Opening with a full-page, full-colour illustration that's enough to scare anyone (even a reviewer sitting safely at her computer!), this product contains a wealth of detail about a single adversary. Considering how much effort many players put into their characters, it seems reasonable that their opposition needs to be at least as well-developed... much more than a bunch of stats that the GM can roll against when the inevitable climactic brawl takes place!

So this Raxath'Viz fellow, where does he fit in your alternate reality? The short answer is, in some really rather nasty corners of it, ones that are just asking for some heroes to come and clean them up! Without giving too much away, we have here the life-story and formative background of this individual, explaining both how and why he ended up as he is now, serving a dark goddess who is scrabbling frantically to retain the last vestiges of godhood and spreading, as best he can, her own particular form of, well, rottenness....

Euw, you might well say. Adventurers will need strong stomachs, as well as mighty swordarms - remember that the Fortitude save can be your friend as you describe to your players the horrors that unfold before their characters' eyes.

The detail provided is copious. The background mentioned above is introduced as evocative fiction, that makes Raxath'Viz come to life in your mind's eye... useful when you, in turn, have to bring him to life at your game table. The stat block - well, couple of pages, not just a mere 'block'! - is, if you are using the PDF onscreen, hyperlinked to the D20pfsrd.com site, so you may check up on the precise rules you need to apply, very handy. More background, broken down into his history, motivations, appearance and so on; along with more expansive material on his deity and what she's after, and what she offers to her devotees.

We then move on to the resources Raxath'Viz has available to him, and there is so much here that can be mined to create a campaign never mind a single adventure... should you so wish, defeating Raxath'Viz and his dark mistress could be the focus of a whole campaign arc as your characters first hear of disturbing events - poisoned wells and the like - and eventually track them to source, whilst you are provided with all that you need to make Raxath'Viz a pro-active adversary, working against the characters as it becomes apparent to him that they are seeking him out with a view to his destruction.

Good as this is, it is also a fine exemplar of how to set up and develop major adversaries. He develops over time, linked to the events that he can bring about. There are assorted plot hooks that you can use, and even some of his sidekicks and minions, also presented in copious detail for you to pitch into the fray. Oh, and he likes traps and keeps exotic pets. Guess what, they are all spelled out for you as well! And to round things off, the goddess herself and a complete run-down of the cult that venerates her.

"May your flesh feed Her malignant soul. May your soul feed Her cursed flesh," hisses Raxath'Viz. Are your characters up to the challenge?