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Message: <blockquote data-quote="trollwad" data-source="post: 4230756" data-attributes="member: 19187">Keep on the Shadowfell is very expensive for my new downwardly revised (due to three small kids) gaming budget, thus I want help assessing whether I'll like it before I commit to $30.  I am asking you, if you've seen the module, to make an educated guess based on what I tell you about my gaming preferences.  Please explain why you think I'll like it or not.I like "old school" gygaxian (e.g. Hommlet, Tomb of Horrors, Drow Series), old UK (e.g. Saltmarsh series) modules.  I also like Wolfgang Bauer (Kingdom of the Ghouls, Empire of the Ghouls).  I have love/hate feelings towards Monte Cook, Mearls and Nick Logue.  All three of these guys are as prolific as fire hoses (and all seem like very nice human beings).  I stand in awe of their creativity.  I love to mine their stuff for selective creative ideas and I'll definately buy Logue's new Razor Coast book (I think I'll love this as I did the Savage Tide adventure path from Paizo).  On the other hand, I have my doubts about the style of these new writers.  For example, Logue at times is in danger of being the Howard Stern of RPG writers.  Shock (or shlock) for the sake of shock; where its very commonness causes it to loose its power to send chills up your spine.  Monte and Mearls seem to veer into video game or superheros territory with a lot of their writing.  Its hard to imagine how anyone ever dies with all of the Monte/Mearls powers.  The threat of actually dying seems so remote in their work compared to Saltmarsh, Vault of the Drow, or the Tomb of Horrors.  Also, all three have serious logorhea compared to  Gygax or the UK writers or Wolfgang.  Wolfgang gave you an entire underdark campaign in Ghouls in about 35 pages.  Gygax gave you Steading of the Hill Giant Chief in about ten pages.One other plus is that I like some of Bruce Cordell's modules a lot (Return to Tomb of Horrors is good and Firestorm Peak is a classic).  I also am a huge fan of illustration bookletsOn the con side, I loathe the Shattered Keep of Slaughtergarde, to which I hear Keep on the Shadowfell compared to.  I love the room with the Blind Troll but other than that, Slaughtergarde seemed limp and lifeless.  There is no ACTION there.  Unlike Hommlet or even the flawed KOTB where there is a sense of motion and change and events clearly occur if the PCs do x or y or time passes.  Every room has a monster.  The monsters are bland and are only meant to be killed quickly.  The setting seems difficult to expand and there are no real memorable villains or magic items.  There are no clever allusions or extensions of past d&d lore (no easter eggs).Your verdict?</blockquote>

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