Moonshae Treasure Hunt is the first of the Moonshae adventures written for D&D Adventures League play under the aegis of Baldman Games. It is intended to introduce the setting’s themes and presents four 90-minute scenarios written by different authors for beginning characters; preferably level 1 or 2.

As you might expect, such short adventures give each designer limited opportunities to introduce characters and themes. All the scenarios succeed at being enjoyable D&D experiences, but you should not go looking for depth.

The adventures feature the following situations:

• A conflict between dwarves and orcs, the latter of whom have stolen the dwarves’ homes,
• a tribe of goblins corrupted by dark magic,
• a quest for a barbarian’s “spellbook”, and
• a confrontation with pirates and their magical “blunderbuss”.

I first visited the Moonshae Isles a long time ago – in 1987, when I picked up the first Forgotten Realms book, Darkwalker on Moonshae. And, as a result, I have a particular conception of them, which may be erroneous. A few elements in these adventures work against that conception, such an axe beak (a prehistoric bird) aiding the goblin. Likewise, the mere existence of the blunderbuss and its wielder is dissonant for me. Celtic Lore is essential to the Moonshaes, and part of the conflict driving story is the intrusion of the outside world. But these intrusions seem too out of place. For an introductory adventure, I would rather see everyday life in the Moonshaes emphasised, with later scenarios displaying divergences – as appropriate.

The adventures are all set on the Isle of Alaron, where the High King has his throne, but they are widely separated, and journeys by ship are required to reach each one. As a result, the players are not immersed in a single community, establishing ties to the characters. Instead, they are acting as trouble-shooters; characters who go to situations and attempt to solve them. With the framing device of a prophecy rather than the lure of gold, it presumes there is more love of the isles than base material desires.

There are touches in each of the adventures that elevate them above similar fare. In the Axe Aflame, the adventure text does not dictate how the characters find a magical pearl; instead, it allows the characters to come up with any plan they like, with better plans – in the eyes of the DM – getting bonuses for later play. In Goblinwrath, the characters can take advantage of a feud between two goblin tribes. A Weighty Matter also good opportunities for role-playing and has a clever trick about the spellbook’s identity. And in Thar be Pirates!, the adventurers can choose between a stealthy and a direct approach, allowing for tremendous variation in how the scenario plays.

The formatting, layout, and artwork used in the product are superior, although it is longer than it strictly needs to be at fifty pages. Having a wide-open format means it reads well as a pdf, but it is a little clunky if you wish to print it.

Overall, Moonshae Treasure Hunt does a good job of providing four short adventures with ties to the Moonshae region. Even if I am somewhat nit-picky about a few elements that I do not believe fit the setting, most of the writing is excellent. Recommended!