A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Vathak 5e Adventures – When the Forest Speaks Part Two

Vathak 5e Adventures – When the Forest Speaks Part Two by Geoff Gander is a role playing game supplement published by Fat Goblin Games 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 an adventure for the Shadows Over Vathak setting for four characters with an average party level of 2-3.

The supplement is available from DriveThruRPG as a 13-page PDF for $3.95 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. Two pages are the front and rear covers, one the front matter and one the Open Game License.

Adventure Primer explains what the adventure is intended for, that it is the second part of the scenario, the first being When the Forest Speaks Part One, and that it can be a sequel to You Left Me to the Wolves.

Adventure Background essentially recaps what the characters are doing.

Running this Adventure and Abbreviations explains what’s needed and how material is laid out. A sidebar gives some details on the Shadows over Vathak setting.

At the end of the previous adventure, the characters arrived at the lumber camp. This now describes what they find there, depending on whether they arrive during the day or night; at night the camp is under attack by night gaunts, with details given. A sidebar explains that a logging camp map is available for Patrons. The characters can then go and find the hag that is behind the attacks and deal with her, including non-violently. A sidebar looks at how to run it if the players decide that evacuating everyone and running is the best course of action. If the characters end up fighting the hag, how to run this is given. There are details on various different mushrooms with different properties that the characters can find. There are various possible endings, and even the good ending is not that good as it results in their former employer becoming an enemy. The final page of content has stats for the night gaunt.

Vathak 5e Adventures – When the Forest Speaks Part Two in Review

The PDF lacks bookmarks and has enough different sections that these would be useful. Navigation could be better. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a couple of colour illustrations. Presentation is okay.

Just as with the first part, this is easy enough to lift from its setting and place elsewhere. Also just as with the first part, this isn’t much of an adventure. There are maybe two or three encounters, and this supplement confirms the suspicion that this and the first part would have been better served as a single complete adventure. As is, this feels like an expensive way of buying a short adventure at full price. Vathak 5e Adventures – When the Forest Speaks Part Two can be found by clicking here.