WotBS #4 - Mad Kings Banquet

[catsclaw227]

I got my link today, promptly downloaded it and started skimming. (My group is only 2nd level in Chapter 1).

I found something I hadn't seen and wondered if it is a typo. In Appendex D: Diseases and Poisons, the Red Madness makes the target "confused". Is this a new condition that I don't know about?

I looked it up in the DDI, and didn't find anything, even checked other WotBS 4e adventures and can't find any other reference to a new condition.

What is the confused condition and where did it originate?

[Jhaelen]

Originally Posted by catsclaw227

What is the confused condition and where did it originate?

I guess it originates from 3E:

A confused character’s actions are determined by rolling d% at the beginning of his turn: 01-10, attack caster with melee or ranged weapons (or close with caster if attacking is not possible); 11-20, act normally; 21-50, do nothing but babble incoherently; 51-70, flee away from caster at top possible speed; 71-100, attack nearest creature (for this purpose, a familiar counts as part of the subject’s self). A confused character who can’t carry out the indicated action does nothing but babble incoherently. Attackers are not at any special advantage when attacking a confused character. Any confused character who is attacked automatically attacks its attackers on its next turn, as long as it is still confused when its turn comes. A confused character does not make attacks of opportunity against any creature that it is not already devoted to attacking (either because of its most recent action or because it has just been attacked).

I guess you could create a similar table for 4E (if there isn't already one).

[Morrus]

No, no. "Confused" is just fluff - the entry says the character "acts as if dazed".

I guess it could be phrased differently and avoid words which appeared in 3.5! Read it as "The target is overhwlemed by a sense of disorientation, acquiring the dazed status."

[catsclaw227]

Thanks for the clarification Morrus!

Just as a point, the "confused" doesn't look like fluff in the Poison descriptions (of either Red Madness or Mindhaunt Poison).

"Attack +16 vs. Fortitude; the target becomes confused (save ends)"

"Attack +18 vs. Fortitude ; the target becomes confused and dazed (save ends both)."

These look like actual conditions and not fluff text. That's where it was..... um.... confusing.

[Morrus]

Originally Posted by catsclaw227

Thanks for the clarification Morrus!

Just as a point, the "confused" doesn't look like fluff in the Poison descriptions (of either Red Madness or Mindhaunt Poison).

"Attack +16 vs. Fortitude; the target becomes confused (save ends)"

"Attack +18 vs. Fortitude ; the target becomes confused and dazed (save ends both)."

These look like actual conditions and not fluff text. That's where it was..... um.... confusing.

I checked with Steve. Yep, that's an error. They should be the same as above - just dazed (save ends).

[catsclaw227]

Fortunately, it's an easy fix!

[Falkus]

I was just reading my copy, and I noticed that there seems to be a picture covering part of the text on page 11, the descriptive text for the council meeting at Lyceum.

[Morrus]

Originally Posted by Falkus

I was just reading my copy, and I noticed that there seems to be a picture covering part of the text on page 11, the descriptive text for the council meeting at Lyceum.

Looks fine to me. What are you using to view the file?

[Falkus]

Originally Posted by Morrus

Looks fine to me. What are you using to view the file?

Adobe. I also checked with Foxit and got the same issue. The text that's covered is at the start of the second column on page 11 (or 14 when counting the non-numbered pages), and the text just before the paragraphs that are covered is:

"figure out how long it had been since we’d"

The next several paragraphs at the top second column are covered by the picture. The text is still present and can be selected and copied.

I've seen it in both the color and B&W versions. I can provide a screenshot if it would help.

[Marius Delphus]

Gah, no need for a screenshot; I see what happened.

I'll get a fix out as soon as I can. (On the plus side, it's an easy fix.) I have a feeling some minor errata items might make their way in at the same time.

In the meantime, the passage, including the partial paragraph, reads:

“Come on and sit down,” says the half-elf stranger. “I’m Balan Bastom, distantly related to the Bastom house of Ostalin. Pleasure to meet you. Simeon and I were just trying to figure out how long it had been since we’d seen a storm anywhere near as big as the one we had last week. The best we can figure was twenty-two years ago. Good job on that, by the way.”

Katrina smirks and remarks to Balan, “We only owe them our lives.” She turns to you and says, “And we have a mission for you. I’ve promised them that you won’t disappoint us.”
-------------------------[end boxed text]------------------------

After Katrina speaks, Simeon takes a few orders and gets everyone drinks of their choice from a well-stocked cabinet. At the DM’s discretion, some small talk begins at this point. Balan is originally from Ostalin, where he was officially a noble, though he has no actual political power. Now he serves as an advisor to Seaquen, and is the chosen diplomat to represent the town’s interests in Dassen. The diplomat is intensely interested in the heroes’ story and asks, “What is the most surprising adventure you have experienced on your journey to Seaquen?”

Finally, Simeon steers the conversation towards business.

The boxed text picks up again right after the image.

[sfedi]

These are my observations while reviewing 4E04 Banquet-ONS.pdf

On pages 63 and 65, the Veteran Ragesian Soldier has some attacks which may casue License problems: Tide of Iron, Thicket of Blades and Unbreakable.

On pages 69 and 77, the Steppengard Commander has Scatter Shout, which is a Minor Action, yet the text says that the allies can shift as an immediate interrupt. Which is kind of rare.

On pages 69, 79 and 92, the Steppengard Soldier's Hold the Line ability grants it's AC bonus to himself. This seems not intended since it means that he would have 2 more AC than a Soldier of it's level and it's not listed as a note to it's AC.

On page 72, Pixis's Swift Attack has a text that confuses me:
"This damage is always the same. Magical enhancements delivering extra damage do not affect this power"

On page 77, the Steppengard Infantry has an Acid Splash attack that says:
"Close Burst 2 in 6", it has the icon of a Ranged attack, so maybe it's a "Range Burst 2 in 6"

On pages 100, 104, 108 and 109, the Steppengard Knight has an odd attack:
Precision Flail, which has a very low damage (2d6), it has a +2 to the attack and is rechargable 5+.
It also has a "Shield Bash" attack, which may casue license problems because of it's name. It's listed as an Immediate Reaction, so the Knight won't be able to use ir on it's own turn.

On pages 101 and 104, the Steppengard Prelaet and Kelkin Thravanosts' Stand Firm ability is an Immediate Reaction. To make it work it should be an Immediate Interrupt, or just a no-action ability, as the dwarven racial power.

On pages 76, 77, 79 and 102, the Sphinx and Nashara's Pounce attack is listed as a basic attack, which seems unbalanced, since it involves movement (and Nahsara can make a basic attack as part of a Flyby Attack)

On page 103, Konigmarshall Malkan's Battle Cry ability is listed as a free action, which seems quite powerful for that ability. I don't know if that is intended or is a typo. He could activate it on a hit, for example, and cancel an attack.

Steppengard Infantry may have the same License problem as the Seppengard Knight with Covering Attack.

On page 110, Blade of the Kingsguard's Stand Still ability is not clear. It's an Immediate Interrupt, yet it replaces an Opportunity attack. Stand Still is activated even by an enemy that shifts, which I'm not sure if it's intended.

On page 112, Lord Dashgoban's Watchful Eye should be an Immediate Interrupt. Although he is not a combatant, so maybe it's not much of an issue. It's also quite powerful since an enemy that moves provoques not only an OA, but it also triggers Watchful Eye as well.

[Morrus]

Anyone got *anything* nice to say about it?

[sfedi]

LOL!!!

Sorry I sounded so dry on my post!

I haven't read the adventure yet, but after the excellence of the first three adventures, I just assume the high quality of the plot, NPCs, motivations and story.

Ok, I'll take a read and give some positive feedback

Thank you very much guys, I DO appreciate your work!

[catsclaw227]

I haven't really had a chance to read through it much either, but you are right.... it is beefy!

And the quality of the other adventures is very high, so I trust that this is consistent with this one.

So far, I love the WotBS campaign. I wish I was running this with my F2F group instead of Scales of War. Instead, my online gamers get this awesome adventure.

[sfedi]

Originally Posted by catsclaw227

So far, I love the WotBS campaign. I wish I was running this with my F2F group instead of Scales of War. Instead, my online gamers get this awesome adventure.

I loved the campaign since 3.5, but haven't had the chance to GM it.

I begun SoW with two groups, and I dropped the campaign in favor of this one for one group, the other group asked me to run this campaign when they find out, and finally, when I started to GM a third group, well, I made them do this campaign

All groups are thrilled with the campaign so far. And obviously, me too

[catsclaw227]

I ran the 3.5 version for a while until I moved from California to North Carolina (USA). Then, when I finally got a group, they wanted to run Age of Worms.

I was stoked when I found out WotBS was going 4e.

[Falkus]

I like what I've read so far. I can't wait until I get a chance to run this series. Probably not soon, alas, I'm already too busy with my other campaigns.

[EugeneZ]

Originally Posted by Morrus

Anyone got *anything* nice to say about it?

I'm tired of praising this adventure path, and I've only read the first three adventures! Enough praise, I say.

[lectric]

Agreed. Praiseworthy. A pile of praise is still merely a pile.

A related question, when errata (PDF updates) are released, will we be notified somewhere other than in forum threads? I.e., will we get a download link via email? Assuming that is the case, there have not yet been any updates released for any of the PDF versions yet. Correct?

[Morrus]

Originally Posted by lectric

Agreed. Praiseworthy. A pile of praise is still merely a pile.

A related question, when errata (PDF updates) are released, will we be notified somewhere other than in forum threads? I.e., will we get a download link via email? Assuming that is the case, there have not yet been any updates released for any of the PDF versions yet. Correct?

Totally depends where you bought it from - different stores handle it differently. We post here in the forum in addition just in case.

There have been updates released for the previous PDFs. You should be able to simply redownload it wherever you got it.