Set in the realm of Lamordia, one of the domains of Ravenloft, The God Engine is a horror-themed adventure for level 1-2 characters, with a suggested running time of four to six hours. There is a distinct steampunk vibe to the proceedings, and it contains adult concepts.

The plot concerns a fossilized elder brain which gains control of a researcher and forces him to create a difference engine which will holds its consciousness (the God Engine). The characters are hired to find the researcher. After tracking him down through a short investigation, they have to deal with him and the mechanical elder brain.

The structure of the adventure – as to be expected from its length – is quite simple. The players start with two clues, and investigating either of them successfully leads to the lair of the God Engine. Depending on which path the characters take, they either face role-playing encounters or a short exploration scenario. However there seems to be some confusion as to whether it’s strictly linear or not. Scene Four advances the characters to level 2, but – from my reading – it’s an optional scene. (This would be much better at the start of Scene Five, where the two paths converge).

The encounters do a good job of presenting the essentials. Some fleshing out will be required by the DM, and there are some areas that would have benefited from more work from the designer. For instance, during the investigation the characters can find the first mate of a ship in a bar, and one of the options to find information from them is to do an exotic dance for them. The trouble with the presentation is that while it is mentioned that there are dancers in the bar, the adventure doesn’t mention what the first mate is doing. As a result, the players don’t get clues as to how to approach the first mate. If instead the description said, “The first mate is drinking at the bar, eyes fixed on the exotic dancers”, then observant players can use the description to their advantage.

There are seven scenes in all, each presented on one page. I mostly had no trouble in understanding how to run each scene. Given some adventures I’ve read, this is no small achievement. The designer uses bold text to draw your attention to important terms. To my eye, there’s a little too much; in some sections, half or more of the text is bold. Personally, I prefer bold text only for features that are expanded on in later text. However, this is a personal preference. I feel that the format made it difficult to distinguish what creatures had stat blocks and were combatants, especially for the final encounter.

While the adventure is advertised as being for first-level characters, it accomplishes this by quickly giving them a level half-way through after some very minor encounters. Properly, it’s an adventure for second-level characters. The final encounter, against the CR 3 God Engine, two CR ½ Psycogs, and the CR 1/8 researcher is dangerous but entirely survivable. I like how the God Engine is vulnerable to bludgeoning attacks – not enough monsters take advantage of such mechanics.

The appendix gives three stat blocks: the God Engine, Psycogs, and the researcher. A Psycog is a humanoid corpse with mechanical enhancements that allow it to move and fight. It is armed with a steel blade graved to its right forearm. I find this suitably macabre.

This is an evocative adventure with good action and situations. Recommended!