'Ambition' is the best word to associate with this module. Without a doubt this adventure seeks bigger and better things than most Adventurer's League modules. Unfortunately it mostly crumbles under its own weight. It starts out incredibly well. Tyranny in Phlan begins with a small but vibrant, and appropriately cinematic first encounter that promises a lot. Unfortunately, it sets up a virtually no-win situation for the characters, and doesn't seem to have been written with much knowledge of Phlan's maps and layout. One of the choices that needs to be made here ends up collapsing because both choices are literally right down the road from one another, about a block each way. There are too many ways for the players to misunderstand goals and too few ways to succeed in the goals they're given. It's a wonderful and impactful adventure as far as the narrative of the season goes, which can engage the players well enough, but Tyranny in Phlan largely doesn't carry its own ambition.
Rating: [3 of 5 Stars!] |