IFReviewed by
Tom Zuchowski on 2006-05-06 11:30
MAIN PGM Version: 5
Extra Commands: SEARCH, PRY, READ, HELP, DRINK, OPEN
Deleted Commands: none; no SAVE
Special Features: HELP cmd gives hints
Playing Time: 1.5-2 hours
Reviewer Rating: 7
Description: The revered hero Gladmar has gone insane. The powerful wizard Dracnard has determined that Gladmar is possessed by the demon Demogorgon. The only way to cure him is to recover a magical golden statue of the demon which was last possessed by the evil Lord Rovnart of Nagog hundreds of years ago. His stronghold, the Black Castle of Nagog, was conquered over 200 years ago and has been abandoned ever since because of its evil reputation.
Comment: The adventure is well-written with a clear quest, and was very enjoyable to solve and to play. This is not a simple rehash of old ideas, but presents some fresh puzzles and concepts. I had fun. The level of the dungeon is geared towards a 'standard' character with ordinary, mundane weapons. If you get a lot out of combat in Eamon, then arm yourself with a simple sword from the Main Hall's armorer for this foray. Using a 2D10 sword, I killed many with one blow.
The puzzles are well done, quite adequately clued, and not difficult to solve, with the following exception: LOOK doesn't find secret passages or hidden clues; that is the function of the SEARCH command. In order to find secret passages, you must SEARCH WALLS. There are several clues similar to version 6 embedded artifacts that can only be found by using SEARCH. It works well enough, but the method is poorly explained.
Because of the weak monsters (even Demogorgon!) and the complete puzzle clues, I give it a (5) for difficulty. There is a reward for a successful quest and an amusing penalty for failure. Doug produced a good adventure; it's too bad that this is the only one that he did.
Used with Matthew Clark's kind permition.
Original review available at Eamon Adventurer's Guild Online website.
