Here's the first preview of Into the Darkness, a scenario for Treasure Hunter Adventures that I plan to release on Saturday the 31st. It presents two maps which are important parts of that adventure.
-Nate
The first is a map of the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico, believed to have belonged to the American adventurer Roy Williams shortly after World War I.
The second is one of the location from the scenario, a cenote.
It occurs to me that readers could benefit from having a list of the scenarios that I've written for this campaign setting, in the order in which I recommend running them.
-Nate
Year 1
1. The Death Mask of Hatshepsut
This scenario involves the search for a relic believed to have been lost with the sinking of the Titanic.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/318047/The-Death-Mask-of-Hatshepsut
2. Damnatio Memoriae
This scenario has the heroes investigating a cryptic clue hidden in the death mask of Hatshepsut, which draws them into a Mediterranean mystery.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/327243/Damnatio-Memoriae
3. The Mad King's Secret
This scenario sends the heroes to Neuschwanstein Castle in search of a long-lost secret.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/334151/The-Mad-Kings-Secret
4. Unfinished Business
This scenario takes the heroes to an auction in England, where the collection of an old Egyptologist finally comes to light.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/339705/Unfinished-Business
Year 2
5. The Ghost Town
This scenario provides an epilogue to the first four as well as a prologue to future ones. It delves deeper into the fate of the “American adventurer.”
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/343587/The-Ghost-Town
6. North and South, East and West
This scenario tasks the heroes with locating and recovering a cache of illegally-obtained Native American artifacts.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/347679/North-and-South-East-and-West
7. Out of the Darkness
This scenario finds the heroes following a curious map in search of a missing person; it leads to a previously undiscovered danger in the middle of a seeming quiet American community.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/359222/Out-of-the-Darkness
8. Into the Shadows
This scenario takes the heroes into the depths of the Yucatan jungle, where an unpleasant surprise awaits them.
https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/366183/Into-the-Shadows
9. Skulduggery
O.S.S. Agent Joseph Clark, following a communication between Anastasia Valentinov and Rutger von Blum, recruits the heroes to set a trap for a traitor to his organization.
Since I've been discussing how to use Treasure Hunter Adventures material for adventures and campaigns set in the world of Indiana Jones, I thought it would also be interesting to look at the history of the actual Indiana Jones RPGs--one from TSR, and the other from West End Games.
I do have to wonder how a cohesive game based on the D6 System would have been received. That set of rules worked well for the Star Wars RPG, and seems to me like it would have handled pulpy adventures well, too.
Finally, here's a story that begins with the of TSR's version of the game. I'll let the website for the Diana Jones Award tell that story.
https://www.dianajonesaward.org/about-the-diana-jones-award/
-Nate
Just as the scenarios for Treasure Hunter Adventures can be modified for use in the time period for Raiders of the Lost Ark, elements from the supplements can be used to create adventures and campaigns. Here are a few of the possibilities.
Treasure Hunter Adventures
As mentioned previously, the character Archetypes provide ready stats for heroes as well as the NPCs whom they encounter.
When it comes to the Level of Magic for an adventure or a campaign, as noted, Low Magic seems to be a good fit. Relics are rare but can be quite powerful—which leads to individuals and organizations wanting to gain control of them.
Jennifer Flannery could be an employer, a rival, or even a romantic interest for the heroes.
The search for the Silver Madonna would be a good introduction to a bigger adventure, just as Indy's pursuit of the golden idol opens up Raiders of the Lost Ark. Perhaps the GM could use this to introduce an enemy, like Belloq, who steals that prize.
THA2: Prizes, Puzzles and Perils
All of the relics detailed in this supplement could, of course, serve as the prize for an adventure. Indeed, the Clavicula Salmonis is a good fit for a relic that the Nazis are seeking in order to tip the balance of World War II in their favor.
The various puzzles, traps and locations could also be added to adventures.
Finally, the organizations can play many different roles in a campaign. The Office of Special Services could try to recruit the heroes, while the Vatican Secret Archives might be a rival. The Rosicrucian Order could also be rivals, albeit with less altruistic motivations; the Thule Society would provide a veneer of cover for Nazi sympathizers.
THA3: Underwater Salvage
At first glance, some of the technology introduced in this supplement might seem too advanced for the time period in Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was just after World War II, however, that Jacques Cousteau began renting the Calypso to use for underwater salvage.
Here again, the locations of lost ships and sunken cities, along with deck plans for vessels, and new hazards, hindrance and edges, provide fodder for adventures.
THA4: Mercenaries & Magic
The Condottieri Mercenary Company provides an excellent group of rivals for villains in its own right, but the character stats and compound map could also be pressed into service as a Nazi expedition and their base of operations.
Ephraim Grey, along with his sons Ezekiel and Ezra, could serve well in the role of scholarly advisors for heroes who need some help with research or translation—much as the Imam does for Indy, reading the inscription on the medallion in Raiders.
More puzzles and prizes are useful here, too.
THA5: Saints & Sinners
While all of the prizes detailed in this supplement are potentially useful, the Golem in particular seems to match with the sense of religious mystery present in the Indiana Jones movies.
Any one of the holy places detailed in the atlas could serve as the backdrop for a cinematically styled adventure.
The various criminals who make up the Syndicate can be excellent rivals for the heroes, especially if pitted against them and other villains.
Although the scenarios for Treasure Hunter Adventures are assumed to take place in the modern day, they can easily be adapted for use in the more pulpy time period of the 1930s and 40s. Presented here are a few tips for doing so.
The Death Mask of Hatshepsut: In this case, the disappearance of “the American adventurer” and the sinking of the Titanic, which both happened in 1912, become much more recent events. What is more, the aspiring poet Earnest Newman could even be alive, living in the apartment depicted in the scenario.
Damnatio Memoriae: Since the sinking of the Agia Helena only would have happened some twenty or thirty years prior, it's likely that Captain Ioannes and other members of the crew still have survivors who'd like to learn about their fate. What is more, the mystery of just why the ship sank could become much more prominent.
The Mad King's Secret: Here again, King Ludwig II would have died only five or six decades previously, along with his investigator, Udo Friesinger. For that reason, they might be able to find old associates of theirs two who can shed light on the two men's activities. What is more, if this adventure takes place during the build-up to World War II, then the rising influence of the Nazi Party affects the background atmosphere of this adventure.
Unfinished Business: For this scenario, it's possible that Sir Douglass Murray could still be alive. He, of course, could provide a lot more information about what Roy Williams was doing in Cairo when he sold the death mask of Hatshepsut—and why he was killed.
The Ghost Town: George H. Wolf—the intended recipient of the death mask—can also still be alive, and the heroes can meet him when they visit Wilder. He, then, can recruit them for a little business involving a cache of relics stolen from Native people (see below).
North and South, East and West: As mentioned above, George H. Wolf is likely still alive at this time. Additionally, there are probably men and women living on various reservations who remember some of the great Native leaders, such as Red Cloud and Crazy Horse.
Out of the Darkness: Given the rise of the Nazis in Germany, the white supremacists in this scenario could be sympathetic—making this confrontation even more dramatic. The keypad lock for the secret room in the quonset hut needs to be changed, perhaps to a combination lock with letters instead of numbers.
The previous post suggested which Archetypes from Treasure Hunter Adventures would fit the heroes from Raiders of the Lost Ark. GMs and players can also combine archetypes to create more advanced characters, especially for parties small parties who still want to cover the whole variety of skills and abilities that might be required when hunting for a treasure. Detailed below are two examples of this.
-Nate
Indy
Archetypes: Retrieval Specialist and Scholar
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6
Skills: Academics d8, Athletics d6, Common Knowledge d4, Driving d4, Fighting d6, Language d8, Notice d6, Occult d6, Persuasion d4, Research d8, Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Thievery d8
Pace: 8, Parry: 5, Toughness: 5
Edges: Alertness, Calculating, Fleet-Footed, Scholar
Hindrances: Phobia (Major)
Archetypes: Holy Person and Guide
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
Skills: Academics d6, Athletics d4, Boating d4, Common Knowledge d6, Driving d4, Faith d8, Fighting d6, Healing d6, Language d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, Riding d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Survival d6
Pace: 6, Parry: 5, Toughness: 5
Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles), Connections, Quick, Woodsman
Hindrances: Code of Honor
Special Abilities
Power Points: 10; Powers: Boost/lower Trait, deflection, protection
Here are ways in which the Archetypes from Treasure Hunter Adventures can be used to create the heroes from Raiders of the Lost Ark. This assumes that they use all of the established stats, but with changes to hindrances, which are tailored to those characters.
