Dungeon Crawl Classics #70: Jewels of the Carnifex by Harley Stroh is a role playing game supplement published by Goodman Games for use with Dungeon Crawl Classics. As such, it is covered by the Open Game License and some parts are considered to be Open Game Content as a result.
The supplement is available as a 36-page PDF for $6.99 from DriveThruRPG and is also available in printed form from sites such as Amazon. The PDF is the version reviewed although it was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. Two pages are the front and rear covers, half a page is the Open Game License and one page is an ad.
The Introduction explains that the adventure is intended for 6-10 3rd level characters helped by what are described as stout-hearted hirelings. Cannon fodder, in other words. A smaller party of 4th-5th level characters with no hirelings will face a similar challenge and parties that lack a balanced mix of classes will probably come out of this very badly.
Adventure Background explains that there is a ruined chapel, the former home of the Cult of the Carnifex. Though most accepted the organisation, some did not. Azazel of the Light explains how one fanatical priest gathered up an army of noble youths and led them against the cult. The Carnifex was imprisoned, but the goddess was not permanently defeated, and Azazel guards her to this day. The Swords of the Pious details this army and their current condition.
Preparing for the Adventure explains how to study the setting and what can happen. This is followed by a d12 table of rumours and superstitions. Player Introduction is the hook and is followed by a Judge’s Note and a list of encounters.
The Ruined Chapel is the adventure location itself. Little remains of the aboveground works, meaning that the first area is The Undertemple, a trap-riddled place where death is going to be easy. The Hidden Sanctuary is the home of Azazel and his Swords.
Appendix A: Combat with Azazel of the Light covers the priest’s tactics in battle, and he has a nasty d12 table of critical hits.
Appendix B: A Treasure Hoard Worthy of the Overlord covers the potentially significant amount of treasure that characters can find and how they might seek to dispose of them.
Lost in the Briars is a bonus adventure and is also for level 3 characters. Some time back, a treant druid came across a meteorite and kept a fragment of it. The fragment corrupted the treant, but they were defeated and, almost, destroyed. The treant is now attempting to become a demigod. This would be bad.
There is a rand encounter table for the forest, including one very strange creature in a tuxedo. The various encounter areas on the map are then detailed. The characters will travel through the wood looking to stop the treant’s plot.
Dungeon Crawl Classics #70: Jewels of the Carnifex in Review
The PDF lacks bookmarks and, with two adventures and multiple sections, these would definitely have been appreciated. Navigation is poor. The text maintains a two-column black and white format and seemed to be mostly free of error. There are a number of custom black and white illustrations, full page handouts and maps. Presentation is very good.
Jewels of the Carnifex is an adventure in a confined underground area without many different locations, but these locations are pretty densely packed and the final combat can and likely will occur across several different areas. The place is dangerous, even without taking its inhabitants into account, and there is a final puzzle where the characters could choose to free the Carnifex if they desire. Something Azazel does not want. Though Azazel is Lawful, he is also effectively bonkers by now and still dangerous.
The second adventure is completely unconnected to the first. It’s a bit of roaming the wilderness looking to stop the machinations of a corrupted treant before they can come to fruition. The supplement contains two, rather different, adventures, with a dungeon crawl and a wilderness romp. The first adventure could easily result in the deaths of several characters and hirelings are unlikely to fair well at all. Dungeon Crawl Classics #70: Jewels of the Carnifex has two different, interesting, adventures and it can be found by clicking here.
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