I love the combined cover/map. Original and effective use of space. Artwork is gorgeous.
The layout is beautiful! Even before reading the text, it’s possible to see at a glance intro, tables, encounter areas, stats. Great use of boxes, colour, fonts.
Imaginative interpretation of the title: the staff is not just a found object or goal of the quest, it is the location in which the adventure takes place. Allows the adventure to be dropped in to any campaign without any elaborate setup.
Slightly bonkers setting, great Appendix N vibe. Nice balance of puzzles, traps and combat. Would work very well for DCC or Moldvay Basic.
Overall, looks like a great adventure. I would use this.
Critique:
- If the party succeed in obtaining the Eldritch Staff, what are its powers? The same as the Spirit?
- Just a thought: might it be better to put the intro text and random encounters on the back page, so all the numbered encounter areas are together on the inside spread?
- Minor nitpick: a few grammar errors (singular-plural accord between nouns and verbs) and strange punctuation choices (unnecessary comma, semicolons where a comma would make more sense). Really very minor with no affect on playability.