CAVE EVIL: Random Thoughts on Barrowmaze Campaign ft. PC as Cultists

 

S. Poag bringing it as always for the older BARROWMAZE cover

Despite running Archaia, I think Barrowmaze might be the stronger of the two modules. Here are just some random thoughts I had post-Christmas while flipping through my copy. Would it be more fun if players were either Acolytes of Orcus (clerics) or Necrolytes of Set (magic-users) instead of regular adventurers? 

• Mono-Faction Play With All PCs Would Be Part of One Faction: Sorta a Cave Evil vibe meets The Venture Brother's Monarch. Each group must be on the lookout for a specific set of magic items,  objectives, and the Tablet. And of course, kill the other guys.
• Different Classes for Each Faction: Maybe even different character classes for each faction, nothing too different, but more like a reskinning. Or maybe just use KNAVE.
• Hide From the Normies: Basically, you can shop in town, but don't let the law or the church find out what you are
• Carousing Ritual Table: Going with a baddies campaign, instead of a carousing table, characters must participate in a similar mechanism that gives them supplies, gear, and undead minions for the next session?
• Must do this at the end of every session-- draw upper-level cult leadership ire if you don't make it on time. Yes it sucks, but you're in a not nice cult.
• Have results ranging from "mildly useful" to "YOU are the sacrifice!"
• Spread the Faith: Using some bits from my "cleric campaign" maybe an objective would be to set up shrines to Nurgle and your faction to win favor. Add a sorta area control element to the greater dungeon. 
• Maybe have some Chainmail level dust-ups when things get slow. Just have the players fight a battle for some portion of the dungeon
• Dungeon Weather: I'd certainly want a Barrowmaze-specific Overloaded Encounter Die
• Undead Monster Parts: Maybe also each faction has a use for some pieces of undead they kill: salts, biles, and ectoplasm

Necrolytes of Set

Acolytes of Orcus