In preparing for our treks through this adventure, Richard and I each wrote pre-Session 0 notes for our players. Believing this information might be helpful for other GMs, we decided to combine our notes into a general campaign brief that can be used by any table interested in running Empire of the Ghouls.

This campaign brief is a handout GMs can give players before or during Session 0, and it provides an overview of the campaign, gives five truths about it, and lists some factions and deities that appear in the adventure or who are closely tied to the adventure. If you were on the fence about starting up your own game of Empire of the Ghouls, we hope this campaign brief encourages you to try it!

Content Warning: This adventure features themes of cannibalism, body horror, gore, racism, slavery, sex- and blood-themed cults, unholy rituals, physical restraint, murder, death, undeath, decay, sacrifice, rats, and crawling insects, as the players play epic heroes fighting against these forces. Some areas of the story call on the heroes to make compromises or tough decisions for the “greater” good.

Download the campaign brief right here for free:

For extra encouragement, check out the Rampant Roach menu I wrote for my game. Use it in your own game when serving kobold cuisine to your players!

The Rampant Roach Menu

Starters                        …2 cp

Fried Frog Legs

A dozen frog legs fried in lard

Rat Kabobs

Four rats smoked on small spits for three hours

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Soups                       …4 cp

Hoppin’ Happy Soup

Rich and creamy tadpole and pea soup

Smooth and Crunchy Bisque

Spider and pumpkin bisque topped with crunchy, baked spider legs

Squeak ‘n Hops

Chunks of rat and rabbit slowly cooked with root vegetables in a rich, rat tail gravy

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Salads                       …2 cp

Grubby Grub Salad

Fresh, local greens topped with carrots and plenty of still-living grubs tossed in a white wine vinaigrette

Tall Tail Salad

Fresh, local greens with roasted beets and rat tails topped with oil and vinegar

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Main Dishes                       …6 cp

Hare Brisket

Baked rabbit brisket with roasted peppers, beets, and carrots

Slimy Yet Satisfying

Buttered beetle and earthworm sandwich served with a side of baked sweet potato slices

Squeak ‘n Squawk

Chunks of rat and raven marinated in a creamy, garlic sauce with carrots and peas and baked in a buttery pie crust

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Desserts                       …4 cp

Chocolate Larva Cake

Rich and decadent chocolate cake with a molten larva jam and honey center

Slice of Carrot Cake

Spicy and moist carrot cake with pecans and a velvety cream cheese frosting

Sweet and Crunchy

Baked sweet potato with a sprinkle of walnuts and a spoonful of honey

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Beverages                       …1 cp

Cave O’ Cola

Extremely fizzy, non-alcoholic beverage made with a dozen random spices and water from springs beneath the Cartways. Recipe changes weekly!

Stalagmite Dew

Fizzing, pale ale with notes of sweet potatoes and honey

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Sides                       …1 cp

Mashed Radishes

Mashed Turnips

Toasted Roach Flour Bread with Jicama Jelly