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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Darklance" data-source="post: 2008936" data-attributes="member: 289">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.</blockquote>

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