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Dungeon Crawl Classics #33: Belly of the Great Beast
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/12/2018 09:11:16

This is a very high level adventure (21-24 level!) which takes the party into space to stop a dastardly plan to steal the collective knowledge of the world from a passing Great Beast that floats through the universe just watching what's going on. It's got hitchhikers, though, and these are the ones causing the trouble.

It all begins when the party encounters the Cult of the Forgotten Word, who are the villains in question. They are seeking to steal a particular tome... and the party has the chance not only to save that book, but to put an end to their schemes altogether, if they dare! The DM's background explains a lot more of what is going on, as well as providing a monster list, scaling information and several excellent ways to get the party involved in the first place. These primarily involve getting them to a place called Withers somewhere in your campaign world, as the sight of the cultists floating down from space to terrorise the local academics should be enough to engage their interest!

There's a section explaining how space travel works for the purposes of this adventure - it's all pretty descriptive and hand-waved. The cultists use Cosmic Eggs - translucent globes that just travel between the Great Beast and a nearby planet, without much need to worry how they do it. Going to the Great Beast is easy, they just do it. Coming back provides plenty of opportunities to land the party other than where they intended... even up to sending them to the wrong planet entirely if you're that cruel!

The adventure begins when the party arrives in Withers and find the town's Westphalen School under attack. Enjoy the chaos as they explore, rescuing frightened academics and students... and even encountering one student who's a "Demonology hacker" and has summoned up a devil he cannot control in an attempt to defend his school!

And this is all before the party use a Cosmic Egg or other device to get themselves to the Great Beast. Therein even more epic excitement awaits. As you'd imagine, a dungeon carved out of the living flesh of a giant immortal spacefaring creature is not your ordinary delve; but there are monsters to fight and traps to evade a-plenty, and a lot else to do besides and strange beings to meet.

There's no clear resolution to the adventure. Perhaps the party will seek to release the Great Beast from the cult's control. They'll still need to find their way home, of course. Or they might decide to kick out the cultists and keep it for themselves... Whatever they decide, this is Adventure on an epic scale, perhaps a fitting climax to an entire campaign. Or it might be a one-off, as there are some pre-generated characters provided, if you want to try a really high-level game.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #33: Belly of the Great Beast
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #32: The Golden Palace of Zahadran
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/11/2018 08:32:12

This is a high-level adventure involving the exploits of a party that is poking around a desert investigating the depredations of a blue dragon when the sand collapses under their feet depositing them into a long-buried palace. There's plenty to explore as they try to find their way back out.

It's all a dastardly plot, of course and all is explained for the DM in the introductory notes. Whether or not the party will ever find who took them for suckers is another matter... The DM is also provided with a list of monsters, scaling information, and some ideas on how to get the party involved in the adventure. Pick whichever seems most appropriate to the party you have, and run with it.

This adventure is billed as a classic variation on the 'exploration that leads to an unfolding history, which leads to rising action, which leads to the epic confrontation that saves or dooms the day' module... so no high stakes there. By the end the party ought to feel a true sense of accomplishment, or be plunged into despair and wondering where to hide as the case might be. There's a lot of background to set everything into context, and you'll have to decide what and how you want to share information with the party. Have fun, it literally goes back to the dawn of time (and is useful for mining for the ancient history of your campaign world if you haven't got much yet).

Depending on the way you get the party involved, there are different starting points for the adventure; but whichever you use eventually they are out in the desert getting that sinking feeling as the ground gives way beneath their feet and deposits them into the wonders below. As they prowl the halls there are plenty of opportunities to reveal bits of the backstory through artwork - complete with pictures to hand to your players to show them what their characters see - and other snippets. Sometimes the party will have to make appropriate checks to obtain the information, other bits are more clear to anyone who looks. There's plenty to look at as they explore, and some really unusual beings to fight, not to mention traps to avoid and puzzles to solve... and then there are the twisty little passages UNDER the palace.

The actual exploration is entertaining in itself, then add in trying to get back out while preventing ancient evils from coming with you and you have an adventure that verges on the epic.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #32: The Golden Palace of Zahadran
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Judge Dredd & The Worlds of 2000 AD Quickstart
Publisher: EN Publishing
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/08/2018 09:23:24

This manages to explain an awful lot in just a handful of sentences - even if your exposure to Judge Dredd is minimal you should be able to pick up on the general gist of the setting, as well as understand the rules you'll need to play - or GM - the adventure presented here. As expected, the rules here are a cut-down version of the final rules, but as I haven't seen those yet I cannot say how the play experience differs from the full ruleset. However it does state that special ablities called Exploits are not used here, although a few sample ones are given if you want to give them a go. It appears that to accomplish something you'll need to roll a handful of d6s, the number based on your skill and the relevant attribute. Combat is much the same, and is explained clearly.

Four pre-generated characters are provided, all Street Judges. A note explains that the core rulebook provides for playing civilians and perps as well as Judges, should you harbour such ambitions. The adventure is written so as to be played with any of these options, although if you are using the pre-gens you will have to default to the Judge option. Basically, a Judge was killed recently in the Empire State Building and the adventure deals with the aftermath: as Judges the aim is, of course, to bring justice to the perps responsible. The adventure is well constructed and exciting, although it will run best if you are thoroughly familiar with it before play starts.

The floorplans are a bit cramped. Apart from one or two principal NPCs, all the 'foe' stats are at the end rather than where they are ecountered in the module - it might have been worth adding some bookmarks to make them easier to find in the heat of the moment.

Overall, though, this gives a good impression of a game that has captured the spirit and flavour of Judge Dredd; and which should prove enjoyable to play. If a Quickstart leaves you looking forward to seeing the full game, it has done its job... and this one has!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Judge Dredd & The Worlds of 2000 AD Quickstart
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #31: The Transmuter's Last Touch
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 10/05/2018 08:02:14

Even for a low-level party of 1st-2nd level characters, a bunch of kobolds shouldn't be much of a problem, right? This module sets out to warn adventurers not to underestimate their enemies... the hard way (of course!).

It's recommended that the party has met ordinary run-of-the-mill kobolds before, then when they find these catacombs in the base of a mountain they will assume that the resident kobold tribe is more of the same. A few suggestions are provided for getting them there, or they might merely be travelling and notice the entrance. Like all good adventurers, they wander in and... The introductory notes for the DM include scaling information, an adventure overview, a list of wandering monsters and loads of background, as well as a new game mechanic: augmetation. This is a temporary magical changes to a creature, caused by residual enchantments left by a previous very-powerful resident and triggered by moving into an affected area, lasting only whilst the creature is there. For this was once the home of a powerful wizard called Verdivis, who conducted all manner of magical experiments here. Needless to say, these augmentations can also affect party members - but unlike the kobolds, who are use to them, they'll have to figure out what the augmentation is and how to utilise it - probably under combat conditions!

It all makes for an interesting delve, with a backstory that holds together well - although, as always, the real challenge is to share the actual underlying story, rather than just its effects, with the party. Everything is described cearly with notes on the inhabitants of each area and their likely (violent) response to intruders. There are also some pictures to show the players what their characters see. Treasure is fairly small, but interesting, and there's some stuff looted during caravan raids conducted by the kobolds to be had as well. There is the potential for further adventures should the kobold chieftain escape - and if he sees things going against him, that's what he will try to do!

Overall it is a good, thoughtful low-level adventure that should challenge the party and keep them on their toes, one that is nicely embedded into the growing history of a campaign world if you make full use of the background information.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #31: The Transmuter's Last Touch
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #30: Vault of the Dragon Kings
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 09/17/2018 08:51:19

This was originally written as a tournament module for Gen Con Indy 2005, and so comes complete with scoring information and pre-generated characters... so it's ideal if you are looking for a one-off adventure or happen to need an adventure to run at a games convention. Or, of course, you can run it with an existing party as part of your ongoing campaign... however the results from when it was played at Gen Con make grim reading in terms of survival rates!

The adventure itself concerns an upstart dragon called Myrkjartan who has raided the ancient and long-undisturbed Vault of the Dragon Kings in a bid to establish the rule of dragonkind (or at least, himself) over all sentient beings. There's plenty of background material to get your teeth into, covering the original Dragon Kings and the vault they built when they realised that their days were numbered, and how their passing gave rise to the multiplicity of dragon types found in the world today... and how Myrkjartan is not quite the villain he appears. Maybe. There are notes on how to involve the party - and just as importantly, notes on what they don't know! There are also notes on particular features of many of the traps in the Vault, of the perils of adventuring at high altitude, and of the mammoth scale the Vault is built to, seeing as it was made by and for dragons.

The adventure comes in three parts, corresponding to the three rounds of a tournament game. Throughout, there is plenty of help and direction for the DM, with sidebars reminding of applicable game mechanics as well as detailed room descriptions and notes for every encounter. There are some complex traps that will take smarts as well as brawn to circumvent. They look reasonably straightforward when you have notes on how to defeat them in front of you, but may well prove a lot harder for the party to deal with. There are hints provided, but will the party recognise them for what they are?

It's a tough and challenging adventure with both traps and combats a-plenty, but there are opportunities to interact with at least some of those encountered in the Vault... but the conversation might get cut short if tempers become short. There's a lot here, including some new monsters, spells, templates and other items. The pre-generated characters are provided as dense blocks of text, you'd better transcribe them onto character sheets if you intend to use them. There are some player handouts, to let them see what their characters see in certain situations, potentially helpful especially with the traps.

It's well presented, well laid out, and oh, so very challenging. A good adventure for groups who like high stakes, difficult challenges for both mind and body, and who are not afraid to lose a few characters along the way. Have fun!



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #30: Vault of the Dragon Kings
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #29: The Adventure Begins
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 09/13/2018 08:43:52

This is a massive collection of low-level adventures, deigned for characters of 1st-2nd level. There are twenty in all, and between them they should provide an opportunity for any party to find their feet and begin to make their names in adventuring circles.

Some have appeared elsewhere - The Tower of the Black Pearl was released a couple of years later as an AD&D adventure, for example - but all are inventive and full of challenges. A well-rounded party including characters that can fight, cast spells, heal and play around with things like locks and traps is recommended for all of them.

Each adventure comes complete with a few hooks to entice the party in and a complete backstory, as well as useful DM tools such as scaling information, a list of encounters, and notes on specific game mechanics of particular relevance to the game. Then there's a detailed location-by-location description of the adventure itself, complete with integrated notes on who (what) is encountered there and how they are likely to react to the party. Whilst it is, as ever, well worth reading through an adventure before running it, everything you need it is there on the page. Maps, handouts, and notes on further adventures are also provided.

Each adventure is stand-alone, which is both a good thing and a bad thing. It means you can select which ones you want to use and run them in whatever order suits your needs - but it does lead to a somewhat fragmented and episodic campaign. You might want to create an overarching setting in which to scatter these adventures, then throw out a selection of rumours and let the party roam the setting, playing adventures as they come to them, and making use of the suggestions for further adventures to develop areas that catch the party's interest. A very useful tool if you want to start a campaign but don't have time to develop one from scratch.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #29: The Adventure Begins
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #28: Into the Wilds
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 09/12/2018 13:35:48

Suitable for a campaign starter, this adventure takes a party of very low level adventurers (1st-3rd level) to a frontier keep that's troubled by a curse and assorted marauding beasties. There's plenty to find in (and around) the keep, which is surrounded by an area called the Wilds. Shall we say that it lives up to its name.

Several hooks are provided to get them there in the first place, and it's suggested that you make use of whatever backstories the characters have. There's also a selection of rumours - each charater should have heard a couple of them before the adventure begins. There's a background story - some of which might come out during play - and notes about what the party needs to find and what they should do with them. The local lordling will be pleased to get them back... but of course, other folk also have their eyes on the prize!

We also find out a fair bit about the area of Wildsgate and the people living there, a vibrant community in which any action will have consequences. It's somewhere a bunch of aspiring adventurers might want to stay a while as they begin their careers, and there are some outline notes that give ideas for integrating your adventures into the locality.

The adventure begins with the party on the road towards the keep... and an introductory combat to remind them that civilisation is far behind. There's plenty more travel in the Wilds before they reach the keep too, and plenty to do and see on the way. The really neat thing is that every encounter happens for a reason, even though they are universally violent and hostile.

Eventually they reach the keep, which is well-guarded. The first task is to get in! Within its confines there is plenty going on. It's quite a hub of adventurer activity, and there are lots of folks to interact with. However the lure of adventure will hopefully lead the party forth again, to the caverns beneath a feature called the Goblin Spires, where there are some well-organised goblins to be cleared out... and of course there is much more besides, beneath and beyond. Eventually the quest reaches its end in ancient dwarven tombs, needless to say, well-protected against tomb raiders. Those defences don't care how legitimate the party's business might be, ether!

There's one last obstacle in their way when the party returns triumphant with their spoils - and the range of options presented for handling this last encounter are impressive. This will determine whether the party can stay safely in the area or will be run out of town (if lucky) so they'd better be careful what they do! The text ends with ideas for further adventures...

Well-resourced with maps, descriptions and everything you might need to make the Wilds and the settlement of Wildkeep come alive, this makes an excellent start for a wilderness-based campaign.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #28: Into the Wilds
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #27: Revenge of the Rat King
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 09/10/2018 09:12:17

I've never quite understood the concept of revenge, but it sure makes for some good plots... and here's one. It's particularly good if you have played Idylls of the Rat King earlier in your campaign, but if you haven't it is either a case of mistaken identity or just a set-up to catch generic adventurers. Slavers have to get their merchantise somewhere, after all.

After the usual plot summary, list of wandering monsters and scaling information, there are a series of hooks to get the party interested in what is going on. They all revolve around an innkeeper called Gotlieb. It may be that the party has been tasked with finding a bunch of slavers, or someone they care about has been abducted by them - or they might even find themselves rescuing Gotlieb from a lynch mob who are certain he's in on the slave trade... This has all been orchestrated by the Rat King, especially if you are going for the default revenge angle.

The adventure falls into three parts. The first bit is a standard dungeon-crawl through the sewers. Then they get captured. This is a given, by the way. Eventually they should win free, get hold of weapons and equipment, and be in a position to deal with the Rat King once and for all. It's an adventure for the thinking character, however, those who like to rush bull-headed into combat will likely end up in difficulties.

As usual with the DCC line, the adventure begins as Gotlieb opens a door in the basement of his inn giving the party access to the sewers below. How you get them to this point is up to you. Run with the ideas given or come up with something of your own. Once down there it's a good if fairly standard delve, with opponents whose conversational heights run to "I'm going to kill you!" and similar taunts, and a few traps to figure out along the way.

The novel central phase ensues, with the party waking up in a dark cell, without their possessions. The cell is held to be escape-proof. Can our heroes prove this assumption wrong? If they are inventive and careful, they ought to be able to win free and return to deal with the Rat King for good and all in a thrilling climax.

Overall it makes a good adventure, particularly for those who like to sail through dungeon delves beating up everyone they encounter and taking their loot without further ado... if they survive they'll approach their next delve quite differently! Yet there's plenty of brawling and trap-defeating goodness and even some interesting loot to be had. An excellent game to be had here...



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #27: Revenge of the Rat King
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #26: The Scaly God
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 08/28/2018 12:44:30

With a glorious cover picture that seems to reach out and grab you, this adventure involves the investigation of a demolished stronghold that leads the party into uncharted depths and face-to-face with a being that the local goblinoid savages hail as a god.

Whitefang Stronghold perches high in the mountains guarding a pass - just find a suitable mountain pass in your campaign world, probably something used as a trade route. It's a nicely-designed multi-level building highly appropriate for its situation. However a recent caravan passing through found the garrison slaughtered and even the structure of the stronghold damaged. The party is hired by the local lordling to investigate. Oh, and to find a valuable artefact that had been delivered there recently.

The encounter list shows that a lot of the opposition is presented by the local wildlife. There's scaling information should your party be weaker or stronger than that for which the adventure was written, and the interesting point that the first part of the adventure - investigation of the stronghold itself - should not provide a significant challenge to the party: that comes later with the discovery of a nearby underground complex! If your party isn't the sort to hire out to local lordlings, a few alternative ways to get them involved are provided. There's also an extensive backstory that explains in detail how the situation they'll find came to be. It makes for a good story, so do try to weave it in to the adventure to enhance the plotline.

The adventure proper starts with the party in the mountain pass, just as they arrive at the remains of the stronghold. The garrison may be dead, but the place isn't deserted. It's all a bit confusing and the party will have to piece events together to discover what actually happened here. Most of the inhabitants want to fight rather than talk (although some are not above the odd taunt), but as noted above, they should not prove impossible to defeat. There are several points where you get handouts to 'show the players what their characters see' although the descriptions themselves convey the scene pretty well.

By the time they've scoured the Stronghold, the party should have picked up enough hints to suggest that finding and exploring a nearby cave complex. There's a handy list of clues in case you are having difficulty picking them out: they are rather subtle and you may find it necessary to signpost them a bit to ensure that the party knows where they are supposed to go. There's also a Bardic Knowledge check and even an optional encounter to nudge the party in the right direction if all else fails! Getting there is part of the adventure, with local wildlife and a rockfall to make things difficult, and once there the complex is crawling with wandering monsters. Things only get more difficult from here on in, and there's at least one encounter it might be more prudent to back away from.

The cavern ecology is quite fascinating, with several groups in interlocking relationships. Few relish intruders, however, so any attempt to study them will be spoiled by the inevitable fights... but most adventurers come to fight not conduct anthropological studies, so that's no problem. There are three layers, with increasing levels of challenge as you descend... and at the bottom there's the living embodiment of a deity! At least, if you listen to some of the more powerful denizens that's what he is... no matter, he's big and powerful and greets intruders with immediate combat. His tactics are laid out clearly, and it should prove a suitably climactic brawl to end the adventure. Pickings so far have been poor, nut there is plenty of treasure to be had here, as well as the artefact that those parties hired by the local lordling were tasked to find.

This makes for a great 'double delve' - Stronghold and caverns - with a lot going on, and certainly lives up to the ideal that all monsters are there to be fought! The way various monstrous races have been used in conjuction with one another is excellent, with creative and believable alliances and relationships that make it all work within the context of this alternate reality.



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[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #26: The Scaly God
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #25: The Dread Crypt of Srihoz
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 08/27/2018 12:29:04

If someone suggested to me that it was a good idea to take a stroll along a freezing cold and damp clifftop path where only lichen grew, I think I'd pass... even before finding out that there were vampires in the vicinity. The lure is the vast wealth that the vampire in question has amassed, but of course in reality, he's just hungry.

The opening notes suggest that this adventure can be slotted in to any suitable wilderness region on a sea or lake shore. Prefering quality over quantity, the vampire has made the place tricky to explore so only the best will reach him. The list of traps employed is quite awesome! There's some scaling information if your party is weaker or stronger than that for which the adventure is intended, then we move on to how to get them involved - the vampire actively recruits, hiring minions to spread the word about the fabulous wealth to be had in his lair and even giving out directions! Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly...

There's s quite extensive backstory to the vampire and how he came to be where he is. It makes for quite a good read, but the party will need to delve quite deeply into local history to find out much of it... unless the recruiters use some of it in their spiels. It does make the entire complex come to life, though, and there are further comments throughout the adventure text.

The adventure proper starts with the party on that inhospitable clifftop track, standing in front of an iced-up door. Getting them there is, as ever, up to you. It would appear that despite the network of recruiters, nobody has actually entered here for many years, maybe even centuries (judging by the smell!). Once in, wall paintings can give some inkling of the history should the party stop to examine them. Onward, then, through various strange chambers with their complement of hostile flora and fauna, not to mention an array of traps magical and mechanical. It's a remarkably inhospitable place, and there's clear evidence of the deliberate thought process behind making it so - everything follows logically in sequence and it doesn't give the impression of a bunch of random traps and monsters but a carefully-considered challenge. And challenge it is, there's a lot that could easily prove deadly to unlucky or badly-prepared parties.

One feature is a massive underwater combat where some vicious squid are the lest of the party's worries. There are plenty of other set pieces too, with challenges to both mind and body - illusions and the use of suggestion spells for example; and there is copious use of weaponised diseases. It's a nightmare of a place. The vampire himself is a powerful wizard who is credited with inventing an offshoot of necromancy that is even more disgusting - and he makes good use of his abilities as shown by the extensive discussion of his likely tactics once the party finally meet him. If they don't finish him off but escape, pure pride will cause him to hunt them down, and even if they do, most of the traps are still active when they attempt to get back out of the complex.

It's a well-constructed and deadly adventure, those surviving will have reason to be proud of themselves. There's no scope for interaction, that isn't its purpose, but if you are seeking a purposeful challenge, a dungeon that has been carefully crafted to be deadly, this one fits the bill admirably.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #25: The Dread Crypt of Srihoz
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Wr20 Handbook for the Recently Deceased
Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 08/22/2018 13:57:48

Released in advance of the core rulebook for Wraith: The Oblivion 20th Anniversary Edition, this work is made up of three sections, one aimed at players, one explaining the concept of Shadows, and one for Storytellers. The whole idea is to explain what the game is all about, give prospective players and Storytellers a handle on what is going on, and expand knowledge of the Underworld for those who've prior experience of Wraith.

There's a particular emphasis on the newly dead, a likely point to start a new campaign especially with inexperienced players. It explains a lot of the novel terminology used in the game, as well as its distinctive mechanics. These are chiefly Passions and Fetters, which affect all characters, and the operation of Shadows. The Storyteller section is aimed at both new Wraith Storytellers and those who are running their game for newly-deceased characters (whether or not their players are new to the game).

The Player section opens by explaining how important it is to realise that your character is as dead as a doornail. That's fine, though, because your character has somehow managed to hang on somewhere in the fringes of life instead of moving on like most dead people do to whatever lies beyond. You have a second chance to maybe influence mortal affairs. Maybe there's something you need to set right, or something left unfinished that you really, really wanted to complete. In effect, you've shaken a fist in the face of Oblivion (or whatever afterlife you think you are going to) and insisted on hanging around a bit longer.

However, hardly anyone knows what to expect when they die. Leaving aside religious belief, most of which have various promises (and threats) for what comes next, nobody really knows. So a lot of the game is about finding out about this new place you have suddenly arrived in, lots of exploration and discovery because the afterlife as presented in Wraith doesn't match up to any existing theories or beliefs about what happens after death. Time to ask lots of questions. Some your Storyteller might answer for you, but most you will have to find out for yourself. The process of arrival is explained - Storytellers might want to not release this information until it's played out, for shock effect - and the landscape that surrounds new arrivals is explained.

We also find out about Fetters, which are those things that have held you from proceeding onwards to whatever awaits most of the dead. That unfinished business or whatever it is you are here to attend to. You may choose to get on with dealing with them, but there are others things you can get up to here as well. If your character is lucky, someone whose been here a bit longer might be good enough to explain things to you. Or you might be unlucky... We also hear about Passions, the things that drive your character so powerfully and which are centred on powerful emotions.

There's a massive amount going on, and a lot to explore. There are cross-references to the core rulebook as appropriate: this work is more about concepts and ideas than game mechanics. This could make it useful for at least Storytellers to read this book before they get down to the nuts and bolts of how the game actually works, although with players new to the game they may prefer to let them experience all this through play rather than read about it first.

Next comes the section on Shadows. This is something that can be hard to grasp, especially when you are new to the game. It is the negative part of a given Wraith's personality and it has one objective: to drag that Wraith into Oblivion as fast as it can. The mechanic is interesting - another player at the table plays your Shadow, as well as their own Wraith. It's not intended as an outright competition or tug-of-war, though. It's more insiduous than that. For a start, what does the Shadow really want? It may want the now-Wraith to admit they were wrong about something they feel strongly about, for example. The 'Shadowguide' - that's the person playing the Shadow - needs to get to know their Wraith really well, to know their weak spots and their triggers, and then use them, creatively and relentlessly. There's a balance to be struck between standing back and letting the Wraith get on with business without interference, and being a complete and utter pest, in their face all the time. Plenty of advice here about how to develop your skills as a Shadowguide. The Shadow may even be as confused and lost as the Wraith at the beginning, or it may already have an agenda mapped out. There are hints and tips for Storytellers here as well, as they need to decide how things will work in their game. At times, the Shadowguide will have to work with the Storyteller, especially when setting up set-piece events called Harrowings, which basically put the poor Wraith on the spot.

Finally, the section directly aimed at Storytellers. It can be quite an overwhelming task, especially if you and your group are new to Wraith. There is a lot to take in, the good news is that the Storyteller - like newly-deceased Wraiths - can acquire the knowledge slowly and steadily rather than all at once. You just need to be a step or two ahead of your players. There's a wealth of advice here and one of the most important bits is to be aware of your players. They are here to have fun, even if their characters are not. If anyone gets uncomfortable, stop and find out what you need to avoid for the game to continue being enjoyable for all participants. There are lots of ideas for initial adventures too, many of which are designed to help you ease your players into their characters' new existence.

This doesn't replace the core rulebook, but it does lift the lid on the underlying ideas and concepts on which the game is built. Storytellers certainly ought to read it. Players may want to wait until they have been playing for a while before diving in, as it explains concepts that might be better discovered through play. Once they have met the concepts, though, this can deepen their understanding of them. It's a good way to get a handle on a quite difficult game, one with novel concepts and processes quite unlike anything else.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Wr20 Handbook for the Recently Deceased
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 08/03/2018 09:46:17

This is a low-level adventure that provides a good opportunity for a party new to the adventuring game to make a name for themselves. It's based on the story of Jack the Ripper, of course, but with some neat fantasy twists that make it credible within the alternate reality of your campaign world and means that even the most enthusiastic student of the real Ripper will still need to work at this challenge.

It all starts in a city. Pick one from your campaign world, it may be where the party started off their adventuring career - or they might be country bumpkins, drawn like moths to the candleflame that is the lights of the big city. Even the investigation is left open. What is known is that the ghost of the last victim of this city's Ripper, who cut a murderous swathe through the city over an hundred years ago, has started walking the streets where she met her doom and there's been an uptick in unsolved vicious murders in that neighbourhood. Under pressure and getting nowhere fast, the city watch call in some outside consultants in the shape of the party.

If you think your party would enjoy an investigation - and you feel up to inventing the details - you can, or you may simply say that the watch have discovered what they believe is the lair of the present-day Ripper and want the party to clean it out on their behalf... because it is at the entrance to that lair, based in and under that last victim's former home, that the adventure text begins.

The preparatory material for the DM contains the usual material: a wandering monster table, scaling information in case your party is stronger or weaker than that envisioned, notes on character death (a real possibility) and on the fact that this is a horror story as well as a fantasy one, and a fair bit of background material.

The adventure proper begins in the squalid back streets of an area known as Miller's Court, where the original Ripper murders (as well as the latest crop) took place. This section involves some investigation and exploration as the party homes in on the particular building that they seek. There's plenty to do and see as they work their way to Mari's former home and the tavern that adjoins it. These form the setting of the second part of the adventure, which is the upper floor of the tavern.

Finally, the party's investigations will lead them into the cellars and sewars beneath... and to dark places beyond. Throughout there are clear descriptions for all locations and encounters, with necessary game mechanical information and notes on the likely actions of those encountered. Sidebars contain expanded information and other useful notes and snippets of further background material which you may weave in as you please. None of this adventure is easy, but the final stages are particularly tough, especially for the low level party that the adventure is intended for. The outcome isn't certain either, whatever the party chooses to do has consequences. Apart from these, there are also several ideas for follow-up adventures - most work best if the party is still welcome in the city, but others can be run regardless.

This is an outstanding and atmospheric adventure for a starting party to really make their mark on the adventuring scene!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #23: The Sunken Ziggurat
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 08/01/2018 12:50:11

The premise for this adventure is simple: a recent earthquake has exposed a long-buried structure and for whatever reason, the party goes to explore it. Needless to say there's all sorts of bad stuff around and the looming threat of evil being released across the land to goad them on...

The material for the DM includes an overview of the adventure, scaling information, wandering monsters, several ideas for how to get the party to investigate, background information that can be discovered through a little research, and even notes on translating inscriptions within the ziggurat. Well, it's been buried a long time and nobody speaks that language any more! There's also a bit of background story, which may or may not be revealed during play.

There are various ways that the party can get to the ziggurat, once they have decided that it's worth a look. However, no more than a brief outline is given, you will have to come up with the details yourself as the adventure itself begins just as they arrive at the ziggurat. There appears to be a localised storm brewing over its apex, but that's the only way in... and from the outset, there's plenty of opposition to the party's investigations. Indeed traps and monsters are present in abundance throughout the ziggurat.

Everything is explained clearly, with all the information, explanations and game mechanics you need to run each encounter supplied just where you need it. In certain places, as well as a verbal description, there is an illustration to show to the players. As the party gets deeper into the ziggurat, things get progressively worse and - especially if they haven't guessed what's here - weirder. Spirits abound and any paleontologist would have a field day with all the ancient bones. And right at the bottom? Suffice to say, something that the party will really, really hope stays dead!

Every creature here is indeed here to be slain, not interacted with. There's some loot to be had, but rather low considered the difficulty of obtaining it. There are quite a few new monsters, which are given a full write-up at the end as well as having an outline within the body of the text where you need it. There's no follow-up adventures, there again if the great evil escapes there is unlikely to be much of a future for anybody.

Quite an interesting delve based on an unusual premise, but definitely for those who like deadly hack'n'slash delves... it's an excellent example.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #23: The Sunken Ziggurat
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #22: The Stormbringer Juggernaut
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/24/2018 07:31:05

Intended as a sequel to Assault of Stormbringer Castle where the party dealt with a storm giant clan that was extorting protection money from the local community, this adventure sends the party to clear up the consequences: the storm giant in question transferred her life essence into a massive 800-foot long giant-scaled assault ship bristling with weapons of war... and it's now advancing on the coastline!

If your party played Assault of Stormbringer Castle they ought to be aware of this problem and feel obligated to do something about it, but if they didn't (or see no need for their further involvement) just have the local lordling call them in to explain the issue and ask for their aid. Clerics or paladins might be sent orders by their religious superiors, while any elves or dwarves may have relatives amongst those who have been conscripted to construct and man the vessel.

The notes for the DM include scaling information, a list of wandering monsters, and notes about the 'living ship' as well as more detailed background material. It's likely that the party will begin by going to the island of Cairvos where the vessel is in the final stages of construction. There's a little bit of description, but much is left to your imagination. Oddly, although it's stated that the storm giant's husband - thought to be dead - isn't, and has built himself a colossus to stride along the seabed, it doesn't turn up anywhere in the adventure. Something you might wish to conjure with...

The actual adventure provided is a deck-by-deck exploration of this massive ship. Everything is mapped and described in excellent detail, with all the game mechical information presented just where you'll need it. Several new spells have been designed to facilitate certain aspects of the ship's defences, and they are written up in the standard manner should you want to use them elsewhere. There is plenty to find, puzzle out and fight during the exploration.

Finally, in the bowels of the ship, the climax as the party finds the storm giant's 'spirit gem' and hopefully destroy it. Get it right, though, as a mistake might tear the ship apart and sink it. Further adventures are covered - particularly if the spirit gem survives the destruction of the ship. Some new monsters and five pre-generated characters round off the book.

This makes for an interesting and unusual adventure, scrambling round a giant-sized ship.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #22: The Stormbringer Juggernaut
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Capharnaum Quickstart: THE TEARS OF AMPHAROOL
Publisher: Mindjammer Press
by Megan R. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 07/12/2018 09:17:08

Lushly presented, we have here a rich fantasy world that is Arabian in style. In this world, certain individuals are born with a birthmark on their backs shaped like a dragon's claw. It is belived - and expected - that these individuals are capable of great heroism, of achieving great renown... or notoriety, should their astonishing feats tend to the evil rather than the good. The player-characters are all marked thus: what will they accomplish? What songs will be sung about them, or stories told?

Colourful adventures, political, military, and magical intrigues await the characters in the land of Jazirat, once annexed by a crumbling Empire that itself was built on the remains of the Republic of Agalanthia. Jazirat is a vast peninsula with a big desert in the middle and Capharnaum to the north, regarded as the centre of the world, while the nation of Kh'saaba is found to the south. Many peoples with their own traditions and beliefs mix here, sometimes at peace, often not.

Scene set, we move on to the Quickstart Rules, a cut-down version of the full Capharnaum rules. The GM here is called Al-Rawi, which is the Arabic for 'storyteller', and task resolution is by rolling handfulls of d6s... you'll need a lot of them. The number rolled depends on your score in the appropriate attribute (Strength, Constitution, Dexterity, Intelligence or Charisma) and where appropriate you add in the number of points you have in an apposite skill. Most attributes and skills are rated 1-5, so normally you'll be rolling up to ten dice at a time. You then add up the best rolls, using the number of dice derived from your attribute - these are your Result dice, and you want as high a result as possible. This is compared against a target or against what someone else rolled if it's an opposed task. Sounds simple, huh? But there's more. Every time you roll, one die is designated the Dragon Die and if you roll a 6 on that, you keep that 6 and reroll, adding that result in as well... and so on until it rolls something other than 6. Only the Dragon Marked get to rill a Dragon Die. There are also extra effects if you roll three dice the same, called a 'Constellation'... and there are other bits as well. It sounds complex but once you have got your head around it, you'll find it works quite well, even if it makes the die-rolling a bit intrusive into the flow of the game.

The rules bit then goes into great detail about combat. It's a round-based system with everyone involved rolling initiative each round, then taking their actions in turn. Needless to say, there are a lot of different actions to choose from. There are also different classes of opponents from Champions (who give even the Dragon Marked a run for their money) to the hordes of 'Babouche-Draggers' who fall over at a harsh look and are there for local colour rather than real opposition. It's all intended to create a cinematic feel for combat, and flamboyant moves are encouraged. This is followed by a brief look at magic, which is supposedly flexible and profound; here it's limited to discussion of a single improvisational style practised by both of the magic-using pre-generated characters provided. In this, to cast a spell the player states which 'Sacred Word' (Create, Destroy, or Transform) is to be used, then describes the effect they are trying to create and then roll for the success (or otherwise) of your spell.

Next comes the adventure The Tears of Ampharool, which begins with the party travelling in a caravan across the desert when a sandstorm hits. Eventually an opportunity opens up, rather neatly it doesn't matter whether or not the party take up the offer, Whether or not they decide to explore a mirage palace that appears before them, there's plenty to do in the desert. It is all well constructed and hangs together neatly, leaving the party with the impression that the choices they may really do make a difference.

Finally, there are five pre-generated characters to choose from. Each is well-rounded and detailed, complete with charming illustrations.

Perpare to be swept away on a magic carpet of adventure. The game mechanics seem complex when you read through them, but become less clunky as you get to know them, with the magic system lending itself to some spectactular results if you are prepared to put the effort into designing your spells. There's a glorious immersive feel as this rich setting takes over and embraces you.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Capharnaum Quickstart: THE TEARS OF AMPHAROOL
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