Running a campaign

Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar setting, home to the legendary Fafhrd and Gray Mouser, is the first officially licensed setting for the DCC RPG.

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UniversalHead
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Running a campaign

Post by UniversalHead »

It's a bit quiet around here isn't it? Is there anywhere else DCC Lankhmar is being discussed?

Anyway, we're enjoying a Lankhmar campaign, which we started with the Masks of Lankhmar and then continued through Gang Lords of Lankhmar. The latter went especially well and turned into quite a complex web of deceit and treachery! I'm finding it a little tricky to decide where to go from here though. Has anyone had any experience or can suggest some tips on stringing together the published Lankhmar adventures in a campaign? It would be helpful to hear what other people have done.

Thanks!
Skippy
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Re: Running a campaign

Post by Skippy »

Fine, I'll stop lurking and become a productive member of society, then.

I recently starting running a Lankhmar campaign as well; not gotten very far yet. We started with a funnel, because funnels are one of the most unique parts of DCC and I didn't want the players new to the system to miss out on the experience. We did Creep, Skrag, Creep! with the names changed to be more Nehwonian. Then we went into Gang Lords, but the party wandered down the street into a TPK immediately after the meeting with Korvul. I had them all make Recover the Body checks, and they passed, so they woke up in The Madhouse Meet and are presently midway through escaping. I've decided that Tirrem and Tulmakiz are one and the same, so they can get some revenge.

My rough plan is just to read all the adventures of equivalent character ahead of time and keep a list of hooks leading players to each of them on hand. They ask for rumours a fair amount, and not all rumours have to be about the current adventure. The reason I started with Gang Lords is that it seemed like a good staging ground for diversions into the more heist-based adventures like No Small Crimes and Masks. At some point they'll need money - likely due to the Warrior's gambling debts - and they can have a choice of robbing Lord Suttar or Igrik of the East. Though obviously I'll need to re-work the start of Masks a bit if not using it as a Meet.

Is there anything in any of your PCs' Dooms that would point towards a particular type of adventure? Any of them got massive debts or particular enemies?
UniversalHead
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Re: Running a campaign

Post by UniversalHead »

Thanks for replying. There don't seem to many people around here, sadly.

I'm trying to keep things to the published adventures as I don't really have time to come up with my own, and while I'm happy to wing things to a certain extent, it's good to have a decent framework.

Though perhaps I should look at some of the other DCC modules and use something there with a bit of Lankhmar atmosphere on top - didn't think of that!
Skippy
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Re: Running a campaign

Post by Skippy »

I ran The Jeweller Who Dealt In Stardust and The Falcate Idol in a previous DCC campaign, and they're both heists that would slot right into Lankhmar. More wildernessy-based stuff, I think you need to judge whether it fits with Nehwon. I'm debating whether I can make The Sea Queen Escapes! fit without too much work.
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Vort
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Re: Running a campaign

Post by Vort »

Must've missed this thread. Yep, it's pretty quiet here but steady (not to detract from the forum, but there's also the GG Discord server).

I started running Lankhmar back in Jan with Masks, then No Small Crimes followed by The Fence's Fortuitous Folly. We just wrapped up Fence's and I'm starting into Acting Up next. As for stringing them together, I use carousing between modules and let the players describe what happened to their PCs, noting little things that I can use against them later. It's been working well so far and the players have been building their own off-module narrative too, like taking over the now-vacant property from Folly and turning it into a hideout. I'm also starting to work in elements from Cheating Death, sprinkling odd happenings and random deaths throughout with the intention of building up to the confrontation with Death (the deaths will get progressively closer to the party).

So, I'm basically sticking to the DCCL modules as I'm somewhat barren of original campaign material right now, although I've ordered Blades Against Death from the regular line as that sounds very Lankhmar-ish to me and I'm hoping it will provide additional fodder for when I run Cheating Death.

For picking order of the modules to run I'm mostly looking at level (which can be adjusted) and pacing and what kind of adventure each one is. So I wouldn't follow up No Small Crimes (a house exploration) with Grave Matters (basically a house break-in), for example; instead, I'm sticking Acting Up in between for a very different sort of adventure, and then either Grave Matters or Gang Lords. And I'm saving Unholy Nights for December, of course! But, we're only playing once a month so I have plenty of material to last me the year.
Trevor / Road Crew (Calgary)
---
Shaky, Gambler, N, AC 10, hp 1, S12 A9 S5-2 P9 I9 L9, r+0, f-2, w+0, club +0 (1d4)
Shifty, Smuggler, C, AC 11, hp 1, S9 A15+1 S5-2 P13+1 I8-1 L8-1, r+1, f-2, w+1, init+1, attack rolls -1, sling +0 (1d4)
The Illuminating Anhk, Elven Artisan, L, AC 10, hp 3, S11 A9 S9 P13+1 I10 L15+1, r+0, f+0, w+1, fumbles +1, staff +0 (1d4)
KIA Bailey Bramford, Beadle, L, AC 11, hp 1, S13+1 A13+1 S12 P5-2 I13+1 L11, r+1, f+0, w-2, init +1, staff +1 (1d4+1)
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Pesky
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Re: Running a campaign

Post by Pesky »

As @skippy already suggested, a list of hooks can go a long way. I suggest reading just the intro/backgrounds of all the adventures you’d like to run, build that hook list, then foreshadow foreshadow foreshadow. Hope that helps.
Terry Olson
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