How the Kami Stole Snowtide by Cindy Butor (@babble_drabble)
“A winter-themed adventure for level 6-8 characters”
Due to the time constraints of the Holidays and winter soon being on their way, I will be reviewing the first of the four released parts covering the quarter of the adventure supplement in detail and summarising the other parts, with the intention to return for the full review when I can.
Part One: Adventure Summary
Synopsis
The party are in a village of the God, Kami no Mura, the premier place to celebrate Snowtide, but this year something has been stealing everyone’s decorations. The villagers ask the PCs to track down and stop the pilfering humbug.
Adventure Hook(s)
A Town in Distress sees the party overhearing the misfortunes of the village from complaining merchants who are heading home.
Throughout the adventure Butor includes DM Tips, providing insight and inspiration such as the first one, which prompts a specific check for some particular information about the village.
A Merchant’s Curiosity finds the party in the region capital and meeting a friendly NPC who has information and will pay for the danger in the forest’s surrounding Kami no Mura. I do enjoy a hook that expands on the area, lore and NPCs and this one has definitely piqued my interest, especially with the DM Tip giving the chance for additional knowledge and small quest for a Paper Charm of Protection from a village on the way.
Free tickets has the party having won tickets for some much needed downtime in the hot springs in Kami no Mura, which promises to be a memorable trip...
Adventure Reward(s)
While the main reward is good will and helping a village get their merry back, charms and magic items can be provided from the village artificer, as well as a gold reward for those aiding the curious merchant.
Adventure Background
The Village of God, Kami no Mura, is the Holiday destination with hot springs, glorious decorations, renowned end-of-year Snowtide celebrations and to revive the blessing of its guardian spirit, Omomo-sama. As the village’s popularity has grown, so too has its commercialisation and veneration of Omomo-sama has decreased to the point the Kami’s shrine was damaged when it was moved from its place of honour and damaged it transit. This dishonour angered Omomo-sama so much she split into a benign Spring Eladrin and a vengeful Winter Eladrin. Where the former has tried to warn the villagers, the latter is stealing away the festive accoutrements and will become a vengeful yuki-onna, leaving the village to the mercy of the elements and dark spirits.
I’m just paraphrasing and condensing, but even so you can see how deep the lore goes and the thought gone into the preceding events.
All About Snowtide
The joyous holiday and festivities are described in some detail, again reiterating the villagers disturbing lack of faith.
Setting
The setting is agnostic, though specific advice is given for changing the named locations for those in Faerun, Greyhawk and Eberron.
A DM tip describes why the village need the adventurers and how certain NPCs will be instrumental in achieving success, especially as the villagers themselves will be essential in truly resolving the issue.
Important Characters
Seven important NPCs are laid out with their pronouns, alignment and brief character and physical descriptions.
A DM tip discusses the chronology of events in the adventure with the advice to be flexible with the events in reaction to the party, with the emphasis on fun.
Part Two: The Adventure
Chapter One: The Party Arrives at Kami no Mura
Entering Kami no Mura
The party enter the village and meet Momokono, the benign aspect of the Kami in the form of a young Elf, who can give them clues and point them in the right direction. All information she can provide is set out in bullet points, before vanishing the moment the party looks away.
Two shopkeepers are closing up their stalls and discussing one’s stolen food and a missing child. Though nervous of outsiders in this troubled time, they can provide information on the strange things that have been happening, as well as directing the party to the mayor who is organising search parties to find the lost child.
A DM Tip provides advice on how to handle the party deciding to begin with exploring the village, rather than searching for the lost child, directing the DM to the next chapter and noting which areas will be closed or deserted due to the rescue efforts.
Interacting with Momokono
Due to the curse from Sumomokono, Momokono’s malignant half, she can only be seen by the village story teller, children and outsiders, and then she can only be recalled with a wisdom save. This curse also stops Momokono from revealing her true nature for fear of an icy death, until someone has seen and remembered both halves and returned to her.
Searching for Hachirou
Leaving the Village
Villagers congregate in front on the mayor’s home setting up search parties. People are afraid and cagey, but can provide some information to the party.
A D20 table of 7 rumours that can be overheard are also provided containing some interesting clues and insights.
Potential NPCs
Some information about the makeup and disposition of the villagers and tourists is provided, along with 10 additional NPCs are provided for ease with the search parties and populating the village.
A DM Tip provides advice on how to handle the party not electing to search for Hachirou right away, with the ramifications, other ways of obtaining information and how successful the search is without the party.
Entering the Forest of Lost Paths
The checks needed to find Hachirou are clearly laid out along with a table of different possible results of their search, depending on the number of successes, as well as a table of seven random encounters. These varying results really show just how difficult and dangerous searching a snowy forest can be.
The number of successes is tied to set encounters that include, an Owlbear and it’s their owners who can’t wait to have the party over for dinner, coming across a Ranger on their own errand who can help find Hachirou, and actually finding the boy. These encounters are impressively linked, have their own developments and all lead to the eventual rescue of Hachirou. The time it takes and whether the party gets the honours are dependent on their survival skills, but if they do make it there is an interesting and dangerous magically warded shrine to overcome, which gives clues to what must be done to save the village and. It’s Kami.
Returning to the Village
The disposition and actions of the villagers upon the party’s return depends on when they arrive and who with. Descriptions of three different scenarios are included, along with developments, exploration and possible patrolling of the village.
Appendix A
The extremely useful magic item for the first, is included.
End of How the Kami Stole Snowtide Part One
How The Kami Stole Snowtide Part Two
Part Two contains details of the village that bring it to life, with tables of shops and shopkeepers, random events, including a witch flying by on a broom and pelting the party with acorns and central plaza booths, as well as details of the bath hose, it’s healing properties and the secret polymorphed Ancient Gold Dragon who owns it.
The party also formally meet and become hired by the mayor for some rather epic privileges, and the Artificer for access to magical items and more. They can explore warehouses, which hold the moved broken Shrine, and investigate the broken rope boundary, which leaves the village unprotected, with a table of random encounters caused by the vulnerability, including my new favourite acorn pelting and scheming witch.
The appendix contains two new magic items and the unique or amended statblocks for three NPCs, you hope in case they need to make checks, but also handy if the players get out of line.
Butor builds on her ability to bring life and spice to a location to make it feel vibrant, busy and varied from her previous RPG Writer Workshop adventure, In Purr-suit of Happiness, and gives the DM and players a great deal of interesting things to deal with.
How The Kami Stole Snowtide Part Three
Part Three sees the coming of the first night and with it Sumomokono, the malign aspect of the Kami, and her Ice Children minions to steal away the decorations, most likely provoking combat. Butor covers almost every possible eventuality. After meeting Sumomokono, the party can now speak to Momokono and finally gain an understanding of what is going on. What they do with the information is up to them.
The previous magic items and NPCs are included in the appendix, along with the Sumomokono’s minions.
How The Kami Stole Snowtide Part Four
The party confront the angry spirit, but if they’re not up for it right off the bat Butor has a number of ways to guilt, bribes and/ or persuade them.
The confrontation occurs in a random area of the village with Sumomokono, arriving with a while host of minions to distract everyone, while she goes for the presents. The fight inevitably leads to a chase with a fun and dangerous table of complications.
The final confrontation has a number of ways of ending, with Momokono desperately trying to get the party to appease Sumomokono with offerings of magic items (a tough sell for many parties).
Failure results in a devastating description, figuratively and literally, and the box text really hit me in the emotions. But it also sets up further potential adventuring. Success is sweet, profitable and comes with flying Ice Babies returning the gifts. There are two ways of achieving a version of the good and bad endings.
The new magic items and NPCs from the previous section are in the appendix, along with the statblock and details of Sumomokono.
This is another vibrant and stylish adventure from Butor with a wonderful Holiday story, a detailed village to explore, and emotional weight. There is always a rich and tangible nature to her writing and the elements she creates.
While this is a holiday adventure, it could be effectively used at any time of the year.
How the Kami Stole Snowtide was originally released in four separate parts as part of the RPG Writer Workshop, and judging by the layout and sheen Butor had in her absolutely previous spectacular RPG Writer Workshop adventure, In Purr-suit of Happiness, I previously reviewed https://www.dmsguild.com/product_reviews_info.php?&reviews_id=344698&products_id=284840?affiliate_id=1507682), I wouldn’t be surprised if the layout is updated and artwork added in the future, especially with this being quite the holiday epic to complete by the workshop’s deadline.
For now, it’s an extremely high 4/5, but it’s a 5 everywhere it really matters. As soon as this gets an updated layout, I’ll be right over to amend my rating!
“Additional updates, including a consolidated simple text version, B/W printer-friendly version, a prettified version, and maps (!!!) will be available shortly, but you now have access to the full adventure. As these files are added, the price will increase slightly, so if you’d like to purchase this item at a discounted price, do so now!” I thoroughly recommend getting it at this ridiculously low price!
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