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<blockquote data-quote="Radiating Gnome" data-source="post: 6534443" data-attributes="member: 150"><p>Okay, Phoamy has beaten me to the pole position on this one, so I’m going to get this review finished so I can read what he had to say. </p><p></p><p>This final round, a true battle of Kaiju-scaled titans, obviously tossed in banal ingredients as a twist to let real creativity show through — and I don’t think either entry disappoints. So, this should be a tricky evaluation. We have Easy Come (EC) and Beneath Ratter’s Dell (BRD). </p><p></p><p><strong><u>Ingredients</u></strong>. Ah, yes, the sweetest vanilla ingredients. </p><p></p><p><strong>Evil Wizard</strong> - In EC, the evil wizard is Archaxk, the photo-lich. He’s certainly evil, and a wizard, and he’s the keystone of the adventure. What’s fun with him is that he’s very much the hapless victim of a lot of what’s going on — helpless for three days while the PCs have the run of his tower. </p><p></p><p>In BRD, the evil wizard is also solid. It’s Mendor, evil wizard but again more victim than BBEG, trapped by animated servants that have turned against him. </p><p></p><p>Ultimately, these ingredients are doing a great job, and playing with the same idea — an ironic turn that leaves the evil wizard on the ropes needing the help of the PCs. I don’t see much room for advantage between the two. </p><p></p><p><strong>Low Level Dungeon</strong> - In BRD, the Low Level Dungeon is literally that. In EC, there’s also an effective low level dungeon, in much the same way. So, not much differentiating here, either.</p><p></p><p><strong>Angry Ogre</strong> - In EC, this is Mal the Mauler, a servant of Archaxk who was not paid and is a problem for the PCs. In BRD, it’s Gorthog, Mendor’s muscle, subverted by the magic sword Whisperion, etc. </p><p></p><p>Finally we have a slight difference that might be fruitful: in BRD, Gorthog is a fairly important part of the adventure — he’s the weak-minded muscle that Whisperion needs to subvert the rest of Mendor’s animated servants. He’s a critical part of the story, although much of his part in the story lives in backstory, rather than being something the PCs will see. </p><p></p><p>At the same time, in EC, Mal isn’t a critical part of the story. His irate orgeness could be replaced by just about any other complication — a drunk pirate who comes across the tower. He’s not critical to the overall story beyond being an example of the big layoff that precipitated a lot of the adventure. </p><p></p><p>So, while Gorthog is more integral to the story, in playing through the adventure I feel like Mal will be more interesting, and give the players a bit more to play with. I don’t know. I think this one may be a wash, too, damn it. </p><p></p><p><strong>Pile of Treasure</strong> - In BRD, the animated pile of treasure is a lot more fun than the EC application, which is just a mostly-unguarded pile of treasure the PCs will end up guarding. So, advantage to BRD there. </p><p></p><p><strong>Help Wanted Sign</strong> - in EC, there’s a literal help wanted sign used to help the pit fiend break his contract with the wizard. In BRD, it’s the help message written on the side of an animated brick. </p><p></p><p>Both might be fine, but I think I’m going to have to favor the application in EC this time. </p><p></p><p><strong>Magic Sword </strong>Whispering (BRD) vs. Varlion. Both are good. Both are intelligent swords that cause a whole lot of trouble. So, not much advantage here. </p><p></p><p>So, basically, I don’t find much help in the ingredients. </p><p></p><p><strong>Beyond the ingredients.</strong> we have some issues of creativity and playability. </p><p></p><p>In EC, we have an adventure that takes the banal, obvious ingredients and turns the whole concept on it’s head. The PCs are monstrous humanoids, sent to try to loot the tower and subvert the wizard, and in the process they wind up becoming the monstrous defenders of the tower, facing — among other things — heroic NPC adventurers who want to loot the place. </p><p></p><p>In BRD, the adventure - while still subverting many tropes and turning the ingredients on their head, is not quite as subversive. The adventure is still a fairly typical rescue the damsel mission, even if the damsel is a fratricidal human wizard. Because the PCs don’t know they’re rescuing Mendor instead of his brother, the rescue mission feels like a very typical adventure right up to the end — at which point PCs are quite used to the “surprising” twist at the end.</p><p></p><p>But while on the larger scale EC is stronger, there are some really wonderful reversals in BRD. The walking, spell casting, humanoid pile of treasure is great fun, for example. </p><p></p><p>In the end, I find judging this match really difficult. The entries are very different, but they're both examples of the finest ideals of IRON DM. But I have to pick one, so...</p><p></p><p>[sblock]</p><p></p><p>…I will cast my lot with <strong>Easy Come</strong> and Wicht. I find that as a whole I prefer EC to BRD for the lengths it goes to as it subverts the lame ingredients. BRD was really strong, and that pile of treasure especially gives me heartburn over the choice, but as a whole I think the unusual player experience in the adventure — defending a dungeon rather than attacking it, etc — is enough of a creative advantage to win my vote. </p><p></p><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p>One more judge to go…...</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Radiating Gnome, post: 6534443, member: 150"] Okay, Phoamy has beaten me to the pole position on this one, so I’m going to get this review finished so I can read what he had to say. This final round, a true battle of Kaiju-scaled titans, obviously tossed in banal ingredients as a twist to let real creativity show through — and I don’t think either entry disappoints. So, this should be a tricky evaluation. We have Easy Come (EC) and Beneath Ratter’s Dell (BRD). [B][U]Ingredients[/U][/B]. Ah, yes, the sweetest vanilla ingredients. [B]Evil Wizard[/B] - In EC, the evil wizard is Archaxk, the photo-lich. He’s certainly evil, and a wizard, and he’s the keystone of the adventure. What’s fun with him is that he’s very much the hapless victim of a lot of what’s going on — helpless for three days while the PCs have the run of his tower. In BRD, the evil wizard is also solid. It’s Mendor, evil wizard but again more victim than BBEG, trapped by animated servants that have turned against him. Ultimately, these ingredients are doing a great job, and playing with the same idea — an ironic turn that leaves the evil wizard on the ropes needing the help of the PCs. I don’t see much room for advantage between the two. [B]Low Level Dungeon[/B] - In BRD, the Low Level Dungeon is literally that. In EC, there’s also an effective low level dungeon, in much the same way. So, not much differentiating here, either. [B]Angry Ogre[/B] - In EC, this is Mal the Mauler, a servant of Archaxk who was not paid and is a problem for the PCs. In BRD, it’s Gorthog, Mendor’s muscle, subverted by the magic sword Whisperion, etc. Finally we have a slight difference that might be fruitful: in BRD, Gorthog is a fairly important part of the adventure — he’s the weak-minded muscle that Whisperion needs to subvert the rest of Mendor’s animated servants. He’s a critical part of the story, although much of his part in the story lives in backstory, rather than being something the PCs will see. At the same time, in EC, Mal isn’t a critical part of the story. His irate orgeness could be replaced by just about any other complication — a drunk pirate who comes across the tower. He’s not critical to the overall story beyond being an example of the big layoff that precipitated a lot of the adventure. So, while Gorthog is more integral to the story, in playing through the adventure I feel like Mal will be more interesting, and give the players a bit more to play with. I don’t know. I think this one may be a wash, too, damn it. [B]Pile of Treasure[/B] - In BRD, the animated pile of treasure is a lot more fun than the EC application, which is just a mostly-unguarded pile of treasure the PCs will end up guarding. So, advantage to BRD there. [B]Help Wanted Sign[/B] - in EC, there’s a literal help wanted sign used to help the pit fiend break his contract with the wizard. In BRD, it’s the help message written on the side of an animated brick. Both might be fine, but I think I’m going to have to favor the application in EC this time. [B]Magic Sword [/B]Whispering (BRD) vs. Varlion. Both are good. Both are intelligent swords that cause a whole lot of trouble. So, not much advantage here. So, basically, I don’t find much help in the ingredients. [B]Beyond the ingredients.[/B] we have some issues of creativity and playability. In EC, we have an adventure that takes the banal, obvious ingredients and turns the whole concept on it’s head. The PCs are monstrous humanoids, sent to try to loot the tower and subvert the wizard, and in the process they wind up becoming the monstrous defenders of the tower, facing — among other things — heroic NPC adventurers who want to loot the place. In BRD, the adventure - while still subverting many tropes and turning the ingredients on their head, is not quite as subversive. The adventure is still a fairly typical rescue the damsel mission, even if the damsel is a fratricidal human wizard. Because the PCs don’t know they’re rescuing Mendor instead of his brother, the rescue mission feels like a very typical adventure right up to the end — at which point PCs are quite used to the “surprising” twist at the end. But while on the larger scale EC is stronger, there are some really wonderful reversals in BRD. The walking, spell casting, humanoid pile of treasure is great fun, for example. In the end, I find judging this match really difficult. The entries are very different, but they're both examples of the finest ideals of IRON DM. But I have to pick one, so... [sblock] …I will cast my lot with [B]Easy Come[/B] and Wicht. I find that as a whole I prefer EC to BRD for the lengths it goes to as it subverts the lame ingredients. BRD was really strong, and that pile of treasure especially gives me heartburn over the choice, but as a whole I think the unusual player experience in the adventure — defending a dungeon rather than attacking it, etc — is enough of a creative advantage to win my vote. [/sblock] One more judge to go…... [/QUOTE]
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