* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : X13: Destiny of Kings? Started at 11-11-06 06:56 AM by Cthulhudrew Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=737872 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : Cthulhudrew Date : 11-11-06 06:56 AM Thread Title : X13: Destiny of Kings? I just noticed something while looking up old D&D modules: All is not well in the kingdom of Vestland. Not only is the king dead and the holy Sonora Crown missing, but the heir to the kingdom was lost at birth and no one knows where to find him. As if this wasn't bad enough, the forces of the Ethengar Khanate, never on the best of terms with Vestland, are now massing on the borders, hoping to take advantage of Vestland's plight. To complete the rosy picture, traitors from within also threaten to speed the downfall of the High Kingdom. Sounds like a job for you. You must find the long-lost heir to the kingdom and recover the Sonora Crown, the mystical device without which a king cannot be crowned. Standing in your way are traitors and spies from within and invaders from without the kingdom of Vestland. Time is running out! Can you save Vestland from disaster? When treason walks the land... The kingdom of Dunador is in trouble. Since the king, Halfred of Dunthrane, was killed in a hunting accident, the land has hovered on the brink of civil war. Crown Prince Edmund, at 18 only half-trained and quite unprepared to assume the throne, has yet to be crowned. Currently he is on a pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Nevron in the province of Andevar. While the uncrowned king is far from home, anarchy reigns in Dunador. Throughout the realm, plots are brewing and evil hands are eagerly clutching the sword of treason. Inevitably the focus of these intrigues is in the troubled province of Andevar to the north. For it is here that the young Prince has journeyed and here that he must be crowned. In this dark hour Dunador has but one faithful servant: Hollend, chief advisor to the old king. Painfully aware of all that is at stake, Hollend has sought the aid of a brave party of adventurers in a desperate bid to tip the scales in favor of truth and justice. But, even as the party secretly enters Andevar, the forces of evil strike with blinding speed and ruthless determination. These plots sound awfully similar to me (and were written by the same author, Stephen Bourne). Does anyone own N3, or recall what exactly the plot of that module is, and if it is similar (if not outright the same as) the plot to X13? Not that it would necessarily be wrong to steal your own plot for a later module, but it just seems strange to me. (In any event, I absolutely think that Bourne's X11 and X13 are two of the most well-written modules for Classic D&D). I'm real curious to know how closely those plots resemble one another, though. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : Agathokles Date : 11-11-06 07:47 AM Thread Title : Re: X13: Destiny of Kings? These plots sound awfully similar to me (and were written by the same author, Stephen Bourne). Does anyone own N3, or recall what exactly the plot of that module is, and if it is similar (if not outright the same as) the plot to X13? IIRC, Destiny of Kings has the heir to the throne captured and imprisoned by a traitorous vassal, who is in league with the king's brother. The king is then murdered, and his brother becomes regent, since the prince is missing. The evil regent also has the crown jewels stolen, as a further measure to ensure that the new king is not crowned. I don't know if X13 has a similar plot, though. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : Cthulhudrew Date : 11-11-06 08:14 PM Thread Title : Re: X13: Destiny of Kings? Okay, that's a bit different from X13. In that module, the king is killed while leading troops into battle against barbarian invaders, and his crown is lost. His heir is likewise slain, leading an expedition to find the crown. There is a hidden twin heir, who the PCs have to find and shepherd to his coronation (as well as finding the lost crown). The two sounded very similar in a lot of ways- kings lost (to hunting/war), crown prince seeking his coronation, the rest of the land in chaos (plots and treason abound), and a loyal advisor to the old king being the instrument of justice in the land. Good to know they're not identical, though Bourne seems very interested in these sorts of royal plots (X13, N3, X11: Saga of the Shadowlord). He's quite good at them, though. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : Twin Campaigns Date : 11-16-06 03:34 AM Thread Title : Re: X13: Destiny of Kings? I liked the module, and it was fun to GM. Bourne writes excellent plot backgrounds. But: especially X13 was very straightforward, even linear, when it came to actual gameplay. Although the background was complex and full of social intrigue, there was essentially only one way to run through the adventure. If one wanted to run the module more open-ended, it would have to be written all over again. Go to the shrine - get vision - get the crown - learn of treason - fight the duke's men - get the information... Can anyone say "Sierra Quests"? Don't get me wrong, sometimes it is fun to play adventures like this. But I remember being frustruated about the way Bourne threw away resources for a complex adventure. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 09:31 AM.