Psion
Adventurer
Mysteries of the Drow
Mysteries of the Drow is the 8th book in Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics series of adventures. The adventure is written for a party of characters level 7-9 and assumes that the PCs are in the employ of a drow matron, either as drow characters or mercenaries. The adventure is written by Jeff Quinn.
A First Look
Mysteries of the Drow is a 48-page saddle-stitched softbound book priced at $12.99.
As with other adventures in the series, Mysteries of the Drow has graphical presentation that resemble that of first edition modules, including artistic style, much of the room formatting, and the use of interior covers for maps printed in blue ink.
The cover features an illustration of a drow wizard under attack by a number of magma creatures (lava creeps, from this book). The illustration is by Erol Otus, an artist well known for his work in first edition modules and sourcebooks.
The interior is black and white. The interior cover is used for maps (printed in the classic blue ink), and there are additional maps in the main section of the books. The maps are by Jeremy Simmons. Interior artists include Jason Edwards, Carlos Henry, and Brad McDevitt. Of these three, McDevitt's crisp style appeal to me the most, though some 1e afficionados will appreciate the Edwards' style (which has a bold line look not unlike Trampier's and Dee's work in 1e adventures).
A Deeper Look
(Spoiler warning: there are some secrets of the adventure discussed in this section.)
The adventure is set entirely in the subterranean realm inhabited by such creatures and dark elves and deep gnomes. The characters are, for whatever reason, in the employ of a drow matron, Laurossil Cadryenne, who tasks the party to investigate rumors of a powerful weapon, and to claim the weapon. This weapon is, in fact, mounted on a necroship (necormancy powered airship) that a rival drow house was in the midst of recovering when things went wrong.
This brings to fore the likelihood that this adventure is run with the players playing a dark elf party. In fact, there are a number of pregen tournament characters in the back that are drow or drow subraces. Other possibilities that are not discussed up front but mentioned in the reward section is that the characters be slaves or mercenaries for the drow.
The book utilizes material from the Complete Guide to Drow and the Aerial Adventure Guide books by Goodman Games. In most places where material from the those books is used, the necessary game details are repeated in this book. However, the pregen party seems to be an exception to this. There are two pregen characters that are new hybrid races presented in Complete Guide to Drow, but their racial abilities are not enumerated here (yet game statistics for drow elves and deep gnomes, which most GMs should have already, are repeated in the back.)
The adventure is somewhat freeform and non-linear. There are three major tasks that the players must complete in order to meet with their matron's approval, and these tasks require them to visit the major sites detailed in the adventure. The matron is used to help direct the PCs to places they have missed.
There are four numbered sections to the adventure. Part one is more or less the large scale "wilderness" underdark map. Using details on this map, the players can unravel a few mysteries further down the line. Challenges they will face include radiation effects and gnomes that are trying to recover the husk of the necroship.
The second section is a ziggurat that is home to a human lich and the original mooring spot of the aforementioned necroship. All of the handouts in the module are related to a puzzle in the entry chamber of the ziggurat. Other than this interesting and well supported puzzle, most of the rooms seem like straightforward room-to-room monster bash.
The third section covers the devastated remains of house Sorethin, destroyed in a recent bloody coup over the possession of the necroship. The area has been overrun with mephits and other elemental creatures, including the lava creeps depicted on the cover. There are a few treasures to be found if the PCs fight past the interlopers, but the real goal in this section is the arcane tower of the usurping dark elf wizard who betrayed the matron of the house.
The final section is the arcane tower. It's master, Camber Sorethin, resides here with mostly undead guardians. He has the last piece of the puzzle that they players will need, some stolen notes on the necroship.
Additional material includes svirfneblin equipment (including flying vehicles), new creatures, a spell excerpted from Complete Guide to Drow, player handouts, and a pregen drow party.
A cursory overview of the statistics blocks reveal no major issues. The statblocks are very summary in nature, and do not repeat creature special ability descriptions, which saves on space though it may cost you a few MM references. There is a complete table of encounter levels in the front, missing from too many adventures these days.
Conclusions
Mysteries of the Drow essentially a collection of related dungeon crawls with a connecting scenario. This gives the GM and players a bit of latitude about how to proceed. The handouts are very nice, though entirely concerned with a single puzzle in the adventure (though it is a good one).
The adventure does not present any unreasonable bottlenecks and is easy to understand and run. Most of the dungeons are room-to-room combat situations, which could end up a little dry if that is not what you are looking for. I think that the adventure could afford a few more unusual encounters to spice things up.
Overall Grade: B-
-Alan D. Kohler
Mysteries of the Drow is the 8th book in Goodman Games' Dungeon Crawl Classics series of adventures. The adventure is written for a party of characters level 7-9 and assumes that the PCs are in the employ of a drow matron, either as drow characters or mercenaries. The adventure is written by Jeff Quinn.
A First Look
Mysteries of the Drow is a 48-page saddle-stitched softbound book priced at $12.99.
As with other adventures in the series, Mysteries of the Drow has graphical presentation that resemble that of first edition modules, including artistic style, much of the room formatting, and the use of interior covers for maps printed in blue ink.
The cover features an illustration of a drow wizard under attack by a number of magma creatures (lava creeps, from this book). The illustration is by Erol Otus, an artist well known for his work in first edition modules and sourcebooks.
The interior is black and white. The interior cover is used for maps (printed in the classic blue ink), and there are additional maps in the main section of the books. The maps are by Jeremy Simmons. Interior artists include Jason Edwards, Carlos Henry, and Brad McDevitt. Of these three, McDevitt's crisp style appeal to me the most, though some 1e afficionados will appreciate the Edwards' style (which has a bold line look not unlike Trampier's and Dee's work in 1e adventures).
A Deeper Look
(Spoiler warning: there are some secrets of the adventure discussed in this section.)
The adventure is set entirely in the subterranean realm inhabited by such creatures and dark elves and deep gnomes. The characters are, for whatever reason, in the employ of a drow matron, Laurossil Cadryenne, who tasks the party to investigate rumors of a powerful weapon, and to claim the weapon. This weapon is, in fact, mounted on a necroship (necormancy powered airship) that a rival drow house was in the midst of recovering when things went wrong.
This brings to fore the likelihood that this adventure is run with the players playing a dark elf party. In fact, there are a number of pregen tournament characters in the back that are drow or drow subraces. Other possibilities that are not discussed up front but mentioned in the reward section is that the characters be slaves or mercenaries for the drow.
The book utilizes material from the Complete Guide to Drow and the Aerial Adventure Guide books by Goodman Games. In most places where material from the those books is used, the necessary game details are repeated in this book. However, the pregen party seems to be an exception to this. There are two pregen characters that are new hybrid races presented in Complete Guide to Drow, but their racial abilities are not enumerated here (yet game statistics for drow elves and deep gnomes, which most GMs should have already, are repeated in the back.)
The adventure is somewhat freeform and non-linear. There are three major tasks that the players must complete in order to meet with their matron's approval, and these tasks require them to visit the major sites detailed in the adventure. The matron is used to help direct the PCs to places they have missed.
There are four numbered sections to the adventure. Part one is more or less the large scale "wilderness" underdark map. Using details on this map, the players can unravel a few mysteries further down the line. Challenges they will face include radiation effects and gnomes that are trying to recover the husk of the necroship.
The second section is a ziggurat that is home to a human lich and the original mooring spot of the aforementioned necroship. All of the handouts in the module are related to a puzzle in the entry chamber of the ziggurat. Other than this interesting and well supported puzzle, most of the rooms seem like straightforward room-to-room monster bash.
The third section covers the devastated remains of house Sorethin, destroyed in a recent bloody coup over the possession of the necroship. The area has been overrun with mephits and other elemental creatures, including the lava creeps depicted on the cover. There are a few treasures to be found if the PCs fight past the interlopers, but the real goal in this section is the arcane tower of the usurping dark elf wizard who betrayed the matron of the house.
The final section is the arcane tower. It's master, Camber Sorethin, resides here with mostly undead guardians. He has the last piece of the puzzle that they players will need, some stolen notes on the necroship.
Additional material includes svirfneblin equipment (including flying vehicles), new creatures, a spell excerpted from Complete Guide to Drow, player handouts, and a pregen drow party.
A cursory overview of the statistics blocks reveal no major issues. The statblocks are very summary in nature, and do not repeat creature special ability descriptions, which saves on space though it may cost you a few MM references. There is a complete table of encounter levels in the front, missing from too many adventures these days.
Conclusions
Mysteries of the Drow essentially a collection of related dungeon crawls with a connecting scenario. This gives the GM and players a bit of latitude about how to proceed. The handouts are very nice, though entirely concerned with a single puzzle in the adventure (though it is a good one).
The adventure does not present any unreasonable bottlenecks and is easy to understand and run. Most of the dungeons are room-to-room combat situations, which could end up a little dry if that is not what you are looking for. I think that the adventure could afford a few more unusual encounters to spice things up.
Overall Grade: B-
-Alan D. Kohler
