Befallen is one of the best known dungeons in the world of Norrath which is where EverQuest takes place. It was located near Freeport and Neriak in the Commonlands which made it accessible to both good and evil characters rather easily. Few players in EQ failed to make it into the depths of Befallen at some point in their time there.
Befallen is one of those overused plot hooks being the once proud bastion of good now ruled b those it once tried to thwart. Befallen is a three level dungeon that is populated with undead and the necromancers that create them. There are other creatures beside undead and player character races but the bulk of the encounters will be with these two.
The dungeon though is not one that can really be run as a single adventure as the three levels jump in level requirements rather significantly. The module suggests characters from levels 4-15 but it won't take them from four to fifteen. The first level works for characters from fourth to sixth level. The second level separated from the first by nothing more than a locked door wants characters of eighth to twelfth level and the third wants twelfth to fifteenth. There is progression but the experience is not present to make those jumps so the characters will have to come back or start way to high for the first two levels. The former would be best and that way the GM can work with repopulating the levels to make them tougher each time so as to actually get three dungeons for the price of one.
Getting back to the idea that online games can be great resources (and terrible time sinks though) are the quests and magic items that are used in Befallen. The module suggests six possible quests which in turn are tied to magic items many times. The module presents players with options to obtain the Paw of Opolla, the Blood-Bone Claymore, The Thex Mallet and the Dagger of Marnek.
The EQ online game through S&S has been converted into a game, a campaign setting and a number of different modules. This has also been done with portions of World of Warcraft but not in as much detail. It could be done with any number of other online games and there are mechanics in each game which could be used creatively. One is the titles that are given out in the games. What if each title allowed some unique special ability or other benefit.
The module is one that players may have to come back to and defeat in waves. This will work to make the conquest of Befallen all the more memorable. I know it is written for D&D 3.x and for the EQ game on its own so it will take some work but in the end I think mining or converting it is worthwhile. I also want to put forth that the art in the module is rather well done and the layout makes it easy to use.
Spell:
Greater Endowment
Level: Ninth
Range: Touch
Duration: Permanent
Ares Effect: Character Touched
Components: V,S
Casting Time: One Turn
Saving Throw: None
This spell is an upgrade to the Transfer Spell Potential and Partial Endowment that was described earlier. This spell when cast by the magic user grants access to a all of their spell repertoire to the recipient. The recipient will have access to all spells regardless of level.
When the recipient is granted this access they will be able to cast spells directly from the mind of the caster. This ability is a permanent effect until such time as the caster revokes it. This can be done at any time and has no requirements to occur other than the willing of it by the caster.
Any spells cast by the recipient will count against the spells that the caster might have to cast in any given day. When the recipient is casting a spell the magic user will not be prevented from casting. Should a situation arise where both are trying to cast at the same time an initiative must be rolled to see who started first. The caster can act while the spells are being cast but anything that might break concentration will interrupt the spell.
Casting of this spell is not done lightly though. Allowing someone else access to their mind, at this level, will have a detrimental effect on the caster. The caster will suffer some ill effect from allowing this. The caster will suffer two of the following and there is an equal chance for any of the following will occur. The caster losses one point of intelligence permanently, the caster will develop a random insanity of the DMs choice (this will be a minor case and not something that will incapacitate the caster), the caster will subject to domination by the other (this is resolved exactly like intelligent weapon conflict is resolved), when the recipient casts a spell there is a cumulative 5% chance that the minds will be switch for a period of 1d4 days.
Finally the link this strong and of this nature will leave a discernible trail in both the Astral and Ethereal Planes. There is a 1% chance per game day that some creature will notice this and choose to investigate.
Disclaimer: The spells that you will see, for how ever long the write ups last, were all written up or conceived of back in the 80's so the terminology may not appropriate for anything other than 1e and depending on how well I did back then it may be slightly off for that as well. If there is any duplication of spells that exist now it is most likely I wrote mine first :) Please feel free to comment on them but try not to be too hard on me. If anyone wishes to use these in anything they print please let me know in advance and all I ask is proper credit.
Happy Independence Day to everyone in the USA!
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