Open Grave Brings Creepy Undead and Sexy Vampires To 4E
"The hillllllllllls are alive...with the sound of muuuuusic."
The long tradition of Dungeons & Dragons bestiaries continues with next week’s release of Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. Surprise appearances by old favorites and new twists make this a great way to add some maggoty, rotting evil to your game world.
I’ve always loved these types of sourcebooks, whether it was the 3.5 Libris Mortis, the old van Richten’s guides, or two binders stuffed with Monstrous Compendium sheets. Open Grave doesn’t disappoint – it is a worthy addition to the Fourth Edition lineup. The book starts out with a healthy dose of fluff, explaining the difference between soulless undead, and undead with souls (something called “the animus” gives soulless undead their get-up-and-go). There’s a lengthy and thoroughly creepy chapter on undead anatomy. Did you ever wonder whether ghouls enjoy the taste when they devour flesh? Open Grave has the answer. The chapter has some interesting talk on the moral implications of slaying undead with souls – does some part of the formerly good being survive in that rotting shell?
That's so wrong.
The Dungeon master’s section takes up the bulk of the book, and it has lots of crunchy new rules. A host of new shambling, rotting, dripping, reeking creatures are waiting to gnaw upon your players. The Bonewretch Skeleton is singularly disturbing. Though only a level 4 creature, it’s…the animated skeleton of a child. Dude. There are some really cool ideas for undead encounters that don’t involve combat, such as using undead as traps or skill challenges. It’s a nice touch that should give creative DMs lots of new, diabolical ways to challenge PCs. Open Grave also has a small selection of boss-type high-level villains. I was happily surprised to find 4E stats for Strahd Von Zarovich, along with Vecna, Kyuss and a few demi-liches. Noice!
From the Victoria's Secret Boiled Leather Collection - lingerie that will stop an axe blow.
The book is more than just a DM’s toolbox, though. It presents undead lairs in a wide range of levels for players to explore (and loot). One intriguing section offers some long-term campaign arcs that allow undead critters to plague PCs (literally, in one case) throughout their careers. The political machinations of a suave vampire, the predations of a lich or an actual plague of undeath are great ideas for recurring villains and truly epic storytelling.
If your 4E campaign is lacking life, maybe it just needs more undead. There isn’t a problem in the world that a few dozen zombies can’t fix.
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January 16th, 2009 9:04 AM
I’m so glad to see D&D come out of its 2nd edition politically incorrect phobia.
January 16th, 2009 10:22 AM
I have really low expectaions for this book, however this is the second good review i’ve read. I’m really going to have to give it a good read at the game store.
January 16th, 2009 10:35 AM
Awesome. My “Fortnight of the Living Dead” campaign can finally get off the ground.
January 16th, 2009 10:45 AM
I run a “fantasy” setting with the World of Darkness rules, so I don’t buy as many 4e products as I bought 3(.5)e stuff. The stuff that I do get is like this– good on its own merits, like the 3.5 Fiendish Codices– those are great books.
January 16th, 2009 2:56 PM
BTW, that image of the lich breaking out of the tomb is the kick-assingest illustration I’ve seen in a long time.
January 16th, 2009 3:01 PM
I’d buy this, but my group doesn’t take change well. That and I’m not the DM.
January 16th, 2009 5:17 PM
ggodo: You speak as though we need some kind of justifiable reason to buy new gaming stuff.
January 18th, 2009 9:32 PM
“Comment by Ed Grabianowski
ggodo: You speak as though we need some kind of justifiable reason to buy new gaming stuff.”
That’s what my wife keeps telling me!
January 19th, 2009 11:17 PM
Vecna! Hell yeah!
January 20th, 2009 12:39 AM
[...] relatively few websites that actively review RPG books. That’s why I was happy to see that Robot Viking has reviewed Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. It isn’t uncommon for me to throw a few [...]
January 20th, 2009 4:34 PM
Dang, perhaps I sold my 4E books too soon. Still, is this bok good for someone that just didn’t get down with 4E? There enough “crunchy” material in the book?