This is part two of my review of Wemic Camp, a setting/module set in the Shaar part of the Dungeons and Dragons Faerun campaign world. In part one of the review, I offered ways to use the module in your game. Although I think the module is quite good, now I'd like to pick some nits.
Gameplay Nits -- affecting rules mechanics.
- The module does not provide stats for the non-leader wemics. That means you have to use a published book. That's a pain in the neck.
- The module talks about a thorn hedge barrier and boulders to jump on. There are trees that might be climbable. But there are no Jump or Climb skill DCs given to do these things.
- Why does the barbarian wemic leader get the silent moves armor? Surely his mate, the ranger hunter, could use that to better effect?
- How does the female hunter character get the Trample feat? How do wemics use that feat, anyway! She does not have the required Ride skill or Mounted Combat feat.
- On the other hand, the druid character does have two ranks in Ride! What the heck does a wemic need Ride skill for? And why is she spending cross-class ranks and a feat on Move Silent, Hide, and the Stealthy feat. Makes no sense.
- Why does the sorcerer NPC have a higher Int than Chr?
- The module makes a big deal of the sorcerer using his magic to influence the pride and help his bid to become leader. But the only enchantment he knows is Charm Person -- a spell that does not even affect wemics, since they are Monsterous Humanoids, not "persons"! A much better choice would have been Hypnotism, since the effects are long lasting and subtle.
Philosophy and Setting Nits -- influencing wemic culture role play.
- The camp is really very small for a pride of almost 20 wemics. There are only nine sleeping mats on the map, and each is only big enough for a single wemic. The module says that the watering hole is used for bathing, but it is so small that a single wemic would displace half the water in it! It is really only useful for drinking water and maybe washing hands and faces.
- There are four male and ten female adults of breeding age. And the best female hunter is described as the leader's favorite mate. Clearly this is not a monogamous culture! I wish there were more about that.
- The module mentions that the wemics are afraid to use fire for fear of prairie fires getting out of control. So they eat their meat raw. This seems just too barbaric to me! Native Americans used fire. Why not wemics?
- According to the module, wemics have darkvision but hunt in the day. It would make more sense to hunt in the pitch black night, wouldn't it?
- There are mentions of hiding in the high grass in the camp. But clearly that grass would be walked flat in very short order.
And one more little one. The editor, Penny Williams, is very good. So how to explain the terms "fntire" and "Dharacter" found in close proximity on the first page? My guess is that someone at Wizards of the Coast or Hasbro will be searching Google for Dharacter fntire, figuring that any Web pages ripping off their content will turn up.
Well, hello, oh ye Wizards of the Coast checkers-upper! Nice to see you stop by. No worries, this is a review, not a rip-off!
This is part two of a two-part review. Here is part one.
