We are pleased to offer our review of Tome of Quests, a rich compendium of adventures for D&D5e. We thank Pacesetter Games for sending us this volume, accompanied by a precious map book.
If reading this review, you were curious, you can purchase the volume on the official Pacesetter Games website in physical or digital version. Furthermore, always on the site, you can find the book of maps, also in both versions.
The Contents of the Manual
In this first part of the review of Tome of Quests I want to talk to you about the contents of the volume, which are certainly not few. As specified in the introduction, it is a compendium of adventures for D&D5e.
The introductory part of the manual specifies that these can be played separately (as single one-shots) or as a single campaign. For the type of content proposed, I believe that these adventures are perfect if proposed as one-shots; the manual, however, offers us various solutions to connect them to each other.
Five Stories with Very Different Tones
The first story, The Thing in The Valley, is suitable for characters of levels 3 to 5, at least two of whom should be able to handle melee combat well; this is recommended because the creatures you will face are agile, and hitting them from afar is not always easy. It is set in the world of Dagmore, the official setting of the Pacesetter Games. This one maintains darker tones, with features of horror and great mystery.
The Screaming Temple is the second adventure proposed to us. Short and introductory, it is certainly engaging for novice players. Level 1 and 2 characters are recommended, who will have to investigate a mysterious temple surrounded by high walls.
The third, Felhorde, is also a simple story, suitable even for those with little experience with role-playing games (and for level 2-4 characters). The contents are certainly more “traditional”; fight scenes, problems to solve and various sections dedicated to roleplay alternate. And not even one of the most iconic creatures of this RPG is missing!
The Vampire’s Curse is definitely my favorite. Without a shadow of a doubt it is suitable for lovers of creatures of the night, who are the protagonists of the story. Here the manual recommends level characters from 3 to 5; furthermore, given the presence of these creatures, it gives us some suggestions on how to limit magic objects and abilities.
The Lost Caravan (levels 5-6) remains, in my opinion, the most epic adventure with the most compelling plot. Years ago, a princess was transported by a beautiful caravan but both disappeared. It’s up to the characters now to find out what happened.
The Mechanics of Tome of Quests
The mechanics, as we know, can be an obstacle for less experienced players. A strong point of this manual is that it leaves a lot of space for the description of the environments and characters encountered, not focusing only on the mechanics.
We do not find any particular additions compared to the reference regulation, so the most technical part of the manual are the classic monster stat blocks. When we encounter new creatures, we are provided with the relevant sheet which includes characteristics, abilities, resistances and immunities, armor class and a detailed description. For each creature you can fight, we are also given the number of experience points gained once defeated.
Tome of Quests: The Book of Maps Review
Along with the main volume, we are provided with a map book. The spiral binding that holds the pages together is an aesthetically pleasing detail and certainly very functional at the table, but obviously less valuable inside a bookcase.
Inside we find all the maps useful for the adventures of the main volume, including the name; they are all in color, although slightly less vibrant than I would have expected.
Although it is not essential to play, it is a useful addition both to recreate the atmosphere and to facilitate the flow of combat.
Conclusions of the Tome of Quests Review
The originality of the contents is the strong point, but the aesthetics are also synonymous with quality. Readability is high thanks to the classic font, the two-column layout and in general the style that recalls that of the official D&D5e products. Illustrations abound and are all of great quality, further aiding immersion.
I conclude this review by stating that Tome of Quests is a really nice product; the attention to detail is immediately noticeable. Furthermore, the price is suitable for the quality and quantity of the contents offered.
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