From the author of The Dungeon Dozen! A weird underworld adventure and campaign setting for Swords & Wizardry and other old school rpgs
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Dear Backers:
In this update, we’re sending the full text of the Odious Uplands manuscript -- in both S&W and DCC versions -- for everyone who backed at levels to receive that (Blue Anti-Chaos Pill and above). (Links to the files on Google Drive are in the next post.) We think that Jason’s done an amazing job with this, and that you’ll like what you see here.
In case you haven’t seen it, the Hydra Coop has spun up a Discord server: https://discord.gg/usBpxn8. Please feel free to stop by!
Meanwhile, here’s another preview of some of the material inside the Odious Uplands!
As you may recall, the hub for many explorers of Upper Mastodonia is Fort Enterprise, the furthest outpost of Imperial Mur. Ruled by high-level-fighter-now-playing-the-domain-game Governor Krofax, this staunch bastion of Mur is currently undergoing an audit to ensure all finances are in order and the Empire is getting its proper cut. We managed to get an agent into Fort Enterprise to sneak a look at the notes of Countess Ploomb, the citizen lich who’s been leading the audit.
Before our spy’s untimely evisceration by Chenchko, Plumb’s bodyguard and Imperial Champion, we were able to extract these notes:
Governor Krofax
Allegedly mighty in combat. More often gloomy and drunk. Regularly sits on his chair of office and monologues into the distance. (Suspect K. has spent absurd sums on arranging torches to light the great hall in dramatic fashion.) Drunken sot has very clearly almost blurted out treason no less than four times, but his manservant Gads or vizier seem to always be there to catch him. Vexatious.
(Note to self: follow up with Gads about the ‘item of arcane power’ he promised.)
Vizier Galandigrius
Officious twit of a vizier, but more effective than Krofax. Drones on and on about the honor of his house and their control of Castle Vespa. Believe he’s trained his bees or wasps or whatever to harmonize with his voice. Disgusting. Keeps bloviating on and on about ‘hydroelectric power’ and how some fools laughed at him but they’ll pay one day.
Did manage to upstage one of Krofax’s monologues, though. That was good.
(Note to self: investigate rumors of his daughter exploring the province. Potential leverage, should it be needed.)
Ambassador Kreeg
Disgusting Woolly Neanderthal who Krofax is speaking with for some reason or another. Chenchko informs me that it’s apparently about some ‘secret’ negotiations Krofax is conducting with the Woolies. If Krofax has been ceding them land or paying them off, this will go poorly for him.
The Bishop of the Wilderness
Stodgy bore of a cleric. Dutiful, boring, smite the minions of Chaos blah blah blah. Taxes punctiliously paid. Can’t imagine how everyone in this pissant fort likes her. Alarming number of sanctified iron ingots on her person.
(Note to self: see if the Universal Temple in Mur has dirt on her. Nobody’s this squeaky clean.)
Shooplah-plah
Underworld visitor. Tiresome, servile, and mercantile, when he’s not fleeing from his own shadow. Tried to hide when he saw me. Was planning on slowly sprinkling him with salt to watch him squirm, but his ‘jolly, flavorless lichen ale’ is the first drink I’ve enjoyed since lichdom. Must find a way to get his recipe.
(Note to self: confiscate his palanquin for personal use once suitable painter can be found to remove flames on sides.)
***
We’ll be keeping you posted on the progress of Odious Uplands and Completely Unfathomable. Further updates to come!
-- The OU Team
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Hello people,
Sorry for the delay in updates, but we have substantial progress to report!
Here's where we are:
The Odious Uplands (S&W version) manuscript has been delivered into the able and heroic hands of award winning artist and designer Jez Gordon for layout, following a now-completed thorough editorial pass by the talented (also award-winning!) team of Fiona Maeve Geist and Jarret Crader ("Moonrat Conspiracy"). Jez currently labors on the map of Stonespear Province, which will be a glorious 2-page spread.
This project has undergone many revisions over its long gestation, and the final product will far outstrip initial plans in size and scope. The MS ended up around 60,000 words and is in my estimation far denser with game-able materials than Operation Unfathomable (to which it is intimately connected in numerous ways). Odious Uplands boasts a total of over 150 maps and illustrations by myself, Chris Brandt, Stefan Poag, David Lewis Johnson, Jeff Call, and Karl Stjernberg. The book itself is poised to significantly outstrip Op U in page count as layout progresses.
Once Odious Uplands the stand-alone book is complete, Jez will move on to combining and laying out the S&W version of the collected volume (Completely Unfathomable).
On the DCC conversion front, Paul Wolfe is finalizing stats and mechanics conversions for Odious, after contending with a seemingly-endless series of changes from me (thank you for not murdering me Paul). When complete, they move on to Jarret Crader for edits. The DCC versions of Op U and Od Up then pass into the mighty and supremely able hands of Matt Hildebrand for layout.
We still have hurdles to vault and it's a time of great uncertainty generally, but the finish line is very much in sight (I won't be projecting dates of completion until all ducks are marshaled into their rows).
Thank you all for your support and ongoing patience. Hoping all of you are staying safe and well in these trying times.
Jason
Check out some of the new illustrations and maps below!
