WotBS Tell me about WotBS

[GuJiaXian]

I've read the short, paragraph-long "synopses" for each of the WotBS adventures here on ENWorld. It looks cool, and I have good memories of buying the hardback Shackled City AP and running through it with our gaming group. However, I'm simply not willing to spring $50 (much less $200 for the color version) without knowing *exactly* what this adventure is all about. I know there's all sorts of free stuff I can read: player's guides, campaign books, etc., but that tells me nothing about the plot of the campaign itself.

So, in short, I want heavy spoilers. Tell me about the plot to this AP. Tell me why I should drop cash on it rather than some other AP (such as one of Paizo's Pathfinder APs). Thanks.

 

[Morrus]

I know there's all sorts of free stuff I can read: player's guides, campaign books, etc., but that tells me nothing about the plot of the campaign itself.

The free Campaign Guide tells you the full plot of the entire adventure path in exquisite detail.

(That link's the 4E version, but the 3.5 version is on the web page also - the plot's the same for both).

 

[GuJiaXian]

Thanks; I'll read over it. I know you're biased, Morrus, but how does WotBS hold up to some of the other "classic" adventure paths, such as Shackled City, Rise of the Runelords, or the like?

 

[Morrus]

It is far better than all of them!

I honestly think it is, but I am - as you say - about as biased as it's possible to be regarding this subject. I think it's probably best to see if some people not connected with the production of WotBS reply here.

 

[Marius Delphus]

And it just *looks* swell, too, I mean aesthetically.

 

[Ragnar_Deerslayer]

I've played in (and own) Shackled City, and read Rise of the Runelords, and I like Burning Sky *much* better than either of them, for the simple reason that the plot is more tightly woven together. I felt that in both of the previously-mentioned campaigns, there were a series of episodic adventures that had some common elements, and when you reached the later stages of the campaign, you saw how those elements tied together. In WotBS, you know right from the beginning (most of) what's going on and (most of) what's at stake, and you are doing something about it right from the get-go. We're nearly finished with the second adventure, and last week, a player of mine said, "I feel like we've been in an epic game since level 1."

Ragnar

 

[GuJiaXian]

Thanks for that feedback. And, just to clarify, the massive 5-pound hardback WotBS campaign book includes everything, including the contents of the various free pdfs, correct? Other than the coolness factor, is there an actual need for getting the color version (that is, does having color make an actual difference to running the campaign, or is it there to look nice)?

 

[Morrus]

The hardback contains everything plus some extra stuff.

The colour - well, it just makes it SO much prettier! And easier to navigate because the adventure margins are colour-coded.

 

[Marius Delphus]

The hardback includes everything, including the free PDFs and stuff that was never (TTBOMK) released elsewhere.

The only difference between the color book and the B&W book (other than the lack of pretty colors) is the Maps appendix in the color version (each map in the book is enlarged and reprinted on a full page).

 

[GuJiaXian]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I'd have to go with the B&W; I simply cannot justify $200 for a campaign, no matter how good it is.