Crapshoot Monday: This Free Thing I Found on Itch.io… Grout’s Gritty Gauntlet

A “dungeon” “adventure” by Odd Gob, level ?
System-Neutral
  Well this one was adorable. Grout’s Gritty Gauntlet is a “random dungeon” (actually, series of encounter rolls) that has an eight-page six-encounter gauntlet leading to a golem bossfight and a loot chest. It’s got cutesy art and charming-at-times in the writing, but in the end, it feels…artificial? Gamey?
  It’s a simple enough little conceit. Grout is some kind of wizard or imp or something who’s offering REWARDS to COMPLETE HIS GAUNTLET. Ignore the map, the map is a lie…instead, you’re supposed to roll 3d6 to “enter a chamber” and then have a “random” encounter. To quote the document:
       1. ENTER a chamber.
       2. CLEAR the chamber to PROGRESS.
       3. PROGRESS 6 times to enter the GOLEM’S ARENA.
       4. Defeat the GOLEM.
       5. Exit and receive your rewards!
  There’s also a chance that the party gets a PROGRESS for free, as well. Random circumstantial bonuses or negatives might apply based on how the roll went. The encounters are simple, all having a VIOLENT or a PACIFISTIC resolution outlined. If players think outside the box I guess you’re SOL because the computer code isn’t written to handle this. The GOLEM is a classic boss fight designed for cinematic effect, and who drops an actual loot chest. Cheer, and I guess…never use these characters again?
  Now what I liked here is the heart, Odd Gob is a well-meaning individual from what I can see. In addition to the art, there’s some neat little ideas in the magic items of the REWARD like a stone sword that explodes and reforms or a screaming torch. The designer at least understands that you should try to overcome challenges by means other than “hit their hit points until they explode”.
  What can be improved most of all is making this thing concrete. Have a map, even a linear railroad map, with thought about the sequence of play…because that, crucially, gives the players choices. Having a real (okay, imaginary but mapped) physical set of spaces gives choices to players beyond “figure out riddle or fight”. The encounters aren’t bad but giving a map to them lets gameplay actually happen. Next-level improvement is actually having things like traps (rewarding observant gameplay), secret doors (giving multiple paths to approach encounters), and hidden treasure (again, observant gameplay)…might be too much to ask for, but if Odd Gob could manage it, it’d be charming. Somebody might quibble with the tone here but I’ll allow it, a little light silliness is fine from time to time.
  The best use case for Grout’s Gritty Gauntlet is probably raiding it for the cutely illustrated magic items, and maybe taking the golem fight’s mechanics. As alienated as the premise is from anything else, it’s actually something very awkward to drop-in whole, unfortunately.
  Final Rating? */***** But I like you, Odd Gob, I believe you can do better.

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