Review: “Lochfell's Secret” by Eric Haddock

Wizards of the Coast put out free monthly “Original Adventures” to support D&D 3.5. This review covers the seventh of that series, Eric Haddock's Lochfell's Secret, recommended for 15th-level adventurers. Like the Original Adventures that I've reviewed so far, this module only requires the core rules (PHB, DMG, and MM) and is compatible with Pathfinder (using the Core Rules and Bestiary). Lochfell's Secret also showcases some non-core WotC content, providing the full mechanics but only short descriptions. The missing details shouldn't substantially affect the enjoyment of the adventure and it's actually a good opportunity for the DM to improvise.  The work is no longer available for free, but for $0.99 you can get a copy of Lochfell's Secret.

The module runs to 16 pages, and has a colour map for each level of the dungeon. It's a little bit linear on the first floor, while the second has extensive branches. There are no real map tricks, but they're drawn to represent natural caverns and could be a little difficult for the party mapper (if the PCs go in for that sort of thing).

Haddock explains his scenario in the background but this is not a deep story-driven adventure. Frankly, after Matters of Vengeance, I was grateful to be reading a module that gets to the point. Lochfell, a small port town, is menaced by a terrible sea monster and has also been the victim of a spate of grave-robbing. The adventure hooks are directed at the first problem and are not especially elegant. To his credit, Haddock doesn't fudge the problem that a small town cannot possibly provide a monetary reward worthy of a 15th-level party's time. I'm not sure why didn't make an appeal to avarice just by adding a rumour that the sea monster guards a vast treasure horde, as this story falls quite naturally out of the background provided.

The module doesn't say that "Lochfell" is on the shore of a "loch".  Maybe it's just a clever name.

Lochfell's Secret gets going with a very heavy-handed encounter.  The PCs are confronted with an hysterical young widow whose husband has just been devoured by the sea monster. After at least a year of gaming, I doubt that this will strike players as a fresh approach, but the encounter at least serves its purpose as a starter's gun. After this, there's a potential problem with the PCs actually locating the dungeon entrance -while it's well within their ability to do so at this level, it's possible to remove the incentives for searching. Again, a “vast treasure horde” story would keep the party interested no matter how things developed.

Haddock's real strength as a designer is in the dungeon itself. His key has old-fashioned unrewarding random encounters that act as a “clock” on the dungeon, some really bruising combat encounters - the worst of which can be avoided through sound play - and a well thought out environmental hazard. On that last point, during my first read-through of Lochfell's Secret I thought that there was missing information, but the sensible course of action is fairly apparent when paying attention. Maybe Haddock should have highlighted his intentions to the DM, but if run properly the environmental hazard is a fair test of the party's common sense. There are also a lot of “empty” rooms for exploration and mucking around to draw the attention of wandering monsters.

The conditions given for “Ending the Adventure” are quite reasonable but could actually involve a couple of trips into the dungeon, depending on how the approach of the party. While there's very little in the formal “Further Adventures” section of Lochfell's Secret, I think that getting several sessions out of this module would be fairly easy and quite rewarding.

My rating is 4/5. It's not an elegant story, but Lochfell's Secret has a solid short dungeon with an adequate scenario. It could easily serve as the springboard for a late campaign arc, or just as a side adventure while the party is en-route to more important matters.