Shadow of the Demon Lord - Tombs of the Desolation_tsQ7ma.pdf

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Robert J. Schwalb
Introduction ...............................................2
Chapter 1:
Into the Wastes ........................................3
Peoples of the Desolation .............................................3
New Ancestries ............................................................... 4
Revenant ...........................................................................5
Salamander ......................................................................7
Vampire .............................................................................9
New Paths ....................................................................... 12
Prince of Darkness ....................................................... 12
Blighter............................................................................ 13
Dust Walker ................................................................... 14
Slayer of the Dead ........................................................ 14
Magic ............................................................................... 15
Blood Spells ................................................................... 15
Air Spells ........................................................................ 16
Celestial Spells .............................................................. 16
Curse Spells ................................................................... 16
Earth Spells.................................................................... 16
Necromancy Spells ...................................................... 17
Protection Spells ........................................................... 17
Water Spells ................................................................... 17
Chapter 3:
Secrets of the Desolation............. 24
Adventure Ideas ........................................................... 24
Under Siege (Starting or Novice) .............................24
The Dead Walk (Novice) ............................................24
Rescue Mission (Expert) ............................................25
Tomb Raiders (Expert or Master) ............................25
Shipwrecked (Master) .................................................25
Relics of the Desolation ..............................................26
Blood Mail ......................................................................25
Bone Arrow ....................................................................25
Cauldron of Death .......................................................25
Mantle of the Harrower ..............................................25
Creatures of the Desolation .......................................26
Beastman, Anubin .......................................................26
Cyclops ............................................................................27
Death Lord .....................................................................27
Desiccated Ones ...........................................................28
Dust Devils .....................................................................29
Forsaken..........................................................................29
Giant Scorpion ..............................................................29
Great Horned Beetle................................................... 30
Lamia .............................................................................. 30
Mummy........................................................................... 31
Murk ................................................................................ 31
Revenant .........................................................................32
Salamander ....................................................................32
Sand Mite Swarm ......................................................... 33
Severed ............................................................................ 33
Skeletal Steed ................................................................ 33
Vampire Brood ..............................................................34
Whisper Cactus ............................................................34
Chapter 2
these Endless Wastes ..........................18
Special Terrain ..............................................................19
Notable Locations .........................................................19
Black Waters .................................................................. 19
Burning Vaults ............................................................. 20
Crusader States ............................................................ 20
Drift Stones ....................................................................22
Obsidian Tombs ...........................................................22
The Vanishing City ......................................................22
Whisper Canyon ..........................................................23
Weather in the Desolation .........................................23
Brutal Heat .....................................................................22
Dust Storm .....................................................................22
Mild Heat........................................................................23
Strong Wind...................................................................23
Interesting Features .....................................................23
Chapter 4:
Dread of the Desolation ................35
Into the Wastelands......................................................35
Approaching the Tomb .............................................. 35
The Harrower’s Tomb..................................................35
Key Areas ........................................................................36
Index .................................................................38
Tombs of the Desolation
1
Tales of the desert wastes known as the Desolation
abound among the peoples who live along its
borders. Many still recall the days when the
undead first began their shuffling march south,
their bony claws grasping the living to feed and
to swell their numbers with what was left of their
victims. The tide of death seemed without end—
surely doom had come to the Empire.
Had it not been for the courage of the crusaders,
those doughty folk who took up arms to safeguard
the Empire from the undead host, the Northern
Reach and the lands to the south would have
fallen long ago. Now they guard the Desolation’s
borders against future incursions, vigilant in their
defense of the innocent, watchful for the rotting
horde’s inevitable return.
The first of a series of setting expansions, the
Tombs of the Desolation™
supplement
offers a
closer look at the world of Rûl and its inhabitants.
This book zooms in on one of the continent’s
most dangerous regions, a wasteland littered
with the wreckage of an ancient and wicked
civilization, now infested with the animated
remains of those vile people. Game Masters will
find extensive detail about the region and its
inhabitants, including story ideas, new creatures,
and a challenging adventure. This supplement
also expands player options, adding three new
ancestries to those described in the
Shadow of the
Demon Lord™
rulebook, paths to support those
ancestries, and a selection of new spells.
The Desolation is yours to use as you wish.
It might be a source of the darkness afflicting
the world, a homeland that new characters
hope to forget, or simply a new place to explore.
Everything in this book is optional; feel free to
alter or ignore this material to suit your needs.
Writing and Design:
Robert J. Schwalb
Editing:
Jennifer Clarke Wilkes
Proofreading:
Kara Hamilton
Art Direction:
Robert J. Schwalb
Graphic Design:
Kara Hamilton
Layout:
Kara Hamilton
Cover Illustrator:
Jack Kaiser
Interior Illustrations:
Jack Kaiser,
Britt Martin, and Todd Wilson
Cartography:
Cecil Howe
Tombs of the Desolation
is ©2016 Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
All rights reserved.
Shadow of the Demon Lord, Tombs of the Desolation,
Schwalb Entertainment,
and their associated logos are trademarks of
Schwalb Entertainment, LLC.
S
CHWALB
E
NTERTAINMENT
, LLC
PO Box #12548
Murfreesboro, TN 37129
info@schwalbentertainment.com
www.schwalbentertainment.com.com
2
Tombs of the Desolation
The Desolation is a blasted landscape in which only the
hardiest and most resourceful people stand a chance of
survival. Yet the burning sun, the treacherous terrain, and
the savage dust storms pale in comparison to the threat
posed by the region’s monstrous evil. Legions of the dead
crawl across the dunes and march across the stony plains,
driven by ancient masters sealed inside great black pyramids
scattered across this inhospitable land. Though few dare
the Desolation’s perils, the lure of fabled treasures and of
powerful magic lost since ancient times draws fools and
heroes alike. The ruins of the terrible empire of Gog hold
countless secrets, awaiting those bold enough to pry them
from the skeletal claws of guardians doomed never to die.
The wasteland and its denizens cast a long shadow
across the Northern Reach, affecting the lives of everyone
living on its borders. Although the setting is suited to more
experienced adventurers, it can be the catalyst for a group’s
formation. Characters might answer the call to battle issued
by the Crusader States, devoting themselves to fighting
the hordes spawned in the deep wastes. Others might
have been born to this land, never knowing a life free from
fear. And adventurers flock to the borders, signing on with
expeditions in the hopes of winning vast fortunes.
This chapter presents new options for characters with
ties to the Desolation or who are descended from people
touched by its darkness. New ancestries, paths, and spells
expand the options for creating characters and developing
their stories.
Peoples of the
Desolation
The Desolation is a constant threat menacing the Northern
Reach, where only the foolish or desperate dare to tread.
It affects the people on its borders in different ways. Some
bear the stain of dark magic, while others choose to turn
their heritage into an opportunity for power.
Human:
Humans are the most numerous people living
on the Desolation’s borders, as much responsible for
creating the wastelands as they are for containing it. When
the undead first spilled forth from the sands, humans took
up arms to drive them back and raised mighty strongholds
against the darkness. The call to action drew humans from
all backgrounds, ethnicities, and professions.
Tombs of the Desolation
3
1
Into the Wastes
Descendants of the Men of Gog, corrupted humans who
claimed these lands long ago, still inhabit the region among
the others. Though their blood bears their ancestral taint,
such individuals are no more virtuous or vile than others.
People with the blood of Gog have chalky skin, dark eyes,
and little body hair. Odd birthmarks resembling words in
unknown languages are common.
Dwarf:
Most dwarfs consider the Desolation to be a
human problem. Humans created it, and the marching
dead were all once human. Wise dwarfs, though,
understand that if the walking corpses triumph over
humanity, they will turn their fell attention to others.
They have joined forces with the human defenders
in the Crusader States, lending their expertise at the
forge and their hardy constitutions to the cause. A few
dwarfs, especially those seeking a glorious end, find the
Desolation’s treasures too tempting to pass up.
Orc:
The provincial governor of the Northern Reach
dispatched a force of orcs and humans from Sixton to slow
the invasion. These forces held back the walking dead
long enough for reinforcements to arrive from Caecras
and eventually established the citadel of West Hold. The
stronghold remains friendly to orcs and offers sanctuary to
those who have escaped the chains of slavery in the Empire.
Other Ancestries:
The defenders of the citadels rarely
ask questions about the lives of volunteers—all help is
welcome.
Goblins work as scouts, laborers, spies, and squires in
the citadels and the borderlands. As with anywhere in the
Empire’s provinces, there’s plenty of work for them here.
Clockworks lack the numbers to have a significant
presence on the desert’s edge, but those who make their
way to the Crusader States always find welcome. They need
none of the things that living people do, and those who fall
in battle never rise up as undead to bolster the enemies’
ranks.
Fauns and halflings are rare. Fauns sometimes drift north
to escape the scorn of their home communities. Halflings,
being skilled farmers and artisans, can earn good livings
supplying the crusaders with foodstuffs, beer, weapons,
and armor. Even changelings whose true natures have been
exposed sometimes find a place among the crusaders.
Interesting Things
from the Desolation
d20
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
Interesting Thing
A cartouche bearing strange symbols.
Old, stained linen wrappings.
The answer to the next riddle you hear.
A gambling problem.
A canopic jar filled with sand.
A necklace of human teeth.
A piece of desert glass.
An ornately wrought sacrificial blade.
A really bad sunburn or a mass of scars.
A bronze khopesh (treat as a sword).
A small stone that is always warm to the touch.
An urn filled with ashes.
A mummified tiny animal.
A dead scarab beetle.
An odd symbol carved from bronze.
A chunk of petrified wood.
An obsidian arrowhead that, when placed on
a flat surface, turns to point toward the center
of the Desolation.
A sandbag weighing 18 pounds.
A scroll of papyrus that bears illustrations
of humans engaged in lewd and improbable
activities.
A small cup that fills with fresh water each
day at dawn.
18
19
20
New Interesting
Things
At the Game Master’s discretion, characters starting the
game near the Desolation can roll on the replacement
Interesting Things from the Desolation
table instead
of the tables included in
chapter 1
of
Shadow of the
Demon Lord.
4
Tombs of the Desolation

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