It's crowdfunding season (not that it ever ends...), and I'm not sure how many rulebooks, supplements, and adventures I currently have hanging out there. My debit card will let me know, I'm sure...
But here's one more I'm tracking...
Matt Finch is well-known and regarded through OSR-land. As co-author of OSRIC and author of Swords & Wizardry, he brought a couple of the early retro-clones into the scene. Plenty of us have pored over his "Old-School Primer" essay, whose adages (e.g. "Rulings, not Rules") for RPG play have been dissected and argued over since its original publication. And many swear by the ideas and inspiration held within his Tome of Adventure Design editions and its companion volumes.
So, for those of you who'd like to add another volume to the Matt Finch/Mythmere games shelf in your library, Matt will be releasing his "World of Jordoba" setting via Backerkit in August.
The prototype Jordoba campaign was one of the first "actual plays" that I watched, way back in 2018. Matt ran a grotty crew of adventurers through the ancient ruins underlying the city, as well as the surrounding desolate lands. The campaign world was influenced by Mediterranean cultures and geography, with much of the city campaign including forays into the buried ancient metropolis and catacombs underlying the current city. Accordingly, the setting had a substantial history of past cultures, lost objects of power, and holy retribution and destruction. The PCs explored the undercity and its weirdness to recover loot and knowledge, as well as hopefully thwart the plots of various baddies residing therein.
The live play often acted as my soundtrack while running from job sites to lab to gym or home. And no Roll20 here. All adventuring play was done with minis, handmade terrain, and a small camera pushed along the hallways of the dungeon. The viewers and players were seeing the same perspective view, and there were plenty of moments of real tension as the PC-eye view of the camera turned a corner to discover a potential encounter.
The playlist of the original campaign can be found here, replete with some excellent old-school strategy, PC deaths and near-deaths, and the general shenanigans expected from a handful of chaotic players and their equally chaotic PCs. I highly recommend it.
At the time, Matt used his Patreon platform for campaign supplements, including a revision of his Tomb of the Iron God with some campaign-specific references and foes, as well as an introductory adventure, (You Are) Meat in a Tavern (complete with telepathic slugs). Other content included a gazetteer and atlas for the world of Jordoba, as well as a small monster supplement. Further material went on hold with the campaign going on hiatus.
Now, a brief eight years later, these initial materials have been substantially expanded and refined into an open world campaign based on pulp, swords & sorcery, and Bronze-age flavors. Those familiar with the Hyperborea (and perhaps Lankhmar) stories and game settings will find a kindred environment.
A comic book style excerpt is currently available to whet the appetite, with the full comic introduction to Jordoba available upon the start of the campaign on August 10. The original material was statted for Swords & Wizardry, with the current campaign OSR system agnostic. Cartography features the work of Glynn Seal. Artists include Brett Barkley and JE Shields.
A recent interview with Matt on the upcoming Backerkit campaign, influences, and worldbuilding:
And, of course, selling someone on Jordoba wouldn't be complete without including their infamous "Pack-Centipedes" (Original monster text compliments of Monsters of Jordoba Original Edition Rules – Swords & Wizardry Supplement 1, by Matt Finch):
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| "A dwarven adventurer and his trusty pack-centipede, in the dungeons below the Old City." (from original campaign materials) |
Pack-Centipede (For Swords & Wizardry)
Attacks: nibble (1d2)
Saving Throw: 11
Special: None
Move: 6
Alignment: Neutrality
Number Encountered: Seldom found in the wild
Challenge Level/XP: 2/30*
*This number reflects the almost-totally non-combative nature of the pack-centipede.
Pack-centipedes are enormous arthropods, reaching ten feet in length and roughly three feet in height. They are bred as draft animals and are a common sight in the city of Jordoba, ferrying heavy loads of trade-goods and other cargo from one city market to another. Pack-centipedes are also ideal pack animals for underground adventuring, because they can get anywhere a human can —down stairs and through relatively narrow gaps, with steady footing. A pack-centipede can easily carry weights up to 500 pounds.
Domesticated for Non-aggression. While pack-centipedes are extremely durable and look quite ferocious, they are utterly useless in combat. When directly attacked, they tend to turn around placidly and attempt to return home. Centuries of breeding have winnowed all aggression out of the species, for obvious reasons, frustrating as this might be for adventurers hoping to gain a fighting beast.
Available for Purchase. A decent pack-centipede can be obtained for as little as 75 gp in the markets of Jordoba.
In the World of Jordoba. To fans of Jordoba, the best-known of all pack-centipedes is Rocky, a rather aged specimen, pack-carrier for the adventuring party known as the Swords of Jordoba. Rocky is slightly flatulent, and his carapace is covered in dents from a ceiling collapse (Episode 6: Beyond the Scary Door). Rocky has occasionally caused problems for the party when he has decided that it’s time to go for help, leaving the scene with most of the party’s equipment.
And just because:
Jordoban Pack-Centipede for ShadowDark
Enormous, tough arthropods, bred through the generations to be docile, capable pack-carriers. Their steady walking pace makes them unsuitable for overland travel, but valued by underground adventurers, as they are capable of negotiating stairs and climbing. Non-aggressive, and will only attack to defend itself if cornered. Otherwise will retreat from combat (DC12 WIS or returns to surface).
Pack Animal Stats (per Cursed Scroll 2: Red Sands):
Spooks: See above
Rarity: Rare
Gear Slots: 5x STR bonus (20 slots)
Rations: 1/day
Of course, for ShadowDark, they would have to be Arthropleura variants:
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