In TTRPGs there is a wide variety of play styles. Two seemingly opposed play styles are those that like mechanics and dice rolls and those that like a more narrative focus. In this post I am here to say that this seemly stark divide does not actually exist.
I hope to show more narrative minded players how to have fun in a more mechanical system. I also hope to show mechanical players how to make dry dice rolls into interesting story beats.
After a few months of peace, the kingdom of Gloomworth is assaulted by a new danger!
To the west, the kingdom of Pitax and the Tiger Lords have long been at each other’s throats. However, the situation has changed. Pitax and the Tiger Lords have entered an uneasy alliance. The reason? They both fear the expansion of Gloomworth. Word has spread quickly of the kingdom’s strength and both parties have decided that something needs to be done about it.
Death in Space is a sci fi rpg with a unique setting and a highly streamlined rules set. It is a combination of mork borg (another rpg from the same people) and free league’s Year Zero engine.
I have not played in a group yet, however I have played some solo sessions and have read and re read the book several times.
At its core, this is a sci fi game with some horror elements. I would not call it a pure horror game like call of cthulu. The base setting of the game is something that I think could be called “Nasa Punk”.
The group takes on Vordakai the cyclopes lich! This is the toughest foe the group has faced to this point.
Before the group could fight the lich, they had to get past his guardian! A water elemental empowered with the souls of the dammed. This monster proved to have some fight in him. Almost taking out 3 party members in one massive surge of water. Thankfully, the group was able to reorient themselves and lay down the hurt on the monster.
The group finds a shortcut to the Lich! Teleporting themselves to a room right outside his main chamber. They also rescue a Centaur princess who had tried to explore the tomb by herself. She had a run in with Vordakai and lived only because he wished to hear her cries as one of his minions extracted the will to live from her.
Guarding the main entrance to the second floor, a group of 4 shadow monsters assulted the group. Thankfully, the group had leveled up last session and found that they where able to get the upper hand in this fight very quickly.
The group begins investigating the lich’s lair in ernest. Hoping to save the village of Varnhold. Fighting some soul eaters, negotiating with a Nessy and dispatching of some strong but decaying cyclopes zombies. They also learned that Vordakai was not always a bad guy. However, something changed when a being known as the Lantern King arrived.
Sensing the presence of the group once more, Vordakai summoned beasts to dispatch of the group. These shadowy monsters where resistant to physical attacks and also assaulted the group’s minds and bodies with their attacks. Thankfully, some effective spells and strikes where eventually able to destroy the creatures’ immaterial form.
The group reaches the next main event! They dealt with some squatting gnomes that had set up camp in the empty Varnhold as well as learning about the great Ogre Lich, Vordakai from the Centaurs. The group had just defeated some guardians for his tomb and had opened the way deeper into the tomb…
In town, the group split up an was able to discover the following things..
A very quick session this time! The group has successfully defeated the cult of the bloom and the stolen lands where allowed a moment of piece.
Using the life energy of the caves that the cult was located in, the group was able to grow themselves a new companion. The Wee Baby Fang is a baby dino that Rex had adopted way back when the curse of the cult first started to rear its head. Exposure to the magics of the cave has caused her to hatch and grow! She is now Rox’s animal companion.
Something a little different. I have recently gotten my hands on Gentle’s Dungeon Guide 2 a nice little dungeon generator for Shadowdark. However, it really can be used for just about any fantasy RPG. Using it, I was able to generate a little dungeon adventure that I am going to share here.
Game masters looking for a quick adventure can use this as a base. Players wishing to play this should give this to their game masters and stop reading now! Lest they be spoiled.
Big fights this time! The group clears out the rest of the Cradle of Lamantshu and gets rid of the cult of the bloom!
After passing through a yellow mold infested room, the group started hearing some sad humming.
Investigating further, the group caught a glimpse of the source of this humming. He glowed faintly and then passed through a suspiciously smooth stone wall. Rox smashed his way through, revealing that the wall was not natural and was infact placed there by a shape stone spell