Old School Renaissance – Adventures Dark and Deep -Swords of Cthulhu

Adventures Dark and Deep, Old School

Publisher: BRW Games

Adventures Dark and Deep – Swords of Cthulhu: a review

Do you love old-school role-playing games, especially those based on the first edition of the most famous fantasy role-playing game in the world? Do you also love the horror stories of H.P. Lovecraft, the master of cosmic horror? If so, you might be interested in Swords of Cthulhu, a supplement for Adventures Dark and Deep that offers new options to explore the Lovecraftian horrors with your characters. The supplement was a finalist for the “Three Castles Award” in 2023 and has received many positive reviews. In this review I will tell you about the content, style and quality of the supplement, and I will give you my personal opinion on this product.

What is Adventures Dark and Deep?

Adventures Dark and Deep is a role-playing game based on the first edition of the most famous fantasy role-playing game in the world. The game is an expansion and revision of the original rules that defined the role-playing hobby for a decade. The game offers new character classes, races, spells, combat system, monsters, magic items and more. The game is compatible with most old-school games and is inspired by the original plans for expanding the game by its creator. If you want to know more about this game, you can visit the official website [here] or read some reviews [here] or [here].

What is Swords of Cthulhu?

Swords of Cthulhu is a supplement for Adventures Dark and Deep that adds a new dimension to the game: the horror of Lovecraft. The supplement allows you to create and play characters that face the cosmic threats of the Ancient Ones and the Outer Gods, entities that menace the existence of humanity. The supplement contains:

  • New playable races, such as Deep One hybrids and Degenerates, creatures corrupted by contact with dark forces.
  • New playable classes, such as cultists and scholars, characters that have a forbidden knowledge of the Ancients and the Outer Gods.
  • New skills, such as mythos knowledge, madness, lucid dreaming and terror resistance.
  • Complete rules for managing madness, with short-term and long-term effects, and for traveling in Dreams, a parallel dimension where you can meet fantastic or monstrous creatures.
  • A description of the Ancients and the Outer Gods, the cosmic entities that threaten humanity, with their characteristics, their cults and their spells.
  • New spells and magic items, some of which are inspired by Lovecraft’s works or other literary or mythological sources.
  • Optional rules to modify the combat system, treasure and alignment to make them more suitable for the Lovecraftian setting.
  • Appendices with summary tables, character creation sheets, tips for the master and bibliographic references.

How is Swords of Cthulhu written and illustrated?

Swords of Cthulhu is written in a tone that recalls the style of the classic manuals of the first edition of the most famous fantasy role-playing game in the world. The language is clear and fluent, with an appropriate use of technical terms and abbreviations. The supplement is well organized and easy to consult, with a detailed index and internal references.

The illustrations are in black and white and have a retro flavor but at the same time evocative. The illustrations are consistent with the content of the supplement and contribute to create the right atmosphere for the game. The graphics are simple but neat, with a hardcover that fits well with the style of the supplement. The supplement is available both in PDF format and in hardcover format at a reasonable price.

What do I think about Swords of Cthulhu?

Swords of Cthulhu is a supplement that impressed me positively for its richness of content and its fidelity to the spirit of the first edition of the most famous fantasy role-playing game in the world. The supplement offers a series of interesting and original options to create unique and adventurous characters, but also vulnerable and scared, in a world where Lovecraftian horrors are a reality. The supplement also contains dozens of new spells and magic items , some of which are inspired by literary or mythological sources. The supplement also presents some alternative systems to manage combat and treasure , which can add variety and challenge to games.

The supplement is written in a clear and fluent way , with a language that recalls that of the classic manuals of the first edition. The illustrations are in black and white and have a retro flavor but at the same time evocative . The graphics are simple but neat , with a hardcover that fits well with the style of the supplement . The supplement is available both in PDF format and in hardcover format at a reasonable price .

Swords of Cthulhu is a supplement that I recommend to all fans of old-school role-playing games , especially those who love the first edition of the most famous fantasy role-playing game in the world . The supplement offers a great amount of useful and stimulating material to create memorable characters and live exciting , but also terrifying and anguishing , adventures . The supplement is also a tribute to the fantasy and creativity of Lovecraft , the father of the cosmic horror genre , to whom the supplement is inspired .

Adventures Dark and Deep Swords of Cthulhu on DrivethruRpg