Adventurer 39;s Guide

[Jens Loco]

Ifyou're a younger kid and you first discover Dungeons & Dragons, trying to get into the game and understanding it can be intimidating. I myself, as a person who loves the game and has been playing it for over two decades, can fully admit that I don't always understand every little thing, not do I know everything there is to know about everything in the game. Few do, and even many of those who boast that they do probably forget stuff from time to time. It's a rich game with deep lore and a lot of aspects to cover, and when you first start out, consuming it and understanding it can be a task. But it doesn't need to be, and thankfully, Wizards of the Coast and Ten Speed Press came together to form a new set of D&D books called the Young Adventurer's Guides.

These books serve as a beginner's guide to the game without specifically putting the game's rules in front of you like the Player's Handbook or the Dungeon Master's Guide would do. Each of these books is written by Jim Zub, who has been writing the D&D comic book series for IDW since 5th Edition was released back in 2014. But Zub isn't alone in these books as he is working with Stacy King and Andrew Wheeler to bring portions of the guides to life in a much more narrative and near encyclopedia format. When I first picked these up for the review, they reminded me a bit of the old Scholastic guides you could order at school. The kind that would have a ton of info about a subject broken down so that it was easy for someone to take in and digest, and I absolutely loved those kinds of books. So to see that here was a treat on a subject matter I already know well.

The first book in the series is on Monsters & Creatures. As you can see from the pages above and below this paragraph, each page takes a very specific subject and gives you a simplified version of the facts and information you need to know about them. Using the Beholder page above as an example, they go into why the creature looks the way it does and what each of the eye's beams can do if they use it. They also go into details about what the creature can do, where it lives, how big it is, and advice on what to do when encountering said creature. Not every page is like this, as you see from the Skeleton page it's simply an overall talk about what it is and why you encounter them from time to time. But it is helpful knowledge that you learn in the game over time compounded into a couple of paragraphs.

I enjoyed the first book a lot because it reminded me of having a pocket version of the Monster Manual. They cover the basic creatures you need to be aware of both on the fearsome side as well as the playful. They threw in some knowledge about the Pegasus and the Giant Turtle, as well as entire chapters on Vampires and Dragons. The Creatures & Monsters book makes for some mighty fine reading and helpful tips on what not to do when you come across one in the game.

The second book for Dungeons & Dragons: Young Adventurer's Guides is focused on Warriors & Weapons. This book, while filled with info, focuses on some very specific material and leaves some of it out (which we'll get to why later on). The first part of the book focuses on the various fantasy races in D&D. They do their best to give you an overview on everything from Humans to Tabaxi, Elf to Halfling, Orc to Tortle, Dragonborn to Kenku. Basically why each of them is super cool and worth your time to get to know them and what makes them tick as a creature. The second areas focuses on character classes, but it primarily focuses on those who use weapons and armor, since this guide is mainly about weapons as well. So roles like Barbarian, Ranger, Monk, and Rogue are covered in this section.

The third area goes over equipment. As you can see from the photo above, they go over everything you'll need in different forms of clothing, armor, and weaponry to help your character survive in a world where there are a lot of things that may kill your average adventurer. It's all basic equipment, no magical items or abilities as they're saving all of that fun stuff for another book on the way. One of the fun things about this is that there are character flowcharts to help you decide what kind of character you might like to play as, along with a small guide to helping develop your backstory within the D&D guidelines. Basically, by the time you're done reading this book, you'll have an idea of a character you'll like and may want to play as without having to scan over 200 pages in the Player's Handbook.

I really dug the Warriors & Weapons book as well, mainly for the fact that it's the kind of book that you give a kid and their imagination starts coming up with all sorts of ideas. And if they're a budding artist, there's a pretty good chance they'll start making a mock-up of their character or many other characters. Basically, this book is creative idea fuel. WotC and Ten Speed really hit it out of the park with these books and it makes me happy to see Dungeons & Dragons approached in a different manner that kids between the ages of 8-14 could grab this and pick up on very easily. And once they have an understanding of these materials, it wouldn't be too hard for them to eventually upgrade to one of the gamebooks and get more in-depth knowledge. I look forward to seeing more books in the series as time goes on. If you have kids who like the concept of D&D but you're not sure if they're ready for the game yet, this is a great stepping stone.

Cortina is a wonderful resort, unique in the world, surrounded by the most famous dolomitic peaks. It offers countless outdoor activities, both in summer and in winter: hiking, via ferrata routes and climbing are the main things to do in the hot season, while

alpine ski is one of the most popular activities during winter, together with ski mountaineering, snowshoeing and free-riding for those who prefer something on the wild side.

What I like the most about Cortina is that there is an itinerary suitable for anyone, regardless of their experience level, that allows you to enjoy truly magnificent views and nature in its pristine state.

Last but not least, her majesty Tofana di Rozes: the most important mountain of Cortina, where you can indulge in various itineraries reaching different characteristic alpine huts. For the more expert and trained hikers, a long and challenging ascent with exposed and technical passages leads to its peaks at 3244 meters, where it is possible to enjoy one of the most panoramic and stunning views of Ampezzo valley.

Every mountain guide has their own secret spots or routes that may not have a name and it would be difficult to describe in a short response. Honestly, if you want to leave the beaten track to reach unusual and lesser known locations, consider getting a guide. Everyone I work with at Guide Alpine Cortina comes from Cortina or nearby and knows the area better than anyone else.

Always check the weather conditions and and choose the right season for certain activities. It is extremely useful to consult with the locals, whether its at your hotel or with a professional guiding company, to understand the conditions for your itinerary. If you are unsure about anything on your route, talk to someone locally, since a lot of information is not on the internet.

Almost every hotel will offer some kind of breakfast and/or half board option where you can have a three course dinner at the hotel. Breakfast is often buffet style with a wide options including those for vegetarians and vegans (like my friend).

With our guide, we did a via ferrata route to Rifugio Nuvolau perched high on top of Mt. Nuvolau. You can also reach the top of Ra Gusela from here too and it can be done as a normal hike without any equipment. For those who want to try Via Ferrata for the first time, this is a nice and easy one for any skill level. To read more about this hike we did, check out my Hiking Cinque Torri and Rifugio Nuvolau post.

Though both Lago di Sorapis and Lago di Braies are popular spots, we opted to go to Lago di Sorapis since the trailhead was right by our hotel, which meant we left there at 6 am, got there around 7:30 and had the lake mostly to ourselves. The sunrise hike was stunning with a very moderate climb most of the way. The lake was a little drier that time of year than we expected, but it was still very beautiful. You can walk around the lake and further here. Definitely go early. On our way down at about 9 am, there were so many more people coming up, who had just finished their breakfast at the hotel. You can read more about our Sunrise Hike To Lago di Sorapis.

We hiked here after coming down partway from Tofana di Mezzo. The hike goes through a forest, so it was a nice change of scenery from our other hikes. The lake and the restaurant itself is the payoff here. Such a gem of a find recommended to us by a local.

Sort of a mix between hiking and rock climbing, Via Ferrata (Iron Path) is a method of traversing more difficult paths with the add of metal ladders or rains. With the add of a harness and carabiners to clip in for safety, you can take in the view from spectacular vantage points that are otherwise inaccessible if you were just hiking. I highly recommend doing this and I definitely recommend doing it with a guiding outfit so they can provide you with the right equipment and take you to some of the best routes.

Plenty of mountain biking routes and lifts to take your bike up. No need for shuttling. There are both paved and wild paths for all different skill levels. You can also rent mountain e-bikes to assist in the uphill climbing sections. This was one of our activities that we wished we had some more time for.

If you want to treat yourself, look at the Cristallo Hotel. This was what we wanted to book, but we decided to save our splurge nights in Alta Badia, midway through our week. Our short list of luxury choices also included the Rosapetra SPA Hotel and the Grand Hotel Savoia.

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