Planescape review: Crossed Swords
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.
Crossed Swords
In which the Heroes incite a panic with false Chant, witness the seizing of the Ubiquitous Wayfarer, and find themselves cast in the role of Peacekeepers on the eve of faction war.
- Designer: Monte Cook
- Source: Dead Gods:2 Into the Light, Part Two
- Party: 4-6 characters of 6th-9th levels
- Play-time: 1 session
- Locations:
- Sigil
Overview
Some time has passed since the first time the characters explored the mysterious church. While the tensions between the Athar and Signers rise, the party is asked to once again return to the ruined temple in an attempt to prevent the war between the two factions. At the church, the party gets caught up in the secret plot of the Way of the One, a splinter sect of Signers, to sow chaos in the neighbourhood in an attempt to escalate the conflict. The party, mistaken for being the secret Signer agents, is attacked by the squad of Athar guarding the church.
After the initial confrontation, the forces of Signers retreat to the Ubiquitous Wayfarer tavern, while the Athar lay siege to the establishment, not having enough forces to start the assault. The party is free to approach either side to defuse tensions, though to reach the rogue Signers, they need to find a way into the barricaded tavern. Inside, beside the aforementioned Athar forces, is a bunch of disgruntled patrons and the proprietor, much displeased by the commotion and not wanting to have any part in the conflict they were so unceremoniously drawn into.
The path of mediating the situation is left open, though some of the most obvious solutions (like using one of the many portals inside the building to evacuate the besieged party) are suggested. The party is also free to choose which faction to side with, if any. This decision, of course, may well bear long-standing consequences for the characters involved. And⦠that's all of the module.
Presentation
ποΈποΈ useable
There are only two new NPCs in this part, and both are presented in the Statistics appendix. Other stats and maps were presented in the previous part, so all the heavy lifting is done outside of the module proper.
Openness
βοΈβοΈ semi-linear
Despite being unblushingly open-ended, the module barely has any substance besides the conflict the party became drawn into. It's a good role-playing opportunity, but of quite miniature proportions.
Quality
β β good
The module is OK. There isn't much to say about it besides what has already been stated. It's a good example of interfactional conflict situations that should always be a possibility in Sigil, but here, it feels more like a connecting tissue between the first and the last part of the adventure.
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