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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Simon Collins" data-source="post: 2009125" data-attributes="member: 9860">Beware! This review contains major spoilers.This is not a playtest review.Race To The Yellow Lotus is the sequel to Monkey God's previously released adventure The Lost Outpost. This adventure is designed for PCs of levels 4-5.At $11.95 for a 48-page adventure, this seems fairly standard in comparison to other adventures of a similar size in terms of cost. The layout is fairly standard Monkey God fare, with slightly larger than average font size and margins, but good use of space.Artwork is mostly average, whilst the style of writing and editing is generally good. Maps are basic, but scaled and with direction.The adventure does not seriously set out to be a stand-alone module and most of the hooks into the action are based on having played The Lost Outpost. With GM modifications it could be run as a stand-alone module. The beginning of the module includes an EL summary with encounters ranging from EL 2 to 8, and most around the 4 or 5 mark, so the adventure seems well-balanced for the party level it is designed for. The adventure begins as the PCs discover a note on a dead orc shaman implying that a large band of orcs are marching towards a remote monastery, hoping to retrieve an artifact for their master. The PCs are strongly encouraged to save the monastery and the artifact from the depredations of the orcs. In order to do this, they must cut through an old dwarven tunnel through a mountain (now inhabited by goblins), or the orcs will reach the monastery first. The PCs are accompanied by an elven NPC, a female wizard called Nelianath. The PCs must travel into the mountains and then underground where they are beset by goblins and end up in a trapped maze before facing the goblin king in the throne room.Once the PCs emerge from the old dwarven tunnel, they can attempt to delay the orcs reaching the monastery and options for this are discussed. They will also face some creatures who make the high forest their home. Once the PCs reach the monastery, various options for fleeing or fighting the orcs are discussed. The monks available to help the PCs are also statted out though many have fallen foul of a strange sickness. One immediate concern is that the final attack of the orcs is given an EL of 8. However, there could be conceivably be an attack of 100 humanoids on the monastery. Unless the PCs have managed to severely whittle the warband down before they reach the climactic battle or are tactically very sharp (the monastery is unwalled and the monks are mainly 0-level initiates) this scenario could well spell death for all the PCs. Certainly, the EL does not reflect the potential number of attackers. If the PCs flee with the artifact, any paladins or good-aligned clerics lose their spells when the monastery is destroyed.In the NPC section at the end of the module, two NPCs who have little or no part in the action of the adventure are fully detailed, wasting over 4 pages, along with some other NPCs who do take part in the adventure.ConclusionThere are a number of elements that I did not enjoy about this adventure. I admit to being biased as to keeping track of time in a game. Its one of the chores I really dislike and this adventure uses it as the main thread of the storyline. Its essential to the pacing and the outcome of the adventure to keep track of the time it takes for the PCs to complete each scenario versus the time it takes the orcs to march. Yuk.I was also considerably concerned at the 100 humanoids marching on an undefended monastery and felt that it may well be too much for the PCs (or at least very boring killing all the orcs!). The EL of 8 for this huge warband seemed wholly inappropriate. There were also a few other examples of odd stats like the NPC initiates being 0-level Monk/Wizards.There were also a number of instances of railroading/deus ex machina, and describing PC actions in text boxes, which I did not like. I also don't like mazes as they are fairly pointless in an RPG.There are some positive qualities in the adventure. There are some imaginative traps, an interesting background story, a Moria-like trip through the old dwarven tunnel and some interesting options for attempting to slow down and thin out the orc warband. However, the faults outweigh the positive qualities for this adventure and I can't rate it higher than Poor.</blockquote>

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