The first player-handout is enough to send you screaming...

The backstory tells of unspeakable toad-worshipping cults infesting primeval swamps, which most had thought safely confined to antiquity. Yet their squabbles continued in secret and recent astrological signs suggest to them that it might just be time to once again walk in the light... and various suggestions are provided to enable the judge to weave this into the campaign until ready to unleash this adventure on the party.

The adventure proper begins with the characters venturing into the depths of a swamp to locate a cult place of worship, the Croaking Fane of the title...

Once inside, it's pretty much a dungeon crawl, but one presenting plenty of challenge with lots to look at and figure out as well as to fight. Those who pay attention might even survive. There is a lot of detail here, which will provide a memorable adventure.

Apart from one typo on page 3 ("Players unwise enough to take advantage of this respite have no one to blame but themselves if the PCs perish within the Croaking Fane"... a missing 'not'), it is well-presented and laid out with some atmospheric illustrations to go with the evocative descriptions, including that player-handout and a couple of clear maps for the judge.

Overall, this is a real cracker of a 'crawl, and well worth running.

Return to The Croaking Fane page.

Reviewed: 17 July 2013