Title | Hordes of Underdark Prologue |
Author | Mattia 'Gaaz' Pessina |
Submitted / Updated | 09-16-2003 / 11-27-2003 |
Category | Dungeon Adventure |
Expansions | SOU-1.32 |
Setting | Forgotten Realms |
Gameplay Length | 1 and a half |
Language | English |
Tricks & Traps | Heavy |
Roleplay | Medium |
Hack & Slash | Heavy |
Scope | Dependant on Module |
DMNeeded | No DM Required |
Single or Multiplayer | Single Player |
Max Character Level | 15 |
Max # Players | 01 |
Min # Players | 01 |
Min Character Level | 12 |
Content Rating | Everyone |
Description | |
This module has been created for the October Competition. I'm Italian and so go on my english. |
Attachment | Size |
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Long and drawn out.
1. Fate of SoU Companions: no henchies (-0.5)
2. Given Relic of the Reaper: yes but appearence differs (+0.4999999)
3. Unique use items: power stone - works, mirror is broken and given to player (+0.5)
4. Ends in Waterdeep: ends in waterdeep at drow invasion beginning (+0.5)
5. Ending level(should be at least 15, but since I finished SoU at 13th.. I will accept 16th): ended 15th (+0.5)
Final Vote: 6+1.49999=7.49999=7
Refres9noversations usually)hing module, no planes adventure like others in the contest :P.
- typos:
"1000 GM" - Merudo
"House of spyes" - area name and map pin
"is failed" (should be "has") - Reaper
"harpists" - drow menace journal entry
"foun" - nurse
- bad encounter design
- have to kill gold dragon
- some italian here and there
- guardian still asks to kill gold dragon even after it is done and reported (and all others questgivers behave in such manner as well)
- lots of stock NPCs
- Skullport Emporium can't be entered
- backtracking
- linear plot with fedex quests
- can't do all guardian's quests at once
- you have to kill Halaster - which is almost impossible
Well I tried this as a bridge for my SoU Character (Dwarven Paladin, has some weaknesses but is fun to play) but I'm not that impressed with it.
Pros:
-relic of the Reaper.
-leads you to Waterdeep and gives you a decent story lead over.
Problems:
-No Henchies, no mention of them.
-Dialogues offer only one option.
-NPCs very stock, except the Quest NPCs none has dialogue.
-Encounters/Quests are unbalanced, there are certain quests which are a cakewalk and certain that come before them, that are extremely hard in comparison.
-Quests are boring, and don't take class problems into account.
-Problems with the Lore, some quests and zones are completely at odds with the lore.
-Dialogue uses language that doesn't fit in with the rest of the games or the characters. (Ok the author isn't a native speaker, but then so am I. ;) )
-feels long as there isn't a lot happening and is a lot of backtracking, and no sidequests to flesh out the Module.
Also no reactions from non NPC-Characters to the PC.
[Spoilers if you don't want certain parts spoiled don't read on. ]
-The first quest from one of the Guardians is to kill a Golden Dragon, which are the good dragons, given that my Character is a good one I would've liked an option to refuse or to talk with the Golden Dragon about a way of fooling the Guardian.
Also that fight is seriously tough, well it's a dragon.
-The second quest, however is a simply fetch quest with no combat, save for some drows on the surface. The third or fourth is kill a goblin king and his group of Gobbos...............my Level 14 needs enemies, not victims! My Pally with a Holy Avenger instagibbed (one shotted ;) ) them without even going into power attack mode.
-Silverymoon is breaking with the Lore, given that it is presented as an elven city with an elven queen, with my Dwarf just being barely accepted.
Which is a total break with lore, given that SoU is playing in 1371 DR which means Alustriel Silverhand has just stepped down as Ruler to become High lady and then is replaced by Taern "Thunderspell" Hornblade.
Both are Humans, though Alustriel is one of the Seven Sisters, so she's special.
And more importantly Silverymoon is a famously open city, with even Drow being allowed to reside there. And Dwarves not being accepted, hello 10% of Silverymoon's Citizens are Shield-Dwarves and one of their allies is Mithral Hall. Elves are also only 29% of the population, the biggest group are humans at 41%. The city also has a sizeable population of half-elves at 12% and Halflings at 5% as well as 2% gnomes.
-Next issue Aside from Silverymoon, there is no shop where you can sell loot or stock up on potions and such. Which means you end up with quite a bit of loot to carry over to Waterdeep which you can't sell. Leaves you a bit short on coin, which is a bit of a problem, given what is going to happen in the first part of HoTU. Yeah the "Emporium" in "Skullport" is broken, as you can't enter the zone.