This pdf is 24 pages long, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page SRD and 1 page advertisement, leaving 19 pages of content, so let's check this adventure out, shall we?

This being an adventure review, the following contains SPOILERS, so potential players please be aware of that and jump to the conclusion.

Still here? Righty right, let's check this out! For centuries, a strange structure has been an iconic sight - a kind of tree-like structure of metallic resin carries 4 huge crystalline, impenetrable eggs that are alight with a terrifying inner light reminiscent of lightning storms. Via extensive research (which the DM should improvise, as none is contained herein), the PCs find out that once a year, via a certain constellation, an invisible causeway leads into the top-most crystalline egg-structure and the time is now - the spire is the PCs to loot - if they can survive its inhabitants. If that's not abundantly clear by now, we're in for a dungeon crawl of the old-school variety, complete with a rather interesting scenario: The levels of the dungeons are within the respective eggs and within each a continuous lightning storm rages above the PCs, for they can easily climb the walls of quartz to be subjected to electrical discharges, but also get a kind of top-view and the ability to essentially climb over walls to hidden sections of the dungeon. This becomes even more awesome as soon as the PCs find pods which they can navigate like non-conductive hamsterballs. Yeah, I just wrote that.

The utter weirdness of this dungeon is reflected in a mishmash of magic bordering on technology, pods containing so-called oozeanderthals (humanoids with elongated limbs and deadly claws), rats that slither through crystalline walls and perhaps the last remnants of the race that once erected this structure, the Korog and their rigid caste-system. In order to pass through the dungeon, weird mechanisms have to be operated, strange creatures be fought and a potion-making slot-machine delivers insights into the Korog's language. At the end of the dungeon, in the lowest egg, the PCs will have to brave dread Iomnogoron, once chief scientist of the korog and now enclosed in a protective ooze that makes him immortal and quite mad.

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are good, although I did notice some punctuation glitches. It's also quite strange that the final boss has no more concentration skill as a spellcaster, greatly diminishing the threat of the dual caster/melee threat he is supposed to be. Layout adheres to the b/w-2-column standard and the original pieces of artwork are stunning and disturbing, bringing this odd dungeon to life. The maps help a lot in giving an over-view of this strange structure, although I would have loved to get a version without map keys to print out, cut into pieces and gradually show to my players as they explore. The pdf comes with extensive bookmarks. First, I was utterly blown away by the iconic quality of this dungeon - the set-up of entering it alone is so cool, I caught myself smiling. And indeed, most of the encounters and beings herein are up to this quality. However, I somewhat feel that this module is either too short or too long: Between some rather standard/filler battles and the iconic encounters that utilize the unique environment, there's quite a difference and the unique means of transportation that's possible to brave the currents could have easily been expanded to make this a much more enticing and even stranger place. Why not whole sections where the PCs navigate beyond the quartz-structures while surrounded by potential deadly environmental hazards? A chase or at least a battle in this environment? Why does the final boss have no more concentration skill as a unique caster? It essentially makes his dual capabilities useless. Make no mistake, I love what author Matthew J. Finch has created here - I only find that with a bit of work, it could have been more awesome. Perhaps +10 pages or condensing the dungeon to 3 levels would do the trick. As written, I gladly give the Spire of Iron and Crystal a 4-star rating and a hearty recommendation for everyone willing to check out a dungeon that is truly different.

Endzeitgeist out.