Customer Reviews

Evil Tide (Advanced Dungeons & Dragons/Monstrous Arcana Accessory)

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Evil Tide is a worthwhile adventure. It is a little weak on a starting point but because it doesn't take place in any setting it should be easy to drop into any campaign. It is at it's best as the begining of the series as the adventure is just too thin for a one time ride. Some good combat in what should be the parties first underwater experience.

Evil Tide is the first installment of an adventure trilogy linked to the Sea Devil and Of Ships and the Sea supplements and is set on a small fishing island that has recently been beset with sahuagin attacks. The related supplements are not really required, but there are numerous references to game mechanics, equipment, spells and magic items that were introduced in those works. Some of the material is reprinted or summarized, some of it isn't.

The scenario is for mid-level PCs, but the plotting of the first installment of the Sea Devil trilogy is right out of DM 101 class. PCs travel to a remote island populated by a cast of stock NPCs (crusty old salts abound), encounter evil marauders playing havoc with the local economy and get hired by the local powers that be to do something about the problem. There is the usual missing persons story, unsurprisingly related to the recent excavation of several mysterious artifacts which are apparently linked to the evil doers search for a powerful and mysterious magic item. There are no surprises whatsoever for any but the most novice players and DMs.

The meat of the scenario is the exploration of a series of underwater caves. The cave maps fail to capture the three-dimensionality of the underwater setting and the inhabitants and their reasons for being there are none too remarkable either. The underwater environment is a novel setting for anyone that missed U3 or The Murky Deep, however, and the challenges presented by the alien environment livens up a pretty flat storyline. A conveniently local wizard NPC can supply the magical means for an expedition beneath the waves if the PCs are lacking in this area.

Evil Tide pretty much serves to set up the rest of the trilogy. It covers quite a bit of ground, but not a lot in depth with the exception of the island and fishing town which are sufficiently detailed to serve as a permanent campaign addition if so desired. While having to face sahuagin in an underwater environment is likely to make for a pretty difficult scenario, the overall blandness of the plot doesn't spark much interest in the events of the rest of the trilogy.

An island, sub-sea caves, sahuagin, and an ancient legacy. Great writing (comments from the bitter "reader from Tennessee" aside) contributes to a great mid-level adventure where players have the opportunity to see life from below the waves. Sahuagin are scary, scary creatures, and this adventure showcases it quite well.

Players are spectators and not participants