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<blockquote data-quote="Rune" data-source="post: 7328936" data-attributes="member: 67"><p><strong>Judgement for IRON DM 2017 Championship Match: Deuce Traveler vs. Gradine</strong></p><p></p><p>I don’t think we could have gotten two entries more starkly different in tone, style, and structure. And they’re both <em>really</em> good! I’m not really sure where to begin in examining the adventures, so...</p><p></p><p><strong>I’ll just start with the ingredients:</strong></p><p></p><p>I may seem a bit harsher than usual here, so I want to emphasize that I consider this list to probably be the toughest set I’ve ever put forth. The length of the list contributes to this, of course, but there are some other factors. </p><p></p><p>To begin with, astute (or even just literate) observers will note that two of the ingredients are composed of made-up words. These are meant to draw on the contestants’ abilities to creatively interpret them, but the words aren’t entirely meaningless; their components suggest one or more definitions. </p><p></p><p>Another two ingredients are superficially mundane, but have high potential for thematic application. That sets up the possibility for the authors to play with different layers for the ingredients. So that’s fun. </p><p></p><p>Finally, the blending of mundane ingredients with far more fantastic ingredients can also be quite tricky, because it is very difficult to give the former the same prominence that the latter naturally evoke. Mundane objects complicate this, because they can very easily be turned into Macguffins in the process of giving them prominence. </p><p></p><p><strong>Velvet Glove.</strong> This one checks a couple of those boxes. On its surface, it is a mundane object – and both entries use it as such. In “Foxes in the Hen House” (“Foxes”), the glove is part of a pair that allowed the hypersensitive Liam to physically interact with the world (and later become a sacrifice). Interestingly, their importance is complicated by being a necessary part of the PC’s ruse, which guarantees that they remain relevant to the PC. Of course, there’s no real reason Liam needed to be hypersensitive in the first place, but it works. </p><p></p><p>“A Guilty Dance” (“Dance”) uses the ingredient as a physical representation of Skallagrim’s leadership style, which echos the colloquialism whence the ingredient comes. However, the significance of the rulership style never really manifests noticeably in the adventure; instead of hanging the ingredient over the PCs throughout by making a theme of it (except where it falls into the general theme of wearing a polished veneer over a brutally uncivilized nature), it gets lost in the background among the other themes of the adventure. The ingredient is strengthened somewhat by also being a physical indicator that something is amiss with Skallar’s return. All in all, though, it never has the direct relevance to the PCs that the ingredient maintains throughout “Foxes.”</p><p></p><p><strong>Delusionist.</strong> What is a delusionist, anyway? The suffix, -ist, converts a noun into a person who believes or practices that thing. What sets a delusion apart from an illusion is that the conviction with which it is held stands against superior contrary evidence, whereas an illusion creates belief based on inaccurate, incomplete, and/or misleading information. </p><p></p><p>In “Foxes,” the mentalist/hypnotist is more an illusionist than a practitioner of delusions. Other than providing the adventure with a wild card, these skills never manifest with much relevance in the adventure. Even his sacrifice seems only tangentially related, as it requires Jenson (or a doppelgänger duplicate) to mar his appearance. </p><p></p><p>Interestingly, “Dance” gives us a believer in delusions whose delusions seem accurate (but that, in itself, does not mean they aren’t delusions). This ingredient is very much the crux of the adventure; it moves the action and creates a lot of the conflict – and complicates all of it. Skallagrim’s delusions should definitely be apparent and whispered at among the courtiers to be played to full effect. The PCs will never know what to believe, so they pretty much have to find out for themselves. Well done. </p><p></p><p><strong>Doppelgängers’ Masquerade.</strong> Other than as a manifestation of the ongoing civility-masking-savagery theme, there doesn’t seem to be much reason in “Dance” for the social gathering to be a masquerade. The addition of the doppelgängers does add an exciting (and horrifying) dimension to it, though. It works as an ingredient and it definitely makes the adventure more fun. </p><p></p><p>“Foxes” builds the ingredient into the premise for the entire adventure. This is an inherently stronger use for it and makes it the entry’s strongest. </p><p></p><p><strong>Untrue Resurrection.</strong> This is kind of a theme in “Foxes,” in that the doppelgängers perform their own untrue resurrections on the people they murder, but the whole point of the adventure (for the villain, Alistair), is to perform a ritual that will resurrect him into immortality – but this ritual is doomed from the very beginning to fail and turn Alistair into a twisted undead! Clever and fun! </p><p></p><p>On the other side, “Dance” provides a doppelgänger version of Skallar. This spurs the PCs into a portion of their adventure and is clearly relevant, but suffers from the fact that nobody but Skallagrim actually knows that Skallar is dead in the first place (and that includes the doppelgänger portraying Skallar). It works, but it just can’t compete with “Foxes.”</p><p></p><p><strong>Coastal Cliff.</strong> Neither entry uses this ingredient especially well. Both set their adventures in structures upon it. “Dance” leaves it at that. “Foxes” at least hinges the finale on it, even though any other type of destruction would have worked just as well. Still, as an impending doom, the ingredient looms over the entire adventure, so that’s really not bad. </p><p></p><p><strong>Charity.</strong> This one is another seemingly mundane ingredient with heavy thematic overtones. Both entries opt to just use the mundane interpretation. </p><p></p><p>In “Dance,” this further fleshes out the civil facade-themes of the adventure by being attached to the masquerade. But its relevance to the adventure past that point is entirely nonexistent. </p><p></p><p>“Foxes” uses the ingredient as one of the keys to the inheritance. Interestingly, it is the only sacrifice that is made in advance of the adventure (and willfully, at that) – assuming Evangeline hasn’t been replaced by a doppelgänger. It certainly isn’t central to the adventure, but is still stronger than “Dance.”</p><p></p><p><strong>Un-coordinates.</strong> Another made-up word. This one is a little more difficult to infer a definition for, because coordinates has different meanings on its own. On one hand, un-coordinates might refer to a location that doesn’t exist, like some place outside of space and time, or somewhere that’s been devoured by the Nothing. On the other hand, it might refer to the act of unravelling a coordinated effort. Or something. </p><p></p><p>In “Dance,” we have a location that is a secret, which is a bit of a stretch, but given the fact that the ingredient doesn’t have a real definition, I’ll take it. The problem is, the secretive nature of the location doesn’t really play a role in the adventure (other than to keep anyone from finding it in Part 1 and to make sure no one from the PCs’ homeland can rescue them if they are imprisoned).</p><p></p><p>Whereas, I’m not even sure what is supposed to qualify in “Foxes.” It could be the property that is doomed to sink into the sea. Or the deed to same. </p><p></p><p>A stronger use is, I think, unintended (based on the complete lack of references to it), but my policy is not to care if something is intended or not – only whether or not it is present. In this case, the PC has an inherent role as a disruptor of Alistair’s carefully laid – and coordinated – plans for his ritual. And this un-coordination is something that the PC is engaging in (knowingly or not) throughout the whole adventure. Intentional or not, it is a very strong use of the ingredient. </p><p></p><p><strong>Mindless Drone.</strong> In “Foxes,” this is the intelligence-sapping noise in the library. As with all of the sacrifices, it has some direct relevance to the PC and the adventure, but, also as with all of the sacrifices, the thing that each NPC holds most dear is pretty arbitrary – and, hence, replaceable. But it does make for a fun and colorful scene. (Slight tangent, here, while I’m thinking about it: I find it curious how some of the sacrifices are <em>much</em> worse than others; there is a big difference between intentionally losing a chess game vs. being permanently <em>feebleminded</em>!)</p><p></p><p>In “Dance,” the mindless drone is the bone golem. The encounter (or lack thereof) is amusing and likely to be memorable, but it really doesn’t have much of a reason for being down in the crypts in the first place. It does serve as a guardian of Skallagrim’s secret, but who made it? How does Skallagrim know how to bypass it? Whatever the answers to those questions, the adventure would be richer with them. I don’t think it is a particularly strong ingredient, but I do think it is a little more relevant to the PCs. </p><p></p><p><strong>And what of the adventures?</strong></p><p></p><p>The first thing I noted as I was reading them was how enjoyable that was (it isn’t always!). I kept getting reminded of literary (and other) influences and that kept making me wonder how much I would pick up as a player. “Foxes” has a healthy dose of <em>The Fall of the House of Usher</em>, a hint of Agatha Christie, with maybe a sprinkling of dinner theater thrown in. </p><p></p><p>“Dance” reminded me strongly of an Icelandic family saga, with a bit of <em>Hamlet</em> thrown in for good measure. And, of course, I couldn’t help but think of Durlag’s Tower from that Baldur’s Gate expansion. </p><p></p><p>Two completely different tones that make for two very entertaining adventures. They both offer quite a lot for the PCs to do, although much of the potential is implicit, which is probably more a byproduct of the word-limit than anything else. </p><p></p><p>Let’s look at some of the implications, though:</p><p></p><p>I’ll start with “Dance.” We are given the pieces of a potentially horrifying jigsaw puzzle and then set loose to see what picture emerges. </p><p></p><p>First, there’s Skallagrim, whose paranoia is justified and accurate, even while his perception can’t be trusted. Then, there’s the political adversaries, each a faction in their own right – and each susceptible to being replaced by a doppelgänger at any time. There’s the ghosts in the crypt – ghosts whose restless nature only validates Skallagrim’s guilt. I like to think that their pleading is for vengeance to be delivered upon Skallagrim. </p><p></p><p>Finally, there’s the doppelgängers, who have plenty of time by the climax to infiltrate any faction that they please. And then the Masquerade becomes a gruesome kind of Danse Macabre – chaotic and, if I’m seeing the emergent jigsaw-picture properly, horrifying. </p><p></p><p>“Foxes” keeps the doppelgänger-related intrigue much tighter in scope, but no less present. In fact, despite any kind of explicit reference, the adventure strongly implies that the PC will be body-swapping throughout the adventure, so much of the adventure will be figuring out how to open the locks that are attuned to the various meat-puppets (or letting them live long enough to figure it out themselves) while also isolating/allying with/murdering the other doppelgänger. All while avoiding detection, of course. Complex, but very compelling. </p><p></p><p>Both of these adventures would be tremendously memorable. </p><p></p><p>The hooks are a bit unusual, though. In “Dance,” the entire first part essentially serves as an extended hook – and by “extended,” I mean “likely a large chunk of the campaign needs to be devoted to setting up the adventure” (although it need not all be done at once). This has the potential to pay off in a big way, but it also means that adaptability takes a hit. </p><p></p><p>Meanwhile, “Foxes” has so unusual and specific a premise that it may as well be called out as a one-shot. The lack of reward kind of supports this, too. A deed to a mysterious locale nobody knows about might be fodder for a future adventure, but it makes for a somewhat unsatisfying reward in its own right. Then there’s the deed to the mansion that’s about to sink into the sea. In a one-shot, it’s easier to take a step back, consider all of the horrible things your character did to get to this point and say, “Yeah. It makes sense that I get screwed, here.” They aren’t material rewards; they’re <em>just</em> rewards.</p><p></p><p>The fact that it is a solo adventure makes it, perhaps, even more useable as a fill-in game; just pull it out when most of the group cancels for reasons. And, actually, I think it could work with a full-sized group if the GM did a kind of <em>How to Host a Murder</em> -type thing – assigning the players to various NPCs (keeping one or two as doppelgängers, of course).</p><p></p><p><strong>Conclusion:</strong></p><p></p><p>Ultimately, I find these adventures incomparable. They both excel at what the set out to do and neither has any glaring flaws. The judgement, therefore, must rest on the ingredients. </p><p></p><p>And “Foxes” clearly wins in that department. “Dance” has some good interpretations and ties them in pretty well. Against many an entry that would be enough. But what Gradine has managed to do with a very tough set of ingredients is present them in a relatively loose weave that is held together with a few strong threads that are present and relevant from start to finish. </p><p></p><p>Deuce Traveler, I don’t think this is your very best entry, but that’s only because I’ve seen you put up some truly magical stuff. This is still A-game material; it just happens that, this time, Gradine’s A-game edged it out. Which is something I’ve never accomplished (in three attempts), by the way. </p><p></p><p>I have no business offering you advice, so I won’t. The truth is, you are certainly the most accomplished player of this modern era, and possibly of all time. Even Vaxalon’s undefeated tournament record of 3-0 comes with an asterisk. No, <em>I</em> should probably be seeking advice from <em>you</em>, instead. Maybe next year, if we can coerce you into judging. </p><p></p><p>To all of the others out there who might think of these veterans as unassailable, I offer the following as a reminder that we all started from scratch:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I am pleased to be vindicated in that assessment. Congratulations to Gradine, who defeats the defending champion to become <em>the</em> IRON DM 2017!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Rune, post: 7328936, member: 67"] [b]Judgement for IRON DM 2017 Championship Match: Deuce Traveler vs. Gradine[/b] I don’t think we could have gotten two entries more starkly different in tone, style, and structure. And they’re both [i]really[/i] good! I’m not really sure where to begin in examining the adventures, so... [b]I’ll just start with the ingredients:[/b] I may seem a bit harsher than usual here, so I want to emphasize that I consider this list to probably be the toughest set I’ve ever put forth. The length of the list contributes to this, of course, but there are some other factors. To begin with, astute (or even just literate) observers will note that two of the ingredients are composed of made-up words. These are meant to draw on the contestants’ abilities to creatively interpret them, but the words aren’t entirely meaningless; their components suggest one or more definitions. Another two ingredients are superficially mundane, but have high potential for thematic application. That sets up the possibility for the authors to play with different layers for the ingredients. So that’s fun. Finally, the blending of mundane ingredients with far more fantastic ingredients can also be quite tricky, because it is very difficult to give the former the same prominence that the latter naturally evoke. Mundane objects complicate this, because they can very easily be turned into Macguffins in the process of giving them prominence. [b]Velvet Glove.[/b] This one checks a couple of those boxes. On its surface, it is a mundane object – and both entries use it as such. In “Foxes in the Hen House” (“Foxes”), the glove is part of a pair that allowed the hypersensitive Liam to physically interact with the world (and later become a sacrifice). Interestingly, their importance is complicated by being a necessary part of the PC’s ruse, which guarantees that they remain relevant to the PC. Of course, there’s no real reason Liam needed to be hypersensitive in the first place, but it works. “A Guilty Dance” (“Dance”) uses the ingredient as a physical representation of Skallagrim’s leadership style, which echos the colloquialism whence the ingredient comes. However, the significance of the rulership style never really manifests noticeably in the adventure; instead of hanging the ingredient over the PCs throughout by making a theme of it (except where it falls into the general theme of wearing a polished veneer over a brutally uncivilized nature), it gets lost in the background among the other themes of the adventure. The ingredient is strengthened somewhat by also being a physical indicator that something is amiss with Skallar’s return. All in all, though, it never has the direct relevance to the PCs that the ingredient maintains throughout “Foxes.” [b]Delusionist.[/b] What is a delusionist, anyway? The suffix, -ist, converts a noun into a person who believes or practices that thing. What sets a delusion apart from an illusion is that the conviction with which it is held stands against superior contrary evidence, whereas an illusion creates belief based on inaccurate, incomplete, and/or misleading information. In “Foxes,” the mentalist/hypnotist is more an illusionist than a practitioner of delusions. Other than providing the adventure with a wild card, these skills never manifest with much relevance in the adventure. Even his sacrifice seems only tangentially related, as it requires Jenson (or a doppelgänger duplicate) to mar his appearance. Interestingly, “Dance” gives us a believer in delusions whose delusions seem accurate (but that, in itself, does not mean they aren’t delusions). This ingredient is very much the crux of the adventure; it moves the action and creates a lot of the conflict – and complicates all of it. Skallagrim’s delusions should definitely be apparent and whispered at among the courtiers to be played to full effect. The PCs will never know what to believe, so they pretty much have to find out for themselves. Well done. [b]Doppelgängers’ Masquerade.[/b] Other than as a manifestation of the ongoing civility-masking-savagery theme, there doesn’t seem to be much reason in “Dance” for the social gathering to be a masquerade. The addition of the doppelgängers does add an exciting (and horrifying) dimension to it, though. It works as an ingredient and it definitely makes the adventure more fun. “Foxes” builds the ingredient into the premise for the entire adventure. This is an inherently stronger use for it and makes it the entry’s strongest. [b]Untrue Resurrection.[/b] This is kind of a theme in “Foxes,” in that the doppelgängers perform their own untrue resurrections on the people they murder, but the whole point of the adventure (for the villain, Alistair), is to perform a ritual that will resurrect him into immortality – but this ritual is doomed from the very beginning to fail and turn Alistair into a twisted undead! Clever and fun! On the other side, “Dance” provides a doppelgänger version of Skallar. This spurs the PCs into a portion of their adventure and is clearly relevant, but suffers from the fact that nobody but Skallagrim actually knows that Skallar is dead in the first place (and that includes the doppelgänger portraying Skallar). It works, but it just can’t compete with “Foxes.” [B]Coastal Cliff.[/b] Neither entry uses this ingredient especially well. Both set their adventures in structures upon it. “Dance” leaves it at that. “Foxes” at least hinges the finale on it, even though any other type of destruction would have worked just as well. Still, as an impending doom, the ingredient looms over the entire adventure, so that’s really not bad. [b]Charity.[/B] This one is another seemingly mundane ingredient with heavy thematic overtones. Both entries opt to just use the mundane interpretation. In “Dance,” this further fleshes out the civil facade-themes of the adventure by being attached to the masquerade. But its relevance to the adventure past that point is entirely nonexistent. “Foxes” uses the ingredient as one of the keys to the inheritance. Interestingly, it is the only sacrifice that is made in advance of the adventure (and willfully, at that) – assuming Evangeline hasn’t been replaced by a doppelgänger. It certainly isn’t central to the adventure, but is still stronger than “Dance.” [b]Un-coordinates.[/b] Another made-up word. This one is a little more difficult to infer a definition for, because coordinates has different meanings on its own. On one hand, un-coordinates might refer to a location that doesn’t exist, like some place outside of space and time, or somewhere that’s been devoured by the Nothing. On the other hand, it might refer to the act of unravelling a coordinated effort. Or something. In “Dance,” we have a location that is a secret, which is a bit of a stretch, but given the fact that the ingredient doesn’t have a real definition, I’ll take it. The problem is, the secretive nature of the location doesn’t really play a role in the adventure (other than to keep anyone from finding it in Part 1 and to make sure no one from the PCs’ homeland can rescue them if they are imprisoned). Whereas, I’m not even sure what is supposed to qualify in “Foxes.” It could be the property that is doomed to sink into the sea. Or the deed to same. A stronger use is, I think, unintended (based on the complete lack of references to it), but my policy is not to care if something is intended or not – only whether or not it is present. In this case, the PC has an inherent role as a disruptor of Alistair’s carefully laid – and coordinated – plans for his ritual. And this un-coordination is something that the PC is engaging in (knowingly or not) throughout the whole adventure. Intentional or not, it is a very strong use of the ingredient. [b]Mindless Drone.[/b] In “Foxes,” this is the intelligence-sapping noise in the library. As with all of the sacrifices, it has some direct relevance to the PC and the adventure, but, also as with all of the sacrifices, the thing that each NPC holds most dear is pretty arbitrary – and, hence, replaceable. But it does make for a fun and colorful scene. (Slight tangent, here, while I’m thinking about it: I find it curious how some of the sacrifices are [i]much[/i] worse than others; there is a big difference between intentionally losing a chess game vs. being permanently [i]feebleminded[/i]!) In “Dance,” the mindless drone is the bone golem. The encounter (or lack thereof) is amusing and likely to be memorable, but it really doesn’t have much of a reason for being down in the crypts in the first place. It does serve as a guardian of Skallagrim’s secret, but who made it? How does Skallagrim know how to bypass it? Whatever the answers to those questions, the adventure would be richer with them. I don’t think it is a particularly strong ingredient, but I do think it is a little more relevant to the PCs. [b]And what of the adventures?[/b] The first thing I noted as I was reading them was how enjoyable that was (it isn’t always!). I kept getting reminded of literary (and other) influences and that kept making me wonder how much I would pick up as a player. “Foxes” has a healthy dose of [i]The Fall of the House of Usher[/i], a hint of Agatha Christie, with maybe a sprinkling of dinner theater thrown in. “Dance” reminded me strongly of an Icelandic family saga, with a bit of [i]Hamlet[/i] thrown in for good measure. And, of course, I couldn’t help but think of Durlag’s Tower from that Baldur’s Gate expansion. Two completely different tones that make for two very entertaining adventures. They both offer quite a lot for the PCs to do, although much of the potential is implicit, which is probably more a byproduct of the word-limit than anything else. Let’s look at some of the implications, though: I’ll start with “Dance.” We are given the pieces of a potentially horrifying jigsaw puzzle and then set loose to see what picture emerges. First, there’s Skallagrim, whose paranoia is justified and accurate, even while his perception can’t be trusted. Then, there’s the political adversaries, each a faction in their own right – and each susceptible to being replaced by a doppelgänger at any time. There’s the ghosts in the crypt – ghosts whose restless nature only validates Skallagrim’s guilt. I like to think that their pleading is for vengeance to be delivered upon Skallagrim. Finally, there’s the doppelgängers, who have plenty of time by the climax to infiltrate any faction that they please. And then the Masquerade becomes a gruesome kind of Danse Macabre – chaotic and, if I’m seeing the emergent jigsaw-picture properly, horrifying. “Foxes” keeps the doppelgänger-related intrigue much tighter in scope, but no less present. In fact, despite any kind of explicit reference, the adventure strongly implies that the PC will be body-swapping throughout the adventure, so much of the adventure will be figuring out how to open the locks that are attuned to the various meat-puppets (or letting them live long enough to figure it out themselves) while also isolating/allying with/murdering the other doppelgänger. All while avoiding detection, of course. Complex, but very compelling. Both of these adventures would be tremendously memorable. The hooks are a bit unusual, though. In “Dance,” the entire first part essentially serves as an extended hook – and by “extended,” I mean “likely a large chunk of the campaign needs to be devoted to setting up the adventure” (although it need not all be done at once). This has the potential to pay off in a big way, but it also means that adaptability takes a hit. Meanwhile, “Foxes” has so unusual and specific a premise that it may as well be called out as a one-shot. The lack of reward kind of supports this, too. A deed to a mysterious locale nobody knows about might be fodder for a future adventure, but it makes for a somewhat unsatisfying reward in its own right. Then there’s the deed to the mansion that’s about to sink into the sea. In a one-shot, it’s easier to take a step back, consider all of the horrible things your character did to get to this point and say, “Yeah. It makes sense that I get screwed, here.” They aren’t material rewards; they’re [i]just[/i] rewards. The fact that it is a solo adventure makes it, perhaps, even more useable as a fill-in game; just pull it out when most of the group cancels for reasons. And, actually, I think it could work with a full-sized group if the GM did a kind of [i]How to Host a Murder[/i] -type thing – assigning the players to various NPCs (keeping one or two as doppelgängers, of course). [b]Conclusion:[/b] Ultimately, I find these adventures incomparable. They both excel at what the set out to do and neither has any glaring flaws. The judgement, therefore, must rest on the ingredients. And “Foxes” clearly wins in that department. “Dance” has some good interpretations and ties them in pretty well. Against many an entry that would be enough. But what Gradine has managed to do with a very tough set of ingredients is present them in a relatively loose weave that is held together with a few strong threads that are present and relevant from start to finish. Deuce Traveler, I don’t think this is your very best entry, but that’s only because I’ve seen you put up some truly magical stuff. This is still A-game material; it just happens that, this time, Gradine’s A-game edged it out. Which is something I’ve never accomplished (in three attempts), by the way. I have no business offering you advice, so I won’t. The truth is, you are certainly the most accomplished player of this modern era, and possibly of all time. Even Vaxalon’s undefeated tournament record of 3-0 comes with an asterisk. No, [i]I[/i] should probably be seeking advice from [i]you[/i], instead. Maybe next year, if we can coerce you into judging. To all of the others out there who might think of these veterans as unassailable, I offer the following as a reminder that we all started from scratch: I am pleased to be vindicated in that assessment. Congratulations to Gradine, who defeats the defending champion to become [i]the[/i] IRON DM 2017! [/QUOTE]
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