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  1. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    There's no question. 3E has Red Hand of Doom, possibly The Sunless Citadel and not much else. 4E... Madness at Gardmore Abbey. In fact, it gets pretty hard to find good adventures in 2E. There are a few that are well regarded, but whenever you look at the "Top Adventures of all time" lists...
  2. MerricB

    WotC Has Wizards Screwed up again

    I always forget to enter the code and have to find it later!
  3. MerricB

    D&D 5E SPOILERS Vecna Eve of Ruin Question

    Not quite. Cheers, Merric
  4. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    Still a larger role than most of them have had! ;)
  5. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    It's the special magical properties the PCs accidentally get when they interrupt a ritual of Vecna cultists. "When the characters clash with the cult, they become linked to the lich, which sets them on the path to discover Vecna’s plot to remake the multiverse." "The characters each gain a...
  6. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    "Vecna’s Grasp is a cave network in Pandesmos. Other than Vecna, only the characters can reach this cave network—and only because they carry Vecna’s Links." -- that's why only the PCs can get there.
  7. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    At some point, with a lot of these adventures, you have to just suspend disbelief and say "I want this adventure to work." For, despite a host of problems I have with it, there are several sections that look like they'll be so much fun to run and play. The adventure, at least, understands a...
  8. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    You're right! It's even worse than the regular complaint that "high level NPCs don't get involved!" :) Cheers, Merric
  9. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    I cared only insomuch as "that's interesting - let's see what cool stuff you do with it!" I haven't run Rime of the Frostmaiden, so that an obelisk had a larger role in it didn't register. But when they started mentioning them as being significant in the marketing for The Shattered Obelisk, it...
  10. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    Initial thoughts: https://merricb.com/2024/05/08/vecna-eve-of-ruin-first-thoughts/
  11. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    Lord of Blades is mentioned. Eberron's cosmology is notably absent. Cheers, Merric
  12. MerricB

    WotC Vecna Eve of Ruin: Everything You Need To Know

    The Dragonlance chapter is as bad as I feared. When it comes to evoking Dragonlance, it... doesn't. EDIT: Based on additional information, the credits for a Wizards adventure are really bad at identifying who came up with the adventure concepts and storyline. The "Lead Designer" may have a lot...
  13. MerricB

    D&D General D&D "influencers" need to actively acknowledge other games.

    None. You do need to read them. :) But here's the thing: All of those one-page RPGs are hugely parasitic. They presume you know how to run RPGs, and not only that, know how to run RPGs in their style. Your preparation for them are all the hours you've spent running RPGs before. There are so...
  14. MerricB

    D&D General D&D "influencers" need to actively acknowledge other games.

    The world would be a much better place if (say) Roger Federer didn't mainly concentrate on Tennis. "But Roger, you should also be participating in motor racing and football and baseball! And cricket! And writing books! And playing video games! And... playing Call of Cthulhu!"
  15. MerricB

    Vecna: Eve of Ruin Adventure -- An “Off the Rails” Adventure for D&D's Anniversary

    I don't think it can be considered canonical, especially since Wizards doesn't have the rights to the CR setting. (Consider how we can't use any of it on the DMs Guild). Cheers, Merric
  16. MerricB

    Vecna: Eve of Ruin Adventure -- An “Off the Rails” Adventure for D&D's Anniversary

    Agreed. In fact, given the disappointing nature of the "revelation" of the obelisks in The Shattered Obelisk, I don't think there's been any long-term planning at all. Perhaps the obelisks become a lot more relevant in Vecna, but I'm not holding my breath. Cheers, Merric
  17. MerricB

    WotC Vecna: Eve of Ruin Player Advice from WotC

    The encounters in that section feel really strange. Overall, it feels so underwhelming. It's more "here are some kooky inhabitants of the Far Realm" rather than much that is actually threatening. Or disturbing to the players. Cheers, Merric
  18. MerricB

    WotC Vecna: Eve of Ruin Player Advice from WotC

    I think in that case, it's hard to go past "this adventure is written as a railroad". :) (It's rather amazing how many pages the DM reads of boxed text before the PCs really get a choice!) Cheers!
  19. MerricB

    WotC Vecna: Eve of Ruin Player Advice from WotC

    Read the start of DL2 Dragons of Flame, and talk to me about what style that is.
  20. MerricB

    D&D 5E Encounter Balance holds back 5E

    Yep. At this stage, when the party decides "we want to flee", I allow it. It breaks the initiative cycle immediately and we move into a different resolution mechanic. (Chases, though my own system). It's not actually an "action", because those are PC-based, but rather an agreement that we're...
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