New Dungeon Arrived

[Obscure]

As for the Age of Worms itself, it's going to take place over twelve issues, but will they be the next twelve? I'm looking forward to finding out.

If you dig around on the Dungeon messageboards at paizo.com, Erik and/or James mention that the plan is to do 12 consecutive issues for Age of Worms. Originally, it was supposed to be *20* consecutive issues, with each adventure advancing the PCs one level, but that understandably freaked them out (it's almost two years worth of Dungeon!) and they scaled back to 12.

 

[Alzrius]

If you dig around on the Dungeon messageboards at paizo.com, Erik and/or James mention that the plan is to do 12 consecutive issues for Age of Worms. Originally, it was supposed to be *20* consecutive issues, with each adventure advancing the PCs one level, but that understandably freaked them out (it's almost two years worth of Dungeon!) and they scaled back to 12.

I had heard about the twenty-to-twelve changeover, which makes sense. Thanks for the tip about it being consecutive though!

It's interesting that they went to twelve, since (with the new adventure for the hardcover) that's how many adventures were in the Shackled City Adventure Path. It's interesting how this seems to work better than WotC's idea of eight adventures (of course, most of what Paizo did works better than WotC's Adventure Path).

 

[Obscure]

Also, can we get the preview blurbs for next issue? Thanks!

Morrow

The Whispering Cairn
By Erik Mona

In the corrupt mining town of Diamond Lake, a handful of would-be adventurers gather to explore an ancient tomb, eager to trade their discoveries for a ticket to a better life. What they find within the Whispering Cairn dates back to the legendary Wind Dukes of Aqaa, and presages the advent of the Age of Worms, an era of darkness, decay, and writhing doom. An Age of Worms Adventure Path adventure for 1st-level characters.


Backdrop: Diamond Lake
By Erik Mona

This is it! Kick off Dungeon's new 12-adventure Age of Worms Adventure Path campaign with this overview of Diamond Lake, a run-down mining community nestled in hills laden with the tombs of a dozen lost civilizations. Consult the wily sage Allustan, cross paths with the treacherous Balabar Smenk, and always, always, keep your coinpurse firmly in hand. Includes a huge poster map by Rob Lazzaretti!


Maure Castle: Chambers of Antiquities
By Robert J. Kuntz

Deep under the ruins of Maure Castle lie the Chambers of Antiquities, a series of vaults designed by ancient wizards to store magic items even they didn't quite understand. Do you dare explore a dungeon where the treasure can be (and often is) even more dangerous than the creatures and traps that guard it? A continuation of last year's hit "Maure Castle," "Chambers of Antiquities" is a D&D adventure for 16th-level characters.


Temple of the Scorpion God
By Andy Collins and James Wyatt

The PCs follow slim leads to the unexplored continent of Xen'drik, where a dragonshard of unprecedented size lies within a treacherous ancient ruin dedicated to a long-dead scorpion god. "Temple of the Scorpion God" is part two of the three-part "Shards of Eberron" Campaign Arc. An Eberron adventure for 6th-level characters.

 

[Steel_Wind]

I had heard about the twenty-to-twelve changeover, which makes sense. Thanks for the tip about it being consecutive though!

It's interesting that they went to twelve, since (with the new adventure for the hardcover) that's how many adventures were in the Shackled City Adventure Path.

Well - the idea is that a new subscriber who sends in a subscription right NOW should get all of the next Adventure Path (might miss the first one though).

Point is, that's a nice selling point. 12 consecutive issues makes sense for Paizo from a sales perspective.

 

[Ogrork the Mighty]

I haven't read the new adventure path series and I'm sure it will be good and all, but I think Dungeon should tread carefully before every issue has an adventure path series in it. What if someone doesn't like that adventure path? Now they're stuck with it for 12 issues?!? That seems kinda excessive to me. Especially when the adventure paths usually take up quite a few pages in any given issue. Or if the adventure path is world-specific, which can be a turnoff for people who aren't looking for that.

I don't mind the adventure path series idea at all, but I definitely think it should be capped at a heck of a lot less than 12 issues. And since I'm a subscriber, I'm going to be a little resentful if I don't like the series but am stuck looking forward to it for an entire year's worth of issues.

Just IMHO...

 

[Steel_Wind]

The point of an "Adventure Path" as opposed to - say - an integrated epic campaign like the classic DragonLance series is that the Adventue Path modules are each deliberately designed to be self-contained. The DragonLance modules are not designed to stand on their own and presuppose one flowing to the next.

I wasn't a great fan of a lot of the original Shackled City either (though some parts I did like). That does not mean that there are not select adventures in the Adv PAth #1 that are not just as useful to me as any other one-shot module in Dungeon would be.

It's Adventure PAth - not "Epic campaign". There is a distinction. So I don't agree with your caution and warning. It seems to me that its premised on a misapprehension of the way the Path concept is supposed to work.

 

[Obscure]

The Paizo guys have promised that the Age of Worms adventure path will be generic, with sidebars on how to make it Eberron- and FR-specific. As Steel_Wind mentioned, it should be pretty easy to turn any or all of the 12 installments into a one-shot in any world you like. And don't forget that there will be two other advenutres in each issue -- still not too shabby for five or six bucks.

 

[James Jacobs]

We'll be doing our best to make as many of the Age of Worms Adventure Path adventures work as one-shot adventures as well as part of the 12-part whole. Obviously, some of the installments will be more continuity-driven than others (part 1 and part 12, for example), but at least eight of the 12 adventures will be fairly easy to run as one-shot adventures.

Plus, we managed to fit four adventures into issue #123. We might be able to do that stunt again in the future.

 

[fafhrd]

Plus, we managed to fit four adventures into issue #123. We might be able to do that stunt again in the future.

That would be great. The problem I ran into with the old adventure path was that I need modules of certain levels and some in the adventure path would work, but then I'd think about running the path in complete form and didn't want to tear a hole in the plot by running it piecemeal elsewhere.

The low-mid-high level module template in dungeon is great, but when you're "riding" behind an adventure path and it's taking up one of those slots consistently it can be frustrating. A 4th replacement mod thrown in while the path is running is really ideal.

[/Nitpick]

 

[Nightfall]

*is just aching now for #124...*