Sorcerous Scrutinies: Sky ov Crimson Flame

 Sky ov Crimson Flame

A 0-level DCC Adventure by Thorin Thompson

You dust yourself off from the horrors of the ruined keep’s catacombs, only to stumble into a courtyard of chaos.  A ritual flares atop a nearby tower, cultists mutilate themselves, and their bodies transmogrify into unspeakable horrors.  You clutch your pitchfork, and pray… 

What It Is

Sky ov Crimson Flame, from Thorin Thompson and Owl Knight Publishing, is a horrific DCC funnel that stands proudly alongside Sailors on the Starless Sea.  Peasants storm an ancient keep to stop a dark ritual, but here the tone veers toward 80’s splatter horror (think Evil Dead 2) with body horror dialed up. It’s a rich standalone, and a bridge to its sequel hexcrawl, Blights ov the Eastern Forest.

 The module is packed with interesting encounters, but runs smoothly in 4-6 hours.  I stretched it to three sessions with my group, encouraging exploration.  The pacing and flow feel natural, making it an easy run for any Judge.

At The Table

This adventure shines in its gonzo encounters.  Early highlights include the crucified corpse whose head rips free to become a flying monstrosity (B-1), and the ‘head-bats’ who appear shortly thereafter rigged with explosives (C-2).  The art supports the horror perfectly.

The lore surfaces in quieter rooms within the keep: Roulreed’s chamber, tattered banners in the dark hallways, or the hidden Altar of Law. My table especially enjoyed the Butcher encounter (3-1) and convincing Sir Anatos to join them against Silvallum (3-5).

The Library (2-2) was unforgettable: a cheesemonger PC disintegrated himself on the “Soul Machine,” leaving behind crystal shards. A lucky roll let him wield the largest one as the blade Jean-Luc, a weapon that served him until the end of our year-long campaign.

The Shambling Flesh Mass (D) is a brilliant, brutal boss, eight actions per turn balanced by clever weaknesses for the PCs to find. It pushed my players to burn luck, which is exactly what funnels should do. The tower ritual finale (E-2) can resolve in multiple satisfying ways: kill Belesa early, or let her complete the ritual and unleash chaos itself. Both runs at my table delivered.

Judge Takeaways

• Tie in PC’s extended families for personal stakes,

• Assign Belesa’s affection to a confident roleplayer for drama.

• Don’t forget the Crimson Die when a 0-level goes down!

• Consider allowing one 0-level per player to advance to level 1 before the finale if things look dire.  

• Stock a few spare premade 0-levels for room 3-2 if things aren’t going well.

Conclusion

Sky ov Crimson Flame belongs on the Mount Rushmore of DCC funnels. It combines scope, lore, and gonzo body horror with smart encounter design and meaningful choices. The direct tie to its sequel makes it even more attractive.  I’ll be covering Blights ov the Eastern Forest soon!