This review is sponsored by the author, Travis Gray. You can find this product on the Dungeon Master’s Guild with the following link: https://www.dmsguild.com/product/356957?affiliate_id=1395702
Hello, fellow adventurers and game masters! I’m back once again to review a new DM’s Guild supplement for one of my favorite D&D settings, Theros! This time, we’re diving into the setting’s most reclusive polis with Travis Gray’s Theros: Encounters in Setessa. If that name sounds familiar, it’s because I also reviewed his Theros Campaign Handbook, which you should also check out if you’re looking to enhance your experience beyond what Mythic Odysseys of Theros can provide.
If you’ve read my review before, you know I don’t offer obscure ratings like 3.5/5 stars; this review will include aspects about this product I enjoyed, as well as criticisms I had that you may want to consider before buying this product. If you disagree with my assessment or want to dive deeper into some of my points, leave a comment below!
Why Should You Buy This Book?
When running a campaign in Theros, you’ll likely be dropping enough lore about Setessa and its penchant for turning away outsiders to send your party’s curiosity into overdrive. But once they get inside, perhaps by calling in a previous favor or as a party member’s reluctant journey back home, what do you do then? Mythic Odysseys of Theros dedicates three pages to this arboreal wonderland, and most of that is used to describe its culture and famous landmarks. While these are incredibly useful bits of information, very little of it is what you might call actionable.
That’s where Theros: Encounters in Setessa steps into the picture! This supplement contains 31 different events you can introduce to your party at any moment to break up stagnant moments or, more importantly, help the characters experience the unique culture of Karametra’s chosen polis. Whether it’s watching a retired soldier willingly transform into a druidic caryatid, helping a boy convince his lover to join him on his peregrination, or helping a local apothecary clear her house of rats (which gives me a sudden urge to play an Elder Scrolls game), these encounters are guaranteed to give your players a truly Setessan adventure.
Another perk of this supplement: it includes an actual map of Setessa! You’ll immediately recognize it if you’ve already purchased the Theros Campaign Handbook, but I give definite kudos for including it here, too. Oh, and did I mention that, at the time of this writing, this product is only $3.95? For everything this product includes, that’s a steal.
Finally, it would be a disservice to omit how great this product looks with the near-seamless integration of evocative art. You can clearly tell Travis put a lot of effort into ensuring this book was both visually and thematically appealing!
Something to Consider
Beyond small editing nitpicks, one thing I wanted out of Theros: Encounters in Setessa were more Future Plot Hooks. Honestly, I think every encounter listed should have a future hook involved, and here’s why. When I pull random (or not-so-random if one catches my eye) encounters for a module, there’s already a surrounding narrative to guide me, as the DM, with the follow-through/ramifications of my party’s actions. In scenarios like this, where you’re given only the broadest of strokes from Mythic Odysseys on how Setessa functions, those future plot hooks can either support a current narrative or help DMs develop a whole new story just from that encounter. In the encounter I mentioned before about the young man coming back home to convince his lover to join him on his pilgrimage, a great future hook could be him asking the party to protect him on a journey to Meletis, or to help his lover learn more about the Ophis Tower. In either case, it prompts the party to continue engaging with a narrative thread instead of abandoning it because the encounter has concluded.
In Conclusion
If you’re looking for new ways to enhance your players’ experiences in Theros’ woodland paradise, Theros: Encounters in Setessa is an incredible starting point. Each of the 31 unique events are guaranteed to simultaneously entertain and enrich your party’s time in Setessa, and many of them include follow-up events depending on how the original encounter is resolved. And the fact that it costs less than a 20 piece McNugget makes it well worth your time and attention.
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