First Impressions - The Crypt of the Mellified Mage (Forbidden Lands)

The latest anthology of scenarios for Forbidden Lands.

I was quite impressed with the first anthology of scenarios for Forbidden Lands, The Spire of Quetzel, which made me look forward to this collection when I saw it as an add on to The Bitter Reach Kickstarter. Once again, it has been written by a collection of industry luminaries, so each adventure has a very different feel.

TL;DR: The Crypt of the Mellified Mage is a great scenario anthology for Forbidden Lands but it is probably more challenging to use immediately than its predecessor (The Spire of Quetzel), except as one-shots. The Crypt of the Mellified Mage is the easiest scenario to introduce of the four included here; the others need more preparation or potentially significantly change the flavour of the Raven's Purge campaign. I like the way that Fria Ligan is approaching these, trying something with different flavours to enhance the game. As usual, you could take these and convert them to any decent fantasy system.

Physically, it is a short, 78-page hardcover the same size and style as all the other Forbidden Lands books. The interiors are black and white with some great artwork that catches the feel of the scenarios.

The opening scenario - The Crypt of the Mellified Mage - was written by Fiona Maeve Geist, one of the team behind Mothership, and the scenario definitely catches that kind of ickiness vibe that I associate with settings such as Alien. It is a dungeon scenario, with the characters exploring a buried complex that was formerly occupied by the Sorceror Pagoag, who was exploring the magics of honey, healing and undeath. No-one knows if he succeeded in some of the transformations that he was attempting; if he did, then the end results would be extremely valuable to those with ill-health or seeking extended longevity. There's a secondary threat posed by insectoids, almost an aside. I suspect that the scenario could be really nasty if the players aren't smart in how they approach this. Some of the map illustrations and the room descriptions aren't quite aligned, but nothing enough to be problematic. The feel of this is very different from the usual Forbidden Lands adventures presented in either of the campaigns. The events give some interesting progressions and move the scenario beyond just presenting a static situation.

The second scenario - The Firing Pit of Llao-Yutuy - was written by the author of Yoon-Suin, Dave McGrogan, and feels fresh and unique, with an Asian myth flavour. A smoking fire is seen on the horizon and people go missing, as the Magician Llao-Yutuy arrives and starts to prepare his famous enchanted pottery. The scenario encourages a raid into the Firing Pit, either for the pottery itself or to rescue people who have been kidnapped. It's quite a simple dungeon with some clever challenges from the way that each of the multiple approaches has been set up. The map has a few numbers missing (but where they are is obvious from the description) and is hard to read due to the gutter in the book's centre.

The third scenario is written by Zedeck Siew and is a village setting. In reality, this is a mini-campaign which could support multiple sessions. The Temple of the Six-Limbed Lord has intruded into the Ravenlands by mistake as it moved from Eternal Yimming. The priests of the temple, led by the Sixth Priest, only want peace, by which they mean that only the Monkey King is worshipped. The Seventh Priest has been cast out into the surrounding lands and seeks revenge. The Monkey forces are on the move, systematically scouting, raiding and conquering. This has the potential to change your entire campaign, so this should be used with caution. It could easily be used as a stand-alone campaign in a setting without threats that the Ravenlands bring.

The final scenario may be problematic to some, written as it is by Adam Koebel (Dungeon World). The Dream-Cloud of E'lok Thir is an ambitious scenario where the characters enter into the dying dreams of a powerful mage, dreams which have taken form and present the opportunity to learn secrets and gain treasure. Tarry too long, or do the wrong thing, and you could be lost forever, like the half-forgotten traces of a nightmare the morning after. The scenario will need some thought in advance and would work best with established characters whose backstory can be drawn upon to feed the dreams. There's a definite Moorcockian vibe to this, which I like.

Overall, this is a great scenario anthology but more challenging to use immediately than its predecessor, except as one-shots. The Crypt of the Mellified Mage is the easiest scenario to introduce; the others need more preparation or potentially significantly change the flavour of the Raven's Purge campaign. I like the way that Fria Ligan is approaching these anthologies, trying something with different flavours to add to the game. As usual, you could take these and convert them to any decent fantasy system.

26 December 2020