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Post by Zipp on Oct 16, 2004 3:21:47 GMT
Actually, I lied a little bit. My favorite is actually The Legacy of Vashna, but Kaag holds a special place in my heart for being the first I read.
I also love the ones where you go somewhere remote and mysterious (Daziarn, Kalte, Ixia)
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Post by Relenoir on Nov 23, 2004 12:18:43 GMT
All about Kaag, man. ANd I never ran into the dissjointed problems, even though I own the abridged. You're very fortunate; I did the first time I tried to read it! I had to spend a good hour looking through the book at the first sentence of each section to try to figure out where the book should lead to next, then wrote it at the end of the previous section.
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Post by Peregrine on Nov 23, 2004 14:49:36 GMT
Kaag was my first LW, too. Ixia was my second, and the first I owned. (I've since managed to get hold of Kaag as well - it was quite a nostalgia trip the day I found that! ) Unfortunately I haven't read enough of the others to really decide. I read Dawn of the Dragons (actually, come to think of it that may have been before I got hold of Ixia...), and I recall enjoying it. I've played Ruel once or twice in the PA edition, but I've yet to take a shot at Darke. And I've been helping with the edits on Vashna without having read it... love those spoilers! I'll throw my vote in for the Deathlord, just so he doesn't look quite so pitiful.
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Post by Sol on Nov 23, 2004 21:39:06 GMT
Without dying, I have reached Book 13. I am trying to decide what to read, though: the online Project Aon version or the abridged US Gamebook. I like holding a real book, but I am also interested in reading the unabridged version.
I recall there being a SUPER-HARD section at the end of the book where you have a 50% chance of automatic death. If you have Grande Huntmastery AND Assimilance, you can cut it down to a 10% chance, but still... I mean, WOW! For some reason I think that section was unavoidable as well, which is really rough. And I thought that it was bad enough having to dodge the mast in Book 2!
Wish me luck!
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Post by Zipp on Nov 24, 2004 5:34:39 GMT
I recomend the unabridged. I know the feeling about having a book in your hand, but in this case, the abridged has issues.
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columbob
Kai Lord
Up the Irons!
Posts: 161
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Post by columbob on Nov 24, 2004 12:57:20 GMT
I recall there being a SUPER-HARD section at the end of the book where you have a 50% chance of automatic death. If you have Grande Huntmastery AND Assimilance, you can cut it down to a 10% chance, but still... I mean, WOW! For some reason I think that section was unavoidable as well, which is really rough. And I thought that it was bad enough having to dodge the mast in Book 2! Wish me luck! There are also similar moments at the end of both Captives of Kaag and The Darke Crusade. What is it with those Grand Master adventures anyways???
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columbob
Kai Lord
Up the Irons!
Posts: 161
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Post by columbob on Nov 24, 2004 13:01:22 GMT
I haven't voted yet, but I probably will by next week. I just read #14 and 80% of #15 yesterday, and I can definitely say for sure that Kaag won't get my vote. I don't know why, it felt like a pretty dry read to me, not too exciting. Plague Lords was much better.
The story in Crusade is interesting, but there isn't too much action. I'm nearing the end and have only fought a single fight. The paragraphs are usually long narratives (which is literarily good) but don't offer much choice, so the story is pretty linear so far (as were books 11 and 12), so offers a lower replaying value.
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Post by Ghost Bear on Nov 24, 2004 13:51:52 GMT
To be honest, I enjoy the long narratives. I think it's the biggest advantage that the GM series in general has over the earlier books. I really enjoy reading about the people and places of Magnamund, rather than simply rolling random numbers. Not that I don't enjoy a good fight as well.
-GB
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Post by Sol on Nov 24, 2004 15:01:38 GMT
The long narratives in Plague Lords of Ruel are even longer in the abridged. At the start of the book, rather than giving you a choice of approaching Ruel from the tunnels or the forest, you are forced to take the forest... so instead of a choice, it just says, "turn to..."
Unfortunately, I did not live through this book. When approaching the stronghold with my Zombie in tow, dumb me, I walked into the jail cell like the enemy wanted. I figured, "I am a grand-master now, I will lull them into complacency and escape this cell with no problems at all whilst they slumber."
WRONG.
Even though I had Grande Nexus which gives me a HUGE immunity to electricity, they basically electrocuted me as soon as I entered. You know, at first I was sour because I should have had immunity to electricity, but then I had a very disquieting vision - the grand-master himself can hold up under ten-thousand volts for hours and hours... so I imagined the Kai Grand Master dying -very- slowly as they continued the torture for hours on end until even the greatest Kai, Lone Wolf, succumbed to liberating death.
Darn, well, I am placing that in my notes so that I shain't fall to that trap next time. No more sneaking! Next time I run into the Stronghold and just start slicing until I find Cadak!
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columbob
Kai Lord
Up the Irons!
Posts: 161
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Post by columbob on Nov 24, 2004 15:42:48 GMT
Darn, well, I am placing that in my notes so that I shain't fall to that trap next time. No more sneaking! Next time I run into the Stronghold and just start slicing until I find Cadak! The mission is not to find Cadak though, so maybe that will affect your chances of success.
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Post by Ghost Bear on Nov 24, 2004 18:15:31 GMT
Even though I had Grande Nexus which gives me a HUGE immunity to electricity, they basically electrocuted me as soon as I entered. You don't get immunity to lightning until you have Grand Huntmastery at Sun Thane level. -GB
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Post by Sol on Nov 24, 2004 18:31:38 GMT
Oops - Ghost Bear, you're right!
Anyone find it to be so sad when Lone Wolf swallows the anti-plague at the start of book 13 and Lord Rimoah laughs at him? --------------------------------------------- 'How long will it protect me?' you ask, queasily.
Rimoah smiles. 'Oh, I'm sure you will be safe for some considerable time, Lone Wolf. I'm afraid I forgot to mention that the phial contained a concentrated vaccine, more than sufficient to protect a hundred men!' --------------------------------------------- Seriously, doesn't this make Lone Wolf look like a total dolt? This is pretty much the only time this happens. Also someone with Curing should be smart enough to at least ask before drinking!
Lone Wolf as the butt of the joke: not cool!
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columbob
Kai Lord
Up the Irons!
Posts: 161
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Post by columbob on Nov 29, 2004 15:22:37 GMT
Well, I just started book 20, but unless it's really great, I'm going to have to go with Dawn of the Dragons as the best GM adventure. That was such a great book! I also liked books 17 and 19, but 18 just blew me away! ;D The whole atmosphere, crossing Northern Magnamund, meeting old aquaintances and new ones, the sense of urgency...an awesome all around book!
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columbob
Kai Lord
Up the Irons!
Posts: 161
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Post by columbob on Nov 29, 2004 15:31:55 GMT
Hmm, nobody has voted for Deathlord yet, maybe the impossible fights put a damper on the fun of the book? I didn't have such a hard time against Tagazin and the Deathlord, actually, although fighting Tagazin 3 times in a row wasn't really welcomed. The toughest fight was against those 3 Cabalahs earlier on. The fact that you can't use Kai-surge on them, and their CS of 56, makes for one wounded LW! I actually fled from that fight after 4 rounds, otherwise they would have had me, I think I was at -9 CR for that fight. There's also a part after destroying the Deathlord where you have to jump over a chasm. You die on 0-2, that's a 30% chance!!!
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columbob
Kai Lord
Up the Irons!
Posts: 161
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Post by columbob on Nov 29, 2004 15:48:46 GMT
Dawn of the Dragons also came close to evoking the old-school excitement of the first 12, but it seemed a little contrived... for one, it just doesn't feel right having LW, supreme badass that he is, travelling cross-country like he used to back when he was a regular Kai or Magnakai, visiting the tavern instead of the local palace. LW is just too much of a celebrity to do the noname traveller thing he used to do, First of all, Lone Wolf is an undercover type of hero. Few people outside of Sommerlund would know who he is, and even if they did, they wouldn't necessarily recognize him for who he is, and that's how he wants it to be, for the sake of the mission. After all, by book 18, he has mastered the arts of camouflage and invisibility, and perhaps Assimilance as well. Second of all, he stops at palaces along the way. In Vadera, Garthen and the capital of Palmyrion (can't remember the name right now), he's the guest of the rulers and welcomed as the hero that he is. In some town, he was about to sleep at the local knight's castle, until it proved he had been replaced by a Helghast. He also gets a royal welcome in Casiorn and, of course, Sommerlund, so I really don't see where your perspective comes from. Maybe you haven't read the book in a while? Anyways, it's a great book.
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