Hundreds of you have already downloaded our Seven Quillcrows one sheet and the pregenerated Character Archetypes. Thanks so much for your support! We hope you and your friends love playing in the Blackwood. Be sure to let us know how your games go. We’d love to showcase a play report or respond to any feedback.
A Fearful Winter
After delivering goods to the village of Last Fork, you are given an important task by the peasants. It is deep winter and their last two hunters have gone missing. You errant heroes must find the hunters to make sure the village will survive the winter, but you have been warned: “beware, lest ye rouse the ire of the king of Knuckle Peak.” Who is this mysterious figure, and why is he spoken of with such fear?
The King of Knuckle Peak is our second foray into the Blackwood. Players trek through snowy wilderness to find elven tricks and a deadly, lurking menace among the trees. Grab your friends, the Blackwood Archetypes, and the Savage Worlds rulebook to delve into horrific wuxia action. But beware, lest ye the rouse the ire of…
Bigfeet to Fill
Part of what I try to do with the Blackwood is provide a fantasy setting fueled by American (rather than European) myths. I’m also trying to capture the high-flying action and intrigue of the Asian wuxia genre. Many of our tales are original, but a few are inspired by real-world folklore. In the case of The King of Knuckle Peak, I drew from both American and Asian legendry.
Everyone and their cousin is familiar with Bigfoot. From the Patterson-Gimlin film to modern-day “Bigfoot expeditions,” from Native American lore to John Lithgow movies, Bigfoot is all over American culture. I researched first-hand Bigfoot encounters from books at the local library and on podcasts like Sasquatch Chronicles, and noticed a few recurring themes. Bigfoot is at home in the forest, as likely to sneak right up to you as it is to raise a ruckus from the other side of a thicket. Bigfoot’s gaze is petrifying, and often carries an edge of feral menace. Bigfoot is strong, able to uproot trees and hurl boulders with ease. Bigfoot is ripe for use in a roleplaying game, and in the Blackwood specifically.
Not as many people are familiar with Sun Wukong, better known as the Monkey King. He’s a trickster archetype and one of the primary characters in Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classical Novels in Chinese literature. Among other things, he’s a peerless warrior with a staff that can shrink to the size of a sewing needle or grow to the size of a massive pillar. When he plucks them, Sun Wukong’s hairs can grow into copies of himself. He, his powers, and his staff are perfect for a folkloric wuxia setting.
Bigfoot and Sun Wukong were equally inspiring when I wrote The King of Knuckle Peak. Players encounter the Howler King, a hulking woodland creature who seems to command a pack of wolf-ape hybrid Howlers. After a chance run in with some hungry elves, they face off against the Howler King wielding a fallen tree as a staff. Players learn a little about why the people of the Elder Kingdom fear the Blackwood, and add a harrowing tale to their accomplishments as errants.
If you’ve already got the Savage Worlds Deluxe Explorer’s Edition, head over to DriveThruRPG to this next adventure in the Blackwood:
The King of Knuckle Peak One Sheet
Be sure to check out our previous releases too:
The Seven Quillcrows One Sheet
The documents feature some awesome character art from Eric Quigley, and killer layout work from Richard Woolcock. Even though we’re now official Savage Worlds licensees, all three of these documents are totally FREE! So what are you waiting for? Scoop ’em up and head out into the woods!
When you sit down to run this adventure with your gaming group, take a take a table selfie with the hashtag #BlackwoodGames. And if you enjoy the adventure, please leave us a review on DriveThruRPG!