Is The Dark Outpost Adventure Series By James Ward & Chris Clark From From Eldritch Enterprises The Best Dungeon Crawl For The White Star Rpg System?

When it comes to weird happenings in space, the White Star rpg series has some fantastic stuff being produced but there's already a generic ready to plug in series of modules from the minds of one of the master's of the old school module. James Ward has done some amazing products in rpgs over the years but Dark Outpost surpasses these in spades. 

Grab It Right
HERE

James Ward's Dark Outpost is a great little module from Eldritch Enterprises..  This adventure goes into a weird happening in an isolated outpost. The adventure's outline reads something like this : 

"Dark Outpost is a generic science fiction adventure set aboard a space station in geosynchronous orbit above a small class M planet. This massive station, built by robots and crewed by automated machines, is the pride of the galactic fleet, and the hope of those that will colonize the planet below.  But something has gone wrong. 

Nearly a month ago, all communications from the outpost ceased.  A patrol vessel was sent in to investigate, and it, too, was never again heard from.  Since that time the Planet Kask outpost has been known as the Dark Outpost.  Have you the courage to explore its mystery?

Dark outpost is a frighteningly deadly adventure for 3 or more characters of moderate experience from the mind of the revered master of sci-fi, James M. Ward.  Packed with new material, Dark Oupost is more of a mini-campaign than a mere adventure, and it is guaranteed to provide dozens of hours of enjoyment over multiple play sessions for any game master."
If you want to give all of those alternative classes you've been seeing for White Star a workout then this series has plenty of opportunities but bring a lot of extra character sheets. This adventure doesn't pull any punches.

This is a pretty solid adventure that lives up to what it promises. The adventure clocks in at eighty eight pages of old school science fiction or science fantasy adventure. The type of game its set in depends largely on the DM. The story is fast, flexible, & pretty good. Without giving too much of it away there are some high points I'd like to hit. 

Grab It Right Over
HERE

The action continues in Dark Visitor and its a vicious but fun old school space horror game adventure with plenty of humor and horror in equal doses. This adventure can be linked to the previous Dark Outpost adventure with plenty of hooks just waiting for the PC's. This adventure adds a whole new spin to the dark goings on in space! Its an epic adventure into the bowels of an alien spacecraft; a world unlike any you have previously seen.  It is a living vessel, filled with undiscovered life forms, strange technologies, dangerous and unexpected pitfalls. The treasures here are great add ons for a game like White Star but this adventure breeds some very weird goings on. I've used Metamorphosis Alpha first edition in the past to run this one but just about any old school OD&D style game rules will work with it. The Dark Visitor adventure adds a much needed twist of both horror and humor in equal measure and its a nice change up from from the usual Swords and Wizardry in space vibe of White Star. And these are very well done adventures from pen of one of the best groups of writers of old school adventures in my humble opinion. 
                                               

   Reasons  For Using 

The Dark Series Of Adventures With The White Star System 

The Dark series of science fiction adventures offers the DM some very unique opportunities for dungeon crawling in space. These adventures are perfect for extended missions for campaigns of mid level groups of adventurers of various types. There's an almost television episode quality to the adventures allowing for a definitive cinematic feel to running them. They fit everything from pulp to a more serious tone of science fictional adventuring. 

There are a number of reasons for choosing to run these adventures with the the White Star System : 

1. These adventures have some bare bones setting information that can easily be fleshed out by the DM into a fully functioning organization or two for their own campaigns. 
2. There is plenty of death and destruction that can crossed over with other retroclone systems to create their own generic adventure locations in space where PC's can cross over from different game campaigns. Such is the nature of these adventures. 
3. There's plenty of back tie in encounters, there have been other adventurers here before your PC's making this an easy tie in for PC back stories and reasons to go to both Dark Outpost and explore the Dark Visitor. 
4. The tech jump alone in the relics aboard both locations is worth several fortunes and is perfect to lure in those space pirates and thieves of the space lanes. 
5. The weirdness of both locations can easily be spread to other worlds and enable the DM to back trace the horrors of these locations back to their epic adventure location sources. 
6. These adventures offer a myriad of space adventuring opportunities for DM's really looking to expand their games across a wide range of space settings. 
7. These locations can easily port and plug into Metamorphosis Alpha 1st edition which can back plug into White Star as well. Adding a fully realized campaign setting with minimum fuss. 
8. Both adventures add in the sci fi horror element without being over the top gross or icky unless the DM wants to add in extra bits of weirdness. In other words these can be made kid friendly always a plus. 
9. The Dark Series is a tour de force in old school dungeon design in space, the author has done a bang up job of presenting a solid and well rounded series of adventure locations that will have use for a very long time to come! 
10. The Dark series of adventures is build to service a wide range of old school science fiction and fantasy games and as such the gaming utility of these adventures isn't to be under estimated. Played right and you could get years and years of use out of these. 

Best Wishes To James Ward This Evening

  I just heard that James M. Ward suffered a heart attack last night. Based on the linked post, he is recovering well. Best wishes for a full recovery, Jim!
From Frank Mentzer  on Metamorphisis Alpha Facebook group page: 

Frank Mentzer

7 hrs · Edited · 

James M. Ward update:

'Good Vibes via Social Media DO seem to work!

Heart attack last night, very serious stuff, but recovering nicely.

He'll stay in the Milwaukee hospital until he fully stabilizes, prolly 2 or 3 days.

Jim wants to fulfill his commitments to the Nexus game convention this coming Thurs-Sun at the Milwaukee Airport Clarion.

We won't let him, so blame us. (But 3/4 of Eldritch Ent. is still attending, so come on down!)

Meanwhile, please keep the good thoughts rolling.'
James Ward is someone I consider a friend of mine.
I'm still in a bit of a state of shock about this, folks and let me be quite plain how I feel about it. James Ward is Metamorphosis Alpha in my mind. And I kinda owe the gentleman a great deal of gratitude for getting me back into the post apocalyptic genre. My thoughts, prayers, and good vibes are with James and the Ward family this evening. All my very best and respect to him this evening. Cheers my friend.
The Future of yesterday is still being written and we want you to continue to write it.


Any comments, questions, etc. should be directed to Eldritch Enterprises right over
HERE

We here at Swords and Stitchery wish only the very best to Eldritch and James Ward. Keep those positive vibes coming folks. 

Dark Visitor From Eldritch Enterprises For Your Old School Space Opera, Science Fantasy, or Science Fiction Campaign

Get It Right
HERE

This is a monster of science fictional campaign that takes place aboard a 'living ship' and forget those Star Trek Next Generation Tin Man thoughts because this is much, much, worse and a far darker a tale.
This is a horrifying journey into a science fiction nightmare for your PC's as only James Ward and Chris Clark's twisted minds can dream up. This is also a mini sequel of sorts to James Ward's Dark Visitor. However this is a monster of a campaign clocking in for one hundred and one pages of action packed encounters. 

According to Drivethru Rpg: 

Dark Visitor is an epic adventure into the bowels of an alien spacecraft; a world unlike any you have previously seen.  It is a living vessel, filled with undiscovered life forms, strange technologies, dangerous and unexpected pitfalls, and yes, fabulous treasures. A well-equipped exploration or salvage team could make a handsome profit.  They could just as easily die a gruesome and unforeseen death.

There are many ways to die in space.  We just added a few more.

Not for the faint of heart, Dark Visitor is designed for exploration by three or more characters of low to moderate levels, and armed to the teeth with items.  It can be used as either a stand-alone adventure or as the sequel to Dark Outpost.
According To James Ward's Blog : 

"Anyway, Chris is just finishing up two layout projects. DARK VISITOR and RAIN OF TERROR and they look terrific. DARK VISITOR is a generic science fiction campaign. A ship made out of fungus comes into the solar system looking for a scout ship. The player characters are sent to explore the ship. Chris and I co-authored that one, but really Chris did the lion’s share of that project. Chris wrote RAIN OF TERROR by himself and I have rarely seen a product look as good as that one does. It’s an amazing adventure and I’m very jealous because he has thought of a new adventure hook I have never seen used before in my 40+ years of creating adventures. We hope to show those available to you in the first week of December."

You can find more over on Mr. Ward's Blog HERE

 Using Dark Visiter with Your Old School Science Fiction
 or Science Fantasy Campaign

 

Dark Visitor picks up where Dark Outpost left off if your PC's were lucky to survive and thrive in that deadly little adventure right over HERE. Where Dark Out was a sprawling mini campaign sandbox with monsters easily converted. Dark Visitor is a fully fledged sand box campaign with deadly encounters, high weirdness for PC's and even treasures!
The writing is crisp, clear and very entertaining. The elements of the adventure are very easily adapted to any retroclone or science fiction adventure rpg. Dark Visitor has lots of potential though for those looking for an X - plorer campaign with room for lots of expansion.
For Stars Without Number this is a hell of a campaign that could last several months as the PC's explore a very alien mega dungeon.
The adventure is system agnostic and has the feel of a 1970's or 80's science fiction film where the PC's are up to their necks in alien situation where they're actions could decide the fate of not only themselves but the entire party. The encounters are well balanced and with the conversion notes this one could easily be adapted to even a Star Frontiers game if one was so inclined.
Both adventures speak volumes about the quality of writing that we see from Mr. Clark and Mr. Ward. This adventure would make a heck of a convention set and could well lead PC's up several levels if they survive long enough to enjoy the fruits of their labors.
These adventures could be used with Metamorphosis Alpha 1st edition as add on campaigns and bring PC's into the bounds of outer space very easily. The artifacts and technologies are great. The puzzles and encounters are interesting, challenging, and somewhat deadly if PC's are not careful. Be warned that Dark Visitor is a monster of a campaign and will take several months to play through. Combined with Dark Outpost and you've got the makings of a complete and total campaign for some time to come!

Commentary

I'm not going to lie to you folks, I enjoyed reading the hell out of this adventure. I found myself clapping my hands and wringing them with delight to subject my friends and players to this one. There is a tone of desperation that seems to run through the entire adventure as if the PC's are going through the paces of some demented organism out to deal with them.  I mean this in a fun way. This is a highly recommended adventure and it would work with many of the science fiction games currently on the market and a few that are no long as well.
The lion's share of the campaign takes its time with the PC's and really subjects them to some trials and puts them through their paces. I keep thinking either X plorers or Stars Without Number for these adventures!
 Grab some players, grab some dice, and grab your copy of this one today!

 For other fine products from Eldritch Enterprises
Go Right Over 
HERE

News On "The Dark Vistor" Old School Science Fiction Adventure By James Ward And Chris Clark

More Information Available Right Over
HERE
So we've got new information on Dark Visitor from Eldrith Enterprises!
According to James Ward on Facebook today :
DARK VISITOR
"I am so proud of this upcoming product from Eldritch Enterprises. Chris Clark and I teamed up to write this and it turned out amazing. We are hoping to get it out just before Christmas. I will post more when it is up for sale." 
"Dark Vistor"  is the follow up to the rather cool and dangerous old school space adventure 'Dark Outpost' by James M. Ward put out recently. This adventure has ground more then a few friend's PC's into space dust. 

If Dark Vistor picks up like Dark Outpost then your PC's are in serious trouble. 
Available right over
HERE

Dark Outpost has been my go to convention style OSR science fiction rpg module for a long while now with large and small groups of players.
The plot goes something like this: 

"Dark Outpost is a generic science fiction adventure set aboard a spacestation in geosynchronous orbit above a small class-M planet. This massive station, built by robots and crewed by automated machines, is the pride of the galactic fleet, and the hope of those that will colonize the planet below.  But something has gone wrong.

Nearly a month ago, all communications from the outpost ceased.  A patrol vessel was sent in to investigate, and it, too, was never again heard from.  Since that time the Planet Kask outpost has been known as the Dark Outpost. 
Have you the courage to explore its mystery?"

If this one follows the tracks laid down in the previous adventures then your looking at a very nasty and solidly laided down adventure that can be used with any of the science fiction or science fantasy retro clones on the market.
I've used this one twice with Stars Without Numbers and X plorers. The results were not pretty as the PC's killed themselves over and over. Can't wait to grab this one folks!
 You can read more of the wit and wisdom of James Over at his blog
HERE

Lich Dungeon Level II From Eldritch Enterprises Has Hit The Streets !

Frank Mentzer's  Lich Dungeon is now for sale on Drivthrurpg right over
 HERE

 The description from Drivethrurpg 

Description:

Lich Dungeon, a city unto itself.

Level One was simple, just enough to introduce the place.  This is Level Two.  The real challenges start here.

On Level 2 you'll find apartments & shops, churches & cops, and... well, monsters of course: norks, gunges, geeps, Draugur, plus the usual suspects.
For business & residential opportunities, please see the management (Chagur the Lich). You might even survive.

Prepare to laugh.  Prepare to fight.  Hope to survive.  Have a good game.

A year in the making, this addition to the Lich Dungeon line is packed with new monsters, new treasures, and detailed maps of all areas (there's a lot of maps).  Designed by best-selling fantasy author and designer Frank Mentzer, this adventure is easily converted to almost any fantasy rpg gaming system.  At 134 pages, this is far more than a 'quick trip to the dungeon'.

It is designed for exploration by parties of three or more characters of moderate levels of experience (and equipment)

I've already got my copy on order and there are three very interesting things in my mind. This book clocks in at 134 pages. The fact that this is one of Frank's campaign modules that from what I understand he's run at various conventions over the years and its very well done. And this module has a vast tie in with his work with Mr.Gygax to me is very interesting.

 From the pen of Mr. Mentzer himself. 
"So what's this 'lich dungeon' stuff?

As I explain in Lich Dungeon Level One, it's my first dungeon. And it sucked, of course. It's okay now; I fixed it up a bit, over the years. You can buy it safely. It's not a bunch of rough notes, like the dungeons we used to run.

Gary's famous Castle Greyhawk was just rough notes and some maps. (Great maps btw.) He didn't write things out long-form unless it was for publication. And when he did that, he changed stuff, added stuff, tossed out bits that didn't work...

You know how it goes. Your dungeons are probably the same, rough notes and a map.

I couldn't perpetrate that on anybody. Not only is it embarrassing, it's pretty hard to run in that state... unless you know what's going on and just didn't get around to writing it down. Which was the case here, but you can't read my thoughts, so some writing was definitely in order.

So we all created dungeons. The trick is turning 'em into publishable dungeons.


* * * * *

Where'd the new bits in Lich Dungeon come from? Lich Dungeon. Y'see...

Back in the 1970s, I developed and ran the thing for my Philadelphia area players. Worked fine. Then I moved to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, restarted my campaign, and ran it for the designers, editors, and artists of TSR. Some of the regular players (not counting Gary, since he rarely had time) included Jim Ward, Skip & Penny Williams, the late super-artist Keith Parkinson, the late Jean Wells, and many more.

I didn't develop it any further while I worked for TSR, but I did run my campaign, of which LD was a notable part. The memories stick around. So later, after I left TSR, I resumed the campaign and started revising, tweaking, updating bits of LD, including things the players had done, and some new ideas. I had learned a few things under Gary's wing, as it were.

So all that 'new stuff' in LD1 (and now LD2, freshly released) wasn't there in the 1970s version. It was in later incarnations of LD, though, so it's Authentic Lich Dungeon nevertheless.

Why mess with it? It was all rough notes before I started writing it for publication, and as long as I had to do a bunch of work, I figured I might as well update it a bit. (The Eldritch Ent.s have discussed a 'deluxe version', including the really-and-truly raw L1 notes & map. We'll see.)

I'm okay with changing it some, as long as the 'new' material is authentic, historical, "Hey I remember that" Lich Dungeon history. And with the newer bits, it makes the whole thing more fun... and more complete as a 21st-century publication.

Some reviews of Level One were, um, lukewarm. Yes, it's repetitive; that's the way it was, originally. Didn't change that part.

Here's the secret: things don't get interesting until L2 and below. You can think of L1 as an intro, the lay of the land, the basic geographic template for what will come later.

But before you can hit L2 you have to hit L1, and before that you have to figure out how to get INTO the place, and... well, you see the results.

Level One came out a year ago, but Level Two just got released. Sorry, it took a while to get things in shape. L3 shouldn't take a year like L2 did.

Here are just a few 'Designer's Notes' -- spoilers sorta but not severely -- about Level Two.

Norks: These orc-nole hybrids are trying very hard to rise above their beastly origins. To maintain thair 'advanced' status, they combat their inner chaos by working within a rigid system of daily chores, even using water clocks to nail down the timing. I included 2 pages of timetables for those who want to keep track of the 100 or so on Level 2... and I also included a note saying "If you don’t want to precisely handle Nork locations and activity, then DON'T." In other words, have 'em your way.

Loot for Brains: These are tough brain-teaser puzzles. Very tough. My partners think they're TOO tough. A long time ago I solved the puzzle problem: never put 'em in the way, always make 'em optional. These follow that system. You get a free magic item if you can figure out a puzzle. They're tough, very tough. Included only for that one guy in the group who loves 'em (while the others hate 'em). Good luck, smart guy.

Homework: As usual, I leave some areas for the Game Master to customize. You can leave 'em empty if you don't want to do homework.

Tocsin: This is the most dangerous thing in the whole dungeon, and it isn't a creature; isn't even magical. You'll have to read LD2 to find out the details.

Souvenirs: Ever mindful of the value of good Public Relations, Chagur the Lich (boss of the place) has approved the manufacture and sale of various ‘Official Souvenirs' of Lich Dungeon. You'll find them in some of the 6 Shops.

Shops: Okay, I confess; the proprietrix of the Textile Shop is a new creation, a skinny but pretty little gal named Taylor Quick. All the other shopkeepers are original, including the guy with Phoenix blood who comes back (in flames) if you kill him. No, he doesn't know where the Egg is.

Gunge: In the original Fantasy game, we all love goops, globs, blobs, amoebae, and similar critters. The scientist within me was always bothered by this category; weren't they all variations on a theme, sorta? So I created Gunges, the "goop group" all in one bucket. Some of 'em do things you've seen before (paralysis, cold, poison, etc). Some of 'em do new things, like the nasty one that sucks the water out of your body before you even get close enough to whack it. Watch out for gunge, and remember the colors, so you'll know which does what.

That's enough for now. An old friend named Angelia is in here (in masquerade), as is a robot (which needs repair), an in-joke about pole-arms, and a guy who's been stuck for 5 days 7 hours (another new addition; just think about it for a bit). The place is jam-packed with 'Easter eggs', bits that seem innocuous enough until you think about them for a while, other bits tied to the good ol' days at TSR with Gary, and more and more.

Oh yeah, one last thing; WE FIXED THE MAP PROBLEM! I was running this back in March at GaryCon, and I got lost in the dungeon; couldn't remember where the party was, and was flipping back and forth looking for maps. Now, if the *author* gets lost in the place, what about YOU? Bad news, had to be fixed.

So I came up with a helper, which I like a LOT: Every 2-page spread has a map, illustrating all the rooms on those pages. Makes it HUGELY easier to find where you are on the big, detailed Master Map (which you can also photocopy for easier reference). Instantly shows you what's on the other side of all adjacent doors, that sort of thing. We'll continue this in Lich Dungeon Level Three and beyond, and prolly also when we do the versions optimized for 1e, B/X, Hack, C&C, and more.

We have plans... keep an eye on EE.
Who has first watch?"

This little blurb actually reveals quite a bit of the design ethos that went into the older TSR products and the new adventures such as Lich Dungeon and its sister.
Because of the nature of Lich Dungeon I'm going to be covering this over at the Dark Corner Blog when it comes out! Its out now but the physical copy is going to be unveiled at GenCon 

Further Mediation On Dark Outpost By James M. Ward And Christopher Clark

This is a great generic science fiction adventure In The Old School Science Fantasy Tradition. You can get it right HERE

Description According To DrivethruRpg : 

Description:

Dark Outpost is a generic science fiction adventure set aboard a spacestation in geosynchronous orbit above a small class M planet. This massive station, built by robots and crewed by automated machines, is the pride of the galactic fleet, and the hope of those that will colonize the planet below.  But something has gone wrong. 

Nearly a month ago, all communications from the outpost ceased.  A patrol vessel was sent in to investigate, and it, too, was never again heard from.  Since that time the Planet Kask outpost has been known as the Dark Outpost.  Have you the courage to explore its mystery?

Dark outpost is a frighteningly deadly adventure for 3 or more characters of moderate experience from the mind of the revered master of sci-fi, James M. Ward.  Packed with new material, Dark Oupost is more of a mini-campaign than a mere adventure, and it is guaranteed to provide dozens of hours of enjoyment over multiple play sessions for any game master.

In The Depths Of Space No Can Hear You Scream!
 

Dark Outpost is a very well thought out dungeon in space with an over arching plot to frame it and  it can be used to create a very interesting and cool campaign inside a space station of epic perorations. If the PC's survive that is. The action of this little location driven adventure is well thought out. Its echoes back to a time when Mr. Ward was doing work for both Gamma World and Metamorphosis Alpha first edition. In fact with little work the adventure could be plugged into that game as an extension for a total campaign!
According to the description 'Dark outpost is a frighteningly deadly adventure for 3 or more characters of moderate experience'. That's about right and after using this adventure with Stars Without Number this past weekend. I'd say that your really better off using mid level PCs. There are new pieces of equipment, new monsters, & a ton of maps in this one. But the truth is that the encounters are fun but deadly. The PC's can easily get themselves killed by their own hands very easily. 

The adventure is more of a mini tool box for a science fiction or fantasy game and used correctly could provide a launch pad for a whole campaign from only a few sessions. 

The ideas here hearken back to the early days of many of James Ward's work for TSR but are much more entertaining. It truly feels like Mr. Ward really let his imagination go on this one. 

There's a couple of options in this eighty eight page adventure. One could given a bit of time plug this one straight into Mutant Future and allow the PC's to wake up Metamorphosis Alpha style with no clue to their origins. There is more then enough room here to have an entire Post Apocalyptic Campaign aboard the station and then shoot them right into a failed colony world. 

 The Planet Task Option 

The PC's in this weekend's past game wanted to know more about Planet Kask. There are some details given but I get the feeling that the planet is open to further development by the DM should he or she choose.
 I've taken the 'Failed Interstellar Colony' and the station above using a bit of dramatic licence from 'Star The Next Generation ' and a bit of Issac Asimov's  'Caves of Steel' to fill in some of the colony details.

 

The PC's made it through a few of the encounters but by the time the game was done it was quite late. So the PC's are still out there in space and their continuing the journey through the steel lined corridors of  James Ward's 'Dark Outpost'.
Not bad for a pick up game.

Ten Reasons For Using Dark Outpost 

1. This is a fun little adventure and very encounter driven! Deadly but in a fun way. 
2. The challenges that face the PC's force the players to think and react! 
3. The location has potential to be spun by the DM into a fully realized campaign if he so chooses! 
4. This isn't a well known adventure and that means there are many twists and turns to be had! 
5. The maps are fantastic and this is very much a plug + play adventure. 
6. This is very generic adventure and it can be used with any number of retroclones from X plorers to Stars Without Numbers and Mutant Future. 
7. Its by James M. Ward and is very well written. 
8. There is a high customization factor with this adventure! 
9. At eighty eight pages this isn't a huge adventure to the point of unplayable but it is a mini campaign into itself. This also means it can be used as a plug in for Metamorphosis Alpha 1st edition! 
10. This adventure is easy, quick, and reliable for reuse for play over and over again! 

For further support go right over to the company website and Mr.Ward's blog right
HERE

Lich Dungeon Level Two By Frank Mentzer !

Lich Dungeon, a city unto itself.

On Level 2 you'll find apartments & shops, churches & cops, and... well, monsters of course: norks, gunges, geeps, Draugur, plus the usual suspects.

For business & residential opportunities, please see the management (Chagur the Lich). You might even survive.
 Here's the complete description from Drivethrurpg: 

Lich Dungeon, a city unto itself.

Level One was simple, just enough to introduce the place.  This is Level

 Two.  The real challenges start here.

On Level 2 you'll find apartments & shops, churches & cops, and... well, monsters of

 course: norks, gunges, geeps, Draugur, plus the usual suspects.

For business & residential opportunities, please see the management

 (Chagur the Lich). You might even survive.

Prepare to laugh.  Prepare to fight.  Hope to survive.  Have a good game.

A year in the making, this addition to the Lich Dungeon line is packed with

 new monsters, new treasures, and detailed maps of all areas (there's a lot

 of maps).  Designed by best-selling fanstasy author and designer Frank

 Mentzer, this adventure is easily converted to almost any fantasy rpg

 gaming system.  At 134 pages, this is far more than a 'quick trip to the

 dungeon'.

It is designed for exploration by parties of three or more characters of

 moderate levels of experience (and equipment)! 

Out on Drivethrurpg! Right over Here!

I'll be putting up a detailed review very soon!

Strange Allies Universal Fantasy Adventure from Eldritch Enterprises Review

Product Name: Strange Allies

Publisher: Eldritch Enterprises

Author: Christopher Clark

System: Universal

Theme: Universal  Fantasy

Type: Adventure

Release: PDF

Available:

Link: http://www.eldritchent.com/

Plot And Tag line From Back of  Module: 

A forlorn wagon lies abandoned at the side of the road. Curious, you decide to investigate. Suddenly goblin arrows fill the sky, and a burning sensation assaults your forehead. Goblins within the trees shout spiteful imprecations and it is all over almost as quickly as it began…except that your fellow adventurers have rags over their noses, and everyone seems to be moving away from you. The reason for this behavior becomes abundantly clear when one of them shouts at you.

Review: 

Christopher Clark is a veteran of the old school rpg industry and this is one of his latest efforts under the wing of Eldritch Enterprises. This latest adventure is interesting for number of reasons. The first of which is that this is the follow up to Forrest of Deceit. Second is that this module is unapolgetically old school in its encounters, monsters, foes, NPCs, and open end design. 

This module recalls a design tactic that I have seen in old Judge's Guild modules. The idea that a setting can be limited to certain sized number of hexes and still contain a boatload of encounters. The idea is not only set down within this adventure but expanded upon. There is an entire ecological vibe similar to A New England Wilderness or  the Canadian  countryside within this adventure. 

If your a fan of humanoids such as the fore mentioned goblins then this is a great adventure for you. The encounters are solidly balanced and the story line can easily be blended into the background of your home campaign world. The module could easily be played as a continuation of Forrest of Deceit. The interesting idea here being that these two adventures together could form the basis of a small scale campaign. 

 The feel of the adventure is pure pulp fantasy adventure. There's very little in the way of it feels like the standard fantasy convention and instead creates a feeling of it's own style of adventure and flavor. 

The adventure clocks in at fifty two pages and has a bunch of new monsters, treasures, woodland and wilderness encounters, and a feeling of small scale but big adventure. 

Using Strange Allies For Your OSR gaming 

 Believe it or not there are three ways of using Strange Allies. The first is the traditional OD&D style of game and simply running the fifty two page module out of the box. The plot will hum along and provide a mid level game with some actual challenges as well as plot twists. New Races make an appearance as well as some new material.
The second way of running this is as a bridge gap or cross over module for a science fantasy game. Here the encounters are taking place on an alien world with some of the monsters, races, etc. all standing in for the tradition fantasy tropes. The nature of the module being as generic as it is this actually isn't a problem. The scale of the module makes a "landing party" or away team style of play quite the snap. The fantasy elements will throw your traditional science fantasy gamer for a loop! As you present them with a down and gritty action adventure as opposed to the traditional science fantasy planetary adventure. The results could be quite amusing. 

The final permutation of this module would be to use it as a basis for a post apocalyptic gaming experience. Here the party wanders into the environs of the adventure and subject to the limited scale of the adventure. This enables a much more intimate style of play. Here its the player vs. not only the adversaries of the adventure but the environment itself.
There are a number of small scale NPC's that are introduced and allow the DM to coolly hook the players into a number of compromising situations all within the confines of a manageable campaign where space isn't wasted. 

Bottom line 
Strange Allies is a great tool box and adventure for a DM looking for a middle of the road adventure for his party. The module isn't perfect by any means. It lags in some of the movement of the plot however that is easily solvable by moving certain adventure elements around. The adventure sells for $7.00 for a fifty two page module.
I might wait until it was on sale. The adventure is very perfect for a DM looking to cut his party in a New England/ New World environment. The adventure would be a perfect fit for Labyrinth Lord, as well as Lamentations of The Flame Princess or Swords and Wizardry. One thing is that Eldritch provides a number of places for support of the customer. The maps are built to scale and are easily used for a number of encounters and the locations are places that the PC's will come back to again and again. Personally I enjoyed every single moment of this adventure and I'm playing on running this soon.
Three and one half stars. Combined with Forrest of Deceit this is the makings of a mini campaign with no hassle and fuss.
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 Ten Reasons To Use Strange Allies 

1. The twists and turns of this module make it a fun read and I'm sure as a fun play. 
2. Forrest of Deceit - Is the perfect introduction to the world of Chris Clark 
3. The maps actually make sense, the monsters are balanced, & there's a dark underbelly to this adventure. 
4. There actually story seeds that make using this module easily and a continuation quick. 
5. The NPC's are just fleshed out enough that a DM could simply use these pre generationed characters as jump off points or as patrons for his party. 
6. There aren't a lot of players aware of this adventure and snagging it as part of something to plunder isn't a bad thing. The module is made as part of a greater tool kit. 
7. The new PC races are worth the ticket alone and that these can be used with any number of games and there might even be enough to use these as the basis for a PC or two. 
8. The goblins are nasty and very, very dangerous. 
9. The adventure is apologetically old school and there are a number of ideas here that can be used in other games or even the entire location transported into a already existing game.  
10.  This is an example of what can be done with a small hex space and the locals who are more then merely NPC stats on a page. This adventure can provide hours and hours of fun if the DM is wiling to provide the players with the right opportunities. 

Review Curse of the Weaver Queen - Tim Kask

Tim Kask's latest efforts have come to the light and given birth to a very nasty spider cult.
The basic plot runs something like this: The lunar goddess Arianhrod presides over the great wheel of life. But centuries ago, some saw the Wheel as a Web: a spider's web. And so began the Cult, and so it has festered, hidden, malignant... waiting.

Now they come scuttling out of the dunes at night, silent and deadly. Only a very lucky few have survived the ravaging horde. The bugs. The huge spiders. The Gatherers, taking what is man's and returning to their lair.

That area of the dunes is strange. You'll see. You can find it easily. And with luck, you may live to tell the tale.

Curse of the Weaver Queen uses a generic language compatible with any set of fantasy Rolepleying rules. It is a stand-alone adventure and will easily drop into any existing campaign.

Alright the entire adventure weights in at 46 pages and seems like a great read through. I went through it in about a night and it got me thinking about DMing this as an adventure for a group of players.
The module is well written and concise. The details are there for an over arching campaign if the DM wishes. This module is one that introduces new takes on existing AD&D or OD&D monsters. Gives a solid punch to the gut for parties and tells the tale of its plot.
The thing is lethal and while it can be set with any fantasy game in mind this one is meant to work with an old school 70's OD&D or AD&D first edition group.
As I said this is a mini campaign in 46 pages and bring extra character sheets to the table. Serious the body count is going to be high as the PCs kill themselves. 

The desert setting is very well done and personally I'm thinking of breaking out Al Quim to run this one. It made me think of Saturday morning movies on Channel 61 out of New York on cable. 

Maps are very well done and you get quite a bit of bang for your buck if you should want to re-purpose these for other adventures. Alot of DMs do just this sort of thing or if you wanted to run an aftermath adventure with this one.
The entire back story is well constructed and this one seems to go right into Tim Kask's campaign work. Which someday will appear in another product by these folks or in the pages of Gygax magazine.
The module could be used for an old school swords and sorcery campaign as well. Along the lines of   Marvel's Conan. This might work well with Crypts and Things or another "Sinbad" style campaign. 

This isn't the sort of an adventure if your a DM who doesn't want to run something with a bit of everything. Dungeon crawling, treasure seeking, a bit of intrigue and a large dash of adventure are all a part of this one.
This one to me is worth the price of admission. Your mileage may vary. Tim Kask did an excellent job with this one in my humble opinion. Pack your bags boys we heading to the deep desert.
 You can purchase this one right over Here

Quick Shout Out - Curse of the Weaver Queen by Tim Kask

Always on the lookout for some early 80's and late 70's  adventure gaming vibe this caught my eye.

This one just hit the shelves this week and I'm going to be reviewing a copy of it and running it. This looks very nice with a lethal rating of 80%, it looks to be quite the dungeon delve. There's a campaign introduction feel to this one. 

The intro tells a bit of the background.

The lunar goddess Arianhrod presides over the great wheel of life. But centuries ago, some saw the Wheel as a Web: a spider's web. And so began the Cult, and so it has festered, hidden, malignant... waiting.

Now they come scuttling out of the dunes at night, silent and deadly. Only a very lucky few have survived the ravaging horde. The bugs. The huge spiders. The Gatherers, taking what is man's and returning to their lair.

That area of the dunes is strange. You'll see. You can find it easily. And with luck, you may live to tell the tale.

I've been happy with the talent behind this company. The classic 'old school' dungeons from industry legends has been fresh and with some suitable twists and turns.Many of the products are generic, usable with all FRP games. The style is from the early days of role-playing, the 1970s. I would expect this to be no less cool. Snakeriders of the Aradondo was very well done and also served as an introduction into the campaign world of Tim Kask and this one should show us a wee bit more of that world. 

Here's a bit more of the introduction into Curse of the Weaver. 

The temple of a forgotten cult lies in the midst of a forbidding desert.  It conceals the tragedy of a young girl cursed for centuries to a fate far worse than death.

The cult has all but disappeared; that which fostered it now protects itself with armies of insects grown to monstrous proportions by the essence of that which resides within: pervasive, malignant, and evil.

This stand-alone adventure will easily drop into your existing game. It is designed for exploration by 2 or more characters of moderate level, supplied with moderate magical equipment.

But let's be honest.  Let your guard down, for even a brief moment, and you're likely dead.

46 pages - perfect bound

Fatality Rating: 8 skulls/80%

MSRP: $14.95

46 pages 80% fatality rating.

Check out the other products from these guys right over HERE

 You can read more right over HERE And its on sale at $7.50 from Drivethru 

Check out a sample from the PDF
HERE

The front cover artwork looks very early 80's with this creature. I like it. Very evocative of the desert setting and gives nothing away.

One thing I find remarkable odd is this expression on the spider/monster/girl's face. Not so much aggression or madness but a look of absolute shame and regret that she's been transformed. I'll dive into this one tomorrow. 

Tower of the Scarlet Wizard By James M.Ward - Review & Commentary

The Tower Of The Scarlet Wizard is the latest adventure from the twisted mind of Jame M. Ward. It presents & pulls you in right from the starting blurb on the back of the book. Here's the blurb from Drivethrurpg: 

A mysterious and magical message literally drops into your lap from the very air.  Unsettled by the experience, you nevertheless open it.  It seems that there is a tower at the center of a nearby town, packed with magical items and untold riches... and it seems YOU have inherited this tower!

                                                  Well...  almost.

You are one of several cousins vying for ownership of this magnificent edifice.  The task seems simple: convince the servants of the tower that you are the rightful owner.  Once all of the tower's servants have sworn fealty, the tower, and its riches, are yours.

It sounds too good to be true... So it probably is.

The Tower of the Scarlet Wizard is a system-less adventure using generic terminology that should convert easily for use with most fantasy role playing systems.  It is designed for 3 or more thinking players of moderate experience level. 

Those characters that survive will have a new base of operations, better than any room at an inn.  Those who forget to pack their wits along with the rest of their gear should probably have their wills in order before making the attempt.

 It’s a 24-page adventure written by  game designer James Ward, edited by Tim Kask and Christopher Clark, and with interior art from Chris Clark too. The cover design is by Dave Peterson and Chris Clark.
Introduction : 
 This product throws a party into the deep end of the Scarlet Wizard's Tower. 
This is  a jam packed 24 page James Ward old school adventure in the vein of the old Tsr products. The whole plot pulls you right into the world of the tower. There's lots going on here.  Right off the bat on page three there's an overview of everything the DM needs to get the PC's right into the thick of things. The overview is needed because this is a very "adventure dense" product. Not in the sense that there's lots of magic items, spells, etc. In the sense that if the party doesn't pay attention there will be a reckoning. The product is well laid out with its maps, artwork, etc all adding to the flavor of the product.
 The author seems to have really allowed himself some creative free reign here & gotten into the heart of his world. This product feels like a test set for another possible campaign world from Mr. Ward. I for one want to see a box set. 

 
The  Ten Main Uses For Tower Of The Scarlet Wizard 

1. This isn't simply a one night adventure the puzzles, traps, tricks, etc are all built for an extended session or three of play. This twenty four page adventure feels like a mini campaign in places. This is a very nicely put together adventure. 
2. Lots of new magic items, setting material, etc. which can all be used for lots of other DM projects as well to flesh out a setting. The adventure has its own tone, flavour, ideas. 
3. There are secrets here and used correctly they lead to other campaign worlds or even a world spanning adventure 
4. This adventure could be used for both a traditional OSR game or even a space fantasy with the right preparation 
5. This is a deadly little adventure & one mis step & your PCs are dead meat. Its not a grinder but a very well thought out adventure where the player characters will get themselves killed 
6. This is a nice campaign introduction adventure that can translate one set of PCs into another level of play. 
7. There are new spells, monsters, items, all well thought out & laid out in this one. They have the traditional "Ward touch" to them as well. 
8. Several dangling plot hooks are available to the DM to not only continue this adventure but to tie it in with their own existing world. This is a good thing in my opinion 
9. The feel of the adventure is classic James Ward & is fresh, easy to use, & solid in every respect. I enjoyed reading this one & will enjoy running it. 
10. Well worth the price of admission & its on sale over at Drivethru right over Here
    
    
    
    
    

    1. How To Use The Tower Of The Scarlet Wizard
    The adventure is designed to fit into any retroclone adventure system. This has the potential to be run quite easily with something like Lamentations of The Flame Princess. The whole adventure though would fit into something like Labyrith Lord or Swords & Wizardry much easier. The potential for solid pulp adventuring is right there . This one could be run in a world like one that dripped from the pen of Fritz Leiber quite easily. The NPCs, the items, and the setting are right there for an easy fit.
    The only problem I see is running this with something like Carcosa. The whole adventure would have to be retro fitted & made more horrifying then it already is. It could be done.
    Potentially though with a bit of work & twisting of elements this could easily be fit into  Trey's Old World setting.There might need to be some adjustments but this could easily be transported over to an alternative universe where magic is a reality & science. The adventure is really that flexible.
     All in all well worth the money. 

Heroes & Magic By Eldritch Enterprises, LLC Reviewed & Revisited Again.

"A collection of fantasy short stories from noted fantasy game designers and authors James M.Ward, Frank Mentzer, Christopher Clark, and Tim Kask.  Walk with an elf masquerading as a human, discover the story behind Lich Dungeon and The False Prints, explore the world of Tim Kask and much, much more.  This anthology is guaranteed to entertain you for more than a few trips on the plane." 

Since I've been reviewing all of the products by Eldrith Enterprises lately. I thought I would revisit one of their first offerings that happened my way. The pdf of Heroes & Magic is big & clocks in at 311 pages. There are 17 stories  in all. The stories run from very interesting to plan weird. There's something that really needs to be explained about these. 

The stories are preludes to some of the mysteries of the campaign world that's lurking in behind the scenes in  

Eldritch Enterprises worlds. 

  There are metric ton of James Ward's efforts here from Smallish Chamber of Doom to The Luck of The Dauntless. Each story hints at a separate element to his on going world/campaign. These stories might shed some light on his design work for upcoming products. Their entertaining, retro, & somewhat nasty in a way. There are some elements for the DM to lift from for a campaign background. Mr. Ward is one of the most prolific authors for this book. If there is a tone for the Ward efforts it would be Rpg old school adventurer. 

There's only one story from the pen of Tim Kask & I'm a bit disappointed that there wasn't more. The story When Bhanas Fly is coming of age story which reveals lots of little details about the Burning Sands region of his world. The story is short, sweet, & to the point. An enterprising DM could well use it as a Jump off point for an encounter or adventure. 

  There are metric ton of James Ward's efforts here from Smallish Chamber of Doom to The Luck of The Dauntless. Each story hints at a separate element to his on going world/campaign. These stories might shed some light on his design work for upcoming products. Their entertaining, retro, & somewhat nasty in a way. There are some elements for the DM to lift from for a campaign background. Mr. Ward is one of the most prolific authors for this book. If there is a tone for the Ward efforts it would be Rpg old school adventurer. 

There's only one story from the pen of Tim Kask & I'm a bit disappointed that there wasn't more. The story When Bhanas Fly is coming of age story which reveals lots of little details about the Burning Sands region of his world. The story is short, sweet, & to the point. An enterprising DM could well use it as a jump off point for an encounter or adventure. 

 Chris Clark's three efforts reveal bits & pieces of the ideas behind some of his adventures & offers a glimpse into the mind at work behind Forrest of Deceit. 

JF Mentzer's efforts round out the book. They really give some cool pieces of background, little hints here & there about things in the upcoming campaign universe of the Ohio based company.  

Using Heroes & Magic In An OSR Setting 


With any book of fiction or fantasy the bottom line for the book is, " Is there enough material here to create a campaign or adventure over the long haul." The answer is yes. The authors know their stuff. There's enough here that's different to add to the old school material already available from Drivethru rpg.
Is the material gameble & able to create memorable or usable NPCs from the characters presented in the story. The first time I read the book it wasn't clear where the authors were going with this. However after a second read through the answer is yes. The characters make excellent NPCs as jump off points for further adventures into the worlds of Eldritch.
 There's even enough within these stories to create a few interesting & entertaining combat situations.
The cost of the pdf is 8.00 but for a 311 page book that's not bad. I personally want a paper copy  but I'm very old fashioned that way. My only complaint if you want to call it that is that I wanted more on Mr. Kask's world.
I'm still peeved at Mr. Mentzer's dungeon for killing my PC but all things heal with time. Pick this one up if you enjoy old school fantasy/gaming material. We don't have Dragon magazine anymore but this will do in the meantime.
 You can find Heroes & Magic right Here
Still not convinced that this is a good anthology of short stories? Want to know more? Hmm well how about the chance for more background & insight into it by reading some of the notes of James Ward & the story SMALLISH CHAMBER OF DOOM
You can read the whole thing right over Here

Heroes & Magic 311 pages by Frank Mentzer, Tim Kask, Jim Ward and Chris Clark