A review copy of “Snake Among Serpents” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.
Designed by: Vincent Oscar
A far eastern-inspired farm village is threatened by an occupying army, poisoned crops, and unnatural snake attacks in Snake Among Serpents, a refreshingly grounded 5th level mini-adventure for D&D 5e.
Snake Among Serpents features one of the more interesting, yet uncomplicated plots of any mini-adventure I’ve reviewed, and gracefully avoids tropes or cliché traps related to its setting (Kara-Tur in Faerun, but could easily be dropped anywhere).
Dyamwei is a small farm village near the mountainous sacred lands of a yuan-ti clan. A truce exists between the two lands. But lately tensions have been frayed thanks to the arrival of an occupying enemy army in the village.
Under the strain of starvation and tyranny, the village chief has gone full scorched earth, poisoning his own rice crops, and willing to let the entire village die to spite the soldiers.
He’s using venom from a captured young naga, the son of the naga queen at the yuan-ti site of Cobra Head. It’s an awesome twist, as the party is led to believe their yuan-ti neighbors are the source of the villagers’ problems.
The adventure is written non-linearly, meaning there’s no Act 1, Act 2, etc. The village is broken down into key locations and NPCs, with ample, detailed information and tables to immerse your players and show off the village’s plight.
The NPC section alone is over 15 pages, and features backgrounds, motivations, relationships, and RP notes for over half a dozen NPCs.
The yuan-ti shrine is a fun series of challenges and puzzles, including an excellent encounter with 2D shadow monsters in a well-lit chamber. But it’s also excessively linear; what should have been a nice little dungeon crawl is a series of rooms, with little exploration from the players.
The story and twist are immensely satisfying, including a fun bit toward the end, where the naga queen is actually good-aligned, and constantly works to keep her evil spirit naga sister at bay, while sending her forces to rescue her captured son.
I wish the ending were a bit more scripted, however.
The Final Showdown provides a few paragraphs of helpful information, but it lacks a scripted confrontation between the chief, the tyrannical captain, the villagers, and the captured naga. There’s a lot that could happen, and the more information I have to pull of a satisfying ending, the better!
Overall I’m very impressed with this adventure. Full color battle maps and a well-written adventure flow help make it easy to run and play. The far eastern themes are clear but subtle, and the title is a clever tease for the real evil that lurks at the heart of the adventure.
Pros:
- Interesting plot with satisfying twist and multiple antagonists.
- Multiple adventure hooks for player motivations.
- Immersive event tables for each location.
- Extensive notes on over half a dozen important NPCs.
- Several full color battle maps.
Cons:
- Yuan-ti shrine dungeon is too linear.
- Needs a more scripted ending.
The Verdict: With a grounded story, cinematic pacing, and perfect balance of combat, exploration, and role-playing, Snake Among Serpents is a refreshing adventure that utilizes serpentine foes in fun new ways.
A review copy of “Snake Among Serpents” was provided by the publisher. Find more DMs Guild Reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.
RogueWatson 