The Lair of the Alchemist

In a lonely island, Morelius, a dwarf alchemist, has built a complex of tunnels over the years to carry out forbidden experiments. His altered dwarf minions kidnap fishermen, in order to modify their bodies and minds, turning them into monstrous hybrids.

A gang of smugglers has set up a hideout in what looked like a deserted cave on the island, but it turns out that one of Moreus's tunnels connects to it.

That’s where the adventurers come into the picture: they have been recruited by this gang. They return with some goods, obtained at a bargain price from the thieves’ guild, only to find their lair deserted. No sign of their mates, except a blood trail leading to a half-hidden door in the back of the cave.
...

The Lair of the Alchemist is a dungeon crawl inspired by The Island of Dr. Moreau, from H.G.Wells. Compatible with Cairn and DURF.

• Short adventure for a one-shot games
• 8 pages zine with a detailed map
• Optional handouts for players: a pdf with individual rooms to be able to discover the map little by little, a general map without hidden passages, NPC portraits.

Originally I started doodling a map, then little by little the rest of the elements populated this adventure. I decided to make it DURF compatible, and participate in DURF JAM 2023 as my firt TTRPG project.
As a second iteration, I made a version for Cairn, another great system for fantasy. Along with this addition I made a general revamp of the art, and participated in ttRPG JAMuary.

Written & Illustrated by Francisco Lemos