As my campaign has progressed, I've come to really depend on Dungeon. About half of my campaign has been run more-or-less off the shelf from Dungeon magazine, with suitable alterations to fit my particular corner of Greyhawk.
I've now also started using it as a campaign planning tool: I downloaded the 3rd Edition Adventure Index from 3d6.org, sorted it by level, and started lining up adventures that I can start working towards. It's been an eye-opening experience ... two weeks ago, I was wondering just what the heck to do with the next session, but now I have about five 6th-level adventures that would fit just right and I have to figure out a way to choose among them.
I've created my own rough "Adventure Path" from this, looking a progression something like:
"Cradle of Madness" (Issue 87, 6th level)
"Beast of Burden" (Issue 100, 6th level)
"Seventh Arm" (Issue 88, 7th level)
"Elfwhisper" (Issue 90, 8th level)
...and so on, with the "City of Shadows" arc having a nice, solid spot at 11th-12th. However, I have noticed that there is an effective ceiling of choices in Dungeon after 16th level. Since issue 82, there have been NO 17th-level adventures, three 18th, and one each of 19th, 20th, and 21st -- many of which were the climax to Shackled City.
So my request is for a few more solid stand-alone adventures in the 17th-20th block! I won't need them right away, mind you -- my campaign is still at 6th level. ;) But I figure if I make the request now, there's a better chance they'll be around when it comes time for me to start the heavy-duty planning for that part.
Meanwhile, keep up the great work! And thanks.
-The Gneech
Well as ne of Dungeon's free-lancers, I can tell you why there's so few high-level adventures... They're really hard to write!
Once you start getting up into those high levels, it gets tough to figure out all the possible powers a party of that level could possess.
There are so many options and so many powers and abilities that a high-level party can exercise in any given encounter that it can make s writer's head explode as he tries to come up with a useful defense against abilities such as quivering palm, Wish, Earthquake, magic items that make you incorpreal and characters with a Sense Motive check of +30.
It's not impossible to write a high-level adventure, but it's hard. Its much easier to write a home-brew high-level adventure than a generic "all-class" adventure. At least then you have an idea what you can expect from your party!
That being said, I'm sure the Dungeon staff has a few adventures of the appropriate level coming up soon. Never fear, Dungeon is here!
Creative Director
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The lower levels of Maure Castle (issue #112) and Chambers of Antiquity (from #124) should both work for 17th level characters. But yeah... once you get about 15th level, there is indeed a thinning of options. We're working on fixing that, but in the end we can only publish what our writers write.
Yes... that is a hint to aspiring writers who seek an edge in getting through the jaws of the proposal-process and seeing an adventure in print. Send us some 17th level adventures!
I can tell you why there's so few high-level adventures... They're really hard to write!
Believe me, I know! That's why I'm looking so hard for some from you guys. ;) As my own game starts approaching that level, I'll see what I can do to help.
-The Gneech
I know this issue has been mentioned before in previous posts, but character reaching 17th level wasn't even a realistic wish in my old AD&D game.
I love 3.5 and will not go back to AD&D, but I've noticed that after only 12 gaming sessions, the group I DM is approaching 6th level....and I've run nothing but Dungeon adventures and a converted old 1983 module from Dragon for them.
My longest continous campaign that I ran as a DM went from 1982 to 1998. The only surviving original player character was 14th level when both the player and the PC retired from gaming for good. It took almost four years of weekly gaming to get to 10th level.
I won't pre-judge the more rapid level advancement as a bad thing until I've run a complete 3.5 campaign. If I decide the advancement was too fast, I'll decide on what to do about it in the "next" campaign.
Up until now I had always skimmed over the super high level adventures as "well, won't be running this--ever!" but now I have to readjust my thinking, I guess.
I know this issue has been mentioned before in previous posts, but character reaching 17th level wasn't even a realistic wish in my old AD&D game.
I love 3.5 and will not go back to AD&D, but I've noticed that after only 12 gaming sessions, the group I DM is approaching 6th level....and I've run nothing but Dungeon adventures and a converted old 1983 module from Dragon for them.
My longest continous campaign that I ran as a DM went from 1982 to 1998. The only surviving original player character was 14th level when both the player and the PC retired from gaming for good. It took almost four years of weekly gaming to get to 10th level.
I won't pre-judge the more rapid level advancement as a bad thing until I've run a complete 3.5 campaign. If I decide the advancement was too fast, I'll decide on what to do about it in the "next" campaign.
Up until now I had always skimmed over the super high level adventures as "well, won't be running this--ever!" but now I have to readjust my thinking, I guess.
Just to put my 2c in on the topic. Personally, if Dungeon put in some high level adventures - with the exception of the AP - it would make less likely to buy the mag.
I find that by that level the campaign has really taken off, and there is so much backstory and individual character driven plots that a generic high level adventure just doesn't cut it.
Unless you are playing a one-off high level game where you generate high level PCs from the get go, and well I just plain don't like that idea very much. I think you lose too much not having the lower levels.
Keep the adventures from 1-10th level. Go higher for AP stuff, in which case the whole campaign is mapped out, so the writers know what the characters have done before.
Cheers,
While I prefer lower level gaming (from the DM's perspective anyway), I have to disagree, even though my earlier post would seem to indicate otherwise.
High level PC's are hard to challenge and well written epic level or high level adventures in Dungeon can allow a DM with little prep time (like me) to keep a high level campaign going.
Also, the high level adventures in Dungeon can always be chopped apart for settings, arch-villains, major allies for the lower level PC's ,etc, so they fulfill a definite purpose.
I agree with Sean agreeing with everybody else. :)
I also agree that I find it easier to make a high level adventure that is particular to my gaming table than to come up with a concept that can be fairly "generic." I know my players - I know their strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. I know their backgrounds, their goals, their fears.
Now, combine all that with the things my players don't use - such as Divination magic (for some stupid reason). Don't forget teleporting and planar travel. They have a major effect on higher level adventures, too. And there's plenty of other things available to characters of 17th+ level that can put a real crimp into some adventures.
I'm working on hashing out two queries at the moment - one for 1st level and one for 13th. I also owe the folks over at Dragon a few articles (and more if my outstanding queries there get accepted). Maybe after that, though, I'll really sit and ponder for an idea up in the 17-20 range. I'll start by thinking about where my campaign is heading (they're currently 8-9th level), and see if I get any ideas from there.