Book of Seasons: Solstices
Author Herder: Jessica Marcrum (@Miss_Jess03)
Chief Art Maven: Jennifer Peig (@jennpeig)
Heads of Adventure Polish: Catherine Evans (@perpetualgloom), Liz Gist (@crit_liz)
Layout Wizard: David Markiwsky (@DavidMarkiwsky)
In the spirit of full disclosure I was provided a review copy of this anthology for a full and honest review.
This is an incredibly beautiful and mighty tome of tales from many different creators coming together to create something truly spectacular! Everything about it is gorgeous with a glorious aesthetic, layout and art.
I will speak more to the anthology as a whole as I update this review.
Much as I did with Eat the Rich Anthology Vol 1, I’m going to be reviewing one adventure in depth at a time and then adding further reviews when I can. I do this because I review so many things from so many folx and reviewing a while anthology in one go would take me out of action for too long.
As we are in the depths of winter, I shall be beginning with the first adventure from the Winter half:
The Longest Night of the Year by Samantha Lavendar (@RainyRedwoods) & Miranda Mels (@MelsCommaMira)
Level: 0 Content Warnings: Child Death, Parental Neglect
I greatly appreciate the format of having the level and content warnings from the off for clarity and fair warning.
Synopsis
While a village prepares for Midwinter, the darkest moment of the year, a ghost who was left out in the cold has steals their fires, so a band of villagers/the party follow the ghost into the woods to reclaim their flames.
Adventure Hook
The party are formed of people from the village or those visiting for the Midwinter festival.
All characters are level 0 and without any class benefits. Information is provided of the other elements of being a level 0 PC. This is something a little different to most adventures and offers its own challenges, as well as making perfect sense for the party beginning as locals and deeply tied to the adventure. Using this as the opening of a campaign makes this level 0
Adventure Background
Anfonwen is a secluded village in the mountains, bearing the brunt of winter weather. Long ago one Midwinter’s Eve, a hunter died deep in the woods where his body was never found. His daughter was told to wait at their camp where she succumbed to the cold. Still she waits and she is still so cold, manifesting only on Midwinter’s Eve. This year she has taken all the town’s fire as a desperate clutch at warmth.
Chapter 1: Midwinter’s Eve
The Feast
The adventure begins with the villagers celebrating Midwinter’s Eve. The scene of merriment and Holiday delight is set beautifully through boxtext and detailed descriptions of the food on offer, as well as a myriad of games, chores and all sorts to introduce the characters and NPCs and give the players some fun things to try. Advice is given about handling PCs making ability checks for performance and games, whether they are proficient or not.
This opening scene is a truly joyous and open affair with all the information you could need as a DM to suggest or facilitate the various options, with the specifics being left you them and the players. This is a scene that in some games could take all night, roleplaying, making merry, getting to know each other’s characters and all the NPCs (who are wonderfully diverse and inclusive) too, or it’s a scene that will set a tone of fun and holiday merriment that some players and groups may speed through. Either way, it’s a wondrous start to an adventure, an inspired beginning to a campaign (if used for such), and a fabulous way to introduce new players and let players interact, warming up their dice and roleplaying skills. There’s even advice and suggestions for creating your own catchy Winter’s Eve carol for everyone at the table to sing! I’ve done a fair few reviews now and that’s new to me!
Stolen Flame
The sudden vanishing of all fire in the midst of song makes for a markedly dramatic end to the first chapter, as scared and inquisitive folx start to head out into the night. Time for the party to step up.
Chapter 2: The Cold Night
This adventure contains such wonderful details, such as the description at beginning of this chapter where it is relayed that the Ghost has stolen all the fires except for the Midwinter Candles in each home as “there is too much faith placed into those tiny flames.” Absolutely beautiful!
Helping the Village
The need to prepare the village for the coming long night is handled with a group check with suggestions and combinations for every attribute, enabling every member of the party to truly be able to help. With the detailed suggestions, DMs should feel inspired to react to and include all manner of ways in which PCs may contribute, as well as having a wealth of suggestions for those PCs who don’t feel qualified. This is a simple and simply stupendous way to bring the party together as a unified group before the action starts, with no one feeling left out. The chance for exhaustion is somewhat brutal, but adds to the chilling, dark setting and feeling of helplessness in the long Midwinter’s Eve night.
The Winter Girl
Sightings and recollections of the Isa, the ghost and girl who, along with her father, perished one Midwinter’s Eve, begin the mystery. There’s something wonderful about the image of the party following ghostly footprints into the woods on the longest, darkest night with nothing but a small candle to light the way.
Chapter 3: A Light in the Dark
The chapter opens with the mechanics of following the trail in the dark wood and freezing snow, which make a lot of sense. It could be a quick doddle or unlucky parties could find themselves exhausted from wondering aimlessly in the snow.
Isa’s Campfire
The party are must confront the bleak scene of the young ghost and her frozen campsite. While a creature reference is included, there is absolutely no need for things to become violent. Clues can be gleaned from question Isa, as well as by helpfully suggested checks. It’s something special and a wonderful repetition that Carolling comes into play.
Conclusion
There is a beautiful description on the child being laid to rest and fires returning to the village. Due to the characters being level 0 they don’t gain XP, but having completed this adventure they PCs will be ready to choose their classes.
Rewards
A single-use charm is the reward for all those who took part in aiding Isa’s final rest, described beautifully: “The experience of bringing peace to a cold, lonely child and bringing light back to the village settles in the characters’ chests like a tiny flame.”
Author’s Notes/ Acknowledgments
“The first time we played this adventure, Sam and Miranda were both in tears before the end of the game. Dungeons & Dragons can be a powerful way to explore serious or heartbreaking subjects, if you are willing to approach the experience with open and honest vulnerability.”
This is a wonderful thing to have added. I absolutely love how emotional and effecting D&D can be.
Author Bio
“Samantha Lavender has been playing Dungeons & Dragons for most of her life, starting with the 2nd edition introduction box and including every edition since. She can occasionally be found on Twitter as @RainyRedwoods.”
“Miranda Mels began playing Dungeons & Dragons at Sam’s table during the D&D Next public playtest. She now runs multiple games of D&D every week. She isn’t really on Twitter, not even @MelsCommaMira most days.”
This is an awesome introductory adventure that let’s players experience that Commoner+ life and experience a natural (or supernatural) call to adventure. Perfect for introducing new players, as well as a great way for more experienced players to feel out their character, before choosing a class, especially as there are so many diverse options and moments for trying out various skills. With regard to those moments, this adventure does the hugely impressive and standout thing of providing all the information and/ or inspiration and tools for the DM to do something special and unique with their group. It’s a very fine line between being completely prescriptive and telling the DM to just have a go, and this adventure dances along it beautifully.
Something you may have noticed is that (as long as the party don’t randomly attack their fellow villagers or the young Ghost) it doesn’t contain a combat, and you know what? That’s just fine. Not every adventure needs combat. It’s good to be aware of this going in, as well as perhaps making your players aware. The nature of being a level 0 PCs is that you don’t have your class equipment or anything, so it doesn’t make sense. Plus returning to the village as heroes, making the class decisions and leaving town tooled up will make it all the sweeter when you do thrown an combat at them...unless they die.
A classic ghost story told superbly with an incredible grasp of keeping everyone involved and allowing for fun, both in game and out, including carols! A spectacular start to a campaign and a great taste of the Commoner life and merry festivities. Truly has potential as an example to new players, be a great wintery one shot or a sensational seed to grown a whole campaign from!
Wonderful stuff!
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