A Blight Upon Sombreval

A curse has befallen Great Oak. Once a thriving village, it now withers under an unnatural blight. Lord Edmond, devastated by the loss of his wife, the knight Dame Alanna, retreated into seclusion, murmuring with his sorcerous advisor. Then, he vanished. The remaining servants whispered of eerie occurrences late into the night—until they met a gruesome end.

Now, the village stands on the edge of ruin. The great tree at its heart lies dead and hollow, its rot spreading to the Thornwood Forest. The manor, abandoned, is haunted by spectral horrors. Beasts with red-glowing eyes stalk the roads, bandits grow bold, and a ghoulish figure prowls the chapel's graveyard.

Summoned by the reeve’s desperate plea—and the promise of silver—you and your companions arrive in this forsaken place. Can you unearth the source of the blight before it consumes the domain of Sombreval, or will you at least escape with enough coin to make the horrors worth it?

Details

A Blight Upon Sombreval is a dark fantasy horror adventure in the classic old-school RPG style, blending investigation, open-ended exploration, and atmospheric dread.

• Inspired by Clark Ashton Smith’s Averoigne Cycle, Berserk, the works of Clive Barker and Thomas Ligotti, as well as many classic haunted manor adventures.
• Compatible with Old-School Essentials, Swords & Wizardry, and the classic editions of the world's most popular fantasy game.
• Easily adaptable to modern cousins of the classic game, such as Cairn or Shadowdark with little conversion.
• Encourages lateral thinking, emergent game-play, and evolving mysteries as players uncover grim secrets.
• Multiple factions and non-player characters with competing goals—leverage them, betray them, or die trying.
• Includes guidelines for running it as a standalone one-shot or integrating it into ongoing campaigns.

Referees will find a usable, well-organized module with advice for adapting the adventure, handling player choices, and managing the horror elements.

What's Included?

• The Zine: 48-page (estimated) digest-sized (5.5" x 8") with a wrap around cover.
• The Cursed Village of Great Oak: A decayed settlement filled with desperate characters, conflicting agendas, and sinister happenings.
• A Dark Forest Hex Crawl: The Thornwood expands with primordial malice, concealing twisted ruins, a bandit camp, and other grim sites.
• The Haunted Manor & Beyond: Delve into a spectral-infested estate of Sombreval manor, a forgotten crypt, and a chaotic otherworldly site.
• A Dynamic, Unfolding Mystery: The blight reacts to player choices, uncovering escalating horrors.
• New Ritual System: Rules for exorcisms and binding dark forces through dangerous rites.
• System-Agnostic Usability: Advice for adapting the scenario to other classic fantasy games.
• Atmosphere: Full of evocative artwork capturing the dread and decay of Sombreval.

Current State of the Adventure

The adventure is fully written and has undergone multiple play-tests across different RPG rule systems. We’ve refined it based on feedback, but the core structure is complete.

• Art & Layout: Several pieces are already commissioned, with more to be commissioned through funding. The current layout draft indicates a 48-page digest format.
• Production Ready: We have printing and shipping logistics in place. The timeline accounts for potential delays, ensuring smooth fulfillment.

This is a fully developed adventure—your support helps make it even more polished. Funds will be used to acquire additional art, pay for professional editing, and to invest in the print quality.

Contributors (so far)

• Justin Hamilton: writer, cartographer
• Jantiff Illustration: cover artist
• Yornelys Zambrano: interior artist
• Awangga/Gariskotor: interior artist

Shipping & Distribution

Backer Surveys will be sent out after the campaign closes to collect information such as the address to which to send the PDF and to calculate shipping charges. We have estimated shipping to be roughly around the following prices:

Physical Edition Tier Shipping Costs (estimated):  

• US: $6
• Canada: $17
• Everywhere else: $17+

These prices are only estimates. Calculation will be done once the campaign has closed and you have filled out your Backer Survey.

Timeline

This is my first Kickstarter project, but I bring years of experience in both tabletop and video game design. I have consulted seasoned Kickstarter creators and thoroughly researched best practices.

• Adventure is written & play-tested.
• Printing & shipping logistics secured.
• Timeline built with extra padding for unforeseen delays.

Backers can feel confident knowing the core work is done—your support makes it even better.