I will be demo-ing KotS in my local game store this coming weekend (Drexoll Games - Vancouver, BC) and just wanted to put in a few words about what I think about the adventure (having read it)
From the plot point of view it is simple but very charming in the nostalgic old-DnD kind of way
I am on the fence as to the physical presentation of the product - it is very clever (and the print and full color are gorgeous) but I have feeling it is not made to last. I guess that is not too bad for an adventure module.
I wish they put in 2-3 more poster maps so I don't have to carry around my dungeon tiles but it is not a biggie - and they did choose the best encounters to map out given constraints.
I *absolutely* love the monster stat blocks and the "just add up the XP" method of encounter design. I have strong feeling that fun/preparation ratio for 4ed will go through the roof.
Adventure encounters themselves seem interesting and challenging - some seem mad crazy hard but I can see how they can be manageable with good team work and decent strategy. This will not be an easy adventure.
There is only very few skill-challenge encounters but they seem like they make sense. I expect they did not want to overload it in what is essentially a preview module.
Traps and hazards are brilliant, better then in any DnD edition so far by a stretch, both in presentation and in what they do. Combining traps and combat was also done very well indeed.
There is a subtle but decent hook for the H2 giving the semblance of the real campaign for the folks who want to just follow the published adventures.
All in all - I very much envision this adventure becoming "iconic" in the tradition of Keep on Borderlands and Village of Hommlet. It seems a good introduction to new rules and challenging task in its own right.
I will certainly post the impressions after the game on Saturday.
If anyone has any burning questions about the module answering which does not involve me scanning or re-typing large chunks of text - feel free to ask, not sure how often I will be around to answer but I will do what I can
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.
From the plot point of view it is simple but very charming in the nostalgic old-DnD kind of way
I am on the fence as to the physical presentation of the product - it is very clever (and the print and full color are gorgeous) but I have feeling it is not made to last. I guess that is not too bad for an adventure module.
I wish they put in 2-3 more poster maps so I don't have to carry around my dungeon tiles but it is not a biggie - and they did choose the best encounters to map out given constraints.
I *absolutely* love the monster stat blocks and the "just add up the XP" method of encounter design. I have strong feeling that fun/preparation ratio for 4ed will go through the roof.
Adventure encounters themselves seem interesting and challenging - some seem mad crazy hard but I can see how they can be manageable with good team work and decent strategy. This will not be an easy adventure.
There is only very few skill-challenge encounters but they seem like they make sense. I expect they did not want to overload it in what is essentially a preview module.
Traps and hazards are brilliant, better then in any DnD edition so far by a stretch, both in presentation and in what they do. Combining traps and combat was also done very well indeed.
There is a subtle but decent hook for the H2 giving the semblance of the real campaign for the folks who want to just follow the published adventures.
All in all - I very much envision this adventure becoming "iconic" in the tradition of Keep on Borderlands and Village of Hommlet. It seems a good introduction to new rules and challenging task in its own right.
I will certainly post the impressions after the game on Saturday.
If anyone has any burning questions about the module answering which does not involve me scanning or re-typing large chunks of text - feel free to ask, not sure how often I will be around to answer but I will do what I can
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.