CASTLES & CREATURES
A downloadable zine
a FIST mission zine written for FIST JAM OPS III: ZINE MONTH
inspired by the 1983 Dungeons & Dragons Basic Set, Old School Essentials TTRPG, Stranger Things, and more...
CASTLES & CREATURES is a mission zine for FIST about stopping a powerful necromancer from subjugating a midwestern american town. While playing their weekly game of Castles & Creatures, a group of teenagers inadvertently opened a portal to another dimension, summoning characters from the game into the real world.
Hope you brought your ten foot pole...
in the event you don't have access to FIST Ultra edition, or the trait changes after the publication of this zine, the WIZARD trait is as follows:
WIZARD: You are an arrogant meddler in the arcane otherworld, and many mischievous sorceries have taken up residence in your head. Once per mission, you may roll 1D6, gesture wildly, and unleash a torrent of magic upon any target (1: Caster becomes a small animal for 30 minutes, 2: Target gains magical armor which deflects one attack before shattering, 3: Slightly misaimed fireball which deals 2D6 DAMAGE to anyone it touches, 4: Target completely heals, 5: Target enters cadaverous but reversible sleep, 6: Target and caster both disintegrate.) If you advance, you can replace one of the 1D6 results with a new spell you and the ref agree upon, instead of taking the usual advancement reward. [Magic missile launcher (1D6 DAMAGE, always hits someone), +2 CREATIVE]
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This zine is a joy to read. The art style is eye-catching and immediately tells you the theme of the adventure. The layout is uncluttered and readable without giving up any content. Very easy to follow even for total beginners.
"A D&D game turned real" feels fresh because it is shown through the lens of a missing person's case. A more modern and sinister twist perfect for a F.I.S.T group. While the setup is minimalist, the visual assets of the zine futher develop the setting and helps the reader quickly fill in the blanks. Great tables of NPCs and encounters makes keeping the party on their toes easy.
Good luck in the suburbs!
Castles & Creatures is FIST vs DnD.
The PDF is 2 pages, with a beautiful and very appropriate feeling high contrast layout. It's easy to read---even with slightly small text---and every bit of it pops off of the page in a good way.
Contents-wise, C&C is a good shotgun or oneshot scenario, and an excellent introduction to FIST overall.
The scenario is straightforward but flavorful, with technicolor fantasy elements intruding on small town americana. The fights feel appropriately balanced, and there's even multiple routes through the content, with branching endings as well.
Overall, if you want to indulge in some Stranger Things style retro fun in your FIST game, or if you just want a good, solid module for a oneshot, C&C is a great pick.