Psion
Adventurer
White Robes, Black Hearts: Enigma of the Arcanexus
The D20 System provided an unusual opportunity for would be game publishers -- the capability to publish products for the most popular RPG game system in the world. As you might imagine, competition is fierce, but a few publishers have pinned their hopes on an unusual publication model: electronic publications.
It certainly stands to be a hard sell. Many people are used to buying a product that they can touch, hold in their hands, and flip through. However, this segment of the market should not be ignored. With all the competition, some creative talents can get stifled. However, they are out there and the electronic publishing make it possible for a lot of fresh talents to make it to the market with minimal entry costs.
Dark Portal Games is one of these companies. Dark Portal announced their entry as a D20/OGL publisher with their free Dead Fire adventure. Their first breadwinners are to be a line of adventures entitled White Robes, Black Hearts. Each adventure will carry a different subtitle. The first of these is White Robes, Black Hearts: Enigma of the Arcanexus. (EoA)
It may seem as if the queue is already full for D20 System adventures. Dark Portal's approach to adventures is slightly different. Small stand-alone adventures seem to be all the rage. EoA is in cast in a slightly different mold. It is a somewhat larger (100+ page) PDF adventure, essentially 5 smaller adventures linked into a long running campaign adventure. In essence, EoA is a full quest.
A First Look
EoA comes packaged as a zip file, with many component PDF files. Two PDF files are provided with the adventure text. One is plain text version of the adventure. The other is a fully formatted version. Oddly, the plain text version is printed in a larger font so it takes up more pages. If their intention were to put out a version you could format yourself, they would have done much better to simply include a text file or RTF file.
The PDF file is attractively formatted, with a total of 104 pages. A nice dungeon motif margin flourish is used, and the cover and interior art is well done. Only the first and last pages (cover) are color. The remaining pages are black-and-white, which should be a good thing for those who hope to print it out. The back of the booklet contains a number of handouts that are attractive and should add to the gaming experience.
The PDF file does not take advantage of the bookmark feature, which would have been a very nice way to leverage the features of the format.
The maps are also all in PDF format. The maps appear to have been created in Campaign Cartographer 2, as many of the symbols used are familiar. Overall the maps appear usable and attractive, but there are some problems. Only one of the maps bothers with a key. Many of the maps have grids without any indication of the scale. Some maps have the opposite problem -- they indicate the size of the grid, but no grid is included.
In addition to these obvious problems with the maps, another way that they would have better leveraged the format would be to include the CC2 format maps.
A Deeper Look
(Warning: This section contains spoilers to events in the adventure)
EoA is set against a specific political backdrop. A society of cleric/sorcerers called the "White Robes" control the central empire of the setting, Mhul. In recent years, the empire has oppressed one of their neighbors, a nation called Calrendia. A group of rebels from Calrendia appeal to the party to find an artifact called the Arcanexus. The rebels believe that if they can obtain the Arcanexus, they can travel to the otherworldly place that holds the source of the White Robes' power and smash it. Though this sounds like a very specific background, the adventure provides you with some pretty good guidelines on how you can adapt this adventure to your own game and not invalidate the adventure.
On a basic level, the adventure is divided into 5 chapters. The first chapter is the introduction and the beginning of the adventure. In this chapter, the characters are recruited and they travel to the city where they will meet some of the NPCs that will be important throughout the adventure. In talking to these NPCs, the players may discover more about the quest ahead of them, but ultimately will find little information until they investigate the resting place of Rowhan Lyrgan, one of the monks who once guarded the Arcanexus.
In addition to the setup, chapter 1 describes the information and actions of some NPCs throughout the adventure.
Chapter 2 chiefly concerns the cemetery to find the remains of one of the last known guardians of the Arcanexus. A number of constables and hostile creatures may have to be dealt with in exploring the cemetery, and they may decide to explore a dangerous (and of course, undead infested) set of catacombs. Ultimately, the players must explore the mausoleum of Rowhan Lyrgan. Among the more unusual encounters, the party may find themselves allied with a ghoul out to exact revenge on the creature that brought about his state.
The mausoleum features some Indiana Jones-style puzzles and traps that the players will have to work through in order to obtain the information that they need to move on with the adventure.
Chapter 3 concerns the monastery that once housed the Arcanexus. The resistance movement knows that the Arcanexus is no longer there, but once the party gets the necessary clues from Rowhan's mausoleum, they have enough information to determine that the monastery is worth looking at. Of course, the monastery is overrun by unfriendlies (in this case, ettercaps and undead). By using an item they found in the mausoleum, they can uncover what the Mhul soldiers could not: a maps to the caves featured in the next part.
Chapter 4 concerns a group of caves where the monks fled from the forces of Mhul. The cave networks are pretty extensive, and feature troglodytes and sandipedes, a new creature introduced in EoA. The possible activities of this section could grow beyond the central premise of finding the Arcanexus, but a codex that they find in the caves will enable them to effectively eliminate any remaining threats in the cavern and move on to a ziggurat described in chapter 5.
Chapter 5 describes the Ziggurat called Ippaeth's Disgrace. The ziggurat was originally to be built as a place where people could speak to the gods. However, the treachery of one powerful mage resulted in his magical hijacking of the ziggurat. He set it up as a hidden lair on another plane. He eventually died and his secrets where discovered by the priests. They used the ziggurat as a hiding place for the Arcanexus.
The ziggurat can only be accessed by means described in the codex. Challenges within the ziggurat include a new creature that the mage had created, a trap, and a chess puzzle, and a demon. The demon is a considerable challenge for characters of the level the party is likely to be, but it is instructed to allow the characters access to one item -- and only one -- and to allow them to leave unmolested.
That would be the end of the adventure, but if the players have not noticed the NPCs following them, the day of reckoning has come. As the party is attacked by NPCs in the employ of Mhul that wish to take the Arcanexus for theselves.
Summary and Conclusions
This looks like it would be a fun adventure to me. The whole adventure has a nice quest-like feel that I think has been absent from many D20 System adventures. If you can run your game out of a computer or have access to cheap printing, this adventure is a steal and should keep your players entertained for several sessions.
There is a rich historical backdrop to the adventure. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. If you are like most DMs, you already have a setting picked out. Fortunately, DPG has provided several alternatives to assist you in fitting the adventure into the game, and several interesting historical bits are small enough in scope that you can use them whole cloth even if you discard DPG's Arekoz setting.
I see few shortcomings in the adventure itself. My primary point of concern is the maps and the files. It seems as if these could have been done to provide more value for the DM. Having an already established bookmark section in the PDF file would have been of great value. The maps need some work and providing the adventure text and the CC2 maps in formats other than the PDF files would have been a nice feature.
The D20 System provided an unusual opportunity for would be game publishers -- the capability to publish products for the most popular RPG game system in the world. As you might imagine, competition is fierce, but a few publishers have pinned their hopes on an unusual publication model: electronic publications.
It certainly stands to be a hard sell. Many people are used to buying a product that they can touch, hold in their hands, and flip through. However, this segment of the market should not be ignored. With all the competition, some creative talents can get stifled. However, they are out there and the electronic publishing make it possible for a lot of fresh talents to make it to the market with minimal entry costs.
Dark Portal Games is one of these companies. Dark Portal announced their entry as a D20/OGL publisher with their free Dead Fire adventure. Their first breadwinners are to be a line of adventures entitled White Robes, Black Hearts. Each adventure will carry a different subtitle. The first of these is White Robes, Black Hearts: Enigma of the Arcanexus. (EoA)
It may seem as if the queue is already full for D20 System adventures. Dark Portal's approach to adventures is slightly different. Small stand-alone adventures seem to be all the rage. EoA is in cast in a slightly different mold. It is a somewhat larger (100+ page) PDF adventure, essentially 5 smaller adventures linked into a long running campaign adventure. In essence, EoA is a full quest.
A First Look
EoA comes packaged as a zip file, with many component PDF files. Two PDF files are provided with the adventure text. One is plain text version of the adventure. The other is a fully formatted version. Oddly, the plain text version is printed in a larger font so it takes up more pages. If their intention were to put out a version you could format yourself, they would have done much better to simply include a text file or RTF file.
The PDF file is attractively formatted, with a total of 104 pages. A nice dungeon motif margin flourish is used, and the cover and interior art is well done. Only the first and last pages (cover) are color. The remaining pages are black-and-white, which should be a good thing for those who hope to print it out. The back of the booklet contains a number of handouts that are attractive and should add to the gaming experience.
The PDF file does not take advantage of the bookmark feature, which would have been a very nice way to leverage the features of the format.
The maps are also all in PDF format. The maps appear to have been created in Campaign Cartographer 2, as many of the symbols used are familiar. Overall the maps appear usable and attractive, but there are some problems. Only one of the maps bothers with a key. Many of the maps have grids without any indication of the scale. Some maps have the opposite problem -- they indicate the size of the grid, but no grid is included.
In addition to these obvious problems with the maps, another way that they would have better leveraged the format would be to include the CC2 format maps.
A Deeper Look
(Warning: This section contains spoilers to events in the adventure)
EoA is set against a specific political backdrop. A society of cleric/sorcerers called the "White Robes" control the central empire of the setting, Mhul. In recent years, the empire has oppressed one of their neighbors, a nation called Calrendia. A group of rebels from Calrendia appeal to the party to find an artifact called the Arcanexus. The rebels believe that if they can obtain the Arcanexus, they can travel to the otherworldly place that holds the source of the White Robes' power and smash it. Though this sounds like a very specific background, the adventure provides you with some pretty good guidelines on how you can adapt this adventure to your own game and not invalidate the adventure.
On a basic level, the adventure is divided into 5 chapters. The first chapter is the introduction and the beginning of the adventure. In this chapter, the characters are recruited and they travel to the city where they will meet some of the NPCs that will be important throughout the adventure. In talking to these NPCs, the players may discover more about the quest ahead of them, but ultimately will find little information until they investigate the resting place of Rowhan Lyrgan, one of the monks who once guarded the Arcanexus.
In addition to the setup, chapter 1 describes the information and actions of some NPCs throughout the adventure.
Chapter 2 chiefly concerns the cemetery to find the remains of one of the last known guardians of the Arcanexus. A number of constables and hostile creatures may have to be dealt with in exploring the cemetery, and they may decide to explore a dangerous (and of course, undead infested) set of catacombs. Ultimately, the players must explore the mausoleum of Rowhan Lyrgan. Among the more unusual encounters, the party may find themselves allied with a ghoul out to exact revenge on the creature that brought about his state.
The mausoleum features some Indiana Jones-style puzzles and traps that the players will have to work through in order to obtain the information that they need to move on with the adventure.
Chapter 3 concerns the monastery that once housed the Arcanexus. The resistance movement knows that the Arcanexus is no longer there, but once the party gets the necessary clues from Rowhan's mausoleum, they have enough information to determine that the monastery is worth looking at. Of course, the monastery is overrun by unfriendlies (in this case, ettercaps and undead). By using an item they found in the mausoleum, they can uncover what the Mhul soldiers could not: a maps to the caves featured in the next part.
Chapter 4 concerns a group of caves where the monks fled from the forces of Mhul. The cave networks are pretty extensive, and feature troglodytes and sandipedes, a new creature introduced in EoA. The possible activities of this section could grow beyond the central premise of finding the Arcanexus, but a codex that they find in the caves will enable them to effectively eliminate any remaining threats in the cavern and move on to a ziggurat described in chapter 5.
Chapter 5 describes the Ziggurat called Ippaeth's Disgrace. The ziggurat was originally to be built as a place where people could speak to the gods. However, the treachery of one powerful mage resulted in his magical hijacking of the ziggurat. He set it up as a hidden lair on another plane. He eventually died and his secrets where discovered by the priests. They used the ziggurat as a hiding place for the Arcanexus.
The ziggurat can only be accessed by means described in the codex. Challenges within the ziggurat include a new creature that the mage had created, a trap, and a chess puzzle, and a demon. The demon is a considerable challenge for characters of the level the party is likely to be, but it is instructed to allow the characters access to one item -- and only one -- and to allow them to leave unmolested.
That would be the end of the adventure, but if the players have not noticed the NPCs following them, the day of reckoning has come. As the party is attacked by NPCs in the employ of Mhul that wish to take the Arcanexus for theselves.
Summary and Conclusions
This looks like it would be a fun adventure to me. The whole adventure has a nice quest-like feel that I think has been absent from many D20 System adventures. If you can run your game out of a computer or have access to cheap printing, this adventure is a steal and should keep your players entertained for several sessions.
There is a rich historical backdrop to the adventure. This can be both a good thing and a bad thing. If you are like most DMs, you already have a setting picked out. Fortunately, DPG has provided several alternatives to assist you in fitting the adventure into the game, and several interesting historical bits are small enough in scope that you can use them whole cloth even if you discard DPG's Arekoz setting.
I see few shortcomings in the adventure itself. My primary point of concern is the maps and the files. It seems as if these could have been done to provide more value for the DM. Having an already established bookmark section in the PDF file would have been of great value. The maps need some work and providing the adventure text and the CC2 maps in formats other than the PDF files would have been a nice feature.
Last edited:
