Deep Carbon Observatory splits people down the middle. One camp calls it a modern OSR masterpiece: atmospheric, novelistic game design. The other calls it an unplayable, poorly formatted draft that fails basic table-utility standards. Both camps are describing the same book.
I'm on the side that loves the ideas. The premise is a drained lake that reveals sunken Underdark ruins, and the whole book leans into it. Patrick's purple prose works for me. It suits the place, and I don't have a problem with it. The art is just not for me.
The table-use complaint is fair, and even the strongest supporters admit it. They call it a beautiful Frankenstein's monster: it demands heavy GM prep, or it's best mined for parts. The detractors go one step further and say to keep the core premise and build the adventure from scratch.
That split is the whole story of the book. The ideas are worth the trip. The package makes the trip harder than it should be.
Worth a look for the ideas, with heavy prep.
