Menagerie of the Ice Lord (MotIL) is the fourth offering from Dylan Hartwell over at his Digital Orc blog. I've linked to the post where he does a video of what's included in MotIL. A lot. Sure you can buy the PDF, but once you see what you get with the print version I'm thinking you'll upgrade to it.
First off, I think this is the best one yet by Dylan. It's got a minimalist old school approach. In the first 19 pages he gives you info about the townsfolk of Nix and the precious crystals this adventure is built around. Also within those first 10 pages is a 100 room castle with maps. The descriptions are sparse and to the point. The maps are simple, easy to read and they look great.
The adventure itself makes sense. It has a purpose. And I always favor adventures where something has happened and the adventurers are investigating as much as exploring and whacking monsters.
Monsters! This adventure has its own Monster Manual in the back. Like S4 The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. Thirty new monsters for your players to get their weapons dirty upon. All the monster appear somewhere in the adventure. Dylan provides a character sheet so if you want to tally all the monsters you've killed in the adventure you can tick it off. My barbarian/skull collecting side of me appreciates this.
Dylan does the writing, layout and did all the mapping and artwork. So like all his other projects it very much his own. And I think that's what I like best about his work.
I plan on using this adventure somewhere, sometime. There are adventures I read and I put aside for when I develop a gaming world or have a space in the world I am running I make sure a carve out a little space for it. The Menagerie of the Ice Lord will find a place in my gaming world. I can't give a product higher praise than that.
Price wise its only $2.99 for the PDF, but I am going to suggest that you go for the print version at $3.99. You get a lot of fun stuff in your envelope. And there is no extra cost for shipping to Europe and other parts of the known world.
Great work Dylan and keep those adventures coming.
I would second your suggestion about the print copy. When I opened the envelope my teeth nearly fell out. I'd love to be able to put together something of this quality with the regularity that Dylan does.
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