DCC RPG #68: The People of the Pit

I'll admit it; I'm one of those who didn't give this one enough credit when I first saw it. "Oh goodie, cultists summoning something with tentacles. I get enough of that in our two-year-long Call of Cthulhu campaigns..." 

NO. 

You know you've been thinking it too. "I'm sick of judging combats with tentacles!" 

Please hear me out.

I see very few people in the G+ communities talking about running this one, which leads me to believe that many others are judging books by covers and falling into the trap of viewing only the basic premise. 

Or, to be fair, it could be that it's not a new release. Or that you didn't find the cover art stunning at first glance. Or you might just not be into the "cultist" scene. 

Seriously, shed those reservations now. 

One-shot vs. Campaign?
This has a lot of meat to it. A LOT. It's not going to play nicely as a one-shot unless you condense it to a few key encounters -- which, actually, could provide for some high-quality play. I might try that for our next game day and/or mini-con.

Conversely, if you're running a campaign and you read this module ahead of time, there are tons of hint you could start dropping. Or, if you're like me and hit a wall during the campaign, you could find yourself picking this mod up, gritting your teeth against the "trite" concept, and coming up for air a couple hours later armed with pages of notes and a maniacal grin that worries anyone you live with. 

As I mentioned previously, the most often-encountered foes harken strongly to the Hollow Ones found in the core rulebook, which I ran as part of a huge, multi-session, crescendoing scene in the sandboxed village, Port of the Black Pearl (formerly the small shanty town from which Tower of the Black Pearl kicks off). The party still isn't sure if the faceless men with things spawning from their midsections were creatures that had been summoned, or if they'd been working alongside a coven of witches, so it made perfect sense to play on that bit of mysteriousness: The eyeless acolytes in the Pit are now faceless, albeit wearing robes in a different method of color-coding. [Note to self: Do not allow faceless creatures to become a crutch just because a judge doesn't want NPCs to be able to answer interrogations.]

Summary: Even if you've only skimmed it, it's worth taking a good cover-to-cover look -- or at least check out the 3rd level, and the intricacies of travel within. There are still plenty of other monsters besides cultists, and I could see reworking a good portion of this place to be run by the mineral mining critters instead of humanoids...even with no huge threat in the pit itself.

"Newer" Appendix N Alert

During my workyworkyworky~TING~ phases, I tend to listen to audio books. I paused in the midst of Jack Vance because I'd been wanting to re-read Scott Lynch's The Lies of Locke Lamora (and Red Seas Under Red Skies, the 2nd in his Gentlemen Bastards series) so that I can jump into the [relatively] newly-released 3rd book. I figured it'd be no issue to play this fluffy** one as a review while crunching on numbers...
**compared to Vance

OH MAN. The audio presentation of this is just that: a performance. 

As in, to the point that Bob's tired of listening to me gush about it.

It fantastically blurs that line of audio book and audio play. I find myself replaying chapters for enjoyment, not because I'd missed something. I almost want to replay the entire thing when I finish it, before going on to book #2.

And NOT SO FLUFFY anymore. As I mentioned, I'd read it before; twice, I believe, since I wanted to be refreshed on the storyline prior to reading the Red Skies. But the Appendix N appeal wasn't there back then...and by the Twelve Gods, this is a brilliant story about thieves set within a world previously inhabited by unknown alien entities. The Elderglass, the alchemical light balls, the gentled creatures... I'm in love with this book all over again. The audio presentation brings it to life in a way unlike any audio book I've experienced. If I had the time, I'd curl up with the book and read along!

As I'm listening, I'm also toying with the idea of starting a DCC campaign in this world, but it's a little too ... brutal, I suppose, for the local players. But it could be done...spectacularly in a convention setting, methinks.

Synopsis: Thank you, #DCCRPG, for re-opening my eyes to the possibilities of Appendix N, and things I'd missed before. And, of course, to Mr. Lynch, for material that makes me laugh, gasp, and re-read (and listen) repeatedly. Your dialogue inspires me to push my own creativity.

External Game Review...

...in which I veer - not stray - from the DCC RPG path to gush about the glorious new offering from Repos Production. 7 Wonders: Babel caught my eye while on the shelf at Gateway Games & More in Cincinnati, to where we'd made our second pilgrimage of the year just to meet up with the Mutant Murder Hobos for the night.

Could I have waited & ordered it from Amazon? Hell no. Had to support our favorite FNSLGS (friendly not-so-local game shop)... and, well, truth be known, I'm a bit of a fiend when it comes to 7W. It's eerily similar to my fascination with DCC.

I was initially concerned about the size - I mean, 7 Wonders is already a great game, with or without the existing expansions. But this box contains TWO additional "modules" to add to your play. After reviewing all the pieces and parts, it was a smart move to package them together, rather than issue each separately with a $20+ tag on each.

The packaging needs to be this size primarily for the first expansion, Tower of Babel. Granted, the base board could be thinner/smaller and still impart the same feel, but after repeated use it - and the tower segments - would probably disintegrate quickly. This first expansion allows you to affect costs, penalties, and bonuses for the entire table, throughout the Ages (they do not reset at the end of each Age). All of the visuals fit in perfectly with the preexisting art, but I do wish the main the board had a little more to do with the regular gameplay. I am chomping at the bit to play this with 6 others, as it does lose something in a 2-player game (the "blind" Free city has no impact). Combining the two seems preferable in this case.

The second expansion, Great Projects, places one card in the middle of the table (just a little larger than the normal Wonder boards) and all players have the option to cooperatively help build the project within one Age for a considerable bonus, provided they can produce a building of the corresponding color. There are a lot of strategic opportunities here -- if you discard or bury the card(s) your opponent(s) are looking for, you could stick them with the hefty penalty for not completing the project after starting it. It is possible to participate with each hand, and for each participation token, you gain that many instances of the reward upon completion.

The first thing the insert tells you is that these expansions should be played separately before combining them together or with the other expansions (Cities, Leaders, or the Wonder Pack). They're not blowing smoke. If you try to jump into one (or both) without easing your way in, it could be very frustrating. Do yourself a favor and allow 5-10 minutes before play to go over the rules, and you'll realize the strategic value!

(Incidentally, it's the first actual review I've had been "published" on Amazon.)

Hope this helps nudge anyone who's on the fence about getting this one -- but please, suck up the retail price and support your FLGS!