Dungeons and Dragons Adventurer magazine part 9

Part nine brings us our first new pre-generated character and our first two part Encounter.

Sage Advice 

First we have an overview on movement rates both in encounters and for overland travel.

Senses discusses the different types of 'seeing', from normal vision to Truesight.

The section on Dungeon Adventures gives DM's some issues to consider when running traditional dungeons, such as potential dangers and the different atmosphere for different types of dungeons. There could be more details here, but it's a good start.

Character Creation

This issue is dedicated to the new class, the Bard. To give it the same coverage as the first four classes we have an overview and a page on first level features and one on second level features. As with the first four pre-gens choices have been made where relevant.

Lore 

Another Monsters overview, this time goblins, and an introduction to the Dwarven kingdom of Delzoun.

Freebies

Another set of dice, another dice tin. And character sheets for the gnome bard. There's absolutely nothing wrong with having a few sets of dice, but the magazine over it's run is going to deliver rather a lot of them. If you want an indication of how many, check out Fauxhammer's listing here.

Conclusion

There's nothing to hate here, its pretty much all useful stuff that players and DMs will need (especially if they are running through the Encounters).

I'm becoming used to (and more accepting of) the gradual release of rules and information. There's a very deliberate matching of rules and encounter each issue, though I feel that ultimately the folder or folders of rules will seem bitty and disjointed. Only time will tell.

As the Encounter is actually part one of a two part adventure we don't actually know how good it will be, but the first half is promising.  Details, as ever, after the gap.

Encounter

This issue contains the first half of an extended encounter, Deadknock Mine. The characters are asked to find out why a clan of Dwarven miners have reappeared after having gone missing for months.  The reasoning behind this is neat. I'll definitely be using that one myself.

Otherwise, there's a fairly standard series of encounters with dwarves and goblins, and, since it's a mine, the chance to ride in a mine cart.  I'd have liked to have seen a more pressing reason to ride in the mine cart, such as chasing escaping goblins, or the track spanning a chasm, but it's still fun.

The second half of the encounter is in next week's issue, so lets hope it ends as well as it began.