[NOTES] Rewriting the Starlit Spire

Coming Back From Failure

As some may know, I’ve been working on an adventure as part of my Dungeoneering: Catalysts BackerKit campaign called the Starlit Spire.

I began writing this back in the beginning of 2023, when I was finishing up the fulfillment of my crowdfunding campaign of the previous Dungeoneering expansion, Wanderers. During that time, I was putting the finishing touches on the revamped megadungeon I had built for Dungeoneering called The Nine Tombs of Athal-Kar.

An aside: you might recognize that NToAK released twice: once in 2021 and again in 2023. Both versions are completely different from one another, with the latter being what I think is the refined, better product. It includes a gazetteer of the Barren Lands, the official setting of the Dungeoneering system, and a bit of lore about how it ended up becoming so, well, barren.

It was after doing some of the work for NToAK that I realized there was more to the Barren Lands I wanted to offer. Even if the setting itself is pretty nebulous (there isn’t a codified map or anything of the region), I wanted to build on the lore and characters I had created.

Enter: the Starlit Spire.

Originally, I had envisioned this to be a bit of an open-ended, exploration-based adventure where the party more or less stumbles upon the rins of the Spire and meanders their way through it, meeting NPCs, grabbing loot, and interacting with the strange star magics found within.

The general premise was an ancient wizard studied a meteor that actually housed an eldritch alien creature, which escaped the meteor and killed everyone before retreating into the bowels of the Spire facility. Over hundreds of years, various factions had taken the upper ruins, and corruption had spread throughout the location, leading to horrifying monsters and powerful magic.

I had a significant portion of this written and decided to playtest it for two groups, thinking I’d tweak a few minor things here and there.

Instead, the playtests went horribly.

Well, maybe not horribly. But something big obviously needed to change because it was just… boring. The players more or less enjoyed themselves, but I felt like that was because of my GM skills rather than the quality of the writing.

So, it was back to the drawing board. And today, I want to share an overview of the adventure and what its trying to do.

Spoilers Ahead! You’ve Been Warned!

Overview

Due to recent events, the ancient Starlit Spire has awakened from its centuries-long slumber. Once the proud creation of the stone elves, the Spire holds dark secrets within its depths: a cosmic horror, born from an egg that the elves foolishly nurtured, now writhes in the depths of the Spire’s lower chambers, corrupting everything it touches.

Rumors swirl across the lands, and factions—both mortal and otherwise—are drawn to the region. As players arrive in the nearby village of Pinebrook, they find it teetering on the edge of collapse as strange lights and disappearances plague the town. The Whitewood, an ancient forest dominated by the rivalry between the Green Lady and the white wyrm Caelthorn, stands between the village and the Spire.

The ancient conflict between the Green Lady, who wishes to preserve the natural world, and Caelthorn, who seeks destruction, escalates as the Spire’s awakening threatens to plunge everything into chaos. The players must choose where their loyalties lie—if anywhere beyond themselves—while navigating through Pinebrook’s fears, the dangers of the Whitewood, and the dark magic that festers within the Starlit Spire.

Whether the players seek to aid Pinebrook, stop Caelthorn, or plunder the Spire’s secrets, they’ll have to face the growing threats coming from all directions.

Running the Adventure

Two primary forces drive the events of this adventure: the Taint of the Starlit Spire and the Conflict of the Whitewood.

• The Taint of the Starlit Spire represents the cosmic horror’s influence on the land. Its dark presence spreads corruption, infecting creatures, environments, and even the minds of those who wander too close. As the Spire awakens, strange lights appear in the sky, and its influence on the region increases daily.

• The Conflict of the Whitewood revolves around the ongoing war between the Green Lady and Caelthorn, whose bitter rivalry only intensifies with the Spire’s return to prominence. The Whitewood, already a dangerous and twisted place, will begin to warp further under the conflicting influences of these two powerful beings. The players can choose to side with one of them or attempt to stay neutral as the forest war intensifies.

Time Matters: The adventure changes over time, and each day, players will notice escalating changes in Pinebrook and the Whitewood.

By the end, things will be looking very dire indeed.

Final Thoughts and Details

Overall, I expect the zine to be around 30 pages or so with a solid 5 or more sessions of playtime if you take your time. It follows the broad fantasy adventure style game, with exploration and getting into trouble (or cautiously avoiding it) being the main objectives.

I’m really happy I went back and decided to do the rewrite. I’m sure the other version would have been fine, but something about this daring dash into the fire from the frying pan excites me. I hope when you get a chance to read it, you feel the same!

If you missed the crowdfunding campaign, you can still preorder both the Starlit Spire and all other physical Dungeoneering products! I don’t host a physical store so this is one of the only times you can buy physical books from me. Thanks for your support!

Next week, we’re going to talk about the One-Page RPG Jam 2024 and what I’m planning to submit. Hint: it has something to do with a recent article from Skeleton Code Machine (Exuent Press)!

— Nate

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