I'll try to keep this spoiler free, but do be forewarned there maybe some 'slips'.
Allen Thomas can write.
Sometimes, you have to open with the obvious. Perhaps I should say "Allen Thomas can write well." I state this, because some of you may not be familiar with his work. I wasn't particularly familiar or aware of it before.
Man, am I ever now.
I think I once told others that what I wanted most in my adventures that DoJ was selling was a good plot and story. I can, if I must, make villains. Maps and art are nice... but again, I can wing it. Plots and good storylines, those are a joy and a relief for the often brainfried GM. Others agreed with me on that.
For those who did, you'll be pleased to know that "Shades" has a classic, beautiful plot of romance and rescue.... inverted and twisted with malign elegance to something sublimely dark that must be stopped by our heroes at all cost. What's more, Allen has tried to take almost everything (I say everything, because anyone who GMs knows you can't anticipate the players 100% all the time) into account.
Your group hates investigations? There are suggestions for spicing it up, or getting around it somewhat. Your group loves the darn things? There are suggestions on how to let your dark detectives shine. Got one of those Telepathic/Precognitive/Mind Scanner sorts there? Well, Allen has some suggestions built in for those as well.
The story drips mood and atmosphere in an almost tangible way. One particular setting had me almost expecting Vincent Price to come out of the shadows and smile at me. The art only furthers that.
Can I praise the characterization enough? While some may think we don't need to know the very soul of a villain to tell a fine tale, I think it helps. The Black Paladin is not (thank goodness) totally retconned as one might see in comics now adays, but rather expanded and explored in depth. Talisman is also fleshed out even more. I found the insights into their interactions fascinating, and very revealing. Not to be outdone, and perhaps a living testament to the phrase "The female of the species is deadlier than the male" is a certain old flame of the knight of darkness.
Getting back to the Black Paladin here for a moment, while you will need his write up in CKC (And Talisman's in the Champions genre book); you'll be pleased to find out there is a new weapon for him, and more than one new follower for him... including something every knight should have.
There are two more villains, pretty creepy not for what they are, but what they were and NOW are. A GM could either continue to use them on his roster long after this adventure, or give the PCs a chance to save them from... well, that might be telling. Besides, there will be rescuing a plenty. What would a story with a knight in it be without a few damsels to save eh? Even if, in this case, it is FROM the knight.
Lastly, let me praise the fact that The PCs' actions WILL matter. "Duh" you say, but I'm talking beyond the mere "Beat the bad guys, save the day" sort of thing you can get trapped into too easily. HOW the PCs act will have consequences in this story, for the NPCs about them particularly almost as much as what actions they take do. They can make a real difference, beyond merely trying to shove a guy in stronghold.
I'll end this with a bit of a sum up on the artwork and maps. The art is great. There is a color cover that is very nice. I'm not qualified to really go into details, but somehow it manages to cram a lot of action into one area without being cluttered. It reminds me of a watercolor comic book cover.
The interior art is in black and white, and also very well done. The art chosen respects and enhances that atmosphere I was praising so heavily earlier on.
The Maps have not been used yet by me, but I do plan to use them. Again and again if I can; and not always as the 'same place'. I don't know how smoothly a print out of them would go, but it looks promising.
The only flaw I can find in what's provided is the aforementioned requirement of "Conquerers, Killers, and Crooks" and "Champions" for Black Paladin and Talisman respectively. It is also meant for more traditional superheroes rather than 'Dark Champions' and other 'Judge/Jury/Executioner' types; I don't see that as a flaw, but others may.
In my opinion, this is an excellent product with much potential for the enterprising GM. This adventure is definitely a must have if you are a fan of the Black Paladin or enjoy mystic chivalry with a gothic twist.
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