Patryn of Elvenshae
First Post
Cel - How does the description of the Agitated Chamber (thanks for posting the actual text, Bullgrit) gel with your earlier claim that there is no unavoidable randomness in ToH?
Fair =/= "The players WILL figure it out".
Fair = "The players have the means to figure it out, and if they do so, they will succeed."
By any reasonable standard, the ToH is fair.
But, unless you pass around the memo showing that you finally got the promotion to Ultimate Arbiter of Reasonableness you've been bucking for, this is an appeal to personal authority without support. It comes out as just another variation on the, "If you don't agree with me your mental process are inferior to mine**," form of argument.
An untrapped secret door:
But there are plenty of examples in D&D adventures of valuable/magical things hidden by invisibility, and dirty things that can be cleaned up to value or magic.If you can't see it, don't touch it. If it looks dirty or filthy, assume its lethal to touch because it probably is.
Pit traps (10 total throughout the Tomb):
And what party would open the door and think, "Let's cast fly on everyone"?A flying party can traverse this room without incident.
The problem is that *everything* is a feature.
Treasure was “devilishly” hidden in classic D&D. You had to search everything to find it.
Traps were everywhere in classic D&D. You had to leave stuff alone to avoid them.
Every conversation around here about classic D&D becomes a daisy chain of “it’s your fault.” Didn’t search the random bags: you missed the treasure. Did search the random bags: you fell for the trap. Either way, it’s because you just weren’t a “skilled player.”
Nothing was wonky back in classic D&D – “you” just don’t/didn’t understand the brilliance.
This is not to say that everything was wonky with classic D&D. Classic D&D had truly wonderful stuff as well as really wonky stuff. I just find it problematic for conversations and discussions to have *everything* presented as wonderful and brilliant. I also find it insulting to the truly great stuff of classic D&D.
Bullgrit
Very first area of the tomb complex (there are three "entrances" to the tomb) -- a 20' wide, 30' long tunnel ending at false double doors: