Best Stormbringer introductory scenario?

[AlonsoAguilurk]

I'll be running a Stormbringer one-shot for my group as a change of pace between Call of Cthulhu campaigns. I'm looking for something that captures the spirit of the Young Kingdoms and isn't too dungeon crawly. I've read some of the adventures in the 3e GW core rulebook, and haven't been that enamored by them, but with some work for additional background, I can see them working. 

Does anyone have a favorite one to introduce people to Stormbringer? 

[smiorgan]

As old adventures go "Stealer of Souls" is a pretty simple and brutal story of vengeance in Bakshaan and ties directly with the events in the Elric saga. It is low on supernatural elements (but the few that appear are scary enough) and can be played like a bit like a Western. Think Clint Eastwood's "Unforgiven". Character motivation has to be carefully addressed by the GM. It works best if the characters are amoral thugs who are in for the money, are in love with Freyda Nikorn, have a debt of gratitude with the deceased Nikorn, or their own grudge with their targets. It is short enought to be squeezed into a long session.  It can be expanded into a campaign using its sequel "Black Sword" - but the sequel needs work.

Another great adventure is "Stolen Moments" from Perils of the Young Kingdoms. But it's a bit on the longish/ complex side to be played in one go. I rather expanded it into a mini-campaign (using Old Hrolmar's sourcebook), when I ran it. All the adventures in Perils of the Young Kingdoms are very good.

 

 

 

Edited June 4, 2022 by smiorgan

[Mark Morrison]

Marvelous to see some love for Perils of the Young Kingdoms! I had huge fun working on that, and fond of all of them, but most often think of Geoff Gillan's mad cathedral.

Best,

Mark

[Dr_Zarnak]

I've used the scenario that came with the Elric! Gamemaster Screen ("The Curse of Chardros") more times than any other. I would love to credit the writer who came up with it, but I can't find the credits anywhere in the booklet. My guess is that it was by Richard Watts.

[NickMiddleton]

"Curse of Chardros" from the Elric! GameMasters pack is indeed by the talented Mr Watts; it is a gem of an introductory scenario: succinct but richly imagined and full of potential for expansion or adaption to ones own game and group. In a few pages Richard sketches a vivid scene and situation that is original, but very much resonates with the style and tone of the classic Elric tales.

 

[smiorgan]

On 11/5/2022 at 5:49 AM, Mark Morrison said:

Marvelous to see some love for Perils of the Young Kingdoms! I had huge fun working on that, and fond of all of them, but most often think of Geoff Gillan's mad cathedral.

Best,

Mark

@Mark Morrison Let me say thank you, for all the fun I had with the run of supplements for Stormbringer 4e under your tenure. It was really chaos exultant! 

[Richard Watts]

On 11/6/2022 at 6:42 AM, Dr_Zarnak said:

I've used the scenario that came with the Elric! Gamemaster Screen ("The Curse of Chardros") more times than any other. I would love to credit the writer who came up with it, but I can't find the credits anywhere in the booklet. My guess is that it was by Richard Watts.

It was indeed one of mine - glad you've got plenty of use from it.

[Richard Watts]

On 11/6/2022 at 11:23 AM, NickMiddleton said:

"Curse of Chardros" from the Elric! GameMasters pack is indeed by the talented Mr Watts; it is a gem of an introductory scenario: succinct but richly imagined and full of potential for expansion or adaption to ones own game and group. In a few pages Richard sketches a vivid scene and situation that is original, but very much resonates with the style and tone of the classic Elric tales.

You're too kind, Nick! I half-dreamed of using that scenario as the start of an Elric! campaign but that was one of many things that sat on the backburner until they went cold...

[Richard Watts]

On 11/6/2022 at 11:23 AM, NickMiddleton said:

In a few pages Richard sketches a vivid scene and situation that is original, but very much resonates with the style and tone of the classic Elric tales.

 

I should add that it's not entirely original - one of the central concepts of the adventure was directly by the excellent story 'The Vampire of Croglin Grange,' which I wholeheartedly recommend if you haven't read it before. 

[Atgxtg]

On 6/3/2022 at 1:50 PM, AlonsoAguilurk said:

Does anyone have a favorite one to introduce people to Stormbringer? 

Believe it not the Tower of Yrkath Florin sample scenario (by Ken St. Andre) in the early editions of Stombringer was/is a favorite of mine. While the text as written is a bit bare bones and dungeon crawly (well, tower crawly), if a GM fleshes it out with the stuff that Ken cut from the published version (i.e. the pirates and cave with dragon), and some sort of motivation for the PCs to go there, it becomes a very good introduction. That is assuming the group can deal with the POW 30 Demon Door.

The adventure gives you quite a bit of Young Kingdoms/Melnibone vibe without needing the players to know that much about the setting.

 

[Sathallarin]

It may require a bit of an internet search, but "The Prince in Ruins" was my fave. It was put out on an old geocities group called the Elric or Young Kingdoms Digest. 

Base idea: the characters are traveling along the coast. A storm comes in. They take shelter in a crumbling light house/tower or something. Bounty Hunters show up and have a prisoner. It may be Elric. I used a pasty skinned sorcerer and mistaken identity. The hunters are pretty rough with the guy and he is unconscious. During the night, the sorcerer gets just free enough to call for supernatural aid without anyone noticing. The original set up used Pyaray. I used a wave of fish people, until the sorcerer escaped. I had him return later before dawn and summon a giant tentacle monster for revenge. Sucks to be the characters caught in the middle.

[Chaot]

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, See Hwarmgaarl and Die is pretty effective at showing how crazy the Young Kingdoms can be. It goes from a simple diplomatic mission, to bad news to total chaos really quickly.

I've run it a couple of times and always had fun doing it.

[smiorgan]

On 2/22/2023 at 4:02 PM, Chaot said:

Since it hasn't been mentioned yet, See Hwarmgaarl and Die is pretty effective at showing how crazy the Young Kingdoms can be. It goes from a simple diplomatic mission, to bad news to total chaos really quickly.

I've run it a couple of times and always had fun doing it.

See Hwamgaarl and die! I have to check again that crazy scenario!

[NickMiddleton]

On 11/6/2022 at 12:23 AM, NickMiddleton said:

"Curse of Chardros" from the Elric! GameMasters pack is indeed by the talented Mr Watts; it is a gem of an introductory scenario: succinct but richly imagined and full of potential for expansion or adaption to ones own game and group. In a few pages Richard sketches a vivid scene and situation that is original, but very much resonates with the style and tone of the classic Elric tales.

I can now also reveal that I liked it so much, I revised and expanded it a bit for Magic World, and with Richard and Chaosium's kind permission that version is now available in the files section.

Please note that this version has been entirely removed from the Young Kingdoms and makes no use of any of that IP - this version is set entirely in the Southern Reaches setting from Magic World.

 

Edited November 13, 2023 by NickMiddleton
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