Fane of the Drow - an ongoing review - Major Spoilers!

[Joshua Randall]

2. The description of the rooms/monsters. Sometimes there is an elaborate description except for the thing getting ready to eat your face!

This is not an error, but a deliberate design choice by WotC. If you look at the Dungeon magazine writer's guidelines, you will see it spelled out: room descriptions should not contain monster descriptions. Even if the monster is sitting in the center of the room, just waiting for the PCs to open the door.

When I am DM'ing that situation, I give the players a very brief description of the room focusing just on its physical size and any combat-relevant features and then switch immediately to the monster description.

Ex, "The door opens into a roughly 30-ft square room. There's a curtain obscuring the SW corner. As you open the door, a humanoid creature in the center of the room whirls to face you. He has a vaguely pig-like face with long tusks, and he's wearing dirty armor and carrying a falchion. Roll for initiative!"

 

[JoeGKushner]

This is not an error, but a deliberate design choice by WotC. If you look at the Dungeon magazine writer's guidelines, you will see it spelled out: room descriptions should not contain monster descriptions. Even if the monster is sitting in the center of the room, just waiting for the PCs to open the door.

When I am DM'ing that situation, I give the players a very brief description of the room focusing just on its physical size and any combat-relevant features and then switch immediately to the monster description.

Ex, "The door opens into a roughly 30-ft square room. There's a curtain obscuring the SW corner. As you open the door, a humanoid creature in the center of the room whirls to face you. He has a vaguely pig-like face with long tusks, and he's wearing dirty armor and carrying a falchion. Roll for initiative!"

that works when you know what the monster looks like but not when there is no description of the monster but a huge stat block with it's abilities.

 

[MerricB]

2. The description of the rooms/monsters. Sometimes there is an elaborate description except for the thing getting ready to eat your face! Second thing is that for some monsters that they included in the book for stats, they provide NO description at all. Bad WoTC! No cookie for you. I was looking at the Draegoth and wondering... is that the thing from Lords of Darkness? Gee, wish I had that book with me now!

Well, that's why you should have the miniature with you.

(Incidentally, it's in Monsters of Faerun.)

In general, I'm not even going to notice when stats are wrong. Send in John Cooper - that's what I say!

Although the Bloodweb leaders have not bad equipment, they (a) don't have plate armour, and (b) their poor physical stats work against them as well.

Okkar, with a +5 (1d8+1) attack, an AC of 18 and 24 hp is not CR 3. (Your standard CR 2 fighter in the DMG has 19 hp, AC 19 and +5 (1d8+2) attack. CR 3 is 27 hp, AC 21 and +6 (1d8+2)).

There could well be more of a case for the Shaman to be CR 3, though.

Fane is playable as written, but the set-up and linking sections benefit greatly from DM input.

Cheers!

 

[JoeGKushner]

Well, that's why you should have the miniature with you.

(Incidentally, it's in Monsters of Faerun.)

In general, I'm not even going to notice when stats are wrong. Send in John Cooper - that's what I say!

Although the Bloodweb leaders have not bad equipment, they (a) don't have plate armour, and (b) their poor physical stats work against them as well.

Okkar, with a +5 (1d8+1) attack, an AC of 18 and 24 hp is not CR 3. (Your standard CR 2 fighter in the DMG has 19 hp, AC 19 and +5 (1d8+2) attack. CR 3 is 27 hp, AC 21 and +6 (1d8+2)).

There could well be more of a case for the Shaman to be CR 3, though.

Fane is playable as written, but the set-up and linking sections benefit greatly from DM input.

Cheers!

But isn't that mini from the "upcoming" Underdark set, as were several others like the Spider Swarm? And then there was stuff from Harbringer mentioned in here as well. It was a good range of "suggested" miniatures but in no way feasible to own, especially for the casual collector.

 

[Ant]

Excellent review, Merric. Any chance of seeing how you converted this for Greyhawk, when you're done?

 

[MerricB]

But isn't that mini from the "upcoming" Underdark set, as were several others like the Spider Swarm? And then there was stuff from Harbringer mentioned in here as well. It was a good range of "suggested" miniatures but in no way feasible to own, especially for the casual collector.

That's why they're "suggested" miniatures, Joe.

Look at it this way: you could confine the suggested minis to only the last two sets, thus limiting severely the adventure's choice of monsters, or you could use minis from any set.

In the latter option, sure, many people will have to use proxies (as they do now). However, this product will be on the shelves 12 months from now, when the two sets it was made for are *long* gone... so using only recent sets isn't an option, either.

Cheers!

 

[Truth Seeker]

By chance, is this the scenario to be used for the International Gaming D&D day?

 

[JoeGKushner]

That's why they're "suggested" miniatures, Joe.

Look at it this way: you could confine the suggested minis to only the last two sets, thus limiting severely the adventure's choice of monsters, or you could use minis from any set.

In the latter option, sure, many people will have to use proxies (as they do now). However, this product will be on the shelves 12 months from now, when the two sets it was made for are *long* gone... so using only recent sets isn't an option, either.

Cheers!

Good counter points my optimist counter part!

One thing I'd love to see WoTC do, is have some type of 'alliance' if you will with say Reaper and keep their suggested miniatures, but throw in a line about which Reaper miniatures would be appropriate as well.

 

[MerricB]

Good counter points my optimist counter part!

One thing I'd love to see WoTC do, is have some type of 'alliance' if you will with say Reaper and keep their suggested miniatures, but throw in a line about which Reaper miniatures would be appropriate as well.

Would be nice, but it seems unlikely.

Oh well.

Joe, have you run Fane yet?

Cheers!

 

[MerricB]

By chance, is this the scenario to be used for the International Gaming D&D day?

I don't know. It certainly uses the Fane map, but whether it is that section of the adventure or a different adventure I don't know.

Cheers!