A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Side Paths – Silver Rebels 2 – Trials of the Drowned

Side Paths – Silver Rebels 2 – Trials of the Drowned by Alex Riggs and Joshua Zaback is a role playing game supplement published by Necromancers of the Northwest. The supplement is intended for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and is therefore covered by the Open Game License with some parts considered to be Open Game Content as a result. This is the second short adventure from Necromancers of the Northwest, after Kennels of the Red Fang, that is intended to expand on Paizo‘s Hell’s Rebels Adventure Path (referred to as Silver Rebels for IP reasons). This supplement expands on a shrine found close to the beginning of #98, Turn of the Torrent. The supplement adds five rooms to the shrine, expanding it into a more interesting dungeon. It is intended for 4th level characters.

Side Paths - Silver Rebels 2 - Trials of the DrownedThe PDF is available from RPGNow for $2.99 but was purchased as part of a special bundle. The exact price of each supplement in the bundle isn’t stated but each is approximately 7 cents each, a huge reduction. The PDF has ten pages, of which two are the front and rear covers, one is the front matter and one the Open Game License.

The supplement starts with using the adventure, explaining how to use it with the shrine in the official adventure path – it adds five rooms between the two official ones of the shrine – and how to use it as a standalone dungeon. There is also a sidebar on the general appearance of the dungeon.

It then describes the various rooms. For the two official rooms, it states to refer to the adventure path or ignore them, depending on whether it is used with Hell’s Rebels or apart from it. Each room has a description and there are various hazards and puzzles to solve, all related to drowning and the sea, to progress through the dungeon. A map of all five rooms and how they join up is also provided. If the dungeon is being used as a standalone, the final room, which is the second of the official two, is suggested to be altered with some potential items of treasure provided.

Side Paths – Silver Rebels 2 – Trials of the Drowned in Review

The PDF is fully bookmarked for its length, with all the sections linked. Navigation is, as a result, well above average for a short supplement. The text maintains a two column format on a coloured background and no errors were noticed. There aren’t any illustrations, just the map. The map itself is plain and functional; it does its job and that’s about it.

The official Pathfinder Adventure Paths do have a lot of content, but there is always room to expand it and flesh them out more. Legendary Games do a lot of this with their various Adventure Path Plug-Ins, and they are to a generally higher standard than this one. It does, however, expand a very short dungeon in a thematically appropriate way to make it rather more memorable. Adding content can make the adventures more enjoyable for players. The dungeon can also be dropped easily enough into another location. The various hazards all fit in with the concept of the shrine, and add depth. Side Paths – Silver Rebels 2 – Trials of the Drowned might be a bit pricy at its full price but it’s a nice little adventure for expanding Hell’s Rebels, and it can be found by clicking here.

 

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