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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2010820" data-attributes="member: 18387">This is not a playtest review. The review contains minor spoilers.Jerimond's Orb is a short adventure that could be dropped into any existing campaign and played in one session. It is designed for a party of four to six characters of levels 2-4. This seems a little vague, but the challenge rating of most of the encounters, especially the more dangerous ones, is easily adjusted simply but adjusting the number of monsters encountered.The story is scary and gripping, starting with the characters being attacked by an unknown monster that turns into a youth at dawn (unless it stabilizes, the characters will probably let it die). This is the first intimation of a curse on the village that turns the inhabitants into monsters at night. The adventurers must find and restore a magical orb, the loss of which has unleashed the curse.The village of Treefall is detailed with a number of interesting (if somewhat bland) NPC:s and a good story (including a murder mystery). There is room for role-playing and investigating (there are several clues to be found) until nightfall, when the monsters emerge and the adventure probably turns into a hackfeast (or, depending on party strength) possibly the characters will be chased around the village by the monsters.Eventually they will be informed of where the orb is to be found and a final battle will ensue (or possibly this encounter will be resolved through role-playing).High points: The adventure is rather flexible, and details a number of locations, NPCs and clues. It is easily scaleable by adjusting the number of monsters and maybe adding levels to the main villain. The mood is scary and a DM could easily convey a sense of dread and paranoia.Low points: The art is mediocre, and there is no written description of the main monster, in spite of the fact that the first encounter is important to setting the mood of the adventure.There is also no map of Jerimond's Tower, which is a major encounter location.Worse, the stat blocks provided (there are very few of them) are incomplete and inaccurate. The saves are wrong, the skills are wrong, and the bandits (presuming they are human) are missing a feat. There is also no class given (as far as I can tell, they should be warriors).The main monster (a new one) is also a bit weirdly conceived. Its claw and bite damage is far above all comparable monsters of the same size. Also its attack bonus is too high for its HD. I suggest reducing the claw and bite damage and instead boosting its strength to compensate.All in all the amount of work that needs to put into correcting erroneous stats makes me strip the adventure of a star, earning it a 3 (average). It is still decent value for the money, providing one evening's entertainment.</blockquote>

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