Sword of Spirit
Legend
The Dungeon Master's Guide definitely provides something for epic level play (and it's official rules). While the rules are significantly streamlined--they are there on page 230-332.
Last edited:
Free DM's Guild Five-Star Freebies
The Dungeon Master's Guide definitely provides something for epic level play (and it's official rules). While the rules are significantly streamlined--they are there on page 230-332.
Xethreau
Josh Gentry - Author, Minister in Training
By the way, if anybody is a DM's Guild author who needs a review, feel free to private message me. I'll see what I can do for you! Please though, save this thread for posting reviews (and not advertisements). (I have updated the OP to reflect this policy! 
)
)Azurewraith
Explorer
Jolly good job ol chap. [MENTION=57584]Xethreau[/MENTION] I cant wait to see more adventures as i do not have the time to vet 6 new classes a week because pcs found an awesome new class on the DG. I'm sticking to freebies being well that i live in the UK and i'm unsure how it will interact with exchange rates etc guess there's only one way to find out!
Is this going to be a weekly/bi weekly or some regular thing as that would be great but if your life is anything like mine i imagine that it will become difficult to keep up some sort of schedule?
On to my review http://www.dmsguild.com/product/171309/The-Evil-of-Castle-Cardinal The Evil of Castle Cardinal( i still need to give a DG review for that eek) As its nice and simple in its execution non of those fancy wrapped images making reading a nightmare or silly fonts or any other nonsense. It provides enough detail to run the adventure as is but at the same time it is vague and open enough to add in details to help it fit into a current campaign which is everything i look for in an adventure.
Is this going to be a weekly/bi weekly or some regular thing as that would be great but if your life is anything like mine i imagine that it will become difficult to keep up some sort of schedule?
On to my review http://www.dmsguild.com/product/171309/The-Evil-of-Castle-Cardinal The Evil of Castle Cardinal( i still need to give a DG review for that eek) As its nice and simple in its execution non of those fancy wrapped images making reading a nightmare or silly fonts or any other nonsense. It provides enough detail to run the adventure as is but at the same time it is vague and open enough to add in details to help it fit into a current campaign which is everything i look for in an adventure.
zoroaster100
First Post
I have downloaded a bunch of products already from the DMs Guild, and paid at least something for most of them, but only have had a chance to really examine a few yet. I mostly bought monster stats, but also some expanded rules on alchemy, poisons, etc. and a few player options PDFs like the Gunslinger. Here are my thoughts on a few of the ones I've bought, read, but not yet used in my games:
D&D Denizens: Goblins - 4 out of 5
D&D Denizens: Orcs - 4 out of 5
D&D Denizens: Drow and Driders- 4 out of 5
D&D Citizens: Dwarves- 4 out of 5
D&D Citizens: Elves- 4 out of 5
I'll review all of these together. They are all by Scott Holden, layout by Pauline Benney. I think the concept for these is great, at least for busy DMs like me who have little time to prepare and like using a variety of these basic monsters and NPCs in encounters. I read through the stat blocks and they seem fine at a glance, but I won't know if there are hidden problems or if the Challenge rating is accurate until I use them in play against my players in one of my games. I would tentatively give these five out of five stars for content (pending how they work in actual play), except for the layout. While the PDF looks nice and clean, the stat blocks are frustratingly difficult to read because the PDF has two columns and the stat blocks are not kept together so that they are often broken up between one column and the next or one page and the next, and it is easy to get confused in the middle of running a complex encounter and read the stats from the wrong goblin or orc, etc. in a combat. The layout requires I rate this four out of five stars, but I would still recommend these for DMs looking to spice up encounters with humanoids and demihumans which I think are among the most interesting encounters, along with humans.
Monster Mausoleum by Stacy Janssen and David Noonan - 5 out of 5 stars
This one was a great buy. It has a wide variety of classic undead from various books from prior editions, updated to Fifth edition with a good execution of their essential powers that made their original versions terrifying in play. The stats look well put together at reading. I still have the same caveat that I have to use them in play before I really know if the Challenge ratings are accurate but just reading each entry made me really want to run each of these in my campaign. And unlike the products I rated above, the stat blocks are well laid out so each combat stat block is on its own page and easily identified. This is exactly the kind of monster PDF I'd like to see more of in the DMs Guild and will fill the need for more monsters for my games in the months to come.
D&D Denizens: Goblins - 4 out of 5
D&D Denizens: Orcs - 4 out of 5
D&D Denizens: Drow and Driders- 4 out of 5
D&D Citizens: Dwarves- 4 out of 5
D&D Citizens: Elves- 4 out of 5
I'll review all of these together. They are all by Scott Holden, layout by Pauline Benney. I think the concept for these is great, at least for busy DMs like me who have little time to prepare and like using a variety of these basic monsters and NPCs in encounters. I read through the stat blocks and they seem fine at a glance, but I won't know if there are hidden problems or if the Challenge rating is accurate until I use them in play against my players in one of my games. I would tentatively give these five out of five stars for content (pending how they work in actual play), except for the layout. While the PDF looks nice and clean, the stat blocks are frustratingly difficult to read because the PDF has two columns and the stat blocks are not kept together so that they are often broken up between one column and the next or one page and the next, and it is easy to get confused in the middle of running a complex encounter and read the stats from the wrong goblin or orc, etc. in a combat. The layout requires I rate this four out of five stars, but I would still recommend these for DMs looking to spice up encounters with humanoids and demihumans which I think are among the most interesting encounters, along with humans.
Monster Mausoleum by Stacy Janssen and David Noonan - 5 out of 5 stars
This one was a great buy. It has a wide variety of classic undead from various books from prior editions, updated to Fifth edition with a good execution of their essential powers that made their original versions terrifying in play. The stats look well put together at reading. I still have the same caveat that I have to use them in play before I really know if the Challenge ratings are accurate but just reading each entry made me really want to run each of these in my campaign. And unlike the products I rated above, the stat blocks are well laid out so each combat stat block is on its own page and easily identified. This is exactly the kind of monster PDF I'd like to see more of in the DMs Guild and will fill the need for more monsters for my games in the months to come.
Last edited:
Xethreau
Josh Gentry - Author, Minister in Training
The Wild Sheep Chase
Description: 4th/5th level characters help a sheep down on his luck find justice
Positive: This light-hearted and fanciful romp is perfect for a one-shot or a side-treck. It is simultaneously silly and touching: players encounter greatsword-weilding apes and a splinter-breathing bed dragon; they explore a wizard tower woven from tree branches, as well as the conflict between master and apprentice mages. Highly recommended for role-players and fans of fairy tales.
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars!
Journey to the Buried Vale
Description: An old-school, icey convention crawl for 1st level dwarves
Positive: I'm not personally a fan of convention-type adventures, but for what it is this module is outstanding. It is neatly formatted and straightforward. Most importantly, this adventure comes with pre-generated (dwarf) characters and printable combat maps. And a score card! Its sheer OS feel, professionalism, convenience, and quick-play ability makes this module worthy of notice.
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars!
Temple of the Nightbringers
Description: 1st level characters bully goblins and discover betrayal at a temple of Shar
Positive: Even though I don't read it as being presented this way, this module has light horror written all over it. The adventure starts with a little RP, entering the village and meeting the faces they must defend from goblin raiders. SPOILER: One of these faces actually rules over these goblins, having been seduced by a dark artifact consecrated to Shar. With just a little work or the right group, this could be a thrilling jaunt for a dark and stormy winter night.
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars!
Description: 4th/5th level characters help a sheep down on his luck find justice
Positive: This light-hearted and fanciful romp is perfect for a one-shot or a side-treck. It is simultaneously silly and touching: players encounter greatsword-weilding apes and a splinter-breathing bed dragon; they explore a wizard tower woven from tree branches, as well as the conflict between master and apprentice mages. Highly recommended for role-players and fans of fairy tales.
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars!
Journey to the Buried Vale
Description: An old-school, icey convention crawl for 1st level dwarves
Positive: I'm not personally a fan of convention-type adventures, but for what it is this module is outstanding. It is neatly formatted and straightforward. Most importantly, this adventure comes with pre-generated (dwarf) characters and printable combat maps. And a score card! Its sheer OS feel, professionalism, convenience, and quick-play ability makes this module worthy of notice.
Rating: 5 of 5 Stars!
Temple of the Nightbringers
Description: 1st level characters bully goblins and discover betrayal at a temple of Shar
Positive: Even though I don't read it as being presented this way, this module has light horror written all over it. The adventure starts with a little RP, entering the village and meeting the faces they must defend from goblin raiders. SPOILER: One of these faces actually rules over these goblins, having been seduced by a dark artifact consecrated to Shar. With just a little work or the right group, this could be a thrilling jaunt for a dark and stormy winter night.
Rating: 4 of 5 Stars!
Took the words right out of my mouth here.
The High History is, for me, the best of the Realms-specific offerings on the DMs Guild.
Xethreau
Josh Gentry - Author, Minister in Training
[MENTION=6798581]Azurewraith[/MENTION] - I hope to be able to post at least weekly, if not every few days. I'm trying to post enough to get this thread kicked up into something useful for the whole community. Would it be useful if I compiled all these reviews onto the opening post?
(Do collapsible "spoiler" type blocks work on this forum? Any advice guys?)
(Do collapsible "spoiler" type blocks work on this forum? Any advice guys?)
Azurewraith
Explorer
AH excellent spoilers are a thing im just not sure how i would assume its [/spoiler]
CapnZapp
Legend
My "problem" is that most products, as indeed do the MM focus on very low-CR monsters.
My players are on the verge of level six. I need more CR 5-10 foes, especially humanoids.
With very few exceptions, most official Goblins, Duergar, Elves and so on are CR 2 or lower, often only CR 1/2 or even lower.
My players are on the verge of level six. I need more CR 5-10 foes, especially humanoids.
With very few exceptions, most official Goblins, Duergar, Elves and so on are CR 2 or lower, often only CR 1/2 or even lower.
Azurewraith
Explorer
This is a pain my players are tail end of 4 and I'm trying to come up with a collection of humanoid foes. It gets bland just slapping on class levels.
I have been trying to do more "regional tribe" sub racey things to keep it different. That leads to its own issues of them gearing up to go north I prep a bunch of artic races then everyone changes there mind and heads to a rainforest instead.
Similar Threads
