Tag: RPG Review

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Torment: Tides of Numenera-The Explorer’s Guide

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Product– Torment: Tides of Numenera-The Explorer’s Guide

System-Numenera

Producer-Monte Cook Games

Price– $40.00 here https://www.amazon.com/Torment-Tides-Numenera-Explorer/dp/193997951X/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473811918&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=Torment%3A+Tides+of+Numenera+-+The+Explorer%27s+Guide

TL; DR-What I want in a video game tie in book. 97%

Basics– Are you excited about Torment, the computer game?  Do you want to run your Torment Numenera tabletop game?  Torment:Tides of Numenera-The Explorer’s Guide would best be described as the “companion” book based on the video game for the Numenera tabletop RPG.  It’s  DEFINITELY NOT a strategy guide, but it does have new mechanics and world building so you can play the compute game at your table.

Mechanics or Crunch-This might be the weakest part of the book, but that’s like finding a single spelling error in a classic book.  What’s here is good.  It’s new, it’s fun, and it’s well done.  There are the expected things to help build out the blanking blank who blanks as well as cyphers and artifacts, but there is also a whole new social interaction system built on how the characters act.  It’s a small thing as it doesn’t need to be added, but it’s something GMs can make as big or as small as they like.  My one complaint is there isn’t more blanking blank who blanks options.  It’s minor though. The system doesn’t need a book of feats as much as it needs flavor. 4.5/5

 

Theme or Fluff-There might be more in this book about one small section of the world than there was in the core book.  I am absolutely serious.  I love the depth put in this book.  The small piece of the world that the game covers get’s a massive world building.  Here is the rub-as a GM for the game, you will have all the information you need.  As a players, there might be almost too much as it could spoil the game or even the video game.  That…is the proper amount of information for me to run an RPG.  I kickstarted the video game, but my wife and I are more excited to get this to the table with our Cypher group.  5/5

Execution-Cypher system has the best use of space of any RPG I’ve read.  You describe a fearsome adversary in the text, and the stats are less than a tweet in a sidebar.  Describe the use of a little used rule in the text, and a sidebar lists where the rule is in the core book.  MORE COMPANIES NEED TO DO THIS!  As for the layout, its great.  Few pages have too much text, but there is enough art, either hand drawn or game images, to balance out the reading.  I loved reading this book. 5/5

Summary– I was asked to review this book, but give the direct warning that “this is not a strategy guide.”  that is absolutely true, but what this book is amazing.  It’s full of crunch, fluff, and is well made.  I get new mechanics to play in a new part of the world.  I love everything about this book.  My one problem is I want more.  If there were a bit more character options, I’d be in heaven.  If you’re getting the video game, if you love the cypher system, or if you just want a well done splat book for Numenera, don’t pass this up.   97%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–14—Faithless and Forgotten, Part 1: Let Bygones Be

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Product-Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–14—Faithless and Forgotten, Part 1: Let Bygones Be

System-Pathfinder

Producer– Paizo

Price– $4.00 here

TL; DR-Instantly one of my favorites! 97%

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Basics-Cheliax is back!  This Pathfinder scenario is the start of renewed relations with Cheliax as the Pathfinders move from the shadows and are asked to investigate a few choice locations in the country.  However, along the way you find that not is all it seems as you have to deal with an oppressive dictator, unfriendly towns people, and horrors from days gone by that have subsisted on the most foul of meats.  Will you survive the horrors of town and the horror long forgotten?

Mechanics or Crunch-This adventure hits all their right marks for a PFS adventure-exploration, social challenges, problem solving(non-fighting),and problem solving(fighting!).  Every character gets a chance to be awesome in this one as you can simple fight everything everywhere as a way to win, but if you think your way through the problems, you can find some awesome solutions that are rewarded.  The fights that are here are all balanced and felt fun with enough threats to keep the players interested but not enough challenge to destroy the level 1 party.  The social still has the Pathfinder problem of “fail by 1, no help” that all Pathfinder adventures will always have, but overall it’s a blast to play that is well balanced for any party. 5/5

Theme or Fluff-This adventure has the feel of a Cheliax adventure, but does have a slight problem with the end.  Overall the part of the scenario that takes place in town feels like a town adventure where you must help the townspeople survive in their dictatorship.  The rural exploration is fun, as you get to interact with some often unused monsters.  The end boss is a bit strange.  It makes sense for the DM who gets to read the behind the scenes bit of the adventure, but most adventurers might not see that and will be a bit confused.  Overall it’s fun as the left hand turn parts don’t distract from the great story. 4.75/5

Execution– I like how Paizo prepares their modules, but I’ve also become a little estranged from theme as well.  I like that they now place stat blocks at the back of the adventure, so I don’t have to have almost 10 books open to run the game.  However, I’d like a little more consistency with that.  The main NPCs get stat blocks in the text, while the rest of the monsters are at the end of the adventure.  That’s a pain to flip through, so I would prefer to just have all the encounters together in a clump at the end or put them together throughout.  That’s my only real complaint about these adventures though.  I love how Paizo puts together their stories, so this one is no different. 4.75/5

Summary-Everybody loves to hate on Cheliax, but it’s always fun to play there.  Throwing the halfling bard to the Order of the Rack wolves is always a great way to start some roleplaying as well as draw the player’s interest deeper into the game.  I love what I’m seeing here, and I think I most players will as well.  This isn’t a perfect adventure as the ending is a bit strange, and I’d like some minor format changes.  But taken together, this is one of my favorite adventures from this year. 97%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Monsternomicon: Mind Flayers

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Product–Monsternomicon: Mind Flayers

System-DnD 5e

Producer-DM Guild

Price– $1.49 here http://www.dmsguild.com/product/172230/Monsternomicon-Mind-Flayers&affiliate_id=658618

TL; DR-An awesome product that shows the DM Guilds problems. 93%

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Basics-Let me pick you brain…. Mind flayers!  This product provides some background on the illthids that stalk the Underdark from elder brains to lich mind flayers.  This product is firmly a GM only product but provides a ton of different creatures for the DM to throw at his/her players as well as whole campaign of ideas for the players to combat.

Mechanics or Crunch-I love mind flayers, and this book provides some awesome new crunch to their bag of tricks.  This book is primarily a monster manual focusing on these evil monsters, but the monsters it does provide all look great in terms of their stats.  This product stays away from the psionic side of things and introduces new monsters like a lich mind flayer.  Nothing quite like an undead brain eater to throw at the party!  What’s here is a fun bag of tricks for the DM to surprise the players with. 5/5

 

Theme or Fluff-Here is where things are slightly off kilter, but not by much.  There are no pictures of any on the creatures from this book.  I’d like a few more pictures so I can throw these to my players to instill the sheer horror of what’s ahead of them.  What is here though does have some great fluff to build on the world and the mythos of the purple fiends from underground.  Also, by focusing on the arcane, the book misses a bit of the psionic fun that these creatures have.  The arcane monsters that are here are great, so while I might not be as enthralled with the magic of them they do have their own world built around them. 4.75/5

Execution–  What’s here is good, but I’d like a bit more art to show the players and break up the text.  The major problem I have is some systemic problems that can’t really be fixed.  The DM guild provides an awesome platform for creators to build onto the world that Wizards of the Coast has.  However, it comes with limits, and this book runs into them and it hurts the product a bit. I’d like this product to start with the basic mind flayer.  The book can’t as that’s not allowed by the terms of the DM Guild.  I’d like to include the current psychic ideas, but that also can’t be added as that isn’t part of the DM Guild as well.  Overall, it’s a great product, but I feel it’s fighting a bit of an uphill battle to be as amazing as it is. 4.25/5

Summary-Mind flayers are my second favorite enemy after the undead, so this book hit the best parts of my evil soul.  I love new options to make my players cringe and cry as horrors beyond time and space devover commoners in horrific ways, and this book provides those new abominations to make that happen.  However, I feel that a few changes would help this product get to its potential.  Some are minor things like more pictures of the monsters, but some are things that can’t be fixed because of the platform it’s placed on.  The DM Guild is a phenomenal resource, but some of its restrictions will hurt products.  And, I feel that those restrictions hurt the product here.  It doesn’t damage the product in a real tangible way.  You will enjoy this from cover to cover, but you can feel the problems it presents in this tome. 93%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–12: The Twisted Circle

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Product-Pathfinder Society Scenario #7–12: The Twisted Circle

System–  Pathfinder

Producer– Paizo

Price– $4 here http://paizo.com/products/btpy9hgz?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-7-12-The-Twisted-Circle

TL; DR-Too many ingredients spoil this soup. 70%

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Basics-A Pathfinder has vanished, and you must solve the mystery of the xenophobic town!  This adventure delves into the Mana Wastes as you try to uncover why a small town is prospering while all around them die, and they must hide their children.  Will you find the lost Pathfinder before it’s too late?

Mechanics or Crunch-This adventure is somewhat short and doesn’t add a new mechanic like some other PFS scenarios.  However, the fights that do happen here can be a real pain.  This is designed for levels 1 to 5, but the first fight is a swarm.  That right there can wipe a party of level 1’s, and that fight is for the low tier.  Aside from that, the adventure isn’t bad, but it’s a pain to have to pull punches if the players are new to the game or if they are new Pathfinders in general.  Also, this mod does some good things like providing the characters with scrolls they may need, but without a caster or the sense to use the tools they get, players will miss 70% of what going on as plants and talking to them play a big role in this one. 3.5/5

 

Theme or Fluff-The story of this adventure is a bit scatter shot.  Nothing here is horrible, but some parts involve a random evil bad guy, another involve some plant monsters, and finally, the town has it’s own strange role to play.  It feels like this adventure goes into too many directions instead of focusing on one group of monsters or theme.  As a GM, I was a bit lost.  There is a lot of fun stuff here, but as a GM you have to keep a ton of balls in the air to have a payoff.  And, if you team isn’t on their game they might miss too much to really get the main beats.  Too many ingredients spoil this soup.  3/5

Execution– Overall, this has all the standard Pathfinder Society polish.  Everything get’s laid out well enough to keep you running quickly and efficiently.  I think there are a few too many pages of just text to bore the reader and prevent quick skimming, but overall this is a decently laid out adventure, Paizo’s bread and butter.  4.5/5

Summary-This isn’t bad, but this won’t be on the top of any of my lists.  It’s a simple enough adventure that has possibly bad enemy choices as well as a bit too convoluted plot.  It’s easy enough to run, but not something that you may want to run.  If you LOVE the Mana Wastes and Pathfinder Society, you will enjoy this.  If you just want a 4 four hour adventure for your local PFS group, this might not be the best adventure for you to pick out.  70%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Monsternomicon: Kyuss and His Faithful

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Product–Monsternomicon: Kyuss and His Faithful

System– DnD 5e

Producer– Wizards of the Coast

Price– Pay what you want at http://www.dmsguild.com/product/170843/Monsternomicon-Kyuss-and-His-Faithful?term=Patric&filters=45469_0_0_0_0_0

TL; DR-What we should see from the DM Guild. 99%

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Basics-The Worm that Walks is back!  This book is a fan submission to DMguild.com detailing Kyuss, his priests, and his monsters.  This short volume introduces the god, his mechanics and history, as well as some new monsters, spells, and a whole new cleric domain.

Mechanics or Crunch-Fan content can go either way-either amazingly good or horribly bad.  This book is amazingly good.  In a book about a god, I wasn’t expecting much, but honestly what’s here is phenomenal.  You get crunch on him, how he works, and how his priests work.  The rot grub is back, and that makes me very happy.  They are as DEADLY as ever, and they should be.  The fact this thing has domains, monsters, and spells is icing on a great cake.  Kyuss himself is a ~bit~ overpowered, but that doesn’t take away from the whole book. 4.9/5

 

Theme or Fluff-I didn’t know much about Kyuss when I starting reading, but I think now I could run a whole campaign on the god.  It’s enough to get you running and has threats that a DM could use to put the fear of this dark god in their players.  It reads quick, and it’s well done. 5/5

Execution-This is my first DM Guild product, and as fan content, I was apprehensive.  But, this book is NOT just slapped together.  There are pictures to break up text, the format isn’t a distraction, and it’s not too long to wear out its welcome.  This is the kind of content I want to see on the DM Guild going forward. 5/5

Summary-This is a fun book about a dark god.  I enjoyed what I read here, and honestly at the price of pay what you want, you should go get this for free to check it out.  If you like it, throw a buck to the creator for his good work after you’ve read it.  It’s got spells, a domain, monsters, and a campaign ending threat that could destroy the universe.  All that is an amazing combination in a small product that still has time to give some great story on the Worm that Walks.  GO NOW!  Read this thing at least for free to see how to produce good content for the DM Guild. 99%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

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Product-Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide

System– DnD 5e

Producer– Wizards of the Coast

Price– $36

TL; DR-A doughnut-great fluff, but no crunch! 87%

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Basics-Welcome to the Forgotten Realms!  The Sword Coast Adventurer’s Guide is the first player and dungeonmaster book for DnD5e.  It focuses on the world of the Forgotten Realms and more specifically the Sword Coast.  The book builds the current Realms and provides the standing of the world, as well as giving players some new backgrounds, class archetypes, and race options.

Mechanics or Crunch-The best description of the mechanics in this book is “What mechanics?”  Most of the crunch in this book is confined to one chapter.  It’s a decent chapter, but it only supports a few classes with some classes not receiving any new toys.  They do get some Forgotten Realms specific story, but no new crunch/mechanics to drive it home.  This book also only has one feat in it, and that is an optional feat.  There were high expectations for this book, and I feel it didn’t meet them.  What’s here is good, but there is just not enough here to really make this worth it for every crunch heavy gamer. 3.75/5

 

Theme or Fluff-I love the Forgotten Realms, and this is a decent introduction to a part of it.  As the title suggests, this book focuses on the Sword Coast.  What the book focuses on is great!  Each area gets a great description really building out the world in interesting ways and telling how the Realms have changed since 4th edition.  However, it mentions the rest of the world.  That’s good, but they don’t provide a map the the rest of the world.  That’s my main problem with what is here.  There are parts mentioned in a sentence that are not shown.  The previous editions’ Realms books showed me the world,gave it a one line description, and then left it at that.  This book doesn’t even give me the geography past the coast.  This wouldn’t be a problem except the novels, adventures, and the Adventurer’s League all take place in the parts of world not covered in depth by this book. 4.75/5

Execution-This book covers a ton of ground, and it does it reasonably well.  Everything has pictures, which is awesome, so the book sufficiently breaks up the text.  There are a few walls of text though.  The art is good, the font is nice, and the maps are amazing.  I’d like this book to be a bit thicker to give space for more breaks and more information, as well as to justify the price a bit.  However, I liked the way this book was laid out and built overall.  4.5/5

Summary-I wasn’t thrilled with this book.  The theme is great.  New players in the Realms will get a ton out of this book.  Even people from 4th edition will have a lot to learn about the new realms.  The overall execution of the book is great, if a tad pricey.  However, the biggest problem is the lack of mechanics.  This is the first real expansion to the system, and it doesn’t do or provide much expansion to the system.  This book isn’t bad, but stacked up against the core books, I wasn’t impressed with this book.   87%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review ofDemon Lord’s Companion

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Product-Demon Lord’s Companion

System– Shadow of the Demon Lord

Producer– Schwalb Entertainment

Price– $ 10 here http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/168258/Demon-Lords-Companion?src=slider_view&affiliate_id=658618

TL; DR-The best DLC I’ve downloaded all year! 100%

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Basics-OPTIONS!  Have you already gotten tired of all the options in the core Shadow of the Demon Lord book?  Odds are not, but here is a new book with races, master and expert paths, new items both magical and mundane, magic traditions, and even more rules for parts of the game not covered in the basic book like vehicles.

Mechanics or Crunch-This is an amazing book for what it adds.  Every one of these pages is crunch.  From the new spells to the rules for how to drive in this game, no space is wasted that doesn’t add to the world.  New races are added such as halflings and fauns, new traditions such as alchemy are added, and tons of new items are brought into the world. This might be one of my favorite splat books to a system I’ve read in a long time. 5/5

 

Theme or Fluff-Now I don’t expect much from a splat book in terms of theme, but this one delivers!  Let’s look at two things to drive home this point.  First are story complications.  These are new character additions that provide a detriment and a bonus.  They almost function like zero-level feats.  You get horrific problems for bonuses that directly come from this problem.  An example is you might be ever-so-slightly possessed, but you can also talk to that demon to get bits of lore and knowledge.  That’s pure Demon Lord’s Shadow right there.  Second, let’s look at azeen.  Azeen are foot long worms, that you place in your face or another large orifice and let it crawl/tare inside you.  It gives you a whip that you can spring from your hands as an attack.  Randomly, in the next 20 days you will crap your pants as the worm violently dies and is violently shot from your body.  This is a new forbidden item with strong benefits, horrific complications, and a corrupting influence.  Again, this is mainline Shadows of the Demon Lord with full descriptions of horror building up the mechanics  with solid storytelling.  Absolutely beautiful! 5/5

Execution-This book only comes out as a PDF currently.  However, what makes this interestingly is the price, pictures, and writing.  Comparing this book to other splat books, DLC is hands down the best I’ve seen in awhile.  This book is 50+ pages for 10 bucks.  That blows Paizo out of the water!  I get a book full of character options, game rules, and monsters that is layed out properly, reads quickly, and is fun for less than half of some other books. 5/5

Summary– I didn’t ask for more options for Shadows of the Demon Lord, but I have wondered about some specific content.  And this book delivered on all of it.  Want some more steampunk?  Well we’ve got airships and even guns now.  Want more magic?  Well now there is fauns and other magic traditions.  Heck, you want to get some Kung Fu in your Demon’s Shadow?  Now you can. Crouching tiger, hidden demon away!  Everything fits in this book.  It’s all from the very mouth of the Dark Hobo himself.  It’s a great value, full of pictures to inspire, and quick pleasure to read.  This book is well worth your time and money. 100%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Tales of the Demon Lord

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Product-Tales of the Demon Lord

System– Shadow of the Demon Lord

Producer– Schwalb Entertainment

Price– $ 10  here http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/163527/Tales-of-the-Demon-Lord?term=tales+of+the+demon&affiliate_id=658618

TL; DR-Lean, mean adventure! 90%

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Basics-Starting with a small series of death in the far flung town of Crossings, this adventures takes players from starting, zero-level character to master character who have to ultimately face down and prevent the arrival of the Demon Lord.  This adventure is a whole campaign in itself introducing a section of the world called Crossings to the players and the GM.  Will you be able to face the horrors of things touched by the Demon Lord’s shadow?

 

Mechanics or Crunch-Shadow of the Demon Lord is it’s own system through and through, and this self contained campaign has the math for the system clearly down.  What’s here works well.  However, the campaign doesn’t give too much away to the novice GM.  I like what’s here in terms of encounters, rewards, combats, and exploration, but I’d like a bit more behind the game’s curtain.  This is the first full campaign, so this adventure will serve as the game’s best guide.  However, I’d like a bit more to help me get all the expertise I and other GM’s need to better run this system.4.5/5

 

Theme or Fluff-  Schwalb writes an awesome story from the ground up.  The book starts by building its own town called Crossing and then builds out.  In terms of story, it’s a swift story that’s a great way to get players into the world.  Also, this book has a ton of variety from simple go here/kill people, small hex crawls, and even hardcore roleplaying.  Every player will get a bit of fun out of this adventure, and every GM will have a blast running this one.  5/5

 

Execution– Of all the good stuff in the book, the execution is the most lacking.  The execution is by no means bad, but I may be a bit to spoon fed by other publishers when it comes to published material.  There is almost no box text.  Have gamed with the master himself, I know he writes awesome descriptions, but this book will ask you to write most of your own.  Furthermore, Shadow of the Demon Lord adventures are short.  From the get go, SotDL adventures are designed for about a four hour experience after which players level.  That is not bad by any stretch, but the transition and the brevity of the writing is strong change for some GMs.  There are breaks in the text.  But, I’d like a bit more art, and I’d like the art that’s here to be a bit larger.  It’s hard to get those maps to the table and make them a size that looks nice.  The adventures do read quickly and easily, and the simple descriptions are enough to get you gaming quick.  But, keep in mind that the simplicity of the write ups are there to make the games run fast and with no down time and limited prep time. 4/5

 

Summary– Tales of the Demon Lord is a phenomenal adventure for SotDL.  It’s a full campaign unto itself that covers several different adventure types and play styles.  It’s well written, and simply executed.  However, this is not a hand-holding product.  Tales of the Demon Lord aims to be a campaign, not your paint by numbers GMing guide.  It’s several adventures that tell a story, but it doesn’t teach you how to write or design adventures if you’re only passively playing or running this adventure.  It’s fun, but don’t expect verbose, cookie-cutter explanations for you to read your players.  Expect a lean, mean adventure that you can run quickly and efficiently with minimal prep, memorization, or GM brain loading time.  If you get past a bit of shock of how spartan SotDL adventures are presented, then you will really enjoy what’s here. 90%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–22: Out of Anarchy

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Product-Pathfinder Society Scenario #6–22: Out of Anarchy

System– Pathfinder

Producer– Paizo

Price– $ 4 here http://paizo.com/products/btpy9cu1?Pathfinder-Society-Scenario-6-22-Out-of-Anarchy

TL; DR– Too many ingredients spoil the soup! 78%

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Basics-The society never leaves a man behind-they just might take five years to help him…and it might be someone’s pet project as well…. In this adventure, the Pathfinder Society sends in new recruits to find a long forgotten Pathfinder in a blockagged town in Cheliax.  There, the young Pathfinder have to navigate several different rival groups, find their target, and get him out…all while not starting the third burning of the city!  This adventure is designed for level first to fifth level characters.

Mechanics or Crunch-What’s here is good, but there is just too much here!  This adventure has some serious roleplaying opportunities (which is great) and some serious combats (there are over four!).  That is too much for a four-hour time slot!  Each part isn’t bad as the roleplaying characters get some time to shine and the combat monkeys can take center stage at different points, but in a four hour adventure slot at a con, this adventure simply is too long.  GMs will have to drop part to keep this one going fast enough to cover all the ground. 3.5/5

 

Theme or Fluff-So, not only is there a lot of mechanics, there is also a lot of story to cover as well.  It’s not bad, but it’s too much!  First is a missing Pathfinder.  Then,there are four factions to contend with.  Next is trying to get out and get help.  And lastly is dealing with other enemy groups in the city.  That is too much talking!  I love good roleplaying in a Pathfinder Society adventure, but with so much going on here, it’s hard to make all the pieces shine.  If you don’t ham up each group, then players don’t notice them.  If you do, then it takes too much precious time that you won’t have for the fights and talking to the different groups later.  It’s too difficult a balance to walk-especially for a 1-5 level, four-hour scenario. 4/5

Execution-Overall, this adventure has the Paizo polish.  Lot’s of pictures to help describe things, lot’s of included information to make running this easy, and a decent amount of breaks to make the text flow better.  However, the organization isn’t perfect.  This adventure is about 40 pages!  Some pages are copies of Bestiary books to help run the adventure, but I would like a few more breaks and a table or two detailing how different groups interact with the players at different locations.  Those little things would help speed up the pace of this adventure and possibly get it out close to the four-hour runtime. 4.25/5

Summary-If I had eight hours with a single table, this would be a great adventure to put them through.  They could really dig deep into the roleplaying, and the combat-crunch players would have an absolute blast as well by being able to paint the town red with their enemies.  But, this is written with the goal of four hours.  For that time limit, there is just too much here!  It’s written well enough, but will all the twists, turns, and fights, you CAN’T get this adventure done and be on time.  And any adventure I can’t run in a time slot at a con, written for a con, isn’t one I run a second time. 78%

Ring Side Report- RPG Review of Out of the Abyss

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Product-Out of the Abyss

System– DnD 5e

Producer– Wizards of the Coast

Price– $ 50 here http://www.amazon.com/Out-Abyss-D-Accessory/dp/0786965819/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1446560418&sr=8-1&keywords=out+of+the+abyss

TL; DR– A few rough spots on a great piece-88%

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Basics-It’s going to be a bad day when the players find themselves prisoners of the Drow, and that’s the high point!  The players find themselves at the tender mercies of the drow, and eventually undercover that the underdark just became an even deadlier place as demon lords now roam the caverns.  Will you be able to save Faerûn and yourselves from the creatures Out of the Abyss?

Mechanics or Crunch-What is here is a bit of a mix.  DnD 5e has a bit of a problem serving two masters: 1e sensibilities of life doesn’t come always in achievable pieces all the time and 3.5’s challenge rating so the players survive setup.  Some of those parts crash into the PCs early on, and that can make a DM have to dance a bit to avoid a TPK.  That said, overall, it’s a well designed adventure with lots of fun new mechanics, great exploration and team management options, and some fun fights to keep the PCs on their toes and enjoying things.  The struggle is a bit real, but a good DM will be able to keep the game going. 4.5/5

Theme or Fluff-This is an amazing adventure for it’s story, but almost eight levels until you hit the main story stride is a bit much.  I’m not spoiling anything when I say that demon lords prowl the underdark.  However, you don’t really get to deal with them until you are about halfway to the max level of the campaign.  Then, this adventure turns into a classic Bioware game.  Players then find out about a plan to fix things, chase down items in any order across several different set piece locations, put out underground fires, and save the day.  That part is amazing!  Getting there is a bit boring.  But, every group of players I’ve run this game with have found their most favorite NPC of all time in this adventure, so it has some phenomenal high points along the way. 4.25/5

Execution-I like what’s here, but there are many pages with walls of text.  The art that is here is amazing, but I want/need more of it.  The text is written well, but there is so much it’s not as much fun to read, since this isn’t just a fantasy novel, but a gazetteer and a bunch of stat blocks as well.  Overall, it’s good, but not my most favorite RPG adventure layout. 4.5/5

Summary-I like what’s here, but it needs a bit of work to really be a knock out.  The starter town is a good example of the amazing and the problematic.  It has a great description, introduces some amazing adversaries, and provides a place for the PCs to cut (some of) their teeth.  However, it’s also got some fights that a DM will absolutely have to pull their punches on to keep the adventure going.  After the players escape, the chase rules are good, but the players will most likely end up doing the same fight again in a few days regardless of their choices.  That one area kind of give some of the amazing and off putting that define this adventure.  It’s close to being the greatest things a player and GM will get to play, but has a few rough spots that keep it from a smooth performance.  88%