Bathtub Review: The Doom of the Dark

Bathtub Reviews are an excuse for me to read modules a little more closely. I’m doing them to critique a wide range of modules from the perspective of my own table and to learn for my own module design. They’re stream of consciousness and unedited critiques. I’m writing them on my phone in the bath. The Doom of the Dark is a 35 page module for Tunnels and Trolls by Patrick Stuart with illustrations by Amanda Lee Franck. A pitch? Bah humbug, who needs a pitch? Honestly, I backed it on Kickstarter just for the names, and I’m not even sure what I’m in for. Who needs a pitch? Well, most players, I think. I’d pitch this to my players as a 2-3 session ticking-time-bomb dungeon delve that evokes dark fairy tales and the dream-logic puzzles fairy tale heroes face. The decision not to make a pitch or summary is intentional, with Stuart clearly falling in the camp that the reader should experience the module as they turn the pages. You’ll need to read this at least once, and perhaps take notes…