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‘The Day of the Quelo’, by Ian Thomson is an adventure for the Dying Earth Role Playing Game by Pelgrane Press, a fantasy game based on the works of Jack Vance. It is available only in electronic form and sells for $6.95. For this you receive a zip file containing the 32-page adventure, 6 pre-generated characters and a certificate for the ‘winner’. According to the RPG Now web site you also get the Quick Start Rules for the Dying Earth RPG. I obtained my copy some time ago before the quick start rules were available so I cant comment on them or their inclusion (they are now available free from the Pelgrane web site). Nonetheless this would make it an inexpensive and fun way to try the game out.
Overview
This adventure was originally written as a convention module and has been adapted for normal play. Notes on converting the module back into a convention scenario are included in the main booklet, hence the inclusion of the Winners Certificate in the package. This consists of a simple page for printing with a picture of the Quelo and places for the players to list their characters, and some suitable text commemorating the event. It is a nice touch and sits well with the players at the end – especially ‘the Winner’, who is selected based on tagline delivery and role-playing.
The pre-generated characters are particularly good. Though the character backgrounds are a little brief, when they are combined with the descriptors for the characters skills (especially persuade and rebuff) and the excellent pictures they provide ample material for role playing classic and most entertaining Cugel level characters. For the uninitiated, Cugel level is the lowest of three power levels for characters in the game. In my own campaign I supplied these to my players for another scenario (The Cooks Of Curniff, the sample scenario included in the main DERPG rulebook) and my players have long since taken them to heart. I would heartily recommend these pre-generated characters as a way of introducing players to the Dying Earth.
The main part of the package is the adventure booklet. It is 32 pages long, set up to be printed on A4, and has a colour cover by Jerome Huguenin showing the destination of the characters journey. Further artwork inside includes offerings from Andrew G. Wright and Sarah Wroot (the latter supplying the map). The cover is the only colour in the module, which makes it printer friendly. Text is laid out in 2 columns with decorative curlicues above and below. The text is easy to read, entertaining and plenty of information is offered on elements relevant to the story. A good quantity of GM readable text is supplied. This is written in the style of Dying Earth speech and so helps to set the tone of the game. Descriptions are clear and thorough.
In the main adventure itself the PCs are hired by a dealer in unusual animals to deliver…well…an unusual animal (the eponymous Quelo) to a purchaser not more than an easy days march away. What should be a relaxing day in the countryside is complicated by more than a few inconvenient encounters, as well as the PCs own inability to get on with anything (as reflected in the game by an inability to resist a chance to laze around, drink, brag etc.). Additionally my own group were quite capable of getting themselves into all kinds of mischief without my prompting. The scenario presents half a dozen named encounters, each of which is colourful and can be resolved in a variety of fashions. The author suggests some outcomes but always urges the GM to respond to good role playing and good ideas. Each of the encounters was found to give ample chance for the players to show off their characters to best advantage and included opportunities for persuasion, subterfuge, problem solving, role playing and even (gasp!) combat! The scenario follows a fixed path and the encounters take place as defined by the plodding of the Quelo along the road. Given the nature of the task in hand, this is quite natural. The scenario builds to a satisfactory climax after the delivery of the Quelo and leaves the GM with the possibility of follow up scenarios involving characters that the PCs will have inevitably upset during the course of the day.
Further Comments
The main booklet includes six sets of three taglines for use in the scenario. In play, I found it necessary to supply a couple more as what should have been a one session scenario stretched into three. This is at least in part a reflection of the fun to be had in the scenario – every situation was role played to death with much laughter and lots of flowery dialog of the type encouraged by the game and hardly any distraction and off topic talk. I will also comment that we have found the tagline mechanism used in the Dying Earth to be particularly entertaining (Briefly, players gain ‘experience points’ for their characters by uttering a witty or pithy piece of Vancian dialog supplied up front by the GM).
It should be noted here also that this scenario can be incorporated into the ‘Footsteps of Fools’ campaign, also by Ian Thompson. It would be inserted as a stage in ‘Strangers in Saskervoy’, and this latter includes notes on how to use the Day of the Quelo within it. Expect a review of this latter when I have run it!!
Verdict
This is an inexpensive module that supplies plenty of fun. In terms of style, the package presents everything that is needed, and though laid out well it is not outstanding. Further, there are no bookmarks. However it is very readable so overall 4 out of 5. Substance I give 4 out of 5, a lively and well-written adventure.
