| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| MalariaMoon |
Posted - 24 Jun 2012 : 11:40:04
Recently I’ve discovered Pathfinder’s Adventure Paths series, and naturally thought how cool it would be to have a similar series set in the Realms. I’m also really enjoying writing up my the newest adventure in my single-player Harper campaign as a more professional, understandable by all module as opposed to a pile of higgledy piggledy DM notes, and naturally my ambitions have gotten the better of me. I’m thinking how cool it would be to try and write an entire adventure path set in the Forgotten Realms.
I’ve never been one to let practicalities such as time or ability stand in the way of a grand enterprise!
Although realistically I wouldn’t even be starting such a project until next year or maybe even later considering the other pies my fingers are planted in, I can’t help playing around with the idea.
So my question to my fellow scribes is; what kind of adventure path would you love to see? Imagine it’s your favourite adventure author at the helm (rather than an optimistic amateur such as me).
What time period of the Realms would it be set in? Where would it be set? Who would be the foes? What themes would if riff off? Which untold stories or still dangling adventure hooks could best be put to rest with a six-part adventure path? I’d love to hear your ideas!
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| 30 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| coach |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 05:09:53
Northern Journey did an adventure path a few years back that is posted here on candlekeep's site |
| Mystic Lemur |
Posted - 11 Jul 2012 : 02:52:01
What I want to see out of D&D Next, is WotC selling the rights to the Forgotten Realms to Paizo. :D
If someone were to make a Pathfinder-style Adventure Path, I'd like to see one set in Occupied Unther. |
| Derulbaskul |
Posted - 09 Jul 2012 : 11:23:30
Somehow I missed your post when I first went through this thread.
quote:
Originally posted by Dark Wizard (snip) I really can't recall something being as iconic for FR recently or even in past editions. D&D core had decent adventures and Greyhawk and some other settings are built on them, but I can't think of an adventure that screams "This is the Realms". (snip)
I agree with you.
I think the Realms has suffered from a lack of a really good intro adventure. The Haunted Halls of Eveningstar could have and should have been that but all we got was a pared-down, incomplete shadow of what Ed wrote. Ed's the opposite of Gary Gygax: Gary's stuff was issued incomplete because he never met a deadline; Ed's stuff is issued incomplete because it's hacked down to fit some artificial size limit.
quote:
(snip) Maybe this is partly because WotC hasn't really done many adventure path style publication. There have been adventures certainly, but nothing as memorable. Some of the bigger offerings are known more due to notoriety rather than renown for quality, such as the Avatar Trilogy or 3e era Cormyr/Shadowdale/Anauroch. City of the Spider Queen was kind of niche and not nearly as extensive an adventure at least considering page count. Maybe something like Pool of Radiance and sequels? Most of the others, even the "core" ones like Undermountain were rated as mediocre. (snip)
How about this? WotC does bad adventures and even worse adventure paths.
I still believe that 4E was stillborn because the first adventure they published for the new edition - Keep on the Shadowfell - seemed to be specifically designed to showcase the worst parts of 4E and send DMs running to Pathfinder. It got better with Thunderspire Labyrinth (no doubt due to Rich Baker's involvement who was the only on-staff WotC designer who was [and is] a talented adventure designer and a capable novel writer) and then it turned into an otyugh's leavings with Pyramid of Shadows, certainly one of the worst adventures published in the 30-odd years I've been running this game. The Scales of War debacle was little better, although its late Paragon and then Epic offerings were certainly better than the otyugh's refuse served up in the H/P/E series.
Cormyr/Shadowdale/Anauroch is really good story-wise but it shows all of the warts of 3.5E. I would still love to run it one day but definitely using 4E... and only after I had worked out all of the Shadow Weave-related mechanical issues first.
Even though, at this stage, I have no intention of buying and running D&D Next (if I want a fantasy heartbreaker homebrew that is never finished - oops, in modular form - I will write one myself), I sincerely hope that WotC makes a real effort to give it decent adventure support, ditto for the Next version of the Forgotten Realms.
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| Derulbaskul |
Posted - 09 Jul 2012 : 08:39:42
quote:
Originally posted by MalariaMoon
quote:
Originally posted by Derulbaskul
Anyway, lots of options - including non-drow alternatives - but I suppose there is no will within WotC to tackle a well-designed adventure path in the Realms or anywhere else.
But someone might just have the will within the wider FR community 
Of course. That's what we DMs do on a regular basis, do we not? ;) |
| MalariaMoon |
Posted - 08 Jul 2012 : 10:25:00
quote:
Originally posted by Derulbaskul
Anyway, lots of options - including non-drow alternatives - but I suppose there is no will within WotC to tackle a well-designed adventure path in the Realms or anywhere else.
But someone might just have the will within the wider FR community |
| Derulbaskul |
Posted - 08 Jul 2012 : 08:32:28
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay(snip) The Daggerdale trilogy was interesting as well. There are plenty of old locales/adventures (like what Eric is doing with Daggerford) that have so much more potential, and should be re-visited.(snip
Agreed.
The DDi article Backdrop: Daggerdale really made me want to revisit Daggerdale and the 2E trilogy plus the (rather good) standalone Doom of Daggerdale.
I can see these working pretty much in any era of play; it's just a matter of getting the identities of the key NPCs lined up.
quote:
(snip) And if they want folks to use (and become interested in) some of the less popular regions in Faerûn then they need to write more adventures/novels taking place there. An adventure path set in the Shining South would go a long way in selling the area to the masses.
IIRC, Red Hand of Doom was originally designed for an area in the Shining South. The first campaign I ran in 3E was set there: a conversion of the Night Below with wild elf PCs from the Forest of Amtar. We finished around 23rd-level so even got to use some material from the Epic Level Handbook.
That said, I agree with you. The Great Rift area is perfect for an update of the GDQ series - just replace the Elder Elemental Eye with Ghaunadaur and have Llurth Dreier (sp?) replace Erelhei-Cinlu. I planned to do this in post-Spellplague 4E but it might even work better in 3.eX and the pre-Spellplague timeline (you could even have the events coincide with the Silence of Lolth).
An updated Slavers series would also work there. The Crinti would come into their own story-wise and the grand finale could also be set in a drow city. (What if all these slaves are the tribute that the Crinti have to pay to the drow of T'lindhet?)
Anyway, lots of options - including non-drow alternatives - but I suppose there is no will within WotC to tackle a well-designed adventure path in the Realms or anywhere else. |
| Markustay |
Posted - 07 Jul 2012 : 14:34:35
Its been done before - plenty of old 1e adventures were updated toward the end of 2e (like Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil), and in FR, you had the Desert of Desolation compilation (which was re-written to fit FR; it was generic the 1st time around).
In fact, I wouldn't mind seeing DoD updated again, and be made even more Realmsian (and its history meshed better). They did a minis line with that name, and I had expected them to do just that in 3e, but no such luck.
The Daggerdale trilogy was interesting as well. There are plenty of old locales/adventures (like what Eric is doing with Daggerford) that have so much more potential, and should be re-visited.
And if they want folks to use (and become interested in) some of the less popular regions in Faerûn then they need to write more adventures/novels taking place there. An adventure path set in the Shining South would go a long way in selling the area to the masses. |
| Derulbaskul |
Posted - 07 Jul 2012 : 12:44:05
quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
I think it’d be interesting if overly ambitious, goodly priests were responsible for at least one of the new tattoos. Sort of turn the old adventure on its head by pitting the PCs (who may be unselfish heroes already) against goodly interests that let their desire to see to the greater good 1) cause them to work with neutral or even evil individuals/groups and 2) get in the way of respecting personal freedom. (snip)
I rather like this for the post-Spellplague followers of Torm in Elturgard (cf Erik [forget how to spell his surname]'s wonderful Eye of Justice article) or followers of Amaunator in any era. In regards to the latter, I have always believed that there is a reasonable minority of lawful evil tyrants within the clergy of Amaunator who see Amaunator as the proper holder of Bane's portfolios (ditto for the followers of Pholtus in Greyhawk). |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 07 Jul 2012 : 07:48:24
I think it’d be interesting if overly ambitious, goodly priests were responsible for at least one of the new tattoos. Sort of turn the old adventure on its head by pitting the PCs (who may be unselfish heroes already) against goodly interests that let their desire to see to the greater good 1) cause them to work with neutral or even evil individuals/groups and 2) get in the way of respecting personal freedom.
Another possibility might be a priest or a group of priests from different faiths working together, who believe they’ve been tasked by their deity/deities to find and mark individuals destined to reunite the various Harper factions (Harpers Under the Stars, Harpers of Cormyr and the Dales, and so on) in the post-Spellplague Realms and see to that organization’s re-founding in the Realms.
Maybe this is a legacy type thing for Khelben and Laeral's descendents too? Perhaps a wizard from Rhymanthin is responsible for one of the tattoos.
Either way, PCs generally don’t like being someone else’s pawns, so maybe there’s room in this for the PCs to assert/gain their independence and go about refounding the Harpers/doing things their own way.
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| Dark Wizard |
Posted - 07 Jul 2012 : 06:17:13
You might be on to something there, Jeremy. The obvious markings is a great way to get players investigating their situation. The premise of a decently known early FR adventure could be reinterpreted and expanded for the current system rules and updated for a modern play style. It need not be a "re-imagined", as you said it could be a sequel of some sort. |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 07 Jul 2012 : 06:07:48
Dark Wizard, your mention of sequels made me think about Curse of the Azure Bonds and how I'd like to see some more done with it. Sure there's railroading in that adventure, but it was one of those experiences where I felt like I was really connected with what was in the novels. Plus it was cool to have your character wake up with all those tattoos. |
| Dark Wizard |
Posted - 07 Jul 2012 : 05:38:05
I was just thinking about this after seeing Paizo compiling and updating their first adventure path into a big 400+ page hardcover. Pathfinder's setting is continuing with setting material and adventure paths, so much so they're doing a reprint of what is becoming their iconic foundational adventure path.
I really can't recall something being as iconic for FR recently or even in past editions. D&D core had decent adventures and Greyhawk and some other settings are built on them, but I can't think of an adventure that screams "This is the Realms".
Maybe this is partly because WotC hasn't really done many adventure path style publication. There have been adventures certainly, but nothing as memorable. Some of the bigger offerings are known more due to notoriety rather than renown for quality, such as the Avatar Trilogy or 3e era Cormyr/Shadowdale/Anauroch. City of the Spider Queen was kind of niche and not nearly as extensive an adventure at least considering page count. Maybe something like Pool of Radiance and sequels? Most of the others, even the "core" ones like Undermountain were rated as mediocre.
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| The Sage |
Posted - 07 Jul 2012 : 02:21:34
quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
Undermountain would be good for an Adventure Path... Or reclaiming one of the lost mythal cities, like Myth Lharast.
I really like the idea of a Myth Lharast Adventure Path, myself... The first part could be just finding out about the place, and the second part actually gaining entry... The third part would be forming an alliance with one of the factions in the city, the fourth part would be gaining more power/influence within the city (enough to be able to work towards part five; maybe by controlling a specific location in the city), the fifth part temporarily re-anchoring it to the Realms, and the sixth part the final reclamation of the city.
So long as the Minsorran are among those factions involved in the adventure path, then I'm sold.  [The Minsorran was a short-lived conclave of different religious orders {to Selûne, Lathander, Shar and Mystra} that settled around Lake Weng in Amn in the Year of the Late Sun {300 DR}. Supposedly, they had some peripheral involvement with the creation of Myth Lharast.] |
| Artemas Entreri |
Posted - 06 Jul 2012 : 21:39:39
Zakhara! The Land of Fate has been ignored for far too long. |
| BARDOBARBAROS |
Posted - 06 Jul 2012 : 21:27:34
Thay |
| Mumadar Ibn Huzal |
Posted - 06 Jul 2012 : 21:08:31
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay
An Adventure Path set in the Lands of Intrigue, with the Twisted Rune being central to the plot (but not the only 'baddie' involved).
oohhh... an adventure path in Tethyr... I'd go for that... or even better an adventure path set in High & Deep Shanatar... |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 06 Jul 2012 : 20:06:02
Undermountain would be good for an Adventure Path... Or reclaiming one of the lost mythal cities, like Myth Lharast.
I really like the idea of a Myth Lharast Adventure Path, myself... The first part could be just finding out about the place, and the second part actually gaining entry... The third part would be forming an alliance with one of the factions in the city, the fourth part would be gaining more power/influence within the city (enough to be able to work towards part five; maybe by controlling a specific location in the city), the fifth part temporarily re-anchoring it to the Realms, and the sixth part the final reclamation of the city. |
| Eilserus |
Posted - 06 Jul 2012 : 19:14:41
quote:
Originally posted by Xnella Moonblade-Thann
Another adventure path could possibly be what goes on behind the curtains during the major events, like the ToT or Spellplague for example. I do believe that such events have so much going on that some of the more mundane, backstory stuff could be explored with PCs without affecting the big picture. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember a 2e module that mentioned that the PCs could fight in some of Myth Drannor's legendary battles during it's fall without affecting the history already set in stone.
An adventure path set during the Crown Wars would be cool. As would the dwarves of Taark Shanat during the fall of Bhaerynden or even its founding. The reclamation or fall of mithril hall or tethyamar would also be sweet. Lots of good historical events that would be fun to play. |
| Xnella Moonblade-Thann |
Posted - 06 Jul 2012 : 08:52:06
Another adventure path could possibly be what goes on behind the curtains during the major events, like the ToT or Spellplague for example. I do believe that such events have so much going on that some of the more mundane, backstory stuff could be explored with PCs without affecting the big picture. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I remember a 2e module that mentioned that the PCs could fight in some of Myth Drannor's legendary battles during it's fall without affecting the history already set in stone. |
| MalariaMoon |
Posted - 03 Jul 2012 : 18:37:48
Thanks for everyone's suggestions - there's a lot of inspiration here! |
| The Sage |
Posted - 29 Jun 2012 : 02:22:25
quote:
Originally posted by MalariaMoon
Sage - when you say lesser known dungeons are you thinking of dungeons already mentioned in Realmslore (if only in passing) or locations yet to be disclosed?
Either, or both, really. There are enough lost and forgotten dungeons in the Realms, to satisfy both conditions.
quote:
If they're existing dungeons would you care to drop a few names?
Well, there were several small support-dungeons referenced briefly -- without names -- in Cult of the Dragon that I'd like to know more about.
The dungeons of Castle Tethyr haven't really received all that much attention in the lore, either.
The Moonsea supplement made reference to a few briefly scouted dungeons in various places... mostly notably under Elmwood.
There are other examples, but you get the idea of what I'm looking for. |
| Derulbaskul |
Posted - 28 Jun 2012 : 18:54:35
I would love a Moonsea adventure path. Mysteries of the Moonsea had some good points but the mini-adventures generally didn't cut it. And as there is a decent 4E map for the Moonsea North, thanks to Monument of the Ancients, so the "big picture" is already there.
I'm also in agreement with questing gm for an adventure path set in the Silver Marches of 1372 DR or the Dalelands (any era). |
| Ashe Ravenheart |
Posted - 28 Jun 2012 : 17:58:20
I've always considered the Cormyr/Shadowdale/Anauroch adventures as WotC's version of a AP. That said, I'd like to see one set in the Moonshaes. |
| Jeremy Grenemyer |
Posted - 28 Jun 2012 : 17:18:07
quote:
Originally posted by The Sage
I'd sign up for something like this. But I'd want it to feature the lesser-known dungeons, rather than those that have made dungeon-delving in the Realms famous. Those lesser-dungeons need some love as well.
Agree with you here.
The more I read about Cormyr's Royal Palace, the more I'm starting to think of it as a dungeon too (even the heavily haunted above ground part too).
Might be a fun surprise for players to discover they're not just in another dungeon in some far-flung location, but in the undercellars of King's Palace. |
| MalariaMoon |
Posted - 28 Jun 2012 : 17:11:27
Sage - when you say lesser known dungeons are you thinking of dungeons already mentioned in Realmslore (if only in passing) or locations yet to be disclosed? If they're existing dungeons would you care to drop a few names?
Dazzlerdal - Whereabouts are the Covenant mentioned in CoS? They're an organisation of which I'd love to know more. |
| Varl |
Posted - 27 Jun 2012 : 17:34:13
I'd buy an adventure path in Luiren to better see how our halflings live and adventure in their native homeland. |
| Gary Dallison |
Posted - 27 Jun 2012 : 15:08:14
Maybe there could be an adventure path involving the newly reformed The Covenant from CoS and its battles to protect the north from the Orc hordes. That could of involve the Red Wizards, maybe a bit of plane hopping retracing the steps of the original members of the covenant, maybe perhaps an attempt to reorganise the dwindling Uthgardt tribes and reinvigorate their devotion to their god as well as using them as a bulwark against the orcs. It could conceivably involve any location/dungeon in the north all in the name of securing the Savage Frontier. I would love a series of adventures like that. |
| questing gm |
Posted - 27 Jun 2012 : 13:10:40
One vote for an Adventure Path in the Silver Marches (circa 1372 DR) and another for the Dalelands. |
| Quale |
Posted - 27 Jun 2012 : 12:46:28
Something with the planes, involving conflicts for the control of important portals, remains of the Imaskar civilization, and the Red Wizards as foes. |
| The Sage |
Posted - 27 Jun 2012 : 01:55:53
quote:
Originally posted by Jeremy Grenemyer
I’d like an adventure path that touches on some the Realms’ many dungeons.
I'd sign up for something like this. But I'd want it to feature the lesser-known dungeons, rather than those that have made dungeon-delving in the Realms famous. Those lesser-dungeons need some love as well. |
