Keep on the Shadowfell - mini review ! <Very mild spoilers>

[thalmin]

Target party size is 5. Encounter areas should mostly handle a few more. If the party is well-rounded should work for any properly designed group of 4 to 6 characters. You could tinker with the number of level X monsters per encounter if needed.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Thanks for the review---you touched on most of my main concerns. Nicely done!

Was that in a place where your bathing suit covers you?

Lurker59, keep up the good work. You might even get promoted to Worker58.

 

[FitzTheRuke]

This might have been posted somewhere, but what's the target party size? I couldn't find that simple piece of info. I found multiple references to "pre-gen" characters though, and that leads to my next question: would you envision a party being gimped at all if they use what we have as community pre-release rules and go through with custom characters rather than pregens?

The magic item rewards are clearly tailor-made for the 5 pregens included in the module. However, they're pretty good anyway. Personally I will be running it starting Thursay with SIX characters of my own making. I will be raising all the encounters by about 100xp (easy enough to do, add another of one of the same monsters, or a few minions) and modifying some of the magic items. I'm also running it in my usual D&D setting, so I will be changing names and adding other "fluff" and maybe changing a few other details here and there.

The second question is really the biggie. I'd like to snap up this module for the preview rules it adds to my understanding of 4e, but I'd also like the thing to "count" for the adventurers my players have been designing. Even the warlord now has 2 official at-will powers, so the six classes they are hoping to run are all at least minimally covered.

There's not a question here, so I'll just say... should work fine for you. Sounds like what I'm up to.

Heh, I guess one followup question: if the target size is smaller than 5-6, are the encounter areas spacious enough as published that they won't be claustrophobic for a slightly larger party and slightly boosted monster count?

They're huge. They're pretty much (hallways included) made up of 10'x10' spaces (IE minimum 2x2 square spaces, in multiples. I don't expect any problems.

Fitz

 

[Saitou]

I know nothing of the adventure, but on the debate of counting on the return of the PCs to the town, ponder this:

Can they haul all the loot in one trip?

 

[OakwoodDM]

I've been holding off from adding to the multitude of questions being aimed at the people who have access to the adventure, but I have to ask: Are there rules for scaling down? I only have 2 players in my group, so tend to run 3e with them and 1 NPC. Will this approach be feasible in KotS?

 

[Lurker59]

Unless the PCs are collecting all the mundane equipment off the monsters weight probably isn't a problem. Most encounters don't have much in the way of treasure unless a monster would logically have something, ie. leaders and such. Also :Item Spoilers:

[sblock] There is a bag of holding (with 200 pound carry capacity) in the keep that most parties will likely find. [/sblock]

 

[pukunui]

Thanks for all the info, lurker. Any thoughts on what to do about the lack of info on item prices and ritual details? Are they likely to be needed?

 

[Mathew_Freeman]

Unless the PCs are collecting all the mundane equipment off the monsters weight probably isn't a problem. Most encounters don't have much in the way of treasure unless a monster would logically have something, ie. leaders and such. Also :Item Spoilers:

[sblock] There is a bag of holding (with 200 pound carry capacity) in the keep that most parties will likely find. [/sblock]

I'm hoping there will be a local branch of the Henchman's Guild available, so they can hire Blodwick and get him to carry everything.

 

[MortalPlague]

In the end - I may have one or two more spots if there is anyone in Vancouver who wants to play (and is free next Saturday between noon and 6PM). Either drop me a PM or just say so in the thread.

I live in Vancouver, and I'm eager to try this one out. If I'm not working, I'll see if I can make this game! (Assuming, of course, that you still have some spots free)

 

[thalmin]

I've been holding off from adding to the multitude of questions being aimed at the people who have access to the adventure, but I have to ask: Are there rules for scaling down? I only have 2 players in my group, so tend to run 3e with them and 1 NPC. Will this approach be feasible in KotS?

Not in this module that I could find. But in each encounter, remove one or two soldier types of level equal to the PCs. I would hope WotC will post guidelines about scaling the encounters when the module becomes available.