[Fanzine Focus XXXIX] Silam No. 2: The Trials of Riao

On the tail of Old School Renaissance has come another movement—the rise of the fanzine. Although the fanzine—a nonprofessional and nonofficial publication produced by fans of a particular cultural phenomenon, got its start in Science Fiction fandom, in the gaming hobby it first started with Chess and Diplomacy fanzines before finding fertile ground in the roleplaying hobby in the 1970s. Here these amateurish publications allowed the hobby a public space for two things. First, they were somewhere that the hobby could voice opinions and ideas that lay outside those of a game’s publisher. Second, in the Golden Age of roleplaying when the Dungeon Masters were expected to create their own settings and adventures, they also provided a rough and ready source of support for the game of your choice. Many also served as vehicles for the fanzine editor’s house campaign and thus they showcased how another DM and group played said game. This would often change over time if a fanzine accepted submissions. Initially, fanzines were primarily dedicated to the big three RPGs of the 1970s—Dungeons & Dragons, RuneQuest, and Traveller—but fanzines have appeared dedicated to other RPGs since, some of which helped keep a game popular in the face of no official support.

Since 2008 with the publication of Fight On #1, the Old School Renaissance has had its own fanzines. The advantage of the Old School Renaissance is that the various Retroclones draw from the same source and thus one Dungeons & Dragons-style RPG is compatible with another. This means that the contents of one fanzine will be compatible with the Retroclone that you already run and play even if not specifically written for it. Labyrinth Lord and Lamentations of the Flame Princess Weird Fantasy Roleplay have proved to be popular choices to base fanzines around, as has Swords & Wizardry and the Dungeon Crawl Classics Roleplaying Game from Goodman Games. Some of these fanzines provide fantasy support for the Dungeon Crawl Classics Roleplaying Game, but others explore other genres for use with Dungeon Crawl Classics Roleplaying Game. One such fanzine is Silam.

Silam No. 2: The Trials of Riao was published in 2024 by Wizards With Laser Rifles following a successful Kickstarter campaign as part of ZineQuest #2024. It follows on from Silam No. 1: The Spike of Dosku which introduced a new setting for use with Dungeons Crawl Classics. This is nation of Silam which nearly fell to a civil war between the Lawful and Chaotic use of magic by Clerics and Wizards. This was forestalled by the creation of The Three Powers, consisting of the Lawful Clerics and the Chaotic Wizards with Neutral Wizards and Druids providing a balancing force between the two. Together, they built Spikes, subterranean bunkers where members could study magic, train, live, and protect themselves. Five centuries ago, the young Queen Budhi initiated The Shattering which destroyed The Three Powers and then executed any magic-using member of her court and those that had participated in The Shattering. The strife continued for two decades until a powerful cleric rose to usurp the queen—and almost succeeded. Great walls were erected between the lands of Queen Budhi and those held by the supporters of the cleric. Since then, a cold war between the Crown of Nicsa and the Tribe of Lliram has divided Silam as much as the walls.

At the beginning of Silam No. 1: The Spike of Dosku, that war has suddenly turned hot… In addition, Silam No. 1: The Spike of Dosku included details of three new Races particular to the setting and the Character Funnel, ‘The Spike of Dosku’. The Character Funnel is the signature scenario of the Dungeon Crawl Classics Roleplaying Game, one in which the players take control of four Zero Level Player Characters and attempt to have them survive an adventure or dungeon. Any Player Characters that do, gain sufficient Experience Points for them to be able to pick a Class and become First Level.

Silam No. 2: The Trials of Riao expands the world of Silam, but to be fair, not by very much. This starts with five new deities. They include Magron, the Lawful Mother-Father and Husband-Wife. Their worshippers build and protect, and their Clerics are skilled in building and repair buildings and defences. The Chaotic Lliram is the god of practicality and is worshipped by those seeking inspiration and skill. Metasig is Lawful god of stone and the cycle of life primarily worshipped by the Slate, the tall, long-limbed humanoids with slate-like skin that gives an Armour Class bonus when not wearing armour and with ‘Metasig’s Touch’, grants them a Charge Die in combat. Haus is Neutral, a god of consumption worshipped in very few numbers and then by hedonists. Lastly, the Neutral Farn is the god of sleep whose worshippers prize relaxation, but only after their work is done. All five gods are nicely detailed with information about their clerics including holy symbol, weapon proficiencies,  the effects of their ‘Lay on hands’—such as the Farn’s Clerics also inducing pleasant dreams that heal extra Hit Points, and listing their particular spells. None of them have new spells to learn with all of them coming from the core rules. Each is followed by a ‘Disapproval Table’. Overall, these are nicely detailed, but the main issue with them is context as the broader world of Silam is not yet described.

Silam No. 2: The Trials of Riao does include one new spell. This is Riao’s Magnificent Strike. This turns a single punch by the caster into being capable shattering his target. Effectively, a martial arts strike. This is a solid little spell which perhaps could be the basis of Monk-style Player Character.

Half of the fanzine is the adventure, ‘The Trials of Riao’. This is a First Level adventure, intended to be run after the Player Characters have been through the Character Funnel, ‘The Spike of Dosku’, in Silam No. 1: The Spike of Dosku. Here, the Player Characters descend into the Spike, essentially a seminary where students train and study to serve Metasig. This involves passing several tests against the elements, physical as well as mental, the latter involving the student having to think his way around an obstacle rather than simply fight it or endure it. What is clear as soon as the Player Characters enter is that it is many years since anyone visited the Spike as there are still signs of the battles between the defenders and Queen Budhi’s soldiers. The Player Characters effectively replace the dead students and have to find their past the trials in the Spike without the benefit of years of study! It is a decently done dungeon with a mournful atmosphere and a strong emphasis on puzzles and tests over combat.

The issue with ‘The Trials of Riao’ is one of motivation. It is not readily clear in the adventure why the Player Characters have come to the Spire. The specific reason is that they have come to further study under Master Riao in the Spike, but this is not made clear until the very end and the overall reason is not given at all. It is actually to learn and protect the ways of magic—both arcane and divine—that the Crown of Nicsa wants destroyed.

Physically, Silam No. 2: The Trials of Riao is very well produced. The maps are nicely done and the artwork is excellent.

The setting of Silam with new Races and the politically and culturally different attitudes to magic of all types is potentially interesting, but although Silam No. 1: The Spike of Dosku worked hard to set it up, that potential is not realised as much as it should be with Silam No. 2: The Trials of Riao, primarily because the two do not feel as connected as they should. The scenario in Silam No. 2: The Trials of Riao is meant to be sequel to the Character Funnel in Silam No. 1: The Spike of Dosku, but it does not feel like it. Future issues need more of the world, need more of a threat to motivate the Player Characters, and more context to help the Judge more easily make the connections and build world for her players.