BATRACHIAN SWAMPS

Batrachian Swamps is a fantastic OSR adventure that takes you on a tour of a murky bog and its strange inhabitants, featuring frog cultists, pearl farmers, and magical squid seeking a final resting place. Despite only having eight keyed locations, the vast swamps are full of enticing weirdness that makes you want to keep exploring. The encounter table is massive and detailed, making the whole place feel alive and teeming with activity.

The adventure’s confidence is evident from the outset with the Town of Ulck, which sets up a compelling conflict in just three sentences. You could easily spend multiple sessions unravelling the mystery of the vampire among the townsfolk, or helping them fend off the newt pirates who steal their pearls. It doesn’t waste time and space with unnecessary details here. The philosophy of Micah and Nate is clear throughout; they trust you. They trust you to stat your own vampire bats and gator-drakes. They trust you know your system, that you know your players and their reasons for adventuring. They trust you to have your own ideas about your world and are content to just a weird and compelling corner of it.

Fans of Batrachian Swamps will be pleased to know that there’s a sequel, Desert of Yondo, which shifts the action from sludge to sand, and Micah’s gothic dungeon crawl, Black Manse, is available for pre-order on Spear Witch. It also pairs really well with Nate’s Dogtooth Valley. A slick production that would fit in any ongoing OSR campaign or be a great place to start one.

❚ PLAY IT? YES