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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Messageboard Golem" data-source="post: 2009238" data-attributes="member: 18387">This review is a playtest review from a DMs perspective.  It contains detailed information about the adventure, so read no further if you are a player.  I enjoy adventures that have a healthy mix of roleplaying and melee, and have a strong, developing plot.  This adventure provides all of that and then some.  However, depending on the preferences of your group, this adventure may not be for everybody.  Overall, I really liked this module and think that it can help combat oriented groups break out into new styles of game play and develop deeper personalities for their PCs.    The character hooks for the Standing Stone are quite good, as they mesh well with previous adventures in the series and play into the interests of several character classes if more than one is used.  To help get the players in a roleplaying mood I recommend utilizing all of the suggested hooks, dropping one on each of the PCs and allowing them to talk among themselves.Several pages are dedicated to adventure preparation, the summary, hooks, and the monuments, and it is well worth the effort of the DM to memorize this information.  Because this adventure is so non-linear and the PCs meet the NPCs who comprise the finale almost right from the start, you'll need to have these pages on the tip of your tongue to maintain a poker face and pull off realistic NPC bluffs without having to roll the dice.  Otherwise, this adventure has the potential to flop only a few pages into the game.  Furthermore, I found the underlying tension between roleplaying the NPCs as the secret nemesis, and being an arbiter of the game a very enjoyable challenge in DM discipline.  If all goes well, your players probably won't utilize Sense Motive vs Bluff checks until later in the game, and even then there may be a mix of party opinion as to Dyson's intentions. Scene 1 is fabulous with the Horseman attacking what appear to be innocents and then disappearing just as the PCs enter the engagement.  This really sets the stage, providing great suspense, mystery, and plot tension!Scene 2 adds to the dire mood of Ossington's environs, but probably should not be emphasized heavily.  The farmer and daughter, while having the potential to be a cliche trap, can provide some good roleplaying opportunities if you don't fall into the stereotypes.  Scene 3, however, doubles up the tension as the babbling Henwen prays continuously to each of the gods for their mercy.  This provides some great ambiance and will probably establish an empathetic link with PCs who interpret her behavior as the result of tragedy, rather than being repulsed by her insane behavior.  The icing on the cake though, arrives as the PCs stride into Ossington in Scene 4.  Play up the desperate cries for heroes from the starving people, growing into a near mob-like mentality, and the climatic calm that the Cuckoo instills with his humming and bizarre appearance will be even more effective.  Furthermore, Ossington is a strange town, constructed in the middle of megaliths that act almost like prison bars, corralling the faux humans.  I thought it was a great, unique setting that really adds to the adventure.    The information Murdows provides in Scene 5 is long and rambling as presented, but necessary for the adventure.  Instead, I recommend presenting it as a casual and interactive conversation with the PCs, allowing them to ask questions and having Murdows expand upon their inquiries where needed so that all of the boxed text is presented.  By now the players should be in the full swing of roleplaying and probably won't appreciate you reading continuously.  Interaction will also create a personal connection that makes Murdows assassination in Scene 6 all the more poignant.  Scene 6 is a tactically well planned assassination.  The PCs will likely chase after the silent image and when they realize how they've been fooled, they will be even more determined to strike out into Ossington's surroundings and get to the bottom of this mystery.  Also, after this much roleplaying into the thickening plot everyone wants to roll some heads.  This was a great segue for getting the PCs away from Dyson's gang so that they can begin to reveal the real truth.While Dyson offers up Tully or the Cuckoo as an adventuring companion, in order to keep and eye on the PCs, I do not believe this is necessary for all of the excursions.  They can, however, offer subtle clues if the Horseman attacks them first in his daily tirades.  If anything, I recommend taking Tully on trips into Scene 8, serving as a guide into the area surrounding the Silence Keepers.  An excuse for not bringing her everywhere could be the protection of the townsfolk while the PCs are away.  Furthermore, if the PCs explore areas on their own, they are more likely to take a step back, put the pieces together, and see the forest from the trees.In our game sessions, the PCs immediately went to the Barrow, where the maze, combat, and roleplaying with Saithnar were well balanced and provided great variation.  Afterwards they explored the Silence Keepers and Empty Woods to the southeast with Tully, where they became somewhat frustrated with the strange and confusing signs of trouble and pestering by the horseman.  The PCs then found the massacre site without Tully, but did not step back to put the pieces together.  Thus, perhaps from frustration more than anything, they plunged headlong into combat in the Fey's Last Stand, killing everyone except one elf who they questioned until they came to realize that things may not be as they seem.  Still not quite sure on what was really going on, but suspicious of Dyson, they left for the Tarn before returning to Ossington.  Only there, upon discovering the dead paladin, did they realize the hoodwink and angrily prepared to take out Dyson's gang.  Scene 14 is a good finale that provides a hard fight with the extra challenge of 30 mobbing villagers.  You'll need lots of miniatures and a large battlemat to pull this off well, but its worth the effort.Overall I thought this was a great adventure, with a rich, complex, and twisting plot that keeps a DM on their toes.  The plot development in the first part of the adventure is well worth the effort and one of the best laid out I've seen since the Rod of Seven Parts.  Make sure you have ample time in your first session to set the stage and let the adventuring gang begin exploring the area.  I firmly believe that you need to get beyond Scene 7 in the first session if you want to squeeze this adventure for all its worth.  The artwork, maps, and layout are good, but its the unique storyline that really sets this adventure apart.  I applaud Wizards for presenting something other than the linear dungeon crawl and hope they will provide more alternatives such as this to their "return to the dungeon."  I considered giving this adventure a 4 rather than a 5, however, because the players did not have as much fun as I did.  They were upset that they had killed good NPCs and that took some of the fun out of the game.  However, if your group enjoys keeping the roleplaying in RPGs, this adventure provides great new territory to explore.</blockquote>

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