Access and Modules [Archive] - Wizards Community

Access and Modules [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
TWG_Prometheus
03-28-06, 02:00 AM I've signed up to play a LG adventure in the next few weeks with one of my early characters, and after doing so, I noticed that the adventure mentions star metal in the text. From reading discussions about access and resource management, I've gathered that things like that significantly increase the chance that I may gain access to star metal from the Adventure Record. That sounds spiffy to me, but there's a problem...

The character I signed up with and the one that would be wanting the starmetal so badly is still a 1st level character with only one adventure under their belt so far. A starmetal weapon would be several thousand gold I'm sure, and I'd want to do anything I could to make sure I could actually obtain the item rather than just get access before losing it. For the purpose of the discussion, I'm going to pretend I know that the AR gives starmetal access, even though I don't for brevity purposes.

The relevant access possibilities are:
Adventure Access - I'm thoroughly out of luck here. No way is my character going to get that much gold that fast.
Any Access - Yea! However, I doubt that an AR would be that generous. Back to the drawing board.
Core - Perhaps the most likely of the three, this would allow me to gain access in the core adventure I've signed up for, then very carefully pick my way through regional-only adventures until I can afford the weapon, thus keeping (if I understand things right) the core access until I can make use of it.
Too low APL - The highest I could see myself risking my character's neck at is APL 4, and I'd be very nervous to go even that high. I don't know if this sort of thing happens much, but it's possible that I might end up playing at an APL that's simply too low to even access the starmetal.
Other - I'm sure I'm missing some type of access or other.

So, the basic question is what should I do? Assuming that the adventure gives starmetal access, given that I can't afford a starmetal toothpick right now, and given the nature of access rules, should I bow out of that particular adventure and play it later when I can afford to make a solid payment on any potential start metal items?
Mortepierre
03-28-06, 04:13 AM That's a tough one.

First of all, there is the problem of access. It used to be that things in Core modules were given the "core" access but I've noticed that more and more this has changed to "adventure" access lately (which is really just a way to wave it under our character's nose at a time he couldn't possibly grab it). So, the odds that the access will be limited in time are rather high.

Second, given the module will likely stay available only till the end of next year (less than that if it's from 595 CY), you have to ask yourself if your character is likely to have gained a significant amount of xp/gp by then to really make a difference.

Last but not least, there will be the problem of actually being able to play it when you judge the time right. If you're planning on having a friend run it as a home game, that shouldn't be difficult to manage. However, if you're planning on going through it at a convention, the longer you wait the lower the chance of finding one offering it.

Good luck. I've the same problem with the special requirement to join a specific PrC and it's driving me nuts.
paigeoliver
03-28-06, 07:50 AM Don't forget favor access. A lot of times things will be some sort of favor access that you can turn in to buy the item.

Now you have me wondering if I have played the module already and not noticed the stuff.

One thing though, you have VERY LITTLE to lose risking a 1st level character with 1 AR under his belt playing up to a higher APL. Your one 1st level guy will probably knock the whole table down an entire APL, letting them have a fairly easy time while you cower in the back of the party and hope to not encounter any fireballs. If you aren't a melee combatant then you have a pretty fair chance of survival. My only non-melee character (an archer) usually goes 3 or 4 adventures at a stretch without even taking damage.

Really the riskiest characters to play up with are second level characters, as by then you have some time invested in them, but they are still weak enough in hit points to get killed in one shot.
TWG_Prometheus
03-28-06, 08:20 AM One thing though, you have VERY LITTLE to lose risking a 1st level character with 1 AR under his belt playing up to a higher APL. Your one 1st level guy will probably knock the whole table down an entire APL, letting them have a fairly easy time while you cower in the back of the party and hope to not encounter any fireballs. If you aren't a melee combatant then you have a pretty fair chance of survival. My only non-melee character (an archer) usually goes 3 or 4 adventures at a stretch without even taking damage.
That's true, but it's hard to keep in mind as I grow more attatched to them, which is also a mistake I'm sure. Hehe. :D Here's to new LG players that haven't had a few characters squashed. (yet)

Can someone tell me what the cost for a star metal weapon is? (light, one-handed, two-handed) It seems silly to ask when I've got about 450 gold and need to spend some of that on adventurer licensing and a CLW potion, but if I get a ballpark estimate...well, it's at least more information.

Any other thoughts? From the sound of things, I should probably just play the module and attempt to manage things from there. If I skitter away from adventure access too much, I'd have to save the bulk gold in advance and then play the thing before the adventure retires, which might be difficult. If I get lucky and score core access though, I can probably work things around by staying in my regionals. (And start looking for a mithril chain shirt! Aaaaah!) ;)
paigeoliver
03-28-06, 09:37 AM Mithral chain shirts are all over the place. My 7th level archer has them on at least 3 ARs, along with one or two general mithral accesses.

If your first level character dies just make the same guy over again.

If I remember correctly a weapon made out of starmetal costs 5000 GP extra.

Don't worry about adventure access, you will always have access to 10 or 100 times more cool stuff than you can possibly afford.
Iswald
03-28-06, 09:51 AM In the other access, you should consider the possibility of collecting the star metal, but not being given any. :rolleyes: There's also the possibility that only one person at the table gains access. I haven't played that particular mod yet, so I hope it's more generous.
redgamer
03-28-06, 10:37 AM I would worry about access in this case. In a more general instance you will always get adventure access you can't afford, but you can't stop playing. Green Star Metal is not a first tier purchase. You won't be high enough level by the end of the year to purchase it.
TWG_Prometheus
03-28-06, 04:10 PM While the reasoning varies, it seems that most are in agreement that I should just go ahead and play anyway, which was the main thing I needed to know/figure out. If nothing else, redgamer was correct that star metal isn't on my list of major needs. (Mithril Chain Shirt does make that list, however) It's more on the lines of things that would be unbearably cool to get. I guess we'll see what happens.
King Kashue
03-28-06, 06:02 PM Don't forget favor access. A lot of times things will be some sort of favor access that you can turn in to buy the item.

This is how access to "unique" items is most often given. With an item you're only like to see once or twice, upgrades to existing items that are 1 shot deals, etc. They usually will give them as favors, so that you can get them when it works best for you, but also so you can't buy 4 if you've got enough cash on hand...
TWG_Prometheus
03-28-06, 07:37 PM A favor for a star metal weapon? There's a thought I don't mind at all. :cool: Guess I just go for it and see what I get.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
TWG_Prometheus 03-28-06, 02:00 AM	I've signed up to play a LG adventure in the next few weeks with one of my early characters, and after doing so, I noticed that the adventure mentions star metal in the text. From reading discussions about access and resource management, I've gathered that things like that significantly increase the chance that I may gain access to star metal from the Adventure Record. That sounds spiffy to me, but there's a problem... The character I signed up with and the one that would be wanting the starmetal so badly is still a 1st level character with only one adventure under their belt so far. A starmetal weapon would be several thousand gold I'm sure, and I'd want to do anything I could to make sure I could actually obtain the item rather than just get access before losing it. For the purpose of the discussion, I'm going to pretend I know that the AR gives starmetal access, even though I don't for brevity purposes. The relevant access possibilities are: Adventure Access - I'm thoroughly out of luck here. No way is my character going to get that much gold that fast. Any Access - Yea! However, I doubt that an AR would be that generous. Back to the drawing board. Core - Perhaps the most likely of the three, this would allow me to gain access in the core adventure I've signed up for, then very carefully pick my way through regional-only adventures until I can afford the weapon, thus keeping (if I understand things right) the core access until I can make use of it. Too low APL - The highest I could see myself risking my character's neck at is APL 4, and I'd be very nervous to go even that high. I don't know if this sort of thing happens much, but it's possible that I might end up playing at an APL that's simply too low to even access the starmetal. Other - I'm sure I'm missing some type of access or other. So, the basic question is what should I do? Assuming that the adventure gives starmetal access, given that I can't afford a starmetal toothpick right now, and given the nature of access rules, should I bow out of that particular adventure and play it later when I can afford to make a solid payment on any potential start metal items?
Mortepierre 03-28-06, 04:13 AM	That's a tough one. First of all, there is the problem of access. It used to be that things in Core modules were given the "core" access but I've noticed that more and more this has changed to "adventure" access lately (which is really just a way to wave it under our character's nose at a time he couldn't possibly grab it). So, the odds that the access will be limited in time are rather high. Second, given the module will likely stay available only till the end of next year (less than that if it's from 595 CY), you have to ask yourself if your character is likely to have gained a significant amount of xp/gp by then to really make a difference. Last but not least, there will be the problem of actually being able to play it when you judge the time right. If you're planning on having a friend run it as a home game, that shouldn't be difficult to manage. However, if you're planning on going through it at a convention, the longer you wait the lower the chance of finding one offering it. Good luck. I've the same problem with the special requirement to join a specific PrC and it's driving me nuts.
paigeoliver 03-28-06, 07:50 AM	Don't forget favor access. A lot of times things will be some sort of favor access that you can turn in to buy the item. Now you have me wondering if I have played the module already and not noticed the stuff. One thing though, you have VERY LITTLE to lose risking a 1st level character with 1 AR under his belt playing up to a higher APL. Your one 1st level guy will probably knock the whole table down an entire APL, letting them have a fairly easy time while you cower in the back of the party and hope to not encounter any fireballs. If you aren't a melee combatant then you have a pretty fair chance of survival. My only non-melee character (an archer) usually goes 3 or 4 adventures at a stretch without even taking damage. Really the riskiest characters to play up with are second level characters, as by then you have some time invested in them, but they are still weak enough in hit points to get killed in one shot.
TWG_Prometheus 03-28-06, 08:20 AM	One thing though, you have VERY LITTLE to lose risking a 1st level character with 1 AR under his belt playing up to a higher APL. Your one 1st level guy will probably knock the whole table down an entire APL, letting them have a fairly easy time while you cower in the back of the party and hope to not encounter any fireballs. If you aren't a melee combatant then you have a pretty fair chance of survival. My only non-melee character (an archer) usually goes 3 or 4 adventures at a stretch without even taking damage. That's true, but it's hard to keep in mind as I grow more attatched to them, which is also a mistake I'm sure. Hehe. :D Here's to new LG players that haven't had a few characters squashed. (yet) Can someone tell me what the cost for a star metal weapon is? (light, one-handed, two-handed) It seems silly to ask when I've got about 450 gold and need to spend some of that on adventurer licensing and a CLW potion, but if I get a ballpark estimate...well, it's at least more information. Any other thoughts? From the sound of things, I should probably just play the module and attempt to manage things from there. If I skitter away from adventure access too much, I'd have to save the bulk gold in advance and then play the thing before the adventure retires, which might be difficult. If I get lucky and score core access though, I can probably work things around by staying in my regionals. (And start looking for a mithril chain shirt! Aaaaah!) ;)
paigeoliver 03-28-06, 09:37 AM	Mithral chain shirts are all over the place. My 7th level archer has them on at least 3 ARs, along with one or two general mithral accesses. If your first level character dies just make the same guy over again. If I remember correctly a weapon made out of starmetal costs 5000 GP extra. Don't worry about adventure access, you will always have access to 10 or 100 times more cool stuff than you can possibly afford.
Iswald 03-28-06, 09:51 AM	In the other access, you should consider the possibility of collecting the star metal, but not being given any. :rolleyes: There's also the possibility that only one person at the table gains access. I haven't played that particular mod yet, so I hope it's more generous.
redgamer 03-28-06, 10:37 AM	I would worry about access in this case. In a more general instance you will always get adventure access you can't afford, but you can't stop playing. Green Star Metal is not a first tier purchase. You won't be high enough level by the end of the year to purchase it.
TWG_Prometheus 03-28-06, 04:10 PM	While the reasoning varies, it seems that most are in agreement that I should just go ahead and play anyway, which was the main thing I needed to know/figure out. If nothing else, redgamer was correct that star metal isn't on my list of major needs. (Mithril Chain Shirt does make that list, however) It's more on the lines of things that would be unbearably cool to get. I guess we'll see what happens.
King Kashue 03-28-06, 06:02 PM	Don't forget favor access. A lot of times things will be some sort of favor access that you can turn in to buy the item. This is how access to "unique" items is most often given. With an item you're only like to see once or twice, upgrades to existing items that are 1 shot deals, etc. They usually will give them as favors, so that you can get them when it works best for you, but also so you can't buy 4 if you've got enough cash on hand...
TWG_Prometheus 03-28-06, 07:37 PM	A favor for a star metal weapon? There's a thought I don't mind at all. :cool: Guess I just go for it and see what I get.