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Eyes Unclouded $19.95
Average Rating:4.7 / 5
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Eyes Unclouded
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Mark T. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/25/2023 03:42:37

There is so much great stuff in here, and I intend to use bits and pieces of it as a tester when my players are in the Feywild. I also intend to run everything from start to finish for my nieces as a gateway into TTRPG. And Ghibli Cinematic Universe. Absolutely love the product ^_^



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Hyperlexic n. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/04/2022 18:16:17

I bought this a while ago and just used the 1st adventure for my kid's first adventure. It was really perfect for that - light theme (although opportunities to take it darker if you want to), multiple chances for success. No issues in that 1st adventure, I hope the rest are as strong!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Roger L. [Featured Reviewer]
Date Added: 11/28/2021 04:29:48

https://www.teilzeithelden.de/2021/11/23/rezension-eyes-unclouded-tineke-bolleman-u-a-ghibli-film-als-pen-and-paper/

Berühmte Filmschmiede trifft Dungeons & Dragons – der Abenteuerband Eyes Unclouded enthält elf Abenteuer, inspiriert von Filmen aus dem Hause Ghibli. Dabei reicht die Palette von niedlichen One-Shots bis hin zu unterhaltsamen Sidequests. Ob die Geschichten nicht nur bekennende Fans japanischer Animation überzeugen können, erfahrt ihr hier.

„ICH WILL DIE WAHRHEIT MIT UNGETRÜBTEN AUGEN UND EINEM REINEN HERZEN SEHEN!“

– PRINZ ASHITAKA, PRINZESSIN MONONOKE

Für viele Menschen haben die Filme von Studio Ghibli einen ganz besonderen Platz in ihren Herzen. Die Geschichten des Regisseurs Hayao Miyazaki haben sie mit schönen Kindheitserinnerungen an Ponyo oder Mein Nachbar Totoro tief geprägt oder mit dramatischen Szenen aus Laputa oder Prinzessin Mononoke zum Nachdenken angeregt. Ähnlich geht es auch den Autor:innen von Eyes Unclouded. Angelehnt an Miyazakis Welten und Charaktere finden sich im Abenteuerband mehrere Szenarien, die versuchen, diese Nostalgie im Pen-and-Paper erlebbar zu machen. Basis ist die aktuell populäre 5. Edition von Dungeons & Dragons.

Inhalt

Der Abenteuerband enthält insgesamt elf Szenarien, die sich an bekannten Ghibli-Klassikern orientieren. Wer schon immer einmal selbst eine Handlung wie in Das Königreich der Katzen, Kikis kleiner Lieferservice oder Ponyo nachspielen wollte, hat bei Eyes Unclouded die Chance dazu. Die Erzählungen sind keinesfalls nur süß und fröhlich – in den Abenteuern für höhere Level werden auch ernstere Themen in den Blick genommen. So etwa der Konflikt zwischen Fortschritt und Natur und die Eitelkeit der Menschen, welches bekannte Motive aus Filmen wie Prinzessin Mononoke, Das Wandelnde Schloss oder Nausicäa aus dem Tal der Winde sind. Gerade der Mix der japanischen Erzählweise verbunden mit moralischen Fragen schafft dabei die Grundlage für interessantes Rollenspiel.

Für Kenner der Vorlagen finden sich immer wieder deutliche Hommagen, seien es ein Naturgeist in Hirschform oder eine Flugmaschine aus einer längst untergegangenen Zivilisation. Der Abenteuerband ist zusammengenommen eine Liebeserklärung an das Studio Ghibli, von Fans für Fans. Die Geschichten können auch ohne Vorkenntnis problemlos von den Spielenden durchlebt und bestanden werden; wer die popkulturellen Anspielungen aber versteht, wird sich womöglich doppelt freuen.

Eines der acht Rezepte aus dem Abenteuerband.

Neben dem Abenteuerhunger kann Eyes Unclouded auch den tatsächlichen Hunger stillen. Dazu gibt es im PDF acht Rezepte für Süßspeisen, Eintopf oder Küchlein, die sich jeweils an einer der Geschichten orientieren. Durch hilfreiche Mengenangaben in Cups wie in Gramm muss auch nicht unnötig umgerechnet werden.

Spielbarkeit aus Spielleitungssicht

Eine Anmerkung vorweg: Eyes Unclouded ist nur auf Englisch erhältlich, eine Übersetzung ist aktuell nicht geplant. Inhaltlich sind die Texte mit durchschnittlichem Schulenglisch verständlich und sollten für die Spielleitung (SL) kein Problem darstellen.

Was den Inhalt des Abenteuerbands angeht, wird die SL ein solider Grundbau zur Verfügung gestellt. Alle Szenarien sind in sich gut strukturiert und bieten neben Beschreibungen der jeweiligen Umgebungen auch viele kleine Kniffe für passendes Rollenspiel, beispielsweise bei der Darstellung magischer Wesen. Viele Begebenheiten und Umstände sind klare Anspielungen auf Szenen der jeweiligen Filme, was für einige Nostalgie beim Ausspielen sorgen kann.

Das ist tatsächlich einer der wenigen Kritikpunkte, die beim Abenteuerband nicht bestritten werden können: In den Szenarien wird das Rad nicht neu erfunden. Viele Dinge sind mit entsprechendem Vorwissen schnell zu durchschauen. Das muss nichts Schlechtes sein, gerade wenn die Spielenden unbedingt ein ihren Lieblingsfilmen ähnliches Abenteuer erleben wollen. Wer seine Spielenden aber unbedingt überraschen möchte, sollte sich besser Menschen ohne bisherigen Kontakt mit Ghibli suchen. Für diese sind es tatsächlich neue Geschichten, die sie erleben und sogar mitgestalten können. Sollte das Ergebnis nicht ideal sein, ist anschließend ja noch ein DVD- oder Blu-ray-Abend mit dem passenden Film möglich. Oder Ghibli-Kenner sind so begeistert, dass sie sich im Anschluss ein weiteres Mal das Original anschauen möchten.

Steckt hinter dem wütenden Wildschwein vielleicht nur ein anklagender Tiergeist?

Die einzelnen Szenarien verfügen über einen guten Appendix, angefüllt mit Kartenmaterial, Infos zu Belohnungen und magischen Gegenständen sowie Werten von Antagonisten. Apropos Antagonisten: in klassischer Ghibli-Manier versteckt sich hinter vermeintlich bösen Wesen oft nur ein erzürnter Geist oder eine moralisch ambivalente Figur. Statt sofort draufzuhauen, kann es für die Lösung der Aufgabe hilfreich sein, das Gespräch zu suchen oder Hilfe anzubieten. Hier und da gibt es auch kleine Rätsel, die gelöst werden müssen.

Positiv erwähnt werden muss die durchgehend gute Einbindung einiger LGBTQ+-Charaktere. Hinter jedem NSC findet sich eine kurze Angabe zur moralischen Gesinnung sowie den bevorzugten Pronomen. Die Autor:innen der Szenarien, teils selbst queere Personen, verstehen es, die Charaktere nicht nur als Gimmick auf ihre sexuelle Ausrichtung zu beschränken, sondern sie facettenreich darzustellen. Das sorgt zusammen mit passenden Beschreibungen für eine spannende und diverse Spielwelt.

Spielbarkeit aus Spielendensicht

Was die Charaktere in den Gruppen angeht, gibt es bei Eyes Unclouded keine Einschränkungen. Natürlich bietet es sich an, quirlige Werkmeister:innen oder die Samurai-Subklasse in dem asiatisch inspirierten Setting auszuprobieren, aber auch beispielsweise klassische Bard:innen oder Warlocks können problemlos in die Geschichten eingebunden werden. Wie schon für die SL gilt für die Spielenden: Kenntnis der Originale ist ein netter Zusatz, kein Muss.

Spielbericht

Für die Rezension wurde das erste Abenteuer Cinderling Herding von Tineke Bolleman getestet, welches für drei bis sechs Spielende zwischen Level 1 und 2 geeignet ist. Mit seinen Anlehnungen an Mein Nachbar Totoro und Chihiros Reise ins Zauberland lässt sich die Geschichte gerade für Kinder und Jugendliche gut leiten. Natürlich fand der niedliche Charme auch bei der Testgruppe im Alter von 20+ Anklang und wurde sehr gelobt. Wer Genaueres zur Handlung wissen will, schaue in den Spoilerkasten:

[spoiler title="Achtung, Spoiler"]

Zu Beginn des Abenteuers treffen die Charaktere auf die namensgebenden Cinderlinge, kleine lebendige Ruß-Kügelchen mit weißen Augen und piepsenden Stimmchen. Da das Dach ihres Heims kurz vor dem Einsturz steht, bitten sie die Gruppe darum, sie sicher durch den Wald in ein neues Zuhause zu führen. Die Aufgabe gestaltete sich für die Spielenden schwieriger als gedacht, denn in einem Rucksack oder ähnlichem verstaut, verliert ein Cinderling seine Magie und wird zu gewöhnlicher Asche.

Hinzu kamen mehr oder minder regelmäßige Ablenkungen wie Blumen und Insekten, die ein paar Ausreißer vom Weg abbrachten. Nicht zu unterschätzen war auch die Sprachbarriere, denn die kleinen Wesen konnten nur mit staksigen Händchen und hohen Piep-Lauten kommunizieren. Dennoch schafften die Charaktere es, die Cinderlinge sicher über einen Fluss und durch den Regen zu einem großen Haus im Wald zu bringen. Dort mussten noch ein paar kleine Feuer-Elementare besiegt werden, die in ihrem Hunger immer wieder nach den hilflosen Ruß-Kügelchen griffen. In ihrem neuen Kamin-Heim angekommen, bedankten sich die Cinderlinge für den Schutz mit magischen Sternen-Süßigkeiten bei den Charakteren.

[/spoiler]

Erscheinungsbild

Für den Test lag die PDF-Version vor; über die Qualität des Hardcovers kann daher an dieser Stelle nichts gesagt werden. Das Layout der rund 180 Seiten orientiert sich am klassischen Aufbau anderer D&D-Abenteuer. Schön geordnet findet die Spielleitung in den einzelnen Geschichten kurze Texte zum Vorlesen, Zufallstabellen sowie Daten für Monster und relevante Gegenstände. Das Inhaltsverzeichnis hilft bei der Übersicht, eine Verlinkung von Kapitelmarken im PDF gibt es leider nicht.

Diese niedliche Katze ist nicht die einzige Illustration am Seitenrand bei Eyes Unclouded. Wer schon immer Ghibli-Stimmung am Spieltisch haben wollte, sollte bei Eyes Unclouded zugreifen.

Geschmückt wird die Aufmachung von passenden Illustrationen, die zwar am Ghibli-Animationsstil angelehnt sind, aber von Geschichte zu Geschichte beziehungsweise Künstler:in zu Künstler:in immer einen eigenen Stil aufweisen. Besonders die Hauptbilder zu Beginn der Kapitel lassen mit ihrem Detailgrad jedes Ghibli-Fanherz höherschlagen. Eine Übersicht zu den sozialen Kanälen der einzelnen Künstler:innen findet sich am Ende des Abenteuerbands.

Neben dem Original-PDF gibt es auch eine weitere, äußerlich reduzierte PDF-Variante. Diese ist für das schnelle Lesen auf einem Bildschirm optimiert und damit eine nette Unterstützung für die Spielleitung. Die zweite Fassung ist zudem druckerfreundlich, enthält jedoch keine Karten der einzelnen Abenteuer.

Fazit

Es mag wie nostalgische Verklärung wirken, aber Eyes Unclouded bietet genau das, was es sein will: eine moderne Mischung aus Ghibli-Geschichten mit Dungeons & Dragons Regeln. Die Autor:innen machen keinen Hehl daraus, dass ihre Szenarien klare Hommagen an die bekannten Animationsfilme sind. In den Zeichnungen, Beschreibungen und Handlungen lässt sich überall Liebe von Fans am Original erkennen. Von niedlichen magischen Wesen bis zu moralischen Fragen wird die ganze Bandbreite innerhalb der elf Geschichten abgedeckt. Dabei sind die Abenteuer für die Spielleitung detailreich und übersichtlich gestaltet sowie mit hübschen Zeichnungen verziert.

Wer schon immer Ghibli-Stimmung am Spieltisch haben wollte, sollte bei Eyes Unclouded zugreifen.

Mit Szenarien von Level 1 bis 14 ist auch genügend Spannweite geboten, um einen kurzen One-Shot in bestehende Runden oder als Abwechslung für zwischendurch einzubauen. Hinzu kommen acht Rezeptideen passend zur jeweiligen Handlung, um den Spielabend am Tisch abzurunden. Sehr positiv hervorzuheben ist auch die Diversität der NSC sowie die Nennung der bevorzugten Pronomen. Wer schon immer einmal selbst Held:in in einem Ghibli-Film sein wollte, bekommt hier die Chance dazu. Das PDF hat gemessen an den elf Szenarien zusammen mit den Kochrezepten einen überaus fairen Preis. Inwiefern die Hardcover-Fassung da mithalten kann, muss an dieser Stelle leider offenbleiben. Für große Fans ist der Kauf des Buches aber vielleicht eine zusätzliche Überlegung wert.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Kari J. F. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/19/2021 14:10:55

Eyes Unclouded was an immediate buy for me. I've been a Studio Ghibli fan since I was a kid and this product didn't disappoint; I think it has helped pave a path for other adventures that would prefer to focus on non-combat conflict resolution. The art is incredible and the layout was organized and made sense. Last summer I ran Britt Hay's Delivery Witches Apply Within and my party had a lot of fun both making deliveries and trying to figure out why the Purple Stove Outfitters were so rude. I hope I'll have some time to run others from this anthology!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Virus V. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/11/2021 10:48:44

Very charming adventure for soft dreamy people who love roleplaying. The art is beautiful and really feels like the best chance you get to experience a ghibli movie with you as one of the protagonists.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by larry a. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/24/2021 17:23:32

The artwork they show on the website is what sold me on the purchase - unfortunately, those were the only two pictures by that artist in the entire book. Everything else is mediocre at best. Supremely disappointed.



Rating:
[1 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Matthew D. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 07/31/2021 23:30:41

This is a really great anthology, one of the best I have ever read and run. I liked it so much I did a whole podcast on why it's great and how you should use it. Listen here.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Timothy L. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 05/26/2021 15:41:40

It's a beautiful book with a very consistent art style and cute wholesome adventure



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by jordan S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/04/2021 21:34:06

This is a fantastic book. The adventures are interesting, full of unique characters and situations that you just don't find in D&D very often. Just this morning I ran the first adventure (Cinderling Herding) for a group of 5 10-12 year olds. For most in the group it was their first time playing, and they had an absolute blast! It was supposed to be a one-off for a school project, but now they're begging me to start an after-school D&D group.

After searching through a LOT of 'intro to D&D' one shots, I'm so glad I landed on this one for this age group. Thanks for the excellent work!



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Ben R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/20/2020 18:27:43

This is an absolutely wonderful, delightful, intelligent collection of themed adventures that clearly had a lot of thought and care put into them. It's a great achievement and a fantastic product for those of us who live D&D and Studio Ghibli equally. The creators are to be commended for fashioning these wonderful adventures for us to play. The amount of discourse and intolerance thrown around online about these adventures was completely uncalled for and showed such an immense close-mindedness. Reading through these adventures was a delight and I can't wait to run the delivery service one for my wife's next birthday. If you love D&D and how much variety it can hold within itself, you owe it to yourself to purchase this fine collection.



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Justin H. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/24/2020 15:42:28

Abolutely adore this project. I grew up on the movies that inspired this fantastic creation and I can see great care went into making sure that the adventures captured the spirit of the Japanese animations it was based on. I really wanted to give this a 5 star, but the many spelling/grammar errors stop it from being a 5 star product for the high price tag. But that shouldn't stop you from picking it up. Check out our full coverage as we walk through our favorites over at Crit Academy. https://www.critacademy.com/post/episode188



Rating:
[4 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Mark L. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 09/05/2020 13:39:26

Eyes Unclouded: An Anthology of 11 Original Adventures Inspired by Classic Japanese Animation by Bridie Dutton, Toto Joe Sullivan and many others Format : PDF Acquired 14 August 2020 ; paid $14.95 [launch day price ; full price $19.95] Product released 14 August 2020 / last updated 28 August 2020 Number of pages : 180 pages Read 16-25 August 2020

Number of stars 3 (should be 5)

I want to lead with I think this is an excellent and almost entirely well done product. If you are a fan of Studio Ghibli movies AND if you or your players are not murder hobos then this is definitely for you. The artwork, starting with the cover by Auri Cavendish, is simply stunning. As the subtitle states, there are 11 adventures, ranging from Tier 1 to 3. While there certainly is room for combat, more or less depending on the specific adventure, this is far more roleplay-based, with good room for exploration in some cases also. A few are primarily one-shots but some could be woven into ongoing campaigns. One is set in Eberron.

If you meet my two above criteria then I think you do want this collection.

Now for some criticisms:

This product has been updated twice since release. Other than in the file name there is absolutely no indication on the product which verson you are looking at. Please add a version number somewhere on the product itself. The credits page would be a great place for this.

Editing is where my big gripe lays; more specifically, proofreading. Generally, I would say all of the other "higher order" editing functions (developmental, copy) are well done. But there are eight people listed as editors. Not one's responsibility was proofreading?

I had written almost 1000 words about the proofreading but have removed it. Two of the adventures are excellently done and I assume this is due to the author's care before submission. But as a whole the lack of proofreading is shameful. See the Editing section below for the types of issues present. Even with two updates so far not one of the almost 80 issues I found has been fixed.

Preview : The full-size preview has the table of contents, a full-page piece of artwork, and several pages of the first adventure. Maybe that's enough but it seems a bit small to me. My understanding, though, is that all pages in a preview have to be contiguous due to how they are generated so it is definitely tough for folks to provide a good overview of a varied product that doesn't give away too much. I guess this is a decent compromise.

Attribution : All artwork and content is attributed.

TOC : Present but not linked, which would be an extremely useful thing in a document this size. Chapters are in the table of contents view in my PDF reader though so I guess that works. Not all of us use that view though so I still feel links in the ToC are appropriate.

Formatting : The document layout is really good.

Art : Amazing! Quite probably the best part of this product. Beautiful and definitely fits the mood. Applicable, well used, and a good amount.

Style : Highly variable and inconsistently follows WotC D&D House style, sometimes within the same adventure! This is one of my big pain points with this product. I don't care whether a product follows WotC style, although I certainly prefer it. Just make sure you follow whatever style formatting you do choose.

Editing : typos missing/wrong prepositions wrong word choice: e.g., deductible vs deducible contraction without apostrophe page # reference for map incorrect lack of spacing where needed and inclusion of spacing where not needed high variability in formatting of names of spells, magic items, skills, etc., even within adventures (see e.g., seed of life) [biggest issue] how monsters are identified doesn't fully follow their stated format chopped off text referenceless pronoun "missing" About the Author section (or perhaps the author did not want one is a possibility) "it's" instead of "its" throughout one adventure reference to "Dramatis Personae" when the text is labeled "Important Characters" (yes, I know they are the same but does everyone? Also, a reference to a named section of text should reference it by the name actually used) doubled text stilted/confused writing (by someone who seems to be a native English speaker)

Number and type of files included : Originally 1 PDF but now 4 PDFs and a folder with 9 maps in PNG. The 4 PDFs consists of 2 different versions (release and update), each in regular and screen reader friendly versions.

Value : I do think this is a value based on the number of adventures received. I buy very few products from Dungeon Masters Guild above around $12.00 so it is tough for me to ascribe value to them, but considering you are getting 11 adventures across Tier 1 to Tier 3 I do not see how you can complain, at least if you are a Miyazaki fan.



Rating:
[3 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Anita S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/19/2020 09:07:41

I ran the cinderling adventure as a one shot yesterday and both I and my players loved it! It is very charming, in a way that doesn't get old by the end, and made a player want to permanently keep a cinderling. All the little silly quirks of the cinderlings and the flavoured optional encounters really help to establish the right mood, and the freeform nature of the encounters helps with pacing (we took about 3,5 hours for two players). It kept us adults entertained, but it would also work great for younger children's first adventure. I'm looking forward to trying out the other adventures soon : D



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Eyes Unclouded
Publisher: Dungeon Masters Guild
by Curse o. S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 08/14/2020 07:38:11

This review is for the Tier 1 adventures. I'll be following it up with the Tier 2 and Tier 3 adventures. I was going to just do more of an overview, but I needed to spent more time on each one.

Honestly, I haven’t seen all the Studio Ghibli films and I certainly won’t get all the references, but I’ve seen more than enough to know that the otherworldly awe, wonder and happenstance essence of the Studio Ghibli films captured and woven into these wonderful adventures and truly inspired ideas. You absolutely do not have to have seen a single frame to enjoy these sumptuous and shockingly beautiful tales. You will love the references, inspirations, cameos and homages to the films of Hayao Miyazaki, but at their heart these are simply phenomenal adventures.

The fact that many of these glorious adventures comes with a recipe for an unbelievably tasty treats from Cinderling cake pops, tarts fit for a Cat King and éclairs that make me weep for being dairy free, is an unbelievably awesome bonus, and a truly inspired idea! Perfect to bake for your game group or as an ice-breaker/ to give you advantage on convincing friends, family and fans of the Studio Ghibli films to play these amazing adventures.

Tier 1

Cinderling Herding by Tineke Bollemon

I found it genuinely hard to start reading because the artwork for this adventure is just so beautiful and freaking adorable! I just found myself staring and getting lost in it!

“Cinderlings are small, roughly round balls made from the soot and ash left in chimneys, fi replaces and furnaces of old and abandoned houses. When moving about, they leave a little ash in their wake.

If the place the Cinderlings reside becomes inhabited, they observe the new residents. If the new inhabitants are nice, the Cinderlings leave. If not, they cause mischief, hoping to drive the inhabitants away.”

Opening with a magical and gorgeous description of Cinderlings, who cannot verbally communicate with other creatures for their voices are just too high, which leads to much cute, animated and amusing interpretative dance, this adventure is essentially a caravan guard mission in which the caravan are adorable little soot motes in need of a new home and protection as they travel through the forest to the ruins of a mansion. This will be the perfect new pad, once the fire spirits that guard the hearth have been vanquished.

Cinderlings are easily distracted and a list of possible reasons why a Cinderlings might wander off or get distracted included, which absolutely melted me, including, becoming “Fascinated by its reflection in a puddle, Hitched a ride on a snail, Conversing with a mouse” and “Found a shiny rock they want to keep but it’s too heavy to carry, slowing them down.”

Throughout the forest are all manner of encounters from creatures, terrain and weather features/ challenges to magical moments. The layout of random encounters with all manner of options, allows for a brief jaunt through the enchanted wood to an entire Odyssey of a trek, with the magical encounters adding weird wonders, including all manner of cameos and spiritual presences, my favourite being, “a scarecrow with a turnip for a head follows the party for a little bit. It quickly hops away on its stick when the adventurers try to confront it.”

These encounters not only give great variety for the adventure, but act as a fantastic resource and inspiration for further magical anime adventures

Wonderful advice is given for handling Cinderling Peril, depending on your group makeup and dynamic:

“Having a Cinderling die due to failure on the adventurer’s part might be hard to cope with for younger players. Having a Cinderling be ‘injured’ instead is a better solution. Healing cinder lings can be done with magic, or for younger players, a kiss could also work. Of course, kissing a Cinderling better gives a soot stained face.

For older players the death of a Cinderling might sting, but serves to drive the consequences of failure home.”

Don’t let anything bad happen to the little cutie patooties, especially as the fire spirits will try to nibble and consume them to heal in the final confrontation!

The adventure concludes adorably with magical candy rewards with d50 random effects and “the Cinderling [consecrating] their new home by dancing, singing and gladly [inviting] the adventurers to participate in their celebrations.”

I cannot express how beautifully written, conceptualised and presented this adventure is! It perfectly captures the childish Ghibli magic and wonder, as well as having a solid adventure frame with all manner of thoughtful, fun, mechanically and thematically sound encounters and moments.

This is already worth the cover price!

The Cinderling Cake Pops looks sensational and have my mouth watering!

An Unfamiliar Court by Bridie Dutton

Feywild felines and a Faerie Dragon full of fibs!

The theft of a precious amulet by a wily weasel (illustrated beautifully) sets off a chase through busy, horizontal streets, ultimately leading to the Feywild and a reflection of the town the party were in only moments before...in the vertical form of a cat tree. This new town is presided over by a cat King. Celebrations and festivities are in full swing for the coming of the coming Summer Court.

The attractions are plentiful as the party movies through the city from fire-breathing rats with dubious aim and a crotchety cephalopod in a barrel selling tarts (because why not?) to weasels and snakes tumbling and “contorting their bodies to form the shapes of monsters such as umber hulks and displacer beasts” (who quite literally take a tumble at the surprise of seeing the party) and an illusionist raven with an invitation to dinner further up the tree, as well as a system for gaining evidence to uncover the trickster Faerie Dragon among the crowd throughout the adventure.

At a feast for the Cat King is an interesting affair with all guests performing. “An owl reads poetry, a rat performs acrobatics, and there’s an a Capella band of frogs”, so it is all the more amusing when the characters find it is their turn, while they are under the random effects of fey food, which could really give them the edge impressing the royal kitty...or they could end up belching noxious gas with every word uttered... So, swings and roundabouts.

Unless the party wish to be bounced back to the prime material plane by a lizard and floating sea house, it’s time to leg it again, in a section I cannot but stand and applaud the creator for their exquisitely forced pun on the name of the town, “You Can’t Stay Eleut-here-ia”. Pure poetry.

Reunited with the illusionist raven, the party learn of the Faerie Dragon’s rouse, together set out to gather evidence and expose them. Advice and means to conduct the investigation are provided, with the conclusion depending on whether the party want to throw down with the fanciful fey and their pixie pals, convince the king of the deception or turn the tricker into the trickee with a prank worthy of an A-Team and MacGyver crossover! It just so happens that the town members and entertainers can form like Voltron in to the illusion of a dragon dragon!

This is an incredibly well thought out adventure full of fun antics coming together at the end in an American Tale ending extravaganza, which can actually turn the mercurial Faerie Dragon into an ally of the town and the party...or send them off with their tail between their legs! Whatever happens, the town should be friendly and the Amulet can be returned with a possibly even more meaning addition for the mage.

Seeds for fourth adventures are included with the party having the chance to act as envoy for the town and simply as a springboard in to more adventures through the veil.

This adventure comes with a recipe for Eleutherian Jelly Tarts, which look fit for a king!

Delivery Witches Apply Within by Brittney Hay (@FNDungeonMom)

This adventure sees the homely Kat and Cake Bakery (KaCB) [and delivery service] facing a smear campaign from their competitor, The Purple Stove Outfitters (TPSO), and can be worked into any city, such as Waterdeep, Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter, etc.

The characters could find themselves witness to notice board vandalism! Actually, see with their own eyes, a representative of TPSO tearing up flyers, while promoting themselves; unseemly. Or the gentler way in is at the behest of a cute kitty. Rarely have I seen such different ambient hooks for the same adventure, but I love it!

All I needed to know was: “the Purple Stove has steadily lost business for various reasons, like missed deliveries and damaged packages due to careless workers boycotting low wages.” PAY YOUR WORKERS MORE! EAT THE RICH, BUT NOR THEIR BAKED GOODS! [I wonder if I’m allowed to be overtly anti-capitalist in reviews, when you can’t be on the cover of adventures? Anyways, if I’m breathing, reviewing and Hyping please understand I am exuding anti-capitalism from every pore, pun and palliteration!]

Climbs unsteadily off soapbox

The owners of KaCB, Kirsa and Minima are two lovely, badarse middle-aged married bakers, co-owners of their business and, honey, they are most definitely two or above, because they are not the one.

The party join KaCB and there is an incredible array of deliveries to make and delays/ challenges as they shoot about all over the city delivering wonders and over facing adversity as they go. The deliveries range from a delectable delicate cake that must be kept horizontal and safe using a Ring of Tenser’s Floating Disc, through Bath tokens with the possibility to aid a polluted water spirit (Water Weird), which is just straight up glorious scene from Spirited Away converted to D&D, to delivering tea leaves to a delightful Duke with magical tea and healing tea cakes. All deliveries come with one or suggested delay, which can be things like an out of control cart, strange enchanting mist or running into the BBEGs (Bad Baking Evil Guys) from the TPSO smearing KaCB’s good name! My favourite, which gave me another huge grin, after the Water Spirit, is Cabbages! I believe to be a reference to Avatar: the Last Airbender. There are more than enough here to really have fun with this, stretching it out and expanding or just running a couple and having many more for replayability.

If the party are successful, they are rewarded with Brooms of Flying to truly live out there Kiki’s Delivery Service fantasy (and whoop some TPSO arse if necessary).

This brilliantly fun adventure also comes with Baby Mimic stats and a whole host of trinkets and magic Items, including, "A pink scabbard that feels lighter than it actually is, A gem that adheres to the holder’s forehead like a third eye, and Magic Sugar Cubes with Enlarging/ Reducing effect.

Kirsa’s Fish Chowder Pot Pie just looks so homely and filling! This book is really testing my willpower and making me salivate!

Honestly, I haven’t seen all the Studio Ghibli films and I certainly won’t get all the references, but I’ve seen more than enough to know that the otherworldly awe, wonder and happenstance essence of the Studio Ghibli films captured and woven into these wonderful adventures and truly inspired ideas. You absolutely do not have to have seen a single frame to enjoy these sumptuous and shockingly beautiful tales. You will love the references, inspirations, cameos and homages to the films of Hayao Miyazaki, but at their heart these are simply phenomenal adventures.

The fact that many of these glorious adventures come with incredibly bright and tasty recipes for sumptuous treats from Cinderling cake pops, tarts fit for a Cat King and éclairs that make me weep for being dairy free, is an unbelievably awesome bonus, and a truly inspired idea! If you’re anything like me, you've always wanted to eat the food from a Studio Ghibli films, and this is about as close as you're going to get! Perfect to bake for your game group or as an ice-breaker/ to give you advantage on convincing friends, family and fans of the Studio Ghibli films to play these amazing adventures.

This anthology is filled with breathtaking art that grabs you by the lapels and sends you soaring into the air and into fantasy worlds of dream and imagination! This alone is worth the asking price for truly one of the most exquisitely gorgeous TTRPG supplements or all time.

We become something more when we work together, something more elevated and beautiful than we can imagine, and this is certainly true of the anthology projects on DMs Guild, such as the unbelievable Uncaged and Unbreakable anthologies, the Books of Seasons, the Princess Project, Eat the Rich, Odyssey Anthology, Through the Veil and Wisdom Under Fire to name but a handful. Eyes Unclouded easily counts itself among top of these other breathtaking projects, showcasing the boundless inspiration and talent in these creators who harness the inspiration of these phenomenal films and weave them. Into their own wonders!

Producer’s Notes

“You must see with eyes unclouded by hate. See the good in that which is evil, and the evil in that which is good. Pledge yourself to neither side, but vow instead to preserve the balance that exists between the two.”

– Hayao Miyazaki

“We may be biased, but we feel comfortable stating that the works of Hayao Miyazaki have an above average density of lessons for how to be a better human being. Regardless of the age you’re fortunate enough to experience them, these lessons form a sort of curriculum. This curriculum shows us that it’s noble to have respect for your planet and sometimes you need to step up and defend it. It says that women can do anything, and that nothing is as important as believing in yourself. It says that magic is everywhere if you know where to look, even if tanuki are straight up terrifying. There is wisdom in taking those lessons with us wherever we go...”

My Affiliate Link https://www.dmsguild.com/product/322733/Eyes-Unclouded?affiliate_id=1507682

Credits

Narrative Design: Anthony Alipio, Tineke Bolleman, C. Michael Chase, Bridie Dutton, Brittney Hay, Kat Kruger, Jacky Leung, Amber Litke, Sadie Lowry, Collette Quach, Toto Joe Sullivan

Cover Art: Auri Cavendish Original

Art: Auri Cavendish, Cammielle Gwisdalla, H. “Ink” Kugler, Xan Larson, Amber Litke, Sadie Lowry, Morgan Madeline, Megan McCurdy, Lessie Nieves-Paugh, Mars Skiff

Art Direction: Megan McCurdy

Cartography: Auri Cavendish The maps used in A City in the Mountains are a modified version of maps created by Dyson Logos.

Editing: C. Michael Chase, Remy Cortez, Bridie Dutton, Brittney Hay, Miguel Guerreiro Lourenço, Kai Linder, Echo Roanoke, Toto Joe Sullivan

Layout: Bridie Dutton and Lydia Van Hoy Production: Bridie Dutton and Toto Joe Sullivan Additional Art: Pixabay, Robert Bruce McDougall (Public Domain), Daniel F Walthall (CC BY 4.0 license), Lucas Marcomini (Unsplash), Ales Krivec (Unsplash), Damien Creatz (Unsplash), Deva Williamson (Unsplash), Dmytro Tolokono (Unsplash), Eberhard Grossgasteiger (Unsplash), Some artwork © 2015 Vagelio Kaliva, used with permission. All rights reserved, Some artwork courtesy of WotC for use in DMsGuild Publications

My Affiliate Link https://www.dmsguild.com/product/322733/Eyes-Unclouded?affiliate_id=1507682



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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