Keep on the Shadowfell (Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure H1) by Bruce Cordell, Mike Mearls Summary and Reviews
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Book Reviews of Keep on the Shadowfell (Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure H1)
Book Review: I want to give this a higher score
Summary: 3 Stars
I'm not particularly sure where to start with this review. I wanted to give this module a higher score but I'm afraid that, objectively, I can't do so. While I have very few complaints with the new rule set, the module is a disappointing first start. While I understand that it can't be the most in-depth module since it's a pre-release, my initial feelings are pretty much a let down.
The module is fairly straight-forward. The party gets ambushed and starts a chain of events that lead them to fighting a baddy at the end. The complaint with it is that the module is literally just twenty or so combat encounters. While this can be over-come with creative DM-ing or creative players, it's disappointing that the module does very little to show off the skill system (which is just as lackluster as the 3.x rules, if you were wondering) or do anything to rise above the fact that it can be more than a series of combats with a story behind them.
With that in mind though, some of the combats are interesting enough to keep the party going and the new combat rules work well enough. It's obvious that WotC drew its influence from the popularity of MMO's, which I can't completely bash because it opens the game up to new players (and more money. Let's not forget that WotC is a business) and makes balancing a bit easier, since everyone has something to contribute at all times and the first level wizard isn't useless within 5 minutes of game start.
My biggest complaint though is the packaging. As much as every other reviewer has bashed it, I'm gonna go ahead and do the same. It sucks. I understand the need for the folder, but the two packets that come with it are awful. They're flimsy, and can't stand up to the least bit of wear or tear. WotC let me down big time on that one.
All in all it was fun and the group had a good time, and it excites me about what is to come from 4e. But magazine paper? Come on, WotC, make it worth my money. Let's hope we don't get that from our core books.
Book Review: Um, wow. Magazine paper?
Summary: 3 Stars
So, I picked up Keep on the Shadowfell today.
For $30, you get three double-sided maps and two booklets - 80 and 16 pages, respectively. The booklets are made of magazine paper, stapled through the middle. They have no covers. Mine are already getting beat up, and the ink is smearing. It's no exaggeration to say that this is the worst-quality RPG product I've purchased in my 25 years of gaming. Even small press books have covers. And are made out of paper.
Overall, this is a really disappointing price-to-value ratio. It's fundamentally a short module - intended, apparently, to introduce new players and veterans to the game - and you get almost nothing for your money. Were I not already excited about 4e, the production values may have turned me off.
Now, the rules look excellent and solid. The designers took a lot of the best parts of Star Wars Saga Edition, a few drops of Earthdawn, and a whole lot of older editions of D&D. It looks like it will be fun, and I can't wait to run my group through it. 4e may end up being the best edition yet - I'm open to that possibility - but they need to at least take pride in the build quality of their products, first.
Here's hoping the core books I pre-ordered at least have covers... :)
Book Review: Keep on the Shadowfell
Summary: 3 Stars
This first product for 4th edition D&D is a mixed bag. I was very excited when I bought it and was immediately disappointed that it came in a folder. There was less art than I expected and the quality that everyone has complained about is right on the mark. The art is average, the paper is frail, and the ink smears if you hold it too long. With such a steep price, this should have been a hardcover book. I would expect more in the future.
Once I opened it though, I was surprised at some of the changes in the game. Wizards are able to participate more in combat at first level. They can cast magic missile every round. Also, every character has more options for attacking. They also have the ability to heal themselves. When a character drops to a certain amount of hit points they become "Bloodied", which may create other options in combat. Bad guys have "Minions" who drop really quickly but fill up the battle area with a little more chaos. Overall, I thought many of the changes in the game are positive. In this respect, Keep on the Shadowfell is a good primer for 4th edition.
The setup of the adventure was good. The encounter statistics were fairly close physically to the descriptions in the adventure and the maps were helpful. Many of the recent offerings for D&D have had the combat encounters several pages after the backgrounds for them. Like many players, I prefer the stats right with the storyline. It seems more streamlined and easier to follow. Hopefully, WOTC will discontinue the separation of encounters with their place in the story.
Overall, I liked this module. Had the packaging been better, I would have given this product 4 or 5 stars.
Book Review: A solid start
Summary: 4 Stars
Keep is a great peek at the 4th ed rules, it covers a lot of standard fantasy tropes that as a player that has avoided d&d for the last 8 years, I think were a good idea to add into a premier adventure module, the maps are great with the terrain markings and the 4th ed rules make for very engaging fights. The one real blow to this product, they should have made the books have a card stock cover at least. I like the folder design, but the books are cheaply made. Book Review: Buy only because it;'s the only module available
Summary: 3 Stars
What others have said about the poor quality is true, and it is one of the things that makes me believe WOTC is marketing this to a younger audience-- not altogether bad, we need a new generation of paper-and-pencil gamers, but the poor quality, the simplicity, and the cliches of the adventure are a big turn-off for older gamers like me.
Having said that, I am impressed with what we have seen of the 4th edition rules, even though I was all set to hate them. This product does provide a good intro to 4th edition combat. The problem is that, in addition to being too simple for veteran players, this module would be too complex for novices simply to pick it up without having played before. WOTC needs to figure out who its audience is with this one.
But it is worth buying to introduce players to the 4E rules, and it would be OK to introduce new players to the game if you are an experienced DM. If you are new to D&D, wait for the 4th edition player's handbook, at least to use with this module. As other modules become available, this will not be the best introduction for newbies and will be uninteresting to veterans.