Dark Oak Collector’s Edition by Creighton Broadhurst and Steve Hood is a role playing game supplement published by Raging Swan Press for use with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some of it is considered to be Open Game Content. This is an adventure for 5th level characters.
The supplement is available as a PDF from DriveThruRPG for $6.99, as a softcover print on demand book for $8.99 and as both PDF and softcover for $10.99. The PDF is the version reviewed although it was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. The PDF has 45 pages with two being the front and rear covers, one an ad, four and a half the front matter, Contents, About the Designers, the Open Game License and Stat Blocks by CR. The PDF comes in two versions, one intended for print and high-end devices, one intended for low-end and mobile.
The Foreword explains how the supplement came about, that the original version has had Village Backdrop: Thornhill incorporated, with edits made to make both align better as well as some details on the surrounding marshland, as well as new art.
Reading Stat Blocks is a standard page for the publisher explaining how to use these.
Using This Adventure explains how the encounters are laid out, how to read trap blocks and how to identify both magical and non-magical treasure.
Adventure Background explains how a lizardfolk druid corrupted a treant and used it to try and advance her ambitions, only for the treant to be defeated. She now has only a small band of loyal followers, who are mostly loyal thanks to the drugs they are being given, nut is still ambitious.
Synopsis outlines the path of the adventure.
The Adventure Begins explains how a GM can insert it into their own campaign, with some rumours to be heard prior to the adventure, some adventure hooks and some of Thornhill’s residents who are concerned about the lizardfolk.
Thornhill starts with Thornhill At a Glance. This covers two pages and gives a brief history of the settlement, together with demographics, notable folk, notable locations, marketplace, lore and whispers & rumours, together with a map of the village and general details on villagers.
Notable Locations is another two pages and covers the main locations from the previous section. Two NPCs have stats given and there are details on a haunt. Sidebars cover the village’s features and surroundings.
Life in Thornhill is a single page, with stats for two more NPCs, as well as law and order, trade and industry and a d6 table of events.
Into the Mire covers the Redfern Swamp. This has an overview of it, finding the Dark Oak, various locations in the mire, area features, random encounters and a map, and a sidebar covers the red ferns themselves.
Caverns of the Dark Oak is the actual adventure. There are details on the ecology and society, combat and tactics and cavern features, as well as some wandering lizardfolk, with sidebars covering Dark Oak tribal lore and lizardfolk lore, as well as a map. Following this are the various encounter locations, laid out in the manner specified earlier, as well as some tips for scaling them. The first encounter is with the treant, which doesn’t have to be solved with violence. Then the characters make their way through the caverns to combat the druid.
Conclusion explains that once the druid is defeated, the threat posed by the Dark Oak tribe evaporates. The treant, if successfully talked down, will reward them. There is a section on further adventures, but both potential hooks are only if one or other of the most important foes survive.
Play Aids starts with New Rules Options, which has a new drug, new disease and two new magic items. The rest is taken up by six pre-generated characters.
Dark Oak Collector’s Edition in Review
The PDF is well bookmarked with everything but sidebars linked. The Contents is not as thorough and is hyperlinked. Navigation is good. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be almost free of errors. There are a number of black and white illustrations. Presentation is decent.
The main difference between this and the original adventure is the addition of Thornhill and the mire, making the original adventure more of a mini campaign setting. There are adventure hooks in Thornhill and sites of interest in the swamp that could be further developed; the further adventures section is perhaps the least developed, because if the characters are completely successful, there won’t be any. The pre-generated characters make this useful as a one-shot, but are otherwise not that useful. With more development by the GM, this could be made even better. Dark Oak Collector’s Edition can be found by clicking here.
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