My Ravenloft tribute in DCC #48

[Ken of Ghastria]

A message from the Self-Promotion Department: I'm a published RPG author! My first module appears in Goodman Games' cool new collection, Dungeon Crawl Classics #48: The Adventure Continues.

My adventure, "Madness at the Mutilated Oak," leads off the book and, as a longtime RL fan, I had to pay tribute to the Demiplane of Dread. There are a couple of references to the "mist-shrouded demiplane" and "dark dimension" that was the home for a group of evil fey. I couldn't come right out and say, "It's a gate to the Shadow Rift!" but I'd be honored if any of the players here ran it in their home RL campaigns.

Please check it out and let me know what you think. I'd be interested in the feedback! It's available in hardcover and as a PDF from the usual suspects (DriveThruRPG, RPGnow, Paizo, etc.). More about the collection on my blog as well. Thanks!

--Ken

[Sylaire]

Hey, congratulations on that! Publication = definitely cool.

[Le Noir Faineant]

Congratulations! I'll get that one, if possible!

How come that you write for the best D&D company out there?!
- I am envious!!!

[Ken of Ghastria]

Just lucky, I guess. I went to the Gen Con convention back in 2003 and dropped off my resume with a few RPG companies, saying that I was looking for proofreading/editing work. Goodman was the only one who e-mailed me a few weeks later. He had me proofread some of the first DCCs as a "test" and that led to bigger, editing jobs for Goodman Games' Dragonmech and Etherscope lines, as well as the DCCs. I just happened to get involved with the right company at the right time!

--Ken

[Le Noir Faineant]

Now I am even more envious...

Seriously, happy you got that chance, man!

Are we to expect more of your writing some time soon?

[Ken of Ghastria]

Thanks! I'd like to write another adventure (possibly a sequel to the one in DCC #48?), but the shift to 4th edition has slowed up things ... and then there's this whole new parent thing on my end. My free time has gotten a lot shorter! (In fact, I may not be able to jump into your chat game tomorrow; I may have to wait for a return to the PBM.)

--Ken

[Le Noir Faineant]

Well, you missed another epic battle!!!

Now, sicne we're talking about online gaming: Would you be interested to DM your adventure in some moment as a chat or as a skype game?

4e is THE industry killer at the moment, indeed... Now, I wish you the best of luck! - Maybe Paizo with its Game Mastery line would be interesting for you as well.

[Jeff LaSala]

Oooh, let me add to what Ken said.

I've got a mini-module in the same book (entitled "The Nightmare Closet"), which is no less a tribute to my longstanding love of Ravenloft. The premise involves going venturing into the closet of a boy's room, to find the source of his nightmares. Given that you travel into the realm of dreams, the Nightmare Lands was never far from my mind.

On the product page, these are the descriptions:

"Madness at the Mutilated Oak" by Ken Hart. "An unearthly shriek has been heard coming from the huge oak to the east. An evil elven druid is torturing the tree and its protective dryad in her desire to possess the 'fey treasure' that she believes lies within the oak. Can the heroes save the dryad and her tree?"

"The Nightmare Closet" by Jeff LaSala. "The PCs are hired by a wealthy noble and former military officer named Lord Eriq Darvyn to investigate a secret door that one of his servants discovered in his own manor. Lord Eriq, his family, and all his servants have been plagued by nightmares for the last couple of weeks and his son Frederic has recently fallen into a comatose state. Lord Eriq is certain the passage beyond the secret door leads to the source of his family’s affliction, but all who approach it are subject to ineffable dread. The PCs must descend into a nightmarish, spiraling dungeon and confront the source of emerging evil."

[Ken of Ghastria]

Hey, Jeff! I didn't know you posted here. Happy New Year!

And to everyone else: Yes, our project rocks, and we bow at the dark altar of Ravenloft. Go buy our book. Please.

--Ken

[Jeff LaSala]

Hey, Jeff! I didn't know you posted here. Happy New Year!

And to you, Ken!

I've mostly lurked; but yep, here I am.