Shadowdark time! This week, we’ve been crawling through Cursed Scroll #2, and I’m all fired up about the Ras-Godai!
With our very own Gabriel Watcher acting as Dungeon Master, we took a Dwarven Fighter, a Desert Rider, a Ras-Godai, and a Pit-Fightin’ Orc named Torc on a dungeon crawl through the Echoes. We were chased by assassins, stung by scorpions, and (briefly) fooled by a false-prince made of worms.
A good time was had by all.
What’s a Ras-Godai?
In case you’re unfamiliar, Cursed Scroll #2 is Kelsey Dionne’s desert supplement for Shadowdark. It features elves on silver camels, burrowing monsters, mirages, gladiators, lizard riding — desert stuff. It also includes some intriguing rules for mounts and poisons as well as a class that seems to be a cross between Hassasins and Ninja: the Ras-Godai.
The lore says these monastic killers serve a half-demon named Manazusa. I’ll let him speak for himself:
“It is through trials of blood, fire, and terror that
you will find the wellspring of your power.”
- Manazusa, leader of the Ras Godai
Whoa Manazusa, chill.
The other bit we get on them is that they gain their powers from the petals of a Black Lotus, traded to them by a demon, but they have to get tortured to earn that chance. So they’re a cheery bunch of teleporting sorcerers, poison experts, and killers.
Still, this is Shadowdark, and Ras-Godai is a player class, and so they must come in all three alignments.
The Chaotic follow the Shadow Path to become Black Lotus.
The Neutral follow the Fire Path to become Red Lotus.
The Lawful follow the Mirror Path to become White Lotus.
So naturally, I rolled up a Lawful Ras-Godai, because Mirror Path sounds evocative and the idea of a Lawfully aligned assassin tickles me. Here’s my pitch for some bonus lore about good guys who work for bad demons; maybe it’ll inspire something in your Cursed Scroll #2 campaign!
The Mirror Path
The first White Lotus was the greatest assassin of his era. He only ever took a single life.
As an expert in the use of Drowsy Dust, he took fifty-nine targets for the Ras-Godai by knocking them unconscious, locking them beneath the earth, and then reporting them as killed to his masters. After sixty attempts, the Ras-Godai uncovered the deception. The Black Lotus, a contemporary, was sent to kill him and his prisoners.
Who won the battle is unknown. Perhaps the victor was poisoned in the struggle. Storytellers in the souk like to say they battle still, somewhere beneath the sands. In any case, the White Lotus disappeared. No one knows the location of his fabeled Paradise Prison. Few have dared to tread the Path of Mirrors. None have survived.
Paradise Prison – a Sketch of a Dungeon
Some ideas for a fun little dungeon! I hope it’s of use to you, whether you’re playing Cursed Scroll #2 or just cruising for ideas.
Add on to it! Fill it out! Free to a good home!
Features
Unlike most of the Djurum, these vaulted marble halls are ostentatiously full of water. Labyrinth-like walkways meander through baths, fountains, and pools in leisurely spirals. The Ras-Godai waterwalk ability is a huge tactical advantage here. The light casts eerie reflections on the ceiling, making every room seem slightly alive.
In the outer part of the prison, the water moves quite fast. Characters who fall in are carried to the centre, taking some light damage along the way. Navigating the maze of walkways here is an INT test. Just inside this outer ring are antechambers filled with the Vapours of Leng, the intelligence-sapping poison.
In the centre of the prison is an enchanted tree. For those who sleep beneath its soft purple leaves, time passes much slower; a typical eight-hour sleep takes approximately five years of real time. The prisoners mostly choose to sleep beneath it, to avoid each other’s company and speed their (assuredly inevitable, right?) rescue. Those who don’t sleep beneath the tree are mostly long-dead, though one or two elves may be hiding in the dungeon, along with whatever inmates are currently awake.
Magic mirrors dot the complex. They’re constructed to aid in the spiritual perfection of a monk. One reflects a viewer’s best possible self. Another shows their worst crime; a third shows them as their enemies see them. One mirror creates duplicates of Chaotic characters it sees; these invariably feign helpfulness before betraying their originals.
Treasure
Arid Wind – An enchanted Razorchain, an ancient weapon of the former Black Lotus. Lash Range is Far, rather than Near. Additionally, targets make a DC15 STR or be moved up to Near. Moving someone into an object this way deals an extra d6 of damage.
Fruit of the Enchanted Tree – The slow dreams of the prisoners grow into these magical plum-like fruits. The juice stains the chin of the eater for a year. The immediate effect is psychedelic, followed quickly by narcotic sleep (DC12 CON to avoid, subject to time-distortion if under the tree). If the sleep can be avoided, the eater gains all memories of one of the dreaming prisoners. This could induce a talent from another class, sudden knowledge of a treasure hoard’s location, or adventure-relevant social information.
Glass Teapot – Each night, when the wind blows across the open top of this strange artifact, it fills with Drowsy Dust. If shattered, everyone within ten kilometres (six miles) falls asleep (DC17 CON to resist).
Foes
Annoying Elves – Crazy after long isolation. They’re totally convinced that they’re hallucinating you. They’ll skip shuriken across the water at you to pass the time.
Black Lotus Ghost – Pretending to be the former White Lotus. Evil! He can only attack in darkness, so he tries to manipulate the party into dousing their torches. Knows the locations and timings of all the fountains in here.
Mutant Lotus – The former White Lotus, horrifically mutated and half-dead after exposure to an experimental torture-poison. Screaming animal faces erupt from twisted muscles. During combat, it screams mad promises of mercy and gentleness and weeps like a child when it kills a crawler. Occasionally, it begs for death. Currently locked safely away in the treasure room; hope no one wants to break in there.
Did you enjoy this rant/dungeon sketch? Check out some of our other, more detail-oriented Shadowdark blogposts — we’ve got a Photophagic Monster! If you’re looking for an adventure you don’t have to fill in yourself, see Barrow of the Raging Storm, a Shadowdark supplement that pairs great with the Viking action of Cursed Scroll #3!