If you are a creator roving John Wick Presents' 7th Sea 2e then the Explorer's Society is for you. The society is an online marketplace that sells original, crowd-sourced products (as well as a group within the game). As with ENWorld’s DMs Guild (D&D) and Storyteller's Vault (World of Darkness) roundups, I’m exploring a pair of books.
The first review is of Don Bisdorf’s The Ninth Eye, a 17-page adventure for new heroes of 7th Sea 2e. The simplified hook for this adventure is, the Explorer’s Society (the group within 7th Sea, not to be confused with the digital marketplace) has lost an expedition and your heroes are the perfect group to locate it. It’s nothing out of the box, but it’s also easy to jump into.
From the first page of the adventure, the mission, the goals, and the rewards are smartly laid out so you know the three objectives, and the score. The book specifies what the party will need – the Linguist advantage and, possibly, a member of the party who is a Duelist. There is also a benefit if they’re members of the Explorer’s Society. The description of the prior expedition is rote, the Society heard of the Eye of Nioth, an item from an unexplored island, and sent an expedition but they were lost. It’s cliché until contact is reestablished – a small boat found adrift with a single corpse overcome by violence and an unknown disease, clutching an Explorer’s Society map. That small moment elevates this adventure to be something more interesting because there’s clearly an enemy and something worse. From there it’s to the island, undead aboard a pirate ship, searching the island for clues and the Eye of Nioth, an ambush, encountering living pirates that are scouring the island for the Eye, and a final chase with an open ending that lets you build on this adventure as the basis for a campaign.
Unlike many Explorer's Society products, this book contains art. It is sparsely laid in (a small cover image, two interior shots, and two maps across 17 pages), but it is there and that’s to be commended. The maps are useful as player aids that clarify points that might be difficult to visualize. All in all, the writing is succinct as it flows from scene to scene resulting in an adventure that is a fine point to embark on 7th Sea 2e.
The second item discovered in the Explorer's Society marketplace is Morlduin: First of the Drachen, Bane of the Graal from Phil Forbes of Black Sky Industries. Morlduin is a 9-page bestiary defining Morlduin, whose titles include the aforementioned as well as “Devourer of Souls”. He’s a campaign-level enemy of, not just your heroes, but the entirety of 7th Sea. Meant to open the door to the return of the extinct drachen to the world, this is a product meant as background at the beginning of your campaign, and then grown into the main plot.
Primarily, the book is a description of Morlduin. It offers multi-tiered thoughts around this event, and that’s what Morlduin truly is, an event. This drachen is not just an encounter; it’s a creature that is altering the pattern of the world just by being in it. Beyond the bestiary bits, there are country-by-country reactions and interactions with, and because of, Morlduin. The book offers adventures based around Morlduin’s cultists and other groups so the drachen can be a part of the campaign but not have to be the main encounter in every combat. Instead, there will be a build up to the final fight as well as changes to the world of 7th Sea.
Beyond a cover that is the signature motif of Black Sky Industries’ products, art is fundamentally lacking. Considering how epic Morlduin is, a single shot of the drachen to give it dimension would be an excellent addition. But, that is a quibble as the writing clearly conveys the epic scale of the drachen’s impact on the world while also distilling its presence into something for the characters to bounce off of.
If you’re looking for a 7th Sea campaign opener and a major threat to seed throughout the campaign, these two products – The Ninth Eye and Morlduin: First of the Drachen, Bane of the Graal – would mesh well together. They could be the basis for a run of excellent nights at the gaming table.
This article was contributed by Egg Embry as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! Please note that Egg is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. If you have a pitch, please contact us!
The first review is of Don Bisdorf’s The Ninth Eye, a 17-page adventure for new heroes of 7th Sea 2e. The simplified hook for this adventure is, the Explorer’s Society (the group within 7th Sea, not to be confused with the digital marketplace) has lost an expedition and your heroes are the perfect group to locate it. It’s nothing out of the box, but it’s also easy to jump into.
From the first page of the adventure, the mission, the goals, and the rewards are smartly laid out so you know the three objectives, and the score. The book specifies what the party will need – the Linguist advantage and, possibly, a member of the party who is a Duelist. There is also a benefit if they’re members of the Explorer’s Society. The description of the prior expedition is rote, the Society heard of the Eye of Nioth, an item from an unexplored island, and sent an expedition but they were lost. It’s cliché until contact is reestablished – a small boat found adrift with a single corpse overcome by violence and an unknown disease, clutching an Explorer’s Society map. That small moment elevates this adventure to be something more interesting because there’s clearly an enemy and something worse. From there it’s to the island, undead aboard a pirate ship, searching the island for clues and the Eye of Nioth, an ambush, encountering living pirates that are scouring the island for the Eye, and a final chase with an open ending that lets you build on this adventure as the basis for a campaign.
Unlike many Explorer's Society products, this book contains art. It is sparsely laid in (a small cover image, two interior shots, and two maps across 17 pages), but it is there and that’s to be commended. The maps are useful as player aids that clarify points that might be difficult to visualize. All in all, the writing is succinct as it flows from scene to scene resulting in an adventure that is a fine point to embark on 7th Sea 2e.
The second item discovered in the Explorer's Society marketplace is Morlduin: First of the Drachen, Bane of the Graal from Phil Forbes of Black Sky Industries. Morlduin is a 9-page bestiary defining Morlduin, whose titles include the aforementioned as well as “Devourer of Souls”. He’s a campaign-level enemy of, not just your heroes, but the entirety of 7th Sea. Meant to open the door to the return of the extinct drachen to the world, this is a product meant as background at the beginning of your campaign, and then grown into the main plot.
Primarily, the book is a description of Morlduin. It offers multi-tiered thoughts around this event, and that’s what Morlduin truly is, an event. This drachen is not just an encounter; it’s a creature that is altering the pattern of the world just by being in it. Beyond the bestiary bits, there are country-by-country reactions and interactions with, and because of, Morlduin. The book offers adventures based around Morlduin’s cultists and other groups so the drachen can be a part of the campaign but not have to be the main encounter in every combat. Instead, there will be a build up to the final fight as well as changes to the world of 7th Sea.
Beyond a cover that is the signature motif of Black Sky Industries’ products, art is fundamentally lacking. Considering how epic Morlduin is, a single shot of the drachen to give it dimension would be an excellent addition. But, that is a quibble as the writing clearly conveys the epic scale of the drachen’s impact on the world while also distilling its presence into something for the characters to bounce off of.
If you’re looking for a 7th Sea campaign opener and a major threat to seed throughout the campaign, these two products – The Ninth Eye and Morlduin: First of the Drachen, Bane of the Graal – would mesh well together. They could be the basis for a run of excellent nights at the gaming table.
This article was contributed by Egg Embry as part of EN World's Columnist (ENWC) program. We are always on the lookout for freelance columnists! Please note that Egg is a participant in the OneBookShelf Affiliate Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to DriveThruRPG. If you have a pitch, please contact us!
