I do like the T1 mods and storyline for Season 5. It really does give the player a good sense of a multi-session campaign.

That said, this mod (as with most of the other T1 mods in Season 5) are decently written with good encounters and options for players. DMs should prep for unusual circumstances with the RP parts of the mod.

A simple and straightforward mission, but still has some meaningful decision points that alter the adventure. The twist is a lot of fun for players to feel better about their decisions, too. Strongly recommended for a first mission for Adventurer's League.

As a beginning DM this was an easy adventure to pick up and run. The new players at the table had a really good time and it was an easy introduction, but the more experienced players seemed to want something with a little more meat to it.

The Black Road is my go-to introduction adventure to Adventurers League, with well considered combat, environment, and social encounters.

It takes the time to produce reasons for all five factions to be present, in the form of unique, per-faction hooks. These have unique handouts each, something that goes a long way to giving the player a sense of belonging in a place they've never been before. (It feels admittedly odd though that, for all the per-faction attention, there are no faction assignments. Regularly, players will ask about it at the end of the adventure-- "But my faction said I needed to ____!")

Each combat has a unique situation-- with rough terrain and wagons to finagle around, with barricades and heavy forest to plan around. It's never just "here's a map, let me know when there are no more enemies on it"-- each encounter's enemy has specific goals and objectives which can be used to predict their movement and foiled. Better still is how each one is thematically appropriate-- nothing odd or out-of-place here.

The non-battle-map drawings, used to demonstrate relative position and scale of obstacles or the overall journey, are rudimentary, evoking a style comparable to MS Paint. The adventure as a whole may well benefit from removing them entirely.

And finally, the adventure takes the time to include a cert file for its magic item. While these won't be seeing the kind of use they used to prior to Season 8, they are something I have vastly enjoyed being able to hand out to my new players, and its inclusion is a major plus-- at least, for my style of DMing.

Thank you, and well done, on this adventure.

Fantastic Adventure!

Very good for beginners for both playing D&D and people new to being a DM. The linear style is helpful and the setting allows for many random encounters. Leads right into Bad Business in Paranast.

Outstanding! This adventure is a lot of fun, easy to set up and run, and always gets a positive reaction from my players. I've run it three times so far. I especially like the sandstorm encounter where the characters have to decide what to save from the ravages of the desert. The battle at the gate is likewise outstanding, especially with the hordes of enemies up on the wall! I ran this one based on other reviews, and can say it was definitely a great one to run!

Excellent introductory adventure! I ran this with 5 brand new players. It was very easy to change the story to fit a one-shot adventure. I loved that it gave the players exposure to more than just combat - they had a great time using their skills and abilities in creative ways. I struggled a bit with adjusting the enounters - it wasn't totally clear for all of the encounters which mobs should be included.

this module gave me a chance to try out a 4e mechanic to see how it would do in 5e(skill challange) i had a small table only 4 players and one of them was a big burly barbarian whos player had only played one or two sessions previously so it gave him a chance to get into his characters mind and rp more then he had previously. also i have to say that i really enjoyed the use of straw goblins at the fort both my players and i had tons of fun with it i used minis and seeing that many minis really gave them pause and made them use tactics instead of just busting in like the koolaid man.

This is a solid adventure! I used it as a nice way to transition my players from one adventure to another in an ongoing homebrew campaign. The unique sandstorm and easy way to modify the storm to fit any big bad you want to build up is great! The encounters within are all really solid and juicy for RP as well as combat!

I highly reccomend this for anyone who wants a great night of D&D or a way to have a great time when your party is out on the road!

DM'd this last night with 7 newish players. They enjoyed interacting with the Vuerthyl people and actually roleplayed a little bit. Being new players the sandstorm caught them by surprise and I allowed some rolls for knowledge based on their proficiencies. 2 people came up with innovative solutions themselves. I like the ability to change the outcome of the Hobogoblin encounter and still get items and xp based on it. As some of the other reviews, they honestly thought a giant was going to come through the wall and "held back his spells just in case." With opportunities to long rest, this made it a little simpler for them but had a mixed party of 1s and 3s. Overall rated 5/5 for newer players and more experienced players. As a DM I would recommend more Roleplaying at the Camp to get an idea of the threats in the region.

fun game, player was surprised over the sandstorm, and belived the giants would attack.... good and fun

regards bager

This is one of my favorite mods to run as its great for teaching new players to appreciate how great DnD is. There is a great combination of role-play, decision making and combat. There's enough meat on the bones to make it challenging without making it too difficult. I've run it several times and have seen players come up with crazy invnetive way to make it through, thats what you want from an adventure.

classic caravan escort adventure. weather and ambushes. It's sufficient for it's need. Helps move the story forward. also not to complicated for my son and his friends.

A fun adventure. The sandstorm was irritating due to the fact that nobody saved a wagon or the statue, and how the hobgoblins collect the toll is unclear. Nerfing encounters for a weak party made them very easy and I did not after I saw what the nerfs were.

This was a super fun adventure. It is really unique in that is near impossible to have the players actually 100% win. The players have to actually choose what they value and what they're willing to sacrifice. I think some very clever players might get away with more, but if the party isn't smart about what they're doing, the consequences are real.

It was also unique in that it really gave the players several ways forward. A lot of modules are very linear in that the player is told to go from a to b to c to d etc., but this adventure gives them options. Ultimately it of course leads to the same result, but it's the journey that counts!

The end reward is also very nice, as it is a one of a kind item. You'll probably have several players fighting over it...