Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid [ D&D5e ] | Preview

da Andy Lingua | Mar 20, 2021 | Previews | 0 commenti

I had the pleasure of reading in preview an excerpt from Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid, a science-fantasy adventure for D&D5e created by Alchemy RPG. Now that I am writing this article, the manual is still in the fundraising phase, but has already far exceeded the minimum target. For this reason you still have time to join the Kickstarter campaign and get your copy.

The adventure represents the first chapter of a more extensive work. For this reason it accompanies the characters from level 1 to level 3, introducing them to this fantastic world. The material proposed in this preview concerns only the first level.

The Cinematographic Aspect of the Work

Already from this preview it is clear the type of adventure that Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid wants to be: a cinematic work. The subdivision does not take place through the classic chapters, but through scenes comparable to those of a movie. This choice also stems from the fact that among the authors there is a screenwriter who has decided to give a very personal imprint to this aspect of the adventure.

Apart from the subdivision into scenes, there is also the presence of multimedia material designed to enhance the sessions. I was able to get a preview of some musical and visual contents of Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid and I must say that I was satisfied: they are exactly what I expected. The music is powerful, but it doesn’t obscure the sessions distracting the players; its spirit is often close to the fantasy and the epic, and then varies on other tones. In addition to this there are animated illustrations to give a visual impact to the various scenes; an avenue with the animation of the rain, a city on which birds fly and more. These are contents that know how to act as a precious frame, without diverting the attention of the players.

Preview of the Contents of Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid

I read the 40 pages of the manual and first of all I appreciated their rationality. It starts with the index, a quick reference to find the contents within the work.

We then move on to a quick introduction that presents Aetherra, a world in which science and fantasy mix, especially thanks to the ether; this element is a kind of lymph of the world and can be used to feed entire cities.

The next section schematically presents the scenes; name, type of scene and short summary. With a single page it is possible to understand the entire synopsis of the work. Wonderful! Scenes not featured in the Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid preview are also mentioned. Masters will thank the authors for this.

Then the first three scenes are proposed in detail. In the first one (intro) players are introduced to the world of Aetherra, without actually having to do anything but listen to the master’s tale. The second one (encounter) works as a hook for the characters; receiving a request for help, they get to know the ruined city of Fano. The third scene (quest giver) takes place in a book shop and introduces a character proposing a quest of critical importance that will start the main storyline.

Finally, there are six appendices, easy to consult to always have every detail useful for the narration at hand. They, in order, present the creatures, locations, items and lore of the world that transversely characterize the various scenes.

The Graphic Design

All the pages of the manual are of a pleasant light parchment color, laid out in a classical way on two columns. The style resumes that of the official D&D5e manuals, but stands out with details that focus more on elegance. Also the font is very classic, with decorated drop caps at the beginning of each scene. The chromatic choice of titles and tables focuses on various shades of brownish; I really appreciated the choice as it enhances the elegance and makes the manual very pleasant to read. With the same technique, geometric and stylized designs were also made; they are really beautiful and enhance the pages on which they are present.

The actual illustrations are all original and this ensures that they can be appreciated for their stylistic coherence. The colors vary, the formats vary, but, for the sensations they convey, it is clear that they all belong to the same project. So the lines are very beautiful and colors are always adequate. To tell the truth, I noticed little about “science” and much about “fantasy”, but we must also take into account the fact that they are illustrations referring only to the first part of the work.

Final Thoughts on Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid Preview

At the moment, thanks to this preview material, I only had a first contact with Lore of Aetherra: The Lost Druid, but I must admit it intrigued me. The style is not too much light-hearted, the desire to propose a mature adventure with an engaging plot is clear, but obviously this approach creates some limits; don’t expect a sandbox, but let yourself be guided by the authors and their experience in storytelling. With advice for the master, ready-to-use descriptive parts and references to other sections of the manual, they provide an easy-to-manage product.

Of course, the juiciest part of the adventure remains to be evaluated (not to mention the next modules), but at the moment the project seems very well underway and deserves attention.

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