A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Mini Quest: Jaws of the Landshark

Mini Quest: Jaws of the Landshark by David Dudka is a role playing game supplement published by Survive RPG. This is one in the Mini Quest series and is an adventure for low level characters, under 3rd is recommended, and is aimed at Dungeons & Dragons based games, although no particular edition is specified.

This is a five page Pay What You Want PDF that is available from RPGNow. Around a quarter of a page is an ad for other supplements in the Mini Quest range.

The adventure starts in a remote waystation, a fortified inn with a watchtower. There are customers and staff in the inn’s common room, including some arrogant merchants, a rather unfriendly veteran soldier and a bard. After some potential trouble, one of the staff members will go outside after hearing a horse screaming, at which point he will promptly be eaten by a bulette, or landshark.

At this point, the characters and NPCs will be trapped in the inn. The reason for low level characters is so that they can’t easily defeat the bulette in open combat. During the siege and attempt to deal with the creature, there are d10 random events that can happen and half a dozen parts to the plot.

The final page and a half has a layout and a room-by-room description of the waystation.

Mini Quest: Jaws of the Landshark in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks although, despite its comparative brevity, they would have been useful. Navigation is okay.

The text maintains a two column format and a minor reoccurring error (one that has been seen in other supplements in the range, the use of “it’s” instead of “its”) was noticed. There are a number of black and white illustrations as well as a map of the inn, all of which appear to be custom. Presentation is above average for a small supplement.

The introductory paragraph states how the film Jaws – although not directly named – is the inspiration for the adventure but it actually seems more reminiscent of Tremors.

There are quite a few different characters amongst the NPCs, although the veteran soldier seems highly annoying. He is also dangerous enough that challenging him isn’t a good idea. With the characters being low level, it will be challenging to deal with the bulette, but there are a number of different ways to do this. Characters may also be able to save the lives of some of the NPCs; if they don’t intervene, the NPC will die, but in some cases the characters actions are the determining factor.

Mini Quest: Jaws of the Landshark is a decent-sized adventure that comes with a complete inn, and it can be checked out for free by clicking here.