Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2010844" data-attributes="member: 18387">I have followed the rise of the d20 PDF publishing industry with great interest and with the exception of releases from standouts like Monte Cook and Philip Reed, most PDF products have been less than exactly stellar.  <a href="http://www.12tomidnight.com" target="_blank">12 to Midnight</a> is a new PDF publisher and their first release, Last Rites of the Black Guard, is an adventure for D20 Modern.  Stacked up against the majority of PDF releases on the market, it is also a pleasant surprise.Last Rights is 48 pages and is delivered to your computer in two versions, a full-color image heavy one and a black and white one more suitable for printing.  Layout is a clean two-column affair with reasonably shaded text boxes and readable fonts.  I was especially pleased at the quality of the layout from a first-time publisher.  Extras include maps and player handouts, including some not too terribly amateurish photos.  As a bonus to the GM, all the maps and handouts are printed in the body of the text and in a larger version on separate pages to show the players.The adventure, while designed for d20 Modern, does not exactly fit into any of the three campaign settings outlined in the D20 Modern core rulebook.  Instead of orcs and AKs or Buffy takeoffs, you get something more inspired by Call of Cthulhu and the X-Files.The adventure itself is fairly short and very tightly plotted.  That’s not to say it’s a railroad job, but the action is confined to just a couple of days and a handful of locations.  The upside is that the adventure is hyper detailed.  Each NPC and location is carefully described and a complete timeline is provided.  Call of Cthulhu veterans should feel right at home.  The players will probably spend most of their time investigating strange goings on and interviewing NPCs.  There is some combat and monster bashing, but it is definitely not the focus.  The adventure’s plot is well thought out and I will not spoiler it other than to say the PCs start out investigating strange poltergeist phenomena in rural Texas and things rapidly get interesting once they get on the scene.If you are looking for an adventure to complement any of the campaign settings in the D20 Modern core rulebook, Last Rights of the Black Guard is not for you.  If you are looking for an investigative style adventure with plenty of supernatural atmosphere, then head over to <a href="http://www.rpgnow.com" target="_blank">RPGnow</a> and download today.</blockquote>

Verification