Fantasy

The Outcome of Magical Backlash

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When looking at heroic, epic adventure the consideration of what happens as a result of the deeds done and spells unleashed is rarely considered. The outcome of magical backlash is rarely good and nor do I see it explored that often but tonight, while working on the zine for this weekend, I had some spare time to myself. So tonight we have a thought provoker that ties in with tomorrows Zine (Manaeva’s End).

So while we wait for tomorrows zine and I gear up for 900 nights of blogging straight, let’s sit back, grab a coffee and let’s check it out!

The Outcome of Magical Backlash

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Magical Backlash – Created in Nightcafe.

The air around Contoro shimmered as if the saviours of the city, and the land for that matter, still battled the dracolich with spell and steel. The scarring of the sky was just one side affect that the residents still had to deal with but at least this one wasn’t as bad as the others.

Occasionally the echo of the spells that were cast here would appear again, great phantasmal images, sounds and even smells of fire balls, bolts of lightning and torrential acid rain would appear randomly over the city. Only once in recent memory had one of these spells taken a more physical manifest where the image of a bolt of lightning not only looked, sounded and smelt like one but it tore a hole in a wagon that passed down a street.

Other echoes of the battle appeared frequently within the city but many of them were harmless, unless the pavement suddenly turned to lava, a wall disintegrated into sand or the like. The spells and raw arcane and divine power that was slung in this city was so intense that the position in the material plane was still linked in with the weave that lay on top of it. The worst part of the city was where the body of the Dracolich had crashed into the city itself. The body had been disposed of but as the create died, its phylactery broken, shattered and disposed of separately across planes, still had such a strong taint that it was nearly unliveable.

However the poor of the city had taken to creating a series of houses and shanty’s that moved closer to the area the dragon fell. The outcome of magical backlash was felt most keenly here with a sickness spreading through those that lived close to the tainted land. Born sickly with the inability to respond to magical healing, or spells these people live a half-life; constantly sickly, weak and frail as the magical poisoning pulls their bodies apart. But despite the best efforts of the city and its rules more people end up living closer to the dragons taint and so these issues, the outcome of magical backlash, continue to rise and a new magical menace haunts the streets.

Thanks for visiting tonight. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow night for more content and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Aberrations of Lithia

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Now this week is largely inspired by a few sources but the biggest one is spiders. The Aberrations of Lithia are many but there are only a few that dare to roam where the largest spider that we have seen so far. But that’s jumping a head a bit for now.

So let’s sit down, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s encounter!

The Aberrations of Lithia

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Rock Tunnel Spider – Created in tetra-cube.
Drider – created in tetra-cube.
Ettercap – created in tetra-cube.

The encounter this week is inspired largely by the Chinese hourglass spider – a funnel web spider that uses its abdomen to plug the hole that it lives in. But when the spider is in the hole this one cant be distinguished from the rock in which it has its tunnels in. When the thin webs it lines the cave it lives in are triggered it crawls out before attacking its prey from behind.

The other aberrations serve this giant spider, the ettercaps have made a nest deeper in the cave system where as the driders are survivors from the old war. There are other smaller (yet still giant) spiders that call these caverns home but they are are no where as revered as the Rock Tunnel Spider.

Another small one tonight but, as always, there is always a lot more planned for the Zine. So keep an eye out for that over the next few weeks. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Deep Cavern

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Tonight the deep cavern under Lithia calls to us as we explore the calling lights from beyond the halls. A few large boulders lay in the cavern but this large open area has a waterway running through the centre and down into the passage way the party was following. Perhaps the waters lead somewhere and perhaps not.

So for now let’s sit back, grab a coffee and roll into map!

Deep Cavern

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Deep Cavern under Lithia – Created in Inkarnate

Several boulders lay in the cavern to provide cover, block line of sight as well as to, generally, make the map a bit more interesting. The river that runs through the cavern has a sharp rocky edge that makes getting in and out a bit more difficult if rushing through the water. Gems glow faintly in the walls but, cease glowing when touched. This gives the cavern an other-wordily feel that, with the gloom, makes everything feel a bit more foreign.

A large rocky outcrop sits in the middle of the cavern which rises 30 or so feet into the air, but the edges are sharp and cut at exposed skin when pressed against.

A fun one tonight; the main reason I went with a cavern theme for this adventure actually, with us exploring multiple overlapping textures, foreground and background texture and the night filter over the top make up the general stone floor. The walls, rock formation in the middle and even river bed are made of different art assets with an attempt to blend them together and the different gems add a bit more to the room.

Gems provide a source of faint light and then attempting to provide a light source (above the night filter) per gem provides a more realistic view of what overlapping sources of light would accomplish. A single torch wont reveal much where multiple may.

Thanks for tonight to stay up to date with this weeks adventure. If you find yourself using any of these maps in your own game (downloadable via the link) let me know! Don’t forget to come back tomorrow and this weekend as we continue on this adventure and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Aberration Caverns

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The further the party explore down the watery path the deeper they go under and into the mountains until they reach what can only be described as the Aberration Caverns. Now not too dissimilar to last years adventure where the party encountered a monster in Larituron’s Pit this week we explore darker caves than many would dare. The promise and seeming trail of treasure leads them onwards and deeper into the mountains. But not everything that glitters is gold.

So let’s sit down, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s adventure!

The Aberration Caverns

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As the party followed the water that cut through the rock and trickled deeper into the mountain. The party had been lucky discovering this waterway as within the first few feet of entering the sink hole they were met with a scattering of gold pieces and gems laying in the shallows of the waterway. Following onwards more gold, gems and even small trinkets caved out of semi-precious stone was found in the water ways. The light from the torches flickered and uncovered more treasure scattered along the tunnel as they delved deeper.

Aberration Caverns – Created in nightcafe.

It wasn’t until they had met a few crossroads that they discovered the first of the bodies. Fresher than what one would expect investigating where remains of an ancient war these were of humans, elves, dwarves and a gnome. An adventuring party. Many showed signs of being killed by poisoning and apart from a few smaller punctures there was no evidence that they were met with anything other than, potentially, a venomous giant spider or the like.

However the gold, gemstones and even wondrous magical items that they had in their possession indicated that this path led deeper into riches. Even as they wondered what could be deeper in the cavern several gemstones started to emit a glowing light from the walls. Several signs carved into walls from the adventurers before them indicated that there was something at the end of this tunnel and some indicated treasure and a great danger.

A faint glow could now be seen deeper at the end of the pathway which cast glittering lights long the rough stone walls at the end of the passage. But as the lights danced across the walls, and ceiling of the passage the party did not see the faint spiderwebs that covered the ground, clung to their clothes and hair and as they moved through the passage the snapping of the webs created a vibration that rippled through the passageway undetected.

Thanks for visiting tonight to look at the next steps of this adventure where we explore some of my favourite creatures to turn into big baddies to fight. But before I give away the final parts of this adventure don’t forget to come back tomorrow where we will expand the adventure further and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Temporary Party Members

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This week we don’t have specific NPCs but we have several Temporary Party members that we could utilise – well the concept of them any way. Hirelings and members of the Order of Scouts will provide the party with a temporary boost in numbers to help get the adventures to where they need to go.

So let’s grab a coffee, sit back and roll into tonight’s adventure!

Temporary Party Members

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‘Scouts’ – Created in Nightcafe.

All parties know that there is only so long that you can work in isolation from experts of the land. The Order of Scouts manages to keep a tab on the best in the business when it comes to finding the right path, knowing the wilderness and the creatures that call them home.

At times when voyaging into unknown lands the Order of Scouts are called upon by adventurers to ensure that they party can make it to their destination on time, mostly safe. Not much for fighting these experts in the field will choose the paths less taken, avoid roads and prefer to avoid fighting if at all possible. However they are all trained with weapons so they can be safe and ensure their clients make it to where they need to go.

Although young in comparison to some of the other organisations across the continents the order of scouts is spreading across more and more lands and making a name for themselves as both attracting talent and completing their missions.

We don’t really have key NPCs tonight as such but we have the option of several different ones. Having a hireling for one adventure can be a great way to bolster the party, or, providing some depth to the narrative of the adventure. Don’t forget that we are expanding the rest of the adventures each day this week, so don’t forget to come back daily to check what the progress is! And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

A Sinking Feeling

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Another travelling adventure this week but this one has a bit more treasure involved, however the party won’t ever be able to get rid of that sinking feeling. Join me as we quest beneath the surface and explore a sinkhole that opened up before the adventurers.

So grab a coffee, maybe some spelunking equipment and lets climb through tonight’s adventure!

The ancient ruins in the Khaina mountains belong to the people that used to live in the fort of Lithia. Once the aberrations that attacked the fort and hunted down the people that fled from the doomed fort the buildings fell into ruin. However as time made its mark the tunnels where the aberrations attacked through in conjunction with the river that raged through the ravine left something to be discovered years later.

A Yawning portal into the subterranean layers awaits, untold riches left behind from the fall of Lithia and the battles that raged ahead has left this place a veritable wonder-cove for would-be treasure seekers. However the caverns beyond the sinkholes hold something much darker than just the spoils of conquest.

A Sinking Feeling

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A sinkhole re-discovered – created in Nightcafe.

The trek through the Khaina ravine was not as gruelling as one would imagine for the site of the largest coordinated attack from aberrations. The water rushed to their left as they made their way along the bottom of one of the twin mountains that gave the ravine its name. Sporadically there were ruins of the buildings that had called this pass home; cut stone stacked and bound by mortar, a rotting frame barely holding onto the plant growth that had taken over the roof of what was once a structure and the like.

As they moved deeper through what would have been the supporting buildings that housed and provided supplies to the fort that lay further through the ravine. The sunlight glinted of something in a patch of thick vegetation closer to the edge of the mountain. A golden hilt of a sword lay embedded in the ground and as the wind caught the branches of the trees that had overtaken the ruins the sunlight hit the hilt at the right angle.

Moving towards the hilt the vegetation underfoot became thicker with more roots and vines covering the ground underneath making each step more precarious than it needed to be. As they neared the hilt the vegetation shifted underfoot for a moment before, with the sound of cracking and snapping the ground gave way and the adventurers scrambled to stop themselves from falling. Those that were too slow found themselves suspended in a strangely light drenched sinkhole where a branch of the river trickled slower deeper into what appeared to be caverns that had been eroded by the water.

Plants lined the walls and the evidence of sunken masonry was everywhere. To their left was what appeared to be a cellar to the building that they saw above. Several old skeletons littered the floor beyond where the water had either washed them here, or, had not washed them further into the depths of the yawning cavern beyond.

As they marvelled at how this sinkhole, and the other entrances that danced with sunlight from above was not visible the party had a sinking feeling that there was more to this hole and cavern than what initially met the eye.

A fun one this week for not only the map potential but also the possibility of a good score of loot. Don’t forget that each day this week we will expand the adventure further so don’t forget to come back daily to stay up to date. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Storm over Krencham

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Tonight and I have created a new zine for the year. I hope you are finding the current format of this Zine useful as I am continue to investigate what I can create weekly. I do this while aiming to give the DM freedom and flexibility without railroading them and the Party. So without any further waiting I present, The Storm over Krencham, in the same format, as a fun one-shot to assist GMs when they need a night out of the books.

As always this adventure can be used system agnostic but focuses on D&D so please feel free to adjust to what ever system and the creatures you are using in your adventure! However as always Kobold fight club can be used to quickly balance an encounter for Dungeons and Dragons and Tetra-cube provides the stat-blocks for the creatures found in this adventure.

So I hope you enjoy this weeks adventure, The Storm over Krencham, and that your rolls are made with advantage.

The Storm over Krencham

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Krencham – Created in Nightcafe.

As the world around them went silent the party became aware of a presence near the road. They had not gotten as far as they wanted to before the creature had apparently caught up to them. 

As the wind caught hold of the crops that had gone wild in the forgotten fields the party caught the occasional chirping-purr sound. Occasionally a flash of blue, red or green would appear between the browning stalks of the crops before it would disappear nearly faster than it was seen.

PDF adventure – The Storm over Krencham

the-storm-over-krenchamDownload

Thanks for joining me today for another Zine this year. As usual there is a lot more in the Zine than there was in the daily updates on this blog – so make sure to grab a copy of the PDF.

Next time you get a party together consider running this adventure and I hope that you enjoy it.
I hope you don’t miss a thing so come back daily in the coming week and year. This is so you can experience the creation of the next adventure as it evolves and shapes out. And as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Battle for Lithia

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Tonight I wanted to explore something different – constructing a historic scene in the battle for Lithia – a mountainous pass where a people established a fortified position to defend from the warlike races on the other side of the pass.

So sit back, grab a coffee and let’s check it out!

The Battle for Lithia

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The Battle for Lithia – Created in Nightcafe.

The water swelled in the ravine as it was powered by dark magic and the callings of the druids alike. Urged to flow in different directions at the same time it became a living force by itself fighting against itself and the confines of the ravine itself. As the bodies began to roll down from the hills, peppered with arrows the raging river turned from clear to murky and blood stained.

The roars of the raging waters was overtaken by the warcries and cries of pain and desperation from the defenders and the host of attackers. Swarms of ettercaps, driders and other aberrations rushed across the sides of the mountains and rushed at the attackers. The defenders slung arrows and bolts at the onrushing fiends which pulled a few from the walls and into the rocks below. However the aberrations were without number and as they rushed onwards towards the settlement. As they reached the walls they made a mockery of the battlements and climbed it like they meant nothing.

Once the creatures breached the top of the walls they swarmed across the defenders and the volume of arrows dwindled as man, dwarf and elf picked up sword and axe. Soon the defenders numbers joined the attackers in the dead on the walls. However there was hope as red cloaks darted between the creatures of darkness, their blades flashing like lightning across the dark carapace of the creatures they were fighting.

As the attackers surged over the heroic people defending the tides lost ground. The further they were pushed back to the waters and the boats that were waiting to ferry who ever made it out of the ravine.

Thanks for visiting tonight. Don’t forget to come back tomorrow night for more content and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

The Red Guard

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Now you wouldn’t be called a warlord if you didn’t have troops to direct across the battlefield and for Korvack he has the Red Guard. These troops have trained to work around Wyverns and to be aware of the pointy end of business when it comes to these massive beasts. However that doesn’t make them super soldiers, just slightly more educated than the regular rabble.

So let’s sit down, grab a coffee and roll into tonight’s encounter!

The Red Guard

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The Red Guard – Created in Nightcafe.
The Red Guard – created in tetra-cube.

The encounter this week is rather simple. The Red Guard form up the base of most of the forces rushing at the party to engage them, once they have passed the tents and keeping there while they try to kill Cassana. That’s right as Cassana and Keldard are the true focal point this week the party are just an obstacle in the way – or are they.

The Red Guard have advantage on saving throws against poison due to being exposed to wyvern venom as part of their training and they are dressed in the scales of a red dragon which grants them some resistance to fire damage. This makes them a hassle to deal with on the battlefield but also quite intimidating.

The Guards watch all entrances into the camp and try to focus on catching the princess and her accomplices as they sneak into the camp it wont be easy to avoid the fight to come – spot it, sure but avoiding it will be a lot harder.

Another small one tonight but, as always, there is always a lot more planned for the Zine. So keep an eye out for that over the next few weeks. And lastly, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe

Korvak’s Camp

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Tonight we take a look at Korvak’s camp both in the daytime and at night time. This isn’t the most defensive structure (or series of structures) but I’d imagine having a wyvern in the camp adds to its defensive capabilities. But more on that tomorrow night.

So for now let’s sit back, grab a coffee and roll into map!

Korvak’s Camp

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Korvak’s Camp Daytime – Created in Inkarnate

Both the night and the day time versions of Korvak’s camp feature unstable walls, trees (perhaps with traps in them) as well as tents and a barricade wall. The ground raises relatively steeply upwards and only by carefully approaching can you avoid the gaze of those on watch. However that’s not the biggest worry as a trained Wyvern watches from the trees as well, the colour of its scales blending in with the stones, bark and plants to hide it effectively.

A large tent houses Korvak, or so it would appear to, while a cage in the middle of the compound houses Prince Keldard. During the night several braziers are places near potential walkways with some, for some reason or another, left open without light. A paranoid person would be suspicious of this.

Korvak’s Camp Night – Created in Inkarnate.

A simple one tonight with overlapping assets to create the craggy-rocky formations around the camp. Tree’s produced wood for the barricade which is evident from the stumps around the encampment. Not too many layers for texture apart from the rocks as I wanted it to be a simple one tonight – but overlapping light sources from braziers and the camp fire give it a bit more of an impact.

Thanks for tonight to stay up to date with this weeks adventure. If you find yourself using any of these maps in your own game (downloadable via the link) let me know! Don’t forget to come back tomorrow and this weekend as we continue on this adventure and, as always, don’t forget to roll with advantage,
The Brazen Wolfe