Gornatův hvozd Adventure Review

"The rustling of ancient trees fades, and you catch a glimpse of a beautiful woman's bust. You smell chamomile in the air, and soon you spot several graceful figures in the shadows of the massive trunks." That is how I would describe one of the many locations in Gornatův hvozd to my players. So, what does this adventure for Old-School Essentials actually hide? Come find out with me and take a walk under the canopy of ancient trees for a while.

What is this adventure about?

Gornatův hvozd is an adventure module focused on exploring a vast, mystical forest. It assumes you take on the roles of low-level heroes—hungry for gold, power, and spells—and set out on an expedition among giant trees and forgotten monuments from a long-lost empire. The adventure revolves around finding a hidden villa and its riches, but it doesn't force players to pursue this goal, giving them plenty of room for their own exploration across more than 40 different locations.

Locations, player options, and interconnectedness

Why dive into Gornatův hvozd? The reasons are clear at first glance. It is primarily about gold rewards for various objectives within the forest. However, you will also find information that expands on the motivations of the quest-givers themselves or sheds new light on them. What does the powerful wizard want to use the books from the cursed villa for? Will the characters really get legal protection after completing the task?

Gornatův hvozd itself is a mix of classic fantasy—with giant bats, gluttonous frogs, and a cultist hideout—and several very strange phenomena. These are mainly forest spirits, moss creatures, and various unusual curses. Overall, players may get the impression that the deeper they go into the forest, the more mysterious and dangerous the adventure becomes. About one-third of the locations are interconnected through information, hints, similar random encounters, and various factions that players can often interact with. The module contains a significant number of non-player characters. Some are depicted quite vividly and even have their own information about the surroundings, traps, and spells. Others function as "named monsters"—leaders of small groups, long-forgotten undead, and all sorts of figures and characters that complete the feeling that the forest is vast and ancient.

Old-school style

The look and graphics of the RPG booklet evoke the feel of an "old-school" zine, aided by black-and-white illustrations. This approach has its pros and cons. The texts are written concisely, pointedly, and often with truly evocative descriptions that will spark your imagination. In many places, an attentive reader-GM will notice interesting details. However, due to the "old-school design," the text is densely packed. Sometimes you might continue reading and realize you are already one or two locations ahead. The GM will likely need to focus more while reading. The design also lacks "boxed text to read to players," which is not necessarily a bad thing. Descriptive texts compensate for this more than enough. Gornatův hvozd is simply a summary of locations, traps, and rewards. The interpretation is left in the hands of the GM.

Quality open-air adventure

Traveling between different locations is supported by paths and various—even hidden—routes. You will encounter a wide range of harmless, hostile, and helpful places with adequate rewards in the form of gold and jewelry, new spells, and adventure gear. The adventure includes several different maps—primarily the map of Gornatův hvozd itself (in a pointcrawl style), followed by maps of Lucrezia Vinalli's villa and the mysterious Abyss. Unlike other modules, the maps are hand-drawn with minimal scales or decorative elements. They feel like sketches from the days when we played RPGs after school with maps in our math notebooks. For an old-school experience, however, these maps are more than sufficient and evoke a certain nostalgia.

Who is Gornatův hvozd for?

I would recommend this adventure to people returning to RPGs after a break who want a classic fantasy setting with interesting elements and locations. I wouldn't hesitate to play it with players who want to try out old-school rules or games from the OSR scene. But above all, I think Gornatův hvozd is a great example of how you can play more extensive open-air adventures. And that such a journey into the wilderness can be more fun than staying in musty and overplayed dungeons.

author Vladimír Sattran