Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 talon54 May 20, 2008 11:09:22	First the Negatives. Price: It's already been said, but i want to say it again, this module is not worth the $30 price tag. If my wife didnt work at a bookstore and get a sweet discount, i wouldnt even consider this module. That kind of price point is just going to drive a ton of people towards free downloads of the .pdf version that will pop up shortly after release. This is a 65 page nonbound (its stapled together) module. (the quickstart information is nothing anyone doesnt already know, and thus useless) I already have the cover tearing off and i have only read through it once. If the H2 module is of this quality and length, i wont even bother. Almost $.50 per page is not even in the realm of reasonable. Editing: There are many typo's throughout the module. The very first line in the module reads: "As the adventure begins, the player characters find themselves traveling down a road that hasn't been maintained in nearly a hundred years ago." Now i understand that typo's happen, and as a DM you just work past them, but it worries me that this might be the quality of product we have to look forward to with the core rulebooks as well. Positives Ok if you ignore the price and poor editing, the module itself is actually pretty good. It gives just enough detail to get your group moving, but doesnt overwhelm the DM with useless tidbits of information. Some have said that the module lacks roleplay, which is true, however I personally hate when Modules write in roleplay scenes. As a DM, thats my job. I just need the module to handle the garbage work that i don't want to mess with like setting up the combats and tactics, creating NPC's and Maps, and generating Treasure. This module does all of those things extremely well. I have read through it once, and i already have many ideas to liven up Winterhaven and its citizens. The Combat's seem extremely challanging, particularly to a group of players that are new to they 4th edition system. I can see a couple of fights where a bit of DM adjusting might be necissary to prevent a group wipe. Personally thats not how i want to kick off my 4th edition campaign, by killing my group in the 5th or 6th fight of the module, however i do like the challenge it is going to present my players. The Maps are very clean and well done. I always hate when they put the secret doors on the maps, it requires me to either photoshop them out, or redraw everything. Dont know why they cant just say "middle of the east wall there is a secret door". But overall excellent maps.
#2 kouk May 20, 2008 12:28:56	Thanks for the insight. I have a couple of questions for you if you don't mind. So the battle maps that players are expected to fight monsters on (the poster maps included in the package) actually label the secret doors for everyone to see? And when you say the fights are hard for new players, do you mean it is hard because they may not know how the exact mechanics of their characters work, or just the situations and number of enemies are tough and the party may have to make plans or think more tactically or retreat? Or is it just rooms full of monsters that are nearly guaranteed to kill a character before he knows what happened?
#3 jrmahala_dup May 20, 2008 13:26:34	I'm not surprised by the typos. The core rulebooks will have their share, I can guarantee it. The same was true in 2000 when I got the 3e core books. They were loaded with typos; almost like WotC forgot to go through the editing process in their haste to release their new product.
#4 mholland_dup May 20, 2008 13:42:19	Ah yes, I remember the pages and pages of errata for 3E to fix the rules. Then add the typos on top of that. The 3E books, first print, we a running disaster, lol. But I loved them anyway.
#5 pukunui May 20, 2008 21:06:19	So the battle maps that players are expected to fight monsters on (the poster maps included in the package) actually label the secret doors for everyone to see? I'm wondering this too ... And when you say the fights are hard for new players, do you mean it is hard because they may not know how the exact mechanics of their characters work, or just the situations and number of enemies are tough and the party may have to make plans or think more tactically or retreat? Or is it just rooms full of monsters that are nearly guaranteed to kill a character before he knows what happened? My understanding, from having read all the other reviews I can find, is that a lot of the encounters are simply very challenging (that is to say, the encounters are of a higher level of difficulty than the PCs' levels). This is not at all surprising. Most of WotC's 3.x adventures were extremely deadly too. They seem to enjoy ignoring their "balanced encounter" guidelines when designing official adventures. Ah yes, I remember the pages and pages of errata for 3E to fix the rules. Then add the typos on top of that. The 3E books, first print, we a running disaster, lol. But I loved them anyway. I expect the first print of the 4e books to be pretty disastrous as well but I'm going to buy them anyway so I can start playing asap. Then I'll look at buying new copies a few years down the track when they've been edited and updated. Then I'll sell/give the originals to one of my players or donate them to the library or something.
#6 Arilon May 20, 2008 21:24:28	I purchased this today. I've skimmed through the book. Let me say that typos generally don't bother me too much - there's no way to avoid them. I have problems with errors that actually affect the play of the game. I haven't read enough to find those yet. My biggest complaint, and it is what is giving me pause about buying 4e (to the extent that I am considering canceling my pre-order on Amazon) is the price tag. I don't mind paying $30 for an adventure. It's that I paid that much for a book that is no sturdier than a standard magazine. I'm not suggesting the adventure had to be hard cover, but at least make the covers a heavier stock. Now, you might say, "wait, you won't play 4e because of that???" I won't go that far, but it has made me question whether or not I want to shell out this kind of money for future products. I didn't know the cover was that flimsy paper. It was neatly tucked inside the pocket folder (which is nice, but not a substitute for a sturdier cover.) This is the item to kick off 4e, to entice people to want to play, and this is what I got? Just a major, major disappointment. I can assure you that I won't buy future items like this. Whoever told them to use this flimsy material for a cover should be fired. It's a terrible decision. At the very least, I'm going to try to return it to Borders tomorrow to get my money back. It was an absolute waste of money. It looks pretty, that's for sure, and the content seems okay (from what I've read.) But the lack of durability is a serious issue, and I'm not okay with what they have passed off to us. Mark
#7 thecapn May 20, 2008 21:43:02	I am of the belief that the quickstart information is a requirement. Just because you've been absorbing all the information you can on 4e doesn't mean that someone walking in to their local book store or hobby shop is already going to know the rules. You'd be pretty annoyed if you had never played Monopoly before, decided to give it a go; buy it and find there are no rules in it because Monopoly has been around for ages, everyone should already know the rules! The module is perfectly valid as a newbie's introduction to the game. Not to mention a quickstart guide is handy for veterans who want to quickly look up a rule instead of going through the massive rulebooks. As for pagecount, I've bought adventure modules in the past with half that amount of pages. Look at some of the old 1st edition modules. The flimsyness of the book kinda sucks. Hope they do something about it for future releases.
#8 krysis7 May 20, 2008 22:26:57	I'm in total agreement about the flimsyness of it. I've had it in my hands for a few hours and the cover is already in worse shape than some of my old 2e modules... Other than that I like what I've read so far. I haven't seen much that links with H2 so far though. I wasn't them to all campaign arc together, but a small clue or anything I could shove in to get the characters moving that direction would be nice.
#9 boarstorm May 20, 2008 23:34:17	After my first readthrough, I have to say I like the module. My only issue is the same as yours: I wish it wasn't printed on toilet paper.
#10 jrscott May 21, 2008 2:28:02	This is kinda what I feared about 4E based on what we'd seen online already with DDI, it is the lack of dedication to a quality product. From what I'm reading from most of you, it appears anyone could have put this module out with a stabler, copy paper, copier, and time. That to me is kinda sad for a first product of a revamped line.
#11 krysis7 May 21, 2008 9:14:31	I found the hook leading to H2, so strike that complaint for me. Now the biggest issue is just the paper it's printed on. The cover at least. I really wish the cover were sturdier. I'm fine with thin glossy magazine paper inside - but as a cover it really doesn't hold up. Mind you I'm sure the thinking was that it's kept inside the cardboard folder - but just from having the booklet out during play it's going to get trashed.
#12 stormonu May 21, 2008 10:47:30	Thanks for the insight. I have a couple of questions for you if you don't mind. So the battle maps that players are expected to fight monsters on (the poster maps included in the package) actually label the secret doors for everyone to see? No, secret doors are not marked on the battlemats. However, there are maps in the adventure that if you were to print out and lay out, you would have to remove the secret doors - but that's standard fare for adventure from years back. And when you say the fights are hard for new players, do you mean it is hard because they may not know how the exact mechanics of their characters work, or just the situations and number of enemies are tough and the party may have to make plans or think more tactically or retreat? Or is it just rooms full of monsters that are nearly guaranteed to kill a character before he knows what happened? They are hard in part due to unfamiliarity, but the encounters also have a deadly feel to them in the "OMG, they're gonna maul us!" sense. However, while it's not difficult to put a character down, it's actually pretty hard to keep them down. I ran the first few encounters mercilessly, and while I was able to drop the rogue and wizard into the negatives (and near got the others - down to 5 hp or so), keeping them down proved almost impossible. So, while you don't want to laugh at the opposition, it isn't likely the characters will die. Combats are exciting and thrilling, but the PCs have the edge to adequately survive. As to the quality of paper, I'm in agreeance. The books are extremely flimsy and easily bent, and the ink on the covers will start to wear off onto your hands during an average session using them. I get the feeling these books won't last much beyond two full runs of the adventure. Also, I find it strange that the included battlemats, while of better quality than the books, are from previous map folio sets (King's Road map, etc.) However, they have been redone so there is no start-up/victory areas on the maps making them unusable for mini players. So unless you pull the maps for other adventures, they're not going to see a lot of use, further driving down the overall value of the module.
#13 talon54 May 21, 2008 11:14:21	Yeah, the battle maps are fine. I dont use them, we copy maps right out of the book over on transparency's and use an overhead. I am very thankful they didnt get artsy and put the maps at angles like in alot of the 3.5 modules. That was extremely annoying. As far as the battlemaps themselves, they cover 6 fights, 3 opening fights, 2 of which i didnt think a battlemap was really necissary, 1 fight in the middle, and the 2 final combats. The final combat also really didnt need a battlemap either. The final fight is all going to be taking place in the same area, and the rest is just kind of a waste. Personally i would rather have seen a battlemap for that zombie fight in the crypt of shadows, perhaps the chieftains lair, and maybe the ghoul warren. Sure these aren't the epic climax fights, but they have alot of things happening, and honestly the first couple of kobold fights arent that exciting that require to break out a battlemap. As far as the encounter difficulty. Part of it will have to do with the players being unfarmilar with the game system. There are fights that are pretty much going to require players to focus thier attacks, and in all likelyhood use up thier daily powers on the right targets. I have not run any fights yet, so i might be dead wrong, and underestimating my players. But from just reading through it, i as the DM get that sense of dread and doom as to how they are going to win, hopefully i can portray that same feeling to my players. I read the module again last night, and i am finding more and more i like about it. Its hard for me to overlook the pricetag and quality, but the content on the 64 or so pages is really well done, the tactical encounters in particular. The tactics are spelled out nicely without going into crazy detail, and the creature stat blocks are sweet. I don't plan on running it until the core books come out, i want my players to be able to create thier own first 4e toon, but when i do get started i think its going to be a great first campaign for 4e.
#14 pukunui May 21, 2008 16:09:45	No, secret doors are not marked on the battlemats. However, there are maps in the adventure that if you were to print out and lay out, you would have to remove the secret doors - but that's standard fare for adventure from years back. Yeah, and the thing is that WotC often puts up the maps from adventures on their website for people to download and use ... but they're just the same ones from the module. It would be nice if they'd post ones without the secret doors so that we DMs can download them and print them off to use without having to photoshop them ourselves. They are hard in part due to unfamiliarity, but the encounters also have a deadly feel to them in the "OMG, they're gonna maul us!" sense. However, while it's not difficult to put a character down, it's actually pretty hard to keep them down. I ran the first few encounters mercilessly, and while I was able to drop the rogue and wizard into the negatives (and near got the others - down to 5 hp or so), keeping them down proved almost impossible. So, while you don't want to laugh at the opposition, it isn't likely the characters will die. Combats are exciting and thrilling, but the PCs have the edge to adequately survive. I actually quite like the sound of that. As far as the battlemaps themselves, they cover 6 fights, 3 opening fights, 2 of which i didnt think a battlemap was really necissary, 1 fight in the middle, and the 2 final combats. The final combat also really didnt need a battlemap either. The final fight is all going to be taking place in the same area, and the rest is just kind of a waste ... and honestly the first couple of kobold fights arent that exciting that require to break out a battlemap. They did this because they like to start modules off with a bang. They want to make it so the DM can wow his players by having gorgeous maps for the very first few encounters of the module. They did the same thing with Red Hand of Doom (had a map for the first encounter and one for the last, as well as one that could be used for a few things in the middle). Yes, the initial encounters generally don't deserve their own glossy full-color map, but if you think of it from the "give your players an amazing first impression" perspective, hopefully it makes it a bit easier to swallow. ;) I don't plan on running it until the core books come out, i want my players to be able to create thier own first 4e toon, but when i do get started i think its going to be a great first campaign for 4e. This is what I'm doing too. I decided that there were just too many problems with trying to run it as a preview (no item prices, issues with the pregens, etc), so I combined my KotS preorder with my core rulebook preorder and will run the adventure once I've read all the rules and have given everyone a chance to make their own characters.
#15 stormonu May 21, 2008 18:22:02	This is what I'm doing too. I decided that there were just too many problems with trying to run it as a preview (no item prices, issues with the pregens, etc), so I combined my KotS preorder with my core rulebook preorder and will run the adventure once I've read all the rules and have given everyone a chance to make their own characters. If you're not a rules monger, the play guide works adequately. The DM just has to, y'know, do his job and referee a call once or twice.
#16 pukunui May 21, 2008 18:41:21	If you're not a rules monger, the play guide works adequately. The DM just has to, y'know, do his job and referee a call once or twice. The thing is, I've already run a couple of 4e previews for my group, so I didn't really want to run another. I'd rather wait until I can use it, along with the full ruleset, as the beginning of an actual campaign set in the homebrew world I'm making. Not having all the rules required to run the adventure ahead of time isn't the only, nor even necessarily the main, reason I am choosing to wait.
#17 ramatheson May 21, 2008 19:16:41	I will say, as someone whose been DMing since 1983 or so, that I agree with you almost entirely. It lacks roleplay but seems a GREAT module for first-time DnD players, which I believe is a large target for WotC right now. It's, as someone said elsewhere, "Heroquest meets DnD." Good DMs will of course add in their own RP elements here and there; one of which would be waiting a couple of weeks and having unique PCs rolled by the people playing them. Then, the backgrounds they come up with can come into play, etc. As a high school English teacher, the typos really irked me as well. :-) First the Negatives. Price: It's already been said, but i want to say it again, this module is not worth the $30 price tag. If my wife didnt work at a bookstore and get a sweet discount, i wouldnt even consider this module. That kind of price point is just going to drive a ton of people towards free downloads of the .pdf version that will pop up shortly after release. This is a 65 page nonbound (its stapled together) module. (the quickstart information is nothing anyone doesnt already know, and thus useless) I already have the cover tearing off and i have only read through it once. If the H2 module is of this quality and length, i wont even bother. Almost $.50 per page is not even in the realm of reasonable. Editing: There are many typo's throughout the module. The very first line in the module reads: "As the adventure begins, the player characters find themselves traveling down a road that hasn't been maintained in nearly a hundred years ago." Now i understand that typo's happen, and as a DM you just work past them, but it worries me that this might be the quality of product we have to look forward to with the core rulebooks as well. Positives Ok if you ignore the price and poor editing, the module itself is actually pretty good. It gives just enough detail to get your group moving, but doesnt overwhelm the DM with useless tidbits of information. Some have said that the module lacks roleplay, which is true, however I personally hate when Modules write in roleplay scenes. As a DM, thats my job. I just need the module to handle the garbage work that i don't want to mess with like setting up the combats and tactics, creating NPC's and Maps, and generating Treasure. This module does all of those things extremely well. I have read through it once, and i already have many ideas to liven up Winterhaven and its citizens. The Combat's seem extremely challanging, particularly to a group of players that are new to they 4th edition system. I can see a couple of fights where a bit of DM adjusting might be necissary to prevent a group wipe. Personally thats not how i want to kick off my 4th edition campaign, by killing my group in the 5th or 6th fight of the module, however i do like the challenge it is going to present my players. The Maps are very clean and well done. I always hate when they put the secret doors on the maps, it requires me to either photoshop them out, or redraw everything. Dont know why they cant just say "middle of the east wall there is a secret door". But overall excellent maps.
#18 quizzit_dup May 21, 2008 21:33:13	Although I agree 100% that the lack of a sturdy cover kinda bites, keep in mind that H2 and perhapps even H3 may have already been sent to the printer. So give WotC till P1 to hopefully "fix" this issue.
#19 Mr_Miscellany May 21, 2008 22:04:56	Having run the the opening parts of this adventure last Monday, I find the following: The rules are easy to use. My regular players (who run 22nd-25th level PCs in our 3.5 game) were kept well occupied with their new 4.0 pregenerated PCs. Since I’m used to my own hardcover and soft cover gaming products showing wear and tear from frequent use, the potential for wear and tear with this product doesn’t bother me all that much. In fact the main adventure book reminds me a lot of a typical issue of Dungeon or Dragon magazine (products I used mercilessly as a Realms Dungeon Master over the years), save that the spine is edge-shaped and not flat. I would disagree with JRScott’s assessment that WotC isn’t dedicated to producing quality products. I think that’s a little too subjective and ignores that this 1st adventure comes with two books and three double sided maps (all of which must be ordered from the printer, manufactured separately and consolidated into one product before shipping....this takes time) plus the cover effectively doubles as a reasonably sturdy folder in which to store all the adventure materials. Some may not realize this, but this adventure is the closest thing we’ve had to a boxed set product in some time. Note also the interior artwork is in color (save for the pregenerated character full size portraits, which are black and white pencil drawings) and the adventure itself calls for the DM to either use dungeon tiles or other methods to detail dungeon levels that aren’t printed on the poster maps. I remember seven or eight years ago when WotC stated they were getting out of the adventure-writing business, many of the old online threads for and against it, as well as some intelligent discussion of what the real costs are to produce adventure products. Knowing what I know, I’d say this product isn’t over-priced. That said, I can also see how someone new to the game would be effected by sticker shock. And yeah, the opening page type ticked me the hell off too. How do you let something like that slip by? All it does is make our hobby look second rate, which it isn’t.
#20 Alyri May 22, 2008 2:20:12	First the Negatives. Price: It's already been said, but i want to say it again, this module is not worth the $30 price tag. If my wife didnt work at a bookstore and get a sweet discount, i wouldnt even consider this module. That kind of price point is just going to drive a ton of people towards free downloads of the .pdf version that will pop up shortly after release. This is a 65 page nonbound (its stapled together) module. (the quickstart information is nothing anyone doesnt already know, and thus useless) I already have the cover tearing off and i have only read through it once. If the H2 module is of this quality and length, i wont even bother. Almost $.50 per page is not even in the realm of reasonable. My cover is fine and it's been man handled by my whole group already. Editing: There are many typo's throughout the module. The very first line in the module reads: "As the adventure begins, the player characters find themselves traveling down a road that hasn't been maintained in nearly a hundred years ago." Now i understand that typo's happen, and as a DM you just work past them, but it worries me that this might be the quality of product we have to look forward to with the core rulebooks as well. Typos like this The Combat's seem extremely challanging(challenging), particularly to a group of players that are new to they(the) 4th edition system. I can see a couple of fights where a bit of DM adjusting might be necissary(necessary)
#21 Alyri May 22, 2008 2:32:14	I will say, as someone whose been DMing since 1983 or so, that I agree with you almost entirely. It lacks roleplay but seems a GREAT module for first-time DnD players, which I believe is a large target for WotC right now. It's, as someone said elsewhere, "Heroquest meets DnD." Good DMs will of course add in their own RP elements here and there; one of which would be waiting a couple of weeks and having unique PCs rolled by the people playing them. Then, the backgrounds they come up with can come into play, etc. Where is this lack of roleplay? Every NPC has oral text that most definitely gives away their mannerisms. You also may want to read page 32.
#22 pogminky May 22, 2008 2:45:02	ooppppssss - got it totally wrong.
#23 roland_the_red_dup May 22, 2008 17:36:33	Negatives: Physical quality is VERY poor. The paper is too flimsy, the cover is the same material as the body. Ink rubs off. All very negative. Paizo's Pathfinder series offers 90+ pages of material in a very sturdy, glossy, format. WotC can do the same. Price: I think the price is too much given the quality of the physical product. Had they gone with a physical product like Paizo's Pathfinder, the $30 is justified. For $30 I want this product to be proudly displayed on my 4E shelf and be able to be used a decade from now. Old 1E modules, printed on regular paper, have held up for much longer than this thing will. Positives: Here's your character, roll initiative. You can basically start with those words and thats a great thing. With 3E I literally opened up the MM and had my players face monsters until we felt comfortable with combat. This module should be thought of as a similar exercise. The story is flimsy (although with loads of potential) but I honestly think anyone playing is going to be too focused on the new rules to pay attention to the story in any great detail. "In medias res" ftw.
#24 jrscott May 23, 2008 1:31:38	Having run the the opening parts of this adventure last Monday, I find the following: The rules are easy to use. My regular players (who run 22nd-25th level PCs in our 3.5 game) were kept well occupied with their new 4.0 pregenerated PCs. Since I’m used to my own hardcover and soft cover gaming products showing wear and tear from frequent use, the potential for wear and tear with this product doesn’t bother me all that much. In fact the main adventure book reminds me a lot of a typical issue of Dungeon or Dragon magazine (products I used mercilessly as a Realms Dungeon Master over the years), save that the spine is edge-shaped and not flat. I would disagree with JRScott’s assessment that WotC isn’t dedicated to producing quality products. I think that’s a little too subjective and ignores that this 1st adventure comes with two books and three double sided maps (all of which must be ordered from the printer, manufactured separately and consolidated into one product before shipping....this takes time) plus the cover effectively doubles as a reasonably sturdy folder in which to store all the adventure materials. Some may not realize this, but this adventure is the closest thing we’ve had to a boxed set product in some time. Note also the interior artwork is in color (save for the pregenerated character full size portraits, which are black and white pencil drawings) and the adventure itself calls for the DM to either use dungeon tiles or other methods to detail dungeon levels that aren’t printed on the poster maps. I remember seven or eight years ago when WotC stated they were getting out of the adventure-writing business, many of the old online threads for and against it, as well as some intelligent discussion of what the real costs are to produce adventure products. Knowing what I know, I’d say this product isn’t over-priced. That said, I can also see how someone new to the game would be effected by sticker shock. And yeah, the opening page type ticked me the hell off too. How do you let something like that slip by? All it does is make our hobby look second rate, which it isn’t. I can accept you disagree. However think about it a moment. Half of the written material will be useless in less than a month when the books actually come out. I was basing my comments on others description of the product though, I've not seen it myself, but I can relate well. The books they produce today are generally full of typos and made less well than the books in 1E. (I have 1E books that are in better condition than the 3E ones). It seems many have the opinion that this product was overpriced for what they got. At least looking through this thread, so I'll not get it. Some of the old boxed sets were really good, some weren't. (I guess the original FR boxed set was my favorite, though I also liked the Greyhawk one before it). I do have the 4E preorder of the 3 book set. What I see there will largely determine if I get anything more. ( I plan for at least the foreseeable future to continue with 3.5).
#25 katestwinsister May 23, 2008 4:33:48	This is kinda what I feared about 4E based on what we'd seen online already with DDI, it is the lack of dedication to a quality product. From what I'm reading from most of you, it appears anyone could have put this module out with a stabler, copy paper, copier, and time. That to me is kinda sad for a first product of a revamped line. What a silly comment. The truth of the matter is that the paper its printed on is somewhat flimsy - and that's all. The overall production standards - graphical presentation etc. - are very high quality and impressive when you open the package. Maybe you should reserve judgement until you've actually seen the thing?
#26 katestwinsister May 23, 2008 4:36:12	Half of the written material will be useless in less than a month when the books actually come out. This myth needs dispelling. It's not true. Nearly all of the material in the 80-page adventure book is reusable.
#27 jrscott May 23, 2008 5:37:48	This myth needs dispelling. It's not true. Nearly all of the material in the 80-page adventure book is reusable. Yes but none of the 'preview' book will be necessary after another couple weeks. Basically they produced a cheap fast product they knew would draw a lot of fanatics dollars, when they could have produced a better product. Ask yourself, would you have paid 30 dollars for the adventure were the core rules released? If the answer is no, then why buy it in the first place just to get the preview when release is so close?
#28 stormonu May 23, 2008 14:10:16	Where is this lack of roleplay? Every NPC has oral text that most definitely gives away their mannerisms. You also may want to read page 32. Personally, I'd rather have a small blurb with the NPC's description, attitude and a non-verbatim statement of what they know. The text answers give it a sort of "gamish" feel - like the blurbs of text you quickly click through on computer games to move on the next quest. They don't feel interactive, unless the DM really hams up the NPC based on those little statements. I'll say again, they feel forced.
#29 Alyri May 23, 2008 16:32:35	Personally, I'd rather have a small blurb with the NPC's description, attitude and a non-verbatim statement of what they know. The text answers give it a sort of "gamish" feel - like the blurbs of text you quickly click through on computer games to move on the next quest. They don't feel interactive, unless the DM really hams up the NPC based on those little statements. I'll say again, they feel forced. Then you didn't read page 32 did you. Right under NPCs are People, Too ... The adventure text provides basic guidance...however as a Dm you can offer more...Adding an extra quality or detail to an NPC can make him or her memorable to the players. How about the text under Make Up Your Own Stories Or perhaps not every group is up to your standards? Your talking about a premade adventure. It's a no brainer that there will be things in there that don't coincide with how every group does things. Strange isn't it?