A Minor Frustration [Archive] - Wizards Community

A Minor Frustration [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
dreamwolf
10-13-07, 10:01 AM First of all, let me start by saying how much I have enjoyed the adventures written for Xen'Drik Expeditions so far. I've been DMing for the Crimson Codex from the beginning, and my players and I have a great time every session. There is a great mix of combat, role-playing and puzzle-solving that makes the game truly enjoyable. The expedition adventures are a very different mix, but it's good to get a bit of a break from the heavily cerebral Codex missions. All in all, we have been having a great experience with the campaign.
Last weekend, however, we ran into a bit of frustration with Shargon's Rage. The adventure was well-written (if a bit on the long side for the five hour window), but the map situation was a problem. It's great to use the maps that many people have, but to not have an alternative for the rest of us took a lot of the benefit of running RPGA adventures out of it for me.
I understand that many of the players out there also play the skirmish game, or that any game taking place at a convention or in a FLGS would have access to the maps. We, on the other hand, play around a kitchen table at someone's house (remember how D&D started?), and we only have the minis for use in the rpg. Thus, as I set about preparing to run the game, I realized that I didn't have the maps. Did this completely ruin the adventure? Of course not. I would be a pretty pathetic DM if I couldn't make something up and run with it. However, do I believe that the experience was less polished for my party than it would have been with maps used by the author while he was writing the adventure? I do, and that's my frustration. Especially since it seems such a blatant ploy to get those of us who haven't done so yet to go out and buy Fields of Ruin, City of Peril and Hellspike Prison.
I understand that this was a fun way to use what many people already had, but I hope that in the future you'll remember that there are those of us who wound up having to choose between a lesser experience or spending $45 for one adventure.
Lilinthra
10-13-07, 11:36 AM Do you have a (color) printer? It's not an ideal solution, but most of the artwork and maps published by WotC are on the wizards.com website if you hunt around or Google for them. The images lose some detail when enlarged, but you can still tell the difference between clear & difficult terrain, which seems like enough to me.

This page has a number of miniatures maps, and came in handy for running one of the faction module's online: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mit/20070531b
Uthrac
10-15-07, 03:23 PM I tend to agree.

As a general rule of thumb, I'd like the adventure, when ordered, to be "all-inclusive."

Now, I don't mind suggestions such as "You may find this particular map/mini/rule/etc. adds to the game," but an alternative should be included with the adventure materials.

(The Dark Fugitive adventure has a monster from MMII with no stats . . . Again, this falls into the category of making the adventure more difficult to run than if all "extras" are included.)

So, to add a voice to the concern:
I don't mind suggestions for use of extra-source materials, but the adventure shouldn't be "dependent" - or much more work - without it.

MOST IMPORTANTLY: I find that the adventures I have run and played have been VERY well-done overall, and I am happy with the creativity of plot and encounters that the factionmasters have put together. Just please include all of the details needed to run the encounters as you have intended. Thanks.
Garden_State_Gamer
10-16-07, 10:08 AM I concur. I don't mind if the writer designed the encounters around a skirmish map, but I'd prefer something larger than the size of a postage stamp, or at least something with more clearly marked lines on it in the module. Something as simple as providing a link to an online source would suffice.

But I'm probably just being needy. Maps are overrated anyway, unless you are fighter or rogue . . . or a spellcaster with area effect spells.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
dreamwolf 10-13-07, 10:01 AM	First of all, let me start by saying how much I have enjoyed the adventures written for Xen'Drik Expeditions so far. I've been DMing for the Crimson Codex from the beginning, and my players and I have a great time every session. There is a great mix of combat, role-playing and puzzle-solving that makes the game truly enjoyable. The expedition adventures are a very different mix, but it's good to get a bit of a break from the heavily cerebral Codex missions. All in all, we have been having a great experience with the campaign. Last weekend, however, we ran into a bit of frustration with Shargon's Rage. The adventure was well-written (if a bit on the long side for the five hour window), but the map situation was a problem. It's great to use the maps that many people have, but to not have an alternative for the rest of us took a lot of the benefit of running RPGA adventures out of it for me. I understand that many of the players out there also play the skirmish game, or that any game taking place at a convention or in a FLGS would have access to the maps. We, on the other hand, play around a kitchen table at someone's house (remember how D&D started?), and we only have the minis for use in the rpg. Thus, as I set about preparing to run the game, I realized that I didn't have the maps. Did this completely ruin the adventure? Of course not. I would be a pretty pathetic DM if I couldn't make something up and run with it. However, do I believe that the experience was less polished for my party than it would have been with maps used by the author while he was writing the adventure? I do, and that's my frustration. Especially since it seems such a blatant ploy to get those of us who haven't done so yet to go out and buy Fields of Ruin, City of Peril and Hellspike Prison. I understand that this was a fun way to use what many people already had, but I hope that in the future you'll remember that there are those of us who wound up having to choose between a lesser experience or spending $45 for one adventure.
Lilinthra 10-13-07, 11:36 AM	Do you have a (color) printer? It's not an ideal solution, but most of the artwork and maps published by WotC are on the wizards.com website if you hunt around or Google for them. The images lose some detail when enlarged, but you can still tell the difference between clear & difficult terrain, which seems like enough to me. This page has a number of miniatures maps, and came in handy for running one of the faction module's online: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mit/20070531b
Uthrac 10-15-07, 03:23 PM	I tend to agree. As a general rule of thumb, I'd like the adventure, when ordered, to be "all-inclusive." Now, I don't mind suggestions such as "You may find this particular map/mini/rule/etc. adds to the game," but an alternative should be included with the adventure materials. (The Dark Fugitive adventure has a monster from MMII with no stats . . . Again, this falls into the category of making the adventure more difficult to run than if all "extras" are included.) So, to add a voice to the concern: I don't mind suggestions for use of extra-source materials, but the adventure shouldn't be "dependent" - or much more work - without it. MOST IMPORTANTLY: I find that the adventures I have run and played have been VERY well-done overall, and I am happy with the creativity of plot and encounters that the factionmasters have put together. Just please include all of the details needed to run the encounters as you have intended. Thanks.
Garden_State_Gamer 10-16-07, 10:08 AM	I concur. I don't mind if the writer designed the encounters around a skirmish map, but I'd prefer something larger than the size of a postage stamp, or at least something with more clearly marked lines on it in the module. Something as simple as providing a link to an online source would suffice. But I'm probably just being needy. Maps are overrated anyway, unless you are fighter or rogue . . . or a spellcaster with area effect spells.