Crypt Of The Wizard Nts
Ludivina Speed
Corpses as a resource: yes I should run with that. Currently you can make your heaviest tank unit out of flesh. Brains are used for food by ghouls (which are rare, or did I even take them out entirely?) and hungry dwarves which I never play with. Brains also makes life essence which upgrades your wizard's spells. I've recently added turning life essence into spawner skulls - so if there is no spawner rock(marble) nearby then there is still a way to make barracks.
Currently working mostly on the random maps: including adding a 'clear path to portal' challenge option: where you don't start hidden: you start with invaders spawning almost immediately - that's spiced it up a bit.
It's very interesting! A sort of Dwarf Fortress meets DOTA. I think something's wrong with stockpiles, though. I can only build one, and then new ones must be touching the original, which really limits how far you can play.
The first publication of Skeeter Green Publishing clocks in at 44 pages, 1 page front cover, 1 page inside of front cover, 1 page editorial, 1 page SRD, 1 page advertisement, 1 page back cover, leaving us with 38 pages of content, so let's take a look!
So, let's start with the first thing you'll notice upon opening the module: The covers are sturdy and detachable and hold a massive map of the main adventure area; and, before you ask, the electronic iteration des feature a full-color, player-friendly iteration as well as a graphic of the somewhat isometric overland map; these two, for once in my life, are actually components, though, which, while helpful, do not account for my eternal cries for player-friendly material; oh no. Yeah, I kinda got what I usually complain incessantly about. But guess what? The module goes a step further. The softcover saddle-stitched module with its delightfully old-school-y detachable cover? It comes with something that should have been standard for years, but isn't.
This booklet is 6'' by 9'' (A5), and it shows regions and rooms found in the module. From a parchment/treasure-map to a sea hiding a barely (but clearly!) visible entrance to a complex to a hallway with walls studded in hieroglyphs and strange pictograms, the module takes one of the best pages out of Goodman Games' playbook and escalates it to the level that I wanted to see. Yep, you heard right. A 20-page handout booklet (6'' by 9''/A5) for the players. F*** YEAH!
...hem. Apologies. So, this booklet is where a lot of the module's budget went, its artworks far superior to the other pieces within, but guess what? That's how it should frickin' be. The handouts? Everyone at the table gets to see them. What good is a gorgeous, beautiful map, if only the GM gets to see it? What good is a lavish fight-scene depicting some iconics instead of the PCs? What good is an assassination scene that the PCs won't witness, and that spoils the mystery of an investigation? Bingo. This module, for once, prioritizes where its art-budget should go correctly, providing cool artwork where it's seen. Huge frickin' kudos. If anything, other publishers should take a careful look at the module for that reason alone.
Anyhow, where was I? So, this is the first of the "Tales of the Black Tower", but the module very much is a stand-alone offering - you'll have no more annoying dangling plot-threads than in any other adventure, i.e. enough to hook the next module in a wide variety of ways, and enough to run this as stand-alone, should you so desire. Nominally, the module is recommended for 3rd level characters, but is designated as a difficult adventure - this difficulty, just so you know, stems from how it challenges the players. Veterans may tackle this as soon as 1st level (provided the GM tones down the combat encounters), and much like my previous comparison with Goodman Games' DCC-modules, I'd actually consider this in aesthetics close to them: This is a pulp fantasy exploration that values player skill over character skill. Save-or-die-scenarios are absent, but the module is still deadly. In short: It is a hard module, but it remains fair in its difficulty.
The module features boxes of read-aloud text, and sidebars "Behind the GM-screen" that further elaborate on the proceedings within. As far as OSR-rules are concerned, we have Swords & Wizardry as the designated rule-set, which means one save, HD-rating, morale rating and both ascending and descending AC-values. Some monsters are taken from Frog God Games' Monstrosities bestiary, but all information required to run them is included in the adventure. Random encounters, where applicable, are slightly more detailed than usual, featuring brief descriptions as well as the relevant stats. References to stats or sections have been bolded in the text, and proper formatting has been implemented, making the parsing of the adventure information reliable.
It should be noted that the module has an implicit setting that can easily be adapted to desert /wasteland environments, including wilderness random encounter tables, but which has a distinct Mesopotamian slant - while it is easy enough to get rid of this flavor component, I'd genuinely suggest not doing so, for it imho adds to the unique flavor of the adventure.
All right, only GMs around? Great! So, we begin with a scroll, that feels like it's been taken out of the Nemedian Chronicles, weaving the yarn of mighty god-emperor/wizard Kersete, and the vengeance the entity has wrought upon partially successful insurgencies; Kersete may not be active in the world right now, but the mighty being remains unconquered, and indeed, both in nomenclature and in the way all of this background story is conveyed, we have distinct impressions of a twist on the Gilgamesh epic, save that we have an excerpt from a chronicle of an antithesis of the myth, of a deadly being.
The module presents essentially the entrance to the Black Tower where Kersete lairs, but unlike many modules that are parts of series, it is a feature-complete experience sans dangling threads, should you choose to run it right now.
Structurally, the module makes a whole bunch of daring decisions I love seeing: For one, there is a pretty good chance that the players may not even find the proper finale; false treasure-rooms and ends are included, and indeed, unless your players are really SMART, they may not even find the potential entrance to the Black Tower or the module's boss encounter.
Combat is sparse once inside the complex, and indeed, the primary focus lies on traps and creative problem solving. It is my utmost delight to note that there is not a single sucky "invisible line"-trap herein. This adventure employs the best trap design I have seen all year, regardless of system; heck, it ranges among the best adventures out there in that regard, period. You see, not only are the traps CLEVER, they can't be simply disarmed with a roll of the dice - the module expects the party to act in a small manner, and the traps MAKE SENSE. There is a thorough commitment to the complex MAKING SENSE. There is, for example, a checkered floor, obviously trapped, that sports a time-waster of sorts, and deadly gas - this gas is delivered in sequence of types, with only the final one being lethal, and allowing the party enough time to rescue their compatriots. Can it TPK the party? Yeah, sure. But that'd be a deserved loss. One of my favorites is a kind of moving, thin ledge that needs to be traversed - it's made of flint, and creates rains of sparks that ignite essentially kerosene-like fuel in the pit below. It can be jammed, used in tricky manners, heck, even weaponized by smart parties.
It's VERY hard to describe just how meticulously the module sticks to the paradigm of providing a fair, but thoroughly challenging dungeon for people who want more out of the game than rolling to hit (though that is included as well!). It took me a while to fully appreciate how intricately and well designed the whole complex is, how it systematically emphasizes being smart over dice rolls. And how it uses its handout booklet and the depictions there to further create these challenges and portray them in a fair manner. There, in the back...isn't that an impaled skeleton? As the party ventures down the corridor, they get ANOTHER handout that shows the scene in more detail. And attentive players really do get an edge in the exploration of the tomb.
Interesting would also be another aspect, though this might be primarily a thing that GMs notice: There is this old adage that stipulates that any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. Well, guess what? That's kinda the leitmotif here. From the player's side of things, the dungeon can feel very much like a magical dungeon with some oddities; from a GMs perspective, we see the purpose of all, the intricate commitment to detail and intelligent notions. Yes, this is pulpy, but it's up to you how and whether you'd emphasize these components, and the party won't end the exploration with some anachronistic blaster rifles. In fact, in many ways, the party is cast in the roles of e.g. Conan and similar heroes facing things beyond their comprehension. If you've followed my reviews, you'll know that my comparisons with my beloved barbarian are reserved to adventures and supplements that really do a good job of capturing this ephemeral atmosphere. All of the traps make sense, and there is not a single "a wizard did it"-moment. The module can be mean, tough, and brutal, but it always remains FAIR and retains a perfect commitment to plausibility.
We have a constant, almost obsessive commitment to excellence and foresight regarding EVERYTHING. From how the handouts are implemented, to how it TEACHES what sets it apart from other modules. You've heard me gush about e.g. Harley Stroh's DCC-modules, and how they work; it could be claimed that this adventure goes a similar route, but teaches the PLAYERS from the get-go how to ROLEPLAY the problem-solutions required in the adventure from the onset. What do I mean by that? Well, there is, for example, a kind of storage room that contains various tools that can be helpful. Their presence makes sense. Removing plaster from the walls? You know, that might actually be a GOOD idea here! This dungeon wants you to engage with it, and not consider the walls to be textured like in a computer game. This notion is driven home from the get-go, for the crypt is at the bottom of an oasis' lake. Opening the crypt will mean that the party has to wait until the water has drained. They'll also have destroyed, you know, an oasis in the wastelands. Choice, consequence, written in all-caps letters right there. And guess what? They might well accidentally create a sand-water sludge for a moment - this is, essentially, a safe-zone tutorial that does not, not for a second *feel* like one; instead, you genuinely feel a) clever and b) like people exploring an ancient place of wonders.
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