Hey guys, I know it has been a few long weeks since I last posted a blog post. But this week I wanted to give my spoiler free review of the upcoming adventure module “The Chapel on the Cliffs”.

Synopsis:

“The Chapel on the Cliffs is a site-based adventure with some Gothic horror trappings, suitable for use with PCs of levels 2 to 4. It draws on some classic ghost story imagery – thick fog, jagged rocks, lonely buildings high on the cliffs, ghost ships, distant lanterns twinkling in the darkness, and so on – and you should play these up as much as possible to enhance the atmosphere of the adventure. The main location is a haunted chapel up on some coastal cliffs, a mile from an abandoned fishing village. The adventure involves the characters exploring the village and chapel: mercenary PCs may want to loot the lace, whereas good-aligned characters may be more interested in putting the spirits that haunt it to rest, thus making the village habitable again. Either way, they are likely to be drawn into conflict with its undead inhabitants, and may swiftly discover that it is easier to enter the chapel than it is to leave…”

First Impressions:

From the amazing cover art and description, I could imagine taking my group of new found adventurers into the depths of an old school Gothic Horror fest and laying waste to hordes of skeletons like something out of Castlevania. Reading further through the module not only confirms the above, but also provides many more exciting elements such as a non-linear approach to resolving the main quest (ones that I wouldn’t even have dreamed up), great plot hooks for any party to want to be involved in the adventure, and some really cool new monster variants and magic items.

With some tweaking, this module could possibly even fit into a Curse of Strahd campaign. But this really could fit into any campaign setting that you and your group are running as well.

Pro’s:

The artwork and quality of the entire module is very impressive

Fully illustrated and detailed full color maps (you can even get digital copies of these to print)

Non-linear plot line with multiple ways of resolving the main quest

Multiple plot hooks to get any aligned party involved

A good amount of treasure, including new magic items like the Bag of Preservation, The Hand of Sidvela, and Ulruf the Mage-Slayer

Interesting side quests and Non-Player Characters

Rules for Barricading structures

Random events for Chases and Sieges

Con’s:

I didn’t see many flaws within this module and the one that I will list here is more of a highlight to Dungeon Master’s to look out for when running this than a Con.

Large armies of enemies provide the higher potential for a Total Party Kill. New players (sometimes veteran players) can be fool hardy and think that they can take on all odds. Make sure your group knows they can (and possibly should) flee when necessary as a disclaimer. Also follow the Chase Rules provided in the Appendix rather than standard rules.

Overall Impression:

Honestly, I think this is an absolutely fantastic product that any Dungeon Master who wants to add a sense of horror into their games should have in their collection. I have always been a fan of fighting the undead and finding out what underlying things might be causing them to return from the grave. This satisfies that need and more for me.

Outside of swinging many swords or slinging spells at baddies, there is also a TON of good exploration and treasures to obtain. I also really like the Non-Player characters that you can interact with. All of these things will keep your players very happy and engaged in the story-line.

I think that Goblin Stone really has outdone themselves this time and I look very forward to trying to implement this into one of my own games that I run with friends. Those that may even not be used to running a module, I think this one does a very good job at making it easy for a DM of any level to run through this.

Where do I find it?

This module is currently fully funded on Kickstarter. If you want to get in on the Chapel on the Cliff’s Kickstarter before it ends, you have until July 6th 2017. For more information on other fantastic products Goblin Stone creates, visit their website at www.goblinstone.com

In this adventure, you will get:

Up to 10 hours of challenging gameplay

35 pages of high quality content

Beautiful color illustrations and maps

New monsters and magic items, including the famed Hand of Saint Sidvela , and the Guardian Beast

New rules to deal with chases and sieges involving dozens of shambling skeletons