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I would like to thank Michael Prescott for sending us a copy of his Trilemma Adventures in order to be able to write this review. If you also want a copy of this product, it is available on DriveThruRPG for $ 12.00 in digital copy or $ 40.00 in physical copy.

This collection of adventure ideas with locations, maps, illustrations and tables provides a great pool of hooks for dungeon masters looking for inspiration; the fact that it does not depend on any specific game system makes it very easy to adapt to any session or campaign. In case you want to know more about the work behind this manual (or if you to help the author) I suggest you take a look at the official website.

Contents of the Manual

Trilemma Adventures is a work rich in content, but never dispersive. It starts with tips on how to use the manual, expressed in a concise and clear way. Then follows a table of contents that allows you to easily navigate the book. If that were not enough, at the end of the manual there are two other indexes, one divided by concepts and one in alphabetical order. Finally we find the thanks for all those who supported the Kickstarter campaign that allowed the creation of this product.

The heart of the manual includes 55 ideas for adventures. And by “ideas” I don’t mean some sketchy lines, but a detailed presentation of the scenario; initial situation, specific description of the places, creatures and objects, random tables, maps and various illustrations. Obviously you shouldn’t expect a detailed plot, that must be created by contextualizing the adventure, depending on the choices of the players. But nothing else is really missing; even just throwing the characters into these locations, you will be able to create engaging stories. This is possible thanks to the fact that the scenarios are never trivial and have a classic flavor that always intrigues the players’ mind.

Then follows a section dedicated to a bestiary and a list of the items present in the various scenarios. I really appreciated that the author decided to put them together in this way, facilitating their consultation and at the same time providing material that can be used in other circumstances. None of them is trivial, congratulations for the imagination!

On the last pages there is also a map of the world and the description of various areas. This allows you to create a continuous narrative in case you want a more complex campaign based only on the material contained in this manual.

The Fantasy in the Themes Proposed in Trilemma Adventures

It is not easy to say which scenarios and which contents I preferred; they are unique and various ideas, which is why it is difficult to rank them. However, I can mention something that has particularly impressed me.

Among the scenarios I am very intrigued by the idea of the house of a powerful sorcerer, explorable and full of dangers, but particular as the owner is long dead and everything that is there still magically works. I also appreciated an order of paladins in an ancient underground temple, devoted to keeping a powerful creature prisoner. And what about the flying tomb of a magician, above a bay, never abandoned by his guardian?

Many objects and creatures also caught my attention. Alien aberrations from remote worlds, disturbing humanoids with ferret traits, natural beings made only of wood, avatars of forgotten gods. But also a spider-shaped shield that can move, an animated mannequin, a ship that accepts sacrifices and much more.

Trilemma Adventures Aesthetic Review

The manual has almost 180 pages, curiously arranged in four columns (in the adventures section) or three columns (in the descriptive section of the creatures and the items), since the sheets are oriented horizontally. This solution makes the layout immediately recognizable, without compromising its usability; for both this reason and the classic black font with red titles, it is a pleasure to read.

My eyes also really appreciated the style of the illustrations, which winks at the old school. Black and white illustrations with sharp lines and shading. Fascinating, peculiar and grotesque subjects. Detailed maps full of charm, despite the essential style. There is little to say: this style will never go out of fashion and the reasons are clear.

Final Considerations

As you can easily guess from this review, I really enjoyed Trilemma Adventures. It does not get lost in frills, it provides a lot of material and it shows high quality. Missing side missions for a campaign? Do you want to propose a one-shot but have no ideas? Each of the scenarios guarantees emotions and fun. Do you want a more complete setting? Then it will be enough to consider the regions described in the book as your own game world.

In my opinion, the price is also very fair; if you calculate the price of each scenario, you will understand that it is a very good offer; and to get such an artistic manual on your shelf, I’m sure that you will gladly pay! For all these reasons, I recommend this manual.

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