Crothian
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Lost Temple of the Valiant
This is a review of an adventure. Please do not read if you are going to be a player in the adventure as the review will have spoilers in it.
Lost Temple of the Valiant is nice low level adventure set in the Kingdoms of Kalamar. However, it can easily be used in most settings as there is not a lot that ties it down to just the world of Kalamar. The Adventure is for character of first to second level and involves orcs that have taken over an old temple to a one of the good gods. It will be pretty easy to swap out the god used in this adventure with a lawful good god of another setting. The module is very self contained even people using it for Kalamar will find that other books will not need to be referenced as almost all the info one needs is here.
Lost Temple of the Valiant is an adventure from the people at Kenzer. The adventure is written by Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams. This is a PDF release and the quality and look is the same as every other Kenzer book I have and that means it is really good. They have great layout and they have great art. The module is well formatted making it easy to follow. The cartography of the map is good though a map that includes the temple and outside buildings would have been good. They do have a picture as a player’s handout with that but it is from the vantage point the characters would have and not an actual map. There are three full page player handout pictures. They are gorgeous. Ginger Cubic is the interior illustrator.
What I like about the adventure is that it starts as a simple kill the orcs and reclaim the temple and then becomes unlocking the secrets of the temple. It will work best if one of the characters is a follower of the god of the temple, but that is not absolutely needed. The history of the temple is a paladin that turn corrupt, kills clerics and followers and raises them as undead, and then a bunch of orcs come in kill off the undead and choose to make a home here. That is where the PCs come in. They get hired to kill the orcs and any items of the old temple they find will be bought at a fair price thus giving the PCs that all important treasure.
When the PCs get here the orcs have settled in, but have not explored everything just yet. The first and second level are all explored and there are plenty of orcs around to harass the players there. The underground level though is where the interesting things are. Down there the leader of the orcs is trying to figure out what to do about a huge room that has a big glowing stone in it. It is too bright for the orcs and he’s discussing what to do about it. In another area down there there are some orcs trying to figure out what is up with the statues and iron maiden down there.
Once the orcs are dealt with the PCs will be free to explore some of these other areas if they can find them. The secret doors are well hidden and have specific ways to be opened. There are also some clever traps and magical wards that will prevent non good characters from entering the most holy of areas. I like this as it sets up wards that I can see the clerics and paladins actually setting up to secure their most treasured places. As the PCs are hired by a cleric of the religion they have the option of getting him once the orcs are dealt with and he will of course be able to go to all the hidden areas assuming they figure it all out.
The orcs are just the scouting party or forward advance. It does not come out and say how many others are out there but the modules does indicate that other orcs will come once the temple is fully secured by them. That opens up for some good follow up adventures especially if the players are part of the religion. They can help build the place up, scout out the area for the orcs, and possible even have to defend the place against an orc attack. I like adventures that make it easy for the DM to come up with good follow up adventures. And this one does it nicely.
The Lost Temple of the Valiant is a solid low level adventure. It has good action and plenty of places for the party to think things through. It is easily useable in Kalamar and other places.
This is a review of an adventure. Please do not read if you are going to be a player in the adventure as the review will have spoilers in it.
Lost Temple of the Valiant is nice low level adventure set in the Kingdoms of Kalamar. However, it can easily be used in most settings as there is not a lot that ties it down to just the world of Kalamar. The Adventure is for character of first to second level and involves orcs that have taken over an old temple to a one of the good gods. It will be pretty easy to swap out the god used in this adventure with a lawful good god of another setting. The module is very self contained even people using it for Kalamar will find that other books will not need to be referenced as almost all the info one needs is here.
Lost Temple of the Valiant is an adventure from the people at Kenzer. The adventure is written by Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams. This is a PDF release and the quality and look is the same as every other Kenzer book I have and that means it is really good. They have great layout and they have great art. The module is well formatted making it easy to follow. The cartography of the map is good though a map that includes the temple and outside buildings would have been good. They do have a picture as a player’s handout with that but it is from the vantage point the characters would have and not an actual map. There are three full page player handout pictures. They are gorgeous. Ginger Cubic is the interior illustrator.
What I like about the adventure is that it starts as a simple kill the orcs and reclaim the temple and then becomes unlocking the secrets of the temple. It will work best if one of the characters is a follower of the god of the temple, but that is not absolutely needed. The history of the temple is a paladin that turn corrupt, kills clerics and followers and raises them as undead, and then a bunch of orcs come in kill off the undead and choose to make a home here. That is where the PCs come in. They get hired to kill the orcs and any items of the old temple they find will be bought at a fair price thus giving the PCs that all important treasure.
When the PCs get here the orcs have settled in, but have not explored everything just yet. The first and second level are all explored and there are plenty of orcs around to harass the players there. The underground level though is where the interesting things are. Down there the leader of the orcs is trying to figure out what to do about a huge room that has a big glowing stone in it. It is too bright for the orcs and he’s discussing what to do about it. In another area down there there are some orcs trying to figure out what is up with the statues and iron maiden down there.
Once the orcs are dealt with the PCs will be free to explore some of these other areas if they can find them. The secret doors are well hidden and have specific ways to be opened. There are also some clever traps and magical wards that will prevent non good characters from entering the most holy of areas. I like this as it sets up wards that I can see the clerics and paladins actually setting up to secure their most treasured places. As the PCs are hired by a cleric of the religion they have the option of getting him once the orcs are dealt with and he will of course be able to go to all the hidden areas assuming they figure it all out.
The orcs are just the scouting party or forward advance. It does not come out and say how many others are out there but the modules does indicate that other orcs will come once the temple is fully secured by them. That opens up for some good follow up adventures especially if the players are part of the religion. They can help build the place up, scout out the area for the orcs, and possible even have to defend the place against an orc attack. I like adventures that make it easy for the DM to come up with good follow up adventures. And this one does it nicely.
The Lost Temple of the Valiant is a solid low level adventure. It has good action and plenty of places for the party to think things through. It is easily useable in Kalamar and other places.
