mcbobbo
Explorer
I can't speak for their posts, but if you feel my post is 'ripping' please let me know why. Like I said in the first post, if something is wrong, I'm all ears about it.
D&D 5E Bob's HotDQ Issues List (SPOILERS!)
- Thread starter mcbobbo
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I can't speak for their posts, but if you feel my post is 'ripping' please let me know why. Like I said in the first post, if something is wrong, I'm all ears about it.
Wrathamon
Adventurer
Sorry, was more a statement of how many posts have been made (and more of the comments of some posters) ripping into this adventure in general. Wasn't specifically generated at you. You do seem to be trying to make this objective ...
As for your post, maybe ripping is too strong, but seeing a long list of over 40 here are my issues, and then someone else jumping in, for me constitutes "ripping". When many of the issues are DM issues, imo. I've posted in one of the other giant threads (I am actually not liking this adventure so far, but its more of a dm thing).
Now I dont disagree with all of your items (every adventure has areas that can be made better; especially when you dont have page count limitations)
One I do disagree with. The gate being easily fixed with mending. I think that was probably on purpose imo. Our cleric, 12yr old kid, first time player, felt really "smart" for finding this out. It was actually a highlight moment, and when it came to fix the breach, he again knew a solution. We defended him while he mended the wall and it felt "right" and we all felt smart for doing it. Again, a highlight, so far for us.
Maybe I should just start a topic on how I never see this much analysis of Winters work in other products as I am seeing in this one. It is a bit mind-boggling to be honest, as we keep seeing these types of threads popping up. That was more my point. Not that you're trying to flame the adventure without thought-out details.
As for your post, maybe ripping is too strong, but seeing a long list of over 40 here are my issues, and then someone else jumping in, for me constitutes "ripping". When many of the issues are DM issues, imo. I've posted in one of the other giant threads (I am actually not liking this adventure so far, but its more of a dm thing).
Now I dont disagree with all of your items (every adventure has areas that can be made better; especially when you dont have page count limitations)
One I do disagree with. The gate being easily fixed with mending. I think that was probably on purpose imo. Our cleric, 12yr old kid, first time player, felt really "smart" for finding this out. It was actually a highlight moment, and when it came to fix the breach, he again knew a solution. We defended him while he mended the wall and it felt "right" and we all felt smart for doing it. Again, a highlight, so far for us.
Maybe I should just start a topic on how I never see this much analysis of Winters work in other products as I am seeing in this one. It is a bit mind-boggling to be honest, as we keep seeing these types of threads popping up. That was more my point. Not that you're trying to flame the adventure without thought-out details.
I suspect this has little to do with Winters and Baur and more to do with the fact that other than a 'starter set module' this is the only official adventure available for 5e right now, and it is chock full of errors, omissions, typos, balance issues and outright continuity errors and I am not surprised with the backlash this adventure path has gotten so far. I like the concept, I like the overall story, but the execution is very poor and as the flagship adventure for the new edition, it really should be much better than it is.
I think Mr. Winters has done an excellent job of providing support in this thread: http://community.wizards.com/forum/product-and-general-dd-discussions/threads/4130531
I also think that he and Mr. Baur have done a commendable job, given the circumstances under which they had to work. If you read the thread I linked, it is clear that they were dealing with rules that were constantly in flux right up to the end and there are a lot of issues that simply wouldn't exist if this adventure had been written after the rules were finalized.
I think Mr. Winters has done an excellent job of providing support in this thread: http://community.wizards.com/forum/product-and-general-dd-discussions/threads/4130531
I also think that he and Mr. Baur have done a commendable job, given the circumstances under which they had to work. If you read the thread I linked, it is clear that they were dealing with rules that were constantly in flux right up to the end and there are a lot of issues that simply wouldn't exist if this adventure had been written after the rules were finalized.
mcbobbo
Explorer
FWIW, I'd happily provide this same level of feedback before an adventure was printed. It isn't about tearing down or anything like that for me. It's about owning a quality adventure, and honestly a lot of these are pretty easy to fix. And yeah, I sure can fix them myself. But that's not the point. I did pay $20 for the thing, after all.
Yes. I've been running Hoard of the Dragon Queen at D&D Encounters weekly,
and I'm now in Episode 3. I can say that I'm very disappointed in the advenure.
The maps are muddled and dark. They are not properly numbered.
The encounters are not well balanced - not that you shouldn't have a mix of easy
and difficult encounters - but there are some that are easy TPKs (after a round or
two).
The plot thus far is convoluted and requires a lot of adjustment to be functional.
So far, it's not good as the first campaign for the edition. It's a disappointment and
it is turning off gamers at the table.
I wish there were some guidelines for designing encounters so we wouldn't have to use this.
Also adding that the book starting splitting in half after less than a week.
and I'm now in Episode 3. I can say that I'm very disappointed in the advenure.
The maps are muddled and dark. They are not properly numbered.
The encounters are not well balanced - not that you shouldn't have a mix of easy
and difficult encounters - but there are some that are easy TPKs (after a round or
two).
The plot thus far is convoluted and requires a lot of adjustment to be functional.
So far, it's not good as the first campaign for the edition. It's a disappointment and
it is turning off gamers at the table.
I wish there were some guidelines for designing encounters so we wouldn't have to use this.
Also adding that the book starting splitting in half after less than a week.
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aramis erak
Legend
I'm about to head into Episode 3 of the encounters version...
I'm having a blast.
I've had no major issues with mechanics, and the numbering is only a minor issue.
The one problem I agree with fully: The maps...
The maps are unfortunately full color, and when printed in B&W come out muddled, and in the PDF are reduced to half-page for some stupid reason, but, 5 min of tweaking each in Lemkesoft's Graphic Converter and I got good looking grayscales out that printed well to full page. (Raise the contrast +50 and the bright +25; repeat 2x. Drain the saturation. print.)
The lack of numbering keys is a design flaw. Not a huge one, tho'.
I'm having a blast.
I've had no major issues with mechanics, and the numbering is only a minor issue.
The one problem I agree with fully: The maps...
The maps are unfortunately full color, and when printed in B&W come out muddled, and in the PDF are reduced to half-page for some stupid reason, but, 5 min of tweaking each in Lemkesoft's Graphic Converter and I got good looking grayscales out that printed well to full page. (Raise the contrast +50 and the bright +25; repeat 2x. Drain the saturation. print.)
The lack of numbering keys is a design flaw. Not a huge one, tho'.
R
RevTurkey
Guest
If one good thing came from this poor quality module it is that I have just written up over fifty pages of adventure ideas, towns and npcs to run a bunch of games of my own design instead. HOTDQ is stupid and makes me want to run a mile from future official adventures and products from Kobold Press.
Wrathamon
Adventurer
Look forward to seeing your adventure posted for us to review and play
MonsterEnvy
Legend
Lots of the things mentioned in the 1st page are not problems.
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