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This is a pretty fun modules, as with the other DDEX season 1 mods I've run thus far. Players enjoyed it. To start, I really like how many of the modules are not only tied into the seasonal theme of dragons, but have common touchpoints (Mantor's library, for example). I was able to ad-lib in a NPC from DDEX 1-06 (we ran that first) named Casra and the PCs liked getting to work with her again. Nice touches like that.

As with many of these modules, there is some investigation at the outset, and then the last part winds up being a bit of a dungeon crawl. This isn't a bad way to do it. In this case, there are some NPCs who the players may/may not fight that are fun to role play, and my players had a good time interacting with them (Spernik and his kobolds). They used some guile to get him to help them, and I rewarded those efforts as much as if they had killed him.

Few issues: First, Spernik is written more like a thief than a cultist with spellcasting abilities. He's 19, talented but a bit impulsive, yet scared out of his wits of what the cult will do to him if he fails. I would expect a character with clerical powers and a reasonably high wisdom to make more measured decisions, or be truly fanatical. I changed him to be a rogue and it worked well. Second, in some of the fights, there are a lot of monsters (zombies in particular). We ran way over on time on this one, despite the fact that I did some DM "cleanup" when it was clear that the PCs were going to win the fight. Remember that Zombies have to be killed hard to be put down (they get a save to avoid dying and instead be reduced to 1 hp to fight on). This can drag a game on. Consider changing some of the zombies to ghouls and reduce their number. Lots of Kobolds later, as well. Fewer, more challenging monsters often means more memorable combats. Finally, there is some degree of confusion between "The Circle of Scale" and the "Cult of Dragons" -- make clear at the outset when running the game.

The trap rooms turned out to be a big non-starter because one of my players was an Arcane Trickster... mage hand FTW!

So, mixed bag to some degree, but again, plenty of fun to be had. The encounters offer some RP opportunities that shouldn't be missed. Remember, your PCs don't always have to kill baddies to overcome them. Encourage creative problem-solving!

-Brian

PS -- Never figured out what the bag of chalk and scrollcase were for. Did I miss something?

This was a fun module to play and run. One caveat on my review: I had to "wing it" with this one, as I had very little prep time (I confess I screwed up one whose day it was to DM, lol...). The beginning is a bit slow, and some of the investigation parts seem a bit shoehorned in. My players zoomed in immediately on what they needed to do, and it seemed that there was some "but wait, before you go to the island, don't you want to talk to anyone else?" So, when prepping this module, pay special attention to the first section and see if you can't smooth out some of the poking around town, the tavern, and the docks. Simplify and let the PCs find out what they need to know a little more organically.

Once on the island, the game picks up a little steam. More so once the PCs go into the temple. Of note, do make sure to a) take care with balancing the last couple encounters, as they can wipe a party, and b) pay special attention to the sinkhole. As a DM who does homebrew games and adventures, I give kudos for a well designed trap room. This one might not wipe a whole party (unless they're all careless) but it can kill off one or two with very little chance for the character to fight back. You might want to emphasize that the sides of the sinkhole are very slick.

Anyway, in the end, we all had lots of fun and I continue to be impressed with the quality of these adventures.

-Brian

This was a fun mod to run. Players enjoyed it. There is a little something for everyone. Lots of interaction and skill checks for peeps, a bit of investigation and sleuthing, and some combats. My party managed to defeat the dragon fairly easily because of a well-placed combo (warlock hex caused disadvantage on wisdom saves, bard hit it with hideous laughter, poor thing just sat there until the barbarian wooped on it). That said, the fight might have gone quite poorly if the dragon had gotten airborn and used its breath weapon. I could see how a party of 1st levelers could struggle...

So, lessee:

Organization/Writing/Editing: Good. Few typeos here and there, no biggie. I would say that they are missing a map that would make the layout of the archive sub-basement area much easier to follow. As a DM I had to read and re-read it to get a feel for the layout, and the layout will be important during play. Other than that, great.

Challenge/"Deadly Factor": Adequate. As an AL DM, you must pay attention to party strength rating and adjust encounters accordingly. Their charts and instructions on how to do this work just fine. That said, I found that some of the encounters were a breeze, and some were potentially TPK material.

Fun Factor: Great. Everybody had a great time with this one. There are lots of rich personalities for the DM to play as well.

Advice for DMs: Look over the section with the sub-basement/archives thoroughly and maybe draw yourself a map. I had to ad-lib it a bit. Pay particular attention to the party strength when they approach the dragon's lair. My party breezed through it, but they made a nice tactical move and had it gone another way, could have been a wipe. The lair abilities never factored into my game, but remember them as well when considering the challenge to the party.

Final Evaluation: Great mod. Well worth the time.