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The Tower of Sovergauth is the first adventure from DungeonisM Lab, and it’s a fairly auspicious beginning.
An Old School Essentials adventure for characters level 4-7, it’s imaginative and well-designed, and a lot of fun to play. Especially if you really like to go retro and lean into those old-school D&D vibes.
Here’s the deal in a nutshell.
The vile wizard Sovergauth used his potent magic to usurp the throne of Stakbourg and destroy the kingdom. The heir to the Stakbourg throne was smuggled out at the last minute, along with the crown that is his birthright. In the years that have passed, the young prince became separated by his crown, and he needs it back if ever he is to recover Stakbourg. Enter the PCs.
It turns out the crown is in the possession of a vampire. And where does this bloodsucker live? By coincidence, in the tower that once served as home to Sovergauth. The PCs are tasked with entering this edifice and returning with the crown.
The set-up is great (if you overlook the coincidence of the unaffiliated vampire and wizard lairing in the same tower at different times) with a suitably significant goal that has the potential to kick start further adventures.
Writers Diego and Andrea Zap have crafted a very challenging, old-school with deadly traps and even deadlier. As in the days of yore, surviving is worthy of celebration. And yet the adventure isn’t unfair – cautious, careful, and thoughtful players should do just fine.
I loved the quirky moments. There is plenty of strange, magical Gygaxian elements that add a sense of wonderment to the adventure, such as unnerving eggs with a staring eye on their shells or a wall that forms a giant fist intent on squashing intruders.
Also adding interest are the new monsters, which include lave men, fire drakes, and a guardian cat that literally has nine lives and becomes more powerful with each resurrection. And the final combat against the vampire is suitably dramatic (just change the name; Hibiscus does not a terrifying vampire make).
The cover illustration immediately draws you in, while the interior (Ai) artwork is just as evocative and served the adventure well.
There are only two (connected) weaknesses to an otherwise excellent adventure. First, English is the second language of the Italian writers, and it occasionally shows. The Tower of Sovergauth is still well written – indeed there are hints that in their native tongue the duo must have a real flair for descriptive text – but there are some clunky passages. This is made worse by lengthy read-aloud box texts, which GMs will likely want to edit so as not to hinder player immersion.
The Tower of Sovervauth is a throwback to the imaginative, sometimes off-the-wall adventures that used to be made decades ago in the infancy of the hobby. Gary Gygax, I believe, would have approved.
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