Review & Commentary On 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor' D20 By Necromancer Games Using The Castles & Crusades rpg System

The robed bureaucrat looks up from the table and gazes on all of you before proceeding. "Ah, I see you decided to accept this mission. In your search for the bandit leader Cragen you need to be aware of a few things." Pointing to a mountain on the map, he says, "Here is a particularly nasty little cult worshipping some dead god." He pauses, then continues, "Angall is the god’s name, I believe. Also be aware that we have reports that there is a raiding party of amazons. I believe their leader is looking for her mother who disappeared in the area twenty years ago."

The bureaucrat rolls up the map and hands it to you, then turns to open an old book. "I don’t know if this is of any relevance, but it appears that there are ancient accounts of a Great Wyrm from the days of the First Men." Slamming the book shut he looks at all of you. “I would be careful in poking around in any caves or dungeons. You have your mission. Find Cragen and the reward is yours. That is all."

Do your heroes dare to enter Fortress Badabaskor? Deadly brigands, vicious cultists, and the dusty treasures of the Dragon Kings await those with muscle, wit, and luck. Defeat these challenges to uncover the dark secret of Badabaskor - a secret that will challenge even the most experienced of adventurers…


" An adventure in the wilderness stronghold of a band of brigands that includes the background and statistics of an evil local deity, plus history, maps, and keyed room descriptions of a five-level dungeon carved out of the side of a mountain. The first three levels are fairly easy and suitable for breaking in new and inexperienced players; but the lower two are far tougher, and include a cavern that has a series of four dragon dens, indicative of the difficulty of the lower levels."

Stacking in at about sixty six pages the D20 version Judges Guild's 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor' came out in '07 & was produced by Goodman Games. Finding  this tonight on the thumb drive of infinite depth was interesting. 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor' isn't a particularly valuable adition to the collection because the real print version of it sells for aound 17.00 dollars US. What this adventure does is to reenforce the fact that the Wilderlands of High Fantasy is point blank Sword & Sorcery pulpy adventure. 

Straight up outta of the gate there is no way that I would run this without using the Castles & Crusades rpg. Yes the dungeon is only five levels but this is a mean dungeon of extreme nastiness & the second thing is that this is a dungeon with an attitude towards the player's PC's. Party's are going to need to extremely lucky & very clever in certain aspects of their play in this dungeon. 

There's something that feels a bit off in the D20 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor', but I can't quite put my finger on it. All of the adventure elements are there. But this feels more D20 then some of the other Necromancer products. That doesn't make it any less useful in any way. 

The overaching feel of 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor'  is one of dire circumstances & desert environs. This is an intermediate module but C&C players are going to have to bring their 'a' games in 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor'. The lethality of  the original is there. But certain aspects are more fleshed out then in the original adventure. 

Using 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor' with a crossover for Greyhawk means that there has to be several cross over points. This includes adding in certain Greyhawk elements such as possibly additional Greyhawk desert forces, an in with Greyhawk's thieves guilds, & a possible connection or two for Greyhawk relics or artifacts. This can easily be done with several key points in 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor' . 

'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor' is definitely a product of its time & offers quite a bit of charm & wit for the Castles & Crusades dungeon master. Is it worth your time?! Perhaps if your really into running the D20 versions of the Wilderlands of High Fantasy. This is something that I'll be tackling in the near future. 

'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor'  remains a product of the Necromancer Games period of '07. This is a good module if you want to run in the D20 Wilderlands but this is a lethal module. This is a product of its time, with regards to using it with some of the Castles & Crusades resources. There are several options on the table, first of all the desert regions make perfect trade locations with the thieves & bandits having such trade routes as targets. On the whole the Castles & Crusades Monsters & Treasure book is a must. 

The DM has to make sure that the players have a full retinue of classic PC types for 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor'. And highly recommend back up PC's for the players journeying into the dungeons of 'Thieves of Fortress Badaraskor'. 

OSR Commentary on Halloween Hacking Into the D20 Wilderlands of High Fantasy Using The Castles & Crusades Rpg

 

So there's been a lot of developments on the Wilderlands of High Fantasy front. We've been storming through the book & inveribly the witch class popped out at me from the D20 player's guide. The reason for this is the recent release of the Castles & Crusades Kickstarter. 
There are several things that I've noticed with both the old D20 & new C&C material. There's a Hell of a lot of hints coming through in the Adventurers Spellbook, that indicates that PC's could be in a lot of trouble especially within the Wilderlands. 

What is he yammering about?! We're talking about witches here, specifically the witches of the demonlands. That's right the demonlands from which the Wilderlands version of the witch of old school role playing emerges. He or she is a nasty customer to deal with & given some of the gods,demons, & monsters of the Wilderlands a group of adventurers could be in for a real fight. Now this is Sword & Sorcery so we're probably talking full on cults & covens. 

These are going to be tied into the back bone locations of the Wilderlands of High Fantasy & that's going to mean full on raids, kidnappings, murders, etc. This will tie into the back drop of the Wilderlands as a hot bed of human sacrifice. 

The biggest take away from reading through the D20 Wilderlands of High Fantasy D20 Player's Guide is the fact that man is still going to be one of the most deadly of monsters within the game. This is going to be especially true of a Castles & Crusades rpg engine driven game. 
This is especially going to be true if we're using the assumption that the Wilderlands is given to its Appendix N inspirations which comes straight across from the player's guide. 

The Swamp Demon by Frank Frazetta  artwork is about where the Wilderlands Witch inspiration comes across for me as a dungeon master. 

That being said there's a barbaric tribal element within the Wilderland that makes the unsettled aspect of the setting very refreshing. Compared to many of the campaign settings that I've seen within Pathfinder & many modern game campaigns even those within the OSR. Every tree, hunting path, & campaign elements seem to have to be defined. 

And this comes back to the classic Judges Guild adventure 'The House On Hang Men's Hill. Looking deeper into this adventure with some of the understanding that we've got now as dungeon masters several truths become evident. 
"This Scenario pits a party of explorers against the secrets of an old and deadly fortress Manor.  House on Hangman's Hill contains room descriptions, monsters, encounters, and treasure for the taking.  Can you clear this house of evil, or will you die trying?"
"What is the Secret of the House on Hangman's Hill? Only the Dead know, and They aren't Talking. This 32-page book contains maps, tables and guidelines for use with AD&D in this Haunted House Adventure. BOO!

'House on Hangman's Hill' isn't a long adventure & only clocks in at thirty two pages but what really makes it work for me is the fact that its another fortress Manor. This makes it a perfect adventure to add into the wilderness of the Wilderlands. This fortress manor aspect makes this a perfect adventure to use with several other Judges Guild products and even Gary Gygax's B2 Keep on the Borderlands. 

There's a lone Roman fortress aspect that as a DM we love using in my games for the Wilderlands of High Fantasy. The fact that this recalls the Robert E. Howard short story "Beyond the Black River" isn't an accident on our part as DM's. This  just adds another layer of Sword & Sorcery weirdness & Appendix N madness to the mix. 

Illustration by Hugh Doak Rankin published in Weird Tales, 1935 for  the Robert E. Howard short story "Beyond the Black River". So what does this have to do with those witches that I mentioned earlier?! Well their operating outta of 'House on Hangman's Hill'  which we'll be running on Halloween as part of our Halloween OSR Shin Dig! 

 But what's this got to do with Greyhawk?! Well is the witch coven from the Wilderlands or someplace just a planar foot fall away!? 

Dealing with The New Castles & Crusades Kickstarter Books via The D20 Wilderlands of High Fantasy & Players Guide to the Wilderlands (Sword and Sorcery D20) book By Necromancer Games

Where does the current Roads to Aventure kickstarter for the Castles & Crusades rpg come into play within the D20  Wilderlands of High Fantasy?! If we start looking at the role of wizard guilds within the Wilderlands there is a strong connection to a supplement like the  Adventurers Spellbook.

  


Within the Wilderlands & even to certain extent of the City State of the Invincible Overlord there isn't an Elminster Aumar, the Sage of Shadowdale, constantly waging his finger or wringing his hands at your PC's. The guilds are looser producing some devestatingly dangerous wizards. This is part of the charm of the Wilderlands of High Fantasy as a Sword & Sorcery setting. Its the setting that the players & the dungeon masters customize during play. 

The new book looks like it will fit in the appendix N traditions of the Wilderlands of High Fantasy as a campaign setting that pulls highly from a rich tradition of being descended from Conan, Gor, Barsoom, Jondor, Pelucidar, and other early sources of fantasy including Tarzan of the Apes.

Many of the spells,artifacts, including many of the Wilderlands' gods and religions, etc. all fit within the context of Castles & Crusades. All of the classic Dungeons & Dragons elements are shared between the Wilderlands & the Castles & Crusades rpg system. 

Much of the D20 material is easily ported over into Castles & Crusades system & makes for a most excellent campaign. Now all of the above is workable into the supplements that are going to be coming out of the Troll Lords Kickstarter.

This all could be used along with the classic Greyhawk setting to strengthen the totally of the Greyhawk box set wizard guilds  as a rival with the magic guilds & wizards of the Wilderlands.

Some Thoughts on Naval Warfare In The Wilderlands of High Fantasy via Castles & Crusades

 "Two maps present deck plans of twenty different ships, small craft and equipment from Viking longships to dugout canoes.  These are detailed right down to the wood graining in the individual deck planks; nail heads and rope ply of the rigging are visible in a truly fine work of art.  The ships are hex-grids in 25mm scale for use with miniatures.  Included in the booklet are extensive technical descriptions, historical information on the cultures which used the various craft and equipment, and other gaming aids.  These are suitable for use with any medieval or fantasy role-playing system currently in print, and ideal for campaign Judges wishing to expand their gaming horizons into maritime traffic and trade, and ram-and-cutlass naval warfare. "

For a Sunday there's been a lot of talk around the gaming table about 

Sea Steeds and Wave Riders & if this set of rules is even worth talking about.  Well yes I do think it definitely worth talking about. The face that I've been thinking  about running a Greyhawk vs The Wilderlands of High Fantasy via Judges Guild campaign makes these rules all of the more interesting.

This set of rules clocks in at forty two pages of ancients Greco Roman rules for sea warfare.
 And it does so with a pretty good set of rules. Nothing overly complicated here with the player's 
PC's having to shoulder all of the burden. This isn't Traveller rpg rules instead we get a very simplisitc yet nuianced set of sea war games  rules & ancient battles warfare rules on the high seas. Those high seas involving Greyhawk would be nasty. 

Sea Steeds and Wave Riders does what it says on the tin but with Castles & Crusades being the main driving system behind this style of campaign I'm a bit hard pressed to see the wargaming aspect of these rules. Unless your going into a straight up Advanced Dungeons & Dragons first edition game & you want to use an exclusive Sea Steeds and Wave Riders authentic game. And yes there are dungeon master's who would run this out of the gate without any problem. 

If there's going to be naval warfare between these rival nations then C&C might be the route to go here straight outta of the gate. There are so many possible Judge's Guild adventure involving pirates that this isn't going to be a problem. And where would I set up this madness?! Near the city state of  of Modron. This adventure location ties together. This means that he Spies of Lightelf wilderness module, and Shield Maidens of Sea Rune wilderness module can be tied in with the Pirates of Hargost module. 

So how does this tie in with the latest Troll Lords Kickstarter? Quite a bit there's going to be a collected up date of a ton of the PC options and this is going to throw some of players off their game. As a ton of new material up dating the C&C lines. 

 This is going to put the naval warefare angle back into the dungeon master's lap. The players not aware of the immplications of the change up to the system making things indeed interesting. Naval warfare for this style of game is going to be a sight to behold. 

Further OSR Commentary on Hacking Into the D20 Wilderlands of High Fantasy Using The Castles & Crusades Rpg - This Time 'The City State of Invincible Overlord' & Players Guide to the Wilderlands (Sword and Sorcery D20) book By Necromancer Games

"The Players Guide has details on everything Wilderlands, from key cities and geographical locations to important groups and organizations. Whether a veteran Judges Guild fan or a new player of Wilderlands you will find amazing adventures in this landmark fantasy setting."

Originally this was going to be a blog post about the City State of Invincible Overlord D20 book by Necromancer games. Then today a friend showed up with a copy of  Players Guide to the Wilderlands (Sword and Sorcery D20).  Thanks for the parting moving gifts Henry & George much appreciated! Now can we start with the fact that this is an essential book for running the Wilderlands even with Castles & Crusades. Sweet mother of God this is a dense book right outta of the gate. Even being from 2003. We get a whole package of PC races, a complete introduction to the Wilderlands of High Fantasy. And lots more! This is an essential book in my opinion. 

But why is it?! Because it dove tails right into the insanity of the City State of the Invincible Overlord D20 book with all of the Wilderlands PC races in check from Feral Dwarves to the weird birdmen of the setting. The history here is dense but approachable. All of the major wars, history, & events that shaped the Wilderlands of High Fantasy are here. This book is a must have for both the Wilderlands player & the dungeon master using the setting. I'm really glad to have this one in my collection again! An awesome book which goes right into D20 City State of the Invincible Overlord. So is this book still incredibly useful even if you're planning on using the Castles & Crusades system?! Yes! an absolute essential piece of kit. 

"Can your PC survive the mean streets of an evil city built upon the backs of the conquered? To negotiate their way safely through its labyrinthine roads, laws, and customs, your PCs had better keep their wits - and their blades - sharp!

Challenges also await adventurers beneath the city streets. Are your PCs ready for the various conspiracies, dungeons, tunnels, and creatures that lie under the City State?

Far more than just a revision, this Judges Guild classic is updated and re-imagined for v.3.5 rules. It contains a wealth of information on both the popular City State of the Invincible Overlord and on the dungeons and creatures first described in the original Wraith Overlord."

The more that as a reader I'm going through the Necromancer D20 books especially the City State of the Invincible Overlord (Revised d20) book the more it occurs to me that these books are one huge package. Everything here is keyed to actually work together & then some. The whole cloth of the City State D20 book is rife with all of the denseness that we find in the Players Guide to the Wilderlands (Sword and Sorcery D20) only magnified by 100. Its dettail after detail after detail for the 
Wilderlands of High Fantasy fan & dungeon master because this is a setting book & not a garden variety supplement. The cartography in these books is awesome & off the chain for a D20 product. Are these books useful for the Castles & Crusades DM?! Yes they are because these books  take the material in the Magnificent Miscellaneum series & cast it in a very usable light. 

Much of the D20 material is easily ported over into Castles & Crusades system & makes for a most excellent campaign. Now all of the above is workable into the supplements that are going to be coming out of the Troll Lords Kickstarter. In point of fact the video that came out the other night highlights this.  Go to the latter half of the video towards the end. 

There's be a ton of activity on the MeWe Wilderlands of High Fantasy group that I'm a member of. Some of their posts have quite literally hit the high marks in some of the City State historical events that are mentioned in the the City State of the Invincible Overlord (Revised d20) book. Taking a look through some of the Castles & Crusades Player's Hand book & some of the other system books there's a complete PC overlay here. 

But one thing I noticed right outta of the gate here is the overtones of the D20 Wilderlands of High Fantasy & The Haunted Highlands especially in the Celtic areas. 

This is the same series of Celtic campaign pivot points also appear within the Castles & Crusades Codex Celtarum 2nd Printing book. This series of mythology & legends also appears within another TSR classic era setting. 

The more deeply we dive into these various campaign settings the more we're seeing parallels to other classic era campaigns & in this case its gotta be Greyhawk. 
Now this isn't a mistake on Troll Lords part. 

Much of these developments are writer & editor nods & homages to Gary Gygax but its nods that we can take advantage of to cement a campaign rivalry between worlds. More as this develops.