TOPIC: Official word on Ingredients and the 2010 4C token

<br />I had an idea on ingredient tokens I wanted to put out there and see what folks' think. Firstly, I do like the new stamp system for treasure draws at the end... even though people seem overly worried about missing the stamp on the party card, I really like the centralized distribution of the tokens at the end of the run and also that "treasure draw tokens" can be used for things other than draws from the treasure box (this last item I think could be expanded upon beyond TD themed cups or shirts).<br /><br />That being said, for collectors, the ingredient tokens are very precious... you may or may not get any, though, from the draw at the end. My group did not get many (1 or 2) ingredient tokens this year... which leaves us wanting for the ability to make combo tokens next year. I don't know the mix of ingredient tokens to regular tokens in the treasure box draw, but I do have a suggestion to make distribution of ingredient tokens more even.<br /><br />Since ingredients are linked to a particular monster most of the time, how about having the DM award a party with a single ingredient token of the appropriate type to the monster when they have defeated the monster in combat (and perhaps two of the ingredient if done on nightmare)? If a party choses a puzzle path which means they do not encounter a particular monster in a given dungeon, the puzzle room could have the matching ingredient as a reward.<br /><br /><br />

<br /><br />Might that be problematic if all 8 party members wanted that single ingredient token? 

<br />Might be problematic if all 8 party members wanted that single ingredient token?  <br />

<br /><br />True, true... I keep forgetting that not all groups are "one big happy family". Good point.

When it comes to ingredient tokens... I much preferred the treasure draw being linked to that room. Last year with the HoP, I was able to collect more then enough ingredients for my needs. This year, in addition to there being SIX! different ingredients, their quantity felt rather watered down when forced to pull from the singular box at the end of the dungeon.

I do have to agree that it is nice to have the ingredient match up with a success against the monster.  I don't know the ratios on ingredients per players for the runs.  It would actually be cool for those that defeated a particular monster to automatically get ingredients from the monster.  And yet, if you were unsuccessful, you wouldn't have them. 

Just to clarify, you mean the ogre tusk, skeleton tooth, mimic slime, satyr wine and harpy talon.  Was the thorn from this year or is that the 2010 ingredient?  If it was from this year, what is it?

correct, and the thorn was from this year (Creeper Thorn).

<br />Scuttlebutt has it that Creeper Thorn was in the Five Aspects treasure box only.<br /><br />

A lot of people seem to be really short on those.<br /><br />Kim

<br />A lot of people seem to be really short on those.<br /><br />Kim<br />

<br /><br /><br />Well, it makes more sense if you consider that many tokenholics only did the Smoak dungeon at GenCon (bypassed Five Aspects because they already did Retro at True Realm). That could account for the shortage....<br /><br />For example, Mike Steele says he "got pretty shorted on Creeper Thorn Ingredient Tokens." Looking at the XP records he didn't run through Five Aspects at all, which explains a lot. Same thing with JimC, who is also in search of Creeper Thorns.

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<br />A lot of people seem to be really short on those.<br /><br />Kim<br />

<br /><br /><br />Well, it makes more sense if you consider that many tokenholics only did the Smoak dungeon at GenCon (bypassed Five Aspects because they already did Retro at True Realm). That could account for the shortage....<br /><br />For example, Mike Steele says he "got pretty shorted on Creeper Thorn Ingredient Tokens." Looking at the XP records he didn't run through Five Aspects at all, which explains a lot. Same thing with JimC, who is also in search of Creeper Thorns.<br />

<br /><br />Actually, I did run through 5 Aspects Nightmare, I'll have to contact Dave to get it added to my list.  Jolly Blackburn was on our team also, and he didn't get EXP for it, I'll have to get his fixed also.<br /><br />You're partially right through - I did two Smoak runs with our group, but only one 5 Aspects run, so that is partly why I got a lot less Creeper Thorns than the other two new ones.  Partly also because it was later in the weekend too - the treasure boxes seemed to get worse as the weekend went on (or at least our party picks did). 

By late Saturday, the mix was mostly Uncommons (my wife and I had 28 pulls and I think 26 of them were Uncommons, with 2 unremarkable Rares, and no ingredients).  So, saving up our wooden tokens and waiting on treasure draws kind of sucked.  Our schedules were tight this year, so we'd come out of the dungeon, get xp and wooden tokens and then decide not to wait in another line (for treasure draws) because we had to get to something else each time.  Only after the Golden Ticket run did I take my draws right away, and I got a few ingredients then.  The mix was vastly better early on.  <br />

I agree, our Saturday afternoon token draws were mostly uncommons and minor Rares, with a few ingredient tokens.  It seemed like they were better on Friday, although not exceptional (fewer uncommons and more ingredients).  I'm guessing Thursday is when most of the cool stuff, like PURPs, were drawn.  I wonder if it would be possible to spread out the cool stuff in the treasure boxes, so those playing later on the weekend have as good a chance at good draws as those playing earlier.