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| Chocolate coins not included |
“The immense, rambling complex of Castle Xyntillan has stood in its mountain valley for many years. Built over several generations, it has now been deserted by its former owners, and left to time and the elements. However, that is not the end of the story, for Xyntillan’s fabulous treasures and Machiavellian deathtraps continue to fascinate the fortune-seekers of a dozen lands – and never mind the ghost stories!”
I am happy to announce the publication of Castle
Xyntillan, a funhouse megadungeon for the Swords&Wizardry game
(and broadly compatible with other old-school systems). With cartography by
Robert S. Conley, cover art by Peter Mullen, and interior illustrations by
Denis McCarthy, Stefan Poag, Peter Mullen (again) and The Dead Victorians,
Xyntillan is a 132-page hardcover describing the three massive levels of the
eponymous haunted castle, from the soaring tower of the Donjon to the inky
depths of the Oubliette (and beyond). Four map sheets, featuring GM’s and
player’s cartography of the labyrinthine complex, chart the passageways and
hidden rooms, providing ample opportunities for exploration, confrontation, and
subterfuge. Castle Xyntillan has been designed to be versatile,
open-ended, complex, and accessible (more detailed thoughts are found in this post). It is above all, a fantastic place – built
on surrealism and dream logic, yet a place which makes a certain amount of
sense if you look at it sideways. It should be entertaining, fascinating, and
always a bit mysterious. Whether you would like a dungeon for one-off
expeditions and convention play, or repeated forays and full campaigns, Castle
Xyntillan should suit the demands and particulars of your campaign!
The hardcover set (book and four map sheets) sells for $40 plus shipping, and is available from my Bigcartel store. This is a larger and heavier product than the previous zines, and requires a sturdier cardboard envelope. Thus, it has a flat shipping rate of $18 (Europe) and $22 (Worldwide). As before, adding further items to your order does not increase shipping. Shipping times should be 3-7 days for most European destinations, 8-12 days for the US and Canada, and up to two weeks for Australia. (At the time of writing, all orders submitted this week should arrive before Christmas!)
A PDF edition will be published through
DriveThruRPG with a few months’ delay (early or mid-April). As always,
customers who buy the print edition will receive this PDF version free of
charge.
Three free downloads are also available
for this product:
- A two-page sample describing a section of The Upper Quarters, and showcasing the approach taken in presenting these materials.
- A GM’sWorksheet, used to track time and characters as the company explores the depths of Xyntillan. Adapted from Dungeons and Companies, a Hungarian retro-clone, this is a highly useful play aid for dungeon scenarios.
- A set of blank player maps, ready for printing (if you need spares).
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| 385 out of 500 copies |
Sold....really looking forward to this one!
ReplyDeleteAre any of these going to Exalted Funeral?
ReplyDeleteI would assume so, but it is up to Matt to decide when, and how many. :)
DeleteI ordered from Exalted but it did not come w the map sheets. Will I be able to get pdfs of them?
DeleteI'm on it! Please mail me with your preferred e-mail address, and I will send you PDFs while we deal with the missing maps.
DeletePurchased, along with Echoes #4-6
ReplyDeleteYesssssssss!
ReplyDeleteFive hundred copies of a $40 RPG book is, let me see ... $200 million.
ReplyDelete**GONG**
And on the eighth weirdass day the Lord said -- let the OSR be lucrative if Kent is agreeable .
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ReplyDeleteFascinating. I still wonder what on earth this has to do with Xyntillan.
DeleteOf all possible venues and occasions to share these thoughts with the world, it had to be right under this announcement. That's peculiar. At least the Indonesian "BOLA PELANGI" linkspam people are showing some restraint.
DeleteIs the binding stitched or glued?
ReplyDeleteIt is stitched.
DeleteStupendous. I also noticed you've created another issue of Echos... So prolific and good.
ReplyDeleteGreat picture of the 385!
ReplyDeleteOrdered via a friend who lives in Berlin
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I've been reading my copy for the past month or so. It's amazing. I just reached page 100, and there's one thing bugging me: several encounters are with a "Reaper", and being hit by its scythe causes paralysis in addition to damage. Some of the encounters with these creatures are explicitly stated as solo combats, meaning each PC should deal with the Reaper on their own. Is it intentional that the reapers are one-hit-kill creatures? Because once hit, the PC is paralyzed and so next hits should be automatic
ReplyDeleteThey are intentionally nasty, but there is a save vs. paralysis (as there would be against poison, etc.) Altogether, two characters and one companion were killed by reapers during the campaign (one PC was revived with a swig of magical acquavit). They did put the fear of God into the players when they met them!
DeleteI am looking for the pdf of Castle Xyntillan. I purchased the book from exalted funeral and am hoping to get a pdf as well.
ReplyDeleteHi Sebastian,
DeletePlease mail me at beyond DOT fomalhaut AT gmail DOT com
Sorry for the completely diverging question:are those original Holmes dices which have seen a lot of action (having rounded edges) or some replicas? :D
ReplyDeleteNo problem at all! They are high-impact GaryCon replicas (each has a side marked "GC"), a gift from a good friend. I use the d6 as my encounter dice; it loves the Gamemaster and puts the fear of God into my players!
DeleteYou can find them here: https://garycon.com/product/roll-with-gary-2/
Thanks Melan, just as I've suspected - they seem a tad bit bulky for being Holmes dices. They look cool though!
DeleteIn case you are still wondering whether you should buy this gem, here is a review by Ben:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLLKJ6Zq0Ts
Hey there! I've been running this for about 6 sessions now with an experienced group. We have been having a blast. Quick question: How do you envision encounter with the three statues of Outer Court? My players went straight for the cistern plug, and as they were messing about I had the Blind Beast and Hunchback just start talking (and heckling). The hunchback is an actual statue but the Blind Beast is I guess waiting around for someone to talk to? Claiming to be the sage of the castle? How do you like to play him? The players lowered their gnome thief into the cistern then yanked him up to escape the zombies. Followed up with a flaming oil. Quite surprised by the methane reaction. Anyways, we had to pause it there for the night so I'd love some ideas for continuing the interaction next session.
ReplyDeleteHey Daren, thanks for your message, and glad to know you are enjoying the module! I had the statues give signs of animation if the players examined them beyond the usual room description. I.e. "Three statues - one of a stately king, one of a hunchback, and one of a grotesque beast - stand on the ledges above you." --> "I check out those statues, they look dodgy." --> "It seems they are watching you... and that monstrosity might have just moved?" Having them talk is also possible. The Blind Beast would just offer them a bargain - it is more of an enigma than a full-fledged NPC.
DeleteThat's the theory. Interestingly, none of my test groups ever messed with the statues, while they took considerable time and care to interact with other parts of the Castle. Blind Beast, blind spot!