A review copy of “What Crooked Roots: 15 Folk-Horror Encounters for 5e” was provided by the publisher. Find more reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
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Designed by: Cassi Mothwin
Most encounter books focus on a single biome or theme. What Crooked Roots has both: horror and forests. The 15 folk-horror encounters explore the dread, unease, and danger of exploring wild forests and rural villages.
The subtitle for What Crooked Roots specifically mentions “roleplay encounters.” In other words, don’t expect a lot of combat or puzzles. Think more like a horror movie (or series), and the slow buildup of dread, punctuated by some freaky moments or shocking twists.
In “Rapture,” one small village is completely empty, save for houses filled with snakes, and lots of pristine clothing hung on lines. Inside one house sits a figure. Not a person, a creation of mud and food. Disturbing it or making a mess causes it to animate and attack the party, the result of a ritual gone terribly wrong (which also turned the villagers into snakes).
The party comes across a group of people in animal masks dancing around a fresh burial mound in “A Small Burial.” The mound holds a fresh corpse with a crudely constructed animal mask. The people are actually animals who were magically transformed into people. They’re trying to make another one, unsure of how to complete the ritual, and lack the mannerisms (and morality) of actual people.
My favorite encounter is also the longest, “Vow of Silence.” A farmer tasks the party with clearing a group of creepy nature-loving tieflings from his corn fields.
Twist number one: the tieflings are friendly and good-natured. They’re trying to cleanse the evil from the corn field using an admittedly creepy-looking ritual.
Twist number two: the “farmer” is actually a devil in disguise, and preparing to unleash a plague of locusts by growing them inside the cursed corn! By betraying the farmer and helping complete the nature ritual, the party actually prevents an evil act. Now that’s an awesome subversion of a classic trope!
Not all the encounters are inherently evil. “If Mounds Could Speak,” is the forest equivalent of a Sarlacc Pit from Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. If you feed it, it bestows a magical tattoo that can cast the entangle spell (“bestow” = briefly strangle you with vines to imprint the tattoo).
The encounter book lacks maps, though with almost no combat, they’re hardly necessary. It does feature some amazing original artwork from the designer. Almost every encounter is enhanced with wonderfully immersive line art depicting creepy scenes and scenery.
I also loved the meaty introduction that breaks down the folk-horror subgenre, and the original short story. Sprinkled over five different pages, the short story takes the reader through several of the listed encounters. It’s a perfect example of horror pacing, with a classic shocking twist at the end.
Pros:
- 15 folk-horror encounters for creepy forests and trails.
- Like a good movie, the best encounters are immersive and memorable.
- Evocative short story weaves together several encounters.
- Original artwork on every page.
Cons:
- Most of the shorter encounters are too short and unsatisfying.
- Lacks maps (though most encounters eschew combat).
The Verdict: With a firm grasp of the nature-infused subgenre of folk-horror, What Crooked Roots is full of intriguingly creepy and wonderfully immersive encounters.
A review copy of “What Crooked Roots: 15 Folk-Horror Encounters for 5e” was provided by the publisher. Find more reviews on my website and YouTube channel.
Support my work by using my affiliate links and pledging via Patreon.
RogueWatson 