Sons of Gruumsh: Forgotten Realms Supplement [Paperback]

I just ran my group through Sons of Gruumsh, and it was a very good couple of sessions. The module includes a lot of good detail, interesting foes, and tactical information which is very helpful when running the large-scale combat involved.

The only caution is the difficulty for 4th-5th level characters. A cleric or two in the party is an absolute must, and IMHO a wand of CLW or a slew of healing potions will probably be required to survive the quantity and quality of foes involved.

Although this was the first adventure written for the Forgotten Realms, I read it second after The Twilight Tower and boy am I glad that I did! This adventure is much better written than Twilight Tower. Additionally, the plot and story-line are superior and the addition of a plot twist at the end makes this a very good adventure.

However, there is a downside. Like most of the published adventures, Sons of Gruumsh tends towards the overly dangerous. Most of the encounters are reasonably low level - a host of different Orcs. However, its the frequency that will probably kill a party rather than any particular encounter. As a previous reviewer mentioned, you NEED a cleric for this one. Potential GM's would be wise to offer their PC's chances to rest, especially as the party gets towards the end.

The nastiest encounter will occur just after the PC's have fought their way through a horde of guards and other Orc brutes and if played right, the Orog Warlord and his two lieutenants would be able to cream a standard 4th Level party that was slightly weakened.

The best part of this adventure though is the ending. Well-after the characters have defeated the bad guys, taken the treasure and rescued the nobles, the author offers GMs a nice plot twist - which could be quite deadly if the characters aren't quick thinkers - however, the rewards for completing the main part of the adventure are (funnily enough) suitable for getting themselves out of this encounter with minimal amount of fuss. During the adventure, GM's are offered a chance to warn characters about the twist, my advice is don't take it!

Overall, it deserves its four stars. If the author had done a little more work on the part covering investigations in Melvaunt then it would have deserved five stars.

Enjoy.

The Product: It's very nice, very well-written, has stat blocks for all the NPC's and the villains. It offers many opportunities to fight (including wandering monsters), which just about everyone loves. Finally, there are many ways to integrate this in and around your world. It can serve also (thanks to one of the rewards) as a side quest where they sail in and right back out and into your main storyline again.

My take as a DM:
This campaign was reviewed by many people & I'm going to integrate it in my campaign that's coming up next year. The final boss encounter is ECL 10, FYI. The module says that your PC's should increase a level or two from the adventure level (for 4 level 4 PC's), which means they may square off against the boss at level 6 (at best). However, keep in mind, there are multiple encounters before this one. Point is that the errata says ECL's that are 3+ higher than the average party level is guaranteed to kill at least one PC. Now, I may not have play-tested it yet, but I know that to cover this gap, the DM has to do two things to "increase" the average party strength; give him a higher (32 points) point buy total and give them magical gear more potent than a PC their level should have. Either way, you end up having broken PC's in your campaign.
This is the kind of campaign that you run with (at most) one noob and the party cares mutually about each other. It's very tough and has a hard time answering questions PC's may have. It offers a straightforward method of solving problems & the "smart" way. One of the initial encounters in town is a group of "toughs" that is an ECL 2 higher than the average party (boss encounter). I think that as DM, you should consider these points for re-tweaking:

Scale encounters up or down to a median level. It's tough enough to challenge your group.

Consider making it a 6th level adventure & push for a PC to take leadership so that they can take extra muscle in the game. Alternatively, mention the reserve feat "Touch of Healing" from the Complete Champion. Or do both.

Consider shaving a few levels off the Orcs or exchanging barbarian and fighter levels with expert or warrior. Consider having one of the nobles give the PC's a Wand of CLW to ensure their survival.

Also, don't assume that they won't attack the Orc ranger en route to the keep. They might kill a strong source of info. Have a back up plan, if they do. Finally, consider offering them hirelings in town that will go with them if you opt not to do any of the above.

I suggest you read it through once as-is. Then re-read it and note things you would like to change. Finally, the third time you read it, make changes as you go. This should help.

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