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Really nice and flavorful, with lots of interesting little details! I love how the materials help guide decisions and connect items across rooms (like the orichalcum key+coffer)
The one thing that I’m not sure is how the players are meant to link the constellation groups. 1 is clear and guided by the Amphisbaena, but 2-3 and 4-5-6 are spread in different rooms with no hints connecting them, also with 3-5 appearing together in the sanctum. Or am I reading it wrong and either 4, 5, or 6 would lead to the vault? I’m also not sure how to guide the players towards patterns having a different number of constellations in each. I guess the amphisbaena can say it directly, but maybe if running this, I might want to think of a way to standardize the portal addresses, and have more hints for the portal addresses.
Your feedback is much appreciated!
So my intention behind the addresses is subtle, perhaps too subtle: As stated 1 is designed to be obvious. 2 & 3 and 4, 5, & 6 aren’t location specific, but are linked by shared mediums: 2 &3 are connected as they are both found on metal plates.
4, 5, & 6 are connected because they’re found via decorative elements (mosaic, fresco, etc.); further more, their specific series is also meant to be implied by the state of the night sky (dawn, dusk, night = 1st, 2nd, 3rd).
Hehehe it’s one of those things when you work on a puzzle so much the answer seems obvious, but yes I completely agree they could’ve certainly used some more hints.
It does make some sense, I completely missed that! Now that I know of it, one addition I would do if I’m running this would be a crumpled note on a body written something like “two constellations cast in metal lead to [smudged]”, and maybe a poem or something talking about the beauty of constellations at dawn/dusk/night.
Great minds. Originally the body did have a note regarding the constellations but I pulled it because the hint I came up with was too obvious and/or I was running out of space.
The visual design is stunning, spot on.
everything in this is smart and crafty chiseled. Just a little perfect adventure. I this was a "basic scenario" jam i would dare say it could be a runner for the title
Thank you very much for the kind words!
A great little adventure packed with interesting mechanics and tons of flavour.
Atmosphere is really well set from the get go with small details and deep descriptors.
Constellation chart generator is really cool and ties in well.
Also love all the little details that think about silly player habits, eg: The walls have lichen growing on them, what if someone eats it? Thought of that!
Overall fantastic little adventure with a lot of thought and a great vibe.
10/10
The constellations chart rules, and I loved all the lil moments involving each- such a fun lil flavor-meets-mechanics thing that makes a place feel both real & mystical. I just know that both players & PCs will have that kinda “Oh… OH!” moment, like Wee Bey in The Wire, that’ll make them feel oh so clever. Also, shoutout marginalia familiar lol. Great job!
Your kind and astute observations are much appreciated!
All the tiny but grand moments of divination on this piece are so evocative. And that constellation chart is so slick!
"Thaumaturge of the Alizarin Pool" is, as it says on the cover, a "terse weird fantasy dungeon" and it delivers on that promise.
The dungeon is dense, written in a simple and readable serif font, that offers a series of puzzles to complete. While there are options for danger, death, and combat, successful adventures must be more like the heroes from Appendix N novels, using their wits and creativity to survive and thrive.
I am particularly keen on the dungeon's focus being almost entirely on puzzles.
The entry makes great use of its limited space, including its map peeking out from underneath the torn cover. The art itself is from the public domain and used in a way that elevates the dungeon. This would not look at all out of place in the dusty shelves of a used book store!
I’m glad to have delivered on that promise but didn’t expect such high praise! Much appreciated!
Sneaking the map onto the cover is awesome! I also really like all the interactable elements in the rooms. They aren’t just simple mechanisms to be checked out and left behind, they are things you can come back to after further exploration. In particular, I like the portal that requires knowledge of all the constellations in order to explore the entire dungeon.
Very on theme! I liked the constelation idea. It would be cool to see a bit more of that.
Beautiful idea with the ripped cover! Overall really good!
solid work! imo the layout + flow of information shine here. the whole thing is clean, easy to read, and sells the old book feel nicely. well put-together, especially for a first module.
high: the observatorium read-out text. great setpiece. it's a spike of energy that shifts the mood in an otherwise subdued dungeon. i also think it's cosmically funny that the thaumaturge gets the reputation of "keeper of the ledger of fates" but actually his statue does the keeping while he hangs out in his hot tub of ecstasy and terror.
low: the constellation list is cool, but i don't love making the puzzle elements random. it's a missed opportunity IMO. little details like being specific about the thaumaturge's birthsign add depth of flavor that piques my interest as reader and GM. so, i would've liked to see that!
in-between: the vault statue can easily kill people with its evil gas. but the corpse next to it seems to be both desiccated and bludgeoned. why did the statue do that. what's its deal.
Thank you very much for the great review and the kind words, especially "hot tub of ecstasy and terror", which absolutely killed me. I love that consideration!
Great feedback regarding the constellations. I just wanted include some random element but wasn't able to develop it further other than set dressing.
Valid point about the statue, I guess I figured the dungeon needed to be a bit deadly at the end, especially for a powerful artifact potentially game-changer like the Ledger of Fates. The corpse was there to foreshadow the potential danger in the vault. I presumed the reason for its state was that it would be crushed by the statues' fists and desiccated by the gas when they attempted to take the ledger; both effects because how relentless it would in its task. My original concept was for the corpse to be holding the ledger (that would perhaps explain its fate better), but then it didn't make sense why the statue would just leave it there after dispatching the thief. Also I know realize that I perhaps didn't make it clear that the statue wouldn't be stationary when activated.
That all said, I didn't specify how deadly the statue could be, I intentionally left that open for the referee to work out. I just wanted to impress the potential peril, and it sounds like I succeeded since you read it that way. :D
Thanks again!
Constellation mechanic is so awesome and refreshing. The prose inside is beautiful. I love the map on the cover, and this whole adventure feels overall exhilarating. Nicely done!
Thank you muchly for the kind words! 😁
Really enjoying the constellation generator - great idea!