Product Name: The Endless Vault
Publisher: Emerald Press
Author: Todd Crapper
System: Dungeons & Dragons
Setting:
Series: EONS #1
Theme: Epic Fantasy
Type: Adventure
Link: http://www.emeraldpresspdf.com/
The Endless Vault is a flexible location-based adventure for Dungeons & Dragons. It is published as a multi-layer PDF and contains stats that can be used for characters of 6th, 11th, or 16th Level. All you have to do is click the desired stat-level and the PDF automatically updates. Also, it is not your standard questing adventure as the PCs take on the roles of mercenaries instead of adventurers.
The first module of the EONS series of adventures, The Endless Vault is designed to be played in a single gaming session and can be placed within an existing campaign, run as a one-shot, or even used for conventions. The module contains a great amount of gaming fun without bogging down the GM with required preparation. And it should be noted that Emerald Press does a fantastic job at creating PDF-based products utilizing a landscape format for easy on-screen reading and a layout that makes it easy to use.
CONTENT
The PCs venture off into the underworld as mercenaries to perform a job as thieves-for-hire. The content is broken down into three “acts” which mark the three major encounters of the module. The first act is where they learn of the job and gather the details. The second act is where they pursue the job and begin their dirty work. The third and final act is the great finale where the module’s purpose comes to fruition.
The location of the job is presented in a very detailed manner. The different levels all include color maps with each room being numbered. These numbers correspond to the descriptive area where the rooms are not only described but the contents of the room are also detailed (as opposed to being simply glazed over). The location contains a great amount of interesting and somewhat unique items with combat that is sure to keep the players interested.
To share much more of the adventure would be too much of a spoiler and I will thus leave the rest to the GM.
APPENDIX
The appendix is a very key part of the publication. It contains the details of the combat encounters allowing the GM to print them separately without having to sift through pages and pages of storyline or location details. Add to this the complete details of a mysterious artifact (of which I will not describe) and a prologue to the storyline. This sneaky little prologue does a great job of making an open end to the storyline allowing a GM to further things along using the NPCs and the framework of the module.
OVERALL
Not only is The Endless Vault a well-done adventure module, but this new EONS series of modules from Emerald Press are a great value. With a low price and loads of prep-work already taken care of, they make a great module for any GM to drop within their ongoing campaign or use as a way to step out of the current campaign and run a one-shot scenario. The module is designed for the purpose of being used as a PDF with a very PC-friendly layout and a clean presentation. The storyline is interesting and the rewards are worth it!
RATINGS
Publication Quality: 8 out of 10
The content of The Endless Vault is easy to use and the layout is very smooth. The included maps are a bit small and their contents can be a bit tricky to discern, but they still contain the expected details for in-game use. There is a battlemap of the location available, but it is an extra purchase. Each room is very well described and the details of the room are even explained. There is a nice grouping of color illustrations and each section of the content is properly marked making them easier to find when going back to find the details. The included stat blocks look great and the entire publication is very easy to read. Emerald Press definitely does a good job of creating PC-friendly PDF publications.
Storyline: 9 out of 10
The storyline develops very well throughout the module and keeps a forward-moving flow from beginning to end. The important characters are fully developed and their importance within the storyline is made apparent. The storyline itself is quite interesting and lends itself well to future adventures or campaign seeds. This potential is expanded with a couple of the NPCs and the open ended finish to the module (not the encounter but the overall story).
Desire to Play: 10 out of 10
The Endless Vault utilizes a great combination of combat and non-combat encounters incorporating elements of investigation (or rather thieving) and bits-and-pieces that keep the players thinking. The adventure is not simply resolved through brute force and players would be wise to understand all that is around them. However, there are still elements of hack-and-slash if a gaming group desires that type of play and the adventure lends itself well to groups that prefer to use less combat. One of the biggest selling points is the ability to play the adventure at three different levels making it that much easier to slip into an ongoing campaign at any point during multiple gaming sessions.
Overall: 9 out of 10
The Endless Vault is a very well-written adventure for Dungeons & Dragons and brings in new ideas for how a group could role-play. The idea of working as mercenaries is different than the typical adventurers quest and is meant to keep the players thinking about methods other than bursting in with weapons ready. The high-quality of the PDF along with its designed flexibility is a great motivational tool to convince GMs to bring this module to the table. It’s easy to read, easy to follow and is filled with plenty of gaming potential. And the rewards… your players will not be let down.