is the second adventure to be published by Wizards that is set in the new campaign world of Eberron. It can be played quite effectively as a stand-alone module, but is also designed to be the third part of the series that began with The Forgotten Forge (which could be found in the ) and continued with . It is a 32 page softcover book, staple-bound, with interior black and white illustrations.
Designed for use with four 4th level characters, Whisper is an interesting module. In essence, it is a chase module, of the sort that one sees with The Mummy Returns or possibly Van Helsing - a variety of exotic locales and situations as the PCs try to catch up to the fugitive.
This adventure is written in a manner that makes it very easy for the DM to run. Each encounter begins with a "stat block" in which the prevailing conditions are described: Light, Sound, Reaction and Important Rules. That last is quite interesting, as it gives rules references that are likely to be used in the encounter. For instance, the first encounter (Impromptu Audition) notes that Grapple (PHB 155) and Forest Terrain (DMG 87) will be needed in the running of the encounter. This is, quite simply, a brilliant idea and I applaud Wizards for doing so in this adventure - I hope to see it again in the future!
The adventure is divided into five set pieces, each in different locations. A masquerade ball, a fight upon an airship, a fight in the lightning rail: these are some of the highlights of the adventure. All in all, the adventure has a very cinematic feel to it. It does evoke the pulp feel of the setting more than the noir, however.
I have not yet run this adventure, although I really want to in the near future, so I do not have the experience with it that I would like when reviewing. It is not a standard D&D adventure, but instead is something that evokes the exciting elements of Eberron quite convincingly. My main concern about the adventure is this: it may be too linear.
At the end of each set piece, the fugitive must get away, or the adventure is over. Honestly, if the PCs did capture the fugitive in the first encounter, then there wouldn't be a problem for the storyline. That's fine; it's just that there'd be a lot of adventure left unused. Personally, I don't think the fugitive would get captured so easily, but players will be players!
Where else the adventure seems strained is in some of the transitions from set piece to set piece. By the end of the adventure, it is quite possible that player fatigue may set in - "You mean he escaped again?" - and the PCs would seem to spend a little to long aboard the lightning rail. Some DM inventiveness is likely to be needed to fill in the holes.
This adventure incorporates urban, wilderness and dungeon sections, and I do think it is a fine addition to the Eberron line. Because of the use of devices that are very much part of Eberron, such as the Lightning Rail and the Airship, it probably would not port very well into another world, though perhaps the basic ideas would.
Content: 4
The module provides the basis for an exciting and fun adventure, with a great variety of challenges. That is something I prize greatly in an adventure.
Clarity: 5
With the references to rules you might need, along with a great layout that displays most of what you need to run the encounters, this is one of the clearest modules I've seen in a while.
Layout/Artwork: 4
The cover is by Wayne Reynolds, who has prepared the covers for the previous Eberron products as well; I'm not a great fan of his style, but it works passably well. However, the interior artwork by Steve Prescott is exceptional. The maps, by Todd Gamble, are very good as well. I do have a reservation about the watermark, however; although it's generally quite effective, the italic text used for "read aloud" text doesn't show up very well against it. This is only a minor problem, however.
Originality: 5
I haven't seen a D&D adventure quite like this one, so I'm giving it high marks for what it does - and for doing it in a manner that looks like it works! Of course, the situations are drawn from literature and film, but that doesn't detract from the overall accomplishment.
Editing: 3
There are problems with some of the stats, mainly ignored size modifiers, which is a pity.
Value: 4
Adventures are expensive by their very nature, but I don't think 32 pages for $9.95 is that much, especially given the rising prices of other games.
Overall: 4
is an good adventure module that should provide several hours of entertainment to you and your players. It is well based in the world of Eberron and, to my mind, does a better job of evoking the special characteristics of that world than the does. I now impatiently await the release of Grasp of the Emerald Claw, the final adventure in this series.