Hammerfast Reviews
My take on it ...
Premise: A dwarven town that was once a tomb complex is now inhabited by some dwarves, orcs, and ghosts that all live together in Hammerfest because of circumstance.
What to expect
Do not expect a full-fledged adventure (like Keep on the Shadowfell, etc where you can pick it up and run through it that same hour for your group).
It is in fact a supplement to provide inspiration.
What is in it
It presents a city:
* history
* buildings of note
* NPCs of note
* Politics
* Major villian agendas
* It also presents a couple paragraphs on encounter ideas (see below) that tie in to the location.
You won't find many stat blocks (not for the enemies or other NPCs, only a couple are there for some NPCs that you might eventually fight if you follow up on some of the story ideas).
Though the foldout map is color. Speaking of the foldout map, it is a first level of a tavern on one side and the upper level on the other side... an odd choice, but inns are reusable in any campaign so i guess you might get more than one use out of this.
Encounter ideas
It has 9 encounter ideas (one for each of levels 2-10) that involve some item/person/agenda related to the city.
When I say "encounter ideas", it is not a series or stats or encounter location maps (like dungeon delve was), etc. It is more along the lines of a) plot hook, b) how it fits in with the grand scheme, and c) a couple sentences on misc particulars. (in fact, some don't even detail out the entire encounter mix, just a mention of the types to include).
Also note that this is just 9 ideas so it can not serve as (nor is it meant to be) a continued uninterrupted story/campaign. It would work best if you had other adventures in the area and these adventures were peppered in over time (think of it as a nonlinear story arc/line that might just be some side treks while doing other stuff, but then later you start to realize these sidetreks are related).
And it is geared for heroic teir, but since it does not have much in terms of stats, it could be leveled up for higher level. Though, the tone (being city based) really is more appropriate for heroic tier adventure so it may not be a good idea to level it up too much beyond that.
presentation
It's a concise presentation, I didn't feel like I was being overwhelmed with information or walls of text that I would forget over the course of trying to run a game (except names, but I admit I suck at remembering names, so that's a weakness on my part, not the supplement's part - it did really seem like a reasonable amount of names).
Also, the supplement (except posted map) is entirely black and white. But since it isn't detailing encounter maps, and such, I didn't feel like it being in color would have added anything. A couple NPC sketches, a map on the inside cover of the area, map of the town, etc.
overall
I found it an interesting/fun read (I got it as a gift, but given the low price point I wouldn't have been annoyed at paying for it).
If I had to ask for something to improve it, I would have liked a couple more encounter ideas. Even if I didn't like them all, it still gives more to choose from.
How much use I will personally get out of it might be low simply because I don't DM that much.
For the rest of you, if you like the premise of the town, Hammerfest would be a fun place to stop over and/or mine for ideas. Maybe the PCs use the city as their own hub between adventures, or maybe it is just a place they find themselves crossing through every so often while traversing the Netir Vale (or elsewhere).
But if you do not like the basic premise of the town, then you won't get much use out of it since it is mostly fluff and background and story tied to this location (i.e. there aren't stat blocks or encounter scenarios that you could port to other situations without essentially redoing everything).
(and if you are a player, you will get pretty much no use out of it, though your DM may always appreciate it as a gift for the group).
Premise: A dwarven town that was once a tomb complex is now inhabited by some dwarves, orcs, and ghosts that all live together in Hammerfest because of circumstance.
What to expect
Do not expect a full-fledged adventure (like Keep on the Shadowfell, etc where you can pick it up and run through it that same hour for your group).
It is in fact a supplement to provide inspiration.
What is in it
It presents a city:
* history
* buildings of note
* NPCs of note
* Politics
* Major villian agendas
* It also presents a couple paragraphs on encounter ideas (see below) that tie in to the location.
You won't find many stat blocks (not for the enemies or other NPCs, only a couple are there for some NPCs that you might eventually fight if you follow up on some of the story ideas).
Though the foldout map is color. Speaking of the foldout map, it is a first level of a tavern on one side and the upper level on the other side... an odd choice, but inns are reusable in any campaign so i guess you might get more than one use out of this.
Encounter ideas
It has 9 encounter ideas (one for each of levels 2-10) that involve some item/person/agenda related to the city.
When I say "encounter ideas", it is not a series or stats or encounter location maps (like dungeon delve was), etc. It is more along the lines of a) plot hook, b) how it fits in with the grand scheme, and c) a couple sentences on misc particulars. (in fact, some don't even detail out the entire encounter mix, just a mention of the types to include).
Also note that this is just 9 ideas so it can not serve as (nor is it meant to be) a continued uninterrupted story/campaign. It would work best if you had other adventures in the area and these adventures were peppered in over time (think of it as a nonlinear story arc/line that might just be some side treks while doing other stuff, but then later you start to realize these sidetreks are related).
And it is geared for heroic teir, but since it does not have much in terms of stats, it could be leveled up for higher level. Though, the tone (being city based) really is more appropriate for heroic tier adventure so it may not be a good idea to level it up too much beyond that.
presentation
It's a concise presentation, I didn't feel like I was being overwhelmed with information or walls of text that I would forget over the course of trying to run a game (except names, but I admit I suck at remembering names, so that's a weakness on my part, not the supplement's part - it did really seem like a reasonable amount of names).
Also, the supplement (except posted map) is entirely black and white. But since it isn't detailing encounter maps, and such, I didn't feel like it being in color would have added anything. A couple NPC sketches, a map on the inside cover of the area, map of the town, etc.
overall
I found it an interesting/fun read (I got it as a gift, but given the low price point I wouldn't have been annoyed at paying for it).
If I had to ask for something to improve it, I would have liked a couple more encounter ideas. Even if I didn't like them all, it still gives more to choose from.
How much use I will personally get out of it might be low simply because I don't DM that much.
For the rest of you, if you like the premise of the town, Hammerfest would be a fun place to stop over and/or mine for ideas. Maybe the PCs use the city as their own hub between adventures, or maybe it is just a place they find themselves crossing through every so often while traversing the Netir Vale (or elsewhere).
But if you do not like the basic premise of the town, then you won't get much use out of it since it is mostly fluff and background and story tied to this location (i.e. there aren't stat blocks or encounter scenarios that you could port to other situations without essentially redoing everything).
(and if you are a player, you will get pretty much no use out of it, though your DM may always appreciate it as a gift for the group).
Last edited:
JustKim
First Post
I didn't care for the premise of the town, and I love the book. I love it because it's a product in the vein of the Mystara Gazetteers, because it's exactly what I hoped the Fantastic Locations line back in 3E would be, and because reading it changed my mind about the premise of Hammerfast- it's just that interesting.
I really hope they make more of these. But given that a) I could not find a single copy locally, b) discussion on Hammerfast has been practically jack squat and c) the discussion I have seen is half about the stupid battlemat, I'm not going to hold my breath for a revival of Gazetteer-style books.
Sounds like a Site-based area set for adventures. Like a city in any setting book. 
I actually like the sound of this. I am looking forward to the Tiefling focused one.
Are there any "Fantastic locations", like sort of a quasi-magical or weird locale? Just a place for inspiration?
I actually like the sound of this. I am looking forward to the Tiefling focused one.
Are there any "Fantastic locations", like sort of a quasi-magical or weird locale? Just a place for inspiration?
I got my copy of Hammerfast from Amazon today. It's a neat product, very 1E in flavor, with black-and-white art and several nods to classic D&D. I haven't had time to read it in-depth yet, but I'm actually really excited about it just from my first impressions.
Here are the things that I have issue with. I honestly didn't care one way or the other for the hex-based local area map on the interior cover. On one hand, I expected a map of better quality. On the other hand, I don't really care how pretty the map is as long as it is clear and functional. It is, so I'm satisfied. As for the layout of the town itself... Honestly, it's a bit bland. It's simple, so it'd be very easy to draw on a battle mat or lay out with dungeon tiles. On the other hand, there isn't really any prominent feature that stands out and identifies Hammerfast's unique history and background. I expected to see several blocks of tombs or ruins, but it looks much like any other small mountain town. I think the geography and architecture could have been more interesting.
Now for the good stuff. It comes with a miniatures-scale map, which I'm a sucker for. I'll buy more products just to get miniature-scale maps.
One of the things that I really loved was the subtle nod to the example dungeon presented in the 1E DMG--a ruined monastery, sacked by gnolls fifty years ago, reputed to contain a fabulous fire opal. That seems to be one of the coolest things about the 1E veterans, most every 1E DM has their own version of that example dungeon that's been fleshed out. I'm willing to use Hammerfast just to run a one-shot of that dungeon site.
I also really loved how the book de-emphasized the art. The simpler line art is not only evocative of previous iterations of the game, but it also leaves a bit more to the imagination. Honestly, I get tired of seeing so many action pieces where it looks like a panel from a CGI-laden movie or manga. A simple character illustration here and there is far more interesting to me, as well as showcasing the content more than the art. Count me a fan of this style. I like the style of the art and the amount of it. Honestly, I could do with even less art than this, but I'm also aware that I'm in a small minority of D&D fans in that respect.
I like how Hammerfast is also placed in a new area but relative to the Nentir Vale established in the DMG. I'd love to see the explicit, core points-of-light setting get its very own sourcebook, but I'm satisfied with seeing the world sketched out a bit more at a time.
Overall, I think that it was well worth the purchase price and I'd certainly buy something else like this. I can't wait to get a chance to actually read through the content in-depth and see what else is in here.
Here are the things that I have issue with. I honestly didn't care one way or the other for the hex-based local area map on the interior cover. On one hand, I expected a map of better quality. On the other hand, I don't really care how pretty the map is as long as it is clear and functional. It is, so I'm satisfied. As for the layout of the town itself... Honestly, it's a bit bland. It's simple, so it'd be very easy to draw on a battle mat or lay out with dungeon tiles. On the other hand, there isn't really any prominent feature that stands out and identifies Hammerfast's unique history and background. I expected to see several blocks of tombs or ruins, but it looks much like any other small mountain town. I think the geography and architecture could have been more interesting.
Now for the good stuff. It comes with a miniatures-scale map, which I'm a sucker for. I'll buy more products just to get miniature-scale maps.
One of the things that I really loved was the subtle nod to the example dungeon presented in the 1E DMG--a ruined monastery, sacked by gnolls fifty years ago, reputed to contain a fabulous fire opal. That seems to be one of the coolest things about the 1E veterans, most every 1E DM has their own version of that example dungeon that's been fleshed out. I'm willing to use Hammerfast just to run a one-shot of that dungeon site.
I also really loved how the book de-emphasized the art. The simpler line art is not only evocative of previous iterations of the game, but it also leaves a bit more to the imagination. Honestly, I get tired of seeing so many action pieces where it looks like a panel from a CGI-laden movie or manga. A simple character illustration here and there is far more interesting to me, as well as showcasing the content more than the art. Count me a fan of this style. I like the style of the art and the amount of it. Honestly, I could do with even less art than this, but I'm also aware that I'm in a small minority of D&D fans in that respect.
I like how Hammerfast is also placed in a new area but relative to the Nentir Vale established in the DMG. I'd love to see the explicit, core points-of-light setting get its very own sourcebook, but I'm satisfied with seeing the world sketched out a bit more at a time.
Overall, I think that it was well worth the purchase price and I'd certainly buy something else like this. I can't wait to get a chance to actually read through the content in-depth and see what else is in here.
Technically, it is.
Hammerfast day to day is run by a council that are made up of guild members....
A good read, and a product I'll be using. That makes it definitely worth a buy to me. If all the locations books are like this, they'll be getting my money for sure. It could have used more art of the buildings, to show what made them unique (which I really hope the next product has, as I think that is not dwarf/human/elf in origin). But other than that, it had a lot of information that you could build a campaign around. Excellent product.
