An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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This mini-dungeon can be run as a sequel to "Look not with Thine Eyes, but Thine Mind", but works just as well on its own. The PCs continue their descent into the bowels of the earth, teleporting into a lethal trap, where multiple, deadly guardians must be bested to escape the "Wolf's Eyes" - a kind of guarded teleport trap. “Everything is ceramic”, the module states – which is cool. I’m less enamored with “relevant check DC 10” – looks like a conversion relic to me.

Free of this challenging gauntlet of rooms and its powerful golems and swarms, the PCs have to make their way through the lethal traps of "the wolf's jaw" - and from here on out, things only get more foreboding, as remnants of horrific fates, 4 random encounters you may or may not use, and a terribly injured group of adventurers speak of worse things awaiting in "the wolf's mind" - a part of the complex where the way leads further below. The 5E-version also comes with a rather cool creature, the Iron Lector – neat!

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and decent, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Stephen Yeardley sports a nice quasi-puzzle, some challenging traps and foes and a thematically concise and interesting mini-dungeon here. No complaints, well worth getting - 5 stars, and the 5E-bonus critter makes for a cool added bonus. Once again, I cannot comment on who has done the conversion here.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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Still here?

All right!

This mini-dungeon can be played as a sequel to "There are more Things in the Planes and the Earth", but it works perfectly fine on its own as well. After having braved the weird complex and witnessed an elder thing talking to Formians, the PCs now explore a complex where the insectoid creatures represent the none-too-pleasant opposition - random events are provided as well, 4 to be more precise, Wait, Formians? Yep – stats for warriors and workers of the classic critters are provided – kudos, though the formian’s Stinger is one off regarding its damage-value.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and decent, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me. Really annoying glitch: The text on page #2 is half transparent, making it a strain on the eyes.

Stephen Yeardley's latest installments of this sequence of loosely connected mini-dungeons has a diverse and fun array of foes, a neat atmosphere and generally makes for a cool exploration. That being said, the strange layout glitch on page #2 is less than pleasant to read through. The 5E-conversion, otherwise, has been handled well, though I can’t comment on who did it. My final verdict will clock in at 4 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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This can be used as a sequel to the previous mini-dungeon "When goblins die, no comets are seen", though it can also be used on its own. The very entrance to this complex is dangerous, potentially beginning with short-term madness, establishing a sense of foreboding dread that the complex then manages to expand - from traps with insanity mist to cairnwights and gray oozes, the caverns contain some nasty tricks; and yes, burrowing can actually yield treasure...if you know where to look. Moreover, some nonmagical, but potent equipment with unique properties can be found, a big plus for me!

Pretty cool: The mini-dungeon contains 2 nice little random events to keep up the pressure….and in 5E it comes with the full stats for the elder thing, a neat challenge 5 critter – big plus here!

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and decent, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Stephen Yeardley's exploration of these realms below is interesting and the challenges and obstacles faced are fun and create an interesting mini-dungeon, well worth a final verdict of 4.5 stars; the conversion goes the extra mile with the cool monster and items – which is why I will round up for this one. Well done, whoever handled this one!

Endzietgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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Still here?

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This mini-dungeon can be run as a sequel to "Doubt not that stars are fire", but can also stand on its own. After delving into the coldfire-infested tunnels in the previous module, the party dives into the dark, where they'll encounter the remains of a goblin tribe, with the first combat found being a clash between a ghost and a goblin-sized wightfor some rather weird start...and the tunnels also contain horribly weakened goblins, statues pulsing in harsh, fear-causing light…

…and the pdf actually includes the stats for a greater insect swarm monster – nice!

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Stephen Yeardley's take on exploring these weird tunnels has been radically changed and converted to 5E – the execution is lethal, but damn cool and leaves not much to be desired, working imho actually better than the PFRPG-version. My final verdict will be 4.5 stars, rounded up for the purpose of this platform.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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All right! This can be used as a sequel to the "Pit your Wits" mini-dungeon, but works well on its own: Following a mutated goblin attack, the PCs have to go down the pit, the walls aglow with coldfire...and worse, there is a deadly substance...and this coldfire substance has mutated the local goblins into goberrations - a variant nothic...and being too close to the substance is really painful. Dried coldfire can result in a similarly horrible mutation for careless PCs and within this place, raging rubble, gibbering mouthers and worse await...but there indeed is a way down...but do the PCs dare continue?

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Stephen Yeardley shows what an awesome atmosphere you can generate with a few monster reskins and some deadly terrain. This is a deceptively hard little mini-dungeon and makes great use of the environments. That being said, the conversion suffers from a serious inconsistency: Where the previous module reskinned all notions of the impact being caused by a starship, this one is littered with references to starfuel. Sure, easy enough to remedy, but something that imho should have been caught. I also noticed a formatting for environmental damage, which was slightly inconsistent, so the 5E-version “only” gets a final verdict of 4 stars. (And sorry to the conversion specialist – the pdf doesn’t state who did the work here!)

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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Still here?

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The PCs arrive at a well-known mining operation's base...the issue, though, would be that it's gone. In its stead, there lies a chasm filled with inky blackness, the result of a weird meteorite - the fall of the it has resulted in truly strange creatures - like giant toads covered in glowing toadstools. Highly acidic acid bubbles burst, stones may cause insanity; a goblin was turned into a monstrosity of warped legs with tentacle-like bits; intestines have congealed into a slug-like thing and what was once a wyrmling living nearby is now something completely different - investigating the strange place will certainly yield some seriously interesting, horrific foes...and can be seen as a masterclass example in practice on how to properly reskin monsters to make them feel fresh and new. While the 5E-version doesn’t have random encounters, its conversion is rather detailed – in the original, this was a crashed space-ship and this version changes the strange proceedings and hazards rather well.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Stephen Yeardley proves that he can do the horrific just as well as the creatively weird here - the mini-dungeon shows with perfect ease how you can reskin monsters and make them truly unique encounters, how you can logically and cohesively establish a thematic leitmotif in a mini-dungeon and run with it. This is a fun excursion, and while I personally bemoan that the 5E-version loses the science fantasy component, The person who tackled the conversion has done a great job at changing the theme in a consistent manner and since 5E has so far significantly less source-material to work with, I get the decision. I can’t comment on who did it, since it doesn’t specify the conversion specialist. However, none of the hyperlinks in this pdf are functional, which constitutes a slight comfort detriment. My final verdict will hence clock in at a well-deserved 3.5 stars, rounded up for the purpose of this platform.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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And now for something completely, radically different! This adventure takes place mostly with the PCs cooped up in a crate, with rations, portable hole for...ahem...necessities. Two weeks. Even if you fast forward that, it'll be interesting if you just briefly mention each day and wait for your PCs to interact a bit. I'm serious. If you have good roleplayers in your group, this'll be pure gold.

That being said, there is a reason for this unorthodox way of travelling. You see, the PCs have been hired by law enforcement to catch captain Elloise Drake in the act, with the means of granting her crew amnesty. Thus, they stowed away on her vessel...and once the crate iss opened, the PCs explore the pirate vessel, catch it in the act of piracy and may use their social skills to make more of the crew turn against their captain. And yes, furious fight with a potent foe included. Sure, you can play this as a fast-forward one-big-encounter type of scenario...but if ran as provided, it can actually provide easily a full gaming day's worth of fond memories.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Justin Andrew Mason's "Stowaway on the Singing Sea" is a classic module that depends on whether it is perceived as a blast or as bland on both the GM's prowess and the player's temperament. Roleplayers willing to depict the journey will absolutely adore this gem and indeed, as a kind of break, as a means of taking tempo out of a campaign that seemingly runs from time-limit to time-limit, this works phenomenally well. You know your players better than I do - can they cope with such a set-up? If so, they'll love it; if not, you can fast-forward through the two weeks of set-up, but you'll lose out on the impact of the finale when it hits. This is, more so than most modules, a matter of taste.

In fact, if it has one neutral weakness, that would be that exploration of the pirate vessel does not really yield advantages when turning the crew - some one-sentence angles for key-crew-members to turn them would have been the icing on the cake. Still, this represents a great example of how cool a module you can craft even with a minimum of space and Kyle Crider’s conversion does a great job maintaining the original appeal. 5 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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The dreaded summoner (once, oddly, referred to as sorcerer – somewhat inconsistent) Vlexigorn, known for the delight he takes in enslaving demons, was about to meet his match, when the archmage Lanthanus was on his trail. Unfortunately, the summoner has managed, with the help of his glabrezu-aide Chor-da ta'al, to get the better of the archmage and use his portal to escape to Mechanus - the resulting instability has the creature on the clock (Get it? Mechanus...clock? Sorry, will hit myself for that one later...) and stranded in the material plane -he can't return for now and in 3 hours, he'll be banished here! The wounded outsider thus beseeches the PCs to enter the clockwork world of Mechanus and stop the glabrezu.

Upon entering the place, the PCs will at least find the bloody remains of the summoner - which alas, means that the glabrezu is now free-willed. Bypassing the gears that claimed the summoner's life requires a Dexterity check, a failure of which clocks in at a whopping…2d10. This summoner guy seems to have been quite whimpy. The depictions of bellows, scrying devices and the like are flavorful. While the original PFRPG-version was a horrible train-wreck, the 5E-version sports more sensible checks, DCs and tactics for the big boss – for the mini-dungeon basically is a prolonged boss-fight, with relatively detailed tactics given for the glabrezu.. As a minor complaint: Lightning damage is erroneously called electrical damage once.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

In the original version, this mini-dungeon is horrible; Kyle Crider’s change of antagonists and tactics provided and his general revisions of Jonathan Ely’s module actually make the 5E-version vastly superior to the PFRPG original – to the point where I consider it a fun, if not perfect module. My final verdict will clock in at 4 stars – well done, Mr. Crider!

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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Lamiak (lamia being the singular) would be a variant of dryads with the webbed feet of a duck, while mairuak would be friendly stone giants - both btw. taken from Basque mythology, so the name-convention conflict gets a pass.

Anyway, this is basically a nice and interesting, pretty fairy-tale like encounter: You see, the lamia have built a bridge cross a stream, with the map depicting the vicinity. The stone the bridge was taken from, however, is uncommon and was stolen from a mairu (aptly named Peril), who jealously guard this type of stone. He and his brothers Wrath and Sorrow are about to demolish the bridge, while the two lamiak are about to unleash their fey tricks. It'll take some negotiation by the PCs to defuse the situation sans it coming to a violent resolution... That being said, the encounter can be resolved by adept PCs pretty smoothly, which may render this a rather brief affair – potentially, this can be literally resolved with one roll. Annoying: The text still retains a conversion relic from PFRPG.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Justin Andrew Mason's encounter here is fun; the tapping into a none-too-often employed mythology is appreciated and a GM that can capitalize on the wonder and fairy-tale-ish nature of this set-up can certainly make this work as a fine and memorable roadside encounter. At the same time, the encounter doesn't have that much meat on its bones. RAW, a single check can resolve it, which feels somewhat anticlimactic. This is good and, in the right hands, can shine...but similarly, it can fizzle pretty badly. A more complex negotiation situation would have helped making this more captivating and 5E’s contest mechanics would have made sense in a more complex set-up here – Kyle Crider missed a chance to improve this one in the conversion.

Hence, my final verdict will clock in at 3.5 stars, rounded down for the purpose of this platform.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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On an open plain, surrounded by a devastating lightning storm stands one single tower - the eponymous structure contains an artifact, the heart of the tempest. To gain access to the tower, you must first deduce that the 4 symbols (represented on the map) hidden on the door correspond to energy types and then inflict said damage types simultaneously to the structure. Annoyingly, the pdf’s conversion fails to get them right: Lightning is referred to as electricity, and bafflingly, the pdf mentions divine damage, when 5e has the perfectly serviceable radiant damage type.

Only then, you can have access to the structure and brave the advanced stone golems, the devastating flame vortex and finally brave an ancient blue dragon to reach the artifact - which may be the only way to deal with that powerful evil in your campaign's end-game! Alas, the 5e-rules are weird: Wrong dispel checks, lack of damage thresholds for barriers that need to be brought down…oh, and the golems aren’t properly hyperlinked. Have I mentioned the cool magical trap included that’s called Flaming Vortex…and doesn’t deal fire damage, but untyped damage? Oo

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Justin Andrew Mason's high-level mini-dungeon has it all: An artifact, an evocative location, powerful foes, required high-level magic to best it. This would be pretty much an instant recommendation...but while the PFRPG version has had some serious glitches, Kyle Crider didn’t do a much better job in the 5e-version. Instead of fixing the hiccups, the mini-dungeon sports different problems, some of which are just as puzzling, perhaps even more so, considering 5e’s rules-array. I cannot recommend this pdf. My final verdict will be 2 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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The complex herein would best be situated under a major settlement, where the existence and new occupancy of such a place would make most sense. By means of a winding staircase, the PCs can enter a place that, ultimately, is woefully disgusting - so pervasive is the stench, that from the get-go, we have a chance to be poisoned....and yes, there are traps, for this place is the new base of the Sons of Arratoi, a notorious band of thieves - which, coincidentally, also consists of wererats! Exploring the complex is btw. less of a cakewalk than you'd assume - while it is very much possible that capable PCs can catch the perpetrators unaware and asleep, they will need to be good: Beyond traps and a serpent swarm, dungeon hazards and the like, a well-hidden true treasury, accompanied by a "proper" boss can be found – who btw. is pretty cool in the 5E-version!

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Jonathan Ely's Thelamos is a generally challenging, fun little sidetrek. The obstacles are diverse enough to render it interesting and the pdf employs challenging terrain, fun foes and a reward for particularly diligent PCs. It is, as a whole, a nice, easily inserted and challenging module for anyone looking for a somewhat icky little sub-dungeon. Kyle Crider managed to translate it pretty well, though the Stealth-aspect could have used some playful variation with 5E’s passive perception rules…but that may just be me. The dungeon’s leitmotif is slightly less pronounced in its focus on rats, though. Barring serious complaints, this receives a final verdict of 4.5 stars, rounded down for the purpose of this platform.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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Hidden away under a place of learning, the cultist hideout was crafted from a previously used tomb and has since been used in different ways and expanded. The complex presented makes sense from an game-world internal point of view: Perceptive PCs can e.g. find a way to not stumble into traps and the like, making the complex feel sensible as something that is frequented by the living. Beyond having the chance to find a ghost who demands that evil be evicted from his resting place, these rooms now basically contain the shrine evicted to Cthulhu, including properly hyperlinked adversaries. Their magical equipment does receive proper names (nice touch!) and a cursed array of gibberish may put the sanity of PCs foolish enough to read it in peril... The 5e-translation has been done rather well in this one, leaving me without complaints

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Jonathan Ely's "Shrine of the Dreamer" is a perfect example for a sensible, unpretentious mini-dungeon. The structure of the place makes sense; the module offers a bit of combat, a bit of exploration, a chance for social interaction, rewards being smart, etc. - there's not much more you could ask for. Easily inserted (and adapted to other evil deities, should you require that or prefer another evil deity), this very much is a neat example for a useful and consistent sidetrek. The 5E-conversion by Kyle Crider loses nothing of the original module’s appeal. My final verdict will be 5 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map as well as a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This module has the wrong title in the 5e-version as well – it is billed as “Feischkammer”, missing the “l.”

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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So, for all non-Germans out there: "Fleischkammer" translates, literally, to Fleshchamber. Does not bode well, now, does it? The complex works best, logic-wise, near a sufficient accumulation of raw material, read: victims, for it is the home of one thoroughly nasty man named Hakkar Wolkennen, also lovingly known by his soubriquet "Soulflayer". The mad wizard is obsessed with the creation of, you guessed it, flesh golems and thus, one of the first obstacles will be for the PCs to dismantle to entry doors to the proper complex, for a flesh golem is holding them barred. Big plus: The mechanics of 5e are taken into account in a proper contest here.

The complex itself is sensible and features some nasty traps to further deal with the PCs if the golems and the evil wizard do not suffice. As a minor complaint, the latter is not hyperlinked and making a wizard of this level on the fly can be a bit of a challenge. The complex does reward the PCs appropriately for braving its challenges, though.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are very good, I noticed no significant glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Jonathan Ely's Fleischkammer is a generally well-crafted module that, much like the primary antagonists herein, can be summed up as brawn over brains; the nature of the opposition does mean that magic-users won't have much to do herein, which is perhaps the one weakness of an otherwise nice mini-dungeon. Having something for these guys to do in the respective combats would have been helpful. That being said, apart from these minor complaints, one can still consider this to be a nice module, particularly to "reward" the group's melee-characters. Kyle Crider’s conversion of the module is generally well done as well and manages to translate the module properly to 5E, retaining its pretty brutal original challenge. As such, this sidetrek receives a final verdict of 3.5 stars, rounded up due to in dubio pro reo.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Big plus: This mini-dungeon comes with a key-less .tif player map and a high-res GM map for VTT-use – kudos!

IMPORTANT: While the 5e-version is noted as “The Kabandha’s Request” in most stores (and the COVER!), that is a remnant from PFRPG – the module itself actually is focusing on treants in 5e!

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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In the middle of the wilderness, the PCs come upon a kabandha, eh, pardon – in 5e, the player’s are instead contacted by a treant - badly wounded, he relays the tale of his tribe being subject to the attack of an evil troll and his retinue of ogres. It should be noted that, while the name of the archive containing the file references Kabandhas, the correct file is contained inside.

Thus, it falls to the PCs to find the circle of stones and small, adjacent complex and stop the desecration of this place. From a vine-tangled circle of standing stone on the surface, the PCs will have to open heavy portals towards the small complex and deal with the adversaries within. In the original iteration, this module highlighted peculiarities of kabandha culture, which thankfully have been reskinned to instead apply to treants in a concise manner.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are good, I noticed a couple of minor glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, and the inclusion of a key-less map and VTT-capable options is a big plus for me.

Kyle Crider didn’t have an easy task with this conversion of Jonathan Ely’s module: Since the original critter does not exist in 5e, the module needed to be changed appropriately – and it was! That being said, the need of treants for a complex like the one depicted may or may not fit your tastes. As a whole, this is a nice conversion, though it does lose a bit of the charm of the original – hence my final verdict will round down from 3.5 stars.

Endzeitgeist out.

An Endzeitgeist.com review

This pdf clocks in at 2 pages and is a mini-dungeon. This means we get 2 pages content, including a solid map and all item/monster-stats hyperlinked and thus, absent from the pdf, with only deviations from the statblocks being noted for the GM. Unlike most 5e Mini-Dungeons, this does not come with player or VTT-friendly maps.

Since this product line's goal is providing short diversions, side-quest dungeons etc., I will not expect mind-shattering revelations, massive plots or particularly smart or detailed depictions, instead tackling the line for what it is. Got that? Great!

This being an adventure-review, the following contains SPOILERS. Potential players may wish to jump to the conclusion.

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Still here?

All right!

Let's face it - if most of us were to embark upon the life of an adventurer, we'd not look for Rappan Athuk, the Darkest Dungeon or a similar hell-hole to start off our career. We'd start looking for something that feels like we can actually survive it, right? Well, the complex near Raakayras is exactly one such place - relatively peaceful, yet manageable...and other adventurers will probably have taken care of all those really nasty threats...right?

Well, things aren't always as they seem: The complex depicted still sports some nasty traps and is the result of an aftermath of the deeds of a particularly nasty wererat, who poisoned wyrmling eggs contained in protective vats of acid...well, all but one, who since then proceeded to eliminate said scoundrel as well as the most dire of threats from the vicinity. Relaxing in an acid bath, slaying the remaining wyrmling will be a challenging endeavor...and actually one that may destabilize the region, beginning the campaign already with an emphasis on consequences I tend to enjoy. As a downside, the module fails to provide hyperlinked stats for both major antagonists featured herein. Secondly, when compared to the original PFRPG-iteration, some weird typos have crept into this pdf: “Of course, the party still has tomust…[sic!]” as, an example.

Conclusion:

Editing and formatting are good, I noticed a couple of minor glitches. Layout adheres to a beautiful 2-column full-color standard and the pdf comes sans bookmarks, but needs none at this length. Cartography is full color and surprisingly good for such an inexpensive pdf, but there is no key-less version of the map to print out and hand to your players.

Stephen Yeardley's introductory complex presented here is challenging and the final boss can be downright brutal...but then again, it can also be a great kickstart of a new campaign, already featuring the potential for non-lethal conflict resolution, for reaping what one has sown and for a contextualization of the mini-dungeon within one's preferred campaign world. Considering the limitations of the series, that is pretty impressive. At the same time, Kyle Crider’s conversion feels rushed; the lack of stats for the major players is a big downside and the new typos are puzzling to me. Alas, this does drag down the module quite a bit – which is why I can’t rate this iteration higher than 3.5 stars, rounded down.

Endzeitgeist out.