DL: 3rd Edition DL Modules?

[Reynard]

I can't seem to find a review of the revised (3rd edition) Dragonlance modules. Can someone either a) point me to one, or b) tell me about them. I undersatnd there was justa tad railroading in the original series of modules. I am trying to decide between purchasing the complete set of the originals, the compilation from the latter 2E days, or the new ones (and hoping the last of the 3 makes it out before the end of the year).

 

[Crothian]

I'm working on them!! I hope that my review of the first War of the Lance 3e adventure gets done early next week.

These are large campaign scoping modules (the mortal age trilogy is over 700 pages combined!) so it does railroad to some degree. All modules of this size have to or else the writer just couldn't complete the plot and such.

 

[Reynard]

I'm working on them!! I hope that my review of the first War of the Lance 3e adventure gets done early next week.

These are large campaign scoping modules (the mortal age trilogy is over 700 pages combined!) so it does railroad to some degree. All modules of this size have to or else the writer just couldn't complete the plot and such.

Thanks. I am looking forward to the reviews.

 

[Cam Banks]

We really did try to avoid the railroading sensation as much as possible with our adventures.

Key of Destiny gets that way from time to time - it has a prophecy, which can come off a little forced. If I had the chance to go back and rewrite some of that first module, I'd bring in more foreshadowing and use fewer prophetic elements, probably.

From then on, though, we went with multiple path options. Spectre of Sorrows has a number of routes to the end scene that can be taken. Price of Courage just goes hog-wild and the middle five chapters of the adventure (which, as Crothian notes, is enormous - sorry!) may be played in any order. Even the ending and the motivation of the primary antagonist is different from game to game, which was an homage to Tracy Hickman's trick of fortune tellers determining the module's plot.

I'm always available over on www.dragonlanceforums.com to answer questions about any of these adventures. We're still producing product all year, until December 31st, and selling product for a limited time into 2008, which means we intend to release Dragons of Winter (working on that at the moment) and Dragons of Spring this year.

I'd love to see more reviews of these products too, to be honest, so I'm champing at the bit to see them written up by those we sent review copies to.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Reynard]

We really did try to avoid the railroading sensation as much as possible with our adventures.

Key of Destiny gets that way from time to time - it has a prophecy, which can come off a little forced. If I had the chance to go back and rewrite some of that first module, I'd bring in more foreshadowing and use fewer prophetic elements, probably.

From then on, though, we went with multiple path options. Spectre of Sorrows has a number of routes to the end scene that can be taken. Price of Courage just goes hog-wild and the middle five chapters of the adventure (which, as Crothian notes, is enormous - sorry!) may be played in any order. Even the ending and the motivation of the primary antagonist is different from game to game, which was an homage to Tracy Hickman's trick of fortune tellers determining the module's plot.

I'm always available over on www.dragonlanceforums.com to answer questions about any of these adventures. We're still producing product all year, until December 31st, and selling product for a limited time into 2008, which means we intend to release Dragons of Winter (working on that at the moment) and Dragons of Spring this year.

I'd love to see more reviews of these products too, to be honest, so I'm champing at the bit to see them written up by those we sent review copies to.

Cheers,
Cam

Actually, I was specifically referring to the 3rd Edition versions of the classic module series on which the Chronicles are based (or vice versa -- I have never been able to figure out which is the chicken and which is the egg).

 

[theredrobedwizard]

Key Spectre Price was a good series, I really liked it. Chris Coyle and Cam Banks are two of the most talented adventure writers I've had the pleasure of meeting. (Looking forward to getting my adventures autographed by that crazy kiwi when the chance arises; assuming he'll be at GenCon.) Dragons of Autumn is a faithful adaptation, and I eagerly await Winter and Spring. It's less railroady than the originals, and does offer some leeway in how the story can end/continue.

I really wish there was time to do a Summer of Chaos/Dragons of Summer type 3.5e adventure, but I don't think that even Cam's deft hands can get so much information out in such a short period.

I'd suggest buying every single product that SP/MWP has put out so far, because they're all awesome (Well, I didn't like Knightly Orders; but that's my own personal bias against, well, knightly orders as a concept. The book itself was well written.) If you can find a copy of Towers of High Sorcery, buy it up quicklike. They're hard as heck to find.

Hopefully at GenCon I'll be able to pick up the two books I'm missing; and I can always hope that Dragons of Winter will be ready then.

Looking forward to getting my adventures autographed by that crazy kiwi when the chance arises.

tl;dr - They're good. Buy them.

-TRRW

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

Actually, I was specifically referring to the 3rd Edition versions of the classic module series on which the Chronicles are based

For clarity, he means:

Dragons of Autumn http://www.dragonlance.com/products/SVP-4204.aspx
Dragons of Winter http://www.dragonlance.com/products/SVP-4205.aspx
Dragons of Spring

 

[Reynard]

For clarity, he means:

Dragons of Autumn http://www.dragonlance.com/products/SVP-4204.aspx
Dragons of Winter http://www.dragonlance.com/products/SVP-4205.aspx
Dragons of Spring

Right. I still can't find a review, though. (Although I did order Autumn and War of the Lance ona whim and it looks like my Eberron game will instead be a "Chronicles with different heroes" campaign -- woot!)