RPGA - Mini-Campaign Review?

[renau1g]

Anyone either play or run the Mini1-x campaign in the RPGA?

Stirring the Embers is the first adventure.

I'm looking to run it for my private game and was hoping to see/hear some feedback from people who've tried it out. I like the concept of a tie between the adventures because it feels a bit haphazard sometimes with the RPGA.

Thanks!

 

[renau1g]

*bump*

 

[Blastin]

I'd be interested in opinions of this as well...

 

[Thanlis]

I'd be interested in opinions of this as well...

I've run MINI1-1; my private group had a blast, but then again it's an awesome group. We didn't find it very challenging on low tier, even though everyone was 1st level. Getting through the last fight unscathed was sort of a matter of luck, however. If certain NPCs had rolled better it could have been very painful.

And the roleplay was great. Play up all the NPCs to the hilt if you run this.

I've read through to MINI1-4. MINI1-2 looks like a ton of fun; it may be tough if the PCs are a bit bloodthirsty in places but we'll see. MINI1-3 seems OK. MINI1-4 starts tying things back in closer together and I can't wait to get there.

All in all, recommended.

 

[darjr]

I've run Mini 1-1 and Mini 1-2 and they were very fun. Let me add that you should play up the 'vistas' as well. The column of fire and the town clinging to a series of cliff walls in the second is pretty amazing and works great when your players get it. Make them feel the fire, and the ocean breeze from up on high in the cliffs.

 

[renau1g]

Excellent. Thanks a lot everyone! I'll be running Black Knight of Arabel tonight, followed by the SPEC 1-1 game for them. This will follow after. My group's kind of the same, we played the Radiant Vessel adventure for 6-7 hrs because they spent about 2 hours on the skill challenge/RP'ing part of the adventure.

 

[Thanlis]

I've run Mini 1-1 and Mini 1-2 and they were very fun. Let me add that you should play up the 'vistas' as well. The column of fire and the town clinging to a series of cliff walls in the second is pretty amazing and works great when your players get it. Make them feel the fire, and the ocean breeze from up on high in the cliffs.

Oh yes. You'll get much more out of these if you play up the exotic setting; read the various articles on Tarmalune before DMing 'em.

OP: be aware that if you do not run the MINI modules on low tier with new characters, the characters will level past fourth level before you complete all six. This may or may not be an issue for you but you should be aware of it.

 

[darjr]

Oh yes. I am worried about that.

And I agree absolutely, read the sections out of the FR Campaign guide. Actually I recommend that for all the adventures.

Also I wanted to say that SPEC1-3 is a hybrid. In many ways it's a trad dungeon crawl, there are more encounters in it than is meant for a four hour session. It even gives advice on what to do at 4 hours and not everything has been seen to cut things short. Give this one plenty of time if your players want to go through all the encounters and dungeon.

 

[Thanlis]

And I agree absolutely, read the sections out of the FR Campaign guide. Actually I recommend that for all the adventures.

Not just those sections! There are two excellent articles from Dragon:

• Ed Greenwood's fluff article
• Mechanics plus more fluff

You need a DDI sub, alas.

 

[Saracenus]

I played MINI1-1 with 4 first level (brand new) strikers:

Dragonborn - dragon sorcerer
Kenku - storm sorcerer (me!)
? - nightstalker assassin
? - rogue

We played high and had a blast. I had high hp for the party. We all nearly died several times. We were sneaky little guys though. We broke one the encounters by getting the drop on bad guys.