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 Problems with Baldur's Gate: Descento into Avernus
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Mrestos Khorvaen
Acolyte

Spain
48 Posts

Posted - 19 Dec 2019 :  09:17:00  Show Profile Send Mrestos Khorvaen a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
This post is heavy with SPOILERS.

I'm running BGDIA campaign and for the moment it's been a great ride, but I had several problems with it, and I wanted to share my experience. So maybe somebody can aport his own experience and solutions.

The campaign is generally real good and I congratulate the autors for being ambitious. But here are the "buts":

- Despite being named Baldur's Gate, characters spend most of the time in Avernus. BG isn't even in real danger. I mean in extintion-level danger, like Elturel.
- In fact, Elturel is a more vital point of the campaign that BG!
- It isn't clear how the Vanthampur family wanted to send BG to Avernus.
- The Vanthampur's power is understimated. Lady Thalamra is one of the city's Duke. And if the PCs destroy the family and kill her, the Flaming Fist captain (city watch) just shrugs his shoulders and says: "well, you saved me some work". Preposterous, in my opinion.
- The consecuences of Elturel disapparition aren't studied (except for some refugees in BG). Many land routes passed through the city. Elturel Hellriders kept at bay monsters and undeads(the area is called the Field of Deads for something). It also was the capital of Elturgard. So losing it in a second must have turned that kingdom into chaos.
- In the second chapter... Why should they go to hell? I mean, they have no proof Elturel can be saved. No way to now anybody is still alive there. No way to come back after being planeshifted to Avernus!
- Also, there is no inmediate reason to justify a travel to Hell. Many PCs assume this is sure death.

Seethyr
Master of Realmslore

USA
1151 Posts

Posted - 19 Dec 2019 :  16:17:26  Show Profile  Visit Seethyr's Homepage Send Seethyr a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I’ve voiced my displeasure with this on other forums, but I’m honestly disappointed with the treatment of Jander Sunstar. A character I followed through novels and short stories whose redemption I hoped for.

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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2443 Posts

Posted - 19 Dec 2019 :  16:28:40  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Mrestos Khorvaen


- In the second chapter... Why should they go to hell?



Because it's cool... That's the official explanation, actually. In the D&D Beyond videos all the talk it's about how cool is to go to Hell and play in a pseudo-Mad Max setting. Who cares about in-universe logical reasons?

That's my problem with 5e adventures. It's more about cool even if it doesn't makes sense. That and the destruction of places and NPCs just for the sake of it. 4e did it just once (during the Spellplague) and people doesn't stop thrashing the whole edition just for that, even after a decade and a retcon. 5e does it on a regular basis, and people praises WotC for it. I don't understand that.

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...

Edited by - Zeromaru X on 19 Dec 2019 16:39:21
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Regar Khorvaen
Acolyte

Spain
21 Posts

Posted - 19 Dec 2019 :  20:59:43  Show Profile Send Regar Khorvaen a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Seethyr

I’ve voiced my displeasure with this on other forums, but I’m honestly disappointed with the treatment of Jander Sunstar. A character I followed through novels and short stories whose redemption I hoped for.


Who is Jander Sunstar?
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Zeromaru X
Great Reader

Colombia
2443 Posts

Posted - 19 Dec 2019 :  21:42:58  Show Profile Send Zeromaru X a Private Message  Reply with Quote
A character from the novels who appears in this adventure just to be unceremoniously killed.

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Jander_Sunstar

Instead of seeking change, you prefer a void, merciless abyss of a world...
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Diffan
Great Reader

USA
4430 Posts

Posted - 19 Dec 2019 :  22:03:46  Show Profile Send Diffan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
I enjoyed Jander in Vampire of the Mists and a few of the anthology Realms stories but felt his story was finished after Christie Golden's Ravenloft novel. How he miraculously survived the direct days of Ravenloft's sun at the end of the Novel yet remained a vampire is dubious at best and I felt it took away from his story.

So an unceremonious death in an adventure path is just kinda funny
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore

USA
1151 Posts

Posted - 19 Dec 2019 :  22:41:17  Show Profile  Visit Seethyr's Homepage Send Seethyr a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Diffan
So an unceremonious death in an adventure path is just kinda funny



Don't get me wrong on this, I love the character - but what REALLY would be funny if that's the way Drizzt eventually goes. I'm going to change all my Chuck Norris jokes into Drizzt jokes pretty soon.

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Edited by - Seethyr on 19 Dec 2019 22:42:36
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3738 Posts

Posted - 19 Dec 2019 :  23:23:09  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
-Jander is/was one of my favorite Forgotten Realms characters. Someone must have something against the poor guy to do him dirty like that. The character arc pre-4/5e seemed to be about redemption, so seeing this as his ultimate fate is kind of weird.

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
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Scots Dragon
Seeker

United Kingdom
86 Posts

Posted - 19 Dec 2019 :  23:50:25  Show Profile Send Scots Dragon a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus

-Jander is/was one of my favorite Forgotten Realms characters. Someone must have something against the poor guy to do him dirty like that. The character arc pre-4/5e seemed to be about redemption, so seeing this as his ultimate fate is kind of weird.


At this point, Wizards of the Coast needs to stop doing stuff with the Forgotten Realms and hand it over to Paizo Publishing or Green Ronin or some other company to do the damn setting properly.
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Renin
Learned Scribe

USA
290 Posts

Posted - 20 Dec 2019 :  00:23:02  Show Profile Send Renin a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Zeromaru X

A character from the novels who appears in this adventure just to be unceremoniously killed.

https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Jander_Sunstar



THAT'S IT

Time to liquor up and RIOT!!

Not COOL!!!

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Diffan
Great Reader

USA
4430 Posts

Posted - 20 Dec 2019 :  01:31:43  Show Profile Send Diffan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Scots Dragon

quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus

-Jander is/was one of my favorite Forgotten Realms characters. Someone must have something against the poor guy to do him dirty like that. The character arc pre-4/5e seemed to be about redemption, so seeing this as his ultimate fate is kind of weird.


At this point, Wizards of the Coast needs to stop doing stuff with the Forgotten Realms and hand it over to Paizo Publishing or Green Ronin or some other company to do the damn setting properly.



I literally shuttered at the thouhht of Paizo doing anything with the Realms. As if we needed MORE bartenders and shoppe keepers with (ftr 3/wiz 6/brd 1/ odd-PrC 5) stat lines mucking up the place further... Every owner of everything is a former high-level adventurer that we apparently must have the stats for
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Diffan
Great Reader

USA
4430 Posts

Posted - 20 Dec 2019 :  01:58:42  Show Profile Send Diffan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
As for Jander, I'll simply save him (and ignore the "official" ending) and then find him a cure *shrugs*
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Seethyr
Master of Realmslore

USA
1151 Posts

Posted - 20 Dec 2019 :  02:05:46  Show Profile  Visit Seethyr's Homepage Send Seethyr a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Scots Dragon

quote:
Originally posted by Lord Karsus

-Jander is/was one of my favorite Forgotten Realms characters. Someone must have something against the poor guy to do him dirty like that. The character arc pre-4/5e seemed to be about redemption, so seeing this as his ultimate fate is kind of weird.


At this point, Wizards of the Coast needs to stop doing stuff with the Forgotten Realms and hand it over to Paizo Publishing or Green Ronin or some other company to do the damn setting properly.



Those guys sure as heck knew how to write an adventure path. I look at what they did for Greyhawk in the 3e heyday of Dungeon Magazine as some of the best days of the mag.

Anyway, the artwork for Jandar was awesome at least. Was anyone else curious though, how a planetar, granted it has a strength of 24, was to raise the city up "on his broad shoulders". Did I read that part right?

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Brimstone
Great Reader

USA
3286 Posts

Posted - 20 Dec 2019 :  02:17:47  Show Profile Send Brimstone a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Meh....

"These things also I have observed: that knowledge of our world is
to be nurtured like a precious flower, for it is the most precious
thing we have. Wherefore guard the word written and heed
words unwritten and set them down ere they fade . . . Learn
then, well, the arts of reading, writing, and listening true, and they
will lead you to the greatest art of all: understanding."
Alaundo of Candlekeep
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BARDOBARBAROS
Senior Scribe

Greece
581 Posts

Posted - 20 Dec 2019 :  09:35:50  Show Profile  Visit BARDOBARBAROS's Homepage Send BARDOBARBAROS a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Jander was great character in Vampire of the Mists !!!

Also:

Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus is an adventure module for the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It will serve as a prequel to the video game Baldur's Gate III.

Get Ready!!! Update your PC!!!

BARDOBARBAROS DOES NOT KILL.
HE DECAPITATES!!!


"The city changes, but the fools within it remain always the same" (Edwin Odesseiron- Baldur's gate 2)

Edited by - BARDOBARBAROS on 20 Dec 2019 10:05:03
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Diffan
Great Reader

USA
4430 Posts

Posted - 20 Dec 2019 :  18:52:11  Show Profile Send Diffan a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by BARDOBARBAROS

Jander was great character in Vampire of the Mists !!!

Also:

Baldur's Gate: Descent Into Avernus is an adventure module for the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. It will serve as a prequel to the video game Baldur's Gate III.

Get Ready!!! Update your PC!!!



PC as in personal computer or PC as in Player Character?

As a side note, I've attempted to re-create/update Player Characters from other edition to 5th Edition and...well it's difficult. Even with 5e's plug-n-play style of multiclassing that 3e used it doesn't quite capture some of the essence of previous edition characters. For example,

Garen-Kai, an Air Genasi warlord (4e) that had wizardly training (wizard apprentice theme) from Waterdeep and multiclassed Wizard could really help control the battlefield with commands to his allies/troops (warlord features and exploits) and have access to a few spells via multi-classing feats. He could also easily stand in for the party's healer - though did this role somewhat poorly. In 5e of equivalent level he doesn't have the battlefield commands (no warlord-esque archetypes) or healing and only very limited spells (Magical Training feat only helps a little). I had to find a Homebrew Warlord path for the Fighter (a decent one, that is some-what serviceable) and use Unearth Arcana options to get more battle-field control. It's back to jumping through a lot of hoops just to do something that anyone could've done with basic 4E.
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