I seem to be in the minority here, but I ran this adventure twice and both times my player enjoyed it greatly.

Keep in mind that this is a roleplay-heavy adventure. If you're the type of DM to just speed-read through the narrative content and try to rush into combat, this is not the adventure for you. And frankly, I wouldn't want to be a player at a table like that anyways.

The players will have to choose who they talk to, what they ask about, and how they pull off the heist. Be prepared to improvise - let them roleplay, bring the NPCs to life, and be ready to work with whatever plans the party comes up with. It's important that the players learn all the information they need, but in an organic way; don't infodump, but let them converse with the NPCs to get the info out of them. Knowing how to nudge players in the right direction without railroading them is important.

If you have a party that enjoys the roleplaying elements and planning out a heist, you'll have a great time. Be prepared for things to go wrong, then let the players respond accordingly. If they're clever, they can pull it off.

With that said, I still can't give it five stars due to the bonus objectives. The first one gives a debilitating story award that can only be avoided by making some major character sacrifices that no one would be willing to do, while the second is a chase scene, which I'm simply not fond of. In fact, it often feels like the price for any deal is too high for players to even consider.

With those issues aside, I still liked this module a lot. I enjoy adventures that are more RP-driven than combat fests, so this kind of adventure is just my style.

This has to be one of the worst adventures I've ever run and played through in 5e. It 100% removes any player relevence. The module is all about the NPCs. The whole module is a massive railroad and I've run it and played through once each. Heist sort of modules can be fun, this one takes everything that could make it awesome and throws in straight into the trash can.

To even be allowed you go on the adventure you are given three options that all suck. The 3rd one sucks because of ALs Gold and downtime day rules. When we first did this, we as a table said no to every option given....they suck that bad. DM used the optional quest at the begingnig to enable us to play the adventure, we all wished we had just not played it. I ran it just so I could look behind the DM screen to see if it really was that bad and it is.

I only bought the module myself on DMsguild so I could leave a review stating how bad this is.

From the very first part of it, the players are railroaded through a series of bad options. Without spoiling it, players are basically required to give up their resources to progress past part 1, for which there is no incentive to do so. The "bonus objective" provides alternatives to fighting, but the alternatives are so onerous that pretty much nobody would do it, and that's the only way to avoid a fight.

After the second part, the only method to complete the adventure with the "good" ending is for a single successful high group skill check, no other options or chances. And the majority treasure in the scenario is dependent on that ending. Bad rolls in that one moment? Sorry everyone, you're SOL.

This scenario is the opposite of fun unless you make your own modifications.

Not recommended.

Interesting premise, but flawed execution.

This module plays heavily on the social pillar of D&D 5e and (bar one of the two bonus objectives) can be completed without rolling ever once for initiative, a fresh departure form the usual DDAL formula.

The social scenario is, however, very railroaded in its resolution, lacking of alternate solution. It also lack ANY discussion for evident spells and class abilities that could affect the scenario; while the scenario try to seal most of the character options during part 2 the method used is by no means absolute: for example the characters could at the very least use teleport spells to flee from the party premise once they completed their main objective, but the adventure doesn't mention if this has any consequence at all (expecially for Mahadi). As a side note: most spellcasters built for social scenarios (that should dig this sort of adventures) that focus on enchantment spells feels VERY frustrating to play if the social-focused adventures outright block their ability to use spells.

Part 1 also suffers of an annoying "you must pass this skill check to continue your adventure" moment, part 2 has a more lenient case, though still annoying. Bonus Scenario 1 is an horrible "lose-lose" scenario where EVERY SINGLE OPTION has inevitable bad consequences for the PCs. I suggest against running this Bonus scenario beacuse it feels extremely unfair.

As a positive note this is one of the best edited DDAL in season 9.

One of the worse modules I've done. If you are planning to play this, be a bit more flexible.

A railroad with only one stop and every npc is helping you. My players really enjoyed this one. I told them up front off board this was an heist and social only adventure. I did print out the stats for all the npcs just in case but they were not needed. I sugest DM use props and an one line tag for each named NPC. EX. Spell Nerd for the conjurer. Bonus objective A map needs to be redone. As I had not finish drawing it out before I heard "Good fireball formation." I did have an extra method of the group to play in Objective A. Early this year someone made a contract to run an inn inside the Emporium. Part 1 under Development. Include a line. If the pc fail to convince Mahadi, he is amuse at they pitiful attempt. He allows them to attend but charges them 100 gp for the finery and does not want to be implicated. Failure add if Mahadi is implicated the pc has disadvantage with social rolls against Mahadi.

Hey All-sorry for the book. But I've committed myself this year to providing constructive feedback to all designers whose adventures I have the opportunity to present and offer some insight into how I have/will successfully present their works, in hopes that my player's experience is as enjoyable as I can make it and that perhaps this courtesy will be reciprocated at some point in my future design efforts.

I had a chance to play this adventure and it was enjoyable. I am a fan of RP, so it did not disappoint in that respect. I believe my DM breathed some life into it as well (no pun intended). Now, I as prep it for one of my groups, I saw a few things that I felt warrant mentioning.

I'm not really sure why the amount of charges in Soul Coin is important at all to the CTA. I prob won't even mention it. DMs-please read the Dramatis Personae at a minimum, unless you already have some knowledge of Mahadi's Traveling Emporium from BG:DiA or other adventures in Tier Two where The Emporium appears. The adventure can come to a screeching halt if players do not barter with Mahadi. Some of the terms seem reasonable for T3 characters; however, the bartering can also be overcome with players meeting one or two of the conditions for barter. Making the group check that the modules advises garners more insight into Mahadi and the galal, but do nothing to affect the terms offered by Mahadi. There appears to be no cause/incentive for even attempting the check other than being given more background into Mahadi and perhaps some fodder to use in RP in the Second Part of the adventure.

Part 2 gave me the feel of the DDOPEN 2018. Heavy RP and again a pat down that may rattle players feathers, but they will get a chance to hide weapons and the weapons are just being checked-in storage here, so they aren't being stolen. I would encourage DMs to read Appendix Three, present the guests as people that, "catch their eye", "bump into players" or have them overhear something that might appeal to their background or ideals, bonds, flaws, etc. I intend to use events from the BG:DiA hardcover or the other Tier Two adventures plots as gossip for the party. To set the players up with options to complete the adventures objective, be sure to engage them with the bulleted list in 'Use the Clues' section in Part Two and gauge your audience when you present the Qirroz option please. Escaping after the chalice has been lifted is relegated to one check like in Part One, but I think the designer did a good job of offering options for DMs to present Exploration and Social Pillars to gain some insight into things that can help them. Players already familiar with Mahadi's rules or some behaviors in BG:DiA, should know that combat in a gala filled with all manner of devils will not end well for them.

In Bonus Objective A, I thought we could be provided some insight into what the nature of the deal between Galabraga and Mahadi was. Since its not provided, I see it as an opportunity for DMs to add a little something of their own to the adventure. I appreciate that the designer has good adventure flow back to the main story line from both Bonus Objectives.

In Bonus Objective B. What is presented here could easily be captured in a chase using chase rules. I'm a little bit surprised its not presented as such, but this is easily remedied by a three to five round chase scene. Use the Chase Complications in BG:DiA for Infernal War Machines.... add a distance trigger, and the chase rules to escape, and I think that could also meet the spirit of the chase (pun intended this time). The Social Pillar of Play in this Bonus Objective seems to be a 'No Go' from the start. I don't see any player group giving up The Chalice after what they had to go through to get it, or giving up 25 souls coins that they probably gave up already to Mahadi to get to this point in the adventure. I did enjoy the No Exceptions! Story Award, I think that it is approriate tormenter and suitable consequence for the realm that these adventure take place in; however, the other story award in this adventure is devilishing brutal. I don't imagine players being too eager to continue their travels in Avernus in the throes of the exhaustive nightmare of these two story awards working in tandem on them. I'd be working with Mahadi to book the first flight back to the Prime Material PLANE (oh, there I go again).

Alright. Seriously, I do find this adventure an enjoyable read and I know my players will enjoy it too. This adventure provides opportunities for DMs to focus on NPC presentation and amplify descriptives to help with scene immersion. If your players are looking to just chop up evil devils, this is probably not the adventure for you. I'm not a fan of "One way out" meta (One check stops/impede/complicates adventure flow), but there is enough here to work with, meet the spirit of the story the designer presents, and end with entertained players. Pick this adventure up if you haven't already!

Completely agree with other review by Dennis.

This mod is 100% social and exploration. No combat unless you play the bonus objectives - and the first one gives perhaps the single most punishing Story Award ever, and the second is Infernal Warmachine combat.

If you have a whole party of perceptive, charming, and knowledgeable characters, this mod can be fun. Otherwise, a significant part of the party is just going to sit around and do nothing.

I ran this module at a regional premier convention a few weeks ago. While it is fun for the right group and fresh in the sense of being highly socially oriented, there are several parts that railroad the PCs and can come down to a single poor roll resulting in death of a PC, railroading, and the potential for inappropriateness at the table.

For example, "They must succeed on a DC 18 Dexterity (Stealth) group check to escape without implicating Mahadi. On a failed check, they manage to evade capture, but are identified—which implicates Mahadi, since he brought them to the ball." As written, this one group stealth check can determine if a character is dead or alive perminately, given Mahadi's response to being implicated in the heist. There is no flexibility written into the module to allow for creative game play or other ways to avoid implication.

Another example, bonus objective A. While this is not as extreme, since the expected way to resolve the situation is to enter into another infernal contract (the second one in the module, since Mahadi requires one, too). The story award given for a combat resolution is essentially a death sentence for any season 8 or 9 PC. NIghtmare Haunting will kill them and the resolution costs most of the max gold available to be earned through level 9, plus three soul coins.

Lastly, the part in the main story that requires PCs to come up with "an activity of their choosing. If a character partakes, Qirozz exerts herself during the activity which causes her to take a nap..." While not explicit, they are at a party in hell. Each person I disucssed this with immediately came up with the same "adult" activity to do with her to make her tired and take a nap - at a part, in hell. I would think that given the heat AL took last season that caused the Philter of Love to get banned from AL play, the module might have some suggested activities. I personally used hand-to-hand, non-lethal sparing match - in which it would have been nice to see a stat block for Qirozz.