While the beginning of this module is meant to take place somewhere in the Forgotten Realms known world, the rest of this module is set in a custom campaign with a culture that is a rough mix of Japanese, Chinese, Indian and a sprinkling of Native American.
Gameplay Length
This is a multi-session module lasting roughly 8 to 14 hours.
This is an Asian themed module intended for one to six new 1st level characters of any race or alignment. The DMFI tools are included and DM involvement is encouraged. This module uses the Personal Reputation and Reaction system (PRR) and allows characters to choose their path.
Will you be an honorable warrior protecting the innocent, a terrible force of destruction looking to bring a new dawn, a feared assassin striking from the shadows to save the world from chaos, or a destructive force of nature seeking to tear down the corrupt systems of mankind? Will you try to play all sides against each other, or will you avoid them all and seek your fate on your own terms?
Seek allies and make enemies in this free-form module that will take you deep into the Ruins of Tcheou Cherng and out to the brink of reality in search of an ancient artifact known as the Kade Stone.
Please see the readme.doc and DM's guide for more information.
Note that the music file is an optional download.
UPDATE July 22, 2006 - Version 1.3 has been uploaded.
UPDATE July 28, 2006 - Version 1.4.2 has been uploaded.
UPDATE Aug 04, 2006 - Version 1.4.3 has been uploaded.
UPDATE Aug 14, 2006 - Version 1.5 has been uploaded. This version includes a new hak file.
UPDATE Aug 27, 2006 - Version 1.5.1 has been uploaded. This version fixes a bug where a major event would sometimes not fire.
UPDATE Sep 06, 2006 - Version 1.52 has been updated. This version uses Barry1066's CEP hak for cloaks.
Thanks to both of you for the kind words! I recently tried to reinstall to upgrade for the new patch, but I can't find my HotU disk. Makes me feel like I should dig around some more. If I remember correctly, the rogue is in the market. I think he's in the middle. Remember to check the DM folder. There's a massive walkthrough in there.
Posted by Jey at 2008-09-0402:13:09
Hi, Only part way through but this is one fantastic module so far. Only a couple of bugs (Charia Dan running away after first meeting etc) but they seem to have been listed already. For anyone still having problems getting to the Bamboo Fields, in Higashi-no-yamamichi, dm_jumptopoint 150 75 should put you at the top of the missing ramp. I'm playing solo, which is tough but still good fun. Can anyone confirm how many henchmen there are? I've got the Bard, Cleric and Fighter, but Ericdoman mentions a Rogue as well? Another pair of hands would be good so if anyone could point me to where he/she might be... ***Minor Spoiler**** The only other problem I've found is that the "Speaking with Keshini" quest doesn't seem to have been flagged complete in my journal. I've given the Journal of Wong Sun Hai to the Avatar of Dayadhvam. What else is there to do? Anyway great module so far. Will rate once I'm done.
Posted by toborx at on08/19/08
This is an amazingly high quality module. The dialogue is intelligent, entertaining and does a fantastic job at creating the intending atmosphere, the story extremely strong and the enemy encounters balanced and much more enjoyable than they are in most mods, and the quests are generally far from mundane or repetitive. This game has perhaps the best faction system in any mod in existence: despite being amazingly complex-there are subfactions , the pc can change in many ways via his/her actions whom attacks him/her on sight and who will be willing to help him/her, the pcs relationship with many npcs and groups can be slowly (and sometimes quickly) be changed, etc.-there are no bugs or problems that I detected. This mod is *the* hidden gems for fans of role-playing and hack and slash mods.
Posted by toborx at on08/19/08
To whomever wisely decides to play this amazing mod: there is another entrance into the bamboo fields. If you manage to access the Hidden Grove of the Maskoke (there are at least two ways to do this), go straight south from the entrance of the grove. There is a hidden boat (works like a hidden door) that is super easy to find on the shore which takes you to and from an area that allows you to enter and exit the bamboo fields.
Posted by jefty at on07/19/08
There's definitely something wrong with getting to the Bamboo fields. From the Higashi-no-yamamichi, you can see the road on a higher level but there's no way to reach it. I finally got there through the Masakoke's area, and could get back to the Higashi-no-yamamichi, but there's no way down from the top either. The ramp is missing. Really good module though. I'm playing through it again as a bad guy, aiming to hook up with the Oni as a Blackguard.
Posted by -vendalus- at 2008-06-0811:33:44
Check the DM documentation if you're stuck. You should be able to get to the Bamboo fields pretty easy. If something odd is happening with that area, send me a screen shot and I'll see what I can do.
Posted by Lorontar at 2008-04-2116:00:48
I don't know if this is my incompetence, lack of patience, or a bug, but I can't enter the Bamboo Fields of Ansha, which I understand I am to enter from the Higashi-no-yamamichi, southeast of Daveti. I can see a road on higher ground, but can't reach it; is that it?
Posted by Jamro at on04/10/08
Wow, that was quite a ... surprising end. I really liked this a whole lot, tremendous amount of atmosphere. Definitely a breath of fresh air, caught me totally off guard when I was expecting, at most, a mediocre module. It's a crying shame this doesn't have 10 times the votes and downloads. A few minor things bugged me, and one major thing as well. The little things first: First encountering Charia Dian, she runs off immediately when the conversation begins. I could manage a few lines running after her, but then she disappeared. Got a lawful-evil shift when deliverin a sitrep for Captain Okinoda. Now he might be up to something weird, but thats just wrong. Doing a service for the local military shouldn't make you evil! At later phases when you know more, this is somewhat acceptable but not when you don't even have any reason to suspect anything. In fact, all the jobs for the 4 parties always give you an alignment shift to their direction, nevermind if the job in question actually warrants it. Somewhat limited discussion choices at places. Like Kalidas asking my opinion of his actions, I have 2 ways of telling him he's completely in the right and that's it. The major problem was finding the last stronghold. There just wasn't any clue of what to do. And even when I came here and looked for one, I was still helpless. That's just too steep mountain of a wall to get over, especially when *everything* else seemed quite logical and straightforward, even too easy at times. I *now* notice the DM Resources had something of a walkthrough in it, didn't realize it before as I had no reason to poke in there. But those were just little things after all. On the whole, this was a great experience. I loved the easy and powerful upgrade system, It was almost too powerful but was held back by not having endless supplies of money. I really, really liked the quests, those combined with the exotic setting made this something else entirely. Highly recommended!
Posted by -vendalus- at 2008-04-0916:28:48
Sorry, that was a typo. Mallika is in TOWN. (See page 20 of the DM guide for a spoiler).
Posted by Jamro at on04/10/08
Vote based on current situation and not being able to finish. Will probably raise vote if I manage to finish this. I really liked this a lot. Huge amounts of gameplay, well written non-standard story.
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