It's a bit startling to find my name mentioned in the author's introduction (all I did was review the Player's Guide put out for the What Lies Beyond Reason Adventure Path of which this is the first adventure!), but once over that shock, let's move on to the Adventure Background. At this point in time, it's really only for the GM as the party is going to be thrust headlong into events without the option, but these are things they will be wanting to find out as the game proceeds, which gives another reason apart from it being useful for you to know what is going on!

It all starts in an inn, but this scenario takes that rather hackneyed opening and turns it into the adventure itself... as the whole building collapses under the weight of the storm the party is taking refuge from, depositing them into some underground caves where they find far more than they had bargained for... and once they emerge they face an overland trek to a hostile city. There's quite a cast of NPCs to get your head around, and some fascinating useful notes about how to make sure that the party, not them, remain at centre stage throughout - espeically useful as this adventure is designed for first-level characters and many of them have a few more levels under their belts.

Descriptions are detailed and atmospheric, and the party is invited to join in, with the assumption being that they are a random bunch of folks sheltering from the storm rather than an already-formed adventuring group (although it works fine if they are...). The underground cave system is clearly mapped - with top-down and side elevations to help you get the picture - and there's a map pack included with the download to provide plans for combat. Another neat touch is the trouble-shooting advice. "What if the party does/doesn't do...?" with plenty of suggestions of how to get around them failing to do something quite pivotal to the adventure - without a shred of railroading, either, all manner of subtle nuances and inventive workarounds to make sure that everything required for further adventures in the Adventure Path is in place.

The trip to the city is provided with several enounters which are worth including, you can add your own or 'handwave' the rest of the journey as best suits your style. Both the cavern exploration and the journey are designed to set characters a bit on edge, give them the feeling that something is very, very wrong; and everything that transpires should heighten that feeling. It gets no better on arrival, with a fledging riot outside the gates and unhelpful guards more interested in protecting the city than maintaining the peace. A tense negotiation follows...

There's a lot packed into this adventure, with spelunking, survival, combat, opportunities for interaction and more. Characters who survive to the end are likely to reach second level and know that they have embarked on no ordinary campaign... Definitely one to watch, one to enjoy (from either side of the GM screen)... and circumstances are only going to get more difficult!

Return to Difficult Circumstances page.

Reviewed: 8 November 2016