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Pen & Paper Roleplaying Central => Pen and Paper Roleplaying Games (RPGs) Discussion => Topic started by: AnthonyRoberson on May 31, 2012, 02:02:40 PM

Title: Mini-Review of the DCC Module: The People of the Pit
Post by: AnthonyRoberson on May 31, 2012, 02:02:40 PM
I just downloaded the PDF of the Dungeon Crawl Classics module The People of the Pit. Here is a mini-review. Spoiler Free!

The Basics

The module is 32 pages if you include the front and back cover. I counted eight interior illustrations, one handout and three maps in the same 'artistic' style as the maps for the adventures in the core rulebook. The PDF is fully bookmarked.

Summary

The adventure involves a pit, dark cultists and tentacles. I don't want to say more in a spoiler free review. The dungeon consists of more than 50 encounter areas spread out over four levels. The dungeon is a 'living' dungeon with a rational (in fantasy RPG terms at least) provided for the contents and inhabitants of each room.

The dungeon does include a few traps and secret doors but not so many as to be annoying. There is also one puzzle that is designed to challenge player and not character skill (and looks like it should be fun). There are several clever touches in the module, including a unique method of traveling from level to level that could possibly allow the PCs to skip most of the dungeon and end up at the end encounter! (which could prove deadly)

The writing of the module seems solid to me and I was able to comprehend what was going on in each encounter area with the first read through. I haven't found any errata yet. The People of the Pit looks like it should be a blast and I can't wait to run it for a group. And where else can you go swimming in a pool of pit-beast poop?
Title: Mini-Review of the DCC Module: The People of the Pit
Post by: deleted user on May 31, 2012, 03:08:14 PM
TENTACLES EVERYWHERE !!! and it's for 1st Level PCs - JG ramping up the gonzo bigstyle.
Title: Mini-Review of the DCC Module: The People of the Pit
Post by: Piestrio on May 31, 2012, 06:55:19 PM
Awesome thanks!

How is the dungeon laid out? Is it mostly linear (except for the skip "ahea" bit) or could a party take lots of different routes through it?
Title: Mini-Review of the DCC Module: The People of the Pit
Post by: AnthonyRoberson on May 31, 2012, 08:57:43 PM
Quote from: Piestrio;544278Awesome thanks!

How is the dungeon laid out? Is it mostly linear (except for the skip "ahea" bit) or could a party take lots of different routes through it?

There are a couple of different entrances and several different ways to transition between levels.
Title: Mini-Review of the DCC Module: The People of the Pit
Post by: Kuroth on May 31, 2012, 09:06:58 PM
Quote from: AnthonyRoberson;544145I just downloaded the PDF of the Dungeon Crawl Classics module The People of the Pit. Here is a mini-review. Spoiler Free!

The Basics

The module is 32 pages if you include the front and back cover. I counted eight interior illustrations, one handout and three maps in the same 'artistic' style as the maps for the adventures in the core rulebook. The PDF is fully bookmarked.

Summary

The adventure involves a pit, dark cultists and tentacles. I don't want to say more in a spoiler free review. The dungeon consists of more than 50 encounter areas spread out over four levels. The dungeon is a 'living' dungeon with a rational (in fantasy RPG terms at least) provided for the contents and inhabitants of each room.

The dungeon does include a few traps and secret doors but not so many as to be annoying. There is also one puzzle that is designed to challenge player and not character skill (and looks like it should be fun). There are several clever touches in the module, including a unique method of traveling from level to level that could possibly allow the PCs to skip most of the dungeon and end up at the end encounter! (which could prove deadly)

The writing of the module seems solid to me and I was able to comprehend what was going on in each encounter area with the first read through. I haven't found any errata yet. The People of the Pit looks like it should be a blast and I can't wait to run it for a group. And where else can you go swimming in a pool of pit-beast poop?


Quote from: AnthonyRoberson;544300There are a couple of different entrances and several different ways to transition between levels.

The second comment means a lot.  Very cool.  Thank you for the quick review Anthony!
Title: Mini-Review of the DCC Module: The People of the Pit
Post by: AnthonyRoberson on May 31, 2012, 09:18:57 PM
Quote from: Kuroth;544302The second comment means a lot.  Very cool.  Thank you for the quick review Anthony!

Slight revision. There is only one way I can see to actually reach the bottom (4th level) of the dungeon...
Title: Mini-Review of the DCC Module: The People of the Pit
Post by: Kuroth on May 31, 2012, 11:17:32 PM
Quote from: AnthonyRoberson;544303Slight revision. There is only one way I can see to actually reach the bottom (4th level) of the dungeon...

Even with the caveat, an inverted pyramid is still pretty good for players' options in a dungeon defined adventure.