Goodman Games Modules for MA 1st ED

[ukgendarme]

Has anyone bought, played or read over the Goodman Games MA modules? How are they? Are they worth buying
as opposed to making your own? Did they map out any levels or did they leave that for GM's? 

[dekelia]

I have a few of them and though I have not yet been able to run them but they read very good. They are very short but not in a bad way. The maps are super cool and are printed on the back page. The guy they have drawing the maps makes what I can only describe as an artistic map. They are typically both isometric and top down, with renderings of important objects interspersed. It is hard to explain. Below are my thoughts on the modules I have (waring - doing this from memory so some details might be mixed up):

Captains Table: Starts on the forest level with just a little description/map of that level. Moves to the warehouse level and has a simple overview map and tables of what you could find in each of the containers. Has a bit of a map of the control deck. Note that none of the maps are very detailed or fleshed out.

Android Overlords: Starts on the jungle level (or forest level - I forget). Most of the adventure is "between decks". There is a cool map of a section between decks with all sorts of inspirational notes, none of it fleshed out except the primary adventure area. That is a cool isometric map with some neat stuff going on.

Warden Adventures: a set of two page mini-adventures written by Jim Ward. They are short and most of them are outdoors areas. Good, crazy, Jim Ward goodness that can be sprinkled here and there. Only have very local maps and aren't really specific where they are if I'm remembering correctly.

Creatures and Gadgets: Weird Jim Ward monsters and gadgets. The gadgets I didn't find too interesting. The creatures are very cool. Most are plants and water creators for some reason.

One thing I have noticed is that they can be inconsistent between modules. For example, there are 4' tall Wolfoids with low hp in Captain's Table (match the rulebook), but 8' tall Wolfoids with lots of hps in Warden Adventures. The large Wolfoids match comments I've seen Jim make from the 4th ed. so it could just be how he runs his game vs. the other authors attempting to be more btb. This doesn't bother me at all but I thought it was worth pointing out.

[ukgendarme]

Jun 1, 2015 16:55:28 GMT -6 dekelia said:

I have a few of them and though I have not yet been able to run them but they read very good. They are very short but not in a bad way. The maps are super cool and are printed on the back page. The guy they have drawing the maps makes what I can only describe as an artistic map. They are typically both isometric and top down, with renderings of important objects interspersed. It is hard to explain. Below are my thoughts on the modules I have (waring - doing this from memory so some details might be mixed up):

Captains Table: Starts on the forest level with just a little description/map of that level. Moves to the warehouse level and has a simple overview map and tables of what you could find in each of the containers. Has a bit of a map of the control deck. Note that none of the maps are very detailed or fleshed out.

Android Overlords: Starts on the jungle level (or forest level - I forget). Most of the adventure is "between decks". There is a cool map of a section between decks with all sorts of inspirational notes, none of it fleshed out except the primary adventure area. That is a cool isometric map with some neat stuff going on.

Warden Adventures: a set of two page mini-adventures written by Jim Ward. They are short and most of them are outdoors areas. Good, crazy, Jim Ward goodness that can be sprinkled here and there. Only have very local maps and aren't really specific where they are if I'm remembering correctly.

Creatures and Gadgets: Weird Jim Ward monsters and gadgets. The gadgets I didn't find too interesting. The creatures are very cool. Most are plants and water creators for some reason.

One thing I have noticed is that they can be inconsistent between modules. For example, there are 4' tall Wolfoids with low hp in Captain's Table (match the rulebook), but 8' tall Wolfoids with lots of hps in Warden Adventures. The large Wolfoids match comments I've seen Jim make from the 4th ed. so it could just be how he runs his game vs. the other authors attempting to be more btb. This doesn't bother me at all but I thought it was worth pointing out.

Thanks for the response man! I love the module and map called Dire Straits. good map that can be used again for other campaigns
etc. Was wondering is the GG modules were the same format. I'd like to see some examples...

[dekelia]

I hadn't seen "Dire Straits", thanks for pointing that out. That is VERY cool. The Goodman Games modules are similar in some ways but none of the ones I have map out a whole level quite like that. Captains Table does have the full map of the cargo level, but it is very basic, not quite the same.

This thread has maps from from Android Overlords to give you an idea of they map style.

www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?354041-Goodman-Games-kickstartering-a-deluxe-quot-collectors-quot-hardcover-of-1e-Metamorphosis-Alpha/page2

I really like the maps they do. The two more standard modules I have both have some interesting characters to interact with who could become ongoing characters and they do a good job hinting at other possible adventures.

I've found that the good and bad of MA is that it is so open-ended and out there. Anything could happen, but at the same time it makes it hard for me to get a good start. I think these modules provide a bit of grounding without trying to explain everything, which is good.

[ukgendarme]

Dekelia. Appreciate the info. The dire straits module is very old school. I'd love to have the whole ship done
in that format. Mapped out levels with potential for my own expansion later. Don't have much time to design my
own but can add onto or give personal flavor to stuff already produced...