Dark Sun--Adventure Question

[arscott]

I'm looking to start a Dark Sun campaign at the end of this year, and just bought the first DS adventure, Freedom!.

The adventure starts out okay, but the last part of the adventure devolves into one of those "Your characters are bystanders while the events from the novel play out" things. This is something I definatly wish to avoid in my own campaign.

My question to Dark Sun veterans is, what do I do? If the future adventures and supplements in the dark sun line are just as bad, then I might as well just run my own adventures without extra product support. On the other hand, if this is just a problem with freedom (and perhaps one or two other adventures), then I should be able to adapt the adventure to give the PCs a bigger part in the climax.

So, should I just give up on the pre-written DS adventures? Should I re-write Freedom? And if so, what's the best way to adapt it?

Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.

 

[FunkBGR]

Freedom>

I think you'll find that the entire series of modules that follow Freedom have the "same problem" - they have the PC's take a backseat to the NPC's from the novels (Prism Pentad? I think).

I've run this module three times, and in those three times, I did one of two things:

1) Run it as is. I let the PC's know they had a backseat to the direct action. This was okay by them - but they didn't enjoy it as much as:

2) Rewrite Freedom so that the PC's are the one getting involved. Remove the NPC's, and try to get hte PC"s to replace them. I did this, and we had a halfling priest of water have to perform the final event, with somewhat like a -8 penalty - and he rolled a nat 20.

It's a little more work, I recommend #2.

 

[Wild Gazebo]

I remember really loving the Dark Spine adventures (I think that was what they were called) and hating all of the flip-book adventures. I always tend to avoid long narrations. Oh, and I really liked the one with the undead dragon...Dregoth...or something like that. It has been far too long since I leafed through my DarkSun books...sigh.

 

[Staffan]

I tend to see the latter part of Freedom! as something of the D&D equivalent of a disaster movie. There's stuff going on that you can't affect, but you can make the best of the stuff going on around you. There's still plenty to do.

The later parts in the same series don't have the same thing going on, though. Road to Urik is about the PCs raising part of an army and leading that part on independent missions, and ends where the second novel starts (after that, it's up to the DM whether he wants to keep going along with the novel storyline or strike out on his own). Arcane Shadows likely takes place after the second novel (since it starts in Urik), but doesn't have anything to do with the novels. Asticlian Gambit and Dragon's Crown has nothing to do with the novels at all, except some of the NPCs showing up as supporting cast (mostly providing background).

Personally, I didn't much like Road to Urik or Asticlian Gambit, but I do think Freedom is a great adventure (especially in the way it leaves stuff hanging for later use), Arcane Shadows is good, and Dragon's Crown is one of the best adventures I've seen.

 

[Wik]

I refuse to let Freedom within a hundred feet of me, because i know what would happen:

My girlfriend would start singing that stupid George Michaels song, and that'd be the end of my love affair with Dark Sun.

So, no.

Edit: Arcane Shadows, is probably my favourite DS adventure, and for that reason alone, I might just one day break down and pick up Freedom, but I'm sure to do it in secret. Seriously.

 

[Staffan]

Edit: Arcane Shadows, is probably my favourite DS adventure, and for that reason alone, I might just one day break down and pick up Freedom, but I'm sure to do it in secret. Seriously.

Other than the pregens included, there are pretty much no direct ties between Freedom and Arcane Shadows. Here's how that series of adventures link to one another:
[sblock]Freedom to Road to Urik: The characters have to use the contacts they gained during Freedom to raise troops.
Road to Urik to Arcane Shadows: Presumably, the characters continued along with Tyr's army to the disastrous battle in Urik at the end of RtU. Arcane Shadows starts in Urik.
Arcane Shadows to Asticlian Gambit: Um... pretty much none.
Asticlian Gambit to Dragon's Crown: Again, pretty much none.
Arcane Shadows to Dragon's Crown: Korgunard, the avangion you help during Arcane Shadows, is one of the ones who ask the PCs to help out. He also dies later in the adventure, off-screen.[/sblock]

 

[megamania]

I remember doing a prestory to Freedom where PCs were "enlisted" into Tithian's service to locate a magical item. When they returned, they were enlisted to build the temple. I ran several scenes within to give the feel of slavery and despire. When it came to the final bit of the adventure I played it much to the way the book had (been 10 years now) PCs had to save the crowds from themselves by opening gates and a few took the moment to say "hi" to they slavers.

Later, the "heroes" of Athas gave special recognition to the PCs for saving thousands and allowed for many stories from that point on.

So, they may not have been THE heroes of the event but they get recognition for their good deeds. It worked well for me.

Road to Urik went over very well with them. They enjoyed the set up and army battle (some of them were ex-army).

The other stories I borrowed from but did not run. I still hope to convert Dragon Crown to 3.5 to run. It is a very good game.


LONG LIVE DARKSUN!

See my Storyhour section for "UNDER A DARKSUN" Has nothing to do with these premade adventures (predates them by many years) but maybe you'll like them.