This is a short module that can be completed in under 2 hours
Number Players
1 PC, 1 Henchman, plus any associates
Language
English
Level Range
1 to 3
Races
Any, except Drow
Tricks & Traps
Light
Roleplay
Light
Hack & Slash
Light
Classes
Any, with at least 10 Intelligence.
Scope
Small
DMNeeded
No DM Required
Single or Multiplayer
Single Player
Max Character Level
03
Max # Players
01
Min # Players
01
Min Character Level
01
Content Rating
Mature
Alignments
non-evil
Gameplay Hours
02
Description
Dovedale is a conversion of the Dungeon Magazine module that appeared in Issue #46.
Who is Mother Hulda?
What is Keven Cogs doing with a chicken behind the barn? Bashing butterflies?
Where does the Well in the Woods lead?
Why is a halfing puking at the Boater's Inn common room?
Is Shortyshanks a good henchman?
Can the bard Larkin tattle a tale?
Will the Dirtroad Gang prevail?
Plot: The Dovedale river has nearly dried up. The Farmers' Cooperative has offered a 100 gold reward for anyone who can restore the river. The locals say wicked goblins have blocked the river. The town drunk says a talking fish knows more. Some say a witch has cast a spell on the water. Find out!
A short fun mod with well-written dialogue and a refreshing lack of excessive combat. The areas are very well designed, with excellent use of CEP placeables to transform the normally quite dull rural tileset into something beautiful.
Posted by Qobalt at 2006-08-3104:40:35
GrailQuest: I'm glad you found this non-typical which is what I was aiming for. I also wanted to bring to life an old Dragon Magazine module which was kinda fairy-tale-ish which is why I liked it. I'm rather tired of the typical "evil goblins in a cave" scenario and this was a refreshing change I thought. This was a fun module to make. Because the module is so short it is best used as a prelude to another module or incorporated into a larger one which I plan to do later, kind of a glorified side-quest with sub-quests within. Currently, I am working it out how I can script multiple-paths to avoid the railroading you mentioned. There is a balance between being gun-barreled down a series of linear events and having a vague, seemingly neverending world (Morrowind?). Finding that balance is not easy. Guaranteed, no matter how many paths I think a player would think of, and I script accordingly, it will never cover all the options, logical or illogical. I learned that from being a PNP DM: you think A, B, or C, and the player comes up with Z, K, W to get the same thing accomplished.
Posted by Grail at 2006-08-2908:01:52
This isn't really a module per se, not in the typical sense. It is really closer to reading a fairy tale, and the character is fairly railroaded down a specific sequence of events. It is worth a look if for no other reason than to have a break from the typical and to enjoy the cutesy dialogue and uncluttered world. Areas are very small and focussed on the necessary action. The story moves quickly, and "side-quests" do not suck up a lot of time. _________________________ PC Game Reviews, Hints, and Walkthroughs -- The Fantasy Art of Computer Games
Posted by Qobalt at 2006-08-2505:04:37
Mungo_D: Thanks for trying out my first module. Guess the attempt at realism and a little bathroom humor didn't go over so well. **Spoiler*** There is a 1-in-6 chance of sitting on the outhouse chair that a black pudding attacks, catches you with your proverbial "pants down". I too am playing Darkness Over Daggerford. It's excellent.
Posted by Mungo_D at on08/23/06
Played this as the first step in the journey to Daggerford... Enjoyed this module despite some moments of downright scatology, though like the other before me, the ending was abrupt - a cutscene would be good, but not really neccessary: A good journal entry should be sufficent.
Posted by Qobalt at 2006-08-2310:45:22
Scythe, Blatob, thanks for the input. I've adjusted the journal to reflect quest completion. A cutscene would be best but will require some time. Cutscenes are, for me, one of the harder things to script correctly. This is my first module and I've learned a lot from everyone's input. The NWN community is the best!
Posted by Blatob at on08/23/06
Very nice and good module. Very enjoyable to play. Only problem is the ending. Perhaps you should put another journal entry that informs you that informs the player that all tasks are done.
Posted by Scythe-man at on08/22/06
A fun and entertaining little module to spend an hour on. Does exactly what the description says. The use of CEP is really good here - beautifully done areas. The main quest is solid, NPCs are colorful, lively and fun to speak with (even more than the henchmen!) I especially like how all conversations regarding quests and rumours have plausible explanations because the NPCs believe them to be true, even if some are obviously false! The ending needs to be more conclusive, though. Maybe make a cutscene at the inn where the mayor, Mrs. Cogs and the townfolk celebrate your victory? Good work, though! Definitely worth downloading!
Posted by herrjeff at on08/19/06
I figured the way to end Kevin's sidequest was to speak with his mom, but there wasn't any dialog option in this regard at this stage of the module i.e. after solving the main quest and the sidequest for her other son. Another missing variable I guess. And I missed the map note about Tor's Peak although I explored the different shelves on that map. Well. I should underline that the dialog with the cleric henchman is very funny if you remove him "temporarily" from the party and come back later... PS: don't forget to change the "Submitted/Updated" field when you upload a new version of your module for more exposure!
Posted by Qobalt at 2006-08-2007:40:35
HerrJeff: I'll give that "Darkness over Daggerford" a try. It looks interesting. And thank you for playing and rating my module. To get rid of Kevin Cogs, you should speak to his mother Mrs. Cogs as you told him you were going to do. Guess I did not figure a player would tell Kevin he was going to tell his mother then not do it. I profusely apologize for the road bandits and Ben conversations. A few variables were missed. Sorry about that. This is now fixed. I should have stocked up on more "True Seeing" potions. Stormy mountain: In upper dovedale you can climb up to Tor's Cloud Peak (where the map note is). Doing so reveals the entire map. In accordance with the original PNP module, there is a 1-in-10 chance of a storm striking the mountain. If so, if a random number is the same as the hour the PC will take damage from the storm in the form of hail, lightning, and flying debris. I could have made it automatic but chose to let it be random as per the module because the storm can kill a low level PC. I agree there is not a lot of treasure but that is because it is a Level 1 module. There is enough gold to replenish ammunition, get a few potions, pay for lodging, and have a bit left over. There is enough XP to gain one level. This module is best used as a stepping stone to other modules but of course the custom items can't transfer, like the blessed blackberries, blade of pyros, and Wheel of Wherebeen. I now fully understand the Dungeon Magazine modules were intended to be incorporated into existing campaigns. As stand-alone modules they are limited. I equate them to an appetizer at dinner: enough to wet the appetite for adventure but not enough meat to satisfy the hunger.
Site
