We're partway through this adventure after six sessions and are really enjoying it. It's not perfect by any means, and the actual "Keep" portion of the adventure can degenerate into a dungeon crawl of repetitiveness if the DM isn't careful.

Personally, i've added my own flavor and flair to the adventure as written, fleshing out the dull NPCs and adding multiple new encounters, treasure, and monsters. The whole story is nothing new in the realm of epic of fantasy, but i find it to be a great vehicle to show off what 4e can do. a

And what it CAN'T do.

My biggest complaint is the lack of maps for the keep itself. It has taken me painstaking hours to scan and print these maps, but the end result is fantastic. And they're reusable to boot. I look forward to the next part, Thunderspire Labyrinth, and just hope there's an easier way to print the high quality maps shown in the books.

Keep on the Shadowfell was suppose to be a prelude to D&D 4th Edition even before the core books are released. Hence, in the adventure it contains a short rule guide, the adventure itself and maps for the game. It comes in a slipcase file.

I'll keep my review in point form to make it readable.

Good:
=====
(1) Combat in the sense of 4th edition (i'm not going into discussion of the merits and demerits of 4th Ed D&D) is pretty well conceived
(2) Maps is a bonus
(3) Not much flaws in the flow (as it's kept really simple)

Bad:
====
(1) Poor quality paper and binding. The last page of the adventure booklet is part of the adventure. Can't even provide a proper cover to protect it.
(2) Poor storyline (imagine the real story behind the Paladin Keegan is not much difference from the public story; was it any shocker?!?) You got to come up with something. On page 32, there was some advice but not enough for a newbie DM to try out this module
(3) Several mistakes (STR 18 gives +5 damage bonus but the damage on Irontooth battleaxe is only 1D8+4, wrong label on the map as noted in the adventure; adventure shows goblin sharpshooters as represented by G but map shows S). This should have been playtested and spotted. I found it even by just reading through it. Can imagine how bad the QA is on WoTC.
(4) Flat gameplay.

To start off, the module is extremely well written and I was very happy as I read it from cover to cover. The quickstart guide and pregenerated characters were a nice bonus as well. The maps itself are very detailed and well created. Overall I am very happy with this product and looking forward to the next module in this line

Now for the flipside. If you are new to D&D 4th edition, I do recommend buying this but you will not have a map for every encounter (mainly the dungeon level). Investing in dungeon tiles are a great asset to overcome this. Besides that, as mentioned by other people, the covers for these modules are paper magazine type which is kind of dissapointing. I was holding the manual and walking from point A to B and thats when I realized my hand had made a hand print on the cover which kind of shows that this module is not going to stand up to the test of time (or at least frequent use) before falling apart. Besides that, no other real things to be considered negative. The module itself is outstanding

This adventure is a nice start for playing D&D 4th edition, although I would recommend other adventures to a more experienced Dungeon Master. The adventure is set in a nice slip-case, and comes with several poster-sized maps for use with miniatures. It also ships with quick-play rules for the D&D 4th edition.

The adventure itself is simple, but in a classic way. Some of the NPCs presented could definitely became icons in your campaign.

First off let me say that keep on the shadowfell is not without flaws. It has plenty of them but is still a good introductory adventure for those who want to play a premade 4th edition campaign. Let me seperate this review into two sections...the good and the bad. Ill start off with the bad.

SPOILERS BELOW

CONS:
The paper material is low grade in quality.
The quickstart rules are incomplete and hard to play a complete game with (no prices for loot and other small details that would have been easy to include)
The premades are nothing special but should do the trick for the first time player.
Mistakes abound throughout the adventure book.
Starts out with an ambush...(the new inn starting spot...cliche)
Campaign hooks are weak and have to be changed and are barely adequate for new players.
Mage trying to open a portal. (Seems every campaign is about this now days)
NPC's are bland and have to be livened up.
Not for the season vet but too much work for the beginner
Need dungeon tiles for the dungeon battles (but thats standard now days, most newbie players and dms dont own these)

Pros
Fun encounters (even the kobold battles)
Some tough encounters early on...some may see this as a con but ups the intensity early.
Winterhaven is a good starter type town that can be fully fleshed out by an experienced dm to make it an interesting and fun place.
The second half of the adventure is a standard dungeon crawl that new players can enjoy(but tough for a new dm.)
cool maps for most outside encounters and big end battles(some are reprinted from other wotc products)

Spoilers end

In closing if you are an experienced dm with new players then Keep on the shadowfell is great but if your players are experienced rpgers they may find it a bit underwhelming. They will still probably have fun but a lot of work needs to be done in order to make Kots a great play experience for anyone other than new players. However, for all of its faults there is a lot here to build on. Lame campaign hooks and quality of paper aside I still feel that its worth the 20.00 price tag but 30.00 for it is just too much.

This fold out adventure with light magazine quality paper and maps is hardly robust either physically or story-wise. Simply not worth the RRP.

The paper module has no cover and after only one evening of flicking through it, mine was already threatening to become greasy abstract art separate from the rest of the stapled pages; a gloss cover on heavy grade paper would have been nice.

The large maps are incomplete: probably because a basic dungeon can be represented by the separate, but very worthwhile, Dungeon Tiles product. Unfortunately this product is unavailable at this time so one is stuck to having to mount photocopies onto cardstock using Clag glue.

The adventure itself is trope ridden: The spy, the evil cleric, the ancient temple; All very "Keep on the Borderlands" or "Village of Homlet", but without the scope or novelty of these adventures of a bygone era.

The mechanics are also dodgey as might be expected from a pre-release module: certain important elements from monster descriptions are omitted (which is fine if you refer to the core rules), or inconsistencies in things like the pre-generated characters (which arise when you have the core rules).

That being said, the module does have some nice features: It's nice to see some choice phrases by NPCs that help in character portrayal; the questioning of NPCs by a ghost also shows a very nice interaction between ROLE playing and ROLL playing; it's not Monty Haul although it does seem a little tight on the treasure; the monsters may not have complete descriptions, but do present an interesting sample of powers which communicate a change in the nature of the 4Ed. game play. These fail to redeem however.

I should have not bothered with an introductory module that was so significantly priced when compared to the core rules books. WOTC should have given a discount on this as well or packaged it with the core rules. You'd be better off forum whoring and converting an old D&D Basic Module or Dungeon Magazine. One-and-a-half stars.

Great product! Very easy to read through. It does a good job of explaining how the adventure should be run, but also allows for changes that you deem appropriate. If you're thinking of DMing an adventure for the first time, start with this. Even if you've been DMing for awhile and would like a campaign to run, try this one, you'll enjoy it.

Keep on the Shadowfell is was a very good product and is useful even without the other core books. Definitely worth the money.

I've dabbled in DnD since it first came out and couldn't wait until my kids were old enough to play. I had introduced them to the 3rd edition, and it was fun, but the rules seemed so daunting to them, they never felt like they could do more than scratch the surface. So we all were looking forward to the 4th edition rule set.

I have to say that I was a little taken aback when I first started reading the 4th edition rules. They seemed a bit too simplistic and were more streamlined than I anticipated. But once we started playing....

It actually took a few sessions to for the spirit of game to really sink in. This version is all about letting the players try anything they want. They are heros! And the rules are there to support that mindset. They made my job as the DM so easy. I could focus on the encounters and the players were spinning the story as they went!

As for the Keep on the Shadowfell module, I think it provides a wonderful example of how to design compelling story lines. The encounters were well balanced with a good mix of interesting creatures and great settings. The tactical options were countless. Our group wanted to run through some of the scenarios multiple times because new strategies and tactics were constantly being discovered. I've never had so much fun DM'ing! The encounters are well laid out. They will serve as a great model for me as I dabble in creating some of my own encounters. There are many threads in the story that will make compelling jump off points for an ongoing campaign.

Another great thing about the module are the concise 4th edition rules summaries that are included. They have made it really easy to get new players up and running in just a few minutes. It really is all a group needs to get started with DnD.

The long and short of it is this: My kids and I are having a blast! We only play once a week, but they now talk about DnD all the time. They have gotten so many of their friends excited, we don't enough room to let them all come over and play at once. This has convinced me that the new rules are the best yet at striking the right balance between having an approachable game for newbies, a compelling game for gamers, and a wonderful vehicle for DM's to participate in the unfolding of epic adventures! Keep on the Shadowfell serves as a good example of how various 4th edition elements can be mixed up to produce compelling encounters that will keep players retelling their stories for years to come!

For a long I hadnt seen a D&D product so beautiful.
Made me remember of the old campaign box, wich came along maps and other utilities. Not quite the same thing as the past but as much as nice.
Better than the 3rd edition commom paperback adventures.

Plainly stated, this is one of the most horrible module offerings I've seen in a while.

The folio books are cheap and prone to smudging and the maps are unusable for DDM, so those buying the module for the secondary use as DDM maps should steer clear.

The plot of the module is horribly cliche, and the whole of the adventure is put together with no thought towards ecology or continuity. It's three to four quasi-linked battle scenarios held together by very contrived circumstances that leads to an epic "save the world" fight at the end. The town of Winterhaven can't possibly support the 900+ citizens (and it does become pertinent in the adventure) and the dungeon has so many logic holes you could rampage the tarrasque through (for owners, contemplate this - how does the BBEG get to the lowest level without running afoul?)

Also, the climatic battle at the end of the adventure runs towards impossible. Surviving the final battle relies too much on luck and not so much on skill and strategy.

The fast play rules are a joke; there's too many holes to even run the game adequately, and even simple things, like a list of equipment prices for things you could buy in Winterhaven (including Rituals or even minor magic items like potions) aren't present. (So you get all this gold from the adventure, but have nothing to spend it on...).

I've seen far better

I've run this module for two different groups now. They have both hated it. In 25 years of running D&D this is the first module I've had a group simply quit in the middle of it. It is a series of miniatures battles almost incoherently stuck together. There is almost no roleplaying, exploring etc.

Here is a sample of how the module basically works. The characters start out immediately in combat on a map. After winning this battle, they arrive in town. Then they can talk to various NPCs who have little depth or information. If you ask the right questions, the NPCs gve you directions of where to go next, like "The keep is northeast of here." Then, if the characters want to go to the keep, they are instantly there (well, they get ambushed first, using the first map again).

What if the characters don't ask the right questions? It doesn't matter. My players wished to find the hidden lair of the kobold brigands. How hard is it to find this hidden lair? Well, the module says if the characters decide to search for the hidden lair, pull out the lair map and start the lair encounter. I felt like I was in a bad 1980's computer game "click here to go to hidden lair."

So essentially the module is all about combat. Is it fun combat? My players haven't enjoyed it. The worst part of the module is it makes it hard to tell if 4th edition is flawed or if just this module is bad.

Its good I just wish It would had been an actual Book and not a folder with 2 fragil booklets.

I'm using this with a group of players who have never played before and it's working great! The new lay-out of player's skills and abilities spells out exactly who can do what and the encounter tables for the monsters are easy to follow with interesting abilities and varied combat tactics. The giant fold out maps are great for helping set the scene and it is simply a very well done adventure and from the DM's perspective it gives a good framework to work from while at the same time allowing for creative work if something needs to be changed. Get this, even if you don't follow it word for word, it will provide a great backdrop for a player crafted adventure.

As an introductory adventure to 4th Edition, I was expecting something shorter. I was surprised at the number of fold out maps and the thickness of the adventure booklet.

Reading through it, I was reminded of the Village of Hommlet adventure that leads to the Temple of Elemental Evil. The adventure has that sort of classic feel. I'm hoping that the rest of this series of adventures continues in this vein.

I've not gotten to play this one yet, but from reading the books, looking at the maps, it's going to be cool. Now, to just find 4 people to play the pc's...

Very nicely packaged, lovely maps that fold out nicely (each map is folded into 8 parts). Great adventure, and the only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because it's pretty much exactly what you expect for a 1st level starting adventure. Fight some kobolds/goblins, clean out their keep, fight the big priest-like fellow at the end. It really is the perfect 1st level game that will remind everyone whose been 1st level before of the keep with kobolds and/or goblins.

A great start to 4E. The adventure feels pretty generic - it's a straight-forward dungeon crawl. However, expect your players to keep occupied with this adventure until the next one in the series comes out. That way you can just keep 'em running on these until you reach Paragon tier and continue the story the way you like it. Good deal.

Good starter adventure with basic rules intro, making it easier for a person to test drive the 4.0 system before making decisions about committing further.

I finally received my copy of Keep on the Shadowfell, and I must say it is very nice. It is an awesome introductory adventure for new players and those new to 4th edition. The book is very well written. It even has five pre-made characters for those who wish to jump right in. There are also three fairly big double-sided battle maps for use with minis.
Now on to the not so good. The main book is more like a magazine. So in order for it to last, you must handle with care. Everything comes inside a folder of sorts, that will probably not hold up under long periods of use. The quality of the product is not bad, but for $30 you would expect to have at least a hardcover book somewhere in there.
Overall I am happy with this purchase. I had a $25 gift certificate, so I only paid for the shipping. I recommend this product to anyone interested in playing the new 4th edition.

The Keep On The Shadowfell was a nice story with easy to follow instructions for learning how to play the game of D&D...4e style.In previous editions,the pre gen characters were really weak and ineffectual in many cases but the ones in this supplement seemed to be ones you might actually hold on to.The story was good and easy to follow.Also,WOTC has actually expanded support for this product on it's sight by adding side adventures.One point of contention however...in one scene there is an excavation site where the npc's have unearthed an artifact that can help the main villain open a portal in the final climactic scene of the adventure.It tells the DM that they have just unearthed it when the players arrive.But it doesn't give any information about this artifact or explain how the villain opens the portal without it should the players defeat the bad guys in the scene and confiscate it.It's minor really.A DM with even a little creativity could overcome it,but still it's a loose end.I have read it once only so there might be more.Overall a sound adventure.

I think that this is a good starting mod for 4e. Since it was a preview mod with only basic rules some things weren't explaned very well. The only other thing that would make this mod better was a little more role play or a skill challenge. This can be easily adapted by the DM though and Wizards of the Coast has added a few web enhancements as well. Enjoy!

The Keep on the Shadowfell adventure is a very particular product aimed primarily at new players who are interested in 4th Edition D&D, but have yet to purchase any rules for it.

To be perfectly honest, this product is overpriced unless you wish to use it as a test case for adopting D&D 4th edition. The actual adventure is only about 65 pages long and is made up of the 25 two-page "delve format" encounters seen in any Wizards of the Coast adventure published in the last 3-4 years. If you are buying this for the adventure text, please be aware you are receiving a very short adventure for a MSRP of $30.

However, if you are deciding on whether or not to pick up 4th edition, then this might be the product for you. It comes shrink-wrapped in an artfully designed pocket folder. Inside are the 80 page adventure booklet, which includes the previously mentioned adventure scenario and 15 pages of introductory rules for a new 4th edition Dungeon Master (the player who will run the game and and scenario for the other players to progress through).

A second paper pamphlet, also 8.5" x 11", contains the "Quick-Start Rules". This includes 6 pages for the players to read beforehand, so they know what Dungeons & Dragons is and what is expected of them when playing. The other 10 pages are two-page character sheets of pre-constructed Player Characters (PCs, the characters the players will play during the game). There are five different PCs included: a Dwarf Fighter, Halfling Rogue, Human Wizard, Half-Elf Cleric, and a Dragonborn Paladin.

Lastly, there are 3 double-sided, 20"x33" posters to use as battle mats during the game. These are gridded sheets meant for miniatures figurines to be used during play. These "minis" and various polyhedral, multi-sided dice are required for play, but not are included. (If you don't own any, you can purchase some from Amazon.com)

The adventure itself is a by-the-numbers Town & Dungeon romp. The town is very sparse in detail with only 14 locations noted, a map, and less than 5 pages of description. The majority of that is taken up by a Q & A style conversation showing example answers for when players interact with the townsfolk. Scripted events happen whenever the players leave town, but no encounters lie within. The games' Skill Challenge system is not illustrated here, but it would not be too difficult to add some later on with the complete set of rulebooks. This overlook appears to be a space limitation only.

To be blunt, practically all of the event-based encounters around the town are combats. Combat tactics are supplied in the delve formats, but no roleplaying advice for the NPCs (DM run characters). When the players finally find the dungeon to explore there is very little left to do but combat those within. The dungeon is essentially 19 separate combat encounters. There is one obligatory trap room, a combat also including a puzzle, and two roleplaying combats which includes roleplaying advice for the monsters in them. The first of these is a creature likely too difficult to defeat via combat and the second is the final "end boss" encounter of the whole dungeon.

There really is no plot to uncover here, but there are some other nuances included by the authors: a suprise NPC here, an interluding event there. But on the whole the adventure looks to the DM to add intriguing details to the town and dungeon landscape and life to the NPC characters within. Specifics are largely missing and little is included that will surprise the players or engage their attention. That is, little beyond what is included in the combat tactics and statistics portions.

What the adventure does offer repeatedly are multiple, varied, side-by-side combats that will keep players' interest when fighting the battles. Each monster and foe has surprising abilities that freshen up player expectations each time they engage in a new battle. This is primarily due to the design of the ruleset. The many fights included in Keep on the Shadowfell showcase exactly what 4th Edition D&D combat offers.

If you do enjoy the new combat system and the multiple combats within, you will probably enjoy the new ruleset as well. If the combat system is not to your liking, you will probably not find much else to stoke your interest here.

This adventure is a good introduction to 4e. It's a little combat heavy but the art is great, the encounters are fun and the end is fantastic. In addition you get quick start rules and a lot of really neat maps. It's a very beautiful product. Overall I would recommend this item. My only gripe is that there are so many encounters that you could be playing this adventure for months. I don't really want to be playing the same adventure for that long, but it does make the product worth the money.

Keep on the Shadowfell is the introductory adventure for latest incarnation of the Dungeons and Dragons role-playing game. Kill the TV, crash the computer, and lay seige to the kitchen table with a bunch of friends with this herald of the 4th edition of the now legendary D&D.

Newbies will like the get-down-to-the-action pace of the game while long-time players may find themselves a bit confused with the new ruleset. This is not an "update" to the 3rd edition as 3.5 was, but is instead a whole new creature to tame. Taming it is well worth the effort, believe me!

For you greybeards, this module will remind you of the first time you ever laid eyes on a d20 and asked "What the heck is THIS?" or struggled to learn how to throw a d4 or calculate THAC0 on the fly. If you were among those who complained that 3e played more like a video game, Keep on the Shadowfell will vindicate D&D for you.

The fresh, wide-open feel of this module will immerse you in a world that you've never seen before but will feel strangely familiar. It will remind you of the first time your PC started out for the Keep on the Borderlands and the Caves of Chaos beyond. But those are not your father's kobolds. They may look like the good ol' 4 hp kobolds that run away as soon as you shake a sword at them and shout, but looks can be deceiving. You have been warned. Bring a sword... and a lot of bandages.

I will not reveal the story. Hey, it's D&D. You're the good guys, they're the bad guys. Somebody's gonna get their butt whupped. They've got minions, spies, and a death cult dedicated to Orcus. You've got... well, whatever you're holding when the game starts. And it looks like Winterhaven is in need of a few heroes.

In summary, yee-haw!

As others have said, the physical construction of this module is generally poor and shoddy. The module consists of three booklets and a few maps encased in a cardboard folder. The booklets are made with very cheap magazine stock, the "covers" are printed on the same paper as the inside pages, and the ink is prone to smearing. The text is generally easy to read, but there is very little art to help "paint the picture" so to speak, for new DM's.

The adventure maps are, oddly, better than the booklets due to the high quality of the drawings and the heavier stock they are printed on. Unfortunately, they do have deep creases in them from being folded to fit in the folder, so flattening them can be a bit of a pain.

The adventure itself is very good at showcasing the changes in 4th Edition D&D at the low level. Adventurers get fun things to do every round, and magic users aren't automatically relegated to the back row after the first three rounds of an encounter at 1st level. The encounters now also feature specific roles for the monsters, to include a "minion" type that has 1HP and is meant to bring the scenes to life by adding easy distractions.

Overall, it's tough to recommend this package in the $20-$30 range. Although the module itself is engaging and well laid out, the actual materials WoTC used to print on is distressingly cheap.

Overall Presentation
The adventure module comes in a cardstock folder printed in full color. Inside are two pockets. Instead of the normal horizontal pockets opening up (or towards the top) they are vertical opening toward the spine. This keeps the adventure books and maps from being able to fall out when the folder is closed. Inside are two booklets printed in full color on light magazine paper. The first is a Quick-Start rules booklet intended for Players and DMs, the second is the adventure booklet itself. There are also three double sided full color battle maps of major encounter areas folded in quarters. These are scaled and suitable for D&D Miniatures.

Pros: The full color presentation is nice, though I'm not sure it justifies the significant rise in price. The folder design is great as is allows for the maps to be easily accessible without removing staples or tearing perforations.

Cons: The magazine paper is flimsy and tends to curl at the edges. For those that like to pencil notes in their adventures, I don't think that will work on this paper. Pen might. I think for the added cost a hardcover would be better with the same kinds of pockets on the inside front and back covers. Even a perfect bound trade paperback format might have been better (like Return to the Temple of Elemental Evil).

Quick-Start Rules
The Quick-Start Rules booklet contains an overview of the basic task resolution mechanic and a few specific examples of how this works for combat and skills. It explains the order of combat and the different kinds of actions that can be taken (standard, movement, minor and free). It also describes interrupts (such as opportunity attacks). There is a brief discussion of the use and acquiring of Action Points, and of Resting and Healing. There are five pre-generated PCs included in this booklet. They are; Dwarf Fighter, Halfling Rogue, Human Wizard, Half-elf Cleric, and Dragonborn Paladin. The write-ups include instructions for leveling to 2nd and 3rd level complete with power selections. There are no choices to be made when leveling these characters.

Pros: The rules provided in this booklet should allow even novice players to play their character. The booklet is separate from the adventure book so it can be handed to players with no worries they will peek at the adventure.

Cons: There are no choices presented to players for leveling up the characters. While even the section headings in this booklet are in color, the PC pictures are black and white sketches.

Miniatures Battle Maps
Three large full color double-sided battle maps come with this adventure, covering six of the major combat encounters. They are similar to the maps that come in the Fantastic Locations series of products.

Pros: These maps are beautifully rendered, and make great additions to the adventure product line.

Cons: None really. It is a shame they don't include battle maps for every encounter in the adventure, but that would probably be cost prohibitive.

Adventure Booklet
The adventure booklet begins with a welcome to 4th Edition, and introduction section. There is also a section of Quick-Start Rules for the DM covering rules that need not be presented to the Players, then the true adventure text begins. Encounters are presented in the now familiar format introduced in the "Expedition" series of 3.5 Edition hardcover adventures. The story seems pretty good, if fairly standard low-level D&D fare.

Pros: The new encounter format is really great for running combats. Everything seems to be well organized and geared toward making the DMs job easier.

Cons: The adventure booklet, because of the cheap paper, is likely to get very beat up at the gaming table.

Since I'm far from the first person to review this book, let me start by listing the following problems:

1. The paper does quickly get smudged, so this product doesn't look like it will last that long.

2. There are two near identical copies of the rules that should have been combined to make more room for more maps, more rules or other original content.

Those were the only two major problems I've had with the product thus far. Those aside, I found that the maps were beautiful, especially the outdoor areas. The adventure, though fairly standard, is an excellent first level adventure. The encounters were excellent, including the last fight provided there is a moderately original DM. The rules are easy to follow, with a few exeptions like recharging and buying items. The combat system is fast, fun, and plays differently even if you run the same encounter twice (great for running it with different groups!). Having run RPGs for about 10 years now, I can say that it is the best D&D adventure I've ever bought, including popular ones like Village of Hommlet/Temple of Elemental Evil and Sunless Citadel.

There are two ways I could review this product, either in the context of its being released before the 4th edition core rules came out or after.

REVIEW 1: BUYING JUST THIS ITEM
Simply put, DON'T. Its cost in that context doesn't merit the purchase, even at $19.77 through Amazon. It stands alone ONCE, and when you finish it, you're waaaay done with it.

REVIEW 2: BUYING THE CORE RULES ALSO
1] STILL EXPENSIVE. Almost $30 for an adventure... Sheesh. Granted, it takes you several sessions and with five characters. And yes, Amazon is charging just $19.77. And yes, with pre-order and other discounts, I paid only $10.41, so perhaps I shouldn't gripe.
But most gamers don't have $30 to throw on a game module, first-ever-for-this-edition or not. For those of you thinking of paying much more than that (i.e., $10.41), don't. You'll see why if/when you look over a Monster Manual and see the Dungeon Master's Guide rules on putting together encounters. Besides, as Ferengi Rule of Acquisition #141 states, "only fools pay retail." Amazon's price of just under $20 is more palatable, though, than $29.95 plus the inevitable shipping/handling gouge from others.
2] PRE-GENERATED PCs. You have the standard fare - a fighter, cleric, wozard and rogue, as well as a paladin thrown in (and the WotC site offers a sixth PC as a free download right now). So you get the typical intro-to-the-game mix, though with healing surges now, the value of a cleric, MHO, is very debased. But back to the review. The pre-gens are usable, and that's basically what they're supposed to be.
3] QUICK-START RULES. They do just that, basically, setting the table for you in, oh, about 20-25 minutes of reading, 30-35 if you are like me and jot down notes on potential "snags" in game flow. So, the rules function properly.
4] ENCOUNTERS. A variety, of increasing levels (go figure!), so the encounters are what they should be. I'll never get used to seeing kobolds with no class levels but with 27 hit points (and don't get me started on minions!), but they work, and the way combat's been revamped/ souped up/whatever, they work. The 4th edition core rules say a typical encounter takes about an hour; I beg to differ. More like half that if you do it right. But then, I'm a nerd, so I tend to have a system for EVERYTHING.
5] EXPLANATIONS. The explanations of NPC motivations, critter tactics, etc. are pretty straightforward and quite complete, so, again, it does what it's supposed to.
6] MAPS. They look a whole lot like D&D Miniatures maps; again, go figure. I'm not an artsy type, so I am not impressed overmuch by the maps. But, still again, they do their job.
7] PACKAGING. It comes in a sort of two-pocket folder that makes me want to dig out my 25-year-old Trapper Keeper. Not too keen on the packaging method. I'd prefer the good old separate cover with maps on the inside, and that would be a bit cheaper, too.

In all, it does what it's supposed to, but if you don't make a point of getting this for a discount, it will not be worth the price. Of course, I go only to matinee movies and clip coupons, but a fool and his money are soon parted, no matter the product or intentions.

Enjoyable, but not something to set the gaming world afire. Maybe 3.5 stars if you are into artwork. A couple of the pieces of inside art are pretty good.

I thought this intro adventure to D&D 4th edition was very well done. The quick start rules really gave a nice preview of the 4th edition rules ... of course, they're obsolete by now, with the release of the full game on June 6, but it filled a niche that was very important at the time - presenting enough of the flavor of the rules system to be able to get a sense of what it was like to play.

The actual adventure is also well done. There are a couple of features that make the roleplaying side of things more interesting: a kind of FAQ format, anticipating questions that the players may ask, and providing answers from various characters in the adventure. There is also a nice range of adversaries and adversary roles, which is important for demonstrating how there is a lot of variety possible in the new combat system.

After having read through all of this several times and began running it for my local group I feel KotS is mediocre at best. Having been a gamer for 18+ years, it feels like they borrowed much of the elements and ideas for the adventure from past products.

The format is nice. Monster blocks are all layed out and easy to use. The colour poster maps they provide make those encounters easy to run. For the price it would of been nice for them to provide encounter maps for all of the keep not just two rooms. While it is nice that they provided quick start rules and premade characters in one pamphlet. The adventure pamphlet is cluttered with additional information that would have been better placed in the quickstart guide.

Additionaly now that the main 4th edition rules are out most of my pc's have rebuilt thier characters. I see the quick start rules guide as a waist of space that could have been better spent on providing additional maps or information to the product.

This is way too expensive for what it is, a simplistic adventure with little to recommend it beyond being a preview of 4.0 D&D. Some of the rules don't even make sense without the core books, or at least are much more confusing.

The flimsy quality of the product is also a minus.

Not worth the $$$ amazon or WoTC is asking, about maybe $10.00 for what you get, sick of overpriced products that are well....done badly.

Keep on the Shadowfell is a great adventure to kick off Fourth Edition D&D. Included in the package is the adventure, a general rules overview for DMs, a quick-start guide and 5 pre-made charachters, as well as three double-sided poster maps (that six full-size maps!). The new layout for adventures makes it easy for even a first-time DM to run the module, with all you need to know about an encounter right there in the stat block. Experienced DMs might find the enemies a bit cliche, but the new edition makes kobolds and goblins interesting, and even old-school die-rollers will find the familiar opponents challenging and engaging. Overall, KotS is fantastic!

This is a great starting adventure and peek into the new 4th edition rules, but has its drawbacks. First and formost is the actual construction of the product. I won't be the only one that is unhappy that the module and quick start guide are printed on cheap paper with covers that are no different. Your average subscription magazine has thicker and more resilient cover. I can't imagine these holding up as long as I expect a $30 (cover price) item to. The second problem, lack of many rules clarifications, is one that will clear itself up after the release of the core 4th ed. books. Still it is somewhat troublesome to buy a product that is supposed to be ready to play and find rules that we are supposed to be able to use that are still not clear.
Overall the content of the module is pretty good though. I look forward to running my gaming group though it soon, though I will probably wait until I have the PHB, DMG, and MM in my hot little hands.
BTW: WotC, if you are listening... PUT REAL COVERS ON YOUR MODULES IN THE FUTURE. It's what we expect when we pay for your product.

-TN

I noticed the negatives first, so I'll mention those first.

The adventure booklet has no back cover. That means that while I'm holding it up to read it, the players can see the names, powers, suggested tactics, and loot of the final encounter. Also the ink's easy to smudge, so even though I've only run the first four encounters, the uncovered back page is getting hard to read just by holding it.

The quickstart booklet has the character sheets bound within it, making it slightly hard to photocopy them. I would have preferred five individual sheets, to make it easier to copy, or even just pass out and use as-is. I also wish the character sketches more closely matched the character as equipped. The sword-and-board-looking dwarf fighter actually wields a bludgeoning weapon, and the dragonborn paladin is pictured with a wicked-looking glaive instead of his equipped longsword and heavy shield.

Other than that, I've liked it. The three double-sided encounter maps have proved useful, and it's nice to have a couple outdoorsy maps instead of strictly dungeon crawls.

The encounters are all on a two-page spread, so that I can flip to the appropriate page and leave it open. I haven't had to flip back 10 pages to find the stats on a minion that was encountered before - all the monster statblocks are reprinted for each encounter.

I'm a fan of kobolds, so it was nice seeing kobolds being used right from the get-go. Other iconic entry-level monsters such as goblins, skeletons, and zombies make their appearance too. And I'm excited to be able to throw a gelatinous cube at the party later on.

Great product. We have been gaming together for 5 years as a group and did a play test with the generic characters.

Our DM was able to get the first encounter up and running in less then an hour.

All I can say as a user is - When was the last time you actually had fun with first level characters?

And for the DM - When was the last time your players had fun with a level 1 adventure?

It will not be a mistake to run with this one.

As a player - you will not need to know 90 different books to just get together and have fun.

As a DM - you will FINALLY not have your players metagaming and being able to out think your minions because they know every detail fromt he Monster Manual.

Fantastic fun. Even for the DM.

I never would think that this edition product launch would be so great! With lots of large maps, a new default in the material quality and a great quick start manual!
Wizards is inovating in style ;) !!!

I purchased Keep on the Shadowfell last week. It's a starter adventure for D&D 4th Edition. The quick rules make it seem like the game has changed in a number of ways, but changes would be minor to experienced D&D gamers.

Looking at the pre-statted characters supplied in the module, the game feels even more complex than previous editions. I'm holding off final judgement until I've got a few sessions under my belt and have the rule books.

One huge quibble is the poor production quality. For my money, I received flimsy paper (though full colour), ink smudges on your fingers, just 96 pages, staple bound (with no soft or hard cover - it feels like a thick brochure). The module also came with 3 battlemaps that are decent and of thicker paper. I hope this production quality is not a sign of things to come.

I seem to buy everything that gets put out having anything to do with D&D. Of course, buying it here at Amazon saved me money as I hear about others paying about $30 or even a bit more. So for just under $20 I began reading the material inside. I have not noticed an of the ink rubbing off onto my fingers or any smudged writing or images yet. I too am holding off a more critical review until I have the core books in my hand. I am finding that the content is very interesting and I look forward to playing this module with my friends.

Yes, it's over-priced and weak quality materials. However, the peek into 4th edition is cool. I think this product provides plenty of depth for veteran gamers. There are a lot of ways you can choose to run a character. It looks like spells and items are going to be significantly downplayed, with amped up character abilities/powers. As someone who's played/followed D&D for 30 years, I'm actually excited about the new edition changes.

The back story, NPCs, maps, etc are well done. I felt I got a good set-up for the PCs. I love the concept of minions (explained previously). Tactics are clearer, and backed with powers, etc.

The web site doesn't back this product up: no FAQ, errata, etc. It has been a little maddening figuring out some of the rules without the core rulesbooks out yet. Some of the rules could have been a explained with a little more depth.

In another week the core rulebooks will be out, so I would primarily recommend buying this product only if you're a die-hard and want that extra 8 days, or you'd play the module anyway.

I'm not particularly sure where to start with this review. I wanted to give this module a higher score but I'm afraid that, objectively, I can't do so. While I have very few complaints with the new rule set, the module is a disappointing first start. While I understand that it can't be the most in-depth module since it's a pre-release, my initial feelings are pretty much a let down.

The module is fairly straight-forward. The party gets ambushed and starts a chain of events that lead them to fighting a baddy at the end. The complaint with it is that the module is literally just twenty or so combat encounters. While this can be over-come with creative DM-ing or creative players, it's disappointing that the module does very little to show off the skill system (which is just as lackluster as the 3.x rules, if you were wondering) or do anything to rise above the fact that it can be more than a series of combats with a story behind them.

With that in mind though, some of the combats are interesting enough to keep the party going and the new combat rules work well enough. It's obvious that WotC drew its influence from the popularity of MMO's, which I can't completely bash because it opens the game up to new players (and more money. Let's not forget that WotC is a business) and makes balancing a bit easier, since everyone has something to contribute at all times and the first level wizard isn't useless within 5 minutes of game start.

My biggest complaint though is the packaging. As much as every other reviewer has bashed it, I'm gonna go ahead and do the same. It sucks. I understand the need for the folder, but the two packets that come with it are awful. They're flimsy, and can't stand up to the least bit of wear or tear. WotC let me down big time on that one.

All in all it was fun and the group had a good time, and it excites me about what is to come from 4e. But magazine paper? Come on, WotC, make it worth my money. Let's hope we don't get that from our core books.

So, I picked up Keep on the Shadowfell today.

For $30, you get three double-sided maps and two booklets - 80 and 16 pages, respectively. The booklets are made of magazine paper, stapled through the middle. They have no covers. Mine are already getting beat up, and the ink is smearing. It's no exaggeration to say that this is the worst-quality RPG product I've purchased in my 25 years of gaming. Even small press books have covers. And are made out of paper.

Overall, this is a really disappointing price-to-value ratio. It's fundamentally a short module - intended, apparently, to introduce new players and veterans to the game - and you get almost nothing for your money. Were I not already excited about 4e, the production values may have turned me off.

Now, the rules look excellent and solid. The designers took a lot of the best parts of Star Wars Saga Edition, a few drops of Earthdawn, and a whole lot of older editions of D&D. It looks like it will be fun, and I can't wait to run my group through it. 4e may end up being the best edition yet - I'm open to that possibility - but they need to at least take pride in the build quality of their products, first.

Here's hoping the core books I pre-ordered at least have covers... :)

Keep is a great peek at the 4th ed rules, it covers a lot of standard fantasy tropes that as a player that has avoided d&d for the last 8 years, I think were a good idea to add into a premier adventure module, the maps are great with the terrain markings and the 4th ed rules make for very engaging fights. The one real blow to this product, they should have made the books have a card stock cover at least. I like the folder design, but the books are cheaply made.

This first product for 4th edition D&D is a mixed bag. I was very excited when I bought it and was immediately disappointed that it came in a folder. There was less art than I expected and the quality that everyone has complained about is right on the mark. The art is average, the paper is frail, and the ink smears if you hold it too long. With such a steep price, this should have been a hardcover book. I would expect more in the future.
Once I opened it though, I was surprised at some of the changes in the game. Wizards are able to participate more in combat at first level. They can cast magic missile every round. Also, every character has more options for attacking. They also have the ability to heal themselves. When a character drops to a certain amount of hit points they become "Bloodied", which may create other options in combat. Bad guys have "Minions" who drop really quickly but fill up the battle area with a little more chaos. Overall, I thought many of the changes in the game are positive. In this respect, Keep on the Shadowfell is a good primer for 4th edition.
The setup of the adventure was good. The encounter statistics were fairly close physically to the descriptions in the adventure and the maps were helpful. Many of the recent offerings for D&D have had the combat encounters several pages after the backgrounds for them. Like many players, I prefer the stats right with the storyline. It seems more streamlined and easier to follow. Hopefully, WOTC will discontinue the separation of encounters with their place in the story.
Overall, I liked this module. Had the packaging been better, I would have given this product 4 or 5 stars.

The title says a lot. First the bad:

As has been said in other reviews, the actual construction of this is shoddy to say the least. Basically it is a cardboard folder with two magazines inside. (The maps are quite nice, both in their durability and ability to be re-used) The folder seems decently constructed, but you can't run the module from the relative protection of the folder. The frighteningly cheap module must come out the actually be used. If you have oily hands (as I do) buy gloves, because if you hold the module for too long the ink will run. After only one read through, I have several finger smears on the back cover, which hold vital info for running the final encounter. I am considering removing the two staples, which comprises the binding, cutting the whole thing in half and putting it all in transparent binder sleeves. For a $30 book to be this poorly made is worthy of a zero out of 5 stars.... as any use, exposure to small amounts of liquid, or the simple act of reading it will cause damage.

The story itself, while a typical dungeon crawl, is well put together. The quick start rules are insufficient if you have players (like mine) that tend to nitpick, and push the boundaries of even the most insignificant rule, but they are a nice inclusion.
The NPCs are pretty well flushed out, and I found on my first read through, myself actually developing their quirks just from the short paragraphs about them. True the baddies are unimaginative, to say the least, but a good DM can give them a lot more spice pretty easily.
The main aspect I like about this module (having not run it yet, so this is not an entirely informed opinion) is that it seems a near-perfect introduction to the new rule set.
And as a final note, Gnomes have been reduced to the level of goblins.

What others have said about the poor quality is true, and it is one of the things that makes me believe WOTC is marketing this to a younger audience-- not altogether bad, we need a new generation of paper-and-pencil gamers, but the poor quality, the simplicity, and the cliches of the adventure are a big turn-off for older gamers like me.

Having said that, I am impressed with what we have seen of the 4th edition rules, even though I was all set to hate them. This product does provide a good intro to 4th edition combat. The problem is that, in addition to being too simple for veteran players, this module would be too complex for novices simply to pick it up without having played before. WOTC needs to figure out who its audience is with this one.

But it is worth buying to introduce players to the 4E rules, and it would be OK to introduce new players to the game if you are an experienced DM. If you are new to D&D, wait for the 4th edition player's handbook, at least to use with this module. As other modules become available, this will not be the best introduction for newbies and will be uninteresting to veterans.

This module is perfect for a group of individuals who have never played any type of table top rpg.

With that said it offers nothing to those of us who are more familar with gaming other than a couple pre-generated dungeons, a handful of cookie cutter npcs, a generic villan, and story thread that I can only describe as unacceptable. Certainly 3.5 had its good modules and its bad ones, but with the price tag attached I was hoping "Keep.." would be a winner.

Unfortunately I'll just have to wait a couple more weeks and cross my fingers that the core set rule books and following modules will be at least minorly ambitious and have the faintest trace of passion for details.

I just finished reading through the material and I am loving how streamlined everything is. Here is my breakdown.

PRO:
NPCs have very concise and specific stat blocks and every encounter has the tactics laid out, takes a lot of the guesswork and digging out of DMing.

Minions! Minions are a new concept (in official rules at least) of monster that can help you shore up the numbers in a fight to make it more intense and memorable. A single (successful) hit kills them (1hp) but they have a high enough AC and attack to do some damage and be a considerable threat.

Everyone has powers. All the races and classes got a revamp and each have their own set of at-will, encounter and daily powers.

As far as intro level adventures go, this one is better than most. The story is well paced, plenty of fighting but it doesn't seem to get boring like some others (more goblins!?) and there is plenty of room to get creative before, during and after the adventure.

Con:
Price is a bit high for soft cover. I understand they added the "Quick start rules", but for $30 it should be thicker stock.

All the artwork previews I have seen for the new core rule books have been outstanding and an improvement to the 3rd edition. But this artwork isn't up to the same 4th edition caliber. It is just as good as 3rd ed stuff, but I was a little disappointed that they didn't kick it up at all.

Selection of characters. While I think each character is interesting and has its own cool powers, 5 is not enough for every group. WotC did post a 6th character on their site today though.

D&D Insider is not up. I know it won't be till the official launch, but it would have been nice to be able to download hi-res versions of the pictures and maps.

Overall:
I am very pleased with the new rules, the new characters and this adventure. I will be running this weekend and expect to see a lot of happy faces around the table. I recommend this for anyone who wants to get a head start on 4th edition and doesn't mind playing with a pre-gen character.

And just for those that are curious, here are the PCs:
Dwarven Fighter
Halfling Rouge
Human Wizard
Dragonborn Paladin
Half-elf Cleric
Tiefling Warlord.

I can't totally pan it, but I can't really recommend it either.

The layout & story writing & art are nice. They really are. You'll probably read a lot of reviews that trash the paper-stock, so I won't rehash any of that stuff here.

That being said, I can't help but feel this WOTC's version of Microsoft Vista - eg. certain things (like skills) were simplified at the expense of flavor. This adventure seemed a little too much hack-n-slash for me, & I feel like the new take on D&D was more influenced by computer RPGs like World of Warcraft (Fighter "powers"?). Couldn't there have been a different way to broaden the "sweet spot" than to go that route?

If you're going to buy this, do it while it is still $10 off. It isn't worth $29.95