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Which Necromancer Games Adventures Worth Getting/Avoiding?
I'm looking to pick up some of Necromancer Games' adventures and was wondering what experience folks here had of them and which they'd recommend? I play 3.5, but 3.0 is fine as well.
What ones did you enjoy playing or running and why? A brief synopsis of the adventure would be nice, plus what levels it was aimed at.
Also, if there were any you thought that were particularly bad, I'd also like to here about them!
Presently, here's the rather pitiful list of the Necromancer Adventures I own:
Rappan Athuk Reloaded
D1 The Tomb of Abysthor (for lvls 2-8)
W1 The Crucible of Freya (for lvls 1 or 2)
Lost City of Barakus gave us a pretty fun campaign that lasted nearly 2 years of biweekly play, ca 35 sessions. It uses & requires half XP (PCs should go from 1st to ca 6th level), which allows for a more leisurely, exploratory feel. It features a large dungeon but the real selling point is that it also has lots & lots of wilderness and city adventures; it's done in a 'sand box' style and can be run as-is or add your own ideas.
I would say that as GM I found it a bit bland at times, but my players definitely enjoyed it a *lot*.
I've only got one Necromancer product: Dead Man's Chest. It's very good if you like a low-fantasy vibe sea adventure. It does have a couple of adventures in the back but is mostly a source book.
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Troube at Durbenford. It's a mega campaign for 3.5, and I think it's Rob Schwalb's finest work for D&D (any edition) to date. It's AMAZING! You get a mini-setting akin to the Nentir Vale, a city, tombs, dungeons - everything. Every type of adventure is covered (this making it the ideal companion book to the 3.5 DMG), and everything down to the last detail - including the design of individual encounters - is just awesome. It features a stronger cast of nonplayer characters than even most Paizo products (which means, an immensely strong one). I carries tons of potential. Sir Keegan's story in the 4E module Keep on the Shadowfell - the only story element in that module worth referencing - was lifted en toto from a single paragraph on a side kick NPC in this book - take that as an indicator of what to expect. And, do expect lots of mature themes and deadly challenges for your party cropping up. And a beautiful mythic backdrop - Rynas' tears (no further spoilers!).
Number 2 would go to Mike Mearls' Siege of Durgham's Folly (or is it Folly of Durgham's Siege? I keep forgetting), which is 3.0. It's a slim module with - ironically, AGAIN - the H1 plotline except with knobs on. Again, a fairly good cast of characters, and the confrontation with the BBEG mimics, successfully, the better parts of PARANOIA: the RPG. The module is also fairly strong on descriptive texts. I rate it Mike Mearls' best module to date, being produced at a time before he turned all to mechanics.
Presently, here's the rather pitiful list of the Necromancer Adventures I own:
Rappan Athuk Reloaded
D1 The Tomb of Abysthor (for lvls 2-8)
W1 The Crucible of Freya (for lvls 1 or 2)
Your pitiful list is nothing compared to my pitiful list. I only own "The Hall of the Rainbow Mage" and "Gary Gygax's Necropolis," which is more of a campaign adventure book. While I also have "Glades of Death," I bought that book more for its rules.
Personally, I prefer Necromancer's city sourcebooks such as "Bard's Gate" and "City State of the Invincible Overlord." [EDIT]I also really like "Ancient Kingdoms: Mesopotamia."[/EDIT]
I would recommend you go with S'mon's suggestion regarding The Lost City of Barakus. That's the main Necromancer adventure that I don't have that I really wish I could get a copy of (I'm not interested in PDFs for the most part). I've heard great things about it.
Perhaps this thread will help me as much as it helps you.
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As an aside, I've balked when it comes to Necromancer's adventures because so many of them seem to include mini-settings that I cannot fathom trying to fit into my homebrew.
Adventures such as "A Lamentation of Thieves," "The Bonegarden," "The Crystal Skull," "The Doom of Listonshire," and "The Grey Citadel."
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If you are looking for a mini-campaign, I can recommend The Vault of Larin Karr, which describes a valley with settlements, mini-ddungeons, wilderness lairs and a full underworld to explore. Everything is interconnected, so it is fun for the PCs to descend into a dungeon from a cemetary, find an underground cave system, and finally emerge in an abandoned series of tunnels under a castle held by gnolls or something like that... Alternatively, you can use it as a grab bag of mini-adventures. The Lost City of Barakus is the same idea, but I think the execution is weaker.
Raise the Dead is a collection of small adventures for having a low to mid-level PC raised from the dead. The setups here are particularly evil in a way only the fine people from Necromancer can think up. Caution: in these adventures, characters killed horribly tend to be > characters actually raised.
If you like high-level deathfests, Demons and Devils or Vampires and Liches are good either as short dungeons or as the culmination of entire epic campaigns. I think they are among the pieces which do "1st edition feel" the best; Demons&Devils is the better of the two, but both are worth owning.
Ancient Kingdoms of Mesopotamia is very good sword&sorcery, but it is also very specific; if you want to run a Babylonian-themed or wasteland campaign, it is solid gold; otherwise, it is just good reading material.
__________________ "5. If they do not wish to take a few risks, their characters should stay home and become shopkeepers and farmers.
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"Dragons are so Beowulf! Should DnD be in the business of selling 1200 year-olds back their childhood? Sheesh." -- gizmo33, on the power of nostalgia
I had most of the pre 3.5 releases. TOA, COF and Demons & Devils are my faves of those.
About the only one I did not like was the one with the "planar drill/machine". I think it was called "What Evil Lurks". Just felt the idea was lame, but I don't care for "gadgetry and machines" in my D&D so I'm biased.
Oh, the Rob Kuntz modules were pretty bad too even though generally I'm a fan of Rob's contributions to D&D over the years.
Overall though, I'd say the entire catalog is pretty solid from NG.
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Necromancer makes quality stuff with one caveat-the modules are tough, so your PCs will have to be at the top of their game. Here are some of the ones you will want to check out:
The Fane of the Witch King-Great dungeon crawl with interesting villains.
Aberrations-Very cool premise to get the PCs involved. Then it becomes a bu g hunt (so to speak).
Demons and Devils-Nice, short adventures involving, ahem, demons and devils.
The Siege of Durgam's Folly-Fun adventure involving different constructs.
The Vault of Larin Karr-Quite possibly the best sandbox mini-campaign available for 3e D&D (needs a little work to be updated to 3.5).
The Grey Citadel-Excellent urban adventure.
The Bonegarden-Superb high-level adventure involving undead masses.
I hope this helps you decide. You really can't go wrong with any Necromancer modules (although the Zayene series is generally considered the weakest of the lot)...
We loved the Bonegarden... We didn't use the included setting, but we integrated the Bonegarden into our own campaign, and it worked out great. The PC's ended up returning there several times, and even ended up imprisoning a powerful Lich there that's been an arch foe for years...
Chris
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Great stuff! Thanks for the repsonses, and keep it coming
The main reasons I am asking are twofold.
Firstly, I have a raft of adventures, which include all of those released by Wizards, Paizo and the DCCs (these are mostly pdf, however), as well a bunch by Malhavoc and, of course, virtually all the dungeon mags that were released for 3.0 and 3.5. But, I'm short on Necromancer adventures and would like to pick up some more (hardback or pdf is good for me).
Secondly, I am currently running a 3.5 game with a grand story arc - three evil gods are currently fighting it out to be crowned as the Lord of Herophet (basically, Hell), with the PCs figting to save their world. I've run Red Hand of Doom and am currently running Expedition to the Demonweb Pits. They're currently 12th level and I'm planning the final part of the adventure now, so kinda know where it's all going. Hopefully!
So although the campaign isn't likely to end anytime soon, I'm nonetheless beginning to think about the next campaign. This time, instead of a main theme, I'd like it be more low-key and allow the players to develop the themes of the game through their actions and choose the adventures they want to go on, with recurring villians growing out of their adventures.
That means I'd like to be offering the players several options at any given point, with perhaps one or two 'key' encounters or adventures that I'll place seeds for early, so that they will naturally occur later. What all that means is I'm looking for adventures to either get ideas from, modify or just run as they are. I just want to have a handful at any given time to use as required.
I just like the idea of running a game driven by the players, rather than by me (as the DM) and just see how things turn out and weave the plots and stories accordingly.
So, I was just wondering what Necromancer had to offer. I'm certainly going to take a look at some of those mentioned here already and will start to pick them up over the forthcoming months.
Once again, thanks for all your input and keep it coming!
Rappan Athuk
Demons & Devils
Tomb of Abysthor
Caverns of Thracia
Other good ones:
Vault of Larin Karr
Lost City of Barakus
Coils of Set
Also worth looking at:
Wilderlands of High Fantasy (if you need a setting)
Necropolis (Gygax)
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Like JeffB and a couple of others have said, its easier to say what SUCKED!!
I did not like the Kuntz modules, and I honestly do not remembering hearing/seeing anyone who said they did. I only own them for completeness' sake.
I did not like Siege of Durhams Folley, but I have a serious problem with "clockwork" monsters to begine with, others have said they liked it though.
Make sure to get all of the newest ones done via Kenzer, especially Doom of Listonshire, they were definitely hitting a consistent stride of top notch stuff with these.
Be sure to get their Grimtooth, Eldritch Sorcery and Artifacts book while you are at it.
__________________ It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. NEVER hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, IF it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to major systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters give in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Volumes, YOU are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a WHOLE first, your CAMPAIGN next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as it was meant to be. May you find as much pleasure in so doing as the rest of us do.
I did not like the Kuntz modules, and I honestly do not remembering hearing/seeing anyone who said they did. I only own them for completeness' sake.
I really liked the second part's hostile mini-dimensions, and the dungeon in the first was good if you don't mind completely unrealistic things (I don't). The third part has some good ideas, but it would take an incredible memory to commit it to mind all the parallel things going on; part four is again good, but it was published by a different outfit.
__________________ "5. If they do not wish to take a few risks, their characters should stay home and become shopkeepers and farmers.
Then wish them luck!" -- Gary Gygax: Shrine of the Kuo-Toa
"Dragons are so Beowulf! Should DnD be in the business of selling 1200 year-olds back their childhood? Sheesh." -- gizmo33, on the power of nostalgia
Necromancer makes quality stuff with one caveat-the modules are tough, so your PCs will have to be at the top of their game. Here are some of the ones you will want to check out:
The Fane of the Witch King-Great dungeon crawl with interesting villains.
Aberrations-Very cool premise to get the PCs involved. Then it becomes a bu g hunt (so to speak).
Demons and Devils-Nice, short adventures involving, ahem, demons and devils.
The Siege of Durgam's Folly-Fun adventure involving different constructs.
The Vault of Larin Karr-Quite possibly the best sandbox mini-campaign available for 3e D&D (needs a little work to be updated to 3.5).
The Grey Citadel-Excellent urban adventure.
The Bonegarden-Superb high-level adventure involving undead masses.
I hope this helps you decide. You really can't go wrong with any Necromancer modules (although the Zayene series is generally considered the weakest of the lot)...
Some of these sound really interesting, I've been looking at some reviews.
What exactly is a "sandbox mini-campaign", out of curiosity?
Does necormancer do the dunegon crawl classics? Are those good?
I'm interested in good, tightly put together, plausible modules for medium / low levels, like around 3-6. Nothing too sophomoric or kiddified. It's hard to know where to start or how to separate the wheat from the chaff... there are so many modules out there.
G.
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Last edited by Galloglaich; 12th April 2009 at 11:13 PM..
What exactly is a "sandbox mini-campaign", out of curiosity?
A small, self-contained campaign where the action is driven by player agendas interacting with an open world instead of plotlines set by the DM.
Quote:
Does necormancer do the dunegon crawl classics? Are those good?
They are done by Goodman Games, and are more variable in quality than Necromancer's output - some of them are pretty good and creative; others have more impressive covers than contents.
__________________ "5. If they do not wish to take a few risks, their characters should stay home and become shopkeepers and farmers.
Then wish them luck!" -- Gary Gygax: Shrine of the Kuo-Toa
"Dragons are so Beowulf! Should DnD be in the business of selling 1200 year-olds back their childhood? Sheesh." -- gizmo33, on the power of nostalgia
Thats the one I don't like, because of the clockwork stuff in it. So if your OK with clockwork creatures you'll probably like it too.
__________________ It is the spirit of the game, not the letter of the rules, which is important. NEVER hold to the letter written, nor allow some barracks room lawyer to force quotations from the rule book upon you, IF it goes against the obvious intent of the game. As you hew the line with respect to conformity to major systems and uniformity of play in general, also be certain the game is mastered by you and not by your players. Within the broad parameters give in the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons Volumes, YOU are creator and final arbiter. By ordering things as they should be, the game as a WHOLE first, your CAMPAIGN next, and your participants thereafter, you will be playing Advanced Dungeons and Dragons as it was meant to be. May you find as much pleasure in so doing as the rest of us do.
I did not like Siege of Durhams Folley, but I have a serious problem with "clockwork" monsters to begine with, others have said they liked it though.
I thought Durgams would be great, but in practice I didn't enjoy it all that much. Maybe converting the campaign from 3e to C&C at 8th level right before running it was a factor. I think the horror element didn't work too well with me, unfortunately Nec are heavy on the horror.
Vault of Larin Karr looks good, though I haven't run it. LK's stats are pathetic though, massively too weak for his CR. Like Barakus it's a sandbox that the PCs are free to explore, not a plotted/scripted adventure. If you want a tightly plotted adventure, avoid sandboxes!
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