DL8 Dragons of War: The Megadungeon Experience (Part 1)

We like castles. DL8 Dragons of War has one of the largest castles I’ve seen in a module, so we played it.

I prepped for play with a “megadungeon experience” in mind. By this I mean that the PCs have an objective, make a plan, and intrepidly enter a HUGE dungeon-like environment full of the unknown and wondrous. Then, far into the castle, as health and resources dwindle, make bold decisions about whether to press on or turn back. All within a session or two.

The rest of this post looks at the castle’s structure and treasures and how to bend them in service of a castle crawling session to the top of the tower.

Part 2 is the actual play report.

DL8’s Tower of the High Clerist

A true megadungeon experience is built up over an extended campaign, rather than a few sessions, but DL8 Dragons of War (1985) is an interesting module. Its castle certainly has the real estate to hint at megadungeon possibilities. It also has some features that set it apart from the rest of the DL series of Dragonlance modules and invite the module to be used in different ways. Consider:

DL8’s sixteen level castle (aka Tower of the High Clerist, map below) is one of the single largest mapped dungeoncrawl environments published by TSR in the 70s and 80s. Maybe thee largest. It wasn’t until WGR1 Greyhawk Ruins (1990) and The Ruins of Undermountain (1991) that TSR made dungeons definitively larger than DL8.*

In some ways DL8 is a successor to I6 Ravenloft (1983). Both are by Tracy and Laura Hickman and have isometric castle maps that are complex and believable.** Both utilize randomized locations of “goal artifacts”.  DL8 is just so much bigger. 

DL8 manages to describe a megadungeon worth of castle in less than fifteen pages. Several of the more important rooms have detailed descriptions, but many others exhibit Tegel Manor-like terseness and are reused throughout the castle. The module as written can support an extended campaign of dungeon crawling, interspersed with sessions of NPC interaction, war zone scouting/special ops, and mass combat. Or, the DM can opt for a more focused scenario, trimming repetitive parts and focusing on the best parts. 

Yes…DL8 has a mass combat war element. It’s optional, in the sense that DM and players can emphasize and engage in the mass combat stuff to fit their preference. The module has a single die roll “Simplified Battle Resolution“ system for mass combat. It also contains rosters and stats for using TSR’s BattleSystem miniatures rules. Either way, the war element gives the module a Siege of Gondor vibe with time pressure. This may push adventurers to adopt an aggressive or stealthy style of castle exploration. The layout of the castle supports this. 

Understand the Castle  

The poster map of the castle is impressive and detailed, but its “big picture” layout isn’t obvious or explained in the module. Such as: avenues of ingress, connections between the sixteen levels, choke points, and areas with secret access. Understanding these were key to prepping to run DL8.  Here’s a start:

Levels 1-7: the lower castle. Temples, servants, and quarters mostly. With the Altar of the Orb and the Treasure Vault secure in its core. Much loot is scattered about these levels, but also traps and defensive works. 

Levels 8-12: the middle tower. The abbey, knight’s council, and the High Clerist’s lofty abode. Interesting set pieces.

Levels 13-16: the high tower. Restricted access. The only way to get up here is via a secret stair or slender shaft that run nearly the entire height of the tower.

A couple other important areas that have limited access:

The Altar of the Orb:  Shut behind impossibly sealed doors on level 1. The only way in is to come from above: via that secret stair/shaft, or down a yawning abyss from the Treasure Vault on level 5. 

The Treasure Vault: The only ways in are via the vexing Eternal Halls, or up the yawning abyss from the Altar of the Orb on level 1. 

Four ways to get deep up into the castle tower: 

1. Up the long gallery stairs on level 2. If the party doesn’t snoop around much, these stairs are a fast track to level 7. Assuming the garden portcullis on level 6 is or can be opened. 
2. Beyond the temples on level 2 there are numerous stairs going up. With some exploration on subsequent levels, the party will eventually arrive to level 7. This route has many opportunities for finding loot and secret shortcuts, at the cost of more encounters and traps. 
3. Up the supply shaft on the north side of level 1, directly to level 4. This shortcut has its own dangers, but also opportunities to discover other secrets. 
4. A party could try to climb the outside of the castle, ideally with the help of a thief or magic. There are windows and balconies that can allow entry on many levels. 

The castle’s Solamnic Knight garrison never ventures beyond the outer fringes of the interior, for it is haunted and sacred to them. But…they are likely aware of these four main paths up the tower and it’s good intel to share with the PCs to help them plan their missions within. 

Understand the Loot

Apart from the Treasure Vault in the middle tower, the vast riches of the castle is spread throughout, randomized by drawing from a deck of regular playing cards. The chart of potential treasures is marvelous: Holy Avenger Sword +5, Book of Exalted Deeds, Wand of Mass Flying, coins and gems galore, and much more. 

To add a little flavor, I placed these treasures in Solamnic Lockboxes. Ornate, sturdy and seldom trapped, they are very difficult to smash open, but can be lock-picked. Each discovery and opening of a lockbox was a moment of excitement and surprise. Draw a card!   

One of the goal artifacts in DL8 is the Dragon Orb. I changed this to be the Codex Orbum instead. Studying the Codex would allow the PCs to learn the lore of the dangerous Orb, its powers and usage, in a more interesting way than via scattered conversions with NPCs. 

With some insight into the castle map and encounters, the DM may want to limit the potential locations of the goal artifacts. For example:

1. There’s an area on level 14 with a large group of evil spectral warriors that guard the only stairs up. This would make a nice climactic and tactically interesting battle, so I decided to have a goal artifact on the top level. The party must find a way through or around these spectral warriors.
2. The Eternal Halls are neat in concept, but I was concerned they would be more confusing than fun during actual play. Also, there are several typos in the map and text of the Halls. My preference was to not force the PCs there, so I eliminated the three options for placing goal artifacts in the Eternal Halls. 

Continued in part 2…

The module’s full-page art of befuddled heroes in the Eternal Halls.

*Compared to DL8 Dragons of War, the closest contenders for largest dungeon environments made by TSR in the 1970s/80s are S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks (1980) and T1-4 Temple of Elemental Evil (1985). A few more are contenders if their vast underground maps are included: D1-2 Descent into the Depths of the Earth (1978), B4 The Lost City (1982), and H2 The Mines of Bloodstone (1986). Any others?

**In Dragon magazine #155, a reader from Schenectady, NY notes:

“Also responding to the anonymous letter in issue #152 about the ineffectuality of castles in a campaign featuring magic and flying creatures, I agree. But I would like to point out that rather than abolishing castles, this situation just changes the way in which castles are built. The Tower of the High Clerist, in DRAGONLANCE module DL8 Dragons of War, is a good example of this. Almost fully roofed and magic resistant, it is highly defensible and protected. If this is not enough, the entire place is designed to stand even if every gate in the place is breached. It is a vast maze with huge numbers of magical and mundane traps and tricks. A small number of knights who knew the place could easily protect it against huge armies.”