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Dungeon Crawl Classics #67: Sailors on the Starless Sea
by Jon S. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/02/2019 21:33:44

Bar none, the BEST DCC 0-level funnel. Very playable. I happened on to it, and have spent HOURS searching for it's equal!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #67: Sailors on the Starless Sea
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #73: Emirikol Was Framed!
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 04/18/2019 12:53:31

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This adventure clocks in at 24 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page advertisement, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 20 pages of content, so let’s take a look!

This review was moved up in my reviewing queue at the request of my patreon supporters.

Judges: Do NOT show the cover or name of the module to the PCs/players! In a pretty dumb decision, the title is a spoiler. -.- The pdf does contain basically a DCC-version of a spell to alter the visage of targets. (level 2, fyi)

The adventure is intended for 6 4th-level characters, and a well-rounded group is very much recommended. While dangerous, the module is not one of the most deadly DCC-modules out there, so survival-chances are decent, if certainly not guaranteed, particularly not without being…ähem…changed. The adventure comes with a table listing encounters, as always, and does feature 4 nice handouts – more on that later in the SPOILER-section. The adventure, as always, comes with well-written read-aloud text that helps less experienced judges evoke the proper atmosphere.

Genre-wise, this is basically a heist/assassination in a wizard’s tower – and in atmosphere, think of this as an heir of the classic “Tower of the Elephant” in its Savage Sword of Conan iteration, on LSD.

Want to know more? Well, all right, but to go into more details, I need to go into SPOILERS. Potential players should jump ahead to the conclusion.

… .. .

All right, so the PCs are minding their own business, when the city erupts in chaos, and winged gorilla-people start slaughtering folks, while a mighty magic-user is setting stuff ablaze! How’s that for an immediate jump into the fray?

In the aftermath of the chaos, the PCs are contacted by a cadre of individuals, who have identified the culprit as the local wizard Emirikol! The planning of the heist with the conspirators is pretty detailed and fun, but can also be handled rather quickly, depending on the preferences of your group…at this point, if you were so careless as to show the cover, the players will be less motivated, for, indeed, while Emirikol is indeed a chaos mage with a whole array of rather unwholesome predilections, he was not responsible. According to the (mostly) correct intel, the conspirators can help the PCs breach the ever-changing, shifting tower, its outsides in an obvious homage, guarded by wild cats, the tower constantly changing its composition. Scaling it can be dangerous, but the PCs will only have a certain timeframe as the mighty wizard ostensibly is in stasis and may be slain.

The main module is about the exploration of Emirikol’s tower, where space and time are not beholden to the limitations of the structure. The tower’s interior, obviously, includes a pterodactyl’s roost, strange trophies. Now, I mentioned handouts – one of them does contain an array of golems in different degrees of completion, and careless PCs may well find themselves locked in the bodies of these half-finished magical constructs. The handout illustrates these bodies, and while not all are ambulatory, many are. The PCs will have to swim up a column of water to traverse floors, venture into a cranium library, and it does some smart things: There is, for example, a chance to look at the adventure’s maps, briefly, before they “animate” and are thrown in the player’s face! In contrast to a couple of other meta-tricks, this one is easy to implement, fun, and should not result in issues – kudos!

There is a massive, sorcerous observatory with bronze scorpions (awesome!) and a sorcerous workshop that contains the magical weapon Ruin, a blade of liquid metal with a pretty nasty tendency to fan the fires of ambition… The module also includes the Kaj, a unique entity (represented in one of the handouts) that share actions between their bodies, making for a great boss…or rather, penultimate boss fight.

You see, arriving at Emirikol’s true sanctum, the wizard is NOT happy – his erstwhile lover, the powerful Leotah turned bitter adversary, was actually the culprit behind the unprompted chaos in the city, and the instigator of the plot that sent the PCs inside. (Both archmages are btw. represented on a handout!) As his constructs of iron burst through the walls, Leotah and her gorillamen crash inside the tower, starting an epic duel of spells and servitor creatures, with the PCs caught in the middle. A handy table helps the judge to keep track of all those targets – for at this point, most groups will probably conclude that neither wizard should triumph. Thus, the smartest move probably will be attempting to take down the Glass Darkly (NICE!), which, in a final nod towards the classics, initiates the tower collapse. Here’s to hope that the PCs don’t dawdle or are held back…for after this adventure, they’ll probably have made at least one powerful enemy, one with plenty of experience recovering from death…if the judge has a romantic streak and the PCs were particularly successful, the two mighty wizards may well end up reunited once again, focused in their spite and hatred for the PCs…just saying…

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are very good on a formal and rules-language level. Layout adheres to the series’ two-column b/w-standard, and the pdf offers plenty of cool b/w-artworks. The 4 handouts are neat, and I really enjoyed the gorgeous b/w-map, though no player-friendly iteration was included, which is a bit of a bummer. The pdf comes with bookmarks, but only basic ones for chapter-headers.

Michael Curtis provides a great homage of a Sword & Sorcery classic, seen through the aesthetics of DCC – it’s like playing through a Bal-Sagoth track. Outrageous, brutal and cool, oozing flavor, this is one of my favorite “Wizard’s Tower”-themed modules. It gets what makes a great wizard’s tower stand out – risk and reward are entwined, and while PCs can die and suffer horrible fates, these tend to be the result of greed or daring. Skill really helps, and being anything short of smart will be punished. Harshly. The finale is harsh and epic as well. The spoiler in the title is something I wished this had avoided, and the lack of player-friendly maps is a downside. And yet, I adore this one to bits. It has all those small touches that show that the author cared even about the small stuff, it oozes flair, and if you just remotely like Sword & Sorcery, then this’ll be right up your alley. All in all, well worth a final verdict of 5 stars, and because I’m a sucker for the theme, I’ll also award this my seal of approval.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #73: Emirikol Was Framed!
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #72: Beyond the Black Gate
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 04/03/2019 03:58:32

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This module clocks in at 36 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 2 pages of advertisement, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 31 pages of content, so let’s take a look!

This review was requested by one of my patreon supporters, to be undertaken at my convenience.

All right, so this adventure is intended for 6 – 10 level 5+ characters, and it is a tough one; this module can be very punishing for groups accustomed to hack-and-slash, and player skill can be rather crucial in determining success or failure. As always, we have proper read-aloud text for the respective environments, and the module sports a couple of different hooks to get the PCs going. Nice: We get different rumors/things PCs may have heard about, depending on their classes, which makes sense at level 5, when the PCs are bound to have picked up quite a bit of lore. The pdf offers up a new patron, who comes with full invoke patron information, as well as a new first level spell, slaying strike, which represents a damage buff to the caster’s next strike against the designated quarry, including the chance to send that target into a coma or slay the caster – but failing to strike the target can have dire repercussions on the caster. The module also contains a basically artifact-level item, a mighty spear and shield, and an interesting set of throwing axes that grows in power the more are held – but they don’t return to the wielder, so with each throw, the attacks become a bit weaker until they’ve been picked up again. This last item in particular struck my fancy – it feels very DCC-ish and mechanically distinct to me.

As for the structure, if the page-count wasn’t ample clue, this review is based on the 2nd printing, which contains a bonus adventure penned by Terry Olson, the “Clash of the Sky People.” This bonus module has got nothing to do with the main module, and is intended for 4 – 8 level 3 PCs. It is deeply steeped in science-fantasy, whereas the main module draws primarily from real world fiction and myth. As for “Beyond the Black Gate” – it should be noted that the first part of the adventure could easily be divorced from the main meat of the module, and, indeed, might work better that way.

All right, this is far as I can go without diving into serious SPOILERS. Potential players should jump ahead to the conclusion. … .. . Only judges around? Great! So, we begin with a plot-contrivance, namely that the PCs are aboard a ship that is en route to the north, but the hooks do make that plausible and pretty easy to sell. Somewhat unforgiving, but plausible: You really don’t want to be wearing metal armor at the start of this adventure. You see, after a few Strength checks and the like, a ginormous wave will destroy the PC’s ship, and if you’re wearing metal armor, you pretty much begin the module only to die, no save. Sure, PCs may be saved by allies, but not in metal armor. I’m ambivalent about this. On one hand, it makes sense; on the other, at level 5+, a mighty deed or the like should be able to save a PC unlucky enough to be wearing a metal armor. I’m not penalizing the module for that mainly due to DCC’s emphasis on player over PC skill, and due to the fact that, at level 5, the player should really know to look for that stuff…but yeah. If you’ve been handling that differently, or have a wizard with a sea-related patron, this may need a bit of finagling. Also, due to the fact that this intended scarcity is responsible for the rather impressive difficulty of the module – RAW, there is a DC 13 luck check to gain a single piece of equipment that the PCs didn’t bring along when going above deck. Other than that, it’s back to basics, as they explore the sea-side caverns into which they’ve been flushed.

This first component of the module could, as noted before, stand on its own – the PCs have the means to scale the cliffs or explore the complex, finding rather grisly remnants of torture, and sooner or later face strange animals – familiars in fact, for they have happened upon a witch’s Black Sabbath. Minor nitpick: 13 witches (11+one+ the mistress – nice nod towards occultism) are involved, we get 5 different familiar stats and the note that not all familiars are combat relevant…and no indication of which familiar would be aligned with which witch. This is insofar annoying, as slaying the familiars would greatly weaken the witches. (And seriously, you’ll want them dead…)

The mistresses of black magic, under the command of “Baba Iaga” (GROAN - she is btw. a ridiculously weak adversary…) have taken some NPCs captive and task the PCs to venture through the eponymous black gate to the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom and undertake a quest: Find the Horned King, depose of him and take his antlered crown. The Horned King? Master of the Wild Hunt, and the witches. Or rather, erstwhile master. You see, the Horned King (who doubles as aforementioned new patron) is currently pretty impotent, lying in a stupor, his magics and powers subverted by the ice giant’s daughter. Okay, first of all: Nice nod towards Howard’s classic. Secondly: I like that the giants are smart, have three eyes, and that they ostensibly stole the third eye from Cyclops giants. I also like how the Thrice-Tenth kingdom is presented: No gods or patrons may be directly invoked, and cold magic is enhanced, while fire magic is penalized. It’s a small thing, but global rules like this do help rendering the environment feasible. Random encounters are presented, and upon arrival, the PCs may well meet a traitorous madman. There is one factor, though: If you already have the whole Wild Hunt and Baba Yaga-concept in your game, you’ll have to do some reskinning. Personally, I’d strongly suggest it, as both Baba and the Horned King are pretty pitiful as far as I’m concerned, but your mileage may vary there.

Here, the module becomes genuinely hard: Ginats are tough, have a high Act die, and if they had combat training, crit more often. (As an aside: The pdf does include rules for handling giant-sized weaponry). Also: They are not dumb. Careless PCs will easily bite off more than they can chew, and trying to hack and slash through this will not be an endeavor that’ll be easy to do. The module is clearly balanced around the notion that combat with more than one giant will be a highly risky endeavor. In a way, this reminded me of “Against the Giants” or Pyromaniac Press’ underappreciated “Seeking Silver”-adventure – just that this is, aesthetically, the DCC-iteration. Where “Seeking Silver” is vast in ambition and scope and feels like an epic “Infiltrate and Sabotage Isengard” –quest, including deposing off of key players, this one is more focused on trickery. Due to the sheer power of the amassed giants, PCs will fare much better when actually infiltrating the place and trying to bypass the opposition. Indeed, there is a secret corridor and a whole dungeon level below the citadel that have the dual purpose of allowing PCs, via more than one option, to get in and get out without being crushed by the potent opposition that the giants pose. This is an infiltration, pure and simple, and this notion is further emphasized due to the shipwreck that is bound to cost the PCs some important resources.

Now, as for the finale – it’s not exactly a showdown versus Azazel, and indeed, the Horned King may be taken down rather easily, should the PCs choose to do that. The giantess and her salamander-shaped allay make for a dangerous boss, as her kiss means instant death, as her dance transfixes PCs, but as a whole, this is surprisingly manageable. If the PCs don’t kill the king, he’ll bestow luck upon them, before leaving them to their tender fates as the remaining giants rush in – which is a pretty likely TPK. On the other hand, bringing the crown to Baba Iaga will net a reward, but also unveil that the captives are actually dead. Puzzling to me: Where is the option to become the new Horned King? The witches pretty much stated that they’d need a new sovereign; and killing their patron? That ought to cost them power, so where is the blowback for them, the instance where they become easier to vanquish for smart PCs?

In a way, the module tries to have its cake and eat it, too. It evokes classics of mythology, contextualizes them in a comparably weak manner, and then fails to let the PCs properly take advantage of the relative weakness of said entities, by locking them into a series of choices that doesn’t fully account for the vulnerability of said major NPCs. Particularly in a game like DCC, particularly with the “death of a patron”-angle that this represents, this rendered the climax and aftermath less than satisfying for me.

The bonus adventure, “Crash of the Sky People” is straightforward – the ship of the metal-winged humanoid sky pirates has fallen! The PCs get to best guardian robots, enter the ship, deal with the strange machines and tinker with subjective gravity…and participate in a sky-joust over the ownership of the wrecked vessel! And yes, we do get concise rules for sky-jousting with laser lances, on skycycles! There even is a 5-entry mighty deed-table to supplement this combat-based mini-game! (Oh, and yes, PCs that botch the module might inadvertently cause a massive nuclear explosion. There even is a nice and logical little puzzle included, one that also features a Flash Gordon reference! Yep, this made me smile! This bonus module may be brief and humble, it may not have anything to do with the main-adventure, but it certainly entertained me well! Did I mention that yes, bots have an off-switch that players may use? Did I mention that the PCs can get mechanical wings implanted? (Yeah, sure, the procedure could kill them – but no pain, no gain, right?)

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are very good on a formal and rules-language level. Layout adheres to Goodman games’ two-column b/w-standard, and the pdf sports quite a bunch of really nice b/w-artworks, with the boss fight of the main module and a stunning vista of the bonus adventure represented as one-page handouts. The cartography for both adventure is b/w and very good, but we do not get a proper player-friendly keyless version, which is particularly odd for the main module, where an NPC would make for an organic source of a more or less accurate map of the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom’s fortress. Much to my chagrin, the pdf version of the module lacks any bookmarks, which constitutes an unnecessary comfort-detriment.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not a bad module, not by a long shot. It is challenging, brutal and rewarding. It’s surprisingly non-linear in its environments, and it rewards player-skill over just rolling high. That being said, when compared to Harley Stroh’s previous contributions to the main-line of DCC-modules, it feels weaker. “Beyond the Black Gate” doesn’t reach the grandeur and nigh-perfection of “Jewels of the Carnifex”; it is too bogged down in quoting classic concepts from mythology and appendix N, things that most judges will have implemented themselves in their game, and are bound to have diverging takes on. I don’t object to those mind you – just their implementation. The mythology-backdrop that made “Doom of the Savage Kings” work so exceedingly well? That had been subtle and divorced from the big myth, being clearly a riff on Beowulf without actually stating as much. Here, the module flat-out tells you what the mythological figures are. And it kinda doesn’t earn them or do them much justice. It may even contradict established lore in your games. Granted, this may be a minor issue, but it is one that, for me, colored the whole experience of the adventure. Particularly since the module begins with the “easy come, easy go”-mentality we often see in Sword & Sorcery literature. It’s totally valid to cut PCs back to size, but first doing that, then throwing mythological beings at the PCs, creates this odd juxtaposition, where a level 5 group at the top of their game would have crushed those legends without being previously nerfed. Heck, that’s still very much within the realm of possibility here. This, as a whole, made the myth/Appendix N-aspect feel a bit like pandering to me; something the module seriously did not require.

None of the aspects, from the use of legendary figures, to the nerfing of PCs, would have been required by the module; the former is a cheap shot at getting an “Oh, damn!”-reaction out of the players, the latter an attempt to let judges eliminate problematic items to enforce an intended playstyle, when the like isn’t necessary. The skeleton of the module, its structure, wouldn’t have required this. Granted, this is better than using the “XYZ doesn’t work, because magic”-angle that many sucky OSR-modules use, but it still is a somewhat arbitrary incision into PC-capabilities that the players have earned with blood, sweat and tears. This is still a very good module – it’s just not as brilliant as the author’s previous offerings.

That being said, the bonus module penned by Terry Olson? It rocks. It is unpretentious, wholly cognizant of what it is, and gleefully embraces its aesthetics with a cheeky smile on its face. It is fun, fast-paced, and if you’re looking for a perfect fit for the Purple Planet boxed set (review forthcoming) or for a cool convention game, this delivers. Is it strange that it’s in this adventure’s booklet? Yep. It’d have made more sense in a more science-fantasy/sword & planet-centric book…but who cares? It’s a fun addition to the DCC-canon.

All in all, I consider this module to be a good offering worth owning; not the best DCC-module ever, but also one that is certainly worth having in your library. As such, my final verdict will clock in at 4.5 stars, rounded down.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #72: Beyond the Black Gate
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #71: The 13th Skull
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 03/26/2019 13:52:22

An Endzeitgeist.com review

These modules clock in at a total of 24 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page advertisement, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 20 pages of content, so let’s take a look!

This review was requested by a patreon, to be undertaken at my convenience.

Why plural? Well, this one contains two adventures: The eponymous “The 13th Skull”, intended for 6 level 4 characters, and the second one, “The Balance Blade” is intended for 2nd level PCs. Both are written by none other than Joseph Goodman. Beyond these two modules, the pdf offers a supplemental article penned by Daniel J. Bishop – it covers 3 pages and depicts seven magical skulls. The first of these is massive and basically a terrain feature that adds some risk, but also boons to PCs – a major feature you can add to a dungeon. Grandmother’s Skull is interesting, in that it represents a means to converse with a maternal ancestor’s spirit and draw power from it; this is done via a spell check, though spellburn is not per se possible to modify the result; the benefits can be rather potent, but are countermanded by the nature of the ancestor – they have agendas, you know, and 7 sample true natures may be revealed if you really botch the check.

The Lead Skull of the Lost allows PCs to bring fallen comrades back to life, but there is a d30-table of complications that range from beneficial to, well, not, and returning with a magical skull instead of your own? (The item knits flesh over it…) It does change you, you know… The Living Skull of the Emerald Enchanter comes with full stats and makes for a nice addition to the modules featuring that villain. Also fully statted: The Iron Stag, a stag’s skull that allows you assume stag-form. Finally, there is a frontal bone that may be used to scry, provided you accept the spellburn required, and there’s a monkey’s skull atop a staff that is really loud – but which, once in a while, does provide genuinely useful intel…only the players can determine whether that one is worth the risk of using it…

As for the modules themselves: “The 13th Skull” can be undertaken by your average, well-rounded group without much hassle; “The Balance Blade”…well, we’ll get to that later. Both modules have in common that they sport the read-aloud text you’d expect. The former does offer a couple of local legends that are important to contextualize the proceedings in the module.

And this is as far as I can go without diving into SPOILERS. Potential players should jump ahead to the conclusion. … .. . All right, only judges around? Great! The module begins when the PCs watch an execution – but then, things turn weird: The decapitated head of the culprit turns on the very face of the duke, and the executioner unveils a silver skull, gleaming in the hot sun! The executioner grabs the Duke’s daughter with the help of a pterodactyl, and makes off with her! The duke offers a sizeable reward – so yeah, it’ll be up to the PCs to explore the ducal tombs and hopefully save the maiden fair. If they are smart, they’ll ask around first – for it is said that the duke’s family only received their status and wealth courtesy to a horrible pact with the Silver Skull.

Thus, the PCs enter the ducal mausoleum, and the PCs will soon be accosted by tomb shadows, and the skeletons of the ancestors? Well, guess what, they are missing body parts! Astute PCs will notice that the missing parts would make for a full skeleton – not accounting for the universally absent skulls. Ultimately, the PCs will find a secret part of the complex, hidden in the 13th sarcophagus, leading into a massive cavern, where a subterranean river contains an open gate into the lower planes, a hole in the water; the missing bones have been assembled, and a massive pillar, smack in the middle of the river. Several types of devils and the like will be fought, and there are two tasks here: For one, deal with the silver skull seeking to fulfill the infernal bargain – it makes for a deadly boss that smart players may have an edge. The daughter, though? That’s another thing: The PCs can find the Book of Planes, which allows them to travel some planes (a nice trip to the plane of water, for example) and save the damsel from her infernal captor, a barbed devil. Here’s a big issue: The barbed devil has a huge chance of killing off the duke’s daughter with AoE attacks, and the module implies that quick PCs can save her while she’s bound etc.

The issue? We have no idea regarding the dimensions of the room. How far away from the daughter the PCs manifest, and thus, it’s very much unclear how big the chance to save her should be. The combat is laid out as a tactical encounter in a feature-less plane (that is not featured on the map), but fails to specify the spatial relationship between players, adversary and captive, making the most crucial component of the pdf subject to judge fiat, and not in a good way. This is easily the weakest aspect of this otherwise cool, short module, and the only instance that simply doesn’t seem to be fair.

The second module, “The Balance Blade”, comes with the caveat that it works best as a convention game. I’d add that, imho, it ONLY works as a convention game and doesn’t really have a good reason for working as it does. The module is about claiming a legendary artifact, the Balance Blade, for the wizard’s patron. It also requires all alignments to be there; and some prep-work for index cards and stickers that affect the penultimate encounter. I’ll get to that later. So, the complex has components that require certain alignments to pass, and since a rather deadly and mechanically interesting chaos beast is right there in the beginning, unlucky groups that lose required alignments could be locked out of the module right then and there. This is doubly odd, as the challenge posed by the module doesn’t require the alignment component to make the material work; this is solely an arbitrary choice made for the sake of emphasizing alignments.

Aforementioned index cards btw. influence the shape that PCs see from a succubus, and the module encourages PCs going PvP and acting in-game…which does make sense, but at the same time – why doubt your colleagues in a game, where shapechangers are a staple? To quote the module: “For example, when chaotic creatures attack the spider-demon, neutral characters will see their allies striking a child and should react accordingly!” That may work with strangers at a convention. At a homegame, where everybody knows and trusts each other? Where PCs have played with one another for multiple adventures? Not gonna work. At least, I have no idea how to make that reliably work. After walking through an impressive, vast tomb of the last colossus, the PCs will claim the Balance Blade, only to have the wizard/patron go full-blown evil moustache-twirler and attack the others. The reasoning of the patron makes no sense (why kill the allies of the wizard, who have been so great helping the patron’s pawn?), the wizard can’t be saved (DC 30 Will save to resist the patron), etc. This is just frustrating and sucky in any context that is not a convention game, and it’d seriously infuriate me, regardless of who I’d be playing. Considering this very specific context, the lack of pregens is another downside here. This is easily the worst module I’ve read for DCC so far, and frankly, I wouldn’t judge this as a convention either. There are plenty of better options out there.

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are very good on a formal level, and good on a rules-language level. Layout adheres to Goodman games’ two-column b/w-standard, and features plenty of nice b/w-artworks. The b/w-cartography, as always, is very good, but lacks both a player-friendly version, and in the first module, a map for the most tactical combat in the whole module, for the one combat where positioning REALLY matters, is genuinely a matter of life and death. The pdf version sports basic bookmarks for chapter-headers.

Okay, weird. Usually, Goodman Games’ DCC-modules tend to have something that draws me in, and while “The 13th Skull” has a great premise, a cool, small complex to explore and some evocative ideas, it does fall short in a very crucial encounter. While the handout of a certain book is nice, I couldn’t help but feel like a proper map would have been better there. “The Balance Blade”, to me, is an abject failure that railroads the PCs and their agenda in some seriously sucky ways, that is needlessly meta in its mechanics, and that, ultimately, represents my least favorite DCC-module, regardless of publisher, to date. I seriously HATE it. I don’t just dislike it, I actually HATE it. It represents so many contrivances and things that I loathe in fantasy books, and that never worked well in commercial modules. I can see it work for very specific groups, but I can’t ever see it reward you properly for the amount of prep-work it requires. Daniel J. Bishop’s skulls, finally, and thankfully, I might add, manage to end this one on a higher note.

How to rate this? Well, this is one of the few DCC-modules where I’d advise in favor of skipping it. “The 13th Skull” isn’t bad, but neither is it brilliant; it’s a solid offering for completionists, but you’re better off with pretty much almost every one of the other DCC-modules Goodman Games released. Compared to e.g. the fantastic “People of the Pit”, this falls short in a ton of ways, with “The Balance Blade” being imho wasted wordcount that “the 13th Skull” could have used to further develop its cool planar angle. All in all, my final verdict can’t exceed 3 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #71: The 13th Skull
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #70: Jewels of the Carnifex
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 03/05/2019 05:27:58

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This module clocks in at 36 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, ½ a page SRD, 1 page advertisement, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 31.5 pages of content, so let’s take a look!

This adventure is intended for 6 – 10 level 3 characters, and is situated in the city of Punjar. Picture an opium-clad, decadent haze, a metropolis of ancient stones, foundations old as time itself. A moloch – you don’t have to run this in Punjar, but you do need to have a decadent city with a storied past. As always, we do get plenty of read-aloud text, as well as a list of the encounters in question. My insistence on the setting of this module stems from its difficulty: The adventure’s complex is dangerous and pretty much requires that you can set it up properly. Without foreshadowing the shape of things to come, the players will be hard-pressed in this one. Groups that have no idea what “legwork” means will learn the hard way here that this rumor table that’s included herein? It’s not just decoration.

The module features two official handouts – one depicting a pretty epic room, one depicting a scroll that takes up half a page. Official handouts? Yep, one of the primary sources of treasure (and danger) is lavishly illustrated in a gorgeous full-page piece. This, while not explicitly designated as a handout, is de facto the third one.

All right, this is as far as I can go without diving into SPOILERS. Potential players should jump ahead to the conclusion. … .. . Only judges around? Great! So, in ages past, the cult of the Carnifex rose: Recruiting from the lowest of castes, from the diseased and crippled, a strange death cult arose, exalted in its worship of the transience of flesh, serving as the grand Overlord’s executioners, reminding the decadent nobility of the ephemeral nature of their lives, of the might of Punjar’s ruler and the cult. The decadent city’s delight over the macabre chthonic cult wasn’t universally shared, though – thus came Azazel of the Light, radiant and fanatic, bent on purging the world of the unclean. He amassed his Swords of the Pious and invaded the subterranean sanctuary of the Carnifex cult with a small army of the city’s brightest scions, girded in armor agleaming in the rays of sacred light. They dived below, but for all his might, not even Azazel could hope to slay the goddess. In his desperation, his pleas echoed beyond the realms of godlings and divinities, and tapped into the primal source of life itself. Suffused by the light of raw creation, he plunged the goddess into darkness, and sealed her away with the sacrifice of three of his best. Today, the descendants of the nobles that fought the Carnifex and her cult guard the hidden entry to the tunnels below – and the secret that remains.

It is into these storied halls that a ragtag group of adventurers wants to make their way into, that they’ll seek to plunder for gold and glory.

Come on, if that is not a set-up of pure awesomeness (and my prose is not half as good or detailed as the authors’, what is? This basically is the perfect Thief-age Conan story-set-up. This background story, or at least the nature of the Carnifex cult, is of the utmost importance for the PCs to know, for the beginning of the complex is very much crafted to potentially ward off intruders: Provided the PCs don’t fall to an ignoble death or are eaten by an immobile, disgusting and bloated spider-thing that tries to reel them in, cave-fisher style, they will witness skull-and-bones-death iconography that would be cheesy sans context, but for once actually works here. The PCs may actually cause and be swept away by an avalanche of skulls and indeed, further pain looms – as well as the bottleneck. The nature of the cult? Its secrecy and deviousness? It makes sense: In one room, the PCs are presented with multiple doors, and while the impulse is, of course, that one is the right one, they all lead to danger. The truth is a kind of Xanatos Gambit – none of the doors are correct, and the entry to the hidden sanctuary is actually a completely different thing. Considering the deadliness of the door traps, it takes some experienced players accustomed to dungeons that can make sense from a builder’s perspective to deduce this beforehand…though the challenges themselves can well be survived.

Though, granted, the PCs will need their resources for the things to come after this nice ante-chamber-ish mini-level. If the PCs have survived the challenges so far, they know what they’re doing. That’s good, for they are facing off against a military force. The swords of the pious yet guard these halls, and with drums, guards and a defense plan, they are formidable foes, fanatical in their devotion. They also are grotesquely mutated from the radiance emitted by the shell of Azazel, by the force of life. Death, but a conclusion to their service…which in itself is twisted, considering the ideologies of the prime players in question. The PCs may discern more from the ramblings of an exiled madman from their ranks, should they succeed in not being slain first, though traps and tactics make that a true challenge…but one that may pay off: The unofficial handout I mentioned? Well, these halls house the reliquary, where the most sacred implements and magickal tools of the Carnifex are left, from the eponymous jewels to the dreaded Grimoire Nex…but greed does have its dangers – this is not a place for the faint of heart or unskilled to plunder, and the intrinsic details provided ultimately mean that success is very much up to the skill of the players in judging, amidst other things, the risk-reward ratio accordingly.

Sooner or later, the PCs will find themselves in a brutal battle against a legion of the swords of the pious, and, should they live, have a chance to witness the lavishly illustrated and grotesque idol venerated by Azazel…speaking of whom…well, turns out he killed the three swords to seal the Carnifex, but the incomplete binding (which constitutes a kickass puzzle that can be solved logically) leaves only one conclusion: Azazel has never completed it. He refused to sacrifice himself and finish the job! At the very latest should this seal be sundered, Azazel will attack with all that remains of his mighty force. The radiant commander has perfectly drilled his men, and beyond that, strikes against him rupture the hollowed out shell of the divine essence…oh, and he has his own frickin’ crit-table. It’s deadly, and his tactics basically make him a multi-stage boss fight of the highest caliber, honestly one of the best finales to an awesome module I’ve seen. Oh, and yeah, the PCs may free the Carnifex. Meet her. Talk to her…or, if they fall, they may find such interesting amulets on their necks…And yes, the Carnifex is described in a way that manages, in a few sentences, to make her both alluring and utterly frightening. And yes, if you do think that the vast treasure may prove to be an issue – there are some ideas to handle that provided…

The bonus adventure included, penned by Brendan J. LaSalle “Lost in the Briars” doesn’t really have anything to do with the main adventure, but I actually believe that this is a good thing this time around. More focused, it represents a brief wilderness adventure. Nockmort, a meteorite-mutated treant, has almost finished a ritual that would allow it to ascend to godhood – all that it requires is an elf, so an elven PC (or an ally/retainer) can help regarding the stakes. The forest exploration features trees animated by Nockmort handing off, fire-brigade-like, animals, fleeing peasants, bandits, and a take on the Slenderman, Mr. Saturday Night. The forest also features a couple of keyed encounters, but ultimately focuses on thwarting Nockmort’s ascension ritual….and yes, it has less reliable Plan B scenarios…Nockmort, fyi, is BRUTAL. This may “just” be a humble bonus adventure, but it is NOT to be taken lightly! Unlike the main-module, it does not feature read-aloud text, which is a bit of a pity, considering how much I usually enjoy the author’s prose.

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are top-notch on a rules-language and formal level. The module sports a ton of fantastic b/w-artworks of the highest quality, and particularly the two official/unofficial full-page artwork/handouts are amazing and make up for the fact that no player-friendly unlabeled maps are included in the deal – which is a pity, for the gorgeous b/w-map also sports artworks of adversaries faced within. Utterly baffling and hopefully an oversight – the pdf-version actually has no bookmarks! That is a huge and annoying comfort-detriment. If you don’t want to print this (which I did) or get it in print, consider this enough to detract a star.

I like how Brendan J. LaSalle’s bonus adventure takes a step back and does something completely different; it is a mechanical challenge and a fun, on-the-way sidetrek module that still has the DCC-flavor. It was a wise choice to opt for this route.

Why? Because I consider Harley Stroh’s “Jewels of the Carnifex” to be an example of a nigh-perfect Sword & Sorcery yarn. The prose is phenomenal and lavish, yet terse enough so it doesn’t bury you. The complex is plausible, deadly, and focuses, ruthlessly, brutally, beautifully on player agenda and player skill over rolling of the bones…though there’ll be plenty of that. I also adore and welcome the fact that this module pulls no punches. At 3rd level, your PCs and players better know how to properly dungeoncrawl – or this module will teach them. With delicious pain. This is a hard module in all the right ways. It makes sense, and even in its nastier moments, always remains fair. This is the antithesis of petty and fiat-laden – it is brutal, yes. As brutal as a good Sword & Sorcery yarn should be. It also helps that the prose and atmosphere feels as though Mr. Stroh had channeled the spirits of Leiber and Howard (or Roy Thomas, Savage Sword of Conan, minus the requirement to abide by the comic code – that was the non-goofy, pretty mature-audiences-oriented era…) and fused them with adventure-writing. This reads like a lost Conan-as-a-thief story, just with your PCs as the cast – and it plays just that way. And, in the end, you may well have a king’s ransom to carouse away in Punjar’s streets…provided you survive.

If that has not been made ample clear by now – I consider this a brilliant yarn. If you even remotely enjoy the Sword & Sorcery or dark fantasy genres, then consider this a must-buy. 5 stars + seal of approval, easily given. This also gets my best of tag as one of my all-time favorite Sword & Sorcery modules – and that in spite of the lack of bookmarks and player-friendly maps, which usually would cost this at least one star – it’s just too damn amazing to rate down.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #70: Jewels of the Carnifex
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Fifth Edition Fantasy #7: Fantastic Encounters
by Robert N. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 01/24/2019 13:50:00

Fun and unusual set of encounters in this supplement. I'd like to see more supplements like this. I especially appreciate the suggestions for scaling the encounters to different levels of PCs.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Fifth Edition Fantasy #7: Fantastic Encounters
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Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG (DCC RPG)
by Norbert P. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 01/15/2019 08:23:15

Old skool with a twist of new skool! see my youtube review of this game....

new DCC review: https://youtu.be/7-UJQWmLLes

DCC review: https://youtu.be/so4UyNgD0Zg GM screen for DCC: https://youtu.be/9Yy53t--uOw



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG (DCC RPG)
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Dungeon Crawl Classics 2016 Holiday Module: Twilight of the Solstice
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 01/11/2019 05:13:16

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This adventure clocks in at 28 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 25 pages of content - +1 page bonus pregens. In contrast to earlier Holiday modules for DCC, this is btw. laid out in standard size, not in the 6’’ by 9’’ trade size of previous holiday adventures.

This review was requested by one of my patreon supporters to be undertaken at my convenience. I consciously decided to post this review before New Year’s, as its Christmas/Yule-themes are rather subdued, but I got injured pretty badly – hence the delay. This adventure is intended for 4th level characters, and works in every season equally well, at least in my book. The respective areas feature well-written read-aloud text. It also probably works best as a one-shot, as it has something we need to discuss. While it does come with notes on how to use it with existing characters, one of its gimmicks results, system-immanently, with a disjoint of sorts when used in conjunction with established PCs.

“Twilight of the Solstice” has a pretty central gimmick, namely the use of scratch-off character sheets. Before you groan, let me explain: You don’t need them. The pdf-version comes with a blank sheet, and a one-page bonus-pdf that contains the stats for 10 different PCs, allowing you to simulate the use of scratch-off character sheets. Kudos for going the extra mile here.

The way in which this gimmick is integrated into the plot is rather ingenious, but in order to discuss the connections betwixt in- and out-game woven here, I must delve into SPOILER-territory. Potential players should jump ahead to the conclusion. … .. . All right, only judges around? Great! So, in the frigid north, in times ancient and primeval, the jotnar were sealed away – a horrid race of rime giants that gets its own d30 table to customize personality traits and the like. These beings, once slain by fire, become a primeval yeast monstrosity, which is an interesting component and tweak on the classic trope. As giants, they are pretty brutal – with Act 1d24 and 8d10 HD for their standard huntsmen, they are pretty brutal. Minor complaint: The editing isn’t as tight here as usual for Goodman Games, with e.g. their three-eyed winter wolf pets on page 7 not having their name bolded, and with the sample giants not having precise hit point values. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

To seal the dread rime-giants away, the world-clock was fashioned – and it’s supposed to keep them at bay until the end of time – a place that PCs that fail the adventure may well get to see. The very subdued Christmas angle is represented by “The Grandmother” – a matronly, female version of Santa Claus, if you will – and a potent magic-user/guardian that prolonged her life by studying the clock. Yet, each annual sojourn from the clock brought her closer to her own demise, until she, in her desperation and desire to not leave her wards alone, made a pact with the giants. Yeah, dumb. Yeah, I didn’t get it either. She reopened the portal to the Jotnar’s prison, and now creation’s going belly up. Faster than you can say “Curse your sudden, but inevitable betrayal” they turned upon the Grandmother, and so she uses the last of her magics to send for the PCs, reach out for them in cryptic visions.

Meanwhile, the jotnar have sped up the progress of the world-clock, and the ripples through creation have wiped the PC’s memories – this is the justification for the scratch-off sheets and doubles as a hard time-limit regarding the completion of the module. There are only 12 “steps” of the solstices, as the world-clock hurtles the world through aeons. Magnificent civilizations rise and falls, and the PCs will watch even mountains perish. On a rest, the Grandmother gets a chance to visit the PCs, but the clock advances; similarly, every hour real time advances the clock. There is no dawdling here, and considering the difficulty of the antagonists here, this is not an easy adventure to pass.

The Grandmother is btw. yet another angle of quasi-Norse themes, should the moniker of “Jotnar” have not been ample clue for you: There will be, later, a fire-giant named Surtr that may help the PCs, and indeed, the Grandmother’s reverse aging process over the course of the module makes her pretty much a one-woman iteration of the classic Norn-theme. You know, Skuld, Verðandi and Urðr. This also is mirrored in some subtle tweaks, like the boss’s pet wolf having 8 legs, mirroring Sleipnir, with the aloliance of giants and wolves carrying resonances with Fenrir etc. This emphasis also extends to the dwarves within, the dvergar, who hearken more to the depictions of entities like Alfrikr, more commonly known as Alberich – mighty craftsman with a vicious streak and no particular fondness for the gods, these fellows are pretty nasty as well…PCs should be careful, particularly since they have pretty much no access to their character abilities and stuff.

Every advancement of the world clock through the aeons unlocks a new aspect of their characters, which is also why I think that this works best as a one-shot. DCC’s rules are simple enough that plenty of players know their PC capabilities by heart and sans looking at the sheet – just taking this information away doesn’t mean that they can’t recall it, creating a disjunction between in- and out-game playing experience that I personally consider to be grating. This is a system-immanent issue here, but I still strongly suggest running this as a one-shot or as a breather from ongoing campaigns. (Perhaps the PCs witness the phenomenon, and you cut to this module and a whole new group…) The gimmick is really strong and well-implemented here, and it surprisingly retains its functionality in the pdf, courtesy of the pregens provided, but it loses its novelty and impact in conjunction with PCs that the players know.

Now, here is a pretty big plus: Beyond the gorgeous (as pretty much always for Goodman Games) maps, the pdf provides 2 specifically designated handouts that help with puzzles within, as well as a one-page artwork that pretty much represents an unofficial, third handout. Puzzle? Yep, but here’s the thing – knowledge of the fuþark doesn’t really help – while there are runic puzzles to solve here, they are based on novel runes, including meaning. Basically, the module presents two different primary paths that both lead to the finale, and both offer for pretty different playing experiences. This means that a) the judge has replay value here, and b), the play-style of your group will be accounted for. If you prefer straight dungeon-crawling, you can follow the Jotnar’s tunnels and enter the world-clock through the back door…or you can brave the rather creative and fun puzzles that prevented access for mortals for ages past. Personally, no surprise there, I preferred the puzzle-path, but if you’re in the mood for some good ole’ murder-hoboing, you can get the like herein – just note that your opposition is nothing to sneeze at in either of the paths. Even in the more action-focused path, PCs will need their wits to survive in that path as well. Personally, I do think that some of the traps could use clear telegraphing to avoid them via clever playing, but considering that we’re talking 4th level PCs, and the fact that the traps are not particularly deadly, I can live with that.

Either way, the PCs will have to save the Grandmother and stop the Rime-giant jarl and his carls to halt the aeons and prevent getting a front-line seat to an untimely heat-death of the universe. As an aside: If you’ve been looking for a way to transition your game from DCC to MCC, the time-jump angle, which, alas, is pretty underutilized apart from the scratch-off sheet gimmick, may be a pretty neat way to do so. Instead of dumping the PCs back in their own time, dump them someWHEN else… this also represents my main gripe with this module: While the cold terrain and the scratch-off sheet are well-integrated, the origin of the distortion, the time-angle, is not. The complex doesn’t change, the PCs can’t speed up – the fleeting passage of time, the whole angle, just screams for mechanically-relevant tricks for PCs and foes alike.

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are very good on a rules-language level, but on a formal level, I noticed quite a few minor hiccups. Layout adheres to a two-column b/w-standard, and the b/w-artworks and handouts provided are absolutely gorgeous, as we’ve come to expect from Goodman Games. The same holds true for the fantastic cartography, but alas, we do not get player-friendly unlabeled versions of these fantastic maps. This represents a comfort detriment and is a bit of a bummer for VTT-fans. The pdf comes with basic bookmarks for each general area, but not for individual rooms, which makes navigation slightly less comfortable than it should be.

This is the first adventure by Marc Brunner that I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing, and indeed, it is an impressive one. I expected the module to fall apart when bereft of its gimmick – I do not own the scratch-off character sheets, so yeah. Instead, the module actually does an admirable job at integrating a distinctly metagame aspect and codify it in an in-game context, in a way that seems feasible. So yeah, big kudos for that!

I also found myself really loving the twist on Norse concepts, the different paths to victory, and enjoying the puzzles. And yet, in spite of me loving pretty much anything even vaguely Norse in theme, I couldn’t help but shake the feeling like this somewhat overstretched itself. The Grandmother is basically window-dressing, and represents the one jarring narrative aspect within. Similarly, the tempus fugit-angle could have been developed better, made more central. In a way, the module feels like it tries to do perhaps one or two things too many at once. With the complex slightly shortened in favor of pronouncing these aspects, this could have become my all-time favorite of the holiday/end of year DCC-modules. As written, I consider it to be the second-best of those I’ve covered so far, with only the masterful Trials of the Toymakers besting it. As such, my final verdict will clock in at 4.5 stars, rounded up.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics 2016 Holiday Module: Twilight of the Solstice
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Dungeon Crawl Classics 2014 Holiday Module: Trials of the Toy Makers
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 01/04/2019 12:12:58

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This module clocks in at 42 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, ½ a page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 38.5 pages of content, though it should be noted that the content is laid out in booklet format (6’’ by 9’’/A5), and this means that you can theoretically fit multiple pages on a given sheet of paper.

This review is part of a request of one of my patreon supporters, who requested it to be undertaken at my convenience.

Okay, first things first: In spite of the cover being as cutesy as DCC is probably going to get, this is not necessarily for kids – it is definitely intended for adults. Don’t get me wrong: I’d have loved this as a kid, but then again, I taught myself English to be able to read Conan, Poe, etc. >I always had a macabre streak and considered to be the cover of Bat out of Hell’s vinyl one of the coolest ever. While not grimdark, this module can be rather creepy. Discretion is advised. If your kids are how I was…well, then they may love this.

All right, as always, a well-rounded group of 6-8 characters (level 2, here) will have an easier time. I strongly recommend having multiple characters capable of spell dueling when playing this; if you want a happy end, Mighty Deeds do help. Read aloud text is provided, and the module is NOT easy. Characters may die. It also firmly emphasizes player-skill and can have rather high-impact consequences upon failure.

The module is set in Vajorma, the frigid north where the border between planes is thin…wait…sounds familiar? Well, yeah, this does have a couple of ties to Steve Bean Games’ “World-Quest of the Winter Calendar” (Review will hit sites before New Year’s Eve, as that module feels more like an end-of-year module to me.). You can ignore these easter eggs, and having played said module is not required to enjoy this.

All right, as always, the following contains SPOILERS for the module. Potential players will want to skip ahead to the conclusion. … .. . Okay, so, in the lands of Vajorma, there is a tradition that reminded me of the nisse from Scandinavian cultures: There are gnomes called Konhengen in the semi-arctic steppe, and said gnomes reward particularly virtuous kids with presents. Now, 3 kids have gone missing, and indeed, no presents have been delivered this year. What looked like innocent gifts and a simple rescue mission, though, quickly become immensely important.

There is actually a strict timeline in the module, and indeed, the PCs arriving at the lake that houses the mountain wherein the Konhengen dwell just heralds the shape of things to come. There are a couple of basic things to note: For one, the PCs will be attacked by scything topiaries – think of those as nasty plant-looking constructs. The exploration of the Aerie of the Konhengen is surprisingly vertical – 5 levels, and these make sense in many ways: For one, the halls may feel claustrophobic for Medium-sized characters, but for the gnomes, they sure as hell are grand – this gives the whole dungeon a Gulliver-ish vibe and established a sense of alienation. The fact that the gnomes use slugs and moles as animals also adds to that…and yes, chances are that the PCs will have to face a rather agitated slug at one point. As a whole, this place makes sense in its fantastic nature.

It should come as no surprise that something bad has befallen the kind gnomes: As the PCs explore this place, they will be haunted and hunted by so-called Desperate Phantoplasms – basically the spirits of the slain Konhengen, risen to guard this place against ALL intruders – including the PCs. Their semi-corporeal form means that a lapse in vigilance can justify surprise assaults, and in comparison for the level…these spirits are pretty pitiful. There is a reason for that. You see, they can’t be truly slain. Defeating one of these ultimately just initiates a cooldown respawn, which means that being able to swiftly dispatch them is crucial. They allow a judge to wage a war of attrition, to constantly keep the threat levels up – without overpowering the PCs. This generates a seriously impressive tension throughout the adventure, and it provides a great way to shake up proceedings if the PCs are stuck. Speaking of which: The pdf provides a commendable amount of guidance pertaining the handling the tougher sections of the adventure…and I have not yet touched upon the truth of what has befallen this place.

Sure, the PCs can find a unique and potent alchemical substance and use it to their own advantage (or blow themselves up – so it goes…), and they can save the aforementioned kids. Speaking of which: I’m a big fan of the choice to allow for e.g. Mighty Deed use to save them from attacks and the like. A kind judge may also use these kids to sprinkle in some hints and the like, but there is another primary hint-giver herein…one super-creepy fellow.

You see, as the PCs explore this place, they will notice that much of the carnage to be found stemmed from the disciplined Konhengen basically imploding their social structure. Co-workers tore each other apart, etc. This is due to the machinations of one of the dread Nine Afflictions, horrid demon-like demigods of evil and chaos, one Yedreksas – an incarnation of envy.

They have inadvertently stumbled upon a task of cosmic significance, as at the very latest, the unfortunately blind, but sentient and kind mill (!!!) (think of the handheld devices that you use to grind coffee!) can explain…at least partially. And beyond that, one particular former Konhengen is now a vile and dark being, trying to goad the PCs in engaging in as many deals as possible. We thus have plenty of options to provide hints. The PCs will need them.

You see, the presents crafted by the Konhengen? They are actually over-designed components, proto-types of sorts, granted to pure kids, as their virtue shields these from the forces of darkness. Literally, this time around. Kivas Kota, the fiery eagle that is the sun, annually is caught by the forces of death, and it’s only the work of the Konhengen that allows the sun-bird to rise again and stave off eternal darkness. The presents the Konhengen create are prototypes for basically what amounts to a celestial rube-goldberg machine of constellations that is annually recreated for this specific task! (!!!) If the PCs don’t make their own version, well then the sun will never rise again. Stakes high enough for you?

Here is the best thing about this module, though: How it presents this whole issue. You see, the PCs are not spoonfed any of this, but instead have a TON of different options to realize how this works and what’s at stake. This is basically a mystery investigation, and one that is supported in a phenomenal manner: There are no less than 7 (!!!!!) handouts for players: From blood-drenched parchments containing hints about the importance of the task to basically rune-based paint-by-numbers puzzles, this pdf pulls out all stops in the most amazing of ways. Even better yet, judges are not left hanging either – annotated explanations of texts to be interpreted, solution-sheets and more all conspire to make this a mega-impressive adventure in the aesthetics department. Better yet: The adventure, while focused on a puzzle, actually doesn’t put it front and center. Instead, the true challenge is to find out what is happening, and there are myriad ways to solve this. Moreover, the puzzle does not have just one solution – being a wide-open logic puzzle, it embraces PC creativity in a manner that I have not seen before.

Compared to that, the epic milling of a new set of temporary constellations while holding off a demigod in spell duel (the only truly viable means to do so) almost feel anticlimactic by comparison. Almost. Did I mention the wood-spider things?

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are top-notch, I noticed no issues on a rules-language or formal level. Layout adheres to a 1-column b/w-standard, and the pdf sports some really cool b/w-artworks. The cartography is b/w, plentiful, ad just as amazing as we’ve come to expect from Goodman Games.- Alas, no player-friendly versions are provided. The pdf version is fully bookmarked, and I unfortunately do not own the print version, so I can’t comment on its merits or lack thereof. The truly plentiful player-handouts and visual judge-reference sheets (which include a timetable) are utterly amazing.

Steve Bean’s “Trials of the Toy Makers” is a masterpiece, pure and simple. It is one of the best Christmas-themed adventures I have ever seen. It thoroughly rewards player skill over character skill, has an atmosphere that is absolutely fantastic, and presents one of the most intriguing conundrums and epic solutions for an adventure I have ever seen. Even in DCC’s context, where significant cosmic events can also be encountered at lower levels, this stands out. It brims with creativity and passion and feels like an honest labor of love. It is ambitious in more than one aspect, and manages to fully and properly realize all of these components. In short: This is one of the best Christmas modules out there. It engages more cerebral players and those that like combat; it’s environmental storytelling is excellent, and it is polished to an impressive degree. Even among Goodman games’ holiday-themed adventures, this stands out. 5 stars + seal of approval, and frankly, if I had known about this adventure in 2014 when it was first released, it’d have made my top ten list for that year. Yes. That good. This is the kind of gem that makes reviewing worthwhile.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics 2014 Holiday Module: Trials of the Toy Makers
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #97: The Queen of Elfland's Son
by Cullen M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/27/2018 20:43:56

I love this adventure. It's refreshing to read and play an adventure with elves and fey feeling like something out of folklore, rather than just the typical Tolkien-esque aloof creatures. It's got a few nice callback's to Lord Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter, but is by no means necessary to appreciate this adventure. Something about this really captured my imagination and I think my next campaign will find the players in and out of Elfland with a very vengeful Unseelie court...



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #97: The Queen of Elfland's Son
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #68: People of the Pit
by John S. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/27/2018 02:24:22

I really enjoy this module. I ran a truncated version of People of the Pit at Gencon 2017 and had a ton of fun with it. I would like to try it out for more sessions so I could experience more of the content, I trimmed whole levels away for the con game. This module is a classic for DCC at this point, written by Joesph Goodman himself, it's a grinding death trap of a dungeon!



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[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #68: People of the Pit
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Dungeon Crawl Classics 2015 Holiday Module: Advent of the Avalanche Lords
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 12/21/2018 05:21:07

An Endzeitgeist.com

This holiday adventure for DCC clocks in at 30 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 26, though these have been laid out in booklet-size (6’’ by 9’’/A5) in size, meaning that you can fit up to 4 pages on a given sheet of paper, should you choose to do so.

This review was part of a request by one of my patreon supporters, to be undertaken at my convenience.

Okay, while this IS a module with a strong Christmas-vibe, it also is an adventure that isn’t necessarily for kids – instead, picture this adventure as a scenario that embraces the wild and gonzo side of the Appendix N-aesthetics that inform DCC. Think “Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. meets Christmas” and you’ll have an idea of the theme to expect. The module is intended for level 3 characters, 6 of them, and they definitely should be well-rounded, particularly when it comes to combat capabilities. Having some wilderness-stuff going on should also help.

All righty, as always, I’m going to discuss the adventure in detail, so from here on out, the SPOILERS reign. Potential players should jump ahead to the conclusion. … .. . All right, only judges around? Great! So, the mighty man that would one day become known as Father Frost, was a humble woodcutter and brilliant artisan, but alas, an evil wizard named Meerakolos (lol) sought to corrupt him – and botched the job. The evil wizard and his associate engaged in an epic spell duel, which Father Frost, ultimately won. When a green-skinned elf from the North freed the ancient evil-doers from stasis, Father Frost never saw their return coming: The arcane weapon mongers have taken Father Frost and use him to power a new engine of war, the Celsion Engine.

The adventurers don’t yet know of this alliance of the 3 evil masterminds, nor that the wondrous, snowglobe-like town named Krinnleton is mere days from annihilation. Said town is encased in a force field, courtesy of Father Frosts skills. Speaking of which: Krinnleton is a great place in that it represents a quick and action-packed introduction into the module: After arriving and taking in the strange force-field that holds back the elements, the PCs will be surprised by the initial strikeforce of the self-appointed avalanche lords: Terror tots, basically suicide-bomber wooden dolls, attack – and in this context, it is actually the case that the PCs are rewarded for splitting up. We get full consequences for the actions of the PCs, and the surprisingly neat NPCs are folks you really want to help.

In the aftermath of these detonations, the PCs have already reaped the benefits of their actions. The trail leads the PCs to the wilderness beyond the force-field walls, and indeed, the wilderness has some cool random encounters, including polar bearman, strange coyote spirits, and the like – these critters are epic. Snow Angels in particular are a monster that is pretty damn creepy. The overland trek does allow for multiple different routes – but the clock is ticking, as the armies of the avalanche lords proceed towards Krinnleton, and yeah, they can happen upon an army encampment. In Father Frost’s workshop, potent tools may be secured, and ultimately, chances are pretty good that the PCs can gain some advantages for the showdown on the gates of Krinnleton…provided the PCs don’t miss it, of course!

The showdown for the future of Krinnleton is epic indeed, as the massive Celsion-engine is led towards the settlement by a pair of wooly mammoths, and once more, PC performance before this part will influence the combat’s difficulty. Ultimately, the PCs will have to enter the mighty Celsion Engine and free Father Frost from the infernal device. The boss-battle here is rather cool, as the PCs are once more rewarded for tactical thinking. Should they succeed, they’ll bear witness to Father Frost ascending to patron-hood! The write-up for the fellow is included, and does come with invoke patron rules, but not the other aspects of what this status usually entails. That being said, I do like the emphasis of Father Frost’s cold being a cleansing, good one – more often than not, cold tends to be associated with purely negative aspects, so a “good” cold patron is appreciated indeed.

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are very good on a formal and rules-language level, I noticed only cosmetic snafus. Layout adheres to a 1-olcumn b/w-standard, and the artwork presented is really cool. While we do not get player-friendly maps for all parts of the module, we do get two handout-style maps that the PCs can actually get, which is a big plus. Why Krinnleton doesn’t get a key-less, player-friendly version, though…don’t ask me. The pdf comes with basic bookmarks for the subchapter-headers, but not for individual rooms or encounters.

I ended up enjoying Tim, Callahan’s “Advent of the Avalanche Lords” – it’s a scenario that basks in the slightly gonzo magitech-aspect, that revels in its blending of classic themes and the uncommon. I’D hesitate to call this “weird”, as the term has come to signify horror-ish aesthetics in many contexts, and while the module does have scenes that could be taken as being dark, as a whole, it is a module that feels like a light-hearted, fun action-romp. Like, as noted before “Heavy Metal F.A.K.K. meets Christmas” – it is gleeful and honest in its deliberate and fun overthetopness. If the module has one weakness, then that the background story is somewhat needlessly complicated, but that doesn’t really impact y enjoyment of the module. If anything…this feels, at least a bit, like its scope may be a bit off. This may be me, but I couldn’t help but feel that the army-angle could have amounted to a bit more. The module does it well, granted, but in the end, I couldn’t help but feel that a couple of pages more could have really elevated this to masterpiece levels. Still, if you’re looking for a fun, fast-paced Christmas-romp with deliciously outrageous concepts, this will deliver by the buckets. My final verdict will hence clock in at 4.5 stars, rounded up due to in dubio pro reo.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics 2015 Holiday Module: Advent of the Avalanche Lords
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Dungeon Crawl Classics 2013 Holiday Module: The Old God's Return
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 12/19/2018 11:09:23

An Endzeitgeist.com review

The first holiday adventure for DCC clocks in at 22 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 18 pages. These are laid out in 6’’ by 9’’ (A5), making this a booklet, rather than a regularly-sized DCC-module.

This review was requested by a supporter of my patreon, to be undertaken at my convenience.

This module is intended for level 1 characters, and can be completed in a single session, making it suitable for e.g. oneshots or convention-style gaming. As far as DCC is concerned, it is a challenging module, but does not rank among the most difficult ones. Character death is a possibility, but it is very much possible to beat this module sans PC deaths.

This module takes place in the frigid north, and theme-wise can be considered to be one of the DCC modules that has its Appendix N-weirdness grounded in folklore and mythology – while certainly fitting DCC’s unique aesthetics, it’s an adventure that feels grounded in its odder aspects, making implementation in more down to earth contexts and settings with a sword & sorcery vibe easy.

As always, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players should jump ahead to the conclusion. … .. . All right, only judges around? Great! So, for the last couple of weeks, a strange sickness seems to have spread across the north, one wherein children fall into a comatose state, with blackened, frostburn-like patches of skin. In the introductory scene, the culprits become readily apparent: Gnarled, icy-gnomes called Tontuu attack the settlement as winter solstice approach – and herald the deadly threat responsible.

The godling Tjaptar, a malign force that has justifiably and well-deservedly fallen into relative obscurity, has taken residence in a ziggurat of hyperborean make, encapsulated partially in basically an upside down iceberg-like structure that is levitating ever more south, spreading the dread influence of the godling. The PCs are blessed by the village priest of Loptir in the aftermath, gaining the mechanically most distinct aspect of the adventure – the ability to call upon the powers of sovereign fire.

Each PC receives either 8 (if they demand payment) or 10 points of sovereign fire as a resource to handle the threat of Tjaptar. These points may be used as luck to enhance save-bonuses vs. cold effects, enhance spellcasting to improve fire-based spells as though using spellburn, ignite weaponry for a +1 bonus to atk and damage (+3 v.s cold-based enemies – all foes herein qualify), gain the ability to use a searing touch (which can also met through ice) or use 5 points to turn into a form of living fire for 2 rounds, including the ability to fly – which can be very helpful in the finale, but more on that later. How the PCs use their sovereign fire and how well they conserve this resource is a crucial aspect that can make the difference between success or death. I do enjoy this unique form of resource-management.

Now, the flying inverse iceberg has vast steps leading up to the top, and from there onwards, the PCs will make their way through aforementioned ziggurat as a mini-dungeon, battling more of the ice-gnomes and witnessing disturbing sights – like strange groves of trees that have souls of children bound within them. A mantis of ice makes for a lethal foe, and heat-draining sap can make for a rather cool terrain hazard – but ultimately, the PCs should be capable of making their way quickly to Tjaptar, who looks like a pretty massive reindeer-headed humanoid, with sickly, quasi un-dead looking skin (due to neglect/not being worshipped); between his antlers, an aurora borealis looms, and inside these lights, the souls of children not yet consumed await freedom.

Defeating the dread godling will initiate a collapse, which will see a rapid deterioration of the dungeon – which means the PCs will have to get out, fast, unless they want to plummet to a rather inglorious death! This section is also where the module’s brevity turns out to be somewhat detrimental. While the concept could have carried a longer adventure, apart from e.g. once instance, where only falling distance, but not damage incurred, is noted, this doesn’t come into play for the most part. In the end, though, the module basically resorts to telling the judge to add some checks to make things tight – which is certainly viable, but ultimately, I think the module would have been better off by simply listing some challenges for the collapse.

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are very good on a formal level. On a rules-language level, the same can be said for the most part, apart from aforementioned minor snafus. Layout adheres to a one-column b/w-standard, and the original artworks in b/w are really nice. As pretty much always for Goodman Games’ DCC-modules, the maps are glorious. Unfortunately, we don’t get any player-friendly iterations sans labels etc. The pdf has basic bookmarks for sub-headers, but not for individual scenes or rooms – that could be a bit smoother for the judge.

Michael Curtis “The Old God’s Return” oozes a great dark fantasy vibe, with a neat folklore-style backdrop and theme. The sovereign fire mechanic is rewarding, and the whole idea of the adventure is great. However, the module does suffer somewhat from its brevity. I couldn’t help but feel that, with a few more pages, this could have been a masterpiece. As provided, it is an impressive module that feels like it is held in check by the limited scope in which it can develop its themes. Thus, my final verdict will clock in at 4.5 stars, rounded down for the purpose of this platform.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics 2013 Holiday Module: The Old God's Return
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Goodman Games Gen Con 2014 Program Guide
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 12/17/2018 06:42:01

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This program book clocks in at a massive 100 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page autograph page, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 96 pages, so let’s take a look!

This review was requested by one of my patreons, to be undertaken at your convenience.

On the inside of the front cover, we’ll get the Gen Con luck chart, which has been modified for this year – overlaps are there, but yeah. Since Gen Con 2014’s over, this probably won’t be a factor to decide whether you get this.

Now, the first major section of the booklet is an “Age of Cthulhu” scenario, “Transatlantic Terror”, penned by Jon Hook. It should be noted that the “Age of Cthulhu”-series is primarily set apart from more mainstream Call of Cthulhu scenarios by the emphasis on pulp over horror. While there is usually something creepy going on in these scenarios, the modules are not per se horrific and feature themes à la dinosaurs, serpent-people and the like. This may not be fair per se, but honestly, I could never get behind the series and the pulp-theme it tries to convey. While I adore pulp themes, I never felt that CoC’s rules are particularly conductive to the themes of the genre. If you’re looking for something horrific, you won’t necessarily get it in this adventure. Otherwise, you may well enjoy the scenario and how it puts you in the guises of young dilettantes. Pregens and stats are provided. As a whole, I couldn’t really get behind this adventure. We do get a properly mapped luxus liner and per se, the angle is interesting, but a moderately capable keeper and logically-played adversaries would mitigate the chances for success altogether. That being said, if you’re looking for a solid CoC-oneshot with a pulp angle, this may well work for you. It did nothing for me.

After this adventure, we get 3 pages of the humorous “Dear Archmage Abby” help column before getting the DCC worlds tour section, highlighting the tour with brief notes and photos galore. 9.5 pages are devoted to this. Some modules when ordered on Goodman games’ store did come with a collection of different bonus encounters o postcards. Obscure by design, we do get three of these collected here: One for “intrigue at the Court of Chaos”, one for “The One Who Watches From Below” as well as one for “Bride of the Black Manse.” I own all three adventures, and the reviews of them are forthcoming. These bonus encounters span a total of 1.5 pages and represent a nice way for completionists to get these obscure components. The latter one, which does have an artwork for hand of glory creation, is particularly neat.

After this, we have “The Emerald Enchanter Strikes Back” – the bonus scenario/epilogue/sequel to “The Emerald Enchanter,” which has since then been included as the bonus scenario in the second printing of the module. I have covered this cool adventure in my discussion of the Emerald Enchanter-review.

A page of mailing label designs are next, and 7 pages explain the process of DCC cover design – which may or may not be interesting for you. Really cool: The classic “The Dungeon Alphabet” gets a unique entry here: “O is also for Omen,” penned by Michael Curtis. This is followed by a 4-entry selection of previews from the “Monster Alphabet.”

After a one-page ad for Maximum Xcrawl (seriously underrated!), we get “Too Tough to Die” – this short story spans 9 pages and is a pretty nice reading experience.

After this, we get a 1-page ad for Metamorphosis Alpha (if you don’t know what MA is and consider yourself to be an expert RPG-aficionado, look it up, seriously!), before none other than James M. Ward provides “Coming of Age”, an introductory scenario for the game. Full disclosure: I lack both the playing, playtesting and GMing experience in the system to properly judge the intricacies of the mechanics of the adventure. My experiences with this one are solely theoretical. This being said, the scenario is…actually really, really cool. It depicts the PCs going on the Destiny Walk, a coming of age rite, wherein the PCs venture into the maze of Thorn Valley. The mutant plant creatures and hazards, as well as the humanoids make this look a true blast to play, and frankly, the delightfully wacko creature ideas may make it worth checking out this book on their own. This is easily the strongest component of this supplement.

After this cool adventure, we take a look at some “upcoming for DCC” sneak-peaks and further previews. Following this, we get d40 questions for the Goodman crew, which can provide some interesting notes for fans, before the final piece of mechanically-relevant content within would be the Vandroid, designed by Joseph Goodman as a homage for the comic book series by Dark Horse.

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are very good to good throughout the supplement. There are a few minor things to complain about, but nothing serious. Layout adheres either to a one-column, two-column or three-column standard, depending on the section covered, mirroring the preferred presentation of the respective game. Artworks are b/w and amazing, as is the cartography. Speaking of which: No player-friendly, unlabeled maps are provided for the respective scenarios. The supplement included bookmarks for each of the specific sections. I can’t comment on the merits or lack thereof of the physical copy – I only own the pdf.

Whether you enjoy this program guide or not anno 2018, is highly contingent of what you hope to get from it. If you’re a diehard DCC-completionist, you may appreciate the inclusion of the obscure postcard encounters (1.5 pages); the previously rather important Emerald Enchanter-sequel has since then been included in the 2nd printing of the module, depriving this book of its main selling point for DCC-fans. While personally, I REALLY disliked the whole Age of Cthulhu product line, if you’re enjoying it, you certainly also will enjoy the tone of the Age of Cthulhu scenario featured herein.

Personally, I consider the main draws here to be the Dungeon Alphabet entry – and, much to my surprise, an adventure for a system I have played a grand total of twice in my life. James M. Ward’s “Coming of Age” is a great adventure in every sense of the word, and with the advent of MCC, fans of should check this out. The adventure is so cool that it almost warrants the asking price for the pdf. As a whole, this program guide is aimed primarily at folks enjoying Gen Con, obviously, and in specific, Goodman Games fans. While I count myself among the latter, I couldn’t help but feel like this would be of limited use for most judges/GMs. If either the Age of Cthulhu scenario or a good old-school scifi/post apocalypse-style adventure sound like fun to you, then this is worth checking out. Folks solely interested in DCC need not get this one. How to rate this? Well, here things become tough for me. As a whole, I can see this work…or bomb horribly. All in all, this is, almost by design, a mixed bag, wherein not everything will appeal to everyone. As such, my final verdict will clock in at 3 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
Goodman Games Gen Con 2014 Program Guide
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #69: The Emerald Enchanter
by Thilo G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 12/14/2018 08:43:15

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This adventure clocks in at 28 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page advertisement, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 24 pages of content, so let’s take a look!

This review was requested by one of my patreons, to be undertaken at my convenience.

All righty, first things first: This review is based on the 2nd printing that features a bonus scenario. I will analyze that as well. The adventure is intended for 2nd level characters, and the presence of spellcasters is recommended, as there are some scenes where items may be activated via spell checks. If you happen to have no spellcasters, DCC’s rules still allow for spell checks for non-casters, but yeah – I’d recommend, as pretty much always, a well-rounded group. This adventure can be rather deadly, and certainly counts as one of the modules that not everybody will survive – particularly since the focus here is pretty classic: There are several rather tough encounters that can’t be skipped, so your group should definitely have some combat skills – more so than in “Doom of the Savage Kings” and “People of the Pit”, we have a more pronounced emphasis on combat. If you happen to love the modules, but not the rules, you should know that the module doesn’t utilize many of the more intricate and unique components of DCC, which makes conversion pretty simple.

Speaking of which: The inside of the front cover features a STUNNING full-page b/w-artwork of the location of the final showdown of the main module, which is AWESOME. Seriously, this one picture sets the stage perfectly.

As always, the module does provide well-written read-aloud text to help you navigate and run the adventure. The main module does not require more prep work than usual for a dungeon; however, the bonus adventure is pretty free-form and either requires some experience in that regard or improvisation skills. The adventure does come with the encounter table listing the adversaries encountered.

Now, and this may just be me, but since it’s what I experienced, here goes: Look at this cover. It may just be me; it may just be an odd peculiarity of my brain and the myriad connotations accumulated over my life. But…I honestly expected some serious Oz-references here. You know, due to the whole green/emerald-aspect. This is not really the case. This is not a happy-go-lucky adventure, nor a dark twist on Oz-themes. Instead, it is a crawl into the fortress of a seriously demented wizard. I’m obviously not penalizing the module for that, but I figured that it would be useful to some to state this clearly.

All right, as always, this’ll be the place where I pronounce a big SPOILER WARNING. I’m going to thoroughly spoil the adventure below, so potential players should jump ahead to the conclusion. … .. . All right, only judges around? Great! Villagers have been disappearing, and the brooding citadel of the emerald enchanter seems like a good place to investigate – the mad mage seems to have once more emerged from his studies…and indeed, upon arriving at the citadel, there will be no doubt as to the grisly fate of those taken: The emerald guard constructs (emerald eidolons) seem to come in two variations: One that represents genuine constructs, while the other such guards are the result of living beings dumped into the sorcerous vats of the enchanter. The latter revert to their erstwhile shape upon being slain, and indeed, the first such man encountered will provide a clue for a latter part of the adventure with his dying breath. He stated that Thesdipedes knows the word, and this clue will allow the PCs to later save the transmogrified humans…provided they know how to ask the mummy that is a part of the Emerald Enchanter’s consultorium. Alongside a brain in a jar and a talking skull. The PCs can’t cast speak with dead? Luckily, there is a scroll that would allow any spellcaster to cast it, though that requires lip service to a patron, which could have interesting long-term ramifications and further adventure options. The reversal of the process btw. is based on a low DC spell check and a blood sacrifice of 1 point of spellburn. Nice to see that smart PCs can be heroic and do something “better” than murder-hoboing everything.

But I digress. The first room of the actual citadel holds massive mosaics that form into a tile golem, which makes for a thoroughly enjoyable, if potentially very lethal combat: The entity can replenish its powers by drawing upon the environment, create beasts from tiles, etc. The mechanics here are amazing, and the options available to the golem are cool and consistent in their application. The golem’s tile absorption may actually reveal a hidden door, for example. Many modules would handwave this; this one provides mechanics. If I had one complaint here, it’d be that there is no real reward for being smart: The golem has Act 1d20 and gets a free tile draw (to blast, heal, create tile critters) in addition to 50 hit points. It basically represents a potent bottleneck right at the start of the module, and could be overwhelming to less experienced groups. If you have AoE-damage, this is the time to whip it out and destroy as many tiled sections as you can. Without AoE, though, you should get ready for a war of attrition that the PCs may well lose.

If you haven’t noticed it by now – this module is pretty damn dark, and while it does feature things that may seem goofy or gonzo, they’re not goofy, and even the gonzo components don’t feel funny. There is, for example, a hallway of blackened rock, with spirits of the slain trapped in the wall. These are hard to kill, attempting to hit them may result in broken weaponry, and they represent an important notice: Bypassing these is much easier than besting them, and indeed, this module is not necessarily intended to be cleared. Or, well, if you try, get ready to have the difficulty increase…

The eponymous Emerald Enchanter is a good example of a BBEG that has a presence before the final encounter: With emeralds acting as teleport foci and flying skulls tracking the PC’s every move, the evil wizard feels like a constant, threatening presence, and e.g. the lack of means to simply bypass many obstacles like the golem make sense from the perspective of this evil mastermind. These flying skulls btw. also represent a nasty trick: For a lot of the dungeon, these respawning surveillance mechanisms are pretty much a creepy paranoia-inducing dressing in creature form…until they’re not. There are instances where these skulls become capable of blasting the PCs with rays!

PCs doing their homework can also find the source of power of the emerald enchanter’s transmogrification vats, a captured moon-devil that clever PCs can free to gain a boon. An enterprising judge certainly should take this as a long-term angle to connect this section to adventures of the moon etc. in the future. Said entity is contained in a sublevel of the dungeon that is pretty much skippable – level 2 and 3 are both pretty brief and, together, constitute roughly the equivalent of a dungeon level that is slightly shorter than level 1 of the citadel. Minor complaint: The story notes that this thing is responsible for the transmogrification vats, but while releasing it does come with a potent reward, this has no direct impact of the finale, when it, logic-wise, probably should.

It should come as no surprise that, ultimately, the dungeon contains plenty of odd and weird guardians and magic tools – trapped protoplasmic demons, odd laboratories, ruby cats and topaz serpents – there is a clear leitmotif at work here, and a clear method to the enchanter’s madness.

It should also be noted that we do get a buff suite for said enchanter – and aforementioned demon? Well, freeing him does reward the PCs by making progress smoother. The showdown, which, as mentioned before, is lavishly-illustrated in a one-page, massive handout, features the emerald enchanter and his creatures – and a massive, factory-style mechanism that acts as a timer of sorts. Dawdling PCs will witness transformations of innocents. …but on the other hand, smart players will have a means to reverse the process by now, which can make the emerald enchanter trying to goad the PCs into rash actions less effective. Interesting choice!

This was where the main module used to stop. In this iteration of the adventure, though, the sequel “The Emerald Enchanter Strikes Back” (yes, with title printed in Star Wars font…) delivers the full-blown, unrepentant gonzo I expected from the module. This module was, to my knowledge, originally released as part of Goodman Games’ Gencon program booklet in 2014. Where the main adventure was an exploration through a mad scientist-style gonzo wizard, with some seriously dark tones, this bonus adventure penned by Jobe Bittman delivers the gonzo. It also radically deviates from the main module in structure, as it’s basically a hexcrawl. The overland map provided is separated in multiple zones, and from random encounters to a couple of keyed locations, this aspect is pretty free-form: Basically, the map is separated into two distinct zones. You see, the emerald enchanter the PCs have just slain? That was a simulacrum. Now, a gigantic robot…ähem…golem, with classic glass-bubble head and radiant emerald power-core in the middle is wrecking the landscape, and the module is about the PCs exploring the region and attempting to pin down the emerald enchanter’s engine of destruction. This is pretty amazing and a premise that could have covered much more than a brief epilogue.

I can’t say enough good things about this bonus adventure, but at the same time, it has one weakness that is somewhat grating. While the PCs theoretically can destroy the titan, it’s not the intended course of action. Instead, the PCs are expected to get inside the titan and make their way up. Wait…sounds familiar? Yeah, this premise was already used in the second of Goodman Games’ classic 3.X Wicked Fantasy adventures. That being said, the exploration of the emerald titan’s interior is much briefer and less complex, and emphasizes some goofy things. The colossus is not water tight, for example, so PCs in the feet may see the titan attempt to drown them by holding a foot under water. The colossus also will squeeze beehives inside, try to poke at players with treestumps, poking inside it – you get the idea. This very much embraces the ridiculous nature of the set-up. Sounds amazing, and frankly, it is. On the down-side, we get no descriptive text for the interior regions of the emerald titan, and indeed, scale and movement within the titan are not really covered, requiring pretty much that the judge wings these aspects. This feels doubly odd, since the aforementioned actions of the titan all get proper mechanical representations. The glass dome at the top houses the emerald enchanter, who proceeds to initiate evacuation protocols – 10 seconds, then the glass dome will detach and fly…wherever the judge desires. Nice way to segue into a new adventure!

Conclusion: Editing and formatting are very good, though not perfect. I noticed a couple of typo-level glitches. Layout adheres to the 2-column b/w-standard of these adventures, meaning that we get quite a lot of content per page. The artworks in b/w are amazing, and the handout of the final showdown is particularly glorious. The pdf comes fully bookmarked for your convenience. I can’t comment on the merits of the print version, since I do not own it. The cartography is, as always, awesome and beautiful – but there are no unlabeled versions of the maps, which means that VTT-appeal is slightly decreased…and that the players won’t get to see them. This is particularly grating regarding the bonus scenario’s hexmap. There is no justification for not at least getting a proper player-friendly version for the overland section. The bookmarks are pretty basic –no individual rooms are marked.

Joseph Goodman’s “The Emerald Enchanter” is an adventure that truly feels distinct in tone. The notion of a dark fantasy module that makes things that should by all accounts feel gonzo, actually managing to make them…disquieting? Horrific? Is quite a feat. There is no question as to the Emerald Enchanter’s vileness and insanity once the PCs get into this. Jobe Bittman’s bonus adventure adds a seriously fun over-the-top climax to the proceedings and represents a great change of pace. This adventure has a lot to offer, and I love its total commitment to its dark fantasy vibe and how it makes things that should be goofy disquieting. At the same time, it did not connect as well with me as the previous adventures in the main DCC-line. Perhaps it’s small inconsistencies like the one in the bonus adventure, or the fact that I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that the Emerald Enchanter’s presence throughout the module, his active counter-measures and the like, could have been more pronounced. The constant PC surveillance ultimately doesn’t amount to much, and feels like a bit of a lost chance. Hence, my final verdict will clock in at 4.5 stars, rounded down.

Endzeitgeist out.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
Dungeon Crawl Classics #69: The Emerald Enchanter
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