I apologise for the lengthy review, but this is the first adventure I've ran as a DM, and it dug me out of a hole. I couldn't reccomend it enough and with the option of it being free? What do you have to lose checking it out?

My group and I had been planning for a few weeks to get a campaign going, I had everything set to start the Dungeon of Rickedness for them since it's a fun, light adventure that covers a bit of everything for the main components of D&D, and they're all brand new to the game...Then a week before we were supposed to start, one of our group members told me she was going to be visiting her sister that weekend and couldn't play. Not wanting to disapoint the rest of the group, nor start the planned adventure without all of them I said I would find something to fill the spot. Fast forward to game day after a week of getting my kid set up with school and I had nothing, not to mention it's two hours before we're supposed to play.

I came here hoping to find something small to fill the spot when I came upon Cryptic Entry, it seemed like a good length at a glance, had a fair bit of material, and I had the option of it not costing me anything due to my neglegence. I thought it was going to be good, but I honestly didn't expect it to be as detailed as it was or my group to love it as much as they did. I fully plan on purchasing his bundles, and his Dungeons on Demand sets to add to my collection. The fact that I was literally able to get this going on Roll20 within 2 hours of getting it with no "proper" experience as a DM, made it invaluable.

I love all Dan's products, but especially enjoy this module.

Get players exited about an inheritance, then let them sort through the ruins of what was once a great trove. Rust monsters are such a great way to frustrate!

I love that the map also leaves avenues for further adventure.

Really great and easy adventure for 1st level adventurers. My group went a little of trails, but it made story even better (basically they've catched Nera's hand and used it to open door to Grand Chamber - there was no reason why it shouldn't work so I've allowed it). Also my group loved their new dragon pet - it is nice heartwarming touch (and great bonding element).

Ran this on New Year's Eve for four level one players: halfling bard, tiefling warlock, dwarf paladin, and elf rogue (the last was playing her first-even game of D&D). We had a great time; this is a really well-crafted adventure with a great story and a really thoughful, engaging level-one dungeon. I tweaked the backstory slightly (Creed was a relative of the dwarf paladin sharing his secrets on his deathbed, while the elf rogue was the niece of another NPC from the backstory). Total playing time was right around three hours which included a thorough exploration but not the more difficult optional combat encounter. This is the second adventure from this author that I've had the pleasure of running, and I can't recommend his work strongly enough. Excellent, user-friendly design and great stories.

Ran this for two brand-new players last weekend, and they totally loved it. They're hooked and can't wait for the next session!

I ran this today for players and it was fantastic. An excellently-written adventure, with a clean and neat layout that's easy on the eyes, and I appreciate any adventure that actually includes maps for VTT (I play on Roll20). I highly recommend this PWYW product for anyone looking to check out Mr. Coleman's adventures (of which I own all), as it's truly a testament to the quality of all his work.

Beautifully put together materials. Very clear and well marked maps. Fun and engaging storyline with integrated characters.

I ran this as a first time DM with 2 First Time PCs and 1 more experienced character. I'd played myself before, so was familiar with standard play. Moving from being a PC to a DM myself, these materials were really good and provided a lot of fun options to think and play through as the DM. It was also fun for the PCs in the group. I didn't adjust the difficulty of encounters for having only 3 PCs compared to 4, but it worked out fine, mostly because my dice as the DM seemed to go cold in comparison to the party.

I'd definitely recommend anything put together by this group as good plug-n-play adventures within a larger campaign as a DM.

I started a game with 4 players who were brand-new to D&D, and after searching the net for a simple module to introduce them too, I landed on Cryptic Entry. It was simple to DM, had a great story that the players could easily get into, and was very easy to fit into the world I am building for our campaign.

My suggestion for improvement would be regarding the telling of the backstory to the players. I spent a good amount of time doing pre-work to create NPCs who would reveal the backstory because otherwise the players would never have discovered it. I am not complaining though, as it gave me the opportunity to liven up the town they started in and have it not just be another cliche starting point.

I will definitely be looking out for more material coming out of Dan Coleman Productions!

I copy and pasted this adventure into Fantasy Grounds last night. It was easy to do as the adventure is clearly set out and the maps provided are easy to use with a Video table top like Fantasy grounds or Roll 20. The actual adventure is short and sweet, it took me three hours from the players logging in to finishing the game. I must adnitt to being a cheap skate on the pay what you want front bit I have since brought a six module pack from the designer

I converted this adventure to Fantasy Grounds and ran a new party through it over two sessions. Afterwards, the players said they really enjoyed the adventure. I'm starting them on another Dan Coleman adventure next since this one was so well received.

My group had only two players so I reduced the module difficulty to match. The only missing element was some way to convey the rest of the background story to the players. For that, I added a story item, a diary, that was found at the end.

If you're looking for a short level 1 adventure, this is a great choice. Personally, I’d like to see Dan sell Fantasy Grounds versions of his adventures. I’d gladly pay a few dollars more for that format.

I used this as a starter adventure for new players and it was easily written and very well paced. We played through the adventure over three short sessions and there were natural places to break it up and not scare my new players off!

The materials of the printed journal were a great prop, even though I only could print them up on regular basis. My players had the opportunity to read through it together and try to piece together the mystery.

The only thing I had to add was to have a scene character (who is mentioned in the module) at the end to help the players understand the back story. They had almost everything figured out already, but they could fill in any missing gaps.

Special kudos to the writers for creating a back story that could fit into virtually any campaign and for making an engaging mystery that is a great intro for new players.