Planescape review: Blood Storm
For the last three years, I've run a Planescape1 campaign through almost all of its modules. Now, after successfully finishing it, I want to look back and review these adventures, highlighting the pros and cons of each one.
Each module will be rated in three categories, up to 3 points in each:
- Presentation: how easy it is to understand and run the adventure.
- Openness: how open the adventure's scope is, regarding the freedom of choice.
- Quality: Overall quality of the adventure, including the originality and richness of its content, and players' enjoyment.
The full list of currently published reviews is available under the planescape tag.
The Blood Storm
Wherein our Heroes stumble upon a secret Meeting in the War Neverending and may participate in a Tumult sufficient to wake the Dead.
- Designer: Colin McComb
- Source: The Well of Worlds2, Chapter IV
- Party: 3-8 characters of 9+ level
- Play-time: 1 session
- Locations:
- Prime
Overview
The premise for this short module is quite simple. In some unnamed prime city, cleverly disguised agents of tanar'ri and baatezu attempt to commission the player characters as bodyguards for a night. The baatezu pay half (of one thousand platinum pieces each) in advance and tell the characters to be at the old church at midnight. The tanar'ri, seeking to subvert their opponents' plans, offer two thousand gold pieces each, paying a quarter of this in advance, for the characters to accompany them in carousing across the seedier portions of town, promising that the job will be over well before midnight. Naturally, this is a lie, and the tanar'ri will do what they can for the characters to miss the appointment. The module describes the carousing part in the broadest strokes, so it would be wise for the DM to prepare some drinking shops and gambling houses in advance.
If the tanar'ri's plan works out, they bring the characters to the cemetery of the mentioned old church, where they meet the baatezu agent, naturally pissed off about the broken agreement. If the party is vigilant enough to honour the original contract, they will meet their client at the church and face the tanar'ri instead. Sooner or later, the diplomatic discussion elevates to a full-blown battle between the fiends, and the party must decide which side to support (if any at all). At this point, both sides also reveal their true forms, though some cunning adventurers might have peered through the disguises already. The conflict is spiced up with waves of undead animated by the fiends as reinforcements and the arrival of the squad of city guards, which will soon be torn to shreds if the characters don't intervene to protect them.
When the dust settles, the remaining fiends teleport away, leaving the characters some explaining to do to the city guards surrounding the smoking ruins. Depending on which side the party took in the combat, they will receive (or not) the agreed-upon reward, though some fiendish trickery might apply. Either way, if the party did pick a side in this battle, they will gain some powerful enemies that night.
Presentation
🖋️🖋️ useable
The 8-page module describes the adventure setup, eight locations at the church and cemetery, and the consequences of the characters' actions depending on the side they fought for, with some space to spare for a half-page map and some art. Could be better (especially the town section), but otherwise quite manageable.
Openness
☀️☀️ semi-linear
This very short module consists of basically two parts: a carousing and negotiation portion, and the epic showdown between the fiends, supported by the undead from both sides. There are choices to be made, as well as consequences to be had, but most of the latter lie beyond the actual scope of the adventure.
Quality
★★ good
The enjoyment here will greatly depend upon the DM playing the roles of deceptive fiends well enough for the players not to realize whom they work for till the very last moment. The battle portion is fun, but overall, the module is too short to be memorable. The DM should also keep notes on the characters' decisions so their consequences would bite them in the ass later, where they least expect it.
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