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'm liking it!
Summary: 4 Stars
I think that this is a good starting mod for 4e. Since it was a preview mod with only basic rules some things weren't explaned very well. The only other thing that would make this mod better was a little more role play or a skill challenge. This can be easily adapted by the DM though and Wizards of the Coast has added a few web enhancements as well. Enjoy! Book Review: Primarily for those who are thinking of buying 4th edition D&D
Summary: 2 Stars
The Keep on the Shadowfell adventure is a very particular product aimed primarily at new players who are interested in 4th Edition D&D, but have yet to purchase any rules for it.
To be perfectly honest, this product is overpriced unless you wish to use it as a test case for adopting D&D 4th edition. The actual adventure is only about 65 pages long and is made up of the 25 two-page "delve format" encounters seen in any Wizards of the Coast adventure published in the last 3-4 years. If you are buying this for the adventure text, please be aware you are receiving a very short adventure for a MSRP of $30.
However, if you are deciding on whether or not to pick up 4th edition, then this might be the product for you. It comes shrink-wrapped in an artfully designed pocket folder. Inside are the 80 page adventure booklet, which includes the previously mentioned adventure scenario and 15 pages of introductory rules for a new 4th edition Dungeon Master (the player who will run the game and and scenario for the other players to progress through).
A second paper pamphlet, also 8.5" x 11", contains the "Quick-Start Rules". This includes 6 pages for the players to read beforehand, so they know what Dungeons & Dragons is and what is expected of them when playing. The other 10 pages are two-page character sheets of pre-constructed Player Characters (PCs, the characters the players will play during the game). There are five different PCs included: a Dwarf Fighter, Halfling Rogue, Human Wizard, Half-Elf Cleric, and a Dragonborn Paladin.
Lastly, there are 3 double-sided, 20"x33" posters to use as battle mats during the game. These are gridded sheets meant for miniatures figurines to be used during play. These "minis" and various polyhedral, multi-sided dice are required for play, but not are included. (If you don't own any, you can purchase some from Amazon.com)
The adventure itself is a by-the-numbers Town & Dungeon romp. The town is very sparse in detail with only 14 locations noted, a map, and less than 5 pages of description. The majority of that is taken up by a Q & A style conversation showing example answers for when players interact with the townsfolk. Scripted events happen whenever the players leave town, but no encounters lie within. The games' Skill Challenge system is not illustrated here, but it would not be too difficult to add some later on with the complete set of rulebooks. This overlook appears to be a space limitation only.
To be blunt, practically all of the event-based encounters around the town are combats. Combat tactics are supplied in the delve formats, but no roleplaying advice for the NPCs (DM run characters). When the players finally find the dungeon to explore there is very little left to do but combat those within. The dungeon is essentially 19 separate combat encounters. There is one obligatory trap room, a combat also including a puzzle, and two roleplaying combats which includes roleplaying advice for the monsters in them. The first of these is a creature likely too difficult to defeat via combat and the second is the final "end boss" encounter of the whole dungeon.
There really is no plot to uncover here, but there are some other nuances included by the authors: a suprise NPC here, an interluding event there. But on the whole the adventure looks to the DM to add intriguing details to the town and dungeon landscape and life to the NPC characters within. Specifics are largely missing and little is included that will surprise the players or engage their attention. That is, little beyond what is included in the combat tactics and statistics portions.
What the adventure does offer repeatedly are multiple, varied, side-by-side combats that will keep players' interest when fighting the battles. Each monster and foe has surprising abilities that freshen up player expectations each time they engage in a new battle. This is primarily due to the design of the ruleset. The many fights included in Keep on the Shadowfell showcase exactly what 4th Edition D&D combat offers.
If you do enjoy the new combat system and the multiple combats within, you will probably enjoy the new ruleset as well. If the combat system is not to your liking, you will probably not find much else to stoke your interest here.
Book Review: Not perfect but it's a fun adventure
Summary: 4 Stars
This adventure is a good introduction to 4e. It's a little combat heavy but the art is great, the encounters are fun and the end is fantastic. In addition you get quick start rules and a lot of really neat maps. It's a very beautiful product. Overall I would recommend this item. My only gripe is that there are so many encounters that you could be playing this adventure for months. I don't really want to be playing the same adventure for that long, but it does make the product worth the money. Book Review: Good Content, Bad Construction
Summary: 3 Stars
As others have said, the physical construction of this module is generally poor and shoddy. The module consists of three booklets and a few maps encased in a cardboard folder. The booklets are made with very cheap magazine stock, the "covers" are printed on the same paper as the inside pages, and the ink is prone to smearing. The text is generally easy to read, but there is very little art to help "paint the picture" so to speak, for new DM's.
The adventure maps are, oddly, better than the booklets due to the high quality of the drawings and the heavier stock they are printed on. Unfortunately, they do have deep creases in them from being folded to fit in the folder, so flattening them can be a bit of a pain.
The adventure itself is very good at showcasing the changes in 4th Edition D&D at the low level. Adventurers get fun things to do every round, and magic users aren't automatically relegated to the back row after the first three rounds of an encounter at 1st level. The encounters now also feature specific roles for the monsters, to include a "minion" type that has 1HP and is meant to bring the scenes to life by adding easy distractions.
Overall, it's tough to recommend this package in the $20-$30 range. Although the module itself is engaging and well laid out, the actual materials WoTC used to print on is distressingly cheap.
Book Review: Just When You Thought It Was Safe To Go back Into The Dungeon
Summary: 5 Stars
Keep on the Shadowfell is the introductory adventure for latest incarnation of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. Kill the TV, crash the computer, and lay seige to the kitchen table with a bunch of friends with this herald of the 4th edition of the now legendary D&D.
Newbies will like the get-down-to-the-action pace of the game while long-time players may find themselves a bit confused with the new ruleset. This is not an "update" to the 3rd edition as 3.5 was, but is instead a whole new creature to tame. Taming it is well worth the effort, believe me!
For you greybeards, this module will remind you of the first time you ever laid eyes on a d20 and asked "What the heck is THIS?" or struggled to learn how to throw a d4 or calculate THAC0 on the fly. If you were among those who complained that 3e played more like a video game, Keep on the Shadowfell will vindicate D&D for you.
The fresh, wide-open feel of this module will immerse you in a world that you've never seen before but will feel strangely familiar. It will remind you of the first time your PC started out for the Keep on the Borderlands and the Caves of Chaos beyond. But those are not your father's kobolds. They may look like the good ol' 4 hp kobolds that run away as soon as you shake a sword at them and shout, but looks can be deceiving. You have been warned. Bring a sword... and a lot of bandages.
I will not reveal the story. Hey, it's D&D. You're the good guys, they're the bad guys. Somebody's gonna get their butt whupped. They've got minions, spies, and a death cult dedicated to Orcus. You've got... well, whatever you're holding when the game starts. And it looks like Winterhaven is in need of a few heroes.
In summary, yee-haw!