Unveiling Corpse Kings: A Spine-Tingling TTRPG Adventure
Are you a fan of Ravenloft (no, not that 5e redo) the original AD&D setting? Of TTRPGs that drop you into dark, eerie worlds where danger and death lie around every corner? Of any and all things horror?
Welcome to the City of Na-Zaii, a Gothic city of the dead, and setting of the world of Corpse Kings. Corpse Kings is an upcoming tabletop role-playing game set to launch on October 1st, 2023 and I recently got the opportunity to get the inside scoop on the game from its creator, Wade K. Savage of Strange Glass Games.
Wade was able to share his inspirations for the game, a bit about what players can expect, his future aspirations for the game and its world, and a little more info on those mysterious, yet powerful titular beings, The Corpse Kings.
The New DM: You reference D&D, and especially the AD&D version of Ravenloft as an inspiration for the game. What drew you to Ravenloft, and what aspects of Ravenloft did you aim to capture in Corpse Kings?
Wade K. Savage: Primarily, we wanted to capture the schlocky and spooky sense of classic horror that early Ravenloft created. Early Ravenloft plays on classic horror tropes but works hard to present its worldbuilding with a lot of thought. Strahd and Barovia played a big role in how we shaped Na-Zaii, with a focus on mystery, dread, and intrigue. All the AD&D books back in the day have a wondrous edginess to them, but it's all executed with a real sense of sincerity. We really hope that's how people feel when they visit Na-Zaii.
TNDM: The press release mentions that Corpse Kings uses an original rules light system with a focus on fear and fun. Could you elaborate on how this rules system works and how it enhances the atmosphere of fear in the game?
Savage: Our system is incredibly simple – each player has four Core Attributes which they check against and a whole host of Skills and Spells interconnected with those attributes. At the time of writing, we're aiming for 100 Spells and Skills. Each Skill or Spell has six outcomes based on a D6 roll – the thing is, players can crush an enemy with a few lucky rolls and a little bit of strategy, but the same can be done to the player.
We're currently testing, but we know things get pretty wild, pretty quickly – which means the chance for character death is really high. We want gameplay to represent the inherent risk of exploring this city, especially as players are already playing powerful Supernatural creatures. Our idea is, that there's always a bigger fish – so the threat to our players needs to be tough and thematically existential. Or you can kill skeletons in a dungeon – you can have both.
“We know things get pretty wild, pretty quickly – which means the chance for character death is really high.”
TNDM: Love the idea of being able to take on the roles of more monstrous creatures as players, how does this shift in perspective from traditional adventurers impact the gameplay and storytelling?
Savage: Each "Being" or Race has its own history within the timeline of the city, with its own issues and threats. Human Beings are called Unnatural in this city, and players are welcome to play them – but humans are ostracised and distrusted. Vampires stereotypically have the most power in the city but are generally disliked and considered aristocratic and out of touch. Werewolves have been slow to integrate and prefer the woods. Undead are the backbone of the city, with the biggest population. Wraiths are feared and misunderstood, whilst Ghouls are powerful but vicious. We also have a series of lesser Beings that I've written specifically for this setting.
At the end of the day, each Being provides some nice context and gameplay, depending on how players want to explore the City, but each and every one of them has their challenges.
Undead in a snowy, dead forest from Corpse Kings
TNDM: How did you go about building the lore for the city of Na-Zaii, specifically the Corpse Kings themselves?
Savage: The idea for the setting is well over 10 years old and originally started as a board game – but I always knew that the game world begins after the Corpse Kings had conquered the Known Lands. Basically, the bad guys have won and there's nothing you can do about it – in fact, you're a part of it.
I've kept the identity and notion of the Corpse Kings themselves really vague, as they are so powerful and god-like – almost living myths. I think it's more interesting if they're this horrific necrotic power, that at the end of the day, they are unknowable.
“The Corpse Kings themselves (are) really vague … they're this horrific necrotic power … they are unknowable.”
TNDM: You mention a classless system that allows players and GMs to adjust the difficulty. Could you explain how this system works and how it empowers players to tailor their experience?
Savage: Buildcrafting and Theorycrafting are reliant on Skills, Being Choice, and Gear. Players can combine various Skills (or Spells) and theorycraft who they want to be. As the core ruleset is really simple, there aren't many limits to the kind of creature or class you can build – it's all up to you.
How the City and others treat you is a whole other issue. When it comes to difficulty, we're incorporating a very simple GM Status Sheet that allows them to gather XP based on how hard they make things for their player group. For example, a GM can easily require higher rolls for specific checks and then earn more XP on their Status Sheet as the campaign moves on.
We're currently nailing down whether or not we have levels at all for players, and we make XP a currency that players use to buy Blessings for their Skills and Attributes. Because every action is reliant on a D6 outcome, it's pretty easy for a GM to either lower or raise what they require despite the Skill's standard six outcomes.
“The bad guys have won and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
TNDM: What led you to want to craft your own TTRPG? And more specifically, what drew you to a darker, more horror-focused world?
Savage: I love horror. I used to be a filmmaker and horror films were my absolute favourite thing in the world. I still love horror literature. The Strahd novels by P.N. Elrod are also a huge inspiration for Corpse Kings. I also love the playfulness of horror as a setting, and how it's pretty easy to go really grimdark or really fun and Halloween with something. I love Horror aesthetics, especially anything classic and Gothic. The idea of living in and exploring a City of the Dead is just so fun to me. I love TTRPGs and videogames and a dream of mine is to one day turn this into a videogame, but for now what I want to do is build a game people love with the right kind of community and audience.
TNDM: The press release mentions that the game's art is created by AI, acknowledging the controversial nature of AI-generated art. Can you discuss the decision to incorporate AI art?
Savage: Truthfully, this project wouldn't exist without AI Art. It's comparatively cheaper and allows for incredibly fast iteration and implementation. I know for a fact that people will see that our art has been created with AI and refuse to engage instantly – which I completely understand. There are a lot of issues regarding this technology at the moment and some of the responses to AI range from the understandable to completely hysterical.
I honestly believe that real artists and real art are far superior and that real artists should be paid more – period. I use AI art because I want to make a dream come true on my own terms without relying on something like Kickstarter. Some people will like it and some people will really hate it and I have to accept that. At the end of the day, what really matters most to me is what our fans and players think.
TNDM: Finally, a more fun one. If you could be any kind of monster, undead, demon, etc. what would you choose and why?
Savage: Either a Vampire (boring, I know) or some kind of Lovecraftian Deep One. I'm terrified of the ocean, but I love ocean-based horror (could be a fun expansion one day...).