YZ Worldbuilding: Ruins of Symbaroum Call of the Dark

Year Zero Worldbuilding creates campaign settings using Free League’s RPGs. This month covers Ruins of Symbaroum’s Call of the Dark which sets up a world that can support a campaign ranging from levels 1 to 10.

Thanks to Free League for sending me RPGs to help in writing these articles. As a frequent customer of their kickstarters, pre-orders, and webstore I really appreciate their customer service and attention to detail. These two adventure books in particular are well made: hardcover and stitch bound with color-coded chapters for each adventure and lots of NPCs, handouts, and maps.

When I wrote about the Ruins of Symbaroum core books, the GM had four adventures to help kick off a campaign. With the Adventure Compendium and Call of the Dark, a GM can now have rules, a setting, and a campaign of nine adventures from level 1 to level 10. Everything a GM needs to create a world and run adventures in it.

You can use the first three adventures in the Adventure Compendium as a trilogy of adventures that work well together. These adventures include both traditional scenarios and adventure landscapes, which are location-based adventures open to exploration.

The first adventure introduces the setting and rules with The Promised Land, first released as a free PDF. The PCs, part of a caravan, escort a priest with a mysterious artifact through the perilous Titan Mountains to the settlement of Thistlehold. I like this adventure as it includes the possibility of a conflict the PCs are almost guaranteed not to win if they try to fight. There is also cold weather to deal with, bandits, and a shape-shifting elf. It concludes with some roleplaying and the option to buy near gear. A great kick-off to a campaign.

The Mark of the Beast not only introduces the settlement of Thistlehold, it also features a murder mystery. These murders are gory and violent and set a tone not only of dark fantasy but also horror that is part of Symbaroum. It also reinforces the idea of problem-solving being a major part of adventures. The adventure also discusses that casting spells likely leads to Corruption, and therefore the GM should reward the PCs with something helpful when investigating via spell or ritual. It may end with one PC saddled with a cursed item and a new agenda to follow at the command of a long-dead king. 

This adventure, in turn, can lead directly to the Tomb of Dying Dreams. This adventure finally takes the PCs into the forest of Davokar. The journey includes the possibility of combat and should be based on the PCs’ goals both individually and as a group. Who they talk to and befriend, who they fight, and where they go all influence and change possible future events. The adventure includes several dungeons, various interesting and dangerous monsters, and the chance to gain treasures and valuable knowledge as well as possibly making future enemies.

While not directly related to the first trilogy of adventures, Fever of the Hunt also takes place inside Davokar. PCs who enjoyed their first foray into the woods may relish a second trip, especially if treasure digging comes at the end. This adventure combines an adventure landscape and a series of events that can take place there. These events start with murder and can lead to a great slaughter if the PCs don’t intervene.

The Bell Tolls for Kastor, The Howling of Damned Gods, and What’s Bred in the Bone all deal with religious matters. The PCs must take sides, and their decision will profoundly affect the campaign world going forward. Religion and politics are intertwined in this world, and the final adventure in particular, marries the two into a complex and dangerous scenario.

By the time the PCs finish the Adventure Compendium they should have reached 8th level. They will have explored the settlements, wilds, and dungeons of their world. And they will have started influencing their culture both in religious struggles as well as political. This will have set the PCs up to launch into Call of the Dark, the last two adventures that will propel them to 10th level.

In the penultimate adventure, Call of the Dark, the adventures become more personal again, but with high stakes and requiring not only greatly skilled characters but also accomplished players to run them. Despite this personal touch, the setting for the adventure is the fallen kingdom of Alberetor, scourged by plagues and forgotten by the Queen. Against this sweeping backdrop, the PCs try to help a solitary fortune hunter and uncover the secrets she holds.

The final adventure, Retribution, involves saving a young woman who has been tricked into using dark powers. It takes place in the city of Kurun, seat of the Duke of Berakka. There is a missing person to find on behalf of dwarves, investigation into a dark artifact, and an attempt to stop an abomination from being released as a wedding feast.

These last two adventures are deeply woven into the setting and history of Symbaroum. But they remain profoundly personal and require the PCs to interact at a high level with a variety of NPCs. The PCs must also run down clues, solve mysteries, and find people and things that are missing. All while surrounded by the kingdoms and city life of their world and the ongoing struggle and strife that happen there.

In the hands of a GM willing to do some prep work, a campaign using these adventures set in Symbaroum can lead to a stunning and highly enjoyable world the GM and players envision and then bring to life. Because the PCs may wander and follow other options, each adventure has follow up adventure ideas that could spring out of a successful or failed scenario. The GM may need to flesh out these ideas if the PCs decide to pursue further adventures. Even if this means the adventures can’t be played in exact order, the GM can pull out NPCs, maps, dungeons, and more to assist in creating any needed adventures to support the nine in the books.

The Adventure Compendium and Call of the Dark are amazing works. Any GM wanting to build a world and run an excellent campaign in it can easily layer these books on top of the Symbaroum core books and with his players create an unforgettable world and run an amazing game there.

Picture credit: Pixabay