Hi folks,
I authored an adventure that appeared in Dungeon # 67, entitled "Training Ground" -- it was a Forgotten Realms adventure that involved the exploration of a Netherse ruin. I'd love to hear from people that ran the adventure, regarding your reactions and DM / player experiences.
Thanks!
As I recall, there was no real reason to complete the "training ground", never mind that the damn thing was, as I recall, pretty deadly.
Of course, this is going back some years now, so the memory is dim. I do remember wondering what the author was thinking in creating a dangerous obstacle course that seemed to have no purpose other than, I suppose, to expose the players to the madness of the Netheril, and to kill charachters.
But hey. Here's your chance to clue in the people who didn't get it back then. :)
Thanks for the comment Justin.
Your criticism is valid in that there is no big overall purpose beyond exploration, and to discover what secrets the training ground holds before the Zhentarim do.
At the time I wrote it -- nearly 10 years ago! -- I was sick of the world-saving epics and wanted something more akin to the old Gygax modules ... Expedition to the Barrier Peaks, The Forgotten temple of Tharizdun, etc.
(Take these two mentioned modules, in one you go to discover where the weird monsters are coming from and in the other you originally head off to stomp some humanoids, but really in both the party soon ends up exploring a weird, deadly locale. What really gets accomplished if you get the the very end of 'Tharizdun (a dangerous feat if DMed properly)? You get a peek at a sleeping form [Tharizdun?], grab some loot, and leave... Why go to the "Tomb of Horrors"? Even the original "In Search of the Unknown" was basically just exploration. I guess I was thinking in those, admittedly old-fashioned, terms.)
If I wrote it today, I would definitely include a firmer purpose, such as a magical weapon or artifact that had to be recovered lest the Zhents grab it, or something along those lines. (The original draft was somewhat in that vein as I recall.)
Thanks again for the honest commentary!
Ah yes. Now it makes sense, though generally, even an "exploration" adventure needs a more solid purpose- If I recall the events of Training Ground correctly (and I might not...), once the players reach the titular dungeon, the adventure is, in effect, already over. Even a mission that effectively fails due to the nature of the dungeon (such as recovering an item that isn't there) would probably have held the thing together a lot better- I don't have a group now, but most of the groups I knew would very likely have tried their luck with the malfunctioning teleporter upon reaching it, as they don't have any reason to stay there.
Actually, knowing the people I have, a purpose probably wouldn't have kept them in that dungeon anyway. Sigh...
But, as you said, you wrote it about ten years ago. I'd like to ask: Have you been published again since that time? Even if I didn't espically like Training Ground, it did have a fairly creative kernel at its core, and that's the kind of thing that's hard to come by, even (some would say, espically...) in this business.
Justin and Greg, thank you both for your insightful comments.
Justin, your points have merit; criticism well taken.
I should also note that at the time the adventure was being edited/revised the Dungeon policies regarding acceptable adventure length changed, and I had to trim nearly 9,000 words (which, from a 26,000-word adventure is a goodly amount) -- I choose most of the words to cut but much detail, some friendly encounters, background material, and sundry bits were lost. It didn't change the whole scope by any means, but at the time I felt much of the richness was lost.
In any case, I'm glad you got some good use from it Greg!
Regarding new adventures, work & personal responsibilities forced me to stop writing (much of anything) soon after TG was published. I am happily back "in the game" now however, and, while I can't really speak much about it, I can say that I am currently under contract for an (non-Dungeon) adventure (with good party goals).
Scylla,
Is this the one that begins with the messenger snake? If so, I've never run it (although I enjoyed reading it) but I keep looking for opportunities to use that opening scene in one of my own adventures!
Eremite,
Yes, your memory is good, the opening scene does involve a messenger snake. I loved the ilustration they provided for it.
In "Training Ground" the PCs intercept a message not meant for them, but a snake bearing a message actually meant for the PCs could be a good kick-off for an adventure as well. My whole concept was to avoid the "a strange man approaches your party in the tavern" chestnut and instead let the PCs react to events they witness (a boy being pursued by a hostile Zhentarim agent).
Have you been published again since that time? Even if I didn't espically like Training Ground, it did have a fairly creative kernel at its core, and that's the kind of thing that's hard to come by, even (some would say, espically...) in this business.
If the good Admins consider this shilling, they can strike this post, but some folks asked if I had anything more recent out adventure-wise ... well, I can finally speak about it. My adventure, "The Scaly God," is being published by Goodman Games as part of their Dungeon Crawl Classics line. The adventure is tentatively due out in January, but details can be found at the Goodman website.
Thanks for the interest, it's good to be back in print after nearly 10 years away from the scene!
(My friend was disintegrated by the malfunctioning gate).
Ouch!
It was nice work there, Scylla.
Thanks Bill. It was written as a straight dungeon crawl to be run in a single night, as you ran it. (I set the adventure in the 'Realms but tried to keep the setting loose enough so it could be placed nearly anywhere.)
I'm glad you had fun with it.
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I've used "Training Ground" -- or really, the idea of "Training Ground" many times. I remember loving the idea when it first came out. It seemed to be a great explanation for a static dungeon with the added bonus of an Indiana Jones-like archaeology adventure.
Nowadays I just grab it from time to time, with many other old adventures, when I need ideas for static dungeon encounters. But sooner or later I'll use the actual background again -- it is perfectly suited for Golarion.
My favorite encounter from "Training Ground": The plain ole skeleton wimp all dressed up like a badd-ass Lich that scares the PCs into wasting their most powerful spells on a nothing monster.