A Witch’s Choice
Arcana Evolved: A Witch’s Choice, from Rite Publishing, is the start of a sprawling twenty-five adventure epic called the Rituals of Choice Adventure Path. This forty-three page book starts players near the town of Far-Rough in the Lands of the Diamond Throne in Arcane Evolved. By the end of the adventure, characters will have achieved second level, but more importantly, will have made a number of critical decisions about the fate of a few and the destiny of many. Perhaps even more fun, those lucky enough to be Rite Publishing patrons were treated to several bonuses, including some beautiful full color maps and a DM’s Primer which talks about what is really going on throughout the twenty-five episodes.
Even though it’s for Arcana Evolved, A Witch’s Choice has taken a page from the Dungeons & Dragons 4th Edition core books. Like those core books, A Witch’s Choice features full color interior art and a keen eye for detail. No stone goes unturned throughout this book as the authors provide background material for the locations in the game, histories and lore for objects in the setting, unique background bonuses, and some beautiful, well-thought-out cartography. For the first book in a twenty-five book series, A Witch’s Choice lays a strong foundation.
The level of detail in A Witch’s Choice is simply outstanding. This is no mere classic dungeon crawl module with a few maps and some treasure to be found. “Lord Protector” Steven D. Russell and his team have included a great deal of information on things like Adventure Background, which lays the groundwork for the rest of the adventure, NPC backgrounds, reasons for the group to have assembled, etc.
Each of the various bits of information blends nicely with traditional Arcana Evolved mechanics and tropes. For instance, in order to have access to that background information, the players must make a Knowledge or Delve Into Collective Memory check. Several of the causes which might bring characters together confer “Background Bonuses” which give +2 to certain rolls or grant bonus Feats. Even the Delving Rod, a special magical artifact, has its own lore complete with details from it’s nearly 7,000 year history.
The battles themselves have additional mechanics or story suggestions which make them more interesting. For instance, one event takes place during a fierce windstorm which makes ranged attacks impossible, extinguishes light, and can knock over Small creatures. Even Medium creatures must pass a Fort check just to move.
If that weren’t enough, in between the detailed backgrounds, extra information, and special battles rules, A Witch’s Choice is filled with a number of memorable encounters. Even at this level, there’s a dragon, reptilian harbingers of doom, and a six-in-one undead creature with the religious icon of a dead god. Along with each of these encounters, I particularly liked the designer’s notes on why the creature was put there and what significance it may have later in the story.
Really, as an adventure, A Witch’s Choice is a great module with a lot of information. If it has any drawback, it’s that it feels a bit too confining. A Witch’s Choice is a great sandbox to play in, don’t get me wrong. However, I get this feeling that the author’s intent when writing the adventure was that once you hop in the sand box, there’s no getting out. Too many of the events in the adventures appear to be intertwined.
There is little time to rest in between the various acts in the book, and I wonder if there is time to pursue other stories between adventures on the Rituals of Choice Adventure Path. This may be something DMs want to discuss with their players before starting the campaign.
One last thing that of note with A Witch’s Choice is that it came out of the patronage model. All of Rite Publishing’s work is done via the patronage model, which means that users who donate a small amount of money (as low as $10) can get early previews of material and even help playtest the game. They are also given special bonus prizes to which non-patrons do not have access. In the case of A Witch’s Choice, the bonus included additional maps and images which are all full color and very eye catching. While the window of opportunity has closed for A Witch’s Choice, there are still numerous chances to be patrons of future adventures. Check out www.ritepublishing.com for more information.
All in all, A Witch’s Choice is a great Arcana Evolved adventure. It has a great story, good action, and more than enough information to satisfy the curiosity of players and DMs alike. While it feels a little constrained in places, if players know ahead of time what to expect, they should be able to really sink their teeth into the game and enjoy a great Dungeons & Dragons experience.
Want to learn more about Rite Publishing? Read on…
- Atomic Array: Rite Publishing (Atomic Array 023)
- Jade Oath Preview: The Demon Hunter
- Game Cryer: A Witch’s Choice Review
- Emerson’s Bookshelf: My Evolving Experience with Rite
- Stungeon Studios: Jade Oath Artwork
- Apathy Blogs: Pride and Patronage
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May 23rd, 2009 at 05:22
Thank you for taking the time to do review, that made me incredibly proud of our product
Thank you
Steve Russell
Rite Publishing