Lore Book: The Edict of Deviltry

The lore book below was created to facilitate a church trial in my Ptolus campaign on the fate of the Ghostly Minstrel of the famous inn named after the spirit…

BE IT PUBLISHED THAT THE SECOND COUNCIL OF DOCTRINE DOTH DECLARE THE

EDICT OF DEVILTRY

The corruption of the arcane knows no bounds. Thus the Council of the High Priests of the Nine issues this CONDEMNATION. The believers must eschew and destroy the worshipers of fiends, hiding amongst us. They must cast down the arcane, removing that which the wizard, warlock, and occultist have profaned by their touch. The faithful must DESTROY the undead in all their forms, and loath the worshippers of the restless dead.

The rest of the document expounds on the theological grounds for the edict, and explains the doctrines of the gods.

The Book of Iron

Lore book for my Ptolus campaign...

This book is made of forged iron plates, joined by rings into a spined book. Its symbols glow with a mysterious white light, similar to the light of the moon. It is the writings of a monk named Sister Ilathira. She writes the tragic story of Mima Goldentongue, and of how her husband, Kedar Goldentongue fought the Disciples of Karcius to attempt to save her. The dark cultists kidnapped her from their inn—the Golden Boar. They sought to sacrifice her to summon their dark lord Karcius from the beyond.

Kedar Goldentongue died defending his inn from the cultists, but was unable to save his wife. However, the ritual failed, and Lord Karcius remains in the Hells. Sister Ilathira speculates that the sacrifice of the husband and wife compelled the gods to prevent the return of dread Karcius. She further notes that the cultists of Karcius are pursuing her, and seek to prevent her from recording this history.

This particular lore book was a crucial clue in an arc involving the party preventing an an over zealous order and inquisitor from exorcising the titular Ghostly Minstrel from the inn of the same name in Monte Cook’s Ptolus setting.

Ptolus: Doctrine of Ghul Review

Spoilers follow for the Doctrine of Ghul...

An adventure for Monte Cook's Ptolus city setting, Doctrine of Ghul, provides some awesome dungeon design for adventurers to explore, but makes a few major missteps with its overall plot and adventure hooks.

The Doctrine of Ghul, like many Ptolus adventures, involves investigating another of the many (oh so many) chaos cults the city is afflicted with. However, it doesn't provide a very strong investigative structure to lead into finding the first dungeon, nor does it provide any clues for a GM to use. You have to come up with those yourself. I would also argue that it lacks strong motivation and direction on what to accomplish with the adventure hooks. 

Instead the party needs to be guided to the point when they can read the eponymous doctrine, which then railroads them into the plot of seeking additional pieces of the text to avoid being pulled into "Ghul's Utterdark." The adventure, and frankly the Ptolus sourcebook are also pretty unclear on what that means too, meaning that should the party fail to complete the adventure on the generous timeline provided, the GM may also need to generate their own consequence. There is also a bit of a snub section providing a rival adventuring party, but it lacks much assistance in how to utilize the rival party in the adventure, and doesn't provide any specific encounters or vignettes to guide those interactions, especially in the dungeons.

The three dungeons are the best part of the adventure. They are amazing in terms of cool ambient effects and generally just being different from normal dungeon fare. They aren't perfect thought. One problem with the Frozen Crypt is that if the players don’t touch anything and aren’t aggressive in their investigations then nothing happens. They can largely walk through the dungeon except for the ambient cold effects. 

While I love the concept of the Breeding Pits of Formless Hunger, and really enjoyed the fact that the characters could generate oozes due to the environment, the dungeon didn't work completely for my playthrough. I think this is because it is based on a couple of assumptions—one that characters will climb down into gross pits, and two that the GM will use fiat to have the Formless Hunger shove characters into random pits throughout the dungeon. My issue too with the tentacle of the Formless Hunger is that it plays a bit of a deus-ex-machina role. Shuffling the characters around or herding them seems to be the intention. There also isn't really any fleshed out discussion of whether you are able to make opportunity attacks against it as it slams through the doors of the dungeon and even down the long passage to the secret shrine almost instantaneously.

Galchutt Cyst is a really cool and well crafted dungeon, just hurt by some unclear layout of information placing essential bits in different portions of the text, making referencing it difficult to do quickly. The musical puzzle is evocative and cool, and my players really seemed to enjoy it, although one disliked the GM fiat in calling for saving throws against the ambient noise generated in the Cyst.

As an overall comment on the plot, it seemed completely out of left field for a wizard from the Inverted Pyramid to be behind everything. Nor did it make much sense for that individual to 1) be interested in promulgating the Doctrine of Ghul, or 2) to appear at the end to fight the party themselves. The adventure also leaves an escape for this appearance though, as it implies the wizard does not appear if they leave his magical dark blot which is a lens for scrying into the Galchutt Cyst's shrine. My characters did nothing to damage this magic effect, although they found it unnerving, so I never had the mage appear. Perhaps he'll make his appearance known later, if I can make the plot make sense. 

Lacking a player who speaks Abyssal or with comprehend languages makes finishing the questline of reading the doctrine difficult. As mentioned above, the consequences of being pulled into “Ghul’s Utterdark” are also not well defined. What does that mean? Is it GM fiat where I make a player character disappear like the Void card from the Deck of Many Things?

A final critique, perhaps localized to my particular game and group of players. My players never engaged with the Chaositech devices causing the effects in each of the shrines, which was a disappointment. I described them in such a way that I think any other group would have investigated further. However, they may need to return to the shrines, as their own actions have not stopped the effects of the doctrine by breaking the chain.

To recap, the dungeons of Doctrine of Ghul are generally amazing, and well worth playing through. The overall plot is a bit take it or leave it. If you can work in either a current or fallen BBEG who experiments with weird magic, then these dungeons would make great drop in pieces for any campaign.

Lore Book: The Ebon Binding

The following lore book was written for the players in my ongoing Ptolus campaign to provide some in-game lore to the players on the cult of the Ebon Hand, one of the chaos cults operating in Ptolus. 

This large tome of battered leather, with metal reinforced corners and spine seems to contain the book of scripture of the “Ebon Prince.” It speaks of an ancient ritual undertaken to “bring the Ebon one into the world that the darkness might blot out the light” and that the “holy tenebrous city might be exalted once more with tithes of blood and skulls.”

The hand of the Ebon Prince is said to have been cut off when the portal to the “realm beyond understanding” was shut by “the Iron Spike.” The only further mention of this person or entity is a reference to them being placed upon a black spike on the walls of the “desolate city thrown down in lasting shame.”

Scrawling in the last few blank pages of the book includes the words “Crimson Coil” and “Tolling Bell.” The rest is indecipherable.

Ptolus Campaign: Shurnas’ Diary

This lore book was written for my Ptolus campaign. It was found in the lair of a cultist who murdered a colleague of his who also worked at the Imperial University as a lecturer.

Shurnas’s Diary

This small notebook contains scribbles and doodles of the symbol of the Ebon Hand and the Tolling Bell. It contains entries by date. Some discuss Shurnas’ visits to the Temple of the Ebon Hand, including a garbled description of a “maze of confusion” where he found the way guided by “faith in the Ebon Hand, until he obtained its blessing.” It is unclear what this references. 

It speaks further of hearing the true word from someone called "Wuntad," and the word sounding like "the call of the Tolling Bell, signaling the passing away of this realm and the rise of the Galchutt."

Other entries complain about work and colleagues, with particular ire for someone named Uvalius. The entire grow darker in their imaginings off various modes of Uvalius' death. The most recent entry simply states "The job is finally finished," with a large stylized bell.

Ptolus Session Two/Three: Secret & Clues

On 22 August I ran the second session of my Ptolus: City by the Spire campaign. Below are some of the secrets I pulled out to use if anything came up during the session. I ended up using only those about the Delver’s Guild, as my players were mainly interest in going after a bounty of ratmen tails in the sewers. A Dysonlogos map of a section of sewers was my main prep for this session.

• A vast dungeon with many different sections stretches under the city in all directions.
• Strange phenomena that delvers call the pits of insanity can be found throughout the dungeons. (Pg 388 for effects on characters and the area around the pool). Roll a d100 to check for pool. Percentage likelihood increases as closer to the Spire.
• The Banewarrens are built in a compartmentalized magical fashion. Only sealed doors connect the sections and these can only be opened by the Banewarrens Key. 
• The Banewarrens key is held in the vaults of House Vladaam, but they do not recognize the artifact’s significance.
• The Banewarrens were built by a champion of light to protect all the most evil objects in the world. This champion fell from the light.
• Others helped the champion build the Banewarrens. The silver dragon Saggarintys was one. The dragon now is imprisoned in the Banewarrens.
• The stairs beneath the statue in Delver’s Square lead down to the Undercity Market. The market has major tunnels leading off into the dungeons and sewers of the city for delvers.
• The Delver’s Guild headquarters is in the Undercity Market. Would-be delvers can find jobs here, and pay membership dues to join the Guild 
• Associate Guildsman: Open, 10 gp per year. Access to Guild information, 10% discount at Ebbert’s Outfitters.
• Guildsman: Open, 20 gp per year, as associate, access to guild library, taproom, and way stations.
• Master Delver: One year membership at Guildman level. 500 gp per year. As guildsman, voting privileges and retrieval insurance.
• Grand Master: Open to Master delvers with three years membership. 5,000 gp per year. As master delver, plus claims staking.
• Spell scrolls and potions can be bought fairly cheaply from a number of vendors on Delver’s Square and in the Undercity Market.

The secrets & clues step of the Lazy Dungeon Master checklist is one of the most flexible and easy tools to use for GM prep that I’ve seen. I highly recommend using it as a prep tool.

Ptolus Session 3 Secrets & Clues

• Melishan’s Hand is a group of rival adventurers that operate under the city. Melishan is a female human mage and her companion Krotus is a male gladiator with red painted leather armor and shield. He wears a ring of the ram. See Doctrine of Ghul, pg 4 for more details.
• The Bull and Bear Armory sells armor and sometimes has magic armor in stock (pg 191, Ptolus). Iltumar Shon is the sixteen year old clerk of the shop who believes all manner of tales told him by the delvers.
• Notices about a missing girl are up all over Midtown. Text states: “Adventurers Wanted: To find our missing daughter. Reward: 200 gold imperials. See Toman Etherin at the sign of Black Swan.”
• Toman Etherin’s daughter disappeared the day before yesterday from near Iron Street.
• A sign of a tolling bell is marked over a sewer grate in an alley off Iron Street.
• The Cult of the Tolling Bell intends to sacrifice the girl in a ritual under the city.
• Members of the temple of the Ebon Hand passed by Iron Street recently.

Ghostly Minstrel NPC Roster

• Tellith Herdsman: woman, red hair. Manages inn portion and front desk.
• Zade Kenevan: Male, bald, skinny barkeeper.
• Sheva Callister: “Retired” delver. 31 years old. Made it big and has now decided to retire. Constant companion is the ghost of a comrade.
• Daersidian Ringsire: Elf battle mage with a wyvern mount. Companion to Brusselt. Wyvern is named Thorntail.
• Brusselt Airmol: Halfling master thief and constant companion of Daersidian.
• Jevicca Nor: Public face of the Inverted Pyramid. Redhaired woman. Holds a seat on city council. Magical left prosthetic arm made of glass.
• Rastor: Male lion man. Trades in magical weapons and can identify the properties of most free of charge.
• Steron Vsool: Powerful Paladin. His heart shines so bright it can be seen through his armor.
• Urlenius: Ogre mage and member of the Brotherhood of Redemption.
• Araki Chipestiro: 
• Mand Scheben: 
• Runewardens: 

The list above might be a helpful reference for other folks. My players decided to go live in the Warrens this session instead, so the patrons chart is probably unnecessary here.

Lore book: Travails of Nithtari

The following lore book was written for the players in my ongoing Ptolus campaign about the story of St. Nithtari, a religious figure for the Church of the Nine in my own setting. This lore book is intended to provide some interesting stakes and information to the life cleric who is a devotee of the saint.

This slim, leather volume is handwritten, with a few sparse illuminated images in the margins of the story of Nithtari. It speaks of the village of Gravnahein in a high valley of the Stonemourn Mountains, outlining the ancestry of its rulers down to Nithtari, “the bane of the fell workings of her forefathers, and mother to rebirth.” 

It notes the parentage of “horned ones,” derived from foul consorting with fiends that led to this family, worshippers of the “Fell King of the Deep and Outer Dark.” Craven and devoted to power, Lord Karcius, uncle of Nithtari, ruled the village with an iron fist from his fortress, Fanghold. It is recounted that Karcius “knew the evil roads and caves to walk the world of devils and swear his soul face to face.” It is implied a great evil, called only “Liar of the Gibbet,” held power over Karcius, making him an evil knight, empowered but damned for eternity.

The legend is unclear on the details, but notes that Nithtari saved her village from the “unholy tide of Karcius’ follies,” and achieved rebirth as an angel under the power of the “Grim Lord of the Nine.”

The book contains an invocation against evil and undeath,  which can be cast as an action, granting advantage on an attack against a fiend or undead. This property may be used once per day when holding the book in one hand.

Ptolus Campaign: Unexpected Turns

My most recent session of my Ptolus campaign took an unexpected turn when the players decided the rates for rooms on Tavern Row in Midtown cost way too much. Where are the cheapest rooms, and where did they go? The Warrens.

The Warrens have a reputation as the roughest and poorest section of Ptolus. The streets are unnamed and the tenements and builds are closely packed. They found an apartment building advertising a vacancy through a scrawled sign directly on the exterior which could have been mistaken for graffiti. They paid a deposit of two months rent and paid the first month upfront for a single room. The room was unfurnished, on the second floor, with warped floorboards, dust and debris scattered about. The window had no glass, just a torn fabric covering fluttering in the breeze. Water damage around the window and mold and mildew throughout completed the scene. Outside in the hallway, individuals with sunken, blackrimmed, and bloodshot eyes quivered with the shakes from the drug shivvel. 

Certainly a far cry from the warm taproom of the Ghostly Minstrel, with its easy access to Delver’s Square and influencial clientel. 

But it’s what the players were interest in roleplaying, and for at least two of them, it made some sense for their backstories (one is a con artist, and the other grew up in the Warrens but left the city for a long time).

But more than that, it was an interesting exercise in completely improvising an environment and events that occurred, like their trip to an eatery down the street that resulted in one trying a drug for the first time and playing Peg the Tom (the knife between the fingers game) in a high stakes bet. Or the confrontation in the morning after hearing a scream in the alley outside their house. The Warrens native knew to keep well enough away once he found out it was connected to one of the major crime families.

I've always wanted to try out a gritty, crime driven game. I didn't expect the opportunity to arise so soon. Looking forward to exploring a type of fantasy different from my normal fare.

The bigger takeaway is that it helps to have fictional ideas in your head for these situations. TV shows or movies that tell different stories help prime you for improvisation. The players don't care if you ripped off another form of media—they usually don’t even notice! Reading, playing other games, and watching interesting stories all give us opportunities to learn from and create our own unique stories. The coolest part about tabletop RPGs is that you never know where your players will take you once you jump the rails.