I'm interested in these but less so since they are an alternative to the first group quests. I suppose I expect expansion materials to begin where the original 14 left off. The heroes we play with now are champions yet they consistently struggle to stay alive and rarely do they start quests with healing potions in their pockets. This can make any dungeon deadly! Yet there is always someone there to pick-up the equipment and pass it on to the new guy. I do understand the desire to have a new player intro and "catching up" to the more buffed players already in the game but I was actually thinking that my son would want to play and/or GM these with me.
I would expect a wizard's solo quest to involve doing what wizards do best. Outsmarting their opponents.
I do like the modified wandering monster which has been proposed (giant rat which runs away). Alternatively, the wandering monster could be completely substituted as in Castle of Mystery & "Olar's ghost". Instead it could raise a "warning level" or even be an NPC who offers you clues. Or a book worm that eats one of your spell scrolls. Or a roll of the dice to decide between all of the above.
More pro-actively, the wizard is very good at the following things.
(1) running away! (from monsters and towards the objective)
(a) a monster bound to a room (too big for the door, contained in a summoning circle, in chains, etc.) can be tricked and slipped past. Better yet, this is the perfect time to use Veil of Mist.
(b) the monster wants something you have, so you throw it and run the other way.
(2) Buffing others.
(a) an NPC is holding back a flood of monsters. You need to heal him and possibly give him courage.
(b) the monsters are brawling which is why they don't notice your approach. But they will notice you when the fight is over... unless of course you buff the one fighting 3 others.
Then you only have to defeat the survivor with 1BP.
(c) NPC needs to race to brace a door. Will only make it if you cast swift wind on him/her.
(3) tricks
(a) you realize the monsters (which serve their arcane master) are actually terrified of ALL magic users. A fake curse, or fake spell casting can cause them to flee! perhaps you discover this after you cast your first offensive spell. "the fear of the monsters is palpable". Perhaps they are afraid, cower and receive huge penalties (as if the fear spell was on them).
(b) you notice the guard is already drowsy - the smart wizard player would take this a cue to use the sleep spell here! And it works without a monster save check.
(c) The portcullis is closed behind a chaos warrior who is signaling for you to approach and attack... He is giving you the first shot because he has sized you up and knows he will break you in half! He will not advance and you are a play thing to him. But "Pass Through Rock" puts you on the other side of the portcullis where where you quickly lock it and must kill only the goblin operator who would open it again.
(d) some kind of illusion capability like create door/walls allows you to confuse the enemy. Perhaps an open door in the wrong spot would cause a large foe to run head long into a solid object. being knocked out?
(4) Making intelligent use of his spells to maximize effect
(a) Genie to open a door you are "supposed" to open from the other side as a way out of the dungeon. This cuts out 1/2 of the dungeon!
(b) A room is filled with something flammable (sewer gas is not so obvious) and a well placed fire of wrath kills everything in the room (and shakes the entire dungeon).
(c) A tempest spell on the first monster and standing in front of it for one turn prevents a flood of monsters... while you run to the next door and lock it.
(5) solving puzzles
(6) Borrowed artifacts / single use items (better than permanent buffs which break things later).
(a) extend the wizards ability to counter chaos spells (a.k.a you came prepared for the necromancer and you are able to sever his control of them, and white they HATE the living, they hate him even more.
(b) ointment - Green skins are unable to see you for what you are. And will not attack and let you pass provided you do not engage in any combat in front of them. don;t say this, instead say something vague about aggression on your part and their part.
(7) a healthy pile of spell scrolls... He's on his own, he needs this.
(8) mind points vs. body points.
(a) all creatures in an area are mentally assaulted. You get monsters to follow you and with the flip of a switch (e.g. pulling a cloth off of a disco ball) they are disabled. Effects are location based and/or you have a potion to recover mind points. Or it is just a save you easily make.
etc.
Has resigned from the forum and would delete his account if he could.
I'm glad this may still go ahead. I'm just giving my thoughts. You are the designer and I'll appreciate, and almost certainly play, anything you produce for us.
