Mini Review - The Forgotten Outpost ("Old School Sh!t")

The Forgotten Outpost is a 16 page adventure from the fine folks at Occult Moon.  If you don't know who they are, they are the ones that bring us a weekly dose of Toys For the Sandbox.

This is, to the best of my knowledge, their first full length adventure, as the Toys For the Sandbox series is more encounters, locations and / or plot hooks.

So, how did they do with The Forgotten Outpost?  Pretty damn well.

First off is the maps from Matt Jackson.  If you don't follow Matt's blog, you really should, as he is a master of the hand drawn maps.  These maps are no exception.  They are, as always, a work of art.

Next, the adventure itself.  As Occult Moon is known to do, they give you multiple plot hooks so you can fit the adventure to your party's needs.  It this case, your party should be around levels 3 to 5 (Toys For the Sandbox are level-less).

Oh, and a list of rumors.  Can't forget that

Now, after reviewing Lich Dungeon, I figured I should show how another adventure uses stat blocks:

Hobgoblins: HD: 1+1, AC: 5 [14], Attacks: Weapon

or a full NPC:

Bodenolf: Neutral Male Fighter, Lvl: 1, AC: 5 [14], HP: 4

Equipment: Studded Leather, Shield, Longbow, Hand Axe

Pretty different (and much less space consuming).  Also, no translating or converting of numbers and labels.  Then again, The Forgotten Outpost uses the OGL and claims to be compatible with "Old School Shit".  Gotta love it ;)

Parts that are to be read to the party are in italics.  This doesn't happen all to often, so expect to be putting what the party sees into your own words, which to my mind is usually better than reading from a script anyway.

The outpost, while not huge, should supply your party with a full session (if not a bit more) of game play. The ending has the potential to be a bit open ended, so if you have a sandbox you want to place this in, it should fit fine.

From the blurb:

In the hills around the city of Bear's Paw lies a long forgotten outpost that has fallen into ruins. There are many legends told about this hidden landmark, and rumors of treasures lying inside are told around warm fires. Many have made their way into the dark underbelly of this stony memorial seeking fortune and glory, but none have ever returned.  Will you be the first adventurers to uncover the secrets buried there?

Be prepared for a fight as you embark on this adventure to uncover the truth behind the legends. Kobolds, gnolls, traps, and secrets lay in wait for you in this dungeon crawl into The Forgotten Outpost! Adventure suitable for adventurers level 3 to 5 ish for what ever Old School Sh*t you play.