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<blockquote data-quote="Jackinthegreen" data-source="post: 6118963" data-attributes="member: 6678119">The first, on a metagame level, would likely be because it creates an interesting complication to things and does it in such a way that the players can use it and feel it's relevant to their goal.&nbsp; Not only that, it's close enough to the city/their goals that it doesn't feel disconcerting.&nbsp; A desert encounter dealing with the city would be more likely to not work because of the distance away from their goal.&nbsp; I'd liken it to the MacGuffin summoning a creature in his own dungeon while the party is there versus randomly summoning the creature to the party while the party is on the road to said dungeon.&nbsp; It's a &quot;WTF?&quot; moment in the latter case, but totally acceptable and even expected in the former.&nbsp; People are far more likely to be okay with complications at or near their goal than farther out.The siege is part of the city though.&nbsp; Well, rather the siege is happening because of the city.&nbsp; It's about as much a part of the desert as the city is part of the desert.&nbsp; So a little bit, but not likely enough that the desert not being there will mean the siege isn't there too.&nbsp; It'll have a bit of an influence and that might be notable, but in the grand scheme of things the city (and thus siege) being in the desert was really more of a side note that would only interest a few.&nbsp; Should it have been more interesting?&nbsp; Probably.&nbsp; But to make it interesting one would have had to do more foreshadowing and such than simply plop the party in the middle of nowhere in a desert without a clue which way to go towards the city.On the story level it has never been established why the city was under siege.&nbsp; But that's something for the players to find out, if they're so inclined.&nbsp; Why it exists, from a story perspective, will likely depend on how the players have done things and what their interests are.As to why the city was in the desert: Because the module said so.&nbsp; And if there's one thing everyone has pretty well agreed on, it's that the module needed to be reworked because it was crap.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Jackinthegreen, post: 6118963, member: 6678119"] The first, on a metagame level, would likely be because it creates an interesting complication to things and does it in such a way that the players can use it and feel it's relevant to their goal. Not only that, it's close enough to the city/their goals that it doesn't feel disconcerting. A desert encounter dealing with the city would be more likely to not work because of the distance away from their goal. I'd liken it to the MacGuffin summoning a creature in his own dungeon while the party is there versus randomly summoning the creature to the party while the party is on the road to said dungeon. It's a "WTF?" moment in the latter case, but totally acceptable and even expected in the former. People are far more likely to be okay with complications at or near their goal than farther out. The siege is part of the city though. Well, rather the siege is happening because of the city. It's about as much a part of the desert as the city is part of the desert. So a little bit, but not likely enough that the desert not being there will mean the siege isn't there too. It'll have a bit of an influence and that might be notable, but in the grand scheme of things the city (and thus siege) being in the desert was really more of a side note that would only interest a few. Should it have been more interesting? Probably. But to make it interesting one would have had to do more foreshadowing and such than simply plop the party in the middle of nowhere in a desert without a clue which way to go towards the city. On the story level it has never been established why the city was under siege. But that's something for the players to find out, if they're so inclined. Why it exists, from a story perspective, will likely depend on how the players have done things and what their interests are. As to why the city was in the desert: Because the module said so. And if there's one thing everyone has pretty well agreed on, it's that the module needed to be reworked because it was crap. [/QUOTE]

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