Spicy chicken feet, pig intestines, fermented spicy cabbage, and shitty - sorry, but it's true - corn-infused beer... it all seems a world away. And I've only been home for about a week. Living in South Korea was an (sometimes irritating, sometimes amazing, sometimes infuriating, and many times beautiful) experience.
There was no hesitation in getting my Labyrinth Lord gaming group back together once I touched down back home. I even wrote a new campaign setting on the nearly infinite plane ride back. While I did enjoy the many games I played with fellow expats in South Korea, my roots could not be replanted. That being said, I had an especially great time jumping into Apocalypse World, Torchbearer, Call of Cthulhu, Mouse Guard, and Burning Wheel. I'm tool lazy to link, but I'm sure your Google-fu is up to par.
Anyway, here's my new setting for Labyrinth Lord, which is for level-1 adventures. There is a lot of potential for a campaign here. If you're a fellow LL, feel free to take away what you will:
The Town of Rockbottom
"Our ancestors thought they could tame these lands--they were wrong. We are guests here, struggling daily to survive in our small, fortified toehold.
Beyond the walls of Rockbottom, the town you call home, are beasts, monsters, and other awful creatures. They lurk in the surrounding dark forests and dwell in the long-forgotten fortresses of failed past civilizations. They butcher the lone traveler, maraud caravans, and unpredictably attack surrounding villages and farmlands.
We make do with what our forebears have carved out for us. Food is expensive; guilds control trade; nobility control the taxes; and priests pray for our damned souls.
Respectable people cultivate the land, belong to guilds, the church, or are born into nobility. You are none of that. You’re the dirtiest of words: an adventurer, a scoundrel, a vagabond.
You’ve only got yourself to rely on, as nobody else is looking out for you. It’s a hard way to live, but there’s a certain freedom to it. Would you rather be a servant, wiping some noble’s arse? Nah. There’s too much loot out there for the taking.
You just need to survive whatever’s waiting down below…”
Character Creation:
1) Basic characters only. 1st level. (no Advanced LL this time, guys.)
2) Roll 3d6 down the line for ability scores.
3) Roll for HP (1's and 2's are not re-rolled.)
4) If any "skill" rolls come up, you must roll the appropriate ability score or under on a d20 to
succeed.
5) Ascending AC and To-Hit rolls will replace descending AC and Thac0
The Town of Rockbottom has a population of an estimated 500 inhabitants. There are around 20 guards, and about 100 men may be gathered for an ad hoc militia. Rockbottom is located at the base of a deep valley surrounded by tall, jagged mountains on all sides. Long, long ago, there was a disastrous tremor that destroyed any mark of civilization in its wake and resulted in mountains toppling upon each other, which now completely encircle Rockbottom. Mere footsteps taken outside Rockbottom’s stone walls lead one to dark and dense forests inhabited by tribes of fearsome creatures and wandering, hungry beasts. A few other small towns and villages lie within a few days’ travel, generally experiencing the same troubles as Rockbottom. Getting out of Rockbottom - or other nearby villages - means traversing the forests for a week or more and then attempting to traverse steep, jagged mountains, all while trying to survive the dangers that lurk outside. Only the bravest of the brave -or most insane of the insane - have even attempted to do so. Few have survived.
Rockbottom Rumors (1d6)
- There’s a clan of large, hairy goblins camped out and harassing travelers to the west of town.
- There’s an ancient, crumbling, vine-covered castle somewhere in Dead Man’s Forest to the west. Talk to Anlow at the ‘Bloody Dagger’ Alehouse.
- If you head east, you’ll get your head ripped off by a troll!
- Some adventurers headed off to Dead Man’s Forest about a week ago. Only one came back a few days ago. I think his name’s Krag, an old dwarf with a gray, braided beard down to his knees. He’s been drinking non-stop at the ‘Smoking Dragon’ Inn
- There are hidden catacombs of ancient kings from civilizations past in the cellar of the ‘Bloody Dagger’ Alehouse (F)
- Grenezel, the old hag who runs the potion shop at the edge of town, gives discounts to anyone who, how can I put this, satisfies her.
* Only the LL knows the details of these rumors, or if they are even true!
Rockbottom NPCs and Locations
“The Bloody Dagger Alehouse”
- Owned and operated by Malfer, a bald, obese man always willing to lend an ear, but doesn’t put up with any tomfoolery in his establishment.
- Anlow is a greedy human thief with a sharp face, greasy black hair, and a wiry physique. He knows how to get to the castle in Dead Man’s Forest, but will not exchange the information for anything less than 100gp
- 1d20 patrons
“The Smoking Dragon Inn”
- Owned and operated by Fingin and Malora, a halfling couple with curly, fiery red hair, with fiery personalities to match.
- Krag, an old dwarf with a gray, braided beard down to his knees. He’s been drinking non-stop since most of his party was killed by morlocks at the unknown fortress in Dead Man’s Forest.
- 1d10 patrons
- Can play ‘Black Bones’ card game. (All players place bets. Lowest ‘luck’ roll wins)
“The Temple of Othos”
- Led by Brother Homus, a young, charismatic man with a short, brown beard, blue eyes, and adorned in an elaborate red cloak. His job is to make sure Othos watches over the inhabitants of Rockbottom. He can Remove Curse or Cure Light Wounds for a 50gp fee with his Staff of Healing. (only usable by clerics of Othos.)
- Adventurers can pray to Othos once per day (roll CHA or lower) to get a +1 to any ability for the day, remove a curse, disease, or gain 1d3 temporary HP.
“The Outdoor Market”
- All the basic equipment from the LL book can be bought here, but are a few gp more expensive than the book. Make a WIS roll or lower to bargain the price of items.
“Dungarth’s Flame” (Blacksmith)
- Run by Breya, a twelve-year-old girl blacksmith prodigy. She’s freckled with red hair and green eyes. While she doesn’t look like a blacksmith, she can forge the finest weapons and armor, and there’s a 70% chance she already has in stock what characters are looking for.
- She has her father’s +2 longsword and +1 plate mail on display in her forge. Her father, Dungarth, was known as a talented blacksmith, as well as a fearsome fighter. He helped defend these lands for years, but was finally killed a few years ago by a troll named Goozegump. Breya offers her father’s sword and armor to anyone who kills Goozegump and brings back evidence of doing so. Goozegump has a long, cucumber-shaped blue nose, and he is also missing his left eye.
“Grenezel’s Curios”
- Grenezel, an old, haggard woman with a hook nose and a face covered with warts, will give a 30% discount on items from her shop with anyone who sleeps with her. However, they must make a Save vs. Poison to not be overcome by some nasty disease. On a failed save, roll 1d6: 1 = lose 1d2 CON; 2 = lose 1d2 CHA; 3 = lose 1d2 INT; 4 = lose 1d2 STR; 5 = lose 1d2 DEX; 6 = gain 1d2 CHA.
- In her shop, she currently has:
- 6x Potions of Healing (1d6+1) 100gp (70gp)
- 2x Potions of Lesser Healing (1d6-1) 70gp (49gp)
- 3x Potions of Invulnerability (+2 saves, +2 AC for 3d4 rounds) 300gp ( 210gp)
- 1x Potion of Halfling Control (charm 32HD of halflings for 5d6 rounds) 500gp (350gp)
- 1x Unknown Potion (Philter of Love. Drinker falls in love w/ first prefered sex it sees for 24 hours.) 100gp (70gp)
- Feather Token (say “Quaal” and feather turns to a whip dealing 1d6+1 damage and +6 attack bonus for 1d6+1 rounds) 500gp (350gp)
As far as dungeons and areas outside of town, that's for you to do whatever you want. I've got mine, but I don't want to post them in case any of my players happen to stumble upon this!
