OMG!

- Jim

Astounding! Perhaps the best product I have seen for D&D in my 43 years as a gamer

So, this will be an unconventional review for an unconventional adventure. First, let me say that I began playing RPG in 1977, I have done some minor writing for RPGs, I met my wife through RPGs, I have two adult sons who are GM’s in their own right, in other words, RPGs are not something I do, they are part of who I am. Love telling stories and I am something of a lore nerd. While I do not doubt that there are people who know the lore of a given fictional universe far better than I could hope to, I would be willing to stake by knowledge across an eclectic range of lore set against all comers. I say that only the illustrates that I have a nose for solid cosmogony that flows into a well-crafted lore set, solid lore makes for more immersive storytelling. If the Darkest Dream relied on lore alone it would rank fairly high in the pantheon of adventures that exist for D&D, but Gooey Cube went the extra mile, and then they kept walking.

When I meet the owner of this small local gaming company, I expected yet another pitch about some new in the gaming world, a pitch that is realty delivered upon to my satisfaction. But Alphinius Goo is no teller of tall tales— well that’s not true, he is, but what tales! When I poured over what comes in this box the word impressed does not over my feelings. Let me be honest, I don’t count D&D among my favorite games, yes it holds a fine level of nostalgia for me, yet I could talk for hours on the finer points of the Red Wizards of Thay, a Bulette, Cannibal halflings, and the Towers of Sharn, but I prefer other games. That said, I still play and run D&D and its variants because often they are the only games people know or are willing to play and I will never discount the game's ability to bring new blood to the hobby. That leads me to my point, The red Sat Rising campaign is, with no doubt in my mind, the best thing I have seen that will, accommodate both neophyte GMs who bought their DMG yesterday and veterans who remember varying weapon modifier against a particular AC. Take that from someone who has so many RPG books his wife bought him a 10x12 shed to house the one he does not use regularly so she could reclaim her house (sorry honey).

I can only echo the others who have noted the wealth of goodies this module holds or little extras, tips, not so random encounters, and more that make the DMing seem effortless. It’s all in there. Furthermore, the setup of the adventure (I can say too much—no spoilers) changes the fundamental ways that DMs and players will view how D&D can be played. Without saying too much the majority of the adventure takes place over a single long day and offer some excellent suggestion from reworking the base games rather limited (IMO) rest mechanics. That shift in playstyle is just a taste of one of the many things that make this adventure groundbreaking. I could go on for weeks about the love the team at Gooey Cube has invested in this whole endeavor, but I must close with something closer to my heart.

As a black gamer who began this hobby at a time when gamers who looked like me were exceedingly rare, I have seen some disappointing handlings of marginalized groups in RPGs but this module again takes a different path. Using the mistreatment of Roma people and other groups as a starting point, the adventure offers a way for some exploration of prejudice and ostracization. For me one of the great strengths of RPG is that it opens a space where we can learn from such themes while having fun, we as players and DMs just need to be willing to take that challenge. IMO. opinion the best fantasy and sci fi teaches within its narrative even as it entertains, and the Darkest Dream does that oh so well. In summation, GooeyCube has created a masterful set of keys, you just need to pick them up and walk through that door with the odd flickering glow spilling out underneath.

-Stefan

This box is CRAMMED with Value