Before delving into the review of Forbidden Lands: The Bloodmarch, the campaign for the survival fantasy game published by Free League Publishing, I would like to thank the Swedish publishing house for sending us a physical copy of the manual so we could analyze it together.

7If after reading this review you would like to purchase the manual, you can find it on the publisher’s store for around 34 euros. Maps and cards for the campaign are also available and can be purchased separately at around 16 euros or included in the bundle with the adventure at a cost of around 43 euros. As always, the module for the Foundry Virtual Tabletop platform is also available for 17 euros.

If you don’t know the game at all, I refer you to our review of the Core Boxed Set and that of the Book of Beasts bestiary, where you can find not only the review of the game system but also various information on the creatures that inhabit the Forbidden Lands.

Structure of the Book

Those who are used to finding the plot to follow step by step, almost slavishly, on the modules, will be a little disappointed with Forbidden Lands: The Bloodmarch. With its 260 pages, it offers everything, absolutely everything, except a pre-packaged plot. However, let’s look in a little more detail at how this volume is structured.

Aided by a wonderful summary that precisely details the content of The Bloodmarch and by the map presented on the back cover, we discover that we will have the opportunity to explore a region that has not been described until now in the numerous manuals of the Forbidden Lands editorial line. The volume then proceeds with a narrated part, The Arrival of the Seven, which introduces some of the NPCs that we will meet in the campaign. The next ten pages briefly describe the nature of the area and offer an overview of the people who live there and the deities venerated.

There are eleven pages dedicated to the magic of the region; spells that characters can learn if they meet someone willing to teach them. The remaining part of the volume is entirely dedicated to the actual campaign. I found the way it is proposed very interesting. It is an exposition that is not exactly traditional, but darkly useful in allowing the narrator to personalize it for his gaming group. The last hundred pages present each area of the new region in great detail. This section not only provides the background of the different places that the characters will visit, but also how it is possible to reach them, the points of interest, the legends that see them as protagonists and, obviously, the NPCs that are found there.

A New Region to Explore

Bloodmarch is the name of the volcanic region west of Ravenland, accessible thanks to the reopening of the Shadowgate Pass. This area is rapidly changing in appearance due to the demonic vegetation that is spreading like wildfire. As already happened with The Bitter Reach, The Bloodmarch expands the game world with a completely new area compared to those in the basic manual.

The Bloodmarch‘s map, designed by Tobias Tranell, features different types of terrain and uses a hex grid to manage travel. Exactly as with the basic manual, the characters will then be able to explore it as they wish.

A Player-Friendly Campaign

It certainly cannot be said that Forbidden Lands: The Bloodmarch is lacking in content. Since the concept is to give players a whole new region to experience, the text is structured to provide as much detail as possible to make the game world come alive and vibrant. The focus of the Legacy of Horn campaign is to recover five very powerful artefacts, known as Horn’s Astra. Legend says that the god Horn gave his Astra to the hero Sella to help him conquer the region for the horse clans. After the wars, the artefacts were divided among the five clans to protect them and preserve the peace, which however was violated almost immediately.

The campaign is designed to adapt to the actions and choices of the characters. Each proposed scenario can evolve and end differently depending on how the protagonists move; even the choices regarding which of the forces on the field to choose as allies or adversaries can modify the evolution of the plot. Each key location offers a series of ideas and there is no set order in which to visit them; in this way, you can approach the entire plot according to the tastes of the table or, why not, replay it by making different choices.

New Creatures, Items and NPCs

As we saw earlier, at the centre of the plot is the search for the five magical artefacts, collectively known as the Astra d Horn, which are promptly described in a specific chapter. We find not only the powers but also where they can be found and how they can be linked to a character. The beautiful illustrations are also shown on the object cards included in the bundle (or can be purchased separately), accompanying a chapter which is not only technical but which provides decidedly interesting narrative ideas.

The chapter dedicated to NPCs is also very interesting. Each key figure the characters will encounter is presented in both appearance and character. In this way it is very simple to give a face and voice to these important figures for the development of the plot; the narrator can in fact draw on their objectives, on the relationships with the other key characters and, why not, on the legends that see them as protagonists. There is also a practical table available which briefly summarizes them, so you always have everything under control.

A new region to explore cannot be without its creatures; Forbidden Lands: The Bloodmarch introduces 15 of them. The master can decide whether to use them by evaluating their characteristics and coherence within the plot or extract them randomly with the help of a practical table. Among the many proposals I particularly liked the Grave Lily; it is a perfect mix of carnivorous plant and insect that captures animals and dissolves them with a corrosive liquid contained in its corolla head. Naturally, there is also a good number of random encounters to count on as filler or as introductions to side quests.

Forbidden Lands: The Bloodmarch Aesthetics Review

Overall, the supplement has over 250 pages in full old-school style, perfect for this editorial line; the cover is rigid, and sturdy and is the only colored element of the entire work. The paper is of excellent quality, as we can now expect from the Swedish publishing house, and the 23×16 format is particularly practical and easy to handle. Once again, readability is ensured thanks to the very clear character, even when it is shown in italics in the narrated parts. The tables, perfectly integrated into the text, are immediately understandable and very practical to use.

The illustrations (many, considering the essential style of the editorial line) are magnificent and evocative, despite being in black and white. By now we know well how Henrik Rosenborg’s work is perfect in every detail, whether it is representing an NPC or a new monstrous creature.

Conclusions of Forbidden Lands: The Bloodmarch Review

In conclusion (and without too many spoilers, as always in our reviews) I can say that Forbidden Lands: The Bloodmarch is a truly well-made manual. The narrative setting and the possibility of customizing the campaign make it a versatile product and increase its replayability.

The level of materials is very high and, once again, Free League does not disappoint, offering a product that is well-finished in every aspect for a role-playing game that is worth trying.

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