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Within the heart of The Iron Forest stands a venerated tree kin, holding vast knowledge and lording over the woods from time memorial. Sadly, the tree kin has started to succumb to an infernal infection as a demon has corrupted the nearby wellspring from which the tree kin draws sustenance. As the tree kin slowly succumbs, its beloved forest begins to wither like fruit on a vine. Heroes are needed to the tree kin and its woodland home.
That's roughly the story of this old-fashioned but charming sidetrek from Emerald Mage Games, which includes a sympathetic giant, a zombie bear and shambling undead which remind you of why you fear The Walking Dead ((beware their Vile Vomit attack! Deadly and gross).
While designed for Dragonbane, the adventure can be easily used by any OSR variant with minimal alteration. Similarly, while it’s ostensibly set within the Misty Vale setting from the Dragonbane Core Box, the adventure can be used anywhere.
The illustrations are nice, as are the two included battle maps.
The Ancient Tree is a well-written, well-packaged sidetrek. While there is nothing particularly new here, it does its intended job of providing an evening of entertainment and does it well.
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You know those schlocky martial arts actions films of the 1980s and ‘90s? Those high-octane, low budget flicks where the hero is a one-man show beating down hordes of bad guys with just his bare hands and an encyclopedia of killer moves? Those movies that went straight to VHS but we loved them nonetheless? Action International seeks to emulate those movies and does so with loving aplomb.
If you’re idea of a good time is having your character punch someone in the face while engaging in breathlessly frenetic adventure, then this is the game for you. It’s a love letter to the martial arts action movies of yore, but more than that is a great game on its own merits.
The central mechanic of Action International is easy and familiar to most. It’s a Target 20 roll. Roll 1d20, add the value of the relevant attribute (Power, Grace, Tough, Cool, Heat), and add Grit Dice. If the total is 20 or higher you succeed. Simple. The GM never makes a roll; he merely describes the result of the heroes’ actions and their consequences.
The GM can influence roll, however, by deciding whether a course of action is easier or harder to do (known as Advantage or Disadvantage). In either event, the player rolls an additional d20 when performing the action. If it is an Advantage the player keeps the better of the two rolls. Alternatively, on a Disadvantage he takes the worse. The system is designed so that, more often than not, heroes will succeed. This keeps the action flowing and simulates the heroics of the movies the game seeks to emulate.
Character generation is easy but with enough depth to keep it interesting. To generate Attributes, one rolls 3d6. If a roll is 15 or higher, the next roll is 2d+6, then back to 3d6 again. This prevents lucky die rolls from making a character much better than his peers. Next, pick a Role. Roles define your skill set because there is no skill system in Action International. Instead, Roles serve to inform what you are good at. Roles include the entire gamut of cinematic heroes, from Cop on the Edge and Ex-Military to Government Experiment, Ninja, Movie Star, and Streetfighter. Players are encouraged to describe why their character’s Role makes them ideally suited for perform a task. If the GMs agree, the character gets to add double the Grit Dice.
I’ve mentioned Grit several times. So, what exactly is Grit. Every hero has 1 or more Grit points. Grit can be used to increase damage, restore an attribute, or augment the result of any test)
The final aspect of character generation is Drive. This tells us what’s importance to the hero, what he values, why he pushes himself to be a hero. When acting with accordance with the precepts of his Drive, the character gain Advantage. Conversely, he is Disadvantaged when going against his Drive.
Combat is quick, easy and fun. The game makes use of Maneuver Cards for that martial arts sensibility, adding color and variation to a fight. The wound system is innovative. Damage is taken off an Attributes. When an Attribute reaches 0 a roll is made on the Out of Action table. Results ranges from dead or comatose to captured or just bumps and bruises (‘get a hot nurse to stitch you up and get back out there to fight the good fight’). There is an extensive – did I say extensive – section on martial arts styles.
The GM section includes some wonderful tips to creating adventures, with tables to generate everything from schlocky titles to a list of henchmen-types to boss headquarters. My favorite is the Budget Tablet, which tells you how many Hollywood Points (HPs) you have to work with. HP represents the number of times you can 'Go Hollywood' by throwing money at a scene to make it more over the top.
Finally, there are also two complete adventures, each one an enjoyable, rip-roaring punch-up.
The game is wonderfully packaged, with a beautiful cover and interior art by Rick Hershey (there are no AI images). The writing is clear and engaging, editing excellent, layout flawless. In short, it’s a top-notch product.
Action International is a fantastic new game. I can’t wait until I play again, hell breaks loose, and bodies start dropping.
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Having made his launch adventure earlier this year with A Problem in Port Haven, Stephen Smith follows up with a new adventure, The Lost Garrison, which represents a loose sequel to the first. One doesn’t need to have played the former to enjoy the latter – The Lost Garrison is very much a self-contained adventure – but the further elaboration of their shared setting means you’ll be missing out on a more immersive experience if you don’t play both.
In The Lost Garrison, Smith flexes his creative muscles with another fine adventure, this one intended for levels 2-4.
The set-up is simple. No overly ambitious or convoluted story here. The basis of adventure is straight-forward. More than 200 years ago, Goshawk Keep stood sentinel over the coast. Its fortifications were found wanting, however, as it fell in battle. Over time, Port Haven was built on the ashes, the lower levels cut off and forgotten. Over time, creatures have reinhabited these levels, creatures that if left unchallenged pose a threat to the unsuspecting community above. Its into this darkened underbelly that PCs are thrust.
The setup might not provide anything we haven’t seen before, but Smith demonstrates a deft touch at dungeon design. Each of the 14 encounters offer something unique and challenging in their own way – from overcoming hideous monsters and evading deadly traps to overcoming the hurdles of interacting with an alien species. The diversity of encounters ensures that players remain interested and invested.
In a nice touch there are five full realized henchmen that can be hired. Rather than being merely a collection of stats, they have distinct personalities that GMs can use to enhance the roleplaying element of the adventure.
The artwork throughout is topnotch, evocative and dramatic. Layout, editing, and design is similarly excellent.
Frankly, we’ve seen this all of this before — forgotten ruins beneath a fallen fortress that call for exploration — but rarely much better in the shape of a short adventure. The Lost Garrison is, simply, a joy to play.
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Brooding Darkly, Unearthed Spoils #25 is a wonderfully horrific resource for horror gaming. This issue of Grim Press’ monthly zine bears a subtitle of Unholy Rebirth, an apt name indeed.
The resources are extensive and diverse.
Bards of the College of the Dirge Singer, who often served as funeral musicians, blend the beauty of eerie music with the power of dark necromancy to heal or harm the living and commune with the dead. Cool.
Wizards of the Tradition of the Veil wield necromancy to delve into the mysteries of life and death. They seek to use their powers for good, but the fact they weal veils over their faces adds to mystery and misunderstanding.
We get a dozen new necromantic spells. While all are serviceable many are simply variations of the same, dealing necrotic damage in new ways. Several spells, however, are elevated above the rest. Standouts include Grave Binding, Spirit Shackle, and Spectral Sentry.
More varied is the selection of new items that draw power from or protect against necrotic arts. The fourteen well-designed magic treasures include some thing for all classes. Warriors will delight at the shadowblade lifedrinker, for example, which allows wielders to deal extra necrotic damage and uses the life essence to rejuvenate himself. Appealing to worshippers of dark gods would be the phylactery of giant souls, in which one can trap the soul of a huge or larger creature that has recently died and then later absorb the soul to regain hit points. There's something for everyone.
The zine includes a bakers dozen of new undead horrors. Grave ghouls (ghouls that draw strength and power from being near open graves), wailing spirit (your classic ‘sheet’ ghost of lore, terrifying the living with its horrible visage and frightful moan), and the revenant knight (even powerful PCS will quake in its presence) are highlights. I would have loved even a paragraph of lore or description about them, but the illustrations are excellent.
Rounding out the publication is a 14-page 7th level adventure called Malcroft Manor. PCs are tasked with stopping the undead seeping forth from a manor located deep in the dark woods. While descriptive text is well written and the adventure has its atmospheric moments, it is extremely combat heavy and there is little variation in encounters. Still, a decent adventure that makes full use of the resources in this magazine.
Unearthed Spoils #25 is a spooky addition to your 5e game just in time for Halloween. Get your claws on a copy
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Creator Reply: |
Thank you so much for your review Andrew. We're glad that your players enjoyed it! |
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Tomb of the Frost Giant is ideal for a rousing evening of gaming. The adventure is tidy – there is no wasted space, no long-winded narrations – and yet in a mere eight encounters manages to be thrilling and diverse in its encounters. Insidious traps, challenging terrain to navigate, new magic to wonder at, monsters that thematical make sense and pose a threat - its all here. There are even a few twists in there to keep players on their toes, and an eminently hissable bad guy that players will likely love to loath (mine did).
The writing is evocative and the maps and illustrations beautiful. And, in keeping with the best side treks, the adventure can be picked up, quickly read over, and played right away – everything you need is right here at your finger tips, including monster stats.
In short, Tomb of the Frost Giant is a near-prefect side trek and a memorable evening of gaming.
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Lindworm Cavern is a short Dragonbane adventure by Emerald Mage Games. The adventure expands upon a location pinpointed on the map of Misty Vale in the Dragonbane core box, but of course can easily be dropped anywhere of a GMs choosing.
The set-up is simple: a monstrous lindworm has laired within said cave and preys upon travellers and isolated farms. Aiding and indeed worshipping the beast are a band of kobolds (some of them winged!), who lure victims to their demise.
The cavern has nine locations, making it an ideal length for an evening of gaming. There is a nice variation in the geography of the rooms, including a subterranean waterfall and river that must be crossed. A series of random events (a falling stalactite, for example, or a minor quake rather than just a wandering monster) bring an element of dynamism to the adventure. There’s a nice consistency to the encounters; rather than shoehorning in more monsters, the author stays true to the kobold and lindworm formula and wraps things up neatly just before it becomes repetitious and dull.
The adventure includes stats for the lindworm and kobolds, of course, but also a new type of flora: Dawn’s Dewcap. Morning moisture collected from the shroom is imbued with magic, helping to heal wounds and reduce fatigue. Cool.
Lindworm Cavern is nicely laid out with good maps and solid artwork, making it a breeze to run.
Lindworm Cavern wears its old-school fantasy gaming heart right on it’s sleave. And if that’s in your wheelhouse than you can do far worse for a quick pickup adventure.
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“Welcome to Port Haven. A peaceful village of fisherfolk and artisans. A friendly community safely perched high above the raging sea. On the surface life is grand, but who knows what troubles lurks below.”
So teases A Problem in Port Haven, an Old School Essentials adventure for levels 1-3 that represents the inaugural release from Mister Smith Design. The ‘troubles’ teased are both figurative – characters in town may not all be what they seem – and literal in the form of the sea caves located in the cliffs beneath the town.
In many ways, A Problem in Port Haven harkens back to the classic Village of Hommlet in that it begins with a sand box with freedom of exploration and interaction before progressing to a dungeon. The comparison also refers to quality of design: both are excellent.
Whereas in Hommlet the dungeon portion is a ruinous keep, here it takes the form of the sea caves. Villagers know of them but avoid them because of their association with the dread pirate Silver Claw and the dangers lurking within. Yet its into the Silver Claw Caverns that the PCs must eventually go
Why do they enter the caves? Various hooks are provided to be fed PCs as they explore Port Haven and interact with locals.
And they will want to explore Port Haven. One of this adventure’s greatest strengths are its fully realized NPCs, more than a dozen in total. The community comes alive with each new interaction.
The Silver Claw Caverns represent a very well-designed dungeon with a wide variety of encounter types. The GM is recommended to create a sense of tension by making it difficult for PCs to retreat for rest and recuperation. In a nice twist, while there are genuine bad guys here, we also find characters who, while not evil, may have motivations that put them at odds with the PCs. The dungeon is extremely easy to run thanks to small sidebars with DM Insights that highlight the core of each encounter (monster, treasure, trap, etc.). Game play flows seamlessly, as a result.
Rounding out the adventure is bestiary, some new magic items, and a section entitled More Problems in Port Haven that highlights potential further adventures.
A Problem in Port Haven is beautifully illustrated. As such its as much a pleasure to look at as it is to play. Pre-gens, each with their own excellent portrait, help players give right in.
A Problem in Port Haven is a near flawless adventure. As a reviewer, I couldn’t find a ‘problem’ worth pointing out. Its easily in the running for my favorite in the first half of 2024.
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Hags and witches are a classic villain of fiction, folklore, and fantasy roleplaying. The Hag’s Hut, a new Dragonbane adventure from Emerald Mage Games leans into these toad-kissers with delight, resulting in an atmospheric and enjoyable night or gaming.
The Hag’s Hut is 18 pages in length. The actual adventure takes up 9 pages. The remainder is a collection of monster stat blocks and the like.
The set-up is simple. Agasyl, a nasty hag that resides within the Haunted Marsh, has begun kidnapping young children to sacrifice in her quest for power. A couple of hooks to get the PCs involved, but its really up to the GM to decide how to make use of the adventure. In any event, its up to the PCs to put a stop to Agasyl before more children die.
Writer Zach Wharton has populated the hag’s lair – the hut suggested in the adventure’s title and the caves beneath with a diverse range of fun, appropriate, and atmospheric encounters. You’ll love the grim scarecrows and most especially the two undead dolls, Scissors and Hook and Knife, who are creepy as heck and viciously attack with their namesake weapons. The climax with Agasyl is rewarding. Its a challenging fight and the moment when she finally reveals her terrible self is expertly (and grotesquely) written.
Production quality is excellent. The cover is eerily beautiful, the two maps are expertly rendered, editing and layout is solid, and the stock art captures the mood and imagery of the text (which isn’t always the case when stock art is employed). It’s clear care and thought was put into this adventure.
Like a good horror movie, The Hag’s Hut is genuinely creepy at times and creates a strong sense of unease that never lets up. It’s a perfect horror-themed sidetrek.
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Do we really need another campaign where heroes push back the darkness and save a cursed kingdom from the forces of the Abyss? If that campaign is Hellwatch: Infernal Oath by Lion Banner Games then the answer is – if you’ll pardon the pun – a resounding Hell Yeah! This is the concept done in epic, lavish, and inspired form. It’s a masterpiece.
Long ago, a king entered a pact with a succubus to gain the throne through the murder of his brother, the rightful monarch. The demon was true to her word, the deed was done, a new king was crowned, but in recompense for the succubus’ assistance the kingdom fell under the sway of darkness. Crimson red consumed the sky, witchcraft flourished in every village, monsters emerged from hiding, and demons are attempting to enter from the infernal realms. This is the land of the PCs. This is the Accursed Kingdom.
Now the king grows weary with age. With no heir and an ailing kingdom, with the gates of Infernus unsealed, with death threatening to consume the land, things look bleak. But there is a glimmer of hope, and chance for salvation and perhaps even redemption. The PCs represent that hope for a brighter future. Will they succeed?
Hellwatch is a massive undertaking, at 320 pages. Its also ambitious. There is a web of plots to unwind and the scale is epic, taking characters from first level to 15th as the campaign culminates with a thrilling descend into Infernus. Along the way they will face a diverse range of threats and set pieces and journey from one end of the kingdom to another.
In some ways, Hellwatch reminds me of the classic Enemy Within campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (which, if you’re of a certain age, you know is high praise indeed). PCs are able to explore largely as they wish and yet there is a tightly woven chronology; no small feat, but one author Richard T. Carroll manages with aplomb. He also manages to develop a host of characters – some recurring, some perhaps less so – into people players will care for, which raise the stakes and make the set-pieces more dramatic. That said, Hellwatch can be tricky to run at times simply because of its scope and open nature. This campaign is best run in the hands of an experienced GM.
Supporting the campaign are a variety of specially crafted sub-rules. Kingdom Under Siege, for example, is a generation system to combat the infernal forces besieging and destroying the kingdom’s villages, towns, and cities. There will be battles to fight, lots of them. There are Nuisance rules, designed to allow higher level characters fight and kill lowly opponents in droves. Later, as characters descend into Infernus, Materia Obscura comes into play - they will be tainted by the essence of the Abyss, which can grant them new powers, but at the cost of corrupting their body and soul.
Hellwatch: Infernal Oath presents a host of new options to enable players to create characters thematically suitable for the campaign. These include several background, a bunch of new spells, and sic fantastic, well-balanced new classes: War Marshall (commander on the battlefield), Delver of the Abyss (wielder of magic that comes from infernal realms), Judge of Absolution (inquisitor), Lightbringer (cleric of the God of Light, shedding light on the darkness of the world), Convict (a n’er-do-well that exists on the fringes of society), and Magi (latest in a long line of magic wielders).
There is some stunning artwork and the book’s cartography is formidable and evocative. The formatting is crystal clear, praise should be heaped on the layout because, for the most part, things are where you need them to be.
Bonus content that comes with the digital download includes a well-designed character sheet, world map, STL miniatures, soundtrack, and an extensive bestiary. In this light, the price tag is more than a steal.
Hellwatch: Infernal Oath summons up a whole glove of abyssal awesome and slaps you in the face with it. Its an excellent campaign, delivering the epic storyline that you’d expect, but also with a remarkable level of player agency that you might not.
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Whispers from the Alley is an immersive neo-noir meets Lovecraftian horror adventure from Epic Table Games for Everyday Heroes. It has the plot twists, rich characters, and in-depth investigations of a Phillip Marlowe or Sam Spade story – if those two hard-boiled gumshoes had punched out magic wielding cultists or faced mind-rending horrors.
The setting is noir stories is a character unto itself, and it’s no different here. The player characters are gumshoes earning their living in the shadowy streets of Eldritch, a city perpetually wrapped in a shroud of mist. Superficially it appears like any city from a classic noir film but dig deeper and you find something else. Venture beyond the neon-lit streets into darkened alleys and you’ll find terrifying monsters, hidden cultists, and dark mysteries. It’s a setting you’ll likely want to return to. Its also a city of fantasy, inhabited by races like tieflings, elves, and dwarves.
The adventure begins when the PCs, investigators of the Bureau of Cosmic Horror Inquiry & Paranormal
Investigations (CHIP Investigations), receive a cryptic message. As they subsequently follow leads, they gradually uncover a web of arcane conspiracies that, left unchecked, might bring the city to its knees. Each clue uncovered will bring characters one step closer to unravelling the mystery but at the risk of also unraveling their own minds (Whispers from the Alley includes an excellent sanity subsystem). Along the way they will uncover all the trademarks of a noir story – femme fatales, corrupt officials, sleezy crime lords.
Some mysteries languish at times – if PCs fail to uncover just the right clue the story slows, and players grow frustrated. That’s never a concern here. Even those who might normally be drawn to mystery adventures should enjoy Whispers of the Alley as the scenes – and inevitable action sequences – are compelling enough to grab the imagination.
The adventure a framework of sorts – almost a mini-campaign in its scope - which allows groups to follow leads and investigate the web of deceit in whatever order they wish. That’s ideal for any mystery adventure. However, it does mean that GMs need to do more work than normal to bring the adventure completely to life. In this case that should a joy, however, because as dark as Eldritch might be it’s also a vibrant and exciting setting. Numerous side missions are outlined to help GMs fill in the gaps.
Beyond the adventure itself, Whispers from the Alley includes a host of support materials: more than a dozen new feats, four hideous new cosmic horror, and monster template that can be added to PCS.
Production value is extremely high. Editing and layout are both top notch, there are numerous excellent illustrations (AI, just for clarity), and like any good Lovecraftian adventure there are handouts to enhance the immersion.
Whispers from the Alley is an excellent addition to one’s Everyday Heroes library. An edge-of-your-seat mystery that makes you feel like you just have to know the answer to the riddle at all costs, it is cinematic and action-packed, with a noirish atmosphere and an escalating sense of dread. The setting, though brief, hints at something larger that begs to be uncovered further in the future
Whispers from the Alley is an adventure that Marlowe would raise a glass to in a cigarette-smoke shrouded bar.
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A Shadowdark adventure for 4th level characters, Tower of the Spectral Sorceress is ridiculously fun. A cohesive plot, truly memorable encounters, welcome touches of whimsy, and hints of the fairy tales we grew up on elevate this adventure well above the norm.
“Sorceress Cosima Fantine assembled her coven for that most ancient of wizardly rituals — Book Club.” That’s the first line in the adventure and I was hooked. Instantly I knew I was in for something refreshing original.
The meeting ended when Fantine opened a forbidden text, transforming all the assembled sorceresses into ghosts. With Fantine dead, other spellcasters covetously eye her tower for the riches it must surely hold. But it would be unseemly for wizards to loot the sanctum of a member of their community. So, they hire the PCs to do it in their stead.
Along the way, there is a rollicking encounter with a lovesick undead butler who wields a magic sword that can only be drawn from its scabbard by someone in love, a ghost that will attempt to possess a PC so that she may flee the island, and carnivorous books hungry for human flesh.
Charming touches abound. That magic blade mentioned above, for example? Any blood it sheds turns into rose pedals.
Cosima Fantine, the Spectral Sorceress of the title, must be reckoned with if the PCs are to complete their task. Though not quite the Wicked Witch of the West, she’s nonetheless memorable. So too is the encounter in which they at last meet her – I’ll say nothing more so to not spoil surprises.
Mention must be made of the dynamite artwork and cartography of Gabriel Hernandez. No small part of the adventure’s appeal stems from the way he brings the text to life.
At 14-page pages in length and playable in about three hours, Tower of the Spectral Sorceress is perfect for an evening of gaming. Players will be ensorcelled by its charm.
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It Came from the Cellar is a brief 5e adventure for levels 1-3, the latest in the Tabletop Outfitter line of single-evening scenarios. It represents the best and most ambitious release in what was already a solid collection.
Not long ago, the town of Dawnfell was destroyed by a minotaur war party. Residents of nearby Duskmire worry that their community may be next. The danger they face, however, is from within. An attempt by a young wizard to conjure a magical guardian for Duskmire has gone awry, resulting in a monstrous blend of rat and centipede that quickly snapped loose of its creator’s magical control. This beast – the ratipede so evocatively displayed on the cover – emerges from its subterranean lair at night to hunt. Thus far, the beast has sated his appetite on cats, dogs, and barnyard animals, but its only a matter of time before its hunger is turned on the people of Duskmire. The PCs are charged with determining what stalks the village at night and putting a stop to its depredations.
The adventure is pleasantly deep for a mere 13 pages (the balance of the 27 pages consists of supplemental material). It involves some investigation and roleplaying, and a side trip to a nearby farm being preyed on by a monster that turns out to be a red herring beast. Then, when the PCs are enjoying the atmosphere of the local tavern – perhaps celebrating what they think to be the end of the adventure – a terrifying scream emanates for the basement. A barmaid has been taken by the ratipede, leading the PCs into a subterranean on a desperate rescue mission.
Beyond the giant ratipede, It Came from the Cellar includes three new monsters: the horrific and always hungry aethergeist; a tiny but nonetheless deadly ooze called a dipsa; and doppelrats, which can create duplicates of itself to overwhelm foes. There are also new magic items suitable for low level characters, the standout of which is the filthbane ring which grants protection from disease and poison, advantage to perception and investigation checks in sewers, and ability to communicate with sewer vermin.
Production quality is excellent, elevated by seven beautifully rendered maps of the town, cellar tunnels, the inn, and other key locations.
The title suggests something that would have lingered on the back shelf of the schlocky horror section of a 1980s video store. But It Came from the Cellar is far better than that. If you’ve toyed with the notion of running a sidetrek for their party, It Came from the Cellar may just what you’re looking for.
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In the market for a new campaign setting? Consider the Yarthe Campaign Setting, a new 5e/Pathfinder by Draconum Imprint.
Yarthe is a fantasy-steampunk/gaslamp world that bears superficial resemblance to Earth. Its geography and some aspects of its history and culture approximates that of Earth, but it’s an entirely fresh – and exciting – setting.
Technology is roughly analogous to a highly fantastical version of the Renaissance, one where flying ships have been created, the darkness of industrializing cities is held back by gas-lamps, and submersibles plie underground waterways.
The world is inhabited by a diverse range of cultures, from the humans of the Europan city states, newly emerging from the Dark Ages and undergoing a technological, cultural, and magical renaissance, to the Pictish halflings of the Western Isles that have resisted Europan’s expansionism, from the mysterious Clockwork City of Technomancers to the learned and ancient civilizations of Mauretania and Aegyptus.
There is an equally rich range of detailed species for players to choose from. The Strix, winged desert-dwellers, are considered the ‘first people’ as they are the oldest of the races. Elves are the scattered remnants of a once advanced civilization on the island of Lemu, the Atlantis of Europan myth. Some exist on the surface, others adapted to an underwater existence, and still other fled to the underground after the disaster, birthing the xenophobic pale Ghost Elf species, centered upon the city of Melnibos.
Other subterranean species include the dwarves, who maintain Deep Roads that run underneath much of Yarthe, the draconic-decended goblins and kobolds, and the savage, war-like Hobgoblins.
Humans, halflings – who have a cultural analogous to the Celts of the ancient British Isles – and the technomancer gnomes, one step removed from their fey roots, are considered the ‘Young Races’. Far to the north, where the midsummer sun never sets and in winter the sun never rises are the feline reindeer people, savage in battle but noble in bearing.
This is a world rich in adventure possibility. Indeed, scenario ideas leap off the pages. Stop a band of ghost elf smugglers plying underground rivers in their U-boat. Travel the Silk Road to the Orient and meet its undying Emperor. Hunt down a fiend unleashed upon the world by cultists wielding Nightmare magic. Launch an expedition to search for the lost Lemuan civilization.
Yarthe also includes mechanics for terrifying Nightmare magic wielded by dark cultists (and characters of any class), rules for Nightmare Sites and eldritch incursions, new magical and technomagical artifacts, and a small bestiary of new creatures.
The setting feels complete – you can play Yarthe right out of the box, as it were, and have a good time doing it. A sample adventure to illustrate the tone and possibilities of the setting would have been welcome, but its far from a gamebreaker.
There are some aspects that let down an otherwise top-notch product. Being duo-stated for Pathfinder and D&D 5E is an understandable move to allow the game to reach the widest possible market. What is does mean, however, particularly in a book as heavy in mechanics as this one, is that there is a lot of duplication and, therefore, wasted space from a gamers’ perspective.
Perhaps more troubling was the use of AI art, not for ethical reasons (I leave that up to the individual reader to decide) but rather because I don’t feel that it matched the picture of Yarthe as a setting that the text was painting. And that’s too bad because the setting oozes pulpish atmosphere and charm.
The final verdict is this. While it has some warts, Yarthe dares to be different. It doesn’t attempt to painfully squeeze just a bit more from bland high fantasy that we’ve seen for decades. Instead, it ventures on its own path, often with exciting results.
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The Tower of Sovergauth is the first adventure from DungeonisM Lab, and it’s a fairly auspicious beginning.
An Old School Essentials adventure for characters level 4-7, it’s imaginative and well-designed, and a lot of fun to play. Especially if you really like to go retro and lean into those old-school D&D vibes.
Here’s the deal in a nutshell.
The vile wizard Sovergauth used his potent magic to usurp the throne of Stakbourg and destroy the kingdom. The heir to the Stakbourg throne was smuggled out at the last minute, along with the crown that is his birthright. In the years that have passed, the young prince became separated by his crown, and he needs it back if ever he is to recover Stakbourg. Enter the PCs.
It turns out the crown is in the possession of a vampire. And where does this bloodsucker live? By coincidence, in the tower that once served as home to Sovergauth. The PCs are tasked with entering this edifice and returning with the crown.
The set-up is great (if you overlook the coincidence of the unaffiliated vampire and wizard lairing in the same tower at different times) with a suitably significant goal that has the potential to kick start further adventures.
Writers Diego and Andrea Zap have crafted a very challenging, old-school with deadly traps and even deadlier. As in the days of yore, surviving is worthy of celebration. And yet the adventure isn’t unfair – cautious, careful, and thoughtful players should do just fine.
I loved the quirky moments. There is plenty of strange, magical Gygaxian elements that add a sense of wonderment to the adventure, such as unnerving eggs with a staring eye on their shells or a wall that forms a giant fist intent on squashing intruders.
Also adding interest are the new monsters, which include lave men, fire drakes, and a guardian cat that literally has nine lives and becomes more powerful with each resurrection. And the final combat against the vampire is suitably dramatic (just change the name; Hibiscus does not a terrifying vampire make).
The cover illustration immediately draws you in, while the interior (Ai) artwork is just as evocative and served the adventure well.
There are only two (connected) weaknesses to an otherwise excellent adventure. First, English is the second language of the Italian writers, and it occasionally shows. The Tower of Sovergauth is still well written – indeed there are hints that in their native tongue the duo must have a real flair for descriptive text – but there are some clunky passages. This is made worse by lengthy read-aloud box texts, which GMs will likely want to edit so as not to hinder player immersion.
The Tower of Sovervauth is a throwback to the imaginative, sometimes off-the-wall adventures that used to be made decades ago in the infancy of the hobby. Gary Gygax, I believe, would have approved.
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Creator Reply: |
Thanks Andrew for your review, we will indeed follow your suggestions for the next modules in preparation and for an updated version of the Tower to offer a better quality translation. In the meanwhile just reading about the Gygax inspiration in your review makes me EXTREMELY happy :) thanks again, cheers |
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Rise of the Street Legends, by Epic Table Games, is an introductory level, kung fu inspired adventure for Everyday Heroes.
It promises “thrilling cinematic action balanced with investigational intrigue”. But does it make good on the promise? Let’s find out.
Faster than you can say Bruce Lee, the characters are thrown into the action. And like a flurry of Chuck Norris blows to the face, it never lets up, fast and furious, culminating in a bloody finale.
The adventure begins when the characters find themselves brought together for a common goal – infiltrating the back-alley hide out of the notorious Rising Serpents gang as they unite to aid of a common ally. This unknowingly sets the PCs on a path to becoming champions, ‘Street Legends’, as they become embroiled deep mystery and must work together to foil a nefarious plot.
From street fights against gangsters to tense negotiations, fending off a military-style assault on a police precinct and to the pulse pounding chase through the crowds of a Chinese New Years style street festival, the characters are dragged deeper into the intrigue and the stakes inevitably grow higher. There is no – I mean no – meandering in this adventure. The only moment when characters can catch their collective breaths is the obligatory kung fu training montage, where a wizened master helps them unleash their hidden potential.
The relentless action never feels like it is just checking boxes. Rather, it moves the story forward toward the inevitable climax, in this case within the underground lair of an ancient and evil self-titled master of the martial arts. The characters must defeat him to prevent his plot from being realized. But rest assured, the fight will be tough. Indeed, the scene is masterfully staged to be tense and challenging – a Boss Fight worthy of the name.
Supporting an exciting story is amazing anime style (AI) art, great maps, and several well conceived, detailed NPCs that players will learn to love and to hate.
The setting, New Shangchester, hints at being something really interesting, with elements of kung-fu, cyberpunk, action movies, and even modern fantasy rolled into one. Sadly, its only ever hinted at as the setting is given short thrift (I’m told a setting guide may appear in the not-too-distant future).
A new subsystem involving chi points is introduced, then quickly dropped before it is fleshed out enough to be usable. Its absence doesn’t in any way impact the adventure.
The only real potential drawback to Rise of the Street Legends is its linear nature. Characters are guided from scene to scene, sometimes even to events within scenes, in the name of moving the story forward. I’m more than willing to give up some agency on occasion in the name of an epic cinematic storyline (which Rise of the Street Legends delivers in spades), but others may balk at being railroaded so heavily.
It has often been said that the worst thing an action movie can be is forgettable. Rise of the Street Legends is anything but that.
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Creator Reply: |
Andrew, thank you again for your glowing review. I have read it a hand full of times with absolute delight as you've been able to comment on so many of the points we tried to include. In fact I laugh out loud every time I read your line "obligatory kung fu training montage," because I explicitly remember thinking "how am I going to pull that off?"
Regarding Chi, yes it was included but dropped unintentionally. It's intended use was as players build chi (earn chi), they can spend it to enhance their chances by spending it before their d20 roll to roll with advantage, or spend it after an opponents roll to force a d20 re-roll and take the lower of the two (force the opponent into disadvantage). Re reading the section, it isn't as clear as intended which makes it more ambiguous.
I'm absolutely thrilled you enjoyed Rise of the Street Legends! |
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