Worst D&D adventure of all time?

[Hussar]

The Role of the GM is to help the players tell thier own story, provide the canvas on which they will do the painting. Not have them be actors in the GM's proto-novel IMO. The writer of those modules failed the players is more like it.

^ quoted for truth.

Now, just to back away from my little DL hatefest. The DL modules certainly had lots of potential. You could certainly deviate from the plotlines. Unfortunately, if you did deviate from them, you either, A) wound up dragon chow as waves of successively larger critters forced you back onto the railroad or B) wound up dragon chow because without you, the Dragon armies win and destroy everything.

How is this not railroading again?

 

[ZuulMoG]

Glad to see I'm not the only one.

 

[Mark Chance]

I don't remember their titles, but as they were RPGA, I'll assume they were official and they all officially reeked to the Seven Heavens. In one day at a convention, we were subjected to four Living City adventures in a row that were all scavenger hunts, including one in which the party had to run all over Waterdeep to collect esoteric stuff so that a wizard's wife's labor pains wouldn't wreak magical havoc. That day was my last day participating in any RPGA D&D events, and it marked the first and last time I've ever cussed when filling out post-adventure evaluations.

 

[FreeTheSlaves]

^ quoted for truth.

Now, just to back away from my little DL hatefest. The DL modules certainly had lots of potential. You could certainly deviate from the plotlines. Unfortunately, if you did deviate from them, you either, A) wound up dragon chow as waves of successively larger critters forced you back onto the railroad or B) wound up dragon chow because without you, the Dragon armies win and destroy everything.

How is this not railroading again?

But what exactly is the problem with this? The continent of Ansalon is being progressively overrun by Dragon armies while the world of Krynn is being dominated by one evil deity. Are you suggesting that your characters should be able to ignore what is going on & be left in peace?

What you seem to be calling "railroading" is merely the logical consequences of fractious kingdoms being violated & engulfed piecemeal by a monolithic evil tide.

 

[Cam Banks]

What you seem to be calling "railroading" is merely the logical consequences of fractious kingdoms being violated & engulfed piecemeal by a monolithic evil tide.

I'm similarly confused by this complaint. It's akin to having the DM introduce the scenario with something like "the Queen has lost her only daughter to ruthless bandits. The bandits are holed up in the mountains, and rumor has it that there's a giant or two helping them!"

And then having the players say, "Screw that, let's go adventuring in the complete opposite direction."

A plot isn't a railroad. It isn't even a railroad if, as a consequence of the unfolding plot, the heroes are left with only a few choices. This kind of setup is common in adventures now - the only case where it probably isn't is the "old school" location-based adventure which has no more plot to it than "go into dungeon, fight monsters, come out richer".

Cheers,
Cam

 

[lukelightning]

Off topic, but related to "established literature modules" (Curse of the Azure Bonds, Dragonlance, etc.)

When playing in this type of module, my brother and I both had the same irresistable urge to "ruin" the story, normally my murdering the literary heroes. We did this in some Dragonlance module... I vaguely recall fireballing Raistlin and the other DL heroes and taking all their stuff. We both figured "if we're gonna do this quest for you, we better have your stuff."

 

[Cam Banks]

When playing in this type of module, my brother and I both had the same irresistable urge to "ruin" the story, normally my murdering the literary heroes. We did this in some Dragonlance module... I vaguely recall fireballing Raistlin and the other DL heroes and taking all their stuff. We both figured "if we're gonna do this quest for you, we better have your stuff."

What were Raistlin and the others doing there if you had your own characters?

I mean, it's clearly tempting in many cases, but I'm starting to wonder about some of these experiences people are relating.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[Steel_Wind]

Two votes for me...

The Dragonlance Series (Thanks for forcing me to make the same retarded decisions, or play second fiddle to a bunch of losers) My favorite scene was when the GM looked at me and said: "Kitaira stabs you in the eye and you die, Sturm." WTF?

While I commented on this earlier on in this thread (to no avail it seems) - it's quotes like the above which lead me to my rather pointed (and true, damnit) comment originally:

This hatred of the entire classic DL series "worst ever" is born of ignorance. You want ot hate the railroading in DL1? Be my guest. But the whole series is not like that.

The fight between Kitiara and Sturm is not mandated to occur in the module DL8: Dragons of War.

In fact, what happens in that module is a site based adventure in the largest castle map ever created by TSR. It's a very cool map.

So, no - there is no fight between Kitaria and Sturm. There is no mandatory death for any character in DL8. Hell, the "obscure death" rule that was in effect earlier in the firt third of the module series is not present in DL8.

It happens to be a kick-ass adventure with an amazing map. Worst ever? Not even close.

So why do you have this misconception? Here's why:

Twenty years ago - your DM was a dickhead, ok? He wasn't running the module - he was running a book.

The blame for that lies with your DM - not the adventure module.

 

[lukelightning]

I forget; perhaps we were supposed to play them, but to tell the truth we are even more horrible when we get to play an established character. In a Middle Earth RPG game I got to be Gandalf.... oh, those poor hobbits!

What were Raistlin and the others doing there if you had your own characters?

I mean, it's clearly tempting in many cases, but I'm starting to wonder about some of these experiences people are relating.

Cheers,
Cam

 

[rogueattorney]

Twenty years ago - your DM was a dickhead, ok?

For what it's worth, I think this, actually, expalins about 75% of the OOP D&D edition bashing that I've ever seen.

R.A.