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Enchanted Trinkets Complete--a hardcover book containing over 500 magic items for your D&D games!

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Message: <blockquote data-quote="gambler1650" data-source="post: 2010260" data-attributes="member: 11033">In my reviews I rarely give 1's, just as I rarely give 5's. While production qualities matter, the content is what determines a final rating. Good pictures or unique ideas won't save a product from a poor review, but it might push a good one slightly higher. Functionality first, then the flash if you please. Price is also generally taken into consideration. A quick summary of my personal ratings: 1 - Lazy, incomplete, shoddy effort. So disgusted I'm likely only to open it again to review it. 2 - Below average. Not completely unhappy I bought it since it probably has some good ideas. 3 - Average/Good. I got approximately what I expected in terms of content and quality. No major flaws and useful. 4 - Very Good. I got more than I expected. Inspired me enough to think about using it down the road. 5 - Excellent. The cream of the industry. I immediately want to use it somewhere. Excellent production values. This is not a playtest review.Finally!  A true module in the Scarred Lands setting!  Sure, there had been small adventure vignettes in some of the area sourcebooks, and a couple of smaller adventures in the DM Screen Companion but this is the first true module to come out, and not only that it's part of a four module set (if you count the free prelude, The Serpent Amphora).  In some ways the lack of modules didn't really jump out at me, because lots of ideas tend to come to my mind when reading the Campaign Setting: Ghelspad or any of the area sourcebooks.  Still, it's nice to see what the 'official' look of an adventure would be.  So... Without further ado.PRODUCTION QUALITY: For a module, the production quality is generally above average.  The cover is dark and moody, showing a party of four adventurers surrounded by what look like goblins.  The back is nothing special.  There are maps on the inside covers and scattered throughout the book in the areas where they're needed.  In general the maps are clear and easy to read, but they don't jump out as anything exciting.  Additionally, I think I would have preferred all the maps to be at the back of the book in one place, though perhaps it works better when it's right in the section you're using.  Time will tell so I won't let that affect my final rating.  There are a few black and white drawings throughout, and most are dark and moody like the cover, and well done.  Whitespace isn't used as often as perhaps I'd like (not enough breaks between sections) but the font size is large enough to make up for any hardness on the eyes.  One thing people will notice right away is that the shaded areas aren't flavor text (usually - one or two are, and it causes a bit of confusion).  In fact, there's really no flavor text separated for the DM to read to the players, which will require a bit more preparation and care when running the adventure.  Sometimes flavor text is present, but it's with the rest of the information, not set apart.  Overall however, the module has a polished and professional look to it.Production Quality Rating: 4CONTENT: (WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD)A brief synopsis of the adventure is that the PCs are tasked with discovering more about the Serpent Amphora which they (or another group if they didn't go through the events of the free prelude) recovered.  All that's known is its connection to Mormo's (a defeated Titan) demise at the hands of Chardun (a god).  The PCs are told to seek out information from the sages in Hedrad.  Doing so strengthens their connection to the Vigils of Vesh, a powerful ally to have indeed...  Well, on the way, one of the gods' heralds shows up and tells the characters they're going to the wrong place (after experiencing some of the wilderness of the Scarred Lands).  Instead the information they seek is in the Sky Keep in the Keldar mountains (the Sky Keep being a fallen city that used to float in the sky).  So they go there and have encounters along the way, and then enter the 'dungeon' portion of the adventure, including a final confrontation with some of Mormo's followers who are attempting to gain access to a Tome which might have the information they seek.  On the way back, they discover that treachery and Mormo's followers have preceded them and are in the process of attempting to steal the Amphora, and this situation must be resolved, at which point this part of the adventure ends.  There are many things to like in this adventure.  The PCs (and DMs for that matter) get used, very quickly, to the fact that the gods are not merely beings to pray to for spells, but rather take an almost direct interest in the world around them, especially with important events.  The PCs get to travel over varied areas of the Scarred Lands which are almost as dangerous as any of the creatures they might find within them.  There are multiple groups of Mormo's followers, some with the same agendas, some with different ones.  At the moment, the PCs will most likely be unaware of the multiple groups.  There are encounters with extremely powerful beings, including enemies, but set up in such a way that the PCs won't have to fight them directly (think along the lines of a being underestimating a party, and so swatting them in passing like they would a fly and assuming that they're taken care of).  The writing is entertaining for the DM.  There's intrigue both external and even internally among the PCs allies.There are a couple of things not to like about the adventure.  There are at least two places where the whole adventure can completely come unhinged.  Fortunately one of them is at the end of the book and so if that happens, the DM can either scrap the latter two adventures, or have another adventuring party do the deed necessary to set things up at the start of the second module.  The event that happens in the middle of the adventure is somewhat more vexing though.  Simply put, the module assumes that the group going against the players for the Tome in the Sky Keep are quite well prepared and intelligent.  This is very nice, and something that's realistic, but unfortunately there's no way for the players to realize how prepared they are and therefore might find themselves coming away empty handed.  A clever DM could find a way around it (and not so clever ones too, as I have a few ways I'd run the encounter to give hints), but the DM might be required to use another adventuring party to recover the Tome, in the same way I described for the end of the adventure.    The later modules in the series have sections called "Troubleshooting" for such areas, giving alternative paths to take if the adventure becomes derailed, and that would have been very helpful here.  Additionally, the module isn't really organized in a way to be DM friendly.  The maps being scattered is debateable, but while most DMs rarely read the "flavor text" in grey boxes verbatim, it's still nice to have.END SPOILERSContent Rating: 4 (Very evocative of the Scarred Lands, well written and with an interesting mix of encounters.  Some pitfalls for an inexperienced group, and little information on how to get around those pitfalls)  CONCLUSION: Overall Rating: 4 (Solid first module for the Scarred Lands setting)Adventure Module Ratings (Not included in the overall score)For a Beginning DM: 3 (Scattered maps may be a problem, no flavor text boxes and some potential pitfalls)For Beginning Players: 3 (A lot of potential pitfalls and dangerous encounters that the players might not handle correctly if they just charge in swinging.)Completeness of Adventures: 5/3 (The number before the slash represents the score if the players don't fall prey to some of the derailing elements, the number afterwards means that in the case of a derailment the DM is given little direction).</blockquote>

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