ASC3 Review - Twin Falls

Adventure Site Contest 3 review

This adventure was submitted for consideration in Adventure Site Contest 3 being run by Ben Gibson at Coldlight Press. This is an unofficial review, which was written prior to reading (or watching) any of the official judges’ reviews. Links to the official reviews are at the bottom of the review. 

Five-star rating scale, based on both playability and interest:
*          Failing grade. The adventure doesn’t meet minimum standards of playability.
**         I could see running this, but it fails to inspire me or has significant playability issues.
***       I would consider running this.
****     I am considering running this.
*****   I want to run this. Now.

Twin Falls
By squeen
For AD&D
Level 4-6 (3-5 characters)

Time to grok the adventure: 15 minutes

Set-up:

The party is travelling through the wilderness and comes across a lake. There are two passages around the lake and beyond, but each is blocked by a stone cottage, and each cottage is guarded by an enchanted hill giant, who will only let the party pass if bested in wrestling. What the party doesn’t know is that if they lose (which they almost certainly will because the hill giants’ enchantment), the losing wrestler will suffer a geas to serve the hill giant as a house servant for one year.

This is a true adventure site in the sense that there is no adventure per se, only a site in which adventure could happen. 

Things I like: 

Wrestling. I have yet to GM for a party that doesn’t like wrestling. The author has helpfully included a short-form summary of the grappling rules from the AD&D DMG, as well as the grappling modifiers for the hill giants.

This is the perfect sort of thing to spice up wilderness travel or slot into a wilderness random encounter. Far from being strictly combat, it gives the players options to fight, wrestle, role-play, sneak, steal, or completely ignore everything and find another way around.

There is a secret in the bottom of the lake, which could reward a curious and very determined party. The fact that detect magic will be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of enchantment around is a hint, but it will still require determination. I like it.  

Things I didn’t like:

Honestly, nothing. I thought this adventure site was tight.

Rating:

****1/2  A perfect wilderness encounter which gives as much as the player want to get out of it. 

Links to official judges' review:

(none yet)