Earthshaker!
A Dungeons and Dragons
Companion Game Adventure

Game Review

Review by Daniel Greenberg


Written by David Cook
TSR, Inc. P.O. Box 756, Lake Geneva, WI 53147
Released: May, 1985
Catalog No. 9128
Price: $6.00
Complexity: Intermediate
Solitaire Suitability: None
***

On the cover, a colossal, steambelching robot pulverizes a castle with a crank of its mammoth arm, while two player-characters (PCs) look on helplessly. Sound like fun? It's Earthshaker!, the latest Companion D&D adventure. The module takes the PCs into the inner workings of Earthshaker, a ridiculously gigantic mechanical contraption where battles are fought for possession of the monstrosity.

The adventure itself is somewhat campy and melodramatic. Unlike numerous other D&D modules, it does not take itself too seriously. The opposition is a motley crew of nasty, scheming blackguards. They even have Russian names, the rats! The major nonplayer-character (NPQ is a ludicrous carnival barker who tries to get the PCs to sign a lengthy and amusing contract set in micro-type. Even the included PCs are silly. The thief is overweight, the magic-user is senile, and the cleric doesn't want to be adventuring in the first place. The fighter got off easily. His only real flaw is a nose 11 the size of a casaba melon." If the entire module was written with this kind of irreverence it would have been a winner.

Unfortunately the light, campy style is not consistent. Often the module lapses into standard TSR, Inc. heavyhandedness. it also leaves the referee hanging several times, by shortchanging him on detail and description. There are numerous organizational problems. For example, instead of appearing in a single reference section, or in the order the referee will need them, facts about Earthshaker are scattered throughout the module. The referee will spend a lot of time flipping pages to find what he needs.

The module itself comes in a removable, 3-faced cover, capable of being used as a referee's screen. Unfortunately, if used as one, the players will have a clear view of all NPC names and statistics. The interior of the cover has maps of six important areas in Earthshaker. As this comprises a mere fraction of the cavernous interior space, and most of the other areas are unmapped, the referee is advised to use two "generic maps" held at different angles to represent the rest of Earthshaker. There is very little art, and that is not very inspired.

The biggest problem with the presentation of the module is the overwhelming amount of blank space. Besides having some very generous top margins, the module has left entire columns and halves of pages totally blank. Even at a conservative estimate the empty areas add up to five blank pages. In a 24-page module, that's virtually unforgivable. If the module were complete this would be all right, but details are often lacking and the art is sparse. At the very least there could have been more "generic maps" so the PCs don't figure out that they are always clambering through the same area. A drawing of the villains would be a great asset, since their features are never even described.

The module begins with the PCs being put in control of a dukedom while their lord goes off to prepare for a crusade. The PCs are given a list of five tasks, none of which is ever seen again in the module; a strange lapse of logic. The referee could do some work and run the events as the PCs try to carry out the instructions, but the module does not allow character actions for the next game-week. Instead it jumps ahead to a time when the PCs are holding audience with important NPCs, who give the PCs more tasks to carry out. At least the referee is told how to determine the outcome of these.

The adventuring begins with the arrival in court of a travelling wonder show. There is an interesting section involving the PCs at the show, but once again, insufficient detail is given for the referee to run it properly. For example, one of the exhibitions is a magic mirror that reflects "the true, Secret nature of any person looking into it." What do true selves look like? How is the referee to run this when the PCs look in? The PCs could have a lot of fun in this section, visiting the show and role-playing the encounter, but this part is glossed over in less than half a page of description. At any rate, the PCs are next given a tour of the inside of the Earthshaker and the real fun begins.

Without giving away too much, the following sections deal with the fight for control of the Earthshaker. They are well presented, with step-by-step tactics for the villains. This way, no matter when or how the PCs go into action, the referee will know where the villains are and how to handle them. This part is well thought out. Most logical PC actions are accounted for and the possible outcomes tie together well. One of the tasks given to the PCs actually comes up again and ties into the main adventure with the Earthshaker, which is a nice touch. if more of the tasks left dangling were brought in, it would have been a substantially better module.

The best features of Earthshaker! are its campy mood, its episodic structure and its emphasis on the campaign. Players seem to like having the power and responsibility to run a Dukedom. This feature makes Companion D&D a unique game in the D&D family. It places the emphasis on the overall campaign and not on monster bashing. Where Earthshaker! follows this emphasis it is fun. Where it loses sight of this, it has problems.

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