I beleiev that MShipley is referring to the lack of descriptive text for the product, which I am aware of.
PPP is moving to add desciptions for its products, but I must do so at the rate that I submit them and when the web-designer can get them up.
For now, let this mini-review of the first edition (the text doesn't change in the 2nd, only the game system mechanic) suffice until I get
the desciption posted.
From the PPP message Board:
"Introduction
Let me first offer this caveat: My review of this module is somewhat biased, as I have longed since the early '80s for
a product to further explore the myth cycle of my favorite
RPG personality of all time, the Dark God, as originally
envisioned by Kuntz and later expanded upon by Gygax in his hauntingly beautiful adventure, The Forgotten Temple of Tharizdun. As has been previously stated by myself in a previous post, I have always held a special place
in my heart for the Dark God, a literary creation that appears to be modelled after Lovecraft's Elder God, Great
Cthulhu. The Dark God, just like Cthulhu, is an alien, cold, and uncaring force whose motives seem to be beyond the
ken of man.
Now after that lengthy preamble, let the review begin. What I most enjoyed about the adventure was its format: a lengthy and challenging dugeon crawl preceded by an equally lengthy and challenging wilderness adventure.
Part I: The Wilderness Adventure First off, the wilderness encounters are highly original and extremely deadly, and many of them can easily wipe out a
party of poor/novice players. But, each encounter is also integral to the overall plot -- not a filler encounter in sight,thankfully -- and provide the PCs with vital clues should they be overcome. In a way, the module functions as a
detective story of sorts, forcing the PCs to piece together the clues provided if they are to see the adventure through to its conclusion.
My favorite of these encounters involves one of the three new monsters introduced, the Black Circle Demon. I love
the way the woodland demon in question, which appears as a circular latticework of gnarled, ebony roots, parts as the
PCs first approach it, welcoming them to the soon-to-be-discovered horrors within. As soon as the PCs step beyond the opening, however, it immediately closes behind them, leaving them no choice but to face the two human figures
within. What makes the encounter especially deadly is the fact that an empathic link has been established between
the demon and the two human combatants lurking inside. The PCs, when they see that their attacks seem to be having little effect on the the two human figures, are forced to reflect on the peculiar circumstances of the encounter,hopefully coming to the realization that they must first deal with the demon itself if they are to have any chance of survival. Once the battle is over, the PCs are further rewarded with good play/logical deduction, for if they are to cast a certain spell on the bodies of the two dead humans, they will gain much-needed information on the Dark Druids, which, in turn, provides a motivation for them to explore further.
Part II: The Dungeon
What I most enjoyed about the dungeon itself, which takes the form of an underground stronghold for the titular Dark Druids, is that Robert takes the time to describe each room therein in great detail, often commentating on not
just what the PCs see, but what they hear and sense as well, all of which is conveyed via Robert's much-appreciated florid prose. The descriptions themselves can be quite upsetting, I must warn you, the images conjured up through
Robert's words lingering on the gamer's mind for quite some time afterwards.
Another aspect of the dungeon I can appreciate is its highly dynamic character. The actions of the PCs in the earlier sections of the dungeon often influence the events that unfold in later sections. This has to be the case, because the stronghold of the Dark Druids is peopled with two warring factions who are almost always on the move.
The icing on the cake, so to speak, is the fact that He of Eternal Darkness himself directly interacts with the PCs twice in the module, at one point even offering to aid the PCs against the two warring factions in the stronghold should they agree to his quest. This poses an interesting dilemma for good-aligned PCs: Do they accept the aid of an obviously malign deity so that the greater good can be accomplished, that of the destruction of the two warring factions, or do they refuse his offer of aid, thus making their escape from the stronghold all the more difficult as well as allowing the two factions to continue down their destructive path .. or so the PCs are led to believe?"
This adventure is for 9th-12th level
PCs who are quested to destroy the Druids, who are thmemselves bent on the destruction of mankind.
The original article occurs here:
http://p085.ezboard.com/fpiedpiperpublishingfrm41
Rob
"How now, varlet! said Ralibar Vooz..." "Who are you that speak so churlishly to a magistrate of Commoriom and a cousin to King Homquat?" C. A. Smith--The Seven Geases
