Dungeon 163: Beyond the Mottled Tower

[Nikosandros]

Check page 47 - one big treasure trove of 4,000 gp and magic items of 13, 14 & 16.

Still seems light.

It looks like there is a consistent problem with treasure parcels in published adventures...

 

[deleteme123456]

Perhaps the community could write a wiki (laden with spoiler warnings) to summarize/simplify the plot, and to indicate where it would make sense to add extra parcels to balance. I mean for the adventure path as a whole, not just for this adventure. For instance, I'm considering running this starting around 7th level or so, because I'm getting annoyed / disappointed by the H1-3 modules, and this looks way more interesting. So I need some way to write the PCs into the story so far, and then hope that minor details I've omitted don't come back to be hugely important later. At least I have a couple months before we wrap up our current campaign, so there should be a few more articles out to work with.

 

[Stoat]

Meh.

I'm not impressed with the "dungeon of rooms connected by teleporters." WotC has run one too many adventures using that schtick or something functionally the same in the last few months.

 

[Neil Bishop]

(snip) I kind of see it like the 3 blind men and the elephant... no one is creating the big picture of the elephant, just a trunk, a tail and a leg. There's a sense the individual contributors aren't 100% clued in to the whole story. (snip)

Exactly. Nobody is seeing the elephant. Who is the person-in-charge?

FourthBear's comments and criticisms are spot on. Megan Swiftblade (surely someone could have come up with a more creative name as well?) is just --wrong--.

I think I understand now why WotC initially refused to release a synopsis of the campaign: one hadn't been written!

All criticisms aside, the electronic format means that the adventures could easily be revised. Keep all the stat blocks etc... but have a "gatekeeper" look again at the story issues and tidy them up. Otherwise, contract out the next adventure path to Paizo so that it is done right.

 

[Nebulous]

Whoa. Check out "Shadow Attack" the BBEG has at the end. Sweet. PCs are gonna hate that for the first time (and each additional recharge).

 

[Caliber]

Perhaps the community could write a wiki (laden with spoiler warnings) to summarize/simplify the plot, and to indicate where it would make sense to add extra parcels to balance. I mean for the adventure path as a whole, not just for this adventure. For instance, I'm considering running this starting around 7th level or so, because I'm getting annoyed / disappointed by the H1-3 modules, and this looks way more interesting. So I need some way to write the PCs into the story so far, and then hope that minor details I've omitted don't come back to be hugely important later. At least I have a couple months before we wrap up our current campaign, so there should be a few more articles out to work with.

This an awesome idea. I've been keeping an eye out for any suggestions from other DMs further into the path than me on ways to streamline/enhance the plot but it is frustratingly hit-or-miss. Advice on sticking to the recommended wealth guidelines would be a major boon as well. Anyone have some thoughts on getting one going?

 

[Nikosandros]

I think I understand now why WotC initially refused to release a synopsis of the campaign: one hadn't been written!

That's exactly what I, and others, thought back then when we had the discussion about the lack of a published synopsis and the lame motivations that were given for it...

 

[deleteme123456]

I'm more worried about the close blast 5 -> two failed saves = petrified. Esp. since if my math is right, a level 12 character with 12 initial (now 13) CON, 8 str (i.e., a wizard; maybe an artful rogue) and only a +2 neck slot item is hit on a 3 by the attack. With no bonuses to the save, you fail two saves about 20% of the time; a +1 bonus (human pers.) makes that 16%. So you have a 1 in 5 chance of taking each PC hit by this attack (close blast 5!) completely out of the fight? And this is already a level +4 encounter... I would almost certainly take the sidebar's advice and split this into two encounters.

On the other hand I just searched the AV and found Oil of Flesh Returned. Reskin that to fit this adventure and give out a few before the final encounter.

 

[Hellzon]

On another note:

Spoiler

Heeey, a centaur. Not very inspiring, though.

 

[Admiral Caine]

Interesting.

Ari M. (Mouseferatu) posted here on EnWorld that he had seen the Scales of War story bible, confirming that the document does in fact exist. He as the author of one of the chapters.

He couldn't comment on the contents, of course, as a freelancer. However I have no reason not to take him at his word (and I do in fact believe him).

I also don't refute any post in this thread. What I find interesting is reconciling the fact that there is a central plot and story bible, and yet the Quality Control on Scales Of War seems to be very intermittant- especially as evidenced by the posts in this thread.

I wonder if there is a Primary Editor for Scales of War, or are the editing chores being passed around to different people too?

I'm a Paizo fan and subscriber as well as a 4E subscriber, and I know that Paizo APs have had their share of issues too. I'm not blind to that. I do see James Jacobs putting a lot time and passion into making the Paizo APs as cohesive as possible, mistakes notwithstanding. James and Wes S. step up to the plate when the AP is messed up.

What I don't see from WOTC is anybody stepping forward and saying "As far as Scales of War is concerned, the Buck Stops Here. I'm the Editor overseeing the whole AP, and the freelancers report to me."

Whoever that Editor is, he/she remains behind the curtains- or there is no such person at all.

If WOTC staff read this, if there is such an Editor, I wish they would come out and speak about SoW. It won't be fun or easy, but I think it would be an opportunity to act with integrity and possibly get more people interested in making SoW live up to its potential.