You can buy Xanathar's Guide to Everything right here.
We're going to look at the second mission in Over the Edge, a module you can get and run in game stores. It's broken into 5 missions meant to take one hour to play through. If you're going to play in this, don't read it!
The first mission was fantastic. Let's see how this second one fares.
If you're an Emerald Enclaver, you get to say hi to Screaming Wind, the tabaxi. She gives the Enclave affiliates a pouch full of ashes and bones pieces - the remains of a dwarf. She wants you to spread his ashes off the cliffs where he was born.
The group goes to the Misty Cliffs to see if it is stronghold-worthy. This place is inhabited by creatures who have protected their home with booby traps.
The heroes need to walk up a steep path on the cliff face. There's a trap, and considering you might fall off the path, it is pretty survivable.
The group explores the misty ruins. There's "choking scarves" trap, where vines shoot poison thorns at you.
I am amused at the thought of game store groups attacking 20 monsters. It's beyond foolhardy. Here's a quote from the text: "There is no scaling for this."
Thankfully, the information that can be learned is listed in bullet point form. Basically, these monsters weren't accepted by their own kind, and one of them began having strange dreams that lead them here. We don't find out who or what sent those dreams. Maybe it is one of those lost gods.
We can make a deal with these nice monster folks. If you heal their sick ally and fend off a monster raiding party, the group will get treasure and honorary membership in the clan.
Healing the sick NPC is sort of like a 4e skill challenge. You have to make a series of skill checks. Failing once gives you disadvantage on the next check. Failing twice means the patient dies. I really, really like this.
The climax of the adventure is the battle against the invaders. Not only must the group defeat them, they must convince them that they killed all of the monsters in the misty ruins. Trick the bad guys, basically. That's really fun.
The reward involves over a thousand gold and a couple of potions (good ones).
HEY! Look!
I.. I never thought this day would come. It's all happening so fast! Is this real? I can't feel my face.
Good adventure. I think some groups are going to crash and burn, and then give the DM a hard time.
Everything in here is fresh and detailed, no filler. It's a showcase of the new trap system and throws a fun curveball at the heroes. Thumbs up!