Simon Collins
Explorer
Beware! This review contains major spoilers.
A Race For Retribution Part 4 is comprised of three downloadable .pdf files - an adventure for 4th-level characters (3.48 MB), and two Tile Sheets for the adventure map (619 and 497 KB respectively). The files cost $5 to download from www.bardsproductions.com
Presentation: A Race For Retribution Part 4 comprises three Adobe Acrobat files - the 48-page adventure and 2 files of tile sheets (fragmented adventure maps which can be printed out and stuck to cardboard for semi-permanent dungeon floor tiles) - one is 9 pages, the other 4. The first page of the adventure has a nice piece of colour artwork showing the outside of Degarn's base at sunset - a great improvement on previous parts of this adventure series. The second page is credits and contents. The final two pages are open game info. There are six pages of computer-generated maps (the three colour maps of Degarn's Base, the Guard Towers and Degarn's Temple are repeated in black and white for cheap printing) which are also improved in quality from previous parts of the adventure series, though still somewhat angular. The text density is good, but as with previous parts there is a good deal of white space and a top and bottom margin on most pages. The four pieces of internal black and white artwork are poor to average, whilst the piece of colour artwork depicting The Heart Of Grakis is basic in detail but dynamic in the use of colour.
The Adventure: Unlike Parts 2 and 3, the Adventure Background gives new information, and is actually a roleplaying scenario as the PCs are invited in to talk to Aislyn, the new leader of Laendersburg, where the PCs have been hailed as heroes for their part in previous adventures. They meet one of Aislyn's old adventuring pals, a sorcerer by the name of Zeliik. He has, by magical means, discovered the base of Degarn, the half-orc cleric of destruction who has become the PCs nemesis over the course of the previous adventures. He tells the PCs Degarn is about to gain the leadership and co-operation of three orc tribes by activating a magical item that will empower orcs and half-orcs in its vicinity. Once combined, the tribes will march on Laendersburg and the nearby town of Stahl in order to enact the retribution of the title. The PCs mission is to sneak into Degarn's base and steal or destroy the item, called The Heart of Grakis. The PCs are severely warned by Zeliik that if they attempt to swarm the base, they will be killed which will also lead to the destruction of the two settlements. Aislyn gives the PCs some items to aid them in their attempt. The Adventure Summary and Running The Adventures sections are repeated from previous parts (see previous reviews). There are aslo sections on Making It Standalone, Scaling The Adventure (for PCs of lower and higher levels) and 4 Adventure Hooks for running it standalone. After a repeated section from previous parts on the moral issues raised by the series of adventures (see previous reviews), there is a useful section on ways to help the party out if they look like they're going to mess up - from magical items to the help of a wandering ogre. There is further advice for the use of diguise in the adventure, for the nature of traps, and options for dealing with a powerful barbarian orc NPC. The ritual of activating the Heart of Grakis is in four parts, each having an effect that the PCs can become aware of. The players are signalled that the end of each part of the ritual has been completed by the suggested use of a timer with an alarm to signal each phase. This puts the players under some time pressure which can heighten the tension and promote roleplaying opportunities. Three pages are devoted to the Rituals before the next section, Orcish Battle Plan, which details a simple but effective set of tactics for making the PCs task next to impossible if they decide to blunder in and start attacking without thought. The remainder of the adventure details the areas in the orc-infested watchtowers and Degarn's temple - each section links to the battle plan with advice on how the inhabitants will react if the alarm has been sounded, or if they are not yet alerted to the PCs presence. The PCs encounter orcs in various areas including the chieftains of the three tribes, one of whom chafes against the leadership of Degarn, and seeks to betray Degarn to the PCs to gain leadership. However, he is completely unreliable in his loyalties and could just as easily betray the PCs if it is to his advantage. The adventure climaxes with the PCs attempting to stop Degarn's ritual and complete their mission, plus maybe escaping alive after they've done it. After a section covering Concluding The Adventure, there is a section detailing magic items from the adventure, including the Heart of Grakis, the onyx talisman at the centre of the story. The final section holds the linked rumour tables that are one of the most innovative ideas from the adventure series.
The Good: Unlike Parts 1 and 2 of this series, this is a dungeon crawl with a difference. The PCs must avoid outright battle with the orcs who infest Degarn's base, and they would be well advised to avoid searching for treasure, as each of the chests holding personal belongings is trapped with a glyph of warding. The PCs are under severe pressure if they go in looking for blood or gold, but they are fully warned by allied NPCs of the situation beforehand. As well as the main thread of sneaking through the stronghold, there is also a balanced mixture of combat, traps and roleplaying. The linked rumour tables, the tile sheets and the plethora of useful advice covering most aspects of running the adventure all add an extra dimension to the module.
The Bad: The layout still leaves a lot to be desired, and the artwork can still be improved. I would have liked some more advice on the possibility of the PCs talking with Degarn to learn his side of the story, and possibly advice on how to deal with PCs who side with Degarn, and might wish to either help him overcome his own anger, or even help with the attack on the local settlements (e.g. a half-orc PC). Having introduced this possibility in the introduction of the adventure, I would have liked this area explored more.
Conclusion: A very good adventure which is definitely value for money. As good if not better than the adventure in Part 3 of the series and head and shoulders above Parts 1 and 2. With a bit more polish it could have been Superb, and it was not far off. With Part 1 free, and two decent adventures in Parts 3 and 4, this series of four adventures should provide some entertaining gaming sessions and its worth ignoring the presentation and artwork to enjoy the positive aspects. My rating for this part of the series also reflects my general rating for the series as a whole.
A Race For Retribution Part 4 is comprised of three downloadable .pdf files - an adventure for 4th-level characters (3.48 MB), and two Tile Sheets for the adventure map (619 and 497 KB respectively). The files cost $5 to download from www.bardsproductions.com
Presentation: A Race For Retribution Part 4 comprises three Adobe Acrobat files - the 48-page adventure and 2 files of tile sheets (fragmented adventure maps which can be printed out and stuck to cardboard for semi-permanent dungeon floor tiles) - one is 9 pages, the other 4. The first page of the adventure has a nice piece of colour artwork showing the outside of Degarn's base at sunset - a great improvement on previous parts of this adventure series. The second page is credits and contents. The final two pages are open game info. There are six pages of computer-generated maps (the three colour maps of Degarn's Base, the Guard Towers and Degarn's Temple are repeated in black and white for cheap printing) which are also improved in quality from previous parts of the adventure series, though still somewhat angular. The text density is good, but as with previous parts there is a good deal of white space and a top and bottom margin on most pages. The four pieces of internal black and white artwork are poor to average, whilst the piece of colour artwork depicting The Heart Of Grakis is basic in detail but dynamic in the use of colour.
The Adventure: Unlike Parts 2 and 3, the Adventure Background gives new information, and is actually a roleplaying scenario as the PCs are invited in to talk to Aislyn, the new leader of Laendersburg, where the PCs have been hailed as heroes for their part in previous adventures. They meet one of Aislyn's old adventuring pals, a sorcerer by the name of Zeliik. He has, by magical means, discovered the base of Degarn, the half-orc cleric of destruction who has become the PCs nemesis over the course of the previous adventures. He tells the PCs Degarn is about to gain the leadership and co-operation of three orc tribes by activating a magical item that will empower orcs and half-orcs in its vicinity. Once combined, the tribes will march on Laendersburg and the nearby town of Stahl in order to enact the retribution of the title. The PCs mission is to sneak into Degarn's base and steal or destroy the item, called The Heart of Grakis. The PCs are severely warned by Zeliik that if they attempt to swarm the base, they will be killed which will also lead to the destruction of the two settlements. Aislyn gives the PCs some items to aid them in their attempt. The Adventure Summary and Running The Adventures sections are repeated from previous parts (see previous reviews). There are aslo sections on Making It Standalone, Scaling The Adventure (for PCs of lower and higher levels) and 4 Adventure Hooks for running it standalone. After a repeated section from previous parts on the moral issues raised by the series of adventures (see previous reviews), there is a useful section on ways to help the party out if they look like they're going to mess up - from magical items to the help of a wandering ogre. There is further advice for the use of diguise in the adventure, for the nature of traps, and options for dealing with a powerful barbarian orc NPC. The ritual of activating the Heart of Grakis is in four parts, each having an effect that the PCs can become aware of. The players are signalled that the end of each part of the ritual has been completed by the suggested use of a timer with an alarm to signal each phase. This puts the players under some time pressure which can heighten the tension and promote roleplaying opportunities. Three pages are devoted to the Rituals before the next section, Orcish Battle Plan, which details a simple but effective set of tactics for making the PCs task next to impossible if they decide to blunder in and start attacking without thought. The remainder of the adventure details the areas in the orc-infested watchtowers and Degarn's temple - each section links to the battle plan with advice on how the inhabitants will react if the alarm has been sounded, or if they are not yet alerted to the PCs presence. The PCs encounter orcs in various areas including the chieftains of the three tribes, one of whom chafes against the leadership of Degarn, and seeks to betray Degarn to the PCs to gain leadership. However, he is completely unreliable in his loyalties and could just as easily betray the PCs if it is to his advantage. The adventure climaxes with the PCs attempting to stop Degarn's ritual and complete their mission, plus maybe escaping alive after they've done it. After a section covering Concluding The Adventure, there is a section detailing magic items from the adventure, including the Heart of Grakis, the onyx talisman at the centre of the story. The final section holds the linked rumour tables that are one of the most innovative ideas from the adventure series.
The Good: Unlike Parts 1 and 2 of this series, this is a dungeon crawl with a difference. The PCs must avoid outright battle with the orcs who infest Degarn's base, and they would be well advised to avoid searching for treasure, as each of the chests holding personal belongings is trapped with a glyph of warding. The PCs are under severe pressure if they go in looking for blood or gold, but they are fully warned by allied NPCs of the situation beforehand. As well as the main thread of sneaking through the stronghold, there is also a balanced mixture of combat, traps and roleplaying. The linked rumour tables, the tile sheets and the plethora of useful advice covering most aspects of running the adventure all add an extra dimension to the module.
The Bad: The layout still leaves a lot to be desired, and the artwork can still be improved. I would have liked some more advice on the possibility of the PCs talking with Degarn to learn his side of the story, and possibly advice on how to deal with PCs who side with Degarn, and might wish to either help him overcome his own anger, or even help with the attack on the local settlements (e.g. a half-orc PC). Having introduced this possibility in the introduction of the adventure, I would have liked this area explored more.
Conclusion: A very good adventure which is definitely value for money. As good if not better than the adventure in Part 3 of the series and head and shoulders above Parts 1 and 2. With a bit more polish it could have been Superb, and it was not far off. With Part 1 free, and two decent adventures in Parts 3 and 4, this series of four adventures should provide some entertaining gaming sessions and its worth ignoring the presentation and artwork to enjoy the positive aspects. My rating for this part of the series also reflects my general rating for the series as a whole.
