wondering what is up with the shaking head icon? simple. the question it asked was "will I survive and thrive in the New Trollbark Swamp area?" it doesn't like your chances (at low level). neither do I. why? I checked it out yesterday night. took a few snapshots. the place isn't quite gigantic (yet), but as it is not finished there is a lot you'll want to memorize. there's at least three places that WILL be teeming with life (or something resembling it) within that area. not to say that there's nothing in the swamp right now. oh no, your favourite breed of trolls have made sure to populate the area bearing their names. without spoiling anything, I can tell you now that you can expect your face to be eaten. often. very often. as well, bring your favourite waterproof armor. it IS a swamp. at least half of the area is submerged. that's right people, a swamp that ACTS like a swamp. complete with drowned trees, algae bays, and dismal lighting. (bring your own light source. trust me on this one.)

for some reason, I have a feeling Volo will be hiring out to have this new realm mapped out. I could have sworn I saw a mosquito there as big as my head, but that was probably a troll throwing the remains of its meal at me to try to cripple me. (it missed. I ran.) regardless, you all need to experience this fertile realm for yourselves. I wouldn't suggest doing what I did and dragging a seven-level character through the muck and nastiness. then again, your lower level characters will benefit from the OTHER new reality...

suggestions for the new Trollbark Swamp area
================================================

(please everyone remember Ziroc himself stated the swamp you see now is only the BEGINNING. he has a lot more planned for it, not just in terms of creatures, but in physical size. explore it NOW while it is still "safe" to do so!):

- drowned swamp zombies

- marsh oozes (because anywhere there is slime, there is going to be carnivorous slime)

- aballin (as these water creatures seem to work well in such an environment)
http://www.dotd.com/frms/fr_ms_001.htm

- new Trollbark Troll types (a few new ones for the Trollbark Forest would also be good)
>>== Trollbark Troll Berserker (barbarian levels)
>>== Trollbark Troll Stalker (ranger levels)
>>== Trollbark Troll Emissary Of The Green (druid levels)
>>== Trollbark Troll Vanquisher (leader of the Trollbark Troll fighting types)
>>== Blood Moss Liege Of The Swamps (supreme troll)

- giant insects

- dark trees (something like an evil, magic using treant I guess. bloodthirsty, maybe?)

- alligators, crocodiles, and giant serpents

- dire alligators and dire crocodiles

- will'o'the-wisps and other non-humanoid undead

- night twists (found in Monster Manual III)

just a few random things off the top of my head.

[ 06-25-2006, 11:27 PM: Message edited by: Mozenwrathe ]

Hey, give Z a break, it's just a sneaky preview of the areas before being finished off, I'm sure that he has plans. What do all these critters live off, I reckon that the zombies would be eaten by the crocs for a start.

...

Erm, one bunch of monsters that should be added to the list should be the bug cloud with an almost immediate respawn. They annoy everyone so much and are really a feature of swamps. Sorry guys, they annoy me too but they should feature.

I am just suggesting a ton of stuff. Whether he uses them or not is completely not the point. This is a wish list, not a host of "you must do this or else." Not my style, you know what I mean? *grins* Never have I stated that Ziroc has to use anything I have whipped up in my brain and posted on here. If he does, that's great. If he doesn't, he's obviously got a few (dozen) things planned. Either way, it's more stuff for us to postulate and look forward to. Besides, if we didn't make posts like this, how would Ziroc know what ideas he already had in the works are guaranteed hits? For all I know, he already planned out all that stuff I mentioned and more beside that. (In Ziroc's case, that's quite possible.) As for what all this stuff lives off of, I would think the answer is obvious: low to mid level adventurers who ignore the signs posted up. (Not to mention high level adventurers who fail their fortitude rolls against Implosion.)

*looks for the signs which I put up last week, notices a bunch of stumps in the ground, clearly ripped out by trolls.* this could be a problem... *ponders a stronger sign while using Infernal Conflagration to clear a nice little patch of ground - roasting a few trolls in the process.*

As for those bug clouds, you have a good point. There should be a host of new and improved bug clouds around, stronger and faster (spell effects might be necessary). Heck, if everything ELSE inside of the Trollbark has been magically altered, it would go case in point for the ecosystem's smallest denizens to also have a shift in power.

[ 06-24-2006, 08:53 AM: Message edited by: Mozenwrathe ]