My internet troubles delayed our weekly Foundry Festivities, but the stars aligned and once again set off into the hinterlands of player-written adventures.
The Eternal Darkness (Golf) by @freddykidd
Kasul led off with this one, a fairly newish quest with an interesting premise — what DO vampires get to in the long, cold dark of night? Why, they play golf! The adventure was mostly an excuse to let loose with punny names, like “Benny Hillgiant”, above. I was disappointed in not being actually able to play golf at any point, but both Kasul and I marked it up for decent level design and puns that just wouldn’t stop.
The Retribution of Kel’thalun by @Guerilla
This was a leftover from last week. The short description: “Storm the Citadel and reclaim the throne of Kel’thalun from Alncacer. Groups are recommended for this quest.” Could a lowly fighter and a rogue manage?
The quest had an excellent story, the fights were challenging for a duo but not overwhelming, the level design wasn’t the most innovative but served the plot. We both gave this quest five stars.
In Blacklake It Waits, Dreaming by @Wezbob42
I’d be surprised if this foundry wasn’t written originally for that contest where foundries had to take place in Blacklake and reference the sludge, as this does both. This adventure has slightly different paths for different classes; Kasul and I did our individual tasks for guardian fighter and rogue before joining up in a final assault, chasing a mindflayer through dungeon after dungeon. I gave it four stars.
Part I: The Shadowfell Disciples by @orangefiree
I’d played this quest before, back when it was in review and not yet finished. It was completed since then and recently even featured! I was grouped with orangefiree in a Kessel’s Reach run, of all places. We recognized each other’s handles, and at the end, we got talking about foundries. He urged me to play through his quest again, and its sequels, of which there are many. On the list it went.
The plot is a little confused, but what sets this quest apart is its level interaction. Things explode, things fall from the ceiling and so on. The plot alone doesn’t make me want to continue, but the level design has me wondering what else is in store.
Pleasure in Pain (Party) by @Ezli
The description promised a fight against the Queen of Pain’s armies, tuned for a duo who wanted a challenge. Well, that’s what we got, and nothing more. Just huge mobs of… mobs, many (most) with annoying AEs. It was a challenge for a duo, and we fought armies, so what did I expect? Plot? Any level design? Nope. But Ezli never said those things would exist. I gave it two stars — admitting it was challenging, but unfortunately, not fun.
Black Ice Capades by @Winin
Just recently published by +Todd Edwards . This wasn’t part of our official foundry night.
I’d really hoped that with a name like Black Ice Capades, I’d be skating at some point. But, as with Vampire Golf, my dreams were crushed. Capades is a straightforward quest using the Icewind Dale maps and assets (which, luckily, does not require having unlocked the IWD expansion). The two IWD factions, Ten Towns and Arcane Brotherhood, are trying to take the black ice that you discovered! Fight through their ranks and take back your ice. Once you have given up and relinquished your claim to the faction of your choice, you start on a second quest to save a caravan from dragon cultists. And you talk to a horse.
I found it to be an excellent farm quest for the current event. It’s in review as of this writing.
Next week: Well, who knows?
