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DDAL04-04 The Marionette (5e)

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A Vistani fortuneteller has called you out by name during the Burgomaster’s private reading. She raved of an army of the dead, a delicate powderbox, and a beautiful yet dangerous woman. Now the Burgomaster wants to know why you’re more important than he is...

Part Four of Misty Fortunes and Absent Hearts.

A Four-Hour adventure for 1st-4th level characters

Also included in the purchase of this adventure is a version specially converted for use with the Fantasy Grounds virtual tabletop software. The converted adventure features all the text and maps from the original adventure along with cross-linking of monsters, spells, magic items, equipment, and story elements, plus the powerful rules automation for which Fantasy Grounds is known.

 

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Reviews (27)
Discussions (9)
Customer avatar
Jeremy M January 22, 2019 11:26 pm UTC
This is a truly first rate module with one of the most sympathetic “villains” you will ever encounter. Those groups that role play versus murder hobo are in for an incredibly engaging story. I’ve run it for three groups and each one ended differently,

I look forward to seeing many more from this author if they are even one-tenth this engaging!
Customer avatar
Oh E November 09, 2018 6:25 pm UTC
This adventure went over well. Several unique and interesting things in it, including a mass vision and a series of encounters that require splitting the party. The final area is quite large and requires that a couple combats be skipped in order to fit into 4 or 5 hours, though you'd have to really be stalling to have the module last for 2 four-hour sessions.
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Nirodha A September 15, 2017 7:21 pm UTC
Where's Laszlo and who delivered the box?
Customer avatar
Kevin S September 07, 2016 12:29 am UTC
PURCHASER
Is it me, or does this say "Also included in the purchase of this adventure is a version specially converted for use with the Fantasy Grounds", however I cannot see how I download the .mod file? Thanks
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Robert A September 11, 2016 6:41 am UTC
The .mod file for FG is indeed included in the purchase. If you are having trouble receiving the file, you should contact a DMG admin. Also, if you purchased the adventure prior to the FG file being added, you should still be able to get it via an updated download.
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Kevin S September 12, 2016 5:42 pm UTC
PURCHASER
In case anyone else has the same issue:

Yes, I messaged customer service and they updated something. Now it is view-able as a download for me.
Customer avatar
Kevin M June 13, 2016 6:32 pm UTC
PURCHASER
It looks like there is a limit on characters for Reviews and Discussions, so I'll post this 3-star review here in multiple parts:

***DDAL04-04 The Marionette*** is the forth adventure for Season 4, which is also titled "Part Four of Misty Fortunes and Absent Hearts". This review does contain spoilers, so please do not read below if you haven't played the adventure.

The Plot: The storyline was broken into four distinct parts that move the PCs relatively smoothly the adventure. Of the four, the first part (rescuing the lost boy) was the weakest as there was really very little for the party to do. In reality that encounter could have been eliminated and worked into the narrative of the adventure. The final three sections are a well-structured combination of role-playing, investigation, combat, and quick thinking that leads to a logical conclusion/confrontation.

The Villain: There is something to be said for killing the bad "guy" and saving little girl(s)....See more
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Kevin M June 13, 2016 6:32 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Editing: Once again, editing tops the list of things wrong with S4 events. As a player you continue to see your DM struggle through sentence descriptions, finding information on encounters, or even a basic understanding of what is going on. As a DM you can find yourself making things up on the fly because events are not clear or written poorly. The only thing that sets 4-4 apart from the other is a better plot that, to the untrained eye, covers it bad editing.

Evil Magic Item: For the record, I'm on the fence on this one since I personally benefited from it, but I've heard other players talk about it so I feel it is worth mentioning. The adventure's primary magic item reward has a hidden benefit -- if you're (lawful) evil the item is much more powerful. In the old Ravenloft if you found an "evil" magic item you either destroyed it for XP, or if you kept and used it there were some major drawbacks. For this item there are no repercussions, and since it is pointed at a small contingent of...See more
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Kevin M June 13, 2016 6:33 pm UTC
PURCHASER
So, why is this bad? Because a horror mechanic in 4-4 is a Charisma check. Sorry, I could not disagree with that more. In 3E Ravenloft it was a Will save, and in 2E (I believe, not 100% sure since I don't have the books anymore) it was a fear or spell check, typically with a penalty. If you look at the ability score descriptions in the 5E PHB:

Wisdom: Wisdom reflects how attuned you are to the world around you and represents perceptiveness and intuition.

Charisma: Charisma measures your ability to interact effectively with others. It includes such factors as confidence and eloquence, and it can represent a charming or commanding personality.

Sorry, a horror check is closer to Wisdom, unless there is an official override on this from the Core Team. Having played Ravenloft for many years in the 80's and 90's I think having a Horror Check is a GREAT addition, but I cannot disagree with the presented mechanic more. The effect's chart was good though.

Adventure Length:...See more
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Kevin M June 13, 2016 6:51 pm UTC
PURCHASER
The Story Line: The storyline for S4 is very confusing. Even the people running it mostly have questions what the overall plot is: what a "Misty Fortunes and Absent Hearts" is, and exactly what "Esmae Amarantha’s Four Obsessions" is about. This reviewer has played all events through 4-11, and only THEN did our table FINALLY figure out what was going on for the season. While not in itself bad, it was an utter SHOCK to our DM who had only run one or two events of the season prior to that one. Even a paragraph at the beginning that said "Story so far ..." or something like that would help.
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Kevin M June 13, 2016 6:52 pm UTC
PURCHASER
"Dream" Skill Checks: Another mechanic that just does not work for me is the ad hoc "Constitution-swapped" skill checks you have to make in the Vistani vision. There was no need to do this, other than to make things more confusing for the players who occasionally already have a hard time with math. It would have been easier to have the players make a Constitution save of some sort whenever they wanted to do a skill (check), instead of this VERY confusing substitute. Like the horror check (above), this mechanic does not work. I blame the AL staff, who should have stepped in here and presented better alternatives.

Conclusion: Though not perfect, 4-4 is definitely better than anything before it in terms of a good, playable adventure plot. Some of the flaws (such as the time limit, poor editing, and the like) are left to be corrected by the DM so the players won't notice. The S4 storyline failures also bring this down a notch, unfortunately.
Customer avatar
Kevin M May 10, 2016 12:42 pm UTC
PURCHASER
Why is this adventure $3.99? Standard pricing so far this season with AL events has been $2.99, even for the pathetic 2-hour event DDAL04-03 The Executioner. Is it because the adventure has received some positive reviews that they can charge more? Is there something special about Robert Alaniz's body of work that he demands more money? I have spent $8.97 on the first three events this year, and without a doubt I feel like I've thrown my money down a toilet. Maybe 4-4 is better than its predecessors, but does that mean that OBS and WOTC can gouge us for more money? I see that there are spotty $3.99 and $4.99 prices in Season 1 and 2 ... why?
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Jason P July 01, 2016 1:02 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I'm guessing it's because 4-4 is a four-hour adventure, while the previous two were two-hour ones.
Customer avatar
Anthony L April 20, 2016 8:13 pm UTC
PURCHASER
WAY better than the previous season 4 adventures. It's well written, and has some fun and interesting gameplay encounters that have been woefully missed in the prior modules. It still seems like these have little editing or playtesting (little things like repeating the Adjusting the Encounter section on pg18) but overall it's very playable out of the box, assuming you've endured the previous modules so that there is some background on the continuation of plot. Help us Robert A, you're our only hope!!
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Kevin M June 13, 2016 5:45 pm UTC
PURCHASER
I agree.
Customer avatar
Robert A April 16, 2016 4:06 am UTC
Wow.. Electrum status already. Glad this is doing well and I hope everyone enjoys it. This one was lots of fun to write.
Customer avatar
Kevin M April 14, 2016 7:49 pm UTC
PURCHASER
When you hover over this selection is shows there is 1 review, rated four stars, and no written reviews. If you're going to rate something leave a review of it so buyers know what you thought was good or bad. Not leaving a review makes people think you're doing it for a friend or no reason at all. Also, as a DM and potential "buyer" of an AL event I would really like to see reviews/comments from DMs only, not players or authors. Players are subject to what was presented, not written, and authors (sadly) are not bias.
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Customer avatar
Chris C October 22, 2017 1:22 am UTC
says the anonymous person.
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Pages
42
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File Last Updated:
July 22, 2016
This title was added to our catalog on April 05, 2016.