Module WG11: Puppets -- Your experiences?

[Ulrick]

So I made the mistake of devoting time to review WG11: Puppets, by Vince Garcia and Bruce Rabe over at d20 Dark Ages.

"Surely," I thought to myself, "the module can't be that bad. There must be something salvageable."

I give this module a big thumbs down, but I realize that I'm biased toward Greyhawk and I don't like whimsical adventures. But the module itself is a railroad where the PCs aren't really threatened by the villains and the villains--if played properly--will escape. Thus, nothing gets resolved.

Do you like whimsical adventures?

Should RPGA tournament modules be re-hashed as published modules (both then and now)?

What are you experiences with this module?

 

[Vyvyan Basterd]

After WG9: Gargoyle burnt me by being not as terrible as Puppets, but pretty close, I started to make sure I read each WG module before wasting more money. WG10: Child's Play showed me within its cover art that the trend into stupid silly WoG modules that started in Gargoyle wasn't ending. I read through Puppets quickly in the local hobby shop just to see that it continued downhill. I didn't buy again until WG12: Vale of the Mage, which wasn't great by my recollection, but at least wasn't as silly as this trio of turds. I wondered back then whether this was an intentional slap in the face of Greyhawk fans, but modules mostly sank in quality at that point anyway as Dungeon Mag really hit the high notes.

Edit: Didn't answer all your questions. Yes, I like whimsical adventures if they are good. I enjoyed Beyond the Crystal Cave, Dungeonland, Land Beyond the Magic Mirror, and others.

RPGA tournament modules: If they're good, yes! A1-4: The Slavelord series; C1: The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan; C2: The Ghost Tower of Inverness; the GDQ series; S1: Tomb of Horrors; S2: White Plume Mountain.

 

[the Jester]

First, let me just say that I loved your review.

Do you like whimsical adventures?

If they are good, yes. EX1 and EX2 were fantastic, for instance.

OTOH, if they suck, not so much. The Castle Greyhawk joke module suffers from a lot of this (although I actually really like certain parts of it).

Should RPGA tournament modules be re-hashed as published modules (both then and now)?

If they're good. A lot of old classics started as tournament modules, though I don't know that all of them were from the RPGA; some may have predated it, for all I know. But the A series, the S series (IIRC), Ghost Tower of Inverness, etc. are all great examples of modules that did work when converted from tourney to regular mode.

What are you experiences with this module?

I never played it. I never owned it, either, possibly because it looked really lame when I read the back, plus most of the modules coming out during 2e blew chunks. I *may* have read it in the store; I remember thinking very poorly of it for whatever reason.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I enjoyed your review though I have no experience of this module.

Whimsical adventures can work -- EX1 and EX2 are probably the models for that -- but they are probably the exception. The other whimsical Greyhawk adventures are more someone dumping on Greyhawk than anything else.

As to UK1 ... I don't consider it a whimsical adventure; it's a serious and well-designed adventure that has some umorous elements ("Think like a leprechaun!") but it hangs together quite well all the same.

As to RPGA adventures ... sure. The best ones should be repackaged and sold so that a wider audience can benefit from them. Think of how many common gamer experiences are based on the 1E tournament modules!

 

[howandwhy99]

The Dyvers adventure sounds more like a series of random encounters. I could see some being interesting, but most are flat. And the name Freddy McKrueger is definitely D&D, but off-putting to say the least. The real bizarre designs are the gold dragon, a leprechaun who is in charge of minions, and a wizard taking on the whole party like a thief might.

The Puppets adventure actually sounds much more interesting. A wizard who created animated constructs out of puppets works. Making them silly and childish is just sneaky. Yes, 2e adventures which presuppose players follow a plotline are simply misunderstanding what games are. But the concept can be kept. Running away from the PCs is also perhaps the best strategy for weak puppets and their wizard master, but more intelligent tactics should be provided. Especially as a wizard strong enough to create the puppets makes this a more difficult adventure.

But overall I agree with your assessment. This is barely worth any money for what's printed.

 

[Hussar]

I owned this module and I know I ran it at least once, but, for the life of me, I cannot remember any details of it.

Wow, I guess that says it all doesn't it?

 

[MerricB]

I'm very glad to say that it's a long way off in my own reviews of D&D adventures.

During these years, the RPGA became very much a joke of an organisation, and the modules they contributed to the main D&D line were extremely suspect. Jean Rabe's work, in particular, exemplifies everything I hated about the period.

 

[Ulrick]

I'm very glad to say that it's a long way off in my own reviews of D&D adventures.

During these years, the RPGA became very much a joke of an organisation, and the modules they contributed to the main D&D line were extremely suspect. Jean Rabe's work, in particular, exemplifies everything I hated about the period.

I'm reviewing both the good and the bad from the period. I've quickly figured out that any adventure dealing with Bruce & Jean Rabe is suspect. This includes Child's Play, and the Terrible Trouble at Tragidore. I can't speak for The Vale of the Mage or Swamplight, the other two modules that I know of that are associated with the Rabes.

But Jean went on to write and publish novels, so she must being doing something right.

My main concern, really, is if WotC decides to bring these modules back on an unsuspecting new generation.

 

[Agamon]

2e adventure. 'nuff said.

Of course, I'm not saying most 2e adventures were terrible, but...most 2e adventures were terrible.

 

[Lanefan]

2e adventure. 'nuff said.

Of course, I'm not saying most 2e adventures were terrible, but...most 2e adventures were terrible.

Most, perhaps, but not all; and even some of the iffy ones had useable parts if you dug around enough.

I used For Duty and Deity in my last campaign most-of-the-way stock and found it to be pretty good...certainly good enough that if I needed a similar adventure again I'd use it. And I got 5 adventures out of what I read in Howl From the North even though I never ran the actual adventure in the module!

But yes, some of those later Greyhawk ones certainly leave a "what were they thinking" taste in the mouth.

Lanefan