Planescape review: Modron Madness
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.
Modron Madness
In which the Heroes, relaxing in Sylvania, encounter some Experiments of a peculiar nature and possibly acquire a lasting Enemy.
- Designer: Monte Cook and Colin McComb
- Source: The Great Modron March2, Chapter V
- Party: 4-6 characters of 4th-6th levels
- Play-time: 1 session
- Locations:
- Outlands / Sylvania
Overview
Remember that friendly tiefling NPC Xaldra Miloni I had recommended introducing to the party a couple of chapters ago? Well, I hope the players didn't forget who she is, because right now she approached the characters inviting them to Sylvania for a party time! The occasion? The Modron March, of course. The gate-town to Arborea commonly called the home of revelry and celebration, Sylvania is already preparing for the passage of the March. As a long-standing tradition, the locals decorate the modrons with bright paint, feathers, scarves, and so on. Naturally, this occasion is a good excuse to engage in continuous festivities in anticipation of the March emergence.
The module introduces itself to the players as a long-awaited moment of relaxation and fun time for the characters. I would recommend you use this occasion to its fullest before the real stuff kicks into gear. Let the players explore what their characters enjoy doing in their free time, how and with whom they interact, and what they are like between adventures in general.
After a day or two of relaxation, the modrons finally arrive. It seems all of the town's population and even more tourists are gathered along the March's path. Many come prepared and for others, multiple vendors offer paint buckets and bright ribbons for sale. Modrons don't mind the decoration as long as nothing interrupts their movement, and revelers use this opportunity to the fullest. The amount of people present at the event is so large, that the party inevitably get separated and lose track of each other. Afterward, the party notices that Xaldra has vanished. While not a reason for immediate worry, some of the characters still might get suspicious.
Asking around town is fruitless. While many people here know Xaldra, none of them know where she might be currently. Some mention, however, that some of their other acquaintances are also missing, and others even noticed some odd-looking folks carrying away unconscious people. None can tell where to look for the suspects though, only that they had recently moved here and must live in the woods somewhere nearby.
Just as the PCs gather together contemplating what to do next, a hideous monster bursts into the room. An unspeakable amalgam of flesh and metal, blades extending from misshapen arms, at first it's hard to recognize the real identity of the intruder covered under bent metal plates, but soon it becomes apparent. Mutilated and mindless, Xaldra attacks the characters with the rage of a berserker, fighting to the death. If the creature is killed, the metal parts fade away leaving only Xaldra's mangled body behind. Capturing her alive is possible, but no apparent way of bringing Xaldra to her senses is readily available.
Following the trail of kidnappers is not hard, and soon the party discovers a cave where the brigands live. If they come during the day, the cave is deserted. No trace of the prisoners can be found here. Arriving at night, the characters find brigands at home. They happen to be ten men from Bleak Cabal under the leadership of Ildurn Grimm. Melancholic and moody bleakers won't initiate the fight if approached peacefully and, if asked, will tell who are they working for, since they don't really care one way or another. Hired a couple of months ago by a wizard, they serve as his security and provide him with unwilling victims: modrons and humans, for some experiments. Ildurn makes no secret of the wizard's abode's location either, though he warns the characters that he will respond to any attack on the wizard appropriately — while their contract is still in power, that is.
Regardless of how well the conversation (or fight) with the bleakers went, the characters must discover the location of the fallen tower where the wizard by the name of Valran Stonefist lives and works currently. If the party had befriended the brigands, they escort the characters to the wizard immediately. Otherwise, the usual approaches of stealthy infiltration or just rushing in with the swords ready is always an option. Sixteen keyed locations describe the contents and denizens of this grim improvized research facility. One way or another, the party will face Valran himself, interrupting him during one of his bloody experiments.
Valran Stonefist, what a charming fellow he is.
Once again, the characters can either fight the maniacal wizard or talk to him peacefully. He is more than happy to discuss his work with the visitors and detailed guidelines of role-playing him are present in the module. As the players most probably had realized on their own at this point, the wizard attempts to create some kind of human-modron hybrids. Alas, all of his subjects so far had succumbed to "modron madness", attacking anyone or attempting to kill themselves. These failures however do not dissuade Valran from continuing the experiments.
The conclusion of the module is open, depending on how the events play out. If Valran survives, the characters can encounter him again in the future, when the party's path crosses with the Tacharim once again in Chapter X. And while this adventure plays out, the modrons already march towards Glorium, heading deeper into the Chaos side of the Great Ring.
Presentation
🖋️🖋️ useable
Just like the other chapters of The Great Modron March, all details and descriptions for running the module are present, though it is somewhat slim on the inhabitants and locations in Sylvania. Usage of the Player's Primer to the Outlands3 is highly recommended.
Once again, the map of the dungeon is sub-par, drawn isometric and gridless, only with a reference 10 feet square present. What's worse, the layout of Valran's home is highly irregular, making drawing it from the DM's descriptions almost impossible. To run the module I did a Roll20-ready map myself instead:
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Openness
☀️☀️ semi-linear
The prelude for the adventure is pretty much straightforward until the interactions with brigands and the wizard begin. From that point, the characters can choose to act as they please and suffer the consequences of their decisions.
It's nice to see that the diplomatic approach is planned for, including the role-playing notes for Ildurn Grimm and Valran Stonefist. A more philosophically inclined party can engage with them in an impromptu moralistic debate, and you should be prepared for this occasion.
Quality
★★★ outstanding
One of the staple chapters of the anthology, this adventure will be remembered by your players for a long time, especially if they really cared for Xaldra and her unfortunate fate. For some of the involved characters the events that underwent here might serve as a serious milestone in their worldviews and disposition.
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