Francesca Viganò
Before we review this collection of adventures designed for old-school gaming systems, I thank Kabouter Games for sending us a physical copy of Dark Delves.
Each adventure includes notes so that it can be played with the Spears & Spells rulebook (which we have already covered), as well as with D&D5e and other OSR (Old-School Revival) role-playing games such as Basic Fantasy, Labyrinth Lord and Dungeon Crawl Classics.
If after reading you would like to buy the product, know that you can find it directly on the publisher’s store at just under USD 10 (about EUR 10) for the digital version.
Aesthetics Review of Dark Delves
Exactly like the other products of this publisher, Dark Delves is a manual that, also from an aesthetic point of view, recalls the tradition of old-school games. All the fine illustrations (except the cover) are in black and white and, although entrusted to different authors, are coherently integrated into the design.
The format is A4 and, in its total 114 pages, offers a classic clean two-column layout. The chosen font is legible and text, tables and images (including maps) fit in efficiently, giving it a pleasant organic feel.
Maps are also available as a separate file; a useful addition to be able to handouts. Handouts also include a set of tokens that can be used on online platforms.
Analysis of the Manual Concept
In much the same way as the Legendary Locations volume, the Kabouter Games team for this manual has created the village of Little Witham with the NPCs and all the resources needed to set off on the adventure. The stories were created using Johnn Four’s Five Room Dungeon paradigm.
Each module has multiple narrative hooks that introduce a relatively simple problem to solve. There is no intricate underlying plot and no narrative arc that necessarily leads to a campaign.
The adventures can be played individually or, if desired, can be combined for a more extended gaming experience. Each story requires a minimum of preparation on the part of the narrator. In any case, it is always advisable to read the adventures well and to use the material provided to handle any plot as best you can.
A Village…
As we said at the beginning of this review, Dark Delves is a collection of five adventures and the setting of the village of Little Witham.
Every adventure needs a small island of light within the wilderness. Adventurers need a starting point, a safe place to rest and recuperate, a place some characters might call ‘home’. A place with an inn, a forge, a chapel, with places and NPCs ready to help the master. So why not start in Little Witham?
The village is well described, offering the most interesting places, NPCs and all the information that can lead to the start of the adventures proposed later.
What I find most interesting, however, is the desire to make the place a living, breathing point. Characters even have the possibility of establishing their residence within the village. There are the costs of running a building and a random table with possible incidents, to enliven the ‘home’ life of the adventurers.
… and 5 Adventures
The adventures are each designed to be tackled at a different level. For each one, there is a reference to which level they can also be approached with D&D 5e.
- Tomb of Bakuldinius the Awful: the tomb of a long-dead warlord has been discovered in the innermost part of the Forest of Ebonleaf. Rumour has it that fantastic riches and magic are waiting for those who dare enter it. All one has to do is go and get them, nothing simpler.
- Ralph’s Raiders: bandits have set their sights on travellers passing along the Trade Highway. Are they just thugs doing their ‘job’ (after all, travelling through the Badlands involves risk) or is there more to it than that? People say they are now stealing sheep and the little people are starting to go hungry.
- Crypt of the Master: the inhabitants of the village of Little Witham are disappearing and, when they are found, they are dead and reduced to withered husks. Some say it is a plague sent by the gods to strike men down for their transgressions; others that it is the manifestation of an ancient curse. Either way, heroes are needed to solve the problem.
- Hjallig’s Claim: gold prospector Hjallig Brightstone, after finding an emerald deposit in the Thorn, decided to get rich by exploiting it. Unfortunately, he dug too deep. His pickaxe broke into a haunted tomb and the evil entity there transformed Hjallig into his servant.
- Lair of the Shroom Lord: from a deep, damp cave, hordes of animated, sentient mushrooms swarm to attack Little Witham. Someone must put an end to this. What has happened to the powerful druid protecting the village? It is up to the heroes to find out.
Dark Delves Review Conclusions
In conclusion, I can say that Dark Delves is an excellent solution for those looking for ready-made adventures for any old-school fantasy game. The excellent price-performance ratio, the available handouts and the directions for conversion to the world’s best-known game system are also very good reasons to consider buying this product.
The idea then of having a well-described and fully playable place for the start of the storylines makes the product even more valuable in my opinion.
If you are a fan of old-school games (or even just the fantasy genre) and always want new adventures to offer your players, then Dark Delves is a product you can’t pass up.
