Urban Horror In A Corrupt City: A Setting & Adventure Path for 5E, Pathfinder, and S&W

Frog God Games has sent along an enormous ten-page preview of The Blight: Richard Pett's Crooked City. For D&D 5E, Pathfinder, and Swords & Wizardry, this book details a decadent and corrupt city. Richard Pett created Dungeon Magazine's The Styes, worked on Paizo's adventure paths, and originally created this city for Pathfinder. A Swords & Wizardry conversion followed, and now a 5E version is coming! This enormous 900-page book contains a poster map, a full guide to the city (with new classes, player options, races, and 13 city districts) plus an entire urban horror adventure path called Levee, "set within the rotten and degenerate urban confines of the city, where the PCs must scratch and claw their way to survival starting at 1st level and continuing through 9 adventures all the way to 10th level and above."

Below is the D&D 5E version of the ten-page preview. When you've finished looking at that, head on over to the Kickstarter and back it! It has 13 days to go and is two-thirds funded. It's $50 for the PDF or $135 for the hardcover, but for that you get 900 pages of setting and adventure path, which is a big, big book - bigger than Monte Cook's Ptolus: City By The Spire, bigger than the War of the Burning Sky compiled adventure path, bigger than Hero System 5th Edition Revised, bigger than Tome of Horrors Complete and Rappan Athuk, bigger than Talislanta 4E, and nearly as big as The Slumbering Tsar (which edges it out at 937 pages).

 

[Luz]

Oh, that's really interesting, Luz. Thanks.

Here's a review I posted on paizo.com back in May for it:


I'll definitely get this adventure, now that you've helped me put 2 and 2 together.

Yeah, one of my players also got separated in Ravenmoor and much paranoia ensued. It was very effective. From Shore To Sea also has a very unsettling vibe throughout, clearly influenced by Shadow Over Innsmouth, which I found translated very well into the adventure.

When I switched from PF to 5e, it was with a great deal of uncertainty. I knew 5e was for me, but I also knew I'd be leaving behind all the 3.5/PF designers that I've come to love over the years. Names like Pett, Vaughn, and Hodge. The fact that they've all come together to work on The Blight (for 5th edition no less) truly has me excited. As a casual gamer, I couldn't ask for more.

 

[mach1.9pants]

I am sure if the 5e crowd all upped their pledge to the physical, we'd be at 100k too. Just over 8k to go now! I tend to pay for the next stretch goal (at least) on my pledge, to help reach that level. We're so close to the magic 100k, just a bit of 5e nudge.... I'm crossing my fingers!

 

[rich pett]

We've crossed the 100K line of joy, the 5e print edition is here, come over chums and see Sister Blight in all her crooked glory.

 

[Desh-Rae-Halra]

Another update, from the author of what The Blight is for those last-minute fence-sitters
https://www.kickstarter.com/project...e-blight-richard-petts-crooked-ci/description


The summary comes from the Pathfinder version of the Blight, as that’s how it was written, but of course other versions will get similar treatments, if not ending up exactly the same because of game mechanics.
What the Blight is – An urban, gritty, dark horror setting and adventure path. It is in essence part Alice, part Frankenstein, and has 13 very distinct districts, any of which could easily be moved into your own campaign setting if you wish.
New Monsters – There are lots of new beasts in the Blight, some of which follow the crooked biology of Between and are a mix of might, emotion and preternature.

Money Feats – In the Blight you can buy temporary feats using your cash. These feats usually open up a particular skill bonus or access to a minor feat at a local level for a particular period of time.

Insectum – Insectum is using the twisted bloated insects of the Blight in a similar way to leeches (or by consuming them) to (usually) beneficial effect. Using insectum generally comes with a minor penalty as well as a boon, which almost always stacks with magical abilities.

New Base Race Options and New races – We’ve already looked at the local races of the Briny, Festering Brethren and Swyne, as well as variants on established classic fantasy races.

Power Rewards – The Blight uses an optional rule to allow the PCs to develop power in addition to their own class and race skills. using power brings rewards, sometimes financial, sometimes in followers, sometimes in darker benefits.

Enemy Penalties – But because this is the Blight, you also have the option to inherit or acquire enemies, both high and low; from individuals to families to whole cults.

Lots of New Equipment – Lots.

Secrets - Secrets in the Blight often come with a powerful (often arcane) effect, sometimes a penalty, but always something memorable.

Gangs and Family Stat Blocks – To make imagining how powerful groups, gangs and families are, a simple system has been developed to allow an overview of these. Make an enemy of the Borxia’s and you know just how deadly a penalty that is going to be.

Clubs and Guilds and Cabals – Rules on joining and advancing within these groups. Again like money feats many of these are financially based player options to allow a PC to develop her own story and enjoy the benefits of membership.

Relationships – There are also optional rules on having and developing relationships, and these too can be a power or enemy award in their own right. These also come with a very long list of unusual Blight options for just who these friends are and what they are called.

Between – Between is a place that lies a skin-thickness away from the Blight and enables you to introduce the concept of dark monsters and locations slipping in and out of the dirty alleyways and decayed buildings of Castorhage.

The GM’s Guide is full of notes on duels, fads, magic, religion, personal goals, campaign styles and running adventures in the Blight, twisted campaigns, law and order, a timeline, calendar and lots and lots and lots more.
We also have some remarkably cool add-ons, including some awesome adventures by Brandon Hodge, Greg Vaughan, Alistair Rigg and yours truly.
And lots and lots of lists – List are useful.
Oh yes, and a 9 part Adventure Path that is awesome…
…I’m sure I’ve missed several somethings too.
So there you have it. If you want a vivid dark gothic fantasy setting that will last you years, an inspiring book to sample parts of from time to time to aid your own writing, a district to place in your own campaign setting, or a campaign I’m committed to continue writing adventures for, for as long as there is demand, a place that will grow and fester with us, then today is your last chance to join us. Please do.

 

[Luz]

Three days ago the chances of this Kickstarter reaching the 5e hardcover seemed very touch-and-go. It has now smashed passed that goal and sits at over $112 k with eleven hours to go, with the $120 k stretch goal of autographed hardcovers within sight - which would just be gravy to an otherwise incredible Kickstarter campaign.

Congratulations to Richard and everyone at Frog God, and thanks for taking the leap of faith on us 5e fans.