Post/Author/DateTime	Post
firebeetle 12-14-06, 01:13 PM	OK, I'm looking at what mods to play at my gameday for next year. What are the very best mods for Year 6? (Do the Wizard boards allow for polls?) Here is a list. Post your favorites and why. COR6-20 Shades of Grey by Gary Milakovic A chance encounter leads to a chance for adventure in a land held in the tight grip of a tyrant. Keep your eyes open; but no matter which way you’re looking... it’s the wrong way. A one-round core adventure set in the domain of Greyhawk and the Pomarj for characters level 1-15 (APLs 2-12). COR6-19 Heir Aberrant by Andrew Lloyd and Andrew Nuxoll “Do not dabble with denizens of forbidden places, lest ye would become one.” – Zashnichar A bizarre creature needs help rescuing his master. Not all damsels in distress are as beautiful as the ones in the storybooks but this one may very well give you nightmares! The players of this adventure should be prepared for several unique challenges and puzzles in addition to more typical dangers. A one-round Core adventure set in the Mistmarsh for characters level 1-11 (APLs 2-8). COR6-18 Storm Ebb by David LoTempio A natural disaster has struck the small fishing villages sprinkled along Woolly Bay. Refugees need heroes adept at building as well as battling or else something sinister may chooses to nest in their submerged homes. A one-round core adventure set in Hardby and its environs for characters level 1-11 (APLs 2-8). In November COR6-17 Something of Value by Sam Weiss All adventurers dream of finding that one thing that will make them wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. Unfortunately, you seem to have found it. Now what are you going to do? A one-round core adventure set in the Free City of Greyhawk for characters level 10-15 (APLs 10-16). COR6-16 Dominion Over Bright Sands by Creighton Broadhurst and Greg Marks For two years, the paladin Karistyne has sought to stymie the Archmage Rary’s seemingly insatiable lust for power. Now, at the threshold of a darkness beyond even the reason of light, the fate of the Bright Lands must be decided. You must make the choice. A two-round core adventure set in the Empire of the Bright Lands for characters level 6-15 (APLs 6-16). The concluding part of Blight on Bright Sands. In October COR6-15 The Shrouded Shores of Abanfyl by Derek K. Schubert and Donovan Hicks His capital city retaken, Duke Labahlah extends his healing embrace over more of western Tenh, but peril awaits at every border. The young ruler needs staunch friends to fight old enemies and win new allies. Turn your face toward the chill winds blowing from the Griff Mountains and pierce the mysteries of the lost lake. Part 2 of the Legacy of Life series. A two-round core adventure set in and around the rebuilding Duchy of Tenh for characters level 6-15 (APLs 8-16). COR6-14 Cloud of Darkness by Creighton Broadhurst A dark cloud hangs motionless above an ancient sacred site buried deep in the Bright Lands. An ancient power is awaking in the Bright Lands but its true purpose remains occluded. The concluding part of Sins of Ages Past. A two-round core adventure set in the Empire of the Bright Lands for character levels 8- 15 (APLs 10 – 16). September and Earlier COR6-13 Tears for Bright Sands by Theron Martin According to legend, Sulm defeated ancient Itar, using dark magic to slay its patron deity and to collapse its capital into the sea. Two thousand years later a relic of those cataclysmic events may be critical to the future of the Bright Lands, but seeking it will require a journey beneath the waves. A one-round core adventure for characters level 2-15 (APLs 4-14). The penultimate part of Blight on Bright Sands. COR6-12 Calm Before the Storm by Tim Sech Tension is high in and around Safeton since the brutal attack on Narwell. The Pomarj is a flurry of activity and the high seas have once again become rife with danger. Whisperings of the Mak making his move, numerous disappearances in the middle of the night, and most disturbing of all, the sighting of ships sailing the yellow flags has the entire region on edge. A one-round core adventure set in the Wild Coast and the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj for characters level 1-15 (APLs 2-12). COR6-11 Return to the Storm Tower by Ron Lundeen Five years ago, a dwarven artisan and a cleric of Fharlanghn were stranded on the shores of the Pomarj. These two unfortunates have been presumed dead for years. New information has revealed they are alive in a mysterious keep called the Storm Tower and may be in great danger. Brave heroes are needed to venture into the Pomarj and bring them home. A one-round core adventure for character levels 1-15 (APLs 2 to 12). COR6-10 Murder in Elmshire by Michael McKeown and Steve Yee An embattled plea from a halfling village leads to dark secrets. What has happed to the poor citizens of this quiet community along the Lake of Unknown Depths? A one-round core adventure set in the Domain of Greyhawk for characters level 1-11 (APLs 2-8). COR6-09 Beneath the Sands Mike Hinds Time has buried an ancient evil. Such things are typically left alone to be lost to history. For a millennia this was so. Now a visitor, snatched from the distant past, wants this evil returned to help right a terrible wrong. PCs should have completed COR5-17 Time’s Tide on Bright Sands before playing this adventure. A one-round core adventure for character levels 1-15 (APLs 2-12). Part nine of Blight on Bright Sands. COR6-08 Catching Breath Shawn Merwin A friend in need calls upon a group of heroes to help him deal with problems in a far-off land. These troubles, however, may be ones that even the bravest and experienced of adventurers are not equipped to handle. A roleplaying intensive one-round Living Greyhawk core adventure set in the Sultanate of Zeif for characters level 1-15 (APLs 2-16), and part three of the Windows to the Serpent’s Soul series, which began with COR4-01 Shedding Scales and COR5-07 Clipping Wings. COR6-07 From the Dust Donovan Hicks and Derek K. Schubert The dust has settled and a new Duke has placed his claim on Tenh. His lands are devastated. His shattered people—rebels-turned-supporters, old guard, or zealous faithful—squabble in their divided loyalties. With such infighting, where will Duke Labahlah begin rebuilding his nation? A one-round core adventure for characters level 6-16 (APL 6 to 14). Part one of the Legacy of Life series. COR6-06 Elegy for a Broken King Luke Pitcher The trail of a missing son leads you to Dustbridge, in the lands of the former Great Kingdom. A cold wind blows through Prince Strychan’s town; something very new, and surpassingly old, is in the offing. A one-round core adventure set in Dustbridge and North Kingdom for characters level 8-15 (APLs 10-16). COR6-05 The Barbarous Coast Joseph L. Selby Members of the Dyvers Anti-Slavery League have been captured while conducting a raid on an orcish slave caravan along the Wild Coast. There is talk that a mole in the organization may be aiding the forces of Turrosh Mak. They ask for your help to fight the evils of the Pomarj. A one-round core adventure of deception and infiltration set in the Orcish Empire of the Pomarj for characters levels 1-15 (APLs 2-12). COR6-04 A Long Way for a Little Knowledge Jean-Philipe ‘JP’ Chapleau A merchant of the Mouqollad Consortium lies dying in a temple in Greyhawk. Magic cannot save him, but maybe someone knows. It’s a long way for a little knowledge. A one-round core adventure set in Greyhawk City and its environs for characters levels 1-11 (APLs 2-8). COR6-03 Riders fo the Grave Jeffery A. Dobberpuhl A hint of treasure leads to adventure in the outskirts of Greyhawk City. A grizzly one-round adventure set in the Free City of Greyhawk and its environs for characters levels 1-11 (APLs 2-8). COR6-02 Rallying Point for the Bright Sands Chris Chesher and Greg Marks Lady Karistyne requires you to travel to Hardby to retrieve a package on her behalf, but errand boys are not adventurers. To be an adventurer, you need to make choices, not just travel between two points. Are you ready to look within yourself and discover if you are an adventurer willing to fight for a cause or just an errand boy, sent by a patron, to collect a chest? A two-round core adventure set in Hardy for characters levels 1-15 (APLs 2-16). Part 7 of Blight on Bright Sands. COR6-01 A Story For Another Day Theron Martin Thirty two years ago in Dunmarsh, deliberately false accusations resulted in the death of two innocent women, which reopened a channel to an ancient evil near the village. Twice in the last three years adventurers have dealt with the deadly consequences of those actions, but the source of the problem remains. It is time that this tragic story be put to rest, lest a greater evil grows from it. This concluding sequel to COR3-08 Witch Hunt and COR4-17 Real Hero Blues is a roleplay intensive adventure set near the Wild Coast for characters levels 8-16 (APLs 10-16).
kenobi65 12-14-06, 01:27 PM	I've enjoyed all the Bright Sands modules I've played on this list (Time's Tide, Rallying Point, Beneath). As LG modules go, they can be very political, and the decisions the PCs must make aren't always a matter of black and white. I just played "Murder in Elmshire", and that, too, was pretty fun, and a reasonably good investigative module. "Catching Breath" is great, though it may lose a bit if the players haven't played the prior modules ("Shedding Scales," "Clipping Wings", and, tangentially, "Here There Be Dragons.") It's a fun story, and, again, requires some investigation and role-playing as well as, ultimately, some butt-kicking.
Simpi 12-14-06, 02:22 PM	I've enjoyed all the Bright Sands modules I've played on this list (Time's Tide, Rallying Point, Beneath). As LG modules go, they can be very political, and the decisions the PCs must make aren't always a matter of black and white. Likewise. Of the modules I have played, I give my vote to "Rallying Point". Sure, these modules might lead to somewhat heated arguments but in my opinion that is much more interesting than clear cut evil is evil & good is good choices of majority of LG modules. I for one enjoy these situations and try to put them into my modules as Nitessine (another board user) here might say. Well, in regards to regionals I cannot give a neutral opinion so I skip it but in metaregionals I give my vote to ESA6-01 Knife's Edge which is again a good example of Splintered Suns style shades of grey scenario. Local players were fuming when they actually met an NPC they already encountered in TSS4-04 Crossfire (still one of the greatest LG modules ever done) where he had defeated them with his buddies in an epic 20 round fight* and then forced PCs to work for him and then to much their annoyance, the guy managed to humiliate them yet again. This of course has led to all kind of blood oaths aimed on ending said NPCs life :D Sampo Haarlaa Naerie Triad *Where both sides had an enlarged barbarian on their side (who ended up hacking each other on top of a table) and where a cleric of Pelor was death attacked twice when blinded by Glitterdust!
Samwise 12-14-06, 02:53 PM	COR6-17 Something of Value is definitely the best. :cool:
kenobi65 12-14-06, 03:01 PM	COR6-17 Something of Value is definitely the best. :cool: If only it'd show up on the stinkin' event system, so someone other than the author could make that assessment. ;)
smerwin29 12-14-06, 04:15 PM	It was probably entered into the RPGA ordering system, and the system was warped by the vile and evil content.
NiTessine 12-14-06, 04:23 PM	Of the modules I have played, I give my vote to "Rallying Point". Sure, these modules might lead to somewhat heated arguments but in my opinion that is much more interesting than clear cut evil is evil & good is good choices of majority of LG modules. I for one enjoy these situations and try to put them into my modules as Nitessine (another board user) here might say. Well, in regards to regionals I cannot give a neutral opinion so I skip it but in metaregionals I give my vote to ESA6-01 Knife's Edge which is again a good example of Splintered Suns style shades of grey scenario. Local players were fuming when they actually met an NPC they already encountered in TSS4-04 Crossfire (still one of the greatest LG modules ever done) where he had defeated them with his buddies in an epic 20 round fight* and then forced PCs to work for him and then to much their annoyance, the guy managed to humiliate them yet again. This of course has led to all kind of blood oaths aimed on ending said NPCs life :D Indeed. I've played the Bright Sands series up to Rallying Point and consider it by far the best of the generally high-quality bunch thus far. It is in many ways much like our brand new Naerie regional, Sharafon, and I'd say they are both among the best LG scenarios I've played. Sadly, I've played far too few Year Six Core modules to give a balanced opinion about the whole lot. As for the villain in Knife's Edge... I will harvest his ribs, the next we meet. Then I will craft a bonemail out of them. Let's see the bastard laugh that one off.
JohnduBois 12-14-06, 05:57 PM	The BEST Year 6 mod (and possibly "best mod evar") is Madhouse. Period. And I'm not just saying that cuz Britt's my boss (well, as much as he can be when we're both volunteers). Of course, it's also a mod where the entertainment opportunities are present, but their use and effectiveness relies entirely on a good (and possibly insane) DM and players who LOVE roleplaying.
Haro 12-14-06, 06:09 PM	The BEST Year 6 mod (and possibly "best mod evar") is Madhouse. Period. And I'm not just saying that cuz Britt's my boss (well, as much as he can be when we're both volunteers). Of course, it's also a mod where the entertainment opportunities are present, but their use and effectiveness relies entirely on a good (and possibly insane) DM and players who LOVE roleplaying. If I recall correctly, Britt was saying the reaction to The Madhouse in Australia (SRDU) was overwhelmingly huge compared to how it was received in the States. I, umm...don't know what that says about us Aussies as gamers. ;-) Joe P.S. The Madhouse was the best meta I've played. I believe the best 596CY Core game is Catching Breath, with Clouds of Darkness an honourable mention.
JohnduBois 12-14-06, 10:36 PM	Ooh. I forgot one. I haven't gotten a chance to look at the mod since I playtested it, but I'm guessing that COR6-19 Heir Aberrant is still a REALLY good mod.
Japangirl 12-14-06, 10:54 PM	I'm American and I really liked Madhouse!
jstorrie 12-15-06, 01:03 AM	ZEF6-08 That Look was totally amazing, and if you are ever passing through a Zeif area you should play it. Complete, total dread. About the closest you'll feel to just plain being in Ravenloft. COR6-02 had a nice classic dungeon crawl feel to it which I enjoyed. Fane of the Drow's 'Okay, sit down for six straight hours of tactical combat' was a fun change of pace, though not something I'd be up for doing often.
copper_wyrmling 12-15-06, 01:25 AM	I'm American and I really liked Madhouse! I'm Australian and I left two weeks before SRDU, and at least five of my friends emailed me within days of the con to tell me that I'd missed the Best Module Ever... :weep: Of the Cores, I thought Catching Breath and Story For Another Day were superb. I think as a player I had the most fun in Elegy for a Broken King, although part of that was the table ("A Wild Mage and a Bishop of the One True Path walk into an opium den...") ;) In fact, I think generally the Year 6's so far have been great (I've played up to 6-10). I'm currently waiting impatiently for January and the resetting of TUs so I can play Azrien "The Dreamer" in Cloud of Darkness :)
gomeztoo 12-15-06, 05:23 AM	Rallying point was intersting, but it has a bit that was (in our case) quite boring. A DM should probably attempt to skip through it. The conflict briefly caused for some friction between players, but that was mostly due to us playing it online, where such issues are harder to play out (especially when one is a follower of Joramy...). I playtested Cloud of Darkness and it was fun AND pretty tough. We also had some inter-party conflict there, and lots of discussions on what to do next. The problem with this scenario though is that if you do not have a Dreamer or have not played one of the prequels, it doesn't make much sense. If you have played Frozen Spire, you seriously need to play this final (or is it?) part. From the Dust is fairly simple set up. It as one very odd encounter, and two fairly tough ones. Getting hit from 99 hp to single digits in one round - twice - was definitely an event to remember. I was less enthusiastic about Calm Before the Storm, but we rushed through it, which may be factor. I'm prepping it for tomorrow, and there is a bit more to it than I thought, but I think on most parties those extras are totally lost. Catching Breath was most fun, especially the way my (elf) PC contributed to the party's attempts at diplomacy...
Necrochaos 12-24-06, 10:36 PM	"Catching Breath" is great, though it may lose a bit if the players haven't played the prior modules ("Shedding Scales," "Clipping Wings", and, tangentially, "Here There Be Dragons.") It's a fun story, and, again, requires some investigation and role-playing as well as, ultimately, some butt-kicking. Are you serious when you say Catching Breath was a great mod? I beg to differ. The serious is not so continuous as the same author did not write all of them. The stories don't jive together. Catching Breath is litter with investigation that is not well hinted to the characters. Some of the ways to solve them that most characters would think of are not able to be done. The mod is dull, slow and boring. I don't mean to slander an author, but that is my opinion. The series got worse with each module. Each year, we saw the rock roll down hill. But, I will agree that all characters will see modules in a different light. Murder in Elmshire was ok and the Bright Sands modules have been quite good. In most cases, core modules are rarely as good as a regional or meta-regional.
Samwise 12-24-06, 10:55 PM	Are you serious when you say Catching Breath was a great mod? I beg to differ. The serious is not so continuous as the same author did not write all of them. The stories don't jive together. The stories fit together quite well. Each adventure carries over vital elements into the next. Catching Breath is litter with investigation that is not well hinted to the characters. Some of the ways to solve them that most characters would think of are not able to be done. And that is the best part of the adventure. Regrettably, I can't explain that further because it would be a spoiler, but I think Shawn's use of it was absolutely incredible.
MatBlack 12-25-06, 02:01 AM	Madhouse was possibly one of the best LG mods I've ever played. followed by Stone Cold (another Year 6 Iuz metaregional), but that may only be because it has lead to the possible formation of a Highfolk Goat-ball league. :)
budleiser 12-25-06, 05:36 PM	I'm American and I really liked Madhouse! I thought you were Japanese. I wonder why I thought that.
Japangirl 12-25-06, 05:44 PM	I thought you were Japanese. I wonder why I thought that. No idea :).
smerwin29 12-25-06, 08:32 PM	The serious is not so continuous as the same author did not write all of them. The stories don't jive together. Catching Breath is litter with investigation that is not well hinted to the characters. Some of the ways to solve them that most characters would think of are not able to be done. The mod is dull, slow and boring. I don't mean to slander an author, but that is my opinion. I did write all the parts of the series, unless those sneaky so-and-so's at HQ snuck one in without my knowledge. I strongly suggest you avoid the Xen'drik Expeditions campaign toon--particularly the Crimson Codex faction! :-B I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the adventure. It is always a tricky thing to create a good investigative module, especially for APLs 2-16. There's such a wide range of things that can happen: if you make it too tight it is called a railroad, if you make it too loose it is called obtuse. As I write more and more adventures across the various campaigns, I have started trying different things. With "Catching Breath," I really took a chance by essentially entrusting my reputation as a module author to the DMs. If the DM is not willing or able to improvise or step outside the box a little, it really can be frustrating or dull to the players. And since that is true, maybe it is a frustrating or dull module, and I have learned my lesson. Feedback is always welcome, even (and especially) constructive criticism. One thing I do ask, though, is that you read/run the module before offering extensive feedback. I think anyone who has authored an RPGA adventure can agree that many times feedback goes something like this: Player: "I thought your mod could have been better. We played at APL 6, and NPC Y was illogical, the third encounter at the temple should have been a TPK, and the curse we got was brutal even though we didn't stick out tongues on the MacGuffin of Power." Author: "Thanks for taking the time to write. Unless something changed during editing, there is no NPC Y in the adventure, the third encounter at the temple was not supposed to have any combat at all, and you were only supposed to get the curse if you put your tongue on the MacGuffin of Power." I know that a module can't please everyone, but I can certainly try! Thanks, Shawn
Necrochaos 12-25-06, 09:23 PM	Shawn, I wasn't trying to call you out. I was just giving my opinion of the mod. There will always be someone who doesn't like the mod no matter how you wrote it. Our DM ran the mod poorly. My remarks were by no means a reflection of your ability to create and author mods. It was merely my opinion of the module. I feel that investigative mods are getting out of hand in that players feel like they don't have enough clues to get the answers they seek. They spend too much time talking to NPC's who aren't important in the mission because clues are so vague. This is the reason that I didn't like the adventure. We spent so much time trying to talk to people who didn't matter only to have the hook go flying past us. It seemed illogical that we were in the right place at the right time by no means of our own. Investigative mods seem to be all the rage in LG and the hooks are not big enough for the players mouths. I understand that authors need to get creative to keep modules from being dry and repetitive. But at the same time, there needs to be some means of conveying what is important and what is not. It shouldn't be up to the DM to decide what is important to tell the players and what is not. Again, I am sure that you are a fine author and all mods will have critics on both sides of the fence. I apologize for being on the side that didn't like the mod.
kenobi65 12-25-06, 11:34 PM	Are you serious when you say Catching Breath was a great mod? I beg to differ. Well, yeah, I was serious, actually. :) It sounds like our experiences with the module were very different. I got to play it at the premiere at Origins, with a DM who really enjoyed running the module (and did a good job with it). Obviously, different groups will have different experiences with any module, but our group didn't have any particular troubles with following the investigation / plot hooks.
Shieldhart91 12-28-06, 04:27 AM	Personally, COR6-08 Catching Breath was a blast to play AND to run. My DM was so-so, but still pretty fair since we got to skip a lot of the snoozer combats (which were pretty much won by the time the first hit was landed). This granted us a lot more time to go into the investigative part of the module, as well as see the awesome conclusion. As for running it, this too- was fun. While I will say that the combats in here are a bit lacking, the investigative module really makes up for it. To bring what others are saying to light, it really depends on who's DMing the module and how well they accept your whacky ideas to get the job done. Oh, and player audacity is a big part in that one ;) At any rate, COR6-10 Murder in Elmshire was loads of fun, which I had the opportunity to play at U-Con '06. Definetly a great module if you have time for the investigative things in the module. It'll take forever if you play it all out, so there's my fair warning. COR6-03 Riders of the Grave definetly has my vote: had a dynamic part of the module that I loved. Incorporated something other then character sheets and books, which I think is great. Props only enhance a game to a higher level. COR6-04 A Long Way for a Little Knowledge: Granted, my DM wasn't the greatest. We skipped an encounter at his discretion, and we had about 2 hours and 30 minutes to kill at a con with no money in our pockets. Really sucked. It's an okay module, but isn't the greatest- but that just my thoughts. Those thoughts include my bias for it ;) On a final note, I'd suggest to avoid higher level tables (APL 10+ as a minimum requirement) unless requested specifically by the players. For some reason (even at Cons), those higher-level tables just don't seem to be hit up as much as the lower-leveled ones. Anyone's guess as to why ;)
Bogjob 12-29-06, 10:25 AM	Fane of the Drow's 'Okay, sit down for six straight hours of tactical combat' was a fun change of pace, though not something I'd be up for doing often. Sorry but my experience of Fane was not what I want from a Role Playing game. I didnt like it until I got my AR then I loved it :) There's no real plot its just one long fight which my group being APL4 with good fighter's and cleric's wiped out far too easy. The Drow were too easy and no longer the scary opponents they used to be :nonono:
rockondon 12-29-06, 03:14 PM	my favorite mods were all the ones that were NOT investigative ;) Investigative mods are the most hated ones among my play group (of about 40-50 people). You're usually guaranteed to have hours of dead-time where no one knows what to do, where to go, who to talk to, what to ask. Unless you happen to have some bard in the party with crazy high gather information and diplomacy and is great at investigative mods and in that case you will have hours of dead-time where no one knows what to do, where to go, who to talk to...
firebeetle 12-31-06, 11:30 AM	Well, I am certainly curious about "Madhouse" Here is the list that you've all generated, 13 of the 20 mods: COR6-02 Rallying Point for the Bright Sands Chris Chesher and Greg Marks COR6-09 Beneath the Sands Mike Hinds COR6-13 Tears for Bright Sands by Theron Martin COR6-08 Catching Breath Shawn Merwin COR6-10 Murder in Elmshire by Michael McKeown and Steve Yee COR6-14 Cloud of Darkness by Creighton Broadhurst COR6-01 A Story For Another Day Theron Martin COR6-06 Elegy for a Broken King Luke Pitcher COR6-07 From the Dust Donovan Hicks and Derek K. Schubert COR6-03 Riders fo the Grave Jeffery A. Dobberpuhl COR6-04 A Long Way for a Little Knowledge Jean-Philipe ‘JP’ Chapleau COR6-12 Calm Before the Storm by Tim Sech COR6-17 Something of Value by Sam Weiss What are the best six from this list? Not from some other region/metaregion, just your opinion on which six listed mods you REALLY liked playing.
Samwise 12-31-06, 11:43 AM	Heh. I guess you are one of those who don't know firebeetle. I am Sam Weiss, author of COR6-17, and reviewer of 6 of the other adventures on that list. Also, COR6-17 only premiered 2 weeks? ago, so few people have had a chance to suffer my evil. So you might want to take that off the list until some of the people who have played give me rave reviews. (Or strident denunciations. :P ) As for playing, I have on played Rallying Point, and will only play Beneath the Sands and Tears this year, so I can't really give a proper vote, since I've got a limited field to pick from. As for what I've enjoyed running the most, that is a toss up between Catching Breath and Storm Ebb (which hasn't been nominated yet, and which is also an end of year release).
TWG_Prometheus 01-02-07, 09:32 AM	It's probably just continuing a side theme of the thread, but I thought the coversation about Catching Breath was interesting. I've also played some investigative mods that were somewhat frustrating, and I don't think anyone likes sitting around wondering what to do next. I think when investigative mods go well, the players should generally always have some ideas about what to do and where to go next. Hopefully, not too many of those are complete dead ends: Players: We go here! Judge: (With or without an attempt to roleplay it in the interests of time) You don't learn anything there. Even if a location doesn't have the next piece of information, they could have a suggestion about somewhere the PCs might want to try next, (which may or may not be helpful) or at least some information that would be interesting, if unrelated. One of my favorite year 6 regionals from Nyrond had a quick little blurb about a town far away from the module, just letting the PCs know that the town was recovering from an earlier problem. The information had no bearing at all on the task at hand, but it was very relevant to me and my character. Cores may not have quite as much leeway. Perhaps what is needed most is not a modification to the module structure itself, but a small guide section for Judges that haven't prepared quite as well. We all know it happens, for reasons both legitimate and not legitimate. Sometimes, even a well prepared Judge can find that the module isn't making quite as much sense at the table as it did when they prepped it. A "If you Hit a Wall" section detailing the things that generally need to happen, and common expected methods of having them happen to get a derailed investigative module back on track is probably a better solution than toning down the investigative style, since some people really like that. While I don't remember it having a section like that exactly, one module that I thought did a good job of covering its loose structure was COR5-02 The Voice of Reason. (It wasn't so much an investigative mod, but definitely had some leeway in the structure.) ------------- I should give at least a token response to the primary intent of the thread as well. ;) I haven't played many year 6 cores yet (I spent last year trying to get year 5 in) so it's not a comparison with other mods quite as much, but I'll put a plug in for COR6-03 Riders of the Grave as well as Tears. Good fun.
gomeztoo 01-02-07, 10:45 AM	my favorite mods were all the ones that were NOT investigative ;) Some people just don't like investigation mods no matter how you write them. A small group of people even don't want to think at all. They just wait for the next encounter, so they can hack their way through the monsters. I fear my writing style is not really for them, as in most cases it does require some thought to (fully) succeed.
Simpi 01-02-07, 11:40 AM	A small group of people even don't want to think at all. They just wait for the next encounter, so they can hack their way through the monsters. Heh, some people also disagree with any kind of shades of grey in modules. One person even told me that D&D is an entertainment game which should be free of painful moral relativism that real world is so full of. He "will want to be able to detect person as evil with his abilities and then disembowel him for simply being evil and face no repercussions". (an actual quote) Heck, I have seen people saying that Atonement (probably the best Y5 module) forced their PCs to work for evil since the repentant merchant and assassin in it had been evil at some point during their lives and that they hated it for that :eek: Advice to them: Avoid my modules :D Sampo Haarlaa Naerie Triad
copper_wyrmling 01-02-07, 02:35 PM	From the Dust is fairly simple set up. It as one very odd encounter, and two fairly tough ones. Getting hit from 99 hp to single digits in one round - twice - was definitely an event to remember. Admittedly, one of those was a crit. You did SAY part of that character's job was to soak damage ;) (I GM'ed From the Dust for Gomez, and yeah, one of the encounters was rather nastier than I realized until we were half-way through it...) And having played Something of Value, Samwise was right: it utterly rocks, especially at APL 14+ :) However, I'd play it in a non-time-limited environment if you have the chance: we spent sooooo much time arguing over our options... (Of course, you kind of expect that with two Pholtans and a cleric of Joramy in the party - other groups might be a little more unified.)
gomeztoo 01-02-07, 03:24 PM	It was actually quite fun to disembowel someone while you are at 1 hp... :P (Btw Atonement rocked. Especially since Nesalia thought up a tiotally wild story, tried to sell it to the rest of the pary - to the chagrin of the merchant and his wife - and at the end of the scenario found out that what she had made up was exactly what was going on. Extra fun since Nesalia and one other PC were the only ones who did...). Anyway, that scenario was really cool. A bit of dififcult decision making never hurt anyone imo. But anyway, year 6 scenarios in order of fun-factor when I played it: - COR6-14: Cloud of Darkness - COR6-08: Catching Breath - COR6-02: Rallying Point for the Bright Sands - COR6-07: From the Dust - COR6-04: A Long Way for a Little Knowledge - COR6-05: The Barbarous Coast - COR6-12: Calm Before the Storm Haven't played any others yet. Note that I may be biased regarding the first two as the char I played them with is both a dreamer and a thrall of the serpent. Gomez
Japangirl 01-02-07, 06:49 PM	Heck, I have seen people saying that Atonement (probably the best Y5 module) forced their PCs to work for evil since the repentant merchant and assassin in it had been evil at some point during their lives and that they hated it for that :eek: :eek: Tell said person/people to never ever come to the BK. I have worked for Xavendra, Veth, and Prince Zeech (who worships Pazrael, a very powerful demon (devil? not sure which)). I don't think I've ever worked for Cranzer or Iuz himself yet . . .
copper_wyrmling 01-02-07, 06:53 PM	:eek: Tell said person/people to never ever come to the BK. I have worked for Xavendra, Veth, and Prince Zeech (who worships Pazrael, a very powerful demon (devil? not sure which)). I don't think I've ever worked for Cranzer or Iuz himself yet . . . My sacred exorcist (with Chosen Foe: Evil Outsiders) has worked for/with a certain marilith general on several occasions... she always feels utterly outclassed in the negotiations ;) She sort of worked for Prince Zeech once, but that did not end well (i.e. he called the guards on us and we immediately teleported out, which was lucky because the guards had antimagic fields).
Sutro 01-03-07, 01:40 AM	Haven't really gotten around to most of the year 6s yet, but I can say my favorite Year 5 to judge was Return to the Undercity. There's some potential for some great moments in there. At the final encounter: Me: (rummages around my backpack) Player: What are you looking for? Me: (rummaging) Hobgoblin minis. Player: ... Player: You've already got 12 out there. Me: (rummaging) Actually, there's 13 out there. Player: ... -Sutro
firebeetle 01-03-07, 10:49 AM	Heh. I guess you are one of those who don't know firebeetle. I am Sam Weiss, author of COR6-17, and reviewer of 6 of the other adventures on that list. Also, COR6-17 only premiered 2 weeks? ago, so few people have had a chance to suffer my evil. So you might want to take that off the list until some of the people who have played give me rave reviews. (Or strident denunciations. :P ) As for playing, I have on played Rallying Point, and will only play Beneath the Sands and Tears this year, so I can't really give a proper vote, since I've got a limited field to pick from. As for what I've enjoyed running the most, that is a toss up between Catching Breath and Storm Ebb (which hasn't been nominated yet, and which is also an end of year release). I figured that out, but no one refuted it, so I didn't remove it. I'm running this as a poll on ENWorld and Storm Ebb has come up there too. PLEASE don't worry about how many adventures you've played folks. You know a good adventure when you play it, that's what I want. Good adventures.
Golorious 01-03-07, 02:49 PM	Mad House while not a core module is an Iuzian Meta-Regional Module. It was by far my favorite Iuzian Meta-regional to date. I'm not sure how it went over in other regions but it was Really popluar with the Shield Land Players. We had a few judges that would rather run that module then play some of the others offered. However the GM REALLY makes the story and if the player's don't participate then there is a huge let down. As for Core modules I had a fantastic time with Return to Storm Tower. I also enjoyed running that module as well.
NeSoDak 01-05-07, 12:20 PM	IUZ6-04 "Mad House" The best mod I have played to date! But I do think that without a good DM, this mod could be pretty boring. Thankfully, I had a DM that has been playing since day one and he did a great job. Thanks James! COR6-11 "Murder in Elmshire" This mod gets my vote so far for year 6 mods. I haven't played some of the others that everyone likes, but will soon. Hope they live up to their reputation on this board. mark aka - Alton Underbough - Halfling Griffon Rider of the Shield Lands "I bring death, on golden wings, to Iuz and all his pathetic minions. I do not fear them, for I bring their end!"