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I have been scouring the web for advice and suggestions regarding the "Scales of War" adventure path from Dungeon magazine. All the links and scraps of text are dropped into a mindmap (I'm using Personal Brain on my mac). I think there is a gimped free version for people to try.

I have two players in my D&D game, my teen kids. Their characters seem to die a lot, and I really hope this latest batch lasts:

My son's character is Severance (I will be calling him Sev), Drow Revenant Darkpact Warlock, and his sister in playing Yuriel (Yuri, or El?) a Cindersoul Genasi Swordmage. Both of these guys have a dark edge to them that I really like.

I asked them both to describe their appearance and also one item that they treasured that was not a weapon. I got two pieces of jewelery;

1. Sev's Black

And so, the foolhardy scouts Aldrick and Marakai fell to the long knives of the Dark Creepers in the ruined city of Spellguard... The elven rogue and his Earth-Fire Genasi fighter companion will feed the rats and other vermin tonight.

Another TPK. I hope due more to PC foolhardiness and my roll-in-the open policy rather than poor encounter balancing on my part. 

Next, a shifter shaman and an as-yet-undecided defender.

So, after the ignoble deaths of our last heroes, we meet Karash and Mishaan, wanderers across the Dragon Sea. The Dragonkin mercenary Mishaan seeks a fortune and an army to free her people from the tyranny of Waurmaug. Karash, a heretic Cleric of Bahamut, mysteriously arrived from a foreign land, follows the voice in his head to disrupt and destroy the worship of Tiamat.

This unlikely pair have followed an emissary of Tiamat who has sought audience with Praath the Green Lord. Thwarted in their efforts to kill the emissary prior to the meeting, our 'heroes' instead have decided to investigate "The Broken Tower". This is a basalt ruin in the jungle, forbidden to all by order of Praath.

I have in mind some ferocious winged apes and an ancient treasure... but WHY is Praath keeping everyone

This day the Windsoul Genasi Swordmage Nari-lana and her human companion the Wizard Allanak were slain by a Bugbear in the Chamber of Eyes deep in the labyrinth under the Thunderspire.

My players think I misjudged the challenge of the encounter...

On reflection they might be right, but they enjoy making new characters on the Character Builder software...

Hmm, the new skill powers article certainly leaves me a little ambivalent. I worry (like martial powers actually) that creativity in action will be limited by these.

I suppose its like the old-schoolers' argument against having thieves and skills in od&d. The idea being that such structures actually stifle creativity. 

Having skill powers means that, at some level, players might be less likely to consider attempting such things except within the purview of that power. I worry that such innovative strategies might not even be considered unless they have that power.

I love p42 of the DMG, but it feels like a poor second cousin to the powers. Part of me (the grognard, thus the tag) wonders about just getting rid of powers & skills altogether... but I suspect I'd be throwing out the baby with

Um, the Wilderlands map is 20 x 14 squares... I don't think that will fit anywhere on the existing Iomandra map...