[Review] "The Fungus Forest" Adventure For OSR-Compatable RPGs

I'm always on the lookout for a good adventure -- one that encompasses an unusual setting and give me as a GM plenty of options to vex and befuddle my players. One such megasetting is The Fungus Forest, a PWYW OSR-compatible adventure setting by Lee Reynoldson and Carl Nash. One note: Carl was kind enough to send me a review copy of the adventure to peruse and review.

This sizable adventure is 71 pages long and is compatible with Original, Basic, and Advanced versions of "the world's most popular fantasy RPG," so you can pretty much run it with any classic RPG or the myriad of clones and remakes we now have available. (Heck, this could be used for an awesome Mutant Future adventure as well.) The Fungus Forest takes place in a sprawling underground complex of caves, caverns, and crevasses created by a rushing underground river that has shaped the tunnels and rooms over thousands of years. Inside this complex, mold, mildew, and fungi of every size and shape have take root, bestowing the nickname found on the cover of the adventure. This place is HUGE. It encompasses more than 100 areas to explore covering well over 1 million square feet. (I did the math, and it checks out.) Just take a look at the map...

(The image here is deliberately small and out of focus to keep spoilers minimal.) 

The reasons the players might stumble across The Fungus Forest are left to the referee. In fact, a handy Rumor Chart might give them the impetus they need to seek it out. (But do the players ever really need a reason to go delving?) Once in the depths, there are plenty for them to investigate:

• There are seven different factions warring for control over the underworld kingdom: the fey, the goblins, the shroom-folk, and more...
• There are unusual and unique creatures to thwart or befriend (mostly thwart)...
• Fabulous riches await the brave and foolhardy, including the key to immortality!

My favorite adventures have always been the underground cave ones, but I've often found them to be somewhat lacking in "stuff to do." That isn't a problem with The Fungus Forest, as there are plenty of opportunities and encounters to last your players quite a while. (I'm deliberately avoid spoilers in this review, so excuse the vagueness.) And, in keeping with the fungus theme, there is also a Random Fungus Generator for a GM to create a new interesting 'shrooms on the fly (as well as the magical properties they may possess). Eight pages of unique creatures fill the back pages of the book, and a sizable fold-out map of the complex is also included.

Oh, and did I mention that this sprawling complex is pay what you want? So just a few dollars in donation will net you a 70+ page megadungeon. (Or download for free and pay later once you've had a chance to see for yourself!) Sniderman says, go check it out by clicking the link here or clicking the cover above!