| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| tauster |
Posted - 14 Sep 2004 : 09:17:40
I just discovered the new series on wizards site: "Steal this hook!"
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebsh/20040913a
"Welcome to "Steal This Hook!," a new column of Eberron adventure hooks. Every other week this column will bring you, the DM, a bevy of Eberron ideas to steal for your campaign. Think of yourself as a picky, bib-wearing, hungry monarch and "Steal This Hook!" as platter after steaming platter heaped high with juicy delights. "
it looks like weīre gonna see more "flavoured" (or "fluffy") stuff in the future; imo that would be a new direction, away from the "25-new- prestigeclasses-and-50-new-spells-in-this-book!"- bias. the bad news: apparently wizards will only shower ebberon with fluffy stuff, even though we realms- fans are begging for more fluff for years! 
i propose we take the ebberon series and convert the individual hooks to the realms. many of the ones in this first article i really like, though i donīt know ebberon and therefore have no clue what is behind house tharashk, the last war, or what exactly a kalashtar scholar is...
and why not writing completely new hooks for the realms? i donīt know whether or not such a scroll-collection exists somewhere here in candlekeep; i did not do a thorough search in every bookshelf. i could see such an endeavor grow to the proportions of the sages magic shoppe. should there already be such a thread, please show me that scroll- and donīt mock me too much for my blindness! 
such adventure hooks (or "seeds") could not only be used as inspirations for new adventures, they are very useful to attach them to npcīs, giving them an interesting background, or as travelling rumors that make faerung look more like a living world. the latter is one of my weaknesses as dm: i have a hard time to come up with rumors and news on the fly, usually when my players spontaneously decide to ask around for news, iīm in a cold sweat...
tauster |
| 10 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 27 Sep 2004 : 18:24:44
quote:
Originally posted by tauster
indeed! think just how much potential hides behind these seven little words:
"...the dagger is happy to be free."
  
Yup. It very much brings to mind an idea I've been tinkering with for a particular sentient dagger... |
| tauster |
Posted - 27 Sep 2004 : 17:59:55
indeed! think just how much potential hides behind these seven little words:
"...the dagger is happy to be free."
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| Wooly Rupert |
Posted - 27 Sep 2004 : 15:56:59
Those are indeed some nice hooks! I particularly like this one:
The PCs are hired to steal a book from a private collection. The book itself is unimportant but it contains a magic dagger hidden in a hollowed-out space in the center pages, and the dagger is happy to be free.
Those are the kind of hooks I really like to see. So much potential in just a few lines...  |
| tauster |
Posted - 27 Sep 2004 : 13:19:59
sadly, i didnīt have time yet to convert any of the hooks. however the next adventure ideas are out:
"Found in an Old Book"
http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/ebsh/20040927a
some nice ideas here! i like in particular that one:
What appears to be a book of spells is actually a recipe for an extended magical ritual to call down meteors from the Ring of Siberys -- with the power to destroy an entire city.
itīs easy to convert to the realms: just have the spell call down one of selunes tears.
possibly the heroes see a meteor part from the tears one night; several days later they hear rumors about the destruction of a major/minor town/village, mages tower or temple somewhere near (or far) away.
they are contacted by someone who partially divined the cause of that catastrophe (like that a spell was involved, where the spell was cast or who cast it) and wants them to investigate. i think such an adventure could be easily scaled from lvl 1 to epic level proportions. |
| Reefy |
Posted - 16 Sep 2004 : 23:52:08
Like tauster and Sirius, I prefer plots and rumours in the couple of sentences mould. I have found some of the adventures in the books useful, but I tend to use them more as side quests to drop on the players rather than as the basis for a campaign, though it is certainly possible to use them in that respect.
And here's hoping Shining South continues the more lore heavy ratio of Serpent Kingdoms. |
| tauster |
Posted - 14 Sep 2004 : 21:55:56
quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
quote:
Originally posted by Elf_Friend
Sounds like a fine idea, but Realms hooks are pretty much all over the place. Serpent Kindoms for one has 4 adventures to get you started. Same with Underdark, and I think UE.
I've never found such adventures very useful as hooks. I can get more out of two to three sentences of rumors/happenings for a location than I can from an adventure.
i agree with SiriusBlack:
though i like the mini-adventures in serpent kingdoms, i donīt found them useful in the sense that i could include them easily in my ongoing campaigns.
the advantage of those little "two-liners" is that they can serve as
- inspirations for adventures (thatīs what i usually call "adventure seeds"),
- as background for npcīs ("...see old hairy jack over there? you know, in his youth, his father dissapeared during a trip with a merchant caravan. they say that his wagon simply vanished when they passed a peculiar fog bank. harry searched for years, but never found his father or the missing wagon. instead, he..." ), or
- as rumors i can readily throw in whenever my players ask in a tavern about "the latest news" (which they do increasingly).
the mini-adventures in SK in contrast donīt fit this role very well. but maybe thatīs just me, and for others they are fine... |
| Mystery_Man |
Posted - 14 Sep 2004 : 18:11:15
quote:
Originally posted by SiriusBlack
[quote]Originally posted by Elf_Friend
Ah, give it a bit of a break. It's new and is finding its path. In all seriousness, I have no idea on sales for the setting as WOTC does not share such information. But, based upon various sites, the setting does have its share of fans. Of course, that is just taken from my own Internet observation and if you believe everything you see on the Internet....well, I have a bridge in Waterdeep for your character to purchase.
Well thats what I meant really.  Poor Eberron, it's got some catching up to do. |
| SiriusBlack |
Posted - 14 Sep 2004 : 17:23:28
quote:
Originally posted by Elf_Friend
Sounds like a fine idea, but Realms hooks are pretty much all over the place. Serpent Kindoms for one has 4 adventures to get you started. Same with Underdark, and I think UE.
I've never found such adventures very useful as hooks. I can get more out of two to three sentences of rumors/happenings for a location than I can from an adventure.
quote:
Eberron needs all the help it can get. :)
Ah, give it a bit of a break. It's new and is finding its path. In all seriousness, I have no idea on sales for the setting as WOTC does not share such information. But, based upon various sites, the setting does have its share of fans. Of course, that is just taken from my own Internet observation and if you believe everything you see on the Internet....well, I have a bridge in Waterdeep for your character to purchase. |
| SiriusBlack |
Posted - 14 Sep 2004 : 17:19:59
quote:
Originally posted by tauster
apparently wizards will only shower ebberon with fluffy stuff, even though we realms- fans are begging for more fluff for years!
Serpent Kingdoms had quite a bit of lore especially when compared to past FR products. As I've said previously, this might mark a turning point in the crunch/lore ratio in Realms products. Next month should allow us to find out if this trend continues. |
| Mystery_Man |
Posted - 14 Sep 2004 : 16:47:43
Sounds like a fine idea, but Realms hooks are pretty much all over the place. Serpent Kindoms for one has 4 adventures to get you started. Same with Underdark, and I think UE.
Eberron needs all the help it can get. :) |
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