Released in conjunction with the Evil sourcebook, this adventure sets the party as candidates for membership in the Minutemen, the local thieves' guild. They are handed a list of items they are to 'acquire' over a single night... and if they fail, they will be handed over to the town guards and imprisoned for whatever crimes they have committed (or for which they need someone to take the rap)! No pressure then...

If you've used Honour Among Thieves, another adventure in the Adventurer's Keep series, you will have met the Minutemen already, in their home town of Desburgh (or wherever you located it). Use the same bunch again, or maybe this is an affiliate operating in another town that's more convenient for your overall plot. Any class of character may apply for membership provided they are neutral or evil in alignment, and several possible reasons for them wishing to join the Minutemen are provided - although you may need to engineer the conditions that would bring those reasons in to play in prelimary adventures of your own. Alternatively, it can be run as a one-off for a group who want to have a go at being the bad guys for once. A neat system is provided to enable you to create a new 'Gauntlet' every time you run this module, or you can use the example that is detailed in full.

The adventure begins with the party meeting with a representative of the Minutemen in an empty warehouse in the early evening, where they are given the list of items (less one, they're told they will be informed about the last one later on). You may well wish to devise some earlier scenes to cover the party contacting the Minutemen and applying to join, of course. Locations are mapped and described clearly, with plenty of detail to let you deal with whatever the party decides to do.

Notes are provided as to how to deal with success and failure, either during the night or once they meet the Minutemen representative again with their spoils. There are some good ideas for follow-up adventures as well. Overall, it makes for an excellent adventure for a party that doesn't mind getting its hands dirty or is considering (or already leading) a life of crime. Or they might be working undercover... Whatever, it makes for an entertaining and hectic evening!

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Reviewed: 25 October 2017