Let me just start by saying I never played the original book "DeathTrap Dungeon" but I played the sequel "The challenge of the champions" or something similar. I am familiar with the background.
Didn't really saw any bugs at all.
Exactly the same applies to your "House of Pain", since you can read the text, some would consider it "metagaming".
About secret references:
I like how most secret references on your book are related to
SPOILER
"jewels" but the hints to use the right one at the right time (especially the jewels you have to show to the trial masters, near the end) force you to be very carefull and adquire HINTS and not THE DEFINITIVE, right answer. Meaning I like that you have to make the association between "jewel name" and "Trial Master" name by yourselve
END SPOILER
The one, single exception to that rule is the one where
SPOILER
you get the clue about which shadow member is the strongest only by killing yourselve.
END SPOILER
The reason why I dislike ONLY that one clue is exactly what I told you in the past, when I reviewed your "House of Pain" and talked about the "knowledge one life char have but shouldn't have".
Love the fack that Makes it a much fair adventure.
SPOILER
failing some of the "Trial Masters" tasks don't instantly means you get *one shooted* and that you can actually go on.
END SPOILER
About the layout, the items needed to win and the
SPOILER
final allies that help you in the last battle
END SPOILER
I think it was a incredible nice touch and made me actually having to be very carefull to mapping everything well.
I also believe the number of hints, items and help you get is on point: not to much, with the ocasional lies in the middle but not too little. Definately better than in your Hellfire adventure, thats for God damn sure xD
My favorite enemy there, is, of course and with no surprise from you (I bet).
SPOILER
The ninja, of facking course!
END SPOILER
I just love battles like thoses, for the exact same reason I liked your vampire lady in your third book here, "House of Pain".
The others enemy are fair balanced and without asking for big power spikes.
If I recall well, in "The Trial of Champions", the right path makes you.
SPOILER
found every contest at least once.
END SPOILER
I like the fact that here its the same, its a nice, little, lets say "easter egg" you put there and I love it.
Most of the things I have write here are pretty much some information not that diferent from the other reviews I have done, soo let me just add this one last note about
SPOILER
The one that follows looking like *a cleric*"
END SPOILER
I think this was like "The Presence" in your other book but way, way way way better delivered and executed here. Love the notion that you put there, something in the lines of
SPOILER
"The only thing you have to fear is fear itself." - thats the kind of feeling I getting when I read the passages with references to the cleric.
END SPOILER
Kudos for that.
All in all, I liked the book a lot, its definately a good "dungeon crawl" kind of adventure. I would even say that this book have a lot of the best things you had in "Hellfire" and "Riders of Storm" while clearly removing some of the worst offenders.
Its not my favorite book on this site (Your "House of Pain" trumphs this one, in my eyes) but its still a solid 2nd place.
Nicely done :)
Phil Sadler Sun Oct 11 22:29:16 2020
Thanks very much for your detailed review and, if you don't mind, I'd like to put it on a few other forums here and there to try and drum up a bit more interest because what you wrote sounds interesting.
Condutas Mon Oct 12 18:31:41 2020
But by all means, use that text as you see fit.
You deserve all the praise. It's a shame no more people have read it yet.