Adventures
Here are some adventure projects I am currently playing, working on, or thinking about.
Andromalion’s Blessing
A Level 1–11 5E adventure.
DCC Hexcrawl Notes
Notes for a DCC hexcrawl, based on existing DCC modules, the DCC Aereth setting guide, and 3rd-party products.
DCC Tolomak Island Crawl Notes
The Crystal Grammaton of Xambaala–A WWN Sandbox
Work-in-progress…
The Vile Tale of Christman Grippertenius
“Die erst von dem Erschrocklichen Mörder Peter Nirschen/ wie er gericht und was er bekennt hat/ In dem 1581. Jahr zu Nüwen Marckt den 16. Septembris. Im Thon/ Es geht ein frischer Sommer daher. Die ander von einem Mörder Christman Gniperdoliga genannt/ welcher von seiner jugendt auff 964. Mörd gethan hat/ Im Thon Hilff GOtt das mir gelinge …”
Dreyerley Neüwezeitung. in Gesangweiß Link
This adventure is about the vile crimes of Christman Grippertenius and his associates Peter Stumpp and Peter Niers. May they rot in hell.
This is a Level 3-6 OSE adventure for an intrepid band of scoundrels. The player characters will confront a group of murderers that has been terrorizing the region of Bergkessel.
While not exactly happening at the right time, this adventure can be embedded in a bigger map of a fake Holy Roman Empire during the Thirty Years War. The map below is an example, liberally combining different geographies and cities into a larger adventuring region. You can locate other modules on the map and knit together a sandbox full of adventure pretty easily. Consider modules like the Saint of Bruckstadt, The Son of Baphomet, Call of the Toad, Better Than Any Man, Death Frost Doom, No Rest for the Wicked, Falkrest Abbey, The Isle, Kidnap the Archpriest, and Castle Xyntillan:
Campaign hook:
The PCs are part of a mercenary company that was routed at the Battle of Magdeburg. The leading officers of the Company have been killed or captured–the PCs are now in charge. Time to re-group, re-build, acquire a new base of operations, and get back into action. New characters joining are stragglers of the Battle of Magdeburg, having made their way to the current group’s location with some delay or fresh recruits, ready to risk their meager lives for some coin.
Other factions that are active in the area include:
The Catholic League and the Archbishop of Würzburg.
- Maneuvering to weaken Protestant Lords and cities. Hunting for heretics. Securing Catholic reliquaries.
King Gustav of Sweden and Protestants in the region
- Wants to weaken the Catholic Lords, establish a new Emperor for the HRE, take control of the lands owned by the Church and its monasteries.
A Mercenary Company: Mentzer’s Irregulars
- A rival company for the PCs. There is bad blood and a history of betrayal. The Irregalurs will take any job, no matter the employer…
A Mercantile concern: Handelshaus von Bodeck and the Hammelburg Waffenwerke as a center of weapons manufacturing under the leadership of Familie Klee.
- Profit over people. Foment conflict in the region to drum up sales. Acquire new weapon technology and raw materials. Sabotage competitors. An early example of cut-throat capitalism. They do not care for established guilds, the Lords of the Realm, or the Church. They see markets and capital as the new organizing forces of the world.
A secret group of occultists: The Hermetische Kristallbund. Led by Johannes Keppler. Other members include John Dee, Giordano Bruno, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, and Nostradamus. In the 17th century, the second generation of leaders include Sir Isaac Newton (using his control over the Bank of England to further the Bund’s goals), Jacob Bruce, Arthur Dee, and older/undead members under newly assumed names.
- They are searching for the Philosopher’s Stone–a metaphor for self-perfection but also an actual instruction manual for achieving eternal life through lichdom. The Kristallbund is looking for pacts with extraplanar entities, placing members into positions of power at various academies and courts. They are actively searching for powerful magical relics. No friends of organized religion.
Behemoth
A Dirty Dozen-style fantasy civil war campaign.
The Pilgrimage of St. Berthold
A larger OSR destination crawl inspired by the Camino de Santiago.
The Golden Gate of Batara Kala
A CWN/Shadowrun Campaign.