Planescape review: Camp Followers
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.
Camp Followers
In which our Heroes discover the dangers of Spells cast on the plains of the Abyss.
- Designers: Monte Cook and Colin McComb
- Source: The Great Modron March2, Chapter VIII
- Party: 4-6 characters of 6th-9th levels
- Play-time: 1 session
- Locations:
- Abyss / Plane of Infinite Portals (L1)
Overview
This module is one of a few ones I didn't run in my campaign. There were a couple of reasons for this. First, just like the previous chapter of the anthology, Camp Followers takes away the characters' agency (even to a larger degree). Second β there are no modrons β at all. More on these two points below.
The adventure starts when the characters are whisked away by a malfunctioned monster summoning IV spell cast by a tiefling mage Taraere Illsmiser. She's somewhat surprised by the unusual summon targets but not wishing for a spell to go to waste decides to proceed with her plan. The good news is, that while Taraere believes the spell will function for a week, the characters feel that it will be effective for a single day only. The bad news, of course, they are under the mage's complete control until then and must do her bidding in the meantime. There is no way around that unless the characters have access to a limited wish or wish spell. Now, imagine this adventure played immediately after the Modron Judge one. Even without this, the experience would be quite frustrating, but running these two modules back to back is some kind of a DM's death wish.
Taraere plans to infiltrate the Fortress of the Fallen Stair in search of the original copy of the Mors Mysterium Nominum, a book with a dozen Tanar'ri true names included in it. She even has a schematic map of the interior to locate the vault. The module notes that during the journey the characters, if they act nice, can get a couple of useful facts about the modrons from their captor since she has been following the March for quite a while. Which facts? I guess the DMs must figure this out themselves since none a given in the module. Neat.
There are eight locations fleshed out on the way to the final destination, some of which can be entirely avoided. Most of them are full of tanar'ri, but for the most part, the combat can be easily avoided, making the trip more of a sightseeing spectacle instead of a proper adventure. What's left is a couple of traps and hazards along the way.
Finally, the characters approach the library-vault where the sought-after book is kept. Alas, Vilinathraxes, the arcanaloth already has the book in its grasp. The summoning spell is almost expired by this point, so the canny characters might attempt to draw out the negotiations for a bit to avoid fighting the fiend entirely. In either case, the spell finally fizzles out and the characters are deposited back where they started, leaving Taraere at the arcanaloth's mercy.
Andβ¦ that's the finale. Notice something missing? That's right β exactly ZERO modrons were encountered in the process. The Modron March didn't even pass through the Fortress β at least no indication is given in that regard. The only connection is that Taraere had followed the March in the past. This fact alone makes the module feel quite shoehorned in the anthology for no good reason. You can safely pass it and lose nothing.
Presentation
ποΈποΈ useable
A full-page map is provided. Since it's a sketch, no scale or tunnel lengths are given. All required monster statistics are given and the location is described well enough, though none of them offer much interactability above the minimum required.
Openness
βοΈ linear
This is quite obvious from the start. The characters here are worse off than lowly mercenaries. They are slaves bound to obey the tiniest whims of an evil mage. Why anyone involved in the creation of this module would think this was a good idea is beyond my comprehension. There are some points where Taraere allows the characters to choose which path to follow, but the final destination remains the same, so it's a mere illusion of free choice.
Quality
n/a
Since we didn't play this module, no rating in this category is given, though personally, I would place it right beside the Modron Judge with zero stars. You can salvage the encounters for later use, but they are so barebones that it's barely worth the effort.
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