Sunday, March 18, 2018

Moat Monsters



Moat Monsters A Sourcebook for OGL RPGs (Labyrinth Lord)
I don't do many reviews, but felt compelled to say a few words about this little gem. In all transparency I have shared many emails with the author Derek Holland over the years, but that in no way influenced my review. First off let me say I had no idea I needed this product until I became aware of it. Moats are something present in my games but I hadn't thought much about them, they were more background scenery and never a true challenge for the players to overcome. I might have some alligators, crocodiles, or quippers here and there but nothing really innovative or overly creative. This product has changed that for me. The introductory section in particular gave me a new perspective on how to spice up moats and make for some interesting challenges. I wish the product had expanded on that section a bit more, but the book is supposed to be about monsters, not moat constructions, traps and non-monster challenges. The monsters written up for Labyrinth Lord are not your normal fair and several are quite interesting. One can freeze you solid causing you to sink to the bottom of the moat! Yikes! This product added a nice new perspective on an often overlooked aspect of my games. I will definitely be using ideas from it in the next castle (moat) encounter that I work on for my campaign. Good stuff!