I am often inspired visually for d&d, and this campaign was no exception. I first conceived of the setting when Magic the Gathering began releasing art previews for its newest "Block," the Innistrad Cycle. I'm no Magic player, but I keep an eye on the cards as the art is often excellent.
Innistrad is a particularly inspired set, and you can tell in the quality of the art. I suspect that the artists really dug the dark, gothic horror setting. After marveling at the images, I began to wonder how they could translate into a D&D game.
Obviously Ravenloft is the archetypal d&d as horror setting. I enjoy Ravenloft to a degree, but I feel that it preserves too many standard d&d-isms to truly embrace the theme. I didn't want to run the same game of Kill-the-Orcs, so I decided to avoid a straight game of Ravenloft (or the setting itself without major changes).
If I wasn't going to run Ravenloft, I still needed a rule-set for the campaign. One of the things that bugged me about the previous game were the Castles & Crusades rules we used. I was initially very excited to buy these books, but after seeing the game in play for 9 months, I have to say I'm no longer a fan. I cannot ever see myself choosing C&C over 1E in the future. For this game, I didn't want a complicated system, so I skipped 1E and went back to Basic. B/X is darn simple and perfect for modding to fit the genre.
After Innistrad and Ravenloft, the next big sources of inspiration were REH's Solomon Kane, the movies Van Helsing and Brotherhood of the Wolf, and Warhammer 40k's Inquisition. I decided that I wanted the characters to play warrior-monk inquisitors, wielding miraculous powers (modified cleric spells) and even black magic (wizard spells) if they were willing to risk corruption.
I planned to include gunpowder weapons from the start, so it made since to move the time-frame from medieval to post-Renaissance. Makes a lot more sense for gothic horror anyway. Most published "haunted house" adventures have also felt oddly out of sync with the medieval era to me.
I really like the random chaos mutations of Warhammer Role playing, so I worked those in as penalties for becoming corrupted. Corruption is a mechanic based on d20 Call of Cthulhu's handling of sanity. Rough yes, but working so far.
That's about as far as I got before the game was set to commence. I managed to type up a summary and put it in a pdf for the players, with the caveat that things were going to have to be adjusted during play. I wasn't interested in going with entirely original adventures (due to constraints on my free-time) so I pulled out Clerics Challenge II.
This little-known module featured a low-powered, undead themed murder mystery. After reading and running it, I'm not even sure it was designed for D&D. It doesn't feature a single demi-human/humanoid! No mythical monsters, no evil wizards either. Strange for a D&D module, but perfect for what I wanted.
So that's how I set the stage... tomorrow I'll post the character creation rules and talk about how the first couple sessions went.
Chaz
A Brand New Game
Here's the list of game possibilities I presented my players after the conclusion of our long-running, Ruins of Adventure using Castles & Crusades. SPOILER - #4 emerged victorious. I was happy to run any of these, but I must admit I was a little bummed that Carcosa didn't come out on top. Next time.
New Game Possibilities:
1.) Direct Sequel: D&D game set in the Forgotten Realms, following the extended exploits of the Phantastic Phlan Phorce Phour. Would be a high level game featuring legendary locations, iconic monsters, and mass combat!
2.) Space!!!:Military science fiction using D&D rules as a base. Navigate the tumultuous politics of the Tenebrous Nebula sub-sector. Space marines, xenomorphs, star-fighters,and ancient alien ruins. Inspiration: Traveler, Starcraft, Mass Effect, etc.
3.) Sandal& Sorcery: A bronze-age fantasy of gritty heroism set in a mythic antediluvian civilization. Would start in the arena of an ancient and oppressive empire. Inspiration: Kull of Atlantis, Sinbad and the Golden Voyage, Dark Sun Setting, Hyperborean Age,etc.
4.)Gunpowder & Witchcraft: Play a witch-hunter in a land overrun by supernatural horror. Gothic, Germanic setting, age of reason era technology.Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts, and Demons likely antagonists. Inspiration:Solomon Kane, Ravenloft Setting, Van Helsing, etc.
5.) Gonzo Game: Planetary adventure mixed with Call of Cthulhu. Play a cyborg/mutant/wizard, ride dinosaurs into battle, wield ray guns, and fight against the minions of the Great Old Ones. Inspiration: John Carter of Mars, Den (of Heavy Metal), Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, etc.
After #4 came out as the definitive winner, I decided to write up a Campaign Pitch to get the players in the right head set to make characters. This is what I came up with (borrows heavily from MTG's Innistrad, which served(serves) as primary inspiration):
New Campaign: Shadows over Vysehrad
In the land of Vysehrad, no one questions the existence of evil. Since the beginning, man has battled against the forces of darkness. Packs of werewolves emerge like the tide, drawn out by the moon, their humanity washed away by animal rage. Ancient vampire families bare their fangs at the scent of human blood. Hordes of the walking dead lurch across the foggy moors, driven by a hunger for the living. Surgically created abominations twitch to life in alchemists' laboratories. Geists haunt the huddled human towns and terrify travelers along the dark crossways in between. From Vysehard's deepest chasms, powerful demons and impish devils plot humanity's downfall, their influence spreading into all echelons of human society.
Still, there are those who are willing to stand against the night. Members of an ancient and sacred order, dedicated to the preservation of life and the banishment of evil. Armed with intimate knowledge of your foe’s weaknesses, holy relics, and miraculous powers of faith, you venture into the haunted places of the world. You are a brother of the Ordo Ex-Malificarum, and now is the time of the inquisition!
Synopsis: As a Witch-hunter, you will hunt and kill Vampires, Werewolves, Demons and more!
System: Modified D&D (See Rules)
Genre: Gothic Horror, Dark Fantasy, Pulp Adventure
Inspiration: Innistrad Block, Averoigne Cycle, Dracula, Van Helsing, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Dark Heresy, World of Darkness
Things to Know Before Play:
This journey will be the first time you’ve left the outpost at Ravensroost since you came here to be trained as a boy. Now you are a Noviate, a brother in training. In order to be considered for full initiation, you must complete one last task – assist your aging mentor, Furan Leopold, to complete his final circuit as a Prelate. If you succeed, Furan will join the ranks of the Perfecti before he dies, and you will become a brother of the Ordo Ex-Malificarum.
The first stop on Leopold’s circuit is Barluex, the seat of Videns Parish. Usually a quaint and peaceful village, word has reached you of a brutal murder, taking place just days after the famous Vintner’s Fest…
New Game Possibilities:
1.) Direct Sequel: D&D game set in the Forgotten Realms, following the extended exploits of the Phantastic Phlan Phorce Phour. Would be a high level game featuring legendary locations, iconic monsters, and mass combat!
2.) Space!!!:Military science fiction using D&D rules as a base. Navigate the tumultuous politics of the Tenebrous Nebula sub-sector. Space marines, xenomorphs, star-fighters,and ancient alien ruins. Inspiration: Traveler, Starcraft, Mass Effect, etc.
3.) Sandal& Sorcery: A bronze-age fantasy of gritty heroism set in a mythic antediluvian civilization. Would start in the arena of an ancient and oppressive empire. Inspiration: Kull of Atlantis, Sinbad and the Golden Voyage, Dark Sun Setting, Hyperborean Age,etc.
4.)Gunpowder & Witchcraft: Play a witch-hunter in a land overrun by supernatural horror. Gothic, Germanic setting, age of reason era technology.Vampires, Werewolves, Ghosts, and Demons likely antagonists. Inspiration:Solomon Kane, Ravenloft Setting, Van Helsing, etc.
5.) Gonzo Game: Planetary adventure mixed with Call of Cthulhu. Play a cyborg/mutant/wizard, ride dinosaurs into battle, wield ray guns, and fight against the minions of the Great Old Ones. Inspiration: John Carter of Mars, Den (of Heavy Metal), Cadillacs and Dinosaurs, etc.
After #4 came out as the definitive winner, I decided to write up a Campaign Pitch to get the players in the right head set to make characters. This is what I came up with (borrows heavily from MTG's Innistrad, which served(serves) as primary inspiration):
New Campaign: Shadows over Vysehrad
In the land of Vysehrad, no one questions the existence of evil. Since the beginning, man has battled against the forces of darkness. Packs of werewolves emerge like the tide, drawn out by the moon, their humanity washed away by animal rage. Ancient vampire families bare their fangs at the scent of human blood. Hordes of the walking dead lurch across the foggy moors, driven by a hunger for the living. Surgically created abominations twitch to life in alchemists' laboratories. Geists haunt the huddled human towns and terrify travelers along the dark crossways in between. From Vysehard's deepest chasms, powerful demons and impish devils plot humanity's downfall, their influence spreading into all echelons of human society.
Still, there are those who are willing to stand against the night. Members of an ancient and sacred order, dedicated to the preservation of life and the banishment of evil. Armed with intimate knowledge of your foe’s weaknesses, holy relics, and miraculous powers of faith, you venture into the haunted places of the world. You are a brother of the Ordo Ex-Malificarum, and now is the time of the inquisition!
Synopsis: As a Witch-hunter, you will hunt and kill Vampires, Werewolves, Demons and more!
System: Modified D&D (See Rules)
Genre: Gothic Horror, Dark Fantasy, Pulp Adventure
Inspiration: Innistrad Block, Averoigne Cycle, Dracula, Van Helsing, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Dark Heresy, World of Darkness
Things to Know Before Play:
This journey will be the first time you’ve left the outpost at Ravensroost since you came here to be trained as a boy. Now you are a Noviate, a brother in training. In order to be considered for full initiation, you must complete one last task – assist your aging mentor, Furan Leopold, to complete his final circuit as a Prelate. If you succeed, Furan will join the ranks of the Perfecti before he dies, and you will become a brother of the Ordo Ex-Malificarum.
The first stop on Leopold’s circuit is Barluex, the seat of Videns Parish. Usually a quaint and peaceful village, word has reached you of a brutal murder, taking place just days after the famous Vintner’s Fest…
I Fumbled My Blogging Roll!
When I started this blog, I had only the best intentions. That kinda fell apart (along with my face to face B/X game) but I've decided to give it a second go round.
After a couple months searching on Meetup and Dragonsfoot, I still couldn't get an in person game off the ground. So I decided to try Skype. I grew up playing D&D with the same folks, middle school through high school, and even though it had been years, several agreed to give a Skype game a shot.
So since November 2011, we have played dungeons & dragons on Tuesday nights for about 2.5 hours. Despite some issues with the medium, I have to declare it an overwhelming success. The timing is right, the camaraderie is high, and I'm getting to DM the type of games that I enjoy. I couldn't be happier.
Initially I ran my 4 players through a heavily modified "Ruins of Adventure." I've loved that module ever since I played the old Gold Box game on DOS. The majority of that game is recounted on this thread on Dragonsfoot: http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=52496. That game fell apart for a couple of reasons (probably a post in itself) but the group was ready to try something else a week later.
I put together a list of things I wanted to try and had each player rate them in order of preference. Choices included Carcosa meets Dino-riders, Gunpowder & Witches, Mythic Bronze Age, Traveler-esque D&D in Space, and a more traditional D&D game using 1E or B/X. Gunpowder & Witches edged out Carcosa in the final tally.
We are now six or seven weeks into our new game and it's been going well. I did a lot of modding up front, and we are currently running off a rough draft based on Basic / Lamentations of the Flame Princess. I want to start my new blog go round with a run down of the rules and setting of this current campaign. From time to time, I will also go into the 9-months spent in Phlan, the highs and lows of gaming on Skype, my IRL 1E game as a player, and my thoughts on some of the OSR products I've enjoyed.
Chaz
After a couple months searching on Meetup and Dragonsfoot, I still couldn't get an in person game off the ground. So I decided to try Skype. I grew up playing D&D with the same folks, middle school through high school, and even though it had been years, several agreed to give a Skype game a shot.
So since November 2011, we have played dungeons & dragons on Tuesday nights for about 2.5 hours. Despite some issues with the medium, I have to declare it an overwhelming success. The timing is right, the camaraderie is high, and I'm getting to DM the type of games that I enjoy. I couldn't be happier.
Initially I ran my 4 players through a heavily modified "Ruins of Adventure." I've loved that module ever since I played the old Gold Box game on DOS. The majority of that game is recounted on this thread on Dragonsfoot: http://www.dragonsfoot.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=52496. That game fell apart for a couple of reasons (probably a post in itself) but the group was ready to try something else a week later.
I put together a list of things I wanted to try and had each player rate them in order of preference. Choices included Carcosa meets Dino-riders, Gunpowder & Witches, Mythic Bronze Age, Traveler-esque D&D in Space, and a more traditional D&D game using 1E or B/X. Gunpowder & Witches edged out Carcosa in the final tally.
We are now six or seven weeks into our new game and it's been going well. I did a lot of modding up front, and we are currently running off a rough draft based on Basic / Lamentations of the Flame Princess. I want to start my new blog go round with a run down of the rules and setting of this current campaign. From time to time, I will also go into the 9-months spent in Phlan, the highs and lows of gaming on Skype, my IRL 1E game as a player, and my thoughts on some of the OSR products I've enjoyed.
Chaz
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