New Dungeoncraft: The Dungeons of Greenbrier Chasm

[helium3]

From what we've seen, yes, it's more to help out newcomers. New players/DMs can get overwhelmed or forget the details of a quest they set out on three sessions ago, so the new "mechanic" should help out with that.

So is the "mechanic" still those Quest Card things?

 

[Voss]

Meh. Those maps are pretty bad. He doesn't give any context for them (they were clearly sewer maps, with a ludicrous number of random structures built off them), doesn't give any reason for why they are there or what happens when the PCs wander off down the side tunnels. Its the typical 'here is a random assortment of rooms, lets call it a dungeon' map.

The story ideas aren't bad, but are just as cliched as raiders attacking the town. 'Depravation' is a little out of place, however. Not sure what makes crops and calves 'depraved'

Just... meh.

 

[helium3]

Doesn't give any reason for why they are there or what happens when the PCs wander off down the side tunnels. Its the typical 'here is a random assortment of rooms, lets call it a dungeon' map.

I assumed he'd cover the origin on the dungeon at a future date.

Besides, don't most players not really care about that sort of stuff?

 

[Voss]

I assumed he'd cover the origin on the dungeon at a future date.

Besides, don't most players not really care about that sort of stuff?

I have no idea- speculating on what 'most people' care about seems an exercise in futility. But it is odd sitting next to criticism of old module design, since its the same kind of thing.

 

[mhensley]

The story ideas aren't bad, but are just as cliched as raiders attacking the town. 'Depravation' is a little out of place, however. Not sure what makes crops and calves 'depraved'

Something like this?

 

[helium3]

Something like this?

See, I wouldn't pussyfoot around and have it only affect livestock and then say "the villagers want you to fix this before it starts to affect us." I'd have the villagers giving birth to goblins or gricks or something and then say "the villagers beg you to end this terrible curse before another of their young maidens dies in childbirth from the abomination in her womb."

More emotional resonance that way.

 

[ZombieRoboNinja]

See, I wouldn't pussyfoot around and have it only affect livestock and then say "the villagers want you to fix this before it starts to affect us." I'd have the villagers giving birth to goblins or gricks or something and then say "the villagers beg you to end this terrible curse before another of their young maidens dies in childbirth from the abomination in her womb."

More emotional resonance that way.

Depends on how you build the tension. Maybe you want it more like a horror movie, with things starting off a little creepy and only getting really "out there" when the party's actually up against some scary monsters.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

So is the "mechanic" still those Quest Card things?

The quest cards are not the mechanic. They are a suggestion how to represent them a game, similar to a suggestion of giving the players a hand-out with the map of an area, minus the secret doors, traps and other DM secrets.

The Quests are basically "story-based" XP. So that a DM can grant XP for stuff that's not an encounter with other creatures, or where the XP value of the activity is badly measured with the XP value granted for overcoming the challenge of a monster/NPC. (Like dealing with an aristocrat that you could easily kill, but don't want to, because that's not the solution to your goals...)

 

[Cake Mage]

See, I wouldn't pussyfoot around and have it only affect livestock and then say "the villagers want you to fix this before it starts to affect us." I'd have the villagers giving birth to goblins or gricks or something and then say "the villagers beg you to end this terrible curse before another of their young maidens dies in childbirth from the abomination in her womb."

More emotional resonance that way.

I like the way you think.

 

[TerraDave]

The Quests are basically "story-based" XP. So that a DM can grant XP for stuff that's not an encounter with other creatures, or where the XP value of the activity is badly measured with the XP value granted for overcoming the challenge of a monster/NPC. (Like dealing with an aristocrat that you could easily kill, but don't want to, because that's not the solution to your goals...)

They are also a way to communicate this to players. Versus traditional story goals, which tend to be more implicit.