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I really like this adventure! I think that this may spawn a viking type campaign for me and my group. Really like the story in this adventure and all though it may borrow elements from Beowulf and Lord of the Rings it only make me want to run the adventure more! I can only hope that Kevin Carter will give us another adventure for Jotsplat and Bowenwar's struggle. (Hint Hint)
Thanks Dungeon you made my day when I read this one.
I really liked this adventure too. I found it very well written with interesting and well-developed NPCs. I liked the tension between the tribes and the reluctant rise to power of Bowenwar. I also appreciated the somewhat sympathetic background of Vellenhost as one of the bad guys. Normally, I don't care a whole lot for a bunch of backstory (let's just kill the bad guy - not worry that he might just be "misunderstood"); but in this case, I liked how it gave the feeling that a whole lot of history has been going on way before the PCs step on the scene. In my longest running campaign (a homebrew that's been plodding along for almost 25 years), one of the characters is from the ice barbarian tribe so when I saw Ill Made Graves I was already salivating. I thought the treatment of the tooth and its ties to fire were interesting. The dragon wasn't just another menace that returns from the dead as an undead entity - it had a lot of unique applications. Overall, I just loved the *flava* of the whole thing. It was a great read and worthy of distracting some of my attention away from the captivating Age of Worms!
I also found this adventure to be marvelous-it has the feel of an old school, low key site-based adventure. 'The Whale'(Issue 35 SideTrek)and 'When the Light Goes Out' (Issue 47)were similar in tone. My only regret-the Frost Barbarians are the villains! With years of scenarios (including the famous Blades of Corusk adventures) in my Greyhawk campaign featuring PC Fruzti heroes, and with the Schnai (Snow Barbarians) as the arrogant 'first tribe', the idea of a Frost Barbarian bad guy is, if certainly original, a little sour to stomach. Times do change though, and leadership, so I might just have to go with the adventure as written...
This is one of the most inspiring adventure backgrounds I have read in a long time. The bow of the hat to the 13th warrior (I assume) wrt 13 going after Oroshar really got the blood pumping. I eagerly await the publication of anything else Viking-themed Kevin Carter has in the works. Especially the storyline herein. Who was the cupthief? Loki? How many loose ends does one really need to spark a saga? The brushwar brewing between the two tribes has the potential for epic campaign material. If Kevin Carter or Dungeon have nothing more to offer with regards to this storyline, at least the embers of Lolgoff's funeral pyre have inspired me and probably others with visions of valkyries and berserkers going merrily about their business. SKORR!!!!!
This is one of the most inspiring adventure backgrounds I have read in a long time. The bow of the hat to the 13th warrior (I assume) wrt 13 going after Oroshar really got the blood pumping. I eagerly await the publication of anything else Viking-themed Kevin Carter has in the works. Especially the storyline herein. Who was the cupthief? Loki? How many loose ends does one really need to spark a saga? The brushwar brewing between the two tribes has the potential for epic campaign material. If Kevin Carter or Dungeon have nothing more to offer with regards to this storyline, at least the embers of Lolgoff's funeral pyre have inspired me and probably others with visions of valkyries and berserkers going merrily about their business. SKORR!!!!!
Well, in Beowulf, which this module sort of plays like a sequel to, Beowulf goes with a company of thirteen to slay the Firedrake. Which is where the 13th Warrior got it.
Well, in Beowulf, which this module sort of plays like a sequel to, Beowulf goes with a company of thirteen to slay the Firedrake. Which is where the 13th Warrior got it.
The 13th Warrior was based off a novel by Michael Crichton (he of Jurassic Park fame) called "Eaters of the Dead." He wrote it in response to a statement by an English professor stating that you couldn't retell a classic story (such as Beowulf).
Given the cult popularity of Eaters of the Dead/The 13th Warrior, I'd say the professor was proven wrong. I love the 13th Warrior, especially the scene where "Ibn" was offered a horn of mead. So so good.
With years of scenarios (including the famous Blades of Corusk adventures) in my Greyhawk campaign featuring PC Fruzti heroes, and with the Schnai (Snow Barbarians) as the arrogant 'first tribe', the idea of a Frost Barbarian bad guy is, if certainly original, a little sour to stomach. Times do change though, and leadership, so I might just have to go with the adventure as written...
The Thillonrian barbarians are nothing if not chaotic. It's pretty well established that they raid the Cruskii quite frequently if only because they are the weakest nation currently.
(Although it would make little difference if the raiders and villain were Stonefisters...and with regional history being what it is it makes sense that way too.)
Yes, certainly they will raid each other 'highland-style' over cattle, mead or personal insults, and evil barbarians are nothing new either, even among the three tribes of the Corusks. In fact, that will be why this adventure starts, most likely, with the PCs being henchmen of my leading barbarian campaign characters (who are between 14th and epic levels)sent to the funeral by their Jarls, plus a 'diplomatic representative' from Ratik, a known Fruzti ally.
We haven't run that particular campaign (barbarians)since the late 90s though, so it's a great way to segue back into the area...
I wanted to second Blessed Plague on the art for Ill Made Graves. I said the same thing discussing issue #133 in general, but the art is perfect. If all of the art in the magazine was like this, I'd have no reason to complain. I know the magazine will include variety, but as much of that style as we can get would be good. Really good.
I loved the adventure too. We're actually playing a Viking themed game. I hope our DM is inspired by it, though it will have to wait til we return home, since we're just arriving in a place like Constantinople. Oh well.
I loved the adventure too. We're actually playing a Viking themed game. I hope our DM is inspired by it, though it will have to wait til we return home, since we're just arriving in a place like Constantinople. Oh well.
I for one would really dig checking out a campaign journal for your viking game. I have the kernels of an idea--the group heads out from 'Norway' to raid 'England' on a Viking longboat in the spring. They get there and 'England' is utterly overrun by the hungry dead ala Dawn of the Dead/28 Days later style.