Do official adventures follow DMG advice?

[catsclaw227]

The players roll for their PCs' listen/spot/search. I roll for NPCs, but I don't necessarily say what I'm rolling for.

That's interesting. How do you handle situations where somthing is supposed to be stealthy and you need a PC to make a spot check, but you don't want to give away the fact that something needs to be "spotted"? Do you just ask the group for a d20?

I used to do that, and oftentimes for no reason, so they didn't know what or when they were rolling for.

Later, I just found it easier to roll search/spot/listen for the PCs so that they aren't clued in on the fact that there something to find/see/hear.

It works for us, since I am more a facilitator/co-gamer as a DM and less an antagonist/opponent as a DM.

(though, admittedly, there is a hint of RBDM in my genetic code.... )

 

[Wraith Form]

There's a problem with prewritten adventures. They suck.

That's disingenuous. There are a buttload of great pre-written adventures, as the years of Dungeon Magazine attest to. And that's not counting Ravenloft (I6), Beyond the Barrier Peaks, etc etc etc etc etc.

That said, Thunderspire is not very much better than KotS. (This coming from a long-time player and someone how has suffered through both KotS and TM.) It has potential, and moments of half-baked greatness, but in general it's Diablo II with paper & dice.

(I agree that, if you amp up the role playing aspects of the adventure over the roll playing, it'd improve.)

 

[Wraith Form]

Thanks for all the advice.

Out of curisoity, what is the "best company for providing modules?"

Thanks.

That poster was saying that Goodman Games makes great adventures. And while I could very, very solidly stand behind that in 3.x, their recent adventures are suffering from unfamiliarity with 4th edition rules, feeling rushed, editing mistakes, and maps that do not correspond with the room descriptions. (And it makes me really sad to say that.

Am I saying "don't get Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics for 4th edition"? God, no. I'm just saying that they're slipping. Expect them to be fairly battle-heavy, too.

 

[S'mon]

That's interesting. How do you handle situations where somthing is supposed to be stealthy and you need a PC to make a spot check, but you don't want to give away the fact that something needs to be "spotted"? Do you just ask the group for a d20?

Heh, I just say "Make a Spot check"

Then if they fail, either I say "nothing happens" (monster avoided notice) or "the monster jumps out" (monster gets surprise), depending on circumstances. In the former case they know they likely missed something, but it could be important or trivial.

Otherwise I'd have to have the PCs character sheets in front of me and do the rolls for them, which I don't find practical.

 

[Jack99]

Am I saying "don't get Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics for 4th edition"? God, no. I'm just saying that they're slipping. Expect them to be fairly battle-heavy, too.

Have you seen the latest? Forgotten Portal and Master Dungeon 2 - I found them (much) better than the first batch, which suffered from being written for 3.x and converted IMO.

 

[Wraith Form]

For what it is worth, I think that WotC has vastly improved themselves with 4e, when it comes to adventures.

...Are we talking about the same WotC? Are we talking about the same pre-published 4th edition adventures?

You're actually saying that the 'greats of yesteryear' (see link below for a list) are worse than Keep on the Shadowfell?

GROGNARDIA: 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time

 

[Wraith Form]

Have you seen the latest? Forgotten Portal and Master Dungeon 2 - I found them (much) better than the first batch, which suffered from being written for 3.x and converted IMO.

Yes, I've read both cover to cover. Those two very specifically have poor(er) editing and maps than in 3.x days. Yes, they do seem to have a better lock on the 4th ed rules. YMMV.

 

[Jack99]

...Are we talking about the same WotC? Are we talking about the same pre-published 4th edition adventures?

You're actually saying that the 'greats of yesteryear' (see link below for a list) are worse than Keep on the Shadowfell?

GROGNARDIA: 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time

I think we are talking about the same WotC - I know only one anyway. However, last I checked, all those adventures (except one or two) on that list are not made by WotC but by TSR. What I am saying is that I think that the latest 4e adventures (Trollhaunt and Demonqueen) are far better than anything WotC made during their 3.x era (perhaps except RHoD). Hence the improving.

Yes, I've read both cover to cover. Those two very specifically have poor(er) editing and maps than in 3.x days. Yes, they do seem to have a better lock on the 4th ed rules. YMMV.

Fair enough. I do not dwell too much on the editing, unless its the crunch, and I only noticed one issue with the maps.

 

[Wraith Form]

I think we are talking about the same WotC - I know only one anyway. However, last I checked, all those adventures (except one or two) on that list are not made by WotC but by TSR. What I am saying is that I think that the latest 4e adventures (Trollhaunt and Demonqueen) are far better than anything WotC made during their 3.x era (perhaps except RHoD). Hence the improving.

Ah, touché on that one! You're right (on a technicality) re: TSR vs. WOTC. I haven't read (or played through) the Paragon tier adventures at all yet, so I can't honestly give an informed opinion.

And I'm certainly not pooh-poohing Goodman. I will continue to give them my dollars for Dungeon Crawl Classics--certainly before I'd buy another WotC adventure.

 

[Jhaelen]

Generally, I am using official adventures only as a starting point for creating my own adventures. I consider them more like a toolkit to grab ideas, maps and encounters from.

Many adventures I've played have been hardly recognizable after I adjusted them for use in my homegrown campaign.