PLAYERS' DESCRIPTION
 

The road leading from Nulb to the Temple is rutted and spotted with rank weeds—thistles, burrs, thorns, nettles, etc. Some foot and animal traffic has been using the track, but it is not a busy thoroughfare. (Most traffic between these points avoids using the road, so as not to leave a discernable path. ) As you approach the Temple area, the vegetation is disconcerting—dead trees  with a skeletal appearance, scrub growth twisted and unnaturally colored, all unhealthy and sickly looking or exceptionally robust and disgusting. The ruins of the Temple's outer works appear as dark and overgrown mounds of gray rubble and blackish weeds. Skulls and bones of humans and humanoids gleam white here and there amidst the weeds. A grove of some oddly stunted and unhealthy looking usk trees still grows  along the northern end of the former Temple compound, and a stump of a tower juts up from the northeast corner of the shattered wall. The leprous gray Temple, however, stands intact, its arched buttresses somehow obscene with their growth of climbing vegetation. Everything surrounding the place is disgusting. The myriad leering faces and twisting, contorted forms writhing and posturing on every face of the Temple  seem to jape at the obscenities they depict. The growth in the compound is rank and noisome. Thorns clutch, burrs stick, and crushed stems either emit foul stench or raise angry weals on exposed flesh. Worst of all, however, is the pervading fear which seems to hang over the whole AREA — a smothering, clinging, almost tangible cloud of vileness and horror. Sounds seem distorted, either muffled and shrill or unnaturally loud and grating. Your eyes play tricks. You see darting movements out of the corner of your eye, just at the edge of vision; but when you shift your gaze towards such, of course, there is nothing there at all. You cannot help but wonder who or what made the maze of narrow paths through the weedy courtyard. What sort of thing would wander here and there around the ghastly edifice of Evil without shrieking and gibbering and going completely mad? Yet the usual mundane sounds of your travel are accompanied only by the chorus of the winds, moaning through hundreds of Temple apertures built to sing like doomed souls given over to the tender mercies of demonkind, echoed by macabre croaks from the scattered flapping, hopping, leering ravens. There is no doubt; you have come to a place of ineffable Evil. Still, it is most certainly a place for high adventure and untold treasures. It is time to ready spells, draw weapons, check equipment, and set forth into the maze of peril that awaits you.

 

EXTERIOR NOTES (for the DM)

The thrown down works and razed buildings
are shown on the map by X marks. All <?>
ground in and around the place is overgrown
by weeds, so observation is restricted
to 15 feet in any direction with regards to
objects of six feet or lesser height, except on
the remains of the road and path. In these
two areas, weed growth is scattered and
shallower. The pale blue uskfruit growing
on the trees is small, misshapen, and
splotched with angry red patches. 1 in 6
is poison; the consumer grows sick and dies
in 24 hours, the first effects of the poison
being a loss of 1 point of strength about
2 hours after eating. An additional point
of strength is lost each hour thereafter, with
0 strength bringing coma.

Three areas of the Outer Works are
described in detail: A. Tower; B. Building
Ruins; C. Temple.

Quote:
Originally posted by caudor
Hello Gary, I hope you are doing well. It is a pleasure to (virtually) meet you.

My question is about the uskfruit that grows just outside the Temple of Elemental Evil.
For some reason, I've always liked the idea of the a pale blue fruit spotched with angry red patches.
Was the fruit your idea or Mr. Mentzer's (or someone else). I realize this is a minor part of the adventure, so you may not remember it at all.

Would you believe that one of my players actually ate one? Later, he told me he did it because of the way my expression brightened when he picked up. Now days, anytime I smile or chuckle during an adventure (sometimes I can't help it), my group starts glancing at each other in alarm. I need to work on my poker face, I suppose.
 

Heh...

The usk is a tree that I created for the World of Greyhawk, and the description of the fruit is likewise my own.
The blue of the description is a real blue, so Oerth has blue food

Cheers,
Gary

RANDOM ENCOUNTERS
(Upper Works only)

Roll 1d20 each turn; encounter occurs on
a 1. Roll again for type:
 

Roll	Result
1-3	1d6 + 6 bandits (1 Leader 5th level, 1 3rd level; others have light crossbows)*
4	1 rock reptile, 5 '-8' long
5-8	1d8 + 8 giant ravens add occasional harassment.  (A total of 16 guard the area; once slain, no more appear)
9-12	20-80 (2d4x10) giant rats (very hungry, but flee if 50% or more are slain)
13-20	1 drelb in twilight or darkness; otherwise no encounter

Statistics
Bandit: AC 7 (leather& shield); MV 12"; <small shield>
Level 0 (HD 1-1, leaders HD 1 + ), #AT 1
or 2; D by weapon (longsword, spear,
light crossbow); AL CE; XP 10 + 1/hp <>
(missile firers 14 + 1/hp, leaders extra)

<5th level leader (Swashbuckler): AC2, HP 23>
<3rd level leader (Swordsman): AC2, HP 26>

<3rd level leader: AC 2; Swordsmen (F3), hp 26; #AT 1; D 2-5 (heavy crossbow) or 2-8 (morning star) 1-6 (spear) or 1-4 (dagger); plate mail, Dexterity 15; XP 116; 101>
    <3rd level leader: 2-12 ep, 2-12 gp, 2-12 pp>
<5th level Leader (1): AC 0; Swashbuckler (F5); hp 23; #AT 1; D 2-9 (longsword +1) or 2-7 (hand axe) or 2-5 (dagger), chain mail armor, shield; XP 558 <buckler>>
    <S 15 I 13 W 12 D 16 Co 15 Ch 17 <STR should be 16>>
    <5th level leader: 11 gp, 27 pp>

Drelb: AC 2; MV 6"; HD 5 + 3; #AT 1; D 3-
12; SA chill, size change, SD magic
weapon to hit, reflect psionics, AL NE; SZ
M; XP 800 + 6/hp (see MM2 page 60)

Rat, Giant: AC 7; MV 12 "; HD 1/2; #AT 1; D
1-3; SA disease (5% per bite); XP 7 + 1/hp

Raven, giant (16): AC 4; MV 3"/18"; HD
3 + 2; #AT 1; D 3-6; AL N(E); SZ M-L (6-
10' wing); XP 60 + 4/hp

Rock reptile: AC 3; MV 6"; HD 5 + 5 to
5 + 12; #AT 1; D1-4 + 1/foot length; SA
surprise on 1-3; SD chameleon; AL N;
SZ M-L (5-12'); XP 400 + 7/hp (S) or 600
+ 9/hp (L)

Note: These bandits work with the brigands
of the Tower (A, below) but are not part of the
same group. Do not modify the brigands due
to encounters with these bandits.

C. THE TEMPLE

A.	B.	C.	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
1.	2.	3.	4.	5.	6.	7.	8.	9.	10.

1st IMPRESSIONS
Careful inspection of the structure,
including a trek around its exterior, reveals
the following.
The oddly peaked and gabled roof seems
to set the viewer's teeth on edge. The gruesome
visages glaring from the walls are
everywhere—as projecting ornaments, as
supports, in bas-relief, etc.
The place is huge. It extends over 450 feet
north and south, and is nearly 450 feet
across at its widest. The walls rise about 30
feet, supported by arched buttresses and
many pilasters. The roof peak is about 20
feet higher than the walls, making the whole
edifice no less than 50 feet tall.
Only three doors are visible, all at the
south end of the Temple. The narrow windows
appear to be barred.
 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edena_of_Neith
Edena_of_Neith here. Hey there, Gary. Another frivolous question from Yours Truly! 

And you have come to the right person for a frivolous answer 

Quote:
Originally Posted by Edena_of_Neith
I never played the super-module T1-4 The Temple of Elemental Evil.
But I finally obtained a copy (long ago) and had a look at it.
I saw, therein, a super-dungeon with 10 or so levels.

And I thought ...

One mage with a Rock to Mud could take out the whole place.
How?
He, being 10th level, casts Rock to Mud. This liquifies an area of 20 feet by 20 feet by 20 feet per level. So a 10th level mage could liquify 10 of these 20x20x20 foot cubes. He could thus liquify an area of rock equal to 60 feet x 60 feet x 20 feet with the spell.
He throws the spell on level 1 of the Temple of Elemental Evil, liquifying the 60x60x20 foot parcel of rock.
Most everyone and everything (except undead and the like) on level 2 drowns as a good part of level 1 melts onto them.
The mud then roars down the stairs into level 3 and wrecks the place, drowning half the monsters there. It flows down further stairways to become a real annoyance on level 4, a slight annoyance on level 5, and everything below level 5 is probably wondering what in Iuz's name just happened?
It is possible that some of the major structural support of the place goes, creating cave-ins that bury more of the Temple, and perhaps causing a cascading effect.

The mage then departs via Teleport, and (cautiously) returns the next day to continue the procedure, until the entire Temple is destroyed.

If there are two or more mages of 10th level or higher present, the destruction of the Temple of Elemental Evil via Rock to Mud is accelerated.
Of course, the 10th level mage probably took the time beforehand (having long planned his attack on the Temple of Elemental Evil) to prepare Scrolls with Rock to Mud written many times on them. Thus, his initial attack involves many Rock to Mud spells, most of level 1 of the Temple is destroyed, and the mudflow drowns most everything below level 1 right off the bat (assuming, the entire Temple down to level 10+ doesn't collapse from the sheer weight of the mud!)

This form of attack could also be used against Castle Greyhawk and other dungeons, it seems to me.
And it seems to me this tactic - although bad as far as retrieving treasure goes - is quite good for destroying an enemy target with minimal risk to the mage and his party.

-

My questions are:

Would this tactic work?
If yes, how would Mordenkainen (when he was 10th level) pull it off?
If no, then why wouldn't it work?
If yes, have you ever used this tactic or a variant of it?
If yes, have your players ever used this tactic or a variant of it?

Yours Sincerely
Edena_of_Neith

My players know better than to try something sure to incur wrath <devious>

Such tactics are a matter for the DM to manage, and as one here is how I would handle an attempt of this sort.

"Sorry, Flubspell, but your Rock to Mud casting seems to fizzle out when it contacts the stonework of the temple. golly, I guess the builders must have imbued it with some fort of protection from this sort of assault on its integrity..."

"Oh, by the by, it seems that you are now turning a ghastly gray color. It seems as if yout attempt has invoked a curse of some sort, as you feel quite weak and not at all well..."

I'd use the same sort of response if someone tried that with any important campaign setting. To stop the rules lawyers from their shrill protests I's write up a few spells to cover constructions--anti-disintigration, anti-rock to mud, etc. Also a few retributive spells to be activated and aimed unerringly at any spell caster attempting to bring down a stricture by that sort or obvious and predicatble tactic. Just because such spells are not included in the standard roster doesn't mean they don't exist.

Cheers,
Gary
 

SEALED DOORS

Four pairs of huge bronze doors are
located within the Temple areas. The first
pair is the Grand Entrance (Upper Works
area 1), and will be encountered early in the
adventure. Other doors are within the
dungeon at areas 145, 210, and 352.
Each pair of doors is held fast by huge
iron chains, and all cracks are sealed with
soft iron. Graven upon each portal are magical
runes which glow in a silvery radiance.
These portals are the binding forces
which even now confine the demoness Zuggtmoy
to the dungeon (Level Three). If one
or more pairs of doors are sundered, Zuggtmoy
gains some freedom and additional
powers; see area 353 for detailed notes, as
well as the monster description in Appendix
B. Show diagram 10 to the players whenever
a character approaches within 10 feet
of any pair of these doors. The intruder
must make a saving throw vs. spells, applying
a -2 penalty to the roll, to resist the powerful
permanent  antipathy magic
represented by the silvery runes. Failure to
save means that the character cannot
approach within 10 feet of those doors, and
is likewise forever blocked from the other
portals of like dweomer found in the
dungeon. The victim cannot even bear to
look upon the silvery runes.
If the saving throw succeeds, another
must still be made whenever the character
again comes within 10 feet of the same portals,
or of like portals elsewhere. Any failure
to save produces the effect noted above.
If the doors are successfully approached,
the intruder may try to break them down.
However, this is an impossible task to normal
strength and most magic. Strength of 20 or
more might succeed; check the standard
chance to open a wizard locked door for a
character or creature of appropriate strength
(c.f. girdle of giant strength, DMG page 145):
 

Strength	Chance to Open
20	1-3 on 1d6
21	1-4 on 1d6
22	1-4 on 1d6
23	1-5 on 1d6
24	1-7 on 1d8
25	1-9 on 1d10

If the attempt succeeds, the doors are broken
asunder and their dweomer ruined.

TEMPLE AREA DESCRIPTIONS

>> 1.

>>C. The Temple>>
>>1. Grand Entrance>>

>>A. The Broken Tower>>