Post/Author/DateTime	Post
catsclaw 04-01-07, 07:29 PM	I just got back from MEPACon (fabulously well-run convention, by the way. The mustering went off without a hitch. Major props.) and I had a question about the interactive -- it was two rounds, and the first round was really tough (the final combat ended with all of us unconscious except for the cleric, who was dead). The AR's featured maximum half gold, half experience, and no item access at all. Is that normal for interactives? The last one I played didn't differ in any way from a regular mod (expect it featured special retraining access in line with the type of interactive). I was expecting something else, I guess -- I've heard stories about rooms full of people defending the same town, people swapping tables to shore up defenses, even LARPing. This was just like a normal mod, only half the rewards and no item access. Given it was one of the most overpowered combats I've seen in LG, it seemed a little unfair. Is that normal for interactives?
Lupo 04-01-07, 08:15 PM	I just got back from MEPACon (fabulously well-run convention, by the way. The mustering went off without a hitch. Major props.) and I had a question about the interactive -- it was two rounds, and the first round was really tough (the final combat ended with all of us unconscious except for the cleric, who was dead). The AR's featured maximum half gold, half experience, and no item access at all. Is that normal for interactives? The last one I played didn't differ in any way from a regular mod (expect it featured special retraining access in line with the type of interactive). I was expecting something else, I guess -- I've heard stories about rooms full of people defending the same town, people swapping tables to shore up defenses, even LARPing. This was just like a normal mod, only half the rewards and no item access. Given it was one of the most overpowered combats I've seen in LG, it seemed a little unfair. Is that normal for interactives? "interactives" can be any of the above plus any strange anything you can imagine or at least the organizers - mostly local triad plus some naughty christmas elves on speed AND psychotropical substances :P (ok, no personal accusations so they might just have a vivid imagination and lots of spare time;)) half xp and gp is normal for interactives, sometimes you gain special favors :), sometimes you gain some loot ;), sometimes you gain nothing :(, sometimes you have no clue what is happening - i am still grumpy with "midsummer nightmare" - and will never get one, sometimes the interactive is more than one AR, i was at an "interactive" split on FOUR ARs, don't ask the guests from abroad - in the sense of LG - how many TUs this burnt - some are still grumpy ;), sometimes you just be crowd listening to the king's proclamation most of the time ;) hail to king to hazendale, hail king to hazendale, hail to king hazendale . . . . do i get a cooky?? and get a king's permission to bring my pets into town???:P sometimes you can get contact to "other" tables meaning the opportunity to liberal mixing of levels, sometimes you don't . . . sometimes the mixing might result in a low level character being at the wrong spot at the wrong moment, sometimes your action/success/failure will directly influence other tables - thanx again for the APL 6 table to take out ONE of the swamp zombie mobs, backed up by harpies - sometimes your action/success/failure will directly influence the welfare of the region - anyone in the mood for helping sunndi against the bullywug's invasion??? come to ducosim on 19th of may 2007, rumors say the special/interactive there will be connected to the froggies. that is all that comes to my mind right now . . . ciao martin m.
Haro 04-01-07, 08:35 PM	Each region is allocated a number of 'special interactives' that can feature special access and favours. I believe the number is four. As long as the event is a convention, you can run a normal interactive. These cannot give access or favours. In my region the allocation of special interactives has been historically tense, with many big conventions vying for the priviledge. Now that we have for all intents and purposes been split in two, that is no longer the case. Access for everyone! :) Joe
Eric Anondson 04-01-07, 08:43 PM	Is that normal for interactives?Half xp and gold, yeah that's normal because that's all that is allowed. In fact regardless of what APL you played at you should only get the APL closest to your level, rounded down. But as far as the interactive being a glorified mod... yeah, that can happen. It seems to be normal for that to happen, though I don't know it is necessarily explicitly supposed to be that way. As far as the interactive having tougher encounters than expected, yeah, that can happen. Some interactives get less rigorous playtesting (or none at all) than regular adventures. It's simple the nature of writing them that they slip through that way. I played a Highfolk interactive in La Crosse (Conflict in the Vesve) where high-level PCs were stuck in a dungeoncrawl while low-level PCs had to solve the problem outside. The high-level PCs were thrown ever-increasingly difficult challenges endlessly. I remember that our high-level table was finishing up APL+6 (having already dealt with APL+1, +2, +3, +4, and +5 with no rest between) when the collected low-levels resolved the situation. Which was good because the interactive had statted out up to APL+12, I think! Interactives can have less "interacting" and more party-based encounters. Others will have much more. There really isn't a "normal" on that aspect.
catsclaw 04-01-07, 09:59 PM	But as far as the interactive being a glorified mod... yeah, that can happen. It seems to be normal for that to happen, though I don't know it is necessarily explicitly supposed to be that way.Is there any way to tell if this is going to be the case? If I had known ahead of time, I would rather have played two regional mods -- I'm traveling out of region, so I don't know whether I'll be back next year or able to follow up on the story line.As far as the interactive having tougher encounters than expected, yeah, that can happen.I could understand if we had wandered over to an APL 4 or 6 table, but this was an APL 2 table. We were up against 3 creatures which needed a Spot around 26 to see (the judge passed out Feign Surprise cards, which prevented us from using any other cards later). They could breathe acid (which did damage and stunned), had four attacks a round (one a reach weapon, with improved grab), spell resistance, DR/magic, and immunity to mind-affecting spells.
Eric Anondson 04-01-07, 11:25 PM	Is there any way to tell if this is going to be the case? If I had known ahead of time, I would rather have played two regional mods -- I'm traveling out of region, so I don't know whether I'll be back next year or able to follow up on the story line.Sometimes interactives will have a blurb that will let you know. Sometimes even as simple as including "this is a battle interactive" "this is an investigative interactive" or other phrases that are code for what to expect.I could understand if we had wandered over to an APL 4 or 6 table, but this was an APL 2 table. We were up against 3 creatures which needed a Spot around 26 to see (the judge passed out Feign Surprise cards, which prevented us from using any other cards later). They could breathe acid (which did damage and stunned), had four attacks a round (one a reach weapon, with improved grab), spell resistance, DR/magic, and immunity to mind-affecting spells.This can get back to the matter that interactives generally don't get rigorous playtesting. Some mods get minimal playtesting as it is, but often interactives get none. I'm not saying this interactive didn't, but it can happen. I've gone to conventions where the interactive wasn't done being written until the night before it was run. Additionally, some interactive authors like to take the moment to put together something that requires players bring their "A"-game even more so than Core specials. This is can be done with obscure environment rules or template combinations no one expects with certain monsters...
Madfox11 04-02-07, 04:51 AM	Half xp and gold, yeah that's normal because that's all that is allowed. In fact regardless of what APL you played at you should only get the APL closest to your level, rounded down. Incorrect. It depends on the set-up and the choices the triads and authors made. It is a hard rule for LARP kind of interactives, but when it is nothing but a "glorified" scenario, the triad can decide to treat it exactly as that even in regards to the normal APL rules. But as far as the interactive being a glorified mod... yeah, that can happen. It seems to be normal for that to happen, though I don't know it is necessarily explicitly supposed to be that way. In general there are 3 types of interactives (or as they sometimes are called: regional specials): - Battle Interactive - LARP Interactive - Mini Adventure A battle interactive is usually a string of fights set on a big battlefield with each table facing different opponents. These tend to be much more challenging than ordinary adventures, and people who make the wrong choice can end up with the APL 8 encounter while being an APL 2 table. A LARP is exactly that, a small social gathering where people do some live action role-playing while interacting with various NPCs. Mini-adventures are the so-called "glorified" adventures, a way to deal with some minor plot-line or as a prequel, prologue, or prelogue to a regular regional or meta-regional scenario. They are usually smaller, and indeed cost double TU for the same rewards. Note that many interactives are unique to the convention, and they offer the players a chance to influence regional plot-lines that others will not have. Each region indeed has 4 specials that can generate special rewards. Note that the Circle can give permission for an interactive for a game day, but they only do so in regions with few to no conventions (such a few regions in Europe). As far as the interactive having tougher encounters than expected, yeah, that can happen. Some interactives get less rigorous playtesting (or none at all) than regular adventures. It's simple the nature of writing them that they slip through that way. I played a Highfolk interactive in La Crosse (Conflict in the Vesve) where high-level PCs were stuck in a dungeoncrawl while low-level PCs had to solve the problem outside. The high-level PCs were thrown ever-increasingly difficult challenges endlessly. I remember that our high-level table was finishing up APL+6 (having already dealt with APL+1, +2, +3, +4, and +5 with no rest between) when the collected low-levels resolved the situation. Which was good because the interactive had statted out up to APL+12, I think! Actually, in many cases an interactive is more challenging on purpose - battle interactives especially. One time we designed a battle-interactive previous encounters could increase or decrease future encounters dependend on the speed with which the PCs dealt with the situation. If things went badly, it could turn ugly real quickly just as in a regular battle. Your best bet to learn what kind of interactive is going to be run is to ask the senior DM at the convention or the local triad. Pieter Sleijpen RPGA Living Greyhawk Circle Member The Splintered Suns
Crazy Boro 04-02-07, 05:14 PM	I could understand if we had wandered over to an APL 4 or 6 table, but this was an APL 2 table. We were up against 3 creatures which needed a Spot around 26 to see (the judge passed out Feign Surprise cards, which prevented us from using any other cards later). They could breathe acid (which did damage and stunned), had four attacks a round (one a reach weapon, with improved grab), spell resistance, DR/magic, and immunity to mind-affecting spells. Yeah, I played apl 4 of that bit. 3 minions and their boss. The writer (who was running my table) for that part apologized for it since the corrections that were supposed to be put in were missed by the editors. The base creatures should've been weaker before the adding of the template for the final encounter.
redgamer 04-03-07, 04:47 PM	Having talked to the author and a handful of the judges for Mepacon's interactive I gathered two things. 1) it was harder at APL 2 and 4 than intended. 2) Most, possibly all but one, of the tables was underpowered measured by both Pc strength and player experience. Mepacon has had a saltmarsh interactive for as long as I can remember. This year an interactive that ran like a mod was what made sense in the plotline and what the authors were willing to write. The election interactive from a few years ago was amazing. Unless you play enough interactives to learn that you truly dislike one particular kind you really should play any interactive offered at the cons you attend.