Planescape - The Skeleton Key [Quest 1 - Prologue]

drakedge2 · May 2013

Planescape - The Skeleton Key - Chapter 1 - The Prime Material by @drakedge2
Short Code: NW-DUPGY7BWX
Mission Type: Story driven intro to a grand campaign.
Average Duration: 20 - 25 minutes
Amount of Combat: Medium - meaningful combat, not randomly placed.
Starts at: Protector's Enclave - Alrica the merchant
Mission Summary: Take your first steps into the world of Planescape. This introduces you to a few of the major players in the story, and sets you up to take a deeper dive as the campaign continues on with further chapters.

Author tips/hints: Sometimes it is better to run than to stand and fight.

Screenshots/attachments:

Temporary Trailer

Full Play, with some of, but not all of, the sidequests completed.

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A link to the campaign as a whole is in my signature, feel free to post any feedback there. Also the change logs are there for you frequent players.

*Edit - Needed to change the name of the quest. People that didn't know what prologue meant, skipped the first quest and went straight for chapter 1. Thus becoming confused as to what they were doing and why.

archwarden · May 2013

That's the stuff of legends. Great campaign mate, I can't wait for part 4!
I hope, with their scaling system, that I'll be able to solo it at level 60. But I know it'll worth the potions at any rate

drakedge2 · May 2013

archwarden wrote: »

That's the stuff of legends. Great campaign mate, I can't wait for part 4!
I hope, with their scaling system, that I'll be able to solo it at level 60. But I know it'll worth the potions at any rate

Thank you so much! I am finishing the dialog of part 4 right now. When that is done I will play test it a few times to make sure things are working as intended.

In short, it should be released today

drakedge2 · May 2013

Chapter 4 is released and ready for play now. Enjoy.

salnayven · May 2013

Had a great time playing through the first 3 parts. can't wait to check out the 4th. absolutely LOVED the duck in the dungeon and it made a very good point about foundry authors inability to reward the folks who play their adventures. I understand PWE's concerns over exploitation but without the ability to add chests/craft nodes to the foundry it's hard for authors to encourage exploration in their worlds. Your use of side quests was great, now if only there was a chest or something at the end it would get more people to engage in the side stuff.

drakedge2 · May 2013

salnayven wrote: »

Had a great time playing through the first 3 parts. can't wait to check out the 4th. absolutely LOVED the duck in the dungeon and it made a very good point about foundry authors inability to reward the folks who play their adventures. I understand PWE's concerns over exploitation but without the ability to add chests/craft nodes to the foundry it's hard for authors to encourage exploration in their worlds. Your use of side quests was great, now if only there was a chest or something at the end it would get more people to engage in the side stuff.

Yeah honestly, i think they should give a quest that qualifies for the daily ONE crafting resource node. That would allow me to place that as a "reward" for the more difficult or more important side quests.

archwarden · May 2013

Just finished part 4...
Once again Epic man! I just loved the final battle.
And oh Moradin forgive me, I think I'm in love with Tiagia :P

drakedge2 · May 2013

Haha good, I am trying to make her a rather like able character

drakedge2 · May 2013

Tsumoro on youtube did a run through chapter 1 of my campaign. With some nice narration! Thank you for this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SU4AI1_lXMc

Check it out, it's a fun run of the story and gives you an idea of what the game will be like when you play it.

drakedge2 · May 2013

Youtube Foundry Quests

There are some great plays of both my campaign, and other people's here in this link above. Enjoy!

nullwolf1 · May 2013

Being a fan of Planescape from the times of Torment etc... I was really looking forward to running your Foundry campaign, and I was NOT disappointed. I loved the dialogue and story. And my girlfriend really enjoyed the encounters. ^_^

And we totally had a ball when we ran into the...

Space Chickens of Doom!

We LOLed the whole time we were slaughtering them, while reading the names out to each other.

I've subscribed to you and look forward to future content.

Though next time, we may just do one a day so I can leave a tip for each of them.

drakedge2 · May 2013

nullwolf1 wrote: »

Being a fan of Planescape from the times of Torment etc... I was really looking forward to running your Foundry campaign, and I was NOT disappointed. I loved the dialogue and story. And my girlfriend really enjoyed the encounters. ^_^

And we totally had a ball when we ran into the...
Space Chickens of Doom!
We LOLed the whole time we were slaughtering them, while reading the names out to each other.

I've subscribed to you and look forward to future content. Though next time, we may just do one a day so I can leave a tip for each of them.

It is comments like this one, that makes me happy to keep writing the quests. I can't say for certain if that will be the last time you see any farm animals though.... ... bwahaha... ha... bwhahahahahahahaha!

drakedge2 · May 2013

Chapter 4 has been updated. Chapter 1's sidequest maps are nearly complete.

drakedge2 · May 2013

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/game/634/feature/7441/Neverwinter-Foundry-Focus-Torment-and-the-Catastrophe.html

Now featured on MMORPG.com

Why are you sitting here reading about it? Go play it and enjoy the story for yourself!

drakedge2 · May 2013

Here is a preview trailer for chapter 5 - Sigil... the city of doors

Also, I am presently going back into the previous chapters and bringing them to a 2.0 state. I will have the 2.0 quests released as soon as possible.

soulgreaver · May 2013

Only just started playing the first quest in the campaign and something is immediately jumping out at me, in terms of issues - you need to either go over your writing again or get a beta-reader/editor, because if this campaign is really as dialogue heavy as the blurbs say getting your tenses in order and making sure the dialogue sounds like something people would actually say is going to end up quite important.

drakedge2 · May 2013

I have been working to correct issue with the dialogue, but I am no English major. Trying to get some help with it.

obsidianw0lf · May 2013

I just finished Chapter one and I must say I enjoyed it enough that I will continue playing through the rest. Though I think I'll be grouping for the rest. I went through solo on the first and got through but burned quite a few health potions haha.

Anyway I see you that you say you are working on the side quest still. The one that wants you to go and fight the goblins seems to be broke. It wouldn't allow me to pick up the item, and the npc that wanted the keg never seemed to update to the npc who would accept the keg if I had it. Anyway if you know this already then sorry =P

Side note telling a dwarf guardian that he should run from a fight not a good idea haha I stayed and fought. Would have kept on doing so too if I hadn't hit the despawn line haha I made it through two waves and almost through the third wave when I made that mistake

I'm not sure how many waves you had there but I'll find out at some point =P

drakedge2 · May 2013

obsidianw0lf wrote: »

I just finished Chapter one and I must say I enjoyed it enough that I will continue playing through the rest. Though I think I'll be grouping for the rest. I went through solo on the first and got through but burned quite a few health potions haha.

Anyway I see you that you say you are working on the side quest still. The one that wants you to go and fight the goblins seems to be broke. It wouldn't allow me to pick up the item, and the npc that wanted the keg never seemed to update to the npc who would accept the keg if I had it. Anyway if you know this already then sorry =P

Side note telling a dwarf guardian that he should run from a fight not a good idea haha I stayed and fought. Would have kept on doing so too if I hadn't hit the despawn line haha I made it through two waves and almost through the third wave when I made that mistake I'm not sure how many waves you had there but I'll find out at some point =P

Yeah I am almost finished with version 2.0 of chapter 1 which will finish the sidequest chain up. As of now, it ends with you picking the keg up. When 2.0 is released you will be able to finish the sidequest chain which will give you more insight as to what is going on.

Yeah haha I know telling myself to run is a difficult thing as well. The thing is, though, that I can not use a thing like "fear" in the foundry quite like I can in pen and paper DND. The King plays a role later in the campaign so I can't have you kill him there in chapter 1.

However, knowing that there are some stubborn players that are going to want to try and beat that nearly impossible encounter, I am going to be placing a small reward for them "Purple Loot of Stubbornness".

muzrub333 · May 2013

Did parts one and two last night. Very nice so far.

I too tried to stay and fight, big mistake. LOL

Part two really had some frustrating parts as a 50+ GWF, but what are a few deaths amongst friends.

(BTW I tried all 3 paths...you're kinda sick aren't you? LOL)

obsidianw0lf · May 2013

drakedge2 wrote: »

"Purple Loot of Stubbornness".

Hummmmm are you going to have a room full of mimics? hahah

Another note. I tried going back to see if I could save the two npc I did the side quest for. Something to think about if you expand the quest some more. It would be nice to save the npc toons in the castle that didn't drink the koolaid

drakedge2 · May 2013

Haha... just some old school DM trickery with those three paths is all

(when you played through chapter 2, did you have the broken rock like pathways in the temple? (latest version))

For part two, in the double Balor room, you can pull those separately, or bypass them all together

mrrobsworld · May 2013

I've added your quest to my list for play and review. I'll subscribe so I can get the whole campaign. Please check out my first quest.
Descendant of Simon Part 1 -- NW-DDMY3WOTA --
It still needs a little refining. Please be as critical as you like, as I want to develop higher quality quests as I learn more.
Thanks

drakedge2 · May 2013

obsidianw0lf wrote: »

Hummmmm are you going to have a room full of mimics? hahah

Another note. I tried going back to see if I could save the two npc I did the side quest for. Something to think about if you expand the quest some more. It would be nice to save the npc toons in the castle that didn't drink the koolaid

That's a good suggestion. Maybe I will make it so Sarah sticks around, the path to Tigwood should be blocked by fire and so forth.

drakedge2 · May 2013

mrrobsworld wrote: »

I've added your quest to my list for play and review. I'll subscribe so I can get the whole campaign. Please check out my first quest.
Descendant of Simon Part 1 -- NW-DDMY3WOTA --
It still needs a little refining. Please be as critical as you like, as I want to develop higher quality quests as I learn more.
Thanks

I will add it to my youtube thread and check it out when I can. Keep in mind it might take me some time.

http://nw-forum.perfectworld.com/showthread.php?242862-Youtube-Foundry-Quests

You can see the list of quests I need to run there as well.

rexservorum · June 2013

Planescape is my all-time favorite setting. I think I had all the books. As a teenager I could never find any games using it, so I had my first (laughable) DM experience and got to play my favorite tiefling wizard/rogue, a factotum in the Takers and interplanar courier, one time in actual reality. =P A character that I can almost sort of pretend that I'm playing in Neverwinter, thanks to the presence of that race and the possibility of Foundry content such as yours.

Part 1 was very good. Side-quests, choices, and dialog quality improve the experience greatly. The quality of the text could use refinement, but not as much as many quests I've tried. I'm actually stuck on part 2 right now. =P Levels of the Abyss vary widely so I didn't have any expectations going in. The rocky maze-like caverns with exits that are hard to see are pretty appropriate. Claustrophobic and confusing while at the same time inspiring a fear of falling. I got so lost that I ended up going back to the beginning before realizing it, and there I decided to try it again later. I'll post again once I've finished.

Great job! If I ever work up the perseverance to make a Foundry myself, it will probably have a Planescape theme. I hope we see more PS content from you and others, I'd love to see interest in it revive even slightly.

drakedge2 · June 2013

Thank you very much! I am taking a small break before working more on these quests. I need to recharge my creative batteries but I will be back at it here in a couple days and have chapter 5 for all your enjoyment out as soon as possible.

obsidianw0lf · June 2013

Had time to run chapter two on my healer solo. Had very little problems going through solo at lvl 26.

Some of the issues I found. I may have had a older version of your quest so you may have heard these already.

After teleporting to the abyss the first door you go through if you turn around and look up you can see a clipping issue. (maybe use cave stone in the editor to cover that up.)
The path way that leads to the amulet is pretty hard to find. You may want it this way but I ran past it about 5 times before I finally found the small hole. I mention this only because the npc points out the path so one would figure it would be easier to find since it was pointed out. I'd understand a hard entrance to find if there were no npc.
Behind the stairs that lead to the leap of faith is a monster encounter. The demon skin is on the wrong mob. I assume you used Duplicate on one of your encounters. There is a bug I have run into and I'm sure you have too and I may just be wasting my time explaining this, but when you duplicate encounters in the foundry it duplicates the correct encounter but it seems to mess up which skin goes to which mob. I think that is your problem here.
At the Duck, I mean chicken the doorway past him has two issues. First is the room that is connected to the hallway is clipping through the doorway. Again maybe use stones around the entrance to cover that. And two the floor is high and I can jump up find but your companion has to be resummoned to get him up there with you. This is fine for the most part just an observation.
Another note about the chicken. First of all he appears before all the mobs are dead so not all your mobs are tied to his appearance rules. Also when you finish talking to him in the crystal room you come back up to where your first talked to him and he is still there with the same dialog you had before going into the room. May want him to vanish once the other version of him appears in the other room?
May want to add an exit to the door after returning and talking to the npc and giving her the book.
Finally There was a promise of a quest of Doom. I'm hoping you are working on that or it is already in one of the next chapters

All the above is minor, and had no affected in how I scored the quest or my enjoyment of the quest. Just like your first chapter I loved this chapter as well. I should make note I don't play DnD (white wolf, and gurps never had anyone who would run a DnD table top), nor have I read any of the books. So the story alone is strong enough to stand as a engaging tale, without any need to understand how the planes work.

I look forward to playing your next chapter.

drakedge2 · June 2013

Thank you very much obsidian! I am working on version 2.0 of all chapters 1 - 4 currently, and this post of yours will help me with chapter 2. I appreciate that.

I am still on a bit of a break, as I recharge my creative batteries. Once they are charged version 2.0 of all current quests will be released followed by version 1.0 of chapter 5.

Chapter 6, the finale of "The Skeleton Key" part of the planescape campaign will be created either A. When we have actual boss fights to use. Or B. When it looks like that update is no where near, and I make the boss fight with current tricks of the trade.

obsidianw0lf · June 2013

Your welcome. Happy to help. I'll be trying to solo through chapter 3 and 4, and maybe 5 today. I'll take notes as I go if I do and post them back here when I do.

No rush on chapter 6. I know myself how much doing these quests can take it out of you. I've been taking a week off myself after building all the lvls for one of mine.

As for boss fights. Have they said they are going to put them in finally?

polleni · June 2013

I have only played the first one thus far, but after it and reading such enthusiastic remarks from others, I look forward to playing them all. Great job man.

Planescape - The Skeleton Key [Quest 1 - Prologue]

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