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Rating: 
Summary: I enjoyed it, but it has it's flaws.
Review: In the Ravenloft series of adventures that are put out by TSR there is one thing that is incredibly clear: Horror rules the entire setting. It's a fact of life on the Demiplane of Dread that people are frightened out of their wits by creatures of the night such as ghosts and werewolves. This adventure is no less terrifying, but it's unique take on Ravenloft is it's greatest achievement and worst flaw. Allow me to explain: this particular adventure uses what is called "Arcane Terror" to inspire it's fear, rather than fear, foreboding, or even fantasy horror(a TSR-introduced phrase used to describe Ravenloft). Arcane Terror is, in my words, the use of ancient mysteries and powerful, vlie magic to inspire fear through their sheer enormity of impact on everything. And when I say "everything," I mean EVERYTHING. Anyone who has played a game of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons knows the name Vecna. While it may be different in knowledge, everyone knows what the Hand and Eye of Vecna are, or that he is actually a lich-demigod. But none of that is focused on in the adventure. Just the mention of his name, though, evokes terror in many. Enough background, now I start to analyze. The most obvious flaws in the product, even if you're not a Ravenloft player or Dungeon Master, is the large number of typos. One time, "Vecna" is referred to as "Azalin," and another major character is called by two varying, and very different, names throughout the product. The second problem is that it is only 64 pages long. Now, while that may seem a small problem, an extra 32, or even 16 pages would have allowed more game staistics, which brings the major problem of the module up: the lack of information which a DM would need to run a campaign set in the area. On the first pages there is mention of two unique golems known as "The Hand" and "The Eye." I won't go into specifics here, but these UNIQUE creatures weren't even given statistics. Other, less harmful, problems, were the lack of statistics for Vecna, Kas, and the many lord-servants of Vecna in Cavitius. If TSR had put just an extra 16 pages in, these characters could have been detailed, and DMs would ave been saved a lot of trouble. However, what's done is done, and we must move on. The product, taken as a single adventure, is simply wonderful. The use of the so-called "Arcane Terror" mentioned above is a shining example of what the Kargat can do if they put their minds to it (as was evidenced in The Shadow Rift, put out earlier this year, but that was a different story altogether). Again, I won't go into specifics here, but I say, for all it's flaws, it is still a must-have for any DMs wishing to run an adventure in the Burning Peaks cluster, or just for a one-shot crossover from a Greyhawk campaign (perhaps as a sequel to Vecna Lives!, if you're that sadistic), or just for a good read. There are my thoughts, so take what you want.
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