[Spoilers]
Yesterday, I wrote about how I am enjoying reading the Adventure Paths from Paizo even though I have no intention of ever running them. However, the ending to the Kingmaker Adventure Path has gained the title of Worst End of a Campaign Ever. To set things in perspective I first want to say that the Kingmaker campaign is actually a really good one which sets a very high bar for published adventure/campaign writing. But the end...it is horrifying.
Basically, once you reach the end of the campaign you have killed the evil nemesis and destroyed her demi-plane. That has been your goal through 6 adventure books and 20 levels. And the last thing that happens to your characters as you finish up, the last die roll mechanic written in the book as happening to your characters, is that you lose 1d4 levels. Part of the destruction of the the villainess' demi-plane is that it collapses into reality and everyone of the characters has to make a save or gain 1d4 negative levels. And then the adventure ends...with some characters having actually lost levels. That's the big end reward.
"Hey, thanks for saving the world, now take one to the nuts!"
What is the Worst End to a published adventure you have ever seen?
4 comments:
Don't really play published adventures, but the biggest end of campaign nut shot I've received involved a similar 'make a save kind of role' after getting through all manner of extra-dimensional fun and games. Everyone else got to go home, being an unusually lucky sod that day, I critically failed and was transported, on my lonesome to another dimension.
Game ends. Wow.
There's a big difference between negative levels and actually losing a level. Particularly since you can't actually lose levels in Pathfinder - and negative levels are obstacles only until you use a restoration or greater restoration spell.
As alrius noted, negative levels are an inconvenience, nothing more.
It's more about the negative levels being the "reward" for completing the campaign.
Post a Comment