Critter Encounters: Bugged Out
Critter Encounters: Bugged Out is a new GSL product from Blackdirge Publishing. It retails for $3.49 and is available from Rpgnow/DTRPG and Your Games Now. Aeyrn Rudel has teamed up with Ed Bourelle (of SkeletonKey Games) to bring a new sidetrek for the 4E system using monsters from the Critter Cache 1: Big Bugs.
When the heroes arrive in the town of Kettledowns, they are thrust into action as villagers around town have been disappearing. The sidetrek contains only two encounter areas that are designed for level 6 and level 8 with scaling notes to adjust the sidetrek to lower levels or higher levels. The encounters are extremely fleshed out, each encounters given two or three pages with set-up, boxed text, monster stats, tactics, reinforcements (if available) and special room features. The primary opponents in the adventure are giant ants but the characters are also hassled by difficult terrain and alchemical hazard spills.
The production values of the product are excellent, the layout is clean, attractive and organized. The cartographer is done by Ed Bourelle (and a tile set is also available for these encounters), the art throughout is handle by Jesse Mohn, and there are counters available for the verminous opponents. Ultimately, it is a very well produced product with interesting encounters in dynamic areas but my enjoyment of the product is reduced by the price point. I understand the costs of producing a product with this much attention to detail but at almost $3.50, encounters are costing me about $1.75 each. If it had four encounters in here I would have no problem recommending it on its own.
Hopefully, second critter encounter release (if there is one) while be able to squeeze and extra encounter or two in there. Plus is should be dino-related!
Rated: 7/10
Critter Encounter Tiles: Bugged Out
eEncounter Tiles: Bugged Out is a tile set by SkeletonKey Games designed for use with the Critter Encounters: Bugged Out by Blackdirge Publishing. It retails for $4.99 and is available at Rpgnow/DTRPG. There are fourteen tiles in this set and provide you with the two encounter areas from the associated product. Four tiles are used to represent an ant-trashed alchemical workshop. The workshop tiles are extremely detailed with bits of chipped wood, broken pots, shattered glassware, spilled chemical, shattered cupboards and disused tools. The remaining ten tiles are used to represent the lair of the ant queen and her hive. The stone cavern floor is free of random stones and rocks but it is littered with bones, indiscriminate viscera and ant grubs. From the chamber lead several paths with should be able to match-up with other tilesets from SkeletonKey Games and the workshop tiles will connect with other dungeon room tiles.
Rated: 9/10
Bugged Out Bundle
As bundle, Critter Encounters: Bugged Out and eEncounter Tiles: Bugged Out become a complete packed at a reduced price of $6.99. At just under seven dollars, the Bugged Out Bundle provides you a greater value for your gaming dollar and very reasonable package for a well-developed two encounter sidetrek and fourteen beautiful encounter tiles. If you are considering, Critter Encounters: Bugged Out or Critter Encounter Tiles: Bugged, do yourself a favour and pick up the set together.
Rated: 8/10
