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Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper $7.49
Average Rating:4.0 / 5
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper
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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!]
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Mike K. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/14/2014 15:00:09

It was well designed and looks to be a lot of fun.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Simon L. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 06/06/2007 00:00:00

An interesting attempt to make a dungeon crawl out of a city-based adventure, but the lack of depth means that the plot twists will probably go un-noticed by the players.<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: The early part of the adventure manages to be a dungeon crawl without seeming to be one (c.f. the city parts of Neverwinter Nights).<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: It would have been better, IMO, for the adventure to be openend out more to allow for more investigation and clue gathering into the nature of The Ripper. For my tastes also the inspiration is too obvious (Mari Kell, i.e Mary Kelly, as the the Ripper's last victim, for example).<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Acceptable<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Chris G. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 05/28/2007 00:00:00

Legend of the Ripper

A good horror adventure can be hard to do in D&amp;D. They are usually written for low levels as it is tough to really make a high level character scared. There are just too many options and too many classes built to handle the truly scary things. But a module that wants to do horror needs to stick with it and not lose track of itself half way through. I fear that is what this module did. It started out great and I think a simple focus change would really improve how the module is played out. Legend of the Ripper is number twenty four in the Dungeon Crawl classics series. The module is written by Andrew Hind and it is about forty pages long. The adventure is for low level characters of first through third level. The maps are nicely done and the player handouts are useful. The module is horror themed and it does this by having will and fort saves at certain times to give a bit of fear or shaken modifiers to the player characters. That is done pretty nicely. The story of the module is the return of a person or creature that killed prostitutes in the same city over a century before. The story is very Jack the Ripper. There is even a ghost of Mari Kell the Ripper?s last victim so many years ago.

The Adventure starts out with the player characters knowing where they are going. The module does say that a DM can expand upon the investigation of the current murders that leads the player character to Ten Bells. It would have been a lot more useful if that investigation where part of the module. The biggest problems I had were with the beginning that is not there and also with the end. The last part of module really seems like a non sequitur.

The Adventure starts with the group going to the Ten Bells. There are some shops and NPCs the group can interact with as well as a ghoul ambush but this part is not that detailed out. Once inside the Ten Bells there is a bit of a mystery to solve. Mari is haunting the place as a ghost and she is also killing people though she is not the Ripper. There is a little side bar on how to get Mari to laid to rest but I think the module would be a lot stronger if this were the final goal once the monsters are all dealt with. Instead it becomes a little side thing the PCs might be able to do though most of that would have to be created by the DM. The module also takes an odd turn in the basement. It just happens the place where the Ripper is hiding out also houses and ancient evil the PCs have to deal with. Stop me if you?ve heard this one before. In this case the evil woman is imprisoned and the PCs have to get by all the traps keeping her in to kill her. It actually seems like a time to just leave well enough alone. If the module had a beginning that dealt with investigations it would have been easy to have the PCs uncover some clues that lead to this. In the house there are clues of Mari?s lover trying to raise her from the dead and clues of a small safe house the local thieves use attached to the basement. Both of these encounters are nicely foreshadowed and really fit in with the tone of the module. The ancient evil part is a nice story and would have been better if given its own module. There are nice water themes running through that small level of a the place and in the end it really seems a bit out of place.

Legend of the Ripper is a nice module that just does not live up to its potential. It is one of the rare city based adventures that could have gone outside the normal dungeon crawl modules nicely but still have been one. Instead the module thrusts PCs into the action with no real sense of how they got there and ends with the all clich?d evil the PCs accidentally freed and now have to stop. If one ignores the fifth level of this place and involves a nice investigation to the beginning that sets a horror tone early on the module will flow and run a lot better.

<br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Lots of potential if a DM doesn't mind the work<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Ending that came out of no where and lack of a beginning<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Disappointing<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Disappointed<br>



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
DCC #24: Legend of the Ripper is written by Ennie-nominated author Andrew Hind. Potential buyers might also like to read this 5-star fan review of DCC #24: http://www.rpgnow.com/product_reviews_info.php?products_id=6457&reviews_id=13833&
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #24: Legend of the Ripper
Publisher: Goodman Games
by Joel B. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/25/2006 00:00:00

GREAT beginning adventure that successfully blends an atmosphere of horror. My kids LOVED it (although I had to tone it down a bit for a more G rated effect). <br><br> <b>LIKED</b>: Suspenseful, especially for younger players--lots of hauntings, grossness, etc.<br><br><b>DISLIKED</b>: Nothing!<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Very Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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