In the Belly of the Beast

[Messageboard Golem]

In the Belly of the Beast is one of the most creative adventures I've seen in years. It is also, in my opinion, very challenging to run and not for newbie DMs. Weighing in at a light 32-pages, the adventure escews the standard dungeon map and encounter descriptions. Instead, the pages are filled with plot and NPC information, all extremely well developed.

There are a couple reasons why I believe this adventure is not for beginners. First, because of the "looseness" of the module, the adventure is more difficult to referee than a standard dungeon crawl. Second, there is one scene involving a band of orcs, a gang of thieves, a necromancer and his minions, and the player characters (each side ready to kill the others) plus a forth foe I can't mention without giving away the adventure. With so many NPCs, even an experienced DM might find role playing so many roles challenging (although if pulled off well, this could be a very memorable ending.)

So in summary, In the Belly of the Beast is an excellent adventure, but be prepared to do some work because this one doesn't guide you by the hand going from room to room.

 

[Simon Collins]

Beware! This review contains major spoilers.

In The Belly Of The Beast is an adventure module for 4-6 characters of 2nd-4th level. It costs $8.95.

Production & Presentation: This is a softcover 32-page module. The front cover is an average piece of colour artwork. The back cover introduces the module and outlines its features. The front inside cover and back inside cover are blank. The first two pages contain contents and credits. There is a basic map of Vog Mor’s Chrysalis within the module. The text is well-defined and clear, making it easy to read. The text takes up about three-quarters of each page in a familiar two-column layout – the edge of each page is bordered by a drawing of a thorny tendril (dripping blood in the chapter heading pages) – the pages at the chapter beginnings are 2/3 text in one column only. There are several pieces of decent pencil-sketch internal black & white artwork, including NPC character sketches – I particularly liked the artwork of David Interdonato.

The Story: The module is split into five chapters. Chapter One is an introduction (2 pages) outlining the set-up requirements and possible customisation of the adventure. Chapter Two: The Story So Far (5 pages) give a brief overview of each of the NPCs followed by a much more in-depth treatment, including tips for adapting them to your own campaign. The story is outlined in the descriptions of the NPCs: a wastrel son of an honest merchant family intends to take over a smuggling ring by a show of force. He intends to hire the PCs to be his show of force, lying to the PCs about the real mission. Meanwhile, a half-orc stole a strange diamond from his orc tribe and gave it to his new master, a necromancer. The diamond was in turn stolen by the smugglers. Both a group from the orc tribe the diamond was stolen from, and the necromancer (along with his apprentice and the half-orc), learn the smugglers have the diamond and set out after it. On the way the necromancer’s apprentice murders his master. One small problem – the diamond is actually the ‘seed’ of a huge (and I mean HUGE) demon. As the demon begins to hatch, a massive chrysalis melds with the stone of the sewers that make up the lair of the smugglers, trapping all the NPC factions within. Undead minions of the demons have begun to attack them and they are suffering from starvation. Chapter Three: The Setup (6 pages) deals with a meeting between the merchant’s son and the PCs, an outline of the plot he weaves to gain the PCs confidence and help, including setting up the PCs using a false mission which should invoke the PCs anger against the smugglers. Chapter Four: Into The Beast (6 pages) deals with the PCs entering the sewers and being caught within the growing demonic chrysalis. They find themselves barging in on a tactical meeting between the smugglers, the orcs and the ‘necromancer faction’. A description of the situation and the environment follow. There are then a possible series of events that ensue, mainly involving plotting between the four factions (smugglers, orcs, necromancer, PCs) and internal faction plotting. In the final event, the demon Vog Mor’s avatar arrives. Chapter Five: Loose Ends (3 pages) deals with the possible consequences of actions taken within the adventure, and has a box outlining possible rewards for completing the adventure. In the middle of the module is a pull-out section (which can be photocopied) which includes a combat table detailing combat-relevant statistics and space for monitoring hit points for all NPCs and creatures, more detailed NPC statistics for all the NPCs including a character sketch and detailed background and roleplaying information, and a players handout of the introductory letter from the merchant’s son to the PCs.

The High Points: This is one of the best adventures I have come across: well-detailed NPCs with fantastic roleplaying opportunities, double crosses, undead and a demon, an unusual setting (a demon’s body) and some nice artwork. I particularly liked the NPC ‘cards’ in the pull-out module with stats, a sketch and excellent roleplaying information. The Combat Table is very useful too. The sort of thing I draw up anyway as a DM, but nicely laid out with all the relevant information on one page for combats.

The Low Points: This is not for the novice DM or group. It’s not the ideal adventure for a group that is not keen on roleplaying, though it can be adapted to be a combat-orientated adventure. It definitely requires a thorough understanding of all aspects of the adventure and some thought put in beforehand as to how to run certain aspects of the adventure. This is not a pick-up-and-play module.

Conclusion: I have to give this a rating of Superb. Despite it’s complexity, it is worth the trouble to put some thought into running it, for what should be a memorable adventure.

Playtest Edit 26.7.03:
I recently playtested this module and discovered the reality of my comment above regarding putting time in beforehand to plan how to run the adventure. I spent hours fleshing out the NPCs and social interaction possibilities because there was not enough detail to adequately run such a socially-orientated scenario, but I still found myself floundering in-game to cope with the 'unusual' actions of my players - there is just not enough information on the possible reactions of the factions to different PC actions. The openness of the scenario, whilst having its benefits, occasionally seemed too large to handle for one GM.

Combat proved to be a similar situation - again, the limited information on tactical scenarios such as a breach in the barrier, rebuilding it, and the logical scenario where the monsters start wrecking the barrier rather than just trying to climb over it were not discussed.

Having said that, we had some great fun with the climactic encounter with Vor Mog (who was finally defeated by an acid-drenched player cutting himself out of the demon's stomach from the inside).

However, I have to reduce my score for this module after playtesting and reiterate the warning of how much work this module requires in order to effectively run.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

***THAR BE SPOILERS***

The Grump might be a grump, but he doesn't want to ruin adventures for you. Don't read this if you plan on playing this adventure.

This one's not bad. Actually, it's pretty good, though it suffers from some basic problems. Since I'm the Grump, I'll focus on the bad, but I will take a moment to touch on the good.

Bad:

The basic plot is supposed to be that the players have to team up with some bad guys to take down this big demon. But, the monsters lurking around before the big demonic hoe down just aren't tough enough to present a real threat. There's supposed to be this long period of tension before Mr Big Bad Guy shows up, but my players just trashed the evil dudes and patiently waited for Something Else to Happen. I toughened the baddies up and that fixed things, but I shouldn't be PAYING for a module that I have to fix, especially if I have to fix things that are pretty fundamental to the plot.

Good:
The evil NPCs that the players have to deal with are really cool. Their personalities are very well fleshed out. I'm looking forward to using the ones that made it out as continuing characters in my game.

The plot is cool, despite the problem I point out above.

 

[Tuerny]

ISBN# 1887801960
Written by Mike Meals
Published by Atlas Games
Originally reviewed by Jesse Dean on AtFantasy.com


In the Belly of the Beast, written by Mike Mearls, is the latest of Atlas Games' Penumbra line of d20 adventure products. Designed for four to six characters of second to fourth level, it takes place in any urban setting, requiring nothing more than that the potential for a large, organized criminal organization to be present, merchants, and the presence of some sort of sewers. The module is role-playing intensive, and requires the players to negotiate with hostile characters from three opposing rival factions in order to survive the awakening of a demon.

Plot Outline
House Mezzia, the first of the groups, is falling on hard times, and one of the less ethical scions of the House, Bruno Mezzia, seeks to tap into the criminal underworld to increase his house's wealth. He hopes to leverage the situation by hiring some rubes (the PCs) to capture one of the slaving outpost's of the Ring of Iron. In the meanwhile, The Ring of Iron, a loose confederation of rogue groups formed to keep infighting to a minimum in order to maximize profit, has problems of their own to deal with. The leader of the local cell, Tarmalac, has stolen an embryonic demon, in the shape of a diamond, from a wizard known as Thimony. Thimony, later killed by his apprentice and front man, Ofec, had acquired the crystal from his half-orcish servant, Ironcrow. Ironcrow stole the crystal from his tribe, the Blood Hatchet Orcs, and fled when his father, chieftain of The Blood Hatchet Orcs, is killed and replaced by an orc named Karnuc. When the gemstone is stolen Karnuc sends his daughter, Vadgral, a team of warriors, and a mercenary orc warrior, Nazzek, to recover it. Of course, this is only the beginning, because the demon will soon awaken to trap everyone within its demonic embryo to fight for their life and possibly even their soul.

Presentation

The module is a thirty-two-page booklet with a standard laminated, stapled, card-stock booklet. The tentacle-filled margins are typically 2" wide, with 3" being standard in the introduction and at the start of each chapter.

The cover illustration is an attractive, appropriate piece that depicts an orc or half-orc struggling with a number of tentacles emerging from the ground. The interior art includes several excellent illustrated scenes scattered throughout the module, as well as headshots of each of the NPCs encountered in the chrysalis.

A map of Vog Mor’s Chrysalis is included with the module. It was created using ProFantasy's Campaign Cartographer and is available for download from the Atlas Games’ web site. This is a recommended download, because it provides map dimensions and a measurement grid unavailable in the printed version.

Overview
The module is divided into five sections, in addition to the Open Gaming License: The Introduction, the Story so Far, the Setup, the Special Tear Outs section, Into The Beast, and Loose Ends.

The Introduction provides an introduction to the mechanical aspects of the adventure, explaining the cut out section, what props and tools could be useful, and how to customize the adventure to fit into any particular setting. In addition an explanation of the Open Gaming License, in non-legal terms, is provided as well as how Open Gaming Content is distinguished from non-Open Gaming Content within the adventure.

The Story So Far provides an overview of all of the various power groups that the PCs will encounter, what has happened to lead up to the current situation, and some suggestions on how to adapt the adventure to individual campaigns.

The Setup is the actual beginning of the adventure, in which the PCs are brought in by Bruno Mezzia, and find themselves trapped within a demonic embryo. According to the standard introduction, five alternatives are also provided.

The Special Tear-Outs section contains a number of aids to help the GM run the adventure. A rough map, a combat table, summarizing each NPCs combat capabilities, the note originally used to bring the PCs into the adventure, and a card for each NPC detailing their stats, key info, a typical quote, background, appearance, role-playing notes, and goals.

Into the Beast is the meat of the adventure, providing the overview of the situation, environment, and a list of possible events that can happen. When the PCs approach the Ring of Iron base they unknowingly enter into the chrysalis of the demon, Vog Mor. Within they find the various sides in a tense meeting to discuss strategy. All, save the orc bandleader Vadgral, are eager for allies and see the PCs as having potential in that area. After this point much is left to the GM, with the overall situation and mood of each NPC provided as well as eight events that can be used to increase the overall tension of the scenario. Regardless of what happens, after twelve hours the demon materializes and attacks. It is a difficult opponent, especially with its undead servitors, and, unless the PCs have made alliances with at least some of the NPCs present, are beyond most parties abilities to vanquish.

Loose Ends details how the aftermath of the adventure affects each of the NPCs and organizations present, if they survive, as well as detailing how to handle experience rewards for the adventure.

The Good (i.e. what I liked)
In the Belly of the Beast has a well-crafted, original plot that provides ample opportunities to role-play, strategize, and eventually battle in a tense environment. The module does a good job of explaining each of the NPC's motivations and goals, as well as good tips on integrating the adventure into the campaign as a whole rather than leaving that chore entirely up to the GM. The Special Tear-Out Section is a good idea, and is useful when trying to juggle all of the various NPCs. The Loose Ends section is also good, providing for at least one or two adventure hooks in each of the descriptions.

The Bad (i.e. what I did not like)
There were only three flaws that I could find with this adventure, two of layout and one of design. The tentacle filled margins of the adventure, at 2", or even 3" in some places, are wider than is standard and usually accepted. The map of the chrysalis is poor, at best, and is useful only in getting a general idea of the chrysalis' shape. The design flaw is in that due to the challenge of handling this number of NPCs in a somewhat complex situation, this adventure may prove to be less than satisfactory for those that do not use character-driven adventures.

Conclusion
Overall, In the Belly of the Beast is an interesting and meaty adventure, providing a challenging scenario to explore, and the potential to serve the springboard for many adventures. If you enjoy adventuring in a complex role-playing environment, with a variety of mutually hostile factions, and the potential of a gruesome death than this adventure is worth getting. If you prefer more traditional dungeon crawls, or are a beginning GM who is not yet used to juggling multiple personalities and goals than this adventure might not be what you are looking for.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

This is a serviceable adventure that has been significantly overrated so far. If foe no other reason then for the sheer amount of filler space used to fill in the obligatory 32 pages.

16 size adventure spread on 32 pages is my first thought when I think of the "Belly of the Beast". Not only are the inner covers completely blank but the margins stand at a bit over the two inches (filled with really, really ugly drawing of the tentacles) "Credits" take a whole page distinct from one taken by "contents". Additional pages are taken by Introduction (which is not really an adventure synopsis) and Customization/Open Gaming Content (not including the OGL that takes additional half a page in the back) and a rather useless combat reference table.
Chapter headings (five in total) are written in a largest font i have ever seen used in a published product and take a quarter to a third of a page each and section headings are each size of a paragraph.

What is left (and that is not much) is a semi decent adventure centered on trying to forge alliances between the group of disparate characters in an adverse situation. NPCs are fairly well detailed and can provide for some good role-playing. Sadly, setting itself is somewhat contrived and reasons for the NPC's presence are somewhat tenuous so DM has a lot of work to do in order to use the material in a believable fashion.

Finally, what really does in this adventure for me, pushing it as low as 2 in my mark, is art. Except for the cover illustration which is just reasonably bad computer rendering of an orc fighting some tentacles and the small NPC portraits which are of the non-descript 5 minutes sketch variety, everything else (and there is a lot) is horrible - possibly worst I have seen in d20 products so far. (Piece on the page 25 is my personal "worst fantasy art - ever").

The adventure has a good idea (a single one) and some good NPC's but is so badly presented and so contrived that it is really not worth buying after all.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

It is a cancer thriving in the midst of a bustling city, a shadowy conspiracy bent on driving House Mezzia, a once proud and noble merchant family, to its knees. Forced to turn to outsiders for aid, a young scion of the Mezzia clan needs heroes to stand with him against encroaching darkness - heroes who are willing to follow him through the dark heart of the underworld.

 

[otto]

Note: Some spoilers below

On the surface, "In the Belly of the Beast" would seem to be a great adventure that will challenge the skills of any DM. It contains a good plot, well detailed NPCS, and a heavy emphasis on role-playing. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite live up to the promise.

I've been a DM for many, many years and love the roleplaying aspect of adventures, specifically having well detailed NPCS to interact with the PCs. I thought after reading "In the Belly of the Beast" that it would truly be a great adventure, but after running it in my campaign, I found it was any thing but that.

First problem, too many NPCs. Quite honestly, as a DM it's nearly impossible to roleplay all of the NPCs properly. The are 7 major NPCs within 4 seperate factions (Slavers, Orcs, Necromancer, and of course the PCs) within this adventure, and quite honestly it was too much. Some of the NPCs were quite honestly not needed and did not add much to the adventure.

Second problem, the plot and numerous sub-plots. Actually, this maybe the first problem. There is too much going on, and the adventure does not foresee how the normal adventuring party react to this adventure. My PCs were concentrating on escaping from this alien sewer environment, and unfortunately, until the demon was ready to emerge that was a futile pursuit which became fustrating for the party. Add to this the various sub-plots, ....Mezzia and the Ring, Lydia vs. Tarmalac, the Necromancer,Nazzek vs. Vadgral......and this adventure truly lost focus quickly

On the plus side, the pull-outs in the middle containing the NPCs and a combat table with all of their stats was turly helpful.

All in all, I would not reccomend this adventure

 

[Darklance]

I'm generally not a big premade adventure fan but I will buy them on occasion if its by one of the authors who's work I know I enjoy or if it comes highly recommended. The second case is true for this one but it lead me to start doing #1 in the case of Mike Mearls, the author of this great adventure.

Production & Presentation:
This is a softcover 32-page module. The front cover is a fair piece of color artwork. A orc or half orc is being grappled by vog mor's tentacles. The back cover is a general outline of the module's contents. Inside covers of the front and back covers are blank. There is a very simple map which really could have used some fleshing out. The writing is large enough to be easy on the eyes but not so large as to be taking up unnecessary space. Unfortunately, they filled about a quarter of each page with tentacles which did not to a whole lot for the mood of the module but took up a lot of space. There is a combat table listing important stats etc for each of the NPCs. This was a huge time saver and I wish more adventures would include one. I photocopied it so I could write on it over the course of the adventure. Its a great place to jot down short NPC notes if you prefer to run a game without much prep. Another 6 pages are devoted to full NPC stats and backgrounds with pictures of each. A handout leter is also included. There is some B&W art on the inside which ranges from decent to good.

The Story:*spoilers*
The story starts out with the PCs not really knowing about the true plot of the story (I like). They are hired by a one Bruno Mezzia to help him destroy a slaving encampment in the sewers under the city. He claims these evil men have been raiding his caravans. In reality, he wishes to wrest control from the current owners and use their connections to save his crumbling trading empire with slave money.
After a brief test mission to see how well the PCs handle themselves, he leads the group into the sewers where everything starts to go wrong.
A few weeks previous, a half orc Sorcerer named Iron Crow stole a valuable diamond from his tribe and made off with it. He eventually made his way to a powerful necromancer named Thimony. Thimony started to awaken the diamond which was actually a powerful demon in chrysalis form. Before the process could be completed, Tarmalac, the head of the Ring of Iron, stole the diamond and took it back to his headquarters.

When the Bruno and the PCs arrive, the crystal has already begun to hatch and most of the ring of iron base has been enveloped in a ring of flesh. As the walk down the entry sewer they can hear sick wet sound of flesh closing off their retreat. They enter the base with a group raged group in front of them. First there are the ring of iron men. Slavers all, the my PCs hated them from the beginning. Next came the necromancer's apprentice, Ofec and his companion Iron Crow who had come to retrieve vog mor. Ofec had just killed his master Thimony and is in reality little more than a novice. Also present was the party representing the orcs from who the diamond had been stolen. This ground wants to kill each other and the PCs and it up to the PCs to hammer out a unsteady alliance to combat Vog Mor.
Between the power struggles and Vog Mors minions, the PCs should have a really hard time keeping sufficient forces alive to face Vog Mor in the "final battle".


Thoughts:
This is a great adventure experienced players and DMs. Those new the game may find it challenging to run a large amount of NPCs and keep track of their plots and agendas. Those groups more inclined to hack and slash instead of roleplaying will find themselves dead despite their tactics and plans when it comes to face Vog Mor. The NPCs are well detailed and their conflicting personalities should have the party on edge all night.

I do have some problems with this adventure however. A few areas could have used more information. They author fails to take into account that PCs may not follow a certain course. For instance:

1) The first event is to have the servitor's attack the wall. However, if that wall is breached early on (The PCs did not defend it) then it leaves a huge problem for the entire rest of the adventure. Vog Mor is supposed to smash through this in the last part and it also serves to contain the servitors. This could literally stop the adventure dead in its tracks.

2) In the final battle with Vog Mor, how many servitors attack with him? Say the NPC/PC bodies were slashed up to bad to be reused and all the initial attackers on the wall were killed. How many more could their be...there were not THAT many people in the area.

3) I have a feeling that many players are going to want to want to climb the wall and go into that other area. The adventure really does not detail what is in here. How many servitors? Anything else of interest....I think they will naturally tend to want to attack instead of being picked off one by one and wait for a the demon to wake up and kill them all.No information is given however.

Conclusion: My players and I loved playing in this adventure. It took little effort to insert it into my campaign and the a few of the NPCs have become major parts of the story. It was a fun filled evening of stopping NPCs from killing each other, being attacked by demon minions, and sleeping in shifts. They managed to hold their volatile band together long enough and just barley squeaked through alive. Despite the flaws I give it a 5 (I would give it a 4.5 if I could). I think most groups willing to think will love it.

 

[Darian Damas]

In the Belly of the Beast
- a wonderful adventure with lots of roleplaying

OVERVIEW
In the Belly of the Beast is an adventure for three to six PCs of level 2 - 4. The adventure is written by Mike Mearls and is published by Atlas Games in their Penumbra series. It is a short stand-alone module and it easily fits in all standard fantasy settings. The adventure takes place in a city where merchant houses and sewers are present.

The adventurers are hired by the young local representative of a well-known merchant house. His trade operations have suffered a number of accidents lately, his caravans have been attacked. In fact, the merchant house as a whole had lost a great deal of money, is in debt and down on its knees. The representative wants the PCs to give him some support in his investigations - he believes that forces within the local government is conspiring to destroy his house. The first assignment is a "simple" escort mission. A trusted servant is going to talk to a person who presumably has some interesting information to give them. The second assignment is also an escort mission. This time the PCs follows the young merchant down into the sewers and to the secret base of a slave trade organisation. When the group arrives to the underground base, the real adventure begins.

The style of In the Belly of the Beast is that it's heavy on roleplaying. To succeed with their missions - and to survive - the heroes have to talk with people, listen to what other say - and what they don't say!. The PCs must find out who they could trust and who they should look out for. The chances of survival increase significantly if the adventurers have managed to ally with other characters. There is a big and deadly fight in the end of the adventure, but exactly how the scenario ends depends mostly of how the PCs have interacted with the NPCs up to then.

The setting in the later part of the adventure is like a chamber play. Several different groups of people, with different personalities, different goals and shifting loyalties are trapped in a small space - one main underground room and two small chambers connected to it. A lot of the NPCs hate each other and would very much like to kill the other part, but in the current extraordinary situation there is a temporary and fragile peace. When the heroes arrive, the balance is shifted. The direction depend on what the PCs do. Which one do they talk to first? The slavers, the necromancers or the orcs? What do the other groups think about the PCs talking so much with that other group? And so on...

Playing this adventure is a very rewarding experience. The PCs' (players') interaction with the NPCs (DM) becomes uniquely interesting, fascinating and memorable. All the NPCs are detailed and fully fleshed-out, but the DM still has to keep a lot of things going on in his head. When that NPC sees that other NPC listening intently to what the PC is questioning the third NPC - what will be the effect? Since there are orginally about 15 NPCs in the room, there's a lot of (dynamic!) relations to keep track of. This could be a little bit tough for the unexperienced DM, but if you are willing to make careful preparations and study the NPCs over and over again - then it's definitely worth it.

( Edit: )
DM tip:It proved extremely useful to use a large "combat map" of the room and miniatures for all the NPCs. Even if it isn't combat, this is a great visual aid. The DM and the players can "act on stage". It's much easier to follow what's happening with miniatures, even if it's only one NPC walking over to another group. So, use visual aids and a "combat map" (with grids)!

This is the kind of adventure you and your players will remember always, you will compare other scenarios with it, and you will keep looking for similar experiences! I not only recommend this adventure - In the Belly of the Beast is a must-play!

THE GOOD
* Lots of roleplaying opportunities
* Amazingly interesting NPCs - in great detail
* A good adventure plot with a tense atmosphere
* A climactic final battle
* The PC actions really matters, they can completely change the situation
* The art is good, I thought the NPC portraits were fine
* The background story and the group motivations are well laid out - and well thought through
* There is a whole bunch of tips on both prequels and sequels to the adventure - or more precisely, there is a lot of information on what the NPCs have done before and what they will do after the adventure.
* The DM support material is useful: combat sheet (also downloadable), NPC cards.

THE BAD
* While the NPCs are perfectly described, the locations are not that detailed
* The map has no grid and no scale (but its dimensions are described in text)
* The first part of the adventure could give the players a feeling of not being able of doing so much
* The margins are noticeable wide (with a large chunk of tentacles on each page)
* Some small editing or typing errors (errata on Atlas-Games.com)

MATTERS OF TASTE
* If you are looking for a dungeon crawl, with doors, traps, one waiting monster in each room - look somewhere else. In the Belly of the Beast revolves around the PCs interactions with the NPC - all trapped in a small space.
* ( Edit: ) There's only about 12 pages (of 32) that contains the events of the adventure. The rest is background information or "useless" stuff / empty space.

CONCLUSION
In the Belly of the Beast is clearly one of the best adventures I have ever DMed. My players also thought that this adventure was one of the best they had played. The key to the success is the unique situation and the importance and opportunities of roleplaying. If you like more roleplaying, more communication, more intrigue then you absolutely should take a serious look at In the Belly of the Beast. However, controlling a lot of strong and dynamic NPC demands a DM with some experience - or a lot of preparation. I highly recommend this adventure! It's a must-play! I give it a score of 4.60, rounded up to 5.

 

[Messageboard Golem]

In The Belly of the Beast is an adventure for 4-6 characters levels 2-4. This is more of a DM's perspective review and some spoilers are contained below. Please see other reviews for a story Synopsis.

Adaptability: This adventure is easily one of the most adaptable modules that can be found. The Adventure can be tailored to almost any level of characters by increasing the levels of the opponents. I ran 5, 6th level characters through this adventure raising the opponents levels by one or two and it made it quite challenging for them. Since the module is quite short most changes can be made in an hour. This module is also quite easy to tie into exisiting plot lines or to create new plot lines for a ongoing campaign. Many of the people encountered in this adventure have been ongoing friend and enemies for my players. 5/5

Player Fun Factor: Overall my players did not seem to have fun with this one. They did not care being stuck in the same room for an hour and didn't understand some of the motivations of the NPCs. For the players, the adventure seemed like a side quest with no real bearing on the current campaign (though future campaigns had recurring NPCs which brought smiles to their faces). Overall there wasn't much "adventuring" in this module, but rather the players being stuck in one location. 2/5

Style: This is not a dungeon crawl and really focuses on role-playing. The flow of the adventure is really deteremined by the DM and the players. You can spend hours discussing the tension between the various factions or just jump to the end as quick a ten minutes. The locations weren't too detailed and some of the event suggestions were questionable. It is really up to the DM to bring this module to life as written the story is kind of drab. It really isn't a story, just a predictament. 2/5

Ease of Use: This module is quite simple to use and has some of the best layout I have seen. NPCs can easily be torn out of the back for quick reference cards and the module is presented in a logical manner. No need to flip pages back and forth as you look for information. Now this could be due to the fact that the adventure predominately takes place in one large cavern and the map is familiar simple. One quick reading through and you are all set to use this adventure's plot. 5/5

Overall: The problem with this adventure that it is hard to tell how the players will react and therefore it makes it difficult to plan how the NPCs react. I quickly recommend killing off one of the factions as quickly as possible. My players sided with the orcs and hated the necromaner, killing him off was easy enough. The other major problem with this adventure is the NPCs. None of them are a trustworthy lot and it maybe difficult to have your PCs side with any particular side. I think the adventure would be better for characters of higher levels with NPCs the characters have already met. This way the DM can get a feel for the actions the players might take. 3/5