Author Topic: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?  (Read 6745 times)

Flawless P

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Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« on: October 18, 2010, 07:54:16 PM »
Keep on Shadowfell

Yes or No?

(I will be running it not playing it.)

If no care to throw out a suggestion?
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Dom

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Re: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« Reply #1 on: October 18, 2010, 08:22:27 PM »
Keep on the Shadowfell was the first adventure I played for 4th edition. It was pretty fun while it lasted, the beginning went strong and from what I heard from the DM the adventure gives tips on running the game and some rules to remember which can be useful for starting DMs. However, the adventure eventually became a dungeon crawl once we got inside the actual Keep, and it was one combat encounter after another. We'd finish one combat, we would move to the next room and there would be more combat. We eventually just got bored of the adventure, the DM waved his hand and we were fighting the BBEG. Still, the combat got too tedious. If you're running the game, I'd suggest cutting down on the combat and adding more roleplaying to it, or simply make the dungeon smaller.

The other published adventures I've played were Scales of War, which comes with WotC's Dungeon magazines starting in issue 156. I liked the simple introduction (You're in a tavern. Hobgoblins break down the door. Roll for initiative.) and how it all snowballs into a larger adventure. The DM (The same one that had run the KotS game.) later told us he had made the dungeon smaller and used only the things that he liked the most from the adventure, and there was less combat in every room and more exploration and roleplaying. I did enjoy it, and I'd recommend it simply because it was loads of fun.

tl;dr: WotC adventures have a lot of dungeon crawling and combat, so use only the ones that you think are cool and don't add combat for the sake of making adventures last longer. (Unless your players love combat.)

iceemaker

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Re: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2010, 08:38:47 PM »
Dark Sun. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeah 8) .

I ran Keep on the Shadowfell early in my DM career as well, but I would recommend running the version posted on Wizards' web site instead of the published adventure. The one on Wizards' web site is more balanced, has more involvement from the evil dude, etc.

You could also run an adventure set in the Chaos Scar. They are nice, short adventures that provide self-contained plots that are each intriguing in their own right and slowly contribute to a cohesive whole. Plus, it gives the players the illusion of choice, which is always necessary to maintain as a GM.

Or you could make up your own adventure. I did that with my very first D&D group, and I enjoyed it more (and I daresay my players did as well) than my later experience with Keep on the Shadowfell. Not to say that the Wizards adventures are crap, but I derive tons of enjoyment from creating my own material and improvising as necessary.
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Flawless P

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Re: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2010, 09:43:50 PM »
Dark Sun. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeah 8) .

I ran Keep on the Shadowfell early in my DM career as well, but I would recommend running the version posted on Wizards' web site instead of the published adventure. The one on Wizards' web site is more balanced, has more involvement from the evil dude, etc.

You could also run an adventure set in the Chaos Scar. They are nice, short adventures that provide self-contained plots that are each intriguing in their own right and slowly contribute to a cohesive whole. Plus, it gives the players the illusion of choice, which is always necessary to maintain as a GM.

Or you could make up your own adventure. I did that with my very first D&D group, and I enjoyed it more (and I daresay my players did as well) than my later experience with Keep on the Shadowfell. Not to say that the Wizards adventures are crap, but I derive tons of enjoyment from creating my own material and improvising as necessary.

I am planning on running my own Dark Sun game but I want to get the rules down before I start flying around in the awesomeness that is The DSCS
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Shallazar

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Re: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« Reply #4 on: October 19, 2010, 01:25:05 PM »
No, Not keep on the Shadow Fell- it whomps.

If you're running a module play Ross' from "In Search of Adventure"- you know the lovecraftian  dungeon crawl. Or my favorite, "Thunderspire Labyrinth."

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Tadanori Oyama

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Re: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« Reply #5 on: October 19, 2010, 02:27:37 PM »
The first time I ran 4th edition my party TPKed on the first encounter of Keep on the Shadowfell. Kobolds turned the tide with superior tactics, despite a first round kill from the party rogue. Made for a weird introduction to the new system.

Flawless P

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Re: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2011, 01:12:46 AM »
I'm rezzing this thread in hopes of asking an abstract question about 4th ed. templates....


If you apply it to a player...

[spoiler]Such as Locke becoming a Lich[/spoiler]

How does it affect your character in a level up sense. Like a level 11 character can become a Vampire Lord but he gets special abilities that put him above the power range for that level, so how does one reconcile that?
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Dom

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Re: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2011, 05:42:36 AM »
I'm pretty sure that Locke just grabbed the Archlich Epic Destiny, not the template. In fluff terms, it means that it is the "correct" way to become a lich, since the PC does not turn to necromantic ways.

http://www.wizards.com/DnD/Article.aspx?x=dnd/4ex/20090410

Mckma

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Re: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2011, 10:36:13 AM »
Yeah basically all of what would have been prestige classes are now paragon paths or epic destinies.  Though there are the background in Dark Sun as well...

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Re: Suggestions for my First attempt at 4th ed?
« Reply #9 on: March 11, 2011, 01:59:19 AM »
keep on the shadowfell is boring, here's an idea:

characters are in a bar. maybe they start asking bartender for rumours?

Joe the Bartender: "someone steals farmer john's pumpkins. he's willing to pay 100 gp if you solve the mystery"

things should pretty much start to happen on their own now