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ShortQuests -- individual adventure modules! An all-new collection of digest-sized D&D adventures designed to plug in to your game.

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Teflon Billy" data-source="post: 2011349" data-attributes="member: 264">I realized something while thumbing through Denizens of Avadnu: (outside of Mutants and Masterminds products) I rarely make any mention of the art contained in a product.Denizens made me take note of that little oversight pretty much immediately. I will start this review by saying that the art that the good folks at Inner Circle assembled for this wonderful piece of gaming goodness is absolutely top notch. Straight across the board the quality is high; but the broad variety of to the pieces included (sepia line drawings, full color oils, colored-pencil sketches, moody watercolors, etc) really keep the visual excitement level high.Despite my love for the art contained here, I would consider the volume an abject failure if it contained truly crappy mechanics, and would likely give it a 2 or 3 star rating if contained passable mechanics. As luck would have it gentle reader, neither of these is the case.Someone in Inner Circle’s inner circle (hah!) did the work, and I mean they really did it. I took a random sampling of the creatures and turned their stat blocks over to my resident anal-retentive math thug and he—after going over them for the better part of a week—assures me that the stat blocks are spot-on compliant with the 3.5E Monster Construction rules, and that the CR’s are right where they are supposed to be.There are even some interesting innovations to the standard stat blocks. Movement is listed in Squares/round as well as Feet. Touch and Flat-Footed AC are computed and listed as such right on the page. Full attack details are included.I’ve never seen such complete stat blocks.The templates presented are interesting, but I wish there were some examples of creatures with the templates applied to them. I’m not sure why. I understand the concept of templates and could do it myself without too much strain, but I like to see examples of mechanics in most supplements. I assure you though that this is a small gripe.The races presented are interesting without being overpowered, though I will go to my grave wondering if the level adjustments for races are correct. I think it’s impossible to really standardize such things without really understanding the setting you are using. I’m never sure if level adjustments for magic-wielders or flyers are really high enough in my low magic games, but that’s where Denizens pretty much has me. These monster were designed specifically for their upcoming setting (Violet Dawn: The time of the Unravelling for the curious). So given that the rest of their mechanics are so sound, I feel reasonably sure that the level adjustments for the various races are likely to be appropriate to their setting.The layout is even nicely done, very readable despite the variety of images and content on each page. I would love to outline the failings of this product, but all told there just don’t seem to be many in sight.Denizens of Avadnu is a nicely laid out, full-color hardcover with stunning art, airtight mechanics and “fluff” of a high enough quality to pique my interest in their upcoming Campaign Setting.It joins Monsternomicon and Tome of Horrors as my “go-to-guys” for all of my campaign’s monstrous needs. They are in good company.</blockquote>

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