 | "Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil" |  |
| "Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil" | |
n the spring of 2002 several friends from college and I began playing the adventure module Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil. The original Temple of Elemental Evil module is widely regarded as one of the hardest, most twisted modules ever published. Following the rule of sequels, Return to the Temple takes things well past the next level. The module starts with a dragon encounter. Characters enter at 4th level and theoretically finish around 14th, though the chances of surviving anywhere near that long are remote indeed.
t the last minute the DM decided to make this a minatures-based game, having chanced upon a huge pad of 1" graph paper at Office Max. Being the only active painter in the group, I foolishly volunteered to make miniatures for all the player characters. Not too tall an order, perhaps, but getting the right characters with the right weapons involved more modifications then I'd ever done. Then there was the monk...
| A wizard who's particularly fond of chain lightning 2372: Dieter Von Regmon Modifications: Shortened sword |
| Jon chose to play a hairless dwarf monk, which is fine except they don't make hairless dwarf minis! The most extensive modifications I've ever made to a figure. Despite a near-suicidal tendency to dash into melee combat, Dave is the party's longest-lived member. He was captured and tortured by the fiendish ogre mage D'Gran for a time. 2228: Gord Ironhead Modifications: Filed off hair, beard, shield, and flail; added head from Reaper 2512: Tsuko, Male Monk. |
| Rogues with spiked chains proved so popular with this party there's now another one. 2659: Piotr Irongale |
| Uriah's characters have had such short lifespans apparently he thought "I'll die anyway, why not play a bard?" Not surprisingly Shizor looked like he was about to buy it on his first session, but he somehow made a successful broken-field run through a phalanx of guards and made it to safety. 2186: Alfred Redlute, Bard Modifications: Removed sword & right hand, added bow and left hand of 2091: Lindir Lightarrow, scratchbuilt thumb on proper side. |
| This brusque half-orc paladin is the party's taskmaster. 14004: Ymrilix, Anti-Paladin |
| This half-elven cleric was rather sheltered in the seminary of Pelor. Out in the wider world for the first time, he's developed an unhealthy fascination with prostitutes and their ilk. 2489: Black Legionnaire Modifications: Reduced axe to mace, filed off insignia on chest. |
| A human paladin of St Cuthbert with a robust sense of paranoia. He detected evil so often the DM started automatically including it in every description. Unfortunately in an ill-fated attempt to gain 300 XP to level, Gregor encountered the business end of a juvenile white dragon. 2033: Sir Falkirk Nobleheart Modifications: Removed scabbard, replaced axe with longsword from 2202: Weapons Pack II |
| Owing to the intensity of the module, we all put huge thought into character design. Chase decided that the key to longevity was being well-rounded, so he constructed a multiclassed ranger/rogue/barbarian to start out with. Unfortunately it wasn't enough in his efforts to save Gregor from the white dragon, which included spiderclimbing onto its flank, dousing it in oil, and setting it alight with a tinderstick. 2143: Elladan, Elven Ranger |
| The female elven rogue was huge asset in the resplendently booby-trapped temple. However she never earned the trust of the party due to her penchant for conducting room and body searches when no one was looking and pocketing the results. Then she was chomped by a Xorn. 2590: Merryn, Elf Thief Modifications: Filed sword into rapier |
| A washed-up, alcoholic paladin the party found in a bar. He was invited to join them because Gregor recognised a desire for redemption, the rest of the party recognised the utility of an extra arrow-catcher. 2370: Luther Baldwin Modifications: Filed dents in shield, nicks in cloak |
| The evoker sorcerer was tragically splattered in one round by Tomislav in the throes of an umber hulk's confusion effect. It was a double blow to the group, for with the low resale value of evil cult paraphernalia, his professional gambling was an important source of party income. Chainmail: Halfling Sneak Modifications: Scratchbuilt hat with epoxy putty |
| This orphaned half-orc was raised by the Church of Arlington, receiving training as a Tempest, a specialist in 2-weapon fighting. Only bright when it came to combat strategy, in which he and Mordicai used veritable SWAT team tactics. 2431: Gragg Elfslayer Orc Modifications: Added longsword, filed down crests on armour |
| Rescued from a cell in the Earth Temple, this sorcerer answered the paucity of divine spellcasters in the party. He also became something of a Gatling-gunner by popping 2 crossbows in and out of his Gloves of Holding. Killed by the ogre mage D'Gran. 2343: Drake Whiteraven Modifications: Removed staff, added cuffs for gloves. |
| The sole survivor of a gnome army regiment, Zook rode into combat on his fierce war boar Dreanna. The only party member with an actual military rank, Zook assumed he was their leader. Died at D'Gran's hand while valiently saving Vnadno's life. Reaper 2531: Dobbin, Halfling + Ghost Miniatures GD22: Extra Heavy Boar Riders/Maces Modifications: Clipped base, replaced shield |
| Although he also survived D'Gran's torture (a kinky affair which apparently involved having iron balls thrown at his crotch), this paladin/sorcerer was just too wimpy to live. He was pummeled to death during his watch by an Invisible Stalker. 2372: Dieter Von Regmon Modifications: Shortened sword |
| A dwarf whose thoughts hit as heavily as his axe blows. Together with his half-brother Ovo, he formed the party's stumpy but tough front-line defence. Unfortunately he took too many fireballs to the face in the Fire Temple. 2301: Thorondil of Kragmar |
| A cleric/rogue, an inquisitor in the Church of Arlington, god of fire and travel. His slightly dubious alignment was no help, though, when he stumbled into a crypt full of shadows and wrights. 2468: The Unholy Warrior Modifications: Filed down shield crest, bent scimitar from 2202: Weapons Pack II into rapier and replaced axe. |
| Another half-orc bodyguard for Mordicai from the church of Arlington (they seem to admit exclusively half-orcs to their bodyguarding school), although this one was an archer with some rogue abilities. Died with his master in the crypt full of shadows and wraiths. 2434: T'Quan, Skoli Warrior Modifications: Filed off horns, cut off sword & placed hilt in scabbard, repositioned arms and added bow from 2202: Weapons Pack II and scratchbuilt arrow, sculpted tonsure from epoxy putty |
| This dwarf vacillated between being the party's best front-line fighter and its worst enemy, due to his habit of slipping into berserker frenzies and attacking friend and foe alike. He was the last to fall to the shadows and wrights that killed 2/3 of the party. 2383: Spike the Warmaster Modifications: Formed spiked helmet into mohawk |
| A barbarian wild elf, brave but dumb. The party lost a lot of trust in him after he was dominated by a vampire. Then he was clobbered by a red dragon. 2604: Lorn, Barbarian with Axe Modifications: Removed shield. |
| The creepy Master of Chains, who wears a magical chain for armour and has a "predilection" for collecting and pickling the eyeballs of spellcasters. Unfortunately in a Peter Benchley-esque moment he was chomped by a tojanida. 2602: Hakir, Barbarian of Tor Modifications: Removed sword & shield, scratchbuilt chain armour & spiked chain from a model railroading accessory & 2 necklace charms. |
| Clothed in a ghillie suit of leaves and flowers and not speaking a language anyone could understand, Shanut'tziel was the party's most mysterious member. Not long after they learned he'd been raised among the fey, he was chomped by a tyrranosaurus. 2285: Osvick Strick of Kjord Modifications: Cut hands apart & scratchbuilt second axe, added foliage of ground foam, lichen, & plant seeds. |
| This shadow dancer, who could hide in plain sight, was single-handedly infiltrating the Temple in an attempt to bring it down from the inside. Unfortunately he couldn't do the same from inside a tyrannosaurus. 2659: Piotr Irongale |
| Like white boys who listen to hip hop, Palen is a human obsessed with dwarven culture. The party stumbled across the anthropologist/tourist in a temple of Moradin and grudgingly let him tag along when he proved useful acquiring dwarven magic items. His undoing was 3 bad draws from a Deck of Many Things. 2637: Marcus Starsong |