We’ve acquired one other launch from the Vodari Voyages Patreon, supporting the Seas of Vodari Setting, which, in case you aren’t up to the mark, you’ll be able to examine at these hyperlinks:
Let me clarify. No, there’s an excessive amount of. Let me sum up. Seas of Vodari is a 5e SRD setting the place the entire main nations are separated into completely different islands, facilitating excessive fantasy age of sail and swashbuckling adventures, in addition to integrating numerous undersea races into the narrative of the world.
The primary providing from the Vodari Voyages Patreon was a heist journey within the capital metropolis of the setting’s goblin nation. This time it’s extra of an journey toolbox than a regular journey.
Disclaimer
I’m a patron of the Seas of Vodari Patreon, which is how I obtained this journey. I’ve obtained evaluate copies for Vodari materials up to now, however not right this moment! I’ve not had a possibility to run or play by this materials, however I’ve very accustomed to D&D 5e each as a participant and as a dungeon grasp.
Credit
Designer: Shawn Ellsworth
Extra Design: Tomas Gimenez Rioja
Enhancing: Brandes Stoddard
Graphic Design: Dave Jumaquio
Illustration: Mariam Trejo
Cartographers: Dave Jumaquio
Mapping out the Product
That is an 11-page PDF and . . . there isn’t a complete web page devoted to the 5e OGL, as a result of it’s referencing the SRD that’s in Inventive Commons now. Am I going to overlook that wall of textual content in future 5e merchandise? I’ll survive.
This has the identical paintings that graces the remainder of the Seas of Vodari line, and I’m an enormous fan of it. I hope they maintain this model throughout the road sooner or later. We get some paintings portraying some rival captains in addition to artwork for the Cannon Golem, a brand new monster for this product.
What Am I Trying At?
I discussed above that that is as a lot a toolkit as it’s an journey. What I imply by that’s that the journey is an overview that goes one thing like this:
- PCs get treasure map
- PCs sail to the island with the treasure
- PCs discover the island and run into some hazards
- PCs discover the treasure and battle the treasure’s guardian
- PCs are ambushed by their rivals
The toolkit is what you hold on that construction. There are tables for the next random parts:
- Treasure
- Sea Monsters
- Landmarks
- Areas
- Guardian
- Rival Crew
- Traps & Hazards
Relying on how you employ the fabric from the tables, the PCs might have unintentionally stumbled throughout the treasure map, they could win it playing, or there could also be a sailor that desires to pay the PCs again for some favor or one other, as long as they take the sailor with them to seek out the treasure. I’m positive nothing unhealthy has ever occurred when a sailor reveals up out of nowhere that will help you observe a treasure map.
Along with the knowledge on the tables, a couple of paragraphs describe how chances are you’ll need to broaden the person entries. I recognize among the entries, just like the Feylands Glade, to remind you this isn’t our Age of Sail, this can be a fantasy setting that has its personal treasure maps and sincere crews simply attempting to make a dwelling by innocently wanting into tales of hidden wealth.
My favourite a part of that is the rival crews. Every of those is summed up in about two paragraphs, so the descriptions do quite a bit with the quantity of house they take up. The names of the ships do a number of heavy lifting and the small print on the captains, their names, motivations, and the stat blocks to make use of for his or her crew are all parts that work collectively to effectively talk a theme.
There are a number of particulars for a brief product. The paragraphs for “beginning the journey” present some good selection, typically assuming the PCs have company in getting the map, typically having the PCs stumble over it. Typically the PCs know precisely who their rivals are from the beginning and should even conflict with them earlier than they get to the island, and different occasions, they’re the third-act shock.
Wind in Our Sails
It is a enjoyable toolkit, and chances are you’ll not need to use it greater than as soon as with the identical group, but it surely’s a terrific fallback once you simply need to have a enjoyable recreation session that may be very on-theme with the setting. I’m actually impressed with how a lot element and taste will get labored into one or two-paragraph descriptions.
Storm on the Horizon
If I’ve any actual grievance, it’s that this feels prefer it’s a wee bit larger degree than I would like for this sort of journey. The journey assumes 8th degree characters. Is {that a} massive deal? No, however I really feel just like the type of archetypical journey this represents is one thing that must be hitting the gamers earlier, possibly round 5th degree? The define is mild sufficient that it shouldn’t be too arduous to switch, though I’ll say the scaling suggestion sidebar is a little bit fundamental, and possibly might have been overlooked.
Really useful–If the product matches in your broad space of gaming pursuits, you’re prone to be proud of this buy.
We’re two merchandise in, and I really feel like I’m getting my cash’s price from the Patreon. I’m already a fan of the setting, and I’m captivated with having extra instruments to help the setting. The rivals have a number of persona, and the number of journey beginnings is versatile for holding issues contemporary and offering inspiration. I’m wanting ahead to what comes subsequent, and I’m to see what different “toolkits” could be on the best way to facilitate utilizing the setting.
