Hiya all
Well, yesterday, I got my hands on issue #149. Once I got home, as I often do, I opened it up and began to browse. I always check out the Savage Tide adventure path adventure first, but then begin to read the magazine in full. I turned to the start, and began.
It didn't take me long to get to 'War of the Wielded'. when I did, however, I got out my map of Sasserine for quick reference. However, before I got to settle down and start the adventure, I got a text from my gaming group. They wanted me to run the level 5 adventure. So, I said that I would, and would come up with some ideas.
Then I actually read the adventure. Instantly, I decided to scrap making my own, and run this. It's so cool, exactly what my party would like to see. Not a huge amount of combat, a few really nice bits to roleplay (Larcos and the climatic battle at the end) and relatively short and easy to get back on track.
Of course, this is just my PoV, but high, high praise to Michael Kortes and all those who worked on putting it together.
Well done folks!
Chris
WotW is definitely the best adventure to come out of Dungeon in a bit (not to give offense to the other contributors). If you look about, the author posted a few additional intelligent weapons here on the forums for use in the adventure.
Thanks guys! That means a ton.
I am sure going to miss Dungeon.
Anyways, I hope that game went/is going well Orcmonk!
-MiKe
P.S. Just to make an attempt at substance in my post, below is my favorite quote from the play test. Though bear with me, these things rarely translate:
“I’m not talking to a sword. That’s impossible,” said Vaz.
“Hmmm, maybe you should try something easier. Like, start with a dagger and work your way up?” suggested Kia.
“Oh shut up Kia.”
I'm sure I said this before, but my main reason for loving this adventure was because I loved Tales of Destiny for PS1. Talking swords are always a great addition to any game!
Well I'm conceptually just blown away by the idea behind this adventure. This is one of the most interesting twists I've seen since Ex Libris.
I really like the background, I love the way the swords can be defeated and the idea of the baited trap for them.
I do think that this adventure could probably be improved a little by a DM willing to put in a little more effort in fleshing it out.
My problem with this adventure would be the middle. I don't think it really lives up to the potential of the background. Basically the main NPC just sort of shows up and says btw its really just the swords doing everything - help me take them down. Thats sort of anti-climatic. The NPC has come in and pretty much solved the mystery for the PCs and then told them to get off their butts and go get the thing thats needed for the NPC to finally make it all right. Its a kind of Deus ex Machina that takes the hero role from the PCs and gives it to some NPC.
My feeling is let the players do all the hard work and make the big discoveries. What I suggest is essentially a murder mystery. Place this in an urban setting and let the players go to it trying to figure out why people keep dying and whats going on. The swords themselves all claim they are involved in a secret war of vital importance but the PCs should start to wonder about this. Neither side explains why its so important that the other side die. The dead victims don't have anything to do with anything. Their not even always adventuring types. Eventually it turns up that some victims seem to be little more then whoever comes upon the bodies of the slain first etc.
Researching the organizations involved makes it clear that they are themselves guilds or at least long ago where. Interviews with the local thieves guild makes it clear that they have nothing to do with this and in fact they don't have some kind of rash of unexplained robberies etc.
Let the players track down Larcos themselves, but hopefully not before they figure out the gist of this themselves. Larcos can just fill in the details and the plan to stop this nonsense.
This certainly expands out the necessary work for the DM who has to place murders and clues and work out some kind of a time line but this is an interesting premise for a string of murders in any case. If you like the idea of doing fantasy murder mysteries then this is a great premise for one.
The big payoff is when the players realize what is going on. Their is potential here for one of the most memorable adventures the players have ever been involved in. Players love secrets and this one is a really cool doozy. They'll lap it up if they can figure it out. When the players make this connection they'll hopefully be blown away. A great murder mystery with some exciting combat interspersed ... and a bang up fight at the end - oh and humorous moments with the swords to boot. What more does one want in an adventure?
Bella Sara Charter Superscriber
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Let me add to the chorus of praise for this terrific adventure. It's at the point where you are one of the authors who's adventures I read first Mike. I loved the adventure with the illithid grafts and the beetle herding adventure (I hope I'm not misremembering and that those are in fact by you). Great adventure.