There could be several reasons to seek adventure in the Gemthrone Wilderness. It is a region that is the subject of speculation on cold nights in the glow of a tavern hearth. Some may talk of the magnificent treasures that have laid untouched for centuries in dark dungeons, just waiting to be pilfered—which is, almost without fail, followed by another who interjects with the dangers of such notions, were such legends even to be believed.
There are, however, those that do believe such tales— grizzled adventurers that know there is always some truth to even the most unbelievable stories. One just has to know what rumors to listen for…
In the Shadow of Tower Silveraxe is a 64-page adventure module zine designed for use with the Old School Essentials or Basic/Expert classic fantasy rules. It's old-school in both flavor and design mindset—weird and fantastic pulp adventure. Not all encounters are balanced and survival is not a guarantee.
The zine contains a topographic hex trail map of the Gemthrone Wilderness, nine dungeons, and five settlements including the dwarven town of Karn Buldahr—which can serve well as a starting location for lower level adventurers. Each settlement has its own list of rumors, hooks, and NPCs.
It is designed as a module. Use it as a standalone campaign, graft it onto your existing campaign wherever you find mountainous wilderness, or drop in any of the dungeons as a one-shot. The layout is designed with clarity and usability in mind. Dungeon maps are easy to read and their corresponding room descriptions and relevant monster stats are placed so that they are all on the same spread—less page flipping!
Written and Illustrated by Jacob Fleming
Edited by David Cameron
Published by Gelatinous Cubism
64 pages, staple bound zine, color cover, black and white interior. Includes PDF.
