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DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall (5e) $2.99
Average Rating:4.4 / 5
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DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall (5e)
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DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Roger M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/05/2020 09:43:18

With the lost of the buying due to factions, this is module the DM will have to invent a reason for some pcs to play. I have DM this 2+ times. DMs will have to make it clear this is stealth mission in parts. But the total of RP, Social, Ablitity checks, and all the various factions getting their hand in is very enjoyable.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Christine W. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/28/2018 11:34:06

This mod is great. The combats are interesting, and theater of the mind seemed to work a little more than the run with maps, at least for my groups. It is a great challenge for players to think.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Aaron N. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/18/2017 17:08:37

I confess, this is a weird one to rate. On the one hand, the PCs who had done all of the other Tier 1, Season 3 adventures were all in. On the second hand, the new player at the table could not grasp/come to grips with the mission. On the gripping hand, this is a nice RP adventure. You can totally get into the RP of the stealthy portion of the module. I enjoyed the writing, as it allowed the "clankers" of the group to get some RP/Stealth type opportunities. The final fight was ... unusual. My group ended with separate combats, with the faction assignments coming into play i.e. "NO, DON'T KILL HIM!!!" I actually thought that the build up would make the boss a bit tougher (lair actions?, but that is the joy of the DM - empower yourself to improve the NPC to make it a fight.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Kyle M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/19/2017 12:05:32

The second part of the mini-storyline by Greg Marks felt slightly weaker than the first part. The adventurers receive a sudden, unexpected opportunity to destroy the entire leadership of Hillsfar in the hopes that this will end the oppressive tyranny. (SPOILERS BELOW)

What I liked

The opening scene primarily consists of roleplaying and the players can really get into character for a few minutes, although time constraints might prevent them from spending a long time on this.

Other than the "hook" after the opening scene, the party has pretty wide freedom in how to approach their quest. When they reach the site, they can survey all the different locations within it. They should be given time to decide on a plan (possibly with some initial forays to gather more intelligence). Characters with backgrounds and hooks specifically tied to this storyline may get serious payoffs if they pay attention and work those angles.

What I didn't like

At the risk of repeating myself from quite a few other reviews of this season, the map was terrible. While not to scale, it looks like somebody spent about 10 minutes scribbling on graph paper. I built my own in Roll20; while far from professional quality, I feel like it added quite a bit of flavor. Some lack of coordination with the previous module means that the text indicates it's snowing a few days after midsummer. DMs should note that and adjust accordingly.

Tips and Conclusion

DMs will almost certainly need to improvise, as the players will likely concoct some scheme that doesn't align with the ideas in the module. That's great! They should feel free to come up with something new. As a DM, I control the monsters and opposition to the characters, but I am not the players' adversary. If anything, the DM should be their biggest fan! Give them a chance to shine here. That doesn't mean that a heroic sacrifice or two might not occur - courage implies risk - but even that should serve the larger narrative.

Spend some time assembling a real map, regardless of whether you play on a virtual tabletop (VTT) or in meatspace. This need not be elaborate, but it should give the players a sense of planning a covert assault on a high-value target.

If you invest a bit of time into this module, the payoff is fantastic. Your players will feel like they indeed have achieved something heroic and their characters should be wrapping up tier 1.

PS: This module can be easily followed up by the CCC-BMG-10, -11, and -12 trilogy, which explores the aftermath of what the heroes achieved. Not every happy ending is neat and tidy, nor should it be.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Joshua N. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/19/2017 15:21:48

Recommend Purchase: Yes. XP Range: 450-600 Note: a rare instance where WotC/DDAL actually updated the moduel because the way it was originally release was a complete mess.

I recommend downloading the State of Hillsfar document and reading that before running any Season 3 module.

Why is Hillsfar a relevant setting at this time? Walls and refugees. The Great Law of Humanity: Only humans are allowed within Hillsfar. The Great Law of Trade: Do not interfere with any legitimate trade.

Does Hilsfar have anything to do with the Season 3 Hardcover - Out of the Abyss? Not really.

+++++++++++++++++++ Note: No Season 1, 2, or 3 module has a digital certificate to print because WotC says they can't accept volunteer help for legal reasons and won't allow their paid employees to create the certificates even though they have the templates.

The DMSGUILD site segregates reviews between people who've purchased it here and everyone else. They do NOT have a robust rating system, relying instead on the 5-star model.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by A customer [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/27/2017 01:58:53

This adventure is interesting as it can easily be run via theater of the mind. Since a good amount of time of the adventure is about planning for the final chapter, this gives the DM a change to test out splitting the party in non-combat situations, especially when they know they're heavily out numbered. This adventure gives the party a chance to explore, discuss strategy, and cleverly apply rare tool proficiencies to the overall game (e.g. Cook's Utensils and Playing Cards). Choice paralysis by the party can be solved by introducing one of the several NPCs who could relate to a faction assignment. During fights, space can easily be narrated since most areas of combats can be open rooms and fields. The best part is that there is a chance of failing, but with the possibility of getting out alive with rewards. This is great for parties (like mine) who had consistently bad dice rolls in combat. Giving the party the option to run with partial rewards instead of dying kept them fighting. Most situations avoid combat so long as the party don't openly act hostile. Lastly, I found the Incubus a great addition as it makes the situation tense if it can charm a main damage dealer, though it would be nice it if could hit harder to become a larger threat. I recommend this for DMs who want to try a whole session using theater of the mind AND practice splitting the party effectively for exploration.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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DDEX03-14 Death on the Wall (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Chester C. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/12/2017 08:48:47

Death on the Wall is described as a short adventure but in reality it is not. The content is short but it is a situational adventure, it actually requires the players to think and plan carefully on what they are supposed to do. If the players make a mistake or miss an opportunity then they will get stuck on the planning part again. Despite it being a two hour adventure the adventure may last a longer time due to the planning and thinking the players will need to do. There is an opportunity for roleplaying here but more on the planning and scouting is spent on the adventure than the roleplay and combat. Overall, this adventure would be good for players who like to think and plan for situations but not really that good for players that are into action and combat. Charging into combat in this adventure is not recommended.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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