The Belle of the Bog
Welcome to the proud steam boat Belle of the Bog!
A mirthful adventure site for Dragonbane and other old-school roleplaying systems. Join the strange captain and mysterious crew of the raucous steamboat that just made harbor in the fishing village of Cypress. There's lavish prizes to be won for those brave enough to roll the dice.
“Gosh, Belle of the Bog is a damned good module. I’m really impressed, given this is the author Tom Lagier’s first major effort. The unique setting is refreshing, it’s well organised, it’s interactive and full of fun and interesting characters, the visual design and especially the maps are excellent.”
- Idle Cartulary on the Playful Void
All Aboard the Belle!
The players begin in the fishing town of Cypress during the triennial spring festival, the Fête Debenet. On the first night of celebrations, a strange boat makes harbor and her captain invites revellers aboard.
The party-goers that return talk of elaborate cocktails, a hoppin' jazz band, delicious food, and abundant gambling. But something seems a little off about the festivities. Some townsfolk have gone missing, and others don't seem quite right after their time aboard.
The adventure begins on the third and final day of the Fête, as your players board the Belle of the Bog to get to the bottom of things.
What's in the book?
- 76 A5 pages of enchanted steamboat adventure.
- Hand-drawn maps of the four-decked Belle of the Bog paddle-steamer, including VTT-ready player maps.
- 28 keyed locations throughout the boat, with minimap.
- 14 whimsical NPCs with full details on behavior and motive, each with a background and quest hook.
- Two D20 random encounter tables for different circumstances on the Belle.
- 6 hooks to get the adventure going.
- Two different procedures for escalating circumstances on the Belle to keep the pressure high.
- Tables for random gamblers and crew members.
- 4 new monsters, including the bogmangler and skin-changing beaudag.
- Two gambling games - Bugs & Brutes, played with dice, and Guts, played with cards.
- 9 fully detailed magical items for navigating the land of the fae.
- 8 fabulous prizes for gamblers (or thieves) skilled enough to win them.
- Random tables for trash, trinkets, plants, food, and drink.
- An additional procedure for fishing, including a full page of fishables.
- Three pregenerated characters, with more available in an included PDF.
- 25 original black-and-white illustrations.
- PDF is bookmarked and internally linked.
What inspired this module?
Mark Twain, especially Life on the Mississippi, ghost and swamp tours in New Orleans, boo hag stories from the Gullah Geechee culture, Vaesen, the Brothers Grimm, Anansi stories.
About Taller Tales
"The Belle of The Bog" is my first full-length adventure module. It's been a passion project born out of my love for the Dragonbane system, my desire to tell some classic American stories, and my passion for lighthearted and whimsical characters. New Orleans is one of my favorite cities and the romance of classic steamboat adventures blended with a fairytale backdrop is something I think people will really enjoy.
Complimentary PDF will be included with purchase of hardcover!
If you just want the PDF, you can get it here.