First, thank y'all for supporting the campaign, following along, and sharing your thoughts. You are a critical part of this project, and sure, I'm doing most of the work, but it would be impossible without you.
In this update, I've got a progress report for ya, an excerpt from the book on using ambiguity to create tension, plus links to other campaigns happening RIGHT NOW that I think you might be interested in (including mine)!
Progress
DCC RPG We've finished the playtesting, and I am super grateful to everyone who took part. The ideas and insights gathered have been instrumental in how this adventure has come together.
The design is done, and I'm about a third of the way through the writing. I expect to be done in the next couple of weeks.
Like this guy!
5e Conversion of the ideas and substance of the adventure to Fifth Edition has begun, but will require the completion of the DCC RPG version to fully implement. I will announce playtesting opportunities for backers the first week of September.
We are on-target for delivery in October 2026.
Creating Tension: Ambiguity
Mutant Spawn of the Toadmother is not heroic fantasy. It is survival horror fantasy. The characters are not a plucky band of adventurers that met in a tavern, and they aren't going to stroll back into town with magic swords and sacks of gold at the adventure's conclusion.
To create the kind of pleasure we get from movies like The Descent (2005), Alien (1979), and C.H.U.D. (1984), we need some special techniques.
Order Managing narration can build tension. For instance, when a character does something that the other characters wouldn't be able to witness (e.g., wanders out of sight of the rest of the party), and they fail a skill check or are attacked by a monster, don't immediately describe what happens. Once the dice have spelled the victim's fate, cut the scene without vocalizing the outcome. Instead, shift focus back to the rest of the party.
Describe what they witness (hear, feel) and ask them what they do next. After they decide, switch back to the individual and describe what befell them, or don't. If a lone character dies, they can't tell anyone what happened. Don't even announce the character is dead if you don't want to. Maybe they'll turn up later having miraculously survived (probably not). Then go back to the group and play through the results of their previous decision, without the chance to change it. This way, you aren't sharing information the group couldn't know, which encourages more realistic decisions and builds tension.
Clarity When the players look blankly at you after you finish a description, it's fine to try again with different words, but if it still isn't coming across, or you suspect misunderstandings have occurred, interrogate the players. Ask them to describe what they think is happening, and encourage them to ask clarifying questions. Be careful not to fall into the trap of over-describing, though, which can kill the mystery. We want players to fully understand the parts of the environment we reveal, but we don't want to flesh things out further.
Mystery Keep the monsters mysterious, and don't describe the environment beyond what the party can see. Monsters should be a list of horrific traits, perceived in a rush as they leap out of the dark. "The rhythmic beating of the air is nearly on top of you as giant claws pierce the darkness above" is preferable to "you are attacked by a giant bat." The creature in the first description is a terrifying mystery, not an enlarged mundane animal, or worse, a stat block. "Below you, the rope dangles into a dark abyss" beats "you can't see the ground" because it doesn't give away that there is ground beyond the torches' range.
Theater Finally, there are moments in the adventure when you make or call for rolls, and the results should not be shared with the players. This can create tension if you use it judiciously. It's also a good way to refocus the group when things get chatty, or when deliberations threaten to slow things down. Making a wandering monster check with a low level of probability will get the group's attention and raise the anxiety level without knocking things out of balance.
In the next update, we'll cover "Darkness."
Other Cool Stuff!
Don't run. We are your friends.
Part three in the Saga of Sorcerer Verrükter and the Rükstau Rejects: The Sorcerer's Conundrum is live on BackerKit for ten more days! It's a level-2 adventure compatible with Dungeon Crawl Classics RPG that puts the players into a labyrinth filled with everyone's favorite TTRPG pillar: puzzles!
We've cleared four stretch goals and are on our way to the next: More Art. At $6k, we'll add one more piece of art to the zine that you get to choose!*
The Sorcerer's Conundrum will fit into any grimdark pulp fantasy setting, but it is also part three of a six-part series that will take characters from level zero to level five.
* Technically, you get to vote on the art piece; there is no guarantee that your choice will be the winner.
† Once we reach $6k.
Back it!
Play mystery-solving teens at wizard school! This is a standalone ttrpg that focuses on hijinks and investigation. Compatible with Dungeon Crawl Classics (DCC).
Study magic Solve mysteries Survive graduation
This 200+ page book features gorgeous cover art by Sanjulinan, and interior art by Teresa Guido, Dax Hamon, Kiril Tchangov, and Bruno Prosaiko.
Academia Arcana is filled with four core classes, 30 spells, numerous table generators, dozens of monsters, students and faculty, two adventures, and solo rules. We are also working with writers from the Dungeon Crawl Classics community to create supplemental zines filled with extra monsters, classes, adventures, and more!
Academia Arcana launches on BackerKit about an hour after you got this email!
I am honored to have contributed a yearbook Clubs and Societies section's worth of NPCs to compete with, conspire against, or court. ;)
It is that time of year again! Time to demonstrate your fealty to the Purple Sorcerer!
They have been providing indispensable online tools to make running DCC RPG even easier. I know I couldn't live without them. This year, they are dealing with more than server costs and a list of upgrades they want to make. Wildfires in their Spokane, Washington home have made their lives more difficult than usual.
![user avatar image for Nerdronomicon [Andy Edmonds]](https://images.backerkit.com/active_storage/backerkit_production/blob/8zdvnh9dugje7m2m4rp3vx9zt0r4?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&w=40&h=40&fit=crop&crop=center&auto=compress%2Cformat)
