Enter Freely and Of Your Own Will (game description)

Inferno
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Inferno
Rider of Rohan
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Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:05 pm
Location: 1977

Enter Freely and Of Your Own Will (game description)

#1 Post by Inferno »

Welcome...

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The Horror at Briarsgate is an AD&D 1e horror/fantasy game with dark mystery, eldritch horror, vile intrigue, wanton mayhem, terrifying monsters and nightmarish locations.

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Valiant young heroes are investigating rumors of strange occurrences in a small village...

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...unaware of the unspeakable terror that awaits them.



The Story So Far (in words)
The Story So Far (in pictures)
Map of Briarsgate
NPC List for Briarsgate
DM:
The Horror at Briarsgate (1e): Lovecraftian Gothic Horror (N1, homebrew)
Lost City of Eternity (1e): Hyborian Age Sword and Sorcery (B4, JG102, homebrew)
Once and Future Earth (1e): Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Dungeon Crawl (X1, B1, ASE1, homebrew)
Sauron Victorious (1e): Dire Saga for the Fate of Middle Earth (homebrew)

Player:
Agax Gryyg: Gamer of Urth, Ravenloft
Azoth Al-Aziz: Lovecraftian Cultist, Tamoachan
Blodget: Foolish Young 9th Level Hobbit, Dark Clouds
Dredd Doomsmith: Dwarven Deathtrap Engineer, Tomb of Horrors
Elijah Crowthorne: Marooned Prophet, Pirates
Jack in the Green: Ancient Child, Giants
P.T. Codswallop: Larcenous Impresario, Dimwater
Sir Ugghra: Bestial Half-Orc Aristocrat, Brotherton
Swilbosh: Savage Lizard-Warrior, Keep
Tantos Vek: Failed Paladin, Under Streets
Ulfang Chainbreaker: Barbarian Liberator of Slaves, Tharizdun

DM bio is here.

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Inferno
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 21429
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:05 pm
Location: 1977

Re: Enter Freely and Of Your Own Will (game description)

#2 Post by Inferno »

It can now be revealed that this game is based on the 1982 TSR module 'Against the Cult of the Reptile God' (N1) by Douglas Niles. Up until now, I've had to keep it a secret because this adventure is a mystery whose title exposes the culprits! The module's cover art reveals even more secrets, so I still can't post it yet.

That aside, I think it's a great, different, challenging adventure, deserving of its place among "The 30 Greatest D&D Adventures of All Time" by Dungeon Magazine.

To fit my dark fantasy setting, I've emphasized its elements of horror.

In the interest of full disclosure, I've drawn plenty of inspiration from other sources as well:

-The stories (and purple prose) of H.P. Lovecraft
-The gothic horror movies of Hammer Films
-John Carpenter's The Thing
-Both film versions of Invasion of the Bodysnatchers
-Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings
-Tim Burton's Sleepy Hollow
-Stanley Kubrick's The Shining
-The art of Dave Carson, John Coulthart, Lee Jeffries and others
-The modules of Gary Gygax, Paul Jaquays, Shane Mangus, James Raggi, Jack Shear and others
-And every DM I've ever had. Thanks.
Last edited by Inferno on Wed Jul 15, 2020 1:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
DM:
The Horror at Briarsgate (1e): Lovecraftian Gothic Horror (N1, homebrew)
Lost City of Eternity (1e): Hyborian Age Sword and Sorcery (B4, JG102, homebrew)
Once and Future Earth (1e): Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Dungeon Crawl (X1, B1, ASE1, homebrew)
Sauron Victorious (1e): Dire Saga for the Fate of Middle Earth (homebrew)

Player:
Agax Gryyg: Gamer of Urth, Ravenloft
Azoth Al-Aziz: Lovecraftian Cultist, Tamoachan
Blodget: Foolish Young 9th Level Hobbit, Dark Clouds
Dredd Doomsmith: Dwarven Deathtrap Engineer, Tomb of Horrors
Elijah Crowthorne: Marooned Prophet, Pirates
Jack in the Green: Ancient Child, Giants
P.T. Codswallop: Larcenous Impresario, Dimwater
Sir Ugghra: Bestial Half-Orc Aristocrat, Brotherton
Swilbosh: Savage Lizard-Warrior, Keep
Tantos Vek: Failed Paladin, Under Streets
Ulfang Chainbreaker: Barbarian Liberator of Slaves, Tharizdun

DM bio is here.

User avatar
Inferno
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 21429
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:05 pm
Location: 1977

Re: Enter Freely and Of Your Own Will (game description)

#3 Post by Inferno »

Here's the (un-redacted) module cover:

Last edited by Inferno on Sun Oct 06, 2019 11:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
DM:
The Horror at Briarsgate (1e): Lovecraftian Gothic Horror (N1, homebrew)
Lost City of Eternity (1e): Hyborian Age Sword and Sorcery (B4, JG102, homebrew)
Once and Future Earth (1e): Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Dungeon Crawl (X1, B1, ASE1, homebrew)
Sauron Victorious (1e): Dire Saga for the Fate of Middle Earth (homebrew)

Player:
Agax Gryyg: Gamer of Urth, Ravenloft
Azoth Al-Aziz: Lovecraftian Cultist, Tamoachan
Blodget: Foolish Young 9th Level Hobbit, Dark Clouds
Dredd Doomsmith: Dwarven Deathtrap Engineer, Tomb of Horrors
Elijah Crowthorne: Marooned Prophet, Pirates
Jack in the Green: Ancient Child, Giants
P.T. Codswallop: Larcenous Impresario, Dimwater
Sir Ugghra: Bestial Half-Orc Aristocrat, Brotherton
Swilbosh: Savage Lizard-Warrior, Keep
Tantos Vek: Failed Paladin, Under Streets
Ulfang Chainbreaker: Barbarian Liberator of Slaves, Tharizdun

DM bio is here.

User avatar
Inferno
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 21429
Joined: Thu Jan 01, 2015 11:05 pm
Location: 1977

Re: Enter Freely and Of Your Own Will (game description)

#4 Post by Inferno »

Book ll: The Horror at Vicar's Head, the second adventure of this horror campaign has drawn plenty of inspiration from many sources, including:

-The stories (and purple prose) of H.P. Lovecraft
-Robert Eggers' The Witch
-The gothic horror movies of Hammer Films
-Death Frost Doom and the module that inspired it: The Lichway by Albie Fiore from White Dwarf magazine in 1978.
-Every DM I've ever had.
DM:
The Horror at Briarsgate (1e): Lovecraftian Gothic Horror (N1, homebrew)
Lost City of Eternity (1e): Hyborian Age Sword and Sorcery (B4, JG102, homebrew)
Once and Future Earth (1e): Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Dungeon Crawl (X1, B1, ASE1, homebrew)
Sauron Victorious (1e): Dire Saga for the Fate of Middle Earth (homebrew)

Player:
Agax Gryyg: Gamer of Urth, Ravenloft
Azoth Al-Aziz: Lovecraftian Cultist, Tamoachan
Blodget: Foolish Young 9th Level Hobbit, Dark Clouds
Dredd Doomsmith: Dwarven Deathtrap Engineer, Tomb of Horrors
Elijah Crowthorne: Marooned Prophet, Pirates
Jack in the Green: Ancient Child, Giants
P.T. Codswallop: Larcenous Impresario, Dimwater
Sir Ugghra: Bestial Half-Orc Aristocrat, Brotherton
Swilbosh: Savage Lizard-Warrior, Keep
Tantos Vek: Failed Paladin, Under Streets
Ulfang Chainbreaker: Barbarian Liberator of Slaves, Tharizdun

DM bio is here.

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