I needed to take a while to take a look at a DMs Guild journey that just lately got here out. I’m speaking about Fate’s Lingering Shadow, an journey by Alyssa Visscher. This is a D&D 5e journey that doesn’t have a presupposed setting, however does have notes about together with it in numerous settings.

Disclaimer

I didn’t obtain a evaluation copy of this journey, however I’ve talked to Alyssa loads on-line, and she or he has written for Gnome Stew previously. Despite understanding Alyssa from on-line conversations, I hope I could make some worthwhile observations on the product in query.

Fate’s Lingering Shadow

Designer: Alyssa Visscher
Editor: Dame Sabriel Mastin
Graphic Designer: Alyssa Visscher
Template: Simple Microsoft Word Template by Laura Hirsbrunner
Cover: Alyssa Visscher, utilizing belongings from LUM3N, amritagrace, and lextotan.
Interior Illustrators: Map of the valley by Hannah Rose, utilizing Ok. M. Alexander’s Vischer and Ogilby brushes, and a parchment background from Deven Rue. All different maps by Dyson Logos. Dragonborn character artwork by Adela Quies. Dark forest artwork by Placidplace. Shadow dragon picture by Prettysleepy, modified by Alyssa Visscher. All different paintings courtesy of Wizards of the Coast, used beneath the Community Content Agreement.

Inside the Adventure

This journey is 22 pages lengthy. This features a credit web page and a desk of contents. This has a two column format, with boxed textual content, headers, and sidebars which are clearly delineated and just like official D&D norms. I particularly just like the stat block template used.

Product Structure

The journey is damaged up into the next sections:

• Adventure Primer
• Chapter One: Exploring the Twilight Valley
• Chapter Two: The Shadows Deepen
• Chapter Three: The Temple of Fate
• Conclusion

How it Unfolds

The hook for this journey is {that a} dragonborn archeologist has discovered references to an historical temple to the Fates. The references trace that the temple was buried within the Twilight Valley, and desires the participant characters to search for clues taking them to the location of the buried temple.

The preliminary clues lead the PCs to a pool that has been desecrated, they usually finally encounter woke up vegetation, an undead former resident, and an elemental guardian. What I actually like about this part of the journey is that there are aims, however there are a number of methods to realize these aims, and people a number of vectors are detailed.

In addition, there are a number of locations the place guardians could also be hostile, however their attitudes change based mostly on what characters do on the website. One of those encounters subverts expectations for the monster kind concerned, however moreover, I admire the character particulars and potential plight of the guardian on the Mound of the Dead.

After studying the clues out there at this website, the PCs can pinpoint the Temple Mound, the one above floor clue to the situation of the buried temple. Finding the journal of an extended useless cleric, the PCs will find out about a ritual that opened the door to a location related to the facility of Shadow, hinting at why the temple was buried, but in addition that burning the temple might not have been sufficient to cease the menace.

Eventually, whereas exploring the buried temple, they are going to discover out that the gate to Shadow has its personal complication. A dragon trying to rework right into a Shadow Dragon opened the portal, however upon awakening, found that they’re tethered to the portal. As lengthy because the dragon is caught to the portal, it could possibly’t be closed, and so long as it’s open, the Shadow will begin to infect the encompassing space.

As I discussed above, a number of of the creatures that function guardians of various websites may be handled as regular fight obstacles, however have sufficient data to make them enjoyable roleplaying encounters as properly. I like that there are a number of locations within the journey the place performing a ritual for reconsecrating an space is a crucial component. I additionally admire that the journey proposes methods for various characters to shine when performing these actions, equivalent to having stronger characters realign stones which have been knocked over.

A New Day

From speaking with Alyssa on-line, I do know she appreciates stable, historically structured adventures, properly executed. I believe this can be a good instance of that. As quickly as I learn by this, I had concepts of how you can slot this into the marketing campaign I’m at the moment working. While the ideas are simple, there may be a whole lot of thought put into how PCs can proceed by the journey.

A Few Clouds

I needed to do some digging to search out the anticipated degree vary, and until I missed it some place else within the journey, the one place I discovered it was within the dialogue concerning the dragon encounter, the place it mentions a celebration of 4 sixth degree characters. It’s a minor factor, however given the a number of methods to work together with a number of the guardians by the journey, I used to be considerably anticipating there to be a way to barter with the dragon to take away her Shadow Dragon skills to unbind her from the portal, attainable rising the prospect of failure, to make for an attention-grabbing determination level to resolve the journey.

Recommended–If the product suits in your broad space of gaming pursuits, you might be more likely to be pleased with this buy.

This is a solidly executed journey with a lot of steering for DMs utilizing it of their video games. I’ve learn a whole lot of drop in adventures, and this holds its personal with lots of them. It’s a stable modular journey that ought to present just a few stable nights of journey, with sufficient selection to attraction to a number of playstyles.

I hope to see extra of Alyssa’s journey work sooner or later.