Pickpocket Press recently wrapped a successful Kickstarter for the Adventure Anthology for Shadowdark and it’s already out in print and PDF. The volume contains 22 tales tailored for the popular old school inspired RPG. The 220 page hardcover (with PDF) is available for $39.95 at DriveThruRPG or grab the PDF alone for $19.95.
About the book:
The book consists of twenty two short, sharp, independent adventures, designed for low prep, improvised play. Each adventure has a hook/rumours, core scenario, random encounters, NPC details, and B&W illustrations. Nineteen have hand drawn maps. The settings are common locations such as cities, forests, mountains, underground, etc, for easy insertion into your sandbox campaign. They’re suitable for PC Levels 1-7 and generally run around six to ten hours of session time.
Originally written for Low Fantasy Gaming RPG, the adventures tend to be lower magic, with a sword & sorcery bent. There are some references to the people and places of the Midlands of Argosa, but these are easily swapped out for your favourite setting.
The Adventures
1) Call of the Colossus (Hills, zero level “Gauntlet”). Designed for 12 – 16 “zero level” PCs, most of which are not expected to survive. Survivors of a caravan ambush, will the PCs track their attackers to seek vengeance at the Bronze Colossus, or continue to the isolated outpost of Therg’s End… either way, unexpected perils await!
2) Vault of Goblin Dreams (Underground, Level 1-3). A secret dwarven text refers to the Druvtog (goblins), twisted reflections of the longbeards themselves, slumbering in their underground vault in the depths of Wistwood. Can the PCs sneak into the complex for some stealthy looting, or will they awaken the Jawjacks, the Gryndersnouts, the Eargoffs… or the Grand High Hobnobbler himself.
3) Cultists in Crows Keep (City, Level 1-3). A missing “orphan”, a concerned lord in need of discrete inquiries, and a dark night full of terrors – man made or otherwise. Can the party find their quarry before it’s too late?
4) A Perilous Voyage (Lake/Sea, Level 2-4). As the PCs sail to another adventure location, this side trek hits them betwixt the eyes with a terrible storm, a washed up corpse, and a horrifying virus. As the crew become infected, madness and mutation follow… Drink up me hearties, yo ho!
5) Last of the Longbeards (Underground, Level 2-4). Dwarven slaves have escaped into the Lost Roads of the mountain fortress of Dol-Karok… and their albino masters want their servitors back. For a handsome fee, of course. Will the PCs help or hinder the last of the longbeards?
6) Rooftop Rumble (City, Level 2-4). It’s a cold night in Northgate, lit by a full moon when the party suddenly hear a horrible, gurgling death wail from the baron’s keep. Looking up, they spot notorious assassin, Skanta Claws, fleeing across the rooftops! If the party can catch him, he’ll fetch a fat bounty. Yes, this one has a bit of an xmas theme.
7) Den of Thieves (City, Level 2-4). The gangs are going to war, and Jester, bosslady of the Dungart Dukes, needs the party’s help. Her crew are dropping like flies, and now an assassin is targeting their best lieutenants. Will the PCs find the hitman and keep her alive? Will they take her gold and kill her themselves? Will they wander around frustrated missing clues? (probably). It’s all fun and games until someone gets a bolt to the eye!
8) Red Moon Harvest (Swamp/Moors, Level 2-5). Farmers are going missing in this close encounter of the tentacled kind. It’s time to chew gum and kick ass, and we’re all outta gum. We’ve mixed a tiny bit of sci-fi into your fantasy fun with this one; hope you enjoy.
9) Curse of the Salt Queen (Forest/Underground, Level 2-5). An exiled witch, trapped in an abandoned mine, awakens from stasis in a strange and terrible form, half human, half serpent, with writhing snake hair and a gaze that renders flesh into salt… Can the PCs prevail against the Salt Queen?
10) Carnifexum (City, Level 2-5). Carnifexum, the Great Games, are upon the shackled city of Melek once more! Perhaps the PCs will compete in the Ogorien Fighting Pits, the chariot races, or brave wild beasts from across the realm? Fame and fortune are up for grabs, not to mention old Rebus’ will and cousin Setoya as a rival competitor…
11) Whitestone Tower (Forest, Level 2-5). In the skies above Vorngard, a winged beast is causing trouble, killing messenger ravens and scouts that wander too far west. Scouts say the monster lairs in an abandoned tower, once home to a long dead sorceress. But if that’s true, what’s causing the glow in the highest window by night?
12) A Debt Unpaid (Forest, Level 3-5). When men slew the last unicorn, the Bruhga of Still Dreams reanimated its corpse as a twisted engine of grief and destruction. Every few generations, the fey sends her beast back into the world of mortals; a reckoning for past misdeeds. Will the PCs survive the unseelie’s agent of vengeance?
13) Folds Between Worlds (Mountains/Underground, Level 3-5). The fauna of Yellow Cliffs grove are growing increasingly aggressive, and the local druid wants to know why. But he’s not the only one; a rival priestess also wants to know what’s happening, but for very different reasons. Can the party navigate the religious factions, escort the old druid to the cliffs, sort out the trouble, and make it back in one piece? Not bloody likely! But hey, if being an adventurer was easy, everyone would be doing it.
14) Fane of the Frog God (Forest/Underground, Level 3-5). An Elven relic, a wealthy explorer to babysit, and a tribe of frogmen lurking in the flooded tunnels of a lost temple… Will the PCs find and recover the artifact, or perish in the dank waters of the amphibian lair?
15) Vengeance at Trollbridge (Hills/Underground, Level 3-5). Thraani, the last of her tribe, wants only one thing: vengeance against the trolls that slew her kin. But she can’t do it alone. Do the PCs have mighty thews enough to aid her? And just how much is a quart of troll blood worth these days, anyway?
16) Riddle of the Golden Rat (Special – a cursed object kicks off the adventure, Level 3-5). A cursed idol thrusts the party into a surprise adventure, the likes of which they could never prepare for (namely, being shrunk to tiny size and swallowed by the rat…). Can the party escape from the inside out?
17) Hive of the Mudmen (Underground, Level 3-6). Strange, mudmen like creatures have been spotted in Northgate’s borderlands, and the Grand Librarian wants someone to investigate. With bombs. You know, in case there’s a Hive Mother or something. Because, well, nuking it from orbit isn’t an option.
18) Halls of the Dwarf Lord (Forest/Underground, Level 4-7). A young but cowardly archaeologist believes he has deduced the location of the lost Fortress of Dûmora; a dwarven hall of the Second Age. He wants someone to comb part of the Viridian Woods looking for it, and report back to him.
19) Hanging City of Nenchagi (Underground, Level 4-7). The Mask of Distant Suns, an artifact of mental power, is said to be lost in the underground Hanging City of Nenchagi. But reaching the complex is no easy task – a gruelling five day trek in perfect darkness. Not to mention the cursed urgot residents, and their aberrant “god”…
20) Shadows & Dust (Mountains, Level 4-7). Ortu Menon; part citadel, part temple, last known resting place of the exiled necromancers of the Old Ramorans, keepers of the Altar of Resurrection. Does the city exist any longer? What about the altar? And if so, what manner of creatures defend it?
21) Ruins of Ashabat (Mountains, Level 4-7). A ruined city, a magical gem, and three vying, monstrous factions… perhaps some unlikely allies might be made? Course that would mean less treasure. It’s a hard call.
22) Dungeon Flip: More Skulls for Ulgoth (special “reverse dungeon”). Inspired by 2e’s Reverse Dungeon, this scenario flips the usual setup on its head: players control the monsters, and their underground lair, whilst being invaded by a band of merciless, treasure hunting NPC adventurers! Will Brugmaw the kitchen Ogre hand over her oil barrels to defend the lair? Will the Dire Wolves stop biting the Beastmen? Can the Cyclops keep his potions secret, or will all hell break loose when the magic loathing beastmen find out? Who knows? Who cares? Whatever happens, there will be More Skulls for Ulgoth.
