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| Keep on the Shadowfell (Dungeons & Dragons, Adventure H1) | 
 enlarge | Authors: Bruce Cordell, Mike Mearls
Brand: Wizards of the Coast
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $17.40
You Save: $12.55 (42%)
New (24) Used (9) from $16.75
Avg. Customer Rating:  54 reviews
Sales Rank: 5186
Media: Paperback
Edition: 4th
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 96
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 11.2 x 9.3 x 0.5
ISBN: 0786948507
Dewey Decimal Number: 793
EAN: 9780786948505
ASIN: 0786948507
Publication Date: May 20, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 I want to give this a higher score May 28, 2008
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
I'm not particularly sure where to start with this review. I wanted to give this module a higher score but I'm afraid that, objectively, I can't do so. While I have very few complaints with the new rule set, the module is a disappointing first start. While I understand that it can't be the most in-depth module since it's a pre-release, my initial feelings are pretty much a let down.
The module is fairly straight-forward. The party gets ambushed and starts a chain of events that lead them to fighting a baddy at the end. The complaint with it is that the module is literally just twenty or so combat encounters. While this can be over-come with creative DM-ing or creative players, it's disappointing that the module does very little to show off the skill system (which is just as lackluster as the 3.x rules, if you were wondering) or do anything to rise above the fact that it can be more than a series of combats with a story behind them.
With that in mind though, some of the combats are interesting enough to keep the party going and the new combat rules work well enough. It's obvious that WotC drew its influence from the popularity of MMO's, which I can't completely bash because it opens the game up to new players (and more money. Let's not forget that WotC is a business) and makes balancing a bit easier, since everyone has something to contribute at all times and the first level wizard isn't useless within 5 minutes of game start.
My biggest complaint though is the packaging. As much as every other reviewer has bashed it, I'm gonna go ahead and do the same. It sucks. I understand the need for the folder, but the two packets that come with it are awful. They're flimsy, and can't stand up to the least bit of wear or tear. WotC let me down big time on that one.
All in all it was fun and the group had a good time, and it excites me about what is to come from 4e. But magazine paper? Come on, WotC, make it worth my money. Let's hope we don't get that from our core books.
First Impression Review Before Reading It May 21, 2008
10 out of 23 found this review helpful
Very minor spoilers ahead. And this is a "first impression review" and I have yet to read the adventure.
I just opened the plastic and haven't read anything yet. Let me review presentation here as I open it.
Cover art, eh. Nothing hugely special here. It is ok but not iconic.
It comes in a cardboard folder you flip open with two packets on each side. First thing you see is the new D&D logo, one on each side. Pretty.
It is paperback. The paper feels a little cheap. It is in between magazine paper and the thicker stock you will find in the hard cover books. The cover is the same stock of the internal pages. I would have opted for a thicker cover stock. It almost feels like you could tear the pages or cover too easily.
The first two pieces of art are also not special. I will say right now the 3rd Edition art from these two examples was better.
Multiple hooks are provided. Page 5 begins "new DM" instructions describing encounters, layout, and headings you will find Maps, Descriptive text, Monster Stats, Tactics, etc.
Just looking here, there are three different stat blocks for kobolds. Kobold slingers (Level 1 artillery), kobold minions (Level 1 Minion), and kobold dragonshields (Level 2 Soldier). Cool. I have a feeling in 4th just because you face a "goblin" you will not know the stats, tactics, and reaction that goblin will have.
Plenty of maps listing out encounters and distances.
I see a kobold skirmisher and wrympriest added to the mix of kobold types.
Got to the actual "Shadowfell Keep" part. Size is about 300 by 300 feet. Nice, then in the local areas after you see the level 1 layout they zoom in for a smaller 100 by 100 section. That means 9 zoom in maps for the first level. There are 11 "section" encounters before you are done with the level.
Level two looks to be about 300X400. That covers are 12 to 17.
Rreading the Tactics section in this last battle. It is nice to see things written out as a DM. When I look at a block of stats, especially when using spellcasters, it is tough to figure out "what should the bad guy do next." I know as DM I can make things up as I go along but having a recommendation to do is always helpful.
Quick start player rules is only 5 pages long compared to the 9 pages of rules for the DM. No art.
Pre-rolled characters are a Dwarf Fighter, Halfling Rogue, Human Wizard, Half-elf Cleric, and a Dragonborn Paladin. Dragonborn looks like a lizardman or a Saurial. The only art in the whole book is the pencil sketches of the pre-gens.
Three poster maps. These are pretty nice. Doublesided. 150X105 feet. One is two of the outdoor encounters, one to each side. Two is another outdoor encounter and the big bad room in level 1 of the keep. Three is the two last endgame encounters, one encounter on each side.
Is it worth it? To me it is. I had the cash to blow on this book. I will know a bit more after I read through the adventure itself to see what content is included. But my reaction on this is that I will not run it with the pre-gens. I am going to wait until the full books are released to allow my players to roll their own. That and I want to know all the rules before DMing.
 Explosively Disapointing May 23, 2008
9 out of 21 found this review helpful
This module is perfect for a group of individuals who have never played any type of table top rpg.
With that said it offers nothing to those of us who are more familar with gaming other than a couple pre-generated dungeons, a handful of cookie cutter npcs, a generic villan, and story thread that I can only describe as unacceptable. Certainly 3.5 had its good modules and its bad ones, but with the price tag attached I was hoping "Keep.." would be a winner.
Unfortunately I'll just have to wait a couple more weeks and cross my fingers that the core set rule books and following modules will be at least minorly ambitious and have the faintest trace of passion for details.
Keep on the Shadowfell May 26, 2008
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
This first product for 4th edition D&D is a mixed bag. I was very excited when I bought it and was immediately disappointed that it came in a folder. There was less art than I expected and the quality that everyone has complained about is right on the mark. The art is average, the paper is frail, and the ink smears if you hold it too long. With such a steep price, this should have been a hardcover book. I would expect more in the future.
Once I opened it though, I was surprised at some of the changes in the game. Wizards are able to participate more in combat at first level. They can cast magic missile every round. Also, every character has more options for attacking. They also have the ability to heal themselves. When a character drops to a certain amount of hit points they become "Bloodied", which may create other options in combat. Bad guys have "Minions" who drop really quickly but fill up the battle area with a little more chaos. Overall, I thought many of the changes in the game are positive. In this respect, Keep on the Shadowfell is a good primer for 4th edition.
The setup of the adventure was good. The encounter statistics were fairly close physically to the descriptions in the adventure and the maps were helpful. Many of the recent offerings for D&D have had the combat encounters several pages after the backgrounds for them. Like many players, I prefer the stats right with the storyline. It seems more streamlined and easier to follow. Hopefully, WOTC will discontinue the separation of encounters with their place in the story.
Overall, I liked this module. Had the packaging been better, I would have given this product 4 or 5 stars.
 Primarily for those who are thinking of buying 4th edition D&D June 21, 2008
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
The Keep on the Shadowfell adventure is a very particular product aimed primarily at new players who are interested in 4th Edition D&D, but have yet to purchase any rules for it.
To be perfectly honest, this product is overpriced unless you wish to use it as a test case for adopting D&D 4th edition. The actual adventure is only about 65 pages long and is made up of the 25 two-page "delve format" encounters seen in any Wizards of the Coast adventure published in the last 3-4 years. If you are buying this for the adventure text, please be aware you are receiving a very short adventure for a MSRP of $30.
However, if you are deciding on whether or not to pick up 4th edition, then this might be the product for you. It comes shrink-wrapped in an artfully designed pocket folder. Inside are the 80 page adventure booklet, which includes the previously mentioned adventure scenario and 15 pages of introductory rules for a new 4th edition Dungeon Master (the player who will run the game and and scenario for the other players to progress through).
A second paper pamphlet, also 8.5" x 11", contains the "Quick-Start Rules". This includes 6 pages for the players to read beforehand, so they know what Dungeons & Dragons is and what is expected of them when playing. The other 10 pages are two-page character sheets of pre-constructed Player Characters (PCs, the characters the players will play during the game). There are five different PCs included: a Dwarf Fighter, Halfling Rogue, Human Wizard, Half-Elf Cleric, and a Dragonborn Paladin.
Lastly, there are 3 double-sided, 20"x33" posters to use as battle mats during the game. These are gridded sheets meant for miniatures figurines to be used during play. These "minis" and various polyhedral, multi-sided dice are required for play, but not are included. (If you don't own any, you can purchase some from Amazon.com)
The adventure itself is a by-the-numbers Town & Dungeon romp. The town is very sparse in detail with only 14 locations noted, a map, and less than 5 pages of description. The majority of that is taken up by a Q & A style conversation showing example answers for when players interact with the townsfolk. Scripted events happen whenever the players leave town, but no encounters lie within. The games' Skill Challenge system is not illustrated here, but it would not be too difficult to add some later on with the complete set of rulebooks. This overlook appears to be a space limitation only.
To be blunt, practically all of the event-based encounters around the town are combats. Combat tactics are supplied in the delve formats, but no roleplaying advice for the NPCs (DM run characters). When the players finally find the dungeon to explore there is very little left to do but combat those within. The dungeon is essentially 19 separate combat encounters. There is one obligatory trap room, a combat also including a puzzle, and two roleplaying combats which includes roleplaying advice for the monsters in them. The first of these is a creature likely too difficult to defeat via combat and the second is the final "end boss" encounter of the whole dungeon.
There really is no plot to uncover here, but there are some other nuances included by the authors: a suprise NPC here, an interluding event there. But on the whole the adventure looks to the DM to add intriguing details to the town and dungeon landscape and life to the NPC characters within. Specifics are largely missing and little is included that will surprise the players or engage their attention. That is, little beyond what is included in the combat tactics and statistics portions.
What the adventure does offer repeatedly are multiple, varied, side-by-side combats that will keep players' interest when fighting the battles. Each monster and foe has surprising abilities that freshen up player expectations each time they engage in a new battle. This is primarily due to the design of the ruleset. The many fights included in Keep on the Shadowfell showcase exactly what 4th Edition D&D combat offers.
If you do enjoy the new combat system and the multiple combats within, you will probably enjoy the new ruleset as well. If the combat system is not to your liking, you will probably not find much else to stoke your interest here.
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