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Taken from Dunwich $5.25
Average Rating:4.5 / 5
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Taken from Dunwich
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Taken from Dunwich
Publisher: North Wind Adventures
by Michael T. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/20/2015 16:35:16

PHYSICAL PRODUCT This is an 18 page PDF. It's not heavily illustrated but the few illustrations are good and the map layout is very well done. It's also layout out nicely and has a professional look.

INTRODUCTION This was not a free product. But I purchased Astonishing Swordsmen & Sorcerers of Hyperborea an was impressed enough to want to see what an adventure would look like.

DESCRIPTION Some local villagers have been kidnapped by the normally non-kidnapping humanoids that live in the mountains nearby. A guy in the village walks up to you and asks for help. There is some nice background to the village and the surrounding area which I like. There is also some 'this-time-its-personal' bits about the villagers who were kidnapped that I like a lot. including a built-in 'stay on the rails' mechanism that is not too intrusive. I appreciate the help.

There is a short trek to the 'dungeon' and a nice Wandering Monster table. I like this as well, it gives a flavor to the region and stretches the adventure to get more bang for the buck.

The dungeon is built into the side of a cliff which is explains why no one else wandered into it.

The dungeon itself bears a strong resemblance to the TSR classic "S3 Expedition to Barrier Peak" so whether your campaign is up for that sort of thing is up to each GM. It definitely fits the "Conan"+"D&D" mashup that is AS&SH however. That said, I'm not sure I want Laser Crossbows in my game.

Some of the encounters are quite clever and the puzzle of stopping the threat is well done. Included are a few notes about what to do if the threat is not stopped which I like as well. It definitely matters if the heroes are successful or not.

There are a few "D&Disms" which may bug you. Ioun stones for example. It's alien and fits the world, but I can't imagine it not causing some issues in a campaign and I can't imagine it being appreciated in a one-shot. This is not a 'introductory' adventure.

OVERALL I liked this product. It fits in perfectly with the world that is Hyberboria as viewed through a Gygaxian lense. Its easy to drop into a world, has a unique and memorable threat.

SHOULD I CHECK OUT THEIR OTHER PRODUCTS? As much as I don't really think Sword & Sorcery and Dungeons and Dragons mesh very comfortably together as they are in AS&SH, their products do have a lot going for them. Very professionally and thoughtfully done. This adventure has impressed me enough to purchase more of their products.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Taken from Dunwich
Publisher: North Wind Adventures
by Eric F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/12/2015 13:04:59

I've been wrestling with this Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea title for a week solid. The problem is that I don't agree with many of the interpretations of Hyperborea that I've seen. I started looking into AS&SH way back in 2013. After rereading this pulptastic adventure there are several thoughts that go through my demented mind. This adventure brings to the table many of the little adventure nuggets that make AS&SH both eerily familiar and achingly alien at the same time. The adventure seems short on the surface but takes the PC's right into the heart of the Hyperborea of AS&SH. Here the players are thrust right into the heart of the Keltic adventure and Lovecraftian territory. A series of encounters brings the characters into an old school storm of weirdness that brings home the vibe of both AS&SH and the deep end of the sword & sorcery heart of the game. The breakdown according to the product page: Murder, mayhem, and abduction! After the Keltic village of Dunwich is victimized by the vhuurmis, degenerate quasi-men covered in umber-coloured fur, local druids offer land and title to those brave souls who would repair the situation. The vhuurmis are considered witless savages, seemingly incapable of organized incursions, but these particular brutes attacked with purpose and precision, taking men from Dunwich, and slaying any who opposed their black will. Author: Jeffrey Talanian

Art: Ian Baggley and Johnathan Bingham Editing: David Prata Cartography: Andreas Claren

The vhuurmis, quasi-men are given their due in this adventure and really brought into the lime light as both survivors of a lost age and a threat to life as well as limb of the PC's. The action seems to center around their murderous B movie level of sword and sorcery horror but all is not as it seems. The action here is a vortex of both violence and terror that brings home the terror of AS&SH's Hyperborea. There is a vibe of weirdness similar to reading a 70's Conan comic magazine or watching John Carpenter's The Thing from Another World with far more buzzing beneath the surface then simply what is presented here. Taken From Dunwich is meant for AS&SH but could easily be used with AD&D 1st edition or OSRIC. Hell you could even use it with the Lamentations of The Flame Princess rpg with little adjustment but really its more about the introduction of the Hyperborean world from AS&SH. But knowing DM's the way I this adventure is going to get a ton of air play. This module could easily be used with any number of retroclone rpg systems such as Swords and Wizardry, Basic Fantasy role play and others. Note that this would require a full conversion of some of the adventure elements. The Keltic village environments of the adventure reminded me of Scotland under the rule of the Romans. I think that the module captures the look and feel of the desolate landscapes of Robert Howard somewhat. This module mixes the swords and sorcery elements of AS&SH and then adds in the technological factor with a dash of alien weirdness while turning it up to eleven.I have to say I was quite impressed with Taken From Dunwich and I do think its well worth the price of admission. I've run this adventure for friends more then a few times and its provide hours of inspiration time and again. Its one of my favorite pieces that works very well with the backdrop of Hyperborea presented in the Astonishing Swordsmen and Sorcerers of Hyperborea rpg. Five out of five for me and I'll be coming back to it soon.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Taken from Dunwich
Publisher: North Wind Adventures
by Matt P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/14/2014 13:51:12

An excellent adventure for what I consider to be the best of the retro clones. If you like your gaming simple and serious, this is for you!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Taken from Dunwich
Publisher: North Wind Adventures
by Paul W. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/16/2012 11:28:12

Reviewed this on my blog -- http://mysticbull.blogspot.com/2012/11/albino-apes-beast-men-and-great-race-of.html.

Great read -- haven't played it yet, but it's in the rotation.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Taken from Dunwich
Publisher: North Wind Adventures
by Morgan H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/18/2012 20:50:28

I was able to actually play the adventure with the author at Gary Con. Taken from Dunwich gives a great feel for the very unique world of Astonishing Swordsmens and Sorcerers of Hyperborea. The thematic elements of sword and sorcery with a dash of technology and alien strangeness make for an interesting premise. The adventure is fairly linear yet provides some choices. Well imagined Taken from Dunwich provided a great evening of entertainment and I can't wait to use this on my own group.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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