December's Big Project

December is here, and with it the arrival of my Big December Project.

As you might recall a couple of weeks ago, I experimented with a design sprint. As part of that experiment I set boundaries of space and boundaries of time. One of the things I learnt was that it is amazing what you can achieve in one undisturbed hour of focused design time.

In December, my design sprint will actually be a development sprint.

Every December weekday morning between the hours of 8 and 9, you'll find me slaving away over the 5e conversion of Retribution. This gives me 23 hours to complete the conversion.

If all goes swimmingly, I'll have completed the work by the end of the month and I can consider moving onto an OSR conversion. One of my regrets with Shadowed Keep on the Borderlands is that I haven't (yet) done an OSR conversion, and I don't want to repeat that mistake.

OSR game play is extremely close to my cold, dark heart. However, comprehensively converting a module from one game or edition to another is not for the faint hearted or the time-poor—at least if you are doing it professionally. Even games sharing the same root have many differences, and these must all be hunted down.

I have the Pathfinder version of Retribution already locked down. Completing the 5e edition in December means I can Smash Out* the OSR edition in January. This leaves me February for physical proofing.

If all goes well, I can release all three edition of the adventure in March 2022. Back in March 2010 Retribution was our first ever product, and it will be most agreeable to release these new editions to celebrate our 12th birthday.

I'll report back at the start of January as to my progress.

*"Smash Out" is technical phrase meaning "to get it done".

About Retribution

In the frozen depths of winter, murderous winds mercilessly batter the crumbling Priory of Cymer. Within, trapped by their duty and the heaped snowdrifts that render travel near impossible, the few remaining faithful huddle together and tend the sacred places of their forebears. With the weather worsening, nerves fray and tempers snap as the wind howls its mournful dirge for the priory’s forgotten dead and lost souls. But the worst is yet to come. One of those trapped within holds a murderous grudge that only blood can expunge, and as the storm reaches its savage height, terrible revenge is wrought amid the frigid halls and crumbling glories of a fading faith.

An adventure for 1st-level characters.