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The first game adventure to take advantage of Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License debuted at GenCon this year, right on the heels of Dungeons & Dragons third edition. Written by John Tynes and published by Atlas Games, "Three Days to Kill" is thematically distinct from the other D&D products we've seen in recent years. Is that good?

The Adventure

This adventure is intended for characters of 1st to 3rd level and requiring the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook. Many elements of classic fantasy roleplaying are here: magic wands, orcs, bandits, and treasure. Here, too, are features common to classic fantasy literature but not much seen in contemporary D&D products: gateways to Hell, lurid festivals, and drunken soirees. If morally ambiguous content, questionable character motivations, and villainous scum do not appeal to you then you had best pass this adventure by. Whatever remains could be found in other sources. If drinking games, a handful of conflicting non-player organizations, and shadowy goals fit your gameplay, this adventure will give you some tools to work with.

It is a lesson taught early on to authors of fiction and non-fiction alike. "Complicate the action, not the story." Tynes does exactly this. The adventure hook is routine: the player characters will be paid to do the bidding of a mysterious non-player character. The mission involves a bit of traveling, some careful planning, and likely a dose of deadly combat.

How the story progresses can vary significantly based on the assumptions made by the players. Things explained early on in the adventure seem simple, but they aren't. Who exactly are the players working for and against? Why? Do they care? When will they begin to care? The players and their characters have a substantial amount of room to play, but are generally outclassed enough that it is in their best interest to stay on course, for better or worse.

Tactically, the adventure seems balanced against cautious characters and experienced players. New players may find themselves overwhelmed. Overconfident characters have a real opportunity to get killed. A variety of human opponents are provided, as well as a few monstrous ones. Most admirable, though, is the ability to bring exactly as many enemies against the PCs as is necessary to challenge them without sacrificing the rationale of the non-player characters.

Presentation

Graphically, the adventure is adequate. Black and white art in pencil and dry media appears throughout the book. Some of it provides a dark supporting texture, some simply depicts an adventure element. Page edges are decorated with mask and bone imagery well-suited to the adventure.

The adventure maps are all computer rendered using typical mapping software. They are the sort common to a home campaign, not to a published adventure. Still, for your money you receive a few wilderness maps, the entire city of Deeptown, a few temples, and a villa.

In itself, the adventure has a good, grim quality. The Festival of Plenty provides several quality opportunities for roleplaying (and very nice rules for a local drinking game), all of which support the setting. Story material is clearly disclosed to the referee, as is some background on the adventure setting and key characters. A wide supply of D20 statistics are provided for thugs, soldiers, orcs, monsters, and more.

What is lacking, is a real tangibility to the adventure. Thematic elements, such as thieves, harlots, secret evils, and drunken revelry are all in place, but there seems to be a certain amount of texture missing. There are no sections of text to be read directly to players, which could stand in the way of new DMs conveying the story's tone successfully. Smells, sounds, and real physical sensations are not often mentioned, while visual imagery soars. The adventure can easily be placed into a home-made setting, which may solve some of these problems, if the DM wants to put in the time.

Still, the complexity of the action carries the story along quite nicely. Some of the maneuvering and shadows of Deeptown resemble John Tynes' earlier work. The creepier elements which may (or may not) surface later in the adventure could scare away shy DMs or their players. Conversely, these schockers might sell the book to fans of Unknown Armies and Call of Cthulhu.

Certain magic items and tactical obstacles seem to reflect the gameplay of Looking Glass Technology's series of Thief games, excellent in their own right. (See my review elsewhere on this site.) Has John Tynes been playing that great pair of games, too? So much the better. Even lower level characters could survive "Three Days to Kill" unscathed if they plan and use their resources carefully.

Analysis

"Three Days to Kill" has its faults, but succeeds where it counts. The adventure is accessible, intriguing, and flexible, but not intended for the most squeamish audiences. Fans of John Tynes' previous works and Thief: The Dark Project should take note of this book.

"Three Days to Kill" is the first in Atlas Games new series of products called Penumbra. If this is what we can expect to be made available from the Open Gaming License, then we are seeing the start of better days.

Style: 2 (Needs Work)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Three Days to Kill
Author: John Tynes Category: game Company/Publisher: Atlas Games Line: Penumbra/D20 Cost: $8.95 Page count: 32 ISBN: 1-887801-94-4 SKU: AG3200 Capsule Review by Will Hindmarch on 08/18/00. Genre tags: Fantasy Horror	The first game adventure to take advantage of Wizards of the Coast's Open Gaming License debuted at GenCon this year, right on the heels of Dungeons & Dragons third edition. Written by John Tynes and published by Atlas Games, "Three Days to Kill" is thematically distinct from the other D&D products we've seen in recent years. Is that good? The Adventure This adventure is intended for characters of 1st to 3rd level and requiring the use of the Dungeons & Dragons Player's Handbook. Many elements of classic fantasy roleplaying are here: magic wands, orcs, bandits, and treasure. Here, too, are features common to classic fantasy literature but not much seen in contemporary D&D products: gateways to Hell, lurid festivals, and drunken soirees. If morally ambiguous content, questionable character motivations, and villainous scum do not appeal to you then you had best pass this adventure by. Whatever remains could be found in other sources. If drinking games, a handful of conflicting non-player organizations, and shadowy goals fit your gameplay, this adventure will give you some tools to work with. It is a lesson taught early on to authors of fiction and non-fiction alike. "Complicate the action, not the story." Tynes does exactly this. The adventure hook is routine: the player characters will be paid to do the bidding of a mysterious non-player character. The mission involves a bit of traveling, some careful planning, and likely a dose of deadly combat. How the story progresses can vary significantly based on the assumptions made by the players. Things explained early on in the adventure seem simple, but they aren't. Who exactly are the players working for and against? Why? Do they care? When will they begin to care? The players and their characters have a substantial amount of room to play, but are generally outclassed enough that it is in their best interest to stay on course, for better or worse. Tactically, the adventure seems balanced against cautious characters and experienced players. New players may find themselves overwhelmed. Overconfident characters have a real opportunity to get killed. A variety of human opponents are provided, as well as a few monstrous ones. Most admirable, though, is the ability to bring exactly as many enemies against the PCs as is necessary to challenge them without sacrificing the rationale of the non-player characters. Presentation Graphically, the adventure is adequate. Black and white art in pencil and dry media appears throughout the book. Some of it provides a dark supporting texture, some simply depicts an adventure element. Page edges are decorated with mask and bone imagery well-suited to the adventure. The adventure maps are all computer rendered using typical mapping software. They are the sort common to a home campaign, not to a published adventure. Still, for your money you receive a few wilderness maps, the entire city of Deeptown, a few temples, and a villa. In itself, the adventure has a good, grim quality. The Festival of Plenty provides several quality opportunities for roleplaying (and very nice rules for a local drinking game), all of which support the setting. Story material is clearly disclosed to the referee, as is some background on the adventure setting and key characters. A wide supply of D20 statistics are provided for thugs, soldiers, orcs, monsters, and more. What is lacking, is a real tangibility to the adventure. Thematic elements, such as thieves, harlots, secret evils, and drunken revelry are all in place, but there seems to be a certain amount of texture missing. There are no sections of text to be read directly to players, which could stand in the way of new DMs conveying the story's tone successfully. Smells, sounds, and real physical sensations are not often mentioned, while visual imagery soars. The adventure can easily be placed into a home-made setting, which may solve some of these problems, if the DM wants to put in the time. Still, the complexity of the action carries the story along quite nicely. Some of the maneuvering and shadows of Deeptown resemble John Tynes' earlier work. The creepier elements which may (or may not) surface later in the adventure could scare away shy DMs or their players. Conversely, these schockers might sell the book to fans of Unknown Armies and Call of Cthulhu. Certain magic items and tactical obstacles seem to reflect the gameplay of Looking Glass Technology's series of Thief games, excellent in their own right. (See my review elsewhere on this site.) Has John Tynes been playing that great pair of games, too? So much the better. Even lower level characters could survive "Three Days to Kill" unscathed if they plan and use their resources carefully. Analysis "Three Days to Kill" has its faults, but succeeds where it counts. The adventure is accessible, intriguing, and flexible, but not intended for the most squeamish audiences. Fans of John Tynes' previous works and Thief: The Dark Project should take note of this book. "Three Days to Kill" is the first in Atlas Games new series of products called Penumbra. If this is what we can expect to be made available from the Open Gaming License, then we are seeing the start of better days. Style: 2 (Needs Work) Substance: 4 (Meaty)