Adventure Site Contest - The Tomb of Rassanotep
Jeff's Egyptian Romp
An offering from Jeff Simpson of Buddyscott Entertainment Group, written for Seven Voyages of Zylarthen (7VoZ) by Oakes Spalding. 7VoZ is an od&d retroclone that I must confess little experience with, making this review somewhat difficult, as The Tomb of Rassanotep was written to help ease Jeff into that system. So take what is said here with multiple grains, perhaps a full teaspoon, of salt.
With that disclaimer out of the way, what has been brought to bear by infamous Jeff Simpson? Quite a lot actually. This adventure is a typical desert tomb location, complete with false treasure room and a semi-symmetrical layout. Personally, I find the tomb format to be unfairly maligned, and this adventure is a good example of why. The entry is particularly interesting, the exterior doors feature a warning that must be deciphered, but if successfully done aides the adventurers in reading the more important message on the interior wall which allows for opening the secret door into the larger tomb complex. Opening the obvious door inside greets you with only a pit trap. The entry room alone captures the mystic of delving into a burial site in the Valley of Kings, with false entrances, traps and buttons hidden in Hieroglyphs. However, the entry also encapsulates why my unfamiliarity with the system handicaps me in reviewing it. Deciphering the exterior hieroglyphs is a flat 1 in 6 for all characters, increased to a 3 in 6 if they have a 14 or higher intelligence. That seems strange to me (I would rather it be something like INT bonus out of 6 or require a language or scroll), but might be normal for the system. Finally, the fact that the real entrance can be found both by a normal secret doors search and solving a puzzle is a major bonus in my opinion, especially because it is the only method of gaining entrance to the tomb proper.
The underlying theme of a blend of mechanical discovery (secret door checks, triggering traps that slide a character from one room to another) and discovery via role-play and world interaction continues throughout the tomb. One might discover a drafting table with a curiously preserved papyrus sheet sheet that shows the planned number of rooms for the tomb, giving players an estimate of when they have discovered everything. Loot is well hidden, including a false wall that must be discovered through role play instead of a roll, a body sunken in leech-infested water, and some thematic treasure like a naptha of oil and a silver tea service. A good mix of monster types as well, with some particularly nasty leeches and unique undead in the form of Rassanotep himself. The Normal Spider is a stylish entry that helps sell the location as a dusty old tomb.
All that being said, there are a few minor flaws. One entrance is rough, even with the smart use of mechanics + interaction. I could very easily see a group of players simply missing the entire tomb after spending a few turns in the entrance. Especially when the hook is pretty weak, namely a desert guide in an oasis suddenly becoming a pointing skeleton overnight. It's a neat thematic flair, but doesn't exactly scream "treasure horde near" to me. Speaking of treasure, I have no idea if treasure is appropriate. 7VoZ is a silver standard game though and assuming od&d conversions there is 8600 XP on offer, with a good split of coins and items.
All in all, a solid tomb adventure with all of Jeff's normal thematic flair. Lots of good evocative writing, and room for the referee to add their own touches and ideas. Pretty much exactly what I look for when I go to run an adventure written by someone else. I appreciate the nod to its usability as a specific location in a larger tomb complex, like a familial crypt. If used that way, it cuts down significantly on the weakness of a single entryway, as there's always more to do in such a location. Top notch work from a a solid craftsmen of the tabletop adventure guild.
