On the Table: The Black Sword Hack - S0

Session zero AP and prepping the first session.

Session Zero Recap: The Black Sword Hack
Session zeros for both the Sunday and Monday night groups are officially in the books, and the collaborative results are nothing short of incredible. I went with two separate maps and opening adventures for these groups to give each table its flavor and stakes.
We went through character creation together, ensuring we avoided any duplicate concepts or roles. Then a big conversation about tone, safety tools, character introductions, the setting's antagonists, key locations, and the affiliations tying everything together. The Black Sword Hacks prompts and tables for this part are outstanding! Once the dust settled and the world began to take shape, we shifted focus to the first adventure— a short "story" story being the unit of experience in The Black Sword Hack. I want to engage the character advancement cycle early so we get one, maybe two level-ups in over six sessions. Below are the fruits of our collaborative world-building and the exciting setups for both groups. My GM Prep thoughts for session one follow.

The Cycles of Errazu. (BSH Sundays)

The spirit of the ancient King Errazu (played by Christopher Walken), Who Dances for No One, chooses a new vessel every century to inhabit and be reborn. This time, his rebirth aligns perfectly with the astrological signs heralding the arrival of the long-awaited messiah (Madeleine Yuna Voyles). The zealous Order of Truth scours the lands to find the chosen vessel for The King Who Dances for No One, determined to see their liege wishes fulfilled.

Locations:

• The Sunken Kingdoms. Declining, Neutral.

• Carafax (Decadent). Scheming, Favorable to Chaos.

• City of the Overlords [Inhumans] Declining, Allied with Law.

• Wastelander Tribes. Thriving, Neutral.

• The Nothland Raiders. Warmongers, Allied with Chaos

• Iron Port [Home of the Merchant League] Warmongering, Neutral.

• The Hinterlands. Lost, Allied with Chaos.

• The Crystal Palace (Decadant) Forgotten, Favorable to Chaos

But standing in the way of this cosmic convergence is a band of unlikely antiheroes whose destinies are far darker:

• Betany, a master storyteller from the Steppe Raiders, wielding her claymore with unmatched fury.

• Wulf, born of a hurricane summoned by his mother, now wandering far from the forbidden city of Malthus, shrouded in tempestuous mystery.

• Vanderjack, a warlock of Carafax, carrying the weight of arcane secrets from the sunken kingdoms.

• Rikvengar, a mighty warrior from the newly liberated wastelands, embodies the raw power and resilience of his people.

We begin in the ruins of Ambersoul in the Hinterlands, rescuing the 1st daughter of the reluctant Philosopher Duke Kelvin. Our band has found and secured said daughter and now must make their way past two skirmishing mercenary companies back to the Merchant Guilds to the north.
May Doom forget their names.

BSH Sundays: The Cycles of Death

Malpha the Fallen (BSH Mondays)

Malpha the Barbarous. Malpha the Black. Malpha the Drinker of Souls.
The older sages whisper of a different name: Malpha, the Twice-Great Champion of Law, Malpha the Fallen.

An Age of Ice has descended upon the lands. The Iron Horde marches ever southward, bringing with them foul constructs and living smoke that choke the skies. Twisted insectoid men, their origins unknown, skirmish with caravans and leave tales of terror in their wake. The southern lands stand on the brink of annihilation, and chaos looms on every horizon.
Locations:

• Trebizond Favorable to Law - Corrupt - Gladitorial Arenas & Spectacle.

• Froststorm Legions Academy Allied to Law. Warmongering. Sits outside the gates of Trebizond.

• Ioun Port. Neutral. Thriving.

• Aranbaru Rainforest Allied to Law. Divided.

• Nazara, City of Thieves Favourable to Chaos. Divided

• Yalokivikori. Crystal Palace. Neutral. Lost & Forgotten.

• The Iron Hordes Allied to Chaos. Warmongering.

• The Blue Smoke Palace Place of Balance. Accessible through dreams.

Against this backdrop of encroaching doom, a ragtag group of adventurers finds themselves in Nazara, the infamous City of Thieves. Nazara is a dangerous place, no quarter given—save for the sanctum of the Order of the Fulcrum. There, the monks provide a sanctuary of neutral ground and restoration. But the sanctuary is no longer safe. The talk of the streets speak of the Dream Thief, a spectral figure who steals memories and leaves only confusion in her wake. Her next target is said to be Gawne, one of the elder monks of the Order. Gawne holds the key to the Blue Smoke Palace, a mythical lost stronghold said to be a place of perfect balance—a beacon of hope in a world unraveling. The adventurers arrive, drawn by personal ties to the sanctuary and the Order. Each carries their own burdens, secrets, and reasons for standing against the encroaching darkness:

• Latulei, a Legacy Legionnaire, the pride of the Froststrom Legion Academy, embodying discipline and martial prowess.

• Peto, a spirit talker from the forgotten palace of Yalokivikori, guided by voices from the beyond.

• Iride the Lodestone, raised by the enigmatic Arranburu Insect People of the lush Arranburu Rainforest; their presence is a mystery even among the strange.

May Doom forget their names.

BSH Mondays: Malpha the Fallen

It’s my Birthday Month Sale!