Mephits & Magmin is the introductory scenario included in So You Want To Be a Game Master.
By page 45 of the book, if you’re a first-time GM, you’ll have learned everything you need to know for your first session. Then I recommend that you actually do that: Put my book down, get some friends together, and run your adventure adventure. Mephits & Magmin provides the scenario you need to get the ball rolling.
The cartography for the scenario, as you can see above, was done by Fernando Salvaterra.
Four versions of the map can be found below:
- Standard provides a print-able copy of the map for easy use.
- Large is the same map, but at the maximum resolution possible.
- Player is a text-free and secret-free version of the map.
- Player Secrets is the same map, but with the secret Area 06 depicted on the map.
MEPHITS & MAGMIN – MAPS
Standard
Large
Player
Player – Secrets
One thing I am somewhat struggling with when it comes to the map are the strange walls in the middle off all tunnels. Like the part near the entrance where the arrow says 150 ft. Is that meant to be to describe the length of the tunnel itself? or is it some form of obstruction like it appears visually on the map? It is sadly a little confusing and I can’t quite find where it is explained in the book.
@Goldy:
Those are “breaks” like you’d find in a graph to show that the hallways are longer than they appear. The first one you’re referring to means that the hallway actually continues another 150ft. Before getting to the next room.
I’ve been cutting some of my prepped maps out and spray-gluing them onto scrap cardboard, and this is a great candidate. I’m appending it to the “Seagrow Caves” adventure in the “Stormwreck Isle” 2023 5e Starter Set (new DMs: you can do things like this. I’ve also added narrative changes). I came here today looking for tips to translate it to larger-scale 1″ grid.
It should be pretty easy, right? Just copy the entire dungeon to 1″ chart tablet, dummy! Trying to find ways to reduce error and work. There might be organized order-of-copying grids of irregular shape that I’m unaware of. You never know until you ask!
Howdy, loving the book, long-time reader of the blog. I’m preparing to run this adventure for some beginners soon. What level is the party expected to be for this? The last fight with a bunch of magmin and mephits and eventually an animated armor seems way too difficult for a four-person level 1 party to me. Like I’ve almost TPK’d level one parties of experienced players with like 3 boars. Are the players expected to get clever with the animated armor or something?
@Automon: Make sure to honor the activation timer on the construct. (It takes 5 rounds before it activates.)
Asuvius will also spend the first several rounds in his perch, likely not attacking a PC unless a PC goes up to take control of the construct away from him.
Also remember that the mephits in this adventure do NOT have their death bursts.
Hi Justin, I’m reading your book, spectacular! Just a couple of observations: 1) in Italy 5ft have always been converted into 1.5m, not 2m as in your book. I imagine that in the rest of Europe it is the same thing, which is also a more precise conversion. 2) I understand that the format of your book is indeed a book and not an adventure module but I was surprised to find the descriptions of the rooms continuing on the next page, what’s more having to turn the page! Especially since, reading your blog, I learned to condense everything on the same page or on the next one. I hope these little observations help you improve your splendid book in its second edition. Greetings and more congratulations
Hello Justin. Just realized that in Area 10, the boxed text described “imp-like creatures with bodies composed entirely from steam” (suggesting STEAM mephits). The text below lists SMOKE mephits.
However, the glowing pod in the room is “infused with powerful elemental forces of earth and fire. These appear to be similar to the elemental forces found in mephits.” (suggesting MAGMA mephits, made of earth and fire).
Which kind of mephit was intended? I’m going to run this adventure tomorrow (:
And any suggestions to adjust for a table of 3 new players in order to avoid a TPK?
I ran the adventure recently. I have to compliment you on how cleverly it was designed. Using encounter-building guidelines from the DMG, it was supposed to be a TPK, but every encounter had a way of announcing itself so the players could engage from a more advantageous position. The perception-type checks at the start of every area also made it faster to run (I usually wait for some investigative action from the players before asking for perception checks, but I see now how it’s better not to).
In conclusion, I got 3-4 hours of good gaming, with half the group almost dying in the final battle, which is exactly what I wanted. The only issue is that 1st-level characters might be a little boring for experienced players (but that’s a D&D issue).