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: Not worth price (more like $10.00)
Summary: 1 Stars
Not worth the $$$ amazon or WoTC is asking, about maybe $10.00 for what you get, sick of overpriced products that are well....done badly.Book Review: poor quality, overpriced product
Summary: 1 Stars
This is way too expensive for what it is, a simplistic adventure with little to recommend it beyond being a preview of 4.0 D&D. Some of the rules don't even make sense without the core books, or at least are much more confusing.
The flimsy quality of the product is also a minus.
Book Review: Welcome to 4E!
Summary: 5 Stars
Keep on the Shadowfell is a great adventure to kick off Fourth Edition D&D. Included in the package is the adventure, a general rules overview for DMs, a quick-start guide and 5 pre-made charachters, as well as three double-sided poster maps (that six full-size maps!). The new layout for adventures makes it easy for even a first-time DM to run the module, with all you need to know about an encounter right there in the stat block. Experienced DMs might find the enemies a bit cliche, but the new edition makes kobolds and goblins interesting, and even old-school die-rollers will find the familiar opponents challenging and engaging. Overall, KotS is fantastic!Book Review: Great content... bad physical design.
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a great starting adventure and peek into the new 4th edition rules, but has its drawbacks. First and formost is the actual construction of the product. I won't be the only one that is unhappy that the module and quick start guide are printed on cheap paper with covers that are no different. Your average subscription magazine has thicker and more resilient cover. I can't imagine these holding up as long as I expect a $30 (cover price) item to. The second problem, lack of many rules clarifications, is one that will clear itself up after the release of the core 4th ed. books. Still it is somewhat troublesome to buy a product that is supposed to be ready to play and find rules that we are supposed to be able to use that are still not clear.
Overall the content of the module is pretty good though. I look forward to running my gaming group though it soon, though I will probably wait until I have the PHB, DMG, and MM in my hot little hands.
BTW: WotC, if you are listening... PUT REAL COVERS ON YOUR MODULES IN THE FUTURE. It's what we expect when we pay for your product.
-TN
Book Review: Content OK, layout and packaging lackluster
Summary: 3 Stars
I noticed the negatives first, so I'll mention those first.
The adventure booklet has no back cover. That means that while I'm holding it up to read it, the players can see the names, powers, suggested tactics, and loot of the final encounter. Also the ink's easy to smudge, so even though I've only run the first four encounters, the uncovered back page is getting hard to read just by holding it.
The quickstart booklet has the character sheets bound within it, making it slightly hard to photocopy them. I would have preferred five individual sheets, to make it easier to copy, or even just pass out and use as-is. I also wish the character sketches more closely matched the character as equipped. The sword-and-board-looking dwarf fighter actually wields a bludgeoning weapon, and the dragonborn paladin is pictured with a wicked-looking glaive instead of his equipped longsword and heavy shield.
Other than that, I've liked it. The three double-sided encounter maps have proved useful, and it's nice to have a couple outdoorsy maps instead of strictly dungeon crawls.
The encounters are all on a two-page spread, so that I can flip to the appropriate page and leave it open. I haven't had to flip back 10 pages to find the stats on a minion that was encountered before - all the monster statblocks are reprinted for each encounter.
I'm a fan of kobolds, so it was nice seeing kobolds being used right from the get-go. Other iconic entry-level monsters such as goblins, skeletons, and zombies make their appearance too. And I'm excited to be able to throw a gelatinous cube at the party later on.