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The Glacial Rift is the second of the classic "Giants" series of very early AD&D modules (Origins '78 Tournament Module) and is preceeded by The Steading of the Hill Giant Chief. The module is a mere 8 pages and is presented with a standard cardstock cover with the maps of the two levels therein. There is a small selection of acceptable artwork by Sutherland and Trampier throughout, with an evocative centre-piece by the former which is, however, not described in the text!
The sans-serif (particularly poor italics) text is dense with 30 locations described in the upper level and over 20 in the lower. As can be expected in such circumstances, descriptions are not particularly elaborate and regrettably nor is there much in the way of storyline or theme. When Hackmaster parodied the series as "Annihilate the Giants", I rather suspect this is the module they had in mind. Location after location is usually a case of encounter monsters, kill, loot and move to the next location. The purpose and actual activities of the Frost Giants is not really described at all. We learn the Jarl's name (Grugnar) but nothing about what Grugnar is about and what his relationshup to the Hill Giant Chieftan or the Fire Giant King is supposed to be.
There are some exceptions to this and a good GM will play these out as much as possible, integrating them with the wider campaign and story. Firstly, there is some visitors to the Giants; some Stone Giants and some Hill Giants of the steading, including some exotic Ogre-Magi. In a further positive aspect, there is some tactical considerations given with occassional reference to how the Frost Giants will fight, retreat and rally.
One other pleasing aspect of the module is there are no serious howlers in terms of creatures and the environment, with one very notable exception. This is a cold, windy place and the various creatures encountered are appropriate for the setting. There are some good notes for activities within the setting, such as the use of fire, climbing, becoming lost and so forth. However a lot of this good work seems lost when, in the second level, two dragons are placed in a room which it would seem they would significant difficulty in exiting.
In terms of game challenge, the module explicitly states that it is best played with 9 characters of the 9th level. The Giants pack a decent punch and even a party of that level will find that the going can be pretty tough, although it will be more by attrition than individual encounters. A wrong choice at the start however (there are three entrance options to the first level) will probably see the PCs confronting no less than 20 of the fell humanoids very early in the piece. This probable result under such circumstances should be the demise of the invaders. In terms of rewards, there's a couple of enticing collections of treasure but both are hidden in locations which the PCs are likely to miss.
After a solid introduction in the Steading, the Glacial Rift of the Frost Giant is a bit of a disappointment. There is no much imagination evident in the particular context or integration with the other modules in the series. Perhaps fortunately, it is possible for a party of venturers to bypass most of the encounters and finish the module with some speed leaving this "filler" of the classic series as quickly as possible. Both style and substance are low 2's.
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