Old School Renaissance – Adventurer Conqueror King System – The Sinister Stone of Sakkara

ACKS, Old School

Publisher: Autarch

Over a millennium ago, when the borderlands were in the dark grip of the Zaharan Empire, the empire’s sorcerer-priests erected a profane temple to house the terrible artifact known as the Stone of Sakkara. Using the Stone, the sorcerer-priests could birth monsters and abominations with frightening ease and magically command the loyalty of chaotic creatures. The Stone brought its evil masters great power throughout the fell empire.

In the centuries since the fall of Zahar, the Stone has lain dormant and forgotten. Now it has awakened, and warbands of beastmen have begun to gather sacrifices to power the Stone’s birthing pools again. Local farms and hamlets have been sacked and pillaged, and entire families have gone missing. The local legate has too few men to even patrol the border; he has none at all to hunt down the source of the evil. Adventurers are needed…

The Sinister Stone of Sakkara: A Review

Introduction

The Sinister Stone of Sakkara is an adventure for characters of level 1-3, set in a borderland region that was once part of the evil Zaharan Empire. The book is written by Alexander Macris and published by Autarch, a publisher specialized in old-school role-playing games.

The adventure is compatible with the Adventurer Conqueror King System™ (ACKS) and other d20-based fantasy role-playing games, such as Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, or Old School Essentials. The adventure can be easily adapted to any campaign setting that has a fallen empire, a frontier region, and a dark artifact.

Plot

The adventure is based on the premise that over a millennium ago, the sorcerer-priests of Zahar erected a profane temple to house the terrible artifact known as the Stone of Sakkara. The Stone was a device that could create monsters and abominations from living sacrifices and magically command their loyalty. The Stone brought great power and terror to the Zaharan Empire, until it was buried by a cataclysm unleashed by the clerics of Law.

Now, the Stone has been rediscovered by a band of lizardmen, who have begun to use it to create their own army of horrors. The lizardmen have also kidnapped several villagers from the nearby town of Türos Tem, intending to use them as sacrifices for the Stone.

The adventurers are hired by the local legate to investigate the disappearances and stop the lizardmen’s plans. They will have to explore the wilderness, find the hidden temple, and face the dangers within. They will also have to deal with other factions that are interested in the Stone, such as a rival party of adventurers, a cult of Zaharans, and a mysterious figure known as the Black Prince.

Will they be able to destroy the Stone and save the villagers? Or will they succumb to its sinister influence and become its new servants?

Features

The Sinister Stone of Sakkara is a well-crafted adventure that offers several features that make it enjoyable and challenging, such as:

  • A detailed starting base and small wilderness sandbox. The adventure provides a lot of information about the town of Türos Tem, which serves as the base for the adventurers. The town has a history, a map, a population, a economy, and several locations and NPCs that can be interacted with. The town also has several hooks and rumors that can lead to other adventures or side quests. The wilderness around the town is also described, with several points of interest, random encounters, and hidden secrets.
  • A two-level dungeon with 66 rooms. The dungeon is the main location of the adventure, where the Stone of Sakkara is located. The dungeon is divided into two levels: the upper level, where the lizardmen have made their lair; and the lower level, where the temple of Zahar and the Stone are found. The dungeon has a variety of rooms, such as chambers, corridors, traps, shrines, vaults, etc. The dungeon also has several types of enemies, such as lizardmen, undead, cultists, monsters, etc.
  • A faction system and a noise system. These are two systems that add more depth and dynamism to the dungeon. The faction system allows for interaction and conflict between different groups of NPCs and enemies in the dungeon. The factions have their own goals and motivations, and can be allied or opposed to each other or to the adventurers. The factions can also react differently depending on how they are approached or what happens in the dungeon. The noise system determines if and when the undead in the dungeon wake up from their slumber based on how loud or quiet the adventurers are. The noise system creates tension and uncertainty for the adventurers, as they never know when they might trigger an alarm or an ambush.
  • A legendary artifact and two new monsters. These are elements that add more flavor and excitement to the adventure. The artifact is the Stone of Sakkara, a device that can create monsters and abominations from living sacrifices and magically command their loyalty. The Stone is the ultimate goal of the adventure, but also the source of great danger and temptation. The Stone has a powerful effect on the minds of those who are near it, making them more aggressive, paranoid, and greedy. The Stone can also be used by the adventurers, but at a terrible cost. The adventure provides rules for the effects of the Stone and how to destroy it. The two new monsters are the abomination and the stone guardian. The abomination is a creature that has been created by the Stone from a living sacrifice. It is a twisted and grotesque hybrid of different animals and humanoids, with a random appearance and abilities. The stone guardian is a statue that has been animated by the Stone to protect it. It is a formidable foe that can use spells and weapons.

What did I like and dislike about The Sinister Stone of Sakkara?

There are many things that I liked about The Sinister Stone of Sakkara, such as:

  • The theme and setting of the adventure. I enjoyed exploring the borderland region that was once part of the Zaharan Empire and discovering its history and secrets. I liked how the adventure had a classic fantasy feel, but with a dark and sinister twist.
  • The sandbox approach and the open-ended design of the adventure. I liked how the adventure gave me a lot of freedom and choices on how to approach it. I liked how the adventure had multiple possible endings and consequences, depending on my actions and decisions.
  • The faction system and the noise system. I liked how these two systems added more depth and dynamism to the adventure. I liked how they created opportunities for interaction and conflict between different groups of NPCs and enemies in the adventure. I liked how they made the adventure feel more alive and reactive to my actions.
  • The artifact and the new monsters. I liked how these elements added more flavor and excitement to the adventure. I liked how they had unique abilities and effects that made them both desirable and dangerous.

There are also some things that I disliked about The Sinister Stone of Sakkara, such as:

  • The difficulty level and the lethality of the adventure. I found the adventure to be quite challenging and deadly, especially for low-level characters. I had to be very careful and smart to survive the adventure, or else I would face a quick and brutal death. Some of the enemies and traps in the adventure were very powerful or unfair, such as the stone guardian or the pit trap.
  • The layout and presentation of the book. I found the book to be somewhat poorly organized and formatted, making it hard to read and use. Some of the information was scattered or missing, such as maps, stats, or descriptions. Some of the text was too small or too dense, making it hard to follow or understand.

My final verdict and recommendation

My final verdict for The Sinister Stone of Sakkara is positive: it is a fun and challenging adventure that offers a lot of exploration, combat, and interaction. The book is well written and illustrated, with a lot of detail and creativity. The book is worth the price and compatible with many role-playing games.

I recommend The Sinister Stone of Sakkara to all fans of old-school role-playing games and those looking for a stimulating challenge. However, I also warn you that this adventure is not for the faint-hearted or inexperienced players, as it can be very difficult and lethal.

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