Shadowfell Keep
Alternately known by Fiery Dragon as “The Castle of Shadows”, my players are only one session away from completing Keep on the Shadowfell, the first commercial adventure for 4e. Here’s my impressions after running 4 games so far.
1. My players need to show up on time. This is completely unrelated to the game itself, but it has been irritating. Last week I had a player call two hours before the game, say he was going to go out for a quick run, take a shower, then come over. Two hours and five minutes later, he called to tell me that he was going to be leaving his house in 10 minutes. Additionally, he had to pick up two of my other two players, starting our game a whopping 2 hours late.
Let’s move on before blood is shed.
2. For anyone seeking any type of plot, or intrigue, this is not for you. This adventure is basically just one combat encounter after another. Which works, if you’re someone like my wife who simply loves combat.
3. There are a few unique and interesting elements, including the 4th to the last room, in which a giant statue, two force-breathing stone dragons, and a quartet of impish jar-holding statues bring a series of complicated choices for the heroes. Most notable, as a 5×5 area began filling with water, drowning the Dragonborn Warlord, the oft-haughty Eladrin Wizard decided to Fey Step into the 5-foot deep water and save the day.
4. Though the game assumes the players head back to town for rest, my players have yet to leave the Keep, instead venturing deeper and deeper into the bowels of the castle.
So far, the players have enjoyed themselves enormously, and I’m looking forward to wrapping up the adventure. Next we’ll be stumbling into the Thunderspire Labyrinth, followed by a brand new LFR campaign.
