Edit this Review | Unlink This Review from Terror in Freeport

Is this the Freeport Trilogy's equivalent to The Empire Strikes Back? I won't know the answer to that question until after I get a chance to see Madness in Freeport, but I can say that this sequel to Death in Freeport (henceforth "DIF") does not suck. Everything that brought a gamer to grab DIF is present in "Terror in Freeport" (henceforth "TIF").

The tale picks up a month or so after the completion of DIF. Once again, the PCs become entangled in the machinations of the Brotherhood of the Yellow Sign and its ambitions upon the free city-state of Freeport; once again, their involvement begins with Brother Egil of the God of Knowledge as he hires them to find Librarian Lucius again. All this deja vu should be sufficient to sent off the alarms in the back of your head that Something Is Very Wrong Here.

Indeed, it is very wrong. Once the PCs rejoin the intrigues, they are again beset by hired thugs of various stripes, insidious cultists from the Yellow Sign and their degenerate serpent men allies, one of the Councilors of Freeport and his private army, and at least one nasty death trap. In the process they learn that their previous actions didn't go unnoticed by their enemies, and that someone very high in Freeport's hierarchy is behind all of this Lovecraft-cum-R.E. Howard style horror. (Anything more, and I might as well read from the module.)

In terms of content, I have no complaints worthy of comment. I liked what I saw, and I liked what I didn't see. There's all of the content I'd need to make this module work its magic upon myself and my group, yet there's plenty of room for me to manuever- allowing me to weave my own works into the mix, perform damage control should I need it, or just embelish things to suit my tastes. I like that sort of thing, and I encourage it wherever I find it.

In terms of presentation, I find TIF's content to be easy to read and follow. Read-aloud text remains within shaded boxes, the location maps are amongst the accompanying text, and the artwork shows just what location looks like (or what that NPC's all about). It's a great example of competant execution making a simple, basic manuscript--that is, there are no unnecessary bells or whistles in the way--into a shining example of user-friendly module design.

Let me digress for a moment; yes, this adventure retains the linear quality that I mentioned in my review of DIF. No, I still do not find this to be a major problem because it's a necessary element- it's very difficult to create a commericially viable module that is not linear in its approach. Put another way, this is not inheirently bad; like everything else, how its done--the execution--is what makes it good or bad. With regard to TIF (and DIF), the exeuction makes it a good thing indeed.

Altogether, I see no reason not to check out TIF- especially if you like DIF. I am eager to see Madness in Freeport to see how all of this ends; that is probably the best compliment I can render.