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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I $5.95
Average Rating:4.8 / 5
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Jason J. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/21/2024 04:55:18

A truly great adventure, the story and artwork were a plesant throwback to oldschool video games and brought out the nostalgia in the older players at my virtual table. It's easy to set up for VTT, and it doesn't skimp out on the information needed to run the game. Plus, how it leads directly into the second part made it simple to run them back to back.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Sam W. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 04/22/2021 10:29:40

I ran this adventure for a group of young adventurers who were new to the world of D&D and TTRPGs, and they loved it. The art is fantastic, and the module is laid out is incredibly easy to run. A top notch product across the board.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Holt K. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/07/2020 10:50:44

Outstanding product, well written, includes all 3 pillars of play, and most of all it's FUN. The inclusion of all the pixel graphics (even a hearthstone-style "loot card" for the magic item unlock) makes this a complete package that is well worth the price of admission. Highly recommended. Caution, this will challenge many Tier 1 groups significantly!!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Merlin E. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/02/2019 13:36:49

I have DMed this adventure twice now: once as an actual AL module, and another as a one-shot for a standard campaign. What misgivings I had about the adventure during the AL game was completely nullified in the more open play session, which only solidifies my overall feeling of the module. As an adventure, this is excellent. The story, the organization of the write-up, all of it is really fantastic. It leaves quite a bit up to the DM to fill in the "dots" from episode to episode and passes on the standard "Read This" block that most AL modules include. The fact that the group can play through it in three ways makes it lively, adaptable, and repeatable--something again most AL modules lack.

All of this freedom is great--but does make it a bit of a problem from AL DMs who may find themselves underprepared. This is NOT a module you can just pick up and run. The lack of guidance, while nice for a DM who has time to plan stuff out and prepare some bits, would be a nightmare for a DM who was just handed the module to run quickly at an AL table. This module really requires preparation to make it really shine--otherwise it's a series of jump cuts and, if the DM isn't as fluent in improv, very wooden NPC interaction. That being said, if you have the time to prepare and run this module, DO IT! It is an absolute blast. A true joy for prepared DMs and players alike. You absolutely won't regret it.

Some specifics that were amazing: --What more could be said about the pixel art? It's lovely and gives a great flavor to the game. --The NPCs are a treasure for a table who can really get into roleplay. Ser Tidus and Orianna are probably my favorite NPCs ever. And Mordakai's story is really great. --The "murder mystery" vibe of the mansion scenes are really top notch. It was an excellent and unique encounter that can go so many different ways. --The "three pillar" guidance for each episode is an amazing help--something I will be emulating in my own DMing.

Some specifics that could use a bit of work: --While the lack of guidance is liberating in many ways, it can be a tad confusing as to what to do with some of the NPCs. For example, I didn't realize that Ser Tidus or Ser Gertz was supposed to accompany the players to the Temple (if they chose to back the Knights). I wouldn't say that's a problem, but they are (apparently) supposed to be there for the beginning of Verse II, so that took some finagling. It's more obvious with Orianna, Mordakai, and Nurfenpurf. --Both of the Bonus objectives could be COMPLETELY overlooked/skipped (due in part, again, to lack of guidance), which can frustrate some AL players who may feel robbed of ACP/TCP. I just made the dragon encounter mandatory and forced a Perception check to find the footprints. I don't think there's any reasy for the players to miss these encounters, so no need to make them optional! --The laughter mechanic for the dragon fight was...muddy. It took some coaxing to get the players to take advantage of it, or even lean into it at all, mostly because it didn't make a whole lot of sense to them why this would even be an option. And even then, I don't think they got a whole lot out of it. In future playthroughs, if they don't have a set of NPCs with them, I'll have the PCs take a rest just as they enter the cave, and do the madness bit there rather than the mansion. That way, when they meet the dragon, it'll make more sense for the dragon to be insane.

Overall, my issues with the module is firmly rooted in its difficultly to just pick up and play for AL means. As an adventure itself, one where time constraints and ACP aren't an issue, it's probably one of the best, and lends itself nicely to replayability. I, and my players, anxiously await future installments!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Robert N. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/28/2019 19:47:10

One of my favourite mods of all time. The NPCs all have stand-out personalities and interesting quirks, making them very memorable. The only weakness here is that the cult seems way more interesting and approachable when compared to the holy knights of tropeyness, which is not really a bad thing overall. There's lots of opportunities for RP and I've had more than one player decide to build their character around their developments from this series (so many Zariel Tieflings lol). And all the extra art stuff etc. really gives this module a PLUS EXTRA feel.

The dragon bonus objective is quite fun and the lighter tone of this mod is something a lot of players can certainly appreciate (though it's not for everyone). I would recommend DMs to try to run the social interactions more humorous than serious and play up the tropes if your players are into that sort of playstyle as that is where I see the strength of Verse I. That said it is certainly possible and not that difficult to adjust the characters to fit a more serious tone if desired.

My main gripe with the mod was that you should know beforehand what kind of group you're running this series for as "Choosing a Side" can very easily lead to friciton in the party or people just leaving the group. The two main sides are not entirely black and white which leaves some leeway for peaceful party resolutions but it still has the potential to leave a bad taste in someone's mouth. Better to just get a group of likeminded poeple in the first place imo.

This mod also doesn't really work as a standalone, as continuing it with Verse II is kinda mandatory for both to make sense. Its better to think of the two as one 6-8 hour adventure. I can definitely recommend this series as is though!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Marcello V. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/14/2019 00:15:12

I will actually run this adventure tomorrow, but I read it tonight and have some thoughts. I will admit- I have been reluctant to buy it-I have found in the past, that CCC's that go all out on optics often fall short of content quality. This is the first exception that I have encountered. I like the story. I like how the Call to Action already is action packed! It seems like Anthony Joyce cuts to the chase this way, when deferring to players to come up with their own hooks. There's no confusion as to what the Objectives are. "Choosing a Side" makes the module fun, and I like that Joyce elaborates with sidebars on aspects that make the story "pop" for me. Some things that I noticed as I read- There are references to aspects that reward "evil characters" ... within the context of AL there is only one alignment that this would apply to, right (Lawful Evil)? is it alignment driven, if so. it seems limited, but I get it ... serving an evil cult and playing within that lane could be rewarding to characters motivated that way. Most DMs when reading out the 'Noticeable Tomes' Sidebar will already reveal what the player reads BEFORE they realize the books are written in different languages .. probably should make that the first thing revealed in the narrative about them. Treasure and Rewards in Area 8 had me wondering why they are under this subheading? Just for something for players to take? There doesn't doesn't appear to be anything that "leads" to Bonus Objective A. There is normally a "cue" beyond just the adventure flow chart. Maybe I missed it. Throwing Nezarrum into a fit of laughter is a cool thing .. but the way it is written it looks like that players get to do this twice each round? .. if they fail the group check at the beginning they get another chance on Nezarrum's turn? Why would DMs choose to have Nezarrum fall prone (curious)? I like that he is insane .. great touch! I hope that my players will enjoy this mod, because in just reading this, I am looking forward to running it and can now see how others have enjoyed it as well. Great job by all! UPDATE .. my players enjoyed it. I left the ending at the doors to the temple as a cliffhanger, and told them to be back next week to see what happens!



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Watkinson D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/22/2019 16:51:01

We ran Verse I on our podcast, and loved it. The Mafisto Twins will become reoccuring characters for us. Probably long standing rivals.

Excellent NPCs, exploration, and art work. Definitely worth it.

Here is a link to the review did on the podcast.

https://committeequest.podbean.com/e/zone-of-truth-review-the-heir-of-orcus-verse-i/

Looking forward to more of Joyce's content!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Dan M. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/19/2019 11:02:58

This was a fun adventure to run as a DM, but the players were a little aggrevated sometimes. Some of that on the DM (me) but some of it was being railroaded. This is a module that requires quite a bit of preperation to make it all make sense. I don't think this is too much to ask, I am just saying that it is not a module that when you are put on the spot at the last minute to DM (that never happens, right?) that you can pick up and run with no prep. Even with the little issues, I give it a 5 because of all of the great maps and extras included with it. It make me want to actaully use my Fantasy Grounds account just to see all of the extras. Thank you to the Arthur for all of the work! I will be running part two in the near future!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Creator Reply:
Dan, first off, thank you for taking the time to leave a review and being a DM hero by running a game at the last minute!! Happened to me a few times and yikes, that's a tough job for anyone! I hope you consider running Verse II or even Verse I again without being surprised with the monumental task of DMing at the last minute. Best of lukc and may the Heir be with you! -Anthony
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Alain P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/23/2018 11:04:01

I had the pleasure of playing this mod with the author at AetherCon and it was a blast! Since then I've played through this with multiple characters and experienced an awesome amount of variation from party to party as each group choose different allies. It's a fun, well written adventure that has many players reflecting on their alignment more so than most games and presents some of the better RP opportunities I've seen in AL play. I'd love to see a Tier 2 continuation of this storyline!

From a value standpoint, this is an incredible deal with the maps, tokens, handouts and other art assets to set up your Roll20 pages. Not to mention the module for our pals on the Fantasy Grounds side. :) This author's efforts set the new bar for quality on DMs Guild and provides new and veteran DMs alike an opportunity to set up quickly and share this epic 8-bit experience with their players. Nicely done!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Matthew G. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/18/2018 09:18:55

Great module. It has a great balance of Roleplay, exploration and combat with very clear ways things can be accomplished. It also gives recommendations and ways to make things differnet and interesting.

Players also enjoyed it with them getting a great story out of it and also some consumable magic items (all AL Season 8 modules should have this so you get some items you can bring out of the session).

Also liked the art.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Jonathan S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/10/2018 19:29:38

I know this author, and he puts the same thoughfulness into his adventures as he does into everything else. The pairing of player choice with art is exquisite. This and Verse 2 are worth their price a few times over again.

My only complaint is that he isn't running this at the D8 SUMMIT this year with all the other authors running their games.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Red P. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/10/2018 17:04:51

I highly recommend this adventure. It’s a beautiful module throws adventurers into a battle of cosmic proportions and consequences.

I am a relatively new player & DM who started playing AL at the tail end of Season 6 and started DMing at the start of Season 7. I DM and play almost exclusively on Roll20/FG so most of my views are based on those experiences.

What I liked:

This story kicks off having the players of questioning the difference between good and evil. Though many players will go through the same main events, many will come out of it with different toughts. The adventurers have a lot of opportunity to role-play and interact with the different factions in the module. There is great flexibility granted to the DM and players and I love it. This story has a lot of replayability because it has multiple avenues for player agency. Of the several times I have been through the adventure and events were not the same twice. The game took about as long as expected The rewards for playing this game were a fun little surprise. This leads me to the art included in the module. Finally my favorite part: This module was MADE to be played online! There were tons of extras provided upon purchase. These include art assets, fantasy ground module, tokens, maps, Handouts, etc.

I look forward to seeing future iterations of this series.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Cory F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/10/2018 12:13:22

This is by far the best module I've ever played. The time and effort applied to the little things shows the Anthony REALLY cares for every aspect of your gaming experience. If you are looking for a premade AL to play at and your LGS or even just with your play group I'd be hard pressed to find a better product. Not to mention the 8bit theme is out of this world!!!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by alexandre b. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/10/2018 09:58:36

Just runned this yesterday, it's a nice adventure, but i did find myself at a lost when interpreting most of the personage. As a new DM, I was really searching for argument for Titus and the twins when asked for justification or proof from the characters. (of course it did change quickly once they found some things)

In the end, I did come up with things on the fly, they did manage to completely finish the scenario, but the 'take position action' ended up happening WAY WAY later in the game, so i had to somehow manage both the twins and the knights at the same time.

as for the characters quotes, i found them less helpfull to give life to the character that i would have liked, since i need to translate the whole thing on the fly (from english to french), but that might be my lack of DM experiance with AL module that made this more problematic that it is.

The dragon scene ... damn, the players where steaming from all the thinking in not screwing this up, it was super intence.

overall it was my best DMing experience, player's had a blast and really surprised me. It's quite a nice module, Highly recommend it.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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CCC-AETHER-01-01 The Heir of Orcus: Verse I
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Derek S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 12/10/2018 03:14:37

Look no further; this mod is A MUST BUY! I was looking for something new to break the cycle of redundancy I was experiencing with other mods, so I spent quite a bit of time researching modules; I ultimately decided on this one due to the reviews, and the content it included. This mod stands out above so many others in so many ways, some of which are its inclusion of a variety of visual aids (location templates, character drawings, player handouts, etc.) and in-depth lore, that all amplify the player’s roleplaying experience.

This mod also caters to DM’s, as the developer laid out DM guidelines in a format that is very easy to follow, while also allowing DM’s the freedom to incorporate their own ideas into the player experience.

Some reviewers noted that they consider the ability to navigate through this entire adventure without much combat, to be a con, but I consider this a pro… It takes true intelligence to complete a mission like this with no combat, anybody can swing a sword… and if that’s how you want to play it, then there is nothing holding you back from doing so, but it won’t be easy…

There is a part II to this mod that is separately available, which is also a must buy, but I won’t comment on that one here.

I have been playing DND for quite some time, and these mods have left me thoroughly impressed. Kudos to the developer for reinvigorating my passion for DND. I can’t wait to see more!!!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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