Yig Snake Granddaddy | TTRPG Review
YIG SNAKE GRANDDADDY
Act 1: A Land Out Of Time
2020 | RPG Supplement | 5e | Horror-Fantasy
Reviewed by Daniel Yocom
“The notice was for adventurers to travel with a wizard to search for the Golden Tower. You’ve seem to remember something about the Tower, but nothing exacting. The talk is this expedition would earn you, and your fellow adventurers, the riches to set you for years to come, if not your life. It would be a grand adventure. There is just a matter of the job interview, which is to take place in the fighting pit at the town of Ventissa.”
Yig Snake Granddaddy is a campaign set in Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos (SPCM) designed for play with the 5E open license. Sandy Petersen’s name is known for board and role-playing games associated with the Cthulhu mythos. This campaign is an excellent addition to his library of work. I was given a PDF version for review purposes. The adventure is written by Sandy Petersen and Jonah Bomgars and was released by Petersen Games.
Yig Snake Granddaddy Act I: Land out of Time takes a part of the mythology of H.P. Lovecraft as it was depicted earlier times of our world and brings it to a your tabletop for fantasy roleplaying. To get the full effect of this adventure has to offer, I recommend you use Sandy Petersen’s Cthulhu Mythos setting. But, it isn’t a requirement. These adventures can be played within an existing game world without additional work. There will be some elements of using a horror setting that is lost without some of the additions, like the use of dread and sanity or the expanded information for the setting using the Cthulhu mythos.
Act I: Land out of Time is the first of a series of 4 books for the greater campaign of Yig Snake Granddaddy. The characters start as first level characters starting their careers. By the end of the series, the party has advanced to 15th level.
Land out of Time takes the party from new adventures to level 5. Here is the synopsis from the book.
“The campaign begins with a contest in which would-be adventurers compete for a spot on an expedition into a dangerous wilderness. They soon discover that creatures from prehistory are being pulled into the present, with disastrous consequences. As the PCs help the expedition find a path through the wilderness, they must face natural hazards and combat giant crocodiles, carnivorous slime molds, and even dinosaurs! After traversing half the continent, they are betrayed by their expedition leader, Gehir, a serpent folk in disguise who has far grander plans than he let on.”
The book is 92 pages and provides what a game master needs to guide their group to complete the first part of the grander campaign. The first half of the book is the 4 chapter, adventures by level, while the second half is information of NPCs, magic, and monsters.
At the end of each chapter, the party has earned enough experience to advance to the next level. This campaign flows smoothly from one chapter to the next. With each subsequent section, the tension of the story builds to provide some fun gaming sessions. The horror builds in controlled bites and can be played up nicely for everyone with minor adjustments to fit the desires of the group playing. With players with lower thresholds to the genre of horror, you can easily play this as an increase of story tension.
The information in the second half of the book is easy to use. Some of the creatures will be familiar to older gamers because they were present in earlier editions of the D&D game books (i.e., Gibbering Mouther). They are updated to fit the latest edition and applicable for this storyline. The encounter information can also be used in other adventure settings, like the dinosaurs.
Artwork is available for using at the table for giving visual representation of the monsters encountered. Fans of Cthulhu art and previous works from Petersen Games will find this comparable and there are details in those pictures to look for that aren't immediately obvious.
Overall
I’m a fan and writer of horror. I have a complete collection of Lovecraft’s works and have some horror short stories published. The development of Yig, Father of Snakes, in this work is impressive (which, I’ll, admit, I expected and hoped for). I’m pleased to tell you that if you want a good introduction to the mythos of Cthulhu for you and your gaming group, this is an adventure you need to play.
“You never thought being an adventurer would entail what you’ve had to do since you left the fighting pit of Ventissa. The darkness of it all weighs heavy on your spirits. Your prayers come to you more frequently and easily to your lips as you work to keep the darker thoughts at bay. But still, this is truly a quest that must be seen through till its end. Some might say it’s because the fate of the world hangs in the balance. For you there is something greater at risk—your soul.”
Yig Snake Granddaddy is available on Amazon
This review was originally published in the print and digital version of Issue Two of Tabletops & Tentacles. Subscribe TODAY!
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Daniel Yocom does geeky things at night because his day job won't let him. This dates back to the 1960s through games, books, movies, and stranger things better shared in small groups. He's written hundreds of articles about these topics for his own blog, other websites, and magazines after extensive research along with short stories. His research includes attending conventions, sharing on panels and presentations, and road-tripping with his wife. Join him at www.guildmastergaming.com.
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