Dungeon Crawl Classics #78: Fate’s Fell Hand 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. This is an adventure for level 2 characters.
The supplement is available as a 42-page PDF from DriveThruRPG for $6.99 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, one is the front matter, about a third of a page is the Open Game License and one page is ads. Two more pages seem like a black and white poster.
The Introduction explains that the characters will play the deciding role in a war between three wizards who have been trapped within a demiplane. Until now, gains have always been undone with a new day; the arrival of the characters not only means permanent changes can be made, it also starts destroying the demiplane, and anyone still in it. It warns that violence will not be the best way of solving the adventure.
Adventure Background explains that three powerful magi sought to gain a powerful item called the Deck of Fates. They gained twelve cards, then entered into a spell duel that ripped their lands into the phlogiston. The survivors have taken the role from a card and each day the magi battle. Each day the deck is drawn anew, and how this affects things is discussed. There are a number of ways of escaping the demiplane.
Adventure Hooks has different hooks to get the characters involved, depending on their class. Player Start has the characters arriving in the vale.
Level 1: Valley of the Magi describes the vale itself. This is dangerous because of phlogiston entities that can now gain access.
Level 2: The Manor is the former home of the magi and the domain of some of their former servants.
Level 3: The Manor Tomb is the current home of one of the magi.
Level 4: Beneath the Lake is the home of a second magi.
Level 5: Tower Beyond-the-Moon is where the third and final magi lives.
Appendix A: Tips for Running the Adventure covers how to handle the various NPCs.
Appendix B: NPC Statistics has the stats for the beings encountered.
Colour Cards for 2nd Printing is in what’s probably the centre of the printed book. This has game details on magical decks and the Deck of Misfortune, as well as colour cards and backs.
A lot of the supplement is handout-related. Ten pages are taken up by the cards, in colour and in black and white.
Dungeon Crawl Classics #78: Fate’s Fell Hand in Review
The PDF is bookmarked with most of the major 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 lot of illustrations, including the maps. Most are in black and white but colour versions of the cards have been included as well. Presentation is good.
This doesn’t look like a very easy adventure to run. The demiplane is strange with strange rules, and characters who die can be brought back again through the magic of the cards. The vale itself is a kind of hexcrawl, and characters can wander all over it. The difference is that the hexes available diminish every day, and anything on a hex that is eaten by the phlogiston is also gone. Rampaging around killing everything is not going to work, as things are brought back to life the next day, and that could include characters who now serve one of the magi. Trying to deal with shifting alliances between NPCs is not going to be easy, and not every group is going to enjoy this adventure, and inexperienced judges and players could get completely lost. Eventually, fatally so for the characters if the players can’t work out what is going on. Dungeon Crawl Classics #78: Fate’s Fell Hand is not an easy adventure and it can be found by clicking here.
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