The Plague Doctor for Shadowdark

Yes, I'm sure there are a healthy handful of Shadowdark Plague Docs out there, all masked up and curing diseases, or whatever they do.

Oh no, this is a bad sign...

But since I've previously written up the class for OSR games and The Black Hack, might as well complete the triumvirate and gin one up for Shadowdark, as well. 

This one is built on the same chassis as my prior two, with similar focus and skills: non-magical healing, and they really hate rats. 

Download Me Here

Enjoy, comment, disparage, etc.

Now updated to Version 2.0 based on comment by u/noisician and recalling some other, similar game mechanics. Increased healing attempts based on allies, and consequences for a critical failure...

Download Me 2!

Campaign Journal: A Three Hour Tour....

Who woke up in Queen Adra's domain?

• Frederick - No Longer Dead Thief
• Slick - More Thief
• Jax - Barbarian

The smoke is clearing. The dead are being sorted and buried, or burned (more smoke, again). The Chirath forces were allowed to stay, for the time being, as long as they helped. Benedikt agreed, as a campaigner, himself. The troops went to work helping with rebuilding.

Oh, since you're here, and in light of our battle, perhaps Chirath may be useful in the end. Send me an engineer to help us reinforce our defenses. Benedikt agreed, and he knew a guy. He tasked Gerhard with flying back to the city. So off he went:

by Nicholas Roerich

Somewhere in this, I mis-labeled the flying carpet as a flying blanket, so apparently now it's a magic quilt. 

In the meantime, the Librarian had work to do. He took a lens and locked tomes to the lakeside tower.

via Dyson

Rondel (offscreen during this session), the Library Paladins, and desert elf Goladan joined in the effort. Librarian Grancet opened the book, then took out a small lead box and a fist-sized ruby (where was that when we were collecting rubies?!?). From the box he took a ring and put it on. A tiny figure appeared in the ruby. "What is your name!?" Grancet demanded. The tiny demon (for that is what it was) cringed and said, "Raz'Gonol." With that, Grancet guided the demon in the slow process of etching the runes for the anchor lens. 

Since it would take a few days, and thieves tend to get into trouble, Adra "asked" the remaining three members of the party to cross the lake to collect her sister Salax, and her followers, who had arrived on the south shore. Adra provided longboats for the party to use, as well as crews. 

Off they went. Each out and back crossing would take a day, and it would take three days to complete the ferrying process.

Lost and Found Adventure 2: "Dungeon 001" by Logen Nein

I really need to organize my files better.

So I was downloading a few free maps for later reference/inspiration when I found a folder containing a handful of maps that Logen Nein had posted up on the reddits. Most of these maps were from when he was first experimenting with mapping and posting them up for critique and use. I've cobbled together an encounter area using one of these maps before.

Hmm. What's this folder? Oh look, this map...

...and a half-finished dungeon-stocking exercise dated March 2023. Holy unfinished projects, Batman. Yes, one of many temporarily or permanently abandoned projects.

I'd come up with quite a few features and foes to occupy the space, but had never determined a theme or raison d'etre for the place.

The big-bad had been inspired by a post and illustration from Yuri Perkowski, one of the illustrators of Shadowdark and other RPG products. It occupied the space denoted as "22. Chimera-type monster, born of cataclysm, broken thing" on my map. 

And then it sat for two years.

Ok, let's print this thing out, figure out names and personalities for the placeholders left in the old document. Make some justification for the highlighted and "???" inserts. And what the hell do the four classical elements have to do with anything?

Two more days of scribbling and squinting, followed by rampant theft from Wikimedia Commons.

And a (hopefully) cohesive exploration space filled with hazards and discovery. I leaned heavily on my favorite spell supplement, Theorems & Thaumaturgy, as well as a couple of other favorite resources. 

Add a silly alliterative name, and let's post this thing. Statted per OSE/flexible old-school stuff, best for a mid-level party with a bit of resilience.

Welcome to Lysimachur's Elemental Error. Watch your step.

"The Remains Of A Most Unfortunate Party" - More Shorts Inspiration

Well, If I'm going to steal his maps, I might as well use the title he gives 'em.

Here's a good little space. Some finished rooms hidden within a cavern that open to a second, deeper cavern. And a good title, "The Remains of a Most Unfortunate Party." Well, knowing Tim, they were probably "unfortunate" in a rather grim and gristly way, so I figured I should try to honor that, at least. 

We explore the place for its novelty or its resources, perhaps.

And yes, as the PCs are poking around in here when they come across the remains of another party that clearly got in over their heads. From a tough foe that doesn't take any real damage from some of the normal go-to methods. This is perhaps a chance for some of the less martial or poorly-equipped members of the party to shine. We'll see.

Enjoy your visit, and don't trip over "The Remains of a Most Unfortunate Party." Enjoy the shiny foe.

Tim's Patron is here. Free membership tier available plus upgrades that include receiving print versions of adventures and NPC cards.

 

"Why is it Always the Spiders?" - The Map

Well, a couple of months ago, the party nearly met their match with a belligerent phase spider. So I figured I'd take the time to clean up and present the session notes for general consumption. I plan to do this with more of my locations and encounters from the campaign, since they might have some utility for folks, or at least a peek behind the curtains...

Anyway...

Original session prep notes

I had scattered treasure and magic items throughout the original, but the party only made it to the irregular room in the center of the map (essentially the 2nd room encountered) before being set upon by undead and the phase spider. In this writing, I came up with a justification and mechanic for the random magical treasure. And yes, the list of magical items includes a few items “donated” by the party. 

Our party was generally sixth level OSE PCs, although they were hampered by bad initiative rolls, as well as bad saves against the undead, allowing the spider to take advantage of her magic.

So here it is, all prettied up and given a cutesy name.

Download Me Here!

I can see a critter like this becoming an ongoing foil for a party, or perhaps a resource to negotiate for magical goods with, based on her propensity to collect sparkly sorcerous baubles...