H3: Bloodstone Wars (1987) is the weakest in the series. First indication is the fact that it recycles art. The lone interior illustration originally appeared in H2 and the cover is the same Jeff Easley painting that fronts the Battlesystem box set. Like H2, the Battlesystem usage is optional here, but that fact is also far more puzzling as so much of the module is organized around, well, wars. It’s right there in the title.

It is amidst the battles that the regular adventuring takes place, which is essentially a sortie to remove the assassins that are harrying the good guy officers and hampering the war effort. It’s fine, it just seems like not something the player characters should be handling at this point? Because the underlying theme of the adventure is tied to rulership. The barony is now theirs; the people need their protection and leadership. It seems improbable to have the baron go off to deal with a stronghold of assassins.

The other big problem is the Forgotten Realms logo sneakily stuck on the BACK cover. Where the first two volumes were generic, this one has the additional task of retrofitting Bloodstone to fit into the newly developing campaign setting. Honestly, they do it well enough, but it is still another THING everyone has to CONTEND with. But then, maybe that’s the true lesson of leadership. Heavy is the head that wears the crown and all that.