Adventure Locations: Ice Tomb of the Dwarf Lord is the a new pdf release from Ronin Arts. This is a 14 page product (1 page cover, 1 page licence, 1 page new tile) that costs $2.50. The product is written by Michael Hammes and Philip Reed and Ed Bourelle from Skeleton Key Games provides the map and a new e-adventure tile specifically for this product. It appears to be first in a line of ready to go fantasy adventure locations.
So what is it really? Well it sort of depends on where you look. The product begins with additional rules and ideas that can be used to flesh out the adventure location listed. Some of these are new ideas fresh to this product and some are bits of OGC that the writer felt were appropriate to include. In this section you find a new feat to represent a royal dwarven lineage (drawn from Heroes of High Favor: Dwarves from Bad Axe Games), an elemental charged fog hazards (which seems modelled after other hazard that Ronin Arts has recently released), two monsters [Frostbound Horror] and [Iceheart Pudding] both with minimal intelligence, a new trap that is logically appropriate at two different CR's, and a piece of treasure that is thematically appropriate to the other information in the product.
The second portion of the product details the history of the adventure location, the environmental/dungeoneering issues of the location, advice on making things difficult for the players (almost certainly part of Michaels' contribution), locations details for the map, suggestions for monster lairs and treasure placement as well as three potential adventure hooks.
The final portion of the book includes a map of the location by Ed Bourelle that can be built using 3 sections of this his e-adventure tile sets. It also includes a new tile that connects the Dwarf tomb to the ice caves, although it could connect a Dwarf hall to the ice caves just the same.
When I first started through this product I thought I was going to think "another dwarf tomb" but then I realized I don't have another drawf tomb. Not in any other d20 product I have and certainly not one that is so ready to go. I
printed my tlles (from SKG sold seperately) and selected some monsters and placed the treasure and my planning was done. At $2.50 for saving me the amount of time it did to adventure prep it is a fantastic steal. If you have the e-adventure tiles for this product as well then it easily rates a 5. What is really helpful is that this release and Ed's tiles complement each other perfectly. Say for instant you would like a descrated tomb instead of a perserved one you don't need to worry the SKG e-adventure tile Tomb of the Dwarf Lord contains both preserved and desecrated tiles.
I only thing that was slightly disappointing to me was that there were not more dwarven treasures than the one new one listed.
The e-adventure tiles are not necessary to enjoy the product but it is a nice addition for those of us who already have them.
Analysis: Easy to use, Enhaced with e-tiles, Good cartography, Thematic elements throughout, Simple to start up and go.
Excellent product
