Designed as a GM resource (players, stay well away!), it's not actually necessary to run the Adventure Path but provides additional material that will enhance your game and offer wider options. It also gives the author a platform to share some of his ideas about underlying thoughts and concepts, a bit of a peek behind the curtain that may prove of interest - but does not, of course, dictate how it should be played.

The work is made up of six sections, beginning with Campaign Background. Compared to the backstory sections in the first three installments of the Adventure Path itself, this is a bit of a swift summary, capturing the high points and showing you how everything hangs together... and it all begins when a mismatched group of fledgling adventurers takes shelter from a storm in a ramshackle country inn. A synopsis of each adventure in the Adventure Path follows, highlighting important incidents and NPCs that you should bear in mind as the series progresses.

Next is a section on Running the Campaign, which looks at both in-game and out-of-game facets of the process. There's a lot here, beginning with the twin themes of thriller/horror and epic fantasy - and the need to maintain some level of good taste at your table. Some aspects may prove difficult for young or sensitive players and they are discussed here: points to bear in mind, but of course you know your players and what they can handle. The ramifications of the rarity of divine magic in the setting is discussed along with the general dim view that is taken of religion altogether. Signs and portents, rewards and punishment, redeption and atonement are all covered along with major NPCs, using 'reputation' and more.

This is followed by notes on the City Setting and a detailed City Gazetteer. Your party will spend a fair bit of time here, so it is worth getting to know it well so that you can present it to them effectively. There are maps and notes on locations and people the length and breadth of the city, along with details of law enforcement, crime and punishment and, well, everything you'll need to make the place come alive as a backdrop for the adventures.

Then there are suggestions for Alternate or Adjusted Campaigns. Perhaps there's something in the Adventure Path as written that you would like to change. Notes cover some of the headline aspects that you might want to vary, with ideas about how to go about it and how much such a change would alter the nature of the adventures (and indications of how much work you'd need to do to effect the change you have in mind). This is a refreshing change to most settings, where about the only thing touched upon is whether you want to run the adventures in your own campaign world rather than the one provided. (That option is included in case you want to use another city, however!)

Finally, there are four side-trek adventures you can weave in to the overall plot and a Bestiary with full details of all novel creatures that show up during the course of the entire Adventure Path. The side-treks enhance the plot, although their omission won't spoil anything (and they are quite fun!), and it's nice to have all these ghastly critters gathered into one place! The download also includes a map pack with a glorious city map and a few other useful maps of places in which brawls might take place - always useful!

Overall, this provides a thoughtful companion to the Adventure Path and is well worth study both before and during the time you are running it.

Return to What Lies Beyond Reason Campaign Guide page.

Reviewed: 7 November 2016