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The Red Hand of Doom

Started by Creamsteak, March 02, 2006, 08:50:17 PM

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Cyberzombie

It's enough to grab my attention but, yeah, that is pretty darn glowing.
 

ColonelHardisson

Quote from: CyberzombieIt's enough to grab my attention but, yeah, that is pretty darn glowing.

It is pretty effusive, but...so far, I can't really disagree with that review. I'm waiting for reports of it in actual play. Just from reading it, though, I gotta say it's one of the best "official" D&D modules I've seen, for any edition.
"Illegitimis non carborundum." - General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell

4e definitely has an Old School feel. If you disagree, cool. I won\'t throw any hyperbole out to prove the point.

Sojourner Judas

Quote from: ColonelHardissonIt is pretty effusive, but...so far, I can't really disagree with that review. I'm waiting for reports of it in actual play. Just from reading it, though, I gotta say it's one of the best "official" D&D modules I've seen, for any edition.
Compared to things like Dead Gods or Modron March, how would you say it stacks up?
 

ColonelHardisson

Quote from: Sojourner JudasCompared to things like Dead Gods or Modron March, how would you say it stacks up?

Honestly, I was never a big fan of either of those, so I don't think I'd be the best person to make such a comparison. But I will say that as a "super module" it stacks up against some of those I do like. I'd put it on par with Axe of the Dwarvish Lords. It's better than The Rod of Seven Parts. Not quite as good as the Queen of the Spiders.

Again, though, the proof is in the actual play.
"Illegitimis non carborundum." - General Joseph "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell

4e definitely has an Old School feel. If you disagree, cool. I won\'t throw any hyperbole out to prove the point.

el-remmen

I have only heard good things.

So I am resurrecting this thread to ask those who have it and have gotten a chance to spend more time with it - what they really think?

This is the first D&D module to raise my interest in nearly a decade - and it seems like it might even fit rather easily into the part of Aquerra I want to run my next campaign in.
Check out the "Out of the Frying Pan" D&D Aquerra Story Hour (Now with Session by Session DM Commentary!)

"Just because you're buff, don't play tough, 'cause I'll reverse the Earth and turn your flesh back to dust. . ."

Ragnarok N Roll

Just going by the authors I'd buy it (and actually plan to).
"God is dead" - Nietzsche

"Nietzsche is dead" - God.

MrPunch

It is that good! Basically it's the best WotC adventure is several years.

In quick summary it has a coherent plot, lots of high adventure, many different environments (examples elven forest in a swamp, undead temple in a desert scrub-land, city street fighting, etc.) and many different challenges (combat, diplomacy, research).

Basically it seems to me to hit all the marks that I want in a published adventure.

Also WotC was nice enough to publish a compiled set of stat blocks on their website which makes it even easier to run!
 

Sigmund

Quote from: MrPunchAlso WotC was nice enough to publish a compiled set of stat blocks on their website which makes it even easier to run!

That right there is a very nice touch IMO. It could just be an ok adventure and I would like it for this reason alone. Now I'm intrigued.
- Chris Sigmund

Old Loser

"I\'d rather be a killer than a victim."

Quote from: John Morrow;418271I role-play for the ride, not the destination.

Phantom Stranger

The adventure is rather well done and well thought out, including better statistics for an avatar of sorts for Tiamat, however it may be slightly difficult to work into your own world if you use one.

It also follows a story very similar to the Riftwar Saga of books.
All you know, is alone, you see a, Phantom Stranger!
Down you go, all alone, you love my, Phantom Stranger!

Sigmund

Quote from: Phantom StrangerIt also follows a story very similar to the Riftwar Saga of books.

Yet another point in it's favor IMO. Heck, ya'all about have me sold on it and I haven't even seen the upcoming review yet.
- Chris Sigmund

Old Loser

"I\'d rather be a killer than a victim."

Quote from: John Morrow;418271I role-play for the ride, not the destination.

Svartalf

Quote from: ColonelHardissonI have it, but I've only just started reading it. It seems like a damned nice module. I don't wanna jump the gun, but it really has "classic" written all over it. Tie it in with "Against the Giants" and it could be a real whoop-ass campaign.


I did think of this quite seriously... especially as the G modules require high levels once converted to 3rd ed, so the Red Hand would be a good intro to get them to the right level....  Then I wondered how my players would like to do 2 "save the land from the monster invasion and find who's behind" campaigns in a row ... of course, you might postpone the fane of Tiamat bit till the very end and make Tiamat the power behind the giants rather than the drow, but it would require some extensive reworking of the fane, because if the party can handle module G3, the fane as it is won't be able to seriously challenge them.

One thing that bothers me is some of the monsters there... the "spawn monsters" : blackspawn raiders, greenspawn razorfiends and bluespawn thunder lizards... Does anybody know if they were created from whole cloth for the module, or if they were taken/adapted from other sources I don't know of? I think I might want to do a campaign around the Hand, and think it might be useful to have more info on this to plan it properly... especially if there is such a thing as a "spawn of Tiamat" template as I suspect, and I might introduce weak members of it, early on, to show that the Chromatic Dragon is on the warpath.
 

Dacke

I believe the ____spawn are taken from the coming Monster Manual IV. There's an excerpt hidden in this article on the WOTC website.