Soulbound Review- Ruins of Karaznethil

First of Many

The Ruins of Karaznethil is somewhat of a preview of a later release, Ruins of the Past. This PDF-only release gives us a glimpse of what to expect from the future supplement. “Karaznethil is a location done in very much the style of the locations found in Ruins of the Past… a collection of adventure locations with hooks, encounters, likely outcomes from the players tackling the location, and so on. Very much like Karaznethil, which is a unique location in the same vein and won’t be reprinted in Ruins of the Past.” Said Padraig Murphy, a man who wears many hats at Cubicle 7 (including the co-creator of the Soulbound ruleset, the Warhammer Senior Producer, AND the Creative Director- phew, he must be so busy!). I appreciated the clarification for this publication, knowing that it is unique and not simply part of Ruins of the Past.

“Karaznethil is a location done in very much the style of the locations found in Ruins of the Past“

-Padraig Murphy

But What Is It?

Ruins of Karaznethil is a detailed location supplement and short adventure for an area in the Realm of Metal, Chamon. It was first described in Refuges of the Realms, another PDF supplement available from Cubicle 7. This release gives it more detail, history, and a few new enemies! Karaznethil is a unique take on a duardin hold that is allied with Sylvaneth. Classic duardin architecture combines with roots and natural aesthetic of the forest spirits. I do wish there was more artwork showing this, but what we do get (of the Gates of First Welcome) is gorgeous. There are interesting locations, new enemies like Nurglings, and a few NPCs to interact with.

How Do I Use It?

The Ruins of Karaznethil is billed as an adventure as well as a location supplement. It’s essentially a one-shot, but with a lot of combat. Soulbound is known for swift, dynamic combats, and this has no shortage of those. Between natural fauna of Chamon like stingerspite insects and Nurgle daemons and mortal(ish) followers, the dangers are real for the Soulbound.

The locations in and around Karaznethil is richly detailed, and an adventuring party will have a fun and dangerous time exploring the ruins. While the hook might be a little thin, the Soulbound are mostly asked to recover the lamentiri of one of the former rulers of Karaznethil, the treelord Grundylach (fantastic name). For most parties, this, along with the removal of the Nurgle infestation, will be enough to dive in headfirst!

This is where we reach my only real complaint with the supplement, a usual note for Soulbound books- the lack of maps. This location would be perfect for a detailed map of the Karak-grove with each of the ten areas with zones marked out. It wouldn’t have to be a complete map of the entire Hold, but the areas detailed then GMs could use the awesome Karaznethil Random Encounters table and navigation rules as presented. That way, when they do run into one (or more) of the Great Unclean Ones that rule this place. Besides Grundylach, the names of the characters are fantastic! The Great Unclean Ones are Anthrachus, Porothrox, and Kurdlus Wiltentouch (I especially like the last one, I’d probably pronounce it “curdles” for fun).

The adventure itself essentially boils down to exploring the areas of the hold, learning how to break the spell keeping Grundylach (and his lamentiri) safe from the followers of Nurgle. Navigation tests are needed to move from one area to another, which can lead to a number of d66 rolls based on how many successes the party earns. This is a harrowing place and it will be hard going for the Soulbound, especially depending on how many of the three possible Great Unclean Ones are currently in residence.

What Else Is New?

Besides the location getting more detail, GMs get Nurglings, Sloppity Bilepipers, Rot Flies, and the dreaded Putrid Blightkings (who can even ride on the flies!). The Sylvaneth Branchwych and Kurnoth Hunters are also included, in case the GM doesn’t have the other books these creatures are found in (such as the Blackened Earth campaign book). One downside to this adventure is that there is really only one NPC, Warden King Aedagrim, the last king of Karaznethil (alongside Grundylach) and leader of the survivors of the hold who are waging a guerilla war against the daemons.

Ok, Cool, But Should I Get It?

If you’re a Soulbound GM- absolutely. My small quibbles with this adventure do not outweigh the potential fun it provides around the table. The fights will be deadly, and the rewards great (the Blightkings have some great weapons to loot!). Karaznethil is a wholly unique place to fit into a campaign set in Chamon, or even potentially moved (with some tweaking) to whatever Realm your game takes place in. Even the ideas from each area, like the stingerspite honey or the secret to unlocking the lamentiri can be taken from here and used however you’d like in your own game! And the price point is great for the quality of the content. To be honest, I was ready to give this product a less-favorable review until I looked at the listing on DriveThruRPG again- I thought it was $15 (American), but it’s only $5!!! 15 seemed a bit much for what you get, but five is absolutely worth it. Plus this release has me hyped for Ruins of the Past!

Until next time, make sure to check out everything else from the Professional Casual Network, like our live playthrough of the Blackened Earth campaign from Cubicle 7! We also have A Grim Podcast of Perilous Adventure, and Beards, Ears, and Skulls: A Warhammer: The Old World Podcast for more Warhammer goodness!