You might be familiar with my past interviews with Matt Funk and the many paths goblins seem to go down. But now Gina Funk, his wife, has taken the helm! She’s created one huge adventure. If you’re interest is piqued by the huge and horrific Roman inspired dungeon crawls, then either back The Mouth of Mentius right now or check out my interview with Gina below!

First off, how big is this thing, both in terms of page count and how much gaming time you think it’ll offer? The description makes it seem huge!

That's because The Mouth of Mentius is huge! I wanted to make it big so that it encompassed a substantial fraction of what my beloved mythology, Ancient Rome, has to offer. It's a small fraction of that, but still, as you point out, 73 rooms over 4 dungeon levels is a sizable start.

Of those 73 rooms, I placed monsters, gods, NPCs and traps in about 90% of them. I didn't fill them all because the party has to have somewhere to take a breath. But every room is described and distinctive. As for The Mouth of Mentius' four levels, the first level is a ruined Roman-style city where the extraplanar army of Sydonia, the Witch Queen, is battling with world-dominating spider aliens of the Unseen Web. The second level is an entertainment district of bath houses and theaters, preserved by the volcanic ash that buried Mentius, where a turncoat ally of the Witch Queen, the Blackfire King, is plotting his own agenda, and where scorned gods sleep. The third level is a submerged palace where those gods once pursued secret pleasures, and where epic foes like the Kraken await. The fourth and final level is the underworld, where the Witch Queen, the leaders of the Unseen Web, and Hades are poised to seize the destiny of the world, leaving it to the characters to determine who wins - if anyone. And, of course, there has to be a red dragon to slay. I want to deliver on every promise of OSR roleplay that I can!

As for game time, each level has between 14 and 20 rooms, meaning about three 4-hour sessions. That amounts to around 12 sessions packed with meaningful roleplay choices, treasure hunting at its best, and wild fights against monsters that are classic Roman myth and classic fantasy TTPGs.

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You reference some thematic compatibility with Caverns of Thracia and Dark Tower, plus 3 warring factions. Could you share a bit about those factions?

I was heavily inspired by Jennell Jaquays' work in that it had that lean, unpredictable style and a deep appreciation for historical culture and myth. When designing The Mouth of Mentius, I wanted to keep to the old-school style of providing only the essentials in the room descriptions. So long as I described everything that was necessary, but only that, it gives players more room to roleplay and it's simpler for Gamemasters to run. I made sure that The Mouth of Mentius has layered NPCs, each with motivations and fears, but leave it to the players and GM to make the story their own.

Also, there's a connection in the setting of Jaquays' dungeons. Both Caverns of Thracia and Dark Tower involve exploring ancient ruins; Greek ruins and Egyptian ruins, respectively. I love Roman history above all, so saw an opportunity to offer something unique but connected to Dark Tower and Thracia. Meaning, a Gamemaster could run some or all of a campaign dedicated to exploring ancient ruins, and tour all three cultures and histories.

As for the factions, one of the things that I love about old-school dungeons is putting various groups that hate one another together in the same dungeon. That simple framework alone can inspire so many cool choices and storylines, without getting bogged down in prescribed details.

In The Mouth of Mentius, there are three factions. Sydonia the Witch Queen leads the Sidereal Sailors, a group of adventurers from across many different times and worlds, united in their cause to defeat a common foe who have harmed them all, the Araneid. The Araneid are spider-like aliens who run the affairs of many worlds through a shadowy conspiracy, the Unseen Web, manipulating events to cause chaos so that none of these planets can rise against them. Sydonia and her troupe have invaded the ancient ruins of Mentius, which agents of the Unseen Web were guarding, as Mentius was once a pleasure palace of the gods, and many of their relics and secrets lie within. Those two factions, Sydonia's Sidereal Sailors and the Unseen Web, compose the main conflict in Mentius, and have spies and traitors in their ranks. But the gods of the Pantheon themselves, such as Jupiter and Venus, Juno and Minerva, await the party as well, and have their own agenda that could spell the fate of the world.

You’ve got dozens of new monsters and magic items. Got any personal favorites?

Top of my favorites would be Dirty Diana, a sea hag that's the avatar of Venus' darkest aspects. She has some tricks to her and never fails to win a laugh. I also like the Brood Octopus, a giant octopus made out of the unformed offspring of the gods, full of diseases and very aggressive. Also, I like the Marital Dragon. He was inspired by an entry that read "Martial Dragon," but I read it wrong, and upon realizing my error, quite liked the idea of a dragon who wanted to marry you. And I have to mention the Blackfire King. He's treacherous and possessed of strange power, and is accompanied by a retinue of masked servants with deadly abilities of their own.

I especially like the character of Sydonia, as she first inspired the idea of the work, and I've invested a lot of thought and creativity into her. Many of the NPCs were inspired by characters I've encountered through the years, and so have a special place for me and, I like to think, sophisticated personalities who will entertain the players.

Lastly, it's hard not to like the Olympian gods themselves. I put some of their famous infighting into the story and hope the players appreciate it, both those that know the myths well and those who are experiencing the drama for the first time.

This is stated to be compatible with B/X D&D, 5e, and also DCC. That’s a wide variety of systems! How did you make the adventure work for the different systems?

A lot of research, for sure! I read through the current OSE (Old-School Essentials) lexicon to make sure the B/X, AD&D version had both an old-school vibe and the sleek formatting that OSE offers. Also, treasure hunting is a huge part of OSE, so having ample hoards full of different coins, jewels and magical items was key.

As for DCC, we're pretty accomplished at writing those modules, but wanted to make sure there were opportunities for "higher level" play at its best: places where a Level 7 Thief's backstab ability can spell the difference in a fight, or where a Level 7 Warrior's top critical result could really shine against a crowd of formidable foes. Certain foes in the DCC version are so lethal, only the intense "high risk, high reward" ability of higher level DCC characters stand a chance.

And D&D 5e had to be its own animal as well. Its system facilitates a more "heroic" tale, with fights that need to be closely balanced. Not only did we apply the balance, we also brought more recognizable monsters from that system. This allows D&D 5e players to discover a blend of classic D&D monsters, like the Black Pudding and Flail Snail, alongside those of Greco-Roman myth, like the Hydra and Kraken.

That's all to say, we made sure each system was ideal for its narrative, with something special for fans of that system to enjoy, all balanced to keep action on a razor's edge.

Thanks for sharing. Anything else that you’d like people to know?

Though I'm a new author, and this new project's reach is still somewhat small, the reaction from those who have heard about it has been especially exciting and inspiring. Many fans from across systems, but especially in the OSE and DCC communities, have responded with an outpouring of support when they hear about the Ancient Roman setting. I've had requests to develop the Olympian gods as patrons, to create rules for chariot racing and to flesh out the empire into a setting.

I'm inspired to do so! If The Mouth of Mentius does well, I'll certainly continue to evolve Ancient Rome as a theme for dungeons and a contemporary setting. We wanted this first project to be a humble one, where we learn a lot from the audience and players. Once I have a sense of what they value, I'm thrilled to create more!

I'm also thrilled to work with Faith Murphree. An artist who is just starting on the TTRPG scene like me, she's been a terrific teammate and a brilliant collaborator. It's a privilege to work with her and I hope we have many projects to share in the years to come.

The last thing I'll share is that a truly huge megadungeon is on the way in April, as my husband, Matt, launches Descent of the Ancient Fane on BackerKit. It ties in with Goodman Games' Castle Whiterock, is available for D&D 5e and Dungeon Crawl Classics, and promises to be the most hellish dungeon ever! After listening to him playtest it for over a year, I can assure you that it is not for the faint of heart. It's a uniquely personalized adventure that fits just about any setting and offers an unforgettable experience.

What Roman horrors do you hope to find?

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