Goodman Games

WARNING: THERE BE SPOILERS HEREIN!

Third party publishers have produced a lot of great modules for DCC, so it's time for some love. Which third party modules do you especially enjoy and why? Try to give some details, don't be too vague, and don't worry about spoilers (it's a thread about adventures and their merits, after all). This thread will not only help folks decide which modules they might like to check out, but also the creators of said modules too. You should feel free to state exactly what's cool/awesome because a) this being the intarwebz, folks are quick to condemn, but praise less frequently and with less detail, b) knowing specifically what's really worked for you helps them to hit those same buttons in future.

Colin

Okay; I'll bite.

There are currently a few 3pp in the ring: Brave Halfling, Dragons' Hoard, Mystic Bull, Purple Duck, Purple Sorcerer, Thick Skull, and Land of Phantoms. There are others who have produced DCC materials, but no adventures. If I have forgotten anyone, I apologize. Although I have had a chance to read some preview materials, I am going to stick with adventures that are already out....mostly because I am not fully caught up with my reading.

From Brave Halfling, my current favourite has to be Treacherous Cobtraps, although I have not yet run it? Why? It produces an interesting take on giant spiders, and, with the Vile Worm, clearly cements an homage to Keep on the Borderlands.

From Dragons' Hoard, Tomb of Curses. Why? There are a lot of things in Tomb that will reverberate far beyond the adventure, and, with a skilful judge, can be built into other adventures to give resonance to the Tomb when it is used. Much madness, some very cool ideas, and most importantly, it is beatable with a bit of wit and luck.

Mystic Bull, Another Man's Treasure in In the Prison of the Squid Sorcerer? Why? Because it is pure Appendix N, and pure merciless evil for the poor PCs. Equally importantly, it easily runs as a backdrop/complication to other adventures.

Purple Duck, The Waystation. Why? The area described is very, very cool and left me wanting more. The major treasure is great, and fits well with the Quest For It mantra of DCC. The creatures make good sense within the context of the setting, and the background informs the setting in such a way that the players are likely to actually figure out why the area is the way it currently is.

Purple Sorcerer, The Ooze Pits of Jonas Gralk. Why? Imagine that H.P. Lovecraft wrote a South Park episode set in a swamp. With a touch of whimsy. In turns funny, whimsical, and disturbing, Ooze Pits is a real treat.

Thick Skull: Here I need to break with my "only already out" statement to plug The Haunting of Larvik Island, which I think is going to be destined to be a favourite for many. Why? Some really cool monsters, some really cool encounters, a mini-sandbox, and an interesting overall "story" to the adventure. Really fine work here.

Land of Phantoms: The Winter Home. Why? If you are asking me why, you haven't read it. Although actually written for a DCC offshoot, Transyvanian Adventures, it is eminently usable in standard DCC, and is easily one of the best vampire adventures ever written, let alone ever written for this game.

This is by no means all the cool 3pp adventures.

Reprising this, Haunting of Larvik Island is out now, and you should own it.

Unless you are a player. Particularly, a player of mine. Then stay the hell away.

Raven_Crowking wrote:Reprising this, Haunting of Larvik Island is out now, and you should own it.

Unless you are a player. Particularly, a player of mine. Then stay the hell away.

Thank you so much for the endorsement, sir! As they say in the movies, "May you live to be 1000 years old!"

Even though it sounds like a circle jerk, coming from me -- Anything by Daniel Bishop. He has an absolute understanding of Appendix N in all its weird and wonderful concepts, tropes, and archetypes. And then he puts his own spin on them that...well makes me a bit jealous (though I still love it). I've been blown away by his work, and not just because I worked with him on a few projects. His latest CE series with Purple Duck and Revelations of Mulmo (Dragon's Hoard) is not to be missed. Even though I was a contributor to Angels, Daemons and Beings Between (Dragon's Hoard), I use his patrons to full effect in my home game.

And this is a shout out to Purple Duck/Mark Gedak, in general. He's got his finger on the pulse of what is needed for this game, even though he's primarily a Pathfinder 3PP.

And if you don't CRAWL!...well... I got no sympathy for you.

Other than those, I really like Stephen Newton's stuff (Thickskull) -- he does a good job of bringing in the gaming part of old school gaming. His settings are familiar, but with the twist of Appendix N weird. I haven't finished reading Larvik, but I like what I've seen so far.

Same with Jon Marr's (Purple Sorcerer) Sunken City modules. You have a ready-made campaign starter right there with Perils of the Sunken City, Ooze Pits of Jonas Gralk and Lair of the Mist Men. And if you haven't given him a stack of cash for the character generator and his crawler app, you are seriously pissing off the Patrons of Good Programming.

So far, I've found Appendix N Adventures to be great one-shots. There's some good "lore" in there that you can base a campaign milieu on, but it'll take a little work on your part. Also, all the third-party publishers should take a page from John's presentation -- he's doing a great job providing his modules in multiple formats for multiple platforms (hand-held, screen and print).

I have played part of a scenario from Transylvanian Adventures (run by the creator, S.A. Mathis) and I really enjoyed it. I'm looking forward to seeing the final product.