Publisher: Autarch
Over a thousand years ago, the Zaharan Sorcerer-Queen Semiramis reigned over a court notorious for its decadent arts and lavish opulence. The hidebound nobles of Zahar were troubled by the ascendance of the kingdom’s first female monarch. Semiramis was beset by over one hundred suitors, each one demanding that she marry him so that the kingdom might have a king. Many of these suitors were powerful spellcasters who wove enchantments upon her, but to no avail: The Sorceress-Queen wore the Ring of the Queen’s Heart, a legendary magic item gifted to her by the goddess Nasga that made her immune to her suitor’s charms.
As beautiful and cruel as her goddess, Semiramis instead seduced her perfidious suitors into swearing eternal love to her – then had them slain. The Sorceress-Queen mummified and interred all one hundred suitors in her own majestic sepulcher, where they would serve her as loyally in death as they ought to have in life.
Since then, the sepulcher of the sorceress-queen has lain hidden and undisturbed, its undead inhabitants slumbering in torpor until the prophesied time of the Awakening. But now a reckless warband of lizardmen has broken open the ancient tomb and disturbed evils not seen in centuries…
Sepulcher of the Sorceress-Queen Review: A Fun and Challenging Adventure for Old-School RPG Fans
Are you looking for a new adventure to play with your friends? Do you love old-school role-playing games that offer a lot of exploration, combat and interaction? If so, you might want to check out Sepulcher of the Sorceress-Queen, a thrilling adventure for characters of level 7-9, set in an ancient tomb full of traps, monsters and treasures.
Sepulcher of the Sorceress-Queen is written by Michael Stone and published by Autarch, a publisher specialized in old-school role-playing games. The book is available in both PDF and paperback format. You can buy it from the Autarch website or from other online stores.
In this Sepulcher of the Sorceress-Queen review, I will tell you what the adventure is about, what features it has, and what I liked and disliked about it. I will also give you my final verdict and recommendation. Let’s get started!
What is Sepulcher of the Sorceress-Queen about?
Sepulcher of the Sorceress-Queen is inspired by the legend of the witch queen Semiramis, a sovereign of Zahar who seduced and killed a hundred suitors, mummifying them and burying them in her majestic sepulcher. The queen wore the Ring of the Queen’s Heart, a magical object that made her immune to the spells of her suitors. After over a thousand years, the tomb of the witch queen has been discovered and violated by a band of lizardmen, who have awakened the ancient evils that slept there…
The adventure begins with the adventurers being hired by a wealthy merchant to explore the tomb and retrieve the Ring of the Queen’s Heart. However, they soon realize that they are not the only ones interested in the ring. A rival party of adventurers, a cult of Zaharans, and a mysterious figure known as the Black Prince are also after the ring. Moreover, the tomb itself is full of dangers and secrets that will test their skills and courage.
Will they be able to survive the tomb and claim the ring? Or will they fall victim to the sorceress-queen’s curse? The fate of Zahar and perhaps even the world depends on their choices.
What features does Sepulcher of the Sorceress-Queen have?
Sepulcher of the Sorceress-Queen is a well-designed adventure that offers several interesting features, such as:
- A well-stocked dungeon with 66 rooms full of undead, lizardmen, traps and more. The dungeon is divided into three levels: the upper level, where the lizardmen have made their lair; the middle level, where most of the mummified suitors are buried; and the lower level, where the sorceress-queen’s chamber and vault are located.
- A faction of NPCs (thrassian lizardmen) inside the dungeon that can be allies, enemies… or bait. The lizardmen are not mindless foes, but have their own goals and motivations. They can be negotiated with, tricked, or even recruited by the adventurers. However, they are also hungry and desperate, and might turn on them at any moment.
- A noise system that determines if and when the undead wake up from their torpor based on how well the adventurers keep quiet and discreet. The undead are not always active, but lie dormant until disturbed by loud noises or vibrations. The adventure provides a table to roll on every time a noise is made in the dungeon, which can result in different outcomes: nothing happens; some undead wake up nearby; all undead wake up nearby; all undead wake up in the dungeon; or something worse…
- A reaction system that allows the adventurers to distract, talk or even recruit the confused undead that have just been awakened from a millennium of sleep. The undead are not mindless, but have some remnants of their personality and memories. They can be friendly, hostile, curious, or indifferent to the adventurers, depending on how they approach them. The adventure provides a table to roll on every time the adventurers encounter an undead, which can result in different outcomes: attack; flee; parley; follow; or something else…
- A legendary ring of power, the Ring of the Queen’s Heart, that protects the wearer from spells. The ring is the ultimate prize of the adventure, but also the source of the sorceress-queen’s curse. The ring grants the wearer immunity to all spells, but also makes them unable to cast any spells themselves. Moreover, the ring slowly corrupts the wearer’s mind and body, turning them into a loyal servant of the sorceress-queen. The adventure provides rules for the effects of the ring and how to remove it.
- A legendary weapon, the Breaker, a fearsome blade whose gift of death can never be undone. The Breaker is a sword that was forged by the sorceress-queen’s lover, who betrayed her and tried to kill her with it. However, the sword failed to pierce her heart and instead broke into two pieces. The sorceress-queen took one piece and used it to kill her lover, while the other piece was hidden in the tomb. The Breaker is a weapon that can kill anything with one hit, but also has a terrible curse: once it kills something, it can never be killed again by any means. The adventure provides rules for the effects of the weapon and how to destroy it.
- A new spell, animate drowned corpse. This is a spell that allows the caster to animate a corpse that has been drowned in water. The spell creates a drowned zombie, a type of undead that can breathe underwater and has a poisonous bite. The spell is used by some of the enemies in the adventure, such as the cultists and the Black Prince.
- A couple of never-seen-before monsters, the drowned zombie and the skeletal exterminator. These are two new types of undead that are unique to this adventure. The drowned zombie is a corpse that has been animated by the animate drowned corpse spell. It can breathe underwater and has a poisonous bite that can cause paralysis or death. The skeletal exterminator is a skeleton that has been enhanced by mechanical parts and weapons. It can shoot bolts of electricity and fire rockets from its arms.
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