CORM1-7 Patronage and Pestilence *spoilers* - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

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#1 bgibbons Jan 04, 2010 22:29:44	CORM1-5 could be described as a two-hour module with a creamy roleplaying center that a group can play with for another two hours (or quite a lot more, with some groups). CORM1-7 is just a two-hour module. What there is isn't bad, but IMO, there's just not much there. The first skill challenge is perhaps the most linear I have seen so far, and that's saying something. Show The first thing you must do is make a successful Perception check. Aside from making a successful "DM Diplomacy" roll to talk them into something else, that's the only way to open up the other skills. You must gain one success with Perception; you cannot gain more than one success with Perception. You can then make checks to add bonuses, but you only have two listed options to gain successes: you can make two easy Athletics checks and then a Thievery check at a DC that the DMG considers hard for a 9th level PC (12th level PC at high tier), or just make three easy Athletics checks. The high tier skill DCs are a bit wonky. Core skill check DCs go up +2 DC every 3 levels. This challenge's skill check DCs go up +3 with the increase in 2 levels, which is perplexing. I can understand the argument that DC 11 is too low at 2nd level, but I can't fathom the idea behind using DC 11 at 2nd level, and then DC 14 at 4th. Worst of all, though, is that the implications of the skill challenge aren't followed up. The PCs discover a prepared ambush site that is currently unmanned. According to the module, they make a few barricades, walk away and then bring the cargo they're supposed to be protecting directly through the ambush site. Er, why exactly? Wouldn't it make more sense to just take another route or set up a counter-ambush by, say, hiding somewhere for the ambushers to show up? Of all the possible options for how competent adventurers would react upon discovering an ambush already set up, the module assume the PCs choose the most idiotic. It does, to be fair, take into account that the PCs might avoid the ambush entirely, in which case the ambush just happens as the second combat instead of the first, and anything the PCs did in this skill challenge beyond the Perception check was a waste of time. (For that matter, if the PCs do decide to go another route, it's quite possible they'll just abandon this skill challenge, or go looking in vain for other parts of the skill challenge, missing out on experience.)
#2 Alphastream Jan 18, 2010 3:39:05	I ran this adventure yesterday. CORM1-7 Spoilers The group was fairly low level (2s and a 1, plus a strong Pacificst Cleric). Though they had strong gear (CORM1-1, anyone?), the first combat was a major challenge. The Pacifist eventually ran out of healing, but the party did pull through. The last combat was pretty easy for them. Overall, I felt the challenge level was a bit high overall, basically because of the first combat. Four archers on rooftops, doing 1d10 and helping each other be accurate? Um... wow. And the tieflings are very strong (and fun to run). The party had good range and the ability to push two archers off the roof... that was huge. Without that and their healer... good candidate for TPK. The skill challenges did seem very thin to me. This was a good story that needed a bit more. There were some very minor editorial issues. It felt a bit rushed. I did like the NPCs. None of this stopped my table from having a good time, but I had to work with them, especially on the check the ambush skill challenge. They actually came really close to failing both skill challenges because it was so hard for them to figure out the skills (even with my prompts). In both cases I had to give them a cinematic finish, such as "You have checked the route, and the sun is going down. You don't have a good feel for whether you have secured the route... and you have to get going... you have time for one more try to properly secure it". This helped them realize they needed to be really careful about what they chose to do. Overall, I find it hard to rate this one. Some parts I liked and some parts were not bad, but thin. It played fine, just placed more work on the DM to see it through. I continue to be surprised about the treasure. Seeing two strong items and a choice... is this a core special?
#3 Reyemile Apr 20, 2010 16:08:47	Played through this one as my first LFR game ever just recently. Show The skill challenges were, indeed, boring, and it sucked that I got surprised by the ambush regardless of an overwhelming success on the skill challenge. The fights didn't make much sense either. The ambushers were infected ravening madmen, yet had enough togetherness and organization to plot an ambush? The thugs outside the warehouse were plague-crazed as well, but still could be bossed around by their equally nuts leader? The combats failed mechanically as well. It's more than a little unfair to have bolters get bonus damage on uncovered shots when the battlefield is a featureless plain with two houses as the only cover. And the rats gave all of us Filth Fever--something that was a total waste of time, since there was no way to track its progress between adventures. The fights did nearly TPK us; partly it was because we tiered up, which was clearly a mistake, but partly because we just didn't have anyone who could get up to the roof. The DM 'called' the fight when it was down to two archers, one bloodied, but the truth is that our ranged attackers were both level 1 leaders and those archers could have knocked another three or four surges off of the party just by staying put, taking cover, and pelting us with arrows. Finally, the story was poorly thought out. Notwithstanding the bald villain on a recliner, there is no logical explanation for the drugs vanishing from the ship. As soon as we realized the crates were filled with rocks (thanks to a metagaming ***** who had run the adventure with a previous character) we insisted on searching the ship. The DM veto'd this for no good in character reason, but it really ruined the suspension of disbeleif. Short of Paragon level rituals, there is no way that 18 crates of medicine could have been smuggled off that ship without anyone noticing since we got to the dock as the ship was arriving.

Post/Author/DateTime

Post

bgibbons

Jan 04, 2010 22:29:44

CORM1-5 could be described as a two-hour module with a creamy roleplaying center that a group can play with for another two hours (or quite a lot more, with some groups). CORM1-7 is just a two-hour module. What there is isn't bad, but IMO, there's just not much there.

The first skill challenge is perhaps the most linear I have seen so far, and that's saying something.

Show

The first thing you must do is make a successful Perception check. Aside from making a successful "DM Diplomacy" roll to talk them into something else, that's the only way to open up the other skills. You must gain one success with Perception; you cannot gain more than one success with Perception.

You can then make checks to add bonuses, but you only have two listed options to gain successes: you can make two easy Athletics checks and then a Thievery check at a DC that the DMG considers hard for a 9th level PC (12th level PC at high tier), or just make three easy Athletics checks.

The high tier skill DCs are a bit wonky. Core skill check DCs go up +2 DC every 3 levels. This challenge's skill check DCs go up +3 with the increase in 2 levels, which is perplexing. I can understand the argument that DC 11 is too low at 2nd level, but I can't fathom the idea behind using DC 11 at 2nd level, and then DC 14 at 4th.

Worst of all, though, is that the implications of the skill challenge aren't followed up. The PCs discover a prepared ambush site that is currently unmanned. According to the module, they make a few barricades, walk away and then bring the cargo they're supposed to be protecting directly through the ambush site.

Er, why exactly? Wouldn't it make more sense to just take another route or set up a counter-ambush by, say, hiding somewhere for the ambushers to show up? Of all the possible options for how competent adventurers would react upon discovering an ambush already set up, the module assume the PCs choose the most idiotic.

It does, to be fair, take into account that the PCs might avoid the ambush entirely, in which case the ambush just happens as the second combat instead of the first, and anything the PCs did in this skill challenge beyond the Perception check was a waste of time. (For that matter, if the PCs do decide to go another route, it's quite possible they'll just abandon this skill challenge, or go looking in vain for other parts of the skill challenge, missing out on experience.)

Alphastream

Jan 18, 2010 3:39:05

I ran this adventure yesterday.

CORM1-7 Spoilers

The group was fairly low level (2s and a 1, plus a strong Pacificst Cleric). Though they had strong gear (CORM1-1, anyone?), the first combat was a major challenge. The Pacifist eventually ran out of healing, but the party did pull through. The last combat was pretty easy for them. Overall, I felt the challenge level was a bit high overall, basically because of the first combat. Four archers on rooftops, doing 1d10 and helping each other be accurate? Um... wow. And the tieflings are very strong (and fun to run). The party had good range and the ability to push two archers off the roof... that was huge. Without that and their healer... good candidate for TPK.

The skill challenges did seem very thin to me. This was a good story that needed a bit more. There were some very minor editorial issues. It felt a bit rushed. I did like the NPCs.

None of this stopped my table from having a good time, but I had to work with them, especially on the check the ambush skill challenge. They actually came really close to failing both skill challenges because it was so hard for them to figure out the skills (even with my prompts). In both cases I had to give them a cinematic finish, such as "You have checked the route, and the sun is going down. You don't have a good feel for whether you have secured the route... and you have to get going... you have time for one more try to properly secure it". This helped them realize they needed to be really careful about what they chose to do.

Overall, I find it hard to rate this one. Some parts I liked and some parts were not bad, but thin. It played fine, just placed more work on the DM to see it through.

I continue to be surprised about the treasure. Seeing two strong items and a choice... is this a core special?

Reyemile

Apr 20, 2010 16:08:47

Played through this one as my first LFR game ever just recently.

Show

The skill challenges were, indeed, boring, and it sucked that I got surprised by the ambush regardless of an overwhelming success on the skill challenge.

The fights didn't make much sense either. The ambushers were infected ravening madmen, yet had enough togetherness and organization to plot an ambush? The thugs outside the warehouse were plague-crazed as well, but still could be bossed around by their equally nuts leader?

The combats failed mechanically as well. It's more than a little unfair to have bolters get bonus damage on uncovered shots when the battlefield is a featureless plain with two houses as the only cover. And the rats gave all of us Filth Fever--something that was a total waste of time, since there was no way to track its progress between adventures.

The fights did nearly TPK us; partly it was because we tiered up, which was clearly a mistake, but partly because we just didn't have anyone who could get up to the roof. The DM 'called' the fight when it was down to two archers, one bloodied, but the truth is that our ranged attackers were both level 1 leaders and those archers could have knocked another three or four surges off of the party just by staying put, taking cover, and pelting us with arrows.

Finally, the story was poorly thought out. Notwithstanding the bald villain on a recliner, there is no logical explanation for the drugs vanishing from the ship. As soon as we realized the crates were filled with rocks (thanks to a metagaming ***** who had run the adventure with a previous character) we insisted on searching the ship. The DM veto'd this for no good in character reason, but it really ruined the suspension of disbeleif. Short of Paragon level rituals, there is no way that 18 crates of medicine could have been smuggled off that ship without anyone noticing since we got to the dock as the ship was arriving.