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10 months ago ::
Aug 27, 2012 - 8:04AM
#11
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Date Joined:
Nov 16, 2007
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Speaking of items in the mod, it looks like I may have to run this mod multiple times, just because people want the Frost Brand Weapon for multiple characters, like it's the best thing since sliced bread. Is there another mod that gives this item, so I can at least give them an alternative? Don't care if it's heroic or paragon.
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10 months ago ::
Aug 27, 2012 - 10:18AM
#12
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Date Joined:
Aug 17, 2007
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Ah yes, a better permafrost enabler adventure. We were missing that one in the great char=op appreciation collection  Rather than giving them an alternative item, show them alternative options? Granted, even without charop in mind it is a cool sword
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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9 months ago ::
Sep 04, 2012 - 8:03AM
#13
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Date Joined:
May 29, 2001
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Ran this for our local group this past weekend and got good feedback. From a DM's perspective, there's way more info in the investigation portion of the module than most parties will find out (or even need) -- I happen to think this is a good thing, since it allows multiple paths through the investigation portion of the adventure and can provide a different 'setup' for different groups. ("You guys went to the manor? Cool, we decided to go to the tower and found this other thing out.") One warning for DMs running his for parties with a high passive Perceptor: Spoiler:
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If your group borders on the paranoid and has played through the ELTU series, DO NOT reveal the imp in the nightclub unless you want to improvise a bar brawl on the spot. The Test was well-received; my group was reluctant to use player knowledge, but rose to the challenge once it was clear that the module designers intended to reward players versed in the lore -- another good thing that other designers can learn from. The final combat was more difficult at GenCon (where we had two defenders and no leaders in a 4-man party) than at my table (where there were two hybrid leaders in a 6-man party), but the groans of complaint told me that the challenge was just about right. A question came up regarding one of the monster abilities in the final fight: Spoiler:
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The cult leader has a power that, if he hits an enemy with combat advantage, he dazes the enemy until the end of his next turn. Since daze provides combat advantage, this means that once he hits with a flank once, as long as he keeps hitting, he keeps the same target locked down. Was this intended? Excellent mod, and looking forward to running the rest of the series for our group. -- Pauper
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9 months ago ::
Sep 04, 2012 - 11:45AM
#14
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Date Joined:
Nov 16, 2007
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I also ran the mod this weekend. I'm sure one of many times I'll have to run it. In order to make things go smooth, I printed little yellow cards with the name of each NPC they met, and a quick descriptor, like "the priestess" or "the captain". I also printed a purple card for each place they could visit, that got revelead through conversation. I threw them out there for visual aid, and the players started grouping them like a white case board of sorts (crime show style), which helped immensely with keeping the investigation on track. They definitely did not go to all the places and talk to all the NPC's. I think they skipped about half the material in the mod (I was left with a lot of yellow and purple cards in my hand). But the rest was substantial enough that they didn't feel they were missing anything. And this leaves the door open for visiting other places next time they play. This mod requires a good bit of prep, but I think the players really enjoyed it. It took about 4.5 hours, which is on par for us. I could have sped up here and there if needed, but I knew combats would be pretty fast with 4 PC's, and I wasn't in a rush. As for the combat difficulty, I made some tweaks here and there to fit the optimization level of the group. I was running for 4 PC's, two at level 8, two at level 10 (a leader and three strikers). I ran at AL 8, but ran it as though there were 5 of them, which felt about right. Spoiler:
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In the first fight, I added 10 THP to the leader, but I didn't change anything else. The assassin attacked once, then died to a charge crit from the scout. In hind sight, I should have had the assassin attack, then move to hide, instead of move and attack. I think I bloodied everyone, and took the rogue down a couple times in this fight. It was pretty tough, but they prevailed. One comment I would make, is to give the halflings a thrown dagger attack, so they have something to do when immobilized or the like. Turned out I didn't need it, but it was in the back of my head to let them do that if needed.
In the second fight, I gave the leader 20 THP's, and gave him 20 more when he was bloodied. He still went down in round 2 before he got a second turn. I gave the Hellmage an immediate interrupt to become insubstantial until end of his next turn, so he could survive an initial nova. He still died quickly, but at least I think I got two turns of actions with him because he got better initiative. I missed with See You in Hell, which was disappointing. Using the tactic of alternating stone form and swoop attack for the gargoyles worked pretty well for a bit. But once they were the only things left, they died to readied actions as soon as they became fleshy. It wasn't an easy fight by any means, since the monsters do a good chunk of damage. Healing was stretched thin.
The climax of this last fight felt a bit off, with the two leaders dying first, and lurkers and skirmishers sticking around for another round or two. If the phantom was a soldier with some sort of intercepting strike, forcing the PC's to deal with him first, it may have been a little more interesting.
The Magic Circle made no mechanical difference in the fight, the +2 on saves never came into play, and I never rolled a 19 on an attack roll. People were mildly afraid of being in it because they didn't know what it did, which probably was the largest impact the circle had on the fight.
Oh and on one more note, when offering the deal, I took each player aside and gave them the offer without any side influences or group think. I managed to entice one player into taking the deal with the devil ^_^.
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9 months ago ::
Sep 05, 2012 - 4:16AM
#15
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A question came up regarding one of the monster abilities in the final fight:
Spoiler:
Show
The cult leader has a power that, if he hits an enemy with combat advantage, he dazes the enemy until the end of his next turn. Since daze provides combat advantage, this means that once he hits with a flank once, as long as he keeps hitting, he keeps the same target locked down. Was this intended?
Spoiler:
Show
That appears to be correct. The leader was based off of Melech Ambrose. The only change made was changing the drake specific aura that would have been useless in the fight. That particular attack power was unchanged.
WATE4-1 Paying the Piper (co-author)
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4 months ago ::
Jan 27, 2013 - 5:13PM
#16
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Date Joined:
Jan 20, 2009
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I have a question about story award WATE41. Spoiler:
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Does taking this award mean that my character is now a worshipper of Asmodeus? That is, if he was already a follower of one deity, does he have to abandon that deity and follow Asmodeus instead?
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4 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 2:40PM
#17
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Date Joined:
Aug 21, 2007
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The simple answer is "no." (And "no.") Spoiler:
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Selling one's soul is not the same as worshipping a deity. You may have sold your soul to Asmodeus, but you do NOT worship Asmodeus as by the rules of LFR, that would make your PC illegal and unplayable. You do not worship any merchant from whom you gain some item or benefit at some cost (a trade), no matter how good or bad the trade was. However, the glitch in this deal is the deity you do worship may not be very happy with you for having sold your soul; your soul, when you die, gets snarfed up by Asmodeus instead of being picked up by your deity or his/her reps on the Fugue Plane. Clear? Keith
Keith Hoffman
LFR Writing Director for Waterdeep
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4 months ago ::
Jan 28, 2013 - 3:05PM
#18
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Date Joined:
Feb 20, 2012
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The bigger problem is that the boon is super-weak vs. the cost, so it's basically pointless unless you're wanting to play Iron Man mode for its own sake.
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4 months ago ::
Feb 04, 2013 - 12:04PM
#19
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Date Joined:
May 29, 2001
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The bigger problem is that the boon is super-weak vs. the cost, so it's basically pointless unless you're wanting to play Iron Man mode for its own sake.
Which some people do enjoy, myself included. Heck, my tiefling defender used the single-shot boon in the encounter after receiving it, and it was totes worth it.
--
Pauper
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4 months ago ::
Feb 04, 2013 - 12:18PM
#20
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Date Joined:
Nov 23, 2003
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If you think what WotC put in the Compendium is an error, ask them via Customer Service. We go by the Compendium being the latest version; generally WotC is doing much better than they did the first year or so.
Um, customer service isn't too much help in fixing compendium issues: as demonstrated here
(I did follow up on that specific issue, and was told they'd forwarded my comment along. But ... )
"Nice assumptions. Completely wrong assumptions, but by jove if being incorrect stopped people from making idiotic statements, we wouldn't have modern internet subculture." Kerrus
Practical gameplay runs by neither RAW or RAI, but rather "A Compromise Between The Gist Of The Rule As I Recall Getting The Impression Of It That One Time I Read It And What Jerry Says He Remembers, Whatever, We'll Look It Up Later If Any Of Us Still Give A Damn." Erachima
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