Adventure Path Three: You'd Do...

[Arnwyn]

I wouldn't mind seeing them try to tie the D&D minis into the paths a bit more.

Another "hell no" from me. I have yet to see D&D minis well integrated in any adventure module. Everytime we've seen it in Dungeon so far, it's been a complete mess (terrible maps, questionable mini choices, wasted space).

All your other ideas are good, though. Moving into the epic levels is particularly enticing.

To those opposed to this...ask yourself why? If you don’t want to use them - then don’t. There is nothing mandatory about such an approach. It simply makes it easier and more fun for those who DO enjoy using and collecting D&D miniatures to have all the minis match up straight down the line.

Why? Oh, heavens, for many reasons.

- wasted space (when space is one of the most precious commodities)
- terrible, boring, dreary, and most notably, limited maps - see every example released so far - whether in Dungeon (Queen of Burning Eyes, the Eberron arc) or WotC (the short mini-related adventures released so far)
- questionable suggestions/value - the mini suggestions that have appeared haven't been great
- possible limitation of opponents if they stick with minis only (though I have faith that this extreme won't occur)

 

[alan]

What does that leave?

S3 - Barrier Peaks.

Just how did it get there? Is there something more at work here?

I realize that this probably isn't a great idea for an entire adventure path, but a three part arc would be pretty nice.

"Oh look, a cute bunny on a stump..."

Alan

 

[Steel_Wind]

Another "hell no" from me. I have yet to see D&D minis well integrated in any adventure module.

Why? Oh, heavens, for many reasons.

- wasted space (when space is one of the most precious commodities)
- terrible, boring, dreary, and most notably, limited maps - see every example released so far - whether in Dungeon (Queen of Burning Eyes, the Eberron arc) or WotC (the short mini-related adventures released so far)
- questionable suggestions/value - the mini suggestions that have appeared haven't been great
- possible limitation of opponents if they stick with minis only (though I have faith that this extreme won't occur)

What?

I'm talking about 1 line in a stat block. That's it. One line. If space was that much of a premium - they could go back to the older stat block format.

Hell - subscript it under the Name of the critter and there are no space issues at all:

"Gol #36" or that horrible space wasting "UD #22", for example. This is not a space issue. Get serious.

As for limited maps? Why would it effect maps in the least? Do them exactly as they are doing them now. No changes needed or requested. I don't get this at all.

The miniature suggestions aren't bad - and won't be - if your writers are given a list and pictures of what available foes there are before they write. You write and design with that in mind - not after the fact. It's after the fact choices which cause some questionable suggestions.

The only beef of any merit is the suggestion that this would limit the creature choices in terms of potential foes in the module. While that is true to some degree, it's really not THAT bad you know.

By the time AP III is due out, we'll have - what 11 or 12 XPs out for D&D Minis at that point? That's about 680-700 miniatures to choose from. I think people can live with those restrictions.

PnP designers aren't used to many limitations. But it's really not that big a deal. We've created modules for BioWare with far fewer choices than 700. And when we absolutely need a creature - we make it or we are asked to make it by BioWare.

If Paizo decided it absolutely needed something in the series, they have an opportunity to communicate with WotC and see if the mini is in the production queue or can be added. Admittedly, this is assuming a fair bit of lead time (a year perhaps) but it's entirely doable.

 

[diaglo]

besides using the Holier than thou Crusade from Real life events...

the next series could include strange weather patterns... global climate change... warming. droughts... heavy snowfall in the desert... hurricanes... tornados... wild fires.. volcanos..

use many of the environmental books... stormwrack, frostwhatever, sandstorm... or whatever the titles are..


you could introduce the return to S3 barrier peaks then... the BBEG are other aliens causing trouble with the atmosphere or making the planet change orbit or location...

heck you could even twine in the Return of the Eight if you keep it in Greyhawk... is that the one where Tenser is recovered from some moon?

 

[Pants]

For the next Adventure Path, I have only one request: the Scarlet Brotherhood. I'd love for them to be the big bads involved. That's all I ask.

A Dragon-themed or war-themed AP would rock on some sort of cooked bread. With butter. Or maybe jelly.

 

[Steel_Wind]

Scarlet Brotherhood is cool - but what would you propose would be the suitable candidate for this organization in the the FR?

Just pointing out that when you narrow your villains down to an organization which has a lot of specifics and flavor of the setting in them, you start to make it more difficult to be transportable to another setting.

No flavor is bad; however, too much flavor can be just as bad from the perspective of many customers.

 

[humble minion]

Unfortunately there's some types of story that'd be really hard to do as an Adventure Path. The aforementioned campaign about a clash between the druidic 'old faith' and the new religions of civilisation is one, because the choices the PCs make about which side to support will dramatically affect the course of the campaign.

I like the invasion plotline, but you'd need to have something else going on in the background. Palace intrigue, or ends-vs-means debates about using undead etc in battle, or a bunch of horrifyingly powerful sleeping sidhe being awakened by the invasion and deciding that since the mortals have failed to protect the land according to the ancient covenant, then the have forfeited all rights to it (and their lives in the bargain...)

There you go - fey as a major antagonist! About time!

 

[Pants]

Scarlet Brotherhood is cool - but what would you propose would be the suitable candidate for this organization in the the FR?

Thayans... Zhents...
Would changing the Scarlet Brotherhood to something FR related really be harder than changing some of the stuff in AoW to fit an FR campaign? There's a lot of Greyhawk lore scattered about in AoW and I really don't see changing the Brotherhood to some FR specific group or to some homebrewed group as being all that much harder.

 

[JoeGKushner]

After watching Lord of the Rings again, one of the things I wouldn't mind seeing if some type of scenario where the players have to help defend a fort. It's a pretty popular theme in fantasy movies ranging from Willow to The Two Towers. Heck, it doesn't even have to be a fortress as the Seve nSamurai or the end of Conan the Barbarian proved that you just need a turf of land to defend.

I also wouldn't mind seeing some more "cool" NPC's so to speak ally themselves with the players and perhaps have to be rescued by them. While Gandalf escaping with the eagle was cool, it would've been more cool if the "players" if you will, rescued him. Perhaps something where the party has a chance to influence a potential power player like a tribe of goliaths or half-giants and have them come to the aid of that besieged city/fort/etc...

 

[diaglo]

After watching Lord of the Rings again, one of the things I wouldn't mind seeing if some type of scenario where the players have to help defend a fort. It's a pretty popular theme in fantasy movies ranging from Willow to The Two Towers. Heck, it doesn't even have to be a fortress as the Seve nSamurai or the end of Conan the Barbarian proved that you just need a turf of land to defend.

I also wouldn't mind seeing some more "cool" NPC's so to speak ally themselves with the players and perhaps have to be rescued by them. While Gandalf escaping with the eagle was cool, it would've been more cool if the "players" if you will, rescued him. Perhaps something where the party has a chance to influence a potential power player like a tribe of goliaths or half-giants and have them come to the aid of that besieged city/fort/etc...

how many of the 2edADnD adventures do you own?

iirc,

the first suggestion sounds a lot like the FR adventure Hordes of Dragonspear ... or maybe it was I14 Swords of the Iron Legion.


the second one could be accomplished with Return of the Eight for 2edADnD Greyhawk. for Duty and Deity for 2edADnD FR.

but my memory is a mess.