Review Dragon Heist, Mad Mage, and Ravnica!

Hussar · Dec 6, 2018

Speak for yourself [MENTION=12731]CapnZapp[/MENTION]. It IS a heist, just that the players aren't the ones heisting. Big deal. Get over it. And a plotless megadungeon is something people have been asking for for YEARS.

But, as far as my review goes, it'll be a little while. I want to get at least a couple of chapters in before I come back and review. For one, I only own it on Fantasy Grounds which makes reading it ... difficult. But, well, two sessions in, and it's playing very well.

I'm not sure about other Reddit's, but, the Dragonheist Reddit group is bloody FANTASTIC. Gobs of extra material and advice. Really great stuff. I've already filled out a LOT of the adventure with extra stuff that I've ... errr... been inspired to emulate (as in blatantly steal) ... from other users. There's some great stuff there.

John Lynch2 · Dec 6, 2018

Respectfully I disagree that Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a megadungeon. It's not. It's an adventure that spans levels 5-20 that takes place in a megadungeon. But itself is not a megadungeon. The adventure is designed to be played once and precisely once. PCs are expected to clear out each level once and only once as they go on the adventure. I don't know whether or not it has a plot, but it is definitely not a megadungeon.

As for Dragon Heist, I'm slowly going through it over on this forum because as written the entire adventure is a mess. It's illogical, it's arbitrary, it's hamfisted and confusing. There's some good ideas in there, but the execution is 100% awful. Although as I do rework it I explain what I'm changing and why I'm changing it and how I envision that part of the Forgotten Realms operating.

Kramodlog · Dec 6, 2018

Parmandur said:
There are places that analyze what it means: the point is, the 5E books are moving copies. The four year old AP is still selling on Amazon, and I can get it at my local Barnes & Noble or FLGS.

So you do not have the numbers and can't back what you advanced.

Kramodlog · Dec 6, 2018

vincegetorix said:
A lot of new DM and players asking question, often answered by ''your DM sucks'' or ''quit this game''. A lot of talk about hexblade dips.

Also, a lot of links to short videos that makes arbitrary top 5 ranking of stuff.

So not that different from EW, and thus EW reviews are representative.

Tales and Chronicles · Dec 6, 2018

Kramodlog said:
So not that different from EW, and thus EW reviews are representative.

uh...not really. Reddit is the place you go to see character illustrations (mainly anime style) and new DM arguing that a steampunk or post-magic-apocalyptic-no-gods-nor-magic setting is an interesting new concept.

Enworld is the place I go when I want to see elderly people arguing for 100 pages on important subjects such as:
- Was the font used in Basic Rules better than the one used in an obscure supplement from 2e edition.
- The true etymological meaning of a specific term used in a special edition of the fiend folio only available in Djibouti.
- Were the eyelashes of Gygax longer on its left eye or the right one.

You see, very different.

Queer Venger · Dec 6, 2018

Kramodlog said:
I'm fascinated by how the enthousiasm over new DnD books is low right now (my metric is how few people flock to review them nowadays, and how poorly they are rated), but sales of all DnD products are up 30% each years.

I wonder if books aren't the source of revenues they were and DMsguild and other licenses are driving it.

D&D has never been more popular, or sold more ;-)
I see books reviewed just as regularly as before; I recommend you expand your web searches.

New York times just dropped an article about the ever growing popularity of D&D. Yes, the New York Times.

Parmandur · Dec 6, 2018

Kramodlog said:
So you do not have the numbers and can't back what you advanced.

I can back my position perfectly well. Do you have numbers that show the adventures are not selling well?

Parmandur · Dec 6, 2018

John Lynch2 said:
Respectfully I disagree that Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a megadungeon. It's not. It's an adventure that spans levels 5-20 that takes place in a megadungeon. But itself is not a megadungeon. The adventure is designed to be played once and precisely once. PCs are expected to clear out each level once and only once as they go on the adventure. I don't know whether or not it has a plot, but it is definitely not a megadungeon.

I'm gonna stop you right there...because I can only charitably assume that you have not read the book yet? This is literally the opposite of what is in the book. Each level has advise on what happens if the level is cleared entirely or partially, and what changes might occur. By the definition you seem to be working off of, this is a megadungeon.

Queer Venger · Dec 6, 2018

John Lynch2 said:
Respectfully I disagree that Dungeon of the Mad Mage is a megadungeon. It's not. It's an adventure that spans levels 5-20 that takes place in a megadungeon. But itself is not a megadungeon. The adventure is designed to be played once and precisely once. PCs are expected to clear out each level once and only once as they go on the adventure. I don't know whether or not it has a plot, but it is definitely not a megadungeon.

As for Dragon Heist, I'm slowly going through it over on this forum because as written the entire adventure is a mess. It's illogical, it's arbitrary, it's hamfisted and confusing. There's some good ideas in there, but the execution is 100% awful. Although as I do rework it I explain what I'm changing and why I'm changing it and how I envision that part of the Forgotten Realms operating.

Have you actually read it? Its a mega dungeon my friend, and its very much re-playable, in fact that is the whole point of DotMM

CapnZapp · Dec 6, 2018

Hussar said:
Speak for yourself [MENTION=12731]CapnZapp[/MENTION]. It IS a heist, just that the players aren't the ones heisting. Big deal. Get over it. And a plotless megadungeon is something people have been asking for for YEARS.

That does not change either of two facts: 1) the modules still aren't generating buzz and my main point, 2) this is likely not because they're set in the Realms.

Review Dragon Heist, Mad Mage, and Ravnica!

Hussar

Legend

John Lynch2

First Post

Kramodlog

Naked and living in a barrel

Kramodlog

Naked and living in a barrel

Tales and Chronicles

Jewel of the North, formerly know as vincegetorix

Queer Venger

Dungeon Master is my Dad

Parmandur

Book-Friend

Parmandur

Book-Friend

Queer Venger

Dungeon Master is my Dad

CapnZapp

Legend

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