Welcome back to the Mists of Akuma, an Asian mythology inspired world created by Mike Myler for 5E D&D. Mike has written a sandbox mega-adventure that will take players from 3rd level to 12th level. We take a look into the world of intrigue that is Imperial Matchmaker.
Disclosure - EN World was provided with an advanced copy of the Imperial Matchmaker PDF. According to the author, audiences should see it early next year or later this year.
In this review I will talk about the aesthetics and design, the plot (of which there is a lot), and, of course, the overall product. Before we get too far, there are three points I want to cover. First, you get a lot of information in this product. It is very dense and a GM looking to build a campaign in the world of MoA could do so with ease. Second, this is a sandbox adventure and it is important to keep that in mind when planning out how to deploy it for your group. And third, there is another product, Imperial Matchmaker: Iconics Tome, that has pre-generated characters inside for use with this adventure. For those new to MoA and the setting Soburin, these could be useful. All of this information is equally useful should you decide to insert the adventure into your own campaign world.
Aesthetics
Imperial Matchmaker fits into the existing MoA aesthetic. Everything is full color and this does not detract from the look. In fact, the heavy saturation of color is a design feature alongside the art that is evocative and, on occasion, a bit gonzo. One has to remember that MoA has a great deal more crammed into it than just its obvious Japanese influences. Weird West and Steampunk just to name two such influences. Mists of Akuma has always felt old school Anime’ to me; something like Ninja Scroll or Dagger of Kamui. The diversity of characters is outstanding.
My only quibbles on aesthetics are the density and the headers. There is so much in this book that it feels cramped even at 350+ pages. The header font is fine, but paired with the reds and sometimes red-outline over white is a bit hard to read. Some of the more artistic fonts clash some with the rest of the feel.
Plot
I won’t be spoiling anything by saying that Imperial Matchmaker is about a wedding. Ten weddings in fact, which provide the central plot of the adventure. But Imperial Matchmaker is a sandbox adventure and this means a wide array of side-street adventures to lure the characters off the main path. In short, the Emperor wishes to celebrate his tenth year anniversary of his iconic victory over occupiers by forcing some warring clans to marry. The adventurers are free to interact (or not) with each of these marriages to ensure they go off without a hitch or don’t go off at all.
There is also a section about character creation that allows customization of the iconics (and other provided ideas) so that all can connect to some of the side quests Everything takes place in the Imperial Capital of Sanbaoshi, a sprawling metropolis full of politics and intrigue. Each wedding is a multipart adventure unto itself; these are not mere scenes or encounters but fully fleshed out adventures with complex plots of their own. Adventurers can become very involved or only slightly so as they wish. The prologue itself could take a couple of sessions. If your players enjoy intrigue and hard fighting, Imperial Matchmaker won’t disappoint.
Overall Impressions
Those new to Mists of Akuma (and old hands) should never forget the eponymous Mists themselves. They could play a big part in the various plots and subplots, adding an additional level of complication to the twisting narratives. Overall, this is a great mega-adventure. I can recommend it to anyone even a little bit interested in the Fantasy Noir Steampunk aesthetic that pervades the design of Imperial Matchmaker. It is not a casual sandbox to be sure, but a rich one that can provide months of adventure.
Disclosure - EN World was provided with an advanced copy of the Imperial Matchmaker PDF. According to the author, audiences should see it early next year or later this year.
In this review I will talk about the aesthetics and design, the plot (of which there is a lot), and, of course, the overall product. Before we get too far, there are three points I want to cover. First, you get a lot of information in this product. It is very dense and a GM looking to build a campaign in the world of MoA could do so with ease. Second, this is a sandbox adventure and it is important to keep that in mind when planning out how to deploy it for your group. And third, there is another product, Imperial Matchmaker: Iconics Tome, that has pre-generated characters inside for use with this adventure. For those new to MoA and the setting Soburin, these could be useful. All of this information is equally useful should you decide to insert the adventure into your own campaign world.
Aesthetics
Imperial Matchmaker fits into the existing MoA aesthetic. Everything is full color and this does not detract from the look. In fact, the heavy saturation of color is a design feature alongside the art that is evocative and, on occasion, a bit gonzo. One has to remember that MoA has a great deal more crammed into it than just its obvious Japanese influences. Weird West and Steampunk just to name two such influences. Mists of Akuma has always felt old school Anime’ to me; something like Ninja Scroll or Dagger of Kamui. The diversity of characters is outstanding.
My only quibbles on aesthetics are the density and the headers. There is so much in this book that it feels cramped even at 350+ pages. The header font is fine, but paired with the reds and sometimes red-outline over white is a bit hard to read. Some of the more artistic fonts clash some with the rest of the feel.
I won’t be spoiling anything by saying that Imperial Matchmaker is about a wedding. Ten weddings in fact, which provide the central plot of the adventure. But Imperial Matchmaker is a sandbox adventure and this means a wide array of side-street adventures to lure the characters off the main path. In short, the Emperor wishes to celebrate his tenth year anniversary of his iconic victory over occupiers by forcing some warring clans to marry. The adventurers are free to interact (or not) with each of these marriages to ensure they go off without a hitch or don’t go off at all.
There is also a section about character creation that allows customization of the iconics (and other provided ideas) so that all can connect to some of the side quests Everything takes place in the Imperial Capital of Sanbaoshi, a sprawling metropolis full of politics and intrigue. Each wedding is a multipart adventure unto itself; these are not mere scenes or encounters but fully fleshed out adventures with complex plots of their own. Adventurers can become very involved or only slightly so as they wish. The prologue itself could take a couple of sessions. If your players enjoy intrigue and hard fighting, Imperial Matchmaker won’t disappoint.
Overall Impressions
Those new to Mists of Akuma (and old hands) should never forget the eponymous Mists themselves. They could play a big part in the various plots and subplots, adding an additional level of complication to the twisting narratives. Overall, this is a great mega-adventure. I can recommend it to anyone even a little bit interested in the Fantasy Noir Steampunk aesthetic that pervades the design of Imperial Matchmaker. It is not a casual sandbox to be sure, but a rich one that can provide months of adventure.
