The Inside Scoop on Gaming

For every review of your usual D&D adventure, there is someone who says something like "Can't you do something else besides killing any monster that moves? What about diplomacy?" I'll leave the greater issue to other forums; in this context, all I have to say to this segment is that they've got their shot with In The Belly Of The Beast- the third in Atlas Games' line of D20 products.

In The Belly Of The Beast is an adventure meant for 4-6 PCs ranging from 2nd to 4th level. At least one of them had better be damn good at diplomacy, or none of those PCs will get out of this adventure alive. Why? Because this module, which begins when the PCs take a job from a scion of House Mezzia to get some slavers, turns into a Cthulhu-like horror-fantasy tale where they get trapped in the lair of a god called Vog Mor and everyone needs to cooperate or they will all die.

For all this, the adventure is simple. Bruno Mezzia, seeking to get a foothold in an underground market, wants to muscle in on the slave trade. The PCs, through a middleman named Tyvis, meet Bruno and eat a meal with him; by means that can only be specified through play--this is left open to the GM--the PCs sign on. They escort Bruno to a man in a tavern who knows the way to the slavers' headquarters, and then to the headquarters in the sewers. Once they reach the HQ, they find that they're trapped inside; at this point, the subtle hint of horror becomes readily apparent.

Once this happens, it's time for the diplomats and politicians to get front and center. They will have to cope with a band of orcs with rival warleaders, the slavers, an apprentice necromancer and his aide, as well as the undead servitors of the devourer god who's taken over the HQ and made it his body and the avatar that protects and fuels it. There are a total of nine events in this half of the adventure, with the attack by the avatar at the end. If there isn't a near-parity of numbers at the end--every death for the PCs' side is another zombie for the god's avatar at the end to employ--then this is likely to end in Total Party Wipeout.

Where the meat in this module reside is in the resources for the GM; there is a series of handouts, pullouts, and cheat sheets designed to help the GM keep track of combat and politics in the second half. The events can go in any order, and there is plenty for the GM to take and rework to his own ends. This isn't easy, so the great deal of wiggle room left is a good thing.

As for the styling, I have no complaints- other than my desire to have the site maps on the inside covers in the default style as seen in the WotC modules. The pictures got the point across quite well, and they evoked the move to my satifaction. It felt like a Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play module to me, and good dark fantasy is always a very good thing to have in the fantasy gaming marketplace.

Should you give it a shot? Not if you're an action junkie, but if you want the PCs to talk their way to victory then I suggest giving this one some of your time. Your mileage will vary, but I think that this module is worthy of your money.

In The Belly Of The Beast Bradford C. Walker
Item type: RPG Product Name: In The Belly Of The Beast Author: Mike Mearls Company/Publisher: Atlas Games Line: Penumbra SKU: AG3202 Cost: $8.95 (US) Page count: 32 pages ISBN: 1-887801-96-0 Ratings: Style 4 (Classy and well done) Substance 3 (Average) Review type: Capsule Review	For every review of your usual D&D adventure, there is someone who says something like "Can't you do something else besides killing any monster that moves? What about diplomacy?" I'll leave the greater issue to other forums; in this context, all I have to say to this segment is that they've got their shot with In The Belly Of The Beast- the third in Atlas Games' line of D20 products. In The Belly Of The Beast is an adventure meant for 4-6 PCs ranging from 2nd to 4th level. At least one of them had better be damn good at diplomacy, or none of those PCs will get out of this adventure alive. Why? Because this module, which begins when the PCs take a job from a scion of House Mezzia to get some slavers, turns into a Cthulhu-like horror-fantasy tale where they get trapped in the lair of a god called Vog Mor and everyone needs to cooperate or they will all die. For all this, the adventure is simple. Bruno Mezzia, seeking to get a foothold in an underground market, wants to muscle in on the slave trade. The PCs, through a middleman named Tyvis, meet Bruno and eat a meal with him; by means that can only be specified through play--this is left open to the GM--the PCs sign on. They escort Bruno to a man in a tavern who knows the way to the slavers' headquarters, and then to the headquarters in the sewers. Once they reach the HQ, they find that they're trapped inside; at this point, the subtle hint of horror becomes readily apparent. Once this happens, it's time for the diplomats and politicians to get front and center. They will have to cope with a band of orcs with rival warleaders, the slavers, an apprentice necromancer and his aide, as well as the undead servitors of the devourer god who's taken over the HQ and made it his body and the avatar that protects and fuels it. There are a total of nine events in this half of the adventure, with the attack by the avatar at the end. If there isn't a near-parity of numbers at the end--every death for the PCs' side is another zombie for the god's avatar at the end to employ--then this is likely to end in Total Party Wipeout. Where the meat in this module reside is in the resources for the GM; there is a series of handouts, pullouts, and cheat sheets designed to help the GM keep track of combat and politics in the second half. The events can go in any order, and there is plenty for the GM to take and rework to his own ends. This isn't easy, so the great deal of wiggle room left is a good thing. As for the styling, I have no complaints- other than my desire to have the site maps on the inside covers in the default style as seen in the WotC modules. The pictures got the point across quite well, and they evoked the move to my satifaction. It felt like a Warhammer Fantasy Role-Play module to me, and good dark fantasy is always a very good thing to have in the fantasy gaming marketplace. Should you give it a shot? Not if you're an action junkie, but if you want the PCs to talk their way to victory then I suggest giving this one some of your time. Your mileage will vary, but I think that this module is worthy of your money.