This is OK ...

I felt like the Encounters weren't fleshed out enough. Some of them seem like random ideas and less than Encounters (Crate 7 and Smell of Death). I guess just felt like the some of core ideas did have enough "flesh" arond it to puzzle-piece them into the tone of Tomb of Annihilation" as a whole. I had a hard time answering the question "why would a character run across this and why would tehy care?" Sure I could MAKE them care, but I felt like there was something missing here.

This packet is good to have if you playing AL though and you are restricted to approved content ... it really explains on the Chapter 2 options presented in "Side Quests" of the ToA main book. So if you wanted to just run Chapter 2 of the ToA book as an AL game, this offers more options to "build" an adventure and stay within the rules. I would say the expansion to options in an AL game of ToA is worth the money enough. Never can have too much content to run AL games from.

The encounters here are fine, but I'm quite disappointed in the lack of maps from an "adept" publication. A map of Kaya's House of Repose is much needed.

I run few encounters and i find them pretty amasing specially "A Little Too Fancy" , sometimes will be helpfull have information about the tier for wich the encounters are made, for examble in "City Chase" two Weretiger are too strong for a lev. 1 party and maybe a tier 1 party too .

So far I've only run one of these encounters, due to time constraints, and not owning it (not being AL-legal) when the campaign started. I definitely could have thrown in several of these very easily.

These encounters work very well in and around the DDAL7-01 missions as well. I made a slight modification of the location of the safehouse/warehouse in #5 to the warehouses in the harbour to allow for an easier hook for Snuffed out. The two flowed seamlessly, and a small party(4) of level 2s, though reduced by combat, had a reasonable challenge with the pirates.

A Little Too Fancy was cut from our session due to time, but I chose it because it seemed similar to one of the encounters in the first s7 epic that players at my table have raved about.

Spa Day is probably my least favourite, but I could see it being a lot of fun to play.

If I run other campaigns or adventures set in Port Nyanzaru, I think it is highly likely I will use many of these. Especially as a way to add XP quickly, and make Tomb of Annihilation more survivable.

Interesting random encounters, but for a season where the plot is hidden behind random encounters and npc encounters which are random. I like it, but I would have liked random options which steered you onto the plot, or at least a direction of travel, and coincided with the hooks you already have.

I'll be splitting up the review by encounter/section.

A Little Too Fancy: First and most importantly, they actually make a point of explaining where the bathrooms are. God bless. Anyway--as the party tries to leave, the DM is encouraged to make up a massive list of 'fees' incurred by the party's presence in the fancy venue, leaving them with a foppish twist on the old 'paying the tavern bill' trope. The solution is more unique, with the adventurers put on stage and made to perform in front of the other patrons of the establishment. It's a great setup for funny characterizations and offers a good way to lighten the mood at the table with hilarious narration and roleplaying.

City Chase: This entry is a straightforward rules supplement for the Dungeon Master's Guide chase rules. It's not as 'flashy' as tailored RP encounters elsewhere in the supplement, but it shows the creators are paying attention to gaps that will need to be filled in the standard ruleset with this unique setting.

Crate Number Seven: Short and sweet, this section is an easy one-page embellished combat encounter that provides a bit of extra flavor with a potential for future followup.

Crime and Punishment: An encounter where the party must fight against a dinosaur in an arena setting as punishment for crimes they may or may not have committed. I won't lie, this would be a good one to keep in the back pocket in case players turn into the too-common 'rowdy and haughty' group.

Intrigue and Suspicion: This is the kind of in-depth-roleplay-given-mechanical-support that gives me life. Similar to the idea of faction reputation having trackable representation, this section includes rules on tracking NPC suspicion of your players. This is excellent for adventures where players are trying to remain incognito or bluff their way through various situations or during small arcs.

Otyugh's Wish: I'm really glad to see not only a fun and interesting embellished combat encounter, but to see something that's distinctly setting-oriented without leaning heavily on "LOOK! DINOSAURS!" The Oqyugh is a pretty unusual and oft-overlooked monster for many DMs and a great little encounter for this supplement.

Plague Boat: Another solid one-page diversion/encounter. It has a simple premise that could provide much more playtime (via discussion and roleplay) than its length implies.

Right Place, Wrong Time: I especially like this encounter because it's not something that the players do as much as it's a situation they happen to be present for. Like the chase rules, it's an inclusion that paints the city as a vibrant location where NPCs act and interact without waiting passively for an adventuring party to arrive.

The Smell of Death: "Oh great," your characters say. "Vermin in the basement? What a crappy trope." If your players say this, punish them. Punish them with this encounter. That will be all.

Snuffed Out: This section offers a small arc and series of encounters with multiple time crises. It's a great one for getting your player's blood flowing and forcing them to act and think quickly at the table.

Spa Day: Another random and potentially funny encounter that has the players thinking on their feet while unarmed. Good for creative and roleplay-friendly groups.

Undeserved Punishment: Another encounter at Executioner's Run, this time with a different poor sap in danger. This encounter can go any number of ways and has the potential to split the party almost immediately; DM's might want to think about how they would want to split the narrative focus between groups. The section has a simple means of catching up to a character; more confident DM's might combine this with the aforementioned city chase rules for a more intense scene.

Yuan-Ti Ambush: The players are lured into a deadly trap on top of a narrow bridge! This final section is a quick and easy embellished encounter that can start your players on questions after Dendar the Night Serpent.

If for some Lathanderforsaken reason you've read all of this: Encounters is a great little supplement that will provide a variety of creative challenges for a party of just about any slant.