Deep Horizon
- Thread starter IronWolf
- Start date
trancejeremy
Adventurer
This is one of WOTC's adventure path modules, 1 of 8 or so designed to raise a party from level 1 to 20. This one in particular is designed for 13th level characters, and to raise them to 15th at the end.
This module is supposed to be fairly generic, but the premise requires that there is an 'Underdark' in the setting (that is, essentially a large network of caves and such where evil people live), and that it has drow elves. So, it's basically only useful for the Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk settings (or maybe your home brew world).
As stated, the basic premise is, after an earthquake in the players area, new caves have opened up. That is apparently supposed to be enough of a hook to get players to go spelunking, although a few other hooks are given to try to coerce players into exploring the caves.
Once into the caves, the players meet a long lost race of giant bat-humanoids, who have recently been freed by the earthquakes. It's up to the PCs to save them from destruction by various evil do-ers. Alas, no beautful bat-princess.
Saving the bat-people essentially involvings exploring and sacking a ruined drow city full of beholders and salamanders. Pretty straight-forward, though it is complicated by the fact that the bat-people have several different factions, some good, some no-so good. So there is some role-playing potential among the bat-people.
Besides the adventure locations, you get more than you really want to know about the bat-people, a couple new monsters, and a handful of new magic items, mostly bat-gizmos (perhaps a reference on the sly to Batman).
I really didn't like this. I guess it's a solid enough adventure, but I found the whole premise remarkably stupid. While I have nothing against bats (in fact, I used to have a fairly friendly bat that would hang around my dusk to dawn light and eat bugs - I would throw cat food to him and he'd swoop down and eat it), I don't find the concept of bat-people all that appealing. Not appealing enough to playr or run an adventure around saving them, anyway.
And it also suffers from WOTC's policy of making texture heavy maps - nice to look at (at least the originals), but when printed out, it's a blurry mess. The cover art features a bat, and so does much of the interior art. So if you are a bat lover, then the art is great. If not, it's pretty bland.
So, to sum up, if you (or your players) feel that you don't have enough bat people in your campaign, then perhaps this module is worth checking out. Or if you play in an underdark campaign, it might provide a decent amount of material. OTOH, if you aren't a bat or underdark lover, you should really give this one a pass.
I also have to say, this is quite a step backwards from the old module B4, The Lost City. Same basic premise, but that module gave you a most more interesting city to explore.
This module is supposed to be fairly generic, but the premise requires that there is an 'Underdark' in the setting (that is, essentially a large network of caves and such where evil people live), and that it has drow elves. So, it's basically only useful for the Forgotten Realms and Greyhawk settings (or maybe your home brew world).
As stated, the basic premise is, after an earthquake in the players area, new caves have opened up. That is apparently supposed to be enough of a hook to get players to go spelunking, although a few other hooks are given to try to coerce players into exploring the caves.
Once into the caves, the players meet a long lost race of giant bat-humanoids, who have recently been freed by the earthquakes. It's up to the PCs to save them from destruction by various evil do-ers. Alas, no beautful bat-princess.
Saving the bat-people essentially involvings exploring and sacking a ruined drow city full of beholders and salamanders. Pretty straight-forward, though it is complicated by the fact that the bat-people have several different factions, some good, some no-so good. So there is some role-playing potential among the bat-people.
Besides the adventure locations, you get more than you really want to know about the bat-people, a couple new monsters, and a handful of new magic items, mostly bat-gizmos (perhaps a reference on the sly to Batman).
I really didn't like this. I guess it's a solid enough adventure, but I found the whole premise remarkably stupid. While I have nothing against bats (in fact, I used to have a fairly friendly bat that would hang around my dusk to dawn light and eat bugs - I would throw cat food to him and he'd swoop down and eat it), I don't find the concept of bat-people all that appealing. Not appealing enough to playr or run an adventure around saving them, anyway.
And it also suffers from WOTC's policy of making texture heavy maps - nice to look at (at least the originals), but when printed out, it's a blurry mess. The cover art features a bat, and so does much of the interior art. So if you are a bat lover, then the art is great. If not, it's pretty bland.
So, to sum up, if you (or your players) feel that you don't have enough bat people in your campaign, then perhaps this module is worth checking out. Or if you play in an underdark campaign, it might provide a decent amount of material. OTOH, if you aren't a bat or underdark lover, you should really give this one a pass.
I also have to say, this is quite a step backwards from the old module B4, The Lost City. Same basic premise, but that module gave you a most more interesting city to explore.
Messageboard Golem
First Post
Interesting concept for this 6th of 8 adventure path modules from WoTC. This is for a group of 12th to 13th lev PC's, that end around 15th level. I personally DM eight people at a time, so I added several encounters and juiced it up a bit here and there, as I have done with all the path series adventures.
But back to the review, the common complaint I continue to hear from my players, when I ask them as the end, if they enjoyed this path module, is the same. They all enjoyed it overall. Some wish for more roleplaying, some wish for more battle, better NPC's, less NPC's, etc etc.
But one common flaw seems to stick in each of the last three, a lack of really interesting hooks to envolve their party in the game. This one was even tougher. Some earthquakes open up fishures to the underdark, where they meet bat people and begin to aid them against evil in the underdark. I couldnt even use the kid nappings story to lure them to the underdark, as I had to use that generic hook for the last adventure premise (see Nightfang Spire).
So, that is one complaint I have to log, along with, as usual if you read my reviews, a lack of total detailing and lack of art when you buy this adventure. Same here, three or four cartoon looking art half splashes of non important factors of the game. Very vague synopsis and detailing of things like the bat city, the bat npc's, the motives of an evil NPC group, the hook to begin the adventure with, the set up of a murder plot in the middle of the adventure. Its like, heres the idea you bought, your characters are in the underdark and they meet a race of bat people who are at odds with evil factions of their race, salamanders who want to kill them, and greedy beholders who mine artifacts from an abandoned drow city. Cool concept, now you flush out the rest, have fun! 10 bucks please.
The first three or four path modules had deeper motives, stories, and NPC's to examine, add to, and play with. The last few have been shells that have some encounters, some maps, and an idea to play around. Cheap for all the creative talent WoTC has or had at one time (where is Sean Reynolds and Monte Cook when you need them)!
Anyhow, I dont have that big of problem with the bat people, they are very tough and interesting, good roleplaying possibilities and solid warriors to battle (for the bad ones).
The dungeon crawl takes you into an abandoned drow temple, filled with beholders, evil bat people, and other underdark nasties. Not bad. Your party will then go meet the bat people in their city, where there can be an evil NPC group there to start an assasination attempt. And finally a dungeon crawl against some Salamanders in their palace to stop their plan of killing the bat people. And thats it.
For a good idea, a neat couple of site based dungeon crawls, and a bunch of gaps and holes, I give this a 3 or average rating. Enjoy!
Arreon Draco, King of the Dragon Slayers
Sean McDaniel
But back to the review, the common complaint I continue to hear from my players, when I ask them as the end, if they enjoyed this path module, is the same. They all enjoyed it overall. Some wish for more roleplaying, some wish for more battle, better NPC's, less NPC's, etc etc.
But one common flaw seems to stick in each of the last three, a lack of really interesting hooks to envolve their party in the game. This one was even tougher. Some earthquakes open up fishures to the underdark, where they meet bat people and begin to aid them against evil in the underdark. I couldnt even use the kid nappings story to lure them to the underdark, as I had to use that generic hook for the last adventure premise (see Nightfang Spire).
So, that is one complaint I have to log, along with, as usual if you read my reviews, a lack of total detailing and lack of art when you buy this adventure. Same here, three or four cartoon looking art half splashes of non important factors of the game. Very vague synopsis and detailing of things like the bat city, the bat npc's, the motives of an evil NPC group, the hook to begin the adventure with, the set up of a murder plot in the middle of the adventure. Its like, heres the idea you bought, your characters are in the underdark and they meet a race of bat people who are at odds with evil factions of their race, salamanders who want to kill them, and greedy beholders who mine artifacts from an abandoned drow city. Cool concept, now you flush out the rest, have fun! 10 bucks please.
The first three or four path modules had deeper motives, stories, and NPC's to examine, add to, and play with. The last few have been shells that have some encounters, some maps, and an idea to play around. Cheap for all the creative talent WoTC has or had at one time (where is Sean Reynolds and Monte Cook when you need them)!
Anyhow, I dont have that big of problem with the bat people, they are very tough and interesting, good roleplaying possibilities and solid warriors to battle (for the bad ones).
The dungeon crawl takes you into an abandoned drow temple, filled with beholders, evil bat people, and other underdark nasties. Not bad. Your party will then go meet the bat people in their city, where there can be an evil NPC group there to start an assasination attempt. And finally a dungeon crawl against some Salamanders in their palace to stop their plan of killing the bat people. And thats it.
For a good idea, a neat couple of site based dungeon crawls, and a bunch of gaps and holes, I give this a 3 or average rating. Enjoy!
Arreon Draco, King of the Dragon Slayers
Sean McDaniel
Similar Threads
