Merric's Erratically Updated Reviews of old D&D adventures

MerricB · Aug 1, 2012

I've been terribly busy with other things for the last six months (like playing games), and I'd developed a real case of reviewer's block over A3. I've finally dashed something out...

A3: Assault on the Aerie of the Slave Lords

Cheers!

MerricB · Aug 15, 2012

And here is the conclusion to the Aerie series!

A4: In the Dungeons of the Slave Lords

MerricB · Aug 16, 2012

Time for a rulebook review:
Deities and Demigods

TerraDave · Aug 16, 2012

cited by MerricB in disapproval said:
"The god usually appears in lich form, and no undead is able to resist his commands. At any given time, he can instantly summon 20-200 skeletons, 10-100 ghouls, 6-36 wights, and 2-5 spectres. He can be summoned only after at least 50 live human sacrifices have been given the god in worship. The god demands these lives during the dark of the moon and requires them from the ranks of his worshippers.

"In battle, touching his body with anything causes the toucher to make a saving throw versus death. The god will usually attack with spells when personally in attle, but if enemies dare touch him, he will draw out a red jade rod that acts as a hammer of thunderbolts as per the DUNGEON MASTERS GUIDE."

Thats AWESOME.

Thanks for doing these.

MerricB · Aug 17, 2012

TerraDave said:
Thats AWESOME.

Thanks for doing these.

Not a problem! The DDG review was interesting. There's such a disconnect between how cool the gods are if you consider them monsters, and how horrible the descriptions are for actually using them as gods.

Here's my latest review:
X2: Castle Amber (Chateau d'Amberville)

Cheers!

Scrivener of Doom · Aug 17, 2012

I'm really enjoying your reviews, [MENTION=3586]MerricB[/MENTION], but I am wondering when you will change your title from Official ENWorld Optimist to Official ENWorld Cynic?

MerricB said:
Not a problem! The DDG review was interesting. There's such a disconnect between how cool the gods are if you consider them monsters, and how horrible the descriptions are for actually using them as gods.
(snip)

So very true.

Even in 3E with FR's Faiths & Pantheons I found that the the free PDF web enhancements had more useful content for actual games than the hardcover book itself (because, after all, how many games really use fully statted deities?). I think the 2E books for FR - Faiths & Avatars, Demihuman Deities and (I forget the third one) - did a much better job of providing useful information (which is why I still use them even in 4E).

One of the things that attracted me to the original Old Grey Box for the Forgotten Realms was, unlike the Greyhawk boxed set, the deities had no stats.

MerricB · Aug 17, 2012

Scrivener of Doom said:
I'm really enjoying your reviews, [MENTION=3586]MerricB[/MENTION], but I am wondering when you will change your title from Official ENWorld Optimist to Official ENWorld Cynic?

I'm optimistic for the future.

I can be as depressed about the past as anyone!

One of the things that attracted me to the original Old Grey Box for the Forgotten Realms was, unlike the Greyhawk boxed set, the deities had no stats.

At least some of the Greyhawk gods gave special powers to their clerics. But I did enjoy the Realms take on gods a lot.

Scrivener of Doom · Aug 17, 2012

Well, personally I like that you call crap, crap even if it has Gary's name on it or is published by Paizo.

MerricB · Aug 22, 2012

Here's my latest review!

U1: The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh

Cheers!

Gilladian · Aug 22, 2012

I've always LOVED this adventure. In fact, I designed a whole town for it in my campaign world, and various PCs have cleared that house in at least 3 different adventures... it's amazing how the smugglers keep coming back!

But I never much liked the follow-up modules.