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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Skyscraper" data-source="post: 5393909" data-attributes="member: 48518">Here's another point of view.I've read only 3 adventures and I've started running the Scouring of Gate Pass (#1) - we're 6 sessions into the AP. So take this opinion in view of the above.The AP has some really strong points and some weaknesses in my (amateur, i'm not a gaming professional) opinion.The strong points that come to mind are:- setting has depth and lots of detail. I like the initial situation, the fallen emperor, the conquering nation that makes the entire area tremble when the emperor dies, the inquisitors, the scourge, the wayfarers, a lot of elements have flavor and make the setting live. This is very important to me.- NPCs have depth and lots of detail- setting can be used easily just about anywhere (I transformed it into a continent in my homebrew)- there are a few different factions that interact in interesting ways. I.e. it's not just the PCs vs the bad guys.- there are some moral dilemnas, e.g. do the PCs fight these foreigners? They're not enemies really, but they're trying to grab that same item the PCs also covet.- there is a lot of meat around the bone to allow you to improvise or modify the AP to your liking- there are no dungeon crawls- the storyline is fun and interesting- PCs can influence the outcome of the game (to some extent, which is good for a published AP)Here are points that I dislike (keep in mind, this is just one person's opinion):- parts of the AP are railroady, for example, a trek through a fire forest in which walking outside the path is impossible because the forest is on fire, and going back is impossible because flames close the path as the PCs move forward. So the PCs can only walk along the path and go through the encounters the DM throws at them. Or, another example, is that an NPC tags along with the PCs from the start of the AP and leads them from encounter to encounter for some time.- NPCs tagging along with the PCs. There can be up to three of them that the story requires, i.e. they have plot elements tied to them. You can manage around that if you want, but you need to find a way. Customizing is pretty easy though.- In the 4E version, it is my impression that the creature design and encounter design are suboptimal. Not as in, too easy. But rather, they're not as balanced or rules-aligned as they should be.- Information is really tough to pick up as DM. The information is dispersed between the storlyine description, sidebars, encounter descriptions and NPC entries. You need to piece all of that together and there is a lot of info to gather. This can get really annoying.I've also bought, read and run (in part, twice) The Shackled City; and I'm playing through Scales of War. I prefer this AP to Scales of War because the latter appears really railroady in a superficial setting. (Our DM is straying away from the set AP.) The Shackled City had too much dungeon crawl and was very railroady (perhaps even more that WotBS), but compared to WotBS as far as depth of the setting is concerned (though at a smaller scale) and interesting NPCs and factions. Shackled City was more polished however (encounter design, creature design, oragnisation, presentation).In the end, what makes this AP worth it IMO is the non dungeon-crawl approach, a lot of different types of events (battles, diplomacy, etc...), and a very strong, deep and compelling setting. You also get a LOT for your money in buying WotBS, the adventurers are big.So there you have 'em, my impressions.Sky</blockquote>

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