The Desiccated Temple of Locha

In the parched desert sands, a mirage glistens invitingly on the horizon, but the nearest water is a hard day’s march in the opposite direction. You swear you smell the faint wet smell like coming rain when the wind shifts just right and see the stars reflected off some far lake at night.

There’s no water here, just a lone sandblasted pillar, its features smeared by centuries of sand. Smell that? The brine of ocean mist? Here? Is the pillar made of coral polyps and mollusk shells? What is this place?

What is Desiccated Temple of Locha?

Desiccated Temple of Locha is a low-prep 12 page one-shot adventure for Old School Essentials and other OSR (Old School Renaissance) TTRPG systems. Players explore the ruins of an aquatic temple that's in a state of suspended animation, waiting for the return of water to its parched steps. It's suitable for 3-5 low level adventurers to complete in under 6 hours and was designed to drop into any adventure or campaign setting. Maximum utility at the table with minimal GM prep was the main goal. The physical zine has a mini GM Screen and papercraft minis built in. Desiccated Temple of Locha is created by Andrew Duvall. (aka Duvelman Dice)

Desiccated Temple of Locha Features:

• Based on the author’s map as published in Knock #2 by Merry Mushmen
• 2 page center spread w/ Maps and keys
• Everything needed to run the adventure at a glance!
• Center spread removes for use as mini GM Screen
• Player side of GM map displays Player map and art from the adventure
• Random tables for generating the titles of Aquatic Tomes
• Incorporates Tension Dice mechanic for tracking time
• Includes Tension Dice mechanic for wandering monster encounters
• All the maps, layout and non-stock illustrations by Andrew Duvall
• Back cover includes original papercraft miniatures for all NPCs

Note from the Author:

What do you do when a player at your table reads a spell that says “turn air into water,” another that reads “summon a swarm of piranha,” and decides *thats* their current characters only dream in life? Well you’ll probably need a map. And some idea what is going to happen, preferably a half-baked idea. Tokens? We’re going to need tokens. That’s literally how you (me?) become a professional game designer. You make some janky stuff for your players and they have so much fun they convince you to show other people and the snowball grows. I have completely taught myself to draw maps, write adventures and layout for publication for this project. Pre-Covid Andrew would have laughed if you told him he’d be writing this for his own publication 2 years later. I hope you enjoy this module as much as I did making it.

Created by Andrew DuVall

An Exalted Funeral Exclusive!

12 pages, 6”x8.25” (landscape), saddle stitched zine, color cover and interiors. ISBN 978-1-951419-24-0 Includes PDF.