The Vault of
the Whisperer (2017)
by James V. West, based on art, maps and names by Karl
Stjernberg
Published in Black Pudding #2 by Random Order Creations
Mid-level
Glorp |
Here is a mini-module that works.
The Vault of the Whisperer (published in issue #2 of the art-centric Black
Pudding zine) is a small, flexible scenario describing a 13-area
underground section in 8 pages. It is a real “module” module you can insert
into a wider campaign where you need it. You could find the entrance in the
corner of a larger dungeon, at the end of a half-forgotten alleyway in an
ancient metropolis, in a haunted gorge in the wastelands, or behind an
undisturbed door in the cellar of your favourite inn. It is all in medias
res, no backstory or sociological essay, but that’s fine. It is
self-explanatory why things are there and what you should do with them, with
much of the ideas inspired by a great set of illustrations by Karl Stjernberg.
The dungeon is the small shrine
of a weird cult worshipping a subterranean monster appearing as a really huge,
chasm-like maw on the dungeon floor. It whispers strange and evil things that
warp the mind, and will soon become an ongoing concern for the adventurers,
adding an element of time pressure and unpredictability. Its followers, a gang
of deformed weirdoes, are something out of a bad dream, and they are
accompanied by creepies and crawlies including slimes and flesh-eating
trilobites (love those guys). Unlike many modern modules, which give you five
or six baddies to fight, here you’ve got dozens of relatively low-powered
opponents in a relatively small space. It is all set up for a glorious massacre,
backstabbing, madness and general mayhem, with considerable environmental
hazards. The GM’s job is made easier by providing Hp dots for every monster – a
rare but useful quality-of-life feature. The vault is also chock full of
secrets and hidden stuff, often opening up new ways of dealing with the
encounters, and giving the players one of multiple unique magic items, all of
them dangerous, squiggly things with multiple hidden functions and grotesquely
funny drawbacks.
The imagination on display is top-of-the
line through the module, and for such a small place – a few crisscrossing
tunnels and rooms leading to a cataclysmic confrontation – Vault of the
Whisperer packs an impressive amount of content. It is well suited for
weird fantasy and sword&sorcery campaigns.
A group of playtesters is listed
at the beginning of the fanzine.
Rating: **** / *****