D&D 5E Justin Alexander's review of Shattered Obelisk is pretty scathing

[TheSword]

Review: The Shattered Obelisk

Phandelver and Below: The Shattered Obelisk can really only be described as a book of two parts, and it’s basically impossible to review it as anything else.The first part is more or less a re

thealexandrian.net

'He really laid into this thing, thought it was interesting, some particular highlights.

Whats your thoughts on it?
i was suprised wotc dropped the ball this hard apparently.

To be fair. He has made a living for several years now ripping adventure apart so he can get clicks and followers ‘repairing’ them.

He kinda needs to slate it, other people won’t read his blog posts.
Really looking forward to this as a player.

 

[payn]

Let's not open the door for that particular subject, or you'll risk summoning... him

Too late!!!

 

[Gradine]

Too late!!!

 

[Charlaquin]

In the hydra’s case he is wrong again. The water leads to an underground wellspring the Hydra came from, it’s a recent arrival.

Interesting. Justin describes the crypt in question as having been sealed for centuries, which seems incompatible with there being an underwater connection to a wellspring from which a hydra could enter. Is it possible he was simply confused about the crypt’s “sealed” status?

 

[Zaukrie]

Interesting. Justin describes the crypt in question as having been sealed for centuries, which seems incompatible with there being an underwater connection to a wellspring from which a hydra could enter. Is it possible he was simply confused about the crypt’s “sealed” status?

I just read that section, nothing says the wellspring connects, or not, to the outside world (unless it is later somewhere). It says the area was breached and flooded long ago....so who know?

 

[Charlaquin]

I just read that section, nothing says the wellspring connects, or not, to the outside world (unless it is later somewhere). It says the area was breached and flooded long ago....so who know?

Ok, sounds unclear, then. Which is a valid critique IMO, but maybe stating matter-of-factly that there’s a hydra inside a crypt that has been sealed for centuries was an overstatement. Something like “there’s a hydra inside a crypt that’s sealed where the players enter, and the text is unclear as to how the hydra may have gotten there” might have been more accurate.

 

[TheSword]

I’ve always thought this quote fits the Alexandrian than any other person.

The thing is, I actually agree and like 50% of what he says. He has some really good points. I just wish he wasn’t so pompous, scathing and vitriolic in the other 50%. Maybe it generates clicks, or he thinks it adds weight to his arguments. I just find it unnecessary.

 

[QuentinGeorge]

I’ve always thought this quote fits the Alexandrian than any other person.

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The thing is, I actually agree and like 50% of what he says. I just wish he wasn’t so pompous, scathing and vitriolic in the other 50%. Maybe it generates clicks, or he thinks it adds weight to his arguments. I just find it unnecessary.

I much prefer it to the gushing “5 stars! Another triumph!” Sorts of reviews that we get from almost every other reviewer. I don’t need to read a WotC press release and then get angry discovering the product is a highly polished turd.

 

[TheSword]

I much prefer it to the gushing “5 stars! Another triumph!” Sorts of reviews that we get from almost every other reviewer. I don’t need to read a WotC press release and then get angry discovering the product is a highly polished turd.

Sure, I agree. But I guess there’s no need to be rude about it.

It is possible to critique the good and bad of a work without calling the writers effing morons.

 

[BigZebra]

I’ve always thought this quote fits the Alexandrian than any other person.

View attachment 318932

The thing is, I actually agree and like 50% of what he says. I just wish he wasn’t so pompous, scathing and vitriolic in the other 50%. Maybe it generates clicks, or he thinks it adds weight to his arguments. I just find it unnecessary.

Yeah kinda agree. But instead of getting annoyed by his style I mostly ignore his posts. Much prefer the style of Mike S, Shawn M and Teos.

The kind of D&D-beer-and-pretzel style game I play with my group doesn’t require a Justin Alexander approved adventure. But if you like that kind of stuff his blog is a gold mine.