A review copy of “Cerberus’ Lair: Torkhund’s Forge” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
Support my work by using affiliate links for shopping and pledging via Patreon.
Designed by: Revel Tales
Cerberus’ Lair: Torkhund’s Forge sounds like the name of an awesome underground dungeon crawl, but it’s actually a compendium of 100 magic items.
The items in Torkhund’s Forge are all either Uncommon or Rare, most likely designed for lower-level parties, or to be found as more common loot in higher levels.
There’s a solid amount of item variety, from the usual weapons and armor to belts, arrows, instruments, and headgear.
Unfortunately none of the items include flavor text, history, or even exciting names. Armor that grants the Freedom of Movement spell once per days is imply called Mobility Armor. A pair of magic throwing daggers are Twin Daggers.
None of these items are legendary artifacts; I wasn’t expecting paragraphs of lore or detail, but some personality and flavor would go a long way, particularly on weaker items that aren’t otherwise very interesting.
There are some mechanical problems as well, namely items that add skill modifiers, like +2 to Stealth, or +4 to Performance. Fifth Edition streamlines individual skills into just Proficiency and attribute modifier – that’s it (aside from Expertise and Jack of all Trades, which both derive from PB). Individually modifying skills goes against 5E’s simplicity. Use advantage or disadvantage, and create limitations or situations to balance when needed.
Despite the focus on low-power items, there are some good ideas presented here. Hunter’s Armor is only usable by Ranger’s, granting a once per day Invisibilty, but only working against their favored enemy. The Gangrene Greatsword can do a big necrotic AOE attack by slamming the sword into the ground, while the Cloak of the Ultra-Dimensional Weapon grants the wearer the neat weapon-shunting feature of the Pact of the Blade Warlock.
The best feature of the supplement is its visual layout. Torkhund’s Forge looks like a professional product released by Wizards of the Coast, with matching background, font, and style, but what really sells the entire thing is the artwork. Over 40 pieces of item art are included. Most of the items are generic-looking, but it adds a lot to the end result.
Pros:
- 100 uncommon and rare magic items, including rings, weapons, arrows, and instruments.
- Attractive layout with art for over 40 items.
Cons:
- Items that grant additional skill modifiers aren’t a good fit for 5e.
- Some grammatical errors.
The Verdict: An attractive layout and plenty of artwork elevate the otherwise average collection of low-level magic items found in Cerberus’ Lair: Torkhund’s Forge.
A review copy of “Cerberus’ Lair: Torkhund’s Forge” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
Support my work by using affiliate links for shopping and pledging via Patreon.
RogueWatson 