Friday Fantasy: DCC Day #5 Gods of the Earth

As well as contributing to Free RPG Day every year Goodman Games also has its own ‘Dungeon Crawl Classics Day’, which sadly, is a very North American event. The day is notable not only for the events and the range of adventures being played for Goodman Games’ roleplaying games, but also for the scenarios it releases specifically to be played on the day. For ‘Dungeon Crawl Classics Day 2024’, which takes place today on Saturday, July 20th, 2024, the publisher is releasing not one, not two, but three scenarios, plus a limited edition printing of Dungeon Crawl Classics #104: Return to the Starless Sea. Two of the scenarios, ‘The Grinding Keep’ and ‘Tuscon Death Storm’, appear in the duology, the DCC Day 2024 Adventure Pack. The third is DCC Day #5: Gods of the Earth. Both DCC Day #5: Gods of the Earth and ‘The Grinding Keep’ are written for use with Dungeon Crawl Classics Role Playing Game, whilst ‘Tuscon Death Storm!’ is the first scenario for use with the Xcrawl Classics Role-Playing Game, the ‘Dungeon Crawl Classics’ adaptation and upgrade of the earlier Xcrawl Core Rulebook for use with Dungeons & Dragons 3.5, which turns the concept of dungeoneering into an arena spot and monetises it!

Designed to be played with between six and eight First Level Player Characters, DCC Day #5: Gods of the Earth opens with the Player Characters at the death-feast of the great jarl, Horwend, who recently died and left his queen, Gerutha, a widow. They are outsiders this far north in Isvik, but tradition demands that the new jarl, Horwend’s brother, Feng, include strangers in the celebration of his brother’s life. Horwend’s body lies on the table as his men around drink, feats, arm wrestle, sing, and merry. At midnight, Feng stands up and proclaims that is as is traditional, a body of men should have the honour of standing vigil over the late jarl’s body following his death-feast, and that Gerutha has cast the bones and determined that it should be none other than the Player Characters who undertake this task. They will be well-rewarded, in addition to the honour of standing vigil. Of course, the Player Characters have little choice and find themselves in the late jarl’s tomb on a nearby rocky island with the wind and the rain lashing walls of the barrow outside. As is to be expected this is not going to be quiet night for the Player Characters, let alone Horwend. There are portents and there are pleas, the latter from Horwend’s spirit—prevent his body from being taken and his spirit from being sacrificed to the old chaos Gods of the Earth in their final hatching of the Chaos-Egg.

It is a great set-up which sends the Player Characters into the blood-red stone-lined tunnels and rooms below Horwend’s tomb. This is a complex dedicated to the service of the Gods of the Earth, deities of Chaos awaiting the birth of the great End-Wolf and with it their dominion over all of the lands. Fortunately, the heroes of the Sky Gods put an end to this long ago, but could it be that someone is to bring about the birth of the End-Wolf once again? The complex is infested with Chaos-infused Larvalings, home to monstrous—but fortunately sleeping Formorians, the last stand of the Horwend’s forebears, and the workshop of the true villain of the piece as well as their throne. The complex consists of eleven locations, but all of them are highly detailed, interesting, and challenging. Perhaps overly challenging so for First Level Player Characters, but there are moments of respite and the Player Characters can find small boons here and there which might give them the edge they need. What the Player Characters will find is a lot of treasure. In fact, if the Player Characters survive and get out of the complex, they will quite wealthy. And that in addition to any reward promised by the ghostly Horwend.

DCC Day #5: Gods of the Earth does not necessarily end quite there with the Player Characters defeating the villain and their plans, grabbing the treasure and escaping both the tomb and Isvik. An appendix with six other separate areas connected to the complex under Horwend’s tomb. These are the tombs of his forebears, fallen in various states of disrepair since they were plundered for the Gods of the Earth’s plan. Like the other parts of the complex there is a lot of treasure to be found in these tombs, as well as one or two interesting magical items. These are all optional though.

Physically, DCC Day #5: Gods of the Earth is as well done as you would expect for a release from Goodman Games. The artwork is decent and the cartography well done. The cover is very nicely done, showing the moment when Horwend appears before the Player Characters. The handouts are also decently done.

DCC Day #5: Gods of the Earth has a grim and grimy feel, much of it a nod to the Vikings and Norse mythology. The fact that it is set in the North means that it could be adapted to any Viking-type setting, or even the Lankhmar setting of the Dungeon Crawl Classics Lankhmar Boxed Set. In whatever way it is used, DCC Day #5: Gods of the Earth should provide two or so sessions’ worth of play, especially if the Player Characters search the other tombs. Overall, DCC Day #5: Gods of the Earth is an enjoyably entertaining scenario with a great hook.