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<blockquote data-quote="Windjammer" data-source="post: 5108143" data-attributes="member: 60075"><p>Hi Rodney (if I may),</p><p></p><p>For the best in-depth analysis of the faults of a WotC 4E module and how to overcome them I'd like to direct you to this site:</p><p></p><p><a href="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/keep-shadowfell/kots-remix.html" target="_blank">The Alexandrian - Keep on the Shadowfell</a></p><p></p><p>The author (Justin Alexander) spent months reworking Keep on the Shadowfell with further people from the WotC forums. I only hit on this recently.</p><p></p><p>Very helpfully, Justin explains in the first paragraph where he thinks the adventure needed rectification most:</p><p></p><p>Here's a fantastic example of what this means. On the road to Winterhaven (after the first encounter) Justin inserts this bit of read-aloud text:</p><p></p><p>There. Fill the world with details which are highly relevant to things unfolding in the course of the adventure (here: a village + its surroundings beset by kobolds etc). </p><p></p><p>I noticed that the re-edit for H1 when it was released for free online tried some stuff along similar lines (e.g. foreshadowing the BBEG), but really, that's only 5% of what was needed to make the module a more compelling experience beyond the 'learn the ins and outs of 4E's combat system'.</p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong></strong></p><p><strong>But here's the catch:</strong></p><p></p><p>WotC writers are now down to a 32 page count writing the new HS modules. What Justin says a module needs cannot go into 32 pages - and certainly not if a module expects to level PCs up at least 2-3 times (meaning, what, 10-20 encounters?).</p><p></p><p>You want to improve WotC adventures beyond a back-to-back encounter slugfest, I think you'd need to talk to the guys who set these product guidelines first.</p><p></p><p>Scott mentioned Paizo, so I think it's worth mentioning that </p><p></p><p>1. a Paizo module which levels PCs up 2-3 times (a) dishes out story awards liberally and (b) has a page count of 96 pages, resulting in more room to actually provide info surrounding fights the PCs have to go through to level up.</p><p></p><p>2. when Paizo does a 32-page module (the product line previously called "Gamemastery Modules") they don't go for that 'need to level up the PCs 2-3 times" approach. If they did, they wouldn't have time to write anything but combat encounters as well.</p><p></p><p>PS. I think you did a <strong>brilliant </strong>job at self-analysis after concluding the 'Dawn of Defiance' module series for Saga.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Windjammer, post: 5108143, member: 60075"] Hi Rodney (if I may), For the best in-depth analysis of the faults of a WotC 4E module and how to overcome them I'd like to direct you to this site: [URL="http://www.thealexandrian.net/creations/keep-shadowfell/kots-remix.html"]The Alexandrian - Keep on the Shadowfell[/URL] The author (Justin Alexander) spent months reworking Keep on the Shadowfell with further people from the WotC forums. I only hit on this recently. Very helpfully, Justin explains in the first paragraph where he thinks the adventure needed rectification most: Here's a fantastic example of what this means. On the road to Winterhaven (after the first encounter) Justin inserts this bit of read-aloud text: There. Fill the world with details which are highly relevant to things unfolding in the course of the adventure (here: a village + its surroundings beset by kobolds etc). I noticed that the re-edit for H1 when it was released for free online tried some stuff along similar lines (e.g. foreshadowing the BBEG), but really, that's only 5% of what was needed to make the module a more compelling experience beyond the 'learn the ins and outs of 4E's combat system'. [B] But here's the catch:[/B] WotC writers are now down to a 32 page count writing the new HS modules. What Justin says a module needs cannot go into 32 pages - and certainly not if a module expects to level PCs up at least 2-3 times (meaning, what, 10-20 encounters?). You want to improve WotC adventures beyond a back-to-back encounter slugfest, I think you'd need to talk to the guys who set these product guidelines first. Scott mentioned Paizo, so I think it's worth mentioning that 1. a Paizo module which levels PCs up 2-3 times (a) dishes out story awards liberally and (b) has a page count of 96 pages, resulting in more room to actually provide info surrounding fights the PCs have to go through to level up. 2. when Paizo does a 32-page module (the product line previously called "Gamemastery Modules") they don't go for that 'need to level up the PCs 2-3 times" approach. If they did, they wouldn't have time to write anything but combat encounters as well. PS. I think you did a [B]brilliant [/B]job at self-analysis after concluding the 'Dawn of Defiance' module series for Saga. [/QUOTE]
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