Testing a character against all the encounters can take several hours. Then at a different level the encounters will spawn totally differently. And repeat.
Number Players
Works well with 2 players - haven't tried more.
Language
English
Level Range
1-40. Leveler a key feature. But bare minimum for fights is ~3.
Races
Any
Tricks & Traps
Light
Roleplay
Non-existent
Hack & Slash
Heavy
Classes
Any
Scope
Small
DMNeeded
No DM Required
Single or Multiplayer
Single Player or Multiplayer
Max Character Level
40
Max # Players
03
Min # Players
01
Min Character Level
01
Content Rating
Teen
Alignments
Any. I like "Alignment Shifters" by Sir Craven if changes are needed.
Gameplay Hours
05
Description
Use this high density realm to explore character creation.
* Build characters (upto 40th level) for online adventures or the thrill of creation or whatever.
* PROVING GROUND area provides heavy combat practice - it has evolved into a masterpiece of destruction - with a mix of standard and custom creatures.
* Ideal encounter range probably 12-32nd level. But some are designed for the fully epic character.
* Test out various multiclass combinations.
* Take a shortcut to the basic items and spells you want.
* Also many custom items to be found.
* 7 areas to explore.
The first time you use this module it requires some exploration - but once you know where things are it is possible to quickly equip and create new characters.
Started to grow in Dec. 2002 - last modified Feb. 19, 2006.
Posted by Pootentate70 at 2010-01-10 08:19:30 Voted 9.00 on 01/10/10
Thanks!
Posted by Oranj Joos at 2006-04-21 16:32:15 Voted 9.25 on 04/21/06
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you for a while. I went through the character machine with its new update. It has improved alot since last time. You put alot of my suggestions to good use. I finally got a chance to go through all of the areas, and the module proved to not only be good for testing characters, but the venture through it was also very entertaining.
I like the new archery targets, and the map notes help alot. The overall balance of your creatures is pretty good, although I still died a few times, but that's usually only against challenging or more difficult monsters. There are still a few very minor problems in the module that need to be fixed that aren't even worth mentioning, but overall the module is great. It definitely proved worthwhile to play on your module, and I can see that you did some great work on it. _________________________ Check out the Level Up Colosseum
Posted by Oranj Joos at 2006-04-21 16:30:49 Voted 9.25 on 04/21/06
Sorry I haven't gotten back to you for a while. I went through the character machine with its new update. It has improved alot since last time. You put alot of my suggestions to good use. I finally got a chance to go through all of the areas, and the module proved to not only be good for testing characters, but the venture through it was also very entertaining.
I like the new archery targets, and the map notes help alot. The overall balance of your creatures is pretty good, although I still died a few times, but that's usually only against challenging or more difficult monsters. There are still a few very minor problems in the module that need to be fixed that aren't even worth mentioning, but overall the module is great. It definitely proved worthwhile to play on your module, and I can see that you did some great work on it. _________________________ Check out the Level Up Colosseum
Posted by ladgosh at 2006-04-02 20:07:34 Voted 8.00 on 04/02/06
Sweet! I like it. Not a grand adventure, but great to play around with and experiment.
Posted by Hagaar at 2006-02-19 16:05:05 Voted 9.50 on 02/17/06
Caretaker:
Thanks for your comment on my signature! I like it above a couple of others I use in my emails. This one is taken from something that a Lutheran Bishop here in Canada said in his remarks at a Social Justice seminar I attended last year.
Comments:
Portal?? Nope, I didn't see that one but then I wasn't watching where I was going (I do tend to do that with some of my characters - esp. my rogues ->builds their character).
I entered Death Valley but being unsure of what to do, I left it alone. Nor did I enter the other one.
Alignment. You should add that or something simular to it.
Take care! _________________________ We are all born ignorant, but one must work to remain ignorant.
Benjamin Franklin
Posted by Caretaker at 2006-02-18 22:55:04 Voted 9.75 on 02/06/06
- Hagaar
Thanks for voting and for your comments!
Wow! Talk about non-linear. In retrospect, it is funny that I would expect people to go thru it the same way I would. And you must be quite a packrat if you filled up the bags that quickly, lol but I guess you had not found the shops at that point. Did you notice yet that there is a portal right by the start that takes you directly to the shops?
It is true that very few encounters, and none of the static creatures, are intended for 1st level characters. I�m surprised you even got that far.
��"Levelling Beings" should be that they should do a check to see present level and if within one or two then fine, but otherwise, send the player packing.�� Good idea, but I think I will let players skip around if that is how they choose to run through it. I put some of the non-scaling monsters in to deter that type of behavior, but if they are clever enough, or familiar with the portal system, then they can skip ahead.
Hmm, there are some items I was thinking about setting to identified.
I�m glad you liked the Secret Area. Curious, what level did take? Did you go through Death Valley?
Thanks for pointing out the journal error; I think I know what caused that.
��For me this is one that I'll be frequenting to build my characters.�� That was my hope - you�ve made my day.
��And yes you should add the Alignment ability.�� Oh, I just thought I could be lazy and refer you to that other guy�s module 
��The only other "gripe" had was when I talked to one of the Destinations, I was told that they would help, implying that they would join as a hench. This never happened nor was that option availible in their dialogue.��
I had thought of making a henchman� but I think I�d rather leave the player more independent, and that would add some complications to the encounter scaling. The way he helps you is you have to run to him with your tail between your legs, and he and the Blink Dog Guardian (I like blink dogs) will attack the monsters chasing you.
And finally, your signature is quite appropriate: that is how I thought of the Destination name.
I�ll try to get that update out soon.
-Caretaker
Posted by Caretaker at 2006-02-18 22:10:06 Voted 9.75 on 02/06/06
Couple people have said there are lots of level-up modules out there � does anyone have some favorites?
-Oranj Joos
Great feedback! I think you make a lot of good points and I will try to get an update out by Feb. 24, 2006. I�ll definitely turn down the store costs, I�ve run into that annoyance myself (for lower lvl chars) without realizing it. Revealing map is a good idea, Hagaar made that point too. I don�t know how to do it yet. I�ll put more pins in the map too.
�4) One last miniscule thing: Some encounters around the leveling arena are a bit tough. I died about three or four times trying to get to the each destination.�
Which encounter? Was it the ogres?
Oh, and did you find the other areas yet? There are a total of 7.
It looks like you updated The Level Up Colosseum, I�ll check that out after I fix my own.
Also to be fair to Steve_Savicki�s votes � I�m guessing he is the one that approved my module be posted to the Vault? If so he must be pretty sick of crappy modules. And I can see how this wouldn�t seem like much if you didn�t go very far, and expected passion and story or something.
Posted by Caretaker at 2006-02-18 21:49:14 Voted 9.75 on 02/06/06
-Steve_Savicki
I suppose it is a little silly to hide things in a utility module. But I made the epic area secret so that folks would feel like it is a treat when they find it. And once you find it, it is easy to get back. There are actually two ways to get into it � one from Assembly, and one from the Death Valley area. I left a few clumsy clues. It does not require a high character search skill, it is up to the player to notice it (oh, and good idea to levelup to at least 3 or 4 before you go looking for it). Also, I�m not sure what you expect in the way of epic items, most don�t require more than 25th level, but they are adequate for the encounters in this module. If anyone really can't find the Secret Area I'll be happy to let you know.
Side thought: I hope people know it is pretty easy to go in with the toolset and make their own items if they want something specific. Main danger is getting carried away, and spending hours.
Posted by Hagaar at 2006-02-17 13:18:36 Voted 9.50 on 02/17/06
Caretaker:
As promised here's my "take" on the mod.
As I mentioned, the encounters were a *lot* harder than they should be for a level one character. That said, I did find that the layout was actually good but having mid to high range encounters between you and the "shop area" in the top left corner (I think that would be NW) is a bit much. It would be nicer to have at least one merchant closer to the sout end near the start area.
Once I figured out the layout of your map I got the hang of it and actually found that Secret Area (8( Sorry Steve, I ain't gonna say where it is just keep lookin').
All-in-all, it was and quite possible IS the nicest bit of Shop Until ya Drop 'n' Hack Yer way to gold and Gear" I've found.
A couple of possible things for you to add to your next update, *if* you do one:
1. Reveal the entire map at the start. You don't necessarily need to add map pins.
2. A detailed description of those "Destination Beings" would definitely help.
3. Once in the Secret Area, it would definitely be a bonus to have some sort of explanation to the Iron Gate behind Destination Secret". Like the one Downstairs.
For me this is one that I'll be frequenting to build my characters. And yes you should add the Alignment ability.
The only other "gripe" had was when I talked to one of the Destinations, I was told that they would help, implying that they would join as a hench. This never happened nor was that option availible in their dialogue. _________________________ We are all born ignorant, but one must work to remain ignorant.
Benjamin Franklin
Posted by Hagaar at 2006-02-17 13:04:26 Voted 9.50 on 02/17/06
To Steve_Savicki > They're there you just need to *look* for the correect spot.
_________________________ We are all born ignorant, but one must work to remain ignorant.
Benjamin Franklin
Posted by Hagaar at 2006-02-17 10:14:11 Voted 9.50 on 02/17/06
Caretaker,
I have to agree about the difficulty of some encounters. I have the "bad" habit of exploration in the sort of mod and with a level 1 character running into a herd of Drow wasn't funny!
As for gear. At the "start" you've got chests, etc. That's fine but only if the character canactually USE the stuff. I also found some gear that one one hand i could ID at the level of Lore I had whilst there was other stuff I couldn't. Either a character CAN ID stuff or they cannot.
As I mentioned, I tend to explore and what I found was really nice although there are plenty of mods available for gear, gold, leveling etc, I found this a lot of fun. I never, at least to the point I am now found any "store" to unload what I was carrying. And this brings up another point. Bags Of Holding! I found one pack and one Bag of Holding and I was still having problems with the stuff I found. An "Open" map would be better and the locations of the store(s) helpful.
Those creatures ID'd as "Destination "X"". The first one I met was, I think Destination 9. I was level two by that time and he/it was happy to bring me up to 9th. Nope! Although I don't agree with this I think that a dialogue option for all of these "Levelling Beings" should be that they should do a check to see present level and if within one or two then fine, but otherwise, send the player packing.
That's all for "Bad mouthin'". I'm actually glad to see someone had/has the guts to actually make a Gear/Leveling mod like this and atm I like it.
I did find something rather odd when I stopped. I checked my Journal and found the following ERROR Message:
This appeared after I stopped to talk with Destination 1. And as I said, I'd already spoken with 9 and one other which I cannopt recall.
BTW: Where, pray-tell are the stores?? I certainly couldn't sell stuff to the Destinations.
Keep up the great work, and as soon as I get done, i'll pop back and vote.
_________________________ We are all born ignorant, but one must work to remain ignorant.
Benjamin Franklin
Posted by Steve_Savicki at 2006-02-16 05:46:21 Voted 1.00 on 02/04/06
Where are the epic level items?
I found nothing. _________________________ Steve's Characters - please don't forget to vote on them if you play them.
Thanks,
Steve
Posted by Oranj Joos at 2006-02-14 16:48:22 Voted 9.25 on 04/21/06
Caretaker,
Thanks alot for your post about my Level Up Colosseum, I'm happy to finally get some good feedback. I agree with pretty much all of the things that you said that I should change. I'll probably update my module to match your specs.
You wanted some feedback too, and I'll give you some. I walked around in your module, but I didn't get a chance to look at everything. I'll make a list of comments like you did. Please don't get mad if I leave something out.
Things I liked:
1) I like the traveling aspect of it, it gives a real way to test a character as if you were really traveling in a real online game, with encounters, traps, and dungeons.
2)I like the CR balance of the creatures. They are not too hard or too easy if they have a difficulty of "challenging" to a character. I also like how you put the creature's CR, AC, and HP in the description so a character would know exactly how powerful the creature is.
3)I like the target practice. It is a good way for archers to test their skills, and the first that I've seen.
4) The random traps and locked doors/chests scattered across the areas make rogues more desirable in the mod. The traps and locks also test any other character's abilities to get past them.
5)I liked how you have to travel a bit or maybe fight a creature to get to the next area to gain a level or two.
Stuff you should change:
1)I think that you need a little bit of a larger equipment selection in stores, mainly jewelery, clothing, and perhaps weapons, but that's just my opinion.
2)You need another way for PC's to gain more gold. The prices in the stores are a little steep, or I would suggest lowering the prices to like 70% or something.
3)There are just a few small things left to say: You should find a way to reveal the entire map in the starting area, and you should add a few more map notes. I found it difficult to navigate at first. I know that you said something about this in the description, but this will make it easier for a newcomer to navigate around the map.
4)One last miniscule thing: Some encounters around the leveling arena are a bit tough. I died about three or four times trying to get to the each destination.
Things that you should add:
1)Another dungeon or proving ground. I think that the proving ground is alot of fun, but another with different monsters would make the mod even better. Maybe another area where the character just travels around in the outdoors. I haven't fully explored the proving grounds yet, so I may be wrong.
In general, the Character Machine makes testing a character's skills and fighting abilties fun, and tests every aspect of a character that can be tested. It is obvious that you spent alot of work on it, and I'll give it an 8.2. I'll refrain from voting myself, if you have any plans for updates. If anyone besides Caretaker is reading this, remember to vote based on what the module alone is, don't vote on the module by comparing it to other modules.
Maybe after our updates are complete, this "Steve Savicki" will reconsider his votes. _________________________ Check out the Level Up Colosseum
Posted by Anonymous ( 67.183.xxx.xxx ) at 2006-02-14 15:23:18
Content looks good but there just isn't much that is new to it.
There are *so* many level up modules these days that it is very hard to get a good rating unless theres something distinctly new to it.
Posted by Caretaker at 2006-02-08 11:33:40 Voted 9.75 on 02/06/06
I'll be checking here occasionally. Speak up if you have questions or suggestions.
Posted by Caretaker at 2006-02-06 16:32:45 Voted 9.75 on 02/06/06
I like it, but I made it. I think there are some unique/challenging hack&slash encounters in it. But I haven't given anyone a 10 yet, so I won't start with this. (by the way, there ain't much profanity (and dialogue is not the point), but thanks for trying it out Steve!)
Posted by Steve_Savicki at 2006-02-04 04:47:51 Voted 1.00 on 02/04/06
pointless and profanity _________________________ Steve's Characters - please don't forget to vote on them if you play them.
Thanks,
Steve
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