Francesca Viganò
Before starting this review of Menagerie of Adventures #2, I would like to thank the publisher, Menagerie Press, for sending us a digital copy of the product. It is a collection of five adventures for D&D5e designed for characters from the 1st to 4th level.
If you want to purchase the product after this review, you can find it in a digital version on the DrivethruRPG website for $8.99. If you would prefer the printed copy instead, you can get it for $11.99. As with other products from the publisher, remember that the PDF is not included when purchasing the physical manual. The bundle includes both and is discounted at the same price as the physical copy.
If the publisher’s wide selection of self-contained adventures intrigues you and you want to delve deeper into the editorial line, you will find many of them reviewed on our site. I recommend Bed, Bath, & Behemoth, Adûl, City of Gold, and The Dream Prison, just to name a few.
A Team That Wins Shouldn’t Be Changed
The manual is almost 30 pages long and, as I mentioned before, collects five adventures for D&D5e written by William Muramaki-Brundage, author of Careless Adventurer’s Guide to Hazards. Its illustrations and maps are by Andrea Alemanno, Dyson Logos and Dean Spencer.
The volume is perfectly integrated into the editorial line. It complements the other volumes by providing a good choice for those who wish to structure an adventure broader than a single one-shot for their players.
Five Adventures for a Path of Growth…
As usual, I will try to tell you something about these adventures with as few spoilers as possible, so that you can enjoy playing them.
The Black Bull (levels 1-2): puts the protagonists in a position to help the priestess of the village of Thustle. The latter is afflicted by a strange curse and harassed by a frightening creature.
Bulette Time (levels 2-4): prompts adventurers to rush to the rescue of Marga Huff, whose goats are in grave danger. An excursion into the meandering underground could resolve the situation.
… that Can Become a Short Campaign
The Chalk God (levels 2-4): an abandoned temple dedicated to earth and silt lies hidden in a cave within a bay. What treasure is left inside the old shrine? This plot mixes exploration and unexpected risks.
The Hound Knight (levels 3-4): sees adventurers dealing with kidnappings made by a shadowy knight who accuses locals of false crimes.
The Wreck of the Paitr Ihrdahl (levels 3-4): a barge has crashed on the rocks and the heroes are hired to recover the goods left on the wreck. Unfortunately, the adventurers soon discover that they are not the only ones interested in the cargo. The volume closes in a pleasant crescendo.
Tools for the Game Master
This is a supplement for D&D5e and so it is based on the System Reference Document. As expected, there is no trace of the rules anywhere in the volume.
Each adventure contained within has a scene structure and provides the right tools to support the Dungeon Master.
Among them is a full-page map, which is very useful for managing the plot both at the table and on any online platform.
In addition there are tables of opponents and monsters, perfectly recognisable and balanced for the proposed level of the characters.
Pre-generated character sheets are absent. However, this is not such a bad thing, because you can let your players build their own and then go on a growth path.
Menagerie of Adventures #2 Aesthetics Review
The aesthetics of Menagerie of Adventures #2 do not deviate from the official editorial lines and we are pleased about that. Graphic uniformity is a winning point when one fits into a well-known type of manuals with very precise visual canons.
If I really have to make a remark, the choice not to use the justified format is, from my point of view, a flaw (but we’re talking about personal taste anyway). The varied information provided by the adventure is properly presented in the text boxes that accompany the adventures.
Less impactful are the images, that are not the strong point of the product. They are sufficient to convey the overall theme, but not compelling enough to be put on the table to engage.
Conclusions of the Menagerie of Adventures #2 Review
In conclusion of my review, I can tell you that Menagerie of Adventures #2 is an interesting supplement. Although it must be said that it is not intended for novice Dungeon Masters. Its plots are well written, even if not all of them shine in originality. The stories, however, leave plenty of room for the storyteller to embellish them with the elements they find most interesting, so as to make them a little more their own. The possibility of considering the whole as a short campaign gives the product sufficient longevity.
In short, if you have a group of players who feel like embarking on a not-too-long adventure or you are looking for some interludes to fit into your more established campaigns, Menagerie of Adventures #2 may be for you.
