The date that newstands get the next mag is Sept. 4, so i figured someone has to have it by now. If not, i have a good feeling it will come after school Monday or Tuesday:)
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Is it any good? I have been running AoW issue to issue and finished Blackwall Keep last week. I am not using "Harsh Reflections" because I hate dopplegangers and think it is the biggest cliche to have them look like the pc's and fight them. If the big connection to the adventure path is stuff found in the illithid's possesion that leads them to the free city arena I can put that stuff on anyone.
And heck! according to the dungeon writer guidelines using dopplegangers is a big no-no...
And heck! according to the dungeon writer guidelines using dopplegangers is a big no-no...
lol...remember the day's when dopplegangers were just that nasty little encounter in a dungeon the DM would sick on you when you were resting just to allow one of the players to have some fun wailing on other party members.
I hate dopplegangers. I hate greater dopplegangers even more. Look what Eric Boyd did with the unseen. Frankly, if I was a player in Waterdeep the campaign would start to resemble a game of paranoia.
Creative Director
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Doppelgangers are hard to use. We were aware of that throughout the development of "Hall of Harsh Reflections." The subplot that utilizes them to instill paranoia in the PCs is actually a fairly minor one in the context of the entire adventure, so if you feel that having dopplegangers infiltrate the party is too obvious and cliche (which I can certainly understand), it's a simple enough matter to change those aspects of the adventure. We give a fair amount of advice on how to run the adventure both ways in that issue, in fact.
So I'm guessing nobody has it yet, but I have to say Doppelgangers are the bomb, especially when It's the first time you use them! They wont have a clue whats coming. Only my Veteren Player (Dad), may have a chance. haha, and theres a mind flayer!
You guys dont know perfection of an evil DM.
Hall of Harsh Reflections! I just recieved my copy of #126 yesterday. I feel so out of fashion ;-)
Hall of Harsh Reflections! I just recieved my copy of #126 yesterday. I feel so out of fashion ;-)
I just for my copy of 126 yesterday as well (8/29). I feel like I get every single one of my magazine subscriptions late. Bills? Junk mail? Oh, there's no shortage or lack of timeliness there. But things I'm paying good money for and expect to receive on a regular basis? Ha!
Hall of Harsh Reflections! I just recieved my copy of #126 yesterday. I feel so out of fashion ;-)I just for my copy of 126 yesterday as well (8/29). I feel like I get every single one of my magazine subscriptions late. Bills? Junk mail? Oh, there's no shortage or lack of timeliness there. But things I'm paying good money for and expect to receive on a regular basis? Ha!
Must be nice, I don't get my subscription 'til the last of the last. No 126 yet.
Nope. not here yet, My guess is Wednesay.
Anyone care to give us some hints?
I'll get it on Friday, when it comes out (or is supposed to) at my FLGS.
WaterdhavianFlapjack
Just got it in the mail today. I'll post first impressions in a bit.
Just got it in the mail today. I'll post first impressions in a bit.
Lucky dog. *curses under breath*
WaterdhavianFlapjack
Just got it in the mail today.
That means I'll be getting it within the next three days. Sweet.
Peace and smiles :)
j.
Much to my surprise I received mine yesterday, I haven't had time to look at in full detail but it should be dubbed the "Doppelganger" issue. In two of three adventures doppelgangers play a major role. I'm not going to spoil all the fun but let me give you this bread crumb there are now "Greater Doppelgangers" and unless I was mistaken I saw a vampiric doppelganger running around.
Just finished reading it. Sad to say, I'm a bit underwhelmed. I'm having some difficulty with the motivations behind many of these AoW adventures. "Go see so-and-so about this little green worm" as a hook is starting to feel a little stale, especially since there's no pay-off in AoW3 and there's no substantive pay-off in AoW4.
I feel like the idea behind the AP was that there would be a big, looming sense of Impending Doom motivating the PCs to scramble for info to try to stop it, but that sense has just not been established, in my opinion. You've got one worm in Diamond Lake. You've got a lone den of Lizardfolk in the marsh with some worm problems. Why would PCs start running all over the place, chasing down "leads" to stop... what? They don't even KNOW what. Where's the THREAT (from the PCs point of view)? Personally, I'm going to have to be working REALLY hard to modify later adventures (we're still in WC) to get my players interested in continuing.
I don't intend this as a rant. Just a kind of wistful statement of disappointment after such a strong beginning to the AP. I really feel like something's missing in the driving-the-action-from-adventure-to-adventure department with this AP.
Anyhow, to address HoHR directly: it's largely a sidequest, one that is intended to drum up the PCs suspicion of the guy who runs the arena (Raknian). Basically, after a snippet or two of city "flavor" encounters, the PCs meet Eligos, who only says, "Leave your findings with me and come see me again in a few days." (I know already that this is gonna be an issue with my players.)
Then, we're in doppleganger-land for a whole bunch of time, with only a loose plot - one that seems fun if one of your players WANTS to play a doppleganger version of themselves, but otherwise it's just a lead-in to the Mind Flayer. (I have no problems with dopplegangers, but since my last campaign featured a single PC in a "betrayal"-type role, I'm hesitant to repeat the same thing so soon.) Then, the players go to the Mind Flayer's lair, where they pound on some minions, pound on the Mind Flayer, and find a vague clue about something called "the Apostolic Scrolls"... which...
...have to be *researched* by Eligos. Yup. {Sigh}
The dungeons are fine, if a little random. (See the water-and-plank room) There is a new doppleganger type and a new aberration (I like the aberration).
One logistical problem is that a whole plot point is based around the Mind Flayer using "Plane Shift" to escape the PCs and return to his lair. The adventure text says that he goes to the Ethereal Plane and makes his way back home. Oops. Since Plane Shift involves geographic displacement of 5 to 500 miles, I don't see how this method could EVER get him reliably home. First, he Plane Shifts once and he's 5 to 500 miles away on the Ethereal Plane. Then, even if he makes his way back to his lair, when he Plane Shifts again to return to the Material Plane, he's still 5 to 500 miles away from his lair. Without any means of Teleporting, I don't see how this plan works.
Much to my surprise I received mine yesterday, I haven't had time to look at in full detail but it should be dubbed the "Doppelganger" issue. In two of three adventures doppelgangers play a major role. I'm not going to spoil all the fun but let me give you this bread crumb there are now "Greater Doppelgangers" and unless I was mistaken I saw a vampiric doppelganger running around.
Sweeeeeeeet! I'll bet the vampiric one was in the Vamps of Waterdeep Arc! My fav!! Woooooo!
WaterdhavianFlapjack
Nope, not today. Maybe Wednesday.
Nope maybe friday
Nope maybe friday
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!! My FLGS dosen't have it yet!! AghhhhhhhHHHH!
WaterdhavianFlapjack
I probably should read through more of the adventure before I try to comment on things, but that requires going downstairs and reading for another hour...
When I run Hall of Harsh Reflections I'm probably going to give the illithid some sort of item that allows dimensional door so many times per day, ring, robe, something. The dopleganger lair seems cool to me, and I think I have a player that would love to play a bad version of himself, it just seems like there is a large ammount of doplegangers there. Maybe I'm just not too familiar with this creature, having only fought the occassional lone 'ganger in second edition, but it seems like the lair is swarming with the buggers...
Nope, maybe Monday. I need it soon, finished part 3 a few min. ago!
Whispering Cairn: gorgeous and brilliant.
Three Faces of Evil: Hack and Slash Meatgrinder. Hated it. My players loved it, especially the Aspect.
Blackstone Keep: Interesting story and good rp. My group starts it next week. Not sure if the final battle is going to be that scary, maybe some mood lighting is in order.
Hall of Harsh Reflections: On par with Whispering Cairn, imho. I chortled and snickered as I read through its delightful maliciousness. I'm going to go read it again since my wife isn't home to look at me like I'm a lunatic.
Not again! Just called my FLGS, and they said that they get their next shipment in on Thursday! I have to wait until THURSDAY!! THURSDAY! That's almost another week!
WaterdhavianFlapjack
Not again! Just called my FLGS, and they said that they get their next shipment in on Thursday! I have to wait until THURSDAY!! THURSDAY! That's almost another week!
WaterdhavianFlapjack
I got mine in the mail on Friday. Usually schedule for me.
Peace and smiles :)
j.
Well, I expect mine to arrive on 15. sept...>>SNIP<<
Do you have a subscription? If so where are you in the world ?
This will be my first issue delivered and as I am in New Zealand I am not sure how long from shipping to receiving is :)Cheers
B
*twiddles thumbs*
WaterdhavianFlapjack
I haven't gotten mine yet and it was due here like 3 days ago.
I haven't gotten mine yet and it was due here like 3 days ago.
Paizo's site says it appeared on newstands Friday, and no 127 here.
WaterdhavianFlapjack
My copy arrived today. That's actually pretty fast for my subscription. Time to read through it.
Rooster
Jeez people it was freaking Labor Day weekend. Most employees take friday (and tusday oftentimes) off and give themselves a long weekend. It will come out this week.
I hope.
*continues to twiddle thumbs*
WaterdhavianFlapjack
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I apologize to everyone then. Labor Day weekend usually brings things to a screeching halt when it comes to shipping and mailing and such. However, I suppose this was an issue beyond that. I'm still trying to figure out why (once again) something I ordered off the Paizo store has been "awaiting shipment" for almost a week.
None here in Michigan as far as I can tell. I guess the wednesday prediction is true.
None here in Michigan as far as I can tell. I guess the wednesday prediction is true.
Weird. I got mine exactly when I was supposed to. At the local game store on Sept 2.