Experiment trial number 2, with combining level 1 and level 2 of Temple of Elemental Evil. (Image 1) The idea is the players can come down into the temple via one of the elemental factions, Earth, Wind, Fire, Earth and they are all situated around the ways down.
(Image 2) A few rooms had to be cut out to get the pieces to fit together, but they can be worked back into the map by expanding it, taller or wider.
Very rough draft of what lies beneath the 4 elemental temples of the last map (see https://social.vivaldi.net/@randomwizard/116302861387673932)
The idea is, you get an elemental robe from either the earth, wind, fire, earth temple and you get to go down into the dungeon wearing that robe.
So cutting up the faction areas of the old temple and placing them right beneath their various above ground entrances, the adventuring party can wander their elemental area freely.
It is just hacked up pieces at the moment, to get the idea across.
I am not an artist. But I decided to sketch out an alternate Temple of Elemental Evil. And as I started thinking about it and scribble down some ideas of the layout, I realized, I would not have one giant church like building at all.
Instead, I think the actual four elements should factor into the area more from the start.
One tower has an eternal flame burning at the top of it. The other tower has a horn. In between, a waterfall cascades down into a lake that flows into a flooded grove. In the center of the grove is an ancient worn down statue.
A stone hedge with a small pool in the center lies to the west.
A small encampment of merchants and soldiers lies to the east.
The south is a cave to the underworld. At the entrance is a small graveyard with two mausoleums.
The idea is that the elemental priest factions all have a presence on the surface. The players can just stroll into the area and interact with them. Maybe they will even give the players a mission to further their faction.
Right from the start. Players often need some guidance or the adventure just sort of meanders and the goal is not very apparent.
Once again, ScottyG, long ago, pointed out something interesting about T1-4 ToEE. The dungeon beneath the moathouse has rooms shaped like letters, E, L, M, N, T, A, I, and V.
With those letters you can spell ELEMENTAL EVIL.
Used some icons from https://game-icons.net/ to spruce up the circular demonweb map.
Was messing around with Dave Sutherlands Demonweb map. Was thinking of ways to make it more like a spiderweb. Spent a bunch of time coming up with (Image 2) but it looks more like a space portal from Buck Rogers than a web.
Thinking more of Dave Sutherland's rendition of the Demonweb and how that would tie back into Temple of Elemental Evil. At various points on the map, the party just encounters room where they must defeat what is there (usually demons) and then must have one of the 4 elemental keys, and at that point they teleport to another part of web. I drew arrows to show the jump.
It feels to me, just a bit too convenient. Too linear, even though, it is a maze of meant to confuse people. It also seems so... un-realistic for actual use. Why are there demons just waiting around? And why does defeating them and holding the key just BOOM, you teleport. I know, I know... MAGIC! But still, it just seems all very gamey. Here are the set piece battles you will have to get through. Step by step, to get to Lolth.
Based on what Gary Gygax said and my #toee investigations, I think the idea would have been 2 different routes to get to the end game.
FIRST WAY
Giant series G1 G2 G3 then drow series
D1 D2 D3
Can not get to Q1 (Gary's version) unless you get to level 4 of Temple of Elemental Evil and accidentally release the Elder Elemental God to get the 4 elemental keys to unlock the way to Q1 (Gary's version)
Seems like the end of D3 would just plop you down at level 4 of Temple of Elemental Evil and then somehow go on to Q1.
SECOND WAY
T1 Vilage of Hommlet
The Ruined Moathouse
Fight through 3 levels of the Temple of Elemental Evil
Then you get to level 4, accidentally release the Elder Elemental God to get the 4 elemental keys to unlock the way to Q1 (Gary's version)
Another quote from Gary Gygax from enworld,
Ciao John!
Dave brought into the TSR offices, then at 723 Williams St., a towel that had a marvelous design that was perfect as a demonweb, so that's how
he got into the project for creating the Q1 module. My outline for the whole was for a demi-plane outside of the Abyss, a great spiderweb with
encounters at junctions along the way to the center, Lolth's abode there in the middle. The PCs would need to gather pieces of an artifact based
on the four elements in the web in order to be able to face the demoness and send her packing back to the abyss. Of course, that would have
called back the Elder Elemental God from his place of banishment...
Being far too busy at the time to oversee the project, and as Brian Blume thought Dave's work great, I gritted my teeth and went on.
Cheers,
Gary
Going back to my theory that Temple of Elemental Evil is suppose to be Lolth and the Elder Elemental God... Does it sound crazy? Well, hah! Gary Gygax confirmed it himself in an enworld thread. ScottG asked him about the Lolth Platinum Egg and Gary replied
As you note, the shapes were repeated in the ToEE as I did intend to tie the latter into the series. Lolth was to be connected to the temple, she
the key to activation of that which would remove the imprisoning bonds from the Elder Elemental God. Of course that would have been by
unintended consequences of her actions when the PCs discovered her.
Hoiw it was all to operate was something I never did get fleshed out. This was to happen in the lower levels of the temple, the development of
which I never got around to because of my work out on the West Coast. Spending time trying to get a D&D-based film
randomwizard