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Message: <blockquote data-quote="demiurge1138" data-source="post: 4696614" data-attributes="member: 7451">DCC #43: The Curse of the BarrensAn adventure for 3rd-5th level characters.Deep in the heart of a glacier in the Saint’s Blood Mountains lies an urn containing the ashes of Ocasta, an evil god slain and cremated by his own followers. This urn, unfortunately, has cracked and sprung a leak, tainting the waters of the river that flows from the glacier to bring sickness and cannibal madness to the descendants of the tribes that killed Ocasta. The druidic leader of the Tanen Tulwe Danne (aka the Raven People) went to the glacier to learn the source of the scourge on her people and found it occupied by wicked skarphe’inn (icy fish people) and skjoldulfr (icy fey), who promised to lift the curse in exchange for the fertility idol of their rivals, the Elthen Heldenu Danne (aka the Wolf People). The Raven and Wolf People are now at war, the skarphe’inn now have the magical fertility idol to boost their own numbers, and the people of the Danne are still tainted with disease. Which is where the PCs come in. The Ambroshea Trading Company wants the PCs to find out why their trade with the natives has been disrupted, and that’ll entail breaking a siege on a wilderness fort, exploring a ghost town and delving deep into the heart of the glacier itself.What I liked: The abandoned Raven People village is a masterful set-piece, combining exposition, suspense and a good mix of encounters. The last remaining Raven, the druid Snowleopard, has gone mad due to her efforts to save her people failing, and she’s carving a story pole to explain to future generations why the town died. All the while, the ghouls and ghasts of those who succumbed to their cannibal urges lurk in the shadows and bury themselves in their huts, afraid of Snowleopard and her undead bane spear, waiting for her to die so they can emerge and terrorize the countryside. The two new monsters, the skarphe’inn and the skjoldulfr, are both well designed and work well together. I also like that the random encounter table takes into account average PC level, and has remarks on the attitudes of the creatures encountered (most animals, for example, are hostile only if provoked). What I disliked: Unfortunately, the glacier dungeon, which should be the highlight and climax of The Curse of the Barrens, is rather dull. Most of the encounters boil down to a straight up brawl with either icy fish people, icy fey, or both. Both of them are good new monsters—but they’re not so good that fight after fight with them won’t get dull. Most of the variety comes from optional encounters many PCs will never find.Take a look at the first paragraph. Notice all of those complicated, tongue-twisting names? I left a bunch out, including an entire pantheon of gods and the name of that abandoned village. The background for DMs is particularly bewildering, as it references every and all of them, rapid-fire, without necessarily explaining what they are referring to. I pride myself on my ability to keep track of fantasy gibberish, but even I got lost a few times.Was it worth the $2? I feel ambivalent towards The Curse of the Barrens, leaning negative. I’d gladly steal the new monsters and the abandoned village for my home games, but I certainly wouldn’t run it as is.</blockquote>

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