Let's Talk About Hickory Branch

hey, don't get mad, Krunch, we where just brainstorming!

I personally like the HB, since it takes a good deal of time to complete (a huge map full of creatures isn't that easy to complete, since you can't rest or anything, you need tactics and fine work )
We criticized (sp?) the map in a constructive manner; none said "bah, HB sucks, let's scrap it", we where just throwing ideas.
You shouldn't feel ofended, as you know, there are lots of opinions and tastes, so everyone always want to say something.
In any case, you've made your point pretty clear, and that should be enough.

maybe we could use all these ideas in something different?

But i still think that the outside map should need a few touches... :blush:

 

Krunch,
I also did not intend to offend, what I should have stated, was that I ran onto that modding tool myself when I was searching for mapping software, and I RECOGNIZED the area not that you just used it as it was.... again my apologies.

 

Umm, why not? If someone does make a new "HB-lite" for the early game, add it in for sure, but also keep the existing mid-game slug-fest. Reusing maps with different enemies is done for the orcs in the ogre cave, so why not HB?

My big complaint about order of quests is that the nodes are way too easy, especially after doing all the other extra adventuring that my party is routinely 12th-14th level by the time I get there. Looking back at the original paper module, there should be at least a pair of dragons and a half-dozen of better (fire,cloud,etc.) giants in each one. I've been meaning to try my hand at modding that up for months now, but I haven't gotten to it yet.

 

Well, I've an idea for HB. Bear with me as I've been drinking and after the libations I tend to become a bit verbose.

Meet Mathel. He has it all. He's the man every other man hates and the man all the women want. He's attractive (high CHA), he's smart (high INT), he's athletic (high physical stats) and he's rich. Unfortunately for him he's very shortsighted and quite arrogant (about as wise as my left shoe).

After the death of his parents (unfortunate accident involving a Deck of Many Things mistaken for a simple deck of playing cards) he had full control of his ancestral estate and funds. After many months of drunken debauching, drug use and all-around obscenity our poor Mathel became bored. He started to peruse his departed father's library and stumbled upon a few arcane texts which ignited in him a curiosity for magic.

Many nights of ritual and study later he realized that this route to power was slow and steady, too slow for his impetuous temperament. After a chance encounter with a shady dealer in "forbidden texts" and an exchange of a large sum of coin our dear Mathel found himself in the possession of a rare, and quite dubious, copy of an ancient necromantic tome. Finding a ritual for lichdom he fervently acquired all the necessary reagents and completed the rituals required. Unfortunately the arcane rites contained within the book were flawed. The rites transformed him from the handsome, charismatic and intelligent Mathel into the rotting, stinking and dead Mathel.

His hold on sanity having been tenuous prior to his transformation was completely severed and while he was naught but an animated corpse he thought himself to be a lich. While on his campaign to subvert the whole of Oerth to his will he had a chance encounter with Lareth. Lareth channeled the powers of his diety and gained control of Mathel.

Mathel thinks himself an all powerful lich and having been commanded by Lareth he thinks the priest of Lolth to be nothing less than than a godly avatar. Lareth decides to use Mathel putting him in command of a small group of goblinoid and undead raiders until he can find a suitable replacement. Mathel, in his insanity, thinks all those under his command to be undead and revels in his newfound status. As for game stats I see him as having a couple of fighter levels and a few wizard levels would go well with his background. The Deathlock as mentioned by Cujo would work quite well coupled with a bit more martial endowment. If approached by an evil/neutral party he could be used as a segue into a quest for the extermination of a pesky cleric of a random good deity that has been plaguing his operation.

EDIT: After paging through my DMG I rediscovered the aristocrat NPC class and from a roleplaying standpoint that may be more appropriate for Mathel than fighter levels.

 

Again, why not a HB respawned? :nervous:

You can leave HB as it is (yes, it is a good adventure to compensate fedex quests, cos you can do a bit of it, go to do some fedex, and then back to HB...tho it would be cool if the orcs n goblins are aware that someone it's killing them in "chapters"), and add the undead plot as a later respawn (since now we can have all sorts of skeletons and zombies) and the many new stuff Krunch was planning if he shows up again -i hope-.

An extra level with higher difficulty? the colosseum made of bones (kind of a death temple, i would love to do that), with a skeleton-zombie cheering crowd...fight to death undead beholders (rulebook creature), Dracoliche (rulebook monster) and finally the undead NPC with a good bunch of nice, rotten, filthy minions :twitch: :hahano: :roll:

 

In the idea of a low level adventure... the traders could send you there first as an entrance into TOEE... just dummy down the fights and make potions of healing available in the treasures... or turn it into a training area, and not award any XP.

 

Ok. :doh:
I'll take a look at the books for a list of "fixed" damages and all that stuff. That should solve a lot of the imbalance problems.

I still think that the main issues are the tons of available items. And the damned crafting feats won't help in that matter...
Sure, the new stuff it's really cool, but it should be available via console or as unique items.
Another option should be to leave those items but made them appear randomnly: for example, X chest that gives X weapon/coins, the next time would give X armor/coins or another combination...so, instead of adding treasure, you get different stuff.
So, if there are 10 chests, with 10 new items, leave just 5 chests, but the chance to get randomly the 10 items (thus, some items won't appear)

I personally found the Nodes easy, even in vanilla ToEE. The air and water node where a walk, the earth was annoying, and the fire was a pain, but none of them could be tagged as "hard" as elemental planes should be.
I agree that they should be rebalanced.

Aaah, i didn't get the alternative part...well, that's not a bad idea...

blood thirsty people could make their way thru the HB to Nulb, or have the matchmaking as usual, that's what you meant?

"where can i get some adventures?"
"well y'now, there are lots of problems in a village..."
"if you think that making everyone walks hand in hand in the town, then forget it"
"hum, i see...well, if you're looking for troubles, there's a place..."

 

Yup, and that's my point: the Nodes are easy, but the guardians a though PITA. You just breeze thru them tho hurry and kill the boss after a few buff spells.
Vanilla Nodes where a bit hard cos you lacked the needed equipment (frankly, i think that nodes and guardians are way too much for ToEE, as it's IMPOSSIBLE to kill a balor or galbrezu with a 5-8 party of 10 lvl, even with frag or scath), but with the adecuate knowledge of creatures and crafting feats where a cake.
Now, you don't even need to craft: you've got an arsenal of items.

Lol, yeah, i meant that.
I usually think on 3 chapters: Hommlet, Nulb, and the Temple.
I think it's abit hard for starter charcters: a javelin could kill instantly the thoughest dwrf barbarian. That just counting normal enemies, cos the trio of orcs (the witch, the double axe orc etc) could easily whipe out an entire party. And then it's the fiendish minotaur.

Beware, Longwinded analysis ahead

All in all, HB it's balanced IMHO at the point it's found (not the loot, it's too much power), but i've found Verbobonc really easy (sorry Allyx :errf: ) but with a bit of leveling up of the creatures (specially the drows dammit!) it should be Ok (to be on the final stages of the game). And Moathouse respawn it's nice, but again, the loot it's too much; it isn't a difficult battle, but after the HB and this, you end way too much equipped (even my bard has two powerful magical weapons and enters melee combat!)

I understand that the xp added it's a main "problem", but frankly, if you're 20 level but have only two holy weapons, Frag or Scath and a few more magical items/armors, the final battles (nodes, guardians and Zuggy) won't be that easy.

Right now i've just arrived at Falrinth's lair, and didn't finished to explored yet the 1º level, and i have a two-wielding barbarian with the sword of fury and sword of chaos,the gun, all the most lighter and heavy powerful armors from Ah Fong, tons of potions/scrolls, magical wands/staves, two rings for each charcter...and much much more stored througout the chest cos i don't have available slots to equip them.

I don't find enemies easier cos i'm high level (barely 7), but cos the weapons have huge bonus to hit, and do huge amounts of damage (sword of fury it's a killer), so two three hits and a nasty, powerful creature like a Bodak it's out (tipically, a Bodak can be a single enemy for a full party).