New adventure path from ENP

[Insight]

I would also like to see a full 1-30 AP. If others wanted to play certain sections of the AP they could still do so but I'd rather have the option to strip things out then have to come up with my own content to fill in the gaps if the production was only going to cover a small range of levels. I personally look to material already written as my group (and by that I mean me) doesn't exactly have the time to write all original material for adventuring. Between work and other hobbies I find my time straining as is just trying to prep for each weekly session.

So far WotBS has been fantastic and I look forward to another 1- 30 AP from EWP.

Shannon

This is why I suggested doing a 1-30 but splitting it up into a part one and part two (or three parts) covering the entire range. It has three main benefits. First, you can get the first product on the market faster. Second, you can whet people's appetites for the subsequent products. Third, if people want to run only one tier, they certainly can.

 

[Primitive Screwhead]

Russ, I just sent you a 5-page outline for a possible campaign saga.

Let me ask the folks here, what are your thoughts about steamtech fantasy? Not steampunk exactly, because I'm too young to be a good punk anyway, but rather a mixing of physically plausible steam age technology with D&D-style magic and monsters?

While the idea of steamtech sounds interesting, I think a 'generic' DnD world would get more traction... and sales. One of the things I have enjoyed with WoBS is the discussion about how to set the campaign in the various published worlds.

I also really liked how the WoBS reached beyond WoTC RAW and used 3d party material, which is harder to do in 4e's paradigm. This had the effect of making the AP much different than anything WoTC had to offer.

Another campaign idea would be to follow the Maztecian, ancient civiliazation in a jungle approach. The ancient civilization could be highly detailed and unique... new pantheon, new weapons, etc..., but still fit into any campaign world fairly easily.

I better go back to lurking before my typing gets ahead of my ideas...

 

[Stormrazor2000]

I know it may sound strange, but I've often toyed with the idea of a sunken Atlantis sort of setting for an adventure. It introduces a lot of challenges to the designer in order to make it workable, but a mostly underwater setting is something that would certainly be unique.

The bonus is that pretty much every world setting has oceans, and being able to incorporate pirates and other ocean going adventures is a plus. In fact you could also introduce some different technology (such as steam, etc) without impacting the above water world.

 

[Insight]

Heroic = Pirates
Paragon = Underwater Kingdom
Epic = Elemental Chaos (Water)

... as a very basic outline.

Thoughts?

 

[Morrus]

A couple of concepts I'm keen to explore - rival adventurering groups who the PCs can grow to know and loathe (recurring villains); detailed organizations, such as a mafia-style thieves guild with lots of influence, etc; continuing WotB's style of no foregone conclusion that by completing each adventure the good guys will win, with actions in earlier adventures affecting later adventures; maintaining the "for experienced DMs" theme, allowing us to include complex situations, NPCs and motivations which may not be easy to run for the beginning DM but very rewarding for those who put in the effort; continuing grey areas and moral choices, and allowing the PCs to be on the "wrong" side (neither side being black or white)..

 

[Stormrazor2000]

Heroic = Pirates
Paragon = Underwater Kingdom
Epic = Elemental Chaos (Water)

... as a very basic outline.

Thoughts?

Yep, that lines up pretty close to what I was thinking as well. Lots of potential for new races (both PC and NPC). Strange and unique cultures. Politics of the underwater and surface realms.

Perhaps a threat to surface dwellers that needs to be stopped could be an overarching plot. Flooding and invasion come to mind. Or perhaps the surface people are doing something that is destroying the underwater realm and they are plotting more in self defense. It could easily have enough moral ambiguity so that it doesn't fall into the typical "evil bent on destroying the world" stuff.

Anyway, babbling, but yes, I think it would be a fun AP setting.

 

[Blackbrrd]

Russ, I just sent you a 5-page outline for a possible campaign saga.

Let me ask the folks here, what are your thoughts about steamtech fantasy? Not steampunk exactly, because I'm too young to be a good punk anyway, but rather a mixing of physically plausible steam age technology with D&D-style magic and monsters?

It didn't exactly get my heart racing

 

[RangerWickett]

It didn't exactly get my heart racing

Fair enough. I get that we'll have to sell some people on the idea, so I think I'll hold off on posting any more details until Russ and I have a clearer sense of where we want to go. I want to avoid getting anyone annoyed at a hypothetical idea that may not actually make it into the final campaign.

 

[Amphimir Míriel]

A couple of concepts I'm keen to explore - rival adventurering groups who the PCs can grow to know and loathe (recurring villains); detailed organizations, such as a mafia-style thieves guild with lots of influence, etc; continuing WotB's style of no foregone conclusion that by completing each adventure the good guys will win, with actions in earlier adventures affecting later adventures; maintaining the "for experienced DMs" theme, allowing us to include complex situations, NPCs and motivations which may not be easy to run for the beginning DM but very rewarding for those who put in the effort; continuing grey areas and moral choices, and allowing the PCs to be on the "wrong" side (neither side being black or white)..

Yes, Yes and Ten Thousand Times Yes! To all of the above, specially:

* Rival Adventuring Party (Who are not exactly antagonists, maybe they are in it just for the money, and the party might even be forced to work with them to ensure mutual survival at some point!)

* Moral Grey Areas and complex moral choices (I particularly love this about WotBS)

 

[Blackbrrd]

Fair enough. I get that we'll have to sell some people on the idea, so I think I'll hold off on posting any more details until Russ and I have a clearer sense of where we want to go. I want to avoid getting anyone annoyed at a hypothetical idea that may not actually make it into the final campaign.

I didn't say it was a turn-off, it just didn't make me think: "Wow, I have got to get that". I was just trying to give you some feedback.

I am 99% sure going to get whatever 4e campaign arc Enworld publishes next anyway, especially with the same writer as WotBS. It was a breath of fresh air with it's lack of dungeon crawling* and detailed NPC's.

*Dungeon crawling like in anywhere you have to go into great detail about turning left, following the left wall etc, instead of just being able to state: "We find an inn at the wrong side of town and start asking questions".