Thoughts on Storm King's Thunder

Giants crushing Phandelin (or they should be)

259 page adventure that takes players from 1st to 11th level, or 5th to 11lth if you enter from Lost Mines of Phandelver and skip the first chapter. And there you have a good example of the first problem with this module, throw away content. The thing is 300 pages but:

1. 16 pages is skipped if you started with Lost Mines of Phandelver
2. Chapter 2 has you pick one of three attacks to involve the party so you use 6-9 pages out of 25.
3. 60 pages is a gazetteer of the Sword Coast and not really specific to this module.
4. The bulk of the Campaign has you pick one of five paths, each of which average 10 pages so we're throwing away another 40 pages here. 

So you are skipping half the book. Yes some might run it again and use the skipped parts but for most that's a huge waste of content. That might have seemed like a good idea to the wealthy folks at WotC but that's just crazy. Also I think as an adventure path its falls apart at some point. 

How I Would have Designed it Differently

1. I would have removed the gazetteer section entirely. That should have been added to another product, along with the maps and info for Nightstone, Bryn Shander, Goldenfields, and Triobar. DMs using the Forgotten Realms could use this sort of reference info and shouldn't have to buy an adventure module to get it.
2. I would have loosened up the structure a lot. Removed the adventure path and left it as a bunch of site based mini-adventures that aren't necessarily linked into one grand campaign. 
3. I would have dumped the Great Upheaval and started the thing at 5th level as one of two followups to Lost Mines of Phandelver (Phandelver and Below the Shattered Obelisk* being the other). I would move Dripping Caves to Phandelver and Below as well.
4. I would create a Southern Giants Mini-campaign. Fighting against Hill Giants with the Stone Giants there as a possible addition. Take the Goldenfields attack and rewrite it to be an attack on Phandelin. The PCs presumably have some investment in saving the place. Set it up so the players have to figure out how to defend the place or lead the Giants off or whatever. The players can then track the attackers back to the Den of the Hill Giants (which has a great map) to free captives, scout out the area for greater powers, or whatever they think might work. Lastly I'd yank Steading of the Hill Giant Chief (the old G1) from Tales from the Yawning Portal (released a year later) and put it here with better maps. The Canyon of the Stone Giants would be there as well, these two might be wound into the mini-campaign as another threat, or allies that could be used against the Hill Giants.
5. Next I would create a Northern Giants Adventures. This would include Berg of the Frost Giants and Forge of the Fire Giants (both of which have great maps) as well as G2 Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant Jarl and G3 Hall of the Fire Giant King (both with cleaned up maps and removed from Yawning Portal where they don't belong). This mini-campaign is just a bunch of stand-alone adventures easily justified by Giant raids. When Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden was released 4 years later it would include notes on how to include the Northern Giants Adventures into the mix. Also whichever product had a better map of Bryn Shander would get it.
6. The Cloud and Storm Giants would be stand-alone adventures. Just sort of bonus content for a really high level challenge. 
7. I would take a note from Tales from the Yawning Portal and include a bit about where the different adventures might be located in Forgotten Realms or in Greyhawk or other settings.

It might not have been a perfect 259 pages my way but I'd be happy to dump the Cloud Giants or even the Storm Giants if we need space or add a second Stone Giant adventure if we need to bulk it up a bit. The point is that all the giant modules should be in one product and they don't need to be connected. I'd probably add Mountain Giants and ettins and other Giantkind to the adventure to show how they fit into the mix. There is also a 4E product Revenge of the Giants that could be looted and updated for 5E if it has anything worthwhile.

Interesting bits I found in D&D Adventures League modules

 A friend gave me a couple of old D&D Adventurers League Modules and I have a few things to say. I mentioned yesterdays post that I really like the way two of the modules used a neighborhood  map. The map is simple, beautiful, and the perfect scale and running a few adventures in the same neighborhood to give a nice sense of the area. Here is the one from Gangs of Waterdeep.

Neighborhood that doesn't exist in other Waterdeep sources

In addition to that Gangs of Waterdeep has a nice use of the skill system. I don't think they are using DC right (I haven't really read the DM's Guide on the matter), and they don't explain what they are doing, but its clear enough to me and I think 5E should have done a lot more of this. In fact it reminds me a lot of my 1-page rules I've been doing, really using the idea that the better the roll the better the result. Yay Gangs of Waterdeep! I'd give the authors props if only they hadn't ruined the great read with a silly coach with ejector seats in the same module.

The issue I really decided to write a post about though was from the module Once in Waterdeep. We all dodged a bullet that this one didn't become the style of 5E. For example:

The plot is a railroad which I can forgive because the module has a time-limit, and most convention modules are a bit railroady. But if time is an issue why waste it creating plot points with the players instead of just having them written up already?  The determining plot points with the players make this basically a Storygame. It doesn't feel very D&D at all. Here's more.

So it is not only story-gamey but it's like a lame school assignment when you had to get into groups and make some kind of presentation. Guess I just don't like/get storygames at all.

 

Cognitive Load and 5E

This video puts a word for what I've been noticing about 5E and Forgotten Realms. Cognitive Load. I recommend DMs watch the first 8 minutes of the video where he talks about the Cognitive Load issue. 5E may not look complex but every time they level up each PC gets a new ability or two. Over time that load starts to slow things down. I think that's why folks are drawn to Shadowdark.

I'm not sure if I'm ready to dump initiative, the VTT makes that pretty simple, but a lot of the other stuff I've already trimmed (or ignore, trusting the players to be honest).

Waterdeep and some thoughts on the Organization of a City-based product

So my players got a bit tired of killing Giants, they hit a point in Storm King's Thunder where they wondered why it was their business? Attaining wealth and glory is not enough to get into the middle of a Giants vs Dragons war. We all enjoyed the factional politics of Neverwinter while it lasted so I wanted to get back to urban adventures but I didn't want to go back to Neverwinter again, not yet at least. I decided on Waterdeep. Unlike Neverwinter there is a ton of stuff about Waterdeep and I'd collected a lot of it over the years. Most of it pretty meh. But for this post I'm thinking about urban campaigns, organization, and Maps. Mostly maps. I love maps.

5E has Waterdeep Dragonheist. First I have to say I love Dyson Logos maps but they feel a bit out of place here. The map of the city is pretty muddy looking and lame. You can zoom in pretty far but not really far enough. If they'd done a map of each ward it would have scaled better for a VTT, why Roll20  didn't do that is a surprise, I guess they just stuck with the book as written. Sad. 

City of Splenders Ward Map

Even better than making a map for each ward are the maps in Citysystem for 2E. That book has some beautiful 3d maps of the port broken down into 8 beautiful detailed maps (the picture below shows all 8 combined). Each would size about right for a VTT map), but if you look closely you'll see that over half the city isn't there at all. Big miss Citysystem. Still the map looks great and if WotC had style they would have re-done them by Ward in their 5E product.

Citysystem Poetic Map of Dockward

Additionally, the Citysystem book diced the entire city into 10 fairly detailed street maps (peaces of a poster I don't have because I got the book used). These don't follow the wards all that well (the colors on the map below indicate different wards) but are a good size for a VTT. These maps also include some nice interior maps. Below is map 007 Showing bits of Dock Ward (yellow), Castle Ward (purple) and Southern Ward (Red).

Citysystem map of 1-10th of Waterdeep with interior maps to boot

Below is a closeup to show the street level details. Thats a map you can use. But they didn't. They didn't even make the big map into the Phandelin style they use so often in 5E. They just half-assed it all. 

Closeup of that citysystem map

I have a few products they gave out for Adventurer's League when they were playtesting Waterdeep Dragonheist (don't ask how I got them because I don't recall) but two of these modules have a really nice street level map (the same map in both). They are in the poetic style I love but even if they were in the Phandelin style maps of that size would be great. Here is a screenshot of that one.

Neighborhood Map from Somewhere in Waterdeep

Ignore the writing on the map, that has to do with the adventure and I'm only willing to spend so much effort cleaning up a screenshot. The other adventures had different writing. The writing isn't the point. Another fun fact about that map is Chapel Street and The Rake don't seem to exist in Waterdeep. Not as far as I can tell (or ChatGPT can tell for that matter). 

That map is the perfect size for a GM and players. A small chunk of the city, the size of neighborhood where if you lived there, worked there, frequented a pub there, or whatever you would get to know that neighborhood and the people in it pretty well. Small enough that the local Thieves Guild might have a Capo running the area (with protection money, gambling, etc). The size is perfect. The map area reminds me of the beautiful maps in Eyewitness travel books, which I'm sure they tested for usability as well as if the info fit on the two-age spread.

So anyway I imagine how nice it would be to have a Waterdeep product that had all the overhead info you find in these products, with a map of each ward drawn like the Citysystem Dockward map. Then have each ward cut-up into neighborhood size maps with a bunch of interior maps to give the thing depth. If it comes out being to long you could divide the city in two, or chop it up by Wards. 

I think if I ever do a City product that's probably how I'll do it.

Also I'd like to mention that Waterdeep seems a bit overly dangerous place in all the books I have. I mean you have very powerful mages and adventures living there but they just tolerate a Beholder crime lord living beneath the city? They have an inn with a great portal that occasionally has monsters climbing out among the drunks? Whimsical to the point of just plain silly.

Legend of the Drunken Master Meets Shadowdark

Back in the 90s when Rumble in the Bronx came out I got interested in Jackie Chan movies. I liked the humor, was impressed by the stunts, and enjoyed the Kung Fu. I ended up watching a ton of them, the only one that I remember well is Police Story (with the hillside chase through houses that was repeated in Bad Boys 2). Legend of the Drunken Master was the only one I saw that was a period piece. 

 

Kung Fu Hustle Meets Shadowdark

 I loved Shaolin Soccer. I introduced my nephews to it when they were old enough and played soccer themselves. Stephen Chow's sense of humor hit just right, so when I discovered the more adult, and funnier, Kung Fu Hustle it was a joy. Unfortunately its hard to find Stephen Chow films these days, I don't know if he went into Chinese television or if the PRC doesn't allow his films to be exported or what. Still Kung Fu Hustle is an action packed humorous gem worth digging up.

Big Trouble in Little China Meets Shadowdark

I love Big Trouble in Little China. It's one of my favorite movies. It's shocking how many people didn't get the humor. Having said that I'm not thrilled by talk of a remake or sequel. Hopefully I'll be surprised. Anyway I was reading the Sand Pebbles and got thinking about Chinatown in SF and thought why not have a Khitai town in my campaign some day, that way some fun Chinese tropes can be used in an otherwise Western Campaign. I'm still working on the idea, perhaps its a walled off community like the foreign settlements in China, or more likely a large number of Chinese Junks in the bay. Anyway all that led my mind to Big Trouble in Little China.

And for those saying why doesn't he just type these things on the blog normally, why the png? Well I hate the way html screws up the formatting of stat blocks, it displays on the page here legibly, and blogger can handle them so it doesn't require a pdf hosted elsewhere.  

So save the png to your desktop, open them all at once, and then print to pdf and you'll have a nice pdf. I wish more people would do this folks could cobble together a best of book with minimal effort.

Crew Morale

Shadowdark (and most OSR systems to be fair) has a morale system but nothing about ongoing morale for hirelings or companions. This started as fun business I could add during a caravan to give the guards, merchants, and other help, something to do. This would be in addition to normal encounter rolls. Then I decided to make it a bit more generic so that it applies to a ships crew or mercenary group or whatever. 

Donning Armor

5E has a simple number for donning armor but I think it should be just a bit more than that. PCs should not be sleeping in their armor, at least not the metal armors, not if they want to get Long Rest credit. That means they need to be able to put it on quick whenever whomever is on watch calls the alarm. Should make things interesting for turn or two at least.

Camping

Camping is another thing I've always hand-waved but which should probably have at least a roll, a roll that might provide a few seeds. This one is kind of basic but in times I could see it being useful, like when the PCs need rest, and if they blow the roll they won't get the expected healing. So in my latest 1-Page rules I present Camping.

Shopping

Sometimes you just don't want to deal with the haggling, or role-play out the shopping trip at all. Generally that's my take, but just pick from the list of stuff in the book is a bit lame as well so heres a table to add a bit of variety to this common task.

Haggling

I never liked role playing out haggling, it seemed a good place to create a silly little one-page rules so that something happens without my having to play it out. 

 

Music of Ericha Zann and Finish Death Metal Bards

Prince of Nothing at Age of Dusk has a review of the Music of Ericha Zann (Lotfp). Prince of Nothing says it is loosely based on a Lovecraft musician. That's fine and good but it seems to be a big missed opportunity. I mean James Raggi III wrote about metal music prior to writing LotFP which seems a natural base to build your Bard from.

Imagine the Finish Death Metal Bard. Who's music can put you into a trance or drive you away screaming. Who causes prime and proper adults to want to chase them from town, but who draws the teens and young adults in to do their bidding. Who has panty-dropping solos that act as powerful charm spells for the ladies who will follow them dutifully. Maybe if you get three Finish Death Metal Bards together their playing gains the power to melt your face. One drawback is they can drink nearly anything without it effecting them so potions are reduced in potency, but poisons just don't work at all.

Take the idea and inject it with specifics based on Song titles and more specific Finish Death Metal ideas and you might have had a great, memorable class. Anyway Mr Raggi, the idea is all yours if you want it. Maybe it's an on-line freebee-level idea, maybe its trash I don't know but the new Spinal Tap movie shuffled into theaters to day so goofy music is on my mind.

I had originally written up this idea on Prince of Nothing's site but wordpress gave me crap and then dumped the post in its effort to get me to sign up so. Sad move wordpress, sad move.

Public Opinion

This idea comes from a scene in one of my favorite movies and the quote that has been bandied around my table for decades. "There's no food for you here..." Of course its from American Werewolf in London where the Americans stumble into a bar on a bad night and get a nasty response from the locals. 

If you think about it a bunch of blood covered adventurers are probably not gonna be welcomed right away and the normal reaction rolls take the charm of the party into account the way they should when used in a civilized area. Plus, any chance to make CHA useful... 

Dungeon Foraging

I was thinking about foraging from the previous post and thought Shadowdark is designed for a lot of gaming spent in the Shadowdark, so foraging rules for a dungeon environment might be nice. I really liked the last one, how different levels of success gave better results and figure I'll keep that format for any other rules that pop to mind. Perhaps I'll end up with enough 1-page rules someday that I'll bundle them for easy use. Anyway, since light is such a big factor I decided to add some desperate light options for success.

Living Off The Land

I ran across a news story about quick quartering, that's how hunters up in Wyoming quickly dice up their game to pack out the meat, being far from your truck and hunting solo, you've got to do it fast before bears catch the scent.  

That made me think about surviving off the land in RPGs and I've never really found a mechanic that handles thing that I was happy with. I particularly like the idea that a better roll means more rations and less offal to draw in hungry beasts. I included foraging rules as well because in my game Elves are herbivores and followers of the Goddess Gede are vegetarians. The rules are for Shadowdark but obviously adaptable to any system.

Weregild & Wampum

I was watching a video on Youtube and they mentioned weregild which lead to a rabbit whole of Chatgpt and Wikipeda on the subject. I played a lot of RuneQuest back in the day and don't remember them ever covering the topic but apparently they did at some point.

I think more RPG settings should have some kind of Weregild. I know I'm gonna write up something at some point specific to my setting, until then I'll drop a few notes here. I particularly like that they added an extra 100 shillings for killing a low ranking cleric during mass. Can't have that.

Act / Victim Type	Wergild / Compensation
Severed foot	~50 shillings
Eye loss	50 shillings
Ear loss	6–12 shillings
Nose pierce / mutilation	~9 shillings
Finger / Nail injuries	1–9 shillings
Freeman killed	~100–200 shillings
Nobleman / Thegn	300 (Kent) to 1,200 (Mercia)
Cleric (low-ranking)	300 shillings; 400 if during mass
Duke / Archbishop	~600 shillings (Lex Alamannorum)
Archbishop / Nobleman (Cnut-era)	15,000 thrymsas
King	30,000 thrymsas
Missi dominici (Charlemagne)	3× regular wergild

I imagine a weregild arrangement with local Goblin tribes to prevent all-out war. Something PCs may know little about. Since PCs tend to be wanderers and somewhat outside the system they could be forced to pay or be handed over to the Goblins to satisfy the weregild for their raids into Goblin caves, etc. This could balance out the treasure gained and might encourage PCs to determine the status of a tribe before going berserk on them.