Many Dungeons and Dragons adventures feature the classic loop of a small settlement threatened by a nearby monster lair. Just as popular, however, are adventures set in fantasy cities where players might have to bend a law or two to save the day. Adventures that Beadle & Grimm’s Pandemonium Warehouse decided they want to support with their newest Kickstarter for a book called Skullduggery.
“In high school,” said Jon Ciccolini, Skullduggery Project Lead, “my friend played a rogue, and I would run him solo in games where he would be breaking into manors, stealing that which deserved to be stolen, and trying to escape with his life. The stakes were incredibly high because his character was all alone and he knew that one wrong misstep could lead to disaster. He was so enamored with the planning of the heist–I never forgot that and have been drawn to similar urban heist games ever since.”
While plundering a dungeon lair and stealing artifacts from a museum both have heist elements to them, Skullduggery looks into the other intrigues of adventures in urban environments. Cities are places of power and messing with the structure means coming into contact with people who have and wield influence. Stories set in cities go beyond clear cut good guys and bad guys.
“We’ve always been attracted to the wonderful potential for complicated stories filled with urban intrigue, political power struggles, warring factions, and varied guilds, all with their own goals”,” said Ciccolini. “Readers of the adventures in Skullduggery will no doubt sense the inspirational influence of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist and Baldur’s Gate: Descent Into Avernus (the early chapters). For sure there’s a taste of Lankhmar, the city from the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser stories by Fritz Leiber thrown in as well.”
Beadle & Grimm’s are known for their support of official D&D products. They recently published a collection of lethal adventures that includes many of the ones featured on their TV show Faster, Purple Worm, Kill, Kill. Backers of Skullduggery can opt for a simple book or for a deluxe boxed experience from some top names in the D&D world.
“Rob Ciccolini, Executive Producer for Dungeons & Dragons Online, has run a huge LARP in New England for decades,” said Ciccolini. “Rob has been DMing for even longer, having written up a bunch of new player options that spoke to him: gritty new urban subclasses, feats, backgrounds, equipment, and spells. Options that didn’t exist and that he thought filled a void. When he shared it with us we loved the flavor of his new options and saw the potential to add a whole section for GMs – adventures, NPCs, urban establishments and organizations and build it out as an urban fantasy supplement for both players and GMs.”
Skullduggery offers new sublcasses for the classes featured in the 2024 Players Handbook. That included everything from a sniper-like rogue to a warlock who serves Death itself. New subclasses are added b y backers through stretch goals.
Not only do [the subclasses] have such great story potential for the player and GM,” said Ciccolini, “but they also deliver fun and balanced abilities that present a cohesive concept. One of my personal favorites is the Sovereign Blood Sorcerer. When a noble line holds land for generations those nobles sometimes form a bond with the realm that holds magical power. Each Sorcerer’s noble line is defined by one of four possible distinctions: a house of Swords, a house of Cups, a house of Scepters, or a house of Pentacles, and the player’s choice of house defines the subclass powers that come along with it.”
On the Dungeon Master side, the book included new organizations, guilds and other element of city life that can be used as allies and antagonists. New weapons and gear can be given out as treasure or be set up as the oot to be stolen from the powerful. There’s even a full urban adventure to get the players wrapped up with the power players in shadow.
“The centerpiece for GMs is the adventure content, taking players from level 1 through 9,” said Ciccolini. “Our Establishments & Organizations section includes write-ups of different shops, markets, academies, organizations and guilds that could be dropped into any campaign setting. Each entry includes an overview, some fun details, and a short description of key associated NPCs. One of my personal favorites is The Burnt Haze, a private club in the Undercity filled with incense smoke and blindfolded employees, ensuring privacy for the most clandestine of meetings.”
Beadle and Grimm’s Skullduggery is on Kickstarter through Friday, September 19th 2025. The project is slated to deliver for backers in Q3 of next year with a full release to follow.
