Keep on the Shadowfell preview

[Fiendish Dire Weasel]

I'm a little disturbed by of the 5 PCs, 3 are "Good" and 2 are "Lawful Good". It seems like they fiddled with Alignment since the DDXP characters maybe?

Also, looking the Half-Elf Cleric over, I can only say that it looks like they messed up his sheet or we totally don't understand what the racial bonuses are for them. These sheets stated the human bonuses of +1 defenses, extra feat and extra at-will power (and notes they're already added), but the half elf only seems to get +1 group diplomacy and racial skill bonuses.

I believe Paladin Divine Challenge damage is 3+Cha (5+Wis seems less likley).

Both the Fighter and Paladin Challenge/Marking things seem adjusted (discussed elsewhere).

The Cleric is very poorly built it seems. He has an amazing melee-based Encounter power, but his melee sucks and his at-wills are both Wis-based ranged attacks (a fantastic healing-oriented daily and we finally see the ubiquitous Cure Light Wounds).

 

[hong]

I was referring to the fact that you're able to "shift" *any* monster/NPC, regardless of its INT. Why would an iron golem or bulette even *care* about trying to dodge a dagger?

And yet, iron golems and bulettes gain Dex bonus to AC.

 

[pukunui]

Instant Level-Ups? I'm looking at you, MMORPGs/CRPGs. Does the adventure include some nice melodies that the DM can play whenever that happens? Or Quest Cards that you can hand out saying: "LEVEL UP: You heal to your maximum HPs and all your spent powers are restored. Refer to PHB to pick your new abilities." ;P

How are you reading "... notes where characters may have leveled up ..." as "instant level up"? Don't forget that this adventure has pregenerated characters with pregenerated level increases. If you're using them, you don't get to pick anything out of the PHB. You just get what's written in the quick start guide, so leveling up isn't as big a deal really.

 

[Nom]

Dragonborn Str 18, Con 12, Dex 10, Int 11, Wis 13, Cha 16
Rogue Str 12, Con 13, Dex 18, Int 11, Wis 10, Cha 16

Those both add up to 32 using the point-buy Totoro came up with (Method B in PrRC).

They are also both a 16,14,13,12,11,10 array (with racials on the 16 and 14), or, as previously noted, a 30 point buy using 3.5.

Totoro might be right, but his system did look rather complicated. It's equally possible that the sample pregens weren't strictly legal using the final ruleset.

 

[thalmin]

Instant Level-Ups? I'm looking at you, MMORPGs/CRPGs. Does the adventure include some nice melodies that the DM can play whenever that happens? Or Quest Cards that you can hand out saying: "LEVEL UP: You heal to your maximum HPs and all your spent powers are restored. Refer to PHB to pick your new abilities." ;P

Probable level-ups are announced after sufficient XPs have been made available if no encounters have been skipped. Instructions are then given how to level, after the characters take an extended rest.

 

[Primal]

And yet, iron golems and bulettes gain Dex bonus to AC.

Certainly, but I don't think they would specifically care about someone throwing daggers at them -- at least not enough to shift. They don't do that even though a fighter's attack would inflict 3 X [W] + bonuses damage. And this rogue attack shifts a monster if it hits, which feels even weirder.

 

[Primal]

Probable level-ups are announced after sufficient XPs have been made available if no encounters have been skipped. Instructions are then given how to level, after the characters take an extended rest.

I permit leveling up only after the adventure is ended and the PCs have time to relax and rest (for more than just 6 hours) in safety.

 

[Fiendish Dire Weasel]

I permit leveling up only after the adventure is ended and the PCs have time to relax and rest (for more than just 6 hours) in safety.

I guess it depends on how you view the metagamey aspects of leveling.

 

[thalmin]

There is a sidebar describing how to handle an ambush. Essentially, anyone failing Perception checks is surprised and gives the opponants Combat Advantage. Those who make their P check may act during the surprise round, those that fail do not act until their Initiative the next round.

 

[pukunui]

I permit leveling up only after the adventure is ended and the PCs have time to relax and rest (for more than just 6 hours) in safety.

So if you ran this adventure, which is intended to take characters to level three, would you make your players go through the whole thing at level one?

I'm not trying to belittle your method. It's actually something I would prefer to do myself. I just don't see how you can do it with premade modules that assume characters level up during the course of the adventure. If you're writing your own adventures, it's easy enough to include just enough encounters that they'll get just enough XP to level up only after it's over, but I don't see how it would work with premade modules that assume mid-adventuring leveling is going to happen.