Good day! So, for quite some time I have been intensely working on a personalized adventure centering between the Sodden Lands and the Shackles. A "non-canon" area of my own design called the Republic of Etria and its surrounding lands is nestled somewhere along the mountainous coast to the northwest of the Sodden Lands.
I'm not sure if there will be any interest from the general public in this. Right now I am making it solely for my own enjoyment, but will make it available to anybody who wants to try it out.
Here's the pitch:
The reviled Archduke Lievan of Etria has gone missing, and the factions of the Republic are vying for power. The players are sent by enemies of the Duke to deliver a message to a Vizier Adelard who is in hiding in the remote mountain town of Zidan.
Once joined, Adelard will take you through the swamps toward the Shackles, where Prince Aysen, an official heir to the throne that the Duke had banished long ago, is slaving away on a plantation for the Rakshasa.
The players must return Aysen and Adelard to the court of Etria, where they will try to save the Republic from total civil war. They will also discover an ominous secret about the true nature of the Duke's reign...
What's in the Adventure:
The adventure spans 6 scenarios. It is advised that it be played by characters that have finished
5-10 scenarios already. It functions as a level 1 adventure, but further playtesting may change that.
Currently there are 13 new locations, 4 new villains, 2 new henchman, and 4 new allies.
As playtesting unfolds, this may change; cards may be added or dropped.
New Variants
Wrath of the Archduke introduces two new variants: Escort missions and faction joining.
Throughout the adventure, the players must ensure that neither Prince Aysen nor Vizilier Adelard are buried or banished. This means the players chosen to escort them will likely try to discard or recharge them so as to "keep them away from the front lines," however, both allies provide substantial bonuses, so tough choices will have to be made.
In the 3rd scenario, players may choose to ally with the Ruffians or the Bandits, who are rioting over the leadership vacuum left by the Duke's disappearance. The henchmen cards are displayed by the character who "wins them," and they provide bonuses to the scenario's checks. However, both cannot be displayed in the same location at once, or else the players immediately encounter them (they figure out that they're being conned and try to kill the players for fooling them). In the following scenario, the surviving henchmen are displayed again, and may be banished for further bonuses.
What You Will Need to Play
You will need both the Rise of the Runelords and Skulls & Shackles base sets to play Wrath of the Archduke.
For locations, obviously you can just print the cards out, since they don't need to be shuffled into the game.
If you have opaque sleeved sets (I do), your life will be much easier. You can just slip the printed card with an unused card into the sleeve. It looks fine and is undetectable in a stack.
Other than actually making the cards yourselves, you can use substitutions of official cards that I will provide in the actual documentation for your convenience. It won't be as pretty, but if you really feel like playing, it's an option.
Finally...
I've worked really hard on this adventure, and have had a lot of fun doing it. I hope there will be some interest in the PACG community. Thanks a bunch!
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