TALES OF THE TAROKKA - The Broken One: Kalidnay

Embark on a journey to a land scorched beneath a dark sun, where the very essence of life is drained away. This is the domain of Kalidnay, where brutal tyranny rules defiled lands. Survival becomes defiance in a realm where every choice leads to harsh consequence.

Encounter the oppressed folk of Kalidnay, their life force sapped, their spirits crushed under the cruel rulership of Thakok-An, the High Priestess, and the sleeping sorcerer-king Kalid-Ma who she seeks to raise as a draconic god. Uncover the dark ritual that threatens to consume the very soul of the land, transforming it into an oppressed hellscape even worse than its current wretched form.

To survive this desolate wasteland, you’ll need to navigate its dangers, decipher the intentions of its inhabitants, and confront the monstrous legacy of its twisted rulers. Are you prepared to face the unforgiving truth of Kalidnay and the sacrifice it demands? The domain awaits — and its secrets thirst to be known.

Unlike most D&D adventures, in which characters of increasing power often face challenges and enemies head on, these stories are best experienced as gauntlets of survival and terror. Consider using the “Survivor” character options presented in Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft. These ready-to-play archetypes have intentionally limited progression, maxing out at 3rd level with their low power quotient fitting Ravenloft’s themes of gothic survival horror. (Rather than every Apprentice and Disciple having the same spells, you could allow players to choose other spells of the same level—subject to DM’s approval, of course.) Perhaps have each player roll on the “Horror Trinkets” table in Van Richten’s Guide, or on the standard Trinkets table from the Player’s Handbook to add flavor and novelty. Another approach could be to allow players to build standard 1st-level characters but then use Survivor rules for leveling up to 3, allowing them to select from the Survivor traits (but otherwise remain as technically 1st-level characters with respect to hit points, class features and such).

That said, groups interested in more heroic adventure should feel welcome to utilize standard 5th Edition characters in these modules. In such cases, Dungeon Masters will likely need to adjust challenges and threats accordingly, and each entry will offer guidance on that front.

Note that AI images and language models were used in the creation of this product.

These installments are intended to be released individually over time until the series is completed. Please visit our website for future planned offerings: www.talesofthetarokka.com