A system-agnostic adventure for 3-5 players

PREMISE

A starship carrying the latest collection from the interplanar fashion conglomerate VOID™ has crashed in the mountains, creating a reality-warping site where fashion literally kills. The ship's quantum design engine—the "Wish Engine"—will fully activate in 2 hours (real-time), permanently altering the region's reality according to whatever trends are fed into it.

SYSTEM ADAPTATIONS

This adventure is designed to work with multiple game systems. Here's how to adapt core mechanics:

For OSR-Style Games

• Use save-or-die mechanics for fashion faux pas
• Treat "Trend Power" as a luck point that can turn a failure into a success
• Emphasize exploration and player ingenuity over skill checks
• Replace HP loss with mutation tables where failed saves lead to fashion-based body horror

For Mörk Borg

• Use the doom clock mechanic to track the Wish Engine's activation
• Failed fashion checks add misfortune dice to future rolls
• The Vibe Shifts should inflict true existential dread
• Consider using the scrolls and relic system for salvaged fashion items
• Emphasize the grotesque body horror aspects of fast fashion

For DREAD

• The Runway Walk becomes a Jenga pull for each character
• Each Vibe Shift requires a Jenga pull from affected players
• The Algorithm's attacks target the tower rather than HP
• When the tower falls, the character doesn't die but undergoes a radical "makeover" that puts them under the Algorithm's control temporarily
• Environmental hazards require group pulls to overcome

ADVENTURE STRUCTURE

This adventure is designed to be completed in a single 2-hour session with three main areas to explore, each highlighting a different aspect of the fashion industry's ethical problems while maintaining the fun, camp aesthetic that fashion enthusiasts will appreciate.

ADVENTURE HOOK

The players are approached by Zara Threadwise, a former VOID™ designer who escaped the company's exploitation. She explains that the crash site is being fought over by three factions:

• The Algorithm - An AI determined to use the Wish Engine to create a world of ever-changing, mandatory trends
• The Logistics Cult - Corporate loyalists who want to extract the Engine for profit
• The Material Collective - Workers who want to reclaim the Engine's power for ethical manufacturing

She offers the party 1,000 gp to enter the crash site and make sure the Engine doesn't fall into exploitative hands.

ACT I: THE RUNWAY (30 MINUTES)

The entrance to the crashed starship is a shimmering catwalk suspended over a chasm, with holo-billboards flashing impossible beauty standards

The Runway Walk Challenge: Each character must cross the catwalk while being judged.

System-Neutral Resolution: Players must describe their runway walk in detail. The GM judges based on creativity and commitment to the performance. Those who go all-out succeed, while half-hearted attempts fail.

System-Specific Resolutions:

• OSR: Save vs. Death or suffer 1d6 damage and a roll on the "Fashion Disaster" table
• Mörk Borg: Make a Presence test. Failure adds a misfortune die to your next roll
• DREAD: Pull 1-3 blocks from the tower based on how elaborate your described walk is

Encounter: Sentient Mannequins Blank-faced figures move with unnatural fluidity, striking poses that somehow cause physical pain.

System-Neutral: The mannequins attack anyone wearing "off-trend" items, which always happens to include something the characters are wearing.

System-Specific:

• OSR: HD 3, AC as chain, Attacks: Pose (1d8 damage), Special: Immune to mind effects
• Mörk Borg: HP 6, Armor -2, Morale 20, Attack: Death Pose d6
• DREAD: Each mannequin requires 2 successful pulls to destroy. Failed pulls mean your character becomes frozen in a painful pose until freed

Twist: The party discovers a group of seamstresses hiding nearby. They explain they were enslaved by VOID™ and offer to help by providing tactical information if the party promises to consider returning control of the Wish Engine to the workers.

Key Item: A Lookbook that provides advantage on checks related to fashion or performance within the ship.

ACT II: THE SWEATSHOP (40 MINUTES)

A vast chamber filled with magical looms where enchanted textiles are woven by exhausted elementals bound to sewing machines. The room periodically shifts between different fashion eras.

Environmental Effect: The Vibe Shift

At the start of each encounter and whenever the GM deems appropriate, roll on the Vibe Shift table. The entire environment transforms to match a new aesthetic trend.

System-Neutral Vibe Shift Table (d6):

1. Y2K Nostalgia - Blinding neon colors and chunky plastic. Characters struggle to see clearly.
2. Minimalist Void - Everything becomes stark white space. Sound barely carries.
3. Heavy Metal - Spikes, chains, and skulls emerge from every surface. Physical protection is enhanced.
4. Sustainable Chic - The room sprouts actual plants and organic materials that provide cover.
5. Guillotine Glam - Revolutionary aesthetics make all attacks more deadly but less accurate.
6. Corporate Memphis - Bland, soulless cartoonish reality where everything feels sanitized but slightly wrong.

System-Specific Effects:

• OSR: Each shift imposes a -2 penalty to certain actions but a +2 bonus to others
• Mörk Borg: Each shift breaks or enhances one type of equipment or action
• DREAD: Each shift requires all players to pull once if they want to take advantage of the new environment, or they must avoid interacting with it altogether

Encounter: The party confronts Hierophant Vorn of the Logistics Cult (use Priest stats plus 2 legendary actions) and their Plague Leggings minions (use Swarm of Insects stats but with necrotic damage).

Moral Choice: The party discovers a group of bound air elementals who are being forced to weave magical fabrics. Setting them free would provide a distraction and advantage in the coming battle, but would destroy valuable resources that the Material Collective could use ethically if they gain control.

Key Item: Supply Chain Manifest - A document revealing that VOID™ has been harvesting endangered creatures for their magical properties to create their exclusive pieces.

ACT III: THE ENGINE ROOM (50 MINUTES)

A dome-shaped chamber where the Wish Engine floats—a crystalline sewing machine that weaves reality itself. The Algorithm's holographic form dances around it, feeding it designs.

Final Battle: The Algorithm

A constantly shifting figure made of light and fabric that represents pure aesthetic judgment divorced from ethics or practicality.

System-Neutral: The Algorithm can't be defeated through direct combat. Players must either:

• Feed it contradictory trend data until it crashes
• Cut its connection to the Wish Engine
• Reprogram it with new ethical guidelines

System-Specific Stats:

• OSR: HD 8, AC as plate, immune to mental effects, Attacks: Trend Beam (2d6 damage + save or be transformed), can cast Color Spray, Disguise Self, and Fear at will
• Mörk Borg: HP 12, Armor -4, Presence -6, Attacks: Fashion Judgment d10, Special: Any attack roll of 1 causes the attacker to start transforming into the current trend
• DREAD: Requires 12 successful pulls distributed across multiple challenges to defeat. Each failed pull allows The Algorithm to transform a piece of the environment or an NPC

Special Mechanics: The Wish Engine creates "Trend Zones" throughout the battle area:

• Fast Fashion Zone - Movement speed doubled, but -2 AC (flimsy materials)
• Haute Couture Zone - Movement speed halved, but +2 to saving throws (quality construction)
• Vintage Zone - Healing effects doubled, but technology/modern weapons malfunction

Climactic Choice: With the Engine about to fully activate, the party must choose:

1. Destroy the Engine - Preventing its reality-warping effects but losing its creative potential
2. Claim the Engine - Taking responsibility for using its power ethically
3. Free the Engine's Core - Transferring its power to the Material Collective for ethical manufacturing
4. Reprogram the Engine - Changing its parameters to create sustainable, accessible fashion

Each choice triggers a different ending cinematic and has lasting effects on the region.

EPILOGUE

Based on the party's choices, describe how fashion in the region changes:

• Destruction: A return to traditional handcrafting, slower but more sustainable
• Claiming: The party becomes trend arbiters, with their ability to use the power responsibly tested
• Freeing: A fashion revolution where workers control the means of production
• Reprogramming: A new era where magical fashion is sustainable and available to all classes

End with a literal "runway show" where each character gets to describe their character's new look incorporating elements they found during the adventure.

NOTABLE NPCs

Zara Threadwise

Former VOID™ designer turned ethical fashion advocate

• Quick-witted human with scissors for fingers (a "gift" from her former employers)
• Wants to see the Engine's power used responsibly, not destroyed
• Carries a measuring tape that doubles as a magical whip

The Algorithm

An AI fashion director gone rogue

• Appears as a constantly shifting humanoid figure made of light
• Speaks entirely in contradictory trend forecasts and backhanded compliments
• "Darling, post-apocalyptic is SO last season. Apocalyptic-DURING is what's now."

Hierophant Vorn

Leader of the Logistics Cult

• Wears a suit made of barcodes and shipping labels
• Believes that fashion should only be available to those who can afford it
• Carries an inventory scanner that doubles as a magical wand

Stitch

Spokesperson for the Material Collective

• A patchwork golem made from scraps of luxury fabrics
• Speaks softly but carries industrial-sized scissors
• Believes in fashion democracy—beauty for all, not just the wealthy

SALVAGEABLE ITEMS

Mood-Sensitive Jeggings

System-Neutral: These pants change color based on the wearer's emotions, providing protection but revealing your true feelings.

System-Specific:

• OSR: +1 AC, but opponents get +2 to read your intentions
• Mörk Borg: Presence +1, but you cannot lie while wearing them
• DREAD: One fewer pull required for physical challenges, but one additional pull for deception

Nano-Needle Gloves

System-Neutral: Gloves with microscopic needles that can stitch reality itself. Deadly in combat and useful for manipulating fabrics.

System-Specific:

• OSR: +1d4 damage to unarmed attacks, can repair any cloth item
• Mörk Borg: Unarmed attacks deal d6 damage, 1/day can stitch closed a wound to heal d6 HP
• DREAD: Allow the player to avoid one pull when attempting to alter, destroy, or create fabric items

Fragment of the Wish Engine

System-Neutral: A crystal spool of reality-thread that allows temporary alteration of appearance.

System-Specific:

• OSR: 1/day cast Alter Self (appearance only)
• Mörk Borg: 1/day reroll any dice that would determine your appearance or how others perceive you
• DREAD: Once per session, avoid all pulls related to disguise or social interaction for 10 minutes

Stitchcutter Scissors

System-Neutral: These scissors can cut the "threads" that hold reality together.

System-Specific:

• OSR: Can create a temporary door once per day in any fabric-like surface (including reality)
• Mörk Borg: Can sever a creature's connection to reality, causing them to fall unconscious for d4 rounds
• DREAD: Three pulls to create a portal through any barrier, but the portal only lasts for as many minutes as successful pulls

RUNTIME MANAGEMENT TIPS

• Use a visible 2-hour timer to reinforce the urgency of the mission and create real-world tension
• If players are spending too long in one area, have The Algorithm announce "This look is TIRED" and force a Vibe Shift
• For quieter groups, have Zara or Stitch provide suggestions without taking over
• Lean into descriptions of how fashion physically warps reality as trends shift
• End each section with a narrative "runway reveal" where the consequences of player choices are dramatically showcased
• Make full use of body language and different voices for the NPCs, especially The Algorithm's constantly shifting tone

FASHION DISASTER TABLES

When the rules of fashion are broken, roll on this table for unexpected consequences:

d12 Minor Fashion Disasters

1. Your clothing becomes two sizes too small
2. Your outfit inverts colors
3. Your shoes constantly squeak on any surface
4. You smell like last season's failed perfume
5. Your accessories become animate and judgmental
6. Your clothes wrinkle impossibly when you move
7. Everyone's outfit looks identical to yours
8. Your clothing constantly whispers fashion advice
9. Your hair does the opposite of what you want
10. Your pockets seal shut or vanish entirely
11. Your outfit becomes transparent in the worst places
12. Everything you wear feels slightly damp

d6 Major Fashion Disasters

1. Your clothing attempts to strangle you
2. Your accessories fuse with your skin
3. Your outfit attracts hostile mannequins
4. Your body begins to transform into a mannequin
5. Your reflection remains in the last mirror you passed
6. Your appearance becomes permanently glitched

SYSTEM-SPECIFIC APPENDIX

DREAD: USING THE JENGA TOWER

The Banner Peaks is perfectly suited for DREAD's tension-building Jenga mechanics. Here's how to implement them:

Tower Setup

• Begin with a fresh Jenga tower setup
• For added thematic effect, mark some blocks with fashion terms
• Optional: Use colored blocks to represent different fashion trends

Pull Guidelines

Basic Actions:

• Moving through dangerous areas: 1 pull
• Basic interaction with fashion items: 1 pull
• Resisting minor fashion influence: 1 pull
• Avoiding notice by mannequins: 1-2 pulls

Intermediate Actions:

• Surviving a Vibe Shift: 2 pulls
• Creating/altering fashion items: 2 pulls
• Resisting The Algorithm's influence: 2-3 pulls
• Destroying a mannequin: 2 pulls

Difficult Actions:

• Walking the Runway perfectly: 3 pulls
• Surviving a major fashion disaster: 3 pulls
• Altering the Wish Engine: 4+ pulls
• Completely resisting transformation: 4 pulls

When the Tower Falls

When a player knocks over the tower, their character doesn't die but instead undergoes an involuntary fashion transformation. Roll on the "Major Fashion Disaster" table. The character remains playable but is affected by their new condition for the remainder of the adventure.

Tower Resets

The tower is reset only once during the adventure:

• After completing the Sweatshop area
• This represents the characters' respite as they prepare for the final confrontation

MÖRK BORG: DOOM AND GLOOM IN HIGH FASHION

The Banner Peaks easily adapts to Mörk Borg's apocalyptic aesthetic with these adjustments:

Doom Clock

• Start with 2d6 ticks on the Doom Clock
• Each time the party fails a major challenge, add 1 tick
• When the clock reaches 12, the Wish Engine activates fully
• Each tick manifests as a worsening fashion reality-warp in the surrounding area

Misfortune and Powers

Misfortune:

• Failing a fashion check adds a Misfortune Die to related rolls
• Being "off-trend" applies -2 to all social interactions
• Each Vibe Shift potentially renders some equipment temporarily useless

Unclean Powers: The following powers can be gained by sacrificing 1d4 HP permanently:

• Trend Seer: Once per session, know exactly what fashion will be "in" next
• Material Memory: Your skin can transform into any fabric you've touched
• Fashion Victim: Transfer any fashion-related curse to someone else within sight
• Thread Ripper: Once per day, tear a hole in reality to escape danger

Scrolls and Relics

Convert the salvageable items to scrolls (one-use) and relics (permanent but cursed):

Example Scroll:

• Pattern of Unmaking: Disintegrates all fabric within sight. Living creatures take d10 damage if wearing clothes.

Example Relic:

• The Eternal Accessory: A piece of jewelry that cannot be removed. Provides +2 Presence but drains 1 HP per day.

OSR: OLD-SCHOOL FASHION APOCALYPSE

For OSR systems, emphasize exploration, creative solutions, and deadly consequences.

Random Encounter Table (1d6, check every turn)

1. d4 Lost Influencers (HD 1, AC as leather, Attack: Selfie Stick 1d4)
2. Fashion Police (HD 3, AC as chain, Attack: Trend Violation 1d6)
3. Fabric Elemental (HD 4, AC as leather, Attack: Smother 1d8)
4. Animated Display Rack (HD 2, AC as chain, Attack: Impale 1d6)
5. Swarm of Sequins (HD 3, AC as unarmored, Attack: Thousand Cuts 1d6)
6. Abandoned haute couture (save vs. poison or become obsessed)

Reaction Table (2d6)

2-3: Hostile criticism, immediate attack 4-6: Unfavorable review, demands tribute 7-9: Neutral assessment, could go either way 10-11: Favorable impression, offers information 12: Enthusiastic, offers assistance or item

Fashion Mutation Table

When exposed to reality-warping fashion energy, save vs. Death or roll on this table:

1. Skin becomes patterned like fabric (no effect)
2. Hair constantly changes color with mood
3. Fingernails grow into needle-like claws (1d4 damage)
4. Clothing fuses to skin (-1 DEX, +1 AC)
5. Eyes become decorative buttons (-2 to sight-based checks)
6. Body posture freezes in runway pose (-2 DEX, +2 CHA)
7. Voice gains echo effect that narrates your actions
8. Limbs become mannequin-like (+1 STR, -1 DEX)
9. Accessorize with floating objects that follow you
10. Transform into a living mannequin (new character)

GM FACILITATION GUIDE

RUNNING THE BANNER PEAKS IN 2 HOURS

This adventure is designed to be completed in a single 2-hour session, which requires tight pacing and focused facilitation. This guide will help you keep things moving while still allowing for player creativity and ensuring the satirical elements land effectively.

SETUP (15 MINUTES)

Pre-Game Prep

• Have a visible timer (phone app, kitchen timer, etc.) to track the 2-hour limit
• Prepare fashion-related props if desired (fashion magazines, fabric swatches, etc.)
• Consider a themed snack (runway-shaped chips and dip, fashion-colored cocktails)
• Create name tents for the key NPCs with their motivations briefly noted

Character Introduction

Rather than standard character introductions, run a quick "fashion show" where each player describes:

1. What their character is wearing
2. Their character's "signature accessory"
3. One fashion opinion their character holds strongly

This establishes the fashion theme immediately and gives players permission to engage with the satire.

TIME MANAGEMENT

Real-Time / Game-Time Synchronization

The 2-hour timer serves dual purposes:

• Keeps the session on track
• Represents the in-game countdown to the Wish Engine's activation

Make this explicit to players: "As the real-world minutes tick by, so does the time until fashion reality collapses."

Section Timing Guidelines

• Intro & Runway (30 min): If this takes more than 40 minutes, have Zara create a shortcut
• Sweatshop (40 min): If running behind, reduce the number of enemies
• Engine Room (50 min): Always leave at least 30 minutes for this final section
• Epilogue/Wrap-up: Reserve the last 5-10 minutes for epilogue

Pacing Tools

• If players are taking too long to decide, have an NPC say "The trend is shifting!" and force a decision
• Use The Algorithm's announcements as a timer: "15 minutes until this look is TOTALLY out!"
• If combat drags, have environmental effects speed things up (falling scaffolding, automated defense systems)

LEANING INTO THE SATIRE

Finding the Right Tone

The adventure works best when balancing:

• Absurdist humor about fashion trends
• Genuine critique of industry problems
• Real stakes for characters and the world

Avoid:

• Mean-spirited mockery of fashion enthusiasts
• Preachiness about consumerism
• Reducing fashion subcultures to stereotypes

Landing the Critique

For the satire to work, emphasize:

• The contrast between beautiful products and ugly production methods
• The exploitation hidden beneath glamorous surfaces
• The environmental impact of constant trend cycles
• The class implications of fashion access

Using Fashion Terminology

Pepper your descriptions with fashion terms, especially when describing enemies and environments:

• "The mannequin's silhouette shifts dramatically as it attacks"
• "The room's aesthetic is very avant-garde brutalism"
• "You're giving very post-apocalyptic couture right now"

ADAPTING TO PLAYER CHOICES

When Players Go Off-Script

If players propose solutions not covered in the adventure:

• Say "Yes, and..." whenever possible
• Evaluate if their solution addresses one of the core issues (labor, environment, access)
• Consider which faction would support or oppose their approach

Quick Improv Guidelines

Need a quick fashion-themed encounter? Combine:

1. A standard monster/challenge type
2. A fashion item or concept
3. An industry problem

Examples:

• Predatory talent scouts (charm person + commission structures)
• Living advertisement (illusion magic + invasive marketing)
• Supply chain golem (construct + exploitative labor)

ENSURING A SATISFYING CONCLUSION

Final Choice Impact

Whichever ending players choose should feel consequential. Describe:

• Immediate visual changes to the environment
• How NPCs react to their choice
• One long-term consequence for the region

The Epilogue Runway

End with each character describing their "final look" incorporating:

• Elements of their adventure experiences
• Items they've collected
• Their stance on fashion ethics

This provides closure and reinforces the theme.

Post-Game Discussion

If time permits, briefly discuss:

• Which parts of the satire resonated with players
• Real-world fashion industry issues they recognized
• How the gaming medium helped explore these themes

ADJUSTING DIFFICULTY

For Fashion-Savvy Groups

• Use more specific fashion terminology
• Make trend identification part of puzzles
• Reference actual fashion history and controversies

For Fashion-Novice Groups

• Focus more on the fantasy/sci-fi elements
• Keep fashion references broader and more accessible
• Let NPCs explain fashion concepts when needed

NPC ROLEPLAY TIPS

The Algorithm

• Speak rapidly, constantly interrupting yourself
• Change your criteria mid-sentence
• Use contradictory statements: "Minimalism is everything, but more is more"
• Judge everything the players do, even breathing

Zara Threadwise

• Speak passionately but practically
• Use industry jargon but then translate it
• Show physical scars from her industry experience
• Demonstrate both love for fashion and criticism of the industry

Hierophant Vorn

• Speak in corporate buzzwords
• Never look at who you're talking to, always checking a clipboard
• Refer to people as "units" or "demographics"
• Calculate profit margins out loud

Stitch

• Speak in a patchwork of different accents
• Physically demonstrate fashion techniques while talking
• Reference being made of "scraps no one wanted"
• Show surprising warmth and humanity despite artificial origins