andyc
Kai Lord
Posts: 210
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Post by andyc on Nov 20, 2022 0:37:55 GMT
Where can i get to read those Bonus Adventures 13 to 22? Get onto the Kindle app and search for 'Einsamer Wolf'. Click buy to whichever book takes your fancy and then use the [poopy] kindle translate to get through it. Just working on 27's BA Spawn of Hate and despite the quality it will be a pleasure read Hunger of Sejanoz's BA in English soon.
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andyc
Kai Lord
Posts: 210
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Post by andyc on Nov 21, 2022 12:50:07 GMT
BA27 The Spawn of Hate (German Edition only) Another great one by Alexander Kühnert who has pretty much become my second favourite bonus adventure writer after Vincent of course, and lore Grand Master Vincent always gets help on his BAs so maybe...(mischievous chuckle). Anyway, I digress. In this one you play as a slightly younger Gildas who forms part of a team keeping the wild and dangerous very southern tip of Siyan free from enemies, especially Agarashi from the uncomfortably close Naaros. You begin tracking down the vampiric beasts who attacked some local woodsman, but your mission extends onwards from there. A decent length at 170 section with some fantastic art as well as an unique map of the area (which a lot of other BAs really would have benefitted from). Throw in a little bit of nice world building and lore at the end and it ticks almost all of my boxes. Perhaps I would say it doesn't quite reach the exciting heights of the Chains of Ghol-Tabras, Tides of Gorgoron and Battle of the Wytches, but I enjoyed it more than those in the 4/5 category, so it gets a 4.25/5 which shows how my ratings system is getting somewhat ridiculous now.
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Post by Zipp on Nov 23, 2022 5:45:33 GMT
I just started my first bonus adventure for LW #20 and I must say I absolutely love it! I love the setting, the non-linearity of it, and the time tracker is a cool idea. I am a sucker for a good murder mystery. I am curious to try the others but it sounds like they are of varying quality judging from the comments here. Was curious though, do people here generally play the bonus adventure first or after completing the main book? Unfortunately, I don't own any of the CE's that weren't published by Holmgard Press (so 23 onwards I have) so I'm missing a ton of the bonus adventures! Otherwise, I would have planned to do a full run of them after finishing the series. Instead, I'm doing a couple here and there... working on book 29s Vakeros adventure right now! I do know they plan to rerelease at least some of the bonus adventures in an omnibus so I hope to one day get to play them all. I'm particularly interested in the ones where you play as something very different from a Kai Lord, like the one you play as Tipassa (though from the reviews here, people don't love that one). I can say that the one in Book 29 is great! I haven't finished it yet, but it's by Vincent Lazari, one of the great LW writers of our time and probably the greatest loremaster of Magnamund. It not only captures the feel of Magnamund from a different perspective but does interesting things for the gamebook format, like interesting spell mechanics and a cool situation where you have to actually lead an army, determining what forces go where on the battlefield and this actually changes the outcome of the battle and what the scenario is page to page.
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Post by Black Cat on Nov 25, 2022 5:53:51 GMT
BA28: The Edge of Night Not a bad one but it felt as if it was cut short. After crossing the Underrun, I got to the village and I was expecting a big confrontation before the end. I did not check how different the other paths in the village were but after entering it, I just went directly to the docks, fought a Chagarashi, got help from Harrow against another enemy and then, just when I tought I was going to have to survive a boss fight (I went to attack the leaders), the adventure ended, just like that, without having to fight again (and just after I got that Master's Medallion... it did not even got a real use since the end was so close). I have the feeling the adventure was meant to be just a little longer (175 sections perhaps?) but was cut short near the ending. The Hunger scale was a nice touch but didn't have an impact on my adventure (the highest I got on the scale was 3...). So either I made the best choices, either the adventure or some of its concept were not developped as much as they should had. But otherwise, it was an interesting adventure. I loved the possibility to get an ally for a while (a Helghast, no less!) and the whole concept of the Vampirium. Now, I'll be honest, when I first saw on the Action Chart that the character's name was Altan, I though we were playing as this guy: link. Nope, no links between the two. I know it is possible for people in real life to have the same first name but in works of fiction, that's pretty rare because it might causes confusion between the two characters. As the reader, I'm not confused because both Altans appear in different books but it just felt... weird?
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Post by Black Cat on Nov 25, 2022 16:31:10 GMT
BA28: The Edge of Night Not a bad one but it felt as if it was cut short. After crossing the Underrun, I got to the village and I was expecting a big confrontation before the end. I did not check how different the other paths in the village were but after entering it, I just went directly to the docks, fought a Chagarashi, got help from Harrow against another enemy and then, just when I tought I was going to have to survive a boss fight (I went to attack the leaders), the adventure ended, just like that, without having to fight again (and just after I got that Master's Medallion... it did not even got a real use since the end was so close). I have the feeling the adventure was meant to be just a little longer (175 sections perhaps?) but was cut short near the ending. The Hunger scale was a nice touch but didn't have an impact on my adventure (the highest I got on the scale was 3...). So either I made the best choices, either the adventure or some of its concept were not developped as much as they should had. But otherwise, it was an interesting adventure. I loved the possibility to get an ally for a while (a Helghast, no less!) and the whole concept of the Vampirium. So, I said the adventure felt that it was cut short near the end. The hooded figure that I tried to attack in the section leading to 150 said something like: "Fight is not over yet", and the last sentence of the BA is: "For now, your adventure has ended in success"... And then we got Newsletter #37 today that says: "We have some exciting plans for the Bonus Adventures. We plan to go beyond just reprinting them." All these elements give me the feeling that we'll either have an expanded version of that adventure or a sequel in the future. Hey, why not? We got the Dire series of BAs, so I can easily see a series futuring the Vampirium (maybe with a different name to avoid confusion with book 27). Who knows? Maybe both the Dire and Altan II (to avoid confusion with Altan I from book 6) will make an appearance in book 32 as allies of the Kai. Future adventures featuring them might cover the 18 years that have passed between book 28 and book 32.
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andyc
Kai Lord
Posts: 210
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Post by andyc on Dec 3, 2022 15:46:07 GMT
BA28 The Edge Of Night I was very much enjoying this adventure, but I also agree with Black Cat that it suffers from being obviously the first part in a larger story involving Altan. To many things are introduced and left hanging for the reader to be satisfied by this one adventure, though I suspect the whole story will be great fun in its entirety. Taking this one on its own I can enjoy August's excellent writing (the odd typo aside) and there are obviously multiple paths to the final section. Of all the bonus adventure writers his main characters are the most interesting to inhabit for a time, as many others (perhaps deliberately) leave them as a more blank slate. The brief meetings with side characters are often very interesting and full of personality too, though, like The Labyrinth of Sorrow, I am not sure I am entirely onboard with any morsel of humanity showing up in a Helghast. Not sure why, as I would be happy seeing more depth to any other normally evil denizen of Magnamund, but Helghasts originally came across as chilling, utterly soulless monsters in Fire on the Water and any later 'niceness' detracts from that longstanding impression. Nonetheless all that is introduced here is very facinating and I very much hope to read more adventures in Altan's shoes. 4/5
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Post by GhostofLandar on Dec 25, 2022 7:18:43 GMT
Two things:
1. Please someone spoil whatever BA where we learn who (or learn more) about Zahda in Castle Death. I think Vincent mentioned this at some point. Heck message me if you don't think it appropriate to post here.
2. August likes to write the stories of liberated slaves to the forces of evil characters doesn't he?
One critique- why Altan? I get the name could just be Bhanarian and sound like Altan from the archery contest but I already find the linguistics of Chai and Bhanar a bit muddled. Like Tkukoma sounds like..well another language entirely.
3. Anyone believe Joe or did he tell anyone that Bhanar was actually going to be like that warrior from the Compendium (sort of African in appearance) and then backed away because he looked at his map of migrations? Still leaves the Masbate on an island unless they were an indigenous.
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Post by Black Cat on Dec 25, 2022 19:25:40 GMT
I count three things! That's the BA in book 7 CE. It's about Zahda finding a way to break out of the magical prison surrounding Kazan-Oud. I don't have time to check the exact details today because my memory is foggy (I've read that BA only once, when it came out back in 2008). That's my point exactly! It doesn't sound very Bhanarian. I think that there was some mistake in the Magnamund Companion. It has been discussed at large back in the days about how different that Bhanarian looks so different in the MC versus the ones we see the NO books. When I'll have time, I'll try to check what happened.
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Post by Black Cat on Dec 27, 2022 13:52:52 GMT
3. Anyone believe Joe or did he tell anyone that Bhanar was actually going to be like that warrior from the Compendium (sort of African in appearance) and then backed away because he looked at his map of migrations? Still leaves the Masbate on an island unless they were an indigenous. According to the very old thread, it could had been a typo in the Magnamund Companion as the PA's staff was studying the possibility to change the caption about the "Bhanarian" soldier for a "Lissanian". link
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Post by GhostofLandar on Dec 29, 2022 16:55:18 GMT
3. Anyone believe Joe or did he tell anyone that Bhanar was actually going to be like that warrior from the Compendium (sort of African in appearance) and then backed away because he looked at his map of migrations? Still leaves the Masbate on an island unless they were an indigenous. According to the very old thread, it could had been a typo in the Magnamund Companion as the PA's staff was studying the possibility to change the caption about the "Bhanarian" soldier for a "Lissanian". linkCatte Noir, I now realize that I participated in that thread in 2004. I even asked a very similar question lol So I can believe that there may have been a typo but since that publishing: 1. Mythenish are also depicted as Asiatic-resembling peoples. The Tianese seem to just be an offshoot that moved into the city states of Shadaki. 2. The Lissanese nomads seem to be Mythenish/Tianese (with maybe some Vassa as well) peoples, with the sole exception of the Masbate.
3. The Masbate are described as vastly different in physique and height (and seemingly in language) than Mythenish or Tianese or Vassa. Other than having very long straight black hair. 4. Sejanoz as a name just doesn't seem to fit very well under current canon context. I know not every name follows the rule, but Joe (and Ian) were usually pretty good with these things. I am going to chalk it up to the fact that there were other inhabitants in Magnamund who were human, and that Masbate are one of those groups that did not migrate (or did not migrate as recently) to the two continents.
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Post by GhostofLandar on Dec 29, 2022 17:02:57 GMT
I count three things! That's the BA in book 7 CE. It's about Zahda finding a way to break out of the magical prison surrounding Kazan-Oud. I don't have time to check the exact details today because my memory is foggy (I've read that BA only once, when it came out back in 2008). That's my point exactly! It doesn't sound very Bhanarian. I think that there was some mistake in the Magnamund Companion. It has been discussed at large back in the days about how different that Bhanarian looks so different in the MC versus the ones we see the NO books. When I'll have time, I'll try to check what happened. You got me, I did think about that last point at the end and didn't edit. Plus it's funnier, I guess. re: #2. I do think that Chai and Bhanar come across a bit muddled but I did find out that the antagonist of Ghosts of Tsushima is named Altan (and he's Mongolian) and that name does sort of fit a few Mongol names I've seen in my reading of history. I guess I just thought having Altan (Irish?) from Kingdoms of Terror reappear as a name was a bit much. Re: #1 I wish I knew more about Zahda. I mean, it's not the end of the world but he seemed connected to something larger I just don't know what. Otherwise it's almost a story out of another universe.
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Post by Black Cat on Dec 29, 2022 20:38:39 GMT
Re: #1 I wish I knew more about Zahda. I mean, it's not the end of the world but he seemed connected to something larger I just don't know what. You'll have to be patient then because I'm pretty sure this will be talked about in episode 7 of the podcast (which I think will come out on June 1st if they don't change their decision of "one new episode on the first Thursday of each month").
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Post by zorkraan on Dec 30, 2022 0:58:35 GMT
Re: #1 I wish I knew more about Zahda. I mean, it's not the end of the world but he seemed connected to something larger I just don't know what. Otherwise it's almost a story out of another universe. If I may help here, you'll find all the info you need about Zahda's background and origins in the bonus adventure of LW20 entitled "The Purifiers of Kazan-Oud". Your intuition is pretty good: yes he's connected to something(s) bigger. Some info were also dropped in the Cubicle 7 sourcebook "Bestiary of the Beyond".
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Post by Black Cat on Dec 30, 2022 2:53:05 GMT
If I may help here, you'll find all the info you need about Zahda's background and origins in the bonus adventure of LW20 entitled "The Purifiers of Kazan-Oud". Your intuition is pretty good: yes he's connected to something(s) bigger. Darn it, I forgot about that one! I really need to re-read all the BAs.
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andyc
Kai Lord
Posts: 210
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Post by andyc on Jan 8, 2023 20:12:03 GMT
BA14 Darkness Most Dire This was a dungeon crawl a little similar to BA7's All Seeing One, but with an added touch of August's typically inventive style. It also falls foul of being too difficult, the book being likely not possible unless you are 'lucky' enough to lose all your Endurance at a very specific point and have found a certain item. I did pick up quite a bit of CS increasing items however, which concerns me for the later Dire adventures which were too easy even without those items (unless I lose them in the 2nd or 3rd Dire adventure of course). I also felt the chance meeting of Azavath and Cadak randomly having a discussion at a gate of Kaag was a rather clumsy climax. When the Dire series gets a re-release, I hope August gets the chance to make some small improvements, mainly in the form of difficulty balancing, Dire 1 becoming easier, Dire 4-5 becoming harder. I would also personally ditch the climax of this book (thereby making it easier) perhaps having a bit earlier where you have to avoid Azavath in the upper halls of Kaag. Instead, having the battle with him at the end of Dire 5 which was, although well written as ever, an unloseable short series of sections. That's just my opinion however, and not necessarily the right thing to do. Anyway, despite those two issues I mentioned, I still very much enjoyed it, so Dire in the Dark gets a 3.5/5.
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