Dungeon Masters Guild
Browse Categories
$ to $















Back
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e) $2.99
Average Rating:4.1 / 5
Ratings Reviews Total
16 31
12 50
5 10
1 1
1 2
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Click to view
You must be logged in to rate this
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Jay J. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/08/2018 09:50:10

I sincerely enjoyed running this for my players to help shore up some exp and maybe help get them items before throwing them into the jungle. My players and I had a blast playing. If I had to provide some advice to any DMs looking to run this, I'd definitely give it a thorough reading over to ensure that you have a solid understanding of the win conditions and the checks required. I know at least when I ran it (without having much time to read it over beforehand), it was pretty rough as there were certain aspects of information that could have been laid out better. All in all, extremely enjoyable and helped convey the vibrancy and atmosphere of Port Nyanzaru.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Wrich P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/06/2018 16:51:21

There are some good guidelines here for races and differrent types of Dinos. I would suggest that the DM take 10 to 15 min to revise their conditions for victory so the players can raise in confidence as they play, and at the same time, allow for creative thought and RP to lower the skill checks needed.

Remembering that the players are heroes is critical whilst running this mod.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Henry B. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/04/2018 17:14:28

This module is fun in spite of the dangers of skill check challenges because each section of the dinosaur race uses different checks and is pretty streamlined. It is definitely more fun than the dinosaur racing in 7-01 where only the Animal Handling checks really helped win the race so any character with low WIS scores were left to failure.

It is also the only 2-hour module from season 7 that will reasonably run within 2 hours. All the others (7-4, 7-5, 7-6, 7-7, and 7-8) are really 3 or 4 hour modules and have to be cut down if you have a hard 2-hour limit.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Alexis G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/02/2018 15:32:31

I enjoyed both playing and running this adventure. I would agree that this is not as simple as the races in mission 2 of DDAL 7-01, and I think future races would benefit from simpler methods to run with ways to embellish or complicate when there's time to prepare. I prepared in advance, pre-rolling d8s. While I couldn't account for when players would try to take advantage of opportunities to interfere the opposing teams, having the results (and not just successes and fails) made it easy to address. What I wish I had done, was made notes from the Tomb of Annhilation hardcover, and other adventures I own to throw in lots of description of the city.

When I ran it, I had some experienced players and new players - with the experienced players anticipating both action and intrigue where there wasn', which required more RP than my brain was ready for to get back on track. That might've been my inexperience, but I think it also has to do with the fact that this is a simple adventure. Also the only one that in my experience consistently runs significantly under alloted time.

I think it's especially well suited to new players, giving some roleplay oportunities, and 1 combat encounter that allows for a more interesting introduction than this season's intro module (I also think that DDEP 701 is a better intro than DDAL 701, except for the time constraints). That said the race mechanics are NOT typical of modules so that might require some explaining to avoid settings expectations. My very weak party didn't earn enough XP for the minimum, but easily handled the combat encounter, and I think those running for imbalanced parties (for example 2@ Lvl 1, 1@Lvl3, 1@Lvl4) might want to consider not adjusting as much as recommended. A few players were disappointed at receiving the minimum. So far, none of the tables I have played at or run have tried to go for the opposing team rewards. When I played, one of my party tried to assist the other teams getting off the podium, and the DM chose to give our team the rewards (keeping the trophy) which I think is a great result. That would've been a good comment or adjusmtent in sidebar. The item feels like it is very easily obtained (though not as easily as the one in DDAL 7-04), thoughat least it makes sense. Considering the scarcity of items available in Chult, that's not a bad thing.

I definitely felt weird roleplaying Mowbula with her thick accent, even though her speech is spelled out in a way that makes it easy to pronounce. The information she has to share but isn't spelled out in actual dialog was uncomfortable. I think there were some missed opportunities in the observation deck for those who really want to RP a rogue with light hands. Also, the instructions for gambling could be better. The amounts won were especially unclear "why would I bet if I can't earn back my money?" A simple "you earn your money back PLUS"[...whatever is on the table] would have been clearer.

One of the great things about an adventure like this, is the chance to really get descriptive or into role as a DM in a different way. I tried to get into race announcer mode (but unsuccessfully, because it's been forever since I've watched any races on TV). It's much easier to describe the scenery and action in a colorful way when you don't have to worry about whether strangers can handle description with the detail you want.

I like the fact that this is part of a trilogy, though from what I've read there is a lack of consistency.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Aaron P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 03/02/2018 05:01:05

A very fun tier 1 module. Tons of little games for characters to play and races to bet on. A nice little combat to run at the end as well for a fine finish. Highly recommended for those new to the death curse.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Bradley F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/26/2018 06:00:58

Awesome module. Exciting, different, and Entertaining. Just make sure to keep the pace up during the main event to keep things interesting for the players.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Aaron N. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/21/2018 15:28:46

A Day at the Races – 4 stars. A great opportunity to get involved in Chult before heading out into the really scary jungle. This adventure lends itself extremely well to a Theater of the Mind setting. I enjoyed the free for all style of the race itself. Lots of great opportunity for role playing here. I strongly encourage helping the shy players get involved in the storyline. I wish there had been a little more detail on how to run the gambling, but it is a solid adventure that is fun to run and play.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Guy D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/18/2018 19:22:19

This module is fun and different, but perhaps relies too heavily on the idea that there are dinosaur races in Port Nyanzaru. This was already dealt with in City on the edge, ToA hard cover and Peril at the Port so its really only going to spark the imagination of new players.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Steven G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/10/2018 10:03:47

I found this adventure to be a lot of fun to run. It can be difficult to track how the race is going and I thought it was a little wonky on how some of the actions go but it wasn't too hard to overcome. My nephews(3 and 5 years old) had a good time imagining racing on dinosaurs.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Emory P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/08/2018 21:59:54

This is a VERY fun module. The key points to make it exciting and fun for your players depend on the section. In the first part, let them explore and investigate as they please. Being familiar with the Port Nyanzaru races as described in the ToA hardcover is highly suggested (and are used almost verbatim in the module, so no worries if you don't have access to the ToA HC,) and familiarty with real-world professional auto or horse racing culture can be helpful in fleshing out a vibrant series of encounters.

In the second part, it is all about keeping it fast-paced and exciting. The system of random rolls described in the module can be used but it is just as easy to adapt any system you are comfortable with to determine the interactions of the players and NPCs during the race. For inspiration, look to films and video clips with iconic chase scenes. Use classic tropes to your advantage; there's nothing more satisfying than seeing your players' joy when they discover their opponents are falling behind because of running into a random cart full of fruit...

The final part is a fairly standard combat encounter. Adjust as necessary, but there's nothing out of the ordinary. The stakes can be high, but that's at your discretion per usual.

Most importantly: have fun yourself. These are an exciting series of races. Pull out your best celebrity impression for an announcer (I went with William Shatner, myself,) or for an added challenge do two commentators. Your table will love it.

As for the important real-world details: even with my players doing their own "investigation" in the first part, we clocked in right at the two-hour mark. Your experience may vary, or course.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Mathieu P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/06/2018 23:07:47

Not for every DMs.

I think you need to be dynamic to keep the run interesting. The feeling of the race is IMHO directly proportionnal with the energy you give when animating it.

Personnally, it was one of the most amusing module I've run! I really liked it.

The end has a great twist too. Also, I love Soggy Wren. heheh



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Matthew A. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/05/2018 11:29:49

Definitely a great module for beginners, players and DMs.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Diana V. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/04/2018 12:20:17

The races are fun and exciting, though there was some initial hesitation about gambling on dinosaurs. I tried for one of the teams rolling the checks as well, just with a modifier of 0 for all of them, which my players seemed to like and find fun.

Narration is the key for this entire thing. If you're not doing your best "race caller" mixed with "auctioneer" for this, it's going to become a slog. I handed out inspiration liberally: when a couple of players didn't manage to pick up the right color blocks and the wizard decided to minor illusion the right color for the "fantasy jumbotron", for example. I figured the point was to be exciting and fun, not 100% rules-lawyery on inspiration.

The combat at the end seemed a bit powerful, but that might've been my party balance. The little girl gives them a great reason to wade into the battle, but my players didn't seem interested in the magical "stick" until she mentioned that her "da'" had... (looks up). Overall, a really fun module. Very different, keeps the players on their toes!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Noah G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/03/2018 14:02:22

I love the concept of an adventure that is largely dinosaur races, but your players' interest may vary. This module is largely a skill challenge (the dinosaur race). The rules for each stage of the race are fairly proscribed, so I had to go out of my way to encourage players to use creative alternatives if they wanted to. Like others have said, it relies a lot on the DM to add crowd reactions and other narration to make the race exciting.

This adventure begins with an RP section and ends with one combat. The RP section helps set the stage for the trilogy but doesn't have a ton of payoff as a one-shot, which can frustrate players after they get invested in the scenes. Combat heavy groups will also be left wanting. Overall I'd say this is 5 stars for the right group, 3-3.5 stars for the wrong group.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Justin D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/01/2018 21:05:55

Fantastic module. The races are super fun and having things other than combat take place keeps players on their toes. Sure there is some at the end but it's not the worst thing ever. I'm a big fan of how all the S7 adventures tie together This one in particular leads right into the next and the end scene investigation is great. The NPCs are very unique and fun to act out. This is one of the weaker modules in the group but that does not make it any less fun. It's simply a joy to participate in and that's why it does not hurt the rating.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
pixel_trans.gif
Displaying 46 to 60 (of 94 reviews) Result Pages: [<< Prev]   1  2  3  4  5  6  7  [Next >>] 
pixel_trans.gif
pixel_trans.gif Back pixel_trans.gif
0 items