|
Each person is entitled to their tastes and opinions, and it just happens that I don't enjoy the contents of this module.
I would like to replace it whole-cloth with the 3.5 hardback re-write of Expedition to The Demonweb Pits. Thematically, it makes about as much sense for the shard to end up in the claws of an aspect of a non-Golarion deity as it does the guy on the front cover of that module.
The thing I'm primarily interested in discussing is power creep. Has anyone gone back and ran any of the later 3.5 materials as Pathfinder modules and what kind of tinkering with power level was required? Would it be very similar to my experiences with running the Legacy of Fire AP?
My group will consist of 5 or 6 players on any given game night, so they're already ahead of the curve due to numbers alone.
The hardback book is written for 9th to 12th level 3.5 edition characters. At the end of Curse of The Lady's Light, they should be somewhere around 8th level.
Considering their numbers, and considering the slight power differences in the two modules, would I necessarily have to re-stat everything in Expedition to The Demonweb Pits for Pathfinder (except for the obvious things like Spot/Search/Perception and Tumble/Acrobatics and figuring out CMB/CMD)?
I haven't experienced that particular module spliced into pathfinder, but if my experience with The Forge of Fury taught me anything it's this: Read through the module and see what monsters/traps/puzzles also exist already and trade their older version out for the newer ones.
Unique Encounters can still play out how they're written this way without too much Creep.
Myself, I'm considering trading out for Seven Swords of Sin, but haven't read the whole module of Asylum Stone, and rather like the idea of the Horseman.
i personally like asylum stone, but if i was going to replace it with something, the demonweb pits would be pretty high up the list:). i'm not very familiar with the 3.5 edition version but 1st ed rocked.
Question, what you don't like in Asylum Stone?
Question, what you don't like in Asylum Stone?
Two words: Kaer Maga.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
I haven't experienced that particular module spliced into pathfinder, but if my experience with The Forge of Fury taught me anything it's this: Read through the module and see what monsters/traps/puzzles also exist already and trade their older version out for the newer ones.
Unique Encounters can still play out how they're written this way without too much Creep.
Myself, I'm considering trading out for Seven Swords of Sin, but haven't read the whole module of Asylum Stone, and rather like the idea of the Horseman.
I'm happy to be proved wrong, and it depends on what you don't like about the AP adventure, but I suspect that if you don't like The Asylum Stone, then 7 Swords of Sin probably isn't going to be more up your alley. Same location, same author, just a lot less experience under said author's belt when he wrote it. :)
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Question, what you don't like in Asylum Stone?Two words: Kaer Maga.
I didn't think it was possible to use "i don't like" and "Kaer Maga" in the same sentence together, oh well to each their own. i personally can't wait for Asylum Stone myself (just gotta finish up Jade Regent or convince another group of people to play)
|
|
Several issues with this module:
1. I'm old school and I don't like mixing technology with my fantasy. Also not a big fan of some later stuff in the AP, but I can remake most of that without having to swap the entire module out. That's also why I wasn't a fan of Spelljammer, I'm not a fan of guns in my fantasy, and I wasn't a fan of Eberron (call them golems if you want, but they're really fantasy robots...same for Gearforged). Not a fan of Distant Worlds.
2. Some of it is just gross for the shock/novelty value of it.
3. It feels disjointed. There are whole lead-up portions of it that seem so far distant from the rest of it that the entirety of it doesn't seem to mesh.
4. Not organized well, since there are some things too close to one another in the adventure to be in close proximity with one another.
5. It's weird just to be weird.
6. The whole thing feels like an advertisement for the author's other works more so than most other modules that I've read/ran. It breaks versimilitude to be advertised at.
7. I'm just not that crazy about the BBEG. I never did like things that too closely resembled real-life myths or concepts. I know that there is very little original inspiration, but this one is nearly straight out of folklore.
6. The whole thing feels like an advertisement for the author's other works more so than most other modules that I've read/ran. It breaks versimilitude to be advertised at.
I am curious, can you give me examples of that?
I am curious, can you give me examples of that?
6. The whole thing feels like an advertisement for the author's other works more so than most other modules that I've read/ran. It breaks versimilitude to be advertised at.
James Sutter i believe wrote the short stories about Eando Kline, also was the author of City of Strangers and Distant Worlds, both incredibly excellent books, so i'm not sure what the problem is. i find his break down a bit harsh myself, i rather like Asylum Stone myself
I am curious, can you give me examples of that?
6. The whole thing feels like an advertisement for the author's other works more so than most other modules that I've read/ran. It breaks versimilitude to be advertised at.
It's no secret--I *did* say in the foreword that this adventure was incredibly self-indulgent. :) But really, it wasn't meant as just a "hey, buy more Sutter Extra-Chunky Style(tm) Pathfinder books!" It's more that Kaer Maga, Distant Worlds, and the original Pathfinder's Journal are all things that I'm known for (to such an extent as I'm known at all). Since Kaer Maga's already kind of a crazy place, I felt like this adventure would be a good spot to bring a bunch of my favorite weirdnesses together. That way, folks who're excited about my more fringe ideas will feel like they got their money's worth. And the folks who aren't... well, they probably weren't going to like it anyway, ya know?
In art, you can never please everyone all the time, so you might as well amuse yourself. Personally, I happen to prefer really gonzo adventures these days, and my favorite moments as a GM are those where my players burst out in incredulous laughter and say "Whoah! WTF is *that*?!?"
Anyway, for those who enjoy it--hooray! For those who don't, I hope you're able to swap in another module with minimal rewriting!
James Sutter i believe wrote the short stories about Eando Kline
Credit where credit's due: I wrote about a third of the Eando Kline entries, and was in charge of coming up with and organizing the overall story arc, but there were a bunch of great authors involved, including Erik Mona, James Jacobs, and many of our more prominent freelancers!
Ok who/what/where is Eando Kline?
|
|
James Sutter i believe wrote the short stories about Eando Kline, also was the author of City of Strangers and Distant Worlds, both incredibly excellent books, so i'm not sure what the problem is. i find his break down a bit harsh myself, i rather like Asylum Stone myselfI am curious, can you give me examples of that?
6. The whole thing feels like an advertisement for the author's other works more so than most other modules that I've read/ran. It breaks versimilitude to be advertised at.
It's not bad if that's what you're looking for, but like I said before just a matter of taste and opinion. It is well-written if you are ignorant of some of the indulgences taken. Any harshness was coincidental due to my personal feelings. I might even have fun playing in this module, it's just not something I would like to run for my group especially considering the fact that most of my players are in the 50+ year-old category. Luddites.
It's not bad if that's what you're looking for, but like I said before just a matter of taste and opinion. It is well-written if you are ignorant of some of the indulgences taken. Any harshness was coincidental due to my personal feelings. I might even have fun playing in this module, it's just not something I would like to run for my group especially considering the fact that most of my players are in the 50+ year-old category. Luddites.James Sutter i believe wrote the short stories about Eando Kline, also was the author of City of Strangers and Distant Worlds, both incredibly excellent books, so i'm not sure what the problem is. i find his break down a bit harsh myself, i rather like Asylum Stone myselfI am curious, can you give me examples of that?
6. The whole thing feels like an advertisement for the author's other works more so than most other modules that I've read/ran. It breaks versimilitude to be advertised at.
I think saying that it's well-written IF you're unaware is a little bit unfair. It would be a more reasonable matter to say "I personally dislike it because of these reasons" and leave it at that. Saying that it's well written if you're ignorant is essentially saying that the only reason you can like it is that you don't recognise it. I'm more than aware that it contains lots of little self indulgences by the good master Sutter, and that it borrows elements from other locations, such as the Dullahan. I still think it's well written, and personally really can't wait to run my players through it.
Please don't take this as me having a dig at you. I realise that you may not have intended it to come across that way, I'm just pointing out how it could be read. It unfortunately comes down to the problem with all text based communication, in that it can be easy to write something in such a way that readers misunderstand what you're saying. I myself have fallen prey to it more times than I'd like to remember :)
It's not bad if that's what you're looking for, but like I said before just a matter of taste and opinion. It is well-written if you are ignorant of some of the indulgences taken. Any harshness was coincidental due to my personal feelings. I might even have fun playing in this module, it's just not something I would like to run for my group especially considering the fact that most of my players are in the 50+ year-old category. Luddites.James Sutter i believe wrote the short stories about Eando Kline, also was the author of City of Strangers and Distant Worlds, both incredibly excellent books, so i'm not sure what the problem is. i find his break down a bit harsh myself, i rather like Asylum Stone myselfI am curious, can you give me examples of that?
6. The whole thing feels like an advertisement for the author's other works more so than most other modules that I've read/ran. It breaks versimilitude to be advertised at.
I think saying that it's well-written IF you're unaware is a little bit unfair. It would be a more reasonable matter to say "I personally dislike it because of these reasons" and leave it at that. Saying that it's well written if you're ignorant is essentially saying that the only reason you can like it is that you don't recognise it. I'm more than aware that it contains lots of little self indulgences by the good master Sutter, and that it borrows elements from other locations, such as the Dullahan. I still think it's well written, and personally really can't wait to run my players through it.
Please don't take this as me having a dig at you. I realise that you may not have intended it to come across that way, I'm just pointing out how it could be read. It unfortunately comes down to the problem with all text based communication, in that it can be easy to write something in such a way that readers misunderstand what you're saying. I myself have fallen...
I have also fallen prey to it as well, which is why i didn't take offense:) also life is too short to get upset at anonymous people on the internets:)
True enough, and believe me, I'm not upset. It takes a lot more than that to get me riled up :)
More than anything I just felt like making the observation that it could be taken the wrong way. I'm trawling the boards and posting thats that I normally wouldn't bother with at the moment due to my current circumstances of being in a place where a) I don't speak the language, b) most people don't speak my language, c) the weather is miserable and d) I've been confined to hotel rooms when not working due to illness.
Another week and I can go home though!
i figured you weren't upset, you were just making a point. i would have but i was busy with kids stuff. thanks, much appreciated:)
Ok who/what/where is Eando Kline?
Eando Kline was one of the first named Pathfinders we ever introduced (perhaps even THE first, if you consider that the letter at the start of the first Pathfinder's Journal is addressed to him). He was the main character and narrator of the Pathfinder's Journal for the first 3 APs (Rise of the Runelords, Curse of the Crimson Throne, and Second Darkness). His collected adventures add up to about a novel's worth of material, and can be found in The Compass Stone as well as the individual AP volumes.
In addition to being the first-ever Pathfinder fiction, the Eando Kline journals allowed us to do a bunch of exploration and world-building back when the campaign setting was first getting started. So if you want to see the first-ever looks at things like Kaer Maga, Urgir, the Shoanti Burn Riders, etc., Eando's your guy!