Two Book Release Announcement
- YYZombraire
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Re: Two Book Release Announcement
I was thinking it would be fun to have it dovetail into the Solomoriah's existing material, which I really like as a setting. With a whole town and so many NPCs, I like the idea of it starting as a bit of a mystery scenario rather than a straight up dungeon crawl. Setting-wise, I'm thinking Chambers College, a small university located somewhere in the vicinity of the town of Lakeside. My original thought was an evil sorceress from the Shadow Realm impersonating a professor as the villain, but I like Solo's idea of a senior student better.
The school wargaming club has become obsessed with the latest collegiate craze: fantasy role-playing games. A few weeks ago, they decided to try a live-action version down in the steam tunnels under the school. Unbeknownst to them, a manifold to the Shadow Realm lies hidden in the tunnels. The kids somehow manage to activate it. (Not sure how yet -- maybe a magic seal or weird door ? Or the group's magic use opens it up.) Soon after, they start encountering real monsters. If the PCs are slow to act, these should escalate and involve innocent bystanders.
A senior student, Linda Frost, has been practicing real magic. Promising to teach them, she tricks two students from the club, Debbie and Marcie, into aiding her. Unless stopped, she will carry out a ritual to something terrible. Marcie got cold feet. She has been kidnapped and, along with the professor, will be sacrificed as part of the ritual. Debbie remains a faithful agent. The rest of the club is in over their heads and afraid to ask for help.
Meanwhile back in town, Suzanne Singleton has published a piece on the new game and its popularity. She thinks they're a bunch of weirdos and wants to dig deeper. She wonders if it might be connected to some of the recent unexplained events in town. She will happily share her suspicions with the PCs. A little casual digging will reveal the college kids are behaving suspiciously: buying adventure supplies and weapons, trying to sell unusual coins, and seeking medical treatment for injuries. Maybe townspeople approach the cleric PC concerned about what they have read in Suzanne's article. Uncle Frank probably knows the gamers, too.
All this should lead the PCs to the club and the college...
The school wargaming club has become obsessed with the latest collegiate craze: fantasy role-playing games. A few weeks ago, they decided to try a live-action version down in the steam tunnels under the school. Unbeknownst to them, a manifold to the Shadow Realm lies hidden in the tunnels. The kids somehow manage to activate it. (Not sure how yet -- maybe a magic seal or weird door ? Or the group's magic use opens it up.) Soon after, they start encountering real monsters. If the PCs are slow to act, these should escalate and involve innocent bystanders.
A senior student, Linda Frost, has been practicing real magic. Promising to teach them, she tricks two students from the club, Debbie and Marcie, into aiding her. Unless stopped, she will carry out a ritual to something terrible. Marcie got cold feet. She has been kidnapped and, along with the professor, will be sacrificed as part of the ritual. Debbie remains a faithful agent. The rest of the club is in over their heads and afraid to ask for help.
Meanwhile back in town, Suzanne Singleton has published a piece on the new game and its popularity. She thinks they're a bunch of weirdos and wants to dig deeper. She wonders if it might be connected to some of the recent unexplained events in town. She will happily share her suspicions with the PCs. A little casual digging will reveal the college kids are behaving suspiciously: buying adventure supplies and weapons, trying to sell unusual coins, and seeking medical treatment for injuries. Maybe townspeople approach the cleric PC concerned about what they have read in Suzanne's article. Uncle Frank probably knows the gamers, too.
All this should lead the PCs to the club and the college...
- Solomoriah
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Re: Two Book Release Announcement
That's an interesting alternate take.
I'm seeing this two ways: As a follow-on to Lakeside, and as an alternate start with slightly younger characters (realistically, only a handful of years at most).
Personally, I'd like to go with a celestial anchor that was not accidentally opened, but rather intentionally. Corvina did it to create an area where magic would work; however, the object (whatever it is) was pulled away into the deepest part of the newly-released dungeon. Now she and her followers are trying to retrieve it... and once they understand the stakes, the college-student PCs would also want to get it, leading to a "race" of sorts.
I'm seeing this two ways: As a follow-on to Lakeside, and as an alternate start with slightly younger characters (realistically, only a handful of years at most).
Personally, I'd like to go with a celestial anchor that was not accidentally opened, but rather intentionally. Corvina did it to create an area where magic would work; however, the object (whatever it is) was pulled away into the deepest part of the newly-released dungeon. Now she and her followers are trying to retrieve it... and once they understand the stakes, the college-student PCs would also want to get it, leading to a "race" of sorts.
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
Re: Two Book Release Announcement
Would the new kids (college student gamers) be mundane - 0 level - at first? The wargame group would have all the adventuring equipment kids would need as a stock of "real life" swords, robes, and armor for LARPING types of games. So, that's fine. But, what would trigger the kids powers? Talismen that they find? Or, have they trained via their war-game group in fighting, and thievery? Does the wargame group have a medieval book of magic rituals that one them studied to learn spellcraft?
Re: Two Book Release Announcement
in '75?? I don't think so Tim, LARPING is a long way in the future, if they were early SCA ok, but I don't think there was a lot of SCA activity outside California in 75
No matter where you go...there you are
Re: Two Book Release Announcement
Ok gotcha. Ok here is something factual that might be of interest to the whole steam tunnel gaming discussion as it relates to the next chapter of Iron Falcon '75. I read Michigan State University had some D&D players acting out their game in steam tunnels below the university. One D&D player, a troubled young man named James Dallas Egbert (you can check his name on Wikipedia for a much better synopsis) disappeared, in the tunnels in 1979. He later committed suicide in 1980, so the story added to the rpg/D&D=satanist scare.
- Solomoriah
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Re: Two Book Release Announcement
Not exactly "0 level." I'd play it just like in Lakeside, where their life experiences to date led to them having a class.
College students don't all have to be the same age; this is a difference from Lakeside where the PCs are all former classmates.
College students don't all have to be the same age; this is a difference from Lakeside where the PCs are all former classmates.
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
- YYZombraire
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Re: Two Book Release Announcement
The James Dallas Egbert story is an infamous part of D&D history, and it did very much contribute the panic. It is a terrible story, not least because a lot of people decided that making a buck mattered more than the truth. I'd hate to do anything that seemed exploitative. Just referencing steam tunnels under a university is about as close as I'd ever want to get. Much better to stick to the ridiculous media that featured at the time.TPFox wrote: ↑Wed Dec 07, 2022 8:17 am I read Michigan State University had some D&D players acting out their game in steam tunnels below the university. One D&D player, a troubled young man named James Dallas Egbert (you can check his name on Wikipedia for a much better synopsis) disappeared, in the tunnels in 1979.
There does seem to be a lot of interest in this adventure idea. If I find some time over the holidays, I'll try to get something together and post it in the workshop. I'd like to start sketching out some maps, too.
- Solomoriah
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Re: Two Book Release Announcement
I'd like to work on this with you. I feel like the "steam tunnel" side of the story is where I'd like to see the heroes come from, while the "bad guys" come from the "tract" side. The characters are virtually ready-made there.
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- YYZombraire
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Re: Two Book Release Announcement
That would be great. I think the "tract" side offers lots of great characters for sure. I'd still like to check out Mazes and Monsters to see what inspiration it offers. I don't want to disappoint chiisu81.Solomoriah wrote: ↑Wed Dec 07, 2022 4:16 pm I'd like to work on this with you. I feel like the "steam tunnel" side of the story is where I'd like to see the heroes come from, while the "bad guys" come from the "tract" side. The characters are virtually ready-made there.
- Solomoriah
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Re: Two Book Release Announcement
So I was interviewed once again on the Wobblies & Wizards podcast by the infamous Logar the Barbarian (Shane Thayer) about the new Iron Falcon Handbook of Monsters and Iron Falcon '75: The Lakeside Adventures. I had a blast talking about my latest releases and my ever-sketchy plans for the future!
You can find it here: https://anchor.fm/wobbliesandwizards/ep ... 75-e1s1c7i
You can find it here: https://anchor.fm/wobbliesandwizards/ep ... 75-e1s1c7i
My personal site: www.gonnerman.org
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