Just like the other products in what I call his "Like a Fucking Boss" product line, AWLAFB2 is easy to read, gets you straight to the point without wasting your time, and is chock full of gorgeous artwork that just inspires you to grab your notebook, graph paper and pen and start brainstorming ideas to torture your friends at your next session.

Currently at a mere $4 on RPGnow, this book is 18 pages with an awe inspiring cover, 5 kick ass whole page artworks and 1 sexy half page art piece. All the PDFs in this line are offered in both the full color version and a tree hugging printer friendly version. The layout is excellent, so the large art pieces and the text work very well despite a heavy water colored (or are these blood stains...?) whole page background art. Overall, the layout, color choices, and art are similar to part 1 (which was already very professional appearing), but it's looking even tighter. Apparently Venger is becoming even more of an expert in his desktop publishing skills.

The text is laid out in 28 small sections with far ranging bits of advice. Each section is typically 3 to 5 paragraphs with a heading that is usually self descriptive like "Interior Art" or "Introducing NPCs" but sometimes something more catchy that forces you to read further like "Let Them Eat Cake", "Hat Rack Descriptions", and "Needs More Tentacles".

The writing style (and art choice) is typical Venger Satanis. Occasional edgy and humorous topics and language along with awesome old school art, some of which is NSFW but all of it is awesome. Included are bits of wisdom spread throughout in easy to comprehend examples that get right to the heart of the matter. Kinda like one of the common themes in the entire book. Your responsibility (as a writer of adventures) is to get to the point so that the reader can get most of what they need without getting bogged down, while at the same time injecting the seeds necessary to allow the reader to expand in the direction they need in real time at the gaming table.

So. if this sounds at all interesting, then just pick it up and read it. You'll learn something, or at least be inspired. I promise.

Another great fucking resource by Venger. This time, with direct advertising to sell hardcore awesomeness straight to the player.

This is a brief guide, only 15 pages in length, with 4 1/2 pages of truly gorgeous artwork that you won't find in the usual Politically Correct publications we get today. Checking the credits, some of the same artists reappear from prior publications (such as HTGMLaFB, AB, GGR, etc) which have similarly been great. Both a color version of the PDF as well as a B&W printer friendly is released. In the color version, the artwork extends to provide some pleasing color effects on the text pages which creates a high shelf professional appearance.

Of the remaining pages, you are immediately dropped into a densely packed and marvelously well written educational experience for players. Full of instant take home points, yet amazingly interwoven with interesting supporting facts and tidbits to support each individual section that make the entire document a fun read. Included, are enticing titles like "Mastering the Puppet Master", "What Kind of Man are You?", and "The Coolest Bitch in Town". Look no further than the "7 Ways to Awesome" if you only have a minute to absorb the core fundamentals. There are the common sense (which somehow isn't always 'common'?) topics of "Be Appreciative" and "Be Courteous" that similarly are presented in the most directly important manner without losing an ounce of necessity. Lastly, I really liked the last section which is a pithy two paragraphs with some advice for the Dungeon Masters (sorry, I prefer DM to GM ;).

You should pick up this concise manifesto. It is well worth the low cost of entry for a ticket into the mind of a master.

Nicely done. I'm going to set this at my side when we play tonight :)

Each encounter is essentially 1 page (a couple roll into a second page) and there are direct references and connections to the Curse of Strahd book. I can easily see how each one of these fits into the published campaign. So, if you are running this, perfect! If not, then it's a simple matter of changing the names of some NPCs and/or places.

The one, new, magic item, is very nice. It's entirely pertinent to the encounter and is a very nice item to have, but not in the slightest bit 'overpowered'. It is a one use healing item, but what is awesome is it's one time removal of negative effects -- which I know a few of my players would already love to have in Ravenloft!

The layout is well done. It has enough art to inspire you and make you want to flip through the pages, but nothing special. Which is cool, I don't need someone to spend extra money on an art budget for a simple reference. AND; thanks for a printer friendly version. I pull these PDFs up on my tablet, but anyone who wants to print, will be very appreciative.

BTW, if you are confused by the subtitle of "10 Random encounters in the Shadowfell". This is because Barovia is in the Demiplane of Dread and in 4e, the Demiplane of Dread was 'moved' to the Shadowfell. A little odd they chose that reference, but that's the connection.

Everything I know about Dungeon Mastering, I have learned from Venger Satanis.

I'm a new Dungeon Master, literally session #3 into my first campaign kind of new Dungeon Master (and read the book to know why I don't use "DM"). So, maybe this isn't saying much, but I have followed Fantasy RPGs about 26 years and have read mountains of RPG material, just have never Dungeon Mastered. Everything in this book is consistent with anything else I've read over that time period.

So what sets this book apart? It's the style. This guy is just plain cool. Makes you want to be as good as he tells you that you can be. I am so incredibly inspired and motivated now. Other goals in life have now been accomplished: multiple degrees (3 BS's, Phd, MD), Ironman triathlons, successful business, multiple awards in the military... pfft all a cakewalk when I look back at them... Now I have a new a new goal in life: to be the best Dungeon Master I can be!

Buy this book. Read this book. Study this book. You won't regret it.

I wanted to give this 2 stars since at least the module is better after an update, but there are still plenty of typos and there are still confusing parts. Also, I feel this is insulting on WoTC's part to release modules for $3-$4 each (and now up to module 8 for the series). I'm simply too curious not to pay to read these, but honestly, these should be no more than $1 when you compare them to what else is on DMs Guild. At least the following module, DDAL04-04 is actually quite good.

This module, like the others so far, have the usual waste of 9 pages in the front with AL specific information (seriously, why is this repeated in every module?).

As for the adventure itself, maybe it's because I've read it through twice now, or maybe it's because of some additions/corrections (made between my first and second read) but it is not a bad premise for a module. At least now, there is a story that makes some more sense. It's actually amazing how a few lines added starts to connect this module with the others. But then, there are still parts that make me say "huhh??..". Example: how can anyone read the last 3 paragraphs of page 19 and not CLEARLY see that something is missing. It's like there are 2 or 3 key sentences simply left out. Now, for me, if I were to use this at all, it'd be at my home game so I could just make up anything. But why I find this so odd, is that these are supposed to be written for organized play. Isn't someone editing these things?

Plain dissapointing. There are two editors listed, but I don't believe anyone did any real editing or proofreading. The typos, grammatical errors, ommissions, and confusing writing is just as bad as the 4 prior modules. Again, it is insulting how bad this is for a product with a price.

As for the story, it wouldnt be bad except for the following:

There is an obvious path of inquiry at the conclusion of DDAL04-04 that this module doesn't even acknowledge. Since module 6 isn't on DMs Guild, maybe all this ties in later, but if you are dropping this AL storyline into a Curse of Strahd campaign, then it is VERY confusing at this time if you just follow what is published.

Unlike module 3 and 4, there is nothing special in this module. For a 4th level adventure, I really expect more; it is straight forward and a little dull. Albeit there is a skeleton of a story here that COULD be very interesting. So ONE redeeming quality is that in a non-AL campaign, i think you could definitely build on this.

If you have read other Vistani source material (ie Van Richten's guide) then the Vistani lore introduced here will be familiar, however, a couple terms are different. I don't know why the author just wouldn't stick to what has alteady been published (NOTE: I haven't read all FR sources, so i could very well be wrong, maybe there are different terms used in different sources). Furthermore, how the Moslavarics handle the banished Hanzi is inconsistent with what I've read. They just ignore him? Weird.

On page 14, an encounter with wolves is clearly mentioned, and there are dire wolf and winter wolf entries in the appendix. However, there is no such encounter in the modules.

Sorry to say, but this is quite a boring module. it is essentially 4 small gopher quests followed by a boring encounter. All of this only serves as a route to get your characters into Barovia.

If you are NOT running a strict Adventurers League campaign, then any of the hooks detailed in the Curse of Strahd book are much more interesting than this module. Do not spend your money on this. it isn't even interesting to read; there is nothing in this module helpful for running a campaign on Barovia. It doesnt even have any information about the area that is visited in the follow up module DDAL04-02.

Lastly, the amount of typos and grammatical errors is incredible. I would think that a simple scan in MS Word would have picked up 90% of them. It is what I would expect from a friend ee product on DMs Guild; not a paid product that was specifically comissioned by WoTC.

Excellent. The sort of thing that probably should have been in the PHB next to the character sheets for the player to photocopy and use.

Only suggestion I have at the moment: to add the optional rules during an action from the DM guide on pages 271 and 271. But I recognize that the author may want to stick with the "core" rules only; and adding DMG optional rules then becomes a slippery slope regariding other DMG optional rules.

Thanks!

One problem with using this in Barovia. The premise that the kid (the scarecrow, the soon to be vampire spawn) is put outside to die in the sun does not work in Barovia.

As it states on page 24 of Curse of Strahd

"By the will of the Dark Powers, the sun never fully shines in the lands of Barovia." ... "Barovian daylight is bright light, yet it isn't considered sunlight for the purpose of effects and vulnerabilities, such as a vampire's, tied to sunlight."

The only way I can think to reconcile this at the moment is to play as if the parents don't know this, and are going on what is typical vampire lore. They think this will work to kill the son, but obviously it never will, and he will turn no matter what (unless the party intervenes in a more brutal fashion).