A 5 ft wide crossing over a molten crack. This natural bridge is a prime ambush spot for defenders.

  3. Magma Channel – At 50 ft in, a narrow crossing over slow-moving magma (15 ft across) forces attackers to either jump, use a fallen chain bridge, or detour to a dangerous side path.


Environmental Hazards

  • Magma Splatter: Periodic gouts erupt from vents (roll d20 at the start of each round in the hazard zone; on 18–20, a random 5x5 ft square is splashed for 2d6 fire damage).

  • Superheated Air: Creatures without fire resistance make CON saves every 10 minutes or suffer 1 level of exhaustion. (((maybe not this crazy, gotta have a way to deal with it)))

  • Slag Shards: Moving through slag piles without care deals 1d4 piercing damage per 5 ft unless proper footwear or levitation is used. (((yeah, remembering Arizona, I can see that)))

  • Ceiling Stalactites: Weak points can be triggered by giants or siege weapons, dropping for 3d10 bludgeoning damage in a 10 ft radius.


Visibility Issues

  • Heat Distortion: Within 30 ft of magma flows, ranged attacks beyond 60 ft are at disadvantage due to shimmering air.

  • Sulfurous Smoke: Occasional plumes drift in from deeper vents, creating areas of light obscurement (20 ft radius) for 1d4 rounds.

  • Light Source: The magma itself provides dim light within 60 ft, bright within 20 ft. Darker recesses past the first bend require darkvision or torches.


Defender Advantages

  • Elevated ledges (10–15 ft above the slag funnel) allow giants or sentries to hurl boulders with cover.

  • Defensible narrow crossings force intruders into single-file combat.

  • Magma channels and heat vents can be used to corral enemies into kill zones.

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