More Tales from the Sorcerer Under the Mountain

Before the Covid times, I ran a Kickstarter for the Game/Adventure of this Blog Tales from the Sorcerer Under the Mountain – available as an OSR rulebook with adventure and 5th Edition module.

As well as the headline adventure/rulebook the Kickstarter funded three adventure modules. The Curse of the Emerald Swan by Neil Shaw, Fires From Below by Paul “Age of Arthur/Liminal” Mitchener and Ruinous Jungles by Guy “Burn After Reading” Milner.   The ball was dropped ever so slightly during the first lockdown, but it’s been picked up very quickly over the last month. My plan is to have one or more out before Christmas, with the others following very quickly in the new year.

Here’s the cover of Guy’s Ruinous Jungles by Jon Hodgeson and Scott Purdy.

What’s Changed Since the Start of the Campaign?

Its nearly the begining of the end of the Tales of the Sorcerer Under the Mountain Kickstarter campaign, which enters its last 48 hours in a couple of hours, so its time take stock and see what has funded.

As well as the basic goal, five stretch goals have been funded, including two new adventure modules (Fires from the Deep & The Curse of the Emerald Swan). Finally, we are currently funding The Jungles of Ruin by Guy Milner, which will very likely fund in the last days of the campaign.

+ Community Extras have been added as we gained backers, which give in total an extra 40-45 pages of content to each backer.

  • 4 Sunday Dungeons (one-page adventures) in pdf form.
  • 9 Monsters are People pdfs. We will likely reach the 10th pdf at 240 backers, at which point it will the individual pdfs will be collected into a single pdf which will be available in POD.

+ Two new Rewards.

  • Shield Bearer Pledge Levels for those people who want me to send them the OSR Rulebook and/or 5th Edition adventure to them directly.
  • Sorcerer Under the Mountain Pledge Level. A high tier backer reward for people who want signed copies of everything the campaign produces in print, signed by the author and sent to them directly (4 of 5 remaining).

Oh and Jon Hodgson did this cover for Fires from the Deep

Five Questions about Fires From the Deep

Fires From the Deep cover by Jon Hodgson

Fires From the Deep cover by Jon Hodgson

Fires from the Deep is a standalone adventure for both OSR and 5th Edition rulesets, by long time D101 contributor Paul Mitchener (OpenQuest/Cruicible of Dragons/Hunters of Alexandria). Its one of three adventures which are up for grabs as part of the Tales from the Sorcerer Under the Mountain Kickstarter, and has already funded. Here’s Paul’s pitch for it.

Something came from the underworld in a jet of hellfire. Something unique and valuable. More than one group seeks to retrieve it. Naturally, the player characters are one such group. A dangerous wilderness trek with an uncertain goal, and all sorts of room for complications, but hey, the job pays well.

Currous to know a bit more beyond the basic descriptoin of the adventure? Me too, so I asked Paul five quick questions about it.

Q1. What influences are you drawing on for this adventure?

What I think of as “classic D&D” along with a splashing of Fritz Leiber, a dash of Michael Moorcock, and a touch of Tanith Lee. That should give you the tone.

Q2. Which flavour of FRP do you favour, Old School or New School?

I think I’m a hippy, though less so since my haircut. I don’t see the two as opposed; peace and love. I want characters to be important, but I don’t give two hoots about things like character optimisation. I want decisions to matter, and not just tactical decisions. I want exploration and playfulness. I want story to be what comes after the session rather than something pre-planned. When it comes down to it, I guess that’s sounding pretty old school.

Q3. Your description hints at something more, than the quest for the implied magic item that has come from below. Can you throw any light on this?

The “magic item” is not just an McGuffin- it’s the soul of the adventure. And not just in a “ooh, what a cool gizmo, and everyone wants it” way. Though everyone *does* as it happens, want it, without really knowing what it is.

Q4. What twists and turns does the adventure throw at the players ?

Spoilers! Seriously though, the characters won’t be alone in their pursuit of what came from below, and might have to fight even to get the job. As well as expected and unexpected dangers, there’s a moral dilemma at the heart of the adventure, and an open conclusion depending on what the player characters decide to do, not just whether or not they win.

Q5. Maximum Game Fun or Logical Fantastic Realism?

I don’t think the two are exclusive. Actions have consequences, and that’s an important part of my fun. I want adventures about people, not just situations. After all, even in a “standard” dungeon delve, for me things are all about the player characters, and how they react to danger, strangeness, and rewards. Not to mention solving problems creatively. That sounds like Maximum Game Fun to me!
If that sounds fun to you, go back the Tales From the Sorcerer Under the Mountain Kickstarter, where its available as one of the funded stretch goals 🙂

There will be Fires from the Deep

Things are hotting up on the Tales from the Sorcerer Under Mountain Kickstarter, since Paul Mitchener’s adventure for OSR/5th Edition has now funded.

Something came from the underworld in a jet of hellfire. Something unique and valuable. More than one group seeks to retrieve it. Naturally, the player characters are one such group. A dangerous wilderness trek with an uncertain goal, and all sorts of room for complications, but hey, the job pays well.

Its available to all backers at no extra cost, and is the first of three adventures currently funding on the campaign.

Jon Hodgson is doing the covers for the adventures and has just sent me the final gorgeous wrap round cover for Fires From Below, of which this is a detail.