Marika Polla, Autore presso No Dice Unrolled

Lore of Aetherra – The Lost Druid [ D&D5e ] | Review

by Marika Polla | May 12, 2023 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Before I begin, thanks to authors Jessy Ribordy and Gabriel Davis and the Hit Point Press team for sending me a copy of Lore of Aetherra – The Lost Druid and giving me the opportunity to write a review.

What we have before us is an adventure for D&D5e in the science-fantasy genre that accompanies the characters from the first to the fifth level, presenting itself as the first chapter of a larger series. Lore of Aetherra will present a total of 4 volumes, allowing for character development up to level 20, proving to be a rich and long-lasting setting. This manual consists of more than 260 pages, accompanied by various digital materials that can be exploited on the Alchemy RPG platform.

The Lost Druid was launched on Kickstarter in 2021, where it earned around $60,000 compared to the $12,000 requested, proving to be quite successful from launch.

The Lost Druid can be purchased on the Hit Point Press website at a cost of 59.99 euros for the paper version and 29.99 for the PDF file.

Aetherra and a Kingdom in Trouble

A city on the brink of collapse, a war looming, the government turning against its own citizens, a plague and a missing man. These are the key concepts around which the Lore of Aetherra – The Lost Druid adventure revolves and branches out. Accordingly, the city of Fano has certainly seen better days and now needs saving. What used to be a splendid city is now a dangerous place in whose streets the need for a revolution is beginning to feel.
Concurrently moves Fawn Lee, a young man in search of the truth about his father, a druid who has been missing for a thousand years. By now the city is in conditions such that finding it remains the only hope of restoring Fano to its former glory. Thanks to the search for this individual, the party finds itself involved in an epic journey that will draw players into its cinematic flow. There are various scenarios present, each with its own difficulties, mysteries and characters, in a living and troubled world that awaits heroes to be saved.

A Look at the World of Lore of Aetherra – The Lost Druid

Lore of Aetherra – The Lost Druid is such a broad and rich setting that it necessarily deserves to spend a few words to present it. The city of Fano, as well as every other place presented here, is accurately described, creating a lively and immersive background. A dynamic reality, in which the characters move by influencing the world with their actions and decisions. Reading the pages of the manual and playing his adventures, you will feel like you are walking through those streets, crossing those waters or finding yourself in front of those ravenous creatures.

Lore of Aetherra - The Lost Druid review

In aid of immersion there is no shortage of maps, side quests, new monsters and NPCs. The Lost Druid doesn’t stop there though, also offering expanded character creation with new backgrounds, spells and magical items; there’s no shortage of tavern mini-games either!

Given the excellent premises of this first chapter, it is natural to expect further expansions in subsequent manuals, expanding this little new universe even more.

The Narrative Structure and its Supplements

Lore of Aetherra – The Lost Druid is an adventure divided into scenes, structured to revolve around a specific place and in such a way as to constitute a strongly cinematic narrative. Each scene always has the same structure to maintain internal narrative coherence and make them easier to manage.

There are also sections dedicated to the declaration of intent, the themes and the use of the pronouns of the various characters.

There are also numerous handouts for the master, ready to read, thus simplifying the preparation of the session and offering a direct look inside the story.

From this point of view, the adventure leaves nothing to chance, focusing on total immersion on the part of the players. In aid of this aspect come the various QR codes scattered throughout the manual which, once scanned, present numerous digital materials ready to be integrated. This is exactly where the gaming platform Alchemy comes in handy by integrating its sounds, recorded voices and animating the world of Aetherra on screen.

Characters and Aesthetics of The Lost Druid

The characters in this module are alive, carefully described both from an aesthetic and a character point of view. They are not simply filler images that move on the edge of the action, they are really part of it, with their strengths and weaknesses and their choices. One could say that if the world of Aetherra is so alive, it is also due to those who inhabit it; they never present themselves as simple anonymous extras, but as strong and distinct personalities.

As far as the aesthetic aspect of the manual is concerned, it is important to focus on the two words that make up the genre: science-fantasy. The pages are dominated by white, beige and gold, with clear separations on the shades of blue and blue. There are numerous illustrations that enrich the volume and demonstrate how the same attention has been paid to the stylistic part as to the narrative one.

Lore of Aetherra – The Lost Druid Review Conclusions

Overall Lore of Aetherra – The Lost Druid presents itself as an adventure with a strongly cinematic and narrative character. The variety of environments and the diversity and depth of the characters who inhabit them give life to an intensely paced and particularly immersive adventure.

Generally i recommend this adventure to all those who want to launch into an intense world and love attention to detail. Now it’s up to you to go and discover it!

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Isle of the Dreaded Accursed [ D&D5e ] | Review

by Marika Polla | Mar 13, 2023 | Uncategorized | 0 comments

Before we start this Isle of the Dreaded Accursed review, we would like to thank the JVC Parry and Mr. Tarrasque for sending us a copy of the manual.

Today we present you an adventure for fourth/fifth level characters for D&D 5e that take them up to level ten, depending on the approach of the players. This manual has about seventy pages with good quality maps and handouts, which will take you to a maritime setting full of monstrous creatures and rampant tension. There are also references to the Ultimate Bestiary: The Dreaded Accursed manual, that contains all the monsters of this work (thanks to the collaboration between the team of authors and Nord Games).

You can find the PDF of the adventure on the Drivethrurpg website at cost of 25 euros and a physical copy will soon be available too.

The physical manual is the result of an excellent Kickstarter campaign, dating back to June 2022 and which, thanks to more than 900 supporters, raised over 27,000 euros (much more than the minimum goal of 4,000 euros).

The Wrath of a God

I will try to present the adventure without making excessive spoilers, to avoid ruining the pleasure of playing it.

What happens when a sea deity unleashes its fury? It is precisely around this question that the whole work revolves. In the previous months, several events involving the sea and sailors have made it clear that Elvirath, the Goddess of the Sea, is completely enraged. This is where the story begins with. The characters will be involved in an adventure that will take them to travel the seas and try to discover the secrets and motivations behind so much divine anger.

In fact, the starting point is that sailors are faithful to the evil deity of the sea Elvirath. The Goddess is worshiped by offering her sacrifices and gifts and living in fear of her name and her fame. Everything seems to work for some time, at least until things change and the Goddess begins to manifest her fatal wrath; ships, docks and sailors are her target, making it clear that something has happened that she didn’t like in the slightest.

The Narrative Structure of the Module

Considering its structure, Isle of the Dreaded Accursed can easily be played as a stand-alone story or inserted into a campaign without much effort.

The adventure has a classic structure and it is divided into chapters (six to be precise), making it easy for the master to follow the flow of events and their relative management. At the beginning it is possible to find some narrative hooks to lure the players into the heart of the events of the story. There are many paragraphs to be read directly to the players, containing the description of the places and the words of the various NPCs.

From the beginning of the first chapter, it’s clear that we are reading an action-packed adventure; players will certainly not miss the opportunity to get involved and risk their own life in order to succeed in their quest. Everything is set in good quality maritime environments that make ports, ships and islands seem alive. The NPCs are also charming, charismatic and not repetitive.

Also the appendices at the end of the book are remarkable. The references within the text are all clear and very simple to find. Specifically we have a first appendix, actually a side quest, also with a structure divided into parts. I found the following ones particularly interesting as they present new races, classes and spells designed specifically for this adventure, giving new ideas for gameplay and interpretation. There are also new monsters, maps and handouts.

Graphic Style and Handouts of Isle of the Dreaded Accursed

From an aesthetic point of view, the manual is very pleasant with dominant colors tending to different shades of green. The paragraphs to be read to the players are easily identifiable at a glance thanks to green boxes.

Moreover the illustrations are very nice for and help to immerse yourself even more in the game atmosphere; also the most important NPCs of the adventure have their dedicated art.

The map section is well represented; there are all the useful ones for the places encountered throughout the story.

Finally, the module presents a series of ready-made handouts, which look enjoyable and which can be used as they are, or exploited as inspiration.

Conclusions of the Isle of the Dreaded Accursed Review

Isle of the Dreaded Accursed is therefore a fun, linear adventure module that offers a remarkable series of challenges to the player. It is ideal for those who want to face their fate at sea. I believe that it can meet most of the tastes of masters and players by offering interesting, exciting and dynamic sessions.

So now you just have to go and take a look at it!