D&D 5E Is Storm King's Thunder a flop . . ? Still early yet but doesn't look that good.

[HawaiiSteveO]

http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?488471-Storm-King-s-Thunder

58.5%? Yikes!

My group is 1 session away from finishing Curse of Strahd, which has been a lot of fun.

I passed on STK for next campaign, and have to say I'm glad I kept my $.

Most early reviews have focused on it as a book, how is it as a adventure? Some actual play reports would be fun to read.

 

[RulesJD]

The problem with SKT is that it has a HUGE lull after the intro chapter. If players aren't gears towards random wander but prefer to have a clear goal (dungeon crawling, etc) they won't like the middle chapters.

Basically, your DM has to actually put some prep into their games. It is much less friendly than prior adventures for 'winging it' from the DM until you can get through certain chapters.

That, or just ignore them entirely, level up the party past those filler chapters, and move along.

Oh, and they have to realize that certain player choices are trap options, aka not going to Triboar.

 

[Lackhand]

IMO, it's solid; not as good as Strahd, but that's not an insult!

I've only used as very small part of it -- my large party of ninth level characters stormed the Hill Giant hall, delayed until nighttime, didn't quite take out the watchtower before the alarm was rung, and then made an assault on the steading through the nearest door. It did not go well for them; giants normally not at fighting strength were rested and forewarned, and two characters died. I loved it.

I think that it's a great set of set-piece adventures. Each of the standalone giant adventures has an interesting hook: the giants have or want something, their environments are interesting to explore and varied, etc. I am less sure about the initial "atlas of adventure in the north" chapters, because I really am in it for the linked six giants adventures, and even those I'm not interested in using straight, but am instead weaving into my ongoing campaign. Looked at from my point of view, it's really great.

But if you're looking for something you can sit down and play cover to cover, I agree it might not be what you want. I find the motivations and setup in the storm giant chapter to be a bit weak; they hold up well enough for a one- or two- night adventure, but as the capstone to the whole campaign I'm less happy about it. I'm comfortable representing a room to the players without boxed text -- frankly, I prefer it -- which is good, 'cause there isn't any.

http://www.dmsguild.com/product/189...t-Upheaveal-5e?hot60=0&src=hnum&filters=45549 is free and the first chapter; as I say, for me that's the least interesting part of the adventure (it just wasn't useful to me!), but it can at least give you an idea about layout, presentation style, etc.

 

[hopeless]

Has anyone discussed how to handle the problems you've seen in this adventure?

For example the First Quest box set has an adventure set around a dragon orb and it got me thinking what if the nemesis in that adventure is searching for the orb as a weapon in the future Giant-Dragon War that SKT appears to loom towards?

 

[Creamsteak]

After six ratings? I really don't think that's enough data yet. I'm still just barely starting in the module (running it in person, TWICE SIMULTANEOUSLY in our PBP forums here, and once on Roll 20 soon). I will say for someone like me it may have more bang for its buck because a player-lead tour of the Sword Coast that can meander all sorts of different places and take a couple different paths sounds just fine. On the other hand some people may feel like they don't get to use all the content or, as many have said, one chapter is like a completely vague choose your own adventure book with only paragraphs of detail for most places and things you'll encounter and you probably need one of (preparation, setting knowledge, improv) to make it work right.

 

[jayoungr]

Has anyone discussed how to handle the problems you've seen in this adventure?

This is the thread where DMs are discussing tweaks to the adventure: Enhancing "Storm King's Thunder." You might want to ask on that thread and see what they have to say.

 

[flametitan]

I've not read the adventure myself, but from what I've heard it has great locales and encounters, but the plot's a little flimsy. I wonder if it does better as a diversion to the plot of another adventure than as a stand alone?

 

[shoak1]

IMO, it's solid; not as good as Strahd, but that's not an insult!

I've only used as very small part of it -- my large party of ninth level characters stormed the Hill Giant hall, delayed until nighttime, didn't quite take out the watchtower before the alarm was rung, and then made an assault on the steading through the nearest door. It did not go well for them; giants normally not at fighting strength were rested and forewarned, and two characters died. I loved it.

I think that it's a great set of set-piece adventures. Each of the standalone giant adventures has an interesting hook: the giants have or want something, their environments are interesting to explore and varied, etc. I am less sure about the initial "atlas of adventure in the north" chapters, because I really am in it for the linked six giants adventures, and even those I'm not interested in using straight, but am instead weaving into my ongoing campaign. Looked at from my point of view, it's really great.

But if you're looking for something you can sit down and play cover to cover, I agree it might not be what you want. I find the motivations and setup in the storm giant chapter to be a bit weak; they hold up well enough for a one- or two- night adventure, but as the capstone to the whole campaign I'm less happy about it. I'm comfortable representing a room to the players without boxed text -- frankly, I prefer it -- which is good, 'cause there isn't any.

http://www.dmsguild.com/product/189...t-Upheaveal-5e?hot60=0&src=hnum&filters=45549 is free and the first chapter; as I say, for me that's the least interesting part of the adventure (it just wasn't useful to me!), but it can at least give you an idea about layout, presentation style, etc.

Couldn't agree more. I tore out the binding and cut it up into pieces to add to my campaign. The set piece adventures are really fantastic. I would buy it just for that. But 2/3 of the pages are utter crap imo.

I think the problem I am seeing overall w/5e published content is that they really cater too much to the rpgers and sandboxers. Those of us that like encounter-encounter flow in a linear format (miniature enthusiasts, gamists, those who liked 3.5 and 4e, power gamers) are just getting hosed.

 

[robus]

I really don't understand the excitement about the flow chart. It's not like the plot is particularly complex and, if anything, it emphasizes the redundancy of some of the content.

 

[Corpsetaker]

Maybe people are just getting sick of AP's and want source books that will help them create their own stories.