Prophecies of the Dragon
Prophecies of the Dragon (PotD) is a super-module released to support the Wheel of Time (WoT) setting by Robert Jordan and uses the rules found in the d20 WoT sourcebook. There is no Open Game Content.
Summary
The module provides a tour de force of Randland, it may even over do it. It has excellent maps, uses several of the secondary characters well, and does provide a well thought out campaign. Chapter 5 is a dungeon crawl that is well above par. In my final analysis it is only the things that the module does very well that salvage the whole. The module is riddled with weak hooks, switch and bait villains, sever plot railroading, and poor write-ups. The module will fail at several critical points because players were not provided with the tools to navigate the perils. Rather frequently the party faces TPK if an encounter goes wrong. The module never accounts for a player who can channel. It never makes allowances for any of the PCs who might be noble. It fails to be sufficient on several points. The module is worth the money to any serious GM who plans on running the WoT. Those who want to use it as a resource can mine it for some great stuff. If you are interested but don't know if you want it, the module will likely let you down.
The section on rules is short. They swtiched a few words on counterspelling and pasted it in. Added 3 new weaves, two of them are healing types and the final one is a ward. Reiterated their stance on multiclassing wilder/Initiate.
If I could break the ratings down differently it would look like this:
Feel of the series: 9/10
Overall story: 7/10
Mechanics: 2/10
Completeness: 3/10
Portability: 1/10
Overall: 5/10
The Basics
PotD is a 192 softcover that carries the whopping price tag of $29.95. The last page is an advertisement for the latest book in the series and the interior front and back covers are left blank.
Darrell K Sweet, the gentleman who has done the covers for all of the US books, did the cover. It contains the usual number of inconsistent representations that he is known for.
The interior is in color with color shading to help identify the current chapter. The interior art is well done, but much less so than the sourcebook. The standout art is the maps, which were generally very well done.
The Content
PotD is written in six chapters by different authors, and developed by Charles Ryan who also developed the sourcebook. It is easier and more coherent to discuss the merits and flaws in the individual chapters and the introduction.
The introduction and gives the GM an overview of how the adventure is intended to run. It includes some rationale for the manner in which WotC approached the adventure, background for the new ter angreal (artifact) introduced into the setting, and some historical backdrop. It is readily apparent that the book does a reasonable job of capturing the flavor of the series.
Chapter 1, Mini-Adventures:
This chapter includes six mini-adventures designed to prepare the party for the campaign. Two of the mini-adventures are set several hundred miles from the location of the adventure and involve elements of the world that are not easily exchanged, making them nearly unusable in the context of the module. Two of them are very generic and could occur anywhere. The final two adventures in the chapter lead strait into the campaign. The adventures did a good job of conveying the spirit of the world. The end of the chapter contains statistics for the NPCs encountered during play. It becomes apparent very quickly that nearly no attention was paid to the NPCs. Some have the class defense added into their AC others do not; on several it appears that the designers just picked a number. Inappropriate stat bonuses are applied or occasionally left off. This sets an annoying trend that will only get worse as the module continues.
Chapter 2, Toman Head:
This chapter brings the characters into the heart of the conflict in Falme. It is well written, but has a weak hook. The players have several opportunities to get themselves in over their heads, but if played in the spirit of the books should proceed very well. The adventure(s) is well done. The some parts have could be much better. The conclusion needs a little DM finesse to avoid the feeling that the players have no choice in their actions. One thing became apparent - the story does not anticipate a channeling character. The characters at the end of the chapter suffer much greater errors, probably due to increased complexity because of their level.
Chapter 3, Winter of Discontent:
The first part of this chapter takes the adventures to Tanchico but the hooks written to get them there are very thin. They become involved in the plot to kill the Panarch by Jaichim Carridin and some of the Black Ajah. Again, the draw into the plot is weak and does not take the PCs into account. A noble PC or an Aes Sedai could cause the GM to run the whole thing on the fly. If the PCs are framed for the murder, they are miraculously released by the king, who fears that they know he was involved in the plot to kill the Panarch?
The characters at this point are expected to quit chasing Carridin and instead pursue the Black Sisters to Arad Doman. A nice touch is added here when one of the Forsaken, Graendal is looking for pretties and the PCs just might fit the bill.
The PCs are to late to catch the Aes Sedai but they can easily deduce where they are headed, Maradon the capitol of Saldaea over 800 miles away through the unrelenting winter? No encounters occur during the trip, which takes the characters close to the Blight for 40 days of travel.
The Next part of the adventure concerns the freeing of Mazrim Taim. This has to be the most disappointing part. The characters are so totally railroaded that the adventure is likely to derail. The authors of the adventure assume that Mazrim Taim is not a darkfriend, give him powers that he does not learn till later in the series, and allow the use of those powers in clear violation of the write up of the power in the sourcebook. Mazrim gets free, the Aes Sedai darkfriends that the PCs have pursued for more than a 1,000 miles are missing, and the PCs are expected to pursue a different Aes Sedai darkfriend? It begins to seem like a switch and bait with the villains at this point.
Chapter 4, The Two Rivers:
This chapter starts off with another 1,000-mile trek through the wrenched winter, the destination is Rands home. Again we have a very long hike that does not include any placed encounters. Once in the Two Rivers some interesting role-play is possible. The module uses some of the secondary characters from the books well during this scenario. Players are expected to take part in the Battle for Edmonds Field; it is nice but could have been done better.
Chapter 5, The Ancient City:
One of the few dungeon crawls that I really liked. The writer used the crumbling city well. Some of the encounters need better motivation than "The Aes Sedai leaves a few Trollocs here incase she is being followed". The only major problem with this encounter is the ending is rigged to allow the Aes Sedai a head start into the Ways. She is approximately 1 day ahead of the PCs but the poor PCs have not received anything that would help them navigate the Ways in the module. Without some GM footwork here the PCs will never be able to finish the module.
Chapter 6, Dumais Well:
In many ways this is the best chapter of the book. It wraps the players up in the Great Game, involves some detective work and uses secondary characters to good effect. The PCs first face a darkfriend called the Kite. The darkfriend uses secondary agents, and intermediaries. She is the highest ranked darkfriend left in the city. The module really stretches here to allow the PCs to find her. Many GMs will feel the need to change the clue trail.
The battle at the well is much like all of the other World Tour battles, in that the PCs are off of the main screen but somehow still involved.
Conclusion
Worth the money, but only to a fan.
Randy Madden
