Inferno [ D&D5e ] | Review

We begin this review by thanking Acheron Games and Two Little Mice for branding us with the sin of pride for sending us the complete Inferno bundle.

It’s been a while since we started talking about its Quickstart; not satisfied, we took the time to interview Daniela Giubellini, the project’s main artist. We were excited, also because the premises were at a high level and the editorial team was discussing what the finished product would actually be. After a year and a half of waiting, the time has finally come to write the review of Inferno.

In case this product is also an irresistible temptation for you, the complete package is available for around 140€. Individual manuals or other accessories are also available; I refer you to Acheron’s website for the amount and purchase modalities.

Before we rejoice in our sins, it’s necessary to explain briefly what we’re talking about. Inferno is a setting for D&D5e based on the imagery created by Dante Alighieri for the Divine Comedy. If you’re imagining a world where adventurers simply descend into hell to make deals with Lucifer, you’re playing the wrong game. Inferno is much more than that, as it introduces a number of very interesting mechanics and asks players to go beyond the simply exterminating Devils and the damned. Inferno is a real journey in search of a feeling that shouldn’t exist in this place of the damned: Hope.

“Through me the way is to the city dolen;
Through me the way is eternal dole;
Through me the way among the people lost;.
Justice incited my sublime creator;
created me divine Omnipotence,
the highest wisdom and the primal Love.
Before me there were no created things
only eterne, and I eternal last.
All hope abandon, ye who enter in!”

Inferno, Canto III, 1-9

Let’s Sin of pride: Analysis of the Bundle

The focus of Inferno are the three manuals, which are similar in their presentation but differ greatly in their choice of colors. Black, red and blue dominate the scene. Modern images mix perfectly with Gustave Doré‘s historical engravings. Like other products bythe authors, Inferno maintains a two-column structure, with single-column sections alternating in some places. The visual impact and readability of these two manuals are really of a high level, and only in some details Inferno lacks attention. But we will talk about that later in a section dedicated to the maps and illustrations of these great manuals.

After the manuals there is the Guide Screen, which consists of three horizontal facades, enriched with a splendid illustration by Daniela Giubellini. The bundle also includes the A2 map of Hell with relative enlargements, created by Fabio Porfidia and 4 squared maps of the main game areas. Finally, to pay homage to the beauty of Dante’s work, Inferno – Divina Commedia was created, an artbook that includes the first canto of the poem in both Italian and English versions. The game is rounded off with two decks of cards that summarize monsters, emblems and equipment.

A Guide to Inferno

The game system behind Inferno is D&D5e, but as I mentioned in the introduction there is much more. In Inferno there is a very interesting mechanic that is connected to Hope, the most valuable asset in a place that has an invitation on the door to leave this feeling out. A unique experience, carried out by the master who bears the name of Guide.

The characters are Lost, living beings forced to go through hell embodying the sin that could one day force them there. They are living beings who came here before their time. Hell will try to capture and enslave them, so the challenge for the players will not be to defeat the hordes of the damned, but to survive this journey with a shred of hope. After all, there is no concept of “death” in hell. Everything that will be destroyed will be recreated by divine will within a few moments. An infinite journey in a place created to snatch hope from the body.

This journey is covered in the Inferno – Virgil’s Untold Tales manual. Inside is the campaign that guides the Foundables from the dark forest to the Giudecca. There is a detailed description of the different groups as well as a bestiary with the characteristics of the infernal guardians and judges.

Review of the Protagonists of Inferno

Inferno is a journey, and its protagonists are the Foundables. These unfortunates are represented by 12 archetypes. They are an infernal reinterpretation of the D&D5e classes closely linked to the sin that will one day drag them to this place of pain. Each archetype is represented by its own infernal emblems. Clothes, shape and weapons that give life to the Foundable and make up its substance.

It is not possible to get rid of an emblem because it represents the burden of guilt that binds us to Hell. The corruption it represents and the knowledge that we cannot abandon it will quickly consume our hope. Obviously the emblems are not only a condemnation, but also a form of power. However, as mentioned earlier, power will lead to corruption and we must choose its use carefully.

In addition to the Foundables, three other playable races that completely deviate from this concept were unlocked during the Kickstarter campaign. Ignavian Angels, Magni Spirits and Malebranche will be able to join the journey, aware however that for them there is no real salvation. their place in hell has long been decided and the only thing they can do is prove themselves worthy of the God grace.

Among the twelve archetypes, the one that struck me the most is the Saint, the archetype of the Lost Paladin; having shed blood in the illusion of understanding and fulfilling the will of the Lord, he is forced to dwell in the Seventh Circle, among the violent and blasphemous. This version completely overturns the classic vision of the Paladin and is a clear example of the interesting roleplay possibilities given by the manual.

A Journey Through the City of Sorrows

The Inferno – Dante’s Guide to Hell manual devotes over 92 pages to describing the darkest place in the world of RPGs. Personally I consider it the most important part of the manual, since it allows us to fully enter this type of setting.

Hell is a dark and terrible abyss in which the concepts of time and space do not exist. In the first paragraphs, the authors explain how it is possible for the lost to survive this journey, detailing each group with long descriptions full of ideas that will help the masters give context to their adventures.

While reading it was very interesting to imagine the different places described, especially the final battle with Lucifer inside the Giudecca. It is an icy hell in which the lost decide whether to ignore the promises of the evil one to abandon their sins; the perfect conclusion of a long journey through the many groups.

Inferno Art Review

Within this review I have shown you several illustrations of the many artists who participated in the project. Daniella Giubellini, Fabio Porfidia and Vincenzo Prattico have done a superlative job creating a graphic sector beyond expectations. It is sufficient to browse through the manual to notice the beauty of the many images present in the manuals and in the artbook. The illustrations fit perfectly within the three manuals and the graphic choice of colors is very spot on.

Obviously such a full-bodied work carries with it some small smudges, such as the presence of mirrored images that bear the artists’ signature upside down. Personally I think it’s an insignificant detail that doesn’t detract from the hard work behind the development of the two manuals.

Final Thoughts of this Inferno Review

Inferno is an extremely good product with very interesting mechanics that allow masters and players to bring to the table a particular experience based on sin and the hope of redemption. Obviously, to fully experience the sensations of this setting, a certain seriousness is required at the table, to avoid transforming everything into a parodic version of Dante’s journey.

The manuals are aesthetically incredible and this further increases the value of this excellent product. A highly recommended purchase for all those who want to bring Dante’s journey and the horrors of hell to their table, all in D&D5e sauce!

If you enjoyed this Inferno review, stay tuned for more D&D5e products!