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The Dirge of Dragon Spit Grotto's itch.io pageResults
| Criteria | Rank | Score* | Raw Score |
| Fun: Is the adventure fun to play in an OSR playstyle? | #21 | 4.002 | 4.133 |
| Usability: Is the adventure easy to use on the fly? | #34 | 3.808 | 3.933 |
| Overall | #36 | 3.873 | 4.000 |
| Writing: Is the adventure original and fun to read? | #49 | 3.808 | 3.933 |
Ranked from 15 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.
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Comments
Great entry! There is so much flavor and ideas that you can take from this module but that doesn't top the scale of adventure that is presented here! It really gives you something for your time and the mechanics inside are a blast! READ THIS!
All of the artwork is really excellent! Limiting the booklet to black and white was a great decision.
You did a good job setting expectations in the Who's This Adventure For section. In The Hook section, I think the last paragraph is the most important info as a hook, you might want to move the section heading there and add a new heading "Backstory" or "Overview" up top.
The tide clock is a brilliant mechanic to add some variability to the adventure. The "Note to GM:" stands out in F. Bandit Fort, because there's no other GM notes in the rest of the area descriptions.
I liked that you presented the "Outcomes" right up front, so GMs would have lens with which to view the adventure.
I liked the overall theme/vibe and you did a good job of breaking up and presenting the information, without over complicating it.
I liked the unassuming Dragon Spit being the center of a bigger conflict, and more than that, the fact that the place itself was given so much character and dynamics. The time shift was a nice touch to “reward” overly greedy adventurers :D
Awesome! I'm grinning to hear you got a kick out of that. I get a lot of inspiration from the tropes found in the old AD&D DMG's Appendix N, and always enjoy when a seemingly straightforward situation turned on its head by a bizarre turn of fate. Thanks for the feedback!
Very clean style with the soft greys and crisp illustrations. I found the map and location rendering very helpful. I would probably sacrifice the read-aloud text for bolding and additional treasure, but there's clearly thought put into the dungeon location and the unique sea hazards, which is great.
I really liked the seaweed-and-soot disguise detail of the bandits, and it made me want a bit more on them: a leader or gang name, what they plan to do with the missing crew, etc.
I think adding some additional options for learning about (perhaps within the shipwreck?) or interacting with the Ancient Hero would help to make his presence less random and punishing. Him not speaking the language of the characters also complicates both his offer of help against the bandits and ability to explain his cosmic purpose before disappearing with the time stone (seemingly for no reason from the players' perspective). But I certainly understand that both page count and deadline get in the way of the ideal! Nice one, Jacob!
I truly appreciate the thoughtful feedback, Sam. Thanks for taking the time to give it an honest and thorough read. Someday, I may revisit this adventure with an expanded edition, but for now hindsight is 20/20. Wishing you all the best with the voting!
My pleasure!
Clearly organized, flavorful art, evocative locations and encounters. Potentially improved by bulleting or bolding for highlighting important text, but not ultimately necessary. Stellar entry.
Thanks for taking the time to review, and I appreciate the feedback. Cheers!
This is an excellent example of paying attention to context in game design. Recent History, Rumors, even Tide Charts! Clearly a lot of thought was put into the Grotto as a physical location.
Thanks for the kind words, and I'm happy to hear you enjoyed those elements. Much appreciated!
Gotta love a tide clock! Super clean and easy to parse and run. Definitely going into rotation!
Thanks! Let me know how it worked for your group if you ever get the chance to run it.
Nice clean and easy to understand layout, the tide mechanics are a dynamic edition and well presented and easy to understand. The pirate forts assembly from ship parts is a great touch.
I'm glad those elements stuck out to you! Thanks for the kind words and for taking the time to review!
A nice little adventure really easy to digest. Having mechanics for the tide super thoughtful and creative.
Thanks for taking the time to review. Glad it made for an easy read!