WARNING!! If you are going to be a player in this adventure, your computer
is going to self-destruct in 10 seconds after you read this message, because
this review is for your DM's eyes only.
10-9-8-7…
"The Crucible of Freya" is one of the first products to have been
published under the d20 licence. When they published it, Necromancer Games
set the standard against which third party publishers had to measure themselves.
It is a challenging adventure for four to six characters of 1st or 2nd level.
The adventure takes place in and around a small town called Fairhill. The
main plot concerns recovering a religious artefact stolen by a band of raiding
orcs. The PCs are asked by the town leaders to raid their camp in a nearby
abandoned keep. The orcs are led by a priest of Orcus who's mission is to
disrupt life in the prosperous area of Fairhill. The keep is very much tied
to the local history, and unbeknownst to the orcs a Shadow is trapped in
the basement.
The setting is very richly detailed. The first part of the module describes
areas of adventure. The surrounding area of Fairhill provides many encounter
possibilities involving the villagers yet not directly linked to the major
plot. The section detailing the town of Fairhill and its inhabitants is
well fleshed out and offers many opportunities for role playing. Then comes
an extensive description of the ruined keep where most of the fighting will
take place.
The second part details an adventure that can take place in the area of
Fairhill using the material provided in part one. It is formatted in Acts
and Scenes and guides the DM through the scenario. Many possible situations
are explored depending on the PC's actions and on the timing of critical
events.
The greatest strength of this module is the sheer amount of background information
that is provided and through the free supplements available from the publisher's
web site (http://www.necromancergames.com). A free adventure called "The
Wizard's Amulet" introduces many of the subplots concerning the history
of the area around Fairhill, the Ruined Keep and the locals. It is also an
excellent introduction to the Third Edition rules, helping a DM out with his
first gaming session with many hints and suggestions.
A subsequent supplement requiring a password found in the module develops
the intricate background and provides material for many gaming sessions.
If you are buying your first module, this is the one to get. If not, the
incredible amount of material for the price makes it worth buying. It is
bound to be useful.
