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Descent of the Ancient Fane - Most Hellish Dungeon (DnD/DCC)

Descent of the Ancient Fane - Most Hellish Dungeon (DnD/DCC)

A 200+ page hardcover megadungeon tie-in with Goodman Games' Castle Whiterock. 5 hellish levels, 90 new monsters, new spells, patrons and treasure. Discover the secret history of Whiterock and reveal the world-destroying agenda behind it!
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Started: Fri Apr 10 12:09AM

Duration

2h 1m 31s

Backers

29

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$3,697

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This project is part of Castle Whiterock Collab, running from April 7th – May 1st, 2026. Learn more

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Overview


A dungeon-crawl, story-forward megadungeon, Descent of the Ancient Fane pits characters against more than just traps and monsters, twisting their personal fears, desires and pride against them. Suffering and sacrifice like no other dungeon leads over five richly detailed levels, to a conclusion that puts the fate of worlds at stake. A tie-in to Goodman Games' revised Castle Whiterock and set in Witch Pleas' folklore-based Lohre setting, Descent of the Ancient Fane contains untold agonies and endless hours of adventure.

Reserve the Printed Survival Guide/Cookbook - Delicious in Whiterock - with cover painting by Stefan Poag - for $5 Now!


200+ page hardcover Megadungeon with uniquely personalized gameplay and an insane amount of content:
  • 91 areas over 5 levels
  • Level advancement from Level 1 to 9 (DCC) and 1st level to 20th level (D&D 5e)
  • 5 connections to Castle Whiterock’s map including Whiterock’s secret history and a hidden NPC
  • 90+ original monsters and demon lords
  • 50+ new magical items
  • 6 new patrons with 24 spells and taints
  • 35 Pre-gen character sheets
  • Rules to adapt dozens of encounters to PCs’ fears, desires and backstories 
  • Art on every page 
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Pre-Launch Reservation Gift: Delicious in Whiterock




Your Complete Guide to Conquering Castle Whiterock Without Rationing - Eating Its Monsters!

  • 21 Entries on Hunting & Cooking Whiterock Monsters
  • Actual Tested Recipes For Your Gaming Group
  • Covers All 15 Main Levels of Whiterock
  • All-Original Art on Every Page
  • Original Cover Painting by Stefan Poag
  • D&D and DCC Appropriate

But Only Available for $5 Reservation

Reserve Now So You Don’t Miss Out!

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Art & Artists





Stefan Poag • The Dominion of Pride
Jota Cravo • The Dominion of Guilt

Faith Murphree • The Dominion of Lies (Partially Shown)

Top Indie RPG Artists Featured:
  • Stefan Poag
  • Jim Pavelec
  • Alexander Moore
  • Jota Cravo
  • Faith Murphree
  • Goran Gligović
  • Scotty Monster
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Layout Optimized for Gameplay


Sample Layout

Hellish to Experience - Easy to Run
  • Complete Encounter On One Spread
  • Bulleted Lists & Bold Text
  • Tactics, Stats, Treasure with Distinct Style Blocks
  • Reference Sections by Level, Alphabetical 
  • Narrative Outline Suggestions 
  • Core Element Outlines by Level
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Suitable For Many Settings


Descent of the Ancient Fane can be played as its own campaign, taking PCs from the very beginning to the top levels of power!
  • D&D 5e, from 1st Level to 20th
  • Dungeon Crawl Classics from Level 0 (When the Stars Cried Despair) to Level 9

It can fit any setting for D&D 5e or Dungeon Crawl Classics. But Descent of the Ancient Fane comes with custom links to other Settings - mentions of characters and locations, and means to access them. That means that there are special ways to reach other awesome worlds, such as:
  • The 6 portals to locations in Castle Whiterock, special means to navigate it, a hidden NPC and the secret history behind it.
  • Ways to reach the realms Ov Owl Knight Publishing (Sky ov Crimson Flame, Blights ov the Eastern Forest, Seekers ov Other Worlds), and a powerful entity from those realms
  • Connections with plots, locations and enemies from Terra A.D. (Mutant Crawl Classics)
  • A connect with Tuscon in the North American Empire (X-Crawl Classics)
  • A handful of other connections to locations in the worlds of Dungeon Crawl Classics (Pyre, Thracia, Court of Chaos, and Punjar)
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Castle Whiterock Connects


Descent of the Ancient Fane can be played as its own campaign, taking PCs from the very beginning to the top levels of power!
  • D&D 5e, from 1st Level to 20th
  • Dungeon Crawl Classics from Level 0 (When the Stars Cried Despair) to Level 9

But Descent of the Ancient Fane is an unrivaled companion to Castle Whiterock 
  • 6 Map Connections to Castle Whiterock 
  • 5 Magic Items Help Navigate Whiterock 
  • 1 Hidden NPC from Castle Whiterock
  • Follows Castle Whiterock’s Level Advancement 
  • Contains Castle Whiterock’s Essential Secret History:
The Demonic Plan Behind Castle Whiterock’s Plot That Dooms The World 

It can fit any setting for D&D 5e or Dungeon Crawl Classics. But Descent of the Ancient Fane comes with custom links to other Settings - mentions of characters and locations, and means to access them. That means that there are special ways to reach other awesome worlds, such as:
  • The 6 portals to locations in Castle Whiterock, special means to navigate it, a hidden NPC and the secret history behind it.
  • Ways to reach the realms Ov Owl Knight Publishing (Sky ov Crimson Flame, Blights ov the Eastern Forest, Seekers ov Other Worlds), and a powerful entity from those realms
  • Connections with plots, locations and enemies from Terra A.D. (Mutant Crawl Classics)
  • A connect with Tuscon in the North American Empire (X-Crawl Classics)
  • A handful of other connections to locations in the worlds of Dungeon Crawl Classics (Pyre, Thracia, Court of Chaos, and Punjar)
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Links to Lohre

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Stretch Goals

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Shipping



Packaging

Cardboard boxes. Wrapping paper for protection. 

Postage

  • $8 domestic US for orders up to 2 books
  • $12 domestic US for orders 2-5 books
  • $30 Canadian for all orders
  • $40 International for all orders
  • $50 for retailer orders (20 books)
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Timeline

June 2026:

  • Final layout for all systems (D&D 5e, DCC)
  • Fulfillment of digital editions through DriveThruRPG
  • Print files sent to printer

September 2026:

  • Print editions proofed and printed
  • Shipping charges and orders finalized
  • Print editions packed and shipped


Mega Dungeon Month



MEGADUNGEON REWARD

Support 2+ or more projects from Goodman Games, Monte Cook Games, Kobold Press, Ghostfire Gaming, Loke Battle Mats, Rowan, Rook and Decard, or Troll Lord Games to unlock the MEGA-Exclusive Reward:
A MEGADUNGEON BONUS PDF.

Each publisher will create 3–4 pages of exclusive content, including monsters, traps, treasures, and twists, all mashed together.

The only way to receive this exclusive incentive is by pledging to 2+ or more of the above anchor projects!

Castle Whiterock Collab

Pledge for all the Castle Whiterock indie projects to complete the Lost Level!


A Multi-Publisher Megadungeon Extravaganza!

Castle Whiterock is a classic castle-themed megadungeon that sits at the center of an incredible multi-publisher crowdfunding event! Thirteen lucky crowdfunding projects are supporting and expanding this huge megadungeon to make it even more amazing!



Unlock The Mysterious Lost Level by Supporting Multiple Projects!

Pledge for more than one Castle Whiterock project to get a special stretch goal only available with multiple pledges!

  • Pledge for the Goodman Games Castle Whiterock to get the mysterious map of the Lost Level of Whiterock...
  • ...then, for every other Castle Whiterock project you support, you'll get full encounter details for one room of the Lost Level!
  • Pledge for all 13 projects and get the Lost Level plus complete descriptions of every single room on it!

This bonus Lost Level is in addition to the existing rewards and stretch goals for every project you see on the Castle Whiterock page!
If you believe that this project is not in compliance with BackerKit’s Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, you can file a report by sending a message via this link: Report this project

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