. . . I'm refusing to read the preview in dungeon 138 in case I I'm not the one in my group who ends up running it.
Hmm, I guess that would also mean I should stop lurking in the STAP message boards . . . ::grin::
. . . I'm refusing to read the preview in dungeon 138 in case I I'm not the one in my group who ends up running it.
Hmm, I guess that would also mean I should stop lurking in the STAP message boards . . . ::grin::
I could never run it with my players. I'd just keep hearing, "this is just a friggin' King Kong/ Pirates of the Carribean Ripoff/Trendy-crossmarketing-cash-in." I'll read it and enjoy it though.
My only problem with the STAP so far is that it starts in ONE month! That's way too long. :)
From reading the preview, I'm a little concerned that all the early adventures seem to hinge on the PCs pursuing a bad guy (who obviously has to keep getting away). What if they somehow manage to catch/kill him too early?? I can see this as a potential problem for lots of groups. It will be hard to manage without appearing too forced.
On the other hand, I really *like* the idea of a recurring villian that keeps popping up causing trouble. And when the finally DO catch him, it should be cause for great celebration.
I could never run it with my players. I'd just keep hearing, "this is just a friggin' King Kong/ Pirates of the Carribean Ripoff/Trendy-crossmarketing-cash-in." I'll read it and enjoy it though.. . . I'm refusing to read the preview in dungeon 138 in case I I'm not the one in my group who ends up running it.
Hmm, I guess that would also mean I should stop lurking in the STAP message boards . . . ::grin::
hmm...remembers watching 'aliens' for the writing of his segment...
"They mowstly come out at night....mowstly."
hmm...remembers watching 'aliens' for the writing of his segment...
Oh yes indeed...
"Is this gonna be a standup fight, or just another bug hunt?"
This is it man, game over man, game over!...ah joy:)
I'm so inspired by our reminisces my friend that I've just completed and sent James a little billy-do of alienish goodness for him to consider in the future - extending jaws, hideous transformations and proquiberances crossed that he takes it on:)
...Ninja's rule...oh no, it's that infectious Logue character invading my rational thoughts again.
Rich
Creative Director
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From reading the preview, I'm a little concerned that all the early adventures seem to hinge on the PCs pursuing a bad guy (who obviously has to keep getting away). What if they somehow manage to catch/kill him too early?? I can see this as a potential problem for lots of groups. It will be hard to manage without appearing too forced.
On the other hand, I really *like* the idea of a recurring villian that keeps popping up causing trouble. And when the finally DO catch him, it should be cause for great celebration.
Recurring villains is something that the previous two adventure paths didn't really have, so it was something we really wanted to try to include in Savage Tide. Don't worry too much about the PCs catching and/or killing this guy too early, though. The way the adventures are constructed there are two safeguards in place:
1: Actual chances for the PCs to encounter the recurring villian are minimal before they actually get to the parts where they confront him. A lot of the elements that establish him as a villain occur in ways that the PCs don't have an opportunity to get to him. As a result, he doesn't really "get away" that much at all.
2: The adventures themselves don't hinge on his status, really. It's a theme, but if this theme comes to an end earlier than the campaign expects, the remaining adventures continue to play out more or less the same. A few encounters will change, sure, but the Savage Tide itself does not hinge on one mortal bad guy.
And keep in mind that the Savage Tide preview is just that, a preview. Certain elements in the adventures are bound to change this way or that before we reach the end, and there's still a LOT of stuff happening in each adventure that isn't even mentioned in the preview.
From reading the preview, I'm a little concerned that all the early adventures seem to hinge on the PCs pursuing a bad guy (who obviously has to keep getting away). What if they somehow manage to catch/kill him too early?? I can see this as a potential problem for lots of groups. It will be hard to manage without appearing too forced.
Let's say they do kill him. Okay, they've killed him, they complete the job, and they go on to the next mission.
But the villain, see... He wasn't alone, of course. He has a longtime friend, or a business partner, or a lover (current or former), or a brother, or hell, a son, or a father, or a mother or daughter or sister or whatever, and this person eventually fills the role of the villain later on.
Now this too can feel forced, but that's why I reccomend, even with the previews, NEVER running an Adventure Path until you've read at least three adventures into it. So, that way, you know what elements you want to throw out and which ones you want to keep. You want your players to wonder, sure, but you don't want this wondering to be along the lines of "I wonder if he read this aventure just last week...?"
. . . I'm refusing to read the preview in dungeon 138 in case I I'm not the one in my group who ends up running it.
At my last session, I brought up the STAP and asked if anyone else would be interested in running it before I started getting the magazines. To my surprise, after a few questions about how the AoW was presented and how much time and work I put into it, one of my players agreed to take the helm. I'm shocked. I almost never get to play, so I'm pretty happy... and yes, I really need to quit lurking on these boards.
So I guess my problem with the STAP is we're only 2/3 of the way through AoW, which means it'll probably be 6 months before we get to it. Oh, that and the fact that I will be handing over my sealed copies of the issues to someone else upon reciept and not getting them back until after the adventure.
Oh yes indeed..."They mowstly come out at night....mowstly."
hmm...remembers watching 'aliens' for the writing of his segment...
A bit of thread necromancy: My group reached the centerpiece of SWW last night, and one of the players immediately quoted Aliens.
" Six squares ... five squares ... wtf, that's INSIDE the room?! "
Oh yes, and my particular version of Vanthus has every intent to 'motivate' the PCs into hating him with a nigh-unholy passion.
Girdle of gender-bending, DC 22 Fort (one-shot Polymorph Any Object), accompanied by a (forged) note in 'Lavinia's' handwriting instructing them not to resist the item's magic to receive it's benefit, followed upon successful activation by a magic mouth welcoming the newly female PCs to his harem. (The female PCs will be sipping tea with Lavinia when the screams no doubt come from upstairs...)
"That's impossible, that's inside the room!"
" Six squares ... five squares ... wtf, that's INSIDE the room?! "
Oh yes, and my particular version of Vanthus has every intent to 'motivate' the PCs into hating him with a nigh-unholy passion.
Girdle of gender-bending, DC 22 Fort (one-shot Polymorph Any Object), accompanied by a (forged) note in 'Lavinia's' handwriting instructing them not to resist the item's magic to receive it's benefit, followed upon successful activation by a magic mouth welcoming the newly female PCs to his harem. (The female PCs will be sipping tea with Lavinia when the screams no doubt come from upstairs...)
~laughter~ Oh! That is just too good to be true! Consiter it stolen for some future use!
~laughter~ Oh! That is just too good to be true! Consiter it stolen for some future use!" Six squares ... five squares ... wtf, that's INSIDE the room?! "
Oh yes, and my particular version of Vanthus has every intent to 'motivate' the PCs into hating him with a nigh-unholy passion.
Girdle of gender-bending, DC 22 Fort (one-shot Polymorph Any Object), accompanied by a (forged) note in 'Lavinia's' handwriting instructing them not to resist the item's magic to receive it's benefit, followed upon successful activation by a magic mouth welcoming the newly female PCs to his harem. (The female PCs will be sipping tea with Lavinia when the screams no doubt come from upstairs...)
You should have seen the note he stuffed in the mouth of the mook he frags and drops in the shaft prior to cutting the rope and piling rocks on top of the trap door that is the only (known) way into the smuggler's den beneath Parrot Island...
That got the 2 Ladies of Hack royally riled up. What he did to a female 'rescuee' released on a side quest doesn't bear mentioning. (The gist of that note was " the wench and the pointy-eared wench will be barefoot and pregnant in my kitchen ... " or words to that effect.)
Did I mention that Vanthus is a (to be PG-13) a royal misogynistic jerk ? ^_^
And please, by all means Sharoth, steal away.
"That's impossible, that's inside the room!"
I stand corrected - 'tis been a few years since I enjoyed Aliens.