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One-Shot RPG System Rules: Modern Horror
by John M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 10/20/2023 10:47:57

Absolutely one of the favorite systems my group and I picked up in 2022. It's clean, quick, and doesn't present a lot of edge cases, has a mechanic that allows players to alter their rolls, and a relatively open system. Pay ten bucks for it, 'cause it's worth it!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
One-Shot RPG System Rules: Modern Horror
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Creator Reply:
Thanks, John! The review is greatly appreciated. I'm glad you and your players (assuming you are the GM) are enjoying the system. The trick is making it easy for the GM but exciting for the players. I notice this review is for the older version of Modern Horror. I've released a 2nd edition (available here on Drive Thru RPG). The core mechanics are the same, but I've changed a few things, including introducing bonus successes. The goal is to make rolling the dice more exciting. I'd love to hear what you think, so if you check it out, drop me an email at oneshotrpg.gm@gmail.com. All the best and thanks again!
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Massacre at Tortoise Lake: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
by John M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 08/21/2023 09:45:05

An absolute romp and one of my gaming group's favorite OSRPG Horror adventures to date! It absolutely requires taking a little extra time to work on relationship-building between the NPCs and PCs if you want the full dramatic effect, but stretching out the beginning and adding a little bit of extra 'social' time is pretty easy. The text could use a once-over pass on editing just to make sure there's no fragments from previous iterations of the storyline and that names are spelt correctly throughout, but that's not a big deal and doesn't detract any from the adventure itself. Like the other OSRPG Horror games, the author does a very, very good job of ensuring that they've got a diverse cast for the NPCs which is always welcome. A treat!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Massacre at Tortoise Lake: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
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Creator Reply:
Thanks, John, for another review. I'm glad you and your group had fun with the adventure. You touch on a great point about extra "social" time with NPCs. As a GM, it's really rewarding when the players become invested in the fate of NPCs. The only way to do that is to invest time in developing those relationships. I find that when I'm running one-shots, I'm often on the clock because it's a convention. It's worth resisting the temptation to rush ahead to ensure players are immersed in the experience. Point taken on the edits - I often push these games out so quickly, and things are missed. Something I'm trying to improve. I'll be updating MaTL for the release of 2nd edition rules, so I'll give it a good edit. Thanks again, John. Truly appreciated. David
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Clowns of Funland: A One-Shot Horror Adventure
by John M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 08/12/2023 13:17:16

This adventure has an okay concept (abandoned theme park) but falls apart at virtually every level. Playing it through as laid out by the flow of the adventure events is virtually impossible unless PCs are given little to no agency, almost two pages of the book are taken up with a sidebar for what to do when players try to access an area they shouldn't be in rather than simply moving the means they have to access the area until later in the adventure, and overall, the module asks a lot of both PCs and the GM as far as potentially ignoring incongruities that, when added together, expose a lot of logical and narrative gaps that are hard to address or reconcile. It's not unplayable by any means, but compared to some of the other OSRPG Horror modules, it has to be one of my least favorite, if not the least.



Rating:
[2 of 5 Stars!]
Clowns of Funland: A One-Shot Horror Adventure
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Creator Reply:
Thanks for the review, John. I really do appreciate your feedback. I'm actually working on OSRPG Modern Horror 2nd edition (to be released in September) and am in the process of updating all of these old adventures. A lot of the changes I make come from GM and player feedback like yours. As one of my earlier works, Clowns of Funland holds a special place with me so I'd love to give it the tune-up it deserves. I'm sure your feedback will help with that if you are willing to share. Drop me an email at oneshotrpg.gm@gmail.com or reach out to me on Discord (phzoul). I'll also send you an advance copy of the new Modern Horror rules, so you can take a look.
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The Covenant of Dagon: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
by John M. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 08/11/2023 23:22:12

One of the most solid of the OSRPG horror adventures to date, it has a lot of pros and only a few cons to the adventure as a whole, and my players had a blast playing it. Refraining from having or minimizing the 'set' dialogue from certain NPCs would make interactions feel more organic, one or two NPC adversaries feel like they just disappear from the story without explaination, and a key item serves a very important purpose in aiding an NPC but no prompts are given to help characters identify that in the situation. Still, the character hooks and set-pieces made it a standout amongst some of the other adventure offerings in the OSRPG horror line



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Covenant of Dagon: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
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Creator Reply:
Hi John. Thanks for the second review. It means a lot to hear back from GMs and players. I'm glad your group had fun playing The Covenant of Dagon. Actually, I give the same advice as you regarding dialogue. GMs should read the dialogue in prep but make in your own in the game. Perhaps I need to include a section up front with this type of advice. I include dialogue because before I wrote RPG stuff, I was trying to write a movie script, and the dialogue thing stuck. While the Covenant of Dagon is more recent than Clowns of Funland, it's still getting a refresh because of the new 2nd edition rules. If you have specific feedback you're willing to share, I'd love to hear it. Drop me an email (oneshotrpg.gm@gmail.com) or reach out to me on Discord. (phzoul). All the best!
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The Last Reichsritter: A One-Shot Horror Adventure
by Halvtand P. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 12/03/2022 04:31:07

This is my second encounter with OSRPG. The game is pretty much self-contained. There is a core rule book for modern horror available, but you don't really need it for this adventure as all important rules are explained. Story-wise the players are thrusted into the classic D-Day beach assault, if they survive they learn that they're actually on a secret mission. While killing nazis are a good thing, hunting down an ancient evil takes priority. The game features maps (handouts and GM), NPC stats and picture as well as images of important items that can be found. Also stats and images of WW2-specific equipment for players to choose from. If you run this - make sure to give your players something to cut barbed wires with. I had to hand-wave it in and it felt kind of weird to do.

My group got through this adventure in three sessions, including character creation. The game feels dangerous as modern weapons really hurts and a day at the beach can have very different meanings depending on the beach. I almost killed a player with the first landed shot, but the "Cheat death" mechanic stepped in and did it's job. Only issue there is that it is an extra roll, so in futurre I may only have players roll for it if it is a lethal injury and otherwise just subtract 10% and only roll the reduced dmg. This worked both ways though and my players could very effectively put people down once they got a hit. Very nice balance between feeling vulnerable and powerful.

There are compelling NPCs with their own motivations and interacting with them can impact the story. My group seemed to really like the NPC encountered about halfway through. Very nice tie-in to provide info and also drive the story forward. The scene in the forest felt weird when I read it, but acting it out made a really powerful statement in the game, so well done. The BBEG at the end was amazing. After picking up a few flammenwerfers my group felt confident that they could take on the Reichsritter. As it appeared, they were still cocky. It then made two attacks that would've insta-killed one of my three players and suddenly the tone changed into a frantic last stand against an enemy that hit hard and didn't seem bothered by pain or injury. For the sake of spoilers I'll just say that it was an epic showdown, but sadly it failed. Still, even that felt like an appropriate end to the story.

This game feels fun, focused and despite the simple story, very well thought out. While the story is linear there are places where the characters can make decisions that really impacts the game. The one thing I would change if I run it again, apart from what I'e written above would probably be to start off with a scene before the assault. They'd get some basic briefing about what to expect on the beach and would also be introduced to the priests and their actual mission. I highly recommend this adventure. As a GM I had fun, my players had fun. The system this all runs on is quick and easy to grasp for the most part. Perfect for those game days where someone can't come or need to stay away from your regular campaign for a few weeks. It might be a bit long for a one-session game, but if you streamline the beach assault a bit it's not impossible.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
The Last Reichsritter: A One-Shot Horror Adventure
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Creator Reply:
Hey Halvtand. First, thank you for the review. Sometimes it's the fuel that keeps you going. The Last Reichsritter was the first OSRPG adventure I wrote. It seems like a lifetime ago, and your review made me go back and reread it. OSRPG has changed a fair bit since then, so it's on my list to update. I'm wondering if the new Action Pool mechanic would have given your players the edge in the end. That said, it's fun to fail (sometimes). Some of my most memorable games as a player are one's where my character didn't make it. I like your idea of a set-up scene. When I first wrote it, I rewatched Saving Private Ryan, and it influenced me to start with the action. Your comments made me think of the war diary for my grandfather's company. In the days leading up to D-Day, it was interesting to read that they were playing volleyball, watching Bod Hope movies, and eating together in the mess (which the diary mentions gave everyone the trots). It gave you a sense that they were people and not just soldiers. A set-up scene will allow players to get comfortable in their characters' shoes and build some camaraderie. It is interesting that you mention the story being linear. It's something I question every time I finish an adventure because my approach to campaigns is very different than one-shots. In my experience, the key to running a linear adventure is that as the GM you give the players enough motivation so they want to go where the story intends. It sounds like you accomplished that! I'm glad you all had a great time. If you ever have any questions drop me an email at oneshotrpg.gm@gmail.com or reach out to me on discord (Phzoul#5624). All the best.
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There is Something Wrong with the Rats: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
by Nicklas B. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 11/04/2022 06:03:01
  1. If this is your first rodeo with OSRPG - get the modern horror rules. They're easy to read and follow, but you'll need them as the rules are not explained in this adventure.
  2. This adventure relies on the skill Investigation - which is not a base skill in the modern horror rules, make sure your players are aware of this.

This was my first OSRPG gig and I'm definitely coming back for more. I ran this with a small group of two players and we ended up having so much fun that we couldn't finish the game in one evening. The game features a small cast of NPCs that the PCs can interact with, they're pretty well varied so there should be something for everyone. As the story progresses there are several handouts that makes the game come alive, from the map of the mansion to strange items found within. There are scripted sequences that allows the GM to easily set up a scene and interractin between the NPC (that the PCs can partake in), or show of the different motivations. One of my favourite parts played out exactly like it's written in the book, even with my players faling silent for a solid minute after revealing the background of an NPC. Pure gold. Events are suggested throughout the game, giving the GM a good idea of what goes on where in the mansion. My players really enjoyed the big twist at the end, so thumbs up for this one. Another thing they very much enjoyed was the fact that the game is inspired by an old legend / poem. It gave some depth and realism to the game which was very welcome.

There are some speling errors in the adventure, even one annoyingly on one of the handouts. It happens. I'm not saying spelling and grammar needs to be perfect, but it's annoying when it's on one of the things you put before your players to look at. My biggest gripe is one of the available NPCs. A pretty important one. No spoilers, but essentially this NPC acts consistantly during the entire game - until the start of the endgame. Once the lawyer reads the will this NPC does a complete 180. I understand why this happems from a writer's point of view, but it doesn't fit the NPCs defining traits at all. In my game I changed the nature of the NPCs last appearence to a stubborn last stand. If I run it again I will make it into a real ally to the players, trying to give them info, but afraid to say anything since something is always watching.

For a full 5-pointer I would've liked this NPC to be a bit different, and have a short version of the game rules included so the game would be self-contained. Apart from these two points the game is well-written and very fun. I will run it again if I get the opportunity.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
There is Something Wrong with the Rats: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
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Creator Reply:
Hey Niklas. Thank you for the review, and I appreciate the feedback. I'm really glad you and your players enjoyed it. This is one of my favorite adventures to GM because players always come up with the most interesting characters. Other adventures (mine included) tend to have guardrails (like you are an investigator, solider, etc.), whereas this one inspires an ensemble akin to Knive's Out or Murder on the Orient Express. This is one of my older titles and definitely needs an edit. BTW I updated the Modern Horror DTRPG page to notify folks that Investigation and Observation have been collapsed into Observation. I received some feedback that having both was confusing, so I eliminated Investigation. I'm slowly working through back titles to remove references to Investigation, Cheat Death, and other rule changes. I'll also update the rules themselves to point this out. As for the NPC, I'll definitely go back and give it another read, as I didn't realize I was making a 180. My writing style is to not know where the story/adventure is going until I get there. While this keeps me interested (if I know the ending, I tend to lose motivation), it can lead to some continuity problems. Just so I'm clear, can you drop me a note at oneshotrpg.gm@gmail and let me know which NPC (I assume Voight)? All the best, David
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One-Shot RPG System Rules: Modern Horror
by Arthur F. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 10/04/2022 19:20:35

I first downloaded one of these One-Shot RPG booklets some time ago thinking it was a supplement for OpenQuest. Flipping through it a little bit I was intrigued by the concise ruleset and the sheer giddy enthusiasm of some of the supplements that went with it. I decided to show it to my group to see if they would be interested in trying it out for a session.

My pitch didn't go over so well. Although I understood the basic system well enough there was just something about having a base percentile skill and then adding a modifier based on difficulty my group just didn't go for. Really, I think the main issue was that these are a bunch of longtime RuneQuest/Call of Cthulhu/BRP players that simply like having one basic skill number they can look at on a character sheet and immediately know what to roll under, and they just weren't enthused about doing anything differently or newfangled when it came to D100 based game systems. Ah, well, so much for that- it was hardly the first time I was interested in trying something out that just didn't grab the others. And so I moved on.

...Except that I didn't. Days passed. Weeks passed. And somehow my thoughts just kept coming back to these small One Shot RPG booklets. Maybe there was something about those trimmed-down skill lists that made me question "do we REALLY need all those BRP style skills for a game that will probably only last a session or two?" Or maybe it was those outrageously fun adventure covers that made me feel like a kid looking through bargain bin VHS tape covers and finding gems such as Dagon or Beastmaster all over again. Somehow, I just couldn't let go of what I had seen in these OSRPGS games. There was something there that just... Really made me want to play them.

And then, randomly one day on the drive back from work, it hit me; I could "repackage" the way the mechanics are done without actually changing anything. See, by default let's say that you have a fighting skill of 20%. In this game system you would then add a 50% (for a total of 70%) if you were attempting a normal task, or you might add a 30% (for a total of 50%) for a challenging task, etc. For whatever reason it was the idea of adding variable bonuses that was throwing my group off... So what I did instead is just went ahead and pre-calculated the 50% to each skill so that they were all simply listed as what you would need to roll under for a normal task. That way if someone attempted a difficult task they just subtract 30% from what was on the character sheet instead of trying to add various bonuses to the base number.*

In short, I just made the character sheet look more like something more familiar to a longtime BRP player and that was it. Mathematically it was all the exact same thing.

I made a second pitch to the group and this time it went over much better, so now I have a game all lined up to finally try this system out! I'll be running The Covenant of Dagon in a week or so, so I'll post how things went there afterwards.

But you know, whether that game turns out well or not I would still recommend that anyone gives this game a chance. I've been gaming for nearly three decades so I've seen games come and go, and I can spot a work of gaming quality and love. I believe that the One-Shot RPG System has both going for it.

*In case I'm not explaining this well, under the "precalculated" system a new character has one skill at 80%, four at 70%, and eight a 60%. Now you just subtract from those numbers when rolls are more difficult. For whatever reason subtracting penalties (rather than adding bonuses) just felt more 'right' to a bunch of old school "roll under" grognards even though nothing is really mathematically different.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
One-Shot RPG System Rules: Modern Horror
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Creator Reply:
Thank you for the review, Arthur. I really appreciate it. Like you, I've encountered groups (including my own) who prefer to know the total % by looking at their character sheet. I liked your solution - I typically just force players to give it a try, knowing that after 1-2 game sessions, they'll get it. Your approach is much more player friendly and creative! I think you've captured the essence of what OSRPG is all about - the video store was one of my favorite places as a kid, and you never knew what surprises were waiting for you. OSRPG adventures are a homage to all the types of stories that I love. The Covenant of Dagon (inspired by Shadow Over Innsmouth) contains some of my favorite elements 1) isolated location 2) characters are in over their heads 3) there is a mystery to be solved 4) relationship-driven NPC interactions and 5) Shoggoths :). One piece of advice that came out of some recent playtesting - I had a group that didn't want to go back to Gillman House. The solution I came up with was that Victor told them about the two pistols he left in his luggage - the promise of a firearm worked like a charm (this, of course, assumes the characters don't already have guns). Sounds like you've got a lot of experience, so I'm sure you'll have a blast. Please let me know how it goes. Also, if there are any genres or types of stories you'd like to see in the future, let me know. I'm always looking for inspiration. You can reach me at oneshotrpg.gm@gmail.com or reach out on Discord (Phzoul#5624). All the best. David
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One-Shot RPG System Rules: Dread Quest Fantasy Rules
by Bob V. G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 07/18/2022 23:55:02

Recently, I soloed my way through OSRPG Fantasy: Rise of the Vampire (free/pay what you want at DriveThruRPG, 14 pages). It is an adventure for One-Shot RPG System Rules: Dread Quest Fantasy Rules (same place and price, 45 pages). For the solo engine, I used The FlexTale Solo Adventuring Toolkit (same place, 613 pages). For my PCs, I used a knight, a warrior, three wizards, and one undead.

So, they picked up their quest at an inn and a few hours later they were on the road and up against four bandits wanting money. The undead PC frightened them off with her frightening presence. The next day they arrived at the old castle and talked to Lord Greystone. He sent them out back to the cemetery. It was there that they had to deal with monsters and traps. The ghost of a wizard did give them some good advice. The vampire fight was awesome. They did kill it and gave the castle lord the news. He confessed his crime and asked for death. Angela the knight killed him just after giving Drexa a look. At this point, the PCs are supposed to return the horses to the inn, report in to the quest giver, and go pay the guild fee. They are in no hurry to do this. They are going to hangout at the castle and “manage” it for a while. Give this fun RPG a try!

Actually you could call Drexa a necromancer. She thought it was a secret, but I guess not . . . .



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
One-Shot RPG System Rules: Dread Quest Fantasy Rules
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Creator Reply:
Hi Bob. Thank you for the review. I just replied to another review where I said the worst part about writing adventures is never being there when they are played. So, thank you for giving me a glimpse of your adventure! Sounds like it was a fun adventure for Angela, Drexa, and the gang - I had to read the line about three wizards twice :). I never thought that the characters might keep the castle. That's brilliant. All the best, and I look forward to hearing about your next adventure! David
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OSRPG Fantasy: Rise of the Vampire
by Bob V. G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 07/18/2022 23:53:12

Recently, I soloed my way through OSRPG Fantasy: Rise of the Vampire (free/pay what you want at DriveThruRPG, 14 pages). It is an adventure for One-Shot RPG System Rules: Dread Quest Fantasy Rules (same place and price, 45 pages). For the solo engine, I used The FlexTale Solo Adventuring Toolkit (same place, 613 pages). For my PCs, I used a knight, a warrior, three wizards, and one undead.

So, they picked up their quest at an inn and a few hours later they were on the road and up against four bandits wanting money. The undead PC frightened them off with her frightening presence. The next day they arrived at the old castle and talked to Lord Greystone. He sent them out back to the cemetery. It was there that they had to deal with monsters and traps. The ghost of a wizard did give them some good advice. The vampire fight was awesome. They did kill it and gave the castle lord the news. He confessed his crime and asked for death. Angela the knight killed him just after giving Drexa a look. At this point, the PCs are supposed to return the horses to the inn, report in to the quest giver, and go pay the guild fee. They are in no hurry to do this. They are going to hangout at the castle and “manage” it for a while. Give this fun adventure a try! Actually you could call her a necromancer. She thought it was a secret, but I guess not . . . .



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
OSRPG Fantasy: Rise of the Vampire
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Massacre at Tortoise Lake: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
by Olive P. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 07/13/2022 10:58:57

A very solid and entertaining slasher-style adventure. I'm a sucker for 'summer camp' styler horror so this was a great find.

The plot is simple enough for beginning GM's/directors, the pregenerated characters are a breath of fresh air, away from the normal cliches and the killer is suitably creepy/twisted.

Add to that some colouful graphics and its a winner. I myself will be using this with Slasher Flick for a bloody, disgusting evening. :)



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Massacre at Tortoise Lake: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
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Creator Reply:
Thanks, Olive, for the review. It is really appreciated. I'm a big fan of the summer camp horror film genre as well! I wrote this adventure because I like the genre but also because I sometimes want to play a game where running away from the villain is the best option. It leads to a lot of creativity, and great role-playing moments. It is also incredibly satisfying when the players/characters prevail (or at least survive). Thank you for mentioning the NPCs. When I started writing adventures, one of my philosophies was to have great NPCs. Please drop me a note (if you think about it) to let me know how the adventure turns out. The only downside of writing adventures is you're not able to be at every table when they are played :) All the best! David.
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Thanks, Olive, for the review. It is really appreciated. I'm a big fan of the summer camp horror film genre as well! I wrote this adventure because I like the genre but also because I sometimes want to play a game where running away from the villain is the best option. It leads to a lot of creativity and great role-playing moments. It is also incredibly satisfying when the players/characters prevail (or at least survive). Thank you for mentioning the NPCs. When I started writing adventures, one of my philosophies was to have great NPCs. Please drop me a note (if you think about it) to let me know how the adventure turns out. The only downside of writing adventures is you're not able to be at every table when they are played :) All the best! David.
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There is Something Wrong with the Rats: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
by Bob V. G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 05/26/2022 17:12:53

There is Something Wrong With the Rats is a fun adventure for One-Shot RPG. It is an investigative adventure that takes place in Germany in the year 2009. The RPG system I used was Wicked Pacts a Modern-Day Game of Magic (DriveThruRPG/248 pages). I did use The Solo Investigator’s Handbook to solo this 43 page adventure. The adventure includes a map of the manor (28 rooms to explore), 8 NPCs (and a dog), and several items and clues to find. I used the six first level characters that are included in Wicked Pacts (warlock, demon hunter, grunt, shadow, seer, and scribe).

The adventure started with Simone discovering that she is a very distant relative of Otto Richter. She was entitled to an inheritance and invited to a reading of the will. She was warned in a dream by a talking dog. For this reason, she invited her other five team mates. Soon after they got there, there was a dinner. Her team mates ordered dinner from the same caterer and ate later. There was a lot exploring going on and Audrey was able to use her Unlock spell to open a locked secret door and a metal safe. When it was time for sleeping, several people had to share rooms. Jerome (PC) and Gwen (NPC) shared a room and they had their own nighttime adventure. For my playthrough there was only one major battle and it was of a spiritual/magical/psychic nature (the second day). For the battle, Rod conjured up his Fire Lash but was reluctant to use it. He was afraid he would hit one of his team members. So, when the Big Bad died, and the rats were still a problem, he used it on the walls. The manor did catch on fire and all six of the PCs were able to escape. The bad news = Simone did not receive her inheritance money. The good news = the dog survived. Give this a try!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
There is Something Wrong with the Rats: A One-Shot RPG Adventure
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Creator Reply:
First off, thank you Bob for the review. It's an eldritch energy booster when it comes to writing. You \lso exemplify one of my favorites things about TTRPGS. You took an idea/adventure and made it your own. I hadn't heard of Wicked Pacts, so thanks for bringing it to my attention. I've run this adventure quite a few times - the ensemble of interesting characters that players bring to the table is always a delight. I've never had a TPK, but a few casualties. They set fire to the manor about 50% of the time and every single time the dog survived :) All the best!
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Mini Quest: The Call of Widow's Cape
by Ben R. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/18/2022 17:16:20

Really nice! My party had a lot of fun with the ring of silence, using it to shut down the matriarch's spellcasting by chucking it into the middle of her chambers.

Are sahuagin considered intellectual property? Because the deep spawn are pretty clearly sahuagin, just reskinned to be transmuted humans rather than a distinct species. I just used standard sahuagin, the sahuagin priestess and the sahuagin baron for simplicity.

My only real complaint is something fairly consistent across a number of the mini quest line: Editing errors. There are punctuation and the occasional spelling error in a number of these books and I would recommend a proofreader. Heck I'd do it myself. Wouldn't be too hard since these are at most 6 pages long plus the obligatory SRD printing.

Overall excellent work, I look forward to seeing more!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Mini Quest: The Call of Widow's Cape
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Creator Reply:
Hi Ben. Thanks for the review. I'm glad your group had fun with the ring of silence. There are some monsters WoC never made public, but it's been a while since I wrote this so I may have just been in a Lovecraftian phase (i.e., Deep Ones). Using Sahuagin stats makes sense to me. I hear you on the edits. I've been trying to go through all the older Mini-Quests to do rewrites and update them to 5E. If you check out the more recent titles, I hope you'll find they are in better shape. Thanks to your review, I've moved Call of Widow's Cape closer to the top of the list for an update. Don't hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions and advice/recommendations are always welcome. All the best. David
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Mini Quest: Jaws of the Landshark
by James G. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 04/12/2022 23:27:11

Quick Review Ran this one shot with my regular group when our DM was busy. Remixed some things so that it worked with level 7 characters and we all had a blast. Its a deceptively simple module that my players completely derailed and had a ton of fun with! Will definately run it again with lower level characters!

Things that happened in the session: I made the Land Shark an "Adamantine Landshark" so that the players couldn't hurt it and had it spit all their spells back at them. But like the good players they were, they still tried to fight it for about 5-7 rounds. Our druid jumped up onto the inn's roof which meant they could see the balista and that got used and the tower destroyed way before it was supposed to. Once I got them inside they ended up suspecting the Merchants of having the Shark's egg. This almost led to the Merchants' guards being killed. But they never got the chance to try the underground route so they both survived. Also the players kept stopping Landra before she could try to run for help so they ended up really endered by her. At the end one of our characters asked Landra if she wanted to join the party and learn to be a proper adventurer. I couldn't think of a good reason for Landra to say no and now our DM is willing to have her join the main campaign.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Mini Quest: Jaws of the Landshark
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Creator Reply:
Thank you for the review, James. You have to love how determined players are when it comes to monsters! For my gaming group, every once in a while, I throw in an adventure like this where the monster can't be defeated by rolling initiative. That never stops them from trying. Your "Adamantine Landshark" idea is very effective as the "Adamantine" immediately conveys to the players that they're going to need a bigger boat. You also hit on one of the biggest challenges you face when going from GMing an adventure to writing an adventure. When you write, there are no players and they are the "wild card" that determines whether an adventure will be amazing. Playtesting helps but you can't playtest enough to predict what is going to happen. I'm glad you all had fun. All the best! David
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Mini Quest Double Feature: Revenge of the Kobold King
by Billy F. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 03/27/2022 22:18:24

Every PC deep-down wants play and win an epic, large-scale battle! This allows them to do that with creative encounters that don't bog down play for large armies and keeps low-level PCs at the center of attention (not easy to do).

Easy to homebrew or reskin for OSR or other systems and adjust for level as needed. Easily fits into any campaign, I am thinking of adding this into B2 Keep on the Borderlands as part of a that sandbox or reskinning to fit into my Free Scotland campaign.

XP bonus to the writer for being succinct and not forcing DMs to read and sift through PAGES of unnecessary details like most modules. You could read this and run it in one day.

SPOILERS:

The siege really puts pressure on the PCs putting them in what looks like a no-win situation surrounded by an army of 800! But, there are plenty of obvious outs to avoid a TPK if warranted, or ways to adjust for party level. It also adds a small dungeon crawl as the prelude that perfectly ties the two mini-quests together and it always increases verisimilitude when players can see direct consequences of their actions (intended and otherwise). Even has a few nice plot twists.

RECOMMENDATIONS: I would've liked a recommended APL in the description at least on Drivethru. I would guess 3-6 PCs levels 1-3 maybe with total party levels of 4-10? Haven't run it yet but read thru a few times now. I think players could make level 2 after the dungeon and possibly hit 3rd during the siege if allowed.

Also would have been nice to cover a few contingencies for DMs. The most obvious are if they are able to stealth out of the keep and either send for help or engage the Gorg outside the keep (both would be difficult or easily averted as written). Of course, its easy enough to just press the action to the PCs or change the locale of the final conflict as needed.

Not a lot of player choice and its set up for almost all combat. But, there is some RP w/ Wallace during set up (would have liked this built up more) and you could add a pre-battle attempt at parlay between PCs and the enemy demanding terms for surrender (just don't let them kill the king yet!). This could be a good time for the PCs to be spotted early by the traitor. I am picturing Gorg revealing the heads of a patrol that should have spotted the enemy en route for extra flavor and background. Adding a stealth mission at night for non-combat skills to shine could be easy as well.

The upside is it is easy to keep the action moving for PCs that aren't very proactive (like a lot of newer players) but you could sit back and let tension build while PCs try to prep or plan for attack.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Mini Quest Double Feature: Revenge of the Kobold King
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Mini Quest: The Talisman of Moloch
by jason m. [Verified Purchaser] Date Added: 01/01/2022 14:22:12

Delightful! Interesting encounters that are efficiently presented, easy to pick up and play and even the artwork is great ( I'm going to be looking into artist Dean Spencer ). I'm going to check out another offering by Mini Quest and if it matches up, they will be my new go-to. And I'm going to pay.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
Mini Quest: The Talisman of Moloch
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