ASC Review: Necropolis Of The Forgotten Hero

Necropolis of the Forgotten Hero (zs.gothpunk)

"Old school adventure" for four to six PCs of levels 1st-3rd

I am reviewing these in the order they were submitted. For my review criteria, please check out this post. All reviews will (probably) contain *SPOILERS*; you have been warned! Because these are short (two page) adventures, it is my intention to keep the reviews brief.

Oh, good...another adventure I can immediately disqualify as it fails to meet the requirement of actually being designed for a particular system.

[play-testers include a "chaotic drow level 2"...there is no such class as "Drow" in any TSR-era edition of D&D ever]

Too bad because the size is good, and the map is nice and...oh. Oh.

[sorry, just reading this]

Okay, so this is a whole story/set-up scenario thing. Rather than an adventure site. There is a "Dark Lord" (*sigh*) who is a GHOUL.  Ghouls, in AD&D have "low" intelligence (INT of 5-7), "their change from human to ghoul having deranged and destroyed their minds." Hardly "Dark Lord" material.

Oh my gosh. He even has human servants of the Dark Lord. Humans following a ghoul. 

Hard to tell if the treasure adds up as this isn't written for a particular system and magic items don't count as x.p.-worthy treasure in all old school systems. Regardless this gets only * (one-star) for showing an incomplete understanding of D&D.

ASC Review: Albarino's Icy Cellar

Albarino's Icy Cellar (Zoranu)

AD&D adventure for five to eight PCs of levels 6th-8th

I am reviewing these in the order they were submitted. For my review criteria, please check out this post. All reviews will (probably) contain *SPOILERS*; you have been warned! Because these are short (two page) adventures, it is my intention to keep the reviews brief.

All right! More AD&D!

Mm.

Mmm.

*sigh*

Okay, this is another REALLY BIG "adventure site." It's pretty much a full-blown adventure. 30 encounter areas over two levels. Let me check...ah, yes, the contest rules state:

"8-24 keyed locations"

So...disqualified, I guess.

This one is...okay. Theming is okay, if weird. A white dragon moves into a dwarf stronghold; only a group of derro (not really dwarves) remain. Even though the dragon has stolen all their treasure, too?

Except that they have access to treasure far in excess of the dragon's hoard.

I'll give a brief rundown, despite the DQ. Nerfed derro for no-good reason: "Derro MR and Spells adjusted downward from S4 baseline." [also from MM2 baseline] Why, exactly? Gygax's rules not good enough for you? If you deem them too tough for the adventure, then why are you putting them in the adventure?

Threat level is a little cheap for a party of 7th levels PCs. Oh, the dragon is okay, but there's a lot of empty on the map. 

And the TREASURE...hoo-boy! Expected yield should be in the 350K range...instead we get something approaching 615K or more (it is my personal belief that the x.p./g.p. value of girdles of giant strength are off by a factor of 10 due to a typo in the DMG). Zoranu lists the "subdued dragon sell price" as 2.5 million gold pieces. No...please check the MM (p.30) in which it lists the price as 100-800 g.p. per hit point of the dragon. While the MM is explicit that "this price is subject to adjustment by the referee" clearly raising the normal maximum of 44,800 to 2,500,000 is a bridge too far...especially given the already outrageous haul of treasure in this adventure.

Some other nitpicks are here (what exactly does a "dwarf/human hybrid" look like? A derro? Then why not say "derro"...) but the main issues are as listed: too easy, too many "gimmes," too much treasure, too many encounters, not enough traps/hazards (and multiple cursed scrolls don't count in my book)...

I DID like the shadow demon embedded in the normal shadows to make them all but un-turnable (a 7th level cleric only turns a shadow demon on a 20)...very nasty, but the treasure is worth it. I'm okay with the paean. On the other hand, there is no such thing as a "major STR check" in AD&D...and this is noted twice. What the hell are you talking about? Sounds like some 5E b.s. to me.

I'd knock a whole star off this (down to **) because there seems to be some "learning" that needs to be done by the author; trust the game to do its job...there are better ways to design then simply ignoring the existing rules. Not that it matters, since this is too big for an "adventure site."

ASC: Fragments Of Paradise

Fragments of Paradise (K.A.)

OSRIC adventure for PCs of levels 8th-10th

I am reviewing these in the order they were submitted. For my review criteria, please check out this post. All reviews will (probably) contain *SPOILERS*; you have been warned! Because these are short (two page) adventures, it is my intention to keep the reviews brief.

This is an OSRIC adventure; it makes reference to items (bleeding sword, robe of bones, greater cloak of displacement, etc.) that are not part of AD&D.

It is also not an "adventure site" but a full on adventure. Players do not "stumble onto" the place, but are sent there on a mission (multiple mission ideas are provided). The thing is simultaneously too big (the Dyson Logos map is of a city with dozens of buildings) and too small (only 7 keyed encounter locations...outside the 8-24 of the contest parameters). For these infractions, this is yet another entry I would simply disqualify.

A mid-high level adventure site...except that it's not an adventure site. Whatever. The author throws a perpetually regenerating evil reversed deva with laser eyes into the thing as the main antagonist. Because...high level, I guess?

Gygax was right the first time not to include angels in his game. Throwing devas and solars and such into it just wants to make DMs want to use them to fight PCs. Trashy.

Let's see, what else: 12 hill giants with a "shaman" (no spells given, though he wears a robe of bones). Five invisible banshees. A house shrouded in "permanent darkness and silence" with four black puddings in stasis for PCs to bump into. A giant white gemstone with a 200K value that doesn't matter because the PCs are supposed to destroy it that traps souls without saving throw and possesses PCs. 

Yeah. This isn't an adventure for levels 8th-10th...not even in OSRIC. Sorry.

The whole scenario culminates with the summoning of an astra deva who cleanses the whole thing in "a storm of divine fire."  Can't happen soon enough, in my opinion.

Yes, K.A. -- I'm a big jerk. I don't like this one. It's mythic and grandiose, but it's also style over substance. 8th-10th level doesn't call for "mythic and grandiose." Tomb of Horrors is just a crypt raid and that's for levels 10th-14th.  Back to the drawing board. Even if it wasn't a DQ, this would be * for me.

ASC Review: Dweller In The Mist

Dweller in the Mist (Alex Edwards, AKA Sandbox Sorcerer)

AD&D adventure for PCs of levels 6th+

I am reviewing these in the order they were submitted. For my review criteria, please check out this post. All reviews will (probably) contain *SPOILERS*; you have been warned! Because these are short (two page) adventures, it is my intention to keep the reviews brief.

Nice concept, tight theme, nifty maps, fun illustrations.We've got a kind of Skull Island, pulpy/Hollow Earth kind of vibe going on here with pirates devolved Atlanteans, and giants. Cool.

Now let's talk problems.

This is a REALLY BIG "adventure site." All told it has about 22 encounter areas, but the thing is on an island...this isn't something you just drop onto you campaign map. This is an adventure destination/location, not a random hex for players to stumble into (unless you're running a wandering-freebooter-crew style of campaign). 

This adventure is TOO EASY. I mean, it depends on how many 6th+ level characters are in the group. Since the adventure doesn't say, I'll assume SEVEN PCs...this should be the average party size for an effective team. And for seven PCs of levels 6+? This should be a cakewalk.

A single giant ape (re-skinned hill giant) who is docile unless attacked, controlled by his pacifist L1 druid girlfriend. Atlantean cavemen who are used to the pirates and simply assume PCs are pirates (and, thus, are non-hostile). A mist dragon...the weakest 10HD dragon ever devised...that will "flee if pressed" and then "use his spells to affect an ambush." Cloudburst and a 3d4 damage breath weapon? Ooo...I'm so scared!

There's an ettin who works for the pirates (apparently for free as he has no treasure) that spends hours of time clearing rubble and restacking it whenever their ship needs to leave the cave. Meanwhile, a nearby octopus is an "old enemy" of the guy, that "lurks beneath the surface waiting to attack...should it become vulnerable." For example, if engaged in battle with the PCs. Seven 6th level PCs. They don't need the help.

Oo...FOUR wights. Wow. Except one uses a crossbow of speed, so it does d4+1 damage instead of level drain. And who cares anyway when a 6th level cleric can turn 1d12 wights on a d20 roll of 4+?

Friendly, talkative dryads (who already have a bunched of charmed dudes that will happily join the party if freed), treants (who are constrained in their movement in this adventure)...just not a lot of "danger" in this adventure. Sure there's a cave of carnivorous apes (who are "chaotic evil" for some reason...um, these are neutral animals), but they've been charmed by the dryads (how? charm person doesn't work on animals)...but they "only leave their cave to hunt;" that's not really a threat.

And yet the treasure in this thing...hoo boy!  I'd be looking for 180K for a 6th level adventure of this size, but instead you get NEARLY TWICE THAT amount at 340K+. Plus you get a pirate ship to carry it off with! A pirate ship crewed by 0-level pirates that those 6th level fighters will get six attacks per round against.

Nah.

This is "playable" and has a nice idea, but the execution is bad. As far as adventure goes, this is pretty weak-sauce, unless your players are the types to go in, guns blazing and piss everyone off...but even so, there's enough distance between each encounter that getting gang-banged is probably not going to happen. I think even a small group of PCs (three or four) should eat this thing alive if played with any degree of acumen.

I can't quite knock this down to **, but I'm going to add a double minus to its *** grade.

ASC Review: Emerald Caves

Emerald Caves (Patrick Dolan)

AD&D adventure for three to six PCs of levels 4th-6th

I am reviewing these in the order they were submitted. For my review criteria, please check out this post. All reviews will (probably) contain *SPOILERS*; you have been warned! Because these are short (two page) adventures, it is my intention to keep the reviews brief.

*sigh*

Nice concept for an adventure site. Right size, right scale, nice themes.

Total death trap. And not in a good way.

There are 12 encounter areas in the Emerald Caves, half of which have monster encounters. Here's a list of all the critters that frequent the caves:

• Boring beetles
• Bombardier beetles
• Shriekers & violet fungi
• Carrion crawlers
• Giant slugs
• Shambling mounds
• Purple worms
• and a trapper

...the latter of which is the 12 HD variety.

Boring beetles (encounter in groups of 5-8) are HD 5 monsters that do 5d4 damage. Bombardier beetles (encountered as a group of six) are only HD 2+2 and 2d6 damage, but they can fire off an AoE cloud of 3d4 damage (no save) that has a 20% chance of stunning everyone in it for multiple rounds (12 shots total). The carrion crawlers are encountered in a pack of 4 giving them 32 paralyzing attacks; alternatively they might be encountered as d3 wanderers. The violet fungi do 2d4 rotting attacks, while the shriekers can call a HD 12, acid-spitting giant slug or a pair of HD 9 shambling mounds or d3 carrion crawlers. The trapper is HD 12 with the smothering attack, while messing with the final treasure will call a pair of purple worms to cut off the party's exit and finish them.

Treasure is excessive: more than 81K when I'd be expecting more around 32K for something this size. Of course, this should see a lot of party death, so survivors (if any) should be seeing big returns. A lot of jewelry, easily swiped and stashed.

I'm torn. This one is definitely playable as is; it's just the kind of thing that will end an entire party of "three to six" characters of 5th level...and they won't be happy about it. *** but a double-minus for excessive treasure and PC demise.

ASC Review: Interdimensional Tunnels of the Sluggobs

Interdimensional Tunnels of the Sluggobs (Chomy)

S&W (OD&D) adventure for PCs of levels 4th-5th

I am reviewing these in the order they were submitted. For my review criteria, please check out this post. All reviews will (probably) contain *SPOILERS*; you have been warned! Because these are short (two page) adventures, it is my intention to keep the reviews brief.

The problem I have with S&W (which is to say OD&D) is that because the thing is so "under-baked" it is wide open to tinkering and weirdness, making it difficult to judge as its own entity. While I'm certain that its proponents would call this a "feature" of the system (yay! we're just having fun!) this CAN cause issues for players in that you never know what to expect (i.e. "system mastery" is fairly difficult).

And for the judge of an adventure contest it's...not fun. Because then you end up going by "feel" a lot, which is a pretty subjective way to measure things and not especially fair. Fairness in contests matter.

Chomy is used to creating "real" adventures, and for my money, this one is too big for an "adventure site," but at 24 encounter areas it just fits into Ben Gibson's parameters of "8-24 keyed locations." Chomy's clever like that. Yes, he creates his "sluggob" monster (a mutant slug-goblin creature with acid spit), but he puts the stat block in the text...same with his version of a "half-ogre"...and I can't ding him for that, as it's still "par" for an OD&D monster write-up. I assume the annis comes from some S&W supplement as it's a slightly different (i.e. "S&W adjusted") from its appearance in the MM2; hard to know for certain.

Wild and wooly D&D, this is.

Treasure is...fine. For an seven person party of 4th level PCs in an adventure this size, I'd expect something close to 45K, and Chomy comes in at just over 41K and change. Magic items are all, mercifully, normal. 

Good theme, good concept, tight design. Despite the inter-dimensional weirdness, this IS "just an adventure site," albeit a large one with lots of things going on. It is also solid D&D (****). It may not be my cup of tea, but Chomy knows what he's doing.  Kudos for the wide variety of (sensible) encounters that can be handled in a variety of ways, and for the clear and well-labeled map.

ASC Review: Yorker Hills & Twin Falls

Yorker Hills (Squeen)

Twin Falls (Squeen)

I am reviewing these in the order they were submitted. For my review criteria, please check out this post. All reviews will (probably) contain *SPOILERS*; you have been warned! Because these are short (two page) adventures, it is my intention to keep the reviews brief.

Two entries received from the same author, although no author's name appears on either submission (I checked with Gibson who told me they were both penned by Squeen).

Likewise, neither lists a system of use. Or a level range. In fact, both seem to simply be excerpts from some campaign manual.

I'm disqualifying both for multiple rules transgressions (including too few encounter areas). Sorry...maybe next time just focus on doing ONE site correctly?