Vathak 5e Adventures – When the Forest Speaks Part One 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 12-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 and that it can be a sequel to You Left Me to the Wolves.
Adventure Background explains that Lars Karstenburg, a vindari in the lumber industry of Kandar, sees this as a stepping stone and the Kraklevak Forest as something to be exploited. The characters are hired to investigate a lumber camp in the forest that has gone quiet.
Adventure Location explains this is set in Kandar and the Kraklevak Forest but can be placed in any cold region.
Adventure Hooks has hooks to get the characters involved.
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.
Beginning the Adventure has the characters hear about a possible disturbance at a lumber camp. There are different bits of information they can pick up which are different depending on what the species or heritage of the party primarily is. They can then speak to two different people to gain more details on what’s going on, as well as a few others for other pieces of information. Once this is done, the characters can head into the forest. The adventure continues in When the Forest Speaks Part Two.
Appendix has a new monster.
When the Forest Speaks Part One 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.
As with a number of these supplements, they can easily be lifted from the Shadows Over Vathak setting and placed in another with little trouble, as they aren’t that tied to the setting. One issue with this adventure is there isn’t really much of an adventure. Yes, this is only one part of a two-part adventure, but the feeling from the first part is that it would have been better served to have it as a single adventure, rather than as two, comparatively expensive, pieces. This part consists of speaking to people and some possible random encounters in the forest. When the Forest Speaks Part One can be found by clicking here.
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