Friday, September 25, 2009

Death Frost Doom is not Apocalyptic

Or should I say, I don't see it as being something that transforms an entire campaign world.

On a local level, oh hell yeah, but I keep seeing the comments that perhaps overstate the situation. It's bad bad news, but not campaign-world ending bad news. At least not how I conceptualize it or imagine it unfolding if the probable happens.

If you've got, say, a campaign map with 24 miles per hex, I'd imagine the hex you place Death Frost Doom might very well become no man's land. But even in the neighboring hexes I don't imagine having an effect greater than perhaps an alteration to random encounter tables and frequency.

Of course the individual referee can make it even worse news as he likes, and maybe I'm underestimating the impact that the entire thing would have, but over 2/3rds of the problem will be a very slow trickle into the outside world, and none of it is at all organized.

I've run the basic adventure twice for my groups in Vaasa and Helsinki. One of those groups stayed in the area and dealing with the situation was a major campaign plot arc. The other group didn't stay in the area but the fallout can be a major campaign plot arc if they head back there to deal with things.

I appreciate the reputation the adventure has gotten in such a short time, but I fear that it may discourage some. It is not intended as a "screw you, players!" exercise or only suitable for a nihilistic one-shot. It can be inserted into a regular campaign without destroying it.

1 comment:

  1. I've actually placed it two different areas (at opposite ends of my campaign setting, for use with two different groups of players). I am hoping to use it this weekend for the first time. The second group is just getting organized--a Skype group anchored by some high school friends I gamed with in the 70s. In the second group, it will be near--but not in--my Tainted Lands area. This second group will be starting with Death Frost Doom. I'll post a review and session notes on my blog page as I am able.

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