Apathy Blogs

Lost City by Logan Bonner

As a patron for Open Design‘s Lost City I am slightly biased. I wasn’t really involved in pitching ideas however; my patronage was really more of a pre-order. A sign of my faith that Open Design would deliver an excellent adventure for 4th Edition Dungeons and Dragons. Logan Bonner does not disappoint.

In a way Lost City brings a taste of classic Dungeons and Dragons to the latest edition. Inspired by such classics as B4: The Lost City and S4: The Lost Caverns of Tsojcanth. Out in the desert, there is a ruined city. Not just any old city, but the wreckage of a once flying city. What treasures await inside? Will the characters befriend the inhabitants still living within, or destroy them? Much of the destiny of the city is left in the character’s hands.

The main inhabitants of city are the Oklu, a race of reptilian humanoids. Servitors to the original builders of the lost city, the Oklu will likely become both allies and obstacles to the characters as they explore. The factions of Oklu are split on how to protect their sacred home. The characters are likely to upset the balance of power. They could unite the Oklu and restore the city to its former glory or just as easily spark a civil war as they plunder it.

My favorite section of the adventure are the hanging gardens. A portion of the city fell upside down. Now plants hang from the floors of the city. Exploring from upside down building to building will be require great athleticism or the aid of magic. Just be careful not to fall when fighting off the insectoid hive that made the area their home.

If you are looking looking for an excellent paragon tier adventure for Dungeons and Dragons, Lost City is a must buy. It could easily be adaptable to Dark Sun or any other setting with a large unexplored desert. Lost City is what adventures are all about.

Apathy Rating: 5/5.

I’m a patron for Red Eye of Azathoth, one of the new Open Design projects. While the adventure was originally pitched for the Pathfinder RPG, the current poll (which ends the 23rd) has the Call of Cthulhu BRP system in a fairly commanding lead. This is looking to be the first true CoC patronage project! The only problem is, we need more patrons.

For those of you who haven’t been involved with a patronage project before, they are a unique way of creating adventures. Patrons interested in a specific project contribute money to help it cover production costs. This includes not just the writing, but professional illustration, editing, and layout. Patrons receive a PDF of the final product, with the option to buy print-on-demand versions at printing cost.

But patronage is more than just pre-ordering a limited edition product. It is also an opportunity to affect a number of decisions about how the adventure is made. You can contribute to brainstorming sessions. You also get to see the development process from start to finish. Even if you don’t contribute very much, it is a great experience to watch an adventure be created. If you’ve never been involved in a project like this, I highly recommend giving it a try.

As you can tell, I’m excited about this project. It looks like it will be a lot of fun, but we need patrons to make it happen!