Heckna! Campaign Setting (PDF)

Welcome to the carnival, where we are always smiling…

The sounds of revelry drift through the dark, cold forest, drawing wayward travelers to a place where the senses are delightfully and bewilderingly overwhelmed. Peering out from the top of the conifers is the blood-red spire of The Revelia, where wonder and fun awaits!

But underneath the sparkling lights and gleaming facade is a sinister underbelly of chaos and terror. The magical Revelia is the work of Heckna, a creative mastermind masquerading as a jovial ringleader. Some, however, are aware of Heckna’s ruse, including a hunter who will stop at nothing to dispatch Heckna — and destroy The Revelia — once and for all.

Travelers may believe that they find The Revelia by chance, but in fact, Heckna goes to great lengths to lure only the best and brightest to his carnival in his search for greater, more spectacular challenges. Many have tried — and failed — to escape from this carnival, but with the right brains, brawn, and alliances, even Heckna can be outmaneuvered.

Will characters see through the glitzy and glamorous charade, or fall prey to Heckna’s relentless torment and become a permanent member of The Revelia?

The World

A Heckna! campaign takes inspiration from classic court jesters, Victorian-era circuses and sideshows, and campy flicks from the 1980s. Heckna’s realm, called The Revelia, drifts in and out of different planes, and Heckna likes to collect “souvenirs” from every place he visits. While the campaign fits into any fantasy setting, you're sure to find other unique aspects of The Revelia that have been drawn from other planes, such as weird science, classic arcade games, and robotic automatons.

Rubes and Revelers

Humanoids trapped at The Revelia are known as rubes, and are the most common creatures there. However, but that identifier is generous, as many rubes eventually become clowns or monstrous hybrids in Heckna’s hands. Rubes are doomed to live out their days at The Revelia, unless they find a way to escape.

Revelers, on the other hand, are a part of The Revelia by choice. Whether they ran away and joined the carnival, or adopted Heckna as their patron, they revel in the outrageous, unlimited lifestyle that the ringleader and his Revelia offer, and help lull unsuspecting rubes into a false sense of security.

Schnozlings

Shnozlings are tiny blood-red aberrations that are a rube’s worst nightmare. Released by Snout, these round red parasites latch onto unsuspecting humanoids and infect them with a nasty corruption that eventually turns them into clown thralls. A shnozling is soft and sponge-like to the touch, although its grip on a nose is quite painful. To an average carnival attendee, the shnozlings may look rather silly, but those at The Revelia know the a round red nose smells like certain doom.

Children of the Candy Corn

Children of the Candy Corn are childlike aberrations that often roam in packs of two or three. They favor the Food Court, lurking near supplies of sugar or sweets, and are obsessed with candy. Always on a sugar high, these hyper tykes zoom around The Revelia being loud and mischievous. However, if confronted, these creatures become less childlike and much more frightening, removing their masks to reveal their monstrous form underneath. When angered, there is very little about their appearance that resembles a child.