I rate products in these categories:
Writing quality and content.
Usability at the table.
Interior art and layout.
Overall presentation.
This is one the GenCon exclusive modules printed for 2019. The convention exclusive booklets are quick supplements and scenarios meant to add to your game. This little book introduces a village hub for players to get attached to, then it rips that away by having a snake demon corrupt the town and ruin everything they love. The snake demon in question is a quasi-deity capable of rewriting character's genetic history and is a tough customer to deal with.
The first half describes the village of Nonesbeck. It's a sleepy little Hamlet with the basic needs for entry level characters. The NPCs are all described well as are their connections to one another.
This section alone is quite indispensable. The referee can never have enough villages laid out, described, and fleshed out. There are some quest hooks for the PC's to discover and for the referee to prep. The art here is pleasant and does a good job setting up the pastoral village.
The second part describes how to pull off the con on the players, and how each NPC has been affected by the cult. It's actually kind of heart-rending. How players react to the corruption can set off a new campaign arc. Maybe the eradicate the cultists and chase them out? Or maybe the players choose to cut their losses and flee. This option only leads to more cultists, though! The art in this section perverts the art style of the first. There are more shadows and the tone is more bleak, more menacing.
The third section details the serpent demon and her powers. The art in this final section is what we have come to expect from the publisher. Detailed, well done, visceral and completely NSFW.
Everything is laid out very well and the referee is able to find whatever they require from the book with ease. It's very useful as a premade location, but not everyone's table will let the 2nd part fly. So a good half the book may go unused. The creature is neat and wholly unique, but again, she is a unique flavor that will probably only sit well at a few tables as she can literally unmake and ruin a character on a whim, no saves allowed. The serpent demon would however, make an excellent end of campaign fight.
Overall, I rate this product 4/5 stars. Product quality overall is high. The small A5 booklet fits neatly on a shelf and doesn't add much weight or space to your game bag.
The art is fitting and I like the dual atmosphere it creates.
The only issue really is that the entirety may not be up for everyone's table.
I give it 4.25/5 stars, it's worth checking out! The PDF can be had at drive-thru rpg and physical copies are still available in the US lotfp store, Amazon, and the usual second hand market book stores for between 10-20 bucks.
