rpg.net has a blast from the past review of module X3 Curse of Xanathon, although it gets panned pretty badly. Just thought I'd let you guys know about it.
Thanks!
Actually, my group played that module about a year ago and had a blast. Sure, it is a lot of work for the DM to remove the silly bits and the stuff that does not make sense (such as the 14th level cleric-beggar) but IMO the module also has a lot of flavour and some pretty darn funny features.
The Passage of Everwalking in Xanathon's lair puzzled my players for quite a while (they always enjoy a brain teaser) and the final showdown in the temple of Creatia where the party used a decanter of endless water to hose down Xanathon's fifty guards was epic. :D
Playing detectives in the Ethengarian quarter of town was also a lot of fun. The players really got a feel of the goat-smelling, butter tea-drinking Ethengarians with all their weird customs and exotic behaviour.
IMO most modules released by TSR were never fit to be played as they were written but needed some level of adjustment. But that is just part of the charm - being able to customize it to one's own campaign.
:-) Jesper
The author has apparently never played the module, since it is listed as a capsule review. He deliberately exaggerates and plays up the modules flaws, while ignoring or misrepresenting its strong points.
"Yes, the cover illustration shows a misstep, which was apparently the most interesting thing to have on the front of the module."
No, the chimera was not apparently the most interesting thing to have on the front. The cover actually fufills what I consider to be the two main criteria for the cover
1) Have some relevance to the module at hand. (More than I can say for X10. That's a draconian on the cover.)
2) Not give the game away by revealing something critical. (More than I can say for X1, X2 and X4).
"Some of the names for taverns are especially odd (The Blarney Chicken?)"
There is no tavern on the map called The Blarney Chicken. Instead, the module gives you a list of POSSIBLE names, including The Blarney Chicken. If you want to throw in some humor, you can use that name. If you don't, you won't.
"The aforementioned grumbling dwarf goes on about Draco Stormsailer, the head of the Ducal Guard, accusing him of being behind all this, and then leaves town. If the PCs don’t get the hint that they should immediately find and possibly kill Draco, a beggar suggests that the dwarf might be right."
How is this any worse than the lead-in to the GDQ series, the I6 module, or the I3-5 series, which are all listed in the top 10 modules of all time? At least the aforementioned dwarf is described, as opposed to being railroaded into it by generic "authorities".
The module does give a timetable, if the players don't start following the clues and take up the adventure, there will be an army at the gates of the city in three weeks.
"So the PCs are expected to roam about in the Ducal Barracks on the word of an angry and short dwarf, during which they will be fighting and killing many innocent Lawful and Neutral guards who will rightfully see them as being dangerous intruders. Realistically, this should be a serious issue for Lawful characters, but that’s not dealt with in the module."
That's because it has to be dealt with by the players. It's up to them how they want to get into the barracks. Nothing says they have to fight their way in, anymore than you have to fight your way through the Keep on the Borderlands. I will be running this module again, and I know my players will use a combination of disguise and magic to get into the barracks. The reviewer also neglects to mention that those individuals which are part of the plot are identified, if the DM wants to track their actions.
"It’s not very exciting, often doesn’t make much sense, the city looks like it was designed by an eight-year old, the villains aren’t too bright, and it’s not so much railroaded as unable to conceive of the players doing something different than intended. Sure, the players could have tried to get to the Duke at any point, but that’s never covered until they get the cure. What if they bring the incriminating note to someone?"
The location of the Duke and who is guarding him is covered in Section 5. If the players want to head there early, nothing stops them. But without the cure, they can't help him. Since the module states Eric the Cleric has already cast remove curse on the Duke, if the players got ahold of him they would still have to go through Xanathon to get the cure.
And if they show the note to someone, it is not covered, but again, what DM can't improvise? They might be believed, they might not. Someone still has to pry the cure out of the hands of Xanathon. At least the reviewer acknowledged that the module is not a railroad, the players can do things out of order if they wish. Eric the Cleric is a tool that experienced DMs will probably not use.
"The module ends with suggestions for further adventures that are right out of a random generation table (the band of master thieves, the slavers’ warehouse, raiding red dragon)"
I wouldn't call the slavers adventure something out of a random generation table. The further adventure ideas were useful seeds back in the day.
Now there are some problems with the module that are correctly identified, the first confrontation with Xanathon, and some of the clues are too easy. But this adventure is way better than the reviewer makes it out to be.
Im DMing this module at the moment in a PbP game here on the boards and the parties bard, disguised as Drako had just a small talk with Xanathon.
Now im trying to find out how to give them an suitable hint.
any ideas?
If they know of the antidote, then let them come up with a way to get it. You don't have to have them go out of the city, if they can find a way to bypass Xanathon and get the antidote, just go straight to the last section. Once they rescue the Duke, you can have Xanathon retreat to the mountain lair, and the Duke's spies send word where he is. The players can have the climactic battle when you run part 3 last.
If you really want to play things in order, than Eric is going to have to suggest to them where to go.
I need only to let them know about where the shrine is.
I probably really need eric for that.
if anyone wants to take a look here is the thread.
if anyone wants to take a look here is the thread.
A very interesting set of player characters! I particularly liked the druid...
:-) Jesper