A Masterclass Level Review

Endzeitgeist, my mighty neighbour to the west, whose catalog of review-accomplishments dwarfs that of my own paltry efforts like the mighty Sequoia towers over the bonsai, has elected to review my efforts and Aaron’s and gives what is probably the most detailed, most elaborate and most positive review of Red Prophet Rises ever.

Genre-wise, this is a Sword & Sorcery adventure, situated in some borderlands though one could easily argue in favor of it being dark fantasy. What do I mean by this? Well, this is a pretty bloody module, obviously, but it’s not grimdark; neither does it revel in excessive gore. (Unless you want it to…) It also has a very unique angle, in that it does not feel like a system is taken to express preset sword & sorcery tropes with it; instead, all the items and spells and components are used to make the atmosphere emerge from within. The rules are not bent to generate an effect. This is not a D&D-iteration used to express the themes, it is the themes emerging from play. I have seen precious few adventures pull this off. As an aside for all fans of WFRP (Warhammer Fantasy Roleplaying) – if you make the Bull God an aspect of Khorne, this is pretty much an instant WFRP-adventure. As far as environments are concerned, this works imho in any region that can sport a canyon – I could see this work in anything from the frigid north to the blasting heat of the deserts, provided a sufficient amount of uncivilized tribes can be found. Difficulty-wise, it should be noted that this is probably closest in aesthetics to DCC-adventures – it is deadly, yes, but the challenges faced are founded on the principle of player-agenda; this very much focuses on roleplaying over rollplaying, and smart players will have a good chance of survival. Those PCs that think they can murder-hobo through the module by simply charging in? They’ll lose their lives upon bloodsoaked altars.

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It also is, in my humble opinion, one of the very few examples where module-writing has been elevated to an art form.

And I don’t mean that in some hipsterish BS type of way; I mean this in the truest sense of the word. It is a very subdued and subtle process – one that is more evident in e.g. Trollback Keep. In that module, the use of leitmotifs and their contrasting was more readily apparent. In this module, EVERYTHING makes sense; the authors obviously share a deep understanding of not only what makes the tropes of sword & sorcery and dark fantasy work, they also know how to IMPLEMENT them within the context of the game, all while retaining an almost obsessive sense of plausibility. They clothe this pitch-perfect implementation of tropes and details within a rules system with panache aplomb, making the module’s plot and scenario slide into the system like a ruler into their regalia. Adding a constant sense of dynamic, lived-in worlds to the whole just puts the icing on the cake – if this module was a character, it’d be Thoth-Amon or Kulan Gath, in regal strides, surveying all below as they kneel. There is a sense of majestic rawness and harshness to this adventure that is hard to describe and even harder to evoke.

 

Please read the entire thing, as it is a masterful review worthy of its subject matter. Words fail me. To have one’s efforts receive such recognition and bring such joy to other enthusiasts is truly a blessing. I am grateful to Aaron for reaching out all that time ago and convincing me to team up on Red Prophet Rises. It’s been a hell of a ride. Now let’s see if we can blow RPR away with PoUR.

Convinced by Endzeitgeists poetic ode to our elfgame prowess? RPR can be bought, Print on Demand or PDF, here.

And don’t forget we are doing a kickstarter. And if it funds hot enough I too will be involved to make the alchemy work again. Get it while it’s hot folks!

And thank you Endzeitgeist, for the plug and the shoutout.