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Enthos - Adventure Vacation Setting
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/20/2022 16:25:02

Enthos is an adventure vacation mini-setting that's perfect for a "beach episode" low-stakes break from the usual high-tension of a D&D campaign. Overall, I think this book is a fantastic deal for the price (~50 pages for $5.00), and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a tropical island break in your campaign.

THE GOOD:

This book has great art, great maps, and a great overall layout. The tropical theming is consistent throughout, which makes it a pleasure to read. The majority of the book describes the island's points of interest, which usually have NPC's and little activities for the party to engage in. The depth of these activities vary: some are small NPC interactions, and some are little games or quests. Two of the activities are a fishing minigame and a bird spotting minigame, which add to the "cozy" feeling of the book while also encouraging players to further explore the island.

The book also includes two mini-dungeons, a capsized, sunken ship and an abandoned elemental arcane laboratory. Both could serve well as the centerpiece for a session on the shorter side, and the maps included with both are quite nice.

In addition, there's a sprinkling of new monsters, items, spells, and other expository sections that accompany the book. For $5, this gives you enough material to run two sessions (one for each dungeon), along with all the other RP opportunities, quests, and challenges throughout.

AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

I would have liked to see the dungeons have a little more challenge to them. The dungeons in the book were likely designed to have a more "laid back" atmosphere to them to match the vacation theme, so I get it. If I were running the dungeons, I'd probably throw in an extra encounter or two, but you should have no problem doing that if you so desire. They're both great templates for adventures to modify as you see fit.

SUMMARY:

Overall, I've been very impressed with this book, and really enjoyed its various elements. It's easy to work into your campaign, has a great layout, and has a lot of nice touches. I highly recommend it, it's a great deal for the price!

I was given a review copy of this book, but would have happily bought it given the contents.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Enthos - Adventure Vacation Setting
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WBW-DC-DMMC-01 The Solitude of Solace
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/05/2022 14:52:39

The Solitude of Solace is an evocative, well-written adventure that has the adventure rescue a woman trapped in a twisted Fey domain of her own creation.

The adventure starts with a primer and flowchart to help introduce DM's to the intended path for the adventure. The adventure hook is simple but serviceable, leading players to find the Fey domain that makes up the bulk of the adventure. The Fey domain is a delightfully twisted "dungeon" for players to proceed through, and DM's that want to lean into the horror elements will have a great opportunity here. I really enjoyed the description of how the players enter the labryinth within the domain, and how the monsters within reflected the woman's twisted psyche. There are many chances for the PC's to progress through exploration, combat, or social interaction, which was a great touch that I don't see implemented in many adventures. Once the players progress through the "dungeon", they're given a chance to wrap things up with the characters that ties a nice bow on the adventure. The adventure provides a nice framework and is designed in a very flexible way so that DM's can easily tweak the adventure to suit their needs.

Pros:

  • Creative, colorful, and creepy adventure that's easy to integrate into a larger campain or can be tackled in adventurer's league
  • Interesting "psychological horror" aspect to the adventure
  • Well-organized and easy to run with the information included (I really appreciated the suggested durations for each section)
  • Options for DM's to either increase or decrease the challenge of encounters on the fly
  • Options for all three pillars to be used to tackle most encounters
  • Flexible design that makes it easy for DM's to modify
  • Maps are included to run the adventure

Cons:

  • I would have liked to see more depth to Jhun's social encounter. A good DM will be able to expand on it and it's really hard to make this interesting given the constraints of adventurer's league, but I wish this had been a bit more fleshed out beyond being as dependent on dice rolls
  • The maps are solid and demonstrate the domain's layout well, but some players might want a little more detail in the maps (depends on their preference/taste for simple vs. detailed maps)
  • The adventure doesn't include interior art, but I'm not sure if this is typical of adventurer's league modules. The good formatting still makes this adventure easy to read, but interior art would help set the scene for DM's

Overall, if you're looking for a pocket Fey domain with a psychological horror element, then I recommend checking this adventure out! I look forward to seeing what this author does next.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
WBW-DC-DMMC-01 The Solitude of Solace
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Creator Reply:
Thank you so much for your review and feedback. I'm glad you enjoyed this adventure. I'll work harder on how I can integrate more nuance and organic flow in character interactions in future adventures.
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What Crooked Roots: 15 Folk-Horror Encounters for 5th Edition
Publisher: Cassi Mothwin
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/03/2021 09:27:58

"What Crooked Roots" is a great 29 page supplement that's designed for D&D 5e, but can be used in a variety of settings. It's a great exploration of folk horror and the vignettes within can easily be integrated into almost any campaign.

The book contains good introductory material on how to use and deploy these encounters. I especially appreciated that they specifically address the "Detect Magic Problem" (which can really take the creepiness out of a scenario). The 15 encounters are vary in legnth but are well-written. Some will be just a few minutes, but a few can be taken and used as the focal point for a session, especially if you add an extra combat or two. My favorite were Rapture (the Groat man) and the Silent Ones, which were longer and had great thought put into them.

The art and layout in the book are great. It's very evocative of folk horror, and makes it an easy read.

Overall, a really great book, and you have no reason not to get it since it's PWYW! I recommend you check it out.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
What Crooked Roots: 15 Folk-Horror Encounters for 5th Edition
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Dam Beavers
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 10/19/2021 23:15:44

What a fun and creative idea for an adventure! Dam Beavers is a short adventure that can easily be ran as a self-contained one shot or thrown into a campaign. Here's a list of pros and cons:

Pros:

  1. Cute and clever idea!
  2. Love how easy and self-contained it is. While most adventures might be a little tricky to drop in to a larger campaign, this is pretty straight forward.
  3. It has maps and diagrams and the overall layout is good, especially for a PWYW product.
  4. The puzzle is fun (though I think some groups might be frustrated by it.)
  5. Has multiple outcomes and I enjoy the skill challenge to flee at the end.
  6. Has a mix of encounter types.

Constructive Feedback:

  1. I would have thought that the River encounter at the ability would work better as a skill challenge.
  2. The Dire Beaver statblock feels a little boring. It also has an attack and related magic item that gives a permanent -1 to AC, which conflicts with D&D design principles.

Overall, cute and fun, and easy to slot in. That gets a 5 from me!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dam Beavers
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Creator Reply:
Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback! I definitely agree with your constructive criticism. I know as a player it frustrates me when my gear is damaged, so I was hesitant to include it, thank you for validating that initial feeling. If I make an update I'll definitely take your advice into account! Ryan
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Battle Scenario: Empyrean
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/11/2021 13:16:34

Challening a party of Tier 4 characters is HARD. Fever Dream Studios has put together a great pay-what-you-want adventure to challenge a tier 4 party. This adventure requires the party to head to the center of a raging thunderstorm and figtht waves of minions to defeat an Empyrean.

This scenario would appropriately challenge a tier 4 party, is playtested, and has great options for increasing the challenge for your players. (An underrated addition that more adventures should have!) You could also easily take the concept and stretch it out or include it in many campaigns. In particular, it would work great as a Theros adventure.

Solid layout, some custom monsters, a play-tested tier 4 challenging scenario, and all for PWYW? That's 5 stars in my book!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Battle Scenario: Empyrean
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Darklords of Ravenloft
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/12/2021 19:58:13

Darklords of Ravenloft is a 61 page supplement that adds statblocks for the darklords in Van Richten's Guide to Ravenloft. More than just a simple listing of statblocks, this book also includes short introductions for the darklords and blurbs about the design philosophy behind each (which I especially appreciate). The darklords also have statblocks for 2-4 different tiers of play (1-5, 6-10, 11-15, 16-20), which makes this guide extra useful. My favorites were the additional statblocks for Strahd (in case you want to extend your Curse of Strahd campaign), and Ivana Boritsi, who would make for a unique tier 2 boss. Finally, the art and layout of this supplement are fantastic; this a well-organized and easy to read document. Overall, hats off to Wyatt Trull, Matthew Wulf, and Chris Hopper for making a great supplement.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Darklords of Ravenloft
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Van Richten's Libram of Lineages
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/03/2021 13:26:40

I recently purchased the Van Richten's Libram of Lineages. The lineages within give alternate options to picking races. This lets you create characters without being overly tied to the mechanical implications of the races, which is great. The lineages in the book are all really unique and are great avenues for storytelling. I particularly liked the key keeper, but I definitely enjoyed them all. The lineages all seem fairly balanced - the only gripe I had is I would have changed the Blighted's poison immunity into poison resistance, which is more in-line with other races.

The layout and art are both very solid, and the cover especially is fantastic. There are also notes at the end of the book which explain how to use the various lineages, as well as the corresponding adventure hooks.

Overall, this was definitely a fun supplement. The lineages are dripping with flavor and are great tools for either players or DM's. I can't wait to use them to create my next character!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Van Richten's Libram of Lineages
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Creator Reply:
Thanks so much for the kind words! We debated resistance and immunity on the poison for blighted, but that's an easy change for you to make with your DM's approval. We would love to hear your adventures playing these lineages -- it is exciting!! Happy adventuring!
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The Compendium of Lost, Forgotten, or Discarded Magic Items Volume 1 - A Hodgepodge
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/02/2021 12:32:34

This compendium of lost, forgotten, or discarded magic items should be a tool that you don't forget to use! It's got 22 low level magic items that are absolutely dripping with flavor.

These magic items have mostly relatively minor effects, granting a small bonus to a proficiency or providing a minor magical effect for RP. Something I love about this collection is that there are quotes about many of the items, giving them a fun flair. Many of these items also have small drawbacks which give them additional flavor.

From this collection, my favorite items are the Butterfly Maiden's Pin, the Walking Stick of Woodland Critters, The Abyssal Primer, and The Soldier's Toy.

You can never have enough Common magic items to give your players -- and I highly recommend checking these out!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Compendium of Lost, Forgotten, or Discarded Magic Items Volume 1 - A Hodgepodge
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The Witch's Wood
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/25/2021 15:58:00

Review for the Witch's Wood - 5/5 stars:

Summary: The Witch's Wood is a great, fae-themed one-shot adventure that can be dropped into almost any campaign. It's got a great blend of encounters and RP opportunities that's just perfect for a one-shot.

What I liked:

  • Great blend of encounters within. There's a skill challenge race, a puzzle, riddles, and a neat fight at the end. The variety keeps it interesting and is great for a one-shot.
  • The background for the adventure and the pre-written descriptions were very helpful.
  • Just about right in terms of timing for most parties.
  • Very on-theme with the fae and easy to drop into almost any campaign.
  • Great pointers for how to RP the NPC's, good descriptive text, and I really appreciated the history table on the fae for what the PC's might know.
  • Easy to run and play through.

What could improve:

  • The final fight's description could be a little more organized, and some more pointers on how to run Fionnghuala would be helpful.
  • The second Eldarin riddle might stump some parties -- I'd maybe just skip it and go with the third riddle first, then the first riddle.

Overall: If you're looking for a fae themed one-shot or find yourself unprepared for your weekly session, The Witch's Wood is a great little adventure to try out! Its very digestible for new DM's and hits the right notes for the fae.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Witch's Wood
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DMs Guild Creator Resource - Locations Art
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Xhango G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/16/2020 13:52:06

Out of the pictures, 9 or so would be good to use for other books. There's a cool picture of an old, spiderweb filled crypt door. While it's awesome that these resources are made availalble, it'd nice to get more updated art (looking at you MTG, especially with the upcoming crossover set...)



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
DMs Guild Creator Resource - Locations Art
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