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Flavour First vs Game First - a comparison
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<blockquote data-quote="LostSoul" data-source="post: 4472766" data-attributes="member: 386"><p>I expected there to be the examples of illogical monster behaviour contrived to protect the PCs and further the story, but I didn't find anything on a quick scan through. (I've played through it - finished last night - but I didn't always follow what the module said.) Let's go over things closer:</p><p></p><p>[sblock=Spoilers for KotS] <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">On the Road: Kobold Brigands: Not really possible here; the monsters are not acting illogically because there's no one else to ask for help.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A1: Kobold Ambush: It might be a little forced, the kobolds always finding the evidence of the PCs and ambushing them; but if you assume the module writers know the movements of the kobolds they will come across evidence of the PC's battle with the brigands.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A2: Kobold Lair, Outside: Here's the first example of some crap. "The first and second wave do not leave the cave except to pursue fleeing characters." (Talking about kobolds in the lair coming out to fight. I had them come out in my game.) Hey, if the kobolds are winning, Irontooth comes to clean up. If the kobolds are losing, they shore up their defenses. Makes sense. Maybe it's not the best tactical choice for them, but Irontooth only has Int 8.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A3: Kobold Lair, Inside: Irontooth needs 3 rounds to get ready. Maybe he needs to put on his armour or wake up or something. If they were warned by A2, he is ready.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A4: Burial Site: All good.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 1: Goblin Guard Room: "Once a third goblin falls, the survivor runs to Area 2 or 3 (whichever is closer) for help."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 2: Torture Chamber: Doesn't say either way. (It's not explicit that they run for help, but it's not explicit that they don't, either.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 3: Excavation Site: Doesn't say either way.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 4: Cheiftan's Lair: Balgron flees and will rally any survivors to ambush the PCs. Otherwise it doesn't say.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 5: Crypt of Shadows: The zombies remain inanimate until a rune is triggered. They're zombies!</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 6: Hidden Armoury: -</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 7: Skeletal Legion: This is a stupid encounter, though it could be fun to fight it out. The best explanation is that they crumble to dust if they leave the room, Orcus' power drained from them.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 8: Sir Keegan's Tomb: - If I were to play this again, I'd run the Skill Challenge side-by-side the combat encounter.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 9: The Maze of Caves: The dumb thing is that the ooze and rats fight together. It doesn't say they fight together, but it doesn't explicitly say they fight each other (as it does elsewhere in the module).</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 10: Kuthrik Lair: It makes sense that these guys would not help anyone out.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 11: The Water Cave: Why would he want to leave his home?</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Interlude Three: The Dead Attack: It talks about responding to this encounter based on what the PCs do/have done.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 12: Doesn't say either way. </li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 13: "...the creatures wait for 5 minutes and then follow the PCs, attacking the adventurers in the middle of another encounter when they are unprepared to deal with more enemies."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 14: "If the alarm sounds, they watch to see if intruders enter the area... then leap forth in ambush."</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 15: This is where it explicitly says the monsters will eat each other. Which is kinda stupid I guess, but then, so is a gelatinous cube. Nothing here has the brains or desire to help other monsters out - it would be stupid if it did.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 16: -</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 17: "The clay scout flees to warn Kalarel of the situation." "The creatures of this area, if not disposed of, pursue the PCs..." Huh. It even talks about how they interact with the traps in Area 16, and how the mindless zombies will ignore the danger but the ghoul will run around them.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 18: These guys are holding back the PCs until Kalarel can finish his ritual. That's either stupid or not depending on how things have turned out.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Area 19: There's no description of what happens when Kalarel finishes the ritual, or what holding the PCs back will mean. So that's kinda stupid.</li> </ul><p>[/sblock]</p><p></p><p>There are a few bad spots, but aside from the Irontooth encounter (and that's not illogical, not any more than Irontooth is) there aren't any examples of "these monsters never aid those monsters, no matter what."</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="LostSoul, post: 4472766, member: 386"] I expected there to be the examples of illogical monster behaviour contrived to protect the PCs and further the story, but I didn't find anything on a quick scan through. (I've played through it - finished last night - but I didn't always follow what the module said.) Let's go over things closer: [sblock=Spoilers for KotS][list][*]On the Road: Kobold Brigands: Not really possible here; the monsters are not acting illogically because there's no one else to ask for help. [*]A1: Kobold Ambush: It might be a little forced, the kobolds always finding the evidence of the PCs and ambushing them; but if you assume the module writers know the movements of the kobolds they will come across evidence of the PC's battle with the brigands. [*]A2: Kobold Lair, Outside: Here's the first example of some crap. "The first and second wave do not leave the cave except to pursue fleeing characters." (Talking about kobolds in the lair coming out to fight. I had them come out in my game.) Hey, if the kobolds are winning, Irontooth comes to clean up. If the kobolds are losing, they shore up their defenses. Makes sense. Maybe it's not the best tactical choice for them, but Irontooth only has Int 8. [*]A3: Kobold Lair, Inside: Irontooth needs 3 rounds to get ready. Maybe he needs to put on his armour or wake up or something. If they were warned by A2, he is ready. [*]A4: Burial Site: All good. [*]Area 1: Goblin Guard Room: "Once a third goblin falls, the survivor runs to Area 2 or 3 (whichever is closer) for help." [*]Area 2: Torture Chamber: Doesn't say either way. (It's not explicit that they run for help, but it's not explicit that they don't, either.) [*]Area 3: Excavation Site: Doesn't say either way. [*]Area 4: Cheiftan's Lair: Balgron flees and will rally any survivors to ambush the PCs. Otherwise it doesn't say. [*]Area 5: Crypt of Shadows: The zombies remain inanimate until a rune is triggered. They're zombies! [*]Area 6: Hidden Armoury: - [*]Area 7: Skeletal Legion: This is a stupid encounter, though it could be fun to fight it out. The best explanation is that they crumble to dust if they leave the room, Orcus' power drained from them. [*]Area 8: Sir Keegan's Tomb: - If I were to play this again, I'd run the Skill Challenge side-by-side the combat encounter. [*]Area 9: The Maze of Caves: The dumb thing is that the ooze and rats fight together. It doesn't say they fight together, but it doesn't explicitly say they fight each other (as it does elsewhere in the module). [*]Area 10: Kuthrik Lair: It makes sense that these guys would not help anyone out. [*]Area 11: The Water Cave: Why would he want to leave his home? [*]Interlude Three: The Dead Attack: It talks about responding to this encounter based on what the PCs do/have done. [*]Area 12: Doesn't say either way. [*]Area 13: "...the creatures wait for 5 minutes and then follow the PCs, attacking the adventurers in the middle of another encounter when they are unprepared to deal with more enemies." [*]Area 14: "If the alarm sounds, they watch to see if intruders enter the area... then leap forth in ambush." [*]Area 15: This is where it explicitly says the monsters will eat each other. Which is kinda stupid I guess, but then, so is a gelatinous cube. Nothing here has the brains or desire to help other monsters out - it would be stupid if it did. [*]Area 16: - [*]Area 17: "The clay scout flees to warn Kalarel of the situation." "The creatures of this area, if not disposed of, pursue the PCs..." Huh. It even talks about how they interact with the traps in Area 16, and how the mindless zombies will ignore the danger but the ghoul will run around them. [*]Area 18: These guys are holding back the PCs until Kalarel can finish his ritual. That's either stupid or not depending on how things have turned out. [*]Area 19: There's no description of what happens when Kalarel finishes the ritual, or what holding the PCs back will mean. So that's kinda stupid.[/list][/sblock] There are a few bad spots, but aside from the Irontooth encounter (and that's not illogical, not any more than Irontooth is) there aren't any examples of "these monsters never aid those monsters, no matter what." [/QUOTE]
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