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(+1)

This is a tightly designed and cohesive adventure site, and though it falls somewhat outside the traditional Appendix N sword-and-sorcery/pulp aesthetic, it still has a strong sense of atmosphere. The Encounter Deck and Security Lock mechanics are clever, but I wonder if they’re a bit more complex than needed. Functionally, the encounter draws could be approximated with a d4 for type and a d10 for result (with some allowance for duplicates), and the math behind the lock mechanic boils down to a 1-in-6 chance of success if I read it correctly. A doofus like me prefers the least amount of prep possible.

Placing the core's restart behind a system that can permanently lock out the party feels potentially too punishing. A remote reset option (perhaps in a central security room) for fused locks would allow the party additional attempts at the expense of time/risk of encounters.

The layout, on the other hand, is a standout: stylized, full of character, and efficiently packed. Very little space feels wasted. Good work on this.

(3 edits)

Thanks for the feedback, greatly appreciated.

Card mechanics: You can roll dice twice or draw cards once for same result. :-) Also, the encounter deck introduces uncertainty in its own way: by only drawing 20 cards into the deck at setup means some events simply won't be part of the adventure. GM can also choose to load the deck at setup in different ways (eg draw more spades than hearts, or select specific cards). And cards are just an awesome mechanic that is under utilized (under appreciated?) in RPGs.

Locks: Borrowed from Errant and inspired by Prismatic Wasteland blog post, I specifically wanted to make an adventure that used the locks. This jam was my excuse. :-)

Also, the Cairn approach is to create the world and just put the players in it. Not about "balance" or guaranteeing success. Up to them to be creative and problem solve. Up to GM to make rulings. However, there are avenues to help the players in this adventure: library can answer questions, there's a lock manual the players might find, and the Queen can answer questions too. I had a fourth way the players could use to get help with the locks, but cut it because of space limits.*

Also, it's possible for the same lock type to show up multiple times. PCs can learn from and apply previous experience.

* I cut several things because of space, might release as supplements.