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Dungeon Crawl Classics #31: The Transmuter's Last Touch
[1-30000-142-6]
$2.00
Publisher: Goodman Games
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by Chris G. [Featured Reviewer] Date Added: 12/22/2006 00:00:00

DCC 31 The Transmuters Last Touch

As a module review there will be spoilers. So please do not read this if you expect to ever play the module. It is a fun module, and that?s all a player needs to know.

The Dungeon Crawl Classics are a series of modules by Goodman Games. They are a bit old school in that they are a bit simple in the plot and have creative encounters and are dungeon crawls. It has a been a very popular line of modules for me and my group. This review of Dungeon Crawl Classics 31: The Transmuter?s Last Touch is a module that I did not get as a review copy. I picked it up and was able to run it for my group so that is what this review will be based on in addition to a thorough read through. I choose this one because it is one of the shorter adventure and we were able to run it in one night. It is also a two dollar module or one dollar PDF. I have a copy in each format to comment on how the each are for this review.

The Tansmuter?s Last Touch is the thirty first in this long line of successful modules. It is written by Jeff LaSala. The module is sixteen pages long and a PDF that counts the four sides of the cover it is twenty pages. The map is nicely done and very easy to read and follow. It is just one level so the map is one a single page making it very convenient to just print that out for one that just has the PDF version. The PDF version has book marks but they could be more complete. I think book marking each of the fourteen encounter areas would have been useful. The art is very well done and there are three pictures that serve as player handouts. These are always nice and easy to print out just them. That is the main reason I got the PDF so I could print them out. They did take a bit of ink though. The adventure is designed for first and second level characters. It does have some simple to follow ways to scale up the adventure for parties of seven or more characters or higher then second level. Basically they suggest that all the kobolds should increase by a class level, they add a monster to an area, and give the final bad guy an additional power. I ran it for three players playing strong second level characters. I did not scale the adventure up at all and I ran it as is. The adventure is site based. There are a few simple ways they suggest to start the adventure. Once have the group investigate caravan attacks, or find the after effects of a battle with a caravan. The Group can be just in the area and get attacked by some kobolds or just happen upon it. I choose to integrate one of the characters backgrounds with the backstory of the adventure and had them seek the place out for that reason, So, there are many different angles a DM can take to get the party to start this adventure. The adventure is short but there is a lot of creativity in these few pages. The place the PCs are going to explore has had three different groups inhabit it over the many centuries. I really like this as one can have encounters and lore and knowledge checks to give the PCs pieces of information that involve the two older groups while they deal with the current inhabitants: the kobolds. The place was built by followers of Soleth, a god of peaceful death. There are statues and carvings to him in a few places. I was ready to give the group more info concerning him and his place in campaign but they were not as interested in that as others might be.

When those people left the place it was taken over by a Transmuter who used the solitude of the old temple to do his own experiments. It is this that really makes the module shine. Instead of having just a bunch of changed monsters and critters here, the writer chooses to do something different; something a bit more creative. There are certain spots in the floor of the place that if one steps they will be temporarily changed as a bit of transmutation magic takes effect on them. The changes are useful and can be a bit mysterious as the group tries to figure out what is happening. The changes though to ware off after five rounds so it is nothing that will permanently alter anyone. It is these places that can make the encounters fun as the kobolds are running to them to gain powers to kill the PCs. And they can also complicate the encounters as the squares are easy for a DM to forget to use at times or need to look up what they do and mark which kobold is affected by which one.

There are twelve of these squares throughout the place that do different things. They will alter the appearance of a person as well as give them some ability. A character with spell craft can possible figure out what is going on. One square causes the person to smell and issue a stench of poison around them. Another will quicken a character like they are hasted. The kobolds know where they are and what they do and they can plan their encounter with the PCs around that. It is a bit of fun having kobolds with a variety of weird powers and then seeing the PCs step on those squares and get the abilities for a time as well. Aside from the transmutation squares there are other obstacles the kobolds and the place have to make this a difficult place for players not ready to think some strategy. There is a bit of a complication to just figure out how to open the door and though it took a little while for group to talk and experiment their way through it they were able to figure out what to do. The first encounter has some kobolds playing dice and a big bronze gong. I liked this as it gave the players the problem of not just dealing with the kobolds but also stopping them from sounding the alarm. Another fun and challenging room has a wall of debris that the kobolds fight from on top of. It can be a bit of a challenge if the party is not ready for it. Our group made it a little tougher when three kobolds from another room were allowed to escape and bolster the defenses in this room. Another room has prisoners and a jail keeper kobold that is not too keen on what is going on in the dungeon. It is set up as a very well done role playing encounter though of course players can fight their way through if they choose. A separate place has an unstable bridge over an underground river. There are kobolds with crossbows on the other side and it is just another nice room that can catch the players at a disadvantage. The module was a lot of fun and offered some nice different encounters. There are plenty of ways the module can be expanded on and even additional levels or places accessible by the underground rive can easily be designed. This was well worth the cheap price for a night of creative, fun, and challenging gaming.

<br><br><b>QUALITY</b>: Very Good<br><br><b>VALUE</b>: Satisfied<br>



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Dungeon Crawl Classics #31: The Transmuter's Last Touch
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