GameMastery Module D3: The Demon Within (OGL) (based on
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Paizo Publishing, LLC
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A dungeon adventure for 11th-level characters.
For years, the knights of Mendev have held back the evil locked inside the Worldwound, a vast, demon-tainted landscape. Every few years, they anoint a new protector, a sacred guardian charged with pitting his will against the teeming hordes bent on devouring the very souls of the living. This year, something has gone horribly wrong, and now a bloodthirsty demonic army has overrun the ancient fortress, and threatens to pour into the surrounding countryside.
This adventure is set in Mendev, the site of the largest crusade in the Pathfinder Chronicles Campaign Setting, but it can be easily adapted for use in any setting. For more information on this enduring struggle, check out the Pathfinder Chronicles Gazetteer.
Written by Stephen S. Greer and Tim Hitchcock
ISBN-13: 978-1-60125-076-6
GameMastery Modules are 32-page, high-quality, full-color, OGL-compatible adventures for use with the world's most popular fantasy RPG. All GameMastery Modules include four pre-made characters so players can jump right into the action, and full-color maps to enhance play.
D3 is an excellent module. From a holy ceremony gone wrong, our PCs will explore the buildings surrounding Clydwell Keep to then plunge within its depths to stop a catastrophic event of unbelievable proportions.
I particularly like the "siege" aspect of the module, in the sense that PCs are racing against time, trying to reach a location of extreme importance by fighting their way "behind enemy lines", exploring the Demon-occupied areas in the process and dealing with the aftermath of their invasion.
It's really effective when run straight out of the book, and can also act as a spark, a foundation for a mini-campaign (by adding encounter areas and other things to do while the PCs make their way to the adventure's gullet to its end point), or a huge epic (with possible long term ramifications of the module's ending).
All around, the ambiance is there, the pace is sustained, the flavor ideas are great, and it's all a springboard from which many great game sessions could come alive. Recommended product. 5 stars.
Even though this is listed as a D-class adventure, it feels like so much more. Starting with a holy ceremony gone awry, the adventure starts off with a burst of excitement and doesn't drop it until the end. Racing against time, the PCs have to fight off a horde of demons before it's too late, a classic adventure style, but it is executed so well here.
As mentioned above, this is no simple dungeon-crawl, the PCs must assault a defended keep, and deal with all the tactical considerations that entails. Add to this a good variety of enemies and a good mix of hack-and-slash encounters with some good roleplaying opportunities, and you have a good mix for any player.
Steve Greer and Tim Hitchcock have outdone themselves with this adventure. What else can I say? Get it now!
I cannot wait to spring this adventure on my players. I love that the ramifications of failure are world-changing in scope, a change of pace from your run-of-the-mill adventure even at 11th level. The encounters are well-written emphasizing the gruesome and fiendish nature of the adversaries, and evoking an appropriate mood that couples with the sheer heroic-ness of the task. The new monsters and magic items are well done. Highly Recommended.
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