Tabletop Review - Epic Encounters: Local Legends Green Dragon Encounter

Publisher: Steamforged Games

Something-in-a-box

Epic Encounters is short and punchy D&D content, so I will try to provide a short and punchy review in kind.

When I was receiving this content, I was expecting a one-shot-in-a-box for D&D. Something that includes a brief backstory/setup (which gives a reason for the adventure), a fun setting, a hook to force the players on an adventure, an effective and engaging arc that includes a social encounter, some exploration, and finally some combat, then a solid conclusion with potential endings.

Epic Encounters Local Legends instead has a setting, brief exploration, combat, and potential endings. It feels more appropriate to call it a plot-hook-in-a-box. Which makes more sense as you understand how this particular content came to be. Epic Encounters is a larger campaign with multiple local legends encounters centered around different thematic taverns. So the buyer can buy into the larger campaign, or buy segments of the larger campaign to do with as you will (such as this content).

So what works?

The box includes some great miniatures, a map, and instructions for the DM running the encounter. I do want to say the miniatures and the map are a definite high point. The miniatures look great, very clean, and of course can be used in other content. The map also looks great and has easy-to-execute secrets for the DM. The only odd point is the encounter's “trick” is a dragon changing places with three trees. The problem being is the box only contains two trees so the presentation doesn't initially land as well as it would with three.

The book also does a great job in describing the behaviors and actions of the titular dragon. I could see a rookie DM having a very easy time knowing what to do during the encounter regardless of what the players are doing.

One of my table's favorite aspects of the encounter is the tavern itself. The odd thing is that the instructions in the box contain very little information about the tavern. You get the name and it’s local impact and that is it. My DM had to do online research to find more information about the tavern which is spelled out in the greater campaign (things such as the NPC owners, their quirks, what they serve, and other people in the tavern), but not the booklet included. In fairness to my DM, part of our enjoyment is probably attributable to my DMs awesome cajun accent for the bar’s owner.

So what doesn't?

Most of the downsides for us revolves around the amount of additional work that the DM had to do that wasn't originally expected. He had to do a lot more digging on the setting than we originally expected to be included in the box.

We also originally considered including this in our ongoing campaign, but the DM decided we are too high level. This encounter (which does not spell out a preferred level on the box) only really fits for lower levels 1-3. While the book has suggestions for scaling, the problem is the titular dragon is only one creature. The book scales the monster's health, but a singular level 5 wizard would probably dispatch the dragon easily enough even with scaling. I wish the box could have included some sort of level recommendation on the box, which would help a potential buyer understand if it’s a good buy.

Conclusion

For us, expectations are the biggest disconnect with this content. We expected and were hoping for a one-shot-in-a-box, and this is not that. If you were hoping for that you will be disappointed with this content.

However, if you understand this is an encounter (as in a part of a larger arc), and more potentially a taster for the larger Epic Encounters Local Legends content, you are likely to enjoy the content and the materials provided. The miniatures and the map itself will likely be used again in future content that we run.

EPIC ENCOUNTERS LOCAL LEGENDS: GREEN DRAGON ENCOUNTER IS RECOMMENDED (AS LONG AS YOU AREN’T LOOKING FOR A COMPLETE ONE-SHOT)

The content of this review was provided by Steamforged Games.