This time we bring you a review of a Midnight Tower adventure, whom we thank for sending us a printed copy of Before the Stroke of Midnight. This English adventure for D&D5e was inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe and is designed for 3-5 9th-level characters, but can be easily scaled to cover levels 1-20. Created by authors Tove Lund Jorgensen and Erik Jorgensen, Before The Stroke Of Midnight was presented as a Kickstarter project and collected £ 27,766 in a short time. Like the other Midnight Tower adventures we reviewed (Rise of the Ice Dragons Trilogy) Before the Stroke of Midnight can be purchased at DrivetrhuRPG in digital version for $7.50 (about € 6.40), or in physical, hardcover and printed version, in color, the Standard version for $29.90 (about € 25.52) or the Premium version for $39.90 (about € 34.05).
A Look at the Graphics from Before the Stroke of Midnight
If we exclude the thanks and the character sheet, Before the Stroke of Midnight is 73 pages long. The manual consists of the actual adventure and the Black Raven Copendium, in which we find new magical items, monsters, and information that complete the setting. Being a detective adventure and not a classic dungeon, the manual is full of details. Entire paragraphs are dedicated to the description of the various NPCs, their ambitions and their dark secrets, thus making each character unique.
The artworks present are many and of a high level. The portraits of the monsters and co-stars are functional to the adventure and help the narrator in the descriptions. Others are integrated into the work to create that dark atmosphere typical of Poe’s works that inspired the authors. Finally, to complete everything, there are detailed maps that will help the narrator and the players to move around the various locations.
The Review of the Plot of Before the Stroke of Midnight
The Duchess Rose Blackraven of Shieldsborg Castle is dead. However, her last will is missing, and it is unclear who will inherit from her.
You must find the will before midnight and identify the true heir to Shieldsborg Castle. Search the old castle for clues, interview the secretive residents, and investigate the mysterious surrounding areas.
But be careful – more blood will be spilled, and a new murder will occur before midnight.
The intro of Before the Stroke of Midnight could hook you easily into any adventure. A carriage as black as night stops outside the inn where the characters rest. The wood is marked in several places by deep scratches, and a pale and frightened man gets out of the carriage. He is injured, but seeks someone’s help to deliver a message to Shieldborg Castle.
From this point, the plot continues in a linear way with a good number of perfectly inserted twists create an atmosphere of danger around the characters. Being an investigative adventure, it is not designed for a purely physical approach, but the fact remains that Before The Stroke Of Midnight leaves players the possibility to decide whether to jump into the fight or demure in favor of diplomacy.
A few Notes for the Dungeon Master
An adventure designed for characters from 1st to 20th level can present problems especially if there are characters in the party who use magic. Some divination and enchantment spells can easily resolve any investigative situations that arise. It will therefore be the narrator who must calibrate the challenges. Fortunately, the Before The Stroke Of Midnight manual is a pefect ally. Inside the Black Raven Compendium, we find some magical objects designed for the occasion, as well as monsters to give the players a challenge.
Final Thoughts on Before the Stroke of Midnight
Before The Stroke Of Midnight is an adventure designed for those who want to play detectives tracking down culprits through clues and interrogation. The players choose who to question and when. Obviously this type of adventure requires the narrator to prepare and carefully study the setting and the many NPCs, but at the same time it offers continuous twists. I appreciated the attention to detail and the care of the material. I recommend Before the Stroke of Midnight to anyone who wants to experience a mystery inspired by the works of Poe.