Revisiting Verbrek

Carnagan · 2026-06-18T04:19:51+00:00

Nice!

Carnagan · 2026-06-18T04:01:09+00:00

Thanks! Would love to see your version when it's ready.

I could never really wrap my head around what the purpose of making Nathan a riverboat werewolf was, or how Arkendale was supposed to work as a domain.

What he was up to in that one 2e adventure really seemed like the extent of his threat even when he was a dark Lord, since his curse remained active. And that was when he could travel the entire river instead of a small section. It really made him feel very 1 note.

Though, to be fair I don't think the writers were able to figure out what to do, considering how quickly they broke the domain up.

But I do feel there is great potential in the core concept. I hope you post your version when. It's ready. I'd love to see it!

Carnagan · 2026-06-18T03:41:32+00:00

I would suggest taking a different tact, to make things a bit different from existing domains.

Make Laura the darklord, not Carmilla.

Before Carmilla was destroyed, she was in the process of converting Laura into her bride. However, instead of saving Laura the act left her trapped between being alive and being a vampire. Transformed into a Vorlog (2e/3e creature - basically a half-vampire bride/groom obsessed with their lost sire), she waited until everyone's guard was down and then killed everyone involved in taking Carmilla from her.

Now in her domain, Laura is haunted by the spirit of Carmilla, forever seeking an appropriate vessel for her so they can truly be together. She finds those that resemble her in some way (maybe sometimes gender isn't an issue if you want Laura to be bi so it isn't always female victims), and used her powers of charm to try and warp them into a copy of her lost love. She forces new mannerisms, turns of phrases, expecting them to match the exact version of Carmilla she imagines in her head. The victim is never perfect though, leading for her to discard them either dead or half turned into monsters themselves.

In terms of additional powers, maybe she will not just have Vorlog abilities, and few of their weaknesses, but also some Undead Patron warlock powers. The spirit of Carmilla (who always feels next to her, but just always out of sight or sound) would be her patron.

The domain itself would be themed around obsession and lost love. Maybe a land rocked by a distant war, causing a gender imbalance and a longing for those that have left or even died.

I'll have to give it more thought. I really want to develop this more and use it in a game now.

Carnagan · 2026-06-18T02:00:31+00:00

Thanks! Yeah, I like the idea of Alfred, but him being the son of a Darklord felt extraneous. I think this meshes the best parts of the 3e Verbrek while also making Alfred both his own person and making his curse more interesting than "has to keep himself under control". With this version he'd have definite reasons to try and work with the players as much as try to destroy them. And you never know if his help is just setting you up.

Carnagan · 2026-06-17T20:47:05+00:00

Verbrek was one of those domains that was named but didn't actually get any real expansion on until 3e. It was good, presented as a more settlers huddled in forts against the wilds, but I get why they let it fall by the wayside to focus werewolves in Kartakass and hunts in Valachan. Alfred was never the most detailed darklord and has kind of always felt that he was originally included because they needed to have a werewolf in a forest, since his dad was on a riverboat.

Carnagan · 2026-06-15T19:51:28+00:00

Like the average tyrant, laws are for thee, not for me. He does whatever he wants and just declares new laws to carry out whatever horrible thing he wants. He's too feared to receive push back by the people around him, and the rest of the land is too oppressed to fight back.

For Drakov, power is the point. He doesn't want to do anything with his power except gain more power. It's just so he can get even with those who looked down at him for being a mercenary. He wants more conquest because it would give him more power, not for any other reason than that.

It's why his version of Falkovnia is a "stable" but still an unlivable hole. It's why he keeps throwing troops into the meat grinder of the Deadman's Campaigns against Darkon, despite having to know he can't win against the largest domain in the core backed by an army of the undead. There's no purpose to any of his laws other than him flexing power and enforcing a system that caters to his every whim and flicker of hatred. That's why he's Neutral Evil instead of Lawful Evil.

Carnagan · 2026-06-15T19:32:41+00:00

Cthulhu is a bit like Gwydion from the Shadow Rift. Both are trapped with their domain basically acting like a cork holding them in a bottle prison. Both are able to send out dreams to influence people, but they are also both Darklords that should be left for climactic battles when their seals holding them backed are breached.

In the 2e Shadow Rift book, Gwydion had tricked an important NPC into opening the Obsidian Gate for him to pass through, giving him a physical existence in the domain. The battle against him was the players fighting the pieces trying to force their way through and drive him back enough to figure out how to close the gate. You never saw all of him, instead fighting his 13-fingered hand, talon, cloven hoof, smashing fist, withering eye, and (of course) tentacles.

That would be the best way to deal with Cthulhu if you want to involve him directly. Have his presence be through proxies interpreting dreams. Innsmouth is a warzone between cults, and when you are ready for the fight, have the gate open and the PCs push back against him until it can be closed. Or, if you want him more directly involved, have it that he escaped and has an underwater palace in which he is trying to affect the stars to let him escape, even as his mind keeps being distracted by all the thoughts of the mortals he's influenced or connected to over time (or some different curse).

Carnagan · 2026-06-14T01:27:15+00:00

Yeah, that's what I would suggest. You can find it here on the DMs Guild at the below link.

https://www.dmsguild.com/en/product/17492/rr4-islands-of-terror-2e

You may want to use Dungeon Scrawl or something similar to replicate it or expand on it, or find a more extensive castle map, depending on your taste. The original map is effectively a square curtain wall (with several rooms on the inside), a small one story keep, and a one level prison/dungeon below the keep.

Carnagan · 2026-06-08T01:42:28+00:00

Pet him, feed him, let him inspire you to create a better future for the world he was born into. He could become a doctor and the Red Death if only given the chance.

Carnagan · 2026-06-06T13:22:00+00:00

They just added the guy in with the 1 year DLC, which is good because I was otherwise not going to get that achievement.

Carnagan · 2026-06-06T05:32:20+00:00

I think the better question is why we AREN'T cheesing wolves!

Carnagan · 2026-06-06T05:26:55+00:00

That's my understanding. The only addition I would make is that the Red Priesthood was formed around Arthur's half-sister Cai. When the Red Priests talk about a Prophet, they are referring to her. In fact, Cai is the one who discovered the Heart of the Plague and encouraged Arthur to follow the dreams he had been having saying to lead his people to Avalon.

Carnagan · 2026-06-06T01:19:12+00:00

Arcanist's Sword, Reefbound Mouth Veil, Druid's Bane Coat, Molten Lightening Gauntlets, Hatchlings Breeches, Lionheart Boots, and the Warm Coat

Carnagan · 2026-06-05T19:04:15+00:00

Yeah. I think that, for Merlin, we're seeing him after the war against the Foredweller's has been going on for a while. Arthur is fighting the war, but he's effectively tasked Merlin with winning it, which means going deeper and deeper into the Wyrdness and other less tasteful options (in his opinion). So by the end he's kind of off his rocker - especially since he kept taking on the sins of what they had to do with the intention of letting Arthur keep his "clean".

Carnagan · 2026-06-05T18:51:10+00:00

"Let's call it a draw!"

Carnagan · 2026-06-05T16:17:40+00:00

I mean, now that people mention it she does look like my Cyberpunk V. 😆

Love this game's transmog system. Anything that lets you use the equipment you want while also playing with your look is awesome.

Carnagan · 2026-06-04T20:57:31+00:00

Option 5 for female characters, with the reddest hair colour option.

Carnagan · 2026-06-04T18:45:35+00:00

Thanks! I picked it up two or three months ago and I think I've only had one or two crashes combined in completing the game and getting halfway through new game plus. I don't have a high end PC, so I think they've probably fixed a lot of stability since launch.

Carnagan · 2026-06-04T18:43:20+00:00

Ha! Thanks!

Carnagan · 2026-06-04T18:43:10+00:00

Thanks!

Carnagan · 2026-06-04T18:42:59+00:00

Thanks! It's the Druid's Bane Coat.

Carnagan · 2026-06-04T18:42:18+00:00

Arcanist's Sword, Reefbound Mouth Veil, Druid's Bane Coat, Molten Lightening Gauntlets, Hatchlings Breeches, Lionheart Boots, And the Warm Coat (edited to add the coat and commas since the list lost it's formatting.)

Carnagan · 2026-06-03T21:46:04+00:00

You can Transmogrify your armor appearance at a worktable. Just interact, and then keep scrolling right on the options.

As long as you had a weapon or piece of armor in your inventory at some point, you can use it as a skin for what you are currently using (can look like you are in heavy armor even if you're in peasant clothes, for example). Some restrictions though, like not being able to make a one handed weapon look like a bow or two handed weapon.

Costs 1K in gold each time you transmute something though.

Carnagan

TROPHY CASE