Dungeon Editorial: Valley of Chaos?

[Imaro]

*cough* Sunless Citadel, Forgotten Forge *cough*

what does 3.x have to do with this? I'm talking about 4e... besides with Paizo in charge of Dungeon, I had an alternate source for my adventures then... but again I'm not understanding the relevance??

 

[Derulbaskul]

Eh, in all honesty this seems like clever marketing spin for what WotC has done for most of their 4e adventures anyway... a string of encounters with only the barest of narrative to tie them together and give the PC's a reason to go through them. I mean even many to most of their published modules (outside of Dungeon magazine) have been this way and they've already published a book of dungeon delves. If anything I would say this style of "adventure" is over represented in WotC material. (snip)

I think you speak the truth.

A string of encounters seems to be their forte: I don't think story, plot, narrative etc... are core skills at WotC judging by what they have published to date.

Frankly, I would prefer that something akin to the delve model be used for all adventures: give me the background, synopsis, maps (I love maps) and three key encounters with stat blocks and let me fill in the rest. I suspect that most wouldn't like that.

Anyway, I love the idea of Caves of Chaos.

 

[gribble]

If anything I would say this style of "adventure" is over represented in WotC material.

Couldn't agree more.

While I'll reserve judgement on the Caves until we see the final product, when I read that each "cave" will be between one and three encounters my heart sank. The last thing I want to see in Dungeon is just a bunch of delves with a flimsy story linking them.

So it sounds like Dungeon is going to become Savage Tide AP + delves + articles... I'd much prefer the Paizo model of 3 adventues (one of which is an AP) with an article or two.

 

[Rechan]

what does 3.x have to do with this? I'm talking about 4e... besides with Paizo in charge of Dungeon, I had an alternate source for my adventures then... but again I'm not understanding the relevance??

That this is nothing new? It's something WotC has been doing for 10 years - giving the loosest plot to facilitate combat encounters.

 

[darjr]

The point is that it is not a 'string' of encounters but a set of encounters with many different ways to go about them and push the 'story' forward by the players.

The AP's are a whole, pretty much take them or leave them or you have to butcher them to use significant chunks. Pulling small cool things out is always neat.

The setting ties them together, not plot. It shouldn't be a collection of unrelated encounters like the delve book.

 

[Imaro]

That this is nothing new? It's something WotC has been doing for 10 years - giving the loosest plot to facilitate combat encounters.

Where do I claim it's new? If anything this editorial seems to be trying to promote the same old thing as something new, innovative and edgy.

 

[crash_beedo]

4E Sandbox via the 'Caves of Chaos'? Count me in! This was a great idea. And it starts next month!

Between Dungeon Delve, the encounters in Open Grave, Draconomicon, "Caves of Chaos" in Dungeon, and future books that will feature delve encounters, and a DM will have a huge selection to speed a long a 4E sandbox.

 

[Zaukrie]

This is a good idea. Actually, everything in that editorial is a good idea.

Of course, I'd like more articles in general, but this is a good start.

 

[LostSoul]

I would like to see them include elements to make the Valley of Chaos more of a strategic undertaking.

Connections and conflicts between tribes, multiple points of ingress, elements within the caves that will change the situation (such as "The Axe of the Orcish Lords"), etc.

They also need to deal with extended rests so that PCs don't just hit the first encounter and blow all their daily powers, then head back to town, then come back and hit the next room, repeat until the whole place is done. Dynamic encounters - where each one has the possibility to attract more - would work; that means also that stealth and diplomacy might work wonders.

 

[darjr]

I would like to see them include elements to make the Valley of Chaos more of a strategic undertaking.

Connections and conflicts between tribes, multiple points of ingress, elements within the caves that will change the situation (such as "The Axe of the Orcish Lords"), etc.

They also need to deal with extended rests so that PCs don't just hit the first encounter and blow all their daily powers, then head back to town, then come back and hit the next room, repeat until the whole place is done. Dynamic encounters - where each one has the possibility to attract more - would work; that means also that stealth and diplomacy might work wonders.

I hope WotC is reading that.

That sounds awesome... tricky... but awesome.

It probably wouldn't take much. I wonder if adding more of this to B2 would be an interesting project?