Is The Sinister Secret of Saltmarsh a well-designed adventure module?

[grodog]

Ah, then our DM's juggling act to balance the scenario for so many PCs was at fault. I'll blame him then

 

[Mycanid]

Slight correction to Quasqueton's numbering of foes in the final encounter in the house.

Sanbalet, two gnolls and FOUR smuggler (1 in area #27 and 3 in #28).

And yes, they can be a tough group if the pc's were not quiet going into the secret room (area #21) cause then the smuggler in there will have snuck out and joined the rest, making Sanbalet, two gnolls and five smugglers all attacking as an organized team. Ouch.

 

[Barak]

Admitedly, it's been a while, but I remember more smugglers down there. Of course, they might have been added by the DM, since, as it was, while a tough fight, we still won with no PCs dying (although one got dropped in the negatives). But since we were an experienced group with goo tactics, that would make sense.

 

[Quasqueton]

Slight correction to Quasqueton's numbering of foes in the final encounter in the house.

Sanbalet, two gnolls and FOUR smuggler (1 in area #27 and 3 in #28).

You are not correcting me. The illusionist, 1 smuggler, 2 gnolls in one area together, 3 in another area, the others in other areas. This is exactly what I said.

Admitedly, it's been a while, but I remember more smugglers down there.

Well, seeing as I had the module open on my desk when I made my post, and have it beside me again as I type this, maybe my post is more accurate than your memory.

God, I hate it when people tell me I'm wrong, or suggest I'm wrong when I have the exact facts in front of me when I post. [restraining self from saying more]

Quasqueton

 

[Mycanid]

Sorry sir, sorry. Didn't mean to ruffle the 'ole feathers there. I just misread your post.

 

[Kryndal Levik]

I voted Yes.

I like blue maps. I don't care for maps that are photographs with a grid over top of them. They're hard to read. Can you imagine driving with one?

So what current designers could learn is that, while photoshop is cool, being able to read a map quickly and easily is more important IMO than impressing/annoying me with graphics. Of course I might be in the minority of people who buys an adventure to run it.

This is a matter of personal preference, I suppose. I much prefer the "new" style of maps (e.g. Christoper West's maps in Dungeon) to the old style "blue" maps. As to your other, later comment- I prefer the color illustrations in the new Monster Manuals, as well.

So this isn't a complete threadjack- although I own a copy of the module, I've never played through it or DM'd it... Based on a "technical" analysis it seems solid (even Ned), but I can't speak to how fun it is.

 

[Barak]

You are not correcting me. The illusionist, 1 smuggler, 2 gnolls in one area together, 3 in another area, the others in other areas. This is exactly what I said.

Well, seeing as I had the module open on my desk when I made my post, and have it beside me again as I type this, maybe my post is more accurate than your memory.

God, I hate it when people tell me I'm wrong, or suggest I'm wrong when I have the exact facts in front of me when I post. [restraining self from saying more]

Quasqueton

Dude, reading the rest of my post would have explained the discrepancy, and clearly taken the onus off of you.

God, I hate it when people quote only part of my post and then get uppity. [restraining self from saying more]

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Personally, I've always had great success with combining U1 with L1 to create The Sinister Secret of Bone Hill. You don't then need to detail Saltmarsh (Restenford works just as well), there's a nearby (and highly distinctive) temple where the characters can get hold of cure disease or even raise dead at a price, and the combination of the two gives you all the groundwork for a pretty decent campaign.

The only downside to U1 is that it raised expectations about U2 and U3, but they were so abominably weak.

 

[Mycanid]

Hmm ... I disagree with this one papers ... maybe when Quasqueton starts a U2 and/or U3 thread we can all go into these modules in more details.

The only prob with using Restenford is the size of the place. Saltmarsh is 2000 people strong (not including the rural folks and the fishermen out at sea). Restenford is a tiny little place. It could work, of course. But I personally thought of Saltmarsh as a LEEtle bigger....

 

[PapersAndPaychecks]

Hmm ... I disagree with this one papers ...

Then you are playing the game badly and wrongly, and you need to go and atone by rereading the collected works of Gary Gygax twenty-five times.