[Closed] The Black Sword of Hot Springs Island

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ClosedThe Black Sword HackPrivate5 / weekcowleyc
https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/assets/images/images/048/295/693/4k/martin-sobr-cover-for-jacob.jpg


What starts as a shipwreck and washing ashore a mysterious island will turn into a great adventure and exploration. You are not alone, and you should be afraid. Are you strong enough to survive Hot Springs Island?!

πŸ—ΊοΈ Explore a heavily themed hexcrawl packed to the gills with features, factions, and fights!
πŸ‰ Test your strength and cunning against ancient and primordial creatures with bizarre and alien goals.
πŸ—‘οΈ Create an enthralling tale with your fellow adventurers as you shift from surviving to conquering this volcanic island.

Prepare to embark on a quest the likes of which few have experienced! You have washed ashore on an island that exists on no maps with little to your name but your weapons and some meager supplies. Be you a barbarian, a civilized man, or a being of decadence, it makes no difference on the black shores of this land. For you will quickly find that only steel and dark pacts will serve you well against the cruel elemental beings that have enslaved the island.

Using the Black Sword Hack ruleset, we will focus on player creativity over character builds. I encourage players to take a step back from their sheets and truly be engaged at the table! With this rules-lite system, we shall weave a story along the lines of Conan, Elric, or Corum!

In this adventure you will experience:

⚜️ An award winning module, praised for its creativity and thoroughness.
βš–οΈ A balance between role-play, combat, and exploration.
πŸ‘¨β€βš–οΈ Neutral referee who prefers intuitive rulings to strict rules.
🌎 Living world with random encounters and vivid environments.
πŸ‰ Evocative combats with life-or-death stakes!

Come and join me on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure! Here's what other players have said about me:

πŸŽ™οΈ "What really stood out about him as a gamemaster was his ability and willingness to allow player character actions and decisions to matter."
πŸŽ™οΈ "Charles runs flavor rich games that are always full of surprises. He pivots fantastically between different tones, and he understands the rules of each system without handcuffing the game to them."
πŸŽ™οΈ "Charles is a FUN, patient, and supportive GM who invests time and effort into new players without letting the table become a classroom."


May 27, 2024 3:10 pm
The Pitch
I am launching The Dark of Hot Springs Island, using the Black Sword Hack rules-lite system. In this game, you will wash ashore a mysterious island and fight your way to the top. For if you are not the champion, you are the enslaved. And Chaos is a cruel mistress. With sword and sorcery, you will face strange elemental creatures and become embroiled in the politicking factions that all want control over or freedom from this island.

Trigger Warnings and Themes
This is an unabashed pulp fantasy story, where slavery and rebellion exists, maidens may need to be rescued or may bear arms as Red Sonja or as Brienne of Tarth, and dark beings may require you to perform cruel acts in order to acquire the power they offer.

It should be noted that many of the images from the module are NSFW. This game will be private, and even still images of this manner will be hidden behind spoilers and appropriately marked.

This game WILL NOT include the following triggers: sexual assault, violence against children, suicide. This is an incomplete list, and will include other triggers as decided by the group.

The game will feature Demon Binding, Spirit Servitude, and Sorcerous Magic. It will not include Twisted Science or Faerie Ties. There will be at least one Runic Weapon, but that is nothing to worry your pretty little head over.

To survive, you must work together! For this reason, your character must have a willingness to work together even with those who might be diametrically aligned. With that being said, your decision to follow Law, Balance, or Chaos is a diagetic decision.

Game Duration and Pacing
This game expects players to post once a day, five times a week. I do not expect the game to move on weekends, as I am usually busy myself. As for the duration, this game is open-ended and will more than likely end with a TPK than a true resolution. However, should you survive, this game may last years.

Who May Apply
This game is open to any who are interested in this dark experience. The table is intentionally accepting, and will not tolerate any of the ISMs. Safety is paramount. I reserve the right to prevent any from joining should I feel they are not a good fit, and to remove any players who show the same.

How to Apply
Simply reply here, or reach out on the GamersPlane Discord. If you are interested, please use the words "Make it Happen, Cap'n", in bold. If you have questions, I am more than happy to answer before you make a decision. I will utilize an arbitrary method of choosing who joins, which may be the product of the Lords of Chaos. I will select five players, or six if the mood strikes me.
Last edited July 27, 2024 2:12 pm
May 27, 2024 3:27 pm
Where can I read more about the system, captain?
May 27, 2024 4:19 pm
Too bad this'll be public, I've always been curious to witness Hot Springs Island. On the other hand, it might be better to not have it spoilered so I can perhaps one day experience it myself with untainted eyes and mind. Have fun and thanks for the SRD, if anything I'm coming away with a new OSR system to check out!
May 27, 2024 7:54 pm
I'm opting to keep this one private because I don't think all the content will be SFW. It has a pretty old-school art aesthetic, and some of the themes might be inappropriate for someone to accidentally open up.
May 27, 2024 11:32 pm
I would be interested in playing this game!

Make it Happen, Cap'n
May 28, 2024 12:08 am
I have been on a few Games that toi wash Up upon the short that unfortunately did not last long.

Sign me Up and Hopefully this Will be the ONE.

Make it Happen, Cap'n
Last edited May 28, 2024 12:08 am
May 28, 2024 11:39 am
I am so interested, but alas I must pledge fealty to the games I have begun. May I lurk Capitan?
May 28, 2024 1:29 pm
I haven't played this system before but have read that it has a strong sword & sorcery flavour, which is a genre close to my heart. Definitely interested!
May 28, 2024 1:38 pm
That's three so far! As for lurking, that is something I will have to discuss with the party. Many folks prefer to keep private games private.

Anyone else brave enough for this journey? I can up the stakes by mentioning volcanoes and primordial griffons!!!
May 28, 2024 2:54 pm
Why not, I've heard a lot of praise for both BSH and Hot Springs so I'll give it a go!
May 28, 2024 3:07 pm
And that makes five, including someone via DMs! I'll be keeping this open in case we find a sixth, but invites have been sent and we can get started with characters!
May 28, 2024 4:02 pm
Oh what the blazes count me as 6th?

Make it Happen, Cap'n
Last edited May 28, 2024 4:03 pm
May 28, 2024 4:34 pm
Alright, let's close this sucker down!
May 30, 2024 7:00 am
I was too out of it the last few days to jump in on the interest check, but I'll gonna stand in the waitlist queue for this one because I like BSH, so

Maybe Make it Happen, Cap'n
Jul 27, 2024 3:48 am
@BedzoneII, we've had one player leave and another vanish, leaving room. Would you still be interested in joining?

To all, I have two slots available in this game! One might be spoken for, but I'm accepting interest regardless!!!
Jul 27, 2024 7:30 am
I am interested to check the Hot spring islands. I brought the book but since it was system neutral, I never had the time to run it for any particular system, though I definitely want to try this out if you have a free slot. Also, I am totally new to Black sword hack, will that be a problem? If not then

Make it Happen, Cap'n

Also, maybe I am new to the short forms, but what's an ISM?
Jul 27, 2024 7:53 am
If I had capacity, fwiw, I would have jumped all over this. I started a game of this a while back and absolutely loved it. Have fun everyone!
Jul 27, 2024 9:01 am
Hi, really interested in this one, If this is still open I would Love to join in.

Oh and:

Make it Happen, Cap'n
Jul 27, 2024 12:33 pm
I would love the opportunity
Make it Happen, Cap'n
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