Hello Dear Readers! Today I have for you a first impression of “The Bastard Princess” a Dice & Demons adventure by NEET Games. Before I get into it, for purposes of full disclosure, I consulted on this book (just a bit). Also, the author and I have collaborated on other projects as well. So take that for what it is.
So, first off, Dice & Demons is an RPG intended to be flexible to fit any setting. From my review, I can say it strives to be rules lite, but it also seems to integrate miniature combat into your games if that is your preference. Indeed, the author, if you are familiar with Neckbeardia, comes from the Warhammer 40K scene, so this influence makes sense. I am not going to dive into Dice & Demons simply because I have not had a chance to play it. With that being said, the quick start rules can be found here.
Okay, the Bastard Princess is an adventure that requires your players to investigate the strange and horrific goings-on in the small village of Atyden. The first sentence of part one is ominous and sets the tone for the adventure: “The town of Atyden has gone silent for two weeks and travelers passing by vanish without a trace.” While a common trope, it sets the adventure’s tone right out of the gate. As the PCs approach the village, they see smoke rising from the town’s location. The source of that smoke is flayed victims smoldering upon a St. Andrew’s cross. Obviously, something is very, very wrong in Atyden.
Now. Your players might be thinking “Giddy up, it’s time to kill some monsters.” They would be wrong. Atyden has living residents with whom the party can interact with. There are cultists, NPCs, and the occasional deranged townsperson who just screams unendlessly. While there are only a few locations in the town fleshed out for the player’s visit, the townsfolk who do speak with the players, will point the players in the direction. The random encounters add some interesting color and depth to the town. Indeed, the townsfolk are possessed and they are dealing with a nightmare unfolding around them. The only ones that do not seem affected by what is happening are two creepy kids…not to mention a demon or two.
Atyden feels otherworldly as if the players have stepped through the gates of hell into someone’s nightmare. While certain encounters will devolve into combat, the main goal for the players is to figure out what the hell happened. Well, cultists happened. A spell. And a ritual that is about to be completed.
There is a second section which is marked as “optional” as it is not necessary to complete the scenario. It involves an NPC, Babushka Katoshka, who could very well become a recurring persona in your campaign. Babushka Katoshka can provide the PCs with more information about the goings on in Atyden, or provide magical support to the players. All of this assistance comes at a price: which may include the PC’s very soul…Babushka Katoshka is not one to be trifled with.
The final part of the scenario takes the players to Helena’s Rest Fort to stop a summoning ritual being performed by our titular villain, the Bastard Princess. Failure to stop it brings a demon into the world. The keep has a nice layout. The major encounters all fit on a single page. The players will encounter cultists and armed guards, a few traps, and some fun items to play around with in the torturer’s room—including a “succubus fleshlight.” I won’t say anymore.
The maps are crisp and clear, with dark colors that fit the tone of the game. There is a copious amount of black and white, with red highlights. The color scheme really supports the tone of the module. The art is AI-generated, but to what extent I cannot say. I know when I’ve used AI art for my online games, I’ve manipulated some of the images with GIMP (adding color, cutting things out, adding vector art, etc.). The art uses this same color scheme. It is atmospheric, dark, and brooding.
There are several tables to help organize the information the players will gather in Atyden, the type of strange encounters in both Atyden and Helena’s Rest, as well as what Babushka Katoshka will provide. The tables use the same black, white, and red color scheme which helps to unify the entire product.
The module is 47 pages with every monster, villain, and NPC stated for play with Dice & Demons. However, the stat blocks are easy to read and easy to convert to your favorite system. I plan on running this as a LotFP one-shot and, perhaps, incorporate it into a campaign down the road. (I have this idea to incorporate a bunch of city/village adventure sites into a larger sandbox campaign that takes place in two nations locked in a cold war. The Village of Atyden would fit perfectly as a backwater somewhere on the map).
The end of the book also includes a section for what will happen if the players have made deals with Babushka Katoshka, and what happens to the town including how the normies wake up from some kind of nightmarish dream. The adventure concludes with some additional plot hooks for subsequent adventures born from the consequences of the player’s action (or inaction). While I don’t think something like this is necessary for inclusion in a module, it is a nice reminder that actions have consequences—and some consequences can shape the campaign.
In the end, The Bastard Princess violently strips away the veil between our waking world and an alternative nightmarish reality. Like a vestige of a horror we just woke up from, this adventure will linger in the minds of your players long after it is concluded. An excellent entry into the horror genre, for sure. This module brings Silent Hill and F.E.A.R. to the tabletop RPG like no other before it. I can’t recommend this enough.
Until next time, Dear Readers!
Lord Matteus' Ancient Tomes and Wondrous Items 