Dolm River - Iron Kingdom 5E Conversion

For a seemingly short adventure (20 pages, including OGL), this riverine OSR (Labyrinth Lord, 2012) module packs a lot in and even got a very positive review from Bryce over at tenfootpole.org. Rather than simply review it again, I figured I'd convert it and use it for my variant 5E campaign that has now ended up in a simulacrum of the Corvis region and shifted into a more Iron Kingdoms flavour.

I'll add in the playtest notes once I've run the party through it and possibly break it down into types of riverine encounters at a later date, similar to my Pirates of the Vistula breakdown...

Introduction 

To use this conversion guide you will need a copy of Soapbox Games Labyrinth Lord adventure CLA2 Dolm River, readily available from DriveThruRPG in digital format here - go on it's on sale right now at less than half price (Sept 2021). You will also need the following Iron Kingdoms: Requiem 5e products: the Corebook and the new 5E Monsternomicon just released via their Kickstarter in PDF with print copies to follow. A copy of the original Witchfire Trilogy Vol No. 2: Shadow of the Exile is also recommended although this is tricky to track down, even in PDF although you might stumble across a "trove" that has that somewhere in your searching... 

Following the style of Stan Shinn's Classic Modules Revisited series (www.classicmodulestoday.com), this document converts this module to the latest 5E Iron Kingdom: Requiem rules and provides guidance on preparing the adventure. Most creatures intentionally refer to stat blocks in the 5E Monsternomicon or less often, the D&D 5E Monster Manual. Rather than create new stat blocks, creatures have been substituted with Iron Kingdoms appropriate equivalents or standard monsters with modifications noted.

Page listings may refer to abbreviations: IK:R5E (Iron Kingdoms: Requiem corebook), Mn5E (Monsternomicon 5E), SotE (original Witchfire Trilogy No. 2: Shadow of the Exile), CR (Challenge Rating), DMG (Dungeon Master's Guide) or MM (Monster Manual). All other page numbers refer to the locations within the original "Dolm River" module. Key text is in bold for easy scanning, magic or Iron Kingdoms mechanikal items are noted in italics.

A Note on Creatures in the Iron Kingdoms

The Iron Kingdoms is known for its variant fauna, using many non-standard creatures for flavour, as noted in the appendix of the original d20 3.5E Monsternomicon (2005):

The creators of the Iron Kingdoms strive to create an entirely new and fresh setting. This is not necessarily an extremely radical setting in all regards, as many of our creatures will be drawn closely from standard fantasy fare, but one will notice in cases where we have a similar appearing creature, we're usually reshaping it in some way and molding it to fit distinctly into the Iron Kingdoms...  The Iron Kingdoms universe is significantly distinct from traditional fantasy campaign settings, rendering many such mon- sters inappropriate, from the viewpoint of the Iron Kingdoms’ creators. 

There is a now unavailable PDF that used to be available from the Privateer Press site entitled "A Multitude of Monsters" that is in fact a few pages of the Monsternomicon appendix quoted above. It's still available on Scribd if you're interested, although as I recommend you have ready access to the IK Requiem 5E Monsternomicon, this may make it an irrelevant resource other than for history...

Where's the Reference Sheet?

Unlike the excellent Classic Modules Revisited series, there is no convenient Reference Sheet (yet). This conversion guide is a labour of love and not intended for sale or anything more than an exercise in conversion for my own practice and private use. 

Feel free to compile one if it's helpful using Stan's specific resources and let me know.

Adventure Summary

The local mayor (or headman) of the village of Larm, Caius Rusticius,  engages the party to escort his betrothed daughter, Claudia, to the nearby capital to meet her future husband. Travel is by barge through a relatively unpopulated region, with the ten-day journey as bodyguards being paid half in advance and half upon successful delivery of his daughter to his prospective son-in-law's agents.

Converting to Western Immoren

This brief guide outlines a few thematic changes and additions to bring "Dolm River" into the Iron Kingdoms world of Caen and the main campaign area of Western Immoren. Set on a barge travelling downriver for about a week or so through a relatively wild area from a smaller town to a large city, the high-resolution map of Western Immoren suggests at least two stretches to me that would suit this otherwise almost generic setting module.   

The first is of course near the default starting base of campaigns along the northern stretches of the Black River leading to Corvis between the Ironwood and Widower's Wood - a wild area, although one perhaps more heavily trafficked than what the area along the Dolm is implied. The starting town of Larm can then become one of the "swampie" settlements in the bayous on the eastern bank, perhaps even the small village of Krim featured in Act II the original Witchfire Trilogy Vol 2. Shadows of the Exile (pages 16-17). Alternatively, along the same stretch of river the town of Larm can be one of the disapora trollkin kriel settlements in the woods and "Claudia" replaced by a trollkin chieftain's daughter on her way to Corvis to study at the University...

A second wilder option is to start the adventure from Ternon Crag, in which case Claudia is one of the local baron's daughters (possibly an illegitimate daughter of one of the Steelhead officers, perhaps even Broker) is being escorted down the Comb's Beacon River for marriage similar to the original storyline. This is a more dangerous area of Immoren, technically outside the Iron Kingdoms and close to the ever-encroaching the Skorne Empire and allows for a wider and stranger variety of creatures from the Bloodstone Marches.

The third, non-Cygnaran centred option is for the downriver stretch to head along the Wolveswood River to Ohk on the coast of Khador or the unnamed river from the Armsdeep lake to Lerin through the southern mountains of Rhul. This fits quite well with the original Labyrinth Lord module outline although cosmetic and thematic changes for the Khadoran / Russian or Rhulic / dwarven elements will be necessary. 

Setting the adventure along other rivers to capitals or larger towns is also possible but it's likely the rivers are more populated with trading craft or patrols, which changes the context of the adventure considerably so the southern Black River to Caspia, the Dragon's Tongue from Tarna to Five Fingers or a comparable river in Lael to Merywyn can be suitable with some modification of the more monstrous encounters with more "civilised" human equivalents drawn from the various armies in the region in the latter instance.

GM Notes 

Special tactics and rules to brush up on prior to the game:

• The characters will be provided with one week of food and drink.
• The barge is steam-powered and runs on coal or wood
• Revise the rules on obscurement and the fog cloud spell for the Swamp Gobber ambush
• Leverage Conversation Reaction Table (DMG 245) for NPC reactions. Specific reactions of notable NPC's and monsters are found detailed throughout the module and should be considered when rolling on the Reaction Table.
• Know how to use perception rules (PH 182) to detect encounters as well as traps and stealthed characters (PH 178).
• Review the wilderness survival rules (DMG 109). 

Comments on Converting to the 5E System

These resources are of additional general usefulness in converting "Dolm River" to 5E:

• 5E compatible OSR supplements? thread (RPGsite 2015)
• Converting 1e AD&D monsters to 5E (Realms of Chirak 2016)
• Tips for running OSR adventures in 5E? (reddit 2017)
• 5E to OSR conversion (Eryssel's Jounrneys 2019)

Visuals and Maps

• A map of the barge "The Dragonfly" or an equivalent region appropriate name eg "Strekoza" in Khador or a suitable Rhulic name such as this one or perhaps this one.
• A map for the bogrin ambush 
• A map for the swamp gobber attack random encounter if required
• A map of the market such as this one based on a fishing village 

Random Encounters

The table and expanded descriptions on pg. 5-7 are a great starting point and a welcome addition to any module but need to be adjusted to fit the setting somewhat as follows, where possible using Iron Kingdoms specific creatures:

1. Giant Crabs (MM 324, CR 1/8, 25 XP)
2. Large Crocodile (MM 320, CR 1/2, 100 XP) 
3. Replace ettin with an enraged Gorax (Mn5E 76, CR 2, 450 XP)
4. Replace giant rockfish with a bipedal oversized gatorman known as a Blackhide (special)
5. Replace gelatinous cube with a Feralgeist (Mn5E 72, CR 3, 700 XP) animating the remains of a female common troll death-rolled and drowned in the middle of the river by the local "Blackhide".
6. Giant Leech (5E SRD, CR 2, 450 XP)
7. Replace lizardfolk with 5 Gatormen (Mn5E 73, CR 2, 450 XP) from a local village.
8. Replace nixies with 10 Croak Hunters (Mn5E 29-30, CR 1/4, 50 XP), escaped from the Skorne.
9. Replace sea serpent with a Black Tatzylwurm (Mn5E 140, CR 5, 1,800 XP)
10. Replace killer whale with a Dracodile (Mn5E 40, CR 10, 4,900 XP)
11. Replace kobolds with Swamp Gobbers (special), using a similar tactic to the "An Obstacle" fallen tree and fog-maker (see special items below) encounter (SotE 18-19). If the party are travelling through the Bloodstone Marches these could instead be Skorne (*special) using a similar tactic to the gatormen ambush (SotE 22-24).
12. Replace stirges with a more fearsome Scylla Flock (Mn5E 132, CR 8, 3,900 XP) suggesting a Cryx presence nearby - perhaps there are thralls lurking in the woods...
13. Rot grub (5E SRD) encounter stays the same
14. Replace merfolk with Bog Trogs (Mn5E 16, CR 1/4, 50 XP).
15. Mule, replace the orcs with 12 Farrow (Mn5E 67, CR 1/8, 25 XP) or perhaps Bogrin (special).
16. Gold Rush! encounter is unchanged although instead of gold, another precious cargo item or valuable herb can instead be substituted.
17. Earthquake and Sandbank seems a bit far-fetched, so replace with the Dracodile (see above) above swamping the barge and causing it to lodge or maroon itself on a sandbank but otherwise keep the same non-combat challenge, made tenser by the potential return of the creature...
18. Rapids! seem unlikely in a known stretch of a large river but may represent a difficult navigational hazard caused by swelling after a storm or impairment by fallen trees or a shipwreck.
19. Market Day! plays as usual but the merchants are appropriate to the region such as swampies, trollkin, gobbers and even gatormen, bog trogs and tharn in wilder areas... this can be a collection of drawn up boats linked together forming a temporary village of riverfolk.
20. (Claudia Rusticus) Runs Away! remains unchanged except for her name and/or gender.

Note: I'd actually suggest making random encounters #5, #10, #11, #17, #19 and #20 likely events as they can be linked to each other and interrelated with the planned encounters below. Combining some of the encounters, for example: #5 and #10 (Feralgeist and Dracodile) or #19 and #20 (Market Day! and Runs Away!) is also an option. 

Planned Encounters

1. Goodbyes remains unchanged other than referencing and foreshadowing an alternative enemy group such as "Thamarites",  "the Bandits" or "the Blackclads". An interesting non-setting specific change would be to have the escorted child as the spoilt *son* of the local gentry. 
2. Giant on the Rocks, changes to a male Common Troll (Mn5E 150, CR 7, 2,900 XP) enraged by the loss of his mate to the "Blackhide" in the previous week (see Random Encounters #4 and #5).
3. Buggywull Attack changes to an ambush with a rope across the river by bullywugs... I mean 6 Bogrin (special) that are more aggressive than their swamp gobber cousins they intimidate into working with them. They emerge from being submerged with marshy thickets where they have been using breathing straws crouching on sandbanks they have dug for this purpose. 3b. Their lair has 11 additional male humanoids and the same number of non-combatants. 
4. Pirates! replace the Society of the Golden Axe with one of the above groups of 16 Bandits (MM 343-344, CR 1/8, 25 XP) led by a Bandit Captain (MM 345 CR 2, 450 XP). Alternatively, replace with the same number of Thamarite Cultists (MM 16, CR 1/4, 50 XP) led by a Cult Fanatic (MM 345 CR 2, 450 XP) or even a group of Devourer Cult Scouts (MM 349, CR 1/2, 100 XP) led by a Druid ("Blackclad") (MM 346 CR 2, 450 XP) wielding a war scythe (treat as a glaive). For added challenge make the scouts Tharn (special) and allow them one rage (PHB 48, +2 damage, half non-magical physical damage) for this encounter.
5. Giant Toads! treat as Giant Frogs (MM 325, CR 1/4, 50 XP).
6. Dolmvay Welcoming Committee changes to whatever the destination city is, but Gary Horn is considered an Infernalist (IK:R5E 243, CR 4, 1,100 XP) and 2 City Watch Constables  (IK:R5E 238, CR 1/4, 50 XP). "Gary" is in league with the "Pirates" whether they be Thamarites, Bandits or Blackclads. Quintillian, rather than be the mayor, is an official in high standing and a member of the Fraternal Order of Wizardry. 

To enrich the planned encounters, I'd suggest combining them with elements from the random ones:

• #2 the Common Troll fighting the Blackhide or the Dracodile with the barge caught between
• Add Swamp Gobbers to #3 Bogrin Attack for a complex challenge for more capable characters

Magic Items

Note: overall the Iron Kingdoms is magic item rich in comparison to many default 5E settings, although the majority of these are mechanika with true magical items being either ancient Orgoth origin, the runic items of various cultures or perhaps of Iosan make. Dolm River has only a few items that could do with a bit more Iron Kingdoms flavour:

• Potion of plant control, pg. 9
• Scroll of ward against undead (replace with scroll of protection against undead), pg. 9
• Sword +1, pg. 11
• Dagger +2, pg. 12 
• Ring of protection +2 (replace with ring of protection +1), pg. 12
• Dagger +3 , pg. 12
• Potion of invisibility, pg. 19

Traps

• Swamp Gobber ambush (Random Encounter 11 above), based on The Shadows of the Exile encounter with the fog-maker and a large tree fallen across the river blocking the barge.
• Bogrin Attack, pg. 9. The rope stretched across the river is pulled taut by a simple mechanical mechanism activated by the leader near the bank. Characters standing on deck must make a DC 12 Dexterity saving throw or fall prone.

Creatures (Monsters) 

These have already been substituted, modified or converted where appropriate above in the Encounters sections to have a more Iron Kingdoms flavour wherever possible.

Special Creatures

Rather than do full conversions as the actual IK 5E stats will likely appear in the next Hordes / Unleashed "wild IK" equivalent 5E supplement, I'll just suggest some basic substitutions with minor modifications.

Blackhide 

• Use Giant Crocodile (MM 324, CR 5, 1,800 XP) for a simple combat-oriented conversion
• Bipedal, somewhat more intelligent (INT 5, -3) and can growl in Molgur-Quor. 
• These are essentially the gatorman equivalent of the largest farrow specimens, with bull snapper being equivalent to the farrow brute and the blackhide equivalent to the giant farrow beast.

Bogrin (aka "Boggers")

• Use Hobgoblin (MM 187, CR 1/2, 100 XP) but with spear or halberd instead of longsword.
• Add in Swamp Camouflage from Bullywug (MM 36) - this equates to advantage on Dexterity (Stealth) checks made to hide in swampy terrain. 
• Consider Standing Leap to represent aggressively charging into battle.
• Leader may have Polearm Master feat for flavour

Swamp Gobbers 

• Use Goblin (MM 166, CR 1/4, 50 XP) with daggers and an occasional pistol instead of scimitars
• Add in Swamp Camouflage as above 
• Consider Speak with Small Beasts trait (PHB 37), they are the Iron Kingdom's (forest) gnomes

Optional Tharn Scouts

• Use base Scout (MM 349, CR 1/2, 100 XP)
• Add Feral Transformation (derived from this post's Iron Kingdoms 5E Conversion Homebrewery), allowing the creature to enter a bestial state entered as a bonus action. This lasts for one minute and is only ended by becoming unconscious or using a bonus action to end it which results in one exhaustion level (disadvantage on Ability checks). A long rest is required for the creature to use feral transformation again. If Calder and another of Caen's two moons are full then the transformation cannot be ended before the conjunction ends. It has these benefits:
• Advantage on saving throws against effects that would charm 
• Advantage on Charisma (Intimidation), Dexterity (Stealth) and Wisdom (Perception) checks
• Disadvantage on Charisma (Deception) and Charisma (Persuasion) checks, as well as disadvantage on all Intelligence skill checks and saving throws
• Unarmed strikes deal 1d6 slashing damage on a hit
• At the start of the turn, gain temporary hit points equal to the Constitution modifier (minimum of 0) if they have at least 1 hit point. For the standard Scout this is +1. 

Special Items

Swamp Gobber Fog-Maker

Mechanical / alchemical item (3.5E conversion, SotE 18-19)

   This item is a set of crude bellows about the size of a large chest and a crucible to mix reagents in. When operated by a single swamp gobber, it produces a volume of obscuring fog, providing heavy obscurement to those within its variant shaped fog cloud-like effect. The cloud emanates in a 60-foot cone from the fog-maker and only dissipates after a "strong wind" or 1 minute after the gobber stops pumping the bellows by not spending an action working the machine. 

   A character who makes a DC 16 Wisdom (Medicine) check or a DC 12 Intelligence (Nature) check will alert an individual to the subtle odour of the fog-maker, preventing them being surprised.

Note: this item is now detailed in 5E Borderlands & Beyond, p179:

This device contains several natural compounds that produce thick clouds of obscuring fog when mixed together. As an action, you can work the bellows to produce a 20-foot-radius sphere of fog centred on you. The cloud spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. It lasts for 10 minutes or until a strong wind (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses it. 

If another humanoid creature takes the Help action to aid you while you work the bellows, you can increase the radius of the sphere to 40 feet. The bellows require a mixture of herbs, roots, and other natural compounds that costs 1 gp per use.