DND Archive
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Mini-Dungeon Monthly #1 (5e) (P)review
Posted on February 14, 2019 | No CommentsMini-Dungeon Monthly #1 (5e) (P)review The first installment of AAW Games‘ new Mini-Dungeons Monthly ‘zine clocks in at 20 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page ToC/editorial, 1 page SRD, 1 page advertisement, leaving us with 16 pages of content, so let’s take a look! How can this review exist? Well, I received an advance copy of the inaugural installment of the ‘zine for the purpose of providing a fair and unbiased review. This being a prerelease review, I will refrain from providing a final verdict, as there are bound to be some minor changes prior to public release, so please bear that in mind! The ‘zine has a highly successful kickstarter running right now, so if you like […] -
What Lies Beyond Reason #5: Seeking Silverton (5e)
Posted on February 4, 2019 | No CommentsWhat Lies Beyond Reason #5: Seeking Silverton (5e) The fifth installment of the What Lies Beyond Reason AP clocks in at 102 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page KS-backer thanks, 1 page ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 96 pages of content, so let’s take a look! This review was moved up in my reviewing queue as a prioritized review at the request of my patreons. All right, so, formally, this installment of the AP is intended for 7th level characters, but it should be noted that the adventure does provide guidance on running this for 6th and 8th level characters as well – we get some global advice […] -
Storm Bunny Presents – The Zhamaja (5e)
Posted on January 25, 2019 | No CommentsStorm Bunny Presents – The Zhamaja (5e) The 5e-version of this little pdf clocks in at 4 pages, 1 page of which is devoted to the SRD, with the other 3 sporting content of some sorts, with the first page sporting the amazing artwork of the monster, as well as the description – the zhamaja is a worm from beyond space and time, prowling the darkness beneath, with horrid, ringed mouths and poisonous stingers – on page two, we actually do get visual close-up representations of the moth and poison-sac-laden stingers, including annotations, making that part look a bit like a field manual, which is a pretty damn cool angle, as far as presentation is concerned. The zhamaja comes […] -
Three Sorcerous Arts (5e)
Posted on January 23, 2019 | No CommentsThree Sorcerous Arts (5e) This pdf clocks in at 10 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 8 pages of content, so let’s take a look! After a page of introduction, the first sorcerous origin provided within would be Royal Sorcery. At first level, the noblesse oblige feature nets the friends cantrip, and targets affected do not notice that they were subjected to it. The feature also yields proficiency in Persuasion and the ability to reroll a natural 1 on any Charisma ability check, with the requirement to spend 2 sorcery points to do so. I like this, but the verbiage would have been more precise, if it stated whether Charisma-saves and Charisma-based skill-checks are […] -
Languard Locations: Under the City (5e)
Posted on January 15, 2019 | No CommentsLanguard Locations: Under the City (5e) The final installment of the impressive Languard Locations-series, which further elaborates upon the unique locales to be found in the city of Languard clocks in at 14 pages, 1 page front cover, 2 pages advertisement, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 8 pages of content, so let’s take a look! It is time, my fellow travelers, to once more walk the streets of Languard, of this beautiful and horrible pearl of the Duchy of Ashlar – and this time around, we won’t go to a particular neighborhood. Instead, we will light our torches and delve below the dirty, cobblestone streets and explore what lies beneath the […] -
Languard Locations: The Wrecks (5e)
Posted on January 7, 2019 | No CommentsLanguard Locations: The Wrecks (5e) This installment of the Languard Locations-series clocks in at 12 pages, 1 page front cover, 2 pages of advertisement, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 6 pages of content, so let’s take a look! We return to Languard, and this time around, we take a look at the Styes…ähem, sorry, I meant at “the Wrecks.” The shambles were poor and cutthroat, the fishshambles dangerous, but vibrant. The wrecks, however, are categorized by their temporariness. As the pdf explains in vivid prose: “The Wrecks reek of it. Shipwrecks grip piers and boardwalks that cling to what little ground there is – and that is itself mostly transient, shifting […] -
5E Holiday Mini-Dungeon Bundle (5e)
Posted on December 19, 2018 | No Comments5E Holiday Mini-Dungeon Bundle (5e) All right, so I’m going to deviate slightly from my usual approach, since this is a collection of Mini-Dungeons, and I’ll be extracting the relevant sections for the individual adventure reviews. At this point, I think you’re all familiar with how mini-dungeons work, but for completion’s sake: They are basically cards of two pages (in rare cases more) that depict a scenario on a single sheet of paper, and the respective adventure features a full-color map. Rules-relevant aspects generally are hyperlinked to, and these, for the most part, have no room for read-aloud text. An important deviation from standard mini-dungeons would be that the holiday mini-dungeons are all super-sized, i.e. they cover 4 pages […] -
Languard Locations: Fishshambles (5e)
Posted on December 14, 2018 | No CommentsLanguard Locations: Fishshambles (5e) This installment of the Languard Locations-series clocks in at 13 pages, 1 page front cover, 2 pages of advertisement, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover. It should also be noted that some nice author bio sections are provided – kudos for including these! The net content remaining would be 6 pages, so let’s take a look! And you thought the shambles were bad. North of Cheap street, right next to the water front of Languard, there sprawls the reeking, tangled labyrinth known as fishshambles. A rickety network of jetties and tottering, desolate warehouses are used for purposes that are often, if not mostly, illicit and dangerous. While a relatively small section […] -
Languard Locations: Beyond the Walls (5e)
Posted on November 30, 2018 | No CommentsLanguard Locations: Beyond the Walls (5e) This installment of the Languard Locations-series clocks in at 16 pages, 1 page front cover, 2 pages of advertisement, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 10 pages of content, so let’s take a look! Well, first things first: This pdf does contain a list of author biographies in the back that spans 1.5 pages – and this is a damn good thing as far as I’m concerned. Freelancers have it tough, and such sections help generate name recognition, so kudos for that! And yes, locations are noted by designers. A handy list of the locations with brief descriptions is also provided on the final 0.5 page […] -
Languard Locations: High City (5e)
Posted on November 28, 2018 | No CommentsLanguard Locations: High City (5e) This installment of the Languard Locations series, which details the different districts of the city of Languard in more detail, clocks in at 14 pages, 1 page front cover, 2 pages of advertisement, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 8 pages of content, so let’s take a look! We have taken a look at where the unfortunate dwell, so let’s move to the other side of the Svart that almost bisects the town, let us take a look at where Languard’s elite dwells – and as such, we begin with an overview of the noble families of Languard, supplement by a half-page b/w-artwork. This section is followed […] -
Languard Locations: The Shambles (5e)
Posted on November 27, 2018 | No CommentsLanguard Locations: The Shambles (5e) The second installment of the more in-depth look at specific neighborhoods and regions of the city of Languard clocks in at 13 pages, 1 page front cover, 2 pages of advertisement, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 7 pages of content, so let’s take a look! Claustrophobically huddled within the southern part of the city, the region known as “The Shambles” lies close to the Svart, between Cheap Street and Low Gate, an area of narrow, twisting alleyways, tottering buildings and desperation. Here, the city’s poor huddle together in unsanitary, shoddily cobbled-together wooden constructions, with upper levels jutting over alleys, dimming what little sun makes its way […] -
Languard Locations: Low City (5e)
Posted on November 23, 2018 | No CommentsLanguard Locations: Low City (5e) The first installment of the Languard Locations series, which depicts the respective districts of the aforementioned city in more detail, clocks in at 13 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial/ToC, 2 pages of advertisement, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 7 pages of content, so let’s take a look! The low city if the part closest to the city’s wall, situated South of the Svart, and it is also home to the slum-like shambles and fishshambles, though these districts have their own supplements devoted to them – we’ll return to them in time, in the reviews that cover these quarters. The Patfinder version has pretty much been […] -
City Backdrop: Languard (5e)
Posted on November 22, 2018 | No CommentsCity Backdrop: Languard (5e) This massive settlement supplement clocks in at 29 pages, 1 page front cover, 2 pages of advertisement, 1 page editorial/ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 23 pages of content, so let’s take a look! So, in case you didn’t get that immediately: This is basically the MUCH bigger brother of the beloved Village Backdrops-series, and this time around, we take a look at the “crown jewel” of sorts of the Duchy of Ashlar, the region that serves as a rough geographic backdrop for many of Raging Swan Press’ more recent supplements. Housing a population of almost 8000 souls, Languard is a relatively cosmopolitan city for the region, with approximately […] -
Dungeon Age: Saving Saxham (revised edition) (5e)
Posted on November 12, 2018 | No CommentsDungeon Age: Saving Saxham (revised edition) (5e) This module clocks in at 24 pages of content , 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page of which is the SRD, leaving us with 21 pages of content. This review was moved up in my reviewing-queue due to me receiving a printed copy of the adventure. All righty, this is an adventure for characters level 1 – 3, with well-rounded groups being the preferable target demographic, as often the case. This is a one-man operation, with the maps and artworks provided by the author as well. The cartography in b/w is solid, but does not provide a grid/scale or player-friendly, unlabeled version per se – however, it is […] -
Dungeon Age: Saving Saxham (5e)
Posted on November 6, 2018 | No CommentsDungeon Age: Saving Saxham (5e) This module clocks in at 18 pages of content , 1 page of which is the SRD, leaving us with 17 pages of content. This review was moved up in my reviewing-queue due to me receiving a printed copy of the adventure. All righty, this is an adventure for characters level 1 – 3, with a well-rounded groups being the preferable target demographic, as often the case. This is a one-man operation, with the maps and artworks provided by the author as well. The cartography in b/w is solid, but does not provide a grid/scale or player-friendly, unlabeled version per se – however, it is cleverly constructed in a way which allows the […] -
5E Halloween Mini-Dungeon: The Horror of Ochre Grove (5e)
Posted on October 31, 2018 | No Comments5E Halloween Mini-Dungeon: The Horror of Ochre Grove (5e) All right, the first thing you’ll notice upon opening this mini-dungeon would be that it’s twice the usual size – that means we get 4 pages of content instead of the usual 2 pages. Mini-dungeons are super-condensed scenarios that deliver a small adventure. As such, I am not going to expect epic storylines or the like here – I’m rating these according to the virtues they display within the confined space available. The second thing you’ll notice would be the evolution regarding layout: The pdf is laid out in the same way as the massive Mini-Dungeon Tome: Color-coded for swift reference. Statblocks are not included, and instead, the module links […] -
Nightmares on Parade (5e)
Posted on October 26, 2018 | No CommentsNightmares on Parade (5e) This module clocks in at 35 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page inside of front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 30 pages of content, so let’s take a look! This review was moved up in my review-queue as a prioritized review at the request of my patreons….ah, who am I kidding? After the absolutely superb Pixies on Parade, I would have covered this as fast as possible even without that. Speaking of which – I strongly suggest playing Pixies on Parade before this one. While it can stand alone easily, I do believe that it has an added sense of gravitas […] -
Haunting of Hastur #4: Confronting Hastur (5e)
Posted on August 13, 2018 | No CommentsHaunting of Hastur #4: Confronting Hastur (5e) The fourth installment of the Haunting of Hastur-series clocks in at 36 pages, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 34 pages of content – this does not take the sturdy wrap-around cover into account. This cover is detachable, and the inside of this massive cover, is a GORGEOUS map of the city of Meavold, depicted in full color and in a player-friendly version – you can just hand it to your players. Big aesthetic plus! The module, like every installment in the series, does come with an alternate introduction to the series, should you and your players be new to the series, making it easy to get into the […] -
The Bleak Harvest (PFRPG/5e)
Posted on August 2, 2018 | No CommentsThe Bleak Harvest (PFRPG/5e) This adventure clocks in at 66 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page advertisement, 2 pages of SRD, leaving us with 61 pages of content, so let’s take a look! This review was moved up in my reviewing queue at the request of my patreons. My review is mainly based on the softcover copy, which I received, though I have also consulted the electronic version. A peculiarity there: There are two versions of the pdf: One with the front cover, and one without it – the latter has bookmarks, so that’s probably the intended one. If in doubt, I referred to the print copy. All right, let’s first address a pretty […] -
Book of Magic: 10 Warlock Invocations (5e)
Posted on July 25, 2018 | No CommentsBook of Magic: 10 Warlock Invocations (5e) This pdf clocks in at 4 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, leaving us with 1 page of content, so let’s take a look! This review was moved up in my reviewing queue as a prioritized review at the request of my patreons. Chilling Blast and Poisoning Blast require chill touch and poison spray as well as eldritch blast, and allow you to change the damage of the blast to cold or poison damage, respectively. Eternal laughter lets you cast hideous laughter once per long rest interval via a warlock spell slot. Devil’s Darkness requires the devil’s sight eldritch invocation and lets you cast darkness without […] -
Haunting of Hastur #3: The City of Talos (5e)
Posted on July 17, 2018 | No CommentsHaunting of Hastur #3: The City of Talos (5e) This combined settlement supplement/ecology and adventure clocks in at two times 32 pages – 28 pages each for the adventure and gazetteer booklets, if you take away cover/editorial/etc. My review is based primarily on the kickstarter premium print version of this adventure/supplement. The sturdy wrap-around cover has a massive, gorgeous full-color map of the eponymous city of Talos on the inside – and Justin Andrew Mason’s map is player-friendly! That’s a huge plus for the print version right there. As you can glean from the above, I have received a print copy of the module/setting supplement for the purpose of a fair and unbiased review. The books have thus been […] -
Occult Secrets of the Underworld Kickstarter (D&D 5e/PFRPG) launched!
Posted on July 13, 2018 | No CommentsDear readers! It has happened – the Occult Secrets of the Underworld are finally revealed! When AAW Games released Underworld Races & Classes, the Kickstarter narrowly missed the stretchgoal to make this book…but Jonathan G. Nelson listened to the fans, and commissioned this book, which, for me, is a passion project. Why? Well, I was brought on board regarding the Underworld Races & Classes project relatively late…and this time around, I had full creative control; Jonathan allowed me full reign to unleash my imagination.The ideas, once I started designing, kept flowing…and like a good freelancer, I delivered what was promised, on time. Here’s the thing…I fell in love with my own designs and really wanted to […] -
Faiths of the Forgotten Realms (5e)
Posted on July 5, 2018 | No CommentsFaiths of the Forgotten Realms (5e) This massive supplement clocks in at 200 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page inside of front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page ToC, leaving us with a massive 196 pages of content, so let’s take a look! This review was moved up in my reviewing queue as a prioritized review at the request of my patreons. I had access to the pre-release version to get this done so soon, but the review itself is based on the commercially-available version. Now, first things first: Since this is a massive book with a ridiculous amount of content inside, I cannot provide my step-by-step analysis for every single piece of crunch, as that would […] -
Mountains of Madness
Posted on June 27, 2018 | No CommentsMountains of Madness This massive installment of the Perilous Vistas-series of books clocks in at 288 pages of pure content, not counting editorial, etc. This review is based on the hardcover version of the book, which is, quality-wise, on par with the high production values of Frog God Games hardcovers. I backed the kickstarter that created this book, mainly because the previous two installments of this series of terrain-centric hardcovers have made my Top Ten-lists. All right, I rambled on, in detail, about the origins of this series: the idea is simple, yet concise and fun: Highlight a given environment and really polish it and make it shine, make it feasible and unique for the purpose of adventuring. […] -
Creature Components – Tome of Beasts (5e)
Posted on June 26, 2018 | No CommentsCreature Components – Tome of Beasts (5e) This installment of Playground Adventure’s so far absolutely fantastic Creature Components-series clocks in at 54 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page inside of front cover, 1 page editorial, 3 pages of ToC, 1 page SRD, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 46 pages of content, so let’s take a look! This review was moved up in my reviewing-queue as a prioritized review at the request of my patreons. Now, before we dive in, let me state the obvious: This book is about the concept of harvesting parts from defeated monsters for use with magic; conceptually, this is a development of the idea of power-components, i.e. optional material components that […] -
Marshes of Malice
Posted on June 25, 2018 | No CommentsMarshes of Malice This massive hardcover clocks in at 190 pages once you take away SRD, editorial, etc. My review is based on the hardcover book. It should also be noted that I have backed the kickstarter that gave rise to this massive book. As Frog God Games books have a very high level of quality, are built to last, I do recommend getting the physical copy if you can. All right, as you all know, my funds aren’t exactly plentiful these days, but when I can, I do back KS that I wholeheartedly believe in. Now, this book, in structure and spirit, is a sequel to the “Dunes of Desolation” and “Fields of Blood” books; retroactively, alongside “Dead […]