Unsettling atmosphere? Count me in!

The Faceless Howl is a horror crawl that serves as an introduction for the Many Sought Adventure that we have reviewed previously, and also other OSR systems. Crafted by Kabuki Kaiser, this dark fantasy adventure is aimed at characters at levels 1 to 4, and is a copper bestseller on DriveThruRPG.

Disclaimer: We were provided with a free digital copy of this product.

The scenario

The adventurers find themselves in Bec-de-Corbin, a village surrounding a library called Lucubranium of Unobsolescence, which houses ancient tomes and relics. The supplement provides plot hooks to drop it in an ongoing campaign. The village is troubled by a supernatural threat that involves forgetting names and personalities and eventually becoming Half-faced. Half-Faced are pale and wrinkled figures, two failed saves away from becoming Howlers. Howlers are what is left when identities are lost, both physically and mentally. Their faces are blurred, their eyes are hollow, and their mouth never seems to close. As if that were not enough, the village is under the effect of constant rain and along with its abandoned streets, it truly resembles a dark fairy tale. The mystery will gradually unfold, and players must piece together all available information by exploration, speaking with the locals who do not suffer from memory loss, and finally moving into the Lucubranium, where it all started. The tone is melancholic and paranoid, especially since the players may suffer the same fate.

The adventure rewards the curious party. Information, unusual treasures, magic books and relics are bound inside the pages of the supplement. Some personal favourite titles are “The Gentle Art of Winning Arguments Against Ghosts”, “A Practical Guide to Becoming a Rumour” and “The Anatomy of a Joke, With Anatomical Errors”.

Encounters

The Faceless Howl does not rely on a fixed sequence of fights. Instead, it offers random tables for encounters, atmosphere and gossip, influenced by a Doomclock that grows whenever the party rests, fails something important or uses magic. – What a fitting name for said clock! But not all those result in combat, as for example a total of 10 will give you “The air reeks of honeyed menthol, cough syrup, and burnt sugar in one street“.

As for social encounters, the villagers are desperate as they repeat conversations, cling to routines, and are on the verge of losing themselves. They have their own problem to deal with, and motives too. There is an encounter with a father who cannot remember his own children, which I found truly disturbing and emotional. But it is undeniable that they play an important part in solving the mystery.

So what are the Faceless? The Faceless are immaterial creatures that feed upon ideas, names and eventually personalities. They are drawn to ancient knowledge and SPOILER, the ones behind the village’s curse. I already mentioned that Howlers are what happens when someone loses their identity, but they can also spread the curse to others.

Oh, and there is a Sphynx. Do you know the tale of the guardian who asks a riddle? Well, this one is sadly half-faced, but I advise you to not attack it on sight. That being said, many situations reward clever thinking and problem-solving rather than combat, totally matching the mystery theme of the story.

Layout & Art

The layout follows the black-and-white presentation of Many Sought Adventure. Pages are easy to navigate while maintaining the gloomy tone, and information is organised clearly through headers, tables, and carefully placed illustrations, making it easy to locate encounters, rumours and NPCs during the game. Important locations such as the village and the library are accompanied by maps, helping with visualising the party’s steps. The maps are practical and also presented in black and white, with numbered areas that are described in the document, in a simple but very effective way to ensure smooth navigation.

The art successfully blends fairy tales and horror in a very unique way. Similar to the story, the illustrations create a feeling of unease, which I find fitting for fading identities and horrors that hide within books.

Final thoughts

The Faceless Howl is a nice balance between mystery, horror, and human tragedy. If you enjoyed the world of Many Sought Adventure, then it’s a perfect recommendation. Will your characters uncover the truth before the curse consumes them?

Did I mention that it is currently discounted by 21%? I do now.

Stay crafty and don’t forget to remember,
Your new favourite author.

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