Giulia Gastaldi
Before starting this review, I want to thank Dungeoneer Games & Simulations for sending us a physical copy of Un Pericolo Invisibile, an expansion module dedicated to Streben – the Old School Grim Fantasy RPG.
Un Pericolo Invisibile contains an adventure thought for 2-5 players. In addition, have been included optional rules, new objects and spells to be used in this campaign or others.
To play to Un Pericolo Invisibile is necessary to have and know the Core Rulebook of Streben. Moreover, to have a complete experience of play, it is recommended to have the Atlande dell’Impero and Compendium modules; of the latter, you can find my review here.
If you are interested in buying the product, I point out that it is available on the store La Terra dei Giochi in the physical version at a price of 19.90€ (including PDF) and in the digital version at the price of 9.99€.
Un Pericolo Invisibile in the Empire
The characters were hired by the Marschall of Brandeburg (a military city) to investigate the several disappearances that occurred in the last period. He needs people who are not too conspicuous and, above all, who can carry out investigations in the shadows. During the course of the adventure, the characters will have the opportunity to visit several cities and the surrounding Wild Lands. Their goal will be to find out what lies beneath these disappearances; if they deem it necessary, they will also have the opportunity to tackle various secondary quests.
During their investigations, the adventurers will meet dangerous monsters in the Wild Lands and shady thugs in the cities, which will inevitably lead them to direct confrontations. Being able to overcome them will also guarantee valuable Character Advancement, able to guarantee new Talents or additional Feature Points.
Un Pericolo Invisibile is an open-world campaign, where players are free to explore cities and Wild Lands as they wish. Some events may not occur in the order proposed in the manual or may not occur at all. The Master must pay particular attention to these details, and balance the meetings accordingly. In my opinion this aspect is not at all burdensome for the narrator; it helps to abandon linearity in favour of a greater immersion.
The Cities of the Campaign
The manual describes the three main cities that will be explored by adventurers, the most important places and their main activities.
- Brandeburg is the city where the campaign will begin. Here are the headquarters of the militia and the barracks of recruits; there are also small markets, but the artisans work only for the militia. To begin the investigation will have access to various taverns and pleasure houses.
- Magdeburg is one of the nine major cities of the Empire, much busier and crowded than its colony Brandeburg; it is home to the Lodge of the Ritter, where many bourgeois trains to become champions. Here you can find goods from all over the Empire, as well as weapons of various kinds very appreciated by civilians.
- The last city the characters will explore is Wolfsburg, a colony almost completely inhabited by miners; here you can also find various places of recreation for men consumed by hard work. The campaign will end in this city that, apparently, seems quiet and almost anonymous.
Because the characters can move freely, they have the ability to search for information about disappearances everywhere; based on their interactions with NPCs and exploring hidden places, they will direct the fate of these people. The party will still have to pay attention to the information they find; some may even be false!
Un Pericolo Invisibile Threats Review
As anticipated, the characters will end up in nefarious and dangerous places that, if not explored cautiously, could slow down or end their searches. Among these surely there are the Wild Lands, a place inhabited by very unfriendly creatures. In their exploration, the narrator will have to pull on the Random Encounters table to find out what stands in the way of the heroes. In case they encounter an abandoned village, there are tables useful to create it in a few simple dice rolls.
A chapter of the manual is completely dedicated to Monsters and Opponents that the characters will face during the campaign. Each creature is defined by mechanical characteristics, simple and quick to consult, and a brief description.
The New Contents of the Handbook
Un Pericolo Invisibile implements new Objects and new Spells useful for this or other campaigns.
Objects are classified according to their rarity, written on a special table with attached cost. For example, we find a Whip composed of bovine nerve and leather that can land and block the opponent; or I also liked a dangerous Vial of Poison in which to dip the tip of the arrows.
The new Spells can be studied by the Enchanters. In addition to their description, the relative cost of Mind Points is also indicated to be launched. An example of a new Spell of Bewitchment is Hidden Truth, with which the Enchanter can try to prevent the target from lying for five minutes.
In addition, the volume also contains two Optional Rules:
- The Fistfight is a fight with bare hands that does not lead to death, but at most to fainting; often it happens in chaotic places such as taverns and with a couple of nights of rest you can easily recover from its consequences.
- Through the Guild of Mercenaries, you can hire supplies for goods or people in the Wild Lands, as well as bodyguards. Obviously, their services must be purchased with money.
Conclusions of Un Pericolo Invisibile Review
As you can see from the images included in this review, Un Pericolo Invisibile boasts excellent quality, like the rest of Streben’s editorial line. It’s a 60-page manual in A5 format, with well-readable, well-structured text. The illustrations and maps are edited by ORB – Old Raging Barbarian, Dean Spencer and Marco Gallo; they maintain the old-school tones of the basic manual and guarantee a great visual impact. I particularly liked the maps of the cities, embellished with indicated the main places of interest; they are essential and easy to consulate, as well as those of the dungeons that players can explore during the adventure.
I liked the idea of implementing new objects, spells and versatile optional rules; they can be used to add dynamism and new resources to the game board even in other adventures; doing so the manual is also exploitable on many more occasions.
To conclude this review, I would like to recommend Un Pericolo Invisibile to all masters and gamers passionate about Streben and the OSR genre; this adventure will give you an investigative experience, exploratory and dynamic that will fill your mystery role-playing sessions!
