Hacking terminals or avoiding killer robots with implanted memories in a ruined office building doesn't scream D&D, but that's why Project_Lamordia is so fascinating.
Teased earlier this month with an eerie trailer that felt equal parts Resident Evil and Control, it's a short digital adventure book available now via D&D Beyond that takes place in a modern setting. This isn't your usual swords and sorcery quest; it's survival horror set in a world of heartless corporations and science gone wrong.
Project_Lamordia combines a present-day setting guide with three one-shot adventures that tip players headfirst into Mordenheim Kinetics, a morally-compromised company which promises longevity through tech. Here, the super-rich can upload their consciousness into robot-bodies via ethically dodgy practices… and of course, it's all gone wrong. We're now stuck in the middle of this horror show, and our job is to escape.
This adventure is based on the Frankenstein-esque Lamordia, as seen in Ravenloft: Horrors Within. This is a setting guide that explores worlds inspired by classic horror tropes, and it's available at a discount right now via Amazon.
I've worked my way through the book, and it's an interesting read. Project_Lamordia isn't perfect, but it is a breath of fresh air. Modern-day trappings change the atmosphere more than I'd expected, whether it's tales of corporate espionage or rerouting power in a flooded lab. The visual design is a similar heel-turn; besides font and computer-coded graphics that wouldn't be out of place on a Fallout terminal, its artwork of creepy office buildings and futuristic corridors with panel lighting are a radical departure from D&D's usual style. It does a lot to signal that this isn't your usual Dungeons & Dragons story.
Speaking of which, the adventures themselves are a similar change of pace. A lot more emphasis is placed on isolation, atmosphere, and character – the cast is small, but each one-shot hinges around a different villain with their own unsettling flaws. Because you're encouraged to play Survivors (characters with very low health and limited abilities), combat also feels far more dangerous.
While I think these adventures could push the envelope further and won't hold up to true horror experiences like Alien RPG Evolved Edition, they do a good job of unsettling you. Plus, their bitesize nature does mean you can feasibly finish them in a single sitting – perfect for a Halloween games night if you don't fancy learning a new system.
Personally, this makes me eager to see more D&D adventures in a modern world… or at the least, a setting that isn't high fantasy. Project_Lamordia doesn't always knock it out of the park, but it's a very strong elevator pitch.
Elsewhere in the world of tabletop RPGs, D&D Star Wars looking so much like Rogue has me excited. As for horror, a terrifying campaign version of our favorite horror board game got fully funded in just 54 seconds.
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