This is an article that originally ran in the OSR fanzine Fight On! back in 2014. As my mind has lately been meandering around a campaign set up like this -- and I've learned I'm not the only one interested in this style of adventure -- I wanted to post it here to get it out in the wild again. Thanks to the inimitable Kelvin Green for the artwork! Be sure to check out Fight On!'s stuff for sale HERE and especially Kelvin's still-rocking blog HERE.
The CROwN
On September 23, 1999, NASA lost the
Mars Climate Orbiter. In a calculation error that has since become
known as the “metric mixup,” the craft approached the red planet
from a dangerous angle and disintegrated in seconds.
That's the story we heard, anyway. In
fact, that's the story that NASA believed. Until a few months
later...on Christmas morning, when technicians lucky enough to work
the holiday at Cape Canaveral arrived to find a rather unexpected
gift in Hangar AC – the orbiter, in pristine condition. Pristine
except for one major alteration: The craft had been gutted of most
of its scientific instruments. In their place stood what appeared to
be a large, golden music box. The orbiter was carefully transferred
to an underground lab, and its reappearance was wiped from NASA
records.
It took many months of serious
examination before scientists felt it was safe to wind the box. They
started the music on the morning of August 21, 2001. Its ethereal
harmonies resonated through the hallways of the laboratory as the
massive golden cylinder turned...and turned...and turned. It soon
became clear that the music box was powered by more than our usual
physical laws. What's more, each time the cylinder completed a
revolution, when the tune should have repeated itself, new patterns
appeared to take the music into entirely new realms.
On May 28, 2006, researchers finally
had a breakthrough. The songs were more than music; they were a
code. And they told stories. Stories of magical lands filled with
creatures from myths, from faery tales, and from nightmares. There
were tales of knights and dragons, of war and exploration, of death
and treasure. And most importantly, there were stories of outsiders
venturing to these lands, and descriptions of how they did this. A
few officials immediately organized the Commission for Research on
Otherworldly Narratives (the CROwN) and began to recruit their team
in secret. Early in the morning on February 19, 2011, the world's
very first extraplanar traveler – half-jokingly referred to by
CROwN leaders as the world's first “dungeonaut” – prepared to
set foot in the realm of the fantastic...
CROwN Agents
Those who
adventure for the CROwN perform a variety of jobs on their journeys.
While some agents are skilled in multiple areas, there are four key
roles that many agents fill: CROwN Soldiers are
the combat masters of each group. This is no trivial task, as the
use of modern technologies is largely forbidden on missions (in order
to avoid unnecessary attention). Soldiers, therefore, must be
trained in the use of weapons common in the lands they visit:
swords, axes, and the like, along with the occasional black powder
firearms. CROwN Spies are
experts at subterfuge, helping the adventuring party in tasks such as
disabling traps and picking locks and pockets. Spies are typically
agile and sneaky, and other members of their teams often debate the
level of trust they should be granted.
Many
stories told by the music box include characters with the ability to
manipulate reality in ways that researchers can only refer to as
“magic.” The means of wielding this force is gradually being
unraveled by the CROwN, and some agents are trained in these
mysterious arts. CROwN Scientists spend
hours studying arcane texts and practicing spellcraft in secret labs.
As a result, they gain the ability to alter the world around them in
a wide variety of ways. CROwN Medics,
meanwhile, do not gain the wider perspective of the scientists, but
their magic is seen by many as much more practical in nature. Medics
often learn spells of healing and of fighting undead nuisances
encountered on missions.
Adventuring for
the CROwN
Most CROwN missions involve a very specific objective that will add
to human knowledge of wonders, advancements, and threats from outside
our world. The ease of sticking to the objective varies greatly by
mission. Some recent adventures undertaken by CROwN agents include:
Exploring a dungeon to retrieve a sample of “living metal,” an
alloy reported to grow organically and behave much like a plant or
colonial animal. Naturally, such a dungeon attracted a sizable
population of rust monsters...
Investigating the twisted grove of a mad druid to search for clues
to the origin of the fearsome owlbear.
Collecting tomes from libraries on various worlds in order to
conduct an analysis of multiversal linguistics.
Missions are often quite deadly, especially for new agents.
Standard Issue
Besides the standard and mission-specific adventuring equipment
carried by agents, CROwN scientists have developed some items that
are now considered standard issue for all adventures:
Orb of
Vision – All agents are
issued one of these small crystal globes, which can be carried or
worn attached to the uniform. The orb of vision magically
illuminates a 30' radius around its wearer. It also records all
that the agent encounters, so that adventures can be easily reviewed
by CROwN officials upon the return of the orb.
Planar
Scroll – Each agent also
receives one of these scrolls, which provides transport back to our
world. By reading the scroll's inscription, an agent is quickly
warped into our reality. However, the agent must read the scroll
while in the exact location where he or she arrived in the fantastic
realm. For each 10' in any direction that the agent is located away
from this spot when reading from the scroll, there is a 5% chance
that the adventurer will be transported to a random world or plane,
rather than back to CROwN headquarters.
Good Green
– Agency botanists have
managed to cultivate, in limited amounts, a rather remarkable herb
encountered on an early mission. Every agent begins travel with one
dose of this plant, which has received the simple nickname “good
green” for its ability to cure all diseases and curses encountered
thus far on adventures, as well as providing 1d6 of healing when
eaten.
Infinite Worlds
of Wonder Await!
Now is the time to show your loyalty to the CROwN!
