If you stick to the MAIN PLOT ONLY, you should be able to do this module in less than 40 minutes. Side quests and general exploring can rack up a bit more time though. From what I read on the forums (words of Chris Priestly), Bioware required the main plot to be playable in 20-40, but that did not include extra fluff off time for the player . . . your mileage will vary in this mod. Just wanted to mention this before someone is upset cause they went 10 minutes over due to all the side-shows.
If you want it done quick, just stick to the named NPCs only and due the high and highest priority quests only, the rest of it is not required for successful completion of the plot :)
Number Players
Single player and multiplayer support is coded in, as is persistent data tracking.
If you play single player, its easiest just to save game from time to time.
Language
English
Level Range
Around 3-7 depending on number of players and class.
Races
Any and Subraces, see docs
Tricks & Traps
Medium
Roleplay
Heavy
Hack & Slash
Medium
Classes
Any
Scope
Small
DMNeeded
No DM Required
Single or Multiplayer
Single Player or Multiplayer
Max Character Level
07
Max # Players
Any
Min # Players
01
Min Character Level
03
Content Rating
Teen
Alignments
Whatever you want. Opportunities are there to be good, lawful, evil, whatever.
Gameplay Hours
<1
Description
"An ettin has begun terrorizing the hamlet of Newkeep, stealing cattle and smashing homes�and flattening anyone who tries to stop him. Meanwhile, a mysterious riddle has appeared on the walls of the local shrine�a riddle which may hold the key to vanquishing the ettin."
Originally released as a PnP game by JD Wiker and adapted for the World Design Contest.
I decided to do a PnP conversion because I felt that it was important to show my ability to work with story concepts written by other writers, to adapt them, and to really make them work. As I understand it, this is largely a part of a technical world designer's task, so it seemed fitting. Although this is a conversion module, most dialog is my own. The PnP document is released on Wizards website for free so I included the .pdf for reference if you are interested in comparing what I did with the original concept writing.
Further, I am using my basemod as the backbone for this release. Not all code is mine, but most is. Also, not all systems that are scripted/included in the basemod were used; only what I needed to pull off this story arc. Everything is well documented in the files in the rar as well as in the code.
I also provide a cheat sheet for the puzzles to help out as needed.
Posted by Mirgalen at 2011-07-21 06:41:58 Voted 2.00 on 07/21/11
World design contest? I have played a few of them and none was like this one.
This one is more like a PW. As soon as you get in (staging area just like a PW) Vuldrick is messing with your character inventory and gold and there is no readme file for players so no warning. RPG is about the character you play therefore this is IMHO ultimate bad design/documentation.
1-2: The module author did not take the time to fully test or check the module.
Posted by Bio-Knight at 2008-09-14 06:52:38 Voted 10.00 on 09/14/08
dispersive!
Posted by sploenk at 2008-07-25 15:16:12 Voted 9.00 on 07/25/08
LOL, thanks nereng. Sorry the Earth Elemental got ya, but he is right nasty. The puzzle is not overly hard in the end, but there are hints in comments below.
Oh, and I really like your listener system . . . so big thanks for that :) _________________________ Vuldrick Garrison
Not rating, because I didn't make it to the end, because that effing Earth elemental killed me twice (nasty petrify thing!) and I didn't do the plates-puzzle in the correct order. There was lots of niceness before that, though, so I may try again later. Especially, since I noticed one of my own thingies in the module!
Cheers! :)
Posted by ozDallo at 2007-07-23 06:59:10 Voted 9.50 on 07/23/07
Classy mod from a PW legend :)
This mod took me back to those good ole PnP sessions, I can tell you.
These days I generally don't like 'realism' when I'm soloing, finding that it detracts rather than adds in most circumstances. But that certainly wasn't the case in this instance since Vuldrick deploys his systems to such great effect. The mod was a lot of fun to drive but for the purposes of this contest its true value probably lies under the hood.
I ran a bit overtime, and the ending didn't completely satisfy. Without some other players around me I would've preferred an associate or two as well. Nevertheless I had a bunch of fun.
The builds, the puzzles, the combat...all of this was good. The dialogue was in general excellent.
The script work, and the documentation which comes with the module is first class.
I had a question about the puzzle in Swift River Caverns. I will address this below . . . caution SPOILERS follow.
Not only do the elementals guard opposing elemental pressure plates, but the plates must be put in place in proper order. There are four plates and each has a different colored rune. Red (fire), Green (earth), Blue (water), and White (air). You have to place the disc with the white run LAST. The order of the other three does not matter.
The clue is that when you place the Red, Blue, and Green rune plates you see a shaft of like colored light strike down. If you place the White rune plate before all three of the others are placed, nothing happens. This is because you can only get White light if you mix Red, Blue, and Green light together :) _________________________ Vuldrick Garrison
Posted by acamantor at 2007-06-18 09:21:29 Voted 8.25 on 06/18/07
Correct short adventure. The adaptation is excellent.
Posted by sploenk at 2007-06-15 15:36:21 Voted 9.00 on 07/25/08
one more thing worth mentioning is that you use the Greyhawk Deity System, and as such clerics should choose their domains according to that system.
other than that I had good fun, well build and well designed. *thumbs up*
Oh, one more thing real quick :) I put this in the User Comments section of my entry when I uploaded it to the vault, but apparently that info is not visible to the public.
There are three different ending sequences so don't be afraid to replay it a few times to see what it has to offer.
I purposefully left the status of the wizard at the end open ended in case there is interest in a part two of the story (you will know what I mean when you play it). I might due a part two, if interest is there, after the contest is over.
Final words of advice, SAVE OFTEN. Combat can be difficult at times. _________________________ Vuldrick Garrison
Hey folks, I just wanted to let everyone know that I am going out of town for a week. That means I will not be around to answer questions, so I hope things are going well for those of you that have tried the mod already. I have a feeling that if it didn't, you would let me know ;P
I wanted to mention a few things that came to mind, that way there is less potential for people to have a hard time getting things done in the module. If you prefer to jump in blind, avoid the following by not reading any further.
Have fun!
1. Subraces are available, but I suggest you do not use them for your first run through the module. In particular, I really would stay clear of playing Drow or any undead subrace; that is unless you prefer to have all the NPCs hating you :) If you do choose to play a subrace, type it into the subrace field during character creation using all CAPS.
2. Clerics have special rules for leveling up and use of churches in this module. If you want to play a cleric, I suggest you log on with any old test character and read up on how it works. Sings are posted in the starting area and should be obvious.
3. Besides clerics, other classes have special level up rules that mirror Pen and Paper DnD. Barbarians, Bards, Druids, Monks, Rogues, and Paladins all have alignment requirements. If you fail to meet the alignment requirements, you will not be able to level up in that class and will have to pick an alternate class to level up in. To sum it up, Barbarians, Bards and Rogues must be non-lawful, Druids must be neutral in some aspect (Good/Evil or Chaos/Law), Monks must be lawful, and Paladins must be lawful good.
4. If you get stuck in the Swift River area . . . there are two ways to get where you need to be. One option is to talk to all the named NPCs and see where that leads you. A second option is to just look around the area and pay attention very closely. Look for things obscure and if all else fails, there is always the tab button to help you "see" things. _________________________ Vuldrick Garrison
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at 2011-07-21 06:41:58
