One of the earliest adventures I owned was The Isle of Dread, a Lost World adventure where the adventurers got to explore an island inhabited by dinosaurs. Phil Beckwith’s Struggle in Three Horn Valley is also set on an island inhabited by dinosaurs, but it takes a different approach, much to my relief: Struggle in Three Horn Valley has a story.
The characters begin the adventure there after a shipwreck. If you are feeling particularly unkind (and brave), you can split up the characters at the start and have them land on two separate beaches on different sides of the island. As we’re talking about an adventure for 3rd level characters here, I’m guessing that most of you won’t be that cruel.
The bulk of the adventure deals with the exploration of the island. The play is aided by a well-drawn map of the island; the adventure also includes a player map which I strongly recommend using. Wilderness adventures work best when the players have a sense of the terrain around them.
The encounters evoke the Lost World nature of the environment, and are varied and inventive. Admittedly, being chased by velociraptors through a narrow canyon might kill the characters, but at least they won’t be bored!
The adventure concludes with a big battle against pirates. This is a complicated battle, with 15 combatants in addition to the player characters. With five custom stat blocks and three monsters from the Monster Manual, that’s a lot of information to keep track of. I’d simplify this battle if using Theatre of the Mind; it’s a bit more manageable with miniatures.
The route the characters take as they explore the island can have a significant impact on playing time; Phil suggests six hours on average. Attention is given to the effects of the environment and the lack of food and drink; this adventure can be quite brutal. However, if the players are lucky, they may reach a native village quickly and bypass many of the encounters.
The chief problem the adventure has is with its writing; there are many places where it felt clumsy. It’s not terrible – it doesn’t get in the way of comprehension – but it’s odd to see so many problems with a product that lists two editors.
The other problem I noted is something that is actually awesome: a NPC companion of the party befriends a behir and uses it as a mount. The problem? I foresee numerous players demanding similar mounts… and that could give a few balance issues. How did the NPC do it? No idea – it happens off-screen.
Despite these niggles, I find this an interesting adventure, and one that should prove quite entertaining. Recommended.