Two months ago I ran Stargazer with three experienced players (and two pregen beginning characters each). They found the real treasure room quickly, worked out how to solve the puzzle, and got the gold. Then they decided to explore the rest of it, because why not? One character got killed by his doppleganger, and others got stunned a few times, but otherwise everyone made it out OK. (Maybe I inadvertently nerfed it by getting descriptions wrong, or substituting Jenga for chess when players have steadier hands than mine. Maybe the players were too savvy.)
After the session, I asked the players for feedback. Generally they appreciated the weirdness and old-school vibe. One guy with very specific tastes didn't like "instant death" effects; he prefers heroic characters, and he loves Star Wars D6.
Granted, this was a one-shot, but I didn't need any setup beyond "You're traveling and you see these lightning strikes ..."
No real conclusions here, just another data point.
Last edited by fmitchell (2010-11-11 09:01:20)
Frank Mitchell
"The law, in its majestic equality, forbids the rich as well as the poor to sleep under bridges, to beg in the streets, and to steal bread." -- Anatole France