Supporters like you spreading the word is what makes crowdfunding happen. To assist in that, here are 7 reasons that Descent of the Ancient Fane has unique value for all kinds of DCC and D&D gaming groups.
GMs can use part or all of the mega dungeon, and not just to tie in Castle Whiterock. It links to the full level advancement for DCC (level 1 to 9) and for D&D (1st level to 20th), making it a great addition to any campaign looking for some demonic action.
GMs and players also get 6 Patrons with 24 new spells, usable for any campaign. They’re based on historical demon lords and divine figures, including an Old Testament and New Testament style god. Two of them have spells and rules for Clerics as well as arcane spellcasters.
It’s a magic item sourcebook too. DCC Judges and DMs need never want for another magical item, as the Ancient Fane has 90 of them. Their benefits spread across Classes and they’ll fit any fantasy setting.
It’s also a huge demonic bestiary like no other. There are 90 original monsters, and 50 of them have rules to customize for PC backstories, fears and desires.
It’s a standalone campaign with really impactful choices. PCs can play an evil or neutral path as well as one with good intentions, and their actions profoundly affect the plot lines.
It has original art on every page. $20k worth of art has gone into it, from top artists like Stefan Poag, Jim Pavelec, Goran Gligovic, Alex Moore and Faith Murphree.
It’s easy to run. Despite its 200+ page size, it has an optimized layout, GM tips and keys to major events to help keep track of the adventure and make sessions run smoothly and effectively.
Tomorrow, Descent of the Ancient Fane - the 200+ hardcover Mega Dungeon companion to Castle Whiterock - launches at 10AM Pacific Time!
That means Delicious in Whiterock, the Castle Whiterock monster cookbook with real recipes and tactical tips for 21 monsters is available complimentary with your print pledge for less than 24 hours!
Grab yours now with a $5 pre-launch reservation! Your $5 will be applied to your print pledge, making the print and PDF editions of Delicious in Whiterock are available at no extra cost.
In other news, our Livestream Spellduelbrackets are set! We have 16 competitors, one of whom will have a PC of their choice included as a significant NPC in Descent of the Ancient Fane.
Whether you tune in or not, we hope you pledge to support Descent of the Ancient Fane! Thank you all for your support of the most ambitious Witch Pleas Publishing project yet!
We're holding a Spellduel tournament for the Descent of the Ancient Fane launch party, April 7, at 9AM PST.
The winner gets their PC included in both the Dungeon Crawl Classics and D&D 5e versions of Descent of the Ancient Fane!
Spelldueling is fun and intense! You sign up for the tournament on Roll20, at this link. The day before the launch party, we'll release the bracket. You'll then have your chance to battle your fellow Wizards and Elves for a chance to be immortalized in Descent of the Ancient Fane!
What do we mean by "included"?
There's an area before an end boss in Descent of the Ancient Fane where unscrupulous and unsavory characters from around the multiverse have gathered for a party, the Golden Cave in the Dominion of Desire. A starting sketch by the brilliant Faith Murphree depicts it below:
Your PC will be an NPC there. They'll receive a description you provide and we'll edit for suitability, and they'll have a "trial" to win their favor that they'll present to PCs.
All to say, the winner of the Spellduel Launch Party won't just be background noise - their NPC will be central to the action, in a cool scene, at a crucial point in the Descent of the Ancient Fane campaign!
So sign up at Roll20 now! We've only got 6 days before the bracket is set, and you deserve your shot at diabolical glory!
Chris Doyle, author of the original Castle Whiterock, is the mind behind the 5E conversion of Witch Pleas' "ultimate Castle Whiterock tie-in," Descent of the Ancient Fane.
It was an amazing experience working with Chris on Descent of the Ancient Fane, connecting the mega dungeon to Whiterock's established NPCs and hidden areas, and offering Castle Whiterock's "secret diabolical history."
Chris blessed us with an interview on our blog that covers some of that experience, speaks to the original Castle Whiterock's personal origins, and delves into his ecology-focused approach to dungeon building.
Why back this monster of a mega dungeon, Witch Pleas fan?
Sure, you like our work, but $60 (or less) for a hardcover is not a casual decision for many. So we've put together this list of reasons why you really, really don't want to miss out on it.
And we think the first one is, dare we say, unique.
1. The Fane Is a Campaign With Philosophy (and Personalization)
A recent video by YouTube creator Edariad, The ACTUAL Reason Brennan Is So Good, pointed out that of all Dimension 20 Gamemaster Brennan Lee Mulligan's talents, it was his command of philosophy that brought something truly special to their games.
Edariad explains that Mulligan uses ethical, moral and emotional choices to bring great impact to the situations and overall storylines of his campaigns. PC choices aren't just exciting, they're important.
Descent of the Ancient Fane provides rules mechanics and guidelines to allow you to do that. Each level has 20 elements that can be personalized to PCs and their backstories, plus outlines of how to challenge PCs, and a core philosophy that connects even initial actions to the ultimate outcome, 90 areas later.
Some might argue that all TTRPGs are "personalized" to PCs. But not every GM knows just when to reveal that a ghost is a PC's past innocent victim, or a demon is a PC's possessed mother. Descent of the Ancient Fane helps GMs bring that unique element, and philosophy, through tables, guidelines, and almost 100 new monster entries that focus on that personalization and philosophy.
2. The Art (On Every Page)
Stefan Poag | Dominion of Pride
Oh, the art. When we set out to create Descent of the Ancient Fane, we were inspired some of the OSR greats from Goodman Games. Projects like Caverns of Thracia set the bar for art, and we wanted to clear it.
Margin Art by Stefan Poag Stefan is doing six pieces of margin art; one for the introduction and conclusion, and one for each of the levels of the Ancient Fane, the "Dominions" of Guilt, Fear, Desire, Pride and Lies.
Level Tableaus Plus, Stefan and three other arts created double-page spread "tableaus" that depict each Dominion. We've shared some of these before, and will again.
Jota Cravo | Dominion of Guilt
Alexander Moore | The Dominion of Fear
Faith Murphree | Dominion of Lies (Partial)
Many of those artists are contributing monster drawings as well, but none more so than the astonishing Jota Cravo. Jota, a veteran of Mothership, Exalted Funeral, and many a Metal band, is providing over a dozen pieces, some shown below.
3. The Value
It may sound odd to claim "the value" is a selling point for a $60 hardcover, but consider how you can use what's inside:
An adventure that goes from Level 1 to Level 9 in DCC - that's a complete campaign there!
5 distinct levels that connect to other worlds: You can use them individually, for Levels 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9
Guidance on linking to those adventures, which range from Mutant Crawl Classics, the works of Owl Knight Publishing, and many DCC modules.
90+ original magical items - never be at a loss for a DCC magical item again!
90+ original monsters - many of which are dimension-hopping demons you can bedevil your PCs with in tons of homebrew settings and situations of magic gone wrong
6 Patrons with 21 spells! These demonic and beatific Patrons come with unique powers you can mix and match
The PDF comes free with print - a $20 value itself, for this 200+ page bookmarked work that includes maps
We hope we earned your Following and your backing when Descent of the Ancient Fane crowdfunding starts on April 7!
