I really, really wanted to like this adventure path. I DM for my daughter (who recently turned 11), family friends (including the dad, two teenage boys, and a girl who is also 11), and another mutual adult friend. So I was extremely pleased to find something that had content for everyone. I even thought that an adventure about heroes stopping a magical plague could be helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, although we are midway through, I’m setting this aside.

In general, each adventure is good and there are some that really shine. There are a few missteps like populating every room in a dungeon or assuming that the players will take certain actions which leads to heavy handed railroading from the DM. But with a little effort a DM can work around those.

If DM’s are playing with kids they should take care to ensure the content is right for their table. And if kids aren’t involved there may be content that should be removed (I’m looking at you, Fred.) While there are nods toward children such as Sir Cheddar (the awakened corgi sorcerer) and Fred (the sassy, fat, purple alicorn), there are also very dark moments like finding the corpses of the crazed druid’s family in the third adventure-- “His wife and child are dead in their beds, clearly succumbed to their disease and in a rough state. It is evident Gwynn kept them in quarantine for a very long time.” I also think it was questionable judgement to make the villain the only openly gay character.

My biggest problem is with the relationships among the adventures. The ten chapters are completely linear. Chapters 6, 7, and 8 could have been presented in a manner to give the party some choice (although that would require the druid Deng in chapter 5 to possess much more knowledge than he seems to have.) Beyond the linearity, there are significant problems with continuity.

As a minor example, the backstory of the dryad Arpistis, her prior relationship with the villain, and her subsequent kidnapping by the villain are important story beats in the middle of the campaign. Yet in the final chapter she’s nowhere to be found and we learn that the villain now has a husband.

The biggest problem, in my opinion, is that the magical disease, the experiments, the cure, and the components of the cure are a convoluted mess. It is hard for the DM to make sense of things, let alone the PCs. For example, in chapter 5, the druid Deng seems to tell the party to find a forest witch who will know how to create a cure. Yet, in chapter 6 (in which the party goes find the witch) the text states that the party is looking for periwinkles (which are apparently a component of the cure.) Again, the DM can fix this while running chapter 5 but it requires that the DM has read the entire adventure path and figured out who needs to share what information. I also found it odd two of the three components needed by the PC to save the day are in the possession of allies of the villain.

Finally chapter 10 finds the party climbing a newly active volcano to confront the villain. Yet in the prior nine adventures there’s no mention of the volcano except for an old hidden mosaic depicting the mountain. There are a number of such issues that require the DM to become very familiar with the entire adventure path in advance so as to seed appropriate clues and conversations or else it requires the DM to firmly railroad the players with strong scene setting which may leave heads spinning.

There’s a great deal of heart here. As the other review notes, the artwork is beautiful, the NPCs are interesting (I’m stealing several), and the individual adventures are good. Unfortunately, at least for me and my table, the whole was way less than the sum of the part.

Pro's: Great Location with lots of possibilities Lots of interesting NPC's High quality layout, maps, and illustrations Unique Sanity system A lot of value for the money

Con's: Requires a LOT of DM preparation Inconsistencies in NPC descriptions, motivations, etc. Prewritten adventures have lots of gaps to fill in (again, LOTS of DM preparation) Incomplete/illogical maps (no exterior location maps, no kitchen, asylum doesn't have enough beds for all the patients)

SPOILERS BELOW: I just finished taking my family through the "Apotheosis of Nightmares", which is the largest of the included prewritten adventures - it took 11 sessions to complete (we usually only play for 2-3 hours at a time, and they spend a lot of time arguing).  The party consisted of a wizard, cleric, and a rogue, all 5th level. I am an experienced DM, and this adventure definitely challenged my organizational and improvisational skills.  If you're not comfortable juggling a lot of quirky NPC's in a relatively open environment, this is not for you!  Also, if your players prefer adventures that are a bit more linear or structured, this may not be for them.  Our first couple of sessions were a bit dull as the party went around the asylum interrogating NPC's and looking for clues.  I don't think we had any combat until the 3rd session, and that was an encounter I invented just to spice things up. To be honest, I invented a LOT for this adventure:

• Stronger character hooks - The wizard's best friend is a patient at the asylum, who has mysteriously stopped corresponding (she got possessed by a demon!).  The rogue was secretly hired to assassinate one of the asylum doctors!
• Stronger villain motivation - Rose's reasons for hiring the party are inconsistent as written.   I positioned one of the other doctors, Quintus Hahn, as a foil for Rose, who was keeping her from summoning the BBEG.  Not coincidentally, Hahn is the assassin's target!
• More adventure - I added some caves below the sanitarium that could be accessed from a secret door in the basement.  These caves have a tendency to intersect with the Abyss, which explains the recent demonic influences on Lamps Light's inhabitants.  They are also filled with some beasties that Dr. Renwick uses in his experiments, like Gibbering Mouthers and Intellect Devourers
• I added a workshop where the PC's can experiment mixing potions, just for fun
• I created a quick NPC generator spread sheet because I was constantly needing names and descriptions of new patients and orderlies
• I changed the BBEG's name to "The Ollmareg", because "The H’awouahoua" sounds ridiculous and would just make my players laugh.  I also buffed his powers and changed him to a shadow-based fiend rather than a "Frankenstein" creature made of different animal parts
• I added LOTS of foreshadowing, which is essential to build tension in a horror game.  The players had visions of the final BBEG in their dreams, and saw drawings of it in the patients' quarters
• I added a kitchen because food
• I converted a room in the West Wing to a large dormitory with many beds to increase the asylum's patient capacity
• For the final summoning ritual I had Rose restrain the PCs with straightjackets (Prosper’s Camisoles) instead of just having them standing there in robes, ready to fight. Of course my players did lots of things to throw me for a loop, and I was constantly writing new stuff to keep the adventure on track.  My wife figured out that Rose was the villain by the end of the first or second session, so I had to find reasons for the party to stay.  Having an assassination job and a friend in danger were essential for keeping the PCs invested!

Other notes: There is a pretty robust sanity system built in to Lamp's Light, but we were all disappointed that none of the PCs ever suffered from more than transient madness.  They could never retain insanity long enough to build up to Short or Long Term.  I would probably revise the sanity rules if I had to do over again.

In retrospect I would have also invested more prep time in pre-generating NPCs for the tertiary patients and staff, and assign them to specific locations and times.

I played a lot of music during the campaign, which really helped set the tone.  Any time they explored the sanitarium at night, ventured into the basement, had a bad dream, or battled a monstrosity, I played music.  TabletopAudio.com has great choices for this, and it's free.  I also played tracks from the film "Alien" for the final BBEG battle.

In the end the party was able to kill Rose before she could summon the BBEG, but they still had to figure out how to save their possessed friend.  I had Renwick rig up a Revelans Mallum for two, so the PC had to go into the possessed friend's mind and try to draw the demon out.  I used the BBEG for the exorcised demon battle, so they ended up having to fight it anyway!  Good thing too, because I had built a custom lego miniature for the creature.  I had Japhi the cat show up to help in the final battle when the party got desperate - he was probably our favorite NPC.

Looking back I'm glad I ran this adventure, though if I had known how much work I was making for myself I may have reconsidered.  I'm looking forward to running a much simpler adventure next time!

ALSO: While prepping this adventure I contacted the authors with questions, and they were very responsive. Thanks again!

Harper's Tale is named for lead developer Matt Corley's daughter (and co-lead developer) Harper. The adventures mix the inspiration and youthful-fun outlook of a child with the sensibilities of an experienced game author to contribute something truly new and unique to the current RPG scene.

The creative team behind Harper's Tale reads like an all-star team of freelance writers and artists currently working in the RPG industry, and it's not just a list of names on the credits page of a book, the quality and experience this team brings really shines through. Harper's Tale is gorgeously illustrated throughout but I want to call special attention to the fantastic character illustrations by Gwendy Bee, these illustrations are bright and appealing while still conveying a sense of mystery and the fantastic. In addition to the amazing art I found all of the cartography to be easy to read and use and clearly laid out where I needed it.

The ten adventures themselves are all written by separate writers or writing teams and one of their nicest features is they are structured so that in addition to making up one ten adventure long campaign they are also all framed so they can be run as individual one-shots. The central story mixes investigation and adventure as the characters start off by investigating a mysterious illness and follow various leads and clues looking for both the source and a cure. The adventure path is set in the wilderness but uses many different settings for individual adventures (forests, small villages, dungeons, multi-room buildings) to give the ten adventures a great deal of variety.

In addition to a number of different settings the adventure path is full to the brim with interesting NPCs that not only work well within the narrative but could also be used to seed other adventures, for my part I GUARANTEE my players will meet Professor Piewright at some point prior to actually playing Harper's Tale.

And I couldn't resist the urge to convert and paint my own Sir Cheddar!

Overall I highly recommend Harper's Tale. There is an absolutely amazing amount of the highest quality content here and the mix of art and writing style really evokes the sense of fantastic mystery, fun, and discovery that I think the best fantasy RPG adventures are capable of.

Whispers In The Dark is a tremendous set of rules for investigative horror using D&D 5e as it's basic game engine.

For anyone looking for a way to game mystery/horror in a late 19th century setting Whispers really shows off the versatility of the D&D rules. Skills, Feats, and Backgrounds are the focus of character creation and the tools that drive players' ability to navigate through their adventures without swords and spells.

In addition to being its own complete game to explore supernatural and the mythos I feel this would also be a great a toolkit for adding options to other 5e based horror game settings like Ravenloft.

This is a solid jumpstart to a game that I can't wait to see have a successful Kickstarter and release! Mixing Call of Cthulhu with 5e mechanics was something that I wanted to see ever since I tried COC 7e. The book is written well and I'm running "The Crow Man" this Saturday. I'm a big fan of the Victorian Era - New Orleans setting and I'm looking forward to writing scenarios for this game for my group moving forward.

My thoughts after reading through are:

1. Would it not make more sense for Sanity to be INT+WIS modifier? I'm trying to figure out how CHA correlates to sanity.
2. Could we potentially look forward to a setting release, or more fleshed out version of New Orleans in the core rulebook?

I have to say that this is not an impartial review as I am a great fan of the Cthulhu and Lovecraftian Mythos, however I still think that it may be relevant for many interested on this material.

This review will not enconpass the adventure/scenario as I still haven't got time to play it.

Overview: I loved the athmosphere created by the layout and visual design of the material. The rules felt really straighforward to anyone already familiar with the "5th edition of the world's most famous roleplaying game". I liked the options of letting go yith classes and focusing on backgrounds for this particular theme, as well as I understand the choice of "Ancestries" insted of the more known "Races".

I enjoyed that it is filled with examples, as I am one that enjoy them very much, prefering to have some that are not useful than lacking one on something that ends up not being clear. I appreaciated the quotes used after tome chacpters titles, however I would like to have one for each chapter in case it was possible, I think they add to the vibe and genre.

The handouts look amazing and I really see the enormous value added by the GM's Sheet for Sanity Checks. For me pre-gens are a must for any quick play system or that intends to be played on the first session, so thumbs up for that as well. I have a lot to praise on this product and not that much to criticize to be perfectly candid.

Introduction: Describes directly and very well what the product is about. Loved the hint on the game that we "know the one". Plays upfront that classes are not used and that feats are one of the characters main customizations. Also, merits for mentioning that the lethality for the game is expected to differ as well as hinting on the most important chapters for already initiated players.

Mythos: Loved the flavourful description, including the ignorance as armour and the lucky or cursed references. However, I have to that as much as I agree with the boxed test of "The Problem with HPL", I found some of the phrasing confusing.

Character Creation: I was mesmerized by the backgrounds explanation, perhaps the best description of what backgrounds are that I have ever seen. The whole chapter is really straightforward and depicts in a clear and easy to follow way how to create a character even for inexperienced players. Enjoyed particularly the "Define Relationships" topic. The new mechanics for progression and how it is simplified and handled by the material seems to me a huge hit.

Ancestries: As already mentioned, I understand the choice of ancestries instead of race and think that it fits better on this case than for the "other system". It was a pleasant surprise to have one of the Saving Throws proficiency being chosen via the ancestry. I just felt that it lacked options, although it is not mentioned, I expect that, as with background, further ancestries options will be available on later material. I also did not felt that deep distinction in all of them. On top of that, I did not understand that if all ancestries are supposed to have two extra skill proficiencies, why "Experienced" is a thing and then we have also "Skill versatility". Perhaps the future options will clarify this designers' choice.

Backgrounds: Here it is explicitly mentioned that further option will be available on future materials. It details very well what is provided by choosing a background and despite some particular pet peeves of mine, I believe that the options are rich and interesting. Although I feel that Dilettante has some kind of an upper-hand during my first read, but I believe on the designers and that my concerns are undeserved.

Feats: I have to say that I saw some of the designers' public notes for what they wanted with the feats and I have to say that I loved it. It fills the characters with particularities and give them things that they are particularly good at. Most of the options are pretty self-explanatory and they feel really easy to use. There is no wrong answer when choosing feats, only what you want from your character. The most complex feat seems to be Persuasive Zealot, which I really think if it is a charming effect, by would assume that not, by the wording. Also, most option are what are popularly referred as "half-feat" which certainly does not bother me.

Damage, Healing & Rest: Loved that it heightens the challenge by extending the time needed for each rest when compared to the basic rules as well as the value needed on Death Saving Throws (pay attention to it experienced players). It depicts very well how to perform each type of rest and which actions may break it. The lingering injuries is one part that I always loved to incorporate on my games and I think that it is well detailed and adds sweetly to the tone of the game on mystery and horror.

Madness & Sanity: The "crème de la crème" of the system. The material invests a great deal of pages on them and I have to say that I particularly approve it. The system seems fitting and well thought, also presenting details for each transient/short-term and medium-/long-term psychoses. However I considered the changes between madness and insanity a bit confusing and think that a bit of editing could clean it up for future versions of the text.It is important to notice that losing sanity can quickly turn into a downward spiral, but it only seems fitting for the premise of the material and game. Some small clarification for me can be also done on the rules for a character to "control themselves" on a high-stress situation and on some situation that incites a sanity check (like the Forbidden Knowledge and the Unspeakable Horror sections). The GM's sheet is a great resource and for me add great value to all the set of rules.

Conclusion: All in all, I very much appreciated the material and would buy it again given the chance. Both M. T. Black and Matt are amazing designers (I can't believe I did not know that Matt had worked on Tales of the Old Margreve as well as on material for Petersen's Cthulhu Mythos). I recommend it for anyone interested on investigative horror games with a familiar set of rules.

For being a set of quickstart rules, this product provides everything you need to get playing in a "real-world" setting filled with mystery and horror. It provides an excellent framework to build from and I'm excited to see what is released after this. You play as a human, or a human with mixed eldritch blood. Even though it uses 5E mechanics, it is a classless system. There are a variety of backgrounds to choose from and new feats. A limited amount of modern eqiupment is provided. Rules for sanity and madness are also included. I would have liked to see how magic was handled but that will be covered in future material. There is also a fairly long introductory adventure to get a group started. From following the progress of this product I know that it was playtested and the creators are known for high quality so I'm sure the adventure is good. Layout and design is straightforward and clean. My score is based on the fact that this is a quickstart guide and would expect more material in an expanded product.

If you're a fan of investigative horror, or creepy tension filled role playing, or are just looking for a new way to play d&d 5e then this is for you! it is brilliantly written and a smooth pick up for any 5e group. I can not recommend this any more highly than I do, it is phenomenal.

Please check out my expanded review of Welcome To Grove at http://worlds-in-conflict.blogspot.com/2019/09/first-thoughts-harpers-tale.html

To quickly summarize: Great art and writting. A small but interesting a well fleshed out duo of NPCs. A mystery and adventure that is appropriate for all ages but is not childish.

Beautiful little 5e-compatible adventure. Going to support the rest so my group will eventually find out what happens.

As a big Ravenloft fan i immediately backed the kickstarter for this and have not been disappointed. While not RL specific it has a lot in common with RL classics such as Bleak House and the Nightmare Lands. Packed full of intrigues and a myriad of ways to entertain your players with fresh looks at ye olde Mental Hospital tropes. Get amongst it, it's awesome!

I backed this Kickstarter and have 0 regrets. The author has put together a fantastic supplement would add a much needed depth to traditional fantasy in an unorthodox fashion.
The book presents a facility stocked with interesting NPCs and situations that encourage well-crafted solutions, beyond the tired hack and slash trope. In addition to this a system for dealing with madness, and other ailments, is included. I am really enjoying it and plan on including many aspects in my game campaigns.

If you're considering playing any kind of grim, gritty, realistic, macabre, horror, or generally cthullhu esque game, I HIGHLY recommend giving these a try!

A character can only see so many horribly murders, face down so many terrors from the abyss beyond, or suffer SO much psychic damage before it starts to leave an effect on that character's mind, and these rules are a fantastic way to consider implementing that. From becoming panic prone - which gives a benefit to initiative at the cost of a penalty to certain saves - to being sickened or paralyzed with fear, or terrified of an ill omen, or, or, or!

There's a lot to add to your gameplay in here, starting wit the addition of sanity effects to many existing spells, which opens up the possibility of either driving your players OR your enemies insane through magic. A few fitting sanity rules for certain classes and a couple of sanity oriented feats round it all off make it a great add to ANY campaign, but especially so the ones I listed above. Personally, I'm going to be using a lot of this stuff moving forward.

Oh, and best part? There's a one page cheat sheet at the end for easy use as a DM.

Prompt KickStarter Backer. I haven't had a chance to get into the nitty gritty of the book yet, but at a glance the layout is great. The maddness rules (admittedly why I backed) are top notch. In addition a ready made setting where you could run an entire campaign. The book does everything it claims and then some.

An easy and effective way to bring horror into any RPG campagin. Included are multiple story hooks for a variety of settings so you can seamlessly bring your existing group into a world of eldrich horror. Also included is a sanity system that can give lasting efficts to characters which reinforce an actual feeling of dread.