Just in time for Tabletop Nonstop, I am proud to present to you Lost Heretic Press's debut adventure: The Tomb of Ostrabaris!

A harrowing gauntlet delve into the lost and forgotten tomb of the ancient wizard Ostrabaris, this character creation funnel is inspired by the Funhouse Dungeons of early TSR.  Designed for the smash hit Shadowdark RPG, this adventure is perfect for beginning a campaign or for 2-3 hours of one-shot fun!

Featuring design and layout by James Melo, art by Ink Potion Studios, cartography by Dyson Logos, and compatible with Shadowdark RPG by the Arcane Library.

What's a Funnel?

A Character Creation Funnel, popularized by Dungeon Crawl Classics, is an adventure where each player has a roster of several Level Zero characters.  Whatever character survives to the end of the adventure is promoted to First Level, gains a class, and becomes a proper player character.  Funnels are a ton of low stakes fun!  If your character dies horribly to a pit trap, it doesn't matter, because you've got 4 more to step up and take their place!

What's Shadowdark? Published in 2023 by The Arcane Library, Shadowdark RPG is a TTRPG featuring new school rules with old school attitude. It is a rules light game that truly shines at the table, and is perfectly suited for adventuring in the deep, dark reaches of the dungeon. I have been designing (and running!) for Shadowdark for over a year, and fully switched over to it as my RPG of choice in mid 2023. About the Designer: Hello! James here! I've been a tabletop player and game master for over 20 years, and with the recent shakeup in the TTRPG sphere, I decided to give a go at publishing some of my adventures. I have previously published several free supplements for Shadowdark RPG (https://losthereticpress.itch.io), and with the coming of Zine Month 2024, along with Crowdfundr's Tabletop Nonstop, I decided the time was right to publish an adventure I had featured at PAX Unplugged 2023. I decided to try crowd funding this project as I have never before offered a physical edition of anything I've published. Up until now, my offerings have been strictly digital. But like many of you, I have always found that there is nothing that beats the tactility of holding the book in your hand while you run the game.

As a small (and really only part time!) creator, making the move into physical media is a serious risk for me, and for my family. My hope is that you'll see something here that you like, and help me to bring the dream of publishing my work into reality!

Rewards

You'll be able to select between two different rewards -- all digital or physical.

Digital backers will receive a PDF of the adventure, fulfilled via itch.io

Physical Backers will receive a saddle stitched, approx. 30 page Zine as well as a digital download via itch.io

See the Rewards for more information!

Challenges

First and foremost, this is my first ever crowdfunded project, so I'm still learning exactly how that all works.

I've also never provided physical products before, so a lot of work is going into learning about production and shipping.  I've mostly got a handle on it, but I wouldn't be shocked if a few hiccups crop up along the way.

What I can say is that the Crowdfundr team is incredibly supportive, and have already been helpful in teaching me the ins and outs of both the platform and the general crowd funding process.

As of right now (pre-launch), the zine is written and is presently in its 3rd stage editing before I move into layout work.  I have a printer lined up, and have done all the math for shipping within the United States.  As much as I anticipate everything running as smoothly as possible, I also acknowledge the reality that things happen.  I can, however, promise that I solve problems professionally as my day job, and you'll be receiving frequent updates from me as we move forward.

Legal

The Tomb of Ostrabaris is an independent product published under the Shadowdark RPG Third-Party License and is not affiliated with The Arcane Library, LLC. Shadowdark RPG © 2023 The Arcane Library, LLC

Artwork provided by Ink Potion Studios via their Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/inkpotionstudios)

Cartography by Dyson Logos (https://dysonlogos.blog)

Special Thanks to Meghan Kelly, Olivia McCargar, and those who braved the Tomb at PAX Unplugged 2023.  Though your character’s blood now waters the sands of the tomb, your contributions are not forgotten.