The Adventure Zone: Ep. 15. Murder on the Rockport Limited - Chapter Six
May 21, 2015 9:00 AM - Subscribe
In this penultimate chapter in the Rockport Limited murder fiasco, our players deduce the true culprit of the titular heinous crime. Merle runs out of magic. Taako finds more creative applications for Levitation. Magnus gets some fresh air.
I had a feeling that Griffin was going to have to hold their hand through the solution to the mystery. They just ignore him most of the time -- he could not have been any clearer in indicating that sending Magnus on his own to enter the caboose was a bad idea.
On the other hand, another of Travis' lunatic plays kicked in with the wrecking ball trick, and the climax of the fight, with the meat monster tossing Jenkis off the train, was delightful, as was the long digression when the adventurers just made find of Jenkins' name.
But I agree: If Griffin wasn't massaging this game, they would all be dead.
posted by maxsparber at 8:25 PM on May 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
On the other hand, another of Travis' lunatic plays kicked in with the wrecking ball trick, and the climax of the fight, with the meat monster tossing Jenkis off the train, was delightful, as was the long digression when the adventurers just made find of Jenkins' name.
But I agree: If Griffin wasn't massaging this game, they would all be dead.
posted by maxsparber at 8:25 PM on May 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
I had a feeling that Griffin was going to have to hold their hand through the solution to the mystery. They just ignore him most of the time -- he could not have been any clearer in indicating that sending Magnus on his own to enter the caboose was a bad idea.
I think it's pretty good for the DM to be massaging things this way. I've been involved in a mystery campaign, and it seems like one of the big difficulties is that everyone likes to look at everything except what the DM is relevant - to say nothing of the metagaming question that Justin hits where you feel like you've figured out something that your character hasn't. Basically, I think it's good that they've got the boy detective with them to sort it out. (I must confess to not knowing what Griffin actually wanted them to do to get into the car; going around the back seemed pretty natural to me.)
Also, I kind of like the idea that the characters could die. I can't but think that it might give the whole thing a bit of a whedonesque flair if some of our protagonists got killed off and then replaced with fresh members of the B.O.B. in Season 2.
posted by Going To Maine at 8:35 PM on May 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think it's pretty good for the DM to be massaging things this way. I've been involved in a mystery campaign, and it seems like one of the big difficulties is that everyone likes to look at everything except what the DM is relevant - to say nothing of the metagaming question that Justin hits where you feel like you've figured out something that your character hasn't. Basically, I think it's good that they've got the boy detective with them to sort it out. (I must confess to not knowing what Griffin actually wanted them to do to get into the car; going around the back seemed pretty natural to me.)
Also, I kind of like the idea that the characters could die. I can't but think that it might give the whole thing a bit of a whedonesque flair if some of our protagonists got killed off and then replaced with fresh members of the B.O.B. in Season 2.
posted by Going To Maine at 8:35 PM on May 21, 2015 [2 favorites]
"SMMEEEEEEELLLLL YOUUUUUUU LAAAAAATTTTEEEEEEEER!"
posted by drezdn at 2:12 PM on May 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by drezdn at 2:12 PM on May 22, 2015 [3 favorites]
I've been going through these and my takeaway is they're following the rules of improv comedy as much as the rules of D&D. I've had plenty of DMs who delighted in shooting down every unique solution their players had, and not only is that not fun, but it makes for shitty podcasts. "Yes and" is a way more fun way to play D&D as it turns out.
Griffin was right, though, Magnus should've ended up as a greasy smear on the side of a mountain with that plan.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 10:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Griffin was right, though, Magnus should've ended up as a greasy smear on the side of a mountain with that plan.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 10:10 AM on November 8, 2016 [1 favorite]
Oh, but also the rules are important, such as to keep dwarves from casting Zone of Truth every time they meet someone new, or repeatedly pulling out their nonexistent warhammer.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 10:16 AM on November 8, 2016
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 10:16 AM on November 8, 2016
I love Travis/Magnus so hard it's unbelievable. That kind of "run headlong into the situation and improvise the most balls-out stupid but creative way to solve the problem" style is what I endeavor for whenever I play, and I was already imagining some version of the wrecking ball maneuver (keep drifting off towards the side and wait for the tunnel to fling Magnus back in to kick Meat Monster off the deck) before he just did a so much more brilliant version of it.
Clint/Merle definitely brings his own thing to the table, but the series absolutely kicks into high gear for me in the next arc, when Taako starts going stunt-for-stunt with Magnus on shit like that.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:59 PM on February 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
Clint/Merle definitely brings his own thing to the table, but the series absolutely kicks into high gear for me in the next arc, when Taako starts going stunt-for-stunt with Magnus on shit like that.
posted by Navelgazer at 9:59 PM on February 10, 2017 [1 favorite]
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posted by Going To Maine at 1:40 PM on May 21, 2015 [1 favorite]