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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jfdlsjfd" data-source="post: 8109572" data-attributes="member: 42856">Yes. In a thread whose purpose is ranting about the problem of describing a "regular harsh winter" where "apocalyptic conditions" would feel better, countering that regular conditions are enough and that the premise wouldn't lead to apocalyptic conditions is a perfectly valid answer in my opinion. Reducing the length and severity of the winter is a proposed solution, (basically aknowledging there was a problem, albeit easily fixed) with a very good outcome (it's consistent with 95% of the module so it will necessitate very little effort from the DM) and a very bad outcome (it's outside of the pitch of an horror-themed story as the result is just a regular adventure with a bad guy using a harsh winter as a tool staying in the background... as evidenced by the easiness to overcome the most common consequences of it, by wearing the free winter clothes provided to all starting characters).On the other hand, saying "the problem isn't there in the first place and there was no two-years long sunless winter, just a worse than usual winter and the sun is just late reappearing after the regular two-month long night" or "my players or most players will gloss over it, yours should too" is  not something that addresses the problem, it is either ignoring the problem or fixing it stealthily by changing the premise to fit the depicted adventure.Those wishing to improve the module by exploring the consequences of a winter apocalypse (with true horror elements... "what if the sacrifices to Auril where rational things to do and actually saved lives? Would the character act to stop them?" "what about cannibalism, let's put some in the dale as obviously you wouldn't just bury hanged criminals when they are apparently 125,000 calories of free food [I learnt that reading this very forum] and could be put to use in really desperate times? what would the characters say?" "what are the priest doing? Are they creating food as much as they can to relieve the population and if they aren't... why?" Many path of improving the module by respecting the premise of the horror story open up if you acknowledge that there is a disconnect between the setup (two year of sunless winter) and the adventure module as written (a harsh winter).I don't see how "just gloss over the problem and enjoy the adventure as written as apparently many have done judging by the online reviews" is MORE CREATIVE and therefore more useful to anyone than acknowledging the problem which allows reflection on how to introduce elements that could benefit some groups (even if it's not yours or the majority's group). I agree that the problem with the tree surviving discussed upthread was minor, but if this discussion hadn't taken place, I for one would probably have stayed on my mind image of the Icewind Dale (pre-Auril's intervention) as mid-Northern Alberta, not Baffin Island-like, which changes description of the environment completely...</blockquote>

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