4e Fan Creations and House RulesWorking on variant powers? Statting up a PC race or your version of a monster? Creating or converting an adventure? Put it here!
I'm a new DM, and like most new DM's I value feedback on my adventures, things came up and my next session got pushed back a week which means I have time to refine ^_^ so here's my adventure rough draft broken up into 3 acts (which are to each last for 1 4 hour session) it's in open office document format but if anyone wants it in word just ask and i'll post (tho i doubt i can swing PDF soon) anyhow it's carrying off of MY version of the events of kobold manor, the players have returned triumphant, but something is not quite right in town. I'm looking for feedback and places that need more detail in Act 1, and cool ideas for Acts 2&3.
Edit- new updates please re-read and add more thoughts.
Last edited by firoso; 14th July 2008 at 06:42 PM..
The Tombwood and the Moonstone Labyrinth: Feedback
Suggestion - the Drowned may sound better than the Drown. Just my thoughts.
Questions - so if the citizens of the fair town lock themselves up, they are relatively safe from the Drowned? Is there someplace else they go...like skip town for a few days, or congregate in the local temple praying to the gods that their holy wards and sigils will protect them from the damned (think the scene from Sleepy Hallow (Johnny Depp headless horseman film) when the townstown all entered hallowed group to find safe haven from the horseman). If I were the townsfolk, I would probably want something more than just locking my doors to protect myself from the Drowned. Perhaps there are rituals of protection (like marking the entrances with lamb's blood etc.) that will ward the drowned away. I dunno.
Suggestion - Between Encounter 1-3, I think you should let the PCs get at least a short rest. Burning Healing Surges (after a short rest) has come to be a somewhat important aspect of the game. Likewise, let your players get back their encounter powers...whey else do they have encounter powers? Denying the players certain powers kinda sucks for them and might be a bit brutal. Also, Encounters 2 and 3 are kinda brutal. The party SHOULD rest to regain their hitpoints at least. Perhaps if you want to maintain the "tension of combat" you can have them choose to either use 2 healing surges or recover one encounter power etc.
I also think Healing Potions in a store window is err, not smart? These things go for at least 50gp a pop (by the book) if not more...who in their right of mind would leave something SO expensive in the window? Its just begging for rogues and ruffians or what nots to walk off with em. But then again I haven't read Fallcrest etc. so I dunno. Just saying, at a shop owner, I wouldn't leave it lying around like that.
Encounter 3 - As a player, I never liked getting "rail roaded"...meaning, that things were out of my control...that no matter "what" I did, we could not "improve" our situation and determine our fate. It also really sucks for the players to face inevitable beat downs...having the Priest as invincible kinda sucks. She should force a "retreat" once she's bloodied or severely wounded...but the way it is written, it seems like she will just attack attack attack without fear of death. Likewise, I think this would be a great time to swarm the players with small groups of Drowned Rotters. As powerful as she is, she needs to move in and out of combat to truly demonstrate how nasty her various powers are. What better way than to "distract" the players with a horde of rotters and have her shift in and out of combat...coming out to attack, then fading back into the darkness of a house or something, then popping back out for another attack...etc. always present but never caught etc. with the zombies providing her with flanks and blocking off paths of pursuit etc. Just a thought...
Kelson and his gang should show up after the shadow priestess has fled, and his gang should help the party mob up the remaining zombies.
For Act II...I would somehow let the Party make Streetwise, History, Religion, or something to learn a bit more about the Drowned...but perhaps they have to work a bit harder to gain that info...like if they go to the Lord (Streetwise), if they ask around town and seek out the wise sage (History), or ask the local temple priests etc. (religion) etc. just so they players feel that they are the masters of their fate. In the end, they can all talk with the local Lord as he seeks out their help (but again, if the party was totally beaten down in Encounter 3, WHY would the Lord wish to hire such incompetence?).
Hints for new DMs...let your players not only succeed but also let them feel that they are masters of their own fate. Let them use their skills and powers and don't deny them their encounter powers (and seriously, unless they are uber characters with 3x 18s in their statlines let them HEAL for God sakes!). Your encounters should not always beat them to a pulpy death... Just a few thoughts for ya.
I echo Foxes sentiments. Give the party a chance to rest between encounters.
Also, even with rests, I think your encounters are too difficult for a beginning, Level 1 party. The KotS encounters are not a good guideline for encounter difficulty. From what I've read, TPK is pretty common in KotS. If you read the DMG, it indicates a typical Level 1 adventure with three encounters ought to be Level 1, Level 1, Level 3/4, not Level 2, Level 5, Level 5.
Based on my experience, if you have new players inexperienced with 4E, they should mostly face equal-level encounters and a final "boss fight" 2 or 3 levels above them. Once the players are experienced, understand their abilities and know how to work together, they can handled occasional encounters 4-5 levels above them without TPK. You shouldn't throw something that tough at a new group.
all of that is good ideas, I was thinking of letting the players duck out of the open and rest.... if the players start dropping i'll have Kelsons gang move in early, if the players put up a good fight she might retreat at bloodied, as for the narrative touches and environmental thought, VERY much appreciated, expect a revised copy soon, and i'd love more input.
I echo Foxes sentiments. Give the party a chance to rest between encounters.
Also, even with rests, I think your encounters are too difficult for a beginning, Level 1 party. The KotS encounters are not a good guideline for encounter difficulty. From what I've read, TPK is pretty common in KotS. If you read the DMG, it indicates a typical Level 1 adventure with three encounters ought to be Level 1, Level 1, Level 3/4, not Level 2, Level 5, Level 5.
Based on my experience, if you have new players inexperienced with 4E, they should mostly face equal-level encounters and a final "boss fight" 2 or 3 levels above them. Once the players are experienced, understand their abilities and know how to work together, they can handled occasional encounters 4-5 levels above them without TPK. You shouldn't throw something that tough at a new group.
I actually quite agree, however my party is level 2 and got some nice "toys" out of the last adventure arc, so I think they can handle a 2/4/5 (which is how I've rewritten it) we'll see what happens sunday, i'll leave more data.
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