DriveThruRPG.com
Browse Categories
$ to $















Back
pixel_trans.gif
Other comments left by this customer:
You must be logged in to rate this
pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-05 Whispers in the Dark (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Luke R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/20/2017 16:09:12

Whispers in the Dark is a really interesting and dangerous module that throws challenges at both the DM and players.

My only real critique is that this is a module needs some smart prep to keep it under 2 hours. Between the complications that occur during the puzzle solving and the potentially brutal fight in the fane below, I spent almost 3 hours on this mod. I did not want to cut it short because it was my favorite in The Jungle has Fangs Trilogy and the fights were really interesting.

I would suggest that if you're DMing this mod, to think about the way you balance the amount of zombies that flood out from the city toward the obelisk: Too much will mire your party in combat dragging out the puzzle solving and subsequently your total play time, too little and your players will keep trying to fight their way out. This fight became deadly for my group and they used up quite a bit of their utility upstairs before the big fight. They ended up begging for a short rest after getting into the Fane. I would recomend 1 or 2 zombies from a random side of the map per round. They have a considerable health pool so they are almost unkillable in a single round for tier 1 players. 1 or 2 should be enough to give the players impetus to solve the puzzle without over encumbering them.

The Fane of the Fang is an amazing setting for the final battle. The Queen is an imposing challenge and the most interesting boss I've had the chance to run as a DM which could account for the foundation for my excitement. DMs should get to know her spells befor running, some are pretty neat and rarely seen. Also the majority are concentration so watch your overlap. She also has legendary actions so get brushed up on how they work if you don't know already. I would advise throwing in a second enemy just to take some of the inital blows even if its a very low CR Yuan-ti. You may want to be prepared to force some of the Queen's dialogue. Think about it like a villain in a Bond movie that tells 007 their whole evil plot right before they inevitably escape. Will add some drama and roleplay to an otherwise combat heavy and intense module.

Really loved the trilogy and this module in particular. My players enjoyed the puzzle/combat and the challenge of the fight with the Queen. As a DM it was a blast to run.

P.S. I am ignoring completely the rediculous and uncharacteristic "betrayal" that was written for Wadumu. Writing Wadumu as some kind of cunning trickster is utterly pointless. Not to mention his motives for "tricking" the players are mostly altruistic. He just wants to save his people from being murdered by Yuan-ti! I suggest instead, having Wadumu show the characters the exit in the snakes mouth at the end of the encounter and allowing for a heart felt goodbye. It will make so much more sense to your players. Alternatively, you could have him just bolt during the fight through the snake's mouth and cast him as a coward which makes a bit more sense then the way it was written.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
DDAL07-05 Whispers in the Dark (5e)
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-04 A Walk in the Park (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Luke R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/20/2017 14:22:24

A Walk in the Park is mostly a filler module for the trilogy, The Jungle has Fangs, it's plagued by little issues that amount to a generally forgettable experience, but can be saved through a bit of preparation by the DM.

My first issue with this mod as it introduces the emerald enclave to the party rather than continuing with Soggy Wren and the Harpers as A Day at the Races leaves you. It is unclear why Screaming Wind shows up out of no where. As a DM, you may want to stitch this connection by bringing in the co-operation between the factions in 07-01, A City on the Edge and say she was sent by Wren. In addition, you may also want to add hooks for Lords Alliance and Zhentarim while the characters are in the city too, that way they aren't blindsided by their involvement in Whispers in the Dark.

The fishing kids adds a fun mechanic, although losing 1-10g may not be enough to motivate the players to chase orphans through the street. If you're DMing and aren't constrained for time, have them actually steal more money or a critical item to inspire the players to chase (which leads them to the encounter with the thugs)

I found that the Satchel Shop will almost always devolve into a violent interogation as it's hard to believe that the shop's owner isn't involved in the illicit trade. Seperating the shop owner from the production of the goods and/or bringing Wadumu in sooner can help difuse any confrontations for you.

During the next part of the adventure I would add two additional dialogues with Wadumu. Maybe split up his story over the course of three nights, add to the build up/investment of the characters to help free this guy's village. Maybe even some grewsome details about how the Wanderlust is made could add some much needed hooks for the player. Wadumu will most likely be beloved and trusted implicitly because his cute frogginess and the gift of a magic item in the first 30 seconds of meeting him. However, the PCs will want to know more about him and it will help to add some more heart to the mostly mundane adventure.

Also, the mudslide encounter could use some time to prep and envision. The event lacks the kind of description of the scene and encounter mechanics that can leave the players confused.

The biggest missed opportunity is the lack of an antagonist. The blame rests solely on the faceless Yuan-ti threat. Having a named villian with some kind of personality and hooks to the direction of the Queen in Whispers in the Dark would help to tie the adventures together.

Over all, the adventure suffers from a few issues, but nothing damning. Mostly they are muddled plot points and missed opportunities that can be easily changed/enhanced by a DM that has more than 2 hours to run this mod. Wamumu really makes this adventure fun, try to capitolize on his energy and your players will walk away happy.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
DDAL07-04 A Walk in the Park (5e)
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Luke R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/20/2017 12:56:47

Really love the Trilogy! As a starting adventure for tier 1 play A Day at the Races delivers an interesting and different experience for players, but will require a creative and prepared DM to ensure a high caliber experience.

I like the diversity of the experience, the betting, the race and the battle; however, each could use a bit more flavor. The experience of this adventure is almost completely in the hands of the DM. Without the DM adding flair to the races--having to fill in mechanical flaws, describing a short series of checks to add drama and coming up with more detail to add to the extremely general winning conditions--this adventure will most often fall flat for the players.

I would suggest any DMs prepping this adventure to reuse or reference mechanics from 07-01's race to fill in the gaps, especially with the final stretch of the race.

I also prepped some bookie/betting tickets to add some flair to the first part. If I had more time to prep I would have maybe made some ribbon tokens to give to each player in the second leg, as they have a gold value, and some scrabble type pieces to represent the bricks they fetch from the harbor to make the experience more tactile for the players.

In the final fight I maxed the encounter challenge as the players had no prerequisite combat. It also adds a more satisfying crunch to the finale with a better XP award for their mostly roleplay experience.

This is neatly wrapped in a 2 hour session. The timing for the module never really feels rushed as the DM holds all the sway on the pacing.

The Trilogy, The Jungle Has Fangs is great as a whole, a well paced hook to get new players invested in season 7.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
DDAL07-03 A Day at the Races (5e)
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Character Sheet - MPMB's fully-automated Printer Friendly character generator
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Luke R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/26/2017 15:07:53

I got this for free 3 month ago and came back to add a paid purchase because this has become an indespensible part of building my characters. This sheet is so well thought out and programed. I love how easy it is to roll a character and how thorough it is with the data. I rarely have issues with the content, if ever, and I use it weekly. I love this product so much! Well done!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Character Sheet - MPMB's fully-automated Printer Friendly character generator
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
DDAL07-01 A City on the Edge (5e)
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast
by Luke R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/26/2017 14:46:46
Overall I really liked City on the Edge. I thought the varied amount of activities, exposure to the different personalities, factions and kinds of threats the players might encounter in Chult made it a fantastic introductory adventure. The missions although rated for 60 minutes of play can accommodate a much longer session if need be. If anything, the 60min/per mission is difficult to attain unless moving rather quickly through the content. My only complaints are the time spent versus the awards received and some lack of “box text” in areas that could have used some further descriptions to better set the scene. As a creative, but new, DM it is nice to have the box text to paint the scenes with some color before throwing characters into a new setting. I went through and suplimented the descriptions using background from the hardcover. I also sifted through some of the descriptions for the DM within the modual to provide more dialogue and description for the players which helped. The issue I have with the awards is that for, what was, 8 hours of playtime my group could only max out their xp for completing the 5 missions at around 300-500xp. I just think as a player coming out to play Adventurers League at the comic shop for two sundays and only barely getting to level 2 might make me feel a little cheated. Not to mention there is a steep initial cost for adventurers entering the jungle: Hiring guides for 150g up front, using downtime to purchase essential supplies from the merchant princes and stocking up on food, ammo and materials. Characters may not have enough capitol to properly outfit themselves Otherwise I really enjoyed City on the Edge and will continue to use it to introduce characters to Port Nyanzaru and Chult before moving them into the hardcover adventure. Especially because this gives a much needed padding to the player's initial levels, gold and downtime to make essential purchases before their expedition into the unforgiving jungles of Chult.

Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
DDAL07-01 A City on the Edge (5e)
Click to show product description

Add to DriveThruRPG.com Order

pixel_trans.gif
Displaying 1 to 5 (of 5 reviews) Result Pages:  1 
pixel_trans.gif
pixel_trans.gif Back pixel_trans.gif
0 items
 Gift Certificates