Into the Heart of the Jungle
#A Jungle River One-Shot: The Jaguar King
cyan verge
Hi there DMA, I have a system-neutral game adventure for you.This game is called the Jaguar King. There is a raging river, paddle boat filled with bloodthirsty conquistadors, and a waterfall! What could possibly go wrong?
**Jaguar King Game Trailer: **https://youtube.com/shorts/fYQ7U9xnOcU?si=-FC_YZ1hqSwigLTe
|
Click for the Jaguar King PDF: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1q-51ZdHFetPzN6y7qFdTZpQAU-40sT_f/view?usp=share_link
|
Here is a video how Storycaster games are built: https://youtu.be/bPt0EiUp50Y?si=0OXi6WqkZeKRkeF9 (anyone can play, DM me if you want to play a game)
sick river
So I read Dit's input from your last adventure and wanted to check out this one. I was enjoying the descriptions of the setting, the antagonist and MacGuffin both fit the setting and seemed like they could make for an interesting story.
Then I got here
Literally all this section says is "the players have to do something, somehow."
It's admirable to make a module that respects flexibility in how players will resolve situations, but this is so far in the direction of flexibility that it doesn't actually help. Can I have a map of the ship? Can I get a description of it beyond "a formidable paddleboat?" Can I get some outlining of its capabilities or defenses or whatever you want to call them?
I'm imagining players wanting to sneak aboard, referencing this PDF, and realizing it doesn't give me the slightest bit of help in running that encounter
Which I'm saddened by because the rest is actually good and I could see myself running it! But I feel like each section, this one in particular, could use a bit more detail as a jumping off point for running them. A list of specific obstacles in the rapids run to the waterfall, for example, would be a great way to fill that out before they have to leap onto the crane
(in other words, the crane is great, give me 2-3 more things before it that I can use if I want!)
formal fjord
Aside from the feedback I provided on the previous module (which still applies here), I think I've identified what bugs me about this: in aiming for system neutrality (which it could be), it's also campaign neutral. It just doesn't offer a way to fit into an existing campaign, nor does it have entry points for one-shot PCs. Again, the location sounds interesting, the people and situations are evocative, and the things that can happen could be compelling, but it's still just half of an adventure. It's sort of like if Trilemma were just text descriptions of who, what, and where, but didn't have maps. Procedures I can work out (though it could help to include them). It's the sort of thing I might buy just to give me ideas to fill in things I'm already developing, but there's no way I could run it out of the box.
light parcel