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In an attempt to introduce everyone to the mechanics of 4th edition, I was left feeling that the author had taken a purely clinical approach to the encounter designs, leaving artistic concerns, such as character/world development and plot nuance, completely out of the picture.I've purchased the second adventure and hope that it reanimates my excitement for pre-written 4th ed. The storyline feels flat and linear and the encounters are so basic, even for a first adventure, that boredom set in for some players in my group quite quickly. adventures. There are positive and negative things one can say about the 4th edition rules, but I'm baffled how anyone can be impressed with "Keep on the Shadowfell". The included maps to cover the key encounters are a nice addition, but the adventure itself is sophomoric and thoroughly uninspiring.
That being said, as a way to introduce new or returning players to 4.0 it is an excellent way to go. Some of the drawbacks have been mentioned before, the largest being the end-game encounter is on the unprotected back page of the adventure book. Having started with a new group, this is a very user friendly way to start. The quick start guide and pre-made characters helped introduce several new players to Dungeons and Dragons.
It was easy enough to use and saved me from having to spend more money on 4th Edition books only to find out that I don't like 4th Edition. I bought this adventure for the purpose of trying 4th Edition.
Probably the best you can find for level 1 adventurers or as an introduction to new D&D or roleplaying.It doesnt get another start just for the flimsy edition. The adventure is top notch, with electrifying moments, dozens of graphics / floorplans and some very good pregenerated caracters. For what it is, this is an expensive product.3 maps (some of them reused) a Quick start rules booklet and a 90 pages adventure (all printed in recycled paper.). this is expensive.
The nicest part was the color maps that are included for the various encounters. It's been at least 10 years since I have played D&D, and on a friends advice we decided to check out the 4th edition rules. The bulk of the encounters inside the main part still had to be handcrafted.Overall, I would recommend the campaign to anyone who is starting up a 4th edition campaign, but I'm shy on giving it 5 stars because they should have included more maps. While these were really nice, they only included enough of them for about 1/3 of the encounters. I decided to try my hands as DM and picked up the first adventure Keep on the Shadowfell. The material was well written and easy to follow, and supplied me with lots of extras to make the campaign more fun.The campaign even included a simple explanation of the rules, which allows you to start playing even if you don't have the core rulebooks.
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