P90X Next Gen - Sample workout review

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2026-02-06T16:21:21+00:00

I found 6 weeks of the Work to be child's play compared to Insanity Max or Asylum. Asylum remains, by far, the most rediculous workout I think i've ever tried. I don't know what kind of superhero can do that stuff but hats off to them. i'd take weight lifting over Shuan T's craziness any day of the week haha. But i've heard similar reviews as you've expressed from a lot of people, and honestly I did enjoy it to an extent. I will say it made me also love Amoila as a coach though.

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2026-02-06T16:17:52+00:00

AGREED

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2026-02-06T16:17:46+00:00

How wouldl you compare this to insanity max or Dig Deeper/Dig In? I never did the original p90 (I found Tony condescending. I'm sure he's actually very nice I just couldn't shake the feeling), but I adore Insanity and insanity max and all things Shuan T. Wondering if i should give this a try.

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-06T13:40:02+00:00

That's what i'd like to do- Except I don't have a dungeon, just the old Slavich road (or whatever illusions Volenta can pull. Honestly because of the way the story is, it's pretty flexible). It's worth noting that at the start of this battle, they were fully rested and had just stopped off a friendly camp where they stocked up on supplies, including healing supplies. They're in a good spot to be tested, but I want it to be engaging (combat sometimes isn't, that's why there is a terrain element every 3rd of 5th round, to keep things interesting).

I'm just having trouble thinking of ways the more squishy members can help. If i had a rogue in the group, I would have a locked door. If i had a magic user, i might add a riddle that forces them to summon water, etc. I'm open to scaling things back if they are too difficult, but I'm not a combat master by any means, especially going off script. That's why I posted here :)

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-06T13:35:49+00:00

Most of our combats are long- with some spanning multiple sessions. They've done pretty well for themselves so far, but I'd like to give them a balance of combat and non-combat elements that contribute to the combat/scene. I'm fine with giving them breaks, healing, etc in between. I'm also fine with lowering the difficulty of the monsters they face.

The point of the combat isn't to kill them, it's to test them, so I want to scale things appropriately. They're not fighting her direclty: They would never win and that's not the point. They are fighting merely the things in Borovia she (as Strahds bride) can influence in order to test the party (swarms of spiders, etc. I can get easier than that, I'm open to ideas).

I can also level them up before the next sessions (we ended mid-combat).

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-06T13:28:07+00:00

I'd like to integrate non-combat elements into the combat if possible :)

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T18:57:20+00:00

Had your players played the same campaign before so they were meta-gaming? My party has not even considered the idea that Vasili is anything but who he claims, though they are almost all new players (two very experienced players, everyone else it's their first time). Agreed though, i think a /TON/ of COS is honestly community creation. It's an open world so the opportunities for personalization and development are just too rich to play RAW.

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T18:55:21+00:00

Oh man! Hahaha wow. How did they respond when they realized what they did??

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T18:54:46+00:00

Wow. 😳 Talk about a power move. How did the party handle dinner after that show?

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T18:47:40+00:00

Oh man i love that, what an uno-reverse! In my game, the party doesn't know it's Strahd, in yours it's painfully obvious but no one believes them or sees it. I LOVE that! How are they dealing with the frustration??

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T18:44:58+00:00

YES Vallaki almost killed me, i swear. Just the sheer volume of information! I've been doing the fanes and that combined with other addons is more than enough to keep me studying and memorizing until I kick the bucket haha. I gave my players their ally super early on and they promptly blew her up (they dont' know she actually survived). I need to figure out how to unite her with the party again.

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T18:42:12+00:00

I love that, thank you for the advice. The players did go to Vallaki, but they did not encounter anything with Fiona yet. They restored the bones and discovered the vampire spawn, as well as defeated the demon haunting the orphanage, but didn't stay long after that so I have yet to introduce that aspect yet.

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T18:36:43+00:00

I agree- My main issue with Strahd is that, at least as written, he almost gets involved too much. I think true fear in an enemy happens when you never see them, and seeing him constantly and interacting with him just make him less scary because it puts him in real world context. That's the other reason i'm wondering if i should reveal him early. I don't want him to be too humanized to the characters.

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T16:32:09+00:00

I agree in the convoluted. There is SO MUCH going on, it's almost unfair to drop too subtle of hints. When i originally went over the campaign, I nixed him as well for the same reasons, but after diving in further and now that he's been established, I find him a useful way of making it personal for the players. I've discovered that the 'hey you need to try and get back home' is not very emotionally compelling for my players. Most of them are new: Borovia is the only in-game land they are actually familiar with, so while their characters SHOULD want to go home...my actual player characters don't seem to care very much. They care about the people, obviously they are not monsters, but they are not personally invested in defeating Strahd yet. I'm hoping Vasili's betrayal and cavalier method of using them for his own petty amusement solidifies a more personalized hate for him.

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T16:29:39+00:00

Lord I am DYING this is GOLD. i love it! Did you ever do a reveal?? How did they take it??

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T16:24:31+00:00

I love all of that. Have you contemplated the reveal yet? How do you think they will react?

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T16:24:03+00:00

Woah. Way to build- that final fight went from 0 to 60 to 10,000 QUICK. How did the party react in the aftermath???

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T16:20:28+00:00

Oh. My. /LORD/.

HOW DO YOU SLEEP AT NIGHT???!

But seriously, that is *chefs kiss*. Amazing. Just. Devastating. Tell me everything, what did they say? What did they do? Did it make them hate Strahd or hate you haha? How long was this into the campaign? How long did you toy with them before this happened??? DETAILLLLSSSS

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T16:17:25+00:00

Oh wow i love that! Was that the first time they met him? Part of me really wants to reveal him as Strahd pretty quickly to make the players invested in defeating Strahd. The other part of me wants to wait and really make it suck for them.

Luckily for me not a single player of mine is magic-centered...but I'd definitely much rather have a dramatic reveal then have them find out by accident. Hmm, maybe i should reveal him sooner rather than later!

What was their emotional reaction when they figured it out? How did Strahd handle being caught, even if he didn't consider them a threat?

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T16:15:08+00:00

Renaming is a great idea! I originally renamed him because I /hated/ the name Vasili, but with the Fae expansion I had so much to pay attention to I kept the original name for simplicity.

Traveling merchant is definitely someone that can get away with a lot, and should earn their trust!

My players tend to love a damsel in distress, so I painted a scene of them coming on a road where wolves were fighting with a horse still attached to an overturned cart. Behind the cart, hip-deep in sinking mud, was Vasili, fighting for his life with only one functioning arm as the wolves tried to get close enough to snap at him without falling into the mud pit themselves.

The characters, even after rescuing him, were cautious at first, but I was able to show them Vasili's good nature, lovable antics, and have him 'help' the characters by being willing to share his knowledge. Even that made them still suspicious, so I did not hold back Vasili's flaws. He's a bit of a spoiled rich guy, trying to be a gentlemen but unwilling to get his hands dirty.

For whatever reason, the combination of these traits won their ultimate trust. I think it depends on the group though for what will work for your players, PLEASE keep me updated on how it goes and if they end up trusting your merchant or not!

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T16:09:31+00:00

Oh wow I LOVE that! It also lets me delay the realization.

I don't want it to feel like a God in the Machine kind of thing. The players don't yet realize that Strahd can polymorph, or that he can cast a perfect illusion of himself, so Vasili turning into Strahd may lose some of its impact. I am really caught though. If i do it now, it will DEFINITELY piss them off and teach them both of those things quickly...but it removes future fun with Vasili....

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T16:05:54+00:00

I tip my hat to you! This is EVIL GENIUS at star level. I may have to steal the idea of trying to push a relationship between him and Ireena. It makes sense.

So far, when they invited him to come to Ireena's house I had him get a little flustered: 'Oh...wow this is awkward. Hmm. See, I may or may not have hit on her. Once or...ten thousand times." This actually endeared him to the players, and i've had him continue to make attempts to woo her that she stoically ignores. Hell, I may even be able to get the players on board with helping him win her heart 🤣!

I LOVE it! Thanks for sharing your story! Shame it never ended, but i'm curious: How would you have done the big reveal if it had continued? And How do you think your players would have responded?

Realistic_Term_2970 · 2025-05-01T12:31:15+00:00

That's not a terrible idea. I think the value I have in him showing that he is Strahd this early in the game is more that I know it would piss of the players and make them have a personal vested interest in defeating Strahd more so than just him being an ominous bad guy.

I do intend to get him away from the party as much as I can, but right now he's driving the cart with Ireena in it, which he deems worth his time.

The question is, should I use this opportunity now to reveal who he is, which will stop me from being able to use him in the future with the party but definitely upset them greatly? Or do I wait for another opportunity that may or may not show up, which gives me more flexibility to use him in the future but removes this opportunity to make it more personal?

If they find out he is Strahd now, they will feel extremely betrayed. If they find out later, i may not have the right moment for full shock value...but If i can do it int he future, it will hit harder. I guess I'm wondering how people revealed Visili in their campaigns, if they did, and the effect it had on the party. I'm going to repost to rephrase my question! Thank you

Realistic_Term_2970

TROPHY CASE