Just received #142 today. I've read most of "Here There Be Monsters", which looks like another enjoyable installment of The Savage Tide, dragging the characters closer to a confrontation with Demogorgon. Very nice.
The only qualm I have (just from reading) is the Shrine to Duplicity (in the shrine to Demogorgon); I'm slightly concerned that the players won't "get" the puzzle, esp. if they get discouraged (read: damaged) from trying the wrong thing. (In a way, it feels like a 1st-edition Gygaxian puzzle.) I'm curious to know how it went in playtest.
I have no concerns at all about the rest of the shrine, or the rest of the scenario for that matter. Kudos!
...The only qualm I have (just from reading) is the Shrine to Duplicity (in the shrine to Demogorgon); I'm slightly concerned that the players won't "get" the puzzle, esp. if they get discouraged (read: damaged) from trying the wrong thing. (In a way, it feels like a 1st-edition Gygaxian puzzle.) I'm curious to know how it went in playtest....
i don't see what's so wrong about gygaxian puzzles in a dungeon, i use them all the time and i've never had a problem. its a "do the right thing or get damaged" kind of trap. nothing wrong with that at all.
i don't see what's so wrong about gygaxian puzzles in a dungeon, i use them all the time and i've never had a problem. its a "do the right thing or get damaged" kind of trap. nothing wrong with that at all.
i don't see what's so wrong about gygaxian puzzles in a dungeon, i use them all the time and i've never had a problem. its a "do the right thing or get damaged" kind of trap. nothing wrong with that at all.
I just re-read the puzzle description, and I think I wasn't clear (even in my own head) what concerned me about it. I think what got my spidey-sense tingling was that there's a precise order of operations, but all of the operations -- correct or incorrect -- punish the players (fireball, evil duplicate).
Hm. Although: Eighth-level characters, 12 ranks in disable device, +5 or more for various bonuses, makes a DC 30 disable check within reach. So it may be much less of a problem than I thought.
It's probably not going to be an issue in actual play, but like I said, it was a slight concern while reading. (And if there's actually a problem, I'm sure these message boards will come up with a solution long before my slow-as-molasses players even make it through "Bullywug Gambit"....)
Oh, and on an unrelated note: I couldn't find any "Scaling the Adventure" notes.
In my party, the ice troll is the party rogue. I worry if he fumbles with one of those traps; he could down the whole party if he fails his save. Might want to remind the cleric that "protection from evil" isn't just a job description, its a spell too!
I'm not even sure if my group can make it that far - we have 4 fighter classes (swordsage, swash, scout, and monk) I havn't recieved my issue yet- but this sounds deadly to them... (they just delivered the signet ring so have plenty of time, but still)
A scout can use disable device.
We in the UK are desperately far behind! I just got my issue 141 the other day, and have to wair another month for this issue. It's also annoying I can't get truely involved in these conversations fully... :(
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Let me add my own praise to this particular adventure in the AP. Olangru is an especially nasty opponent. Giving a Bar-lgura demon levels in scout is just plain nasty. On a successful charge and hitting with all 3 attacks thanks to his pounce ability he will do 6d6+26 points of damage assuming no criticals. That is downright fierce. Add into it his very good AC of 27 along with the assitance he gets from his mates and he is one tough cookie. But even that is nothing compared to how tough he is when paired with the Lemoria Golem in the Temple to Demogorgon. Four tentacle attacks, all of which can cause 1d4 con damage on a failed save not to mention an average of 12-13 pts a hit, coupled with Olangru is just evil. Well done. Very well done.
Oh yeah, and I can't wait to have my party get off the shipwreck only to have them staring down the gullet of a T-Rex right off the bat. I predict someone in my group is going to die against that thing because they generally don't have a good sense of when it is time to run. I'm really looking forward to this one.