Fort Rannick

When the party approaches the keep, inquire about how they plan on approaching it. As outlined in the original adventure, a number of options are apparent (or are described to them by the remaining Black Arrows).

A quick note on differences between editions: ogres in D&D 3.5 were given darkvision, and the ogres' ability to see in the dark is assumed in the original adventure (and is one of the obstacles the party has to incorporate into their plan). In order to stay faithful to the campaign setting and its flavor, all ogres in this conversion are given darkvision. This is, of course, not listed in stat blocks found in the Monster Manual and other monster sources. In practice, this will not significantly change the balance of power in the fight. The PCs have no good reason to attack at night when they would need light to see and the ogres wouldn't. Unless they have a trick up their sleeve, it's probably a smarter call to attack during the daytime when they can see as well as the ogres can.

As the PCs approach the fort, they may be spotted by the ogres standing watch. If they make no effort at hiding during their approach, the ogres see them coming easily. If the party makes Stealth checks, compare the results against the ogres' passive Perception scores of 14. Remember to add 2 to the DC of the Perception check if the party never approaches within 10 squares of the fort. If the ogres spot the PCs, the ogres at the appropriate gate run out to meet them.

If the party chooses to utilize the sluice gate, run their approach to the keep as normal, followed by their attempt to squeeze through the gate. This will be outlined in the write-up for B7. The Black Arrows will insist that they pursue the secret tunnels into the fort if the sluice gate is used by the PCs.

If the party chooses to take the secret tunnels, run their approach as normal. Start the PCs in area B12. The Black Arrows will offer to approach through the sluice gate if this is the route the party takes.

If the party attempts to scale the wall (with a DC 20 Athletics check), they will be spotted unless they hide successfully. Attempts to use Stealth while climbing the fortress wall suffer a -2 penalty. Begin their encounters in whichever area they wind up on the other side of the wall.

It is very unlikely that the entire party will be able to approach from above. If one of the PCs does have the ability to fly at this level (a Druid, for instance), they can scout the area with little to no difficulty. Describe what they see in each exterior location. This is a smart move, and will give the party an idea of what they're up against.

When it comes to the keep itself, increase the size of the keep's interior significantly. Ogres are large creatures, and the fact that most of the keep's rooms and hallways are only 10 feet wide means that fights will become bogged down in corridors if they aren't widened. Consider making the typical width of rooms and hallways in the keep 20 feet.