* * * Wizards Community Thread * * * -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Thread : Desert of Desolation issues Started at 07-10-07 05:42 PM by Necrosis Visit at http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=883545 -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 1] Author : Necrosis Date : 07-10-07 05:42 PM Thread Title : Desert of Desolation issues I've noticed that these modules have a poor storey structure-particually in the 2nd module of the triology. By poor structure I mean poor storey struture linking the various modules to one another and a lack of infomation in the 2nd module to the PC's. I've had to make fairly substantial changes to get the PC's anywhere near where they could find the effreitte (essential for modules 2 and 3). Namley requireing that the staff od power can only be destroyed on the altar in the buried city of Pazar. This provdes a cohearant reason for hte PC's to explore the city and unleash the ancient evil that the rest of the triology focusses on. module 2-aka the oasis of the white palm seems to have issues with giving enougth info to the PC's since the quest itself is realitivly simple IF they can figure it out. If they can't figure it out they just blunder around blindly or if they are unlucky they walk into the effreittes lair unprotected (=a CR 25 encounter for a level 10 party!!)...:bigeyes: This seems rather excessive but I guess is classic infomation horror. In infomation horror if the PC's arn't propably prepared it = fatal CR's. Has anyone else had these issues with the strutures of these modules and how did they deal with them? P.S. Full kudos to the autohrs of these modules apart from the minor struture problems these modules have been a lot of fun :). -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 2] Author : Shiftkitty Date : 07-11-07 03:15 PM Thread Title : Re: Desert of Desolation issues I have plowed through a few of those modules where the story structure seemed disjointed at best. There was an old FR module (can't recall which one) that felt like the author had left out something vital in the middle, like a whole chapter. I think he assumed that, after the previous part, the party would return to a particular place and ask a a certain person a specific question. It was the only way to move on to the next part, but nothing set such a critical meeting up. I had to write my own sub-story to point the party in the right direction. I found some minor parts like that in the Temple of Elemental Evil, but nothing glaring that wasn't easily reparable by just having some NPC mumble an important clue. Still, given that the authors are trying to create something usable by the masses, it would be unrealistic to expect them to think up every contingency. While a player in an old Star Wars RPG, I defused an entire module simply by sweeping the ship we had just stolen for tracking devices. The module was over before the first part had even really begun. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 3] Author : Necrosis Date : 08-06-07 01:13 AM Thread Title : Re: Desert of Desolation issues to use her orginal plot linking the 3 modules you need to Give em an excuse to visit the alter of pazar a key event starting module 2 (I changed the quest from breaking the ruling staff to breakign the rullign staff on the alter of pazar). Don't attach the bottle containing the effreitt to the alter-let them take it away; have a backup plan just in case they don't open it. Actually tell them about the hidden libary under the oasis of the white palm-I had the big bad guy from module 1 keep a diary describing himself burning it before ascending into drylich hood. You need some way of providing infomation in dealing with the effritte encounters since if they go in without the right info the CR goes from a CR of 12 or so to CR 27! I used dreams and portents just so they know how deadly the encoutners traps can be (e.g they have dreamed about the light beam trap in the effrettis lair already so they know 1 in 100 of the harmless light beams is actually a distngrate!). P.S. theres also a 3.0 conversion kicking around for these modules by sauron if you want it PM me. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 4] Author : Zyphus Date : 08-08-07 06:23 PM Thread Title : Re: Desert of Desolation issues It's best to have read all 3 modules and have a plan. When I ran it the characters had been captured. The bad guys sold them to slavers that were marching them out to the White Palm. To escape the acid rain, the PCs were sent in, still in their chains and with little more than torches and a rope, into the cave where the bottle was. Being a slave and having nowhere to hide the bottle was incentive enough to open it, despite the warnings. There is a LOT that can be done with those modules. The Thunes versus the Sambayans, the non acceptance of non-humans by parts of society (which I may have added by reading the various pantheons in the area in Deities), the various secondary bad guys, and some nicely disjointed adventures made for a good story. I changed all the living critters in the Pyramid to zombies except for those that I could see still being alive. There are a lot of things to develop if the players go that way, and be sure to make a map for figures for the big encounter in the Pyramid - it was the only one I bothered to make and it was well worth it. If the players roleplay they shouldn't miss too much information. To make it easier the captured PCs were to be wedding presents, and they got to meet everyone before the big thing that starts the 2nd adventure. I also had a vizier that advised the caliph to seek the aid of foreigners, which made sense to me since the combo message is in Common, which none of the NPCs could read. The vizier conveniently got whacked by the efreet when he visited the Oasis. The only weird thing I encountered was at the very end. The PCs were pre-rewarded by the caliph because of what the vizier had said. They also got extra cool stuff from Martek. Instead of going home (like I thought) they decided to go see the caliph expecting some big reward for saving everyone. Since there was no treasure left to give, I did the only thing I could think of, which was have the caliph adopt the lead human PC and make him the Emir of Akhir. This lead to choosing a bride (since he could not leave without a native bride that would bear an heir) and some weird political stuff before they all left. Best campaign arc ever. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- [Post 5] Author : Necrosis Date : 08-20-07 12:16 AM Thread Title : Re: Desert of Desolation issues hmm intresting, mine have already been caught up in the war between the thurns and symbians -First becomeing best mates with the thurns aroudn the paryamid after destroyign the 'great evil' in it -Than running into the evil thurn cult underneath the osasis and elminateing them before talking to anybody of significance (they got lucky with their timing and got the cult at the best possible time). now they are about ot take on the effreitti-should be intrestign to see how well they do :). -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Downloaded from Wizards Community (http://forums.gleemax.com) at 05-10-08 08:23 AM.