A Review of the Role Playing Game Supplement Dungeon Crawl Classics #73: Emirikol Was Framed!

Dungeon Crawl Classics #73: Emirikol Was Framed! by Michael Curtis 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. This is an adventure for level 4 characters.

The supplement is available as a 28-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $6.99 but was purchased at a reduced price as part of a special bundle. Two pages are the front and rear covers, one page is the front matter and part of a page is the Open Game License.

The Introduction explains that the adventure can be dropped into any suitable city or large town and the characters face one of the most feared wizards around.

The Background explains that, centuries ago, the titular Emirikol and the sorcerers Leotah were lovers. When Emirikol pledged himself to Chaos, Leotah was spurned. She did not take it well. She has attempted to kill Emirikol multiple times since.

The Opening Gambit has the characters witness a wizard and their flying gorillas wreaking havoc in a town. Once this havoc ceases, the characters are asked if they will undertake a job; head into Emirikol tower and destroy him. Three people can provide useful information.

The Shifting Tower is Emirikol’s wizard’s tower and where the majority of the adventure takes place. Once past the watch leopards in the grounds, the characters can then explore the tower. It isn’t remotely safe. There are golems that will suck in a soul, leaving a character with an entirely new outlook on life, dangerous creatures, a rather peculiar library and a blade made of liquid metal that turns an arm into a weapon.

When the characters finally reach Emirikol, Leotah shows up as well, and the two engage in a spell duel. There’s a d20 table of what happens during each round of this, which can be hazardous to watch. Should the characters get involved, it gets even more dangerous for them. The tower itself may also be destroyed; if this is done, everyone inside only has a limited amount of time to get out before suffering from the fatal collapse. One which the two wizards are highly likely to have survived, and neither will be terribly happy with the party.

Appendix A: New Spells has a new spell used by Leotah.

Four Scenes from a Conflict Eternal is bonus material for the second edition. This portrays, as the name suggests, four scenes from Emirikol and Leotah’s past, giving background material on some of the items that can be found during the adventure.

Dungeon Crawl Classics #73: Emirikol Was Framed! in Review

The PDF is reasonably bookmarked, with major and some minor sections linked. Navigation is okay. The text maintains a two-column black and white format and appeared to be free of errors. There are a number of black and white illustrations, up to full page in size, as well as handouts and maps, all of which are custom. Presentation is good.

Emirikol may have been framed, but he isn’t a nice person anyway and will try to kill the characters. His guilt or innocence, from the players’ point of view, ends up being rather irrelevant. Emirikol’s tower is full of interesting, and dangerous, places and items, even if neither he nor Leotah really measure up to the name of archmage; if they did, this would be a much higher-level adventure. And even more dangerous. The characters have essentially wound up in the middle of a quarrel between two former lovers, something that is never exactly safe, and this may have long term consequences as well, as they could end up with two dangerous foes with grudges. Dungeon Crawl Classics #73: Emirikol Was Framed! is an interesting adventure and it can be found by clicking here.