04-02-2010, 07:50 PM
Official 'Black Marsh' Claim for Dungeon Claim: Isthmane Grotto
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Isthmane Grotto
AVAILABILITY: Adapted from Edolsian by Ibsen's Ghost
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![[Image: Grotto01.jpg]](http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq70/Ibsen3/Grotto01.jpg)
![[Image: Grotto02.jpg]](http://i434.photobucket.com/albums/qq70/Ibsen3/Grotto02.jpg)
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Description & Details
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Isthmane Grotto lies quite close to the Cyrodiil borderland in a particularly wet area. It's location would make it an ideal spot for smuggling and therefore may prove popular with the Sotho Tren and any bandits.
Its closed-off area puts it into a degree of seclusion and, with Gideon close by, there are plenty of opportunities for trade and intrigue with the city. The hardy adventurer may even find some green crystals deeper inside but Bogtoads patrol the Blackwood area and are to be avoided. Argonian Blackwood is more dangerous than its Cyrodiil counterpart!
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At-a-glance Details
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Tileset: Mossy Caves
Exterior cell coordinates: (-24,4)
Cell Name: No interior cell as yet (please use a code such as 1BMIGFrogratBarrowlvl1 but substitute your naming code for mine - IG)
Claim Difficulty: Medium.
Creatures: Lizards and Reptiles, Spiders & Ghosts / Undead. 4+ for medium levels.
Mission Connections: None as yet.
Amount of Loot: Medium (according to the above).
General Info: Check this space for a link to a thread detailing completed claims and future plans.
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Modding Directions
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You'll find the entrance for the ruin in the cell IsthmaneGrotto (-24,4) of the BlackMarshes worldspace. Use the latest esm (v2.32) or a higher version.
Don't forget to select snap to grid (32-64) and snap to angle, when creating the lay-out for your ruin.
You have to use the new Mossy Caves tileset (Static>Blackmarsh>Dungeons>).
If plans for this cave extends, then it's fine to add more than the two levels as suggested. Just give the new cell the same name, except for the last part which should receive a suffix such as lvl1, lvl2 etc.
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Recommended Objects
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For any traps I recommend using the whipvines in the activators section under 'blackmarsh'.
The most useful items for this claim are to be found under Static>blackmarsh>Clutters>DUN such as the BMcrys items, if you choose to clutter with precious green crystals, but some good ideas may include the use of roots and gnarled trees. Additionally, consider using the oilplants (under Light>blackmarsh), the land Glow-shrooms (under Static>Flora), BMWallmushrooms (under Static>blackmarsh>clutters) and perhaps the BMHangMoss varieties (under Static>blackmarsh>Environment). You can also use the rockswampmoss varieties with the cave tileset (under Static>blackmarsh>rocks>SwampRocks). I like the idea of using running water and sky objects where the cave is falling in but please use carefully.
For inspiration check people's favourite caves from the vanilla locations or take a look at what Leo Gura did with this cave tileset in the mod 'Lost Spires'.
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Cluttering your Dungeon
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You should use leveled lists for the loot but the ruin may be being used by some person or creature so you may wish to select accordingly. Ask around the forums for special loot if you wish to add some character to the ruin such as who once lived there and so on.
There could possibly be some gems, armor, weapons, gold, and other loot from travelling adventurers. If magic-users have attempted to examine the ruins, then you’d find ingredients, books, potions, and other mage-related items. Some special items for particular races might also be found - for example, we have a nice range of specialist staffs.
The preferred type of enemy for this ruin is listed at the top of this thread. You might be able to do something else though if you want - just check with the core first and we'll discuss this. However, for the time being, please keep to the vanilla levelled lists which can later be replaced.
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Lighting up your Dungeon
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Please look in the object window for any of BM's own candles such as Glo-shrooms. However, vanilla lights are fine. Your tomb can be as dark or as light as you want it to be, probably depending on whether the separate areas were densely populated or not. For a good example of excellent use of light of the very, very dark variety which really improves the gameplay of a ruin or tomb, I would advise checking out the early sections of ‘Gates to Aesgaard’ by ThePriest909 which makes for a sensationally spooky and jumpy gaming experience.
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Making Enemies
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The function of this ruin is up to you but, so that we can adapt it in places where quests use this location, please stick to the levelled lists for now....unless you have cleared your plans for what to use with the core already by using the forums or a PM. Try to make it interesting for the player, of course. If you have any specific ideas then let the core know about it.
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Final Tasks
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Add a pathgrid to the caves. Playtest the entire layout and make any necessary corrections before submitting it for review.
NB: - Thanks to the 'Silgrad Tower' team for pioneering the claims system and for being such excellent all-round good eggs around these forums.