Aug 19, 2024 1:55 pm
Beyond Secret of the Black Crag
Story about reclaiming your honor or kingdom(or even both)
In the world that mix magic with some ancient(?) technology, where raptors as mounts are as common as horsed in you regular fantasy setting - I think some call it Stonepunk :)
The grand halls of the royal court, once a marvel of intricate mechanisms, with gears, pulleys, and ingenious devices humming with life, now lie in eerie silence. The king’s nephew, once trusted, has turned these very creations into instruments of his dark ambition. Through treachery and deceit, he has seized control, casting the loyal supporters of the rightful king into chains.
You, esteemed members of the royal family and steadfast loyalists, are among those betrayed. Under the cover of night, you were seized, bound in shackles of iron and stone, and thrown into cold, reinforced cages. The nephew’s dark plans were whispered as you were loaded onto the backs of massive, steam-powered pterodactyls—mechanical beasts of bronze and granite, their wings thrumming with the energy of ancient engines.
With no chance to resist, you were flown over vast oceans and storm-laden skies, the familiar world below giving way to an alien landscape of stone and mist. The journey was a torment of bitter winds and relentless cold, your fates sealed by the nephew’s sinister machinations.
As dawn broke, the mechanical pterodactyls descended upon a remote island, veiled in mist and mystery. The landscape below was like nothing you had ever seen—towering stone monoliths inscribed with forgotten symbols, great gears and mechanisms the size of houses, slowly turning as if driven by some ancient power, and jungles of giant, fern-like trees swaying in the wind, their leaves whispering secrets of long-lost civilizations.
Unceremoniously, you were dropped into an overgrown clearing, surrounded by remnants of a once-great civilization—crumbling stone towers adorned with intricate carvings, and great wheels half-buried in the earth, still ticking away in some unfathomable rhythm. The mechanical screech of the pterodactyls echoed through the stone valleys as they ascended back into the clouds, leaving you stranded in this strange, ancient land.
But all is not lost. You are not mere captives—you are royalty, warriors, and loyalists, bound by honor and duty, and armed with the knowledge and courage of the royal court. The island may be remote and filled with perilous wonders, but it is here, amidst the forgotten relics of a bygone era, that your journey begins. You must harness the ancient technology around you, use your wits and strength to survive, and uncover the secrets of this island. Perhaps, within the ticking gears and ancient stones, lies the key to returning to the kingdom you swore to protect.
The adventure starts now. The fate of the royal family—and perhaps the kingdom itself—rests in your hands. Will you rise to the challenge, mastering the mechanical marvels of this lost world, or will the island’s ancient secrets consume you?
Content - Advenutres
I'm just preparing my IRL campaign with stone punk(dinotopia? ) themes based on amazing module of Secret of the Black Crag by Chance Dudinack himself. I plan too also use many classic modules, like: DCC Frozen In Time, OSE The Incandescent Grottoes, Wyrm of Brandensofrd and many others - taking ideas and content from them, and adjusting to my overarching story for this campaign and stone punk, inkan and a little sci-fi themes (Erich von Däniken books anyone? ;) ). So after initial point-crawl on the starting island there would be possibility to became a pirate:)
The beginning of the adventure will be quite railroad-y, as I want to use (parts) of Tomb of Serpent King adventure/dungeon. As it is designed to teach players (and GM) OSR style and it is quite good:) Then I have planed/wanted to use The Incandescent Grottoes as this is also good low level dungeon. Then we go to very sandboxy Wyrm of Brandonsford and Winters Daughter(combined). If we go that far(and I hope we will!) you get to know how to get to the port and have the whole Black Greg archipelago before you - and its complete sandbox with many islands and mysteries (connected by me by overaching narrative) but will start with clear clues for direction to the place where I will be using materials from DCC's Frozen in Time. But will be able to choose wherever you want to go.
I think a clear direction in new world/enviroment and system will be good at the begining, but we will slowly move into realms of more and more options.
My idea for the beginning is that PCs are (1-2) from royal family (king's children but adult, wife, brother, other descendants?), but kiddnapped and stranded on remote island with their loyal companions( the rest of PC, generals, chief, others). And their initial aim would be regaining their kingdom:) So a little like in Dune (from Paul perspective) but in fantasy, stone punk world with occasional ancient/alien technology that feels more like magic to PCs then anything else.
Sci-fi elements: it is meant in the way of "S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks" - but not exactly this module - so the adventures will expect that PC don't know too much about science and to them it will be more like magic. For me it was perfectly done in Thorgal comic books, but I don't know if you know them (they are amazing!). If you have read Thorgal comics(which are great!) you should also know what I'm talking about.
Characters and System
The system I want to play is (amazing, but little known): Tales of Argosa (aka Low Fantasy Gaming 2nd ed).
There is still free Tales of Argosa Public Playtest that is almost a full game without some art, but I'm a backer and have now a final version of the system and am willing to teach and help any newcomers.
I'm one of those persons that have checked like tenths of RPG systems looking for his 'perfect system' during the years (more reading then playing actually... until I found GP... :) ). And as Tales of Argosa (ToA) is not perfect, I must say that when someone recommended it for me own Reddit and I started to check it... I was truly surprised.
ToA looks to me like the mix of best things from many more and less popular system from recent years AND is semi-compatible with most OSR and DnD modules. To name a few that I like the most:
- Minor/Major exploits - like Deed of Arms from DCC , but available for every player,
- dimnishig luck for such 'heroic attempts' - but fully controllable by players(also similar to DCC),
- actually interesting options for PC classes from level 1, with injected flexibility (so like 5E but better for me) in contrast to OSE where PC options are mostly boring(core books)
- simple but flexible ruleset, with some 'slots' for "rulings over rules" - so no more endless (and boring to death for me) rules debates,
- bulit-in degrees of success and failure (like in Alternity 1ed)
- dangerous magic
- can be deadly, what is good because PC are not demi-gods with no consequences to their choices(I'm looking at you "5E in general)
So for me ToA is a best middle way between 5E and OSR - and thats great, and I really recommend you to try it"_
As my proposition is to introduce the royal family members <-> their closes friends and loyalist dynamic(and frame) into the group (what I find interesting, but we can resign if no one will like that) I will definitely let you choose whatever is possible by PC creation rules, never requiring random rolls(expect starting money and such thing).
There are those classes in the core book: Artificer, Barbarian, Bard, Cultist, Fighter, Magic User, Monk, Ranger, Rogue all available. I also have did my on the fly conversion of Druid class from Low Fantasy Gaming to Argosa. So Druid is also available.
Available races are: humans, Dwarves, Elves, Haltings, Half Scorn. All good but Half Scorn will be probably hard to justify from story pov, but I'm always open for good ideas:)
If someone don't want to spend their time on creation process there are pregens available: pregens
- we will be using Less Dark Magic and Less Dangerous Magic variants from rules.
Less Dark Magic - I picked because some of the mishaps in the book are quite dark for my taste... and I don't like to dark/demonic themes.
Less Dangerous Magic - makes magic baiting you into your own ass less common, but it will certainly still happen:) But we can go with standard rules here if you guys and gals prefer.
We can also create 1-2 so called Hirelings for each player if someone will want that.
Post Frequency & Commitment
Players in this game should try to post daily. I would like to have a longer campaign here that would allow PC to develop as much in their abilities as in their epic story. Expect some amount of slow-down during major holidays.
- I don't play at weekends, so the pace will be 3-5 post per week.
- I generally plan to wait for about 48h after my each posts in RP Thread(outside of weekends)- to allow everyone to post something, even if this will be only one word(as "Busy" in OCC tag), and then move one. As I have noticed that moving game forward is very important for people to not loos their interest. Of course: if everyone will post earlier/faster, we will go 1 post per day or even faster.
How to Apply
To apply, leave a comment in this post to tell me about a character concept you'd like to play in this campaign. You can talk about mechanics if you like, but I'm most interested in their mood, energy, and personality.
Please share your ideas for your PCs race, class and backstory for this game. Who they are in relation to royal family? What did they do when you all were still at the king's castle? What was their job/function? Why are they closer to royal family than others? Who they were before becoming the royal court members? Or maybe they were born in the castle?
Questions?
Ask away in this thread, or feel free to private message me.
Disclaimer: the images are only to present mood I would like to have in our game, I don't guarantee you we will visit those locations... But... there is always some possibility :)
Story about reclaiming your honor or kingdom(or even both)
In the world that mix magic with some ancient(?) technology, where raptors as mounts are as common as horsed in you regular fantasy setting - I think some call it Stonepunk :)
The grand halls of the royal court, once a marvel of intricate mechanisms, with gears, pulleys, and ingenious devices humming with life, now lie in eerie silence. The king’s nephew, once trusted, has turned these very creations into instruments of his dark ambition. Through treachery and deceit, he has seized control, casting the loyal supporters of the rightful king into chains.
You, esteemed members of the royal family and steadfast loyalists, are among those betrayed. Under the cover of night, you were seized, bound in shackles of iron and stone, and thrown into cold, reinforced cages. The nephew’s dark plans were whispered as you were loaded onto the backs of massive, steam-powered pterodactyls—mechanical beasts of bronze and granite, their wings thrumming with the energy of ancient engines.
With no chance to resist, you were flown over vast oceans and storm-laden skies, the familiar world below giving way to an alien landscape of stone and mist. The journey was a torment of bitter winds and relentless cold, your fates sealed by the nephew’s sinister machinations.
As dawn broke, the mechanical pterodactyls descended upon a remote island, veiled in mist and mystery. The landscape below was like nothing you had ever seen—towering stone monoliths inscribed with forgotten symbols, great gears and mechanisms the size of houses, slowly turning as if driven by some ancient power, and jungles of giant, fern-like trees swaying in the wind, their leaves whispering secrets of long-lost civilizations.
Unceremoniously, you were dropped into an overgrown clearing, surrounded by remnants of a once-great civilization—crumbling stone towers adorned with intricate carvings, and great wheels half-buried in the earth, still ticking away in some unfathomable rhythm. The mechanical screech of the pterodactyls echoed through the stone valleys as they ascended back into the clouds, leaving you stranded in this strange, ancient land.
But all is not lost. You are not mere captives—you are royalty, warriors, and loyalists, bound by honor and duty, and armed with the knowledge and courage of the royal court. The island may be remote and filled with perilous wonders, but it is here, amidst the forgotten relics of a bygone era, that your journey begins. You must harness the ancient technology around you, use your wits and strength to survive, and uncover the secrets of this island. Perhaps, within the ticking gears and ancient stones, lies the key to returning to the kingdom you swore to protect.
The adventure starts now. The fate of the royal family—and perhaps the kingdom itself—rests in your hands. Will you rise to the challenge, mastering the mechanical marvels of this lost world, or will the island’s ancient secrets consume you?
Content - Advenutres
I'm just preparing my IRL campaign with stone punk(dinotopia? ) themes based on amazing module of Secret of the Black Crag by Chance Dudinack himself. I plan too also use many classic modules, like: DCC Frozen In Time, OSE The Incandescent Grottoes, Wyrm of Brandensofrd and many others - taking ideas and content from them, and adjusting to my overarching story for this campaign and stone punk, inkan and a little sci-fi themes (Erich von Däniken books anyone? ;) ). So after initial point-crawl on the starting island there would be possibility to became a pirate:)
The beginning of the adventure will be quite railroad-y, as I want to use (parts) of Tomb of Serpent King adventure/dungeon. As it is designed to teach players (and GM) OSR style and it is quite good:) Then I have planed/wanted to use The Incandescent Grottoes as this is also good low level dungeon. Then we go to very sandboxy Wyrm of Brandonsford and Winters Daughter(combined). If we go that far(and I hope we will!) you get to know how to get to the port and have the whole Black Greg archipelago before you - and its complete sandbox with many islands and mysteries (connected by me by overaching narrative) but will start with clear clues for direction to the place where I will be using materials from DCC's Frozen in Time. But will be able to choose wherever you want to go.
I think a clear direction in new world/enviroment and system will be good at the begining, but we will slowly move into realms of more and more options.
My idea for the beginning is that PCs are (1-2) from royal family (king's children but adult, wife, brother, other descendants?), but kiddnapped and stranded on remote island with their loyal companions( the rest of PC, generals, chief, others). And their initial aim would be regaining their kingdom:) So a little like in Dune (from Paul perspective) but in fantasy, stone punk world with occasional ancient/alien technology that feels more like magic to PCs then anything else.
Sci-fi elements: it is meant in the way of "S3 Expedition to the Barrier Peaks" - but not exactly this module - so the adventures will expect that PC don't know too much about science and to them it will be more like magic. For me it was perfectly done in Thorgal comic books, but I don't know if you know them (they are amazing!). If you have read Thorgal comics(which are great!) you should also know what I'm talking about.
Characters and System
The system I want to play is (amazing, but little known): Tales of Argosa (aka Low Fantasy Gaming 2nd ed).
There is still free Tales of Argosa Public Playtest that is almost a full game without some art, but I'm a backer and have now a final version of the system and am willing to teach and help any newcomers.
I'm one of those persons that have checked like tenths of RPG systems looking for his 'perfect system' during the years (more reading then playing actually... until I found GP... :) ). And as Tales of Argosa (ToA) is not perfect, I must say that when someone recommended it for me own Reddit and I started to check it... I was truly surprised.
ToA looks to me like the mix of best things from many more and less popular system from recent years AND is semi-compatible with most OSR and DnD modules. To name a few that I like the most:
- Minor/Major exploits - like Deed of Arms from DCC , but available for every player,
- dimnishig luck for such 'heroic attempts' - but fully controllable by players(also similar to DCC),
- actually interesting options for PC classes from level 1, with injected flexibility (so like 5E but better for me) in contrast to OSE where PC options are mostly boring(core books)
- simple but flexible ruleset, with some 'slots' for "rulings over rules" - so no more endless (and boring to death for me) rules debates,
- bulit-in degrees of success and failure (like in Alternity 1ed)
- dangerous magic
- can be deadly, what is good because PC are not demi-gods with no consequences to their choices(I'm looking at you "5E in general)
So for me ToA is a best middle way between 5E and OSR - and thats great, and I really recommend you to try it"_
As my proposition is to introduce the royal family members <-> their closes friends and loyalist dynamic(and frame) into the group (what I find interesting, but we can resign if no one will like that) I will definitely let you choose whatever is possible by PC creation rules, never requiring random rolls(expect starting money and such thing).
There are those classes in the core book: Artificer, Barbarian, Bard, Cultist, Fighter, Magic User, Monk, Ranger, Rogue all available. I also have did my on the fly conversion of Druid class from Low Fantasy Gaming to Argosa. So Druid is also available.
Available races are: humans, Dwarves, Elves, Haltings, Half Scorn. All good but Half Scorn will be probably hard to justify from story pov, but I'm always open for good ideas:)
If someone don't want to spend their time on creation process there are pregens available: pregens
- we will be using Less Dark Magic and Less Dangerous Magic variants from rules.
Less Dark Magic - I picked because some of the mishaps in the book are quite dark for my taste... and I don't like to dark/demonic themes.
Less Dangerous Magic - makes magic baiting you into your own ass less common, but it will certainly still happen:) But we can go with standard rules here if you guys and gals prefer.
We can also create 1-2 so called Hirelings for each player if someone will want that.
Post Frequency & Commitment
Players in this game should try to post daily. I would like to have a longer campaign here that would allow PC to develop as much in their abilities as in their epic story. Expect some amount of slow-down during major holidays.
- I don't play at weekends, so the pace will be 3-5 post per week.
- I generally plan to wait for about 48h after my each posts in RP Thread(outside of weekends)- to allow everyone to post something, even if this will be only one word(as "Busy" in OCC tag), and then move one. As I have noticed that moving game forward is very important for people to not loos their interest. Of course: if everyone will post earlier/faster, we will go 1 post per day or even faster.
How to Apply
To apply, leave a comment in this post to tell me about a character concept you'd like to play in this campaign. You can talk about mechanics if you like, but I'm most interested in their mood, energy, and personality.
Please share your ideas for your PCs race, class and backstory for this game. Who they are in relation to royal family? What did they do when you all were still at the king's castle? What was their job/function? Why are they closer to royal family than others? Who they were before becoming the royal court members? Or maybe they were born in the castle?
Questions?
Ask away in this thread, or feel free to private message me.
Disclaimer: the images are only to present mood I would like to have in our game, I don't guarantee you we will visit those locations... But... there is always some possibility :)
Last edited September 23, 2024 9:31 am
