Diablo II To hell and back!!!!!!!

[RedDragons]

Does anyone have any knowledge on this adventure and how good or bad it was for their group?

[Answerer]

I know Ernir is running a PbP Diablo II game on these forums, but I believe it's just based on the video game, not the published adventure.

[panaikhan]

I ran the adventure (I have both books).

It requires a LOT of DM preperation, feels almost exactly like the game in a lot of places - kill everything that moves, steal all it's stuff. Rinse, repeat.

That said, their treasure tables are GREAT (I have used them in other campaigns) but the mechanic about equipment constantly wearing out adds bookkeeping for the players too.

[RedDragons]

If I removed that function, would that ease the DM load by any noticeable amount?


and be nigh impossible if converted for play by post needs?

[panaikhan]

The DM preperation load comes from the dynamic of the game.

All of the maps in the PC game (apart from one or two notable exceptions) are random.
That means the DM needs to prepare them from scratch, as the campaign literature doesn't contain them. Random layout, random monsters, random treasure.

Time also becomes an issue. I found myself running everything in "bullet time" - that is, characters moving combat round by combat round until they specifically tried to do something that took minutes. This made planning and stringing together combats somewhat easier.

I've never contributed to a play-by-post campaign from either a player or a DM standpoint, so I can't really offer any advice there.

[Bonzai]

I have the 2nd edition one, and it was worth it for the treasure tables alone. The Class kits are interesting, and so are the spells. I have never regretted buying it.

[RedDragons]

2e is diablus and slightly different from thsi one.