Grimmsgate (S&W) by Matt Finch is a role playing game supplement published by Frog God Games for use with Swords & Wizardry. 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 introductory adventure for characters of levels 1-3 and is also available in a version for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition.
The supplement is available as a 23-page PDF for $4.99 from the Frog God Games store; it is only currently available from DriveThruRPG as part of the Classics of Wizardry (Swords & Wizardry) Bundle. Two pages are the front and rear cover, one the front matter, one the Table of Contents and one the Open Game License.
Though the location of Grimmsgate isn’t given in the supplement itself, Borderland Provinces places it in the Gaelon River Valley.
The Introduction states that if you already know how to use adventure modules, you can skip this section. For those who are new to it, it gives some details on running adventures.
Background starts by describing the present for the village of Grimmsgate; a place on the edge of nowhere with a run-down temple, dilapidated inn, drunken blacksmith and exiled trader. It then explains what happened in the past; a demon was imprisoned at an old temple until someone foolishly gave into curiosity and ended up releasing it. The demon is now long gone, but a residue of the person who let it loose remains.
Referee Notes explains how the adventure is set up, that several monsters only take half damage from normal weapons and gives several hooks.
Start has the characters arrive at the village. There is a d6 table of rumours for them to hear, then the small village is mapped and described. This is followed by the surrounding wilderness that is also mapped. Finally, the temple is treated the same way.
New Monsters has three new monsters; the main boss, some cursed humans and cannibal mole-men.
Grimmsgate (S&W) in Review
The PDF is well bookmarked with major and minor sections linked. The Table of Contents only covers the main sections. Navigation is decent. The text maintains a two-column format and appeared to be free of error. There are a number of black and white illustrations, which look as if they could be custom, as well as the three maps. Presentation is decent but it’s a shame that the maps don’t come in player-friendly versions.
This is pretty much what it sets out to be; an introductory adventure that is generally suitable for new GMs and players, though some familiarity with RPGs would definitely help, as it doesn’t have the level of explanation that some introductory modules have. Though it was, probably later, added to the Lost Lands setting, given what the village is, it is easier enough to drop into most campaigns on the edges of the wilderness. Though there is a definite path to follow – village to wilderness to temple – characters can roam about as they wish. They can explore the village, or not, explore other parts of the local wilderness and get to the temple when they want to. It’s also stated that Grimmsgate could become an early home base – there are houses that can be rented or bought – and the surrounding wilderness can be expanded on. Grimmsgate (S&W) is a decent little starter module.
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