Gwic
2011-02-26, 03:40 PM
So, I just read through H2: Thunderspire Layrinth, and I was kind of irked by the ending. Not the plot of it, but the dramatic arch. Read the spoiler if you dare:
My problems:
So, there are the 4 main fighting locations in this game. The first two seem like well crafted stages and steadily advance the plot.
The third is the Well of Demons, a fantastic place filled with elaborate scenery, complex but thematic traps, and a fight with the first dragon in the modules. Its 10 encounters ends fighting a gnoll trying to convert the temple by killing the hostages.
The fourth area, the Tower of Mysteries, is a 3 encounter tower containing the errant wizard-gone-awry, some recycled monsters, and a mission of "go kill him."
Here's are my problems: First, the 3rd area is a much greater climax than the 4th; The 4th frankly feels like a mop-up mission compared with the 3rd. Second the dragon is never interacted with except for simple combat. He's briefly mentioned by some ghost's who tell you how to enter the inner chamber, but that's about it. He hops out of a magical pit, you kill him, that's it.
My goals:
1. Make the ending of this module a real climax, by re-arranging/editing the encounters/plot.
2. Make the dragon more than just a regular monster. This is "Dungeons and Dragons" afterall.
I'll post my solution as a follow up post today or tomorrow. I just wanted to throw this out there so people could give me tips/opinions/comments now.
PS - On Dragons: (contains H3 spoiler)I 've read through H3: Temple of Shadows and they basically do the same thing to a Dragon in that adventure. Is anyone else irked by the shift from Dragons being the Big Bad Guy to demons/wizards? I feel like the game has lost some of its feel from this shift.
My problems:
So, there are the 4 main fighting locations in this game. The first two seem like well crafted stages and steadily advance the plot.
The third is the Well of Demons, a fantastic place filled with elaborate scenery, complex but thematic traps, and a fight with the first dragon in the modules. Its 10 encounters ends fighting a gnoll trying to convert the temple by killing the hostages.
The fourth area, the Tower of Mysteries, is a 3 encounter tower containing the errant wizard-gone-awry, some recycled monsters, and a mission of "go kill him."
Here's are my problems: First, the 3rd area is a much greater climax than the 4th; The 4th frankly feels like a mop-up mission compared with the 3rd. Second the dragon is never interacted with except for simple combat. He's briefly mentioned by some ghost's who tell you how to enter the inner chamber, but that's about it. He hops out of a magical pit, you kill him, that's it.
My goals:
1. Make the ending of this module a real climax, by re-arranging/editing the encounters/plot.
2. Make the dragon more than just a regular monster. This is "Dungeons and Dragons" afterall.
I'll post my solution as a follow up post today or tomorrow. I just wanted to throw this out there so people could give me tips/opinions/comments now.
PS - On Dragons: (contains H3 spoiler)I 've read through H3: Temple of Shadows and they basically do the same thing to a Dragon in that adventure. Is anyone else irked by the shift from Dragons being the Big Bad Guy to demons/wizards? I feel like the game has lost some of its feel from this shift.