I got Dungeon 133 in my mailbox yesterday, and just wanted to say, congratulations, Paizo. This is possibly one of the most exciting adventure modules I've read to date.
It looks a bit of a challenge to run (but I imagine most adventures for 18th level characters are), but it really captured my imagination. It is truly epic in scope. And I also really enjoyed the way the Adventure Path continues to draw upon the classic history of the D&D game (and the World of Greyhawk) with an iconic villain like Brazzemal.
I haven't even started to run Age of Worms yet, as I'm still running the Shackled City path from the hard cover to the great enjoyment of our group, but I'm really looking forward to running this adventure eventually.
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You're right!
The whole issue is a big hit!!! Probably the best yet...
I loved Gazzilfek! As I am a big fan of this race (don't want to give away Gazz's race, because I don't want to spoil anything of Kings of the Rift) I amvery pleased to see one in a published adventure. His stat-block is so HUGE!
I wonder if paizo can top this issue???
For those of us who've missed out on a lot of GH history, hints as to where we can find out more background on Brazzemal?
Yet while there is not much official information on Brazzemal, every player and DM that played through Against the Giants have their own personal "history" with Brazzemal, and in most cases it is likely to be very memorable history.
History? yeah... as in, "Dude - didn't we kill that dragon back in '79???"
:-)
For those of us who've missed out on a lot of GH history, hints as to where we can find out more background on Brazzemal?Your hint is: G3
That said... you won't find much more information at all about him than what appears in this issue of Dungeon.
Doooh! I hate it when I roll a one on Bardic Knowledge checks!
I add my own laurals of congratulations for Kings of the Rift and for the entire Adventure Path thus far. Receiving it as early as I did (South East Ohio being my location) I was engrossed by the book for hours. Seeing names from past Greyhawk modules is always a kick for me, I mean I have G3 (And G1-3 AND the Against the Giants 25th anniversery module) and seeing that red dragon's name was like seeing an old friend ("Hey I remember killing him twice!") As for the maps of the city I'd love to as a PC take it over. A castle on the side of a cliff? What could be more fantastic then that? (other then one on a cloud island)
Kings of the Rifts is spactacular! Great NPCs with real solid motivations (that the party can use to turn them against one another...very nice!), an awesome locale, with a super-sexy map to boot, and the last encounter...priceless! I love it.
Above average, considering:)
132 hasn't even got to the UK yet and I can't wait to read the next installments.
All I can say about Kings from seeing the draft is that it is one of the best adventures I've read; a spectacular (or, in hawaian 'spactacular'...arf) setting, awesome battle scenes, terrifying combats and oh so very tough throughout - it's the kind of adventure that will live on in the memory of players and DMs for years, and is a brilliant homage to the against the giants series. I know the original had to be cut a little - any chance of seeing the 'uncut' version appearing in a future hardback??
Rich
IMC, Brazzemal was never killed in G3. Instead, the party formed an alliance with him--they were to aid him in some future endeavor in exchange for their lives.
Hmmmm. I think I may have to bring a few of those old characters back for "Kings of the Rift"--new PCs vs old PCs (too bad I only have one original player left:().
Issue #133 is awesome.
I'm always impressed with the modules.
Darn, I wish it wouldn't take forever for these magazines to reach Germany. I'm still waiting on my issue #132.
heh, just received #131 due to problems with the Canadian printers or some such. Patience, Chris, patience...
To those who have read 'Kings of the Rift' already, would you suggest a read through of 'Against the Giants' for background? I'm curious to know if you think this would help in running KotR.
J-
Argh! This is why I hate some aspects of my life! Just when I was getting ready to finally subscribe, I have to put it off because I'm moving yet again!
Going through change of address is SO tedious! And now I'm stuck waiting for the issue to arrive on bookshelves!!!
I'm sure that reading through "Against the Giants" would give you warm fuzzies when it comes to some of the NPC's and monsters included in "Kings of the Rift." That said, I'm not going to go searching for my copy. The connections for me would be minimal, and for my players noexistant. I think to fully appreciate the "Against the Giants" connection your players will have had to play through it, and IMO they should be focusing on worms.
Big, nasty, world eating worms.
On a side note, I'm DM'ing my AOW crew in Eberron, and this adventure just screams Xen'Drik. I'll be adding a second flight of dragons to fight against the giants and the first flight of dragons. Dragotha has his followers among dragonkind, but the mainstream dragons see him as an abomination and seek the phylactery so that they may destroy Dragotha once and for all.
It'll feel like the PC's have fallen through time to the destruction of the giant empire ;)
-Anarch of... Hellcow
People have 133 already?
I hate you guys.
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On a side note, I'm DM'ing my AOW crew in Eberron, and this adventure just screams Xen'Drik. I'll be adding a second flight of dragons to fight against the giants and the first flight of dragons. Dragotha has his followers among dragonkind, but the mainstream dragons see him as an abomination and seek the phylactery so that they may destroy Dragotha once and for all.
It'll feel like the PC's have fallen through time to the destruction of the giant empire ;)
I'm with you, and will definitely be setting this one in Xen'drik. I'm a little concerned as to how I'm going to bring a certain character from "Prince of Redhand" all the way down there, but I suppose those to whom he owes his loyalty now have access to powerful divination magics, and he could use the powerful magic item in his possession to make his way to that far-off continent.
For our campaign, the Spire of Long Shadows will be in Q'barra, Alhaster one of the Lhazaar Principalities, and unless there's unworkable issues (i.e. the giant fortress absolutely needing to be near the next adventure site), the Wormcrawl Fissure is likely to be in the Demon Wastes, site of Kyuss-Katashka's imprisonment.
Anarch, will your heroes be doing similar globe-trotting?
I just reread "kings" and love it! Reading it a second time you notice how tough things are really going to be for my group. As soon as you start battling dragons in the city its gonna be a beacon for the rest of them. One turns into two then ten!
My group is on blackwall and are pushing 7th level so far. I've been bumping things up a bit to challange them, but I'm betting once they get this far they won't need any more challange. I can see a group of 21st or 22nd level characters getting taken out under the horde of dragons.
Argh! This is why I hate some aspects of my life! Just when I was getting ready to finally subscribe, I have to put it off because I'm moving yet again!
Going through change of address is SO tedious! And now I'm stuck waiting for the issue to arrive on bookshelves!!!
I updated my address online when I moved last year, right here on this website, and my subscriptions didn't miss a beat.
For our campaign, the Spire of Long Shadows will be in Q'barra, Alhaster one of the Lhazaar Principalities, and unless there's unworkable issues (i.e. the giant fortress absolutely needing to be near the next adventure site), the Wormcrawl Fissure is likely to be in the Demon Wastes, site of Kyuss-Katashka's imprisonment.
Anarch, will your heroes be doing similar globe-trotting?
Edit: I can't quite figure out the Quote system, the above is from Golbez57, the following is my response...
One of the key aspects of Eberron for me is the global nature of the setting, so yes, globetrotting is already going on:
WC/TFoE: Breland, along the Droamm/Aundair border. Silver Lake saw a lot of the fighting durring the war, and the mine managers siezed power after Thronehold
EaBK: Q'barra, duh
HoHR/TCB: Sharn. Eligos is a Provost of Morgrave University. After the frame, the PC's are contacted by the Boromar Clan, who explain that a cell of the Tyrants has been infiltrated by Dask. Everyone wins if the Hall sees some bloodshed, except Dask and Xyrzog, that is... The Boromar's also serve as the PC's backers for the tourney
AGoW: Silver Lake, again
SoLS: Manzorian is a 1337 dragon, agent of the Chamber, and member of the Arcane Congress in Aundair. The Spire itself is the original site of Katashka's imprisonment, and lies deep in the jungles of Xen'Drik. Kyuss was either an elf exile from Aerenal or a human religious leader/explorer at the time of Lhazaar, who landed on Xen'Drik and build his colony in the crater that happens to hold Katashka. Bad placement ;)
PoR: Alhaster is in the Lhazaar Pricinpalities, as sugested. I've nixed the Avolakia in favor of the necro-shasa's, and our reoccurring bard is a spy for the Sisters of Sora Kell, at least at first ;)
LoLR: The entry is the fabled Cave of Vvarak in the Shadow Marches
KotR: This lies in the mountains overlooking the great desert on Xen'Drik. Too many giants to put it anywhere else.
WCF: This is going to be in the Shadowcrag Mountains on the border of the Eldeen Reaches and the Wastes. Even I can't bring myself to subject the PC's to the Wastes in good conscience.
The final battle, as printed, takes place in Alhaster.
To make this all possible, the PC's have come into posession of a new airship, equiped with the prototype Cannith teleporter-drive, which will teleport the entire ship, assuming that the PC's take the time to figure out how it works..
Anarch of Eberron
I'm a recent subscriber, just getting back in the game after 15 years away. I've been reading the AoW since "A Gathering of Winds." Right now I'm not even a 1/3rd of the way through "Kings of the Rift" but it is BY FAR the best adventure I've yet read. And I don't mean in the AoW. I mean in DUNGEON.
Greg, if you're reading this, you've managed to completely capture my imagination. I can think of no higher compliment to give.
Both the action and the setting are pure cinema. Kongen-Thulnir is so well-conceived -- basically, a giant Anasazi cliff dwelling on the edge of the Grand Canyon -- that I've already swiped it for my homebrew. Dragons and giants? They're like chocolate and peanut butter. And the 3D map is exactly the kind of premium content I was hoping for when I subscribed -- a map I could never draw in an adventure I would have never imagined.
I want more adventures like this.
Lots more.
I'd like to add my congrats on one of the, maybe THE best modules I've ever read. At my group's pace, I may not live long enough to run it, but I sure have enjoyed reading it.