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A jam submission

THE NULL CONCLAVEView project page

Escape the tower of death! A deadly gauntlet for Shadowdark RPG
Submitted by SlimeMind — 18 days, 4 hours before the deadline
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THE NULL CONCLAVE's itch.io page

Results

CriteriaRankScore*Raw Score
Art: how well does the art support the other content?#114.7144.714
Overall#174.3714.371
Theme: how well would the module have fit into the Appendix N?#194.5364.536
Playability: how easy would it be to run this module?#214.1794.179
Layout: how easy is it to find all the presented information?#254.3574.357
Writing: how clear and/or interesting is the writing?#554.0714.071

Ranked from 28 ratings. Score is adjusted from raw score by the median number of ratings per game in the jam.

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Comments

Submitted (1 edit) (+1)

Thumbs up on the tasteful visuals.  Liking the public domain art.  The layout is immaculate.  This adventure seems extremely lethal, especially for 0 level characters - but that was probably the plan all along as a funnel.  The green flames seem a tad generous in that context, even with the drawbacks, seeing that PCs can't see in the dark in Shadowdark but all the monsters & NPCs can.   Love that the manticore is a three dimensional character.  

Developer (1 edit)

Definitely difficult! A clever party won't pick a fight, especially with the bone naga, but I would expect at least a few casualties regardless. The note about the green flames is good, though I decided early on that the challenge of the adventure wouldn't be getting light. There are plenty of other problems for them to solve!

Submitted

The choice of colours and the layout are superb. Keeping the entire area key to a single page-spread is a great design choice for playability. The writing is solid and easy to understand, and the procedure for random encounters—rolling to see if a manticore appears—is a standout mechanic. This is a very usable module that I have saved to play on a rainy day!

Developer

Awesome! I'd love to hear how that game goes!

Submitted(+1)

A lot of great ideas in a small space. The green flames are a nice touch, with lots of potential uses. The idea of an ancient evil with another evil layered on top, revealed through the slightly ambiguous descriptions and hints, makes for a rich location with lots of potential. Lovely art and layout too.

Developer

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

Submitted(+1)

The art and layout design is wonderful! The idea of the light sources as dangers is also very interesting (as is the maps and the manticore!)

Developer(+1)

Thanks, mate! The manticore was the big idea that inspired the module for me. Glad you liked it!

Submitted(+1)

The art/layout/design in this is siiiccccck! It looks super easy to run. I do wonder what stopping the PCs from just walking down the spiral stair and skipping a large portion of the adventure?

Oh man, I really do love a manticore though! You've been really efficient with your space too. Having a large monster (manticore), bandits, and undead all in one adventure is super refreshing, and it would make for a really dynamic night of gameplay. 

Developer (1 edit) (+1)

Thanks, Cameron! That's a fair question. I think encountering the bone creature on the ground level is a big factor.  They likely can't fight it and live, and if they try to run out the front door without gear and a plan (it is both locked and protected by a minor geas trap), they are almost certainly toast. That was my intention anyway--but it might not pan out that way! If they get out too quickly, the manticore could show up as they leave and pressure the PCs to go back in to get the locket.

Submitted(+1)

Thank you for the response! I figured it would work itself out in play. That's usually how these things go, haha. reading vs running makes all the difference sometimes :)

Submitted

Love the colour scheme! Love the map! Love the layout! A great Shadowdark short adventure!

Developer(+1)

Thanks, mate! Glad it landed for you!

Submitted

Excellent colors, great art choices, and fantastic use of Dyson’s maps!

I’m a big fan of level-0 funnels, and this one strikes that nice balance between killing some PCs, but not all, and leaving the survivors well-equipped to get started adventuring

Developer(+1)

Thanks! Glad I hit that sweet spot!

Submitted

Wow you absolutely crushed this assignment , bravo! ( i love the color scheme so much!)

Developer(+1)

Thanks, mate! Also, fantastic entry yourself! A whole system? Duuude.

Submitted

Layout, font and colors are excellent in this! I love the choice of orange colors and the maps are super cool. Very cool cover. Amazing work!

Developer

Thank you! Turns out picking just three colors makes designing things a bit easier!

Submitted

The theme is great, the graphics and set up  are well laid out.. and the Manticore is called Maximillian! Sweet

Developer

Thanks, mate! I chuckle every time I see that name. Glad you enjoyed it!

Submitted(+1)

Great concept for a gauntlet, and very well executed, does so much with so few pages without skimping on maps and good graphic design! A very robust dungeon with factions, mystery, and tons of great appendix N vibes!

Developer

Thanks! I'm digging into your submission shortly!

Submitted(+1)

Great art and layout. Easy to run for GMs. Well done.

Developer(+1)

Thanks! Looking forward to checking yours out!

Submitted(+1)

I never saw a Manticore leading a gang of bandits. Very cool idea!

Developer

Thanks! I'm definitely not the first to do it, but I was fun to do my own take on it!

Submitted(+1)

I like the elegance of the area keys used in this gauntlet. They convey a lot of info while keeping the areas terse and easy to parse. The great looking maps and bold colors fit the overall vibe of a professionally produced supplement.