Dave Arneson and Erol Otus?

[diaglo]

He wasn't there when I picked my copy up, and I wasn't able to make it during his official signing time.

he wasn't there when i bought mine, also. they had a very helpful crew at the booth. handed me a flyer with the times when Dave would be there. i went back.

and as much as i chatter/talk in real life. i couldn't say more than, "Please sign this." i felt sooooo idiotic later.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

they had a very helpful crew at the booth. handed me a flyer with the times when Dave would be there.

Yes, they were very helpful. They even offered to hold onto the adventure for me and have him sign it next time he was there, and I could pick it up the next day. I should have done that, but I thought I could catch him elsewhere, since I seemed to be seeing him everywhere the first couple of days. Of course, i never saw him again...

and as much as i chatter/talk in real life. i couldn't say more than, "Please sign this." i felt sooooo idiotic later.

Ah, don't worry about it. I've done that many times. Monte Cook, Clive Barker, Piratecat... I sort of feel like a deer in the headlights.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Edit-Triple post

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

edit-triple post

Anyone else notice the proliferation of double & triple posts on the new boards?

 

[mhensley]

I picked it up at GenCon, but aside from a quick skimming through it, I haven't read it yet. Since you have me thinking about it now, maybe I'll read it tonight. If I do, I'll let you know more about it tomorrow. Sorry I can't be more helpful right now.

Still waiting for a review... pretty please?

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

Still waiting for a review... pretty please?

Well, I didn't read throught he whole thing yet (we lost power last night as I was about 3/4 through it), but from what I did read, I have to say that I'm not really all that impressed. While it looks and has that 1st edition dungeon crawl feel to it, I didn't feel that there was a whole lot to it.

Spoilers
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Basically, its a dungeon crawl that takes place in an inland lighthouse on the edge of a swamp. The lighthouse is haunted by the ghost of the former keeper, who was turned into a troll before he died and was cursed to haunt the tower after his death. Along with his ghost, the tower is also haunted by lots of other ghosts, wights, etc. The adventure is pretty much a railroad, starting with the fact that if the players don't enter the lighthouse when they come upon it (being baited by gold and treasure), the DM is told to have a storm come up so they will seek shelter, and if they still don't go in, to have a river flood, incread winds to keep flying characters out of the air, etc. Anything to drive them into the tower. Once they enter, the tower door locks, and is cannot be opened from the inside by any means. They then have to go through the tower, fighting various undead (some of whom are given unique personalities), and eventually removing the curse. Also, if any characters die, they are brought back to life at the end as a result of the curse being lifted.

So I guess it wouldn't be bad for a nights diversion if you are looking for an evening of dungeon crawling (which I'll admit I love), but the railroading of a party into the lighthouse and the fact that any dead PCs are bought back to life at the end just don't work for me. I guess I was looking for a little bit more. I really liked the other 2 adventures Goodman Games has published, and I was hoping that this one, being written by Dave Arneson, would be more than it was. I really wanted to like it, and maybe I'll try running it to see if it plays better than it reads. If nothing else, it's a nice memento from GenCon.

 

[diaglo]

i liked:

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article1.asp?x=dnd/oa/oa20011005a,3

better than Dungeon Crawl #3.5

but it was nice to see what Dave would've done with the new edition.

i agree it is not very well fleshed out. and it does railroad. a good DM is needed to balance the needs of the party and the story.

 

[D'karr]

It's a railroad????

No, duh...

If the party doesn't enter the lighthouse, what are you left with?

Not an adventure in the lighthouse obviously.

Most published modules revolving around a "site" are required, in some basic way, to be railroads. If the party does not enter the site you don't have an adventure. How complicated a concept can that be? The fact that the module provides several ways to encourage the party to go into the lighthouse is a bonus. Complaining about such minutia is really funny.

Of course a DM should know his party and plan accordingly.

 

[Cthulhu's Librarian]

No, duh...

If the party doesn't enter the lighthouse, what are you left with?

Not an adventure in the lighthouse obviously.

Most published modules revolving around a "site" are required, in some basic way, to be railroads. If the party does not enter the site you don't have an adventure. How complicated a concept can that be? Complaining about such minutia is really funny.

Yes, I understand that without entering the lighthouse, there is no adventure, but it was the way it was presented. If the party doesn't enter just from the convienient gold coins by the door, then hit them with a storm. If they still don't enter, flood the river. If they try to cross the river, drown them. If they try to fly, blow them out of the air with high winds. It was just too much. No story reasons to enter at all, just brute force.

 

[D'karr]

Yes, I understand that without entering the lighthouse, there is no adventure, but it was the way it was presented. If the party doesn't enter just from the convienient gold coins by the door, then hit them with a storm. If they still don't enter, flood the river. If they try to cross the river, drown them. If they try to fly, blow them out of the air with high winds. It was just too much. No story reasons to enter at all, just brute force.

I understand where you are coming from. That is why I said that the DM should know his party and plan accordingly. You don't need a story based reason for everything.

A story based reason could have been designed by the DM with little difficulty. - The family of the long-gone troll/ghost is worried about him and send the party to investigate. The constable of the neareast town is worried that the lighthouse has not been operational for x amount of time and sends the party to investigate.

This adventure actually works well as a side trek, instead of a main adventure. In that capacity the party might see the lighthouse in the distance as they are travelling and they see a storm brewing in the horizon, etc.

It took me less than a minute to come up with at least 5 ways to get the party to the lighthouse. The railroading is usually needed for the DM that might have trouble jumpstarting the game. Those that don't need it don't have to use it.

Modules are like a buffet line. You don't need to get everything. Pick and choose which parts to use.