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1 year ago ::
May 03, 2012 - 10:55AM
#111
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I have absolutely no problems with a freeform system where "the DM decides you level", I think EPIC has done it quite nicely. Maybe I missed some blog post explaining the xp budget change, but to me it certainly seems like a rather covert change from "Here is the XP that the game says you earned" to "Here is the XP that we decided we'll give you".
How XP is calculated and awarded changed at the same time that the new "Year 3" style of adventures did. In newer LFR adventures, XP is based on achieving major and minor objectives in the adventure and is not based on a rigid system of "killed ____ XP worth of monsters."
I do not recall if it was announced in a blog post or not, but I found this post from Madfox: "In the year 3 adventures you do not get XP for defeating the encounters. You get xp for achieving goals." (community.wizards.com/lfr/go/thread/view..., last post)
Lori Anderson
WotC Freelancer, LFR author
@LittleLorika
CALI3-3 The Agony of Almraiven (co-author)
NETH4-1 Containing Shadow (co-author)
CALI4-1 Plain of Stone Spiders (author)
QUES4-1 Liberation (co-author)
EPIC5-1 Plaguewrought Prism (co-author)
TotalCon: http://www.totalcon.com/RolePlaying.html
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1 year ago ::
May 03, 2012 - 2:13PM
#112
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Date Joined:
Aug 17, 2007
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You know, I really don't think there's any good reason for the tone of those responses, smiley faces or not. I am posing a legitimate complaint, and I expect a legitimate answer, not to recieve the treatment I'd expect from a Vice Principal. This isn't High School, this is an organization with a rather overt statement of "we follow the rules as they are written".
I have absolutely no problems with a freeform system where "the DM decides you level", I think EPIC has done it quite nicely. Maybe I missed some blog post explaining the xp budget change, but to me it certainly seems like a rather covert change from "Here is the XP that the game says you earned" to "Here is the XP that we decided we'll give you". It really has nothing to do with "winning" and everything to do with consistency and honesty about policies; when a dozen people at a convention are noticing "how come I'm being rewarded less for 7 combats in a battle interative than I would be for 6 combats in a couple specs?" then something has gone wrong.
My thanks for the honest replies, to the rest ... 
I really think the tone of responses might have been a lot more reasonable had you not mentioned the concept of "being cheated out of XP". I admit though that it is also possible that I am just very alergic/sensative to the concept of entitlement where it relates to LFR...
To DME, or not to DME: that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer The slings and arrows of outrageous powergaming, Or to take arms against a sea of Munchkins, And by opposing end them? To die: to sleep;No more;
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1 year ago ::
May 04, 2012 - 1:44AM
#113
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Date Joined:
May 11, 2005
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It may be worth noting that even before the change to 'xp for goals', xp gained was hardly ever exactly accurate with the sum of xp values of the monsters encountered.
It was simply too hard to get the right amount of xp and offer an appropriate challenge over 2 tiers. That gets worse when you have to make changes for 4 or 6 players.
I designed a spreadsheet for encounter xp, and imo when you have to use a spreadsheet as a game deisgner, something is seriously wrong.
So the idea that you got the 'right' amount of xp in the early stage of LFR and you didn't get it later is inaccurate.
Also, the idea that we stick to the 'core rules' in LFR applies to rules of the game itself, not to rewards. XP, as a reward, is not fixed. XP values for monsters are indications for their value.
The right amount of XP for an encounter is dependent (in normal play) on many elements, including party success, terrain, tactiscal (dis)advantage, situation, tactics employed, social interaction, DM mood, and the amount of salami on the pizza.
If LFR, we use a system that allows DMs to quickly assign XP and players to earn the same xp for the same adventure, to avoid (among other things) Player-to-DM arguments on the rewards gained. It works, but it also means we may cut a few corners. However, given that we can't get an accurate xp tally anyway, that is a small price to pay for a game that is easier to design and run.
Gomez
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1 year ago ::
May 07, 2012 - 9:50AM
#114
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Date Joined:
Feb 28, 2008
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Played a slot zero of this yesterday, in preparation for Comicpalooza here in Houston at the end of this month. Got a couple of questions. These may be spoilery, but you shouldn't be in the review thread if you haven't played it, right?
1. Mythal Surges: we couldn't seem to find anything detailing the effects of the number of surges used from the Mythal. I see folks in this thread talking about people drowning or a bonus for not using many, but we could not find it in the module anywhere.
2. Planting the Banners: The text seems to mention that planting the standards (don't remember the mission number, sorry) has some type of relic effect which covers the whole battlefield, but we couldn't seem to find anything detailing those effects.
I dunno if we have an early version of the mod or just starting drinkin' too early, but couldn't come up with answers for either of these. Anybody help clarify, or got a page ref? There is mention of Handout @XXX, but that didn't seem to be included, either.
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1 year ago ::
May 13, 2012 - 11:41AM
#115
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Date Joined:
Feb 28, 2008
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Anybody?
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1 year ago ::
May 17, 2012 - 7:31AM
#116
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Date Joined:
Jun 14, 2009
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When I had a chance to play this, I believe the threshold was on the mythal was 1 surge per player, but I can't be certain. I do know that if there isn't at least one surge left at the interlude the mythal's benefits deactivate. The DM's in LA allowed us to donate surges to turn it back on.
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1 year ago ::
May 21, 2012 - 6:25AM
#117
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Date Joined:
Feb 28, 2008
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So the mythal starts with one surge per player, and if more than that number is used in the first half, it deactivates, which means everybody who can't breate water without it dies? That seems...odd.
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1 year ago ::
May 21, 2012 - 9:03AM
#118
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Date Joined:
Jun 14, 2009
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This is still not based on anything written in the mod, because, like you, I couldn't find it. But here's how I'm running it.
- The mythal will be active for the entirety of part one, regardless of how many surges are consumed.
- During the interlude, we will tabulate how many total surges were consumed.
- If fewer surges were consumed than the total number of players, the mythal will be active for the second half.
- If the amount of consumed surges was equal to or greater than the number of players, players have a choice.
- They can leave the mythal inactive for the second half, requiring each table to find their own ways of dealing with the underwater environment
- They can donate surges to bring the mythal back up to at least one remaining surge, which will keep the mythal active for the second half.
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10 months ago ::
Aug 14, 2012 - 1:53PM
#119
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Raise thread! I played this mod at DDXP and then later at a local con. Our con organizer did not have certs printed for us, so I was wondering if the certs changed from the DDXP one. Spoiler:
Show
My Eladrin Avenger|Swordmage would sure love that Greater Robe of Eyes
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10 months ago ::
Aug 15, 2012 - 5:56AM
#120
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Date Joined:
Aug 10, 2007
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The short answer is: bug your con organizer for the story awards earned at your event.
Dan Anderson
@EpicUthrac
Living Forgotten Realms Calimshan Writing Director
Living Forgotten Realms Epic Writing Director
Meet me at TotalConfusion:
http://www.totalcon.com/RolePlaying.html
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