What's the big stink about Rappan Athuk Reloaded?

[Barak]

Realisitcally, your right. But that still doesn't make Tegal Manor any less of a great classic to those who know of it and own it. Same thing about Rappan Athuk and Tomb of Abysthor. To those of us who own them, we know how great they are. Plus Rainbow Mage and several other exceptional modules put out by Necromancer.

So to those of us who know better, Rappan Athuk is the best and deadliest of all 3E modules. There are deadlier, such as Black Ice Well (that just may have been me, I am in touch with my "adversarial" side), but RA is great and deadly.

Wonderful. Still has nothing to do with being the most famous or feared.

Sorry, I just hate overwrought propaganda.

 

[Nightfall]

Voc,

Yeah but it also comes down to if you like to kill off a number of parties at time. Rappan Athuk isn't designed to be a "campaign". It's designed with the express purpose of challenging your players to think outside the D&D box.

Barak,

And I'm not too fond of guys that think just because they don't know something, that it's propoganda. Propoganda is the belief that just because WotC stamped it, it's godlike. Propoganda is the idea that WotC can and does no wrong. That some how, they are immune to prosection for grammatic and statistical errors. Just ask John Cooper about things like Tome of Magic, Races of Dragon, or Fields of Ruin. It's spelled: R-A-P-P-E-N (SPACE) A-T-H-U-K. Thank you. What it proves in my example is the fact gamers are as uninformed and unenlightened as any American person is about the actual goings on in the world today. They have no clue how to vote other than what some people tell them. Is that right or fair? No. But that's how it is.

 

[JonMonster]

It's designed with the express purpose of challenging your players to think outside the D&D box.

I don't understand. It's a great module because it is (A) old-school and (B) it forces players to think outside of the D&D box. There's a disconnect there - how can it be both?

 

[Nightfall]

I don't see a disconnect. I mean unlike say most current D&D modules where people fight and fight and then rest, then fight some more, there's a) no resting, b) little chance to rest and c) fighting doesn't alway mean you win.

Plus the usual old school death traps, unusual spell effects, etc, make it a great killer dungeon.

 

[TheAuldGrump]

I don't understand. It's a great module because it is (A) old-school and (B) it forces players to think outside of the D&D box. There's a disconnect there - how can it be both?

And what makes you think that old school adventures didn't make you think outside of the D&D box?

The only problem is that the D&D box has gotten bigger since then....

The Auld Grump, Expedition to the Barrier Peaks does spring to mind, whether or not I even liked it....

 

[Shemeska]

No offense to the guys at Necromancer intended

What it proves in my example is the fact gamers are as uninformed and unenlightened as any American person is about the actual goings on in the world today. They have no clue how to vote other than what some people tell them. Is that right or fair? No. But that's how it is.

Dude, I've been a bit of a planar snob in terms of preferred style of game and setting elements, but are you actively trying to make me despise a product I haven't even read yet? Because the fanboyism and repetitive praise was one thing; I can ignore that and let a product stand on its own given a fair shot, but what you just wrote is offensive on about three different levels of elitism.

 

[Nightfall]

Shem,

I was only trying to be offensive to one guy. I apologize Shem if it offended your Lothian sensibilities. Besides I'm not disrespecting your love of Planscape, just the fact people automatically consider WotC = awesome. Planscape= awesome fine. Just the other stuff...


Grump,

Thanks man.

 

[Shemeska]

Shem,

I was only trying to be offensive to one guy.

How polite. It's still annoying nonetheless, and my statements stand. And here I was nice to you earlier this evening when you randomly sent me an IM and I answered your question about how to spell vignette properly when you wanted to use the word in a post about an Eberron adventure.

But enough drama I suppose, back to talking about RA:R.

So from those who have it, can you explain to me what about it makes it a good adventure? Gimme some specifics here, not just that it might be a meatgrinder, or has a nebulous 'feel' to it. Tell me about the style, the setup, themes present in it, any metaplot or lack thereof, etc.

 

[Nightfall]

I apologize again Shem and you're allowed your opinions. I respect you well more than some guy that has no idea what he's talking about. Besides I expect you to be evil. You're the greatest Loth there is after all.

*does actually have the adventures*

It's originally the site where a group of Orcus cultist built a fortification to protect themselves against the onslaught of a rampaging horde of goodness. Previously they had destroyed their city dedicated to Orcus. Now they turned it into a grand dungeon both to honor Orcus as well as captured/destroy their foes. It grew from there.

 

[Treebore]

Wonderful. Still has nothing to do with being the most famous or feared.

Sorry, I just hate overwrought propaganda.

Perspective comes into that as well. For instance I absolutley HATE Temple of Elemental Evil. Always have. Is the fact that others think it is a great classic make it overwrought propaganda? Plus it sure didn't achieve its stature witin 3 or 4 years of its release.

Give RA:R its 15 to 25 years to get there. It hasn't even had 5 years since it initial release.

Why is it a great module? Simply because I like it. Thats all it needs to be a great module, for me.

For anyone else to think it is a great module they will have to have tastes for module design similiar to mine, hence the fan base. There are apporoximately 1,000 other people out there who have a very similiar opinion about this one particular product that I have.

Just like there are an unknown number of others who like Tomb of Abysthor, Hall of the Rainbow MAge, and others the same way I do.

This fan base is how crappy modules like Temple of Elemental Evil become "great classics".

So hopefully Rapapn Athuk will become a great classic given enough time. It definitely has a great fan base to start growing into one.