Pages from the Lost Grimoire – Hellclasped Fetters / Pyre of Corruption by Dan Coleman is a role playing game supplement published by Dan Coleman Productions for use with Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result. This is the fifth in a series of supplements that are so far following a fairly standard format; new items or rules followed by a mini-adventure making use of these. This supplement introduces a couple of artefacts.
The series is funded through Patreon and is as a result available from RPGNow as a Pay What You Want supplement. The main part is a nine page PDF with one page being the front cover, one the front matter, one page a thanks to Patrons and one page the Open Game License. There are also three jpg maps of the encounter area for the mini-adventure, one for the GM and two for players, one with and one without a grid.
The first two pages of content detail two new artefacts, which are linked, the titular Hellclasped Fetters. The individual artefacts are the Hellclasped Collar and Hellclasped Cord. There is a short introduction which tells how the artefacts were created; they were used by devils in the Hells to chain a solar who was then destroyed in a ritual, imbuing the bonds with power. Each artefact has a number of powers but both change the user’s alignment to Lawful Evil. When an individual has both, there are combined powers but, should they die, their soul is imprisoned in Hell and they cannot be brought back from the dead without it fleeing.
The final two pages of content are the mini-adventure. This has a chart showing roughly how difficult the encounter will be based on average party level and size, which is useful. The encounter itself is on rocks floating on a lava field and is with a number of devils, the leader of which possesses one or both of the artefacts. The lead devil is supposed to be causing trouble – what trouble the GM has to decide – and the characters have to defeat him. This is actually a ruse; the devil wishes to be defeated by characters of decent power, so that they can “win” the artefact(s) from him.
Pages from the Lost Grimoire – Hellclasped Fetters / Pyre of Corruption in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and does not really need them for the length, although they would have been nice. Navigation is fine.
The text maintains a two column full colour format and no errors were noticed. There are illustrations of both artefacts, which is good, and a reduced version of the encounter area. Together with the accompanying jpgs, presentation is very good.
The two artefacts are fairly powerful, as befits artefacts, and also a lure for characters. Those who fall for the artefacts powers will get changes to their appearance which will eventually become permanent, as well as, if they have both, having their soul taken by a devil on death.
The encounter itself is fairly high level, being aimed generally at characters from 11th-14th level. It is entirely possible that players will not appreciate having a potentially deadly encounter resulting in gaining a treasure that is actually dangerous.
Pages from the Lost Grimoire – Hellclasped Fetters / Pyre of Corruption is a nicely presented supplement with two artefacts that could be the focus of an adventure to remove their effects and/or destroy them together with a dangerous encounter and it can be checked out for free by clicking here.
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