Goodman Games

As this is my first post, I would like to begin by presenting myself. I'm an almost 30 year old man from Montreal (canada). I've been playing RPGs for almost 20 years. I began with the old red box. I'm lucky that my city has a handful of good gaming stores, where Goodman Games is either available or I can order them (and they actually know of what I'm talking about!).

I have never purchased a Goodman Games product. The old style art didn't appeal to me. During a gift exchange at the Necromancer Games' board, I received 2 DCC adventures from Treebore (I believe it is his handle here also). After reading it, I thought it was rather cool and it's something I can use.

I'm currently planning a campaign which would be a mix of the Isle of Dread and something else. In my campaign, the Isle would be a somewhat bigger and would be a penitential colony for a Rome-like Empire. The players would be criminals sent to the Isle to colonize it.

What DCC could fit in my pirate/nautical themed campaign?

Note: My groups and I play in french. This means I always have some adaptation to make to the adventure. So I'm not scared to adapt a little more than what others would find usual.

Welcome to the boards, Kaladhan!

If you want a piratish-themed adventure, you can't go wrong with DCC#4: Bloody Jack's Gold, one of the older DCCs. It even spawned this free Web enhancement, which can give you a little bit of a filler: http://www.goodman-games.com/JackWebEnhancement.pdf

That said, there's a lot more about pirates, sea-faring adventures, and the Criestine Empire (which, at times, is decidedly French-sounding) that Bloody Jack's Gold helped inspire. The boxed set is a bit of money to lay out, I know, and as one of the writers you know I'm biased, but I think you'd find a fair amount of the material you're looking for within.

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Goodman Games: DCCs: #29, #31, #35, #48, #49, #51; Hero's Handbooks: Dragonborn, Tieflings; Level Up
Wizards of the Coast: The Darkwood Mask
Blindsided Books: Savant
Ashlock.org; NY Speculative Fiction Examiner

I was interested in buying DCC35 anyway, so don't worry about it! I did a quick search on the DCC and I did put Bloody Jack's Gold on my list. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

I've got a pirate-y mini-adventure in DCC #29, The Adventure Begins, and I believe there are a few more nautical-or-coastal adventures in there as well.

DCC #7, Secret of Smuggler's Cove, is coastal-based but has about the right flavor.

Those are the only ones I can think of, other than the afore-mentioned Bloody Jack's Gold, off the top of my head.

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Co-Author: The Almanac of the Endless Traders, DCC #13, DCC #29, DCC #49, DCC #51, DCC #52, DCC #63

Author: DCC #55: Isle of the Sea Drake, DCC #61: Citadel of the Corruptor, more to come....

Guys,

There are several DCCs that deal with adventures along the coastline that will work well in such a campaign.

Here's the list as I see it:

Dungeon Crawl Classics #4: Bloody Jack's Gold
Dungeon Crawl Classics #5: Aerie of the Crow God
Dungeon Crawl Classics #7: The Secret of Smuggler's Cove
Dungeon Crawl Classics #20: Shadows in Freeport (it mentions pirates)
Dungeon Crawl Classics #21: Assault on Stormbringer Castle
Dungeon Crawl Classics #22: The Stormbringer Juggernaut
Dungeon Crawl Classics #29: The Adventure Begins (several in here)

I can't say about anything beyond #34 since I don't own 'em (yet).

"Fate of the Vigilant" from DCC#29 could make for a really nice campaign starter if you're going for a nautical/pirate-themed game - give them a piece of information about Bloody Jack's Gold (a Level 10 adventure!), then turn the campaign into a hunt for the legendary pirate's treasure! And FotV could easily be run with Level 0 PCs (see #DCC35), so...
...maybe the hint they got in "Fate of the Vigilant" leads them to Porthmeor (DCC#24 Legend of the Ripper, Level 1-3) where they recover further information which leads them first to the far northwest to The Mysterious Tower (DCC#3) - that was already mentioned in a strange journal on board of the Vigilant - and then right back to Fair Haven (DCC#7 Secret of Smugglers Cove, Level 5-7, DCC#40 Devil in the Mists, Level 7-9) before they can finally set sail to claim Bloody Jack's Gold...

I really like the idea of planting seeds for future adventures.

Thanks for your suggestions. It's now time for me to make a budget so I can make several purchases...

There will be a collection of adventures coming out in the next few months that would be a very close fit to the pirate/nautical themed campaign. It also has adventures suited to upper levels for later in the campaign.

I would have to add DCC 16: Curse of the Emerald Cobra to the list. It takes place on an volcanic island, and some of the names are even French (or close derivatives).

//H

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The lucky guy who got to write some Dungeon Crawl Classics.

DCC Resource thread: character sheets, judge tools, and the world's fastest 0-level party creator.

Welcome Kaladhan,

I also suggest, if you have some extra cash, to get Boundless Blue, The Wanderers Guild Guide to Aquatic Organisms.

http://www.goodman-games.com/4001preview.php


En passant Je suis aussi de Montreal and si jamais t'a besoin d'un autre joueur, envoie moi un message. Ou bien, si te recherche un groupe pour jouer, Je commence des adventures le printemps, ete. En revanche, on joue en Anglais.

(I'll reply in english, so that others can follow what we say)

It's good to know that there are others from Montreal on these boards. I kind of have the problem of having too many players. It's a good luxery to have!

Thanks for the invitation about joining your game. If I didn't have my plate full, I would jump on the occasion. I'm currently planning a Delta Green larp for june. It will soon be official that I'm going to participate in the organization of Montreal's gaming convention next september. If you would like to demo a product or adventures from Goodman Games, you're more than welcome!

GAME NOTES, as opposed to session notes.

Here's the can't:
:Khalil was commissioned by his guild to capture the rod of Hiirward, that which sucks in and can control elementals. This is a vital tool in a world where the movers and shakers are archomentals. He found it, uses it and has not reported this at all to his guild.

Also, his guild has, in effect, asked how to get as many parts of the oculum infernae. He has delivered several parts, has more with him now. Khalil clearly resents having to give things over to his guild. And thus, there is no honour amongst thieves.

Now, with several pieces of the OI, Khalil has pondered what to do. He has to go back, has to explain the death of Strombolinni, which runs the risk of their discovering that he has the RoH. He was at one point ready to kill Calori and Trig because they had seen him use the RoH.

He has suggested going back to kill the two representatives he has met from his guild; Paulos the Petty and Groto. The aim, I think, is to end the segment of his guild that is interested in him.

Currently, he is pursuing Skullshank to find more of the OI, for purposes that are beyond my understandinThere is also the rival guild in Blackhelm (which ended at the chamber of Tharaxas), whom he could give the OI pieces to as they know nothing of the RoH.

We had a chance to talk of this with Embla, who is softly aware of his overall situation. dorminder suggested that he return whatever he has found of the OI, including the detailed plans found in the office at the Smugglers Cove, and, tell his guild "look, here's what I found and I give it to you. I also found the RoH which I intend to keep. Leave me alone e and perhaps we can work together in the future.

He is quite fond of the Rod of Hiirward, but I rue limitless magic as a DM. Initially it had room for 36 hit dice of elementals. I just decided that every time he sucks one in the capacity lowers by one.

Losloris

More Game Notes:

In Blackhelm, Khalil met with a fellow whose name begins with the letter E (can't find all of my notes, but, suffice it to say found a resource that provided a really nice library of names, for characters, races, bars and boats - I will post the link when it is recovered) who was from his guild. Mr. E was clear is stating that he was keeping a very low profile as the School of the Seven Bells, their guild, was not welcome in Blackhelm by a halforc named Cleryk, leader of the guild local to this city (name yet to be determined, your suggestion of a thieves' guild name with be appreciated).

In thinking over the way events have turned I have half a mind to let there be someone from Cleryk's guild following K&D as they explore the Manor and such.

Losloris

A Word;

But first, a word from our sponsor.

Gotta say I really like how the Smuggler's Cover is laid out, particularly how map 3, 4 and 5 are connected. It is rare to see a module that spreads itself to the left and right so well, and, this really presents options for play. To cut right to the end of last night's session, we stopped at where Map 3 and map 4 meet, a battle with the ogre that did not go so well. The upshot of that was we decided to leave and recoup. On our return the guard will certainly be up making life that much more difficult for Khalil and Dorminder. Well now, ain't it super there is the other access to map 5 from 3-11?

But back to the word.

A drawback to no longer being young and being able to play every week is that some stuff gets lost in the memory banks. Khalil completely forgot that stepping on to the alter (3-11) summons a bearded devil. When Dorminder stepped in to help with the scrap another one showed up. Our night was plagued by this type of turn of events. So, we checked out the rats, backed out to the hallway and then along through to rooms 4, 5, 7, and 8. I made 7 just an entry room that had the backed up tunnel, that Khalil decided to check out. Inside I said the space is much like a figure 8, that it loops right and left and meets for more passages. We went in further. At the waist of the 8, left led more to a cavern, right led to a room that turned out to be the torture chamber; even had parts of a few torsos lying about. To the top of the 8, looking into the cavern I described a cavern and 'ahead, in the darkness, you see a glint.' Like a cat that must know what's the what, Khalil had to go in to check it out. That was my first time using dark mantles. Very neat.

Losloris

For purposes of overall continuity I changed the wet bad guys to sahuagin. This campaign started with Saltmarsh and I felt there would be a reassurance by reintroducing an old foe (whom we had vanquished). Also, I moved the temple at 5-8 to be at 5-12. A few other of the particulars were changed, but it made little difference.

Once again, Khalil's die were totally on fire, in such an insane way.

We got to the crosswalk of the 5 section and headed off towards 5-9, the shooting gallery. This room was obviously set up as an assault trap against the party. For the first time in this type of situation, Khalil, who had not been detected, decided to wait out the shooting range squad. Once they had spent their load, it was time for them to return to work, some going this way, two others, that. They followed the two, were lead to the leader, Pomatola, and then out came the most outrageous bit of dice work I have seen in some time.

I was having Khalil roll for ease of movement in water, for being detected, for all types of things. For all side checks he never failed, always rolled extremely well (aside from one short burst of having difficulty in moving against the flow of water; difficulty but not a hard time). Surprise, back attacks, shock, ease of movement, attack. A slew of 18s - 20s, or, really low on the percentiles. I think he missed twice in between backstabbing Pomatola for 116, lead guard #1, the cleric - just about everything.

So, that wing has been taken out, but here is the candy. For the eye of the night, access to Skullshank is grant by fitting four pieces into a floor setting. Those pieces are shaped like triangles.

Khalil knows that this location is Skullshank's, knows that recently Skullshank had engaged a whole bunch of engineers. Khalil had found what he thought to be some type of earstud (but for a giant) upstairs in room 2-9. Here in Pomatola's room was another somewhat triangular giant earstud, certainly of the same make as the one from upstairs. There is another such stud in the harpy's lair, also upstairs. The Harpy is air, in 2-9 the stud was found in a giant lizard head upon the wall (earth), this one is found underwater (water). in Section 4 I have geared them more towards fire. Khalil has just realised the need to find all four pie quarters for some extra purpose.

Good session

Losloris

Must say that I really enjoy this adventure, how it is laid out and the options the lay out makes available for play.

We started at the end of the underwater section, having defeated Pomatola and their priest (who was in the temple for Olhydra) and having found a bit of loot and a pie piece. For some reason, this really important bit of information completely slipped Khalil's mind. For reasons I do not understand his style of play changed drastically from freelance adventurer to overly cautious, must look into every crevice three times lest some kernel be missed.

It was agony.

Random monsters did nothing to dissuade the practice.

We doubled back to clean out the whole underwater area. I did my best to make it clear there was nothing else to learn regarding the Sahuagins, their interaction with humans and whether this is related to Skullshank. The giant crab room was checked three times for secret doors.

So it goes.

I will cut to the chase. We went back to section 4, the humans, got to Mortimer (who escaped entirely with his dimension door) and we found ourselves in his office (4-9). Between everything that was available we determined that the four triangle pattern inlayed on the floor was the portal that led to Skullshank's secret lair, that to access this portal one had to put in four 'keys', that once these keys were used they magically transported back to their hiding places in this 'keep'.

The ear stud things are the keys. Nothing I could suggest to Khalil got him into the frame of mind to think about anything unique that he had found in this adventure. So we stopped. He was intent on waiting at the portal to see who will come out (despite everything indicating that Skullshank had been in his lair for days).

I guess Mortimer will return with friends in tow.

Losloris

He thought this would work.

it took considerable effort to get Khalil to think about what he was looking at, the circle of triangles as the final entrance portal to get to Skullshank (DCC 14, Eye of the Night), and think about the odd jewelry Khalil had found. As a DM I never pay any overt attention to jewelry when it shows as treasure, yet this time I certainly did. The player looked through his notes as we play less than once a month in this side campaign, found the references to large ear studs that were somewhat triangular in shape, pulled thru his pack and out came the pair he had. One was found in a dragon’s head that was mounted on the wall on the first floor of the Manor. The second was found at a small temple to Olhydra in the Sauhaugin section, just before it lets out to a broader body of water.

Khalil cleaned them up a little and found they fit perfectly into two of the four triangle slots. Once they did, each turned a more particular colour, the one from upstairs green (earth) the other blue (water) We sat at the table and chatted possibilities. Khalil eventually figured out there was an elemental theme at work, and from there his brain disintegrated. A horrible thing to watch. Perhaps he had other things on his mind, what was left of it anyways. We should have called it a night. Or, perhaps we will back track to there when we get back to this (do you guys ever do that, just completely undo what is being done to avoid TPKs?).

We got to the elemental part, the need to find two other pieces that were likely somewhere else in the manor. We stared at the maps (I still continue to love how this module’s maps lay out. a simple thing yet very pleasurable to see a module where you could go left or right as opposed to, say, the Rat King which is almost entirely linear) And, for reasons I really do not understand, Khalil decided that either the air or fire elemental piece would be found amongst the Sauhaugin.

Just to be clear, the air piece is in the Harpy’s tower. The harpy is dead but he never checked out that tower. The fire piece I put in the abandoned cave section, first floor down. What are they called, willips? In there a source of fire had been noticed but ignored.

So, off the sauhaugin side of things we went, being well practiced now in underwater action. We had sacked the Sauhaugin leadership and desecrated the temple to Olhydra not twelve hour ago. As we entered this second time we saw a (female) Sauhaugin carrying something (larvae) towards the open water. This installation was being abandoned. We followed but could not keep up with the swimming. Back we entered, into what was the leaders room. Pomatola was dead and sub leaders were making final evacuation plans. We did not understand any of that, only that they were there and we had ways of ending them. Khalil was quick and effective. And then, another disconnect. Khalil wanted to cut of a leader’s head and use that to scare any other Sauhaugin we came across. However, our elaborate finger communication system (which I actually made the party work out once, as in, 1 is to charge, 2 is to flee. As a DM I figure you do this once and you're good, but you have to do it. We wrote it all out when we first did the Saltmarsh series) did not have code for decapitating heads for the use of future scaring techniques. Dorminder was pissed at the notion of decapitating a now dead person, something we had not done. He wagged his finger at Khalil with a stern look, pointed to how he would leave if this continued. It continued so he left.

The session ended (because of the time of night) just as Khalil was about to enter the last room, the family room, wherein all of the larvae were kept. He is by himself with a Sauhaugin head entering a room that has four females and three males. I’m figuring the females are gonna lose their bananas at an attack against the unborn.

This is quite possibly the end of Khalil.

Losloris

It is that time of month - we play tomorrow, barring any illness that wiped out last month's session.

We are on our own map, looking to inhabit Taam's Tower (DCC 3) which is by a large body of water, we have the Uzrivoy from the Mudd Sorcerer's Temple, and, I am looking to make this campaign more water born-ish adventuring - at least, use the Uzrivoy to get to here or there. We are on something like the Mediterranean. Part of the goal for the immediate story line is to get to the Aerie of the Crow God DCC 5. However, here is what I have set up for the next 'adventure';

There is a half sunken ship found in Dungeon Magazine #6, After the Storm, which, though Monty Hall to the hilt (I am removing most of the treasure as it really is over the top), provides a starting setting that I can work with. I had been thinking Aquatic Elves, but couldn't quite flesh that out. Instead, I settled upon the Locathah that are met in the Smuggler's Cove. The bottom of the ship will have some Locathah who, like the party, have just come upon the Phantom. They will have documentation, and, hopefully survivors from encountering the party, who will provide information pertaining to the Smuggler's Cove.

For this, I will only use the bottom two 'floors' of the cove, those which pertain specifically to the Locathah and the smugglers.

With Khalil gone, there is hope the adventurers will be less inclined to kill first, talk later which will make more intrigue possible.

Losloris

I told you I really like this module.

We are currently playing in the Sea of death from Dungeon magazine and I am not the least bit happy about the playability of Tritonacil. This has been a bother to work with and shape into an interesting underwater adventure. Indeed, we have been underwater a few times now so the aim is to make it attractive in some way. I was not satisfied with what I developed and so happily turn back to this one, the Secret Smuggler's Cove.

The entry will be underwater, tritons in stead of locathas, the temple will again be something dedicated toward Olhydra, Greytare's wife (from SoD) will be the person in the cage. Oohh, this feels really good.

Losloris

Okay, quick correction; it is called The Deadly Sea, and, even upon re-review it does not appear to be all that much of an underwater adventure; there is very little underwater feel to it. So, I feel no compunction that way.

Our campaign is currently off trying to activate five totems or towers in order to create a dome-like force field over a large body of water that will inhibit Olhydra from appearing. We have done three so far, this adventure is the fourth. The fifth will be in the town of Homlett (!!) where a tower is shown on two maps we have found yet was not at all visible when we passed through Homlett.

Anywho, for the Smugglers Cove there will be no house/manor up top. In TDS there is a statue at water level. That will be where the party will end up if they go through the whole bottom up way, or, where they can go top down if they find a secret door. All of the NPCs in Tritonacil will be transferred into the Secret Smugglers' Cove (SSC). The statue room on level 2 of SSC (area 3-11) will be the activator for the totem. And, if improperly approached water elementals will appear as opposed to barbazu devils. Chartere will be in the cage as opposed to Captain Jared Goldtooth. The humans will all by part of the pirates that sacked Fogstone and documents will relate to Bloodric.

I really like SSC for several reasons and enjoy the opportunity of playing it differently.
Have you ever rejigged an adventure?

Losloris

Got a bit of a problem with SSC room 5-8, the ziggurat temple. The description assumes the players are looking above water, and, part of the locatha response includes addressing players that are flying.

But the whole area is underwater.

Strangely, this area did not come into play when I ran it with Khalil and Dorminder.

Any thoughts on making this room interesting?

Losloris

Okay, we play Saturday, and, I was distracted.

All of the 'monsters' have been successfully transplanted from Tritonacil to level 5 of SSC. Treasure has been bumped a little because I found that I was too tight in meting some out.

And, Sslithia the Naga, will be the direct representative of Olhydra. Sslithia will be the one motivating the Tritons to work with the pirate Bloodric's crew, developing plans to annihilate the human town nearby.

The person trapped at 5-8 will be Graytare's wife Chael, held captive after having snooped too close to SSC. She is being held captive out of fear of Graytare's powers.

Hmm, I think this works.

Losloris

Wow; I still really like this module.

In order to address the needs of the Deadly Sea, the location of the SSC was changed to being out at sea, five days in a poor ship sail from Fog Stone. We opted to take both the Red October and Greytare's ship. Our destination was a huge statue, along the lines of the Colossus of Rhodes, this one being a huge statue dedicated to Olhydra (Greytare was fully aware of the statue but not that it was of Olhydra).

So, on this little spit of land was a giant statue to Olhydra with three tentacles resting on one piece of land, a water pass through with landing on either side, three tentacles on a piece of land on the other side, and, two tentacles in the air. The party chose a side (it did not matter which), found an entrance and descended down into section 3 of the module.

Once they did I turned this on for a sound track: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAP26hS82BU
It was so cool to see the affect the soundtrack had on the players. They were instantly spooked!

We sallied forth, found the temple room - when anyone stepped on the alter a minor water elemental appeared. Several encounters in and the team was acting and reacting very well together, and, consistently making good decisions (which helps add to a good time). Darkmantles make for good wandering monsters. The group ultimately worked it's way down to level 4, the loading docks, to meet the combination of pirates and tritons (in exchange for the locathas), and then over to the cage room where Greytare's wife was found and, ultimately, Sslithia was met and defeated.

Once that was accomplished we left, bringing the whole family back to Fog Stone. Heading back to Fog Stone we knew we would be happily rewarded by Greytare as we had restored his family.
Also, we would touch the near by town, in this case Welton, to share the knowledge that the tritons lead by Sslithia (now deceased) were looking to sack the town.
Also, We had heard that Greytare had been loading up on underwater magic (which turned out to be our payment for services rendered) but we did not actually go underwater. Clearly, the other spit of land with tentacles had some access to an underwater section that would be home to tritons, something which Greytare really wanted us to address.
Also, Greytare's daughter had a very interesting affect on the party, four of whom are guys, one a gal. The four guys thought she was a hot babe (all having really failed their saving throws), the gal was nonplused. Whenever Chantal figured into the story/action the guys were more than anxious to follow what she said. I gave a few follow up saving throws and so the session ended with two guys now totally enthralled, one pissed at himself for being sucked in, the fourth being pissed at Chantal but not sure why. I am not certain what I want to do with this but enjoy adding the angles to our play.

Losloris