For the short story see The City of Skulls (short story)

The City of Skulls (short story)

For the fantasy roleplaying adventure game see City of Skulls"The City of Skulls" is a short story written by Lin Carter and L. Sprague de Camp starring the fictional sword and sorcery hero Conan the Cimmerian created by Robert E...

The City of Skulls is an adventure module

Adventure (Dungeons & Dragons)

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, an adventure or module is a pre-packaged book or box set that helps the Dungeon Master manage the plot or story of a game...

 for the Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons

Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...

fantasy

Fantasy

Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...

 roleplaying game, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting

Campaign setting

A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...

.

Plot summary

The adventure takes place in the Kingdom of Furyondy

Furyondy

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Furyondy, properly known as the Kingdom of Furyondy, is a feudal kingdom of the Flanaess, and a successor state of Ferrond.-History:...

 and the Empire of Iuz following the Greyhawk Wars

Greyhawk Wars

In the Dungeons & Dragons World of Greyhawk campaign setting, the Greyhawk Wars raged across the whole of the Flanaess from 582-584 CY.-History:...

. The city referenced in the book's title is Dorakaa, the capital of Iuz

Iuz

In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Iuz is the chaotic evil demigod of Deceit, Evil, Oppression, Pain, and Wickedness. Iuz is variously called "The Old One" and "Old Wicked," among other titles. Unlike most Greyhawk deities, Iuz makes his home on...

's empire.

Publication history

The module bears the code WGR6 and was published by TSR, Inc.

TSR, Inc.

Blume and Gygax, the remaining owners, incorporated a new company called TSR Hobbies, Inc., with Blume and his father, Melvin Blume, owning the larger share. The former assets of the partnership were transferred to TSR Hobbies, Inc....

 in 1993 for the second edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules.

The module was written by Carl Sargent

Carl Sargent

Carl L. Sargent is a British author of several roleplaying game-based products and novels.-Early career:...

 with cover art by Jeff Easley

Jeff Easley

Jeff Easley is an oil painter who creates fantasy artwork in the tradition of Frank Frazetta.-Early life:...

 and interior art by Eric Hotz

Eric Hotz

-Early life and education:He was born in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada and studied at Simon Fraser University, Langara College, and Capilano College, mainly studying archaeology, art history, fine arts and commercial art.-Career:...

.

The publication was designed for use with the From the Ashes

From the Ashes (Dungeons & Dragons)

From the Ashes is a supplement for Dungeons & Dragonss World of Greyhawk campaign setting. It was published in 1992 by TSR as a boxed set of materials...

updated setting information for Greyhawk and Sargent's sourcebooks Iuz the Evil

Iuz the Evil

Iuz the Evil is a sourcebook for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game that describes the realms of the evil demi-god Iuz in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting...

and The Marklands

The Marklands

The Marklands is a sourcebook for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game that describes the realms of Furyondy, Highfolk, Nyrond in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting...

. None of these are strictly necessary for use of the module, however.

Reception

City of Skulls was ranked the 26th greatest Dungeons & Dragons adventure of all time by Dungeon

Dungeon (magazine)

Dungeon Adventures, or simply Dungeon, was a magazine targeting consumers of role-playing games, particularly Dungeons & Dragons. It was first published by TSR, Inc. in 1986 as a bimonthly periodical. It went monthly in May 2003 and ceased print publication altogether in September 2007 with Issue 150...

magazine in 2004, on the 30th anniversary of the Dungeons & Dragons game.

External links

The City of Skulls at the TSR Archive