Publisher: Troll Lord Games
Castles & Crusades A5 The Shattered Horn is a fantasy adventure module for the Castles & Crusades roleplaying game. It is the fifth installment of the Umbrage Saga, a series of adventures that pits the heroes against the forces of the Dread Lord, an ancient evil that seeks to return and conquer the world. The adventure is suitable for 3-5 characters of levels 5-7. In this review, I will give an overview of the adventure, its strengths and weaknesses, and my final verdict.
Overview
The adventure begins with the heroes witnessing a massive army of orcs, goblins, and other foul creatures marching out of an old fortress in the northern wilderness. The heroes learn that the fortress is the lair of a powerful priest of the Dread Lord, who has gathered his followers and allies to launch an assault on the southern lands. The heroes have a limited time to infiltrate the fortress, explore its secrets, and stop the priest’s plans before he returns with his army.
The adventure is divided into three parts: the wilderness journey, the tower complex, and the caverns beneath. The wilderness journey is a series of encounters and hazards that challenge the heroes as they make their way to the fortress. The tower complex is a sprawling structure with multiple levels, towers, and connections. It is filled with traps, puzzles, enemies, and treasures. The caverns beneath are a dark and twisted maze of tunnels and chambers that hide the priest’s ultimate goal: a portal to the realm of the Dread Lord.
Strengths
The adventure is well-written and provides a lot of detail and flavor for each location and encounter. The maps are clear and easy to follow, and the illustrations are evocative and colorful. The adventure also offers some optional rules and suggestions for running it with different systems or settings. The adventure is challenging and rewarding, and offers a lot of variety and replay value.
Weaknesses
The adventure is not without its flaws, however. Some of the encounters are too easy or too hard for the recommended level range, and some of the puzzles are too obscure or too simple. Some of the text is redundant or inconsistent, and some of the information is scattered or missing. Some of the enemies and treasures are generic or uninteresting, and some of the locations are underdeveloped or irrelevant. The adventure also relies heavily on clichés and tropes, such as evil priests, dark lords, orc hordes, etc.
What are the most interesting encounters
There are many interesting encounters in the adventure, but some of the ones that I found most memorable are:
- The Bridge of Bones: This is a bridge made of human and animal bones that spans a deep chasm. The bridge is guarded by a skeletal dragon that attacks anyone who tries to cross. The heroes have to either fight the dragon, find a way to bypass it, or convince it to let them pass.
- The Hall of Mirrors: This is a hall filled with mirrors that reflect different versions of reality. Some of the mirrors show the past, some show the future, some show alternate worlds, and some show illusions. The heroes have to navigate through the hall and avoid being trapped or deceived by the mirrors.
- The Portal Chamber: This is the final destination of the adventure, where the priest has opened a portal to the realm of the Dread Lord. The portal is surrounded by a ring of flaming skulls that shoot fireballs at anyone who approaches. The heroes have to destroy the skulls, close the portal, and confront the priest before he escapes or summons the Dread Lord.
Verdict
Overall, Castles & Crusades A5 The Shattered Horn is a solid and enjoyable adventure that fans of fantasy roleplaying games will appreciate. It has a lot of content and potential for fun and excitement, but it also has some room for improvement and refinement.
Related Products:
- A0 The Rising Knight
- A1 Assault on Blacktooth Ridge
- A2 Slag Heap
- A3 Wicked Cauldron
- A4 Usurpers of the Fell Axe
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