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T H E T HINGONO M ICON
Crammed full of over two years’ worth of 20 Things articles, The Thingonomicon is an essential resource for the time-crunched GM striving
to add depth and verisimilitude to their game. Comprising almost 200 pages of detail-heavy, system neutral tables The Thingonomicon can
be used either before or during the game session. If your campaign features goblin lairs, kobold warrens, smugglers’ dens, cultists’
lairs and many more iconic adventure locations, the Thingonomicon is for you!

CREDITS SYSTEM NEUTRAL EDITION

Design: Alexander Augunas, Aaron Bailey, John Bennett, Welcome to this Raging Swan Press System Neutral Edition Village
Creighton Broadhurst, Ronald Calbick, Seamus Conneely, Backdrop. Herein you’ll find evocative, inspiring text designed to
Kalyna Conrad, Jeff Gomez, Eric Hindley, Cole Kronewitter, help you—the busy GM—run better, quicker and easier games.
Jacob W. Michaels, David Posener, Paul Quarles, Alex Riggs, This book is compatible with most fantasy roleplaying games.
David N. Ross, Amber Underwood and Mike Welham It’s impossible to create a truly system neutral book, though, and
Additional Design: Liz Smith some generic game terms—wizard, fighter, human, elf and so
Art: Luigi Castellani, Paul Daly, Pawet Dobosz (The Forge Studios), on—lurk within. These generic terms are easily modified to the
Scott Harshbarger, Rick Hershey, William McAusland, Bradley GM’s system of choice.
K. McDevitt, Jeremy Hohler, Matt Morrow, Frank Pape, Marc One special note about the NPCs in this supplement. While
Radle, Dean Spencer and Maciej Zagorski (The Forge Studios). some are wizards, fighters, clerics and so on, others are simply
Some artwork copyright William McAusland, used with normal folk. Because different game systems handle normal folk
permission. Rick Hershey, Standard Stock Art: Issue 1 by Small differently we’ve made no attempt to note their “class” leaving
Niche Games. them simply as “female human” and so on.

©Raging Swan Press 2018. If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review.

The moral right of Alexander Augunas, Aaron Bailey, John If you didn’t enjoy this book, did you know Raging Swan Press
Bennett, Creighton Broadhurst, Ronald Calbick, Seamus offers a money back guarantee?
Conneely, Kalyna Conrad, Jeff Gomez, Eric Hindley, Cole
Kronewitter, Jacob W. Michaels, David Posener, Paul Quarles, Product Identity: All trademarks, registered trademarks, proper
Alex Riggs, David N. Ross Amber Underwood and Mike Welham names (characters, deities, artefacts, places and so on), dialogue,
to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in plots, storylines, language, incidents, locations, characters,
accordance with the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. artwork and trade dress are product identity as defined in the
Open Game License version 1.0a, Section 1(e) and are not Open
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, Content.
stored in a retrieval system or transmitted, in any form or by any
means, without the prior permission in writing of Raging Swan Open Content: Except material designated as Product Identity,
Press or as expressly permitted by law. the contents of The Thingonomicon are Open Game Content as
defined in the Open Gaming License version 1.0a Section 1(d). No
To learn more about the Open Game License, visit portion of this work other than the material designated as Open
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CONTENTS
The Thingonomicon...................................................................... 1 20 Pieces of Cavern Dressing.................................................. 48
Credits .......................................................................................... 1 20 Things to Find in a Purple Worm’s Stomach...................... 49
System Neutral Edition ................................................................. 1 20 Things to Find in a Subterranean River ............................. 50
Contents ....................................................................................... 2
Foreword ...................................................................................... 4 Fallen Dwarven Hold .................................................................. 51
Ancient Necropolis ....................................................................... 5 10 Dwarven Workshop Features ............................................ 52
10 Things to Loot from a Tomb Raider’s Body ......................... 6 10 Dwarven Statues ............................................................... 53
20 Curses to Encounter in a Necropolis ................................... 7 Dwarven Names ..................................................................... 53
20 Minor Hauntings to Encounter in an Ancient Necropolis .... 8 10 Dwarven Temple Features ................................................ 54
20 Things to Find in a Dusty Crypt ............................................ 9 10 Minor Dwarven Treasures ................................................. 54
20 Things to Find in a Sarcophagus ........................................ 10 10 Signs of Previous Exploration ............................................ 55
20 Things to Find in an Ancient Necropolis ............................ 11 10 Triggered Traps.................................................................. 55
20 Pieces of Dwarven Hold Dressing ...................................... 56
Bustling Marketplace ................................................................. 13
Fort on the Borderland ............................................................... 57
5 Different Places to have a Market ....................................... 14
10 Merchants with Personality .............................................. 15 10 Men-at-Arms with Personality .......................................... 58
20 Deals Too Good to Be True ................................................ 16 10 Travellers with Personality ................................................ 59
20 Interesting Stalls ................................................................ 17 10 Borderland Fort Whispers & Rumours .............................. 60
20 Rumours to Hear in a Bustling Marketplace...................... 18 20 Borderland Fort Dressings ................................................. 61
20 Things to See in a Bustling Marketplace............................ 19 20 Borderland Fort Sights & Sounds ...................................... 62
20 Types of Stall in a Bustling Marketplace ............................ 20 Goblin Lair .................................................................................. 63
Creepy Graveyard ....................................................................... 21 10 Goblins with Personality .................................................... 64
8 Haunts ................................................................................. 22 10 Things to Find in a Goblin Chieftain’s Quarters ................. 64
10 Mourners with Personality ................................................ 23 10 Things to Find in a Goblin Common Room ........................ 65
10 Things to Find in an Open Grave ....................................... 24 10 Things to Find in a Goblin Guard Room ............................. 65
20 Gravestone Inscriptions..................................................... 24 10 Things to Find Outside a Goblin Lair .................................. 66
20 Graveyard Rumours........................................................... 25 20 Things to Find in a Goblin’s Pouch..................................... 66
20 Sights to See in a Graveyard .............................................. 26 1,000 Abnormal Goblins ......................................................... 67
20 Strange Mausoleums to Discover in a Graveyard ............. 28 What’s the Goblin Doing? ...................................................... 68

Cultist’s Lair ................................................................................ 29 Haunted House........................................................................... 69

10 Cultists with Personality .................................................... 30 10 Things to See in a Burned Out House ................................ 70
20 Things to Find in a Cultist’s Lair ......................................... 31 10 Things to See in a Plague-Infested House ......................... 70
4 Unholy Books....................................................................... 31 20 Things to Find in an Abandoned House ............................. 71
20 Things to Find on a Cultist’s Altar ...................................... 32 20 Things to See in a Haunted House ..................................... 72
20 Things to Loot from a Cultist’s Body .................................. 33 20 (More) Things to See in a Haunted House......................... 73
20 Magic Effects on an Altar .................................................. 34 20 Treasures to Find in a Haunted House .............................. 74
20 Vile Things to Find in a Cultist’s Lair .................................. 35 20 Unfortunate Discoveries to Make in a Haunted House ..... 75

Curio Shop & Pawnbrokers ........................................................ 37 Hill Giant Steading ...................................................................... 77

Introduction ........................................................................... 38 10 Minor Hill Giant Steading Events ....................................... 78

6 Customers ........................................................................... 38 10 Things to Find Near a Hill Giant Steading .......................... 78
10 Complications, Hooks & Opportunities ............................. 39 20 Things to Find in a Hill Giant’s Bag .................................... 79
20 Odds and Ends, Knick-Knacks & Oddities .......................... 40 20 Pieces of Hill Giant Steading Dressing ............................... 80
20 Pieces of Bric-a-Brac, Junk & Dross ................................... 41 100 Hill Giant Pets .................................................................. 81
6 Weapons ............................................................................. 41 1,000 Abnormal Hill Giants .................................................... 82
20 Trinkets, Baubles & Curios................................................. 42 Kobold Warren ........................................................................... 83
Dark Caverns .............................................................................. 43 10 Events to Occur in a Kobold Warren ................................. 84
10 Atypical Caves.................................................................... 44 10 Extra Things to Say When The PCs Fail to Find a Trap ....... 84
10 Atypical Cavern Encounters............................................... 45 10 Kobold Traps...................................................................... 85
10 Legendary Caves ................................................................ 46 10 More Kobold Traps ............................................................ 86
12 Natural Cavern Hazards ..................................................... 47 10 Pieces of Kobold Warren Dressing .................................... 86

2
 20 Things to Loot From a Dead Kobold .................................. 87 Subterranean Mine .................................................................. 139
1,000 Abnormal Kobolds ........................................................ 88
12 Perils to Encounter in a Mine .......................................... 140
Looting the Body ........................................................................ 89 20 Hauntings to Encounter in a Mine ................................... 141
20 Strange Discoveries to Make in a Mine ........................... 142
20 Things to Loot From a Dead Adventurer ........................... 90 20 Things to Find in an Abandoned Mine............................. 143
20 Things to Loot From a Dead Bard ...................................... 91 20 Things to Find in a Mine .................................................. 144
20 Things to Loot From a Dead Cleric..................................... 92 20 Things to Find in a Mining Cart ........................................ 145
20 Things to Loot From a Dead Rogue ................................... 93
20 Things to Loot From a Dead Warrior ................................. 94 Sun-Scorched Desert ................................................................ 147
20 Things to Loot From A Dead Wizard .................................. 95
6 Sun-scorched Landmarks................................................... 148
Necromancer’s Lair .................................................................... 97 6 Sun-scorched Ruins ........................................................... 148
10 Things to Happen in a Sandstorm ................................... 149
8 Blasphemous Tomes of Forbidden Lore .............................. 98 20 Pieces of Desert Dressing ................................................ 150
10 Horrible Sensations ........................................................... 99 20 Uneventful Days Travel in the Desert .............................. 151
10 Horrible Sounds ................................................................. 99
20 Blasphemous Spell Components ..................................... 100 Townsfolk & Villagers ............................................................... 153
20 Things to Find in a Necromancer’s Sanctum ................... 101
1,000 Abnormal Skeletons ................................................... 102 10 Beggars & Vagabonds ...................................................... 154
1,000 Abnormal Zombies ..................................................... 103 10 Guards & Soldiers ............................................................ 155
10 Merchants & Tradespersons ........................................... 156
Noisome Sewer ........................................................................ 105 10 Peasants & Serfs .............................................................. 157
20 Encounter Hooks ............................................................. 158
10 Folk to Encounter in a Sewer ........................................... 106
10 Minor Locales of Interest in a Sewer ............................... 107 Troublesome Treasures ............................................................ 159
20 Discarded or Lost Things to Find in a Sewer .................... 108
20 Pieces of Dungeon Dressing to Find in a Sewer............... 109 10 Difficult to Sell Treasures................................................. 160
20 Minor Events to Experience in a Sewer ........................... 110 10 Minor Curses Lurking in a Magic Item ............................. 161
20 Bulky Treasures Difficult to Get Out of the Dungeon ...... 162
Ocean Voyage .......................................................................... 111 20 Fragile Treasures Difficult to Remove from the Dungeon163
20 Minor Drawbacks for Magic Items .................................. 164
6 Stowaways with Personality .............................................. 112
10 Passengers with Personality ............................................ 113 War-Ravaged Land ................................................................... 165
10 Sailors with Personality ................................................... 114
20 Pieces of Ship Dressing .................................................... 115 10 Pieces of Battlefield Dressing .......................................... 166
20 Shipboard Sights & Sounds.............................................. 116 10 Signs of War..................................................................... 167
20 Things to See in a War-Ravaged Village .......................... 168
Seedy Tavern ............................................................................ 117 20 Things to See During a Siege ........................................... 169
20 Things to See During a Village Raid ................................. 170
20 Seedy Tavern Patrons ...................................................... 118
20 Seedy Tavern Staff ........................................................... 119 Wilderness Camping................................................................. 171
10 Strange Things to See Behind the Bar ............................. 120
20 Things Left in a Tavern’s Bedchamber ............................. 121 8 Travellers to Share the Campfire ....................................... 172
20 Things to See in a Seedy Tavern ...................................... 122 10 Notable Campsite Characteristics ................................... 173
20 Things to See in a Tavern Brawl....................................... 123 10 Signs Someone Has Camped Here Before ....................... 173
10 Things Already Living at the Campsite............................. 174
Slavers’ Compound................................................................... 125 10 Things Lurking in the Shadows ........................................ 174
20 Night-time Campsite Events ............................................ 175
8 Minor Events to Happen in a Slavers’ Compound ............. 126 20 Things to Find at an Abandoned Campsite ...................... 176
10 Slaves with Personality .................................................... 127
10 Slavers with Personality .................................................. 128 Wizard’s Tower......................................................................... 177
20 Pieces of Dungeon Dressing for a Slavers’ Compound .... 129
20 Things to Loot from a Slaver’s Body ................................ 130 20 Minor Magical Effects to Encounter in a Wizard’s Tower 178
20 Spell Components to Discover in a Wizard’s Tower ........ 179
Smugglers’ Lair ......................................................................... 131 20 Things to Decorate a Wizard’s Tower.............................. 180
20 Things to Find in a Necromancer’s Sanctum ................... 181
20 Minor Treasures to Find in a Smuggler’s Storeroom ....... 132 20 Things to Find on a Wizard’s Bookshelf ........................... 182
20 Things That Can Happen in a Rowboat............................ 133 20 Things to Find in a Wizard’s Laboratory .......................... 183
20 Things to Discover on a Beach ......................................... 134
20 Things to Find in a Sea Cave ............................................ 135 OGL V1.0A ................................................................................ 184
20 Things to Find in a Smuggler’s Lair .................................. 136
20 Things to Loot From a Smuggler’s Body .......................... 137

3
FOREWORD
You hold in your hands the culmination of almost come. Within these pagespa you’ll find the first 25 instalments of
three years work crafted by over a half-dozen the 20 Things line—the
line—t best part of 200 pages of material;
talented designers (and me!) specifically designed to t make running your game easier, less
Raging Swan Press hasn’t released a hardback stressful and more immersive.
imm I believe we’ve succeeded in those
book for ages, and that’s a shame as hardback goals; I hope you agree!
agree
books are awesome. For me, they elicit feelings of Of course, I’m always
alw looking for suggestions for upcoming
nostalgia as my first gaming book was a hardback entries in the line. At the
th time of writing, I’m slaving away over 20
book. Hence, The Thingonomicon. I hope this Things: White Dragon LairL and the red dragons are waiting in the
book is useful to you for years to wings. At some point, I really want to write something along the
lines of 20 Things:
Thi Lunatic Asylum and being a completist
suspect I’ll also be writing 20 Things: Green
I suspe
Dragon Lair and 20 Things: Black Dragon
Lair in the relatively near future. But, if
you’ve got other ideas drop me a line at the
you’v
email address below.

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4
A N CIEN T N ECRO PO LIS

5
10 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A TOMB RAIDER’S BODY
Tomb robbers are drawn to necropolises like moths to a flame. 5. A burnt-out torch lies near this robber’s body. A search of his
Some escape the necropolis with ancient treasures while others pack reveals no other light sources.
find their eternal rest among the dust and bones of an elder time. 6. This robber carried with him a hammer and several chisels of
Sometimes—beyond mouldering and rusty equipment—these various sizes all wrapped in a long strip of supple, worn leather.
unfortunates possessed objects of minor interest at the time of 7. Clad all in black, this robber also wore thigh-high leather boots
their death. that are in excellent repair.
8. This robber wore two whistles around his neck on a long leather
1. A yet supple, tightly coiled silk rope fills the bottom of this thong. The first is shaped like a dog’s head and emits a sound
robber’s pack. A light-weight iron grapple hook forged to look too high pitched for humans to hear. The second is shaped like
like a grasping hand is attached to one end. a feather and produces the lovely sound of bird song when
2. Clutched in one hand, this corpse still holds a partial map of the blown.
necropolis. The faded markings upon it show the robber’s route 9. Bulging pouches hang from this robber’s belt. Sadly, they do not
from the its main entrance to where he fell. contain loot; instead the dead thief filled them with every
3. The robber’s belt pouch holds several golden trinkets looted conceivable tool he might need. The kit weighs twice as much
from nearby tombs. Wrapped in dirty linen, the pouch holds as normal, but provides a small bonus to attempts made to pick
three tarnished small silver rings and a worn bracelet worth a locks or disarm traps.
total of 70 gp. 10. This robber was carrying a bulging sack, when he met his fate.
4. Much of this thieves’ tools are rusted or broken. However, one From the fallen sack lying close to one out-stretched hand have
pouch yet holds a small, hand-held magnifying glass and several tumbled several skulls, some still festooned with wisps of hair.
small brushes suitable for carefully brushing away dust and What the robber wanted with such grizzly treasure is unknown.
other small pieces of debris.

6
20 CURSES TO ENCOUNTER IN A NECROPOLIS
The dead lie mouldering in coffins, tombs and sarcophagi often 13. A stack of 50 ancient gold coins creates feelings of intense greed
surrounded by treasures tempting grave robbers and foolhardy and paranoia in anyone who takes it for 1d6 days.
adventures. Disturbing these objects often comes with a price as 14. A golden crown (worth 300 gp), perched on a skeleton’s head,
the dead do not part with their treasures so easily. Even temporarily possesses whoever removes it with the deceased’s
disturbing their sanctuary can bring down the curses of the spirit for 1d4 hours.
deceased. 15. A bloodstained pit filled with bones (and three enticingly placed
gems worth 50 gp each) causes whoever enters it to hear the
1. Rows of bleached skulls form the lintel of a stone doorway. screams of dying creatures for 3d4 hours.
Anyone passing underneath alerts any undead within 60 ft. to 16. An ornate golden goblet (worth 225 gp) lies entombed with a
its presence for 1d4 days. skeleton. Anyone taking the goblet tastes blood in their mouth
2. Ancient, but valuable, silver coins (worth 30 gp) cover the eyes and is unable to drink any liquids for 2d4 hours—doing so makes
of a mummified humanoid. Taking the coins inflicts blindness on the drinker violently—even explosively—sick.
the thieving PC for 1d4 hours. 17. A small, cracked silver mirror (worth 35 gp) creates a hate-filled,
3. The funeral shroud of a mummy lies inscribed with deeds murderous doppelganger of whoever stares into it. The
describing its former life. Anyone reading the script acts out the doppelgänger emerges 1d20 minutes after the PCs leave the
mummy’s life while sleepwalking for one week. area or discard the mirror. It then begins to hunt the PC down.
4. A jewelled vase (worth 150 gp) lies at the foot of a sarcophagus 18. Any person passing by a row of upright sarcophagi has to reroll
inscribed with the visage of a beautiful woman. Disturbing the the next roll made to avoid or mitigate damage within the next
vase transforms any nonmagical liquids within the room into 24 hours, as the spirits of the dead cluster around them.
bitter tears. This change is not immediately obvious and only 19. A bone strewn floor causes whoever disturbs the debris to
comes to light when the liquid is drunk or used. move at half-speed for 1d4 hours as if dragged down by
5. A golden necklace (worth 200 gp) found amongst a pile of brittle innumerable ghostly hands.
bones causes whoever takes it to sob inconsolably for five 20. A golden bracelet (worth 75 gp) adorning a skeleton fuses to the
minutes after committing violence against another living arm of whoever touches for 1d3 days. The arm has a will of its
creature. own and cannot be controlled. It doesn't try to harm the PC, but
6. An inscription on the floor, if not intoned properly and placated often does strange or inappropriate things.
with an offering of blood, causes anyone passing over it to feel
a tangible sadness, effectively doubling their weight for 24 8 STRANGE EFFECTS
hours.
1. Faint mist clings to the floor.
7. A skeleton grips a bejewelled dagger (worth 145 gp). Whoever
2. Multi-coloured glimmering shards of light float gently on the air
removes the dagger begins suffering mysterious cuts, taking
currents.
1d4 points of damage every 6 hours until the weapon is
3. Thick shadows cloak the small nooks and crannies in this area.
discarded.
Only magical light banishes them.
8. A small pearl (worth 100 gp) rests in the mouth of a skull.
4. Faint groaning emanates from the walls; perhaps it is the spirits
Removing the pearl causes the person to speak only in an
of those buried within lamenting their fate, or perhaps the old
ancient language for 1d6 days. This does not affect spell casting.
stones are simply moving and shifting.
9. A silver skull (worth 250 gp) nestles within the lid of a
5. The air is strangely cold; frost clings to the walls and floor.
sarcophagus. Anyone touching the skull has vivid and horrific
6. Small motes of insubstantial darkness float like dust upon the
nightmares that night and is unable to gain the benefits of a
air. They disappear when they collide with a warm blooded
food night's rest.
creature.
10. A ring (worth 50 gp) worn on a mummy's hand causes the hand
7. The translucent image of what the necropolis looked like in its
of anyone touch it to become paralyzed for 2d4 hours.
prime is superimposed over the place’s current condition. This
11. Bas-reliefs of underworld spirits guard a doorway. Crossing the
effect is sporadic and fades in and out of view.
threshold causes offenders to be attacked by a wraith the next
8 . Bones in some of the burial niches seem to shudder and move
time his hit points drop below half.
slightly when the PCs get close.
12. An ornate funerary urn (worth 65 gp) causes the skin of those
who touch it to become brittle (all damage taken is doubled) for
1d4 hours.

7
20 MINOR HAUNTINGS TO ENCOUNTER IN AN ANCIENT NECROPOLIS
Vestiges of the dead wander the necropolis—fleeting spirits 17. The temperature drops abruptly to freezing and any living
mirroring their past lives or lashing out at intruders disturbing creature feels hands trying to pull them down through the floor.
their rest. Sometimes these lost spirits partially manifest into the 18. The temperature rises to sweltering levels as if the explorers
world, and the PCs encounter the fleeting vestige of their lives. have entered a fire. Blackened, writhing figures flicker just out
of sight.
1. A ghostly procession of priests drags a screaming servant down 19. Blood appears to spurt out from niches along the wall,
a tunnel leading further into the necropolis. accompanied by a torrent of screams.
2. The vacant eye sockets of a pillar of skulls glow red and scream 20. Everyone feels claustrophobic, as if the room is no larger than a
in an ancient language when the party passes by. coffin.
3. A shimmering, translucent group wearing robes of ancient cut
kneel before a sarcophagus. As one, they draw long daggers, Sometimes, when explorers encounter haunts they suffer ill
thrusting them into their hearts before disappearing. Their effects. Sample effects include:
brittle bones remain among the dust.
4. A noble woman drags the corpse of a man, stabbed many times, 1. The sight of the haunt leaves the PC shaken for half an hour.
behind her before dumping the body in a corner and sneering 2. The intense emotions radiating from the haunt leaves the PC
as she fades away. A dust-shrouded skeleton remains to bear dazed for half an hour.
witness to her crime. 3. Sickened by the otherworldly suffering of the haunt, the PC
5. Spectral people blink in and out of existence along a row of feels intensely sick until he eats his next meal.
bone-filled niches piercing the wall. 4. Wisps of the haunt cling to the PC and suckle upon his warmth.
6. Two armoured figures clash violently in front of the tattered These leaves the PC sluggish and tired for an hour.
remains of an ancient tapestry depicting them. 5. The sight of the haunt damages the PC’s sanity. He temporarily
7. A translucent, roguish figure flashes a smile at the nearest loses 1 point of Wisdom. It returns after a day or complete rest.
creature before disappearing into a wall (which reveals the 6. Contact with the otherworldly nature of the haunt inflicts 1d6
location of a hidden secret door to observant PCs). damage upon the PC.
8. Skulls fill numerous shelves bored into the wall. They begin to
chatter and moan when any living creature comes within 5 ft.
12 STRANGE SOUNDS
9. A regal figure rests within an open coffin, appearing to be alive The sounds below can come from any direction and be at any
but asleep. Touching the body causes a spirit in the figure’s volume. Use them to build tension.
likeness to rise up, scream and then dissipate, leaving nothing
but a mouldering corpse behind. 1. The skittering of tiny clawed feet on stone.
10. Shadowy figures hound the footsteps of anyone within the 2. The gentle sigh of the wind (perhaps accompanied by tiny,
room, appearing just out of sight. swirling dust devils).
11. Bones skitter madly across the floor, rising up briefly before 3. Rocks or stones clatter to the ground.
clattering back down. 4. A guttural cackling slowly tails off into a gurgle.
12. Lids swing open on a number of coffins before suddenly 5. A choir’s faint chanting in an ancient tongue floats through the
slamming shut. Muffled screams come from the coffins. necropolis. (The chant is a litany for the dead).
13. Phantasmal figures feast at a ghostly table on fine food and 6. Something large slithers through the necropolis. The party hear
wine before a shrieking wind sweeps them—and the table— the rasp of its scales on stone.
away. 7. Somewhere distant, a gong sounds once.
14. The sounds of laughter, sobbing and screaming swirl through 8. The clanking of chains—as it something like a gate was being
the air around piles of stacked skulls. As quickly as the sounds raised or lowered—breaks the silence.
begin, they end. 9. Soft, tinkling chimes sound for a few minutes every half hour.
15. Pale figures fly from a series of urns, streaking towards any 10. A faint susurrus of whispering—its tone oddly menacing—
living creature, their mouths rent with fury, before disappearing occasionally reaches the party’s ears.
with a cackle. 11. Unidentifiable instruments play a mournful dirge.
16. A family of five transparent figures watches intruders, their eyes 12. Sobbing—perhaps from ghostly mourners.
vacant black holes of swirling energy.

8
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A DUSTY CRYPT
It seems adventurers are always poking about in dusty, seemingly 12. Niches cut into the wall each hold the shrouded skeletons of
abandoned crypts. Often, the lairs of the blasphemous undead or long-dead worshippers. Dust, cobwebs and other detritus cover
the repository of forgotten treasures such places draw the remains. The densely packed niches run from floor to
adventurers like moths to a candle. But not all areas of a crypt are ceiling. An ornate shroud edged with silver and gold thread
stuffed full of undead and treasure. covers the corpse in one of the particularly inaccessible niche
near the ceiling.
1. Here, water oozes down the walls from above leaving tracks on 13. Several small holes pierce the wall at ground level. Small dried
the ancient brickwork. On the ground, the water has turned the faeces—typical of that left by rats, mice or other rodents—
dust into thick paste-like grey ooze. covers the floor.
2. Dusty cobwebs fill the corners of the ceiling. 14. Small holes in the ceiling emit a faint cold breeze into the
3. A small portion of brickwork from one wall has fallen away chamber. The constant draught stirs the dust covering the floor.
revealing the bare rock behind. A low pile of rubble lies on the Paranoid explorers may think some form of invisible guardian
floor nearby. lurks within the dust cloud.
4. Dust sifts down from the archway over a door. The stones of the 15. Carved holy symbols decorate the walls of this area. Several
arch have shifted and consequently the door is harder than have been deliberately defaced, but there seems to be no
normal to force open. If the door is opened, the stones above obvious reason for this deliberate vandalism.
groan ominously and dust sift down into the doorway... 16. A faded mosaic covers the floor. It depicts a stylised
5. Incongruously, a single bone—a thighbone—lies on the floor in representation of the afterlife, but exact details are hard to pick
front of a shadowy archway. out as some of the tiles are cracked and others are missing.
6. The walls here were once decorated with brightly painted 17. Several burial niches in this area are empty. In all cases,
images painted directly onto the smooth stone. The colours discarded burial shrouds lie in the niche or nearby. Have the
have long since faded, and now only a suggestion of what once remains been removed or are they lurking animate guardians of
was remains. the complex?
7. A section of floor is bumpy and uneven, making rapid 18. A narrow ventilation shaft cut into the ceiling allows a thin ray
movement difficult. The paving slabs can be easily pried up, but of pale light into the crypt.
nothing of interest lies beneath. 19. Burial niches pierce the walls of the area (see #12 above). The
8. A pillar once held up the roof here, but at some point in the remains of one of the interred have fallen from its niche and lies
distant past it collapsed. Dust shrouds the resultant pile of draped on the floor nearby.
rubble; the ceiling over the rubble sags dangerously. 20. Cockroaches and other insects once infested this crypt. Feasting
9. Several niches that once contained offerings to those buried on the remains of those interred here they grew fat and
here pierce the walls. All have succumbed to time’s remorseless numerous, but when they ran out of food they died off. Now
advance and are now nothing more than small piles of rotting, their desiccated remains coat the floor and make moving
rusting or desiccated remains.
ains. quietly difficult (as they crunch underfoot).
10. Huge religious symbols appropriate
ppropriate to the faith
who built the crypt have been carved into
the walls. Dust and cobwebs obwebs shroud
portions of the carvings. gs. Tracing the
grandest of the carvingss with one’s hand
deactivates a nearby trap..
11. Statues of the faithful garbed
rbed for war stand
guard over this area. Halff have serene looks
upon their faces while thehe others’ faces
are twisted with hate. The e statues
are arrayed so they all look
ook
towards the entrance.

9
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A SARCOPHAGUS
Adventurers always seem to be breaking into ancient tombs and illustrations depict angels carrying the deceased’s soul up to the
crypts in search of undead horrors (and their loot). Of course, not clouds.
all sarcophagi are filled with treasures or undead monstrosities. 12. The occupant has been decapitated and staked through the
Some simply contain the bones of the long-dead (and their grave heart.
goods). The following table can be used to determine what the 13. The sarcophagus has two occupants; they have been laid to rest
PCs find—beyond the occupant’s mouldering remains—when holding hands.
they search a sarcophagus, burial niche or crypt: 14. The sarcophagus holds a child’s remains. Several small worn and
faded toys lie amid the dust.
1. The occupant’s head rests on a dusty and faded red pillow. 15. The sarcophagus’ bottom has many small holes bored through
Cursory examination made while searching the pillow reveals a it. A slight breeze blows through these holes and when the
small cache of old gold coins minted in a kingdom long since sarcophagus’ lid is removed a great cloud of grave dust billows
crumbled to dust. The fifteen oversized coins are worth 100 gp up around the PCs. The dust is essentially harmless, but the PCs
to a sage, collector or student of history. They depict the fallen won’t know that.
kingdom’s heraldry on one side and the profile of its ruler on 16. Carvings from the deceased's life decorate the inside of the
the other. sarcophagus. A perceptive PC notices several tiny imps among
2. Although it only contains the remains of one body, this the carvings depicted in the midst of some form of mischief or
sarcophagus holds two skulls. One clearly suffered a violent trickery.
death. 17. Only a skull, resting on a faded black cushion, lies in the
3. A fine white sheet edged in silver trim covers the occupant’s sarcophagus. Even casual observers note all the skull’s teeth—
remains. The trim is worth 15 gp. and its jaw—have been smashed.
4. The sarcophagus is filled with bones from many different 18. This sarcophagus has never held a body—instead someone has
individuals, all jumbled together. The sarcophagus itself has a used it as a secret storage place. It contains 236 gp, 478 sp and
hidden niche in the bottom only accessible when the bulk of the a pair of gleaming masterwork silver daggers. The daggers have
bones have been removed. The secret niche holds the remains a raven engraved on their pommels.
of an important individual still wearing two ornate golden 19. The lid of this sarcophagus sits slightly askew. Amid the
bracers decorated with engravings of swooping birds of prey scattered bones and mouldering clothes within lair half a dozen
(worth 400 gp). feral rats.
5. The sarcophagus’ occupant clutches a mouldering scroll in his 20. Lead lines the inside of this sarcophagus. The skeleton within
hands. It crumbles if touched, but an investigation of the wears faded fine robes in a style not common or popular for
remains reveals several indistinct religious symbols. decades. She also wears a large golden ring set with a sharp
6. The inside of the sarcophagus’ lid has scratch marks—as if the shard of obsidian on one finger. The ring is valuable (200 gp) for
interred had tried to escape. its materials alone. The ring could be merely valuable or it could
7. The stench of decay greets explorers opening this sarcophagus; be the component of a special magical prison...
mould and strange fungi have taken root on the decomposing
body within. Characters opening the sarcophagus must have a 8 SARCOPHAGUS LID DECORATIONS
strong stomach or retch due to the smell for 2d6 minutes.
Often, a sarcophagus has carved decoration on its lid.
8. The sarcophagus contains not only the skeleton of his intended
occupant, but also the remains for four huge rats. A close 1. A smiling image of the deceased’s face.
inspection of the occupant’s skeletons reveals hundreds of 2. Interlinked geometric shapes.
teeth marks. 3. A woodland scene replete with numerous birds and animals.
9. The skeleton (strangely) is lying on its front. Among its rotting 4. The person’s name, age and cause of death.
clothes, perceptive adventurers spot a thin leather cord around 5. A prayer to the deceased’s patron deity.
its neck. A silver heart-shaped pendant (worth 30 gp) hangs 6. A personalised poem telling of the deceased’s life, focusing on
from the cord. particularly noteworthy events.
10. Curled at the feet of the sarcophagus’ inhabitant lie the remains 7. A blazing sun or a constellation of stars.
of a small dog, cat or other small pet. 8. The holy (or unholy) symbol of the deceased’s deity.
11. The inside face of the sarcophagus’ lid has an illustrated prayer
carved into it. The prayer speaks of peace in death and the

10
20 THINGS TO FIND IN AN ANCIENT NECROPOLIS
The final resting place of perhaps hundreds or thousands of 13. Faded murals depicted the souls of the departed being judged
bodies, an ancient necropolis can be a strange place to explore. A in the death god's halls decorate the walls.
necropolis is death’s house. Along with the dead it likely holds 14. The inscription over this doorway speaks of the dire curses and
many objects and decorations of religious significance of interest agonising deaths waiting for any who would disturb the dead
to explorers. resting beyond. However, part of the inscription has crumbled
away (or perhaps it was defaced by previous explorers); thus its
1. Strange markings in the dust suggest something was pushed or full meaning may not be clear. This could also mean that any
dragged through this area. What it might have been, however, magic lurking in the inscription—perhaps some dire trap—has
is unknown. long since faded.
2. Part of the doorway ahead has collapsed, dumping rubble onto 15. An ancient rust-coloured stain mars the floor. The stain is—of
the floor. The door itself lies splintered and broken under the course—long dried blood and it looks like from its size whatever
rubble. bled here probably died here.
3. This mural depicts an idealised external view of the necropolis 16. A thick grey gloop slowly oozes though cracks in the ceiling and
being approached by a long column of people. It has been splatters onto the floor. This constant, but slow, accumulation
defaced by several heavy blows from a blunt object. of gunk has created a semi-solid slurry pile of thick, odourless
4. A burnt out torch stub lies discarded on the floor. A smudge of slime covering most of the floor.
charcoal on the stone flooring shows where it guttered out. 17. A sudden gust of wind blows the dust of ages past into the
5. Thick, dusty cobwebs cloak the ceiling. Dark shapes—cocooned party's faces and creates swirling dust devils that swirl around
insects and dead spiders—hang amid the webs. The spiders may the chamber for a few moments before subsiding.
be simply dead, or the necrotic energies of the nearby buried 18. A faint breeze caresses the party's faces. The breeze creates
dead could have transformed them into a swarm of tiny zombie swirling eddies of dust that swirl around the party's ankles,
spiders hungry for warm flesh! seeming to grasp at their warm, life-filled flesh.
6. Strange carvings of various hideous demonic heads leer down 19. The floor ahead is cracked and pitted. Several flagstones have
over this area from several stone half-height pillars standing clearly shifted upwards creating an area of uneven flooring. The
against one wall. The pillars and heads are painted in various area smells of damp and mould.
lurid colours to appear more terrifying. The paint is dulled with 20. The wind sighs through the necropolis’ abandoned passages
age and peeling. and chambers. To the paranoid, nervous or confused it almost
7. Runes depicting death, damnation and doom decorate an sounds like the building itself is breathing...
archway leading away from this area.
8. Clad in wisps of burial shroud, the skeleton of some poor 10 PIECES OF BURIAL NICHE DRESSING
unfortunate soul lies sprawled across the floor.
1. Dusty shreds of clothing cling to the bones filling this niche.
9. Several bricks have fallen—or been pried away—from the wall
2. This skeleton clutches the desiccated stalks of a bunch of
to reveal a small dusty cavity; within, lies a rusting lever, but it
flowers.
is not immediately obvious what it operates. From its condition
3. A faded sheet, decorated with embroidered with mystic
it doesn't look like it has been used in years.
symbols, covers this child-sized skeleton.
10. A rusty portcullis fills an archway, blocking access to what lies
4. The tiny skeletons of a half-dozen or so rats lie scattered about
beyond. The portcullis itself has been forged to look like a web
this niche. There is no sign of its original inhabitant.
of intertwined vipers. Cobwebs hang from the portcullis and
5. The head of this skeleton rests on a dusty pillow filled with bone
dust lies thickly upon the intricately forged serpents, blurring
dry (and very flammable) straw.
their finer detailing.
6. A rusty iron grill (which swings upwards if the lock is removed)
11. A lurid collection of yellow skulls glowers down at intruders
protects this niche.
from a high niche cut into the wall. Investigation of the shelf
7. This skeleton’s skull is missing.
reveals a deep, but narrow space cut into the wall behind and
8. This skeleton is horribly twisted and bent as if the person was
below the niche; it is filled with bones.
warped by horrible magic.
12. A mosaic of black, purple and red tiles covers the floor. The
9. A single rune—meaning “Cursed”—is inscribed in the stone
mosaic's pattern seems entirely random, but a viewer looking
above this niche.
down on it from a decent height can see it actually comprises
10. This niche is empty, except for a ripped and torn burial shift.
the death god's sigil intertwined with symbols of protection and
vengeance.

11
12
B U STLIN G M ARKETPL ACE

13
5 DIFFERENT PLACES TO HAVE A MARKET
The traditional view of a market place is of a large open space the watchful eyes of the clergy, petty crime might also be much
filled with tents and stalls. Such a location is a staple of almost reduced making it a safe place to trade or visit.
every fantasy town or city. And there’s nothing wrong with that 4. In a Ruin: Large ruins make a perfect venue for a market. Such
except, it’s a little bit boring. It’s standard—what’s expected. unused places offer more safety and shelter than that offered
Adventurers often spend a lot of times in markets replenishing by the town square. Assuming such a place has an obvious
their supplies, selling the proceeds of their most recent quest and entrance, it means those putting on the market can charge an
so on. To breathe character into your town or city, consider entry fee for the traders and/or their customers. Such locales
placing a market in one of the following atypical places. are often safer than a normal market square as thieves don’t
like a restricted number of escape route.
1. On the Docks: In this aquatic scenario, traders sail (or row) to 5. Underground: Some markets might be literally underground. Of
the marketplace. They moor on the docks and display their course, the most likely market of this ilk is one that deals
wares on the decks of their vessels. A market of this sort enables primarily in illicit or stolen goods. Other markets may be
traders to travel much further to show off their produce. Those underground because the traders prefer the darkness—think a
visiting the market can do so on foot or if they wish to dodge dwarven hold trading with the humans in the city above. Also,
the congested gangways they can hire (or use) their own simply, there may be no space in the city above big enough to
waterborne transport. hold the market.
2. On a Bridge: Bridges are excellent spots for small markets.
Travellers must pass every stall, making it easier for the traders Remember when designing your market that some markets can
to hawk their wares. After all, many medieval bridges had be specialised while others are more generalised. For example:
buildings on them—built out over the water! Traders with stalls
on bridges could even trade with vessels passing under the § A market set underground might deal only or primary with the
bridge, perhaps using baskets on ropes to lower goods to their fruits of the Ebon Realm.
customers. § A market set in a church may deal with items of religious
3. In a Church: Often, churches are some of the largest buildings interest such as holy relics, blessed water and so on.
in a town or city. If the deity has trade or industry in its portfolio § A market set on a dock may deal with the fruits of the sea—
it makes perfect sense for the clergy to host a market. The fresh fish, crabs and so on—as well as acting as a place for petty
market might not be daily, but it could be weekly—in fact merchants to buy direct from the merchants importing goods to
depending on the faith’s exact beliefs running a market could in the town.
itself be a form of veneration. A market in a church is unaffected
by weather and—of course—the clergy of the faith would
guarantee the safety of the traders and their customers. Under

14
10 MERCHANTS WITH PERSONALITY
All too often, encounters with merchants and shopkeepers are 7. Sabine Gagnier, Baker: This plump blonde woman loves
little more than dry exchanges, where players whip out their nothing more than watching a customer enjoy one of her fresh-
rulebooks and handle the exchanges more or less on their own. cooked confections. Her sunny disposition seems to know no
While this is fine for some situations, for others merchants need bounds, and she is quick to recommend the perfect pastry to
a bit more personality, which isn’t always easy to come up with solve any problem, or at least make one feel a bit better while
on the spot. they solve it. She offers a variety of potion-infused pastries,
which have effects similar to potions but are, in her words, “far
1. Hildi Borgusdotter, Blacksmith: Hildi comes from a long, proud more delicious.”
tradition of blacksmithing, and often exclaims her forge has 8. Evron Teivel, Exotic Animal Merchant: This kind-faced man
been the family's business for generations. Hildi's a tad on the personally trains and works with each animal he sells, and has
pricy side, and she has little patience for hagglers, quickly taking been known to refuse sales to buyers he thinks can’t provide a
offense at any slight against her family’s masterpieces. good home for the animal. If an animal takes a particular liking
2. Emil Jarvi, Alchemist: A lean young man with short hair and a to a prospective buyer, Evron sometimes offers a substantial
severe gaze, Emil sells a variety of tonics, herbs, poultices and discount, especially for less popular animals.
various alchemical concoctions. Though he begrudgingly keeps 9. Anila Kleid, Potion and Scroll Merchant: This elderly merchant
a supply of the more in-demand potions, he is quick to decry the recently retired from teaching young wizards at a local arcane
“overdependence on magic that is currently afflicting our university. She brews fresh potions and sells scrolls from the
society,” and that magic is “too fickle a force to trust with your large collection she accumulated over the years in order to
life.” supplement her savings. Buyers beware, each purchase comes
3. Sendra Bisset, Haberdasher: While Sendra is well into middle- with a lecture or story of some kind, whether the customer
age, no one who looks at her would guess it, as she takes great wants it or not.
pains to preserve her beauty and youthful good looks. Though 10. Ozan Balik, Pawn Merchant: This hawkish, gaunt man has very
her stall specializes in hats of all kinds, including a variety of sparse grey hair, and peers at customers over half-moon
magical headgear, an odd assortment of gloves, scarves, purses glasses. He has a wide assortment of items for sale, but is also
and other accessories can also be found here. Those looking for more than happy to buy or pawn interesting objects. A
plain and functional clothes should look elsewhere: her motto consummate haggler, he routinely overcharges for his sales and
is “if it isn’t beautiful, it’s not worth owning.” underpays for his purchases, and always has a dozen reasons
4. Marcis Vincelas, Jeweller: This handsome young man has long, why he can’t give a better price.
dark hair, and speaks with a thick accent. Although he is not the
owner of the stall, he is quite knowledgeable about his craft,
and his incorrigible flirting makes him an excellent salesman,
though he drops the act for rich adventurers shopping for magic
jewelry.
5. Johin Nigul, Curio Merchant: This bald, slightly rotund
merchant carefully watches every customer. Irritable and
suspicious, he grumbles and complains about “window
shoppers,” and threatens those who touch his wares with the
phrase “you break it, you buy it!” Still, his selection of magic
items is impressive, and for repeat customers, he can special-
order things he doesn’t stock.
6. Kian Golshan, Weapon and Armour Merchant: This merchant
sports a well-oiled goatee, slick hair and bright, flamboyant
clothing. Far from a blacksmith himself, he assures customers
he only carries the best merchandise money can buy. He is very
fond of arranging little demonstrations which supposedly show
off his sharp blades or durable armours, but canny buyers can
tell this is all showmanship, and the demonstrations are little
more than sleight of hand.

15
20 DEALS TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE
Adventurers must be wary at all times, and this is just as true in 10. Need a new purse after being pick-pocketed? This vendor sells
the marketplace as a dungeon. Merchants can be just as them on the cheap, but each one is enchanted to magically
predatory as owlbears, and as unscrupulous as kobolds, and teleport a few coins at a time back to his own coffers.
usually, a deal that’s too good to be true, is just a ploy to part you 11. Not all spellbooks are created equal, and while this one contains
from your hard-earned gold. a great selection of rare and powerful spells, it also contains a
number of minor transcription errors that make each
1. This spellbook has an amazingly low price tag considering the enchantment prone to dangerous mishaps.
numerous powerful spells contained within. Unfortunately, it 12. This galleon is available to buy at a very low price, but it’s
was stolen, and its previous owner, a powerful wizard, is docked outside the harbour. The seller is happy to take
actively searching for it. prospective buyers out to it, but shortly after they set sail, the
2. This deal is a gold mine—literally! The seller offers the deed to unfortunate new owners are press-ganged as galley slaves.
an abandoned gold mine said to still be brimming with gold. 13. This powerful magic weapon is actually the weapon used in a
While this is true, it’s also brimming with ghosts. very high-profile recent murder. While it is incredibly cheap to
3. There’s a reason this powerful magic weapon is so cheap: the purchase, its new owner may very well be mistaken for the
magic affecting it is temporary, and will only last a few hours. murderer.
4. This trained animal, whether a bird, dog, horse or something 14. It’s not too hard to find a mage offering spellcasting services for
more exotic, is well trained. Unfortunately, what it’s trained to 75% of the normal rates. Unfortunately, she’s still learning her
do is escape at the first opportunity and return to the seller. trade, and there’s a 25% chance of a magical mishap, instead of
5. No one wants to pay for spell components, and it’s tempting to the spell’s intended effect.
try to cut corners when buying them. This merchant offers them 15. For only a handful of gold, the map to a buried treasure worth
at a great price, but unfortunately, they’re old and stale, thousands of gold seems like a great deal. Unfortunately, the
reducing the efficacy of spells cast using them. seller has already sold about 300 copies of the map, and it’s
6. This suit of armour is so inexpensive because it serves as a magic unlikely the treasure’s still there, if it ever was.
beacon for the seller’s friends, a group of bandits who use it to 16. The price for the deed to this remote manor house is very
ambush and rob victims. Worse, a command word causes the generous, and the seller even has a painting featuring it to show
armour to lock up, effectively paralyzing the wearer. off. Sadly, the painting is from before it became a dilapidated,
7. When visiting a new city, having to pay to exchange money for haunted wreck.
the local currency can be frustrating. Luckily, a kindly monk 17. This potion, sold by an evil death-worshipping cultist, is half the
sitting outside the moneychangers offers to make the exchange price, but infused with a deadly plague.
for free. Sadly, it’s a scam, and he exchanges good coins for 18. This magic weapon may cost a little more than one might
counterfeit. expect, but it was once wielded by a legendary hero. Or, at least,
8. The reason this powerful magic weapon is so cheap is because so the seller claims.
it’s haunted by the spirits of those slain by it, which haunt the 19. A kindly innkeeper, a few miles out of town, offers free room
dreams of whoever owns the weapon. and board for the night, supposedly so you don’t have to push
9. Owning a toll bridge is a great way to make money, and luckily, to reach town by nightfall, but really it’s so she can murder you
someone is willing to offer up a deed for one. Unfortunately, in your sleep and eat you.
the bridge is out in the middle of nowhere, and now sees almost 20. Who can say no to a free amulet, delivered by a secret admirer?
no traffic. Unfortunately, the admirer works for an enemy of the PCs, and
the amulet allows them to listen to every word spoken in its
vicinity.

16
20 INTERESTING STALLS
Anything can be found in a market, if you know where to look. 10. A strange-looking human with pale flesh and massive eyes sells
From meat pies to alchemical ingredients to black market organs, rare spell components. His accent cannot be placed, and he
market stalls are as fascinating as they are varied. repeatedly scratches his face. However, his smile and voice
charm customers, who cannot help but purchase his wares.
1. A greasy man with thin black hair sells live black bats for 11. A fast-talking human has attracted a crowd by extolling the
familiars, arcane components or kibble. The bats chirp and medicinal virtues of various charms won from tribes in the
flutter energetically, straining at the leg straps tying them to undiscovered wilds. Despite the slick look of the merchant, the
their perches. Three tattooed elves purchase from the vendor, goods appear to be genuine—or at least, alien to those
completing their transactions in total silence. produced by local artisans.
2. A fat dwarf in a dirty grey shirt runs a stall stocked with 12. A brooding teenage human with facial tattoos, and an obvious
hundreds of rotten caramel apples. He absentmindedly bites a great distain for his customers, sells a small variety of wands.
soft apple, makes a face of disgust, and then puts it back. The Though he makes no attempt to attract passers-by, he scoffs
dwarf’s white beard drips with melted sugar, apple juices and and rolls his eyes when a potential client chooses to move on.
black seeds. 13. A smiling gnome in a yellow dress sells bizarre, eldritch flowers
3. Two elven children, a boy and a girl, sell beaded talismans from from a small handbag. Many of the flowers move seemingly
a stall shoved to the back of the market. They aggressively hock with a life of their own. She wanders the market, approaching
their wares, but attract little more than annoyed glances from and aggressively selling to anybody who makes eye contact.
other merchants. A large dwarf swipes a talisman without 14. A dwarf loudly hocks vials of silty water, which he claims are
paying, and walks away as if he cannot hear the children’s angry from a blessed spring. A pale, sweaty customer purchases a vial,
protests. gags on the liquid and is reassured by the dwarf that the magic
4. A female gnome, either drugged or incredibly scatter-brained, is already doing its work.
sells glass baubles. She mumbles quietly to herself, blanks eyes 15. Identical halfling twins put on a short juggling show in an
staring up at the sky. However, her wares radiate a complex attempt to drive business. The act is entertaining, but their
magical aura noticeable to even the most mundane passer-by. stock of overpriced potions goes mostly ignored. They put on a
5. A thin human in a black cloak wrings his hands and mutters to brave face as the crowd dissipates, but seem stressed.
himself. He seems suspiciously eager to rid himself of his stock 16. An old woman with black cataracts sells fresh scrolls, penned by
of rings, bracelets and other fine jewellery. The twin, her own unsteady hand. Despite shaky script, dozens of
interlocking scars which run down his forearm look more customers put down handfuls of coin and thank the lady
indicative of ritualistic injuries than battle wounds. profusely. She smiles and shakes each one by the hand.
6. A sickly half-orc repeatedly sneezes over his merchandise: meat 17. An obese half-orc with a malformed leg loudly extolls his wares:
pies and sandwiches. He makes no effort to clean up the mucus, fine-looking axes and crossbows of apparent dwarven make.
instead sipping a spicy-smelling tea and wiping his bleary eyes. Suspicious dwarves glare at the half-orc, but say nothing. Closer
Despite everything, the meat pies smell of pepper, salt and inspection, reveals the weapons bear the marks of orcish
garlic, and the hearty aroma is delicious. A few faithful craftsmen.
customers purchase a snack, brush off the phlegm and eat the 18. A dwarf plays an intense game of cards with a street ruffian,
meals wholeheartedly. completely ignoring potential customers who walk passed his
7. A handsome half-elf merchant flirts with a well-dressed noble stall. Evidently his business of potted plants is not doing well.
woman. She pockets some of the merchant’s jewellery when he The street ruffian, a human no older than eight, has won several
is distracted, kisses the half-elf on the cheek then turns to leave. consecutive hands and is coming away with a few handfuls of
The blushing vendor doesn’t notice a thing. coppers. The dwarf is clearly getting angry.
8. A tired halfling leafs through one of the many books he has for 19. A gaunt, impossibly tall human hunches in his stall, gesturing at
sale, and barely seems to notice his customers. He adjusts his his wares with long fingers and a thin smile. The wet “animal”
spectacles and licks his fingers whenever he needs to turn the organs on his table look fresh, and it is unclear exactly what type
page, and loudly clears his throat every few moments. of creature produces such brains.
9. Behind a counter lined with mosses and herbs, a mute orc 20. One stall is unmanned. On the counter, alongside various
attempts to haggle for her various natural medicines. When her trinkets and baubles, a sign reads “Take what you need. Leave
customer leaves in frustration, the orc lobs a handful of mud at what you can.” A small elf places down a sparking wand and
the back of his head, makes a rude gesture and sits back down. walks away with a cookbook.
Evidently, no deal was reached.

17
20 RUMOURS TO HEAR IN A BUSTLING MARKETPLACE
Wherever people come together to buy and sell, they also 12. Erinhol Gerst (see #7) is really a member of the thieves’ guild.
exchange news, rumours and gossip. Thus, marketplaces are a He uses his business to spy on potential marks—normally
great place for adventurers to learn more about the town, its gullible adventuring types!
surrounds and recent events. 13. He denies it, of course, but Brastel Enanon’s is often accused
Not all the rumours they hear will be relevant to the party’s of selling stolen goods. He denies all charges, and nothing has
needs or have anything to do with their upcoming adventure. even been proven but if you buy something from him you might
They do, however, enable a GM to create verisimilitude and depth be accosted by someone claiming to have once owned your
to the party’s visit to the marketplace. newest possession.
14. Brestia Nimblefingers is a skilled tatooist much in demand in the
1. Old Jerad’s pies are the sweetest and tastiest in the whole local area. Small even for a halfling, she does exquisite work.
market. They are so good, they must have magic in them! Word is that she’s been trying to imbue her tattoos with magic
2. A new fortuneteller has just set up shop in the market. No one for years now, but never gets the process quite right.
knows anything about her, but apparently her predictions are 15. If you’ve got a pet (or an animal companion or familiar) you’d
uncannily accurate. do well to keep it close in the market; several visitors have
3. The sewers running near to the market are old and prone to complained their animals have gone missing while they
blockage (and flood) after heavy rains. When that happens, the shopped.
marketplace is awash with dirty water and sewerage. It’s very 16. Two rival clothiers are doing their best to put each other out of
bad for business—the mayor should do something about it. business. Both send their apprentices to sabotage the other’s
4. A recent rash of pick pocketing has annoyed customers and stall and to steal their customers. Sometimes, a brawl ensues.
merchants alike. A thief was almost beaten to death yesterday, The Watch breaks things up, but their patience is rapidly fading.
in the market. 17. Someone is using false coins in the market. They appear to be
5. The local lord is reviewing the cost of hiring plots in the silver or gold, but are really painted bronze coins. Several
marketplace. Everyone expects him to raise prices and the stall merchants have lost sizeable sums and—even worse—the coins
holders will inevitably pass this onto their customers. have entered general circulation.
6. Herac the merchant is boasting of a recent delivery of fine, rare 18. A hulking half-orc—a monk named Narfu—has set up a stall of
silks. He’s planning to personally invite the town’s great and sorts. Really, it’s more of an entertainment as he performs
good to a showing of his wares, but he has some lesser silks amazing acrobatic tricks. He bets the audience that no-one is
suitable for “ordinary” people. more skilled than he, and thus far he’s been proven right.
7. Erinhol Gerst sells wine and ale by the pitcher or cup from his 19. The local thieves use the marketplace to stalk rich marks. Those
handcart. He wanders the market selling to thirsty shoppers and with much coin to spend should keep their purses close and
is an excellent source of rumours. He hears much and charges their eyes open.
to pass on his knowledge. 20. One of the stall keepers is really a vindictive evil wizard with a
8. Normally, the market is a relatively clean place—the local lord vendetta against the local lord. He sells seemingly
mandates merchants remove their own rubbish. However, mundane items laced with subtle curses designed to make the
more and more people are reporting encounters with large and owner more angry and irritable. Several fights have broken out
aggressive rats scavenging among the stalls. It’s putting off recently, but the wizard’s identity—if indeed he exists—
some visitors. remains a mystery.
9. Watch out for Eron Erkle. He is a grocer by trade, but his scales
are weighted in his favour and you won’t get your money’s The rumours above are designed to be relatively generic so they
worth. fit into almost any town or city. A GM should modify them as
10. Berstal the Fabulous is a charlatan. He pretends to be an required to fit the flavour of his campaign.
apothecary, but his remedies never work—in fact, they often Finally—of course—it is up to the GM if the rumours above
make his patient sicker! are true or false.
11. There was a murder—really a robbery gone wrong—in the
market the other day. A mugger picked the wrong victim and
got electrocuted to death by a magic spell!

18
20 THINGS TO SEE IN A BUSTLING MARKETPLACE
Once the PCs have crushed their enemies and returned to town 11. A cat lounges on the awning above a stall, keeping a wary eye
to sell their ill-gotten gains, their minds often turn to shopping. on all who pass.
Marketplaces are bustling, busy places—they are often the 12. Two young urchins caper through the crowd laughing and joking
throbbing mercantile heart of a village, town or city. As such, the with each other. Their youthful exuberance annoys a trader
PCs will inevitably visit such places in pursuit of the things they who suspects they are clearly up to no good and he shouts at
desire. them to "be off”.
13. Two guardsmen patrol the marketplace, keeping an eye out for
1. A small boy quickly slips through the throng, dextrously arguments and cutpurses. They appear bored, though, and are
squeezing between the shoppers and browsers. The PCs may easily distracted.
assume the boy is a cutpurse, but in reality he is merely running 14. A dishevelled man—clearly unwell, his tunic stained with
an errand for his master. vomit—staggers through the crowd (which parts before him).
2. A massively muscled man, longsword at his hip, staggers Eventually, he slumps against a wall, muttering to himself. (The
through the marketplace with a large rolled up rug over one man is not ill; he is merely suffering an epic hangover).
shoulder. Unsurprisingly, everyone gets out of the man’s way. If 15. Two traders argue—and look like they may come to blows; it
asked why he is carrying a rug, he replies it is for a bet. This seems they both paid for the same pitch and neither is inclined
may—or may not—be the truth. Perhaps the rug bulges to give up his claim.
suspiciously and an unconscious, tied-up kidnap victim lies 16. A sudden heavy squall sends everyone running for cover. Stalls
within. with awnings or those within tents, are suddenly very popular
3. An obviously wealthy woman strolls among the stalls examining and the merchants therein mercilessly press their temporary
the goods. Two servants—carry various packages and bags— advantage.
and a mail-clad bodyguard trail after her. 17. One of the PCs—perhaps distracted by the market’s sights and
4. Several beggars raise their bowls to passers-by, desperate for sounds—stands in a large pile of horse manure. Unless he
even the smallest gift. fastidiously cleans his shoe, the smell follows him for the rest of
5. A bard—employed by a nearby stall holder who has recently the day.
taken delivery of a consignment of rare spices—strolls through 18. The smell of freshly cooked meat wafts over the crowd. Nearby,
the throng loudly singing the praises of Master Arman and his a merchant selling a hog roast is doing a roaring trade.
amazing spices. If stopped—or if the PCs show any interest in 19. A carter tries to force his way through the throng, but almost
his song—he eagerly directs the PCs to Master Arman’s stall. no-one seems inclined to get out of his cart’s way. The man is
6. A crowd of people have gathered around a small, nondescript clearly getting more and more frustrated and shouts loudly at
stall. The owner is apparently trying to off-load a consignment anyone wandering in front of his cart.
of damaged cloth and is selling it at knock-down prices. He could 20. Three finely dress old ladies browse amongst the stalls while
be genuinely trying to get rid of his damaged stock, or he could chatting loudly. Each is attended by a servant, but perceptive
be a distraction for several pick pockets slipping unseen through PCs may spot four ruffians intently watching the group.
the throng.
7. A pair of women stand conspiratorially gossiping in the shade of
a tent. They stop suddenly, if approached.
8. A peddler—selling vegetables from a hand cart—
trundles by the party calling out his prices. He stumbles
and falls, tipping over his cart. Almost instantly beggars
and urchins appear and start grabbing up his produce as
he desperately tries to both shovel it back into his cart
and fight off the swarm of scavengers.
9. A man argues with a store holder, loudly accusing him
of selling crap. He waves an axe in the air while doing
so. PCs taking any interest in the argument notice the
axe head wobbles on its haft as it is waved about.
10. A near-feral dog sniffs its way through the crowd
searching for dropped titbits. He follows anyone feeding
him.

19
20 TYPES OF STALL IN A BUSTLING MARKETPLACE
Markets sell an amazing variety of products and goods. No doubt 10. Foodstuffs (prepared: jams, butter, cream, pies, bread etc.)
the party will spend some time browsing the various stalls while 11. Foodstuffs (alcohol: wine, cider, ale, hard spirits)
in town—which can quickly turn the GM’s life into a nightmare... 12. Foodstuffs (herbs and spices: salt, pepper, common herbs such
No list of this nature could hope to do justice to the vast as basil, fennel etc.)
profession of items for sale in the typical market. However, some 13. Glass (glass goods: glasses, bottles, vials etc.) or pottery (jars,
of the more common stall “themes" appear below. plates, bowls etc.)
14. Household Goods (candles, pots, plates, bowels, cutlery, tools,
A FEW NOTES oil etc.)
Remember, markets are normally a temporarily thing; at the end 15. Instruments (small: harp, lute, violin, pipe etc.)
of the day’s trading, the merchants and vendors pack up and go 16. Livestock (live: chickens, rabbits, dogs, birds etc.)
home. Thus, few truly bulky items are for sale in a normal 17. Metal Goods (nails, pots, pans, horseshoes etc.)
marketplace; most such items—furniture, statues, vehicles, 18. Pen & Paper (quills, ink pens, ink, parchment, paper, papyrus,
horses heavy made-to-measure armour and so on—are sold books etc.)
elsewhere. 19. Skins & Furs (common: fox, beaver, wolf, bear, otter, etc.;
Also keep in mind, most stalls are set up to deal with the most uncommon: winter wolf, owl bear etc.)
common denominator—the local villagers or townsfolk—and 20. Service (apothecary, lawyer, translator, fortune-teller etc.)
their needs. Thus, most normal stalls sell mundane items: food,
The above list does not include adventurer-focused stalls such as
clothing, household goods and so on. Those that sell weapons and
potion sellers, wizards for hire and the like. Such stalls should be
armour will likely sell common, cheap—and probably second-
specifically designed or placed by the GM.
hand—items. Exotic or expensive items will be few and far
between; such things are better found—or commissioned—at an
10 STALL CHARACTERISTICS
armourer or weaponsmiths.
Finally, the items for sale on any given stall will be affected by 1. The stall is actually a handcart or small pony and trap that
the style and flavour of the settlement. Some merchants may deal moves (slowly) about the market.
in exotic or rare products (such as silk, spices and the like) but in 2. The stall is nothing but a thick blanket laid on the floor upon
all but the largest towns and cities these folk should be the which the merchant’s goods are displayed.
exception rather than the rule. 3. Two similar stalls stand next to one another. The two merchants
spend much of their time shouting insults at each other and
SO WHAT’S FOR SALE? trying to steal their rival’s customers.
4. Two large (and lazy) hounds lounge under this stall’s table. They
Determine the general category of products sold on a normal,
give each customer an exploratory sniff.
mundane stall using the list below. Each entry includes examples
5. This stall is a grand tent with the sides rolled up to reveal the
of the things the stall may sell. These are in no way exhaustive.
goods stacked high within. A worker stands outside, loudly
1. Arms (commonly sold weapons include dagger, axe, short extolling the virtues of its goods.
sword, mace, flail, spear etc.) or armour (commonly sold 6. An obviously depressed merchant sits—with head in hands—
leather, studded, chain shirt, breastplate, chainmail etc.) behind this virtually ignored stall. Trade is not going well.
2. Cloth Goods (bolts of cloth, wool, silk, thread etc.) 7. This stall is very popular; a large crowd has gathered in front of
3. Cloth Goods (finished clothes: common, fine etc.) it and customers are jockeying for position. The stall’s owner
4. Cloth Goods (rugs, tapestries) cannot keep up with demand.
5. Cloth Goods (shoes, boots) 8. The owner of this stall is sycophantic in the extreme and calls
6. Jewellery (cheap: copper, silver, etc.; expensive: gold, platinum; out to anyone passing by who looks like they might have money
both types including ornamental or semi-previous gemstones of to spend.
various values) 9. Groaning with goods, this stall’s trestle tables seem dangerously
7. Cosmetics (soap, perfume, cosmetics) over filled.
8. Foodstuffs (raw: vegetables, grains, fruits, fresh cuts of meat, 10. This stall comprises a wagon piled high with goods. The owner
eggs, milk etc.) does business from the back of the wagon while his horse looks
9. Foodstuffs (pickled fruit, pickled vegetables, dried meats, on glumly.
smoked fish etc.)

20
C REEPY G RAVEYARD

21
8 HAUNTS
Creepy graveyards are places where the dead rest poorly, if while the speaker feels the air briefly grow thin.
indeed they rest at all. Sometimes minor haunts linger near the 7. An open grave with a blank marker seems to be bottomless.
place of their burial and may even form the basis of local legends, Upon examination, a howling wind sucks in dust and leaves
rumours or stories. Use the table below, to determine what from nearby plant while shrieks of anguish and pain fill the air
haunts appear to the PCs. for a moment before the vision passes. The grave is only six-
foot deep and shows no sign of disturbance.
1. An item disappears from a PC's gear as a faint cackling echoes
8. A small tarnished bell at the foot of an old grave rings as if
from far away. When looked for, the item is barely visible
yanked strongly from below, but the rope isn't connected to
among another PC’s gear, as if the second character had hastily
anything. The grave is marked “Lorantus Vornmark”.
stowed it.
Investigations reveal he was an elderly human who died quietly
2. The holy symbol on a gravestone cracks violently and dozens of in his sleep. If exhumed, the skeletal remains are curled in the
worms pour forth when it is visible only in the corner of the eye. foot of the coffin, surrounded by scratch marks.
The grave iss marked “Anilda Ravenheart”. Locals recall this
young half-orc rc woman had a crisis of faith as a result of a sudden If the PCs choose to lay a haunt to rest, the required method
illness that killed her. should generally relate to the haunt’s backstory and probably not
3. A veiled womanman cries out, begging to know where her family's involve mere combat. Success may grant boons from the dead
graves are ass she runs between markers and sinks to the ground unfortunate’s relatives or friends. At the least, the folk watching
at a nearby intersection.
ntersection. When approached, her veil blows away over the graveyard will likely be grateful to the PCs for putting an
to reveal a faceless
aceless silhouette that asks, “Where is my grave?” unquiet spirit to rest.
before she disintegrates into dust and is blown away by a
sudden gust of wind.
4. An unconsecrated
crated grave in a lonesome spot is overgrown
and surrounded
nded by tall weeds. When examined, the
plants writhee despite not a breath of wind and the PCs
feel tangles of plants grasping at them. A ropey weed
swiftly twineses up from the ground around a PC's neck,
forming a limp
mp noose. The plants then vanish. The grave
is marked “Noxanna
Noxanna Gorholm”—records show the
woman therein ein was hanged for brigandry.
5. A mound of uprooted lilies covers a fresh grave.
The mound crumples suddenly as if an unseen
human child d or halfling knelt on it. A high-
pitched voice e chants sing-song nonsense words
while the mound rapidly moulders away to
nothing. The he gravestone reads “Margrimm
Suresteel”. Local stories say he was a generous
dwarven trader
ader who was thrown from his
horse after desecrating a fairy ring.
6. A luminouss armoured halfling
patrols a distant
stant path. Anyone
speaking to him or looking
directly at him is
momentarilyy wrapped in
supernaturall silence. The
figure gapes and turns as
if to run. It then vanishes

22
10 MOURNERS WITH PERSONALITY
Graveyards are places of sorrow and loss. Sometimes, those left 6. Herleva Taetel (NE female middle-aged human wizard 3):
behind visit the grave of the beloved departed for closure or (one- Herleva wanders among the graves and tombs searching for
sided) conversation. Such folk often keep themselves to long-lost relatives who are said to be buried here…or at least
themselves, but may see things of interest to adventurers that’s what she tells anyone who asks. In reality, she is searching
investigating strange goings on in a graveyard. for the resting place of a minor mageling—Lanzo Njars— who
Use the table below, to determine which mourner the PCs died a century ago. Recently, she came across an old diary
encounter: recounting the mage’s burial that suggested he was buried with
certain objects of power she craves.
1. Irma Varini (N old female human): Distraught after her 7. Ivo Ubi (LG venerable male human paladin 2): Now old, and
husband’s death Irma comes to the graveyard daily to talk with wizened by the years, Ivo comes to the graveyard to pray at the
her dead partner. She can often be seen sitting by his grave and graves of those of the faith he once knew. He feels cursed to
sometimes she stays for hours. Her husband was obsessed with have lived so long—all his friends and comrades are long dead—
appearances and so she pays a groundskeeper to ensure the but is conflicted. Does his long life yet have purpose? Why is his
grave is well tended. It stands in marked contrast to other lord not yet ready to call him to his side? Half-blind and partially
neglected graves nearby. deaf, Ivo is well known by the graveyard’s caretakers—who let
2. Kuno Salii (NE young male human): Bored and lost after the him wander as he will among the tombstones.
death of his parents, Kuno wanders the graveyard without any 8. Eohric (N male human bard 2): Eohric isn’t a very good singer
real goal or purpose…except mischief. This thin, pale-faced boy and wanders among the gravestones while trying to compose
still wears the smart, slightly too big clothes he wore to his an elegy for his beloved pet dog, Inga, who he had buried in his
parents’ funeral. Although he now lives with his uncle, he is not family plot. Eohric isn’t exactly gifted in the brains department
above trying to get some gold out of kind-hearted, gullible and talks incessantly of his lost love. Only exhaustive
adventurers. questioning reveals Inga was a dog.
3. Hogar (NG male half-orc fighter 3): Hogar is angry. He is angry 9. Cynric Welwyn (NE male human): Brawny and strong, Cynric is
at the disease that took his beloved. He is angry at the clerics digging his own dead sister’s grave. Muttering while he works,
who failed to cure her. He is angry at anyone who asks him if he he scowls at all who come near and isn’t afraid to tell anyone to
is okay. In short, he is angry and he is looking to take it out on mind their own business. Cynric’s sister was recently taken by
someone. In a disheveled state and clutching a wine flask he sits the plague and he nursed her through her final days. A twist of
near his lover’s grave, drinking heavily and muttering to himself. fate—or perhaps a dark, cosmic joke—has rendered him
He does not take kindly to distractions or interruptions. immune to the plague’s effects, but still left him a carrier
4. Aenor Hallin (N female human cleric 1): Aenor is a profesional meaning he could potentially infect anyone who spends too
mourner paid to offer daily prayers at a deceased’s grave. She much time in his presence.
is skilled at fake crying and looks the part—clad in somber black 10. Liuva (CN female half-elf): Yet young, Liuva has watched her
robes and wearing a veil. Always on the lookout for more human mother age and die. Impetuous, headstrong and now
business, she approaches anyone who appears wealthy hanging utterly shattered by her mother’s death Liuva sobs by her
around the graveyard, after finishing her most recent prayer. mother’s grave most days. Bitter, she rails against the
She is softly spoken and respectful, but doesn’t have a lot of unfairness of “her” situation and is looking for answers.
time for the living (unless she is being paid). Recently, one of the groundsmen—a member of a death cult—
5. Onni (dog): With her master dead and buried in the pauper has started sounding her out about joining the cult. Liuva is in
section of the graveyard, Onni has become a graveyard fixture. danger of falling under his sway...
Her shaggy coat has become a familiar sight about the
graveyard; she can often be seen sitting mournfully near her
master’s final resting place—a pauper mass grave. A sort of
minor celebrity, Onni has become beloved by the
groundkeepers who have even built her a small, ramshackle
kennel under a tree growing in sight of her master’s grave.

23
10 THINGS TO FIND IN AN OPEN GRAVE
Adventurers exploring graveyards often discover open graves 5. An unattended coffin of stout pine lies in the grave. No one is
waiting to be filled. Most such graves are ordinary, but a few may filling in the grave—in fact no one seems to be anywhere near
have minor features of interest. Such features may be completely the grave.
innocent, or they could be a clue to darker goings on in the 6. At first glance, this grave seems normal and unremarkable.
graveyard. However, a perceptive PC notices the faint outline of a long
Use the table below, to generate items of minor interest bulky object obscured by earth. Investigations reveal it is
found in an open grave. another coffin. It is rotten and has obviously been buried for
years.
1. A spade stands at a crazy angle at the bottom of the graveyard. 7. At first glance, this grave seems normal and unremarkable.
A soft cloth hat hangs from its handle, but of the gravedigger However, a perceptive PC notices an amulet half buried in the
there is no sign. A close inspection of the handle reveals a small mud. PCs retrieving the amulet discover it bears the symbol of
smudge of blood. a particularly reviled evil deity.
2. A bunch of wild flowers fashioned into a crude wreath lies in the 8. Someone has sprinkled salt over the bottom of the grave and
mud at the bottom of the grave. on the mound of earth beside it.
3. Muddy water has seeped into the grave, turning the bottom 9. The open grave stands near an old tree. The tree’s roots break
into a dank, cloying sludge. A trapped rat swims in the water, through the grave’s walls and floor in several places.
but try as it might it can’t climb up the slippery muddy sides of Imaginative souls could imagine the roots look like a huge
the grave to escape. grasping hand ready to receive the coffin.
4. Heaped earth stands next to the open grave. Nearby lies a 10. As #5, but the coffin lid is splintered and broken as if from
headstone ready to be erected once the grave is filled. several heavy blows with an axe. The coffin itself is empty.

20 GRAVESTONE INSCRIPTIONS
Adventurers frequently find themselves slipping into cemeteries. 12. Ildver Bail: Some treasures are worth more than gold.
Perhaps, they are looking for clues to stop an undead uprising, 13. [Unreadable] Evinmoor: [unreadable] No more will you
hunting grave robbers or looking for a hidden or buried treasure. [unreadable] the people of [unreadable].
No matter, they are bound to examine many gravestones during 14. Oldol Blackfire: He overcame his devils.
their adventure. 15. Leeness Thistleright: Death is just a dream, from which we all
Use the table below, to determine what the PCs find inscribed must wake.
on atypical or noteworthy gravestones. 16. Lady Rilanca Highbarrow: Your soul calls out for vengeance;
may its cries not go unheeded.
1. Vermor Hode: Beloved husband, father and grandfather.
17. Gryphon [unreadable]: Render unto the Reaper what is due
2. Raich Ironblade: She died as she lived, a hero.
her.
3. Yoskel Wulf: His bark was worse than his bite.
18. Askal Tems: The Goblins may have taken his body, but they
4. Celindra Wintervale: In her too-short time here, she taught us
cannot touch his soul.
how to truly love.
19. Zanvin Tanybar Fezzstersticks: Are you truly gone from this
5. Luthian Cooper: He led his brother in birth and in life.
world, or just gone from this place?
6. Codren Cooper: His Brother's Keeper.
20. Samtin Howellson:
owellson:
7. Irano Stork: O Dragonslayer! In death, you were victorious!
Even alchemy has its
8. Thorell Rockbeard: Though far from his own people, no dwarf
limits.
was better loved.
9. Ranbel Crackfang: He looked like a monster, but was a better
man than most.
10. Shadvar Hench: She will never truly die while those she saved
draw breath.
11. Sir Ahelineih Wildleaf: [Written in Elven] May you sustain the
earth in death as you did in life.

24
20 GRAVEYARD RUMOURS
For most, graveyards are unsettling under the best of 11. A battle was fought not far from the graveyard a long time ago,
circumstances, and it’s easy for anything unusual in a graveyard and soldiers from both sides fought over the cemetery.
to attract a lot of attention. Unsurprisingly, as places of death and According to local legend, on the battle’s anniversary, the
sorrow, legends often cluster thickly about a graveyard. soldiers’ spirits rise up and fight again.
Use the table below, to determine what rumours might be 12. In the olden times, a secret tunnel was dug under the graveyard
told about the graveyard, or choose the result you like best. to allow supplies to be smuggled into town in the event of a
siege. Supposedly, one of the graves is fake, and actually an
1. Recent heavy rain, or perhaps a minor tremor, recently entrance to this long abandoned tunnel.
unearthed a massive, unmarked grave in an unused corner of 13. The graveyard was cursed by a necromancer who was executed
the graveyard. No one knows exactly who is buried there, or here long ago. Anyone buried within who goes unmourned for
why, and officials are scrambling to get the bodies sorted and a year and a day rises as an undead.
properly buried. 14. All coffins and caskets made in town are lined with lead. The
2. One or more famous people are buried in the graveyard, and locals say it’s to keep wolves from getting inside, but there
visitors come from miles around to view the grave; some even aren't any wolves for miles around.
leave offerings on it. 15. They say the groundskeeper secretly steals all the bodies of
3. For the last few weeks, every few nights, a new tombstone is those buried in the graveyard, and that the coffins buried in the
broken, split clean in two, as though it had been cut. So far, graveyard contain nothing but cheap sackcloth dolls. What he
there are no leads on who the vandals are or how they’re does with the real bodies is anyone’s guess.
accomplishing this feat. 16. For some reason, any flowers left on a certain grave wither and
4. Rumour has it, a particularly notorious thief buried his last big decay completely overnight, until they are nothing but
score in the graveyard just a few nights before he was arrested blackened husks by the next morning.
and, eventually, hung for his crimes. Supposedly, he never 17. Strange lights can be seen in the graveyard at night, but only on
revealed the treasure’s location, and it’s still buried, foggy nights. Sometimes strange noises can be heard as well.
somewhere. 18. Children tell tales of a murderer so terrible the local lord
5. An eccentric noble is hurriedly building a massive mausoleum decreed that rather than execute her, she would be
on the grounds. It’s far larger and more ostentatious than transformed into a ghoul and locked away in a grave, in this very
anything else in the graveyard, and very much out of character graveyard, to be imprisoned for a thousand years in solitude.
for her. Even more puzzling, she is still in relatively good health, 19. Stories are told of a local bandit who was buried in the
so why is she in such a rush for it to be completed? graveyard, who only had one hand. They say his other hand still
6. One local comes to the graveyard often, and spends hours there lives, and it stalks the night, strangling those foolish enough to
in the afternoon and evening, just sitting under a tree. He has enter the graveyard.
no loved ones buried here, so why does he do this nearly every 20. The groundskeeper has a talent for séances, and can channel
day? the spirit of anyone interred in the graveyard, for a small price.
7. The graveyard used to be a popular spot for young lovers to
have midnight rendezvous, until the terrible morning when just 4 STRANGE SENSATIONS
such a pair was found gruesomely murdered. More troubling,
1. The temperature suddenly drop to near freezing, in the area
the killer was never caught.
immediately around the party. After a few moments, it quickly
8. They say the groundskeeper’s been here as long as anyone can
returns to normal.
remember. In fact, some say she died years ago, but has kept
2. One of the party suffers the growing realisation that someone
doing the job all the same.
or something unseen is watching their progress.
9. Supposedly, a local coven of sorcerers, witches and other
3. One of the party feels strangely dizzy and almost collapses.
practitioners of black magic gather in the graveyard one night
After a five-minute rest, the feeling passes.
each month to perform strange and terrible rituals.
4. Shadows cluster particularly thickly about several old
10. They say an infamous ladies’ man is buried somewhere in the
grave markers. To a fevered imagination, it looks like the
graveyard, and that if you visit his grave and ask just right, his
shadows are rhythmically pulsating.
blessing can make the object of your desires fall in love with
you.

25
20 SIGHTS TO SEE IN A GRAVEYARD
Adventurers seem to spend a lot of time in graveyards. Whether 16. Wind chimes hang from the branches of the trees scattered
they are investigating a series of hauntings, destroying a nest of about the graveyard. When the wind blows they create a
ghouls or merely visiting the grave of a loved one, a graveyard can discordant clamour. The locals believe this keeps the ghosts of
make an exciting adventure locale. the dead in their graves.
Use this table, to add minor points of interest to any 17. A stonemason is on his knees in front of a grave carving
graveyard the PCs visit. something onto a headstone. He could be making a correction
to a carving, finishing a decorative carving or adding graffiti to
1. A lone gravestone—much weather worn and overgrown by the grave of a hated rival.
weeds—stands off alone to one side. 18. Dark clouds hang over the graveyard, casting the whole area
2. A stand of dense trees creates an area of shade. The trees' roots into gloom.
are so dense no graves lie beneath their boughs. 19. Several of the gravestones are topped with half-melted candles.
3. A large oak tree stands majestically among the graves. Coloured Their wax has dripped down and dried on the face of the stone.
ribbons and streamers hang from its lower branches and move The dried red wax looks like old blood.
gently in the wind. 20. Suddenly the birds pecking among the graves or perching in the
4. An open grave—freshly dug—awaits its occupant. surrounding trees all fall silent. Moments later—in the sudden
5. Several spades rammed into a pile of freshly dug earth stand quiet—they take flight.
next to an open grave.
6. Three graves lie close to one another. A low iron wrought fence 10 STRANGE SOUNDS
pierced by a single gate surrounds the trio. Within the fence’s
1. A rustle in the bushes off to one side hints at something small
perimeter, the grass is neat and well-tended.
scurrying about.
7. A small shrine decorated with the carved decorations of all the
2. The wind plucks at the party’s cloaks, as it moans through the
local deity’s sigils stands near the graveyard’s entrance.
graveyard.
8. Obscured by a thick hawthorn hedge, a shrine dedicated to the
3. Faint sobbing, from behind a gravestone, reaches the party’s
god of death stands at the centre of the graveyard. The shrine
ears.
is little used—except by those recent bereaved. Three grim-
4. A tree’s bare branches clack together as a faint wind gusts
faced clerics maintain the shrine, conduct services and oversee
through the graveyard.
the graveyard.
5. A faint, indeterminate whispering assails the party’s ears.
9. A long, low mound covered in wild flowers dominates one side
6. A large black crow perched on a gravestone far from the path
of the graveyard. Here are buried the victims of some long ago
caws loudly before taking to the air. It circles the party twice
disaster—perhaps a plague, war or large fire that ripped
before flying away.
through the town.
7. Snatches of conversation reach the party’s ears. The words
10. Low hedges heavy with blooms divide the graveyard into
“dead”, “burial” and “rise” are discernible, but there is no one
sections.
nearby.
11. Four men carry a coffin through the graveyard. A weeping man
8. Somewhere unseen behind the party, a dog starts howling. The
helped along by a grim-faced priest follows in their wake.
howling continues for a minute or two before abruptly
12. A large crow—its black feathers glimmering in the light—
stopping.
perches atop a gravestone and caws loudly when anyone
9. The grunts of exertion and sounds of picks and shovels cutting
approaches.
into the earth show gravediggers are hard at work.
13. A cluster of people stand around a grave, arguing loudly and
10. Loud wailing echoes through the graveyard. Investigation
gesticulating wildly.
reveals a mourner kneeling before a freshly filled
14. A lone figure stands in the gloom beneath a stand of trees. He
grave seemingly inconsolable with grief.
seems to be watching the graveyard intently, but if approached
disappears into the shadows.
15. The wind moans among the headstones.

26
27
20 STRANGE MAUSOLEUMS TO DISCOVER IN A GRAVEYARD
The mansions and castles of the graveyard, mausoleums are plain to see. Devoted servants of the demanding lord interred
almost always built to impress, and many are constructed with within, they serve him even in death.
unusual features that reflect their owner’s proclivities or 12. A cleverly disguised elevator descending into catacombs below,
personality. These houses of the dead are often grim, looming this plain-looking mausoleum is rather sparse inside and out. Its
landmarks in graveyards, and are built to attract attention. lone sarcophagus is empty, other than a hidden lever that
Some mausoleums stand out even amongst this remarkable operates the elevator.
crowd, and can be said to be truly strange. Use the table below, 13. Something about this mausoleum attracts the undead. Any
to add a little flair to a lonely mausoleum, or choose the result you mindless or semi-intelligent undead creatures coming near,
like best. even those controlled by magic, suddenly stop what they are
doing and head straight for it, standing outside its door
1. This entire mausoleum is made of an unusual blood-red stone. patiently.
The local groundskeeper swears that every time there’s a storm, 14. This grim mausoleum is constructed entirely of bones, which
the lightning only ever strikes the mausoleum, although the have been painstakingly mortared together like bricks to form a
structure bears no sign of any damage. solid structure.
2. A ghostly figure can sometimes be seen pacing restlessly 15. Built in a swampy hollow in the graveyard, usually only the roof
outside this mausoleum at night. In truth, the ghost is an illusory of this mausoleum is visible above the muck. By speaking a
image of the mausoleum’s occupant, which was once always magic word known only to the family owning the crypt, it can
present, but which has become unreliable over the centuries. be made to rise, allowing entrance.
3. Belonging to an eccentric nobleman, this ornate mausoleum 16. The entrance to this mausoleum is bricked up. The bricks are
holds the remains of his most prized hounds. The outside is clearly a much later addition, and seem to have been laid with
decorated with gargoyles and bas-reliefs shaped like dogs. haste, more than care.
4. Only three feet high, but completely to scale, this mausoleum 17. The door to this mausoleum appears to be locked from the
features tiny figures engraved on its sides, needle-like spires inside, and the door features both a knocker, and a small
and a plaque too small to read. If the miniature door is opened, viewing slit that can be opened only from within.
the building is hollow, containing only an urn. 18. This mausoleum is only present in the light of a full moon. At all
5. The interior of this mausoleum features a trapdoor, which other times, the plot it occupies is simply a vacant patch of
opens over a horrific pit filled with dozens of corpses heaped grass.
haphazardly atop one another. 19. This mausoleum glistens in the moonlight, and close inspection
6. This grand mausoleum takes the shape of a tower, unlike the reveals it is because a clear, ectoplasmic slime is seeping from
short, squat structures beside it. A blue/green light shines from its walls.
its zenith on most nights, but is dark on the last night of each 20. Barely recognizable as a mausoleum, this 12-foot-tall obsidian
month. obelisk features a door on one side, and just enough space on
7. The interior of this mausoleum is a single, large room. Rather the interior for its occupant to stand for all eternity.
than sarcophagi or biers, the mausoleum’s inhabitants sit in
elegant chairs around an oak table, which is set for a tea party.
8. Made entirely of smoked glass, one can just faintly make out the
biers standing within this sealed mausoleum. Occasionally,
locals report seeing a hazy figure moving inside, or hearing the
sound of something tapping on the glass.
9. Known locally as the Banshee’s Tomb, a strange singing
sometimes emanates from this mausoleum. By day, locals insist
it’s just wind whistling through cracks in the building, but at
night, they’re less confident.
10. This massive mausoleum is carved to resembles a sleeping
dragon. The entrance is in the dragon’s mouth, and the long,
narrow corridor serving as its neck leads to the main chamber.
11. There are no rumors that this mausoleum houses the undead:
the four zombies standing guard outside it night and day are

28
C U LTIST ’ S L AIR

29
10 CULTISTS WITH PERSONALITY
Cultists come from all walks of life. Many maintain a façade of 8. Ghena Haroth: This female half-orc paladin serves in an
normality, allowing them to hide among an unsuspecting society; organization with nobler goals than many cults, but the
others are far too deranged or dangerous to escape notice. tyrannical regime she seeks to subvert refers to it as a cult. She
is gruff and slow to make friends, partially out of distrust and
1. Tanathrax: A tiefling with red scales, slightly glowing amber partially out of knowledge that her comrades have short
eyes and a stubby tail, Tanathrax is convinced he comes from a lifespans. She often makes difficult decisions about peoples’
draconic, rather than fiendish, bloodline. She involves herself in lives, causing her to seek atonement for her actions on a regular
the cult as an enforcer, but intends to subvert its goals to suit basis.
an ancient red dragon who has no idea Tanathrax exists. 9. Mervynne the Prognosticator: Mervynne is a human man with
2. Pendrake Abrogast: This rakish blond haired, blue eyed noble tight, curly hair who makes a living as a fortune teller. While
enjoys the benefits of his conventional good looks. He is known many of his fortunes are part of a convincing act, the proceeds
for his dalliances with all genders and debauched parties he from which fill the cult’s coffers, he has some powers of
throws at his estate. During days when he “nurses a hangover,” divination. Specifically, he seems to be able to identify people
he actually participates in cult rituals, usually with the same whose paths intersect with the cult’s plans.
people he partied with the night before. He believes the titled 10. Tessa: This half-elf woman leads the Twilight Performers, a
shall inherit the world and looks forward to the total carnival troupe, and she is the resident “beast tamer.” She often
subjugation or annihilation of the lesser folk (except those gains the trust of settlement leaders by stopping a rampaging
required to serve him). monster—typically one she releases herself, but she does not
3. Nelva and Quentin Indra: This affable halfling couple once pass up
p p a convenient opportunity.
pp y She is
adventured together, but retired to open their general al goods never without her collection of whips.
store. The grey-haired shop owners get to know everyone ryone in
their store and have remarkably keen recollections forr names
and faces. They are astute observers and keep an eye out for
potential victims or recruits.
4. Valdrin Boke: Valdrin has dirty blond hair and scars crisscross
risscross
his body, but his face is injury-free. He wields a pair of daggers
named after lesser beings associated with the cult, and nd uses
them for murders committed in the cult’s name. The cult lt keeps
him on a tight leash, but ocassionally he escapes—or s—or is
released—to carry out his “sacred” duty.
5. Felice Granger: Felice has dark brown hair that turns bright
ight red
when she engages in her favourite activity: arson. She believes
she can conjure forth actual hellfire. She has shown a surprising,
rprising,
yet unreliable, ability to start fires with a thought, which
hich she
believes comes from her invisible guardian devils.
6. Pastoran Fenn: Pastoran is a softly-spoken gnome clericc with a
warm personality. He wears no holy symbol, claiming he is a
servant of the people rather than some unseen deity. ty. He
enjoys spreading hope only to see it crushed afterwardss and
often convinces seriously ill or near-dead people to take
their lives while he watches.
7. Odette Varyan: Odette, a human woman with dark brown own
skin, lived a sheltered life, overprotected by her father and
older brothers and resented it. However, when she found und
her purpose in the cult, she realized she could use her
perceived helplessness to her advantage. She pretends nds
someone is following her or targeting her to lure unwitting
ting
protectors to their dooms.

30
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A CULTIST’S LAIR
Cultists’ lairs and homes contain strange items and objects related 10. Three fine silk robes (worth 25 gp each) emblazoned with holy
to their aberrant faiths, giving possible clues to their motivation symbols relevant to the cult. The robes belong to the cult’s
or plans. highest ranking members.
Some of the objects below might be displayed prominently in 11. A collection of fine silver and golden religious objects (worth 50
a cultist’s home while others—particularly the more gruesome— gp total) stolen from a local temple.
may be hidden. 12. A crudely sketched floorplan of a nearby garrison. Notes detail
several possible scenarios to surreptitiously gain entrance.
1. A large map of the nearby local populace. A number of houses 13. An exquisite noble’s outfit (worth 50 gp). In the pocket is potion
of prominent townsfolk are circled though several have Xs allowing the imbiber to change their appearance (as disguise
through the circle. self or similar illusion spell).
2. Ten strangely feathered animal masks—each one as unique as 14. A mummy wrapped corpse with an amulet (75 gp) displaying a
its corresponding robe. deity or creature important to the cult. The mummy’s funerary
3. A small library of strange, forbidden, and in some cases wrappings indicate it was once a prominent member of the cult,
heretical, books. To the right buyer, the collection is worth 200 now revered as a holy figure.
gp. 15. Four sets of uniforms belonging to the nearby town guard or
4. A collection of five ornate knives (worth 50 gp in total) with local militia replete with the appropriate weapons and armour.
strange creatures worshipped by the cult engraved in the blades 16. An eight-piece silver dining set (worth 40 gp) inscribed with
and hilts. images and motifs important to the cult.
5. A large straw effigy of a prominent local. Parts of it have been 17. Fifteen plain holy symbols hanging from a series of pegs. The
singed with fire. holy symbols depict symbols and images meaningful to the cult.
6. A large, human-sized cage. Spots of dried blood stain the metal 18. Seven sealed scrolls containing missives to seven different
floor. people. The missives are written in code and need to be
7. A long scroll displayed prominently inscribed with the cult’s deciphered.
ideology. 19. A long, rambling pamphlet describing daily religious routines for
8. A small alchemist’s lab with the ingredients to create five doses the cult’s members to conduct and penalties for not doing so.
of a sleeping poison (save against poison or fall unconscious for Studying the pamphlet gives the PC a +4 bonus if attempting to
1 hour). The ingredients are volatile and likely to explode (4d6 disguise himself as a cultist.
points of fire damage) if not handled properly. 20. Eight vials containing human hearts floating in a preservative
9. Six sets of well-used manacles stained with old, dried blood. fluid. Each vial contains a label with a name written on it belong
to a missing person in a nearby settlement.

4 UNHOLY BOOKS
1. Tome of the Tentacled Masters: Little more than a collection of tome is part “recruitment manual” and part blackmailer's
deranged ramblings about “the questing tentacles in the dark” handbook. Several notations in the book indicate various
this book has been handed down from cultist to cultist. Several techniques are perfect for several named folk dwelling in the
different hands are evident in its writings. surrounding community.
2. Libram of Ineffable Damnation: This small, exquisitely bound 4. Unnamed Book: This book has a plain cover and is untitled.
book, describes—in excruciating detail—various torture and Readers exploring its contents discover it is a diary of sorts
sacrifice rituals designed to consign the soul of the unfortunate chronicling the rise of the local cult. It provides a detailed
subject into the clutches of various devils and demons. Several history of its activities, victims and members. It is a useful
of the pages have dried, bloody fingerprints on the pages resource to help the adventurers track down any cultists that
suggesting they may have been consulted mid-ritual. have thus far escaped their notice.
3. Tome of the Sibilant Terror: Detailing many inventive and
sadistic techniques for inducting new members into a cult, this

31
20 THINGS TO FIND ON A CULTIST’S ALTAR
It seems, adventurers are always invading fanes dedicated to evil 13. A battered helmet, the stump of a broken horn and a bent holy
powers, slaying their adherents and looting their valuables. symbol crafted from blackest obsidian lie on a scarlet velvet
Cultists worshiping evil powers perpetrate unspeakable, pillow.
terrible acts upon their altars. The altars are the centrepiece of 14. A set of five matching daggers is laid out on the altar. Each of
their foul rituals and such places are rarely without the daggers has an oversized, two-handed handle and flecks of
ornamentation or implementation.: ruby set its its pommel. Each also has a litany to some dark
power etched in Abyssal runes along the blade.
1. A curved bronze knife encrusted with dried blood lies next to a 15. A scythe lies on the altar. Dried blood covers its blade, and wisps
beaten copper bowl similarly covered in blood. of blond hair are stuck in the blood.
2. A black velvet cloth covers the altar. Atop it, a polished skull, 16. Niches—seven in total—have been carved into the altar’s
fashioned into a drinking cup, stands on a small beaten silver surface. A polished skull—its top removed—fills each niche. A
tray along with a stoppered clay flask decorated with lewd different type of incense fills each skull.
images of demons cavorting with humans. 17. The slashed and bloody tabard of a servant of good—decorated
3. A small silver tripod holding a stone bowl along with several with the wearer’s patron’s symbol—lies on the altar. The tabard
pots containing foul-smelling herbs have been neatly arranged conceals other trophies including a partially melted silver holy
on the altar. symbol, a battered mace head and the bones of a severed hand.
4. Dried blood has stained this stone altar a foul brown/black 18. A skull stands at each corner of the altar. A dagger has been
colour. The surrounding floor is similarly stained. rammed through the top of each skull, and tied to their hilts are
5. A three-pronged candlestick filled with red-hued candles stands red, scarlet and purple streamers.
in the exact centre of the altar. The candlestick is designed to 19. The altar is riven with a multitude of cracks. Bent and
look like a pair of lovers entwined in the midst of a particularly hammered coins—silver, gold and platinum—have been forced
lewd act. into the cracks—perhaps as offerings...
6. A wide oval bowl set atop the altar contains several rotting and 20. A low “fence” of leg and rib bones surrounds the altar. The altar
shrivelled hearts. itself comprises a great mass of bones glued together in some
7. A low pile of skulls—all bearing the signs of violence—covers unspeakable fashion. Three great horns emerge from the mass
the altar top. Emerging from the centre of the pile is a single of bones; from each hang small banners depicting the symbols
thick blood-red candle. of various evil powers.
8. A thin book—covered in some sort of aged leather—lies on the
altar. It is kept shut by a ribbon woven from long, golden hair. 12 SMALL ITEMS FOUND ON ALTARS
The ribbon is frayed and speckled with dried blood. 1. A small instrument (a bell, gong, cymbal, chime, drum etc.)
9. The shattered shards of a mirror—laid out in a rough 2. An unholy symbol.
approximation of how the mirror would have looked when 3. A prayer book.
whole—lies on the altar. One large part of broken glass is 4. Bones
conspicuously absent. The glass of the shards present seems 5. A vial of unholy water.
suspiciously clouded in places as if the mirror has trapped the 6. A dagger or knife (probably blood-stained).
image of the last thing reflected on its surface. 7. An offering bowl (possibly blood-stained).
10. A single, foul-smelling burning candle stands atop the altar in 8. Candles or a lamp.
the centre of a pool of wax that almost covers the altar top. The 9. An idol
candle’s flame dances wildly, as if caught in a strong wind, but 10. Incense burner
no wind is present in the chapel. 11. A ceremonial mask
11. Channels cut in the altar top lead to a central depression with a 12. Offerings left by the faithful.
small hole at the centre. Clumps of dried blood fill the channels
and central depression. A small knife, point towards the
depression, lies at the head of the altar.
12. A thick tapestry covers the altar. The tapestry depicts angels
being slain by a rampaging balor wielding a huge sword
wreathed in dark energy. The tapestry is obviously old, but is in
good condition.

32
20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A CULTIST’S BODY
Depraved followers of forbidden or forgotten powers of fell, 12. A plain copper bracelet encircles this cultist’s left wrist. Several
sinister mien, cultists often collect items of profane significance small charms—demon heads, claws and other fell things—hang
to their unspeakable practises and services. from the bracelet and quietly jangle when moved. The charms
are well made—but odious. A dealer in exotic art might pay 10
1. A polished knucklebone wrapped in a scrap of thin, red cloth. gp for them.
2. A three-inch high gold statuette depicting the cultist’s fell 13. This cultist’s shirt has a secret hidden compartment on the left
patron. The statuette is crudely made (or is incredibly old and side at the waist. Within, perceptive PCs find a scrap of
has become worn and dented through the ages). parchment extolling the virtues of the cult’s dark lord and the
3. This scarp of crumbled parchment bears the name of a half- cultist’s signature under a pledge of allegiance.
dozen locals. None are cult members; instead this is a list of 14. Hidden at the bottom of this pouch, in a small semi-hidden
potential members (or perhaps a list of potential sacrifices). pocket is a small golden coin. Practically worn smooth by time,
4. A broad belt finished with a snarling demon head buckle holds the outline of some elder personality’s profile is just visible.
up this cultist’s trousers. The belt has a small secret 15. A slender chain around the cultist’s neck supports a small
compartment that would sit in the small of the back of the wooden unholy symbol of the cult’s lord. The cultist’s name is
wearer big enough to hold a small unholy symbol. etched on the back of the symbol.
5. This cultist’s dreary brown cloak is double lined has a black inner 16. Deranged ramblings—“the lord’s vengeance”, the “end of all
lining. Its cowl is particularly capacious. things” and a “blood sacrifice”—cover this scrap of parchment.
6. This curved iron dagger has dried blood on the tip. The cross 17. A small sack full of blood-soaked earth destined for the cultist’s
guard is slightly wobbly and cured leather is wrapped around garden; he believes it gives his crops a “certain taste".
the weapon’s handle. 18. A vaguely human-shaped fetish comprising pieces of string, hair
7. This cultist wore a circlet of beaten bronze. The circlet—plainly and straw. (The fetish represents the cultist’s hated neighbour
old—has four empty settings, which clearly once held precious who he has cursed).
gems or some other form of decoration. 19. A thigh bone wrapped in cloth and crudely etched with a
8. Wrapped in cloth and hidden in a large belt pouch lies a small number of deep incisions. The meaning of the plentiful marks is
(unholy) prayer book. It has a battered, mildewed cover. not immediately clear, but could be a count of the number of
9. A bloody work rag—used to clean a bladed weapon recently— sacrifices the cult has made to its fell patron.
fills this cultist’s pocket. 20. A diary of sorts detailing the cultist’s struggle with the cult’s
10. This cultist has pierced his nipples (and several other parts of his unholy, distasteful practises. The writing reveals the cultist to
body). In total he wears six silver piercings. Each is worth 1 gp, be a reluctant member of the cult (at best) who dreams of
but removing them requires them to be cut out. fleeing the locality to begin a new life far away.
11. A list of the party’s names along with brief descriptions of their
appearance and assumed abilities.

33
20 MAGIC EFFECTS ON AN ALTAR
During their adventures, heroes often invade fanes dedicated to altar. Anyone approaching the altar carrying or wearing metal
evil gods and slay the degenerate worshippers lurking therein. armour or weapons is struck by a minor electrical discharge
Such shrines always have an altar at their heart. The site of (2d6 electrical damage).
horrific sacrifices and debauched rites, many altars are protected 10. A permanent sphere of darkness is fixed to the altar; no
or augmented with magical effects. Some are of relatively minor nonmagical light sources can illuminate the surrounding area.
power while others could spell the doom of those investigating 11. An illusion cast around the altar creates the image of mist
the fane. continually rising from the floor. The mist provides concealment
for objects and creatures further than 5 ft. away and cannot be
1. Heatless flames writhe atop the altar providing illumination dispersed by normal means (such as conjured wind and so on).
equivalent to a bonfire. The flames leap 5 ft. into the air and Individuals who know of the illusion can see through the mist
never go out. They obscure the altar top itself, making it hard to without penalty.
see the hidden secret niche hidden therein. 12. A prayer dedicated to the dark powers of the fane is etched into
2. This overly tall altar is of mortared stone upon mortared stone. the stone of the altar. Anyone reading the prayer hears dread
The mortar comprises the ground down bones of several whispers, urging the affected to kneel and worship.
champions of good, which binds the heroes’ souls to the altar. 13. A faint, sickly purple glow illuminates the altar providing light as
Destroying the altar releases these spirits. Any sentient creature a candle. This glow expands to cloak anything or anyone
coming within 20 ft. of the altar hears pain-laden whisperings touching, or placed on, the altar.
emanating from its stones. 14. Small holes in the altar top expel a strong breeze causing the
3. The area around the altar is intensely cold. Frost clings to the permanently flaming torches set in wrought iron sconces atop
altar itself and surrounding floor, making the floor slippery. the altar to dance wildly.
Cold-based spell cast within 30 ft. of the altar take effect as if 15. A protective circle is carved into the floor around the altar.
the caster was one level higher than normal. Picked out with silver, it acts as a magic circle against good.
4. Four balls of obviously magical light hover in the air above the Damaging the silver ends the affect.
altar. They give off a lurid, green glow each equivalent to a 16. A tall banner hangs from the ceiling directly above the altar,
torch. Anyone touching the altar can mentally command the depicting the symbol of the altar’s deity. A strong burst of wind
four globes to fly anywhere in the chamber. continually affects the banner making it writhe and flap.
5. Strange whisperings emanate from the altar. These whispers Consequently, it is slightly colder around the altar than normal.
grow louder or fade away depending on how many evil aligned 17. The altar is constructed of nothing but dozens—perhaps
creatures are in the chamber. However, they never completely hundreds—of closely packed leg and arm bones. These fell
cease and explorers may believe the altar is possessed. If they remains emanate a constant unholy power.
grow loud enough to be heard, listeners can ascertain the 18. The altar is the site of many contacts with creatures from
whispers are tinged with pain and are a litany of praise for an beyond. The repeated use of such powerful magic in the locality
evil god. has created a bridge of sorts to certain powerful, alien beings.
6. A line of skulls is mortared into the altar about three-foot above A character asking questions within 15 ft. of the altar is
the ground. Unnatural, magical darkness lingers within the assaulted with strange visions, alien thoughts and terrible
skulls’ eye sockets. feelings that haunt his mind.
7. Lurid, disturbing frescos depicting horrific acts of violence and 19. A variant stone-forming magic affects the altar. The effect runs
torture decorate the sides of this altar. Further augmented by a continuously and the altar’s form is in a constant state of flux.
powerful illusion, the figures in the frescos seem to shudder and While it always retains the general form of an altar, small details
writhe in pain. such as carvings, channels to catch the blood of sacrifices and
8. Powerful magics pervade the altar and the area immediately so on appear and disappear seemingly at random.
surrounding it. Within this zone, all sound is greatly amplified 20. A highly polished skull sits on a black velvet cushion atop the
making even the quietest whisper or groan of pain as loud as a altar. A shard of obsidian fills one of the skull’s eye socket. The
shout. obsidian is the key to a magic prison of a paladin in stasis. Even
9. The smell of ozone hangs heavily in the air around this altar dastardlier, a defensive circle surrounds the altar which stops
adorned with thick manacles. An obsidian dagger lies on the the paladin’s soul from escaping...

34
20 VILE THINGS TO FIND IN A CULTIST’S LAIR
Cultists often seek out terrible deities and alien entities in their 15. Two matching drinking vessels made from unicorn horns
quest for power and to further their nefarious ends. They often stained red with blood.
use profane and vile accoutrements in blasphemous rituals to 16. A gorgeously illuminated holy text except the images of the
venerate their terrible, fell masters. good deity and its servants have been replaced with demons,
devils or other strange creatures.
1. Ten blood red candles containing teeth and fingernail clippings. 17. An altar fashioned from the small skulls of numerous tiny fey.
When lit, the candles smell of fresh blood. Bloody tears weep from their sockets and the air around it
2. Three suits made from humanoid flesh and decorated with smells like spoiled milk.
animal skulls, fur and feathers. 18. A pool filled with a green, viscous slime emitting a smell of
3. The faint outline of a summoning circle. Black, acrid smoke drifts decay and cinnamon.
up from it—seemingly from nowhere—and the air smells like 19. A skeleton, half-dissolved, lies within a summoning circle
tar. inscribed with pulsating runes.
4. Four humanoid skulls inscribed with symbols pertaining to the 20. Four necklaces made from the teeth of an angelic creature and
cult. Slips of paper with names written on them are stuffed into onyx (each 150 gp each; if worn by a good-aligned creature they
the skulls’ mouths. emit a profound aura of sadness).
5. Three golden statues of local, good-aligned gods stained with
fresh blood. There is a 25% chance that touching a profane object has
6. A gold encased skull of a demon or devil (worth 150 gp). The disastrous consequences.
eyes glow dimly—and sinisterly—red.
7. A 10-foot tall sculpture of a deity, entity or creature the cult 1. The PC is possessed by an alien entity until the next time he
reveres made from various parts of human limbs sown sleeps.
together. Smoke constantly drifts from the statue’s nostrils. 2. A surge of profane energy envelops the PC, dealing 2d6 damage.
8. A pool filled with a strange, red fluid gives off a silver glow. It’s 3. The PC sees horrific visions for the next hour, taking a –2 penalty
not poisonous or magic but leaves a luminescent glow behind if on all rolls.
smeared on anything. A horned, humanoid skull rests at the 4. The PC’s alignment turns evil for 24 hours.
bottom of the pool. 5. An evil outsider (demon, devil etc.) appears and is quite angry.
9. The burnt remains of sacred holy texts and items smoulder on 6. The PC can only speak in an ancient, alien language for the next
an obsidian altar. 24 hours.
10. This 3-foot tall idol of a squamous creature constantly oozes a 7. Worms and insects crawl out from the earth and woodwork
thin, milky and slightly caustic ooze (and deals 1d4 acid damage wherever the PC goes for one week.
if touched). 8. The PC learns the true name of an evil entity who now wants
11. The tattered wings of an angelic creature are pinned to the wall that PC dead.
with black, metal spikes. 9. The PC has terrible nightmares of a vile, rotting city; he cannot
12. A number of jars of various sizes containing the pulsating organs regain hit points through rest for one week.
of a demon; all emit a stench of brimstone, if opened. 10. An evil doppelganger of the PC appears in a nearby settlement
13. Six corpses lying on slabs and awaiting reanimation—their and causes mayhem and chaos.
hands have been removed and replaced with cruel looking
weapons grafted onto the corpses’ arms.
14. The skeleton of some giant, painted black and engraved with
unholy rites. It occasionally trembles slightly.

35
36
C U RIO S HOP & P AW NBROKERS

37
INTRODUCTION
Curio shops. flea markets. Pawnbrokers. Adventurers normally bins of Raisa’s Curios (a pawn and curio shop in the city of
find treasure deep in a dungeon guarded by some terrible Languard) in my sporadic campaign—Adventures in Shadow.
monster. They wrest it from mighty dragons, marauding orcs, (I love my job—I get to work on my campaign and write for
cowardly bandits and all manner of other foes. Raging Swan Press at the same time!)
Sometimes, though, the PCs find treasure where they least
expect it—and sometimes it hardly costs them anything at all! WHAT DO THEY FIND?
Adventurers returning from their latest heroic exploit need to Use the tables on the following pages to determine what the PCs
sell their loot. Curio shops, flea markets and even pawnbrokers find while browsing a curio shop’s shelves. First, determine which
are excellent places to offload items that more mainstream table to use:
merchants and traders turn down. Such places are often
crammed with strange odds and ends. Much is junk, but a few D20 TABLE
pieces could be interesting, valuable or both! (Or could even be 1-3 10 Complications, Hooks & Opportunities
the start of the PCs’ next adventure). 4-5 6 Customers
6-11 20 Odds and Ends, Knick-Knacks & Oddities
CREIGHTON’S ASIDE 12-17 20 Pieces of Bric-a-Brac, Junk & Dross
18 6 Weapons
As an aside, I got the idea for this supplement after my players 19-20 20 Trinkets, Baubles & Curios
spent several hours searching the stacked shelves and storage

6 CUSTOMERS
There are bound to be other customers in the shop when the PCs seem untrustworthy. In truth, he is looking for an escape route
enter. Most are unremarkable, and mind their own business, but in case negotiations go badly!
a few may be of interest or note to the PCs. 4. Thjoric Ovlag (LN male dwarf fighter 3) is bored, a little drunk
Use the table below, to determine who they encounter: and in a bad mood. Thjoric is looking for a friend (who is not
here) and is getting increasingly annoyed. He barges passed the
1. Sakari Keto (N middle-aged male human) is desperate; he has group—they should get out of his way—and possibly knocks a
little money and a large family to feed. He is here to sell his final PC against a shelf (which might then collapse). Thjoric doesn’t
few valuable possessions. He is stressed, hungry and desperate see he did anything wrong and is belligerent if challenged.
to secure a good price. Obviously malnourished, and his face 5. Rennesar Sehiatyn (LE male half-elf wizard 2/thief 3) is here
care-worn and gaunt, his scraggly grey hair and sallow skin gives casing the joint—not because he is thinking of robbing it but
him an air of desperation. because he is planning to set up a rival business. He does his
2. Emmi Alanen (CN female human thief 1) is a petty criminal here utmost to befriend the PCs, even going so far as to find out
to sell a few trinkets she recently “found”. Most are nothing where they live, what they plan and so on. He opens his shop a
more than cheap pieces of jewellery, but she is trying to pass month later and tries to lure the PCs to his business. With jet
them off as something more than they are. (If the PCs seem black hair, a thick—but neatly trimmed—beard and glittering
gullible she tries to sell them the jewellery). She wears her dark black eyes full of intellect Rennesar does not appear as a typical
brown hair cut short and dresses in clothes of dark hue and half-elf.
fashionable cut. 6. Vilho Rintala (CN young male human thief 1) is a child of the
3. Elmo Karppanen (NG male human wizard 2) is a minor streets and here on a dare. He is dirty, clad in clothes little
spellcaster suffering from an affliction of cowardice. He spends better than rags and looks hungry. His long, tangled brown hair
a lot of time in junk shops looking for things he can use (or sell obscures his eyes, and his skinny frame hides surprising
on) as spell components. He has a small supply of such items for strength. Vilto is here to steal something—anything—to prove
sale at his home, but prefers to meet elsewhere such as a busy his bravery to his friends. Unfortunately, he is an unlucky thief;
tavern. His eyes constantly dart about, which can make him one of the PCs or the shop’s owner spots him slipping
something into his pouch.

38
10 COMPLICATIONS, HOOKS & OPPORTUNITIES
Sometimes a trip to the curio shop goes as planned. Other times, 6. While browsing, one of the party feels inexplicably drawn to a
fate takes a hand… certain item (use one of the other tables to determine which
item). This feeling could be nothing, or the object could turn out
1. The owner—or one of the staff—becomes suspicious of the PCs. to be a hook into a minor adventure. Alternatively, the item
If they appear shifty, the owner accuses them of theft! could even be possessed!
2. The shop owner wants to close early and asks the PCs to leave. 7. While examining an item, the PC discovers something else of
3. Once the PCs show keen interest in a particular item, another greater value hidden within. This discovery presents a moral
customer swoops in and loudly declares he was about to buy it. quandary—does the PC tell the shopkeeper what she has found,
An argument may ensue, and it is possible the party could make or does she buy the item and turn a healthy profit?
an enemy here. Alternatively, the other customer could be in 8. While the PCs are browsing, a gang of thieves barges into the
the store owner’s pay and be trying to drive up the price of the shop and try to rob the place. They could be merely after
item in question. money, or they could have been hired to steal a particular item.
4. As a PC picks up an object to examine it, the shelf upon which it If the PCs intervene, the shop owner is grateful; in the future,
stands collapses, dumping its contents onto the floor with a the PCs may learn of particularly choice items before they are
crash. Unsurprisingly, the shop’s owner is not best pleased and put out for sale.
might even demand payment for any damaged items. 9. The shopkeeper recognises the PCs as adventurers. If they try
5. One of the PCs spots another customer acting suspiciously. to buy something, the shopkeeper refuses their coin and asks
Perceptive PCs notice the customer stealing something from (or demands) payment in the form of a favour.
the shop before trying to leave. The staff are oblivious. The 10. The shop is shut. If the PCs ask around, they discover it is rare
customer could be nothing more than a petty thief or could be for the shop to be shut at this time.
reclaiming a stolen or lost possession of her own.

39
20 ODDS AND ENDS, KNICK-KNACKS & ODDITIES
Some of the things found in a curio shop are valuable and some 15. This small child’s rattle is shaped like a morningstar and painted
are essentially worthless. Others are just interesting or downright in gaudy colours.
odd. 16. Mouldering in a shadowy corner, and covered by a sheet, this
Use the table below, to determine what oddity the PCs pile of wolf pelts has an indent that suggests one or more of the
discover: staff use this area as a place to slumber away from the
shopkeeper’s gaze.
1. This small dusty bottle is half full with fine grey dust. Buried in 17. Half full of dried and pressed flowers this small pocket book has
the dust are three finger bones—probably from an individual the look of a sage’s project. Each of the various flowers is named
roughly the size of an adult human male. in beautiful flowing script, and each flower’s medicinal uses are
2. A worn leather backpack lies at the back of a shelf. The pack also noted.
seems heavier than it should do. A careful investigation reveals 18. This tarnished, dull bronze letter opener is shaped like a
a hidden compartment containing a small notebook. Much of greatsword. In a pinch, it could be used as a dagger by a child,
the notebook contains doodles, random sketches and so on. At halfling or gnome.
the back of the book a loose piece of ripped, aged parchment 19. Hanging from a frayed strap this faded black eye patch seems
has a lavishly illustrated map that seems to depict the location unremarkable. Investigations reveal, however, a tiny map
of a buried treasure. Sadly, the map is incomplete. drawn into its reverse side.
3. A small stuffed lizard lies on its back amid other odds and ends. 20. Missing its lid, this oak coffer holds several other small items on
The lizard is missing one eye, but its scales are of a faded blue this list.
hue; hinting at (perhaps) some strange ancestry.
4. These very long bright red boot laces are tied in a confused
jumble of a knot. If someone takes the time to unravel the knot,
they find a perfectly smooth white pebble at its heart.
5. A single blue and yellow-feather fletched arrow rests in a
narrow quiver designed to hold no more than six missiles. The
quiver has a drawstring at its mouth which can be tightened to
stop arrows falling out while the wearer is engaged in
acrobatics, climbing and so on.
6. Only the front half of this horse has been carved from the block
of wood from which is emerges. The carving is crude and it is
more than possible the carver was only vaguely aware of a
horse’s anatomy.
7. Hanging from a fragment of a thin silver chain, this mouldy
rabbit foot has a patch where the fur has been rubbed away.
8. This crudely drawn floor plan of an unnamed tavern has several
arrows pointing to various windows on the first floor. Similarly,
one of the rooms has been circled emphatically.
9. Used to weigh down a sheaf of papers this large chipped tusk
may have come from an orc or half-orc.
10. Roughly the shape of a spearhead this shard of obsidian is
incredibly sharp.
11. Two shards of flint wrapped in an old, stained cloth are bundled
into a slightly charred pouch.
12. This short and squat urn contains ashes and bone fragments.
The death god’s sigil on the lid hints at what might lie within.
13. Six desiccated spiders—of a variety of colours and sizes—are
pinned to a display board hung at a haphazard angle from one
wall.
14. A bunch of eight keys hang from an iron ring. The teeth of
several keys are worn as it from much use.

40
20 PIECES OF BRIC-A-BRAC, JUNK & DROSS
Sometimes the PCs find hidden treasures among the knick- 11. Soot covers the glass of this magnifying glass, which also has a
knacks, oddities and trinkets. Other times, they find what is— slightly charred handle. Unless the soot is cleaned away it is not
essentially—worthless junk. immediate obvious the glass is cracked.
Use this table, to determine what piece of useless junk they 12. Full of dry soil this waterproof leather pouch hides five large
uncover: acorns.
13. Several of the names listed on this framed ornately drawn
1. Spilling from a cracked and suspiciously stained leather folder family tree have been scored out so violently there are holes in
this sheaf of song sheets records a score or so bawdy drinking the vellum.
songs—or they would do if they hadn’t suffered extensive water 14. A matched brush and comb set. The comb is missing half its
(or possibly beer) damage. teeth and the brush is matted with hair and what is—
2. This pewter drinking stein has a wide crack in its base; hopefully—mud.
consequently, liquid quickly leaks out rendering it useless as a 15. These four tarnished silver spoons each has an identical hole
drinking vessel. burnt through the middle.
3. This slightly charred 1,000 gp letter of credit lacks the crucial 16. A ragged, oversized quill crafted from the bright blue feather of
section setting out who undertakes to extend the some kind of exotic bird (or perhaps other creature). The quill is
aforementioned credit. missing its nib.
4. Bent and twisted, this iron brooch forged in the shape of a (now 17. A worn and much-used backpack looks at first glance like a
squashed) pinecone has lost its pin. serviceable bargain (as it is only half price). However, a close
5. This small drum has a rip in its cover. look reveals one of the straps is frayed. If the pack is filled, the
6. The jagged fragment of a leather armband etched with the strap breaks during its owner’s first bout of strenuous activity.
remains of a heraldic symbol—a lion rampant clutching a battle- 18. This wrought iron holy symbol (of a locally worshipped deity)
axe—lies at the back of a shelf. has been poorly repaired; weld marks are obvious and the
7. Containing slightly wet and matted multi-coloured chalk dust whole has a twisted—perhaps—warped aspect. (Perhaps this in
this pouch may have once belonged to a wizard. intentional and an evil cult used it in a bastardisation of some
8. A pair of blunt oversized brass scissors—perhaps good for holy ritual).
shearing sheep if sharpened. 19. A wide crack runs around the mouth of this bright blue urn. The
9. Hanging from a frayed length of red-stained leather this cracked urn is fragile; any rough handling causes the top portion to slide
monocle has an iron frame. off the body.
10. This small violin—sized for a halfling or a human child—has no 20. Draped in a stained red cloak, this life-size stone statue depicts
strings and is missing its bow. a muscular man standing in a heroic pose. Removing the cloak
reveals a certain part of the man’s anatomy has been snapped
off.

6 WEAPONS
Sometimes, the PCs find weapons amid the clutter. 4. The tip of this dagger has snapped off and all that remains is a
Use the table below, to determine what the PCs find: wickedly jagged stump. The dagger’s hilt and haft are wrapped
in blood-stained worn leather.
1. The haft of this mace is of dull iron worn smooth through 5. This sword’s pommel is carved from a large shard of onyx to
countless hours of use. Similarly the head is dented and chipped represent a grinning skull. Additionally, ash has been worked
suggesting it has seen much combat. into the blade and haft to give it a dull, dark grey appearance
2. Strange patterns and shapes—perhaps reminiscent of flames or that seems to drink in the surrounding light.
serpents—seem to writhe in this dagger’s blade when exposed 6. Atop this stout haft sits a grinning iron skull. The skull has been
to direct, flickering light (such as from a torch or campfire). painted white to appear more “real” but the paint is faded and
3. The hilt of this longsword is engraved with several esoteric sigils chipped. Thus, the skull has a mottled—almost diseased—look.
denoting victory and glory. The weapon’s haft is well worn
implying it has seen much action; however, the blade itself is in
excellent condition.

41
20 TRINKETS, BAUBLES & CURIOS
Hidden among the tat and rubbish, diligent shoppers may 10. Faded and worn, this red velvet pillow has seen better days (and
discover items of value and interest. much use). It’s quite lumpy, which could lead a suspicious (or
Use the table below, to determine what baubles the PCs find: optimistic) PC to decide something is hidden within.
11. Comically oversized, these fine leather sandals are clearly sized
1. A silver hairpin (worth 150 gp) designed in the shape of a for a giant of a man (or perhaps an ogre with a particularly
lunging dragon. Tiny emeralds form the dragon’s eyes. The refined taste in fashion).
hairpin is in need of a good polish. Unbeknownst to the 12. This battered and dented silver thimble has faint faerie runes
shopkeeper, the hairpin is the sigil of a minor dragon- engraved all over its surface. Those who can read faerie
worshipping cult. If a PC wearing the hairpin encounters cultists translate the runes as a prayer to a nature goddess.
they initially believe her to be one of their own. 13. Tightly rolled up and shoved under a shelf, this tapestry depicts
2. Four battered pewter cups along with a decanter are arrayed on a mighty castle standing atop cliffs plunging down to a
a silver tray. Each is stamped with the heraldic device of a fallen tumultuous sea. Close examination of the tapestry reveals
noble house. The whole can be purchased for 100 gp. several caves at the base of the cliffs.
3. A worn diary relates the “adventures” of Ignar the Wizard. He 14. Once a magical item akin to a scroll this shattered leg bone has
spends much of the diary complaining about his master’s faint etching recording a fragment of a powerful necromantic
conduct and obsession with certain experiments the details of spell. No magic remains in the “scroll”.
which Ignar dared not commit to paper. The diary stops 15. Slender and riven with minute cracks, this vase decorated with
abruptly in mid entry. swirling wave patterns stands in splendid isolation atop a high
4. A large hooded lantern sits on a table in one corner. It is wildly shelf.
oversized—the owner claimed it was taken from a giant years 16. Depicting a rearing warhorse clad in chain barding this iron
ago. Whatever the truth of the matter, the lantern’s oil figurine is missing its rider.
reservoir is double normal size and it illuminates an area twice 17. Dust covers these four beaten copper dinner plates tied
as large as a standard lantern. The lantern is on sale for 20 gp together with faded yellow string.
and weighs 6 lbs. empty. 18. Perhaps sized for a child, this tiny brass ring is engraved with
5. A black oversized leather quiver—of sorts—hangs from a hook musical notes.
on the wall. The “quiver” holds 100 ft. of black, knotted silk 19. With a hood edged in luxurious white fur (from a polar bear)
rope. The whole is priced at 25 gp, but the quiver’s design allows this blue cloak would be valuable were it not for the jagged rent
the rope to be deployed quicker than normal. in its back.
6. An old tapestry map of the area surrounding the town hangs 20. Exquisitely made, but worthless—assumable—as a weapon this
from one wall. The map is dusty and worn and somewhat out of miniature
ure crystal dagger is
date. However, eagle-eyed browsers spot a tower standing translucent
cent and catches
deep in the hills or other inaccessible location. The tower does the light
ght in beguiling
not appear on more recent maps. ways.
7. A collection of wine bottles fills a shelf. Many have no label. One
seems different to the others—its design hints of elven
provenance and the wine it contains is truly exquisite. The wine
is priced liked the other bottles—1 gp (but is worth 30 gp).
8. This tarnished silver choker is sized for a slender neck. It was set
with three stones, but they have fallen out leaving only the
empty mounts. Close examination of the inside of the chocker
reveals the inscription, “Never Forget, You Are Mine.”
9. A three-panel privacy screen stands folded up and leant against
a wall. The screen is dusty, but when opened reveals a lavishly
painted ocean scene depicting an island with a distinctive
mountain peak at its centre.

42
D ARK C AV ERNS

43
10 ATYPICAL CAVES
Not all caverns are stuffed full of monsters, traps and other ceiling groans as the stone shifts and settles. In one part of the
hazards. In a prolonged exploration into the deep, dark places of cavern—near another exit—part of the ceiling has already
the world, the PCs will discover and explore many caves and collapsed. The fallen rubble has formed a high natural
caverns. Some will be unremarkable; others will have interesting breastwork of sorts and almost blocks the exit.
features or layouts. 8. The muddy floor in this cavern slopes steeply upwards toward
Use the cavern descriptions below as campsites, encounter three exits piercing a rough wall down which splashes a small
areas or as nothing more than cavern dressing. The descriptions waterfall. Dirty water runs from the overfull pool at the
have been designed to read aloud to your players. waterfall’s base down the sloped floor. The mud is thickest at
the base of the slope. The going is difficult and dirty.
1. This long, thin cave is barely 15-foot wide, but at least 30-foot 9. Much of this large cavern’s floor has collapsed into a rubble-
high. A narrow ledge slopes steeply upwards towards the filled pit. Small pinnacles of yet stable rock thrust up from the
ceiling, but disappears into a narrow opening in the wall. A light rubble, providing determined adventurers a means of
covering of rubble obscures much of the floor, but here and continuing their exploration. The pit is deep; a fall from a rocky
there it has been pushed aside into small piles. Another exit at pinnacles results in a 30-foot fall. Four obvious passageways
the far end of the cave continues onwards. intersect this cavern although only three are easily accessible
2. A dense field of lofty, slender stalagmites fills the cavern. A via the stone pinnacles. Perceptive explorers spot a fifth,
narrow trail twists and turns through the stone forest; in several rubble-choked exit in the pit.
places, stalagmites have been deliberately smashed to forge a 10. Great cracks cut through this cavern’s ceiling. A faint breeze and
way through. Rubble lies heaped up against the pathway, the stench of rot and decay emerges from these cracks along
creating the illusion of a sunken lane passing through a forest. with long, flaccid roots. The roots reach all the way down to a
3. The sound of gentle rain fills the air. A pair of deep pools of network of small streams cutting through the cavern floor. The
crystal clear water, separated by a low, narrow ledge of streams are sluggish; mould and lichen covers their steep banks.
polished stone, dominates this vast cavern. Water drips from a
forest of stalactites hanging from the 40-ft. high ceiling. Some
of the stalactites are so long their tips nearly brush the surface
of the water.
4. The floor of this cavern descends through a natural set of three
wide steps covered with loose rubble. A pool of clear, still water
fills the lowest level of the cavern. Tiny albino fish swim through
the pool’s depths and small insects flit about its surface. Beyond
the pool, two passages lead away into darkness.
5. A chasm, roughly 15-foot wide and of unknowable depth, cuts
across the cavern. A slender stone bridge once spanned the gap,
but its central portion has crumbled away. The bridge has no
railings and is essentially a length of thin, flat stone seemingly
grown from the chasm wall. (Perceptive PCs will no doubt
realise the stone bridge was created by magic).
6. A smooth, glistening stone column easily ten-foot in diameter
rises from the cavern floor. Water oozes down the column,
which has almost reached the cavern ceiling 20-foot above.
Rubble covers the surrounding ground. Stone stumps thrusting
up from the floor suggest many smaller columns once
surrounded the remaining giant, but someone—or something—
has smashed them to pieces.
7. The ceiling of this cavern is dangerously unstable. Dust sifts
down from above and rubble covers the floor. Occasionally, the

44
10 ATYPICAL CAVERN ENCOUNTERS
In the deep, hidden places of the world where darkness rules, lurk 6. Strands of Terror: The PCs stumble into the lair of Deravnix a
the depraved duergar, the insane derro and the spider- gigantic, elder roper. This old and canny hunter has established
worshipping drow. Beyond these terrible threats lurk the himself in a cavern featuring a wide, deep chasm and waits for
predators of the wild lands chief amongst them the feared purple prey to come to him. Although evil and depraved, he enjoys
worm and the implacable roper. Characters exploring the lightless speaking with those that have fallen into his grip
depths of the Ebon Realms will no doubt often come across the 7. Taken for a Ride: The PCs discover a small mining operation.
denizens of the place. While some encounters will be deliberate Abandoned by its duergar owners forty years ago, when an
on the PCs’ part, some will be wholly random and unexpected. insane derro animated the mining equipment on a whim and
Almost all will end in battle. turned them against the duergar, the area still possesses a
Running a campaign or extended adventure in the deep threat to explorers. As the PCs explore the tunnels, they come
places of the world, requires extensive preparation and planning across a junction cavern used as a tools storage site and
if it is to be more than a series of boring random encounters. switching area for the mine’s ore carts. The ore cart and tools
are animated objects.
1. Beyond Ruin: The boundaries between the Material Plane and 8. The Bleeding Lens: This cavern houses Kihsa, a woman cursed
the decaying expanses of the Abyss are weak within this cavern. to bear the form of a medusa after she destroyed an ancient
Leaching through the walls is a horrible brown sludge made up temple-library dedicated to the goddess of knowledge. Kihsa
of rotting souls corrupted by a fiendish taint. Revelling in this fled underground, chased as an abomination by her community,
chamber is a daemon-touched rust monster called Blight’s Kiss. and lairs here, researching methods of regaining her natural
He is jealous of his realm and defends it to the death. form. Kihsa’s monstrous visage is framed by writhing, barbed
2. Death from Below: As the PCs move through a large cavern, a scorpion tails and her gaze transforms creatures to flawless
hungry purple worm senses their presence and swiftly moves to glass.
attack. Characters succeeding on a DC 25 Perception check 9. The Last Nail: Last Nail is the blade made famous by Nornell the
sense something large burrowing beneath them, one round Havoctide on his bloody rampage through the Ebon Realm and
before the purple worm bursts forth. the Bleeding Nights of slaughter in the lands above. No ordinary
3. Enemy Within: The PCs meet the svirfneblin rogue, Arumlen weapon, Last Nail is a vampiric mimic who devoutly worships
Stoneheart. Sadly, this benign gnome scout has recently fallen battle and blood. His obsession holds him to the extent that he
prey to Eirmurh Alymm, an advanced intellect devourer. The takes the form of a rust-coloured weapon and yearns to be
intellect devourer is in search of a new body and the arrival of
wielded in sanguinary battle-feasts.
the PCs provides it with the opportunity it has been seeking.
10. Whispers in the Dark: A small hunting band of derro lurk in this
4. Mercenaries of the Ram: The PCs meet a small band of
cavern. In the main, the cavern is quite ordinary, but in one
mercenary minotaurs hunting for their hated enemies—
corner phosphorescent mould has grown over the skeleton of a
troglodytes. The minotaurs are hunting the Black Spear
fallen minotaur warrior. The leader of the derro, Jvix, enjoys
troglodyte tribe. The two groups have been engaged in a war of
using his powers to give the skeleton a semblance of life. He
skirmish and ambush for many years. Recently, the troglodytes’
hopes this will draw travellers into the cavern so that his
superior numbers proved decisive, resulting in the slaughter of
minions can launch their ambush.
the minotaurs’ women and their destruction of their home. The
minotaurs are ferocious warriors happy to slaughter weak-
CAVES & CAVERNS
looking parties. However, their goal is to slay troglodytes and
thus they do not immediately attack numerous or obviously- Need these encounters quickly? These summaries are based on a
strong parties. In fact, they may even temporarily ally with the selection of those presented in Caves & Caverns published by
PCs, if they are also fighting troglodytes. Raging Swan Press for the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game and
5. Pillar of Twisted Glass: Nearly two hundred years ago, Safraz designed by Creighton Broadhurst and David Posener. Each
Akram, a djinn noble, struggled with the efreet Shani-el- comes ready to go with all relevant stat blocks, descriptions of the
Sharnassa across the planes. In a final gambit, Safraz ordered caves and more.
his sand mephit allies to envelop the blazing efreet, fusing them
together as a massive, twisted pillar of glass. Unable to destroy
the glass obelisk binding Shani-el-Sharnassa, Safraz hid his rival
in a forgotten cavern deep in the earth.

45
10 LEGENDARY CAVES
Caves occupy a strange place on the border between civilization 6. Kragomak: Kragomak, the Living Cavern, is a massive cave
and wilderness. Caves can offer shelter, safety and sometimes structure rumoured to not only be alive in some fashion, but
even resources, but at the same time, they are home to strange also sentient. The cave doesn’t appear any different from any
and wild creatures and raving hermits, and most of us never feel other cavern, but tales say the passageways move and shift on
truly comfortable in their dark depths. their own, including highly-localized cave-ins and collapses
which are difficult to explain, and that certain chambers,
1. Cavern of Scaly Death: Named by nearby tribes of primitive although clearly inorganic in nature, seem oddly reminiscent of
humanoids, the Cavern of Scaly Death is a winding passage in organs.
the base of a volcano which leads to a prehistoric landscape of 7. Imperial Underway: The Imperial Underway was an ambitious
humid jungles, stalked by massive dinosaurs. Explorers’ stories attempt to carve a massive tunnel through an imposing
differ on whether the cave leads to some primordial valley, or mountain range. Plagued by numerous setbacks, a tragic
somehow allows passage back through time, but either way, its collapse in one of its support tunnels left over a hundred miners
reptilian inhabitants have been known to wander beyond the trapped and unable to escape, but because of an engineering
cavern. quirk, their voices were still audible in the main tunnel. For days,
2. Saldonator: Referred to by the elves as Saldonator, the so- miners in the main tunnel listened to the voices of the trapped
called “wandering cave” is the subject of many campfire stories. and dying, who they could not reach. Afterwards, persistent
Believed to be a sort of extradimensional cavern, it is said to be rumours of ghostly voices eventually put an end to
able to appear on practically any rocky surface. According to the construction, leaving the tunnel half-finished.
stories, the sudden appearance of a cave where there was none 8. Ice Maze of Dar’lessi: A complex and dizzying network of ice
before prompts locals to investigate its depths, but the cave tunnels submerged in a frozen lake, the Ice Maze of Dar’lessi is
vanishes not long after, taking away any still inside. a frigid death trap. As though the cold and the water weren’t
3. Glittering Hall: No gem mine can command as much awe and bad enough, the ice is nearly perfectly transparent, making it all
greed as the Glittering Hall, a cavern hewn from a single massive but impossible to see where the passageways turn, branch or
vein of emerald. All attempts to mine the cavern end in tragedy: come to a dead end.
often when others seeking the mine’s wealth take it by force, 9. Ylanic Puzzle Stone: Some scholars debate whether the Ylanic
but sometimes for mysterious reasons, leading some to Puzzle Stone can truly be called a cave or not, considering the
speculate the caverns may be haunted. entire twisted network of stone tunnels floats, by some
4. Twisting Caves of Armallao: The Twisting Caves of Armallao are unknown magic, nearly a mile above the ground. At a glance, it
considered by many a marvel of spellcraft. Notoriously maze- appears to be a flying island, but closer examination reveals the
like, they defy the laws of physics, with multiple paths and entire rock structure is completely made up of what appears to
chambers seemingly occupying the same space, and paths be a single stone tube, roughly 20 feet in diameter, which was
looping around to places they could never actually connect to. somehow rolled up onto itself like a ball of string. Rumours of
Some believe the cavern is several different caves, connected what might be found at the centre of the Puzzle Knot are wild
by undetectable portals, meaning it may be possible to use the and varied.
caves to travel vast distances quickly. 10. The Pit: An opening in the ground that bears an unnerving
5. Deephold: Deephold is an unusual city, built inside a hollowed- resemblance to a grinning demonic face, legends say The Pit, as
out mountain of the same name, and accessible only by a the locals call it, is a literal tunnel into the Abyss. The flickering
handful of different cavernous tunnels. Built by dwarves, but red light that is often reported from deep in the tunnel and
now inhabited by a mix of races, it is all but impossible to occasional wailing sounds do little to quell these rumours.
assault, and this safety is well worth adjusting to a sunless
existence, in the minds of its inhabitants.

46
12 NATURAL CAVERN HAZARDS
Caverns can be dangerous places. As well as the ever-present 8. Stalagmites: Thick stands of stalagmites cluster about the area,
threat of ambush from the various fell denizens dwelling within, creating areas of natural cover and concealment.
the very caverns themselves can be dangerous to unwary 9. Precarious Boulder: A precariously placed boulder atop a steep
travellers and explorers. slope looks like it could tumble downwards at any moment.
The features below, add obstructions and realism to the PCs’ Only a few smaller stones wedged under it keep it in place.
explorations. Additionally, these features can be incorporated Characters removing these stones cause the boulder to roll
into encounter areas to add an extra level of excitement and down the slope, crushing anything in its path.
challenge (and to add options for clever, tactical play). 10. Subterranean Stream: A subterranean stream cuts through the
area. Its waters are cold and swift, and its bank steep. In most
1. Rubble: Rubble and mud obscure the floor, making it uneven places, the stream is only about 10 ft. wide, but in one spot it
and slippery and slowing movement. In places, the rubble is widens into an irregularly-shaped pool before continuing its
precariously balanced and characters moving through the area way.
without due caution could slip and fall. 11. Unstable Ceiling: Great cracks run through the ceiling. These
2. Crumbing Escarpment: A crumbling escarpment cuts across the cracks and the resultant rubble covering the floor are obvious
passageway, making further progress without climbing to even the most unperceptive explorer. Loud noises, explosive
impossible. Loose rocks and small boulders cover the spells or any kind of mining cause the entire ceiling to collapse,
escarpment’s face. burying anyone caught underneath.
3. Crumbling Sinkhole: A water-filled sinkhole pierces the ground. 12. Powerful Wind: Powerful winds periodically rush through this
The floor immediately adjacent is crumbling and unsafe (which narrow cavern. The winds are so strong they extinguish all
a wary or perceptive character will notice). Characters entering unprotected flames and have a 50% chance of extinguishing
an unsafe square may cause it to collapse. If it does, the protected flames such as lanterns. Three rounds before the
character is dumped into the frigid and turgid 20-foot deep wind fills the chamber, perceptive PCs hear a moaning sound
water. coming rapidly closer. Everyone hears the wind approaching on
4. Fissure: A fissure cuts across the floor. Between 5- and 20-foot the round.
wide, a faint, cold breeze emanates from its depths. The
fissure’s rugged walls plunge 50 ft. and terminate amid a field
of jumbled rubble.
5. Thick Mud: Thick mud coats the floor.oor. In most places the
mud is little more than a few inches es deep. In
other places, however, it hidess
holes into which an unwary
explorer could stumble. The
holes range from a half-foot to
two-foot deep.
6. Long Stalactites: Glistening
stalactites hang down from the
ceiling. In places, they are barely
five-foot above the ground,
forcing most humans to duck.
Water drips down the stalactites,
making the floor beneath slick.
7. Geyser: Mud covers the ground
adjacent to a narrow hole piercing
the floor. Every ten rounds, the
geyser explodes coating
everything within 20 ft. with thick,
hot mud. The round before it
explodes, perceptive characters hear ear a
deep rumbling from far underground. nd.

47
20 PIECES OF CAVERN DRESSING
Adventurers often find themselves investigating caves and 20. Translucent crystals stud the cavern walls. Introducing a light
caverns. Within lurk degenerate troglodytes, strange aberrant source into the cavern creates a riot of colour. Crystals
creatures from the Ebon Realm and even worse things. harvested from the walls shatter and are valueless.

1. The rubble from a broken stalagmite covers the floor, nearby to 10 NOTABLE CAVERN FEATURES
its stump that yet juts up from the floor.
1. Water drips through cracks in the ceiling, creating a liquid
2. A single booted footprint on the muddy floor betrays the
curtain. This provides a concealing mist that makes it slightly
passage of previous explorers.
harder to notice enemies nearby.
3. Rubble covers the floor throughout this area, except for an
2. Steep, but crude stone steps have been cut into the wall. The
obvious path, which has been cleared. Piles of rubble flank the
steps lead up to a small cavern that has obviously been mined
pathway, creating areas difficult to move through.
at some point in the past. Perceptive characters notice
4. Mud covers the floor and water drips from the ceiling above.
glimmering flecks of unidentified metal in the walls. Subsequent
The mud hides several deep hollows in the floor, which could
examination by someone with mining experience reveals
trip unwary explorers.
the flecks to be platinum.
5. The faint scent of burnt flesh reaches the party's nostrils.
3. This section of floor is unstable. An object or person weighing
6. A luminescent fungus grows high up one wall. Its faint glow
more than 150 lbs. causes the floor to collapse into a water-
reveals a narrow passageway slanting steeply upwards.
filled sinkhole below. The 80-ft. deep (and cold) water breaks
7. A narrow fissure little more than one-foot wide splits the floor
the falling character’s fall, but falling rocks may prove fatal. The
in twain. A faint breeze emanates from below.
fragile state of the remaining portions of the ceiling means
8. Three splintered crossbow bolts lie about the floor. None have
a trapped character cannot climb out without assistance.
any blood on their points.
4. A small stand of heligmites—stalagmites resembling trees with
9. A rocky outcrop on one wall looks a little like a melted giant's
“branches” growing off from the main body in erratic and
face emerging from the rock, in the party's flickering lights.
bizarre directions—fills the area.
10. Water drips from a crack in the ceiling. Explorers passing
5. Thick, cloying mud covers the cavern floor. The mud covers and
through the area discover the water is very cold.
fills several deep pits in the floor. In these locations, the mud
11. A cracked skull yet wearing a battered iron helm sits in a small
acts like quicksand. Unwary travellers—or combatants—could
hole in one wall. Its seems to watch those passing by...
easily drown in such places.
12. Stalagmites and stalactites fill a low grotto to one side of the
6. A thin sheet of dripstone reaches from the ceiling to the floor.
passageway. Shadows cluster thickly within, providing a perfect
In several places near the floor, someone—or something—has
spot for an ambush.
chipped holes in the dripstone. The holes are large enough to fit
13. A large, almost man-sized, mushroom once dominated this
a hand (or thrusting weapon) through.
area. However, someone has recently hacked the mushroom
7. A field of gour pools—pools whose rims stand about three-foot
down and its remains now lie mouldering near its low stump.
high—dot the chamber. Within, water almost completely fills
14. The sound of soft laugher followed by the soft clatter of shifting
the pools. Water drips down from the ceiling into the pools; in
rocks comes from somewhere ahead.
this caverns it sounds like it is raining. (This makes it harder to
15. A wide stream of clear, fresh water runs through the area.
hear nearby adversaries.)
Several stones placed several feet apart provide a convenient
8. Long ago an explorer died in this cavern. His calcified bones
means of crossing the steam while keeping one's feet dry.
remain, transfixed in a slowly growing stalagmite.
16. As 15., but one of the stones shifts underfoot. The character
9. A bubbling pool dominates this chamber. A vauclusian spring
must take care to avoid falling in.
rises from the rock in the centre of the pool and it is this that
17. Bats nest in the ceiling. A party bringing lights into the area
creates the bubbling effect.
disturbs them. They flutter about until the light source leaves.
10. Detritus and rubble obviously deposited by flooding covers the
18. Thick webs fill this area. A faint breeze issues from cracks in the
cavern floor. To the east, a trickle of water dribbles out of a
rock causing the webs to gently undulate.
cavern mouth high up on one wall. The rock below the cavern
19. Thick mud covers the cavern floor. A discarded spade lies near
mouth is notably smoother than that on other walls and glistens
a partially dug grave. A thick brown sludge of mud and water
in the party’s lights.
fills the grave about one foot deep. It is otherwise empty.

48
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A PURPLE WORM’S STOMACH
Few predators can match the purple worm for strength, ferocity 10. A partially dissolved iron helmet sized for an ogre or similarly
and might. Even powerful adventurers do not take on a purple large creature. However, the helmet has no eye holes. (This is
worm lightly for they often consume their prey whole. (Indeed, the head of an iron golem destroyed by the worm months ago).
stories of entire adventuring parties consumed by a purple worm 11. A six-foot long iron pole wholly unaffected by the worm’s
are not uncommon…) stomach acid. Once the personal weapon of a dwarven monk,
Few things can withstand the corrosive acid found in a purple the iron pole is in fact a quarterstaff.
worm’s gullet, but those that do are invariably valuable. That’s 12. The stone in the worm’s stomach comprises obviously once fine
why adventurers often cut open a slain purple worm to see what stonework including intricate carvings of elves and demons.
treasures might lurk inside. (Well that and a need to recover their (The worm recently attacked and partially destroyed part of a
companions’ bodies). While a GM no doubt has generated a list drow fortification before being driven away and this could
of treasure found in the purple worm’s stomach, other damaged provide a clue to the PCs that such an enclave lies somewhere
or worthless items may also be recovered. Use the table below, nearby).
to generate the details of such items: 13. The worm’s stomach contains a great mass of pitted and
decaying bones. Scraps of flesh hang here and there to the
1. Several large shards of seemingly tough rock. If they are bones, but they are generally in a terrible state. They appear to
dumped out of the purple worm’s stomach, they disintegrate have belonged to a variety of creatures.
into soft shards when they hit the ground. 14. A careful search of the worm’s stomach reveals four
2. The hilt of a once fine longsword. A shard of blade is yet arrowheads crafted from an incredibly hard metal (adamantine)
attached to the hilt, which was once decorated with golden that seem untouched by the worm’s strong digestive juices.
runes; now only scraps of the gold inlay remain. 15. A decaying skeletal hand yet clutching a wickedly curved
3. An iron potion vial without its stopper. Filled with the purple dagger. The dagger is chipped and worn, and the blade is loose
worm’s digestive juices, the vial must be rigorously washed in the hilt. It is worthless.
before being used for its original purpose. (And, of course, a 16. Chunks of undigested stone fill the worm’s stomach. Some
news stopper must be procured.) pieces are as large as a halfling. If a PC cuts open the worm’s
4. The remains of an iron-shod rod, now much damaged by its time stomach without taking care the stones slide out and crushes
in the worm’s stomach. The rod’s beaten iron tip remains, but the PC’s foot.
much of the once potent magical item has been reduced to a 17. The torso of a dark elf wearing the remains of a finely crafted
mass of sodden wood. chain shirt. The chain shirt is of ordinary make, but has offered
5. Seven pitted iron spikes. If hammered into a tough surface such some minor protection to the elf’s torso. Of the rest of the
as stone, each as a 25% chance of bending or breaking. drow, only bones remain.
6. This purple worm consumed a duergar rogue several weeks ago 18. Several chunks of stone hold glittering flecks that at first glance
who was carrying a sack of coins. The duergar has long since look like gold. A close look, however, reveals them to be nothing
been all completely digested. However, some of the coins have more than pyrite.
survived, but are badly damaged. They are now only good as 19. The worm’s stomach contains several heavily degraded pieces
scrap metal but if melted down are worth a total of 75 gp. of metal whose original purpose is indecipherable.
7. The remains of six skeletons and remnants of several pitted 20. This worm has recently consumed an adventuring party.
steel weapons—pick heads—fill the worm’s stomach. (This was Although most of the party is no more, one of its members was
once a party of svirfneblin miners who the worm gobbled up). wearing a ring that can regenerate limbs when he died. The ring
8. A fine cold iron (but nonmagical) dagger pierces the back of the is heavily damaged by the worm’s stomach acid, but some
purple worm’s throat—wedged there by the worm’s last victim magic yet clings to its golden band (although its large green
as he tried to climb out. The dagger is unaffected by the worm’s sapphire is missing). Due to its damaged state, its effects are
strong digestive juices. diminished. To repair the ring, its large green sapphire must be
9. Nine small shards of iron ore. Individually, none are large replaced and powerful magic must be cast on the whole thing
enough to forge a weapon, but together there is enough to once a week for a month.
create a longsword or similar weapon. The worm’s stomach acid
has impregnated the ore and if such a weapon is enchanted, it
continues to ooze the worm's deadly on every hit.

49
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A SUBTERRANEAN RIVER
Subterranean rivers often flow through natural caverns. 10. A sunken rowboat, sodden rope still wrapped around a
Sometimes, they even intersect with dungeons. As a source of prominent rock on the bank, lies at the bottom of the river. One
water—and therefore life—rivers and streams are often visiting of the boat’s oars floats nearby, wedged among the rocks.
by those dwelling nearby. Thus, there is almost always much to 11. Two abandoned crudely crafted wooden buckets stand on the
find near (or in) a subterranean river. river bank. One has been knocked over, but the other is full.
12. Someone—or something—has cut a crude set of stone steps
1. A monstrous skull of some large, undoubtedly ferocious into the river bank where the river widens—and thus the water
creature lies at the bottom of the river, partially covered in silt. slows. A metal ring sunk into the wall provides evidence that
It lies wedged near the narrowest part of the water course. once a boat was moored here.
2. This river is surprisingly deep. At its deepest point, perceptive 13. Crystals embedded in the river bank glimmer invitingly below
PCs spot what looks like a small cairn. Partially covered in silt it the water when the PCs’ lights reach the area.
is completely submerged and looks like its been there for a long 14. Here, the river flows over a roughly man-high rock shelf into a
time. wide pool before continuing onwards. The sound of the water
3. A bedraggled, ripped brown cloak is snagged between two large tumbling into the pool is audible from quite some distance.
boulders. The sodden cloak is half in and half out of the water. 15. Fronds growing from a great swath of lichen on the cavern roof
It is cut for a halfling-sized creature (or perhaps a human child). dip down to the river’s surface, creating a curtain of sorts that
4. The rusty hilt of a notched two-handed sword juts from the those navigating the river must pass through to continue.
water. Any attempt to pull the sword from the water snaps 16. The corpse of a bat twice the size of a normal specimen bobs up
the blade. and down on the river as it is carried passed the party.
5. A large stone has been dumped in the middle of the river to act Perceptive PCs notice the bat’s head has been ripped off.
as a stepping stone. Unfortunately, it is precariously balanced— 17. The cavern roof drops down almost to the surface of the water.
unwary explorers will likely be dumped into the frigid water as Those in boats or on a raft must lie flat to proceed.
the stone shifts unexpectedly underfoot. 18. A small channel blocked by a rusted portcullis runs away from
6. A school of tiny, albino fish live in the river. Constantly hungry, the river’s main course. A profusion of branches and other
they swarm any potential source of food dumped in the river. rubbish bobs in the water before the portcullis.
7. Part of the riverbank has collapsed, partially damming the water 19. A line of rusting iron spikes about three-foot a part has been
course. The collapse has narrowed the river, and thus this is an hammered into the river bank. There are sixty spikes in total;
easier place to cross. the last in the line trails a ten-foot long length of sodden rope.
8. Several pieces of splintered wood—perhaps remnants of a 20. A thin crack in the ceiling lets a solitary beam of light play upon
spear’s haft—bob in the water. the river’s surface. The shimmering glimmer is noticeable from
9. In this river, a stretch of water is discoloured by minerals in the quite some distance. Perhaps subterranean predators have
rock; perceptive explorers spot a faint pink tint to the water. learnt the light often attracts prey, and already lurk nearby
Paranoid explorers might suspect something—or someone— ready to pounce...
has recently bled into the river.

50
F ALLEN D WARVEN H OLD

51
10 DWARVEN WORKSHOP FEATURES
Dwarves are near-peerless crafters of metal and stone. Many worth something to someone in the same trade.
dwarves make their living creating tough and beautiful objects for 7. A small forge stands against one wall. Next to it, a once neatly
use or trade. A fallen dwarven hold likely contains many stacked pile of seasoned wood is scattered across the floor. The
workshops and forges. wood is bone dry and burns fiercely. Perceptive PCs notice one
Use the table below, to generate details of the objects found in a piece of wood is hollow and contains a slender silver necklace
workshop or forge: (worth 50 gp) wrapped in a strip of brown cloth.
8. Scattered broken tools cover the floor.
1. A large anvil of blackened iron, forged in the shape of a clenched 9. A wrought iron chandelier wreathed in magic light illuminates
fist, stands in the middle of the floor. Bumps and dents— the workshop. Forged in the shape of a skeletal dragon in flight
testimony to the service it has seen—cover the anvil’s clenched the chandelier is bulky and difficult to remove without
fingers. damaging the dragon’s outstretched wings.
2. Shelves cut into the living rock fill one wall. Choked and 10. The workshop’s stone door is heavy and cumbersome. The
cluttered with rubbish, broken tools and mouldering, workshop owner was clearly paranoid as the door has slots for
unidentifiable things they appear—at first glance—devoid of two heavy bars on the inside. Two iron bars lean against the wall
loot. by the door. (This feature can make the workshop a safe place
3. A broken hammer lies on the floor near the door. Nearby lies a to rest).
skeletal dwarf his—or her—head caved in by one terrible blow.
4. A stone workbench juts from one wall. The bench is almost one-
foot thick; cunningly fashioned drawers pierce its side. Most
have been pulled out and
ransacked, but one
remains tightly closed.
Chip marks on the drawer
front show where
someone tried—and
failed—to prise it open.
5. A fire pit topped by a
smoke-hood fills one
corner of the chamber.
Dusty coals fill the fire pit.
Nearby, a stone bunker
holds yet more coal ready
to feed the long-dead
flames.
6. An overlooked curled-up
bloodstained parchment
lying under other rubbish
and detritus bears plans
and sketches for the
dwarf’s next creation. The
plans are intricate and
ambitious—almost a
work of art in their own
right. They might even be

52
10 DWARVEN STATUES
Dwarves love working in stone, and their holds are replete with 6. This statue once depicted a dwarven warrior in his battle finery.
many finely crafted statues. Some depict the dwarves’ gods or However, the figure has fallen from its plinth at some point and
leaders. Other could represent local heroes or particular enemies. lies smashed and scattered on the floor.
Use the table below, to generate the statues appearing in 7. A plate-clad dwarf warrior stands on either side of a doorway.
your fallen dwarven hold: The warriors’ raised spear tips meet above the door’s arch. Both
warriors wear ridiculously ornate horned helmets.
1. A plate-clad dwarven warrior of stern visage stands with a 8. With a large warhammer raised high above his head this dwarf
warhammer grounded between his feet. warrior—his face dominated by a beaming smile—stands
2. A plate-clad dwarf, replete with an impressive beard wearing an seemingly ready to strike down anyone passing below his plinth.
ornate helmet, stands with feet powerfully braced. He has a 9. This ten-foot-high statue—carved out of the the same stone as
massive battle-axe raised above his head. the floor—depicts an impossibly large and ornately crafted two-
3. A dwarven woman stands with one hand outstretched in the headed dwarven axe.
universal gesture for “stop”, but a slight smile plays upon her 10. An abnormally coloured outcropping of rocky high up on one
face. She wears voluminous and ornate finely carved robes. wall is carved to depict a large dragon bursting from the rock.
4. A dwarven man—clad in obvious clerical garb—kneels in a The dragon’s maw gaps wide to reveal dozens of sharp fangs. A
penitent pose. He holds both hands outstretched cupped into a crossbow bolt juts from one eye.
bowl.
5. This carven orc warrior falls backwards arms outstretched.
Eight crossbow bolts protrude from his chest. A grimace of pain
n
and fear twists the orc’s hideously ugly face.

DWARVEN NAMES
During the PCs’ exploration they’ll inevitably discover carvings, writings and graffiti referencing certain dwarven in habitants of the hold.
Use the table below, to generate such individual’s names.

D20 MALE FEMALE FAMILY

1 Aldal Aldrid Anack
2 Arak Ara Belgak
3 Belgal Balbryn Dalnore
4 Daim Baritia Dargyth
5 Delthur Delana Dwojyr
6 Elgal Durithar Erdukr
7 Falgar Elren Farnoen
8 Garbere Erserd Garsten
9 Jarel Gimhild Glanhak
10 Kilbir Harbo Hargyth
11 Nalrid Kilisi Helmalk
12 Nurlon Marili Jarbek
13 Ovlon Morion Kilak
14 Reigen Norren Madann
15 Thoric Ovdris Nalmek
16 Thrent Therani Noratek
17 Valdin Torippa Olgyth
18 Valric Valisi Torevin
19 Whurel Vonya Urzak
20 Yurthic Yurdis Yurnoe

53
10 DWARVEN TEMPLE FEATURES
Dwarves are religious folk and often carve vast temples for their The columns are broad enough to obscure sight of what lies
patrons deep into the rock of their home. beyond, and might even conceal hidden niches.
Use the table below, to generate features of interest for the 6. A stone coffin rests atop an ornate stone bier. Upon the coffin’s
PCs to discover in a fallen dwarven temple. lid, carved in blissful slumber, lies a dwarven warrior clad in
beautiful plate armour. Dust lies thickly upon the coffin and
1. Ornate carvings on the walls depict a procession of dwarves bier. However, perceptive PCs notice the warrior’s hands are
climbing through seemingly endless caverns. They show many strangely bereft of dust.
women and children among the throng—which is probably a 7. Dusty tapestries hang from the walls. Dust lies so thickly upon
migration or holy pilgrimage. them their designs are impossible to make out. Shaking the
2. Ornate, but lurid, carvings on the walls depict a great battle tapestries releases billowing clouds of dust. Once the dust
between dwarves and a horde of savage orcs. Many dead orcs clears, the PCs can see lengthy dwarven prayers decorate the
lie at the dwarves’ feet. tapestries. The glimmer of metal reveals some of the lettering
3. A statue of a powerfully built, stern-faced dwarven warrior is picked out with gold and silver wire.
stands on a low plinth. He wears ornate plate armour and 8. Orderly rows of dusty stone pews jut from the floor. The skeletal
carries an immense two-bladed waraxe across his chest. His remains of several dwarves and many more of their enemies lie
finely plaited beard reaches almost to his waist. scattered among the pews.
4. Through much of the temple, the floor is flawlessly smooth— 9. Carved into the living rock of one wall the pipes of an enormous
clearly through the work of devoted stonemasons. A few bagpipe easily four times the height of a dwarf now stand silent.
sections, though, are slightly worn—no doubt by the passage of Of the bagpipes bladder and blow stick only tattered, and
countless dwarves over the long centuries. scorched remnants remain.
5. Pillars carved to depict massive bulbous-headed maces hold 10. Three immense and ornate iron braziers stand overturned
aloft the roof. The head of each weapon blends into the ceiling. about the chamber. Magical light—that throws weird shadows
across the chamber—still dances within.

10 MINOR DWARVEN TREASURES

Dwarves are supremely skilled craftsmen and many minor things 5. This thin sheet of stone, measures about six inches to a side,
of value lie forgotten and unclaimed in a fallen dwarven hold. bears an intricately carved portrait of a smiling dwarven man.
Use the table below, to generate the details of minor He wears large hooped earrings.
treasures the party recover. Alternatively, you can use this table 6. A metal cover of beaten brass yet protects the scorched and
to add detail and depth to the magical items the party find during slashed pages of a thick tome. Dwarven runes—The Passage of
their adventure. Days—are stamped into the brass.
7. This mouldering pair of dark brown thigh-high leather boots
1. A plain golden band sized for a dwarf’s finger. On the ring’s have metal toecaps. The boots’ leather is worn and supple and
inner surface, carved in tiny dwarven runes, is the name Kilisi sized to fit a male dwarf.
Jarbek. 8. A deep grove runs down this dagger’s blade to divert an
2. A bundle of almost impossibly thin silver wire rolled into a enemy’s blood away from the wielder’s hand.
bundle snuggly fills a mouldering, nondescript leather pouch. 9. A heavy pair of iron knuckledusters fill a dusty, moth-eaten
3. A set of four small perfectly smooth stone jars with tiny pouch. The knuckledusters are in excellent condition.
gemstone stoppers. The jars are sized to perhaps hold perfume 10. This small stone bowl comes with a perfectly sized lid. Magical,
or spices. A faint sweet scent lingers in one of the jars. heatless fire lurks within the bowl. Removing the lid allows it to
4. This heavy iron ring bears a crest depicting a crossed shine forth with the radiance of a blazing torch.
warhammer and battle-axe. Dried blood splatters the heavily
scratched ring.

54
10 SIGNS OF PREVIOUS EXPLORATION
The PCs are likely not the first to explore the fallen dwarven hold. 5. A glimmer of light from one wall catches a PC’s eye.
Such locales draw adventurers to their dusty halls like iron filings Investigating, the PC discovers a bent silver coin wedged into a
to a lodestone. tiny gap between two stone blocks.
Use the table below, to generate minor evidence of previous 6. A splintered javelin, its rusted head bent, lies against a wall.
explorations: 7. Burnt scraps of wood arranged in a rough circle show where
someone built a campfire. The detritus of a quick camp—
1. A smear of charcoal on the wall shows where someone stubbed crumbs of food and so on—are also in evidence.
out a torch. Nearby, lies the discarded stub of said torch. 8. Shards of glass from a broken wine bottle lie on the floor.
2. A shredded backpack rests on the floor. Dried blood coats the Unwary explorers could stand on a large shard and suffer one
pack’s back. PCs searching the pack’s remains find a single dusty point of damage.
gold coin caught up in a fold of the fabric. 9. An iron spike is hammered into this door’s stone frame. The
3. Footprints in the thick dust betray the presence of another piton is impressively bent, but it’s done its job—the heavy stone
explorer. A skilled tracker can interpret the tracks and realises door still stands ajar.
whoever made them was sprinting at the time he or she made 10. A splintered pickaxe handle lies on the floor. Nearby, the
them. pickaxe’s blade juts from a narrow crack in one wall at about
4. Lichen and mould grow over a few scraps of mouldy food and a waist height. (Perhaps the previous adventurers discovered a
discarded water flask. secret niche but were disturbed before they could get it open).

10 TRIGGERED TRAPS
Doughty warriors, dwarves often find themselves outnumbered 5. An iron portcullis blocks further progress. Thousands of tiny
by their racial enemies. Thus, the dwarves craft numerous spikes stud the portcullis’s bars in all directions making climbing
cunning traps to aid in defending their homes. a painful business.
Adventurers searching a fallen dwarven hold will doubtless 6. Rusting iron spikes jut up from the floor through clever hidden
come across many triggered traps in the course of their holes. A reddish stain covers several of the spikes and the
explorations. Use the table below, to generate the details of such surrounding stone, but there is no sign of whoever triggered the
triggered traps. (Many of the entries include mention of trap.
“intruders”; modify such entries as appropriate for your 7. A cracked stone door—surrounded by a dried blood stain—lies
campaign). flat on the floor in front of a false doorway. Nothing but a small
niche, empty but for the trap’s mechanism, lies beyond.
1. An open pit pierces the floor. Within, impaled on slender stone 8. A swath of melted floor—centred on a tiny niche cut into the
spikes carved from the pit’s floor, lie the skeletal remains of ceiling—bears mute testimony to some savage acid-based trap.
three intruders. One-foot-deep brackish water fills the pit, and Fragile shards of bone and other detritus lie scattered about the
its sides are slick with lichen. area.
2. A perfectly square stone block fallen from the ceiling partially 9. A wickedly barbed spear protrudes from the floor. Transfixed by
blocks the corridor. A skeletal hand emerges from under the the spear, the skeletal remains of an intruder remain (mostly)
block—the rest of the unfortunate’s remains lie crushed to dust standing upright. Pieces of bones and mouldering equipment lie
beneath the stone. scattered around the unfortunate. If touched, the skeletal
3. Fallen rocks and debris choke a side passage, from floor to remains collapse and clatter (loudly) to the floor.
ceiling. Gritty dust lies thickly on the floor in front of the cave- 10. A portion of the floor—reaching from wall to wall—has fallen
in. Unexplored chambers could lie beyond, or the passageway away to reveal a steep smooth stone chute leading downwards
could have been nothing more than a trap for the unwary. to some unthinkable depth. A light source dropped down the
4. A rusting iron ballista bolt as thick as a dwarf’s forearm is buried chute quickly slides away out of sight. (The chute leads to an
deeply in one wall. Of what shot the bolt there is no sign, but isolated level from which there is no escape for those unable to
cracks radiate out from the impact point for some considerable climb back up).
distance.

55
20 PIECES OF DWARVEN HOLD DRESSING
Dwarves do not lightly abandon their clan homes. Likely, the last days of the dwarves’ hegemony were marked by savage battles and
sorrow. Such terrible events leave their mark on a fallen dwarven 14. A shallow channel—that once guided water to a hidden cistern
hold. far below—cuts across the floor. Rubble and debris fill the
Use the table below, to breathe life into a fallen dwarven water’s course; consequently, the surrounding floor is slick with
hold: moisture (and floods after rain).
15. The clan’s sigil is carved into the rock above the next door the
1. Dust and the bones of the fallen thickly cover the floor. PCs discover. (Investigations reveal the head-sized carving can
Obviously, a great battle raged here. Many of the remains show be pushed inwards slightly; doing so operates the door’s lock).
signs of violent death. Nothing of value remains. 16. A small handcart lies overturned on the floor. The wood is soft;
2. Dried rust-coloured stains cover the ornate wall carvings here. mushrooms and fungus grow over the remains. Nearby, the
The stains—dried blood—obscure much of the cravings’ details, remnants of the cart’s contents—clothes, food and so on—have
which depict a craggy mountain range of epic proportions. mouldered away leaving nothing but a foul stain upon the
3. Deep, dusty cobwebs obscure the arched ceiling, creating areas stone.
of deep shadow. Disturbing the webs creates a billowing dust 17. An intruder’s skeletal remains lie sprawled on the floor. No
cloud that lasts for several minutes before the dust settles on valuables remain, but a crossbow bolt is yet buried in the
the ground—and anything else (including explorers) in the area. unfortunate’s forehead.
4. The shattered remains of a stout dwarven door choke the 18. A five-foot-wide hole pierces the floor. A chill breeze issues
entrance to this area. Something impressively strong knocked from the hole, which seems to be impossibly deep. Light sources
down the door. Pieces of its intricate stone hinges yet remain dropped within quickly disappear.
attached to the door jam. 19. Thick red-brown mould grows across the walls and floor.
5. A small niche low down near the floor pierces one wall. A small Observant PCs notice an indistinct lump in the middle of the
slab of stone crafted to look like the wall lies discarded nearby. decay has the same general shape as a skeleton.
Within the niche lies a switch which is in the down position. 20. Rusty and grimy iron chains running down one wall hang from a
There is no clue as to what the switch operates. hole in the ceiling. They disappear into another hole in the floor.
6. Nine small niches about the size of a man’s fist pierce one wall The chain is thick, although one loop at floor level is horribly
at about a dwarf’s shoulder height. Stylised carvings—depicting twisted, which has stopped it running into the hole.
rays of sunlight—radiate from each niche.
7. The once beautiful dwarven carvings decorating the walls are
comprehensively defaced.
8. Carved into one wall, the words of a dwarven battle prayer er
speak of glory, duty and implacable hatred toward the clan’ss
enemies.
9. A pile of mouldering, dusty bones lie in a heap before a
doorway, suggesting someone made a stand within. Perceptive ve
PCs note many of the bones are crushed or broken—mute
testimony to the savagery of the struggle once fought here.
10. The stone floor is chipped and damaged as if someone had ad
tried to dig it up.
11. Dust covers much of the floor. A cracked stone basin juts fromm
one wall and water drips from within. Under the basin, thee
water has turned the dust into a thick, grey paste that glistens
ns
in the party’s lights.
12. A cast iron brazier lies on its side among the dust and nd
mouldering detritus of the dwarf’s fallen home. Scattered coal,
oal,
along with an over-sized wrought iron poker, lie about the
brazier.
13. A dusty pyramid of dwarven skulls—perhaps a battle trophy or
warning of what lies beyond—dominates this chamber. Of the
rest of the dwarves’ remains, there is no sign.

56
F O RT O N THE B O RD ERL AND

57
10 MEN-AT-ARMS WITH PERSONALITY
Borderland forts are often dangerous places, and the wise 7. Eohric Llitwin (CN old male human fighter 2) Stocky and grey-
nobleman strongly garrisons it with redoubtable men-at-arms. haired, Eohric is clearly older than his fellows—who jokingly
Such soldiers should not be merely carbon copies of one another. refer to him as “grandfather”. Eohric is immensely experienced,
Among any garrison exceptional—or interesting— individuals will but now tires easily. He dreams of retiring and living out his days
always emerge. in a tavern, but Eohric is an inveterate gambler. Disastrously, he
Use the table below, to generate the details of particularly is also gullible and heavily in debt to certain individuals who
interesting or exceptional men-at-arms the party encounters. want access to his lord’s private chambers. Thus far, Eohric has
resisted their advances but as his debts mount he is becoming
1. Aevar (LG male human fighter 1) Overly burly, and bald, Aevar increasingly desperate.
cuts a menacing image. His dangerous mien is further enhanced 8. Valto Sianio (N male human fighter 1) Valto suffers from
by a badly done tattoo of a skull covering his entire head except chronic toothache. With a perpetual grimace on his face, he
for his face. For all that, Aevar is loyal to his lord, if not a little appears miserable much of the time. Valto’s woes started when
bit too enthusiastic in combat. he was punched in the face during a training bout. The blow
2. Turkka Hirvonen (N male human fighter 1) Turkka doesn’t want shattered his front teeth and infection soon set in. Now all that
to be soldier; he only become one to escape a life of crushing remain are blackened stumps.
poverty and constant hunger. He is loyal—to an extent—to his 9. Gerold Corbie (NE male human thief 3) Ostensibly Gerold is a
lord, but is always on the lookout for a way to turn a profit. new recruit to the garrison, but he has a secret. In reality, he is
Turkka is always hungry, and rarely encountered without food a spy for a rival lord (or perhaps a band of humanoid planning
in his hand (or hidden in his pouch). to attack the fort). Unfortunately for Gerold, one of the PCs fits
3. Aila Leino (NG female human fighter 3) Aila’s slender frame the description of his contact (who he has never met before)
belies a strength far greater than most men. Friendly and and he tries to make contact one night in the tavern. Confusion
gregarious, Aila is popular with her fellows, although secretly ensures and if he can talk his way out of his encounter with the
she hates their coarse, unsubtle humour. She is a skilled warrior PCs, he abandons his mission and flees.
and braver than most veterans. With dark grey eyes and short- 10. Frida Gall (NG female human fighter 1) Constantly on the edge
cropped red hair, Aila stands out from her drab fellows. If she of exhaustion, Frida has deep bags under her eyes. Bedevilled
can escape this backwater fort, a great destiny lies in her future by nightmares, she rarely sleeps a whole night through and
for Aila is not entirely human... often wakes up screaming. She is not a popular bunk mate,
4. Gar Blood-Eye (CN male half-orc fighter 2) A renegade from an consequently. Desperate for sleep, she has tried all manner of
orcish tribe lurking in the nearby wilderland, Gar is not herbal remedies and the faint smell of such often hang in the air
completely trusted by his fellows. Half of them see the tall and d around her.
broad-shouldered green-skinned warrior as little more than a
savage while most of the rest believe him to be a spy..
Consequently, Gar has few friends and has become used to o
expecting the worst from those he meets.
5. Myev Widow-maker (NG female half-orc fighter 2) A terror on n
the battlefield, Myers has a way of looking at people thatt
suggests she is plotting their brutal and swift evisceration. Shee
uses a large double-blade axe—her “Widow-maker”—in lieu off
any other weapon. For all that, she is popular with her fellowss
who have got over her strange ways. She—in turn—is incrediblyy
protective of them.
6. Arnallae Uthliavar (CG female half-elf fighter 3) Arnallae is a
restless soul who has served here for a decade or so because
she wants to experience the borderland and its perils. She is
erratic, but brave. While Arnallae would never put the lives of
her fellows in jeopardy, she is easily distracted.

58
10 TRAVELLERS WITH PERSONALITY
Borderland forts can be busy places. Adventurers often lurk in borderlands after her last employer and his whole family died
such places planning their forays into the wilderness. The of food poisoning (or perhaps just poisoning as the rumours
presence of such folk—along with the needs of a garrison and its suggest). She is guiltless of any foul doings, but has no way of
attendant folk—can bring many people to the fort. Pedlars, proving her innocence. Coming to the end of her funds, she is
merchants, thieves and even other adventurers often visit such getting desperate.
places. (Note: Characters listed above without a class or level 5. Marra Sharpeye (NG middle-aged female halfling fighter 1/thief
should be viewed as a normal example of their race.) 2) Marra is a mother on a mission. Her son—Kallon Sharpeye—
Use the table below, to generate details of particularly was last heard of at the fort with a band of adventurers. They
interesting or noteworthy travellers the PCs meet at the fort. disappeared into the wilderness six months ago and have not
been heard of since. A retired adventurer herself, she is frantic
1. Ahualhar Hafeltyrr (NG male elf fighter 4) A bowyer and with worry and is only a few sleepless nights away from striking
fletcher in search of work, Ahualhar has come to the fort after out alone in search of her son.
hearing rumours the lord is a keen archer. This tall, slender elf 6. Alaric (CN young male human) This scrawny, dirty urchin came
carries a beautifully crafted longbow and leads a donkey whose to the fort with a merchant caravan. The caravan moved on
saddlebags are stuffed full of arrows and the tools of his trade. without him—Alaric was stealing food from the kitchens at the
Perhaps, a few arrows are magical or otherwise exceptional; time—and is now trapped here. With no friends and no
they might even be for sale. resources, he has been alternately stealing from, or relying on
2. Jarani Darzak (LN female dwarf fighter 2) A skilled the kindness of, strangers.
stonemason—and equally skilled drinker—Jarani is at the fort 7. Pinafen Barrick (NE male gnome thief 6) Pinafen might look like
to bid on some repair work. While waiting to see the lord, she a kindly scribe for hire, but he isn’t. Pinafen is a serial murderer
spends her time either in the tavern or poking about the whose black, twisted heart knows neither mercy or pity. He
fortifications. She’s got into several blazing rows with guards stalks the borderlands, moving from community to community
who have stopped her accessing certain parts of the fortress and leaves a trail of hideously mutilated bodies in his wake. If
and—as a result—is in a foul mood. the PCs are leaving—but not plunging into the wilderness—he
3. Ossi Eskola (CN male human thief 2) Fleeing extensive debts in tries to travel with them (for “protection”).
his home town, portly Ossi has come to the fort to lose himself. 8. Ishild Salii (N female human) A singer of minor renown, Ishild
Still dressed in his finest—travel-stained—robes Ossi’s purse cuts a striking figure in her costume. Off stage, she is shy, but
grows light and he has begun to belatedly realise he has no long- on stage she has a captivating presence. Often besieged by male
term plan. Seeing the PCs as a potential source of wealth he admirers she hates the attention and hates even more asking
tries to ingratiate himself with the party—offering to act as their for payment for her singing. Thus, she is perpetually in need of
intermediary in trade matters and so forth. funds. Ideally, she’d like a wealthy patron…
4. Varma Keto (NG female human) Varma is a cook—a good one 9. Jarel Dellode (N male dwarf) Jarel is headstrong, certain of his
by all accounts—without an employer. She has fled to the own brilliance—in all manner of professions and skills— and is
also spectacularly misplaced in his confidence. Nothing is ever
Jarel’s fault and he often proves he is right by shouting louder
than the other person. He has come to the fort because several
of the businesses here owe him money (as he sees it). The
aforementioned businesses see it another way—everything he
has supplied them has been either substandard or has fallen
apart almost immediately.
10. Firatis Rumnaleir (LG female elf magic-user 5) Firatis is a minor
wizard and skilled teacher. She has been engaged to teach the
children of the wealthy folk at the fort. She spends much of her
time teaching and much of the rest of the time resting or
reading in her rooms at the inn. Sometimes—when the mood
takes her—she wanders the fort’s surrounds. Like many of her
race, she can move stealthily and has thus far avoided contact
with the region’s monstrous denizens.

59
10 BORDERLAND FORT WHISPERS & RUMOURS
Like any small community, a borderland fort is often rife with while deep in his cups—boasted the map showed the site of a
rumours. Whether its folk swap stories about various adventurers lost treasure. The company haven’t been seen since they left
passing through, the dalliances of prominent individuals or the the fort three weeks ago. Most people think they have perished.
depredations of nearby humanoids news—both true and false— 7. The castle is haunted. A couple of years ago, an evil
circulates wherever people gather. necromancer was burned at the stake in the courtyard. With his
Use the table below, to determine the minor rumours the dying screams, he cursed all those present to never rest easily
party hears while at the borderland fort. (Obviously, some of the in the grave. Since then, several graves have been disturbed and
rumours might require minor adjustment to better fit with your the corpses removed (or did they escape under their own
locale). power?)
8. The well providing drinking water for the fort is old—far older
1. Strange things are going on at the chapel. A hooded figure has than the fort itself. Writings attributed to the original settlers of
been seen entering the building late at night. (The priest is the area speak of caverns accessible from the well shaft.
having an affair with a married women). However, no such access now exists; one of the previous lords
2. The fire at the blacksmith’s last month was not accidental. Had had the whole well re-bricked blocking any such entrances.
it not been for his apprentice’s quick thinking, the whole 9. Strange tracks have been found by hunters in the surrounding
building would have gone up in flames. area. Judging by the size of the tracks, whatever made them was
3. Bandits have once again been seen in the fort’s vicinity. Rumour roughly the size of a horse, and—worryingly—it has claws!
has it the Captain of the Guard is preparing an expedition to put 10. The tavern is infested with bedbugs—I wouldn’t stay there if I
them to the sword. were you!
4. The fort’s lord is expecting a high-ranking guest in the next few
days. He has already despatched a patrol to meet his guest and
preparations to receive a person of note have kept the servants
busy for the last week. Speculation runs rampant as to exactly
who is coming to visit.
5. Someone has stolen an entire pig carcass from the
kitchens. When the thief is found, there will be hell to
pay.
6. The Company of the
Cloven Shield—an
adventuring band of
minor repute—visited
the fort last month. They
had a map of the
surrounding wilderness
and one of them—

60
20 BORDERLAND FORT DRESSINGS
A borderland fort is a living, breathing locale. Travellers, peasants, 12. An empty, unattended wagon pulled up outside a nearby
soldiers and adventurers all pass through such a place and leave building sits lopsidedly in the mud. One of the wagon’s wheels
their mark on its buildings and fortifications. is missing. The wheel arch’s wood is also splintered and broken.
Thus, such places should not be a sterile, pristine environment Clearly, the wagon has been in an accident.
devoid of minor points of interest. Use this table, to generate 13. Smoke rises from chimneys in several of the fort’s towers. The
features of minor interest the PCs note while visiting the air is preternaturally still today; the smoke lingers over the fort
borderland fort. like a shroud and does not dissipate until the wind picks up.
14. Enticing smells wafting from the kitchen fill the air. Perhaps the
1. A lewd picture daubed on a wall depicts a warrior decapitating lord plans a feast? Several small children and a few ragged
a goblin, orc or some other kind of evil humanoid. The blood beggars cluster near the kitchen door in anticipation of the
spurting from the humanoid’s neck is particularly overdone. scraps.
2. Recent rain has turned the churned earth of the courtyard into 15. A portion of the outer wall near the front gate is scorched and
a muddy morass, through which travellers and men-at-arms blackened as if it has once been deluged in flaming oil or the
struggle. A single boot juts forlornly from a patch of particularly like. (Inquiries reveal a roving band of three trolls attacked the
thick, cloying mud. fort last year, but the flaming oil convinced them to go
3. A section of scorched, soot-blackened stone wall along with a elsewhere).
newly replaced section of roof bears mute testimony to a bad 16. Wooden scaffolding encases one of the fort’s towers; several
fire that—perhaps—almost got out of control. workers—under a master mason’s direction—work to repair
4. An empty gallows atop a five-foot high wooden platform stands pitted, weather-worn mortar. At the tower’s base a neat pile of
in the middle of the courtyard. Two servants are on their hands dressed stone suggests the work will be extensive and last a
and knees scrubbing the platform clean. A bored man-at-arms considerable time.
stands nearby looking on. 17. The inn’s windows are thrown wide to air out the interior.
5. A pile of barrels and crates stands against one wall. A large black Blankets and rugs hang over several of the window cills.
and white cat lies curled atop one of the barrels, seemingly Periodically a servant appears at a window and vigorous beats
snoozing in the sun. Nearby, a mangy dog—practically on its the blankets and rugs.
belly—creeps toward its target. 18. The resounding clang of metal on metal—likely emanating from
6. One section of wall has been crudely whitewashed. Nails have the blacksmith’s forge—echoes through the air. It stops for a
been driven into the wall and from several flutter various few moments, before starting up again even louder than
notices. Most are weathered stained and unreadable. before.
7. A bedraggled man occupies a set of prominently placed stocks. 19. A wanted poster—depicting a head and shoulders drawing of a
Several wooden buckets stand nearby full of rotting vegetables. particularly ugly dwarf—is nailed to several doors throughout
A few children linger near the buckets daring each other to fling the fort. Apparently, the dwarf, one Durrim Jarbek, is wanted
the vegetables at the man. As one of the children edges closer for crimes involving unwarranted groping and failure to pay
to a bucket, the man swears and curses at her. one’s debt at the local tavern. A reward of 10 gp is offered for
8. A line of sparring dummies stands in the middle of the his capture.
courtyard. Nearby, a small group of trainee men-at-arms cluster 20. Extra guards are posted at the front gate. Visitors entering the
around a bin holding wooden practise swords. fort are subjected to extensive searches and questioning before
9. A few stones have fallen from a wall, and lie scattered on the being granted admittance. No one seems to know the cause for
ground. Crumbled mortar also dusts the ground and nearby a the increased vigilance.
set of mason’s tool stand propped against the wall.
10. A score or so starlings perch atop one of the fort’s towers. If
disturbed, they take to the air, circle the fort several times and
then fly off singing loudly.
11. Faint, weatherworn graffiti mars one stone at the base of the
wall. Scratched in humanity’s Common tongue, it reads, “For his
Glory.” It looks like someone has subsequently tried to scratch
out the words, but it appears they gave up before managing to
efface the message.

61
20 BORDERLAND FORT SIGHTS & SOUNDS
One of the quintessential locales for adventurers to rest between off. A few seconds later, the dog bursts into action and gives
adventures, a fort on the borderlands is a safe haven offering chase leaving the warrior—shouting loudly and impotently—
many of civilisation’s beguiling comforts. Here adventurers can alone.
rest and recuperate between expeditions into the wilderness. 13. A sudden gust of wind catches the fort’s various flags and
Use the table below, to determine what minor events the PCs pennants—they stream out proudly before the wind drops
experience as they move about within the fort’s walls. again.
14. Laughter and singing float through an open window. It sounds
1. The clamour of sword striking sword and the grunts of warriors like the people inside are in excellent spirits.
fighting foreshadows the sight of two fighters practising their 15. A patrol of muddy, tired men-at-arms returns to the keep after
craft. spending three days patrolling the local roads. Led by a
2. A particularly large raven squats on a tower’s battlements and mounted officer, the men make their way directly to the
watches folks’ coming and going with strange intensity. It flies barracks. They desire food and ale; anyone who gets in their
off, if the PCs take particular note of its presence. way—perhaps an adventurer asking irritating questions about
3. Dark clouds scud across the sky, plunging the fort into shadow. their patrol—is likely to get short shrift.
4. Several travellers—the mud of the road fresh upon their 16. A cowled figure lurks in a shadowy doorway, seemingly
boots—stagger passed the party in search of fresh ale, warm watching the PCs. If accosted, the man protests his innocence
food and a comfortable bed for the night. maintaining he was merely lost in thought.
5. A small boy—dirty and thin—darts through the crowd. He 17. A wagon stacked high with firewood harvested from the
clutches a scabbarded longsword to his chest. The weapon surrounds stands near the fort’s kitchens. Three servants are
appears finely made. If stopped, the boy—Arthal—explains he busy unpacking the wood and stacking it in a nearby crude
is delivering it to a customer of his father. wood store.
6. A shout of alarm from one of the fort’s tower has several men- 18. A peasant and his daughter drive a half-dozen sheep into the
at-arms rushing to investigate whatever their companion has courtyard; two barking dogs dart about the small flock keeping
spotted. it together. If asked, the peasants explain the sheep are
7. Two off-duty men-at-arms wearing naught but tunics and dirty destined for slaughter and then the kitchens.
tabards stagger along arm in arm. One waves a wineskin 19. It is time for the changing of the guard. For a brief period, there
theatrically while singing a rather lewd song in a rich, baritone are twice as many men-at-arms on the walls and at the front
voice. The other seems to be on the verge of being sick. gate as normal. Half an hour
8. A pair of large horses pull a huge, heavily laden, creaking wagon after the watch changes, the
through the fort’s gate. The wagon barely fits through the gate tavern gets unsurprisingly
and its wheels scour deep groves in the muddy courtyard. A busy.
single man clad in a heavy cloak and wide-brimmed hat steers 20. A young child of
the horses with deft flicks of the reins. indeterminate age and sex
9. A mailed messenger on horseback canters passed the PCs on chases a mangy dog
her way to the gate. She wears a sheathed longsword on one grasping a short length of
hip and has a haversack full of scrolls and other missives slung rope in its mouth. Totally
over her shoulder. Her saddlebags bulge with supplies, engrossed in their chase
suggesting she is starting a long journey. game, neither notice the
10. A servant emerges from a tower carrying a chamber pot at approach of a heavily
arm’s length. She climbs the steps to the outer wall and then— laden wagon…
surreptitiously—dumps the pot’s contents over the wall.
11. A flag flying from one of the fort’s towers breaks free and drifts
down to the ground. It lands in a particularly large patch of
horse manure. Is this an omen for the fort’s fortunes?
12. A mailed warrior walks a huge hound. The dog amiably trots
along behind its master…until it catches the scent of something
interesting in the air. Nearby, a cat breaks from cover and darts

62
G OBLIN L AIR

63
10 GOBLINS WITH PERSONALITY
Few fantasy foes are as iconic as goblins. chops up the bodies of friend and foe alike after battle to cook
in her “lovely” stews.
1. Lipless Rord: His lips are just fine; the nickname comes from the 7. Borgo Dagger-Eye: This goblin has a horrific injury: the hilt of a
jagged scar across his throat that prevents him from speaking dagger protrudes from his right eye, the result of a horrific
louder than a whisper. knife-throwing accident. He has never removed the dagger, as
2. Ghalga Many-Whelps: This matronly goblin is never seen he believes doing so will kill him. His preferred weapon remains
without at least four of her babes in tow; she teaches her throwing knives.
children how to fight by throwing them at enemies. 8. Zingers Mudlover: Having loved wallowing in mud since she was
3. Purg Pie Rat: Wearing a black tai-corn hat, with a skull hastily a little whelp, once Zingers learned being covered head to toe
drawn on in chalk, and fighting with two meat hooks he holds in in the stuff makes her blend in better to her swampy
his hands, this goblin fancies himself a pirate, but is only really surroundings, she has almost never been without the stuff.
interested in plundering pastries. 9. Kibzunk the Licker: While this goblin was named primarily for
4. Fongoa Stranglesgood: This goblin has over-long arms which his love of licking random objects, he is also a metaphorical
hang down to her knees, and oversized hands. She kisses her bootlicker, quick to provide sycophantic praise to the strongest
victims just as they die, attempting to steal their last breath. person in sight.
5. Lork: Having once heard the saying “if you can’t see me, I can’t 10. Grout Hobwitch: This grizzled, ancient goblin is renowned for
see you,” his solution to danger is to clap his hands over his eyes her knowledge of goblin magic, which mostly involves dubious
and try to scuttle off in a random direction. curses and vague parables. She wears a belt of shrunken heads,
6. Urbla Stewmaker: Her ability to use fire to cook food instead of and keeps a rat in a cage which she claims is her familiar.
burn it makes her a gourmet cook by goblin standards. She

10 THINGS TO FIND IN A GOBLIN CHIEFTAIN’S QUARTERS

Goblin chieftains are often the cleverest, most cunning and 5. A curtain—comprising small bones threaded on thin metal
violent members of the tribe. As such they have their own wire—divides the chamber in two. Beyond lies the chieftain's
chambers and here can be found the choicest, least tasteful bed chamber. It is virtually impossible to pass beyond the
decorations and features. curtain without making noise.
6. Crude paintings—little more than stickmen—decorate the walls
1. This chieftain has a throne—well an ornate wooden chair— in simplistic battle scenes. The red stickmen—who have large,
standing at the centre of a rickety wooden platform. The pointy ears—seem to be beating the others.
"throne" looks like the kind of chair you'd find at a noble's dining 7. A crude painting of an oversized goblin standing in a heroic
room table, but it has seen better days. A faded red cushion stance wearing a shiny crown decorates one wall. Other goblins
provides a modicum of comfort for the chief. are shown bowing down before the crown-wearing goblin.
2. Dirty, frayed rugs cover the floor. Arrayed in a haphazard 8. A large, battered chest, with its lid open, stands against one
pattern, they comprehensively conceal what lies beneath. wall. Filled with a riot of different clothes, blankets and other
Paranoid PCs might suspect pits lurk beneath. Indeed, the rugs odds and ends, it serves as the chief's personal wardrobe. Many
directly in front of the chief's throne have several suspiciously of the items were obviously made for human-sized people and
large dried bloodstains. have been crudely altered. All are filthy
3. A weapon rack—probably looted from some merchant's 9. A small pen comprising four empty, battered chests with their
wagon—stands against one wall. Most of the weapons lids propped open fills one corner of the chamber. Therein, the
displayed are too small for the rack and have fallen through. chieftain keeps his pets—a family of five giant rats. The rats are
They lean against the wall behind or lie under the rack. feral, but recognise their master and do not attack him.
4. Dozens of small niches pierce the chamber's walls. They contain 10. A battered stone statue of a human warrior stands against one
red candle stubs and macabre bone decorations. Much wax has wall. The statue is battered and chipped up to about chest
dripped down the walls giving the impression the haphazardly height—as if someone had used it as a target. The warrior's
placed niches have been bleeding. nose has snapped off, but otherwise the statue's upper portions
are in pristine condition.

64
10 THINGS TO FIND IN A GOBLIN COMMON ROOM
Goblin common rooms are filthy, disease ridden places. Here the 5. Filthy, flea-infested woollen blankets hung from the ceiling
tribe comes together to eat, celebrate and—sometimes—live; in provide a modicum of privacy in this small part of the common
many tribes, the lesser goblins live together in a state bordering room. Within lies the lair of a tribal champion.
on anarchy. It stands to reason, the PCs are bound to search any 6. A crude target stuffed with rags hangs from the wall. Scores of
goblin common room they discover. near misses pockmark the wall nearby.
7. A jumbled skull display fills a shelf high up on one wall. Several
1. This chamber is filthy. Rubbish overflows from niches in the of the skulls have rolled off the shelf and lie on the floor. Many
wall. The place smells of sweat and rotting food. of them bear signs of stabbing and slashing wounds.
2. This part of the chamber is divided off from the rest by a rickety 8. The stench from one corner of the room is unbearable. A crude
fence held together with twine. Beyond lies a sleeping blanket wooden platform with a hole in it covers a small narrow pit
big enough for three goblins, and other odds and ends. hacked into the floor. This is the goblins' latrine.
3. A perceptive PC spots one of the piles of bedding heaped 9. A jumbled mass of sacks, battered boxes and so-on serves as
against the wall moving slightly. Investigation reveals a terrified the tribe's food storage area. Many of the bags and sack contain
goblin child buried deeply within. It offers no resistance while mouldering or stale food. Perceptive PCs searching the pile
crying (loudly) for its mummy. discover two flasks of decent red wine lost in its depths.
4. A blackened iron cauldron hangs over a crude fire pit. The 10. Four barrels lined up surprisingly neatly against one wall hold
surrounding floor is blackened and splattered with what could the tribe's home-brewed beer and hard spirits. The drinks are
be dried stew and other unsavoury things. A large ladle hangs uniformly horrible and not for the weak of stomach. Any PC
from a hook nearby. Stew of some unidentifiable sort bubbles having more than a sip is liable to wake up the next morning
gently in the cauldron. with terrible stomach cramps and a pounding headache.

10 THINGS TO FIND IN A GOBLIN GUARD ROOM

Although seen by other races as little more than short, mad intruders. (Perceptive PCs notice some have come loose and
homicidal maniacs, goblins are at least slightly organised. just lie on the ground.)
Normally, the entrance to the tribe's lair, or the approaches to the 5. A large pile of firewood is stacked haphazardly along one wall.
chieftain's chambers, are guarded. Nearby, a fire pit smoulders; soot blackens the stone above, but
a crack in the ceiling draws away most of the smoke.
1. A battered table stands in roughly the centre of the chamber. 6. As #5, but the pile is rigged to collapse and is held in place by
Its legs have been haphazardly hacked off to suit the goblins' several large wooden pegs rammed into the floor. If one of the
size. The two benches have been treated in a similar fashion, pegs is removed the pile collapses—loudly—creating an area of
but one of them stands at a distinct angle. The remains of a meal difficult terrain. Characters adjacent to the front of the pile may
and several wineskins lie scattered across the table. be knocked over when it collapses.
2. A hung woollen blanket hides a small alcove. The alcove within 7. Battered chests, earth-filled sacks and other rubbish forms a
stinks. The stench is overpowering near a small crack in the three-foot high breastwork running across the chamber.
floor. The goblin guards use this area as a toilet. 8. As #1 above, but the goblins were in the middle of a simple dice
3. A faded, frayed rug covers the floor directly in front of the door. game when interrupted. Three sets of bone dice and a
It once displayed a crude pattern of blue and red swirls, but time smattering of copper coins and other odds and ends lie
and the goblins’ attentions have destroyed its details. (A cruel scattered across the table.
GM may rule the carpet covers a hollow in the ground; the 9. Crude frescos of goblins butchering and dismembering their
goblins have used a mixture of loose soil and caltrops to create enemies decorate the chamber's walls.
a nasty surprise for unsuspecting intruders). 10. The smell of sweat and something sweeter hangs heavily in the
4. A complicated mass of taut tripwires fills the passageway air. The goblins have got a small fire going and a pot of
leading away from the guardroom. These tripwires are not something bubbles over it. Investigations reveal they were
attached to anything, but are designed to slow down cautious boiling a pot of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

65
10 THINGS TO FIND OUTSIDE A GOBLIN LAIR
Goblins are not the tidiest or most subtle of creatures. The still flap listlessly in the breeze. Nothing of value remains at the
evidence of their presence litters the approaches to their lairs. site, which appears to be at least several months old.
7. Crude paintings of humanoids with big ears carrying wicked
1. Yellowing bones are tied to the branches of a stunted bush knives and serrated swords decorate several boulders. The
growing nearby the entrance to the tribe’s lair. Tied onto the artwork is simplistic at best.
bush with ribbons, bits of twine and thin strips of leather the 8. About 100-foot from the lair, the beginnings of a pit block the
bones clack together in the breeze. trail where it passes between two large boulders. Nearby are
2. A gallimaufry of tracks mars the ground. Scraps of broken cut tree branches and a pile of leaves (or other suitable
equipment lie scattered about. camouflage) destined to cover the pit when it is finished. The
3. Scorch marks mar several trees in the immediate vicinity pit is only about three-foot deep when discovered.
(showing where the goblins have practised with fire). 9. A mouldering goblin corpse lies on its front, partially hidden
4. A deep, wide fire pit has been dug into the ground a score of from view. A serrated dagger juts from its back. The corpse has
paces from the entrance tunnel. Ash and fragments of burnt been comprehensively looted of all valuables—even its shoes
wood fill the hole and on windy days, the ash fills the air like a have been stolen—but the killer could not remove the dagger
fine mist. Inquisitive PCs also find bones of several animals as it's tightly wedged between two bones.
(probably horses or ponies and suchlike) buried amongst the 10. A large tree—much bigger than its companions—looms over
ash. the approaches to the lair. Perceptive PCs spot a knotted rope
5. A fallen tree lies across the obvious trail leading to the goblin hanging down from its trunk and a small (currently unoccupied)
lair. Perceptive PCs can spot the tell-tell signs of tracks behind observation platform built high up amid its branches. Is it the
the tree, suggesting the goblins sometimes keep watch here for breeze making the knotted rope sway gently or has a goblin
intruders. sentry recently rushed to warn the tribe of the party's
6. A rudimentary campsite lies amid a small stand of trees filling a approach?
nearby hollow. The slashed and bloody remains of several tents

20 THINGS TO FIND IN A GOBLIN’S POUCH

Peerless scavengers, goblins delight in searching through other 10. A dingy grey feather roughly three inches long, stuck into a
races’ leavings to uncover lost “treasures”. In truth, such trinkets rotten plum.
are normally nothing but rubbish. To the goblins, however, they 11. A cheaply-made magnifying glass with a large crack.
have great value. 12. A small bird statuette has had its eyes gouged out and its wings
Use the table below, to determine what “treasures” the PCs broken.
discover in a goblin’s pouch. 13. A battered belt buckle displays a heavily scratched bull’s head.
14. The trigger mechanism from a heavy crossbow; though intact,
1. A half-eaten pickle on the end of a yellowed piece of string. it is seized completely.
2. A lump of heavily boiled grey meat shows no clue as which 15. A small book has had many of its pages torn out and others
animal it came from. folded into various animal shapes, which have been crushed
3. A damp brown bag containing three fish heads, all well past between the covers.
their prime. 16. This fragment of impressively-wrought, supple chainmail is
4. A lightly toasted scorpion on the end of a stick; its tail has been heavily rusted and tattered at the edges.
bitten off. 17. A battered tin cup has been crushed out of shape. Its handle is
5. Half an orange has had the majority of its juices squeezed out. crushed flat to the cup itself and is unusable.
6. A small red brick, still bearing flecks of off-white mortar. 18. A small bar of lead, in a small wooden box.
7. Teeth pulled from a shark or similar carnivorous creature. 19. A vial filled with a bluish liquid, likely a potion that has been
8. A leather patch, torn from the elbow of a jacket. rendered inert.
9. The frame of a pair of reading glasses, its lenses long since lost. 20. A collection of well-polished animal and bird talons made into a
bracelet.

66
1,000 ABNORMAL GOBLINS
Goblins are great! However, goblins often get short-shrift in the 6. This goblin is convinced of its battle prowess. Before battle, it
design department. That’s a shame as their appearance and challenges the toughest-looking enemy to single combat.
accoutrements help highlight their culture and tribal habits. Such Honourable—for a goblin— it doesn’t cheat (that much) and
details inject more flavour and verisimilitude into an otherwise fights to the death.
standard combat encounter. 7. Obsessed with fire, this goblin loves to fight with blazing
A standard goblin appears thus: weapons. If given the chance, it coats its weapons in oil before
setting them aflame and charging. Scorch marks cover the
This small three-foot high, scrawny humanoid has a wide, goblin’s hands and forearms.
ungainly head, red eyes and ludicrously over-sized pointed ears. 8. Charging into battle, the goblin drops its weapon and tries to
tackle its opponent to the ground. If successful, it whips out a
To this basic description, apply one of the entries below:
dagger and starts stabbing.
1. One of the goblin’s ears has been chewed off; only a bloody 9. More cunning than its fellows, this goblin tries to sneak round
stump remains. the back to engage weaker targets.
2. Clad in a mish-mash of gaudily-coloured clothes, this goblin 10. Obsessed with shiny treasure, this goblin stops fighting to loot
looks like a court jester or motley fool. downed opponents.
3. This goblin wears a bone necklace threaded with many finger
and toe—bones. They clack as the creature moves about. TREASURES & TRINKETS
4. Wearing leather armour, this goblin is festooned with belts and Sometimes, goblins carry small trinkets or treasures. Roll on the
buckles. Many small pouches—all tightly cinched shut—hang table below, if you determine the creature has a small item of
from the belts. personal treasure:
5. Clad in a black robe, hacked off to fit and cinched at the waist
with an over-sized belt, this goblin has the air of the macabre 1. This goblin carries a small pouch crammed full of smoked meat.
about it. The cloak has a cowl in which holes have been cut for Beyond all expectations, the meat is smoked correctly, tasty and
the creature’s oversized ears. safe.
6. Rotting teeth fill this pathetically thin goblin’s mouth. 2. A leather necklace hangs around the goblin’s neck. From it
7. Oozing lesions cover this goblin’s face. hangs an iron holy symbol of a well-known good-aligned god. A
8. Half of this goblin’s hair has been burnt away; streaks of small black stone—an onyx—set in the symbol is worth 5 gp.
puckered scars cover its face. 3. This goblin hides its greatest treasure in its left boot—a
9. This goblin wears a red patch over its left eye. Investigation tarnished gold piece stolen long ago from the chieftain. Only
reveals the eyepatch was coloured with blood; the eye beneath exhaustive searching reveals this hidden treasure.
has been gouged out. 4. Three vials of oil, already set with small, makeshift wick of
10. Naked save for a filthy loincloth, crude tattoos cover this ripped cloth fill this goblin’s pouch.
goblin’s scrawny body. The tattoos feature a series of basic 5. The goblin’s belt has an ornate, but tarnished, iron belt buckle
designs—an elf’s severed head, a big axe and so on. depicting a dragon’s maw. It is worth 1 gp.
6. An impressive collection of smooth, shiny pebbles fill this heavy
COMBAT & TACTICS pouch. The pebbles are worthless, but hidden among them is a
small chunk of quartz worth 4 gp.
In battle, some goblins fight differently to their brethren:
7. Carried in its pack, this goblin owns a short, 20-foot long strip of
1. This goblin hurls rocks at archer-types and spellcasters. Every dirty silk rope. Although dirty, the rope is in good condition.
time she hits, she screeches “Boom!” in Goblin. 8. This goblin has a wolf-skin hat. Sized for a small creature, it is
2. An utter coward, this goblin screams and runs away as soon as warm but filthy. If cleaned, it is worth 5 sp.
anyone tries to attack him. 9. The goblin’s pouch holds a battered small iron box containing a
3. Terrified of injury, this goblin immediately retreats, if injured. small quantity of pungent, but soiled snuff.
4. Drunk, this goblin is practically fearless. It charges into combat 10. Jet black fur edges this goblin’s dirty scarlet cloak. The cloak
screaming in a high-pitched voice. once belonged to a goblin hero. It is a status symbol among the
5. This goblin suffers from delusions of grandeur. At the start of goblins. If given the chance a goblin tries to buy—or steal—the
combat, it hangs back and shouts commands to its comrades cloak.
(which they ignore).

67
WHAT’S THE GOBLIN DOING?
Goblins don't just sit about in their lair waiting to be slaughtered 4. These two young warriors have stolen a flask of wine and are
by wandering adventurers. Like any other sentient beings they enjoying it somewhere out of the way. They are drunk.
have needs and interests. Thus, when the party is exploring a 5. The PCs interrupt two goblins brawling. Totally caught up in
goblin lair, they are likely--at least until the alarm is raised--to their own fight, they have not heard the PCs' approach.
encounter goblins going about their daily life. 6. Suddenly the sound of many goblins chanting a battle song
reaches the party's ears. After a few ragged verses, the singing
GENERAL ACTIVITIES fades away.
When encountered, a wandering goblin (or goblins) could be 7. Two goblins each drag a sack of rubbish toward the entrance.
engaged in one of the following activities: At sight of the PCs, they drop the sacks and flee. The rubbish
spills out of the sacks creating an area of difficult, slippery (and
1. Patrolling their lair smelly) terrain.
2. Shirking their duties (drinking, gambling, sleeping etc.) 8. Two goblin children have cornered a rat and are poking at it with
3. Carrying water sharp sticks. Their rapacious cries betray their presence before
4. Disposing of rubbish the PC stumble into view. If left to their own devices, they
5. Escorting a prisoner quickly kill the rat and beginning skinning it.
6. Watching for intruders 9. Two goblins have sneaked off for some “quiet time” together.
7. Chasing an escaped slave or prisoner Lost in each other’s company, they are completely oblivious to
8. Repairing something such as a door, piece of furniture etc. the PCs.
9. Moving foodstuffs or other heavy items about the lair 10. This goblin is lurking in the hopes of catching and killing his rival.
10. Loitering The arrival of the PCs gives him an idea. He offers to give them
11. Decorating something with graffiti information on the layout of the lair, where the guards are etc.,
12. Arguing if they promise to kill his enemy (a particularly large goblin who
13. Baiting a prisoner or small animal always wears a black hood and carries a wickedly notched
14. Eating sword).
15. Failing to watch for intruders (they could be asleep, drunk etc.)
16. Preparing to go on a scouting mission
17. Brawling with each other
18. Plotting against their chieftain, leader or other enemyy
19. Nefariously sneaking about
20. Making a lot of noise—perhaps shouting or singing

10 MINOR ENCOUNTERS
Use these sample minor encounters, to breathe life into
nto the
PCs' explorations:

1. The PCs hear whistling from the direction they are heading.
eading. A
few moments later, a goblin female carrying an empty pty water
jug wanders around the corner. If she gets the chance, ance, she
screams, hurls the jug at the nearest intruder's head d and then
flees.
2. As #1, but the female has a young child with her. Shee screams
for help and tries to hold off the PCs while her child escapes
scapes
to raise the alarm.
3. The PCs discover a goblin scratching some graffiti
into the wall with a sharp stone. The goblin has not
noticed them. Investigations reveal, the goblin is
writing derogatory comments about the tribe's chief.

68
H AU NTED H OUSE

69
10 THINGS TO SEE IN A BURNED OUT HOUSE
Fire is a potent enemy for any settlement. Wooden buildings are the air; perhaps their sudden appearance could alert nearby
particularly susceptible to flames and often marauders use it to raiders to the PCs’ presence.
devastating effect on the borderland settlements they raid. 7. Three crude grave markers of blackened wooden planks stick
out of the muddy earth behind the house. Bunches of dying
1. The building’s blackened chimney rises from the surrounding flowers lie upon each grave suggesting at least one person cares
piles of scorched and burnt wood. Debris chokes the fireplace. about the people who once lived here.
2. Bizarrely one section of soot-stained wall survived the fire 8. Rubble and the scorched remains of two wooden beams
relatively undamaged. Someone has written graffiti—the partially cover a hole in the ground. Investigation reveals, the
names of the people who died here—in the soot. hole leads down to a root cellar. The wooden stairs leading
3. Part of a bed’s wooden headboard sticks out of a pile of burnt downward were badly damaged in the fire and collapse if any
and scorched debris. meaningful weight is put on them.
4. The fire that destroyed this building was clearly powerful. The 9. Attempts have been made to salvage useable materials from
building’s stone foundation stones are scorched, and several this ruin. Near what was once the front door, someone has
cracked in the intense heat. Similarly, the branches of a tree dumped a pile of wood that survived the fire in relatively good
nearest to the building are blackened and burnt. condition; another pile of scorched and burnt offcuts lies
5. Pieces of partially melted iron lie amid the ruins. One is nearby.
reminiscent of a cauldron or pot, while others nearby might 10. The soot-wreathed bones of one of the building’s unfortunate
have once been utensils of some sort. residents lies pinned beneath an unstable pile of debris. Trying
6. Birds now nest amid the scorched rafters of this once fine home. to reach the skeleton is dangerous; the pile could shift or
The rafters rang over the ruin like blackened bones reaching up collapse if disturbed.
into the sky. If disturbed, the birds fly up out of the building into

10 THINGS TO SEE IN A PLAGUE-INFESTED HOUSE

When plague comes to a settlement, death and suffering travel in 6. Dust and grime covers most surfaces in the house. Faint
its wake. Inevitably, houses touched by plague are horrible places; footsteps lead toward a back room. A PC skilled in tracking can
here evidence of the its savagery is writ large. Sane individuals do tell the person making the tracks was shuffling.
not willingly enter such places, but sometimes adventurers—or 7. The rotting corpses of three rats lie on the ground near the body
looters—have little or no choice in the matter. of one of the house’s occupant. The body lies with one arm
stretched; many small bite marks on the arm are evident.
1. A bloody blanket lies twisted on the floor. The bloody is dried 8. The building’s windows are all boarded over…from the outside.
and from the pattern of the stain looks like it was coughed up. Inside, gloom fills the house and dust sifts down through the
2. The remains of a meal—a plate holding some mouldy bread and thin cracks of sunlight piercing the interior.
hard cheese—stands next to a fallen pewter cup. 9. A body—wrapped in sack cloth—lies in state on a long table.
3. The door to this room has been crudely nailed shut from the Burnt down candles surround the suppurating corpse and its
outside. bloody, grimy wrappings.
4. A terrible smell of rot pervades the house; clearly someone died 10. A man hangs from a makeshift noose thrown over a rafter.
here. The stench gets stronger as the PCs get closer to the body. Clearly dead, his neck is broken and insects swarm over his
5. Much of the furniture lies scattered about out of place. Either decomposing corpse. In a nearby room, the party find his
someone was enraged and took out his frustrations on the family’s rotting bodies laid out in state together, under a
furniture or someone has searched everywhere for loot. blanket.

70
20 THINGS TO FIND IN AN ABANDONED HOUSE
Adventurers often seem to explore abandoned buildings. 17. Thick dust coats the floor of this room. Nothing—except the
Whether it be a (reputedly) haunted manor house, a peasant’s tracks of small insects—is visible in the dust.
home in a ruined village or even the demesne of a mysteriously 18. Small droppings—probably from rats or mice— cover the
disappeared wizard such places make excellent adventure sites. floor by one wall. Several small holes gnawed at the bottom
of the wall show where the rodents probably live.
1. Cobwebs—heavy with cocooned insects—fill the corners of 19. Mottled green slime coats the ceiling. The slime is harmless,
this dank, gloomy chamber; a veil of cobwebs fills a doorway but paranoid adventurers may suspect otherwise.
leading further into the building. 20. The door to the room is wedged shut. Either debris has fallen
2. Rotting, mould shrouded furniture stands against the walls of against the other side or is has swollen in place due to water
this chamber. A heavy, formal chair is particularly far-gone damage.
and one leg collapses if the chair is disturbed.
3. The shattered remains of several pewter mugs lie scattered 10 ABANDONED HOUSE PERILS
across the floor. A dented and bent pewter plate lies against
Perils lurk in abandoned buildings.
one wall. Dust covers everything.
4. The sound of faint scrabbling comes from deeper in the 1. The floorboards are weak—riddled with woodworm and rot.
building. If a PC investigates, a squirrel clutching a nut, darts When a character steps on such boards they break, possibly
out of the darkness. dropping the explorer into a lower part of the building.
5. A mouldering brown blanket lies where it fell. 2. Mould grows voraciously over a wall. Invisible spores fill the
6. A strange dark stain mars the floor of this chamber. surrounding air. Characters breathing in the spores could
Investigation reveals the stain is likely old, dried blood. develop a nasty disease.
7. Someone has pried up the floorboards to reveal a small space 3. A wooden door is swollen shut. Characters pulling it open may
below. Nothing but cobwebs fills the niche. A faint outline in be surprised (and injured) when they wrench it from its hinges
the dust hints a small box or coffer was once stored here. and it topples over…on top of them.
8. Black mould has grown over one wall of this room and the air 4. Dripping water has severely damaged the ceiling. As the party
is redolent with the stench of decay. passes underneath, pieces of it collapse.
9. Part of the wooden wall has been pried loose and the boards 5. A ratty, mouldy rug covers the floor. Perceptive characters
tossed casually aside. notice the middle of the rug moving slightly—as if it is
10. The roof of this chamber is partially missing and the rain has breathing. Removing the rug reveals a hole in the floor through
got inside. The floor is damp and several small puddles have which issues an intermittent breeze.
gathered. 6. The floorboards are weak—riddled with woodworm and rot.
11. The hinges of this door have failed and only the door jam When a character steps on the board they break and trap the
holds it in place. If the door is opened, it collapses into the unfortunate’s foot in place.
room with a loud thud. 7. Shards of pottery (or glass) and chunks of wall and ceiling litter
12. The floorboards in this chamber are rotten. They collapse if the floor. The pottery shards lie hidden among the other debris
subjected to a weight of 100 lbs. or more. and act as caltrops.
13. Someone has covered one wall in graffiti daubed in charcoal. 8. A wooden door is swollen shut and tremendously rotten.
To the untrained eye, the graffiti looks like nothing but Characters trying to yank the door open with its handle instead
deranged scribbling. Scholars of the occult may realise, pull it off in their hand—making it much harder to open the door
however, the scribbles look a little like the sigil of a certain with subsequent attempts.
elder, blasphemous power... 9. A veritable field of small mushrooms and mould cover the
14. A forgotten sack stands in one corner. In contains blankets floor—thriving in the damp, gloomy environment. Water drips
and old clothes sized for a child. All are now mouldy. down from above making the whole rather slippery (particularly
15. A pile of mouldering planks—pulled from the walls and for those moving rapidly).
floors—are stacked in the centre of the room. 10. A large pile of rotting furniture, joists from the ceiling and so on
16. The fireplace in this room has obviously been used relatively blocks access to a door or corridor. The pile is unstable; if taken
recently. The ash within is still faintly warm and marks in the apart without care and caution, it collapses onto those trying to
dust show where someone slept. clear it.

71
20 THINGS TO SEE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE
Haunted houses are classic venues for adventures. Such places 10. One of the party suddenly feels dizzy—as if he had been spun
are ripe with possibilities (and dangers). When designing a round and round—and sick. If the PC engages in strenuous
haunted house, though, it’s easy to focus on the physical activity within the next five minutes, he is violently sick.
challenges of the place. Atmosphere in such a locale is easily as 11. One of the PCs suddenly feels a stinging pain on the back of his
important as the things the PCs will actually fight. neck. Investigations reveal three deep slash marks—perhaps
made by ghostly fingernails. The PC takes minor damage,
1. From the area the PCs just left comes the distinct creak of though it requires magic aid to heal.
floorboards—as if someone heavy is walking across the floor. 12. With a low creaking sound, a door in sight of the party slowly
2. The temperature suddenly plummets to freezing point in the opens. When they approach, it slams shut in their faces!
area surrounding the party. Their breath mists the air and frost 13. One of the party discovers a minor weapon—perhaps a
forms on the ground. Within a few minutes, the chill passes. dagger—is missing. If they retrace their steps to look for the
3. Somewhere up ahead a door rattles in its jamb. The rattling is weapon, they find it stabbed into the floor. The weapon’s hilt is
loud and sustained. If the PCs come upon the door, the sound strangely cold to the touch.
suddenly ceases. 14. The cloying scent of rotting food hangs in the air. If the party
4. The indistinct sound of whispering or muttering comes from a spends any time in the room searching, the smell gets stronger
random direction. No matter how hard they listen, the party can and stronger.
make out only one word…death. 15. The PC at the back of the party hears the sound of quiet sobbing
5. A faint glow of light—as given off by a candle—comes from from the room they just exited.
behind a door or around a corner. When the party moves to 16. One of the party suddenly experiences an overwhelmingly
investigate, the light is suddenly extinguished. powerful hot flush. Sweat breaks out on his face and he must
6. As #5 above, but the light dances wildly as if caught in a strong rest for a moment.
wind. As the party moves to investigate, the light is extinguished 17. Wet footprints suddenly appear on the floor in front of the
and a strong wind momentarily batters the party. party.
7. With a crash, a small object such as a tankard on a nearby table 18. Strange stains running down the walls from the ceiling make it
smashes to the floor. seem like the house itself were bleeding. The stains are a dried
8. The sound of scrabbling comes from within the nearby wall. It rusty brown colour and give off a faint, indistinct odour.
sounds like dozens—if not scores—of some small animal such 19. The atmosphere in this part of the house seems stale and
as a rat—are trapped within. The sound reaches a crescendo— stagnant no matter what steps are taken to let in fresh air.
loud enough conversation—
h to drown out normal conversation 20. A loud voice—with no obvious sourcsource—suddenly shouts the
before abruptly
ptly ceasing. name of one of the party.
nam
9. A deeper shadow
hadow seems
to move in n the dark
just beyond nd the
party’s lights.
s.

72
20 (MORE) THINGS TO SEE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE
There is no shortage or frightening or strange sights to see in a 10 RUMOURS ABOUT THE HOUSE
haunted house.
1. The house has a deep cellar. Whenever anyone explores the
1. Living creatures hunger and thirst twice as fast as normal within cellar, the shadows cluster thickly about them and they always
the haunted house. find an area of turned earth—as if something had recently been
2. Disturbing an object in the haunted house causes it to ooze buried.
sticky, green slime. 2. One of the family's children was locked in the attic for some—
3. Mirrors reflect their subjects’ images, but endowed with now forgotten but minor—transgression. The child was
fiendish qualities. headstrong and tried to escape; he fell from the roof and was
killed. His spirit still lingers in the attic, yet searching for a means
4. Cobwebs as thick as curtains fill several rooms within the
of escape.
haunted house.
3. Several servants in the house reported the feeling of being
5. Dusty skeletons sit in every chair and upon every couch within
watched whenever they went up to the second floor. Some
the haunted house.
doors refused to open for them, no matter how hard they tried
6. Dirty, white sheets cover every piece of furniture.
to open them. Most of the servants left the family’s employ
7. Dust that has settled within the haunted house is impossible to
shortly after taking up service but more than one completely
clean off, sticking to everything within the house and
disappeared never to be seen again.
resettling moments after it is cleaned.
4. A secret cellar under the house hides a deep well of ancient
8. All food discovered within the house appears edible, but is
artifice in its shadowy recesses. Surrounded by a crumbling wall
actually rotten and sickens for one minute anyone who eats it.
or curious design, the well plumbs some unknown water source.
9. Threats towards intruders are carved into the walls of 1d4
Those drinking from the well invariably fall ill and are never the
rooms within the haunted house.
same again.
10. The gaze of every portrait in the haunted house seems to follow
5. Rats infest the house. Before it was abandoned tales told of a
explorers’ progress.
servant slain by a horde of the foul creatures when he was sent
11. One room is filled with illusory people (as silent 31 image);
to retrieve a bottle from the wine cellar.
the illusions dance in a ballroom, eat in a dining room etc.
6. Faint, flickering lights of unwholesome hue are sometimes seem
12. Each time a PC exits a room, the furniture and decorations
bobbing about the house after dark. These are the souls of all
rearrange themselves.
those bound to that accursed place.
13. Thunderstorms and a strong wind (21 mph) constantly batter
7. One of the maids working in the house was an adherent of a
the haunted house.
demon! She lay with her master in the master’s bed and when
14. A graveyard with freshly dug graves sits behind the haunted her child was born the clueless family allowed her to stay in
house. One empty grave per intruder pierces the ground. their employ. Soon her child grew big, strong and malevolent.
15. Choking vines cover the outside of the haunted house and seem Soon thereafter, a series of tragic accidents claimed the lives of
to grow rapidly if cut down. the family’s children.
16. The haunted house includes a moat, river, or pond filled with 8. A malevolent sentience lurks within the house. Some say the
spectral (or skeletal) fish. very essence of the Abyss imbues the house with a terrible
17. Every tree within 100 feet of the haunted house is twisted into purpose—to carry away all those who linger within to an
the shape of an agonized human. eternity of torment at the hands of a terrible demon lord!
18. Musical objects within the haunted house randomly play 9. More than one resident of the house has been driven stark
themselves for any living audience that can hear them raving mad by something lingering under that accursed roof.
perform. Two have jumped from the roof and one died under the wheels
19. Objects within the house harmlessly break or explode when a of his own carriage.
living creature passes nearby. 10. Ancient tunnels link the house with a rambling set of natural
20. Heavy footsteps echo throughout the haunted house’s rooms caverns that emerge far from town. Smugglers, kidnappers and
at random intervals. This never occurs in the room worse used the tunnels, until the house was abandoned.
explorers occupy.

73
20 TREASURES TO FIND IN A HAUNTED HOUSE
Abandoned and decrepit, no city is complete without an 18. Every piece of this golden chess set shows the piece dying in a
abandoned, reportedly haunted building. Truly haunted buildings different, painful way.
have an air of grim mystique about them, their supernatural 19. Each of the coins behind the glass of this collector’s display is
residents setting the natural world on edge. engraved with the face of a different PC.
20. At first glance, the subject of this painting is a clothed skeleton,
1. Such sinister locales often have forgotten or lost treasures but when examined again it is merely on old man.
within their walls. Use this table to generate details of minor
treasures the PCs find in the haunted house. Reroll 10 THINGS TO FIND IN A RATS’ NEST
inappropriate results.
Giants rats infest the upper levels of many dungeons and the
2. A grand harp carved with images of cavorting satyrs stands near
recesses of countless abandoned buildings. Often their nests hold
the wall. Its strings emit an ear-piercing scream when first
nothing but gnawed bones, chewed wood and other leavings of
plucked.
their voracious hunger. Other times, adventurers may find objects
3. Two heavy silver candlesticks lie on the floor. One of them is
of greater interest or value.
stained with old blood.
4. A seven-headed serpent is carved into the walls of the room. Its 1. A mass of faeces intermingled with ripped pieces of cloth and
scales are covered with gold leaf. shards of bone.
5. A crystal chandelier fell to the floor and shattered here. Many 2. A seven-foot long length of frayed hemp rope. One end is tied
of the crystal pieces are still large enough to salvage. around a rusty piton.
6. Hanging on the wall is an oil painting depicting a demonic doe 3. A mouldy leather boot lying on its side. A small rat skeleton fills
devouring her young. The frame of the painting is studded with the boot.
small flecks of ruby. 4. These ripped and shredded wool trousers are missing one leg
7. Hidden amidst a tangle of rotten flowers is a single crystal rose. below the knee. A hidden pocket at the waist holds a single
8. This beautiful wooden box is engraved with the image of a shiny platinum piece; only perceptive PCs find the coin.
rampant unicorn. Inside, the box is filled with expensive cigars. 5. A great mass of sawdust and gnawed pieces of wood hide the
9. A painting of an old woman is hidden beneath a white sheet. remains of a now ruined, but once beautiful, carved wooden
Careful inspection reveals the lines and wrinkles on her face deer.
spell out fiendish runes. 6. The bones of a small dog (or possibly a large fox) are scattered
10. A dinner table is neatly set with four places—each having a about the nest. All the bones show signs of extensive gnawing.
silver fork, knife and drinking cup. All four cups are filled with 7. A half-eaten, now rotting rat corpse. A small arrow protrudes
wriggling maggots. from the remains of its back.
11. Piles of holy symbols are heaped in this room. They are covered 8. Strips of red silk are intermingled with scraps of leather and
in teeth marks. wool. A strand of fine silver thread (worth 5 gp) runs through
12. Discarded chisels and stone dust cover the floor. In the middle the silk. A hasty searcher misses the thread.
of the room stands a statue of one of the PCs. The statue holds 9. What was once a fine oaken wand lies amid the detritus of the
a diamond-studded key in its left hand. nest. Chewed arcane sigils once held the power to conjure forth
13. A large golden serving platter perches atop a pile of refuse. mystical fire but the rats' attentions have destroyed their
Hundreds of flies cling to its polished surface. power.
14. An intricately engraved locket hangs from a peg on the wall. 10. A bizarrely twisted and warped rat skeleton. Strongly—perhaps
One half of the locket holds a painting of a child. The other half even worryingly—the rat seemed to have had six legs and two
holds a painting of a hairy spider. heads!
ds!
15. This oil painting depicts a horde of demons pushing humans into
a fiery pit. It is signed by the famous painter Trornio.
16. An ornate set of carving knives rests near a tray of spoiled meat.
The blades are freshly sharpened.
17. A wardrobe contains five beautiful ball gowns. Each is covered
in thick layers of spider webs.

74
20 UNFORTUNATE DISCOVERIES TO MAKE IN A HAUNTED HOUSE
At the best of times, haunted houses are sinister, shunned places. 10 THINGS TO FIND IN A SPIDER’S WEB
However, those poking about inside such locales are bound to
A staple of low-level dungeons, giant spiders are fearsome
make unfortunate—even shocking—discoveries.
predators well able to take on and slay neophyte adventurers. In
1. A bloody message is scrawled across the mirror here. It reads, turn, once brave adventurers slay the giant spider they inevitably
“One of you has been taken.” search its web for treasures—normally plucked from the
2. As the PCs walk passed a closed door, something on the other decomposing bodies of previous victims.
side knocks on it.
1. A thick bundle of webs holds the dried and desiccated remains
3. A horrific squealing fills the air and a large rat crawls into view.
of a gigantic rat. The size of dog, the rat’s corpse bears several
Although it has no discernible wounds, the rat contorts in agony
jagged puncture wounds.
for a few seconds and then abruptly dies.
2. Dust covers part of the web. When it is shaken—perhaps in
4. A thick layer of dust that has been undisturbed in ages covers
battle or while being searched—the dust cascades to the floor
the entire room. Mysteriously, a smouldering cigar rests in an
temporarily obscuring vision and causing anyone in the area to
ashtray near the wall.
cough as it fills their lungs.
5. No one can remember the names of any deities while they are
3. A pile of bones—obviously from a human-sized humanoid—lie
in this house.
scattered below the spider’s web. Investigation reveals the skull
6. Coffins are stacked from the floor to the ceiling. A loud
and spinal column are missing; PCs searching the web find them
thumping and groaning noise comes from somewhere within
suspended in a ripped cocoon.
the room.
4. Scores of small spiders scuttle about the web, busily spinning
7. After a lengthy discussion, the PCs suddenly realize none of
their own tiny webs. The tiny spiders are the spawn of the giant
them are speaking in a language they recognize.
spider, but there are not enough of them to swarm. Individually,
8. A flock of dead ravens forms the lines of a summoning circle on
they are no threat to explorers although perceptive individuals
the floor. Judging by the smashed windows in this room, it
note that some of them have a jagged red pattern on their body.
appears the birds flew into this position on their own.
5. One part of the spider’s web has been cut down. Wisps of
9. The sound of laughing children echoes through the house. Thick
webbing hang from the surviving portions of the web and
rivulets of rancid chocolate begin dripping through cracks in the
several desiccated, partially eaten rat corpses lie scattered
walls and ceiling.
about the floor.
10. Footsteps echo behind the PCs for a few seconds each time they
6. Water drips through the ceiling over one portion of the web.
stop moving.
Consequently, that part of the web glistens in the party’s
11. When retracing their path through a dusty area, the PCs
lights—perhaps enticingly or suspiciously so.
discover an extra pair of footprints mixed in with their own.
7. Incongruously, a finely wrought dagger with a discoloured blade
12. Three missing people sleep in this room. Although slumbering,
hangs in the webs just above the party’s heads. Retrieving the
they are standing completely upright and swaying in unison.
dagger is easy, but may alert whatever lives in the web to the
13. No one who steps inside this house can stop smiling.
presence of intruders.
14. A severed head constantly whispers and looks around with wide
8. Thick webs fill the area. In one particular area, the webs are
eyes. If the PCs listen to it, the head seems to be warning them
wrapped tightly around a yet moving humanoid form. The
about things they cannot see.
humanoid is completely enmeshed but still struggles to free
15. Hellish screams suddenly fill the air as the room spontaneously
itself. If the party free the trapped individual, they discover an
bursts into flames.
adventurer recently succumbed to ghoul fever...
16. Floorboards creak and moan under the weight of a great beast
9. Part of this web has a strange red hue to it. Investigations reveal
no one can see. The stench of its hot breath is overpowering.
a spray of dried arterial blood covers much of the webbing.
17. Two bloodshot eyes watch the PCs through cracks and holes in
Clearly, from the amount of blood splattered about the place,
the ceiling.
whatever lives in the web has recently dined well.
18. Thousands of crows live in this house. At random intervals they
10. The skeletal remains of a half-dozen individuals lie scattered
grow quiet and stare at the PCs intently.
about the floor beneath this thick web. Casual examination
19. Whenever a PC falls asleep in this house, he wakes with his arms
reveals all the skulls are missing. A search of the web reveals all
crossed and a single coin over each eyelid.
the missing skulls still embedded in the webs.
20. PCs leaving this house have paler skin, as if they haven’t seen
the sun for months.

75
76
H ILL G IANT S TEAD IN G

77
10 MINOR HILL GIANT STEADING EVENTS
A hill giant steading is a living, breathing dynamic dungeon. Its 6. Several smoky, burning torches provide flickering light here. As
inhabitants—orc slaves, hill giants and their pets—all move about the PCs enter the area, one of the torches gutters out; long
the place going about their business. shadows fill one corner.
PCs exploring a steading are bound to experience minor 7. The howling of wolves, quickly followed by deep, guttural
events during their adventure. Roll on the table below, to shouts break the relative silence. The wolves howl, and the
determine what minor event occurs. (Wily PCs can use many of giants shout, for a minute before the hubbub subsides.
these to their advantage). 8. An orc slave, Rel, staggers into the party. Recently beaten by his
master, he is disorientated and taken completely by surprise.
1. The sound of deep voices and laughter, coming from some Rel hates his master and burns for revenge. If the PCs treat him
unexplored part of the steading, fills the air. It seems a kindly, and offer to help him escape, Rel tells them much about
celebration is in progress. the steading (although he does not know about any hidden
2. The party encounter an orc slave carrying several large bloody chambers and the like).
wolf pelts. The orc is distracted and does not notice the PCs, 9. A loud banging, followed by the sounds of fighting reach the
unless they are making a tremendous amount of noise. If given PCs’ ears. Shouts and roars continue for a short while before
the chance, he drops the pelts and flees shouting. subsiding. (Several giants were playing a crude gambling game
3. A deep rumbling snore emanates from around the corner. and one was caught cheating). Later, the PCs may discover the
Investigations reveal a hill giant slumped against the wall asleep site of the impromptu game in a hallway. (See #13 in 20 Pieces
clutching an empty wine flask in one massive hand. He is almost of Hill Giant Steading Dressing).
impossible to wake. 10. A sudden blast of cold wind buffets the steading. the wind
4. The smell of burning meat and smoke wafts through the air. whines through the many cracks in the steading’s walls creating
5. Cold water drips down from the poorly constructed ceiling, onto an eerie whistling sound.
a PC’s head.

10 THINGS TO FIND NEAR A HILL GIANT STEADING

The land around a hill giant steading is littered with the signs of 6. The smashed, broken and rotting remains of a mountain goat
giantish habitation. Hill giants are not subtle—or intelligent—and lie partially crushed beneath a large boulder. Scavengers have
make no attempt to hide their presence. worried the bits of the corpse not crushed beneath the boulder.
Use the table below, to generate minor points of interest in a 7. A hill giant has snuck away from his fellows to enjoy three flasks
steading’s vicinity: of wine. Drunk, he staggers over a nearby rise singing lustily.
Unless the PCs are particularly obvious, he doesn’t notice them
1. A vaguely triangular pile of rocks looms over the trail, casting a and goes on his way.
long, deep shadow across the ground. The huge skull of some 8. A heap of throwing boulders is stacked on a low ridge
kind of fantastical beast—perhaps a wyvern—leers down from overlooking the trail. Investigation reveals many giant
atop the pile. footprints and a few discarded wine flasks, animal bones and
2. Deep, booted footprints mar the ground, in a confused jumble. the like. This is clearly a sentry post, but no giant is currently in
Most, however, lead in the direction of the steading. attendance.
3. A tall, slender column of stones stands atop a small rise 9. Bones, rubbish and detritus fill a narrow, deep chasm piercing
overlooking the surrounding terrain. A small pile of skulls is the very bedrock of the hills. The narrow chasm is entirely
heaped atop it. natural; the hill giants are using it as a rubbish dump. The smell
4. A half-dozen burial cairns of tumbled, moss-covered stones dot wafting from its depths betrays its presence from some distance
the hill side. All are large; it is likely a giant is interred within away—particularly if the PCs are downwind.
each. Ragged, weatherworn banners flutter in the breeze over 10. Claw marks mar the stone here. Nearby lurk several large piles
several of the cairns. of excrement. A PC wise in the ways of the wild can identify the
5. A thick tree trunk has been driven deep into the ground. The piles as wolf excrement.
mouldering corpse of a muscular, black-haired humanoid hangs
crucified from the trunk. Investigation reveals the crucified
individual was an orc; he has been here for at least a month.

78
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A HILL GIANT’S BAG
Fearsome foe of epic strength and prodigious frame, giants carry 12. A dozen crudely forged caltrops; several of them comprise
their loot and possessions in great bags across their backs. daggers and knives wrapped together with string—they are less
Sadly, most giants are dim witted, lumbering brutes prone to then effective.
collecting that which piques their fancy. While they likely have 13. A dirty iron cooking pot; the grime and leavings of countless
gathered some objects of true worth from their victims, they will meals coats the pot’s inside. A half-dozen bones of
also have picked up other odds and ends. indeterminate origin and some unidentifiable sludge—perhaps
Use this table, to determine what odds and ends the PCs find old stew—fill the bottom of the pot.
in the giant’s bag. 14. Four small boulders; two are riven with deep cracks. When
thrown they burst apart on impact and shower anyone in the
1. A freshly killed sheep, its wool coat covered in drying blood. Its immediate vicinity with stone shards. The restaurant rubble
skull has been shattered. creates a small area of difficult terrain. (The giant has no idea of
2. The giant has been busy carving a new club. Slightly more these boulders’ special quality).
artistic than his fellows he is carving the head of the club to 15. A drinking horn smelling vaguely of stale, vinegary wine and a
resemble a gigantic fist. Along with the club, the bag contains half-wheel of old, mouldy cheese. Perceptive PCs notice several
wood shavings, off cuts, a battered battle-axe and a dulled worn gold coins wedged into the cheese. (This is the giant’s
handaxe. “genius” hiding place for his treasured loot).
3. Three throwing stones along with a small wrought iron coffer fill 16. A small bag of salt, a bundle of nondescript bones wrapped in
the sack. The coffer is locked and dented. It contains 27 sp, 135 an old, threadbare human-sized cloak and freshly skinned
gp along with a broken potion vial. The inside of the coffer brown bear’s pelt. The bear pelt is missing the bear’s head.
smells slightly of cinnamon. 17. A 40-foot long coil of thick rope crafted from three normal ropes
4. Several branches ripped from a bush or tree—destined to be braided together. The whole is bulky and heavy, but incredibly
kindling for the giant’s next fire. One of the largest could be strong along with a drinking horn and a blunt battleaxe of
used as a club, in a pinch. dwarf-craft.
5. The giant has been hunting wolves. Its bag contains four bloody 18. A hunch of charred meat—perhaps bear or mountain lion
wolf pelts and a rusty longsword that once belonged to a human wrapped in a bloodstain cloth along with a half empty wine
warrior. The giant uses it to skin his kills. flask. The red wine is surprisingly good. and full-bodied.
6. The bag contains a half empty, battered barrel of thin, vinegary 19. One blood-smeared boulder along with a drinking horn, a
red wine. The cask leaks slightly and the bottom of the sack is smaller bag full of animal teeth and a broken comb.
damp. In extremis, the giant uses the barrel as a missile 20. A full waterskin, a soiled winter blanket once dyed blue but now
weapon. ingrained
ned with mud
7. The giant recently discovered some shards of rock studded with and dirty and a
a glittering ore. Entranced, he collected the shards and they are haunch h of meat.
now his treasured possessions. Sadly, the glittering ore is fool’s
gold and worth nothing.
8. This giant delights in harvesting the heads of those he has slain.
He keeps his trophies in a bloodstained bag that reeks of dried
blood and decomposing flesh.
9. A tremendously varied mix of ripped and torn clothes fills this
bag. The clothes are of a variety of styles and sizes. A smaller
sack also contains a roasted haunch of some unidentifiable
meat.
10. The remains of a large canvas tent and a long length of rope fills
this bag. A crude hole has been cut in the tent. (The giant uses
the stained tent as a poncho of sorts).
11. A large battered brass bowl—actually a small cauldron—and a
bent ladle which the giant uses as a spoon half-fill the bag. The
cauldron was once of fine quality; the remains of carvings and
etching run along the cauldron’s rim, but what they once
represented is impossible to determine.

79
20 PIECES OF HILL GIANT STEADING DRESSING
Hill giants dwell in huge, rough-hewn timber strongholds hidden 11. A gigantic longspear—perhaps 20-foot long—leans in one
deep within rugged hill and mountain ranges. Selfish, violent corner. Examination reveals the haft is particularly thick and the
raiders they constantly hunt and forage through the surrounding spear’s point comprises a short sword whose handle has been
territory. wedged into a notch cut at the top of the spear’s haft.
A hill giant steading is unlike any other dungeon. 12. Wolf, bear and other hides of more exotic nature as well as a
Consequently, the steading’s minor features of note or interest half-dozen blue wyvern scales decorate the walls. One of the
should be different to normal dungeon dressing. The giants, their larger hides obscures a small (currently unoccupied) cubby hole
pets and slaves leave a mark on the steading and the clever GM or guard post.
uses such signs to breathe life and verisimilitude into the PCs’ 13. A set of knucklebones, three dice and four empty flagons lie
explorations. abandoned on the floor. Nearby a large (empty) wineskin hangs
Use the table below, to generate minor points of interest the from a badly dressed branch protruding from the wall. It seems
PCs discover during their exploration of a hill giant steading. the gamblers have now departed—perhaps in search of more
booze!
1. The ceiling is particularly poorly constructed; water drips down 14. The smell of wet wolf fur and excrement fills this area. An
from above to form a puddle on the floor. impressively large pile of relatively fresh wolf droppings
2. A large brown bear skin is nailed to the wall. Its open jaws are decorate the floor near one wall.
easily ten-foot above the ground (and make a good place for a 15. Shadows and cobwebs heavy with dust cluster thickly about the
giant to hide some small trinket). rafters high above the PCs’ heads. The walls of undressed logs
3. A discarded, frayed giant’s bag lies in one corner. It holds a make accessing this area relatively easy. PCs exploring the
wheel of hard, mouldy cheese and a mangy (worthless) wolf rafters discover a carefully concealed route through the
pelt. cobwebs which leads to a small niche cut into the wall. Two
4. A haphazardly stacked pile of firewood stands against one wall. empty wine flasks lie in the niche.
The large logs are the thickness of a human’s torso and could be 16. Pegs driven into the walls hold a variety of bags, cloaks and
used as missiles by nearby giants. Rats infest the pile. other soiled pieces of giant-sized clothing. Several cloaks hangs
5. A faded and filthy tapestry covers one wall. Clearly not of giant all the way to the floor and could make excellent impromptu
artifice it depicts a range of majestic, jagged hills rising into the hiding places. Most of the bags are empty, but one holds a 100-
distance. The tapestry is roughly ten-foot square and now foot-long coil of very strong, thick hemp rope.
worthless. 17. A rough map of the surrounding area hangs on one wall. The
6. Three torches—nothing more than hacked tree branches crude map is etched into the back of a gigantic mouldering bear
wrapped with cloth—burn here. The atmosphere is foul and skin. The map shows the steading, several nearby human
overly warm; smoke coils about the ceiling. settlements and a cave mouth over which the words, “Cavern
7. Trophies—mainly comprising skulls and rotting heads of of Whispered Death” is written.
humans, dwarves and bears—hang from pegs driven deeply 18. The smell of cooking meat wafts through the air.
into the walls. Perceptive PCs notice one of the rotting heads 19. An orc slave slumps unconscious in a shadowy corner. Beaten
still wears a small silver stud earring (worth 5 gp). near to death by its hill giant master for some transgression, the
8. Splotches along with a thick smear of dried blood decorate the orc will die unless healed. If healed, the orc—Bargesh—is wary,
ground. They lead toward the giants’ kitchen. but if offered his freedom happily tells the PCs anything they
9. A large crudely-crafted bench sized for giants stands against one want to know about the hated giants. Bargesh isn’t suicidal,
wall. Its surface is pockmarked with many gouge marks likely however, and has no interest in fighting giants.
made by bored giants. 20. A large brass gong hangs from its stand in the centre of this area.
10. Here, the wood of one wall is dripping wet and rotten. Water dented—it
The gong is battered and dented much use.
it has clearly seen m
runs down the wall from A warhammer sized for a human or dwarf lies on the fl floor under
above and the smell of the gong.
rot hangs
ngs heavily in the
air.

80
100 HILL GIANT PETS
Ferocious raiders and fighters, hill giants prefer pets that mirror 4. A scavenger, this wolf darts behind opponents to take down a
their own proclivities. Not for them is the humble wolf. Rather, vulnerable target.
hill giants keep monstrously huge dire wolves as pets like humans 5. Starving hungry, this wolf charges into battle with only one
keep dogs. thing on its mind: food.
Use the table below, to generate the details of an atypical dire 6. At heart a bully and coward, if reduced to half hit points this
wolf. wolf flees battle yelping with its tail between its legs.
A normal dire wolf appears thusly: 7. This wolf darts in and out of combat and tries to draw its target
away from the safety of its allies.
This immense, black-furred wolf is the size of a horse. Its long 8. Once the companion of a hill giant priest, this wolf makes
fangs are as sharp as knives and its red eye blaze ferociously. straight for the first enemy to cast a spell.
9. This wolf hangs back from battle until one of its enemies is on
APPEARANCE the ground (either because it is unconscious, dead or has been
To the basic description above, apply one of the entries below: tripped by another wolf). It then charges in to savage the
downed foe.
1. This huge wolf’s fur is mottled grey and black. Bizarrely, white 10. A bully and opportunist, this wolf chases down any enemy
fur covers its muzzle. fleeing battle; until a foe flees it stays on the periphery of the
2. This wolf has clearly survived a horrific injury; it has only one ear battle.
and its left eye is nothing but an ugly mass of swollen
wollen scar tissue.
3. A wrought iron spiked collar hangs around this wolf’s neck;
dried blood coats the spikes.
4. Covered in shaggy fur, this wolf looks even bulkier than its
brethren.
5. Clumps of this wolf’s fur have fallen out, giving ng the creature a
forlorn, diseased appearance…until it bares itss teeth.
6. Clad in a patchwork of studded leather armour, ur, at first glance
this wolf looks a little like a warhorse!
7. This wolf wears a thick collar of woven rope. The rope is blood-
and dirt-stained.
8. A crude bandage is wrapped around one of thee wolf’s legs. The
dirty bandage is yellowed with puss, and thee filthy wound
smells infected.
9. With particularly red-rimmed eyes and a snout nout drawn
back in a snarl this hoary old wolf appears ars almost
demonic.
10. This wolf’s glossy fur is so black it seems to drink in
the surrounding light.

BATTLE TACTICS
In battle, some dire wolves fight differently to their
heir
brethren:

1. Before darting into battle, the wolf throws its

head back and spends an entire round howling. g.
2. Fixated on the smallest visible foe, this wolf slinks
nks
toward its target. If the wolf downs its target, t, it
carries away the body for a feast.
3. Fire terrifies this wolf. It avoids anyone carrying
ing or
wielding flame and immediately flees if it suffers ffers fire
damage.

81
1,000 ABNORMAL HILL GIANTS
Brutish and nomadic, hill giants wander their upland homes in 5. A keen “slinger” this giant prefers to hang back from battle and
search of food and treasure. They are selfish, rapacious raiders throw stuff—anything—at his enemies. He targets spellcasters
and only seek battle against the little people when they believe and archers.
they’ll win. The hill giant’s roving nature make them relatively 6. Shortsighted, this giant gets very close to her enemies before
common foes for adventurers travelling through hilly borderland rolling stones at her target as if she was playing marbles.
regions. A single giant can be a real threat for even a mid-level 7. Terrified by fire, this giant flees battle if an enemy demonstrates
party and an entire tribe on the move is a terrifying sight. command over magical fire.
A standard hill giant appears thusly: 8. This giant has just captured a live goat he plans to eat later. With
his hands full, and without any stones, he uses it as a missile
This hunched but muscular brutish giant wears filthy furs and torn weapon.
clothes. 9. This giant has a comically high-pitched voice, and uses it—
badly—to inspire his comrades in battle.
APPEARANCE 10. Violent even for a giant, this warrior loves to bite his enemies.
To the basic description above, apply one of the entries below: He savages any unconscious or helpless opponent.

1. Balding with a single, bushy eyebrow, this giant’s face is fixed in TRINKETS & TREASURES
a perpetual snarl.
Sometimes, hill giants carry small trinkets or treasures in their
2. A simplistic tattoo—perhaps of an eagle—decorates the giant’s
bags. Roll on the table below, if you determine the creature has
forehead. The tattoo is so bad, though, in truth it is hard to
an item of treasure or interest:
determine exactly what it really depicts.
3. The smell of sweat and other noxious stenches precedes this 1. A mangled sheep’s corpse fills this giant’s bag.
giant by a good ten feet. 2. This giant wears a wyvern’s skull as a helmet (see #10 in
4. This giant wears a crudely made wolfskin cloak that isn’t really Appearance). He has wedged a pair of large onyxs into its eye
long enough. If the party includes any wolf or dog companions, sockets. Each is worth 150 gp.
the giant goes for the animal in preference to other targets. 3. This giant’s cloak, is cut from the fur of a single gigantic
5. Although bald, this giant has a full beard and thick sideburns. mountain lion. Its head comprises the cloak’s hood. Such a large
6. This giant’s clothes smell of smoke, and other foul things. and impressive example—if cleaned—is worth 50 gp.
7. Missing an eye, this giant wears a furry eyepatch. She has an 4. A haunch of burnt meat fills this giant’s pouch along with some
impressive head of elaborately braided hair. small (for the giant) shiny stones he thought were pretty.
8. A berserk, this giant prefers to battle in the nude, to better 5. A necklace of fangs—from wolves, bears and so on—hangs
terrify his enemies. He spends the first round of combat around the giant’s neck on a leather thong. Many of the teeth
screaming insults at his enemies…and stripping. are worn and yellowed with age.
9. Massively fat, and swathed in layers of animal fur, this giant 6. The giant keeps a bent longsword in its bag to use as a knife.
waddles into combat. The blade is ruined, but tentacle etchings on its pommel are
10. Something of a tribal champion, this giant wears the bleached picked out with wound silver wire. The pommel is worth 50 gp.
skull of a large draconic creature (a wyvern) as a helmet. 7. Something of a thinker among her fellows, this giant keeps a
bloodstained, faded and weather-worn book in her bag. It
BATTLE TACTICS seems to be an ancient treatise on the surrounding hills and
In battle, some hill giants fight differently to their brethren: depicts several (now ruined) fortresses unknown to the PCs.
8. This giant uses a backpack sized for a human as a pouch. It
1. Particularly stupid—even for a giant—this giant gets so excited contains 50 ft. of rope, a flask of brandy (which the giant hasn’t
he throws his club at an enemy, disarming himself. If he can’t found) and a thick winter blanket.
retrieve his club, he wrestles the weakest-looking enemy. 9. This giant is unlucky. His bag has a hole in it, and his treasures
2. This giant shouts and screams terrible, but colourful, threats have been falling out for weeks. All that remains are 3 gp caught
before charging into battle to intimidate his foes. in a fold, a small boulder and a battered and empty bone scroll
3. A bully, this giant goes for the smallest available target. case.
4. This giant is scared of dwarves, and avoids fighting them if at all 10. This giant’s (oversized) bag is actually a mimic that had recently
possible. attached itself to the giant…

82
K OBOLD W ARREN

83
10 EVENTS TO OCCUR IN A KOBOLD WARREN
Kobolds are cunning little devils; adventurers brave enough to 6. The faint smell of wet fur reaches the party’s scout’s nostrils. It
invade their lair will be shocked to discover the kobolds won’t just grows stronger as the party proceed toward the next lurking
sit around waiting to be slaughtered. defenders—perhaps providing a hint of imminent, impending
Rather, they’ll attack and retreat, luring intruders into the danger.
many tricks and traps protecting their lair. Use the following 7. A faint piping sound reaches the party’s ears. It might be just
events, to add to the sense of a dynamic defence. the wind or it could be the kobolds communicating with each
other. This latter theory seems much more likely as after a few
1. From around a corner, out of sight of the party, comes the quiet, moments, the piping begins from another, unexplored
furtive scrabbling sound of claw on stone. direction.
2. A crossbow bolt whizzes out of the darkness toward the party. 8. A clatter—like someone dropping a shield or weapon—echoes
The bolt misses and skids down the corridor before splintering through the air.
against the far wall. 9. A nearby, but hidden, kobold begins to taunt the PCs. He starts
3. The faint murmur of conversation suddenly cut short reaches in the language of the kobolds, but if no-one understands him
the most perceptive—or perhaps most paranoid—PC’s ears. It he switches to broken, high-pitched Common. He questions the
seemed the conversation came from behind the party. PCs’ skills and bravery, and dares them to “come and get me”.
4. A sudden gust of wind fills the area, threatening to extinguish 10. A sudden breeze carries the scent of smoke and fire over the
any nonmagical unprotected flames such as candles and party. Perceptive PCs hear the crackle of flames from
torches. somewhere up ahead.
5. The distinctive rattling of a chain breaks the relative quiet.
Moments later, the party hear a distinctive thud of something
heavy hitting the ground.

10 EXTRA THINGS TO SAY WHEN THE PCS FAIL TO FIND A TRAP

Sometimes, a PC will search for traps and find nothing. Use the 10. You detect nothing of interest, but something just feels
table below, to add depth, flavour (and paranoia) to an “wrong.” Perhaps its paranoia or perhaps its your sixth sense
unsuccessful search. warning of a lurking danger…

1. You see nothing out of the ordinary, and hear nothing but the
laboured breathing of your companions and the creak of their
equipment.
2. A slight breeze plays across your face, but you can’t make out
where it comes from.
3. Some of the nearby shadows seem slightly deeper than they
should be.
4. For just a moment, you thought you heard a faint whispered
conversation, but it is gone now.
5. As you search the area, a shiver runs down your spine. Is
someone watching you?
6. You suddenly feel warm, as if you had exerted yourself for
sometime. Perhaps it’s just the stress of the adventure?
7. Dust—illuminated by the light—swirls and shimmers in the air
creating intricate patterns that form and reform.
8. A faint odour—perhaps sweat or damp—hangs in the air, but
you cannot identify its source.
9. Your heart pounds loudly in your chest and the roar of blood
fills your ears. However, in the area you detect nothing
seemingly of interest.

84
10 KOBOLD TRAPS
Kobolds have a reputation to maintain when it comes to traps! 7. This door is barred from this side as if to contain something
But limited access to magic and a…less than stellar engineering within. Hidden in a hollowed-out portion of the bar is a
acumen means these little guys need to be cunning indeed to get venomous snake. Removing the bar releases the snake.
the drop on wily adventurers. 8. A small, rickety ladder leans on the wall just below an obvious
Let’s face it: there can only be so many pits before the ten- trapdoor in the ceiling. The trapdoor opens to a small
foot poles are out all the time. Use the table below, to mix things compartment holding an angry, hungry skunk.
up a bit and keep the PCs guessing: 9. Set in a small alcove just around a bend in the hall (or tunnel) is
a chalkboard. Rigged to a tripwire is a pliable slat of wood with
1. A jar filled with green slime is embedded into the ceiling. A nails in it set to drag a screeching track across the chalkboard
metal rod fixed with wax in the jar’s mouth keeps the slime in when triggered.
place (until an unsuspecting adventurer fiddles with the strange 10. A large, hollow brass knob is set into a door. Pushed into the
rod hanging down from the ceiling). hollow of the knob from an opening on the other side is a hot
2. A tin box filled with spiders is hidden away where floor meets coal. The knob is searingly hot.
wall. Tripping
pp g over a simple
p wire strungg through g eyelets
y pulls
p
back the
he box's lid releasing a tiny swarm of hungry spiders.
3. The top p of a bellows is set in the floor and disguised as stone. A
hidden n tube connected to the bellows filled with flour erupts in
a blinding
ing cloud when anyone step on it.
4. A smallll clay bowl filled with acid rests atop a high
rottingg shelf next to a small stack of copper coins.
Disturbing
bing the shelf causes it to collapse
soakingg whoever is under it.
5. A seemingly
mingly shallow puddle hides a
deeperr section set with rusty
broken n knives pointing
upwards.ds.
6. A narrow
arrow shelf
mountedted on
the opposite
pposite
side of a
door holds a
jar of angry
bees. When
the door
oor is
opened, d, the
jar fallss and
shatters.
rs.

85
10 MORE KOBOLD TRAPS
Kobolds have a reputation to maintain when it comes to traps! 5. Mouldering meat fills a sack. If the sack is opened everything
But limited access to magic and a…less than stellar engineering within five-foot is covered in virulent spores of the Cursed
acumen means they need to be cunning indeed to get the drop Miner’s Cap fungus. The spores cause confusion among those
on wily adventurers. infected.
Let’s face it: there can only be so many pits before the ten- 6. The kobolds have put two starved snakes in upturned baskets
foot poles are out all the time. Here are another 10 devious traps and buried them in dust and light rubble before tying a tripwire
to bedevil adventurers. Use the table below, to mix things up a bit between both baskets. When the tripwire is pulled, the
and keep the PCs guessing: upturned baskets release the snakes. They slither forth to
assuage their hunger.
1. In the bottom of a covered pit are rows of sharpened stakes 7. Ropes dangle down from a cliff or escarpment. Climbing them
coated with snake poison. Someone falling into the pit is dislodges the boulders anchoring them, which tumble down to
impaled on the stakes. crush the falling climbers.
2. Among rubble and several wooden posts ostensibly holding up 8. Crossing a narrow causeway causes an uneven boulder beneath
the ceiling lies a rucksack. Pulling the rucksack snaps two rigged to shift which releases a rope connected to a stone pillar. This
posts. Large boulders fall where the rucksack lay crushing pendulum swings down along the causeway sweeping aside all
whoever disturbed that pack (and everyone else within a five- in its way.
foot radius). 9. A rickety bridge with phosphorous stones fastened beneath the
3. A net of Cavern Orb Spider silk is set beneath tripwires walkway crosses low over a pit of water and pitch. The party’s
connected to counterweights. When triggered, the net pulls weight causes the stones to touch the water. The water reacts
victims upwards. A swarm of spiders living in the net then attack with the sulphur in the stones igniting the pitch and setting all
the ensnared intruders. it touches alight.
4. Earthenware jugs containing fermented troll excrement, pitch 10. A rope bridge traversing a chasm ends at a gate. Once opened,
and honey are stacked up against the wall. The kobolds light a the gate releases the bridge’s tension ropes. This causes the
twine fuse as the party approach which shortly thereafter bridge to collapse into the chasm below.
causes the jars to explode.

10 PIECES OF KOBOLD WARREN DRESSING

A kobold warren should be a flavoursome dungeon locale rife 5. A small pile of rubble—more the start of a breastwork—about
with unique details that speaks to the kobolds’ presence and their three-foot high partially blocks access to the area beyond. A
activities. broken spear sized for a kobold lies discarded on the floor. The
Use the table below, to add some minor points of interest to spear is missing its tip, and dried blood coats the shaft’s upper
your kobolds’ warren. portion.
6. A small carven niche in the wall holds a large horned skull that
1. A few scraps of mottled blue and brown scales lie on the floor glowers down at all who pass. Investigation reveal the skull to
below a rocky protrusion in the wall. be that of a minotaur.
2. Strange runes scrawled on the wall in the language of dragons 7. A pile of rotting wood lies against one wall. It is riddled with
speak of the kobolds’ destiny to rule the world and their centipedes and seems to almost writhe like some kind of
inevitable triumph over the “big folk”. sentient worm creature.
3. Crude drawings of a gigantic dragon surrounded by bowing and 8. A ragged, filthy half-curtain hangs from the ceiling to about
scrapping kobolds decorate the whole wall. The dragon is four-foot above the floor. the kobolds can easily move and see
depicted as munching on something. Careful observation under the curtain but it obscures taller creatures’ vision.
because reveals a tiny pair of legs sticking out of its mouth. 9. The heavy stench of wet dog and the faint smell of smoke hang
4. A coil of thin string lies neatly against one wall. One end is tied in the air. The smell is stronger closer to the floor.
to a small iron peg hammered into the ground. The peg has 10. Water oozes down one wall into a small pool of scummy water.
been painted to blend in with its surrounds. A discarded A ring of mould surrounds the pool, which is really nothing more
hammer and another peg lie against the opposite wall. than a large puddle.

86
20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A DEAD KOBOLD
Kobolds. Getting killed by kobolds is tremendously embarrassing. 13. Hidden in a bulging pouch, the PC finds many rags wrapped
The best way to avoid this embarrassment is to kill the kobolds around a broken mirror. Half of the glass is missing and if the PC
first (and then of course loot their bodies)! searches without being careful he could cut himself on the
Use the table below, to determine what the PCs find when remaining glass shards.
they loot a kobold’s corpse. Of course, kobolds are not particularly 14. The kobold carried the remains of a tattooing kit in a well-made
powerful creatures and so they rarely carry much of worth. leather pouch. Clearly over-sized for the kobold, the pouch
contains two (bloody) needles, three small vials of ink—black,
1. A half-eaten rat wrapped in a scrap of dirty gore stained cloth. blue and red—and several crude doodles of the kobolds’ tribal
2. A tangle of strings—of varying colours and lengths—fill this sigil.
small pouch. Hidden deep within the ball lurks a shiny black 15. A ripped section of damp fishing net woven about three short
pebble. lengths of rope, fills a sack hanging from the kobold’s belt.
3. This kobold has hoarded much wealth; in his pouch the PCs find 16. The kobold wore a tarnished silver-plated signal whistle (worth
four silver coins—tarnished and bent—a dozen coppers and a 2 gp) on a short length of leather twine around its neck.
single gold piece bent almost in half. 17. An empty flask smelling of strong spirits and several sheets of
4. This kobold carries a rudimentary tripwire—a length of thin stained parchment fill the kobold’s pouch.
string wrapped around two small wooden pegs—in his pouch 18. A mummified, but rank, rat paw stuck transfixed on a piton.
along with a length of tiny copper bells that can be wrapped Dried blood covers the rat’s claws, which has stained the pouch
around the tripwire. holding the gruesome trophy.
5. Four half-burnt candles along with a much-used flint and steel 19. A ragged belt pouch holds the ornate silvered hilt of a dagger.
wrapped carefully in a strip of sack cloth. The blade is missing, but the hilt is worth 15 gp.
6. A broken dagger—sized for a human—whose blade ends in a 20. This kobold has amassed a small collection of smooth shells.
jagged stump. The shard of the blade—covered in dried blood— Each has been pierced through its centre and a threaded silver
is also in the pouch. wire holds them all together. The wire is worth 2 gp, and the
7. The kobold wore a crude necklace crafted from finger bones; whole thing can be worn as a necklace (if one is Small sized).
some still have fingernails attached.
8. The kobold wore comically oversized boots—obviously bviously once
worn by a human. To make them fit, he has padded ded them out
with rags. Hidden in the rags are three worn silver coins.
9. The kobold wore a bandolier from which hangg many small
securely stoppered flasks. Each is filled with h a noxious
substance—excrement, rank water, vomit and so on. The flasks
are flimsy and designed to break apart when en they hit
something solid.
10. An almost empty wine flask along with the bodies es of
several large spiders fills the kobold’s pouch. Each ch of
the spiders has had their legs removed and one of
the bodies is half eaten.
11. A small pouch worn around the kobold’s neck
contains four teeth—one broken—a selection of
smooth pebbles and a dirty grey feather.
12. The kobold wore the remnants of a white silkk
undershirt. The undershirt has been cut off at the
waist and arms to fit the kobold and is filthy
(and odorous). It is valueless to the PCs, but
several other members of the tribe have had
their eye on the garment for some time. The PCs
could use it as a bribe or may even see several ral
warriors fighting over the shirt if they return to the
e scene
of this battle without looting the shirt.

87
1,000 ABNORMAL KOBOLDS
Creatures of the dark and the underworld, while physically 3. A bloodthirsty maniac, and a wanna-be hero, this kobold seeks
unassuming kobolds proclaim themselves scions of the mighty out the largest enemy…and tries to stab him in the back.
dragons and as such destined to rule the earth. 4. Striking from hiding, this kobold is silent while he fights. Even
Tribal creatures, they hate gnomes and bright light. While when injured, he doesn’t utter a sound—he has learnt that
they attack the former on sight, they shy away from the latter noise often brings death.
whenever possible. Kobolds are often derided by players as no 5. Initially, this warrior hangs back from battle. He waits for an
threat and given little or no design time by GMs. However, they enemy to fall before rushing in to administer a coup de grace.
can be so much more! 6. A thief at heart, this kobold stops fighting to loot the bodies of
Use the tables below, to add depth and flavour to the kobolds the fallen, as soon as it is safe to do so.
encountered by the PCs. A standard kobold appears thusly: 7. Wearing a bandolier festooned with throwing daggers, this
warrior hangs back from combat and hurls his weapons at
Short and scaly, this long-tailed humanoid has a teeth-filled snout. isolated targets.
8. Confident of his own skills, this warrior attempts to goad
APPEARANCE enemies into making foolish attacks by yipping insults at them
To the basic description above, apply one of the entries below: in his high-pitched voice.
9. Partly mad, this kobold can’t stop laughing in battle—even
1. This kobold’s scales are a deep rusty black, making it hard to when injured. He is fearless and fights to the death, even if the
spot when it lurks among the shadows. situation is hopeless.
2. While this kobold’s scales are mainly a dark, rusty brown a 10. This kobold bears a grudge against one of this fellows. If he gets
swath of scales on its back have a deep, crimson hue. the chance, he surreptitiously stabs his enemy in the back.
3. A crude, dirty bandage encrusted with dried blood is wrapped
around this kobold’s right upper arm. TRINKETS & TREASURES
4. Both this kobold’s ears have multiple piercings, with tiny
Sometimes, kobolds carry small trinkets or treasures. Sadly, for
bones—perhaps kobold finger bones—threaded through them.
the PCs, such “special treasures” are often nothing more than
5. Scars criss-cross this kobold’s chest. Around each scar, its scales
junk. Roll on the table below:
are discoloured and sickly-looking.
6. This kobold wears an over-sized patchwork poncho made up of 1. A few rat bones, pieces of fluff and three short lengths of frayed
small pieces of many different garments. Red, orange and rope.
yellow colours predominate. 2. A small blunt knife, a set of partially carved bone dice and 3 cp.
7. With baleful, pale yellow eyes this kobold has the faint whiff of 3. A partially eaten, mouldering rat corpse and a thin, broken gold
the demonic about it. ring (worth 5 gp if repaired).
8. While its fellow all have long tails, this kobold’s has been hacked 4. This bloodstained pouch contains a bent iron spike and a dirty
off. Only a ragged stump remains. steel mirror.
9. This warrior has previously suffered a head wound. A dirty, 5. Several small mushrooms wrapped in fungus along with 6 cp.
bloody bandage is wrapped around its head. Blood oozes down 6. Four sling bullets of dwarven craft, flint and steel and a
its forehead and onto its left cheek. shredded water flask.
10. Carrying a comically oversized axe, this kobold grunts and 7. The rusted hilt of a dagger, three sharp rock shards and the
strains under the weight of its weapon. The battle axe is of mouldering remains of a rat corpse.
dwarven manufacture, and the kobold struggles to wield it 8. A necklace of rat skulls decorated with flakes of rock.
effectively in battle. 9. A heavy iron key, the stub of a small candle and 1 sp.
10. Four pieces of chalk, three fishhooks and a length of twine
BATTLE TACTICS
In battle, some kobolds fight differently to their brethren
(although none of them fight fair):

1. Even more cowardly than normal, this kobold is terrified of the

sight of blood. As soon as one of its fellows is injured, it flees.
2. This kobold knows how dangerous spellcasters can be; he
targets them with missile weapons.

88
L O OTIN G TH E B ODY

89
20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A DEAD ADVENTURER
Adventuring is a dangerous business, and not every adventurer include information about the local area including known traps,
lives to return to the local tavern and spend their hard-earned monsters and the fallen adventurer’s suspicion about a nearby
coin. While these fallen adventurers aren’t to be emulated, hidden chamber.
sometimes treasures—or at least items of interest—are found 11. The fallen adventurer is at the bottom of a 10 ft. wooden ladder,
among their remains. Hopefully the PCs can put these items to which can be folded up for easier transportation. It appears the
better use than their former owners, avoid whatever faults might adventurer’s neck was broken in a fall.
be hidden within them and maybe even finish what their 12. A pickaxe, shovel and crowbar of surprisingly fine craftsmanship
predecessors started. but obvious heavy use. The pickaxe is lodged in a nearby wall,
marred by several other gouges (made by the pickaxe).
1. A map of the local area and/or dungeon, apparently drawn by 13. A small leather pouch full of various items, most of which are
the adventurer. Much of it is stained in blood, but some shiny to some degree. Most are bits of odd rock or metal, but
portions show areas the party has not yet found. mixed in among them are 3 sp, 7 cp and a small pearl worth 50
2. A once-fine cloak, maroon coloured with a gold trim, now gp.
somewhat torn and worn from age. Careful examination reveals 14. A large sack full of various sets of clothing, including common
a hidden pocket containing 3 pp and a signet ring with a gold peasant clothing, a military uniform from the region, a jester’s
wyvern crest worth 45 gp. outfit and fine clothing fit for a minor noble.
3. Clutched in the slain adventurer's hand is an unopened potion 15. A holy symbol of a good-aligned deity still hangs around the
of cure light wounds which has a light blue colour and smells fallen adventurer’s neck. The unfortunate yet clutches the
faintly of mint when opened. Two empty vials lie in a fine symbol with one hand. While not magical, it is of fine enough
leather satchel at his waist, one of which instead smells of make to be worth 5 gp.
sulphur. Also in the satchel are some dried herbs and other 16. A wooden scroll case full of maps of various dungeons. Notes
ingredients that, although musty, may produce more potions. added to the maps suggest the fallen adventurer was visiting
4. A small collection of letters carefully folded and tucked away. the dungeons in some sort of order. Several maps are
The letters are from the adventurer’s loved ones, and have unmarked; presumably ones yet to have been visited, but the
clearly all been read multiple times. The last page is actually a map for the current dungeon is missing.
note meant for whoever finds the fallen adventurer, begging 17. A small mirror on the end of a rod, the kind used to peer around
that her loved ones are informed of her fate. corners. It appears the fallen adventurer was using it for this
5. A pack containing thieves’ tools, along with a grappling hook purpose when he was attacked from behind. It lies near her out-
and fifty feet of rope. At the bottom of the pack in a supple stretched hand.
leather pouch are 10 gp and 7 sp. 18. A letter from a local ruler, which appears to detail the job the
6. A map leading to local caches of treasure that also shows where fallen adventurer was pursuing when he died. It includes a
the traps protecting them are located. In reality the opposite is detailed description of a jewelled dagger believed lost in the
true: the locations marked with traps contain treasure, and the dungeon, along with details of the 100 gp reward the
locations marked with treasure contain horrible death-traps. adventurer would have received for its recovery. The letter
7. A string necklace made up of various bits of bone and teeth, concludes with directions to a representative of the ruler in a
presumably trophies from the adventurer’s travels. Most are nearby town who will provide the reward upon receipt of the
from kobolds, goblins and the like, but the centrepiece tooth dagger.
appears to be from a young dragon. 19. A trapmaker’s kit, including caltrops and the materials needed
8. A compass that appears to be in remarkably good condition. to make a series of tripwires, snares and jaw-traps.
However, it seems someone played a cruel joke on the fallen 20. A pack containing everything needed to care for weaponry,
adventurer; the compass spins wildly at random, for random including whetstones, oil and assorted tools. They seem
periods of time, hampering any attempt at navigation. virtually new; a shattered sword lies near the fallen
9. A metal flask, decorated with engravings of a paladin fighting a adventurer’s body.
dragon, worth 10 gp. Although it is still sealed whatever liquid
was inside has gone sour and tastes foul.
10. A tattered journal, written in Dwarven and recording the former
owner’s travels and experiences. The most recent entries

90
20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A DEAD BARD
Some bards meet violent ends either because they travel where 12. A tiny mimic shaped like an ornate wooden box. The bard had
they shouldn’t or someone objects (violently) to their music. In befriended it, and it now plots revenge on those who murdered
their extraordinary lives, bards amass a variety of trinkets, its friend.
souvenirs and keepsakes in their travels. Rummaging through a 13. A repair kit for the bard’s lute including replacement strings and
bard’s pockets and pack, one could discover the bard’s entire life a cloth to clean the instrument.
story or just a handful of trash. 14. Scraps of paper that when ordered properly become the outline
for an epic poem. Based on the outline and the few incomplete
1. A care-worn love letter the bearer has read and refolded so
verses, this would have been the bard’s masterpiece.
many times it is starting to fall apart. The signature at the
15. An annotated copy of The Tragedy of T’Kor, a play about a
bottom is smeared and impossible to read. The letter explains
gnome wizard who summons and falls in love with an incubus.
the parting of a human—most likely the bard—and their elven
From the notes in the play, the bard was portraying the
lover. The elf believed the relationship was doomed because of
incubus.
the tragically short life span of humans and refused to commit
16. A novelty magic trick comprising a simple wooden box with a
to such a short relationship.
velvet lining that makes coins disappear when the top is shut
2. Ten hexagonal gold coins of unknown origin. They have a hole
and a button depressed.
cut through the centre and are strung together on a thin leather
17. A tiny longsword—no longer than a little finger—made from a
cord. A collector of ancient or exotic coins may offer up to 10
magnetic metal.
gp per coin.
18. A map of the region with notes beside each town that details
3. A small vial labelled “Bottled Love” with the instructions “One
the reception the bard received as well as which taverns have
drop per draught of ale” written in looping script on the side.
the best ale and wine.
The smell of the liquid inside is sweet and tempting but quickly
19. A quiver of 17 poorly crafted arrows with wicked barbed
overpowering. When administered to someone’s drink as per
arrowheads most likely made by goblins or orcs.
the instructions, the liquid acts as an aphrodisiac.
20. A golden signet ring bearing the emblem of an ancient elven
4. Several pages of sheet music for a haunting melody that sticks
in the listener’s head if played. noble house. The party might be rewarded if they return it (or
they might be accused of murder!)
5. A pair of chapbooks, The Wizard’s Luck and The Game of Pawns,
which feature the love affair and adventures of Shara and Jaxak,
a pair of wizards who meet at an arcane academy, fall in love
8 OUTLANDISH COSTUMES
and save the world from the forces of evil. 1. A tattered shoulder cape, faded crimson in colour, with frayed
6. A blue rose that never wilts but is cold to the touch. edges. Remnants of an unidentifiable, deeper crimson coloured
7. A travelogue detailing the bard’s journey. The badly written fur runs along the hem.
stories must be exaggerated, especially the story about the 2. A pair of light brown, suede evening gloves with a braided cord
elven queen falling in love with the bard. stitched along their entire length in black thread.
8. An ornamental rapier with a silver pommel and silver filigree on 3. Moderately worn hip boots made of overlapping light grey
the guard. With gold filigree and jewels set in the hilt, the scales. The outer edges of each boot have dagger-sized sheaths
weapon was built for show, not use. Because of the exquisite sewn into both the calf and thigh sections.
craftsmanship, the weapon would likely fetch triple the value of 4. A yellow tabard, heavily stained and soiled, depicting a large
a typical rapier. white skeleton key aligned vertically.
9. An old rapier that has been used in many battles, but the 5. A black, gothic tail coat with silver buttons and embroidered
previous owner took very good care of it. Twisting the pommel with necromantic imagery along the sleeves.
reveals a small compartment where one might hide a short 6. A deep blue, high collared formal shirt. Embroidered nautical
document or other small item. imagery in silver thread decorates the collar and cuffs.
10. A small, slightly worn, silver broach in the shape of a dove with 7. An off-white, dire wolf fur shoulder wrap in excellent condition.
an inscription on the back that reads, “To my dearest, Lorael, on The fringe is decorated with the wolf’s teeth hanging from short
the 400th anniversary of your birth.” leather strips.
11. A flamboyant, wide-brimmed blue hat with a giant golden 8. A thick, charcoal-coloured infinity scarf smelling of wood smoke
eagle’s feather stuck in the band. large enough to envelop the upper body of a human-sized
creature.

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20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A DEAD CLERIC
Brave, noble and just adventurers often do battle with evil cults 2. This unholy symbol has a secret compartment; it contains
and their sinister masters—servants of dark, forbidden powers. scraps of bone and hair—remnants of a great hero of the faith.
Such clerics can call upon the powers of their patrons and are The owner believed they imbue the symbol with extra power.
often equipped with items of foul origin or uncertain purpose. 3. This steel unholy symbol has one particularly sharp edge; close
examination reveals dried blood smeared over the metal edge.
1. A necklace of human ears. 4. This holy symbol has several spikes. Close examination reveals
2. A veil of purple designed to be placed over the head of a a hidden compartment inside designed to hold poison which
sacrifice. affects anyone stabbed or cut with the spikes. The
3. Hemlock, mistletoe and nightshade bound together with a red compartment can hold two doses of poison.
ribbon. 5. This unholy symbol at first appears to be made of silver;
4. An amulet of the unholy star. In rituals it is heated until glowing however, it is obviously too light to be solid silver; it is actually
and then placed around a sacrifice’s neck. a wooden covered in silver paint and is essentially worthless.
5. A bag of charcoal made from a church’s burnt rafters. 6. This unholy symbol is very old; the finer details have been worn
6. A glass vial containing the severed finger of a fallen saint. smooth by time and the symbol is in poor repair.
7. Blessed chalk in a variety of lurid colours including red, purple, 7. This large, heavy symbol is made of some kind of dense, dark
yellow and red. grey metal; it resists damage but has a long crack down one
8. An incense burner made from a skull covered in silver. edge. The symbol was once the phylactery of a power lich in the
9. White clay prayer beads stained with blood. service of the same dark power; if it was to be repaired, it is
10. A bottle of blessed alcohol, spiked with a mild poison. possible the lich could return to unlife.
11. A symbol drawing kit with string, chalk, compasses and a 8. This metal unholy symbol comprises the melted down remains
notebook with detailed notes and diagrams. of several holy symbols; some of their details yet remain.
12. A dozen vials of snake venom. Observant PCs can make out different good-aligned defaced
13. A collection of silver needles designed to prevent the symbols on its surface.
resurrection of a corpse. 9. Large and unwieldy, this unholy symbol is sized for a giant. Clips
14. A preserved dead raven. allow the symbol to be “opened” and the whole to be worn as
15. A broken spyglass with a personalized inscription engraved on a necklace (or collar).
the case. 10. This unholy symbol hangs from a particularly long chain that
16. A full yellow cloak with large silver clasps and a holy symbol allows it to be worn at navel height. Some of the chain’s links
boldly presented in dark green. are particularly worn.
17. A brass and copper chainmail shirt with a ring pattern too open
and loose to provide actual protection. The mail is worn over a 6 UNHOLY WATER FLASKS
white linen shirt.
1. Crafted from human skin, this flask is soft and pliable to the
18. A bright pink vest covered in tentacle designs.
touch—perhaps disturbingly so.
19. A pair of light green dancing shoes made of silk completed with
2. Forged of iron, and decorated with an unholy symbol of evil, this
black laces.
flask always seems slightly warm to the touch. When it is full,
20. A pauldron worn on the right shoulder made of white stained
the unholy water with roils as if it is about to come to the boil.
leather. A symbol on it denotes the priest’s position in the
3. This leather flask is rigid and has been decorated with faded
church’s hierarchy.
tattoos depicting acts of great evil and perversity.
4. Painted jet black, this flask is unsettling to look at. To the casual
10 UNHOLY SYMBOLS
observer, some parts of the flask are darker than others and lazy
The exact appearance of an unholy symbol depends on the cleric’s or paranoid observers may fancy the darker patches are slightly
faith. However, some unholy symbols are more than they first mobile.
appear. 5. This simple fired clay pot has a bone stopper carved from the
finger bone of some human-sized unfortunate.
1. This unholy symbol has a secret compartment; it contains a
6. This long and slender flask has a wickedly pointed stopper,
single platinum piece wrapped in scraps of cloth so that it does
which could be used as an improvised weapon in extremis.
not rattle.

92
20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A DEAD ROGUE
Heroic adventurers always seem to be battling thieves, rogues, 9. A crude red hood with holes for two eyeholes and a mouth.
bandits, footpads and other near-do-wells. Such folk often have 10. The rogue’s boots each have a hidden compartment in their
lots of interesting odds and ends in their pockets and pouches. heel. The compartments are large enough to hold several coins
While these objects might not be valuable they may be of interest or similar sized objects. One holds three platinum coins while
to the party. Perhaps, the PCs decide to return the items to their the other has a coiled up lock pick.
rightful owner or—later—get accused of being the thieves 11. One of the rogue’s pouches holds nothing but a neatly folded
themselves when they use or sell the items in question. hemp sack. The sack, however, has several different internal
compartments making it much easier to organise one’s loot.
1. A small, soft black pouch containing a half-dozen lock picks. One 12. The rogue has a well-equipped thieves’ kit. He also owned a
is horribly bent and all but useless. small pry bar sized perfectly for coffers, desk draws and so on.
2. A heavy, well-worn leather sap. Some of its stitching is frayed. The pry bar makes opening such compartments slightly easier.
Perceptive PCs notice the sap is heavier than it should be. 13. A small bag of finely ground flour tied shut with a length of
Further investigations uncover 5 pp hidden within. yellow twine. If thrown or scattered, the flour can cover a 5 ft.
3. The rogue’s belt has a hidden compartment sewn into the square area.
lining. It holds three lock picks, one gold coin, one platinum coin 14. The rogue’s dagger has a hollow hilt accessed by unscrewing its
and a small knife made for a creature two sizes smaller than the bulbous pommel. Hidden inside are two tindertwigs and a
rogue. ragged cloth for kindling.
4. Hidden in each of the rogue’s boots lurks a slender dagger. The 15. A tarnished copper signal whistle hangs around the rogue’s neck
two are a pair and if sold together fetch triple the normal on a leather thong. The whistle’s mouthpiece is shaped liked a
amount. pair of pouting lips.
5. The rogue wore an oversized earring in his left ear. At first 16. The rogue’s cloak is double lined. The outside is black while the
glance it is a piece of cheap, brass costume jewellery. However, inside is a gaudy gold colour. The cloak can be worn either way
cunningly hidden within is a secret compartment that holds a round.
potion that turns the imbiber to gas. 17. The rogue’s pouches are seemingly normal, but they have small
6. The rogue wears a black cloak with a voluminous hood. loops sown inside them making it easier to store gear (and to
Strangely, the cloak has a belt so it can be pulled tight around get at that gear in a hurry). Two such pouches carry a very well
the wearer’s waist. Each of the arm’s cuffs have small pouches organised thieves’ tool kit.
sized perfectly for a potion (or poison) vial. 18. A wineskin filled with cheap wine (used by the thief as a
7. A disorganised jumble of jewellery fills one pouch. Sadly, most distraction or bribe). The wine has also been doctored with a
of it is costume jewellery and virtually worthless. However, a sleep poison.
perceptive searcher finds one plain gold ring sized for a fat 19. This reinforced pouch contains nothing but sharp shards of
finger worth 50 gp. pottery. If scattered, they act as caltrops and fill a 10 ft. by 10
8. A small half-sized flask of oil wrapped in an oil-stained rag. Also ft. square.
present is a very small brush sized for fitting into locks and other 20. A well-made wig with long, black hair and several pieces of fake
hard-to-reach places. jewellery fill this pouch.

93
20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A DEAD WARRIOR
Adventurers are always looting fallen enemy warriors. Often they 11. A small, mud-stained book. Its pages are in better condition,
seem to have nothing but weapons, armour, a few magic items although not particularly well written or illustrated. The work is
and a smattering of coinage. an overview of a nearby kingdom and details major settlements
and geographical features.
1. A partially carved piece of wood that might represent a small 12. Several long pieces of string all hopelessly tangled together.
dog…or it might not; the carving is so bad, it’s hard to tell. 13. A dozen gold coins (seemingly). In reality, these heavy coins are
2. Three worn and bent silver coins of obviously ancient origin. The of lead and have been covered with a golden wash. The job is
details on the coins’ faces cannot be made out, but one has a good enough to stand a cursory glance.
small chip missing. 14. A whetstone, an oily rag and a small flask of oil all contained
3. Two keys tied together with a short length of fraying twine. within a stained, slightly smelly belt pouch.
4. A blood-stained cloth along with a tightly wound bandage and 15. A scrap of parchment with the message, “Midnight on the
a half-empty flask of oil. Street of Smoke."
5. A small wooden box containing a fine white powder—snuff— 16. A scrap of parchment depicting a crude treasure map. Named
that smells strongly of cinnamon. features include, “Big Tree”, “Pond”, and “Bone Pile”. However,
6. A list of names on a scrap of parchment. Only the last two have there are no other features to enable anyone to actually follow
not had a line drawn through them. the map (or details of the actual treasure).
7. A well-worn flint and steel along with some scraps of dried and 17. Several sheaves of parchment depicting scantily clad elven men
frayed cloth all bundled together in a small, waterproof pouch. in odd poses—the pictures are surprisingly detailed.
8. A handful of dried meat and an all but empty tiny jar of honey. 18. A golden ring—perhaps a wedding band. The engraving inside
9. An empty bone scroll tube missing both its stoppers. The bone spells out “Beloved” in Dwarven runes. The ring is worth 50 gp.
is yellowed and obviously old. 19. A pouch containing several bunches of dried herbs. Each bunch
10. A tarnished and broken golden chain missing several links. is tied with a different colour twine.
Several of the links are very worn and the whole thing is worth 20. Several small chunks of local rock. Each chunk has fleck of gold
no more than 10 gp—as scrap metal. embedded within that glimmers in the light—a tantalising clue
(perhaps) to a nearby as yet undiscovered deposit of gold.

94
20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A DEAD WIZARD
During the course of their adventures, our heroes are likely to slay 15. Three quills wrapped in an ink-stained cloth and two small vials
many evil wizards (and loot their bodies). Sadly, most such of ink—red and black—all carried in a small pouch along with
individuals seem to never carry anything beyond a spell several scraps of crumpled parchment.
component pouch, a few magic items and some loose coinage. 16. A bent iron spike, the head of a hammer and a shard of
incredibly tough stone.
1. An amulet comprising a single, yellowed dragon’s tooth 17. A black velvet cloth inlaid with golden thread wrapped around
suspended from a leather thong. A rune for protection is carved a dried and perfectly preserved red rose. The rose’s thorns are
into the tooth. yet sharp and its flower emits a particular heady scent.
2. A small flask of powered silver (worth 50 gp). The leather flask 18. A small treatise depicting the various protective circles—against
itself has a small strap allowing it to be carried over the good, evil and so on—along with notes on how to quickly create
shoulder. such protective barriers. A perceptive reader skilled in the
3. A silver dagger concealed is concealed in one of the wizard’s arcane arts may note that several of the diagrams are fatally
boots. The dagger is clearly unused—its blade is sharp and flawed.
polished to a high sheen. 19. A flask of holy water and a flask of unholy water—both clearly
4. A silver bracelet from which hang several charms. Each is labelled in Elven—along with a fine painter’s brush, two
decorated with a single rune—fire, water, air, earth, dragon, owlbear feathers and one gigantic feather (perhaps from a roc
devil, demon—among them. The whole thing is worth 75 gp. or other huge bird).
5. A leather scroll tube crudely painted bright blue. It is stoppered 20. A small red velvet pouch. The pouch is all but empty—however
with a leather bung that clips into the place. The bung has been a determined examination reveals a few flecks of diamond dust
painted red. stuck to the pouch’s lining.
6. These fine leather boots have four small, unobtrusive pockets
hidden inside. Most of the pockets hold commonly available 6 REMARKABLE SPELLBOOKS
spell components, but two hold a single platinum coin.
1. The Abominable Encyclopaedia: This book’s title is embossed
7. This plain scroll tube contains several pieces of parchment the
on the wyvern hide cover, which is also marred by several small
wizard used to make observations of the stars. These comprise
burn marks. The book’s parchment pages have gold-gilded
several complicated diagrams of various constellations and
edges.
cryptic notes regarding “the wanderer."
2. Codex Eternal: Double the length of a normal book, the codex
8. The torn and scorched cover of Agananzar’s Workbook is
is in terrible condition. Its purple-worm hide cover is worn and
wrapped in cloth and hidden in the wizard’s pack. Sadly, nothing
tattered and many of its pages—vellum seemingly crafted from
else of the book’s contents remains.
stirge wings—are loose. The cover is scratched as if some huge
9. A pouch contains a variety of small bones—probably finger
creature had drawn its claw across the book.
bones—clearly “harvested” from a variety of different
3. Rascorim’s Workbook: A plain, unassuming book, Raxorim’s
creatures. Each is in pristine condition—all the skin having been
Workbook’s cover is unadorned. Its thin pages smell faintly of
boiled away.
chemicals and other unknowable odours. As well as his spells,
10. Three empty potion vials; one is marked “invisibility” while the
Rascorim used the book to record his various alchemical
other two smell slightly of cinnamon.
experiments. Such notes begin on the last page and work
11. A locket holding a lock of coarse black hair. It is evident from the
backwards through the book.
hair’s texture—and the slight smell of rotten eggs—the hair is
4. Cosmic Musings: As well as serving as a spellbook, this weighty
not from a natural source.
tome deals with the planes and their denizens. Intricate
12. A dozen small semi-circular stones worn perfectly smooth. An
geometric patterns adorn the cover and clasp of silver hold the
esoteric rune—depicting various types of magic—adorns each
whole thing closed.
stone.
5. Compendium Arcane: Decorated with a single silver-embossed
13. A slender belt pouch specially treated to be waterproof. Inside
pentagram on its cover, each page of this book is embossed
the pouch, the wizard stored a variety of dried herbs. Each
with the ancient elven symbol denoting magic.
bunch is tied together with twine.
6. Unnamed: This book is missing its front cover and half of its
14. The shattered stub of a wooden stake. Black blood covers the
pages have been partially ripped from its spine. The pages—ink
stake’s tip. Barely visible under the blood is some kind of rune,
faded and water damaged—are barely legible.
but its meaning is impossible to determine as part of it is
missing.

95
96
N ECRO M AN CER ’ S L AIR

97
8 BLASPHEMOUS TOMES OF FORBIDDEN LORE
Hidden in the rotten corners of the world are grimoires potent 8. Vivomoira: Once read, Vivomoira is never silent. It whispers of
enough to drive a reader mad. Great power seeps from the pages, betrayal, filling the reader with such paranoia that he eventually
and even the most stalwart monk, sagacious wizard or noble suspects his own skin and flesh. Suicide in self-defence is the
knight risks his very sanity with the turn of every page. most common cause of death. A reader gains knowledge into
Here are eight of the foulest tomes every transcribed, ready to be the raising of ghosts and incorporeal undead.
found in the necromancer’s library:
6 BLASPHEMOUS BOOKMARKS
1. Libermorbus: This seemingly innocuous book acts as a virus,
Terrible tome of forbidden lore often contain blasphemous,
piercing other tomes with tendrils of ink and replacing their
terrible bookmarks. Use the table below, to determine what
stories with its own disturbed utterings. A creature who reads
bookmarks the PCs find in the book.
the text gains a knowledge of infectious madness, but also
becomes a vector for its linguistic plague. 1. This dried and cured tongue smells slightly of rot and decay. A
2. The Putrid Tome: The Putrid Tome reeks of human waste and rune of death is inscribed into the tongue.
rotting flesh. Its curdled green pages rot flesh and putrefy the 2. A slender wafer-thin sliver of bone—perhaps harvested from
eyes, so it must be handled with the greatest care. A creature some unfortunate’s leg—has intricate images of torture and
able to withstand its fetid words gains power over decay and death carved into both sides.
disease. 3. A mouldering finger complete with chipped, blackened nail.
3. The Rat’s Nest: The Rat’s Nest was written into the very fabric 4. A thick strip of woven hair comprising contributions from a
of the world, and cannot be unwritten. No matter how many mixture of redheads and blondes.
copies are burned, the text continues to appears through 5. A single softly glowing white feather of almost unearthly beauty
arcane symbols in the filth of the world. A passing mage may splattered with dried blood. Perceptive PCs may suspect this
notice patterns in grey mould spores or rat nests, and, feather was plucked from some kind of celestial being—perhaps
fascinated by the strange runes, translate the scripture into even an angel!
legible text before succumbing to insanity. A creature who 6. A thin silver chain affixed to a tarnished iron locket. The locket
reads The Rat’s Nest learns the secret of eternal life through the holds a minute portion of fine grey dust.
sacrifice of humanity.
4. The Sable Flame: The Sable Flame is at all times consumed by
a black fire that burns all but its own pages. Souls devoured by
the flame scream for release. A reader gains mastery over the
creation of burning skeletons and other fiery undead.
5. Sacralexicon: The secrets within this book are enough to
shatter the piety of even the most devout holy man. Each god
listed in its infinite index is implicated on a single page of
undeniable truths. A creature able to withstand its secrets and
see past the rotten falsehoods at the core of every deity gains
divine power beyond that of mere mortals.
6. The Sanguine Resurrection: The text in this apparently blank
book only appears with a healthy dose of blood. Each of the
thirteen chapters requires an entire human’s worth of blood
and gore. It lists the process and ingredients needed for the
resurrection of vampires and their ilk.
7. The Skin Tome: The words of this tome can only be tattooed
on a living human’s flesh—they disappear if written on any
other surface. As a result, the “book” is often chained down and
gagged for study. While reading the text itself does not
necessarily induce insanity, the steps necessary to acquire and
study the human subject might. A reader gains insight into
arcane suffering.

98
10 HORRIBLE SENSATIONS
A necromancer’s lair is a fell place full of horrific, blasphemous 5. A deep throbbing passes through the nearby floor and walls.
sights and sounds. Several of the party feel somewhat dizzy. The feeling subsides,
Use the table below, to generate details of the horrible after a few moments.
sensations the PCs experience while exploring the necromancer’s 6. The least perceptive hero gets the strong feeling they are being
lair. watched by some nearby, hidden observer.
7. Something invisible bumps into the rear-most PC causing her to
1. The air suddenly becomes preternaturally cold. The PCs can see stumble. Nothing is obviously present and the event does not
their breath and frost begins to form on any exposed pieces of repeat itself.
metal. 8. One of the party feels the hot breath of some unseen creature
2. One of the PCs begins to shiver uncontrollably, although the on the back of his neck.
surrounding air temperature has not changed. The shakes 9. The sensation of a thick miasma of hopelessness and death
continue for a few minutes before subsiding. hangs heavily in the air. In this area, things seem glummer and
3. Suddenly, one of the PCs suffers an out-of-body experience. Up the situation more hopeless.
by the ceiling the PC has the strange sensation of looking down 10. The air moves more vigorously than in surrounding areas. Faint,
at the party. After a few minutes, the feeling ends and the PCs but sporadic gusts of wind stir the PCs’ hair. From the corner of
is “sucked” back into his own body. their eyes several PCs glimpse snatches of translucent faces—
4. A thin opaque mist blankets the floor. As the PCs move through their expressions fixed with hopelessness and despair—drifting
it, cold and clammy tendrils rise up from the mist to clutch at through the air.
the explorers’ legs.

10 HORRIBLE SOUNDS
A necromancer’s lair is a fell place full of horrific, blasphemous 4. A soft cackling comes from the room the party just left.
sights and sounds. 5. Moaning—perhaps the wind or the damned spirits of those the
Use the table below, to generate details of the horrible necromancer has transformed into the undead—echoes
sounds the PCs hear while exploring the necromancer’s lair. through the area. The moaning rises and falls in intensity for
several minutes, before dying away.
1. Uncontrollable screaming suddenly rends the air. It continues 6. A loud clatter—perhaps that of falling stones or a collapsing
for several seconds before abruptly ceasing. skeleton—reaches the party’s ears. Moments later, a skull rolls
2. A soft sobbing, from an undeterminable source, reaches the into view around the corner. Investigations reveals a pile of
PCs’ ears. mouldering bones.
3. The clanking of chains and the thud of something falling sunders 7. Everyone in the party hears several loud thuds emanating from
the quiet. an unexplored direction. Only perceptive PCs hear the ensuing
cackling and low whining sounds coming from the same
direction.
8. The distant clacking on bone on stone suggests that somewhere
out of sight, an animate skeleton—or two—patrols the halls.
9. Loud maniacal laughter sounds from somewhere deeper into
the complex.
10. A loud thunderclap rends the stillness of the air. As it echoes
through the complex, the hair on the back of the PCs’ neck
suddenly rises as if some electrical charge—or other fell
energy—fills the air.

99
20 BLASPHEMOUS SPELL COMPONENTS
Necromancers uses many unwholesome, even blasphemous, treated with some kind of slow-burning oil. The candle gives off
objects to conjure forth their dark powers. Such objects— a pungent smell reminiscent of burning flesh, when burnt.
repugnant to right-minded folk—serve as a connection to Death’s 13. A wired four-foot long snake skeleton lies coiled in this pouch.
black realm. The snake’s skull still has its fangs. Close inspection reveals dried
Like all other wizards, necromancers are rarely found without blood on the fangs and splatters of blood inside the skeleton.
pouches full of spell components and arcane foci. Use the table 14. Crumbling clumps of dried, noisome lifeless earth fill this small
below, to determine what horrific spell component the PCs pouch.
discover: 15. This over-sized glass vial holds a turgid, cloudy liquid. The liquid
holds three eye balls in suspension. Anyone shaking the vial may
1. A small pouch contains the jumbled finger bones of a mass be in for a shock.
murderer. Each bone has a different sigil carved into it; the 16. Six small onyx gems individually wrapped in bloody sackcloth.
necromancer uses these bones to divine the future. Each gem has the arcane symbol of death carved into its
2. A shrivelled, desiccated heart fills this small silken drawstring surface. (A PC skilled in spellcasting may determine these are
sack. If someone touches the heart with their bare skin, it seems components designed to increase the efficacy of animate
to shiver slightly. If burnt, it gives off a noxious, cloying stench.
dead and similar spells).
3. The necromancer places this pair of thin bone counters over the
17. A single long fang attached to a shard of bone. This is a
eyes of corpses during his gruesome experiments and rituals.
vampire’s fang—it might be the only surviving fragment of the
One side of each counter is etched with symbols of death and
legendary vampire Gallowburn, and could even imprison a
decay.
fragment of his soul.
4. This parchment of flayed skin displays an anatomical diagram of
18. A fine grey dust fills this small silver box to the brim. The box
a human, with all the major organs prominently depicted.
has a tiny lock; the necromancer has hidden the key in a secret
Notations around the diagram explain the best methods of
compartment in his belt suggesting the dust is valuable in some
removing the various organs while keeping the subject alive as
way. Only perceptive PCs find the key.
long as possible.
19. A strip of dirty, tightly woven bandages faintly inscribed with
5. This waterskin holds a black, turgid liquid. Investigation reveals
various ancient runes dealing with death, the afterlife and
the liquid to be water mixed with ash.
guardianship. PCs wise in the ways of the undead identify these
6. Dried blood coats the blade of this small ceremonial wrought
as a fragment of a mummy’s wrapping.
iron knife.
20. A badly repaired plain cast iron amulet, sundered by a single
7. Carved from a single piece of bone, this sacrificial dagger has a
sword blow or the like hangs around the necromancer’s neck on
crude, uncomfortable handle. Clearly not designed for combat,
a silver chain. The amulet had a (now empty) small hidden niche
it has a more sinister purpose.
within. This was a lich’s phylactery the necromancer has
8. A small sealed earthen pot holds a dully glimmering crimson
recovered to aid his own diabolical research into the afterlife.
paste. Investigation reveals it to be blood mixed with powdered
gemstones.
9. A fine mix of powdered silver and bone fills several small mall
packets nestled in a tightly-wrapped waterproof pouch.
10. This horribly misshapen rat or mouse skull is wrapped in a
square of red silk. The skull has the base of a single horn
growing from its forehead. Shadows cluster thickly—
perhaps even disturbingly—inside the skull’s eye sockets.
11. Carved from some kind of hard black rock, this rough
figurine depicts a skeletal man sitting cross-legged. The
top of the figurine’s skull is shiny and smooth—as if it has
been caressed by countless hands.
12. This partially burnt crimson candle stands about six-inches
high. Its wick comprises tightly bound strands of blonde hair

100
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A NECROMANCER’S SANCTUM
In their forbidden corpse-filled laboratories necromancers pursue 13. A sagging bookshelf holds the remains of ancient tomes long
their unspeakable, blasphemous experiments. Such horrible since succumbed to the ravages of extreme age.
labours require terrible components and depraved research 14. A small box contains four long quills carved from bone. Their
materials of the very worst kinds. Often, though, such details are tips are exquisitely sharp and blackened with red “ink".
overlooked as the party merely loots the chamber for items of 15. A partially dissected body lies on the table. The body is that is
obvious value. Use this table to generate such items of interest. It a long dead human. The unfortunate’s chest cavity has been
is up to the GM to determine the value of any particular piece on opened and the organs removed.
the table below, however most good-aligned PCs will be 16. An ornate pentagram carving on the floor provides a zone of
uncomfortable (at best) owning such items. protection around the necromancer’s workbench. The
carvings have been picked out with blood.
1. A wooden box contains a dozen thin, long black candles. 17. Several beakers stand on a shelf above the table. Each is full
When burnt, they give off an indescribable smell akin to of a different kind of dark, sticky and noxious fluid.
burning flesh. 18. An oversized leather wallet holds a dissection kit.
2. Seven skulls fill a shelf above the desk. A strange rune Incongruously, the leather wallet is of the finest quality and is
decorates each skull’s forehead. even monogrammed with the necromancer’s initials.
3. A coffer near one wall holds a jumble of horribly misshapen 19. A small cage hanging from the ceiling holds the skeletal
bones. Most are of humanoid origin, but surely no creature remains of several songbirds amid a small heap of discoloured
could have survived long with such deformities. feathers. Hideously, the birds' remains yet stir and judder. A
4. An ornate display of bones decorates the ceiling. Leg and arm close examination reveals they appear to still be trying to sing.
bones form the perimeter of the “sculpture” while a circle of 20. The room seems unnaturally cold and the party’s nonmagical
skulls fills the centre. The bones are yellowing and old and lights do not dispel the darkness lingering in the room’s nooks
have been stuck in place with strong glue. One of the skulls and crannies. Anyone spending much time here gets the
contains a bead from a necklace of fireballs. If the skull is feeling that unseen presences lurk in the chamber.
disturbed, the bead falls out and explodes when it hits the
floor. 6 PICKLED & PRESERVED THINGS
5. A fireplace pierces one wall. Deep soot and ash lie within.
1. A large jar of cloudy vinegar is full of severed ears cut from a
Even a cursory examination of the pile turns up fragments of
variety of races.
bone.
2. An orc's disembodied head steeped in crystallised honey fills an
6. A small red velvet pouch contains a single braid of long
earthen jar. Its face is frozen in a snarl.
impossibly red hair. The braid is carefully curled up and has
3. A faerie or sprite’s tiny body is pinned to a large slab of wood
been dusted with some kind of fine black dust.
cut from the heartwood of a dryad’s tree. The body yet
7. A skull—with its top removed—serves as a mixing bowl of
occasionally quivers.
sorts. A nearby worn leg bone hints at its use as a pestle.
4. A box crafted from carefully joined finger and toe bones holds a
8. A small sack of salt lies on one corner. It is half empty and the
suspiciously well preserved heart along with several glistening
remaining discoloured salt looks contaminated.
strands of platinum blond hair (which are carefully draped over
9. A large earthen jar of honey contains the preserved head of
the heart).
an old man. His face is contorted as if in indescribable agony.
5. A large box holds a dry paste of powder bones mixed with blood
10. Three small glass jars hold an array of different coloured dust.
and other bodily fluids.
Each is the ash of a different cremated creature, used for
6. A wooden frame holds a stretched and drying ragged patch of
some ineffable purpose. A different esoteric sigil has been
skin roughly a foot square. (The necromancer is turning the skin
carefully written on each jar.
into a scroll). Part of a faded tattoo is visible on one edge of the
11. A chandelier crafted of bones hangs down from the ceiling in
“scroll”.
the centre of the room. The bones are blackened with soot
and covered in dried wax.
12. A small cauldron blackened with use and pitted with age
stands near the necromancer’s worktable. Dark, unnaturally
cold water fills the cauldron almost to the lip. Within lies the
sludge and detritus of many experiments—shattered bones,
decaying flesh and the like.

101
1,000 ABNORMAL SKELETONS
It often seems skeletons end up as nothing more than generic, 6. Every time it strikes a foe in battle, the skeleton throws back its
bland enemies. That’s a shame as their appearance and head in silent exultation.
accoutrements could provide clues as to their fate and inject 7. With one leg badly damaged this skeleton literally hops into
more flavour and detail into an otherwise standard combat battle.
encounter. A standard skeleton appears thusly: 8. With no legs, this badly damaged skeleton crawls into battle. It
doesn’t use a weapon, instead trying to rip its target’s feet and
This animate skeleton staggers toward you, its bony, claw-like lower legs to shreds.
fingers reaching for your throat. 9. This skeleton has no proper weapon. Instead, it beats its
enemies to death with a mouldy arm ripped from a previous
To this basic description, apply one of the entries below:
victim.
1. Scraps of hair grow from patches of decomposing flesh yet 10. A glimmer of sentience remains to this skeleton. A thief in life,
clinging to the skeleton’s skull. it dimly remembers the worth of striking from behind and
2. Several bones are missing from the creature’s rib cage. manoeuvres accordingly.
3. The entire left side of the skeleton’s skull is crushed and
broken—no doubt the result of a massively heavy blow. TREASURE
4. Dirty, torn rags cling to the skeleton’s frame. Covered in matted Sometimes, skeletons yet have some small trinket or treasure
dirt and dried blood they reek of death and the grave. about their person. Roll on the table below, if you determine the
5. Ending in a jagged stump, the skeleton’s right arm is missing creature has a small item of personal treasure:
below the elbow.
6. Incongruously, this skeleton’s skull—minus its jaw—is wedged 1. The skeleton wears a worn and stained broad leather belt which
inside the creature’s ribcage. holds up the remains of a ragged pair of trousers. The belt has
7. Clad in faded but serviceable clothes this skeleton seems more a secret compartment, which holds 3 platinum coins. (Only
recent animated than its brethren. Its bones are clean— perceptive PCs find the secret compartment).
perhaps even polished—and lumps of ebon coal fill its eye 2. In life, this skeleton was a rich person; several of its teeth have
sockets. gold fillings. Extracting the gold yields 1 gp worth of scrap metal.
8. One of the skeleton’s legs is horribly smashed; the lower leg 3. The hilt of the skeleton’s weapon has a small black gem (an
hangs from the undead’s kneecap. onyx) in its handle. The gem is worth 15 gp.
9. This skeleton’s bones are stained a mottled black. (The skeleton 4. The skeleton yet wears a leather necklace around its neck. The
was immersed in oil long ago, which impregnated the bones; it beaten copper and bronze locket hanging from the necklace is
burns easily—and brightly!) hopelessly wrapped around the skeleton’s rib bones.
10. This tall skeleton’s body is tightly wrapped in strips of 5. Worn gold coins are wedged into the skeleton’s eye sockets.
mouldering cloth; however, its skull has not been so wrapped. 6. Eldritch symbols are etched into one of the skeleton’s leg bones.
To the uninitiated, the skeleton could appear to be a mummy of The fell writings are a curse on the living, and are worth 2 gp to
some sort. a collector of such macabre things.
7. An arrow is wedged in the skeleton’s ribcage; it has a silver tip.
BATTLE TACTICS 8. The skeleton wears a small silver ring on its left-hand little
finger. The ring has the stylised image of a spread fisherman’s
In battle, some skeletons fight differently to their brethren:
net. The ring is worth 2 gp, but might belong to a well-to-do
1. This skeleton is slower than its companions; reduce its speed by local family (and therefore be worth more to them).
half. 9. Bizarrely, this skeleton wears a ludicrously over-sized fur hat
2. This undead is faster than its companions; increase its speed by sporting a wide brim. The hat is worn, blood-splattered and
half. essentially worthless; however, a secret pocket in the hat holds
3. Every time, the skeleton lands a successful hit, a few small a tightly folded scroll of cure light wounds.
bones fall away from its body. 10. This skeleton’s skull contains a largish iron key wedged into its
4. This skeleton walks particularly loudly and the click click of its brain cavity. The key unlocks a nearby door.
bony feet on the floor are audible from a goodly distance.
5. After the first time it misses in melee, the skeleton drops its
weapon and reaches toward its foes with claw-like fingers.

102
1,000 ABNORMAL ZOMBIES
Zombies are classic monsters. They appear in practically every 5. This zombie fixes its dead, baleful gaze on one target and
role-playing game in every genre. However, zombies often end up focuses on that individual above all others.
as nothing more than generic, bland enemies. That’s a shame as 6. This zombie moans and groans as it approaches its prey.
their appearance and accoutrements could provide clues as to 7. Freshly dead, this zombie leaves a wide trail of slippery blood
their fate and inject more flavour and detail into an otherwise and viscera behind it; incautious combatants could slip and fall
standard combat encounter. A standard zombie appears thusly: in the gore.
8. This zombie tries to grapple opponents instead of simply
This rotting, walking corpse wears only a few soiled rags. It beating them to death. If successful, it begins biting.
stumbles forward, arms outstretched. 9. This fast zombie outpaces its brethren in its bloodlust.
10. This zombie has a smashed voice box. It yips and cackles in a
To this basic description, apply one of the entries below:
similar way to a hunting jackal, as it approaches.
1. One side of the creature’s face is nothing more than a
suppurating, bloody mess; one of its eyes is missing. TREASURE
2. The zombie’s left arm is unnaturally bent at the elbow. As the Sometimes, zombies have some small trinket or treasure about
zombie shuffles forward, shards of white bone break through its their person. Roll on the table below, if you determine the
rotten flesh. creature has a small item of personal treasure:
3. Clad in blood-soaked peasant’s clothes, this person clearly
suffered horrendous wounds before death. 1. This zombie yet wears a wide leather belt. Stained with blood
4. A huge chunk of this zombie’s stomach is missing; a few strands and other unwholesome liquids, at first glance it seems
of entrails droop from the gaping wound, creating a skirt of worthless. If cleaned, however, a complex pattern of stitches
sorts hanging down toward the zombie’s knees. emerges depicting what seems to be a section of sewer
5. This zombie’s head lolls from side to side in a disturbing, complete with a secret room!
unnatural fashion; its neck is clearly broken. 2. One golden hoop earring hangs from one of the zombie’s
6. This zombie has no legs below the knee. Consequently, it crawls decomposing ears. The plain band is worth 2 gp.
forward reaching its prey much slower than its companions. 3. This zombie wears fine, knee-high leather boots (worth 3 gp)
7. This zombie’s neck is partially severed; muscles and bone are that create an audible clacking sound on stone flooring.
clearly visible through the gore. 4. A woven leather necklace hangs around the zombie’s neck.
8. This corpulent zombie is completely naked, and filled with a Perceptive PCs spot, hidden within its strands, four thin golden
build up of noxious gases. If struck with a sharp melee weapon, threads. Each is worth 5 gp.
it explodes coating adjacent creatures with blood, bone and 5. This zombie’s previous victim was rich. It has a slender finger
viscera. wedged in its mouth which wears a thin golden band decorated
9. This zombie’s jaw is missing. Blood and gore cover its chest. with beautifully etched leaves and vines. The ring is worth 25
10. A gaping wound pierces this creature’s rib cage, exposing the gp, but covered in foul-smelling saliva.
badly damaged and desiccated organs within. 6. A slender silver chain encircles one of the zombie’s ankles. Four
small charms—each representing one of the four elements—
BATTLE TACTICS hangs from the anklet. It is worth 10 gp.
7. A gore-coated dagger juts from the zombie’s chest. Its wickedly
In battle, some zombies fight differently to their brethren:
sharp silver blade is wedged between two rib bones. It is worth
1. This zombie is much slower than its companions due to a broken 90 gp.
leg. It moves at half speed. 8. This zombie wears the slashed and stained remnants of a silk
2. As it advances, this zombie stumbles and falls. The next round, doublet. Unless magically repaired, it is essentially worthless as
it struggles back to its feet before continuing its advance. an item of clothing, but a skilled seamstress could harvest
3. This zombie carries a one-handed melee weapon—perhaps a enough silk for several hankies and the like.
longsword or axe—but has forgotten how to use it. Every round, 9. Slipped within its knee-high leather boots, this zombie carries a
there is a 50% chance it accidentally uses the weapon. small, sharp dagger. Its pommel has a clenched fist design.
4. This zombie has a shield strapped to its arm. Thus, its armour 10. This zombie wears a voluminous cloak sporting a deep cowl. The
class is slightly better than its brethren. previous owner hid two platinum coins sown into the cloak’s
hem. Only perceptive characters discover the coins.

103
104
N OISO M E S EW ER

105
10 FOLK TO ENCOUNTER IN A SEWER
Sewers are rarely devoid of intelligent denizens. The homeless 7. Viljo suffers from leprosy and has retreated to the sewers to
often congregate amid the gloom and filth, while thieves, rogues escape the abuse of the citizens. The disease has ravaged his
and assassins use the tunnel network to move around body, and his face has particularly suffered; much of his nose
undetected. has wasted away. Viljo is in tremendous pain and hasn’t eaten
While exploring the sewers, the PCs are likely to come across for two days. He is miserable and accepts any help offered. He
individuals going about their own business. Use the table below, knows the sewers well and will exchange his knowledge for food
to generate the details of such folk. or healing.
8. When the PCs encounter, Heimo—a weasel-faced, balding
1. Scrawny and clad in rags, Sakari is homeless and lives in the man—he is on the way to a secret rendezvous to discuss his next
sewers. He scavenges amid the muck and the murk for things to burglary. He is cagey about his reasons for being in the sewer
sell to the scrap collectors and more desperate traders. A and can’t wait to take his leave. If the PCs persist in questioning
decent man, Sakari was once a man of note, but disastrous him, his persistent stutter manifests itself, making him look
business decisions and a malevolent wife have consigned him even more guilty of some nefarious doing.
to this horrible place. Pathetically grateful for any kindness the 9. Saull has survived on—and under—the streets for five years,
PCs offer him, Sakari is a useful ally—he has contacts among after his parents died in a horrible carting accident. Surviving on
many of the beggars and sewermen. the charity of others and his wits, he has grown up cold and
2. Recently beaten by two off-duty soldiers, Ergoth has retreated hard. Immediately sizing up the PCs, his goal is to get as much
to the sewers to nurse his wounds and plot his revenge. A half- out of them as possible while giving as little as possible in
orc, he is at home in the dark and knows the surrounding return. He hams up his horrible circumstances and plays on the
tunnels well. Now an old man, hate consumes Ergoth. He takes emotions of anyone who seems even vaguely sympathetic.
what he can get and gives little—if anything—in return. 10. In Kaari Ojanen the PCs have encountered one of the most
3. A skilled cat burglar, Elena has taken to hiding her ill-gotten dangerous sewer denizens. A vampire newly arrived in town,
gains in the sewer until the heat does down. Blessed with no Kaari is scouting the sewers as both a hunting ground and
sense of smell, she doesn’t notice the stench. She wears dirty means of escape should the sun’s accursed rays trap her away
leather armour and keeps her hair tightly wound under a soft from home. She is not interested in fighting the PCs and instead
leather cap. She prefers to avoid combat and watches the PCs masquerades as a servant sent into the sewer to search for her
from afar. If they get close to one of her caches she emerges lady’s lost trinket. She spins a fanciful tale of her evil mistress,
from the gloom to distract them. but flees if the PCs become suspicious. Unless given no choice,
4. Morcaer hates his new job; however, trouble with a local she does not use her vampiric powers in front of the PCs; she
merchant has meant this is the only position he could find. Clad has only just arrived in town
in thick leather trousers and wearing a scarf drenched in cheap ap after fleeing her last
perfume wound around his face, to keep the stench at bay, he home—she has no desire
suddenly emerges from the gloom. Muttering to himself, he to move on again just yet.
doesn’t notice the PCs until he literally bumps into them.
5. An old-hand at working in the sewer, Ordgar knows the he
surrounding tunnels well and even knows where thieves and nd
other undesirables congregate. Unshaven and grimy,
Ordgar cuts an uncouth figure. A borderline alcoholic,
drink features heavily in any conversation he has with the
PCs.
6. Saewyn doesn’t yet know she is a wererat. Last night she
remembers staggering home from the tavern, but has no
idea how she ended up in the sewers. She’s lost her
favourite cloak and reeks of the sewer (clearly she fell in
something while drunk). She has a dried cut on her
forehead, and blood matts her short black hair. She has a
pounding headache. Saewyn would love help getting out
of the sewer and could become a reoccurring, but perhaps
problematic, ally.

106
10 MINOR LOCALES OF INTEREST IN A SEWER
Sewers are dank, dismal places rife with muck, slime and disease. 5. The PCs hear tumbling water from quite some distance, before
Like a traditional dungeon, they have passageways and chambers, they reach this area. Here, the sewer channel drops five-foot
but such locations are markedly different to those in a normal over a weir. Crude steps cut into both walkways drop the, down
dungeon. a similar height.
Of course, not all locations in a sewer host monsters and their 6. In several places, the walkway in this section of sewer has
treasure. Some are empty, but interesting nonetheless by dint of crumbled away. Long, slippery—and possibly rotten—boards
their features. Such locales give the GM the opportunity to set the bridge the resulting gaps.
scene and to build the sewer’s flavour. Use the table below, to 7. The sewer channel flows through the middle of a natural cave
describe such locations: discovered when the sewer was dug. Most of the cave is
unworked and in its natural state; however, some effort has
1. Here, several sewer passageways come together in a rough been made to smooth the floor adjacent to the channel.
cross. The flow of so much turgid water has eroded the bottom 8. For a 30 ft. stretch of channel, the ceiling is twice the normal
of the intersection, and now a lazy but powerful whirlpool height (50% chance) or so low the PCs—except gnomes and
draws the waters into yet deeper caverns. halflings—must crouch or bash their heads on the brickwork
2. An iron-bound door pierces one wall. The door is old, (50% chance).
swollen and hard to open. It is also barred from the inside— 9. The water flow noticeably increases as it approached this area.
clearly someone values their privacy. Here, the sewer was dug over a natural cavern network. The
3. This sewer passageway is old and decayed. Part of one wall has remorseless flow of water has finally broken through into the
fallen away creating a rubble field. Characters exploring the caverns below, flooding them. A waterfall drops into the cavern
collapsed wall discover a small, dry natural space beyond. The below; only a trickle of water makes it passed the waterfall into
foundations of a large building intersect the area. the sewer beyond.
4. A great mass of rubbish and detritus has formed a veritable 10. A shallow ramp—wide enough for a cart—leads up from this
island almost completely blocking the flow of water through this section of sewer. It leads to a grimy, iron-bound double door.
sewer channel. Tracks of small creatures—probably rats—are Beyond lies the redolent basement of a tanner. Tracks in the
easily visible in the island’s “mud”. sludge show a cart has traversed the slope relatively recently.

107
20 DISCARDED OR LOST THINGS TO FIND IN A SEWER
Sewers are designed to carrying away civilisation’s detritus and 15. A 10-foot-long pole with a curved hook on one end lies
leavings. Thus, explorers are likely to find many things—most discarded on the floor. The inner surface of the hook is worn,
utterly without value—in the sewer. Sometimes, though, suggesting it has seen much use.
explorers come across items of value (or interest) unintentionally 16. A small, leafless tree branch lies entangled amid the effluent.
lost amid the muck. Use the table below, to determine what items Perceptive PCs notice the glimmer of silver from around the
the PCs find amid the sewer’s filth: wood—a small silver necklace (worth 50 gp) is entwined around
the branch. While retrieving the necklace, a careless PC could
1. Incongruously, a fine red cloak with a fox fur collar is carefully tumble into the sewer.
folded and wedged into a small niche in the wall. Its hem is dirty, 17. A small sodden pouch lies on the floor in the shadows. The
but otherwise it is in good repair (and worth 3 gp). pouch contains 5 gp and a crude map of the surrounding tunnels
2. A small niche in the wall holds a small parcel wrapped in showing two exits to the streets above.
sailcloth. The parcel contains three torches, flint and steel and 18. A small bundle of possessions lies on the floor. Splatters of
a dagger. The sailcloth has protected the objects from the blood decorate the surrounding brickwork. The possessions
environment; they are all dry and in good condition. comprise a small sack, a change of (dirty) clothes and a bedroll
3. The tip of a rusting, bent dagger is wedged between two bricks along with some scraps of mouldering food.
comprising the sewer wall. The dagger has clearly been here for 19. A rope dangles down from a spike hammered into the ceiling
some considerable time. over the sewer channel. The spike pierces the ceiling near the
4. A partially sunken sack floats amongst the effluent, in the centre underside of a steel trap door. The rope reaches down to just
of the channel. The sack still holds 3 sp and 1 gp wrapped in its above the current “water” level.
sodden, noisome folds. 20. A 12-foot-long, three-foot wide raft—comprising two doors
5. A shuttered lantern, with about one hour’s fuel left inside, nailed together is tied to a shard of stone protruding from the
stands wedged against the wall on the opposite walkway. Its side of the walkway. The raft is sturdy enough—unless more
shutter is closed; only a faint glow radiates from the lantern. than 200 lbs. is piled on top. However, there are no paddles.
6. A long wooden rake is lent against one wall. Its well-worn evident.
handle is wrapped with leather strips.
7. A pile of fresh bricks stands neatly stacked next to a section of
crumbled wall. A trowel, chisels and other mason’s equipment
sits nearby ready for use.
8. An empty wine flask hangs by a leather strap from a protruding
brick in the wall. When the PCs arrive, a rat has climbed the wall
and is sniffing at the pouch. When it sees the PCs, it leaps down
and flees.
9. A slimy short sword—its tip stained with dried blood—lies on
the floor.
10. A bloody, sodden bandage hangs off the edge of the walkway.
11. A haphazard pile of items pulled from the sewer—including
sodden, ragged clothes, bits of wood and other things—blocks
the walkway. A rake leans against the wall, nearby.
12. The mouldering skeleton of a long reptile—a constrictor
snake—lies stretched out on the walkway. A spear has been
driven through its skull, pinning it to the ground.
13. A tiny burial cairn comprising bricks pulled from the wall
partially blocks the walkway. Explorers taking the cairn apart
discover the corpse of a monstrous rat buried within.
14. Incongruously, a pile of neatly folded clothing perches next to
the noisome sewerage channel. It looks for all the world like
someone has gone swimming! The clothes comprise fine black
trousers, a silk shirt and a short cape along with a pair of knee-
high gentleman’s boots.

108
20 PIECES OF DUNGEON DRESSING TO FIND IN A SEWER
Sewers are noisome, dank places full of civilisation’s leavings. 11. Greenish/brown slime coats the walkway. Footsteps are clearly
Such places are wholly different to a normal dungeon. Thus, it visible in the muck heading in the opposite direction to the
stands to reason, the dungeon dressing should also be markedly party’s direction of travel.
different. Use the table below, to determine what minor piece of 12. A niche carved into the sewer wall holds a broken, rusting
dungeon dressing the PCs discover: lantern.
13. A rusting metal grill protects a narrow chute joining the main
1. Ahead, the bricks lining the sewer wall have fallen, creating a channel at a steep downward angle. The dry passage beyond
tumbled pile of slippery rubble blocking the walkway. (The the chute is barely three-foot wide.
rubble is unstable; unwary PCs will likely slip and fall into the 14. Water oozes through the crumbling bricks in the ceiling before
sewer channel). dripping into the sewer. From a distance, the water’s soft pitter
2. Here the sewer channel narrows, and the walkway patter sounds like rain. The walkways here are particularly slick.
correspondingly widens. Someone has bridged the channel with 15. A broken grate hangs from one wall, attached by only a few
a thick, but rotten, wooden plank. A rusting iron spike is driven thick rusting pins driven deep into the wall. The gate is wide
into each end, nailing it in place. enough to block the walkway, but is not strong enough to stop
3. The stench of excrement, urine and rot is particularly strong in any vaguely determined explorer. Its twin on the opposite
this area. walkway is in much better condition.
4. A wooden lantern lies on its side amid the filth coating the 16. A strange, wide track in the muck suggests something large, like
walkway. Its oil has leaked out, creating a particularly slippery a snake, slithered through here recently.
area. The lantern is still vaguely warm to the touch, suggesting 17. A mouldering, slime-covered rat corpse lies on a ledge. Its eyes
someone passed this way recently. are missing and its tail has been partially chewed off.
5. This section of walkway has crumbled away leaving a five-foot 18. A slimy island of excrement and mud partially blocks the sewer
wide gap explorers must traverse to continue. The rubble from channel. Anyone standing on the island discovers—rapidly—its
the walkway fills the sewer channel creating a dam of sorts. consistency is that of quicksand.
After excessively heavy rain, the water level rises here 19. Faded and smeared chalk sigils decorate this wall; they are now
inundating this section of walkway. illegible.
6. A single, mouldy knee-high leather boot stands incongruously 20. A glimmer of light comes from up ahead. When the party
amid the muck. The white glint of bone and the smell of reaches the light, they discover a narrow hole in the ceiling
moulding flesh emerges from within. Investigations reveal the enables a thin beam of sunlight to reach into the sewers. The air
unfortunate boot wearer’s leg was severed red just below the knee. here is a little clearer and sounds of the street clearly filter down
Of the rest of the body, there is no sign. into the gloom.
7. A crudely scratched sigil decorates one wall. It comprises three
pips with an arrow over the last pip. (The
he sigil is a code used by
the local thieves’ guild; it tells members that a secret exit to the
streets is hidden in the third passagewayy ahead).
8. The mouldering remains of a dead cat lie on the walkway. By
the looks of things, its back is broken.
9. The murmur of voices is discernible e to sharp-eared PCs.
Investigation reveal the voices come fromom behind the wall, but
here is no obvious secret door here. (The e sewer channel shares
a wall with the cellar of the building above).
ove).
10. Part of the ceiling has collapsed, dumpingping bricks and rubble
into the sewer channel. The blockage has as formed a dam, and
the “water” level is higher behind it. Dextrous
explorers can use the dam to cross the channel.
Those slipping and falling dislodge a crucial
ucial
stone in the dam, causing the entire
thing to collapse.

109
20 MINOR EVENTS TO EXPERIENCE IN A SEWER
Sewers are noisome, dank places full of civilisation’s leavings. 11. If the party possesses any mundane light sources, their flames
Such places are different to a normal dungeon. Thus, it stands to suddenly turn blue as they encounter a pocket of
reason, the minor events the PCs experience while exploring flammable gas. If the PCs do not quickly retreat or extinguish
should also be markedly different. Use the table below, to their naked flames, there is a loud explosion.
determine which minor event the PCs experience: 12. Bats nest on the ceiling. Bright lights disturb them and they flap
about screeching until the intruders leave. In the confusion, the
1. A loud rumbling from above the ceiling breaks the quiet. It bats might extinguish one or more of the party’s lights or knock
seems to head along the sewer before fading away. (A heavily an explorer into the filth of the sewer’s channel.
laden cart has just passed along the street above). 13. The squeaking of many rats emerges from the darkness ahead.
2. A muted splash of something—or perhaps someone—falling Rats infest this stretch of the sewers and the party are about to
into the water sounds from a random direction. invade their home. The rats—normal rats, not their more
3. A loud splash caused by something falling into the sewer from a dangerous giant brethren—are scared of the PCs and avoid
random direction breaks the quiet. A minute later, ripples reach them if given the chance. Signs of their presence: gnawed
the party’s position. bones, piles of droppings and so on—are everywhere.
4. The air grows rank with the stench of decay and excrement. 14. A distant scream echoes through the sewer. It is suddenly cut
Weak-stomached explorers may become violently sick as a off and is not repeated.
result. 15. The party catches the faint flicker of torchlight from a side
5. Splinters of wood—perhaps the remains of a makeshift raft— tunnel. Investigations reveal a pair of filthy sewer men cleaning
float passed the party, spinning gently in the current. a blockage. They haven’t seen anyone else since starting work.
6. The mouldering remains of a decomposing dog float passed the 16. A congealed floating island of muck and debris floats passed the
party, before gently coming to rest against the walkway slightly PCs. A large rat, its glimmering eyes glaring at the party, perches
further down the passageway. atop the island. If attacked, the rat dives into the water.
7. A thick glob of slime—dislodged by the party’s passage—falls 17. A fragment of the walkway suddenly gives way under a PC’s
from the ceiling onto one of the PCs’ heads. The slime is nothing feet. Only quick reactions save the PC from tumbling into the
more than slime, but its greenish colour could cause minor sewer’s fetid water.
panic… 18. The pungent stench of rotting vegetables foreshadows the PCs’
8. The indistinct sound of singing reaches the PCs’ ears. The faint discovery of a heaped pile of rotting vegetables.
sound echoes through the sewer making determining where it 19. A sudden wind issues through the sewer, blowing the stench of
came from impossible. excrement and urine into the PCs’ faces.
9. A foaming wave of excrement flows down the sewer. Powerful 20. If the PCs have a mundane light source it suddenly—and
ripples precede the wave, giving explorers almost a minute’s inexplicably—goes out.
warning.
10. A thick miasma hangs in the air. Tendrils of a fog-like vapour rise
from the fetid waters and provide concealment to anything
more than 20 ft. away. The smell here is terrible.

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O CEAN V OYAGE

111
6 STOWAWAYS WITH PERSONALITY
Sometimes not everyone aboard ship should actually be on it. Folk spare clothes along with other odds and ends, a buckler and two
stowaway for any number of reasons and such illicit travellers daggers. He’s decided to pledge his allegiance to his hero once
always have a good story. the ship is far enough away from land. Unfortunately, although
Use the table below, to determine who is stowing away on the he is thin and wiry Konal has a prodigious appetite and has run
PCs’ ship: out of food. Consequently, hunger will force him from hiding
sooner than he would like.
1. Baelulam Koehelvar (CN female half-elf fighter 1): Hiding deep 4. Anhuri Buto (CN young female human): Wild and capricious,
in the cargo hold, Baelulam only emerges at night to scavenge this 16-year-old ran away from home after a blazing row with
for food. Several people have seen her, but in the dim light her parents. Anhuri hasn’t thought things through and while
below decks, none have realised she is not meant to be on- furious with her parents has just realised she has no idea where
board. Cleverly, she has cut her hair short to ape the this ship is going. Although well-dressed she has very little
appearance of a typical crewman and wears rough leathers of a money.
sort sailors wear. Her success thus far has bolstered her 5. Giso (NG female human thief 1): A petty thief, Giso is fleeing a
confidence; soon she plans to raid the galley for a feast! If powerful enemy. She recently picked the pocket of an
caught, she refuses to divulge why she has stowed away. important individual and has in her possession a scroll which its
2. Erfael Neblor (N male gnome illusionist 2): Erfael is on a Grand owner would kill to retrieve. (Before she stowed aboard she
Adventure. While he has a decent amount of coin, he thought it survived one “accident” and one mugging that turned into
would be more fun to hide in the hold and see if he can remain attempted murder). Giso has short dark hair and a lively smile.
hidden for the entire voyage. Of course, he has got bored of late She tries to hide her troubles behind laughs and jokes, but
and is using his illusions to break the monotony. Thus, while he perceptive PCs may notice she isn’t telling them the whole
is around things literally go bump in the night and strange truth.
shadows linger in certain parts of the ship. Cloaked in invisibility, 6. Jamir Keenear (NE male halfling fighter 1/thief 1): Jamir was a
he emerges at night to take the evening air and to scavenge pirate until recently. The only survivor of a vicious sea battle, he
food and drink. The crew have noticed several things have gone had been in the water for several days clinging to wreckage
missing, and the strange sounds have given rise among the when he spotted the PCs’ ship. He climbed aboard during the
sailors to muttering of spectral beings haunting the ship. night and has been hiding ever since. His friendly dark brown
3. Konal (N young male human): Konal is on-board because of one eyes and guileless face hide a malevolence that would shock an
of the PCs. He’s hero-worshipped the PC from afar since he orc. If caught, he plays on his race’s reputation for hospitality
heard of the group’s exploits and dreams of becoming a while plotting theft and murder. When the ship reaches port,
powerful and famous adventurer. Before stowing aboard, he he steals whatever he can before fleeing.
equipped himself for “adventure” with a backpack containing

112
10 PASSENGERS WITH PERSONALITY
Most ship’s masters are keen to make as much money as possible 6. Haefoc Isgar (N male human fighter 5): This young man sports
from their voyage. Thus, most ships carry a few extra passengers, an impressively rakish moustache which is his pride and joy.
and the PCs might not be the only such folk on-board. Other Never seen without it waxed and styled, Haefoc is wildly vain.
passengers could be nothing more than “window dressing” for Well-to-do and slightly full of himself, he deems almost
the voyage or could spark memorable role-playing moments. everyone to be his social inferior. He is not a popular man and
They could also serve as hooks for minor adventures or side treks can take offence at the smallest thing. Unfortunately, Haefoc is
or even become reoccurring characters in the campaign. a skilled duellist, and if he feels his honour is besmirched, he’ll
Use the table below, to generate the details of notable challenge the offending character to a duel (to first blood). Most
passengers: of the sailors avoid him.
7. Fardulf Chellas (CG male human fighter 2): Although otherwise
1. Hild Eddols (N female human): Loud and large, Hild speaks fit and healthy, Fardulf needs the use of a walking stick to
precisely and at great length if given a chance. That, combined hobble about on account of his deformed left leg. He maintains
with a large head of curly brown hair, makes her easily he was born with the deformity, but perceptive PCs may suspect
identifiable even at a decent distance. She habitually wears he is lying. In reality, he is suffering the debilitating effects of a
black clothing. Deep down she is lonely and grabs any pernicious curse put upon him by a spurned lover. Fardulf
opportunity to make a friend. believes if he gets far enough away from her the curse will fade.
2. Praen Osmer (NE middle-aged male human): Slender and well 8. Otgar Nihiel (N male human cleric 3): With a beard as wild and
dressed, Praen cares only for himself. Always seemingly with his unruly as an untended rhododendron bush, at first glance,
head buried in a book, he is a voracious reader. During the Otgar looks to be a freakishly tall dwarf. A devotee of the sea
voyage, he’ll approach the PCs to see if he can borrow a book god, Otgar is always voyaging on one ship or another. Captains
(or two). Unless the PCs remind him, he’ll “forget” to return it offer him free passage in exchange for his prayers for calm seas
before he disembarks. and a good wind. He leads a service every morning to his lord;
3. Panu Ahokas (CN old male human): Old, scruffily dressed and all are welcome to attend.
seemingly perpetually slightly confused, Panu creates chaos 9. Duluali Aldarrae (CG female elf magic-user 3): Swathed in a
and confusion wherever he goes. He is also hard of hearing thick cloak and with a hat pulled down low over her face, Duluali
which adds to the frustration many people feel when dealing is deeply uncomfortable at sea. The constant motion of the
with him. Panu has a habit of wandering the deck muttering to waves and the utter lack of any vegetation deeply disturbs her,
himself. Sometimes he tries to coax seabirds to land on his and she is miserable. However, this voyage is necessary for her
outstretched arm. research; a sage in a distant land has a copy of a particularly rare
4. Kadal (NE middle-aged male human thief 2) Kadal looks older book she wishes to study. Of the book’s identity, she will not
than he should; worries lines crease his face, and his red nose speak.
seems almost comically oversized. Rarely seen without a drink 10. Semni Edfu (LE male human fighter 3): A mercenary bodyguard,
in his hand, Kadal is an alcoholic thief whose luck has finally Semni is once again searching for a new employer after a series
changed. He’s just pulled off the heist of his life and is fleeing to of misunderstandings over the exact wording of his most recent
a distant land with 200 gp in his baggage to live out his contract. He tells anyone listening, at great length, it is not his
retirement. During the voyage, he celebrates his good fortune. fault his employer didn’t understand the agreement and goes
A lot. on and on about his personal honour and how his word is his
5. Aelliah Cyelrae (LG female half-elf): This middle-aged woman bond. Ruggedly handsome with short black hair and brooding
wears her long black hair tied back in a bun. Although she seems eyes he is a bit of a lady’s man. He prides himself on never lying,
cheerful, the lines on her face radiate fatigue. The reason for but sometimes what he does not say is as eloquent as what he
her exhaustion is evident; she carries a baby in a sling across her does say.
chest. The baby is restless and spends a lot of time crying, which
causes mounting tension as the voyage drags on—particularly
during the night when other passengers are trying to sleep.

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10 SAILORS WITH PERSONALITY
During a voyage, the vast majority of a ship’s crew fade into the 5. Egino Chali (NG middle-aged male human fighter 1): Beset with
background—nothing more than faceless NPCs or window a seemingly permanent squint, Egino looks to be in constant
dressing. Usually, an adventure details the ship’s captain, but few pain. Almost blind, he tries to hide his impairment from the rest
other crew members. of the crew, although they all well-know his inability to see
That’s a shame as a ship’s complement can be a handy source anything beyond arm’s length. A friendly chap, Egino believes
of role-playing opportunities. Of course, not all the crew will be he is too old to be scampering about the rigging anymore and
notable—most are just sailors with nothing to differentiate them wants to become first mate.
from their fellows. A few, though, are remarkable for one reason 6. Heva Dol (N female human fighter 1): Strong, but slightly plump,
or another. Heva is a skilled sailor and navigator. Fascinated by the stars
Use the table below, to determine the details of notable crew she often volunteers for the night watch (which makes her
on the PCs’ vessel: popular with the rest of the crew). Diligent in her duties, at night
she both keeps watch and draws detailed sketches of the night
1. Azthur Kildann (NG male dwarf fighter 2): Azthur never seems sky. She is a skilled artist and has a book filled with her drawings.
to feel the cold; he rarely wears any more than a ragged pair of Recently, a slight change in one of the constellations has
cut-off trousers. His chest is impressively furry—secretly he is intrigued (and worried) her.
proud of this as it showcases his “boundless virility”—and 7. Hardrad Omer (LN old male human): Hardrad is far too old to
sometimes it seems his beard and chest hair are one and the be a sailor. He’s been at sea man and boy and doesn’t know any
same. An oddity for a dwarf, Azthur loves the sea. He is a skilled other life. He clings to his position on-board due to his
carpenter. prodigious skill in splicing ropes, mending sails and tying all
2. Agler (LN male human fighter 1): Agler has a pet mongrel dog, manner of knots. He’s found on deck puttering through his day’s
“hilariously” called Dogon. They are devoted to one another tasks and never ventures into the rigging. Hardrad is virtually
and the dog goes everywhere (except into the rigging) with his bald and his skin is weatherworn and wrinkled.
master. The rest of the crew also love Dogon, who has grown 8. Ima Ubi (CN female human thief 1): Obsessed with tales of the
fat on their titbits. Agler himself is a cheery, happy-go-lucky sea and the many creatures lurking in its depth, Ima is
fellow. He does not realise that Dogon’s name is blasphemy to superstitious and often on edge. She permanently worries some
the mad cultists of Dagon, Shadow in the Sea. Even more vast underwater creature will emerge to drag the ship down to
worryingly, one of the newly recruited crew, Sangasu, worships a watery grave. Recently, she’s been dreaming dark dreams of
that fell power and is plotting to hurl the dog overboard as a glistening, coiled tentacles stirring in the depths. Ima is
sacrifice once he can get the accursed beast alone. incredibly impressionable and has been subliminally affected by
3. Sangasu Girsu (CE male human fighter 1/thief 2): A devotee of Sangasu’s (see #3) prayers to Dagon.
Dagon, Sangasu has come aboard specifically to sacrifice Dogon 9. Gislin Taetel (CN male human thief 2): Rail thin, Gislin has a
to his insane master. A competent sailor, he has yet to fit in with prodigious appetite and can often be found trying to wrangle
the crew—who find his humour off-putting. Perceptive PCs extra food from the galley. While not lurking below decks, he
might notice Sangasu’s appearance is a little strange— does as little work as possible and has a reputation among the
essentially hairless he is extremely sensitive to bright light. He crew as a work-shy skiver. When the ship reaches port, the
is happiest in the bilges, pumping out the water. In a shadowy captain plans to dismiss him.
corner of the bilge, he has set up a small shrine to his demonic 10. Myvainir Shakirae (CG male elf fighter 2/magic-user 1): A rarity
master. If confronted with proof of his vile practises he jumps among the crew, Myvainir fell in love with the sea when he saw
into the sea, confident his master will save him. it for the first time a decade ago. Since then, he’s worked on a
4. Meania Apisala (NG female human fighter 1): Meania loves the variety of ships. His goal is to sail every sea and ocean and to
sea. Enraptured by its beauty she composes long poems and explore as much of the world as possible. Like many of his kind,
songs about life on the ocean waves. She has a beautiful singing he has almost unending patience and plans to spend the next
voice, but her compositions are not as polished as she would 50-100 years doing just that. If the party are planning future
like. If the party includes a bard, she badgers him or her for voyages to far-off places he might well join them!
songwriting tips.

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20 PIECES OF SHIP DRESSING
Typically, when the PCs take an ocean voyage, the GM hand named effaced to avoid bad luck falling on the vessel. A
waves most of the details. Even if something occurs during the surprising number of names have been scratched out, and the
journey, the focus is on the encounter, not the actual vessel the remaining names ascend the mast for a quite some distance.
PCs are on. 11. Sawdust and wood shavings litter one part of the deck.
A ship is an excellent place to build verisimilitude into a Scattered among them lie the ship’s carpenter’s tools.
campaign world. Essentially, the PCs are a captive audience, and 12. A perceptive PC discovers an empty wineskin stuffed behind a
the ship can become a detailed backdrop to roleplaying badly coiled rope on deck. If the PC uncorks the wineskin, he
encounters and more. detects the scent of wine; clearly, it has been drunk recently—
Use the table below, to add minor points of interest and detail perhaps during last night’s watch!
to the vessel; some can be nothing more than a trivial feature 13. Beautiful carvings of dense underwater forests teaming with
while others could spark an encounter or even side quest. fish decorate the doors leading to the captain’s and passengers’
cabins. Perceptive observers detect the hint of long, sinuous
1. A sailor has left a tangled mass of wet rope dangerously tentacles in several of the carvings.
uncoiled on the deck. Unwary passengers could trip and fall. 14. The vessel’s portholes feature double shutters akin to storm
2. Wet footprints mar the deck. They lead from the rail toward the shutters. If questioned about this, the crew relate the captain
ship’s stern and to one of the hatches leading below decks. A had them installed after the ship nearly sunk in a particularly
close look at the footprints suggests that whoever made them heavy sea which saw some of the cabins flooded.
was probably not human. 15. Pirate attack is a particular nightmare of the ship’s captain.
3. A bucket, half full of seawater, stands on the deck against the Thus, he has installed weapon lockers in several places on deck
rail. A wet rag lies nearby. There is no sign, of the sailor meant containing heavy crossbows plentifully supplied with bolts.
to be washing the deck. Similarly, he requires every member of the crew be armed at all
4. A perceptive PC spots strange scratches in the deck partially times.
hidden by a barrel. Investigations reveal what looks like a 16. The vessel has two rowboats securely lashed down on deck
treasure map carved into the wood. Maddeningly, the map protected with storm covers. Each is supplied with a small barrel
bears no names, but a skilled sailor might recognise a certain of water and a week’s hard tack biscuits for six passengers.
cluster of oddly-shaped islands. Sometimes amorous crew members or passengers sneak into
5. The ship’s deck is in excellent condition. Spotlessly clean, it is the rowboats for some privacy.
washed down every morning by the crew. 17. Three empty barrels are lined up on deck ready for cleaning. The
6. The ship’s sails have seen better days; they are patched in crewman overseeing the work has forgotten to secure the
several places and show signs of many repairs. barrels; they might fall over, roll about the deck and injure an
7. During the night, the hull springs a minor leak. The next unsuspecting passenger.
morning, several crew members are hung over the side to aid in 18. The ship’s mascot—a ragged parrot—has got a taste for wine.
effecting repairs. The work takes much of the day, and while it Often grumpy and hungover in the mornings—the crew think it
is completed the captain orders the ship’s sails furled to lessen is funny to get him drunk—he perches on a rat line looking glum
stress on the hull. and tired.
8. Several pennants fly from the ship’s mast. Perceptive PCs notice 19. Barnacles coat the hull, below the waterline. The growths are
the flags change design most days. It transpires the captain is visible from time to time, as the ship breaks through the waves.
superstitious and commands the pennants adjusted based on When the ship encounters calm weather, the captain sends
the weather, the ship’s location, direction of travel and which crew members down on nets to scrape them off.
oceanic power he is trying to appease. He has a complicated 20. The ladders linking the ship’s various decks are particularly
system that not even the first mate understands. steep. Unwary passengers or those using the ladders in high
9. During the voyage, the captain has the crew start on a program seas have a greater than normal chance of slipping and falling.
of maintenance. The first thing they do is paint the ship’s rail a
bright, jaunty yellow colour.
10. The crew has a strange tradition; every new member must carve
his name into the ship’s mast. Deceased or lost hands have their

115
20 SHIPBOARD SIGHTS & SOUNDS
Long voyages can be deathly boring, and sometimes the GM just 12. A few off-duty members of the crew sit by the rail idly fishing
glosses over the journey. Occasionally, pirates, sea monsters or and chatting. They are doing quite well—they have already half
worse intercept the ship, which relieves the boredom! filled their bucket with fish destined for the galley.
Other times, minor events of interest may punctuate the day, 13. Off-duty crewmen sit about playing a simple dice game, to pass
providing some light relief for the PCs and the GM with a way to the time. They are gambling for a combination of small stakes
add detail and verisimilitude to the session. and choice jobs in the upcoming days. They welcome the
Use the table below, to generate details of minor events of chance to take money from a passenger, but cannot afford to
interest to enliven a day at sea: lose the kind of money an adventurer could throw around.
14. The ship sails through a heavy swell. Waves break over the bow;
1. The insistent cawing of the seabirds wheeling and diving quickly the spray soaks everyone on deck. The wind picks up,
overhead fills the air. Anyone eating on deck is constantly dive- and for the rest of the day the weather is best described as
bombed by hungry birds. inclement.
2. A huge bird—perhaps an albatross or something more 15. A scream from above presages a sailor falling from the rigging.
“exotic”—soars high overhead. It takes no note of the vessel as The unfortunate man misses the hard deck, but falls into the
it continues on its lonely course. water. The rest of the crew rushes to help him before he is lost
3. A smudge of dark clouds hangs over the horizon for much of the to a watery grave.
day. When he descends, the lookout from the crow’s-nest 16. The ship sails through a small patch of debris: broken spars,
speaks of gloomy shadows on the surface of the ocean. The next pieces of decking and a sodden mass of sail floats seemingly
day, the clouds have disappeared. serenely on the gentle swell. What caused the ship to sink is a
4. A sudden loud thud speaks of something large and heavy hitting mystery.
the ship’s hull below the waterline. Of what struck the vessel 17. A shout from the rigging and a sailor pointing insistently off to
there is no sign, but the event puts some of the sailors—a starboard warns the ship’s company of something in the water.
superstitious lot—on edge for the rest of the day. Perceptive PCs spot a huge black shadow gliding beneath the
5. Rats infest the ship’s bilges. Driven forth by hunger, several of waves. It passes below the ship without incident.
the creatures scamper about the deck in search of food. If 18. Three sailors sit about the deck repairing a torn sail. As they do
chased, they flee seeking hiding places in one of the ship’s so, they talk among themselves and occasionally break into a
uncountable nooks and crannies. sea shanty. They are bored, and welcome any diversion.
6. A ship under full sail appears on the horizon late in the 19. A sailor comes up from the galley with a bucket of rubbish. She
afternoon. In the morning, it is no longer visible. unceremoniously hurls the contents over the side, before
7. Sailors clamber about the rigging. One starts singing a sea returning below decks.
shanty telling of the epic tale of Vilimzair Aralivar’s legendary 20. The sound of someone playing a jaunty tune on a flute wafts up
voyages. (Vilimzair was a bard of puissant skill who fell into the from below decks. The tune continues for
clutches of pirates. He endured many hardships before he several
ral minutes
wrested control of the vessel from the pirate captain). beforere
8. Some of the other passengers get into a loud argument about tailingg
sleeping arrangements—some want to swap berths, but the off.
others decline. Investigations reveals they all believe the berths
of the first group to be haunted!
9. Loud voices from below decks speak of a sudden, angry
argument. PCs eavesdropping discover one of the sailors has
just surprised and captured a stowaway! (See 6 Stowaways with
Personality).
10. A sudden wind picks up, filling the ship’s sails. The ship runs
before the wind, making good time, but several of the
passengers fall seasick, much to the crew’s amusement.
11. Several passengers stroll about the deck around midday to both
take the air and to gossip. One blunders into the way of the
sailors going about their business, causing a minor accident.

116
S EEDY T AV ERN

117
20 SEEDY TAVERN PATRONS
There are many reasons to visit a seedy tavern: detective work, 13. Davian Derrows (N male human cleric 2): A cleric of the
rumourmongering, looking for work or simply to soothe a parched predominate local faith reviews paperwork by candlelight. He
throat. But a tavern without denizens is hardly a bar at all. smiles graciously at the server and accepts another drink before
returning to work.
1. Quobbis Quibble (LN male gnome): A fat gnome with buck 14. Sacha Devree (NE female gnome): A thin gnome with
teeth fidgets in supreme discomfort as he looks around the heterochromia has lost her left hand to a skin disease. She
room. Judging by his fine clothes, he shouldn’t be within a winces in pain through every mouthful of mead.
hundred yards of this establishment. 15. Horne (LN male elf): A white haired young elf speaks quietly to
2. Sibolen Itali (N male elf): A drunk elf with long black hair crawls a shrouded confidant. The barkeep brings out expensive liquor
on the floor, searching for something he has lost (his wedding for the pair and refuses payment.
band). 16. Velia Omrick (CN female human): The barkeep brings out a
3. Ginger Greybeard (CN male dwarf): A deeply tanned and whole roasted chicken to a child of eight or nine, who pays with
extremely boisterous dwarf mocks his opponent, then swigs a strange gold coin. The girl devours the chicken within minutes.
another mug of beer in a drinking contest. The amber liquid 17. Hodrin Bleakfire (CN male dwarf): A bald dwarf regales an
bubbles in his beard. inattentive crowd with his dragon slaying exploits. Judging by
4. Urul (NE female orc): Two sharp tusks protrude from the hood his seared armour, there may actually be truth to this story.
of a figure in a shadowy corner; investigations reveal the 18. Hurdle Belch (NE female halfling): A morbidly obese halfling
individual to be an orc! slips in and out of consciousness as she totters in her chair,
5. Cham (CE female halfling rogue 3): A young halfling relieves a mumbling nonsense to herself.
very drunk patron of his coin purse before retreating under a 19. Filth (CN male gnome): An ancient gnome begs coppers from
table to inspect his prize. other customers. His pleas are answered with laughs, grunts or
6. Petrera Malice (LE female human): A tall woman in black swats.
leather armour sits at attention. She refuses a drink from the 20. Petrar Mane ((LG male human p paladin 1):
) A bright
g eyed
y yyoungg
server, and keeps a hand on her longsword. human in shining full plate looks incredibly out of place here.
7. Gullun (CN male halfling): A halfing at the counter
ter He listens attentively to the conversations around him and
produces acrid smoke from a yellow pipe. His eyes
yes seems eager—but hesitant—to join in.
are haunted and distant, his body paralyzed in
remembrance.
8. Kayvan Lorrick (CG male half-elf wizard 2): A
drunk half-elf summons and dispels light ght
morosely at his table. Every few moments, his
hand goes to a bruise on his face.
9. Gerard Burnheap (CE male half-orc fighter 3): A half-orc downs
mug after mug in angry determination. His muscles are alive
with malcontent, and he looks around the room m for someone to
fight.
10. Yorik Greygal (CN male dwarf): A very shortt dwarf slumps
passed out on his table amongst a dozen mugs.. The look
of serene content upon his face is enviable.
11. Bayran Lorrick (CN male half-elf): An animated ed half-elf
flirts with the female patrons of the bar. His green eyes
sparkle with every laugh he procures, though the other
customers look annoyed.
12. Grom (NG male human): A man at least eightt feet tall
hunches over a table, beer stein clutched awkwardly
wardly in
massive hands.

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20 SEEDY TAVERN STAFF
The employees of a seedy tavern are often as bad as the 13. Maco Mills (CG male gnome): The gnome behind the counter
customers. While they are at least sane enough to keep a job, does the work of two men, expertly using magic to clean dishes
many take advantage of their drunk patrons or indulge in their and grab dirty mugs from afar.
own vices while working. 14. Hamse Gamen (CE male halfling): The halfling bartender is
more inebriated than the patrons. Instead of the house swill, he
1. Eelred Vine (CE male elf): The green-eyed, yellow haired elf takes long swigs from a silver flask at his breast pocket.
behind the counter is handsome, smiling and totally self- 15. Gnome (CN female human): The scars across the face of this
absorbed. He steals glances at his own reflection whenever gnome server seem intentional, almost ritualistic in nature.
possible. 16. Roguy Mulk (CN male halfling): The halfing server runs around
2. Gerey Tere (N male human): The man who serves drinks is the room, struggling to refill glasses and take orders. Even
mute. His tongue has been cut out and cruel scarring mars his during lulls, he is always behind.
cheeks. 17. Gileon Hoptt (CG male human): The serving boy, a handsome
3. Rida (N female half-elf): The dexterity of this one-handed teenage boy with a ponytail, constantly eavesdrops on patrons
server is impressive, though why someone so skilled would and offers his own advice on private affairs.
work in a dump like this is a mystery. 18. Bari Brokenrock (CN male dwarf): The overweight dwarf
4. Thori Ghoststone (CG female dwarf): This dwarf bartender is bartender won’t stop talking. Since nobody is listening he talks
totally bald, with large stone earrings and heavy makeup. She to himself, gesticulating wildly as he cleans a mug.
speaks in a thick difficult-to-place accent . 19. Anzi (CE female human): The server has one false eye, a black
5. Gyles and Gunder Keson (CN male gnome): The two gnome marble which twitches with a life of its own.
servers are identical twins, though one suffers from a severe 20. Reyna Evergreen (CG female human): The serving girl tosses
limp in his left leg. and order on the table carelessly, then returns to cleaning her
6. Berter Crimson (NG female half-orc): Intricate tattoos run up nails with a knife.
the arms of this half-orc server, spilling into black fractals on her
stern face.
7. Willom (CE male half-orc): This half-orc rc bartender
surreptitiously spits into the drinks of those he e doesn’t
like. Regulars know this and are not taken in byy his
innocent smile, full of sharpened teeth.
8. Aldwulf (LE male human): Some rough blade
removed the bartender’s nose many years ago.
The nasal cavity drips grey mucus.
9. Renda Hurn (NE female human): An eyepatch hangs ngs
loosely across the bartender’s gaunt face. Peeling ng skin
and exposed bone indicate some sort of burn wound. und.
10. Charder Whancey (CN male halfling): The halfing
bartender is a jovial fellow who stands out from the he crowd
in his dirty pink suit. He stands on a stool to speak ak to his
customers, then descends to the floor to retrieve e drinks.
11. Gery Blank (LN male human): The portly man behind hind the
counter looks more like a monk than a bartender. der. He
extols the virtues of beer and brewing to a customermer who
is quite obviously asleep.
12. Jin (LG male half-elf): A half-elf child of no more than
han 10
serves behind the bar. He cleans and distributess mugs
expertly, and the patrons treat him with great respect.
spect.

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10 STRANGE THINGS TO SEE BEHIND THE BAR
Most adventuring parties spend a lot of time in bars, pubs, inns 9. A portrait of the current king or other local ruler stares down
and taverns. Often such places are a party’s home away from haughtily over the bar. The barkeep is particularly patriotic and
home. Occasionally, the party will spot one or more strange items does brook any unkind words about the portrait’s subject.
behind the bar. Often, such items have a history and reason for People uttering such are refused service.
being there. They could have great significance to the tavern’s 10. A tapestry hangs down behind the bar completely obscuring the
owner or to one or more of its regular patrons. Alternatively, they wall. The tapestry is one of several the tavern possesses and
could serve no purpose but decoration. every now and then the barkeep replaces it with another. Some
of the tapestries are worn and faded while others are almost
1. An oversized dagger—more the size of a short sword—with a brand new. The owner will pay good gold for new additions to
wickedly serrated blade hangs behind the bar. The tip of the his collection. (Unbeknownst to the customers—and most of
weapon is missing. The weapon once belonged to a hill giant the staff—the tapestry covers several secret viewports in the
and is poorly made; a local claimed to have slain the giant and wall the owner uses to spy on his customers; each new tapestry
swapped the dagger for a month of free drinking. has small holes cut in it over these holes).
2. A dusty glass bottle stands on a pedestal in a niche high up
behind the bar. Cobwebs cover the bottle and the label is faded 20 DRINKS TO ORDER
and unreadable. Local lore has it that as long as the bottle
remains full, good fortune will befall the tavern and its owner.
D20 POOR DRINKS (2 CP EACH)
1 Water (cold)
3. A battered hat of strange design and appearance rests on one
2 Buttermilk
of the ale barrels behind the bar. The hat has a red brim and a
3 Whey
covering of yellow felt. A ragged hole—where the wearer’s
4 Mint tea
forehead would be—pierces the fabric. 5 Nettle tea
4. A cage stands on the counter behind the bar. A single, obviously 6 Dandelion coffee
malnourished and agitated, stirge lurks in the cage. Anyone who 7 Small ale
tries to leave without paying, or who molests one of the servers, 8 Small beer
is forced to thrust a hand through the bars to feed the creature. 9 Sour wine
Shockingly, there is little violence and few disturbances in this 10 Sage tea
tavern. 11 Chamomile tea
12 Plain barley water
5. An array of battered and hacked shields decorate the back wall
13 Lavender verbena tea
of the bar. They hang from wooden pegs and sometimes the
14 Water (hot)
staff rearrange them (for no apparent reason). A few of the
15 Rosemary tea
shields are plain wooden affairs, but most bear heraldic devices. 16 Watered cider
Present are the symbols of several nearby humanoid tribes 17 Watered perry
along with the devices of five adventuring bands (two of which 18 Fennel tea
were wiped out during their adventures). 19 Raspberry leaf tea
6. A collection of fine and delicate goblets and wine glasses cluster 20 Birch sap tea
thickly upon a narrow shelf lined with faded yellow cloth. The
innkeeper never lets anyone use the glasses—saying they are
for “quality” customers only. What he means by this is anyone’s PRICES
guess. When the inn is quiet he often takes the various glasses Ale (gallon) 2 sp
Ale (mug) 4 cp
down and polishes them carefully.
Wine (common; pitcher) 2 sp
7. Copper coins fill a metal bucket behind the bar. Customers are
Wine (fine; bottle) 10 gp
encouraged to throw their spare coppers into the bucket. At the
end of the month, the owner distributes the coins to his staff
(or perhaps local needy children). He may—or may not—be
skimming some off the top for himself.
8. A yellowing giant’s skull hangs from the ceiling over the bar.
Burning candles set in the eye sockets give the whole thing an
eerie appearance.

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20 THINGS LEFT IN A TAVERN’S BEDCHAMBER
Inveterate wanderers, adventurers spend much of their 11. A single frayed sock lies under the bed.
downtime patronising inns and taverns. Staying in such an 12. A pile of folded blankets stands on a sideboard against one wall.
establishment overnight is almost always preferable to a night A letter—a love letter speaking of forbidden love—has fallen
under the stars. behind the pile. One of the lovers—a prominent member of the
After all, a tavern’s probably got a roof, four walls, hot food community—is mentioned in the letter; apparently she must
and alcohol. Those resting may suffer rain, wind, insects and the never find out about this relationship...
ever-present threat of a wondering predator disturbing the 13. A small soft leather pouch containing three small black stones
party’s sleep. (onyx worth 10 gp each) has been stuffed into a pillow. The
Inns are an excellent place to seed adventure hooks and pouch is embroidered with initials, “J.P.L” and is of fine quality.
suchlike. Almost every GM on the planet this in the tavern’s 14. A blood-stained scrap of fabric lies in the shadows under a
taproom, but what about its bedrooms? Use the table below, to sideboard. It looks like it was used to clean off a dagger or
generate things of minor interest left in an inn’s bedroom. These similar weapon.
things could be nothing more than a minor distraction; they could 15. A note pinned to the back of the door reminds the occupant to
also serve as a plot hook for the next adventure. lock the door when retiring for the night because of “the
regrettable incident last month.”
1. A small, half full vial of woman’s perfume is wedged between 16. Small flakes of metal lie under the room’s door. Careful
the bed and the wall. The glass vial is intricately made and worth investigation of the lock reveals it’s been tampered with. Even
10 gp. The perfume is worth an additional 5 gp and smells of if the key is turned in the lock, the lock doesn’t actually engage;
lilac and roses. thus the door is not locked (even though the occupant believes
2. Several pieces of rubbish have been pushed under the bed. A it to be secured properly).
tray holding a plate of mouldering food covers a piece of 17. A dreary watercolour hanging from the wall depicts a local
smudged parchment. It looks like the parchment once depicted landmark on a particularly bleak day. A waterproof pouch
a map, but a great smear has rendered it unreadable. tacked to the back of the painting holds a map of a cellar.
3. A muted red cloak hangs on a hook on the back of the door. Although the location of the cellar is not shown, a link to a
Dried mud clings to the cloak’s hem and a large rip pierces its nearby sewer is clearly visible.
back. 18. A small wardrobe in one corner of the room holds a hooded
4. The previous occupant of this room was paranoid and slept with cloak forgotten by the previous occupant. The cloak is
a (normal) dagger under his pillow. Sadly, he forgot it when he voluminous and fur-lined and worth 20 gp. Unfortunately, it is a
left. The dagger is small, light and wickedly sharp. distinctive light blue in colour and its owner is actively looking
5. The initials CB and CRB are deeply carved into the bed’s for it.
headboard. 19. While in bed, a perceptive character may notice strange
6. A large bloodstain mars the bed sheets. A blanket covers the etchings on the ceiling directly overhead. When a light source is
stain from casual view, but a character getting into bed without placed at the end of the bed on a small occasional table, the
checking first could be in for a shock. flickering shadows create a map on the ceiling.
7. An empty wine flask lies on the floor by the bed. A perceptive 20. Graffiti scratched into the wall by the door holds the following,
PC smelling the flask might detect a subtle, but definitely out of unsettling message, “Curse the unending scrabbling. Beware
place, odour. the rats in the walls."
8. A wooden shield leans against one wall; it’s in poor condition,
with several gouges hacked out of its surface. The shield’s strap 8 HOUSE SPECIALTIES TO ORDER
is worn and frayed. If used in combat, the strap snaps after
three rounds.
D8 POOR MEALS (2 SP EACH)
1 Fishcakes with cabbage
9. A rat—its back broken—lies on the floor, squeaking pitifully.
2 Black pudding with turnip and bread
The rat’s injuries look like someone has intentionally stamped
3 Marrow stuffed with barley and herbs
on it before leaving it to suffer and die. If a PC heals the rat, it
4 Spiced beets with onion and potato
becomes a loyal pet (or it could be so much more—perhaps a 5 Roast chickpeas with laver bread
wizard’s familiar, a polymorphed adventurer and so on). 6 Mushroom porridge
10. A wine-stained, frayed tunic rolled up in a ball lies in one corner 7 Turnip and pea pie
where it was tossed. The garment stinks and is sized for an 8 Onion flan
obviously overweight human (or perhaps a half-orc).

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20 THINGS TO SEE IN A SEEDY TAVERN
Adventurers often seem to be found in seedy dives and other 12. A small child wanders into the tavern and slowly looks around
disreputable drinking establishments. the common room before leaving.
Whether they are hunting a thief or looking for their next job, 13. After a short conversation, an attractive, scantily clad woman
an adventurer’s visit to such an establishment is almost certain to leads a drunken merchant from the tavern. Neither returns. (In
be eventful. Use the table below, to generate minor events of fact, the woman is a thief and is leading the besotted merchant
interest to flesh out such a visit. outside to be mugged).
14. Shouting from the bar draws everyone’s attention to a heavily
1. Two men sit at a table drinking. As the evening progresses their scarred warrior—hand on sword hilt—demanding credit. The
conversation gets more and more heated. Eventually, one of landlord stands behind the bar shaking his head from side to
the men slams his empty flagon down on the table and storms side.
out of the tavern. 15. Two men arm wrestle at a table surrounded by a crowd of
2. A drunk half-orc totters through the crowd in search of the onlookers. Eventually, one man loses and much silver changes
privy. He suddenly stops and throws up on the floor. Cheers and hands among the watching crowd.
laughter greet this event. 16. As the PCs sit drinking a man totters up to their table and asks—
3. A scantily clad woman leaps to her feet and throws a drink into surprisingly politely—if they would lend him some money. His
the face of the man with which she was sitting. With a splutter clothes proclaim him a manual worker of sorts, and he seems
and roar he staggers to his feet, but the woman is faster—and rather desperate for the money.
darts off through the common room. 17. Raised voices at the bar, herald an argument quickly spirally out
4. A half-dozen drinkers sit around a table playing a complicated of control. Before it can come to (proper) blows several regulars
dice-based gambling game. Many empty flagon stand upon the step in and bundle the two arguers outside.
table; as the evening progresses the drinkers gets more and 18. A man sits alone—his head on the table surrounded by several
more raucous. empty wine flagons. Perceptive watchers notice one of the
5. A single near destitute man (if his garb is anything to go by) sits serving wenches relieve the man of his coin pouch.
morosely at a table nursing his drink. At his feet lies a miserable- 19. A tall, muscular man enters the bar, and suddenly everyone
looking, scrawny dog of indeterminate breed. stops talking. He surveys the crowd before picking an empty
6. A small gang of rough and ready men and women enter the table and calling for wine. Gradually, the mood in the common
common room and all surge toward the bar at the same time. room returns to normal.
All of them are armed, and all seem slightly worse for wear. 20. A hooded figure sits alone in a shadowy corner. If approached,
7. An old man dressed in rags moves from table to table offering he spins a clever tail of needing adventurers to carry a certain
to tell fortunes for only one silver coin. The man has a modicum parcel to an associate who waits just outside town. This is—of
of power and offers a surprisingly prescient—if garbled— course—a trap; the man only talks to the PCs once they’ve been
description of an important event or encounter in the party’s drinking for several hours and his associates wait outside for the
near future. marks to stumble into their ambush.
8. A drunk man sitting alone at a table roars for another flagon of
wine. When one appears, he tries to fondle the serving wench 12 MEALS TO ORDER
bring it to him. She slaps him across the face before flouncing
away. D12 POOR MEALS (1 SP EACH)
9. A wide and impressively muscled dwarf sits alone at a table by 1 Carrot and acorn soup with bread
2 Vegetable stew
the wall. He seems to be drinking, but a perceptive watcher
3 Pease pudding
realises he is actually stone cold sober…and watching the other
4 Chickpea stew with kale
patrons intensely. 5 Beans and greens soup with rye bread
10. A small group of patrons suddenly break into a rowdy (and 6 Pea and carrot soup with oatcakes
obscene) drinking song. The song ends with roars and drunken 7 Vegetable soup with laver bread
cheering. 8 Pea soup on baked potato
11. A well-dressed man is in deep, intense conversation with two 9 Potato soup with mixed greens
heavily armed women. They, however, seem bored and keen to 10 Pea and beet stew
leave. The man is oblivious and continues talking, becoming 11 Acorn cakes with beet soup
12 Oat gruel with turnips
more and more animated as they get more and more bored.

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20 THINGS TO SEE IN A TAVERN BRAWL
Barroom brawls are chaotic affairs and during them the most 13. Skirting the violence, a patron moves from table to table
bizarre events can occur. Some are to be expected, the innkeeper stealing coins, downing drinks and so on. After three rounds of
calling for the watch or opportunistic thieves trying to steal this, he is spotted and attacked by irate patrons.
unattended wagers, while others are completely unexpected: 14. A large brawler picks up a bench and belts nearby targets with
tables collapse, kegs of beer spring leaks and chandeliers fall. In it. Once he has knocked unconscious a few other brawlers, the
the deadliest brawls, fires can accidentally start that if left rest avoid him and so he goes in search of new targets. He
unchecked can destroy the tavern. settles on the nearest PC.
15. A female patron jumps onto the back of a brawler and starts
1. A brawler tips over a table. Atop the table lies a small pile of hitting him over the head with a flagon. It smashes, blinding him
coins—the pot of some game now unattended. 2d20 cp and for one round with ale. In the next round, he pulls her off and
2d10 sp clatter to the floor. Nearby brawlers dive for the coins throws her to the floor.
and try to gather up as many as possible. 16. A table collapses dumping the patron on it onto the floor. The
2. A brawler kicks over a bench, chair or table. The next person patron falls prone.
who isn’t a PC, to move through the square trips over it and falls 17. A patron dives behind the bar and grabs several bottles or
prone. brandy or other expensive beverage. On the next round, he
3. A brawler tries to punch a target, misses and smashes a beer makes a break for the door clutching his prizes.
keg. Beer gushes out, creating a 15 ft. cone of slick floor (DC 10 18. The fight spills out into the street as several brawlers fall
Acrobatics check to move at half-speed through the area; failure through the tavern’s door.
by 5 or more and the character falls prone). The innkeeper wails 19. A brawler is thrown through a window or door into the street.
at this unfortunate event. Three rounds later, the Watch arrives.
4. A random brawler hurls a flagon or chair at a PC. 20. Amid the chaos, a thief rifles the pouch of a fallen brawler. If no
5. A small contingent of the Watch arrives to break up the brawl. one stops him, he moves onto his next mark. If accosted, he
They use nonlethal attacks to subdue the brawlers, beating flees.
them with the ends of their spears. Brawlers fight to get away
from the Watch as no one wants to get arrested. 6 BRAWL TRIGGERS
6. A brawler leaps onto the bar and starts to kick half-full flagons
1. A drunk staggers against a table sending drinks flying. Those
of beer into the melee. Every time he scores a hit he shouts in
around the table attack the drunk, furious at his clumsiness. The
triumph.
drunk’s friends leap to his aid...
7. Someone shouts that the Watch is coming. At that, many of the
2. An argument erupts at one table and quickly several patrons are
combatants make a break for the nearest exit. The area around
fighting. The brawl is a diversion; one of the other customers
the front and back doors of the tavern get congested as patrons
(perhaps even a PC) is marked for assassination and while the
fight each other to get away.
fight distracts witnesses the assassin strikes.
8. One brawler throws another 1d2 x 5 ft. onto a chair or table.
3. A pickpocket fails spectacularly to lift a purse. The owner
The piece of furniture collapses and the thrown brawler lands
notices and tries to grab the thief. He twists out of the man’s
prone.
hands but falls into a nearby table, spilling the drinks on it.
9. Somehow, high-strength alcohol (such as brandy) lands in the
4. A drunk man staggers to the bar and demands more ale. The
fire. All combatants within 5 ft. suffer 1 fire damage as the fire
barkeep refuses and the man gets belligerent. A regular steps in
sparks and spits.
to defuse the situation and the drunk attacks him. As the regular
10. The innkeeper (or other staff member) gets attacked by a
staggers back, he knocks over another man who leaps to his feet
brawler. The innkeeper shouts for help; if a PC assists him, he
enraged. From there, the chaos quickly spreads...
gets free board and lodgings for one week.
5. A prostitute is seeking business. Two drunken men begin to
11. Three brawlers gang up on another patron and quickly kick him
argue over who should enjoy the pleasure of her company first.
to the floor. They beat him unconscious in two rounds before
She draws the two men into a brief bidding war, which ends
moving onto another target.
with one smashing a flagon over the others head.
12. Desperate to escape the violence, a patron dives under a table
6. A server weaves through the taproom with a full tray of drinks.
and screams for help. The man is well-dressed and gives his
However, when she sets it down, two groups of drinkers claim
rescuer a reward of 2 gp.
that the drinks are for them. Both groups are drunk and the
ensuing argument turns violent.

123
124
S LAVERS ’ C OMPOUND

125
8 MINOR EVENTS TO HAPPEN IN A SLAVERS’ COMPOUND
As the PCs explore the slavers’ compound, they will likely 5. A faint sobbing reaches the PCs' ears. The sobbing slowly draws
encounter and slay many of the foul traders in sentient flesh. They closer until an elderly slave shuffles around the corner carrying
will also—likely—have many minor encounters and experiences two full slop buckets. Tears mist his eyes when he realises the
along the way. PCs are not slavers and he begs to be rescued. He introduces
himself as Milano and can give the PCs a good idea of the
1. Guttural laughter precedes the arrival of two bored, drunk compound’s layout.
guards who have decided to visit the slave pens for some fun. 6. A mixture of faint sobs and guttural laughter reaches the PCs'
They are distracted and the PCs can easily surprise them (if they ears. If the PCs follow the sounds, they discover a slaver
are at least moderately stealthy). tormenting a sobbing, cowering woman. The slaver has his back
2. Screams echo throughout the compound. A slave is being to the PCs and a whip in his raised hand. If rescued, the
beaten for some transgression (real or imagined). The beating woman—Feridia—is grateful and desperate to escape. She
goes on for some time; by the end the slave is badly injured (and sticks closely to any female PC in the party.
unconscious). 7. A loud clanging—perhaps an alarm bell—shatters the relative
3. An unwholesome mixture of sweat, fear, urine and excrement quiet. In response, a general hubbub of shouting comes from
greet the party's nostrils. The smell becomes stronger the closer some distant area. The ringing goes on for about 30 seconds
the party get to the slave pens. before fading away.
4. Screams, punctuated by the crack of a whip, shatters the air. 8. The sound of someone rattling the bars of their cell dimly
The screaming goes on for a few minutes before gradually reaches the party’s ears. The rattling goes on for some time,
fading away. until a high-pitch screech ends it.

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10 SLAVES WITH PERSONALITY
When the PCs invade a slavers’ compound they’ll inevitably eyed and balding, Unila is in his mid-thirties and yet strong. His
encounter slaves. However, in most adventures—except for the clothes are old and frayed. He just wants to go home, but fears
titular merchant and his wife who reward the PCs for their what has happened to his wife and children since he was taken
release—the slaves are generally unremarkable and undetailed. over a year ago. If freed and given funds, he is pathetical
That’s a shame. Most encounters with slaves end up as role- grateful, but quickly leaves.
playing encounters with the potential for moral dilemmas and 7. This heavily tattooed woman—Giso—has an exotic caste to her
deep exploration of a PC’s character. However, few adventures mien. However, she is blind—having had her eyes put out at the
provide details of those held in the slavers’ pens beyond those culmination of a religious ceremony decades ago. Widely
directly involved in the adventure’s plot (and what rewards they believed to be a seeress, she is thought to be valuable by the
offer for their release). slavers and, consequently, has enjoyed slightly better
Use the NPCs below, to portray notable slaves encountered conditions than her fellow cell mates. Far from home, she has
by the PCs: no real friends. Without help, she will likely die on the streets.
8. This dark-haired, scrawny man lies at the back of the cell and
1. Varinius is old and weak. He is a sage of some renown captured seems all but catatonic. He doesn’t react to, or answer,
during a recent raid. His once fine robes are ripped and travel questions, but can be gently led about. He does nothing of his
stained. Now unable to stand without aid, he is perhaps only a own accord except the most basic of actions—eating, drinking
few days from death. If rescued and nursed back to health, he and so on. No-one else in the cell knows anything about him.
is grateful and offers to serve the PCs. He would, of course, 9. Somehow, this skinny young woman, Avila, has managed to stay
require a place to work but his knowledge is prodigious. with her toddler. She dotes on the child—Irma—and is fiercely
2. Protected by the other slaves, Albina is only nine-years-old. Her protective. Nothing is more important to her and she begs for
brother escaped from the raid that saw her taken and she food and assistance from any kindly-looking rescuer. Avila has a
doesn’t know what happened to him. Sadly, her mother and mean streak, however, and happily takes her revenge on any
father both died protecting her and she is quite alone in the helpless slavers falling into her grasp.
world. 10. Wrapped in chains and covered in bruises, Ekur, a minotaur
3. While he might be a slave, Avel—in his mind—is quite free. warrior, thirsts for revenge. He demands the PCs allow him to
Charismatic and mad as a bag of cats, Avel has decided he is the slake his thirst with his captors’ blood. Ekur agrees to any
Emperor of the World and that his fellow slaves are his courtiers reasonable conditions to his freedom. If he subsequently
and servants. Occasionally, he utters decrees and becomes encounters any slavers his barbarity and savagery in the ensuing
hysterically angry when his demands are not carried out. He combat are breath-taking. Ekur’s continuing freedom is, of
also fears assassination. His fellow slaves ignore him as much as course, a tricky matter for the PCs. Evil, and in many people’s
they are able—which in this confined space is difficult in the eyes a monster, Ekur cannot easily roam the land, but slaying
extreme. him out of hand might give
4. Harek is a thief sold into slavery to pay for his crimes. Thus far, some PCs pause.
he has managed to conceal his crimes from his fellows. If
rescued his larcenous nature soon reasserts itself. At first, he
contents himself with looting the bodies of any slain slavers he
comes across. When this source of loot dries up, he targets the
least perceptive rescuer. If confronted, he flees.
5. Once a soldier, Ibba has languished in the slavers’ cells for
months. A large, powerful man, Ibba possesses a deep streak of
individualism, which makes him a terrible slave. Beaten
repeatedly, his sullen insolence has led to many failed viewing
by potential buyers drawn to his powerful, muscular frame. If
freed, he may serve a similarly-minded PC for a while, but will
eventually follow his own destiny.
6. Once a fisherman, Unila was captured by pirates and his
incarceration here is the last in a long line of indignations. Grey-

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10 SLAVERS WITH PERSONALITY
Slavers are foul, odious folk dealing in the basest form of trade. has been sold to a buyer in need of her particular skills. He
Encounters with slavers—particularly role-playing encounters— immediately surrenders to the PCs, if given the chance, and
should be memorable, if only for the slavers’ ineffable evil. A few attempts to recruit them to his cause.
slavers, however, differ from the norm. 8. Elir Nuralegg is a dwarf, and he stinks. Personal hygiene does
Use the NPC bios below, to portray notable slavers not trouble Elir and he takes perverse pleasure in standing as
encountered by the PCs: close as possible to his comrades. Elir neither hates nor cares
for the slaves under his control. To him, they are short-lived
1. Preternaturally tall and rake-thin Agis was abused mercilessly as humans worth only what someone will pay for them. With long
a child by his peers. This torment twisted his soul and he now hair, an impossibly tangled beard and dirty, sweaty studded
unleashes his childhood frustrations on his charges. A sadist, he leather Elir makes an impression on all he meets.
is hated by those he guards. Even his fellow slavers give him a 9. Varma is a slaver because she is worried that if she isn’t she’ll
wide berth; Agis is unpredictable and his humour is very much instead he a slave herself. To prove her worth, she is outwardly
an acquired taste. even more uncaring and vicious than her fellows. She is,
2. Harek doesn’t want to be here and is miserable and terrified. however, cracked by guilt, but terrified of trying to leave or of
Several years ago, he was faced with a stark choice: live on the helping the slaves. If captured, she breaks down in tears and
street or sign up with the slavers. Ever since, he has regretted begs for mercy and forgiveness. If she is spared, she turns
his choice and desperately wants to leave. Wracked with guilt, herself around and founds an orphanage to atone for her sins.
he tries to make his charges’ lives as easy as possible. He sneaks If the PCs ever come this way again, she remembers them and
them extra food and only beats them when he absolutely must. does her best to assist them in any way she can.
Consequently, he is almost liked by the slaves he watches. If he 10. Even more vicious, depraved and merciless than the average
survives the PCs’ assault any freed slaves lobby for his release. demon, Filimer was once a slave himself. He bettered his lot by
3. A petty thief—and not a good one—Joried views her informing on, and beating to death, troublemakers and
membership of the slavers as a good opportunity for virtually malcontents. When he stymied a prison break he was rewarded
risk-free, minor thievery. She always tries to be the one to with his freedom. Now, he delights in tormenting those who
process new arrivals and steals whatever she can find concealed once shared his station. His personal quarters are a place of
about their persons. She has hidden her spoils in an out-of-the- nightmare, and he delights in torture. If he falls into the slaves’
way storeroom and uses them as a bargaining tool to secure her hands his fate will be drawn-out and painful in the extreme.
freedom, if captured by the PCs.
4. Ceol is a coward and terrified the slaves will rise up and slay
their masters. Unless he can help it, he is never alone with any
slaves (unless they are securely restrained). If he encounterss the
PC he immediately flees—even abandoning fellow slavers—to —to
“get help”. A weaselly man, Ceol sports a scraggly beard and d an
abundance of knives—which he thinks makes him look tough. gh.
5. With a heavily scarred face and balding Praen fits the clichedched
image of a ferocious, vicious man. With Praen what you see ee is
what you get. He cares only for himself; others are merely tools.
ools.
Praen is also unable to back down from an argument and
believes shouting is normally a winning tactic. if that fails,s, he
resorts to extreme violence.
6. Immensely fat, and with questionable hygiene, Inga is middle- ddle-
aged and much inured to the suffering around her. To her,, the
world is a hard place and you are either hunter or hunted. Dark
rumours accusing her of witchcraft and cannibalism circulate ulate
among the slaves, but these are untrue. In truth, she is just ust a
very unpleasant person.
7. Teuvo is masquerading as a slaver while he attempts to track rack
down and free his aged mother, taken in a slaving raid a year
ago. His mother—Irja—is a skilled jeweller and he believess she

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20 PIECES OF DUNGEON DRESSING FOR A SLAVERS’ COMPOUND
Slaver compounds are horrible places; to those imprisoned 12. Four thick books—the slavers' ledgers—fill a small shelf. Each
within, they are literally hell on earth. Here sentient beings are book is chained shut and fitted with a padlock. The slaver leader
bought and sold like any other good. Thus, the dungeon dressing carries the books' keys on his person at all times. The ledgers
the PCs encounter in a slaver compound should be different in contain details of not only the slavers' everyday activities but
such places, compared to a normal dungeon. also details of their far-flung agents and contacts.
Use the table below, to generate minor points of interest for 13. Scattered drops of dried blood decorate the floor. The drops
the PCs to discover during their adventure. grow smaller and more indistinct the further away they are
from the slave pens.
1. Four long leather whips hang from pegs driven into the wall. All 14. A brazier full of smouldering coals sits in one corner of the room.
have dried blood on their tips and well worn handles. Several branding irons are thrust deep into the coals, their
2. Two hoods without eye or mouth holes lie crumpled and handles wrapped tightly with worn leather. If pulled forth they
discarded on the floor. Both are sweaty and obviously much are red hot, and clearly ready for immediate use. Each has a
used. differently designed head: one has a stylised V design, another
3. A chalkboard on the wall displays a complicated tally system. features an H design and the final brand has an ornate Y design.
Clever PCs can divine the system relates to the various types of A close examination of the brands reveals flesh burnt onto their
slaves the slavers keep in their pens. heads.
4. A single smeared bloody handprint mars one wall. 15. A frayed tapestry depicting a high-sided ship with black sails
5. A set of stocks stands in the center of this chamber, on a raised wallowing in a heavy sea hangs from one wall. The tapestry is
dais. Several baskets of small rocks stand against one wall. PCs old and frayed. A dagger is concealed behind the tapestry.
examining the baskets discover dried blood on many of the 16. Daubed on the whitewashed wall in large faded black letters is
stones. the single word, “Obey.” Bloody handprints cover the
6. The stench of sweat and excrement hangs heavily in the air. The surrounding wall.
smell grows stronger the closer one gets to the slave pens. 17. The floor in this area is awash with dirty water. Four empty
7. One whitewashed wall has a price list of sorts daubed upon. The buckets lie nearby as do a pile of dirty cloths. From the sodden,
various kind of slaves—male, female, child, skilled and so on are dirt-streaked cloths it seems the slaves are washed here—
all listed—along with their price. On closer inspection, the PCs perhaps forcibly.
discover smudge marks suggesting the slavers change the price 18. Four iron rings large enough to run a chain through have been
of their captives. driven into the wall at about shoulder height for a human male.
8. The faint smell of urine reaches the PCs' nostrils. A suspiciously The inside of each ring is worn smooth, but the outsides are
dark patch of wall slightly further on indicates where someone rusty and scratched.
has relieved themselves. 19. Dried blood on the wall and floor show where at least one
9. A large pile of rusting chains lies in a haphazard heap in one person was savagely beaten. The stains—smeared and now
corner. Every set has either manacles or a neck collar attached. dry—are large and bear mute testimony to the violence
Twenty sets comprise the pile; perceptive PCs searching it find employed by the slavers to keep their charges under control.
a small hidden coffer containing a small coin trove. In total the 20. Straw covers the floor of this small area. Rings sunk into the wall
hoard comprises 123 cp and 49 sp. with short chains hanging limply decorate one wall. The smell
10. The initials GH and FR are faintly chipped into a wall low down of faeces and wet dog fill the air. Graffiti—mainly scratched into
near the floor. The carving is small and probably done hurriedly. the wall with stones hidden within the straw—covers the walls.
11. A discarded pile of clothes lies in the corner. Investigations Mainly the graffiti comprises dates and names. If the PCs are
reveal the clothes belonged to several different people—they searching for a particlar slave, this is a good place for them to
are of varying sizes and cuts. The clothes are filthy, ragged and find a clue.
infested with lice and flees. Anyone searching through the
clotheses could become similarly infested.

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20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A SLAVER’S BODY
Foul individuals trafficking in the blackest trade, slavers 10. A small set of rusting iron pliers with worn handles. Dried blood
accumulate many minor trinkets, treasures and keepsakes from mars the plier’s jaws and its crude spring squeaks loudly if the
their victims. When the victorious heroes rifle the bodies of their pliers are used.
fallen enemies, they likely come across such minor items of 11. This coil of seven-foot long bloody rope has been used as a
interest. A wise GM can use these items to build verisimilitude crude (and heavy) whip. One end of the rope is matted with
and depth to the encounter. After all, finding a couple of gold blood and hair; the other ends in a thick, tight knot.
coins is boring; finding a cracked and damaged locket obviously 12. A small pouch with a fold-over top holds a half dozen slender
ripped from around a young girl’s neck brings home the depths of knives. All are razor sharp and spotlessly clean. Some have very
evil too which slavers stoop to carrying out their heinous trade. strangely shaped tips. To a collector of torture equipment—or
Use the items below, to add minor points of interest to the perhaps an apothecary or necromancer—the set is worth 50 gp.
looting of slain slavers: 13. A bunch of nondescript keys hanging from a small, overloaded
ring. Some of the keys are worn and several are broken. One,
1. Four links of bloodstained chain ending in a single bloody however, unlocks the manacles used by the slavers, and is part
manacle fill this slaver’s pouch. (Close examination reveals hairs of a sick, twisted game played by this individual.
stuck in the dried blood on the manacle.) A snapped off key fills 14. Two creased, crumpled and sweat-stained black hoods. Neither
the manacle’s lock. has mouth or eye holes. Worryingly, both have draw strings
2. A long braid of blond hair wrapped around a slender, whittled enabling them to be tightly secured around the wearers’ heads.
stick of white wood protected by a scrap of red-hued silk fills 15. A small black branding iron; a stylised S forms the iron’s head.
this pouch. The hair looks clean and recently washed and is the The tips of the S end in crude snake heads. The iron is wrapped
slaver’s trophy harvested from a beautiful woman who fell into in bloody, scorched cloth.
his clutches. 16. A small half-full wineskin containing a powerful, but harsh,
3. A handful of tarnished and clipped silver and copper coins from brandy smelling strongly of blackberries.
a variety of different cultures and kingdoms. All are obviously 17. A large brass key with worn teeth. A strip of red-coloured string
old. hangs from one end. The key is too large to fit any of the locks
4. This small silver locket opens to reveal a tiny painting of a in the compound.
severe-looking woman wearing a ball gown. The clasp for the 18. A dirty, bloodstained strip of cloth wrapped around a two-foot
locket’s chain is broken—perhaps it was ripped from its owner’s long wooden cudgel. The cudgel’s handle is worn, suggesting it
neck. has seen prolonged use.
5. This slaver collected jewellery from his victims. His pouch holds 19. A nondescript brown hemp hood with crudely cut eye and
three earrings—one bronze pair and a single golden stud— mouth holes. The hood looks like it has been fashioned from a
along with a half-dozen rings. All are cheap “costume style” small sack. A splatter of dried blood covers the front.
pieces except for the single golden ear stud (which is worth 5 20. Two score individually cloth wrapped silver coins fill this small
gp). pouch which is
6. A battered leather scroll tube contains sketches of several secured with rope
individuals in suggestive poses. Every subject has a profoundly wrapped around and
sad or scared look on their face. The sketches, however, were around it. All are from
m
obviously rendered by a skilled artist. different nations or
7. Three teeth wrapped in a scrap of bloody cloth. Each has a gold kingdoms and have
filling (worth in total 1 gp). The teeth are badly cracked and different designs. Each
scoured—it looks like someone used pliers to extract them. individually wrapped
pped
8. A ripped yellow silk shirt, with a bloody cuff, rolled into a tight parcel is tied shut with
ball. The shirt is worth 5 gp if cleaned and repaired; otherwise, string.
because of its condition, it is essentially worthless.
9. Three six-sided bone dice with crudely inked pips. One of the
dice is loaded and always comes up on the number one. The
three dice sit inside a snug, custom made leather pouch with
the initials JF burnt into the lid.

130
S MUGGLERS ’ L AIR

131
20 MINOR TREASURES TO FIND IN A SMUGGLER’S STOREROOM
Smugglers are naughty chaps; intent on dodging the lawful taxes what they contain is anyone’s guess.
of the realm they work at night to bring in valuable or illegal items 10. This rough wooden box is roughly four-foot long and holds the
destined for the black market. crumbling bones of a halfling or gnome. In life, the deceased
Thus, smugglers’ lairs can offer up a great store of treasure for was a prominent citizen of a nearby town who was rumoured
adventurers intent on stamping out their nefarious doings. Note, to know certain secrets of the local nobility. A necromancer
many of the items listed below are not ordinary or typical desires these secrets and so has secured the individual’s bones
examples of a smuggler’s normal inventory and should be used to so he can use them to speak with dead.
round out the gang’s inventory. 11. A wooden case contains six bottles of exquisite elven wine; each
is worth 20 gp—even the bottles are delicate works of art.
1. Two small kegs of brandy stamped with the seal of a famed 12. This stiff and dry sheepskin glimmers in the light; silver flecks
distiller. Each keg weighs 10 lbs. and is worth 50 gp. impregnate the heavy fleece. It is worth 20 gp.
2. The lid of this small coffer is sealed with white wax. The coffer 13. A large cask of cracked salt worth 15 gp.
feels light if picked up as if it were empty. In reality, it contains 14. A single silk shirt wrapped voluminously in faded red cloth. The
ten sealed packets of exotic spices each sealed with wax and shirt is impregnated with bubonic plague and is destined to play
stamped with a seal depicting a stylised sailboat. The whole is centre stage in an upcoming assassination.
worth 150 gp. 15. A pile of fur pelts stuffed into several sacks. Among the more
3. One bolt of blue silk and one bolt of red silk wrapped tightly in common wolf, fix and rabbit pelts is a full owlbear pelt
an oversized sack. Each bolt contains enough material for five (complete with clawed hands and beaked head) and a thick,
cloaks and is worth 75 gp. gorgeous winter wolf pelt. Each of these atypical pelts is worth
4. A lidless chest holds six large clay jars packed with straw. Each 100 gp, while the others are worth a total of 25 gp.
of the jars holds peaches steeped in whisky. A current favourite 16. A robust chest contains several trade bars of precious metals of
among the local nobility, each jar is worth 20 gp. the type used by mints or jewellers. There are five silver bars
5. This large chest contains a mass of junk silver and gold including (each worth 5 gp), four gold bars (each worth 50 gp) and a
damaged coins, broken jewellery and blobs of already melted platinum bar (worth 500 gp). Each of the bars bears the crest of
down precious metal. Destined for a jeweller of dubious moral a nearby kingdom.
character, the chest weighs 150 lbs. The contents are worth 250 17. Six small flasks hold a rare red dye much in demand due to
gp. recent fashion changes. Each flask is worth 5 gp.
6. An exquisitely made silk and lace ball gown is wrapped in a wide 18. A small dark wood coffer contains 12 small packets of exotic
and soft roll of cotton. incense. The coffer is worth 20 gp and each packet is worth 15
7. This small finely crafted coffer contains an exquisite glass gp.
decanter along with four matching glasses. Nestled in a cushion 19. Six tightly sealed earthen jars hold preserved exotic fruits. Two
of blue velvet the set is with 80 gp. jars contain pineapples (worth 7 gp each) and three contain
8. This large barrel of middling to fair quality red wine contains a pomegranate segments (worth 7 gp each). The final jar is
secret. Hidden within—in a waterproof sack—are three scrolls cracked and contains nothing but rotting coconut.
of animate dead. The wine itself is worth 10 gp to a tavern or 20. A large cage contains a beaten and starved baby griffon
similar establishment. destined to be the plaything of a noble obsessed with owning
9. Wet sand fills lls this heavy barrel, which is covered in thick the most exotic mounts. Although cag caged and
blankets. Buried
uried within the maltreated the griffon is still a proud, violent
sand are two o large eggs the close to the
predator. Characters getting too clos
size of a human
man head. They shock.
cage could be in for a sho
are warm to the touch;

132
20 THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN A ROWBOAT
Adventurers often find themselves in rowboats. Perhaps they are 18. Angry, black rain clouds darken the horizon. After a few
rowing out to attacks smuggler lurking off the coast or fleeing the minutes, it is obvious they are moving toward the PCs’ boat.
burning wreck of their own larger vessel. 19. A fierce wind picks up, and the waves grow bigger. Controlling
In such situations, it's fun to have minor incidents of interest the boat becomes difficult, and the spray drenches everyone.
occur to add depth, flavour and verisimilitude to their journey. 20. Something thuds against the rowboat's hull below the
waterline, and the boat spring a leak. Unless rapid repairs are
1. A seagull flies overhead and splatters one of the boat's made, the boat sinks after about 30 minutes. Energetic bailing
occupants with excrement. can extend this time. A strong character bailing extends the
2. A largish wave hits the boat and the people on that side of the boat's "life" by 10 minutes if he bails for 10 minutes. After
boat get soaked. every hour of bailing, a character must rest or become
3. The boat bumps into a floating object like a piece of spar. fatigued. As many characters as are in the boat can bail,
4. A sudden swell threatens to pull an oar from a rower's hands. assuming they have something to scoop out the water.
If dropped, the oar floats nearby, but tantalisingly out of
reach. 12 THINGS TO FIND IN A ROWBOAT
5. A seabird alights on the bow of the boat and caws loudly at
1. Three black hooded cloaks are stuffed under one of the
the occupants.
rowboat’s benches. They are all slightly wet, and smell of salt.
6. Something large bumps against the bottom of the boat.
2. A thick sack shoved into the rowboat’s stern holds a small
7. A school of fish swims about the boat for a while before
leather bag filled with hard tack, three water flasks and a small
suddenly dispersing.
half full flask of brandy.
8. A large seagull swoops down and tries to grab some food from
3. The two shards of a broken oar lie at the bottom of the boat.
the hand of one of the boat's occupants.
4. A wooden bucket with a rope handle lies on its side at the
9. The rowboat has a small leak and begins to slowly fill with
bottom of the boat. Nearby lies a couple of simple fishing rods
water. Ten minutes bailing every hour is sufficient to keep
and a pouch containing a half-dozen colourful lures.
ahead of the leak.
5. A large piece of canvas is draped over the boat’s stern to create
10. A larger swell rocks the boat. Anyone standing up must make
a sheltered, but cramped, cabin of sorts. Within, lies a single
brace themselves or fall into the water.
damp bedroll along with a change of plain, but sturdy peasant’s
11. The black shadow of some large aquatic beast glides below
clothes.
the boat.
6. A small cupboard at the stern holds a battered lantern, three
12. A sudden squall passes over the rowboat, soaking everyone
flasks of oil and a tinderbox wrapped in oilskin. A mildewed
within. The rain only lasts 2d10 minutes.
blanket fills the bottom shelf.
13. One of the rowboat's oars suddenly cracks and 1d6 minutes
7. A 20 ft. length of damp rope is coiled around one of the
later it snaps in half. Unless the PCs have a spare or use magic
rowboat’s benches. The rope smells of tar.
to fix the broken oar, their movement rate is halved.
8. This rowboat must have a small leak somewhere. An inch or so
14. While rowing, one of the PCs snags a shredding fishing net.
of seawater fills the bottom of the boat and a wooden bucket—
Clearly, something large and powerful destroyed it.
perhaps used for bailing—lies nearby.
15. The rowboat passes through a small patch of floating debris.
9. Four empty wine flasks lie scattered about the boat. A fifth flask
Sadly, there is nothing of value to recover from among the
yet holds the dregs of some truly terrible wine.
splinters of wood, waterlogged (empty) sack and scraps of
10. A fishing net lies neatly piled at one end of the boat and is tied
sail.
to the bow with a long length of line. Next to the net stands a
16. The boat attracts the attention of a small flock of seagulls.
cut-down barrel half filled with seawater.
They swoop and soar in the air above the boat. Throwing food
11. This rowboat has a short mast that can be raised or lowered. A
into the water distracts them.
large emblem of a soaring seagull decorates the sail’s yellowing
17. One of the boat's occupants thinks he saw a swimmer about
canvas.
50 ft. away. A wave obscures him momentarily from view, and
12. A dozen or so heavy planks fill the bottom of this rowboat,
no one else spots anything of note. The swimmer does not
making it ride low in the water.
reappear.

133
20 THINGS TO DISCOVER ON A BEACH
Whether the adventurers are escaping the wreck of their sinking 16. The rotting corpse of a long snake-like creature lies sprawled at
ship or lying in wait for smugglers to bring ashore their illicit the high tide mark. A rotten stench hangs about the corpse;
goods, they often end up on wave-lashed beaches. And often, the scavengers have dined extensively upon its flesh.
restless sea has deposited other things on the beach. 17. A rowboat has been pulled far up on the beach. It contains a set
of oars and a backpack holding a day’s rations, a flask of
1. Thick clumps of seaweed cover a tangle of driftwood deposited vinegarish wine and some fishing equipment. Of the owner,
at the high tide mark. there is no sign.
2. The broken body of a large crab the size of a rat bobs in the 18. A cairn overlooks the beach. Moss grows over the stones and a
shallows. Its shell has been ripped off. smattering of wild flowers cover the surrounding area.
3. The rotten corpse of a dolphin bobs in the water just off shore. 19. Several large boulders dominate one part of the beach. On the
Several seagulls perch on the corpse and tear at its flesh. largest—which is fully 20 ft. high—someone has built a small
4. A ship’s battered and broken figurehead lies just above the high bonfire. It is not yet lit.
tide line. The burnt—now rotten wood—depicts a mailed 20. A body bobs in the surf. Investigations reveal it to be of a human
female warrior. Part of her outstretched arm is missing. male who has been in the water for some time. Although the
5. A leather flask floats in a rock pool. The flask has been sealed body is decomposing and has been worried by scavengers a
with wax, and inside inquisitive PCs discover the map for a small large knife wound is evident in his back.
island depicting a raised headland, a stylised hut and a wrecked
ship. The island has a distinctive shape and a skilled sailor or 10 PIECES OF FLOTSAM & JETSAM
knowledgeable local knows its name and rough location.
1. The shattered, sodden remain of a wooden crate. One side of
Alternatively, a sage or other learned individual versed in
the crate is smashed and splintered. A merchant’s sigil—a
geography can identify the island for a small fee.
balanced set of scales—is still visible burned into the wood.
6. A broken oar, missing half its paddle is wedged into a crack
2. A splintered deck plank has been worn smooth by the tread of
between two large rocks. Something possessing considerably
many feet.
strength obviously shattered the oar.
3. A ripped piece of brown hemp sackcloth. The sack is still tied
7. One leg bone from a human-sized creature lies tangled up
with a gaudy red string, but its bottom has been ripped out.
among a mass of seaweed and driftwood.
4. A large branch stripped of all lesser growths and leaves. It shows
8. A rotting seagull carcass—one wing missing—lies broken in a
signs of being gnawed at one end.
cleft between two rocks. Insects swarm over the corpse.
5. The rotten, half-eaten carcass of a large fish. Its head yet
9. The remains of a wooden crate float in the water a score of feet
remains vaguely intact, but something has removed its eyes.
offshore. If any character retrieves it, they discover the crate is
6. A small wooden cask. The cask is watertight and miraculously
empty. Perceptive characters spot partial tooth marks in the
not much water has found its way inside. If the lid is pried off,
wood below the water line. Judging by the tooth mark whatever
the PCs discover a mass of straw. Packed within the straw are a
attacked the crate was obviously quite large.
dozen packets of exotic spices (worth 75 gp in total).
10. Someone has dug a deep hole—perhaps as deep as a man is
7. The ripped shreds of a large fishing net; the decomposing body
tall—in the beach above the high tide line. Water has seeped
of a large fish caught in the net either anchors it to the beach or
into the hole, obscuring the bottom.
keeps it just below the water’s surface.
11. Several holes have been dug in the beach seemingly at random
8. A small, beautifully carved wooden fish. The fish is exquisitely
spots. At the bottom of one, a spade—its handle snapped in
detailed and obviously took a long time to craft. The sigil of the
half—lies discarded by its owner.
sea god is carved into the fish’s back. (This is an offering to the
12. The prow of a rowboat sticks out of the sand halfway down the
sea god made by a merchant before an important voyage).
beach. Digging for 20 minutes in the wet sand reveals the rest
9. A ragged pair of bright green trousers. The seat of the trousers
of the remains. A small sack containing some spoiled food, and
is missing—all that remains is a jagged hole clearly made by
a still good flask of brandy is wedged under one of the boat’s
something large…with teeth.
partially collapsed seats.
10. A large chunk of black porous, buoyant rock. The rock could
13. Pieces of flotsam and jetsam fill the rock pools on this beach.
have been floating in the sea for decades—it slowly made its
14. A swarm of crabs crawl amongst a swath of seaweed covering
way here from some distant volcanic island—or it could be the
much of the beach.
result of some pirate wizard’s bizarre experiment.
15. A barrel bobs in the water just off shore. It holds a couple of
pints of wine, but is otherwise empty.

134
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A SEA CAVE
Adventurers are always investigating remote and isolated sea worked. The passageway comes to an abrupt halt after about
caves in search of smugglers. Although not all such places serve 30 ft.
as a smuggler’s lair such places are rarely devoid of interesting 12. Bizarrely, the shattered curve of part of a stone archway is
features. visible in the water at low tide.
13. Small fish swarm in the water. The fishing here is particularly
1. A thick line of seaweed—rife with hundreds of tiny crabs— easy.
marks the high tide mark. The tangy smell of salt hangs thickly 14. The cave's mouth is wide, but low. Within, the cavern roof is
in the air. much higher, but its low mouth makes entering the cave several
2. Flotsam and jetsam bobs in the water, bumping against the slick hours either side of high tide impossible without a short
cave walls. underwater swim.
3. Deep rock pools dot the cave's foreshore. Surprisingly large 15. At the rear of the cave, a small stream of freshwater trickles out
crabs lurk within. of a narrow fissure in the rock.
4. The cold remains of a campfire stand on a stony promontory. 16. A rock fall fills one corner of the cave. It looks unstable, even to
5. A battered rowboat—its mooring line floating nearby—bobs in the untrained eye. The next storm will carry away several
the water near the cave mouth. Of its occupants, there is no boulders at its base, causing the rest to collapse. Beyond, lies a
sign, but congealed blood covers the only oar still in the boat. previously unknown and unexplored passageway.
6. A ledge high up on one wall holds a multitude of burnt, melted 17. Remnants of carven stone steps rise out of the water. Several of
candles. The rock above is blackened with soot. the lower steps have been all but worn away by the remorseless
7. A precarious tower of single stones piled one on top of another tides and slick green slime covers much of the remaining
stands upon a prominent rock overlooking the water. The stonework.
slightest touch causes it to collapse. 18. Incongruously, a large sodden branch still bedecked with many
8. A small cairn toward the back of the caverns protects the body leaves bobs in the water.
of a fallen adventurer. Explorers digging through the cairn 19. This cave is, or was, something of a lover's grotto. Graffiti
discover scraps of bone and rotting or rusted equipment. scratched into the walls proclaims many couple's undying love
9. Oval, black barnacles grow in profusion below the waterline of for one another.
the cave. Most seem normal, but a few have odd purple flecks 20. The rock around this sea cave's mouth is covered by lush
upon their surface. vegetation that hangs down and obscures the entrance. Within,
10. The cave is bereft of seaweed, except for one corner where a pile of large stones serves as a small altar. Crude holy symbols
someone or something has created a great mound of the stuff. daub the walls and various esoteric sigils (drawn with various
Within, swarms of tiny crabs lair. different coloured chalk) complete the decorations. The air here
11. A small passageway leads away from the cave mouth. is noticeably colder.
Perceptive PCs notice signs the ceiling has been at least partially

135
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A SMUGGLER’S LAIR
Smugglers often lurk in hidden, isolated caves. Such locales 14. The smugglers use this hole in the floor as a dump of sorts. The
provide the perfect base from which to pursue their nefarious hole is linked to the sea and tidal; thus rubbish does not build
profession. However, such places are rare pristinely tidy and up too much. However, fish bones, bits of shredded cloth and
without points of minor interest to exploring adventurers. More other rubbish cover the surrounding floor. A small cat—pet to
one of the smugglers—lurks here playing with a mouldering fish
1. A discarded sack lies against one wall; grain—now rotten—spills corpse. It hisses at intruders.
from a rip near its base and covers the floor. Footprints are 15. Here the floor level changes dramatically. The smugglers have
evident in the grain and could give the PCs a clue about who has built a rickety wood stair out of planks salvaged from a wreck.
recently passed this way. Although basically sound, the stairs creak if any great weight is
2. A crude map depicting the coastline and showing several little placed upon them; this sound could warn any smugglers lurking
known isolated coves and sea caves covers one wall. Drawn in nearby.
chalk, the smugglers try to rub it out if they know they are being 16. An empty wineskin lies discarded on the floor; the faint smell of
attacked as it shows the locations of several of their secret acidic red wine emanates from the skin.
caches. 17. The furniture here—a table, two benches and a high-backed
3. This area smells of sweat and faeces. Several sets of manacles chair—are all expertly crafted from driftwood. Although they
are affixed to the wall with iron chains running through loops have no real value, a gullible eccentric could pay perhaps 20 gp
driven deep into the stone. for the set.
4. Several sets of wet, homespun clothes lie draped over several 18. A ship’s lantern hangs from the ceiling at the end of a short
natural folds in the cavern wall. Damp from immersion in the chain. In turn, the chain is wrapped around a jagged rocky
sea, the clothes are encrusted with salt. outcrop which causes the lantern to sway gently. Three flasks of
5. A pile of fishing nets fill one corner of the cavern. Bits of lamp oil lie against the wall.
seaweed cling to the sodden nets and a small puddle of 19. Some acoustic fluke fills this section of caves with the sound of
saltwater has gathered below them. crashing surf, making conversation difficult. However, the
6. A carving of a sailing ship running under full sail before a raging pounding of the waves against the cliffs also makes it much
storm covers one cave wall. The carving has obviously taken easier to sneak about quietly.
hours—if not days—of skilled work and cleverly uses the rock’s 20. Several strange, almost sinuous outcroppings of rock protrude
natural folds to depict the storm clouds. from one wall. From one angle, they look a little bit like
7. The tang of salt and the smell of smoke hang heavily in the air. tentacles—as if some terrible aquatic beast of the deep had
8. A half-full barrel of fresh(ish) water stands against one wall. A been petrified in some way and melded into the cavern wall.
small bucket—really nothing more than an oversized tankard—
perches atop the barrel’s lid. 12 PORTABLE GOODS
9. Three barrels holding salt water, but without their lids, line one
1. 12 small packets of pepper (each weighs 1 lb. and is worth 2 gp).
wall. Two of the barrels hold nothing but water while at the
2. Four bottles of fine red wine (each worth 5 gp).
bottom of the third lurk several crabs destined for the
3. Four packets of tea (each weighs 1 lb. and is worth 5 gp).
smugglers’ stew.
4. A bag of ermine fur (weighs 5 lbs., worth 25 gp).
10. An old, rusted harpoon leans against one wall; faint carvings of
5. A gigantic wolf pelt (weighs 10 lbs., worth 20 gp).
cresting waves decorate half of the weapon’s shaft.
6. A small wooden box full of grey powder mixed with small bone
11. Several niches pierce the walls; the entrance to each is obscured
fragments (weighs. 10 lbs., worth—to a necromancer—50 gp).
by a tarpaulin nailed to the wall with several pitons.
7. A pouch of diamond dust (weighs 1.2 lb., worth 250 gp).
Investigations reveal the niches serve as cramped,
8. A bundle of exquisite lace (weighs 3 lb., worth 15 gp).
uncomfortable places for the smugglers to rest.
9. Three bolts of silk (red, yellow and blue; each weighs 1/2 lb. and
12. A large, haphazard pile of driftwood—destined for the
is worth 4 gp.
smugglers’ fires—fills part of this area. The wood is sodden and
10. A roll of red velvet (weighs 6 lb., worth 16 gp) in a sack.
difficult to light.
11. A small wooden box packed with straw within which is carefully
13. A small shrine dedicated to the goddess of the sea and storms
placed 10 perfume vials (weighs 10 lbs., worth 30 gp).
fills a small wall niche; half-burnt candles and a few coins serve
12. Six packets of coffee (weighs 12 lb., worth 90 gp).
as votive offerings to placate the goddess and her capricious
moods.

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20 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A SMUGGLER’S BODY
Smugglers pick up many things on their day-to-day travels. 14. A stone figurine of the capricious sea god is draped with
Perhaps they've purloin a little bit of merchandise from a seaweed and jammed into a pouch barely big enough to take
shipment or engaged in other nefarious activity. the statuette.
No matter how they came into his possession, a smuggler is 15. This ragged yellow velvet cloak is ripped at the hem and bears
bound to have some small knickknack about his person when several obvious, but unidentifiable, stains. In its current state,
encountered by the PCs. the cloak looks worthless. However, if cleaned and cannibalised
to make a short cape, the garment could be sold for 2 gp.
1. This small, dented steel hip flask is full of cheap brandy. A 16. Carvings of crashing waves decorate this small wooden box
terribly engraved crest of a sailing ship decorates one side. holding several small keepsakes: a lock of blond hair, a small
2. This pouch contains a black scarf large enough to be wrapped painting of a plain-looking woman with similar coloured hair
around the lower part of its owner's head. It smells of salt and and several wisps of silken fabric.
sweat. 17. A small flask of linseed wood, a grimy cloth and several small
3. These fine, much-worn, but well maintained, thigh-high leather knives all stored in the smuggler’s backpack identifies him as a
boots conceal a thin dagger in a specially made sheath sown woodcarver.
into the left boot. 18. A strip of woollen blanket is wrapped round the battered
4. This voluminous scarlet cloak has a similarly all-concealing remains of a spyglass, which is missing most of its lease; only
hood. Several hidden pouches sown into the cloak's lining are glass shards remain.
large enough to contain a full coin pouch or several pieces of 19. A thick pair of sealskin gloves is wrapped round this smuggler’s
jewellery and the like. broad leather belt. The gloves are in excellent condition.
5. A small bag holds several clumps of dried seaweed cut into small 20. This smuggler wore a clever crafted pouch wrapped around his
strips. The pouch smells strongly of salt and the sea. left ankle. Lying almost flush to the skin, only a careful search
6. This smuggler wears a golden earring crafted to resemble a reveals its presence. Inside, the smuggler hid four small black
leaping dolphin, in his left ear. The earring is tarnished and worn stones (onyx, each worth 20 gp).
and the tiny gems that once filled its eye sockets have long since
fallen out and been lost. 6 THINGS TO FIND IN A CARGO HOLD
7. Clad in faded and ripped clothes, this smuggler had clearly fallen
1. A common lamp hangs from the hold’s ceiling. The lamp is
on hard times. Observant PCs searching the body discover a
clearly faulty—oil drips from its base and pools on the floor. Not
worn gold ring on one of the man’s toes. The ring is worth 10
only could someone slip and fall here, an open flame might
gp.
prove disastrous.
8. A necklace of long, sharp teeth—perhaps from a small shark or
2. Boxes and barrels fill the hold from floor to ceiling. One
other marine predator—hangs around this smuggler’s neck. The
particular pile seems precariously balanced...
teeth, hanging from a thin leather thong—clack to together in
3. The carcass of a dead rat lies on the floor; its back is broken. Of
an annoying way when the wearer moves (which reduces the
what killed the rat, there is no sign.
chance he has of moving silently).
4. A sailor lies behind several crates clearly maneuvered to shield
9. This wide leather belt has a secret compartment big enough to
a small, shadowy recess. He is dead drunk; a flask lies near his
hold five coins. Only observant PCs examining the belt are likely
outstretched hand.
to find the (empty) compartment.
5. The chattering and scuttling of rats comes to the PCs’ ears. From
10. This smuggler owned an old map of the surrounding coastline.
the volume, it seems the hold is literally infested with the
The map is old, faded and torn in two. It is, however, carefully
things.
rolled up around a short length of smooth, polished wood and
6. The lid of a long, low box set carefully against the far wall is
stored in a small leather belt pouch.
loose. The box smells of damp earth. Within, earth fills the box.
11. A pouch at this smuggler’s waist holds a lump of driftwood,
PCs searching through the soil find it riddled with plant seeds.
partly whittled into the shape of a great whale.
The seeds are from a rare and expensive species of rose; the
12. A small pouch holds strips of dried fish wrapped in thin cloth.
whole is bulky—it weights 400 lbs.—but worth 125 gp. (Of
The fish is chewy and tastes of salt and smoke.
course, paranoid PCs may at first suspect a vampire lairs within.)
13. This smuggler wore a jaunty, wide-brimmed hat decorated with
a thin crimson sash.

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S U BTERRAN EAN M INE

139
12 PERILS TO ENCOUNTER IN A MINE
Mining is a dangerous endeavour even under the best of 7. A rickety rope bridge spans a seemingly bottomless 20-foot
circumstances. Introduce elements of fantasy into them and only wide chasm. Anyone attempting to cross the bridge without
the bravest or foolhardiest would dare venture into a mine. What first making some necessary repairs to it are in danger of it
creatures have taken up residence and now use the perils listed giving way beneath their feet.
below to their advantage? 8. A tunnel with moist walls overgrown with a pale blue fungus
induces a soporific effect on creatures breathing the damp air.
1. A boarded over hole in the tunnel floor is all but hidden by a Any creature spending more than a few minutes in the tunnel
thick layer of dust and rubble. The boards collapse under any fall into a deep slumber, as evidenced by a nearby skeleton
significant weight and drop the hapless explorer into a smooth, partially hidden by the fungus.
steep chute that deposits them into a chamber on a lower level. 9. A wide underground stream cuts across the tunnel ahead,
2. A rough hole in the tunnel wall is blocked by the skeletal exiting through a large hole near the tunnel wall and dropping
remains of some poor unfortunate miner; his arms are away into the unknown. Crossing the stream means contending
outstretched into the tunnel and may snag an unwary explorer. with fast-flowing cold water and a slippery streambed that
A large chamber lies beyond the hole; the air within becomes could sweep the unwary into the depths. After rain, the stream
increasingly noxious the further inside one ventures. becomes a raging torrent.
3. A large pool of water covers the tunnel floor. The tunnel has 10. An explosive pocket of gas fills this area. It instantly ignites when
flooded from below; a deep shaft at the bottom of the pool links any sort of flame or strong heat source is introduced. Cautious
the tunnel with a large flooded chamber with numerous exits. explorers might note the area’s fire-blackened walls, floor and
4. The recently deceased corpse of a prospector or explorer leans ceiling.
against an abandoned mine cart filled with bones. The strangely 11. A set of old, rusted mining cart tracks leads into a completely
desiccated corpse is discoloured and disfigured, clear signs of black tunnel that doesn’t seem to permit natural light of any
the virulent disease that awaits anyone foolish enough to sort. The darkness is impenetrable to all but magical light.
investigate too closely. 12. The tunnel walls are veined with a peculiar type of crystal that
5. A large hole with smooth sides in the tunnel floor hinders refracts and reflects light in myriad directions, making it difficult
further progress. Likely made by some large burrowing to see. Creatures relying on sight may find themselves at a
creature, it drops straight
g down before curvingg out of sight.
g disadvantage trying to navigate or
Anyone getting within 5 defend themselves in such
feet of the hole runs the tunnels.
risk of the broken,
crumbling edge giving
way beneath their
feet.
6. Thick, stickyy
webbing fills a
long section of
tunnel. The
webs can be
burned away
easily over the
course of
several minutes,
but this fills the
tunnel with a
thick, foul-smellingg haze.

140
20 HAUNTINGS TO ENCOUNTER IN A MINE
Tales of haunted mines abound and are a traditional venue for 14. The faint smell of noxious gas reaches the PCs’ nostrils, followed
exploration and treasure seeking. Mines are also renowned for by the hazy outlines of choking faces that fade in and out of view
unexplained sounds and events that can leave even the bravest and the very limit of the party's lights.
souls trembling. The hauntings below can add a sense of tragedy 15. Two rows of chains are suspended from the tunnel roof,
to any mine adventure. (The GM should remember to tweak the dropping down to just short of the floor. They begin swaying
various hauntings to suit the mine's owners, its history and so on): and clanking as if something just ran between them.
16. A skeletal figure lies sprawled at an intersection, one arm
1. A billowing cloud of smoke hurtles down the tunnel, leaving pointing towards a side tunnel. Anyone approaching feels a
those caught within it gasping for air and unable to see. It dramatic drop in temperature and the unmistakable feeling of
dissipates just as quickly as it appears, leaving behind the being watched.
lingering smell of charred flesh. 17. A voice cries out as the ghastly visage of a large rat swarm
2. A tunnel floor of dried mud entombs the partial remains of comes into view. The swarm disperses and fades away,
several skeletons. The sound of rushing water with no apparent revealing the mauled remains of a miner lying sprawled on the
source fills the air. floor.
3. The distant clanging of a bell comes from behind, as whispering 18. Glints of gold seem evident now and then in a small stream
voices seem to pass by headed in its direction. trickling passed. When investigated, the water swirls with blood
4. A wooden cross piece with a hangman’s noose suspended from and becomes littered with bones.
it spans the bottom of a ventilation shaft. It sways gently in a 19. A pillar of sunlight streams in from a ventilation shaft piercing
non-existent breeze and faint choking sounds can be heard. the ceiling above an intersection. Spectral miners are
5. A small bird noiselessly flies into sight out of the darkness and occasionally outlined as they pass through the patchy of faint
crashes to the tunnel floor. It weakly flutters about before lying light.
still and disappearing. 20. Small blue flames lead explorers to an isolated alcove with a
6. The sound of heavy footsteps accompanies the party as they narrow vertical shaft in the floor. The mouldering offerings of
traverse a certain tunnel. It sounds as if someone wearing heavy the miners cast into the depths fill the bottom half of the shaft.
boots is walking alongside the PCs. Moist footprints appear on
the stone floor before quickly fading away. 10 STRANGE SOUNDS
7. An overturned wheelbarrow, surrounded by a low cloud of dust,
1. The faint rhythmic clinking of metal on stone reaches the party’s
comes into view. The upturned wheel is still spinning, as if the
ears. The mine’s acoustics make it hard to determine from
upset had just occurred.
which direction the sound is coming.
8. The ghostly visage of a sobbing miner kneels against the tunnel
2. The clatter of rocks from up ahead heralds several rocks falling
wall, staring deeper into the mine. When approached, he
from the ceiling in an unstable part of the mine.
suddenly stands and runs into the darkness.
3. The sound of running water comes from behind a wall.
9. Shadows cast by the party's lights take on the form of hunched
4. The pitter-patter of dripping water hints at a wet section of
miners wielding various mining implements. They become
tunnel ahead.
locked in battle with one another before fading away to
5. A rumbling roar marks a major rock fall somewhere in the mine.
nothingness. Dried blood covers the tunnel walls, here.
6. Barely audible distant singing, in an indistinct language, echoes
10. Light from several torches crosses a distant intersection
through the mine.
accompanied by the echoing sound of conversing voices.
7. A faint moan grows louder and louder until the area the PCs are
11. A rumbling sound begins to crescendo and culminates in what
in is filled with a great gust of wind. As quickly as it arrives, the
sounds like a cave-in, followed by muffled and fading screams.
wind subsides.
12. Twisted and leering faces seem to take shape in the walls, out
8. A cackling sound—akin to that of a madman—sounds from
of the corner of the PCs’ eyes. The faces disappear, if anyone
somewhere in the darkness.
looks at them.
9. The clip clop of hooves on stone betrays the presence of a beast
13. A light mist forms and follows the explorers. It eventually
of burden somewhere in the vicinity.
coalesces into a roughly humanoid form that motions them to
10. A dull roar echoes through the mine; the sounds is so intense
silence by bringing a finger to its mouth, before fading away.
rock dust sifts down from the ceiling.

141
20 STRANGE DISCOVERIES TO MAKE IN A MINE
The underground is a realm of tunnels and pits, replete with 16. A dozen pottery shards are partially embedded in the walls. The
ancient relics and long-forgotten mysteries. Sometimes the markings are obviously ancient, but belong to no culture the PCs
burrowing of creatures intent on looting the earth of its riches recognize.
uncovers such strange occurrences and wandering PCs discover 17. A rusted mass of springs and spikes pins an ancient desiccated
them in the course of their adventures. corpse to a wall. Perhaps this is a trap—or some terrible
punishment—from a forgotten age.
1. Massive yellowed bones line the walls ahead; this passage 18. Thin veins of iron spiral around the length of the tunnel for a
weaves through the ribcage and emerges through the jaws of a hundred feet. They spark with electricity, but are harmless.
gigantic ancient dragon skeleton. 19. The air hangs thick with humidity, and one wall is boiling hot.
2. Thousands of rat skulls comprise the walls of the tunnel for The sound of rushing water from beyond the wall drowns out
nearly a hundred feet. Millennia have turned them to stone, all but shouted conversation.
and some have grown stalactites. 20. Off the main path, well-worn green steps lead down to a solid
3. Waves of heat and choking gases pour from a tunnel offshoot. wall of onyx. Judging by their steep angle and massive size, this
A dull red glow suggests magma flows somewhere beyond. passage was not made for human feet.
4. A giant mirrored piece of metal blocks the passage. It is
impossible to say with any certainty if the object is natural or 10 STRANGE SMELLS
crafted.
1. A dank, mouldy smell fills this area. Investigation reveals several
5. A thousand holy symbols of forgotten religions fill a shallow pit
of the pit props are rotten.
in a small off-shoot tunnel.
2. This whole area smells strongly of urine. A large, suspicious stain
6. Mild acid drips from the ceiling and pools on the floor before
on the wall suggests some kind of large creature recently
continuing its journey through the rock. The acid irritates the
relieved itself here.
skin, but is otherwise harmless.
3. The stale, fetid smell of sweat hangs in the air. The smell is
7. The sound of rushing water suggests an underground stream up
strongest in a small alcove low down to the floor.
ahead, but the liquid dripping from the walls is blood red and
4. A sudden gust of air brings smells wholly out of place in a mine:
smells of copper.
the smell of smoke and cooking meat.
8. Two desiccated corpses lie frozen in fatal conflict. Between
5. An indistinct haze, along with the faint smell of ozone, hangs in
them sits a fist-sized lump of pyrite, or “fool’s gold.”
the air. The haze isn’t thick enough to obscure vision.
9. For several hundred feet, the tunnel is carved through a deposit
6. The overpowering, heavy stench of some noxious chemical—
of sparkling white quartz. The quartz is worthless—it crumbles
perhaps a poisonous gas—fills this area. Those breathing in the
if chipped from the walls—but dazzling in such concentration.
smell get a cloying nauseous feeling in their throats and could
10. Every few minutes, a deep, sonic pulse echoes through the
become violently sick.
mine. The pulse is barely audible but causes dust and grit to sift
7. A strange off-white mould with long, fibrous tendrils clings to
down from the ceiling. It is irregular and ceases before the PCs
this wet patch of tunnel wall; the stench of rot fills the air.
can confirm its point of origin.
8. The water dripping down into the tunnel reacts with the metals
11. A dense blue mist sublimates from the walls, filling the tunnel
in the rock to create a mild metallic smell.
and obscuring vision beyond 5 ft. The mist smells oddly sweet
9. The pit props in this section of mine are charred and the stench
and leaves a sticky residue on everything it touches.
of smoke hangs heavily in the air. Perceptive characters may
12. The PCs’ metal equipment pulls them towards the walls where
also detect the faint smell of burnt flesh.
lumps of magnetic lodestone jut from the rock.
10. The surprisingly out of place cloying scent of expensive lady’s
13. A deep pit drops 30 feet onto the massive upturned three-eyed
perfume fills the passageway.
head of a hideous stone idol of alien aspect. The remainder of
the statue remains buried—deliberately.
14. The walls are covered in soot except for the morbid silhouettes
of several humanoid figures.
15. The tunnel passes through a house-sized cavern, wherein a
giant lies interred. His bony hands still clutch a stone club and
he is adorned with an obsidian crown untouched by time.

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20 THINGS TO FIND IN AN ABANDONED MINE
Many races delve deep below the earth in search for precious 14. A rotting chest stands in an alcove. Within linger the remains of
metals and gems, and adventurers often explore such places in rations and several desiccated water flasks.
search of treasure and to stamp out monstrous infestations 15. The skeletal remains of a pony lie in front of an overturned mine
commonly found therein. cart. The cart partially blocks the passageway and examination
of the skeleton reveals the animal likely broke a leg and was left
1. The haft of a pickaxe lies in the floor. Nearby, the rest of it is here to die.
embedded in a wall. 16. Deep cracks pierce the ceiling of a large section of tunnel. As the
2. A bucket filled with rubble stands against one wall. Stuffed PCs approach the area, the rocks groan alarmingly and dust sifts
between it and the wall is a shard of seemingly unremarkable down from above.
rock wrapped in a dirty sack. 17. Thick spider webs cover the entrance to a side tunnel. A faint,
3. An (inanimate) skeletal arm clad in rags emerges from a caved but unpleasant, smell emerges from the tunnel. The spider is
in section of tunnel. long dead, but the desiccated remains of its victims yet remain.
4. At this point in the tunnel, a mine cart lies on its side. It partially 18. A ripped and torn backpack lies in the deep dust covering the
blocks the tunnel and rubble lies all about. floor. Dried blood covers the back portion of the pack (which is
5. Water drips down from the ceiling forming a small pool on the empty).
floor. 19. Here, the miners carved several niches in the tunnel wall and
6. One of the wooden roof supports has collapsed and fallen to the filled them with candles and votive offerings to the various gods
ground. Ominously, a small pile of rubble lies around the fallen of the underworld. All are covered in dust but, along with many
support perhaps hints the roof is unstable. partially burnt candles, looters can recover 15 gp in old mixed
7. An iron bar gate blocks off access to a side tunnel. The gate is coinage.
old and its lock is rusted into immobility. Beyond the 20. Up head, the tunnel splits in two and goes around a large
passageway extends 10 ft., before turning away to the east. column of tremendously dense rock. A whitewashed arrow
8. Minerals in the tunnel’s walls glimmer in the party’srty’s lights. They points down one tunnel.
are worthless, but pretty nonetheless.
9. A sinkhole pierces the passage’s floor blocking further
urther progress.
The sinkhole is 5 ft. wide and 120 ft. deep. Danger nger lurks here
for the far side of the sinkhole is unstable; anyonenyone jumping
across and landing within 5 ft. of the edge causes es an additional
collapse, which drops unfortunate adventurers rers into the
lightless depths below.
10. Phosphorescent mould grows along one wall and nd part of the
ceiling. The mould is green and harmless. s. Observant
adventurers notice it seems to undulate gently. ly. (Its thick
growth obscures several small worked holes in the wall
that lead to an air shaft).
11. A barrel full of rusting mining equipment—picks, ks,
spades etc.—stands in an alcove. The equipment nt is
worthless, and rapidly falls apart if put to its intended
ended
use.
12. A shaft pierces the ceiling. It extends upward d linking up
with an upper level. A faint cold breeze issues fromom the
shaft and—occasionally—strange sounds are also so
discernible.
13. From somewhere far away comes the sounds
of miners at work. Later, the party come
across an area of tunnel in which the air is full
of rock dust. Of the miners, there is no sign.

143
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A MINE
Mining is an ancient effort shared by many races. Even active 17. Off to the side sits a wheelbarrow with a single metal wheel.
mines may come across problems which require the help of skilled The barrow is full of fist-sized chunks of rock.
adventurers, whether it be to roust a pesky beast or explore a 18. The walls are worked with such delicacy that they are smooth
newly-discovered underground cavern. as glass to the touch; this must have required a significant
amount of time, but there seems to be no reason why anyone
1. The tunnel floor is marred with deep ruts worn by steel-clad would expend that much effort.
wooden cart wheels. Slippery moss grows in patches between 19. The floor slopes down into a lower area full of a strong, sour gas
the ruts. smell. One minute spent in the area probably causes any
2. A pulley hangs from the ceiling. The rope dangling from it has creature to become sickened; after ten minutes they could lose
an empty wooden bucket tied to one end. The other disappears consciousness.
into a deep shaft in the floor. 20. A crude sign nailed to a support beam says “For the Knockers”.
3. A donkey cart sits to one side with its harness still attached. It Beneath lies a pile of half-eaten food in various states of decay.
contains three days’ worth of dry rations for four people.
4. Small recesses at head height, one every ten-foot or so, line the 12 THINGS TO LOOT FROM A MINER
walls. One of them contains a metal lantern which emits a cool,
1. The stubs of a dozen candles fills the miner’s pouch.
pale light that can’t be extinguished.
2. A scrap of cloth is wrapped around a small nub of jerky (of an
5. The floor ahead is littered with diamond shards that glitter like
unidentifiable meat).
stars. There is about 50 gp worth of diamond bits, but collecting
3. Small pieces of rock—some containing tiny amount of a
them all takes about 30 minutes.
glittering metal—fills the miner’s pouch.
6. A small metal cage dangles from a metal hook driven into the
4. An empty oil flask hangs from the miner’s belt along with a belt
tunnel’s ceiling. A brightly coloured, but miserable-looking, bird
pouch holding a tinder box and a ragged, sweat-stained cloth.
sits on a perch inside
5. This miner wore a pack containing a carefully wrapped set of
7. A six-foot stick lies along the wall. It has a half-used candle
spare clothes that are surprisingly clean.
lashed to one end.
6. This miner carried a pickaxe strapped to his back; the pick is
8. This passage boasts a few large wooden support beams. One
surprisingly light and its haft is made of some incredibly tough,
lies unfinished across the floor in a pool of oddly coloured
but light, wood.
water.
7. Several nubs of chalk along with a half-empty water flask fill the
9. Warm, dry air flows through this part of the mine. A shaft in the
miner’s pouch.
ceiling cuts straight up to daylight above.
8. The miner wears small silver earrings (worth 10 gp) shaped like
10. Short-hafted hammers, pickaxes and shovels lean against the
tear drops.
walls in this half-finished tunnel, waiting for the workers’
9. This miner’s boots are particularly well made; the leather is rigid
return.
and tough and provides good protection against small falling
11. A group of hand baskets sit here, full of ore ready to be carried
rocks.
from the mine.
10. This miner carried a rolled up bundle of chisels along with a light
12. A low shaft slants off to the right. A drum with two crank
hammer in his pouch. All are in good condition and well
handles sits four-foot back from its opening wrapped in a rope
maintained.
that disappears into the darkness below.
11. A plain iron chain hangs around this miner’s neck. The miniature
13. Atop a pile of rubble sits an old, battered warrior’s helm which
symbols of various gods—those dealing with darkness, mining,
has been modified to hold a candle just over the brow.
the underground and so on—hang from the chain.
14. Knocking sounds seem to come from behind the walls and
12. This miner had a decent pair of leather gloves stuffed through
ceiling. All non-magical lights gutter out in this area.
his wide belt. Obviously much-used, the gloves are thick and
15. The floor drops away suddenly. A wooden ladder enables access
provide good protection.
to the lower level.
16. A pile of charcoal lies on the floor of an alcove. The wall and
ceiling are black with soot.

144
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A MINING CART
Many things can be found stored or abandoned in a mine cart. 11. A smear of dried blood coats the front of this cart.
12. The white rock filling this cart is of a different type to that found
1. Rocks fill this cart. in most of the mine; the deposit from whence it came lies far
2. Half full of rocks, water dripping down from the ceiling has filled away.
the balance of the cart. 13. A tarpaulin covers this cart. Within, lie mouldering food stuffs
3. This cart is empty, but for a pair of pickaxes. as well as a supply of torches and candles.
4. The white bones of a dead miner clad in dusty, torn clothes lies 14. As #13, but water dripping from above has rendered the torches
in the bottom of this mine cart. and candles useless until dried.
5. A half-dozen sturdy piece of lumber—pit props—stick out of 15. A large bag of nails, along with various lengths of thick wood fill
this cart, nearly touching the ceiling. this cart. Atop the wood, lie several large hammers.
6. Filled with a mix of mining equipment, this cart contains two 16. Used as a bin, this cart holds a dozen or so broken picks, shovels
small lanterns, four flasks of oil and a broken pick. and so on.
7. A huge slab of rock fills this cart; the miners discovered a small 17. A precarious pile of rocks fills this cart; if the cart is moved some
silver deposit in the rock, but this lies in the rock’s underside tumble out with a loud clatter.
and isn’t visible unless it is tipped out of the cart. 18. This rusty cart lies on its side; the bottom falls out if any
8. The traces for a pit pony are still attached to this cart, but of the appreciable weight is placed inside.
pony there is no sign. 19. This upside down cart is missing one of its wheels.
9. Gravel fills this cart, to the brim. 20. A bizarre mishmash of bones fills this cart; they don’t seem to
10. A fine lair of cobwebs cling to the wheels of this cart, indicating have come from a humanoid.
it has not moved for quite some time.

145
146
S U N -S CORCHED D ESERT

147
6 SUN-SCORCHED LANDMARKS
Much of the desert comprises nothing more than unending sand excellent vantage point, and its long ridges provide shelter from
dunes. However, few deserts are completely featureless. In some the savage winds ravaging the surrounding sands.
places, certain features struggle above the cloying, ever-shifting 4. The wind- and sand-blasted stone head of a gnoll yet struggles
sands. These landmarks provide vital "signposts" to travellers. above the shifting sands. The head—the size of an elder
Use the table below, to generate the details of such wyrm’s—hints at a vast buried statue beneath the sand.
landmarks discovered by the PCs: Whatever the truth, the statue is obviously ancient—much of
the face's fine detail is no more-eroded by the remorseless wind
1. A deep, 40-ft.-wide chasm cuts through sand like a gigantic, and sand.
jagged wound. Its precipitous sides drop over fifty feet into cool 5. An oasis of blessedly-clear water nestles in a wide chasm
shadow. Below, the remains of a river course are visible amid emerging from a small range of low, nameless hills. Dates and
the sand and boulders. palms cluster thickly about the long, narrow pool. Caves—
2. Visible from a great distance, a high hill rears upwards toward clearly cut into the rock with hand tools—pierce the chasm's
the sky. Deep drifts of sand on its windward side provide a ramp walls and provide resting places for travellers. A hermit dwells
of sorts against its steep, pitted flank. Its flat summit is clear of in one of the caves.
vegetation and sand but is dominated by deep carvings of 6. The bleached bones of a gigantic dragon lie sprawled along a
complex geometric shapes. Cut by unknown hands, anyone long, low hill. Slain centuries ago by the great battle-mage
viewing them from the air realises the shapes form an Kardath Uvo, the remains are those of Atar-Unar.
enormous pentagram. PCs with arcane knowledge can confirm Knowledgeable PCs recall Atar-Unar's lair (and treasure) remain
the pentagram's shape is designed to trap something within. lost. Rumours speak of strange sounds emanating from the
3. An immense star-shaped dune—formed by the complex hilltop and of lightning arcing down from the cloudless sky to
interplay of wind in this region—rears from its surrounds like strike the bones. Consequently, few travellers tarry here long.
some gigantic, otherworldly beast. Almost 200-foot high, it is an

6 SUN-SCORCHED RUINS
The desert’s shifting sands periodically bury and then reveal the 4. The broken crenulations of a tower peaks through the sand.
leavings of previous civilisations. What is today a featureless dune Thanks to its stone shutters, the tower’s upper chambers—
field could tomorrow shift to uncover a sand-choked temple, accessibly through a trapdoor in the roof—are largely free of
buried tomb or some forgotten ancient edifice. sand. Inside, it is dark and comparatively cool.
Use the table below, to determine the basic details of a 5. The shell-like remains of a small village are arrayed along a
forgotten ruin uncovered by the desert’s shifting sands: dried-up riverbed, which emerges from a sand-choked cave.
Nothing now lives in the village except for scorpions and a few
1. The broken remains of a long, low stone wall disappear into the snakes. Digging in, or searching the, ruins inevitably draws their
base of a dune. Scoured by sand and wind, the wall is fragile; attention. Even a cursory search throws up a surprisingly
only the inertia of ages holds it together. amount of bones among the ruins.
2. A set of carven stone steps set into a low hill disappear 6. Amid a belt of arid wasteland, a ring of forlorn stone obelisks
downwards into a steep-sided, sand-choked depression. stand stark atop a lonely, steep-sided hill. Visible for miles in
Attempts to dig out the depression result in more sand tumbling every direction, the obelisks could have once been a temple,
into the hole from above. Perceptive PCs investigating the steps celestial observatory or other sacred place. Investigations
discover faint carvings depicting a grand procession of people reveal the “ring” to actually be a strangely squashed oval and
carrying a sarcophagus down a long set of steps into a deep, that each obelisk to be vaguely triangular shaped. A steep-sided
hidden crypt. shaft pierces the hill’s rocky summit, at the centre of the “ring”.
3. The desert’s shifting sands have revealed a ceremonial corpse Invisible from above—due to the shaft’s immense depth—a
way flanked by evenly placed stone obelisks. Once elaborately pool of clean and fresh drinking water fills a cavern deep below
carved to represent the deads’ journey to the afterlife, they are the hill.
all but rubbed smooth by the sand’s remorseless action. Still,
sharp-eyed PCs may be able to make out some of the lurid
carvings depicting skeletons, demons and other unidentifiable
winged creatures.

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10 THINGS TO HAPPEN IN A SANDSTORM
The desert has many hazards; perhaps the most terrifying is the 6. For a moment, through the seemingly unending sheets of wind-
sandstorm—a frenzied, scouring rush of burning hot sand that flung sand, the vague hulking outline of a humanoid comes into
covers everything in its path. view. A sudden deluge of sand erases the figure from your sight.
Use the table below, to add depth and flavour to a sandstorm When the wind slightly abates a few minutes later there is no
battering the PCs: sign of the figure (and—obviously—tracking is impossible).
7. The wind is like a living thing, plucking, pulling and tearing at the
1. The howling wind increases in tempo hurling yet more sand into party. As the storm progresses, it reaches new maddening
your faces with breath-taking savagery and force. Sand cakes heights. Dust devils—greater and more vicious than anyone has
your eyes, fills your nose and even forces its way into your experienced before—dance about the party in a macabre,
mouth. twisting dance. It is almost enough to ask if the devils are
2. The wind screeches about you like the dying screams of some creatures dwelling amid the storm’s fury or if the storm
vast, mythical beast of gargantuan proportions. The howling possesses some modicum of sentience…
comes from all about you, as if you were trapped in the dying 8. The party are not the only travellers caught amid the storm’s
beast’s belly. fury. As they stagger onwards, they come across the partially
3. Visibility is essentially zero—all you can see are driving curtains buried figure of another traveller curled up tightly in the shelter
of sand and the shadowy, indistinct forms of a few of your of a small dune. Unfortunately, the storm is so savage the dune
companions. is shifting and slowly burying the unconscious unfortunate.
4. The howling wind and storm-tossed sand fill your ears, nostrils 9. Suddenly, a torrent of sand engulfs the party—the crest of a
and eyes deadening your senses. Above it all, however, the nearby dune has collapsed under the wind’s savage assault. An
shrieking wind sings its devil song—nothing of this world could avalanche of sand cascades down over the party, burying those
block out its abominable screech so loud is the storm’s fury. who lose their footing.
5. The wind buffets the party, driving sand into you in seemingly 10. The wind’s howl slowly abates, and over the course of a few
inexhaustible waves. Travel—slow at the best of times in a minutes the driving sand settles to the ground in deep drifts of
sandstorm—slows to a crawl in the face of nature’s primal fine, unpacked sand. Unfortunately, this fine sand fills several
savagery. nearby deep depressions which now lurk ready to catch the
unwary traveller. Those blundering into such “sand traps”
rapidly sink from sight.

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20 PIECES OF DESERT DRESSING
Adventurers are intrepid types and often disappear into the 12. The raucous cawing of several birds alerts the PCs to the
wilderness in search of gold and glory. Many such adventures presence of several buzzards perched atop a nearby dune. They
seem to happen in sun-scorched deserts. watch the party hungrily. If not driven off, they follow the PCs
Use the table below, to breathe life into an adventure set in a for the balance of the day, but lose interest in the cool of the
desert. None of the happenings listed below is intended to spawn evening.
a full encounter; think of them as wilderness dressing designed to 13. The lonely and forlorn, sun-basted skeleton of some vast tusked
add realism and depth to proceedings. creature—perhaps an elephant—lies partially buried in the side
of a dune.
1. The sun stands high in the air, and heat shimmers rise from the 14. The party pass through a small field of stunted sickly thorn
sun-baked sand. Far off in the distance, black specks circle high bushes punctuated by the occasional cactus. Unwary PCs might
up in the air. disturb several snakes resting in the bushes’ shadows. The
2. A gust of wind plucks at the crest of a nearby dune, sending a snakes slither away, unless cornered.
shimmering cloud of fine sand dancing through the air. 15. Incongruously, the stark, leafless trunk and far-flung branches
3. Far off on the horizon a line of tiny black figures trudging along of a mighty tree yet struggle above the shifting sands. The tree
a dune are silhouetted against the deep blue sky. Shortly, they is vast—and must have deep-reaching roots to have survived.
disappear behind the dunes. Several desiccated, part-mummified corpses dangle from
4. Ahead, two towering dunes form the flanks of a deep valley nooses hanging from the tree’s branches. They sway gently in
wreathed in cool shade. the faint wind.
5. A short line of footprints mars the desert sand. Rendered 16. From far off to the party’s right, the glint of sunlight reflecting
indistinct by drifting sand, they peter out after a hundred yards off something catches one of the PC’s attention. Investigations
or so. reveal a man-sized shard of wind-smoothed flint thrusting up
6. A dried-out, sand-choked oasis lies at the base of a small dune. through the sand.
Two dead palm trees lie on their sides partially buried in drifting 17. This section of desert is barren, dry and lifeless. Here, the wind
sand. has blown the sand away from a swath of rippled stone that
7. A metal pot helmet—scorchingly hot to the touch—lies on the extends for several miles. Tracking across the stone—seemingly
ground, partially filled with sand. frozen like waves on a beach—is virtually impossible.
8. The corpse of a horribly desiccated camel lies in the sand. Two 18. For off in the distance, through the shimmering heat, a PC spots
hungry vultures peck and tear at its hard, sandy flesh. If the hazy image of a stand of palm trees clustered around a pool
disturbed, the vultures fly off a short distance. They wait for the of blue, welcoming water.
party to pass before returning to their grizzly feast. 19. A train of hazy and indistinct figures seem to glide across the
9. Dark clouds—pushed by fiercely strong winds high up in the horizon in front of the party.
sky—rush over the party. Far off in the distance they lose their 20. Far off on the horizon rise the purple-fringed towers and
precious water over a range of steep-sided, parched hills whose battlemented walls of a city! Even knowledgeable PCs know of
narrow valleys are soon scoured by flash flooding. no such city or civilisation, but there it stands none-the-less.
10. Here lies the wind-blasted remains of some ancient battle. The
desiccated corpses of two hyena-headed humanoids (gnolls) lie SPECIAL NOTE: MIRAGES
locked in an eternal embrace with a swarthy, now partially
Entries 18 - 20 could be mirages, or they could be an actual
mummified, human warrior.
location or encounter. You can use these as nothing more than a
11. Set in a dune’s lea, and partially covered in drifting sand, lie the
distraction or as a means to draw the PCs to a particular locale. Of
collapsed remains of a large white tent. Its poles have collapsed,
course, you could also use them as the basis for an adventure site
but lumps in the canvas betray the presence of objects within.
or location at which the PCs can gain succour.
Sadly, nothing valuable lies remains, but the PCs can recover a
usable saddle, four empty waterskins and various other odds
and ends.

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20 UNEVENTFUL DAYS TRAVEL IN THE DESERT
Not every day in an adventurer’s life is packed with excitement, 7. Unrelenting heat is the order of the day. The air is still—almost
battle and glory. Sometimes, nothing of note happens, but a GM preternaturally still—all day; around midday the temperature
wants to give some detail and substance to the nothing. reaches a new high. Travel, without magical protections, is
Use the table below, to describe an uneventful day’s travel virtually impossible.
through a sun-scorched desert: 8. The party travel through a particularly desolate, empty stretch
of desert. For the entire day, they see nothing but sand, sky and
1. Around midday, a few wispy clouds scud by high up in the sky each other. It is crushingly quiet and stiflingly hot.
but provide no shade from the merciless sun. 9. Today, the desert is a furnace. Heat shimmers—and nothing but
2. The day’s travel is unremarkable except for a broad swath of stark, barren sand—surround the party.
soft sand. With every step the PCs sink almost ankle deep into 10. This day is uneventful except for a few dark clouds slowly sliding
its cloying embrace; progress through the area is torturously majestically across the sky.
slow. 11. A small pack of vultures shadow the party for much of the day.
3. A fierce wind blows up from the south. For a few minutes, it Perceptive PCs spot them circling several hundred feet away.
seems a sandstorm might be in the offing, but the winds abate They follow the group for much of the day—unless driven off—
as quickly as they came. but lose interest as dusk falls over the burning sands.
4. As the party crest a dune, its peak gives way; unwary PCs find 12. In the early afternoon, the party crosses over the tracks of
themselves tumbling and sliding down its steep flank. another group of travellers. Skilled trackers can tell the other
5. Stirred up by sporadic wisps of wind, dust devils dance about party were about 20 strong and most of them were mounted
the party for much of the morning. The wind drops to nothing on camels.
after midday, and the dust devils do not return. 13. In this section of the desert, the dunes are particularly densely
6. High up in the sky some vast winged beast flies over the party, packed with steep valleys between them. Travel, consequently,
its shadow gliding over the hot sands. The creature does not is slow.
notice the party—or if it does it ignores them. 14. In the mid-morning, the party passes a single gigantic cactus
standing in the lee of a shallow, wind-swept dune.
15. Today, the PCs discover a small oasis sheltering in the shadow
of a low range of sun-blasted, unnamed hills. A few stunted
trees and bushes survive about the pool’s fringes. (This is a good
place to replenish the party’s water supplies.)
16. During the early evening, the party spy a small herd of wild
camels grazing on a few stubborn clumps of grass growing in the
valley between two dunes. The camels are only a few hundred
yards away from the party—perhaps close enough to hunt or
catch!
17. During their day’s travel, the party come across the distinctive
undulating tracks of a snake in the sand. By the look of the track,
it was a gigantic specimen.
18. About midday, the party discover the steep banks of a long ago
dried up river. The crumbling banks are almost 20 feet high.
Unless the party can cross this barrier, they must spend several
hours diverting around the deep gully.
19. Clumps of grass struggle above the shifting sands of the
relatively flat section of desert through which the party pass.
Toward the end of the day, they discover the tottering ruin of a
small building of baked brick built into a small stony cliff.
20. During the early morning, the party crosses the cracked, dried
up bed of a small lake. Several times during the morning they
pass by small hills—once probably islands—as stark and barren
as the lake bed.

151
152
T OW NSFOLK & V ILL AGERS

153
10 BEGGARS & VAGABONDS
Beggars, petty thieves and vagabonds are a feature of most 6. Ossi Auvienen (CN male human): Short and cursed with a
settlements bigger than a borderland hamlet. Most such folk give speech impediment, Ossi is a lonely figure. He thus speaks little,
powerful—and probably violent—adventurers a wide berth. A but hears much. Never without his “backpack of holding” Ossi
few, though, may approach the PCs for some—probably is often seen scavenging for food scraps and things to sell to the
nefarious—reason. town’s various pawnbrokers and curio shops. He rarely gets a
Use the table below, to generate the details of notable reasonable price. Ossi has known little but misery and struggle
beggars and vagabonds the PCs encounter during their travels: through his life and is resigned to his fate.
7. Outi Eerola (CN middle-aged female human): Mad—and a little
1. Kaarlo Hirvonen (N male human): Emaciated and wearing over- dangerous as a result—Outi wears the ragged remnants of
sized ragged clothes Kaarlo is a pathetic sight. With unkempt many skirts and dresses patched together into her pride and
curly brown hair and a mouth full of rotting teeth and bleeding joy—a voluminous dress of many layers. With terrible breath
gums he seems on the edge of physical collapse. Desperate to and few social graces, Outi is not a popular figure except among
get off the streets, Kaalo will do anything short of murder to those who hear wisdom in her deranged ramblings. In middle-
improve his lot. age, Outi is old beyond her years and already her hands suffer
2. Uljas Aalto (CN old male human): Painfully thin, and with a from terrible arthritis that has turned them into virtual claws.
perpetual look of bemused confusion on his face, Uljas often 8. Veli (NE male human): Horribly disfigured by a childhood illness
seems in a world of his own. Scraggly dirty blond hair barely Veli was cast out into the streets by his family, when they
covers his scalp and “interesting” skin lesions cover his right realised they could no longer afford his care. Bitter and
forearm. With a lifetime of living on the streets behind him Uljas resentful, he is in near constant pain. With a shock of matted
is wary of authority figures, strangers and those that seem too red hair and a disfigured, almost melted, face, Veli is hard to
friendly. miss. He wears a cowled cloak and keeps to the settlement’s
3. Helmi Laitnen (N female human): New in town, Helmi is still shadows and alleyways. Anyone using powerful magic to heal
looking for somewhere to call home. Driven forth from a nearby him gains a life-long, devoted servant. (A servant who none-the-
settlement after her arrival heralded an outbreak of plague, less plots revenge against his family for their betrayal).
Helmi is bitter and angry. (Helmi is a carrier for a virulent form 9. Ulpa Rekunen (N female human): Thrown out by her husband
of plague, but is immune to the disease herself). Clad in when he discovered she had fallen pregnant by another man,
voluminous, travel-stained robes, her sex is not immediately guilt and grief dominate Ulpa’s life. Homeless, and alone, she
apparent, but the signs of ill-health—a grey parlour to her skin could not care for her new-born baby who died a few weeks
and lank, greasy hair are obvious. after its birth. Now despondent and without hope, Ulpa drifts
4. Jorma Ukkola (NE male human): Once servant to an affluent through life waiting to die. Once attractive, grief and living on
family, Jorma was cast out onto the streets after being accused the streets have aged her beyond her years.
of thievery. He is desperate for two things—revenge on the 10. Taneli Itkonen (N young male human magic-user 1): Not even
family who destroyed his reputation and livelihood and for a ten-years-old, Taneli does not remember a time when he didn’t
return to gainful employment. He latches onto one of the PCs live on the street. He has no memory of his parents and was
and does all he can to ingratiate himself. Fastidious in his brought up by Jani Hujanen (see #5 above). Good with animals,
appearance, Jorma is as clean and tidy as his circumstances a pack of small dogs, trained to do certain rudimentary tricks,
allow. Almost six and a half feet tall, he walks with a stoop. often accompany him as he begs for food or coin. He does not
5. Jani Hujanen (LN old male human fighter 2): An ex-soldier, Jani know it, but a spark of greatness lurks within him; his mother
was crippled in a borderland skirmish long ago. Now aged, this was a powerful sorceress who fell in battle against a terrible
one-legged soldier cuts a dejected figure as he slowly hops demon and he has inherited some of her powers—powers
through the streets with his makeshift crutch. Fiercely proud, which are starting to manifest themselves…
but all too aware of his failing health, Jani is a leader of sorts
among the street brethren. His grey eyes still sparkle with
determination and his voice remains firm. Strength yet lurks
within his frame, but he knows his time draws near.

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10 GUARDS & SOLDIERS
Every settlement needs guards and soldiers to keep its people blacksmith by trade, the lust for action burned deep within her
safe. Most such folk are nothing special, but a few may be notable and she became a soldier. Faded and healed scars—results of
for one reason or another. her blacksmithing—mar her forearms. She has a deep, strident
Use the table below, to generate the details of guards, voice and is a terror in battle.
members of the watch and other soldiers the PCs encounter 7. Urmas Ojanen (LN middle-aged male human fighter 1): Short
during their travels: and stocky, Urmas is a career soldier. He has known virtually no
other life and would be utterly lost without the order and
1. Onni Keto (NE male human fighter 1): Corrupt and despicable, discipline of military life. Urmas is also a borderline alcoholic—
Onni uses his position to exact bribes and fines from vulnerable his face is blotchy and his eyes ringed by deep bags—which is
people crossing his path. Often unshaven and generally beginning to interfere with his duties. He is always licking his
unkempt he looks more like a local tough than a soldier. Disliked lips—as if thirsty—and is never without a small flask about his
by many of his fellows, he is suspected of having links with person.
certain unsavoury locals. Such rumours are false—Onni is only 8. Jarmo Sianio (CG male human fighter 3): Big, burly and fearless
out for himself. Jarmo is a soldier’s soldier. Scion of a distant land, he escaped a
2. Panu Korpela (LN male human fighter 1): Burly and a little dim, slaver’s coffle and after a series of adventures found himself a
Panu is a dependable but unimaginative warrior. When soldier. He is biding his time until he has amassed enough pay
confused by a situation he follows local laws to the letter. He to attempt to get home and will desert when the time is right.
takes great solace in the rule of law. For all that, he is friendly His pale blue eyes, fair hair and parchment-white skin mark him
man and does not hold grudges. out as an outsider. He also speaks with a comically thick foreign
3. Elina Alanen (LN female human fighter 3): A highly competent accent.
warrior, Elina sometimes despairs of her companions. A veteran 9. Mikko Leino (N male human fighter 1): Mikko has a very strange
of many border skirmishes and the like, she has seen real sense of humour (he believes he is too intelligent for his
action—not like those she now trains. Her superiors have companions) and often makes inappropriate jokes (which can
marked her for promotion. lead to brawls and suchlike). Still—for all that—he is a decent
4. Hannu Purho (N middle-aged male human fighter 2): Injured in person; he genuinely doesn’t understand why people don’t find
the line of duty, Hannu walks with a distinctive limp and him funny. Mikko has a strange growth—an abnormally large
sometimes falls behind his fellows when out on patrol. He hates mole—on his neck about which he is self-conscious. He keeps
being a liability and is an excellent warrior in every other way. his black hair long to hide his mole and is fastidious about his
For all that, he now dreams of retirement—perhaps to a appearance.
training post where he can pass on his skills. Hannu is 10. Terttu Paananen (LE female human fighter 1/thief 1): Terttu is
particularly skilled with the shield and is developing his own a spy for a rival lord or organisation. She is a consummate actor
unique fighting style in his leisure time. He is as bald as an egg. and has ingratiated
ratiated herself with her
5. Mira Rekunen (NG female human fighter 1): Mira has only just fellows. She is friendly,
become a soldier; her family has fallen on hard times, and she perhaps overly
erly so, and takes
needed the steady wage to keep her aged parents off the the time to get to know the
streets. She doesn’t particularly enjoy the life and is making the PCs—they might be useful to
best of a bad job. She appears ill at ease in her armour and has her in the future.
uture. Her hair is
not actually yet seen action—if a fight breaks out she joins in dyed black,
lack, but
only hesitantly. A jagged scar on her cheek is the result of a perceptive PCs may
training accident (and makes her look harder than she actually notice herr blond
is). roots comingng through.
6. Vuokko Ukkola (NG female human fighter 2): Tall for a woman,
Vuokka towers over most of her male comrades. As muscular as
she is remarkably tall, Vuokka is an imposing sight. Once a

155
10 MERCHANTS & TRADESPERSONS
Normally, when the PCs go shopping the “action” is handled “off doesn’t take long for him to try selling the PCs something. He
stage”. The players simply note down their purchases and move has tightly cropped dirty brown hair and a beard. His good-
on to more exciting things. Sometimes, though, they may seek a humour is a cover for the aching loneliness filling his heart. He
particularly rare or difficult-to-find item or encounter a notable is also a frustrated painter and dreams of someday securing a
merchant. wealthy patron.
Use the table below, to generate the details of notable 5. Jaska Outila (LN male human): Believing himself to be
merchants and traders the PCs encounter during their travels. The accomplished trader with an extensive network of suppliers and
entries below do not list an actual occupation for each NPC—the customers in the locality Jaska prides himself on his ability to
GM should use them in whatever shop, trade or circumstance get on with anyone. In truth, Jaska is popular because he is easy
required. to haggle down—something he is beginning to realise. Slender
with dark hair and green eyes he is always impeccably dressed.
1. Elena Itkonen (NE old female human): This old woman has a full 6. Pia Purho (N female human): Just starting out on her own, Pia
head of carefully styled silvery hair and carries herself with aggressively courts as a customer anyone who seems to have
dignity. A snob, she believes she is above many of the people coin. Although she is skilled at selling, her accounting and
she encounters on a daily basis and is—consequently—distant, bookkeeping skills are weak, and she is losing money as a result.
but polite. Her husband has recently died and she is desperately Wildly—perhaps irritatingly cheerful—she does not take no for
lonely. an answer.
2. Kaari Rantanen (NG female human): Clad in a loose black dress, 7. Ulpa Tuomi (CE female human): Utterly without morals or
this slender, brown-hair woman attracts much male attention. scruples, Ulpa is a psychopath. She cares for no-one but herself
She is friendly, and loves dogs—but hates cats and the like. and happily sells any old crap to her customers (assuming she
3. Usko Karppanen (LN old male human): This old, but fit, man won’t get caught). She pretends to work for a patron who lives
with a splotchy purple birthmark on his face harbours dreams in a distant city and directs any complaints to him. Ulpa is often
of youth and battles against old age’s insidious advance. He on the move—to keep ahead of irate customers. She has
wears tight-fitting clothes and is evidently prosperous given luscious black hair and black piercing eyes and dresses in fine, if
their cut and quality. He harbours dreams of the adventuring a little risqué, clothes.
life—but that is all they are; if given the opportunity to engage 8. Valto Rintala (LN middle-aged male human): Short and dumpy,
in an actual adventure he demurs (politely). Valto enjoys the good life. A prosperous merchant, he now
4. Onni Keto (CN middle-aged male human): Middle-aged and leads a small staff who do much of the actual work. Valto has
podgy, Onni, has two young daughters and several failed grown lazy—and a little fat—and has forgotten what a proper
marriages. Despite this, he is cheerful, if a little over-friendly. It day’s work feels like. Often found meeting clients for drinks or
a meal, he is frequently encountered wearing slightly soiled
clothes.
9. Virpi Markku (LN female human): Inflexible and obsessed with
perfection, Virpi, is not easy to get on with. For Virpi, the price
is the price—haggling with her is pointless, and her wares’
quality is beyond reproach. She is tall but developing a middle-
age spread which she artfully conceals with fine, loose-fitting
robes.
10. Usko Laitnen (LG old male human): Usko has a big heart and
spends most of his profits on feeding the poor, helping orphans
find new homes and so on. He would be quite wealthy if he did
not spend his wealth so, something several of his own grown-
up children resent immensely. He is popular in the locality and
is not short of friends. He is suspicious of newcomers, though,
for he has been swindled several times in the last few years. He
walks with a cane and never without a hat—he went bald
twenty years ago and is extremely self-conscious about his lack
of hair.

156
10 PEASANTS & SERFS
Every campaign has peasants. Most peasants, though, are many other things as well. He is not shy about sharing his
virtually invisible—they are window dressing and nothing more. knowledge.
Use the table below, to generate the details of notable peasants 8. Raimo Leino (CE male human): The victim of a horrible accident,
the PCs encounter during their travels. Remember, to tailor the when a cart crushed his right arm, Raimo has struggled with
peasant’s descriptions to the circumstances. depression ever since. His skin is sallow and deep bags hang
under his eyes. He nightly relives the accident that took his arm
1. Pekka Leino (LN male human): New in town, Pekka needs work and often wakes up screaming. With but one arm and scraggly
as his funds will only keep him off the streets for a few more dark brown hair Raimo cuts a distinctive figure. Not above lying
weeks. Pekka’s home village was recently devastated by plague, to gain an advantage, he tells newcomers of his heroic service
and he fled here after his family fell into its ebon embrace. in the local lord’s soldiery in the hopes of snagging a payout—
Skilled in general labouring, Pekka owns little but the clothes on or at least a meal—from a gullible adventurer.
his back and the few items in his pack. He is brawny and 9. Mira Outila (LG female human): Mira is popular and well-liked.
hardworking but unimaginative. She has a reputation for caring and has some small skill as an
2. Ilari Korpela (NG middle-aged human male): Fat, unfit and a apothecary which she shares with her neighbours without
little bit arthritic Ilari has short red hair and fair skin. He wears thought of payment. Slender, with short brown hair, pale skin
well-maintained, but old clothes. He hobbles about town in and deep blue eyes she stands out from her neighbours and
search of odd-jobs. He is better educated than many of his friends. Tortured by thoughts of those she was not able to save
fellows and craves a job which enables him to sit down and stay with her skills, she someones disappears for days at a time on
inside as much as possible. He has dreams of becoming a herb-collecting expeditions.
famous bard, but his singing voice is average at best. 10. Kaari Keto (CG female human): Friendly, but often surrounded
3. Vesa Laitnen (N old human male): With a decent head of white by drama and stress, Kaari is never happier than when in the
hair, Vesa is the quintessential old man. He has nowhere to go company of friends. A frustrated social climber she greatly
and all day to get there. Consequently, he is chatty and friendly. desires to better her family’s lot through her connections with
He has a vast store of local knowledge and knows much of what the well-to-do. She has had some small success in this and—
goes on in the locality. Sadly, most of his knowledge is limited consequently—dress slightly more ostentatiously than a typical
to the usual, banal goings-on of life and is of little interest to peasant. She is overly friendly and has many male friends—who
adventurers. sometimes misinterpret her friendliness—and an increasingly
4. Aune Eronen (LN female human): This burly woman has short- frustrated husband.
cropped brown hair and wears a look of studied boredom on
her face. A beautiful wolfhound lopes alongside her. The dog is
fiercely protective of its mistress and can go from a placid hound
to snarling war dog in the blink of an eye.
5. Asta Auvienen (CN old female human): This stick-thin old
woman wears a droopy red and blue hat that almost obscures
her face completely. She is inquisitive and chatty and carrying a
basket that is obviously too heavy for her to manage easily.
6. Arvo Eskola (CN young male human): Still clinging to his teenage
years, Arvo is cheerful, gregarious and chronically unorganised.
He wears his shoulder-length brown hair—his pride and joy—
pulled back in a ponytail. He is always in a rush and often
breathless and a little confused. Perpetually surrounded by an
aura of chaos he is rarely in one place long. His parents despair
of him.
7. Onni Ojanen (CN old male human): Growing old, but still
vigorous, Onni has a finely maintained silvering goatee and is a
popular, friendly man. His hair is similarly greying and deep bags
under his eyes hint at many late nights. Knowledgeable about
many things, he believes he is knowledgeable about a great

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20 ENCOUNTER HOOKS
Once you have determined which NPC the PCs encounter, use the 6. The NPC staggers along carrying a heavy bundle, box or other
table below, to discover what the NPC is doing when burden. He/she is grateful for the PCs’ assistance and in return
encountered. Some of the hooks below might not be appropriate shares a current rumour. If the PCs are particularly helpful, the
for the NPC you have already selected. Discard inappropriate NPC invites them into his/her place of business or home for
results and re-roll. refreshments.
7. The NPC thinks he/she is being chased or hunted by someone.
1. The NPC is in a rush for an “important meeting” and tries to get He/she stumbles into the PCs and asks for their protection. No
away from the PCs as quickly as possible. pursuer is immediately apparent.
2. The NPC is having a bad day and is in a bad mood. 8. The NPC is wandering along with nothing to do for the rest of
3. The NPC has just been mugged or otherwise attacked. Bruised the day. He/she idly engages the PCs in conversation, if an
and bloodied, he/she is a little disorientated. opportunity presents itself.
4. The NPC is engaged in an argument with someone else. For 9. The NPC has just been pickpocketed (or perhaps merely has lost
some reasons, he/she decides the PCs are the perfect people to their money pouch) and is causing a commotion.
decide who is right and who is wrong. 10. Is going to or returning from a nearby shop or market.
5. The NPC has a child (or perhaps a friend) who is obsessed with 11. Is going to meet a friend for a drink and is in a good mood.
the adventuring lifestyle and thinking of giving up their normal 12. Is recovering from a recent leg injury and limping along (perhaps
and safe—boring—life to go adventuring. The NPC wants the using a cane stick).
PCs to talk him/her out of it. 13. Is a little worse for wear. They could be merely tired after
working late into the night or recovering from a drinking
session. Whatever the cause, they look weary and could be a bit
snappy.
14. Is distracted by something—perhaps he/she is in love or has
suffered a “direct hit” from a bird flying overhead—and bumps
into the PCs. He/she apologises.
15. Is wearing inappropriate clothing for the weather and climate.
If it is hot he/she is bundled up in a heavy cloak and if it is cold
he/she is wearing light, loose-fitting clothes.
16. Is engaged in animated conversation with a friend or
acquaintance. They both give the PCs a double take before
continuing their conversation about “strange goings-on”.
(These could be nothing more than local events of no
importance or the hook into the PCs’ next adventure).
17. Is suddenly hit on the back of the head by a mud ball thrown by
one of a small group of urchins. The children scatter
immediately, and the NPC is left standing in the street angry and
muddy.
18. Is new in town and still getting his or her bearings. Lost, the NPC
stops to ask the PCs for directions to a local inn.
19. Is giving chase to a dog (his/her pet). The dog rushes passed the
party holding a small haunch of meat in its mouth. Behind the
NPC, shouts of, “Thief! Stop!” ring out.
20. Is fascinated by adventurers. Spotting the PCs, the NPC decides
to follow them to see what “high jinks” they get up to. The NPC
is not particularly subtle, and it is not long before the PCs realise
they have a tail…

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T RO U BLESO M E T REASU RES

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10 DIFFICULT TO SELL TREASURES
Sometimes the PCs emerge from the dungeon laden down with 7. The top of this dwarven skull has been sliced off and its eyes
bags of coins, pouches stuffed with gems and jewels and even sockets, mouth and other orifices crudely filled with silver. A
magic items! Other times, they emerge with items somewhat cast iron handle has been fused to the skull where the vertebra
trickier to sell on... should be. This macabre drinking cup was once used by a hill
Perhaps the items are apparently worthless, stolen or just giant chieftain to toast his victories.
only of interest to a subset of people. Others might have a moral 8. An intricate carving of a beatific man lying at rest with his hands
dimension. For example, would a paladin be fine with selling clasped over his chest decorates the lid of this small, ornate iron
unholy symbols wrenched from around the necks of slain evil box. The box is sealed--welded shut. It feels surprisingly light-
cultists? weight and contains nothing but a fine grey dust and several
Use the table below, to generate details of treasure that bone fragments.
might be hard to sell after the adventure: 9. With a plain, battered leather cover this small book at first
glance doesn't seem particularly noteworthy. A PC perusing the
1. This skull-shaped medallion is crafted from beaten brass. text discovers it comprises several short plays. Written by an
Covered in verdigris, it has a fell aspect. Symbols of death, unknown hand, all the plays lampoon and deride the current
suffering and damnation are etched into the skull's forehead ruler of the kingdom. It is a seditious, banned work and is one
2. At first glance, this small clay statuette depicts nothing more of a dozen or so copies still in circulation. Those caught with the
than a dumpy woman sitting cross-legged on the floor. The work are guilty of treason.
figure is poorly sculpted and obviously very old. Although it 10. This ornate scroll is the deeds to a prominent local landmark
appears to be nothing more than junk, a collector or sage can such as a bridge, shrine or small fort. Ornately decorated and
identify it as an ancient depiction of the nature goddess. quite detailed in its description of the property it certainly looks
3. In lurid detail this disturbing tapestry depicts a slender, bald genuine. While it may--or may not--be genuine the landmark
vampire suckling on the neck of an elven woman. The attack detailed belongs to a powerful local noble family. Few would
takes place amid the shadows clustering beneath a stand of willingly tangle with their retainers and servants.
stunted, gnarled trees. The tapestry is 20-foot square, is rather
bulky and weighs 20 pounds.
4. This ornate ivory candlestick holder stands
tands almost two-foot tall.
It depicts a naked, lascivious succubuss standing in a provocative,
seductive pose with its arms raised high above its head. The
demon's face has a look of pure lust upon it. Clearly, the
candlestick was commissioned byy an evil, depraved
individual.
5. Bulky, but supple, this roll of worn n leather is tied
together with a length of faded red ed silk. The roll
contains a small selection of torture re equipment:
different shaped knives, saws and evenen a small hand
drill. The tools look old and well-used,
d, but are clean—
perhaps suspiciously so. The leather her is of unknown
origin...
6. This two-foot long slender dagger has as a hollow hilt and a
tiny pipe leading from it to the dagger’s
er’s tip. The hilt’s lid
can be unscrewed and the hollow has a suspicious,
cloying smell about it. Evil cultists use this dagger to
poison their foes—sometimes in battle ttle and
sometimes on the torture table.

160
10 MINOR CURSES LURKING IN A MAGIC ITEM
Some items merely have a drawback to their ownership. Other 5. The item is highly magnetised and attracts electrical attacks and
items are tainted by a minor curse, which can cause much effects. The owner suffers a -1 penalty to saving throws made
suffering and sorrow to its owner. to resist or avoid such attacks. Every day, these effects are
cumulative; for every such effect damaging the owner, the
1. While he possesses this item, the owner begins to believe his saving throw penalty increases by 1 point. The stored
comrades and friends covert it. While this feeling does not grow magnetism dissipates overnight.
into homicidal maniac, the owner carefully safeguards the item 6. The item draws power from its possessor, draining him. The
and refuses to lend it to anyone. owner must eat and drink twice as much to maintain his weight
2. The owner grows increasingly obsessed with the item. First, she and health. (Overtime, owning this item could be very
merely keeps it safe, but her obsession slowly grows. After a expensive indeed…)
while, she buys a nice pouch (or similar suitable container) to 7. The owner experiences delusions of grandeur and becomes
keep it in. Then, she buys a newer more expensive pouch convinced she should be leading the party. She is convinced she
(perhaps made of a particularly fine material or decorated with knows the best way forward and, as time progresses, becomes
small gemstones and so on). This expenditure slowly increases more and more unwilling to accept other’s council.
while she possesses the item. 8. This item was once owned by a werewolf. During the days
3. The cursed item radiates a subtle field that attracts undead. immediately preceding the full moon, the owner’s body hair
Unintelligent undead prefer to attack the wielder above all begins to grow dramatically. This could lead the paranoid or
other targets and intelligent undead feel drawn to the item. superstitious observer to conclude the owner is a lycanthrope.
They do all they can to possess it. 9. This wielder becomes susceptible to bright light. In such areas,
4. The item interferes with the magic of healing spells, magic items she is dazzled in a similar fashion to a drow.
and effects, reducing their effectiveness. Such effects heal one 10. The item renders the owner partially deaf. This makes casting
less point of damage per die rolled. spells with verbal components difficult and means the owneowner
often shouts instead of speaking.

161
20 BULKY TREASURES DIFFICULT TO GET OUT OF THE DUNGEON
Adventurers often find gold, silver and gems during their deep 10. This thick coil of rope is 400 ft. long and designed to hold twice
delves into the dark, unwholesome places of the world. as much weight as a normal rope but is heavy (160 lbs.) and only
Sometimes they find bulky treasures, difficult to transport back to worth 16 gp.
civilisations. Use the table below, to determine what bulky 11. This portable battering ram is crafted from some kind of super
treasures the party discovers: heavy and dense wood and is tipped with a great wedge of iron
shaped like a clenched fist. It is twice as heavy as a normal ram
1. A 10-foot square tapestry hangs on one wall. The tapestry (40 lbs.) and requires two people to swing properly. It provides
depicts a bucolic woodland hunting scene, is worth 50 gp and a +6 Strength bonus to opening doors.
weighs 120 lbs. 12. This huge bullseye lantern was clearly crafted for a giant (or
2. A cast iron chandelier easily 5 ft. across hangs from the ceiling. perhaps a ship or lighthouse). It burns a pint of oil in three hours
It has five arms forged to depict writhing dragon heads. Within but provides double the illumination produced by a normal
each dragon’s open mouth writhe magical, heatless flames. A bullseye lantern. The lantern weights 6 lbs., is five-foot high and
long metal rod leaning against the wall enables the user to open worth 25 gp.
or close each mouth, to increase or decrease the amount of 13. These ornate metal scales are large enough to weigh a human
light. The whole is worth 200 gp, but weighs 75 lbs. being or similarly-sized object. Along with the matching set of
3. A huge giant’s breastplate has been pressed into service as a weights the whole is worth 150 gp to a merchant or similar
brazier. Full of hot coals, the breastplate is heavy (45 lbs.) but person. However, the scales along with the weights weighs 400
finely decorated with intricate lightning bolt engravings picked lbs.
out with silver. Worth 400 gp, the item is nevertheless 14. Four tightly rolled bolts of silk—blue, red, yellow and black in
worthless as armour because the entire back of the breastplate colour—fill a large sack. Each roll is worth 25 gp. While light, the
is missing. sack is bulky.
4. A map of the local area showing all major landmarks and 15. A four-foot square steel cage holds a great mass of dried and
settlements decorates this 15 ft. long and 10 ft. wide rug. Of then oil-soaked wood logs. The oil used to impregnate the wood
great interest and value to local nobility and suchlike the rug is is particularly fragrant and pleasant. Used to heat noble’s
worth 75 gp (but weighs 100 lbs.) houses, the taproom of upmarket taverns and the like the wood
5. This 10-foot tall stone statue depicts a medusa—its snake-hair is valuable. The whole mass of wood—weighting 100 lbs.—is
waving about its face—staring down at those in front of it. The worth 20 gp.
statue is (ironically) tremendously detailed and life-like. As a 16. This iron door bar is intricately engraved with a depiction of two
piece of art, it is worth 200 gp (but weighs 2,000 lbs). muscular arms grasping each other about the wrists. The bar is
6. This long, narrow ornate oak box has a hinged lid decorated worth 20 gp, is seven-foot long and weighs 50 lbs.
with beautiful geometric shapes picked out with wood stain. 17. This high-backed wooden chair is intricately carved. The
Displayed within, amid velvet compartments, is a full set of armrests look like a mass of writhing serpents and a red velvet
silver cutlery with enough place settings for a dozen diners. The cushion provides a modicum of comfort to the user. The chair
whole is worth 100 gp, but weighs 20 lbs. Dumping the box and weighs 100 lbs. and is worth 50 gp to a nobleman or similar
keeping the cutlery reduces the value by 20 gp. person.
7. Of beaten silver, this shallow 2 ft. wide display bowl could be 18. With a set of draws on either side, this ornate oak desk and
used for hand washing, to hold fruit or as the centrepiece of a been stained a deep brown. Each of the drawers is lockable and
formal dining table layout. It is worth 10 gp. one has a well-hidden secret compartment. The desk weighs
8. A mass of glass bottles and retorts along with a small cauldron 150 lbs. but with its matching chair (and set of draw keys) is
and dozens of small tools and other pieces of equipment sit worth 200 gp.
upon a side table. Obviously, the equipment of a wizard or 19. These four matching tapestries are only five-foot wide and
alchemist the whole is worth 200 gp, but weighs 40 lbs. If reach from floor to ceiling. Designed to conceal doors, alcoves
packed carefully, the rest of the equipment is designed to fit or perhaps windows they deep red in hue. Each weighs 20 lb.
into the cauldron (but if packed poorly without padding much and is worth 10 gp. As a set, however, their value doubles.
of the glass items won’t survive rough handling). 20. This chainmail barding—designed for a truly monstrous horse—
9. This long blood-red ball gown complete with short train is a weighs 80 lbs. and is worth 750 gp. It is so finely made, it could
stunning mix of lace and chiffon and worth 30 gp. However, be magically enchanted.
although light—only weighing 6 lbs.—it is bulky and must be
careful folded to avoid damage.

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20 FRAGILE TREASURES DIFFICULT TO REMOVE FROM THE DUNGEON
Adventurers often find gold, silver and gems during their deep 11. This worn set of wooden pipes is perfectly tuned to create
delves into the dark, unwholesome places of the world. Other haunting melodies when played by a master. The pipes are old
times, they find items fragile enough that accidental damage or and chipped and the mouthpiece has a hairline crack almost
rough handling could render them worthless. Use the table invisible to the naked eye. The pipes are worth 200 gp to a
below, to determine what fragile treasures the party discovers: skilled musician, but if not handled carefully, the mouthpieces
snap off rendering the instrument worthless.
1. This small silver framed piece of artwork hasn’t been done with 12. These ancient, worn platinum coins were minted long ago, far
brush and paint; rather, small shards of multi-coloured glass underground by the ancient drow. On one side, they depict a
have been expertly arranged to depict a shimmering sea and a gigantic spider while on the other in flowing elven writing they
stark, cliff-fringed island. The whole piece is roughly two-foot say “Glory to the Mother.” The coins are so thin, they can be
square and worth 200 gp (intact). easily bent, and even snapped. Their worth as antiques is triple
2. This tall, impossibly thin glass decanter has an elegant handle that of a normal platinum coin.
near its spout. It has been blown to depict an elegant swan’s 13. This slender silver necklace comprises a chain of impossibly thin
head and has a sold silver stopper. Intact it is worth 50 gp. links. Rough handling sunders the chain and could scatter its
3. These four slender wine glasses have gold leaf around their links over a wide area. The necklace is worth 55 gp.
rims. Clearly old, in places the gold leaf is worn by the touch of 14. These shaved diamond flecks are as thin as paper and about the
many lips. As a set, the glasses are worth 100 gp. size of a fingernail. Used as coins by an ancient, now destroyed
4. This diaphanous red silk dress has a 15-foot long train. culture, they are much worn by usage and the passage of time.
Practically transparent, this robe weighs virtually nothing and is A dozen are present; each is worth 25 gp.
extremely prone to snags and tears. Even wrapping up the dress 15. This ceremonial walking cane is carved from a single piece of
for transport without due care and attention could damage it. ivory. Decorated with a spiral pattern, it has a fatal crack about
In perfect condition, the dress is worth 250 gp. one foot up from its tip. Anyone putting any weight on the cane
5. This fired earthen pot looks like nothing particularly special. A snaps it in half. Intact, it is worth 75 gp.
close examination reveals faded runes etched into its base 16. This small iron bound coffer holds a beautifully crafted glass
venerating an ancient nature goddess. The pot is old beyond rose resting on a white cloth. The rose's glass petals are a deep,
imagining and is extremely brittle. It is worth 100 gp to luscious red colour. The rose is worth 200 gp and the coffer
members of the goddess’ faith. another 10 gp. However, unless the rose is carefully wrapped it
6. The cover of this much-thumbed book is coming away from its likely breaks during transport.
spine, and several of the pages are ripped and torn. The book is 17. Gold leaf covers this ceremonial mace. The mace’s head is
a travelogue of far-off lands and worth 20 gp. oversized—deliberately forged to look impressive—and is too
7. This tiny ivory statuette of a rearing unicorn has a slender, sharp heavy for its shaft. If used in actual combat, the head snaps off
horn. The horn is easily snapped off if the statuette is not after the first successful hit. Intact, the mace is worth 180 gp.
carefully wrapped. Intact, it is worth 50 gp. 18. This bronze statuette depicts a squatting, hideous be-tentacled
8. A glass chandelier almost three-foot across hangs from the monster. Its tentacles are depicting flailing about the beast’s
ceiling and supports dozens of small candles. The chandelier is head and easily snap off. About a foot high the statuette is
bulky, but light and each of the glass pieces has been bottom-heavy and topples over if not stored securely (which
individually blown. Unfortunately, it was not built to be taken snaps off several tentacles). The statuette is worth 50 gp.
apart easily. Intact, the entire thing is worth 400 gp but 19. Crafted from a roc’s feather this laughable oversized quill has a
removing and packing it up could take at least an hour. solid silver tip. Used to ceremonially sign contracts, land grants
9. One panel of this door features a beautiful mosaic-like and so on the feather is almost two-foot long. Dusty and brittle,
decoration depicting—in black onyx—the four elemental sigils. it is particularly challenging to safely pack. The silver tip is worth
The beadwork holding the piece in place is old and thin. If the 25 gp and intact the thing is worth 100 gp.
panel is removed hastily, the entire thing falls apart. Intact, it is 20. This small glass potion vial once held holy water and the silver
worth 50 gp; broken, the onyx flecks are worth 20 gp. in the water impregnated the vial so that it glimmers in the light.
10. This old, scorched parchment is carefully affixed in a frame. The The vial is worth 25 gp, but unfortunately its stopper does not
parchment is so thin it is almost transparent. The faded ink yet fit well. Losing the stopper halves the vial’s value.
depicts a map of some unknown place which, accordingly to its
scrawled legend, shows the famed lost cyclops city of Anuk-Ra.

163
20 MINOR DRAWBACKS FOR MAGIC ITEMS
Magic items are great. Adventurers crave them and learned 12. Something strange happened during the item's creation. The
spellcasters charge exorbitant fees to craft them for their wealthy crafter used some kind of esoteric grey-coloured oil in its
clients. Sometimes, though—for some reason or another—the creation. Occasionally, the item oozes this oil which makes it
magic item has some minor drawback or another. slippery and stains nearby items.
Such drawbacks are not normally life-threatening; rather they 13. When the item's power is called forth, the temperature plunges
add a sense of uniqueness to the item in question. Alternatively, in the immediate surrounds. Frost forms on the object itself and
these drawbacks could serve as a subtle clue to otherwise hidden, the owner can see his breath in the air. The temperature returns
unguessable powers. to normal after a few minutes.
Use the table below, to determine the item’s minor drawback: 14. When used, the item becomes tremendously hot. It scorches
unprotected skin and takes ten minutes to cool down.
1. The item occasionally—and seemingly randomly—radiates light 15. The item draws some of its power from its possessor's life force.
equal to that of a candle. The owner cannot control when this Whenever its power is called forth, the owner suffers a terrible
light appears or disappears. headache and takes 1 point of damage.
2. This item’s crafter was a glutton. During the crafting process, he 16. The smell of burning wood hangs in the air around the item.
transferred some of his cravings to the item. Thus, the owner Creatures with a good sense of smell can detect the owner from
almost always feels hungry. His appetite would put a starving twice the normal distance (unless other stronger smells fill the
halfling’s to shame. air).
3. Shadows cluster thickly about the item, creating an aura of 17. While possessing the item, the owner sleeps badly and often
gloom and a faint feeling of foreboding for the owner, has bags under her eyes.
whenever it is used. 18. Calling forth the item's powers causes the owner's ears to ring
4. The item is 50% heavier than normal, but otherwise appears as if she had been exposed to repeated loud noise.
normal. 19. The item is crafted from strange or repellent material. A scroll
5. When in use, the item often glows with a random bright light. could be scribed on flayed skin, a wand could comprise a carved
Roll 1d8: 1—red, 2—orange, 3—yellow, 4—green, 5—blue, 6— bone wand and so on.
indigo, 7—violet, 8—no colour. This makes hiding or using the The item’s previous owner was beset by misery and depression.
item surreptitiously difficult at best. In his last few minutes of life (before his violent death) his
6. The owner’s finger and toe nails grow at a prodigious rate; feelings of negativity imprinted themselves on the item. Now in
necessitating their trimming on almost a daily basis. times of high stress, the item psychically radiates the feelings
7. When the item is held or worn, bright light dazzles the owner onto its owner.
and makes her eyes water in a similar way to how drow row suffer
in bright light.
8. At some point in the past, the item was exposed to a smell
anathema to dogs. Dogs and wolves will not willingly approach
the owner. Indeed, they bark and bare their teeth if the item’s
owner approaches them.
9. Whenever the item’s owner uses its power, he hears rs a
faint whispering coming from some indefinable source. rce.
The whispering is too quiet to make out any actual words ords
and no one else can hear it.
10. Owning the item proves disastrous for the possessor’s or’s
hair. Over the first few weeks of ownership, the he
owner’s hair turns progressively greyer. After a month, h,
it begins to fall out. Getting rid of the item reverses this
his
process over a similar amount of time.
11. Animals hate the item’s smell. Domesticated animals— ls—
horses, cows and so on—avoid the owner whenever ever
possible; other animals such as dogs react aggressively ely to the
item’s presence.

164
W AR -R AVAGED L AN D

165
10 PIECES OF BATTLEFIELD DRESSING
After the butchery and death has abated, a battlefield is an particularly savage here; piles of bodies lie scattered about.
environment like no other. Hacked and broken bodies lie Macabrely, a severed hand yet clings to the banner.
scattered about among severed body parts, broken equipment 5. Blood from the dead and the dying has flowed and oozed into
and the general leavings of the slaughter. Exploring or travelling this small hollow, which is now filled with a veritable pool of
through such a terrible, unique environment should be a congealing blood. A stray dog laps at the blood, seemingly
memorable experience for the PCs. unaware of the surrounding butchery and slaughter.
Use the table below, to determine what the PCs find on the 6. Freshly turned earth—a crude grave—stands amid the
battlefield. Such discoveries could be nothing more than slaughter atop a small rise. A broken sword is thrust into the
“dungeon dressing” or could be a hook for an encounter or entire ground at the head of the grave to serve as a grave marker; a
adventure. helmet hangs from the sword’s pommel.
7. A low moaning emanates from beneath a pile of bodies.
1. A corpse—festooned with arrows—lies sprawled on the Investigation reveals a critically injured warrior mere moments
ground. Almost a score of arrows pierce the unfortunate’s body, from death. The warrior, who bleeds profusely, has suffered
although strangely his face is completely unblemished. Nearby, several deep scalp wounds and one of his eyes has been
lies the warrior’s small, much dented, iron shield. destroyed.
2. Here lies a great tangled heap of bodies surrounding the hacked 8. A heap of broken equipment shows where the victors have
and mutilated body of an enemy champion. Blood soaks the begun gathering up the leavings of the slaughter. Hacked suits
ground and body parts lies scattered about. The enemy of armour, splintered shields, broken weapons and so on all lie
champion has been comprehensively looted—of his no doubt here in a pile.
fine weapons and armour there is no sign. 9. A horse—several deep slashes along one of its flanks—wanders
3. Crows feast upon the bodies of the fallen in this part of the among the carnage. Wearing slashed and torn leather barding,
battlefield. The birds peck and tear at the dead; blood stains the beast is a warhorse—breed to fight. It is skittish and
their feathers and beaks giving them a somewhat infernal exhausted; the PCs must earn its trust before it allows them to
appearance. Unconcerned by folk moving among the dead, they approach.
only take flight if attacked or assailed by a loud noise. 10. A small heap of bodies is the beginnings of what is destined to
4. A ragged, blood-splattered standard yet stands (at a somewhat be a large funeral pyre. Nearby, lies a salvaged pile of useable
drunken angle) among the carnage. The fighting was equipment, weapons and armour. Slightly further away lies a
pile of broken equipment.

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10 SIGNS OF WAR
War leaves its mark on the countryside. Burnt and sacked villages, 6. The bloody leavings of a minor skirmish cover the ground. Here,
mass graves, battlefields and more all appear in war’s bloody the hacked and broken bodies of the fallen lie amid a welter of
wake. blood, body parts and broken equipment. The party’s arrival
PCs traveling through a ravaged countryside will no doubt scatters a dozen or so birds and an emaciated dog that were
encounter many disturbing and horrific sights. Use the table feeding on the dead. The victors looted the dead, and little—if
below, to determine what the PCs discover, witness or encounter: anything—of value remains.
7. A red tinge to its waters gives this narrow river a macabre
1. A smudge of smoke mars the horizon. PCs with sharp eyes appearance. Moments after the PCs arrive on its banks, the
notice the smudge comprises a half-dozen or so intertwined bodies of a half-dozen or so individuals bob passed in the
pillars of smoke. Perhaps, a hamlet burns. current. One, becomes stuck in the reeds growing thickly along
2. A towering pillar of black, churning smoke rises high into the this stretch of river.
sky. From the amount of smoke, an entire village must be on 8. Two warriors hang from nooses of crude hemp rope thrown
fire. over the branch of a large, old oak tree. Each bears a hasty
3. A great swath of churned mud cuts across the PCs’ path. Even scrawled sign on their chest that reads, “Deserter”.
those without any tracking skills can see a large band of 9. An overturned cart lies in a ditch by the side of the road. Pinned
warriors—many heavily laden—passed this way recently. below it lies a dead, mouldering horse. The cart has been
4. A recently raised stone cairn stands atop a low hill. A ragged, comprehensively looted. Of the owner, there is no sign. Tracks
bloody banner hanging from a pole thrust deep into the cairn in the surrounds suggest an ambush took place here.
stirs listlessly in the faint breeze. The cairn is large—15-foot 10. The PCs discover the leavings of an impromptu campsite.
wide, 30-foot long and 15-foot high; many folk probably lie Obvious signs including a half-dozen cold campfires, a noisome
within. latrine pit and general rubbish point to many individuals resting
5. The remains of a funeral pyre smoulders amid a wide circle of here overnight. Three shallow graves lie nearby in the lee of a
burnt and scorched vegetation. Wisps of smoke rise from the small hill.
chunks of charred wood, smouldering ash and scorched bones
comprising the pyre’s remains. Before setting the pyre, the
victors looted the bodies of the fallen; there is no treasure here.

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20 THINGS TO SEE IN A WAR-RAVAGED VILLAGE
Raids, skirmishes and full-on invasion often beset borderland 11. A black cat slinks across the road, clutching something bloody in
villages. Sometimes such raids are repulsed, but often the raiders its jaws. At sight of the PCs, it darts away with its prize.
sack the village, slay its inhabitants and carry off everything of 12. A pool of congealing blood decorates the ground. Enough blood
value. has been shed here that whatever was injured probably died of
As adventurers often wander the borderlands, they are its wounds. However, there is no body.
certain at some point to come upon a ravaged village. Sometimes, 13. Driven by faint gusts of wind, ash swirls across the street. It
they are too late to help, and the surviving villagers have fled. Use seems to dance about the party, before settling to the ground.
the table below, to determine what the PCs find in a war-ravaged 14. Several bodies lie scattered on the ground. Perceptive PCs hear
village. (The attackers’ identity is left vague, to enable the GM to a faint mewling coming from the body of a young woman. A
customise discoveries as desired.) baby, wrapped tight in a bloodstained blanket lies under its
mother’s body. The baby is dehydrated and hungry, but
1. Fallen from a nearby building, a pile of tumbled, burnt timbers uninjured.
partly blocks the street. The slashed and burnt corpse of a horse 15. The slashed and stabbed corpses of three villagers hang upside
lies nearby. The smell of smoke and burnt flesh is heavy in the down from the boughs of a large tree. Crows feed on their
air. brutally mutilated bodies. It seems the doomed souls were hung
2. A body lies in the street, several arrows protruding from its before being used as practise targets.
chest. A crow perches atop the body, pecking at the 16. This house seems to have been the site of greater than normal
unfortunate’s face. If disturbed, it caws indignantly and flies resistance. Two raiders lie dead at the front door, and a half-
away. dozen or so arrows yet jut from its window and door frames.
3. Smoke rises from a chimney. Investigation reveals a still Inside, chaos and destruction greet explorers. Two more raiders
smouldering fire and a pot of burnt vegetable stew. A cursory lie dead within, but of the defenders there is no sign.
search of the house reveals signs of a hasty departure. 17. The mournful tinkle of wind chimes reaches the party’s ears.
4. Several corpses lie entwined in the street. A skirmish was fought PCs following the sound discover the chimes hanging from the
here—a skirmish the villagers clearly lost as none of the eves of the village tavern. Opened, empty barrels and casks lie
intruders’ bodies lie among the fallen. about; clearly the raiders slaked their thirst here.
5. An overturned cart, festooned with arrows, partially blocks the 18. A red cloak lies discarded in the street. As the PCs approach, the
street. The bodies of three villagers lie behind the cart. Their wind plucks at its hem but does not blow it away. A dozen gold
weapons—two spears and a shortbow along with an empty coins are sewn into the cloak’s lining, but only perceptive PCs
quiver—lie nearby. searching the cloak find them.
6. A gaunt dog darts across the street ahead of the party. 19. Smoke yet rises from this building; its old thatch was sodden
(Perceptive PCs notice a wound on his left hind leg). At sight of and has only just caught fire. The thatch will smoulder for
the adventurers, it flees into a nearby building and hides. A another hour, before the roof collapses.
ranger, druid or similarly skilled PC may be able to coax the dog 20. A lone horse—a long slash across its face—plods through the
forth. Anyone being particularly kind to the dog, gains a friend village. It wears saddle and bridle. Blood splatters the saddle
for life. and the horse’s back suggesting the rider’s fate was not a
7. This house has collapsed in on itself; a few charred timbers and pleasant one.
the chimney remain upright. Parts of the ruin still smoulder. PCs
sifting through the house’s remains find nothing of interest,
except a partially squashed cooking pot and a child’s scorched
skeleton.
8. Three crows perch on a fence and stare hungrily at the bodies
lying scattered about. Unless the PCs shoo them away, they
soon fly down to feed.
9. A loud crash from deeper into the village heralds the collapse of
a damaged building. Startled, birds perching about the ruins
take wing and fly away.
10. A cauldron, several pewter goblets and some other odds and
ends are scattered on the ground outside a ransacked house.
The house’s door gaps wide; no sound emanates from within.

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20 THINGS TO SEE DURING A SIEGE
Walled towns, cities and castles are often besieged, during wars 9. A small group of peasants stand in a loose circle. An angry
or border incursions. Such engagements are characterised by murmur rises above the group as one of the burlier men
brief bouts of fighting punctuating long periods of boredom. That expounds upon some point. A single alert, man-at-arms stands
doesn’t mean, however, that nothing’s happening… nearby observing the group with a concerned look upon his
Use the table below, to generate minor events of interest to face. Several of the women in the group cast dark looks in his
the defenders during a siege. Remember to modify each event to direction.
better fit the general flow of events. 10. With a scream, one of the guards atop the wall suddenly throws
his hands into the air before falling backwards off the walkway,
1. A servant rushes passed. He bears a wooden pole over his an arrow in his throat. (PCs rushing to his aid discover he is
shoulders from which hang two buckets filled with water. already dead).
Several pewter drinking cups also hang from the pole. As he 11. A young teenage boy wearing a rusting suit of chainmail and a
hurries off, he slops water onto the floor. comically over-sized helmet staggers passed. He nervously
2. A guard atop the wall leans against the parapet looking out over clutches a spear and looks terrified.
the battlements. (A perceptive PC notices the guard does not 12. Suddenly, a wildly struck alarm bell shatters the relative calm.
move; he could be asleep or dead—the victim of a spy or Immediately, defenders grab their weapons and rush to man
assassin creeping over the wall). the walls. (This could be a false alarm or the start of a proper
3. Two guards huddle atop the wall, deep in conversation. They attack).
seem to be paying almost no attention to the enemy. 13. Deep drumming sounds from somewhere in the enemy camp.
4. Two children sit huddled against a wall. Wrapped in cut-down It begins suddenly and goes on for hours.
thick cloaks, they sob quietly. Nearby squats a worried-looking 14. Heavy rain lashes both attackers and defenders. Visibility is
man clad in ragged leather armour. He clutches a spear and has reduced and the ground outside the wall quickly turns to mud.
a grim look of determination on his face. Whoever can do so, seeks shelter. The rain lasts for several
5. The jingle of armour and the tread of heavy feet heralds the hours before slowly petering out.
approach of a four-man patrol of men-at-arms. (A perceptive PC 15. A particularly large bird circles high above the walls. Several of
notices the men-at-arms have worried looks on their faces). the defenders mutter among themselves and several shoot at
They search any obvious hiding places in the immediate vicinity, the bird, but to no avail. (Perceptive PCs even note one of the
before continuing their patrol. shots seems to hit the bird, but bounces off!)
6. The sudden harsh clamour of blade on blade nearby shatters 16. Tears running down his face, a small child wanders about. He
the relative peace. (Investigations reveal, two men-at-arms has lost his mother and cannot find her. If he—Aldorn—is
practising their swordplay—enemies are not within the walls). returned to his mother—Shel—she is tremendously grateful as
7. A sudden wind picks up, blowing the stench of the enemies’ he has been missing for hours. (Later, if the enemy breach the
camp over the fortress’ walls. Snatches of sound also reaches walls, Shel seeks the party out for protection; Aldorn—at an
the defender’s ears. impressionable age—begins to hero worship one of the PCs).
8. Suddenly an arrow arcs over the wall. It narrowly misses a man- 17. Hysterical screaming alerts everyone nearby to a terrible event.
nearby
at-arms, who instinctively ducks as it shatters against a nearb Investigations reveal a man-at-arms dead with a dagger in his
wall. back. Was the death the result of an argument, or has a spy
snuck into the fortress?
18. A commotion without the walls reveals the arrival of
reinforcements to bolster the attacker’s force. Several covered
wagons hint at the arrival of extra supplies—or perhaps even a
dismantled siege engine (and its ammunition).
19. A man-at-arms, clearly drunk almost beyond words—lies
slumped against a wall. The man is insensible; he is found by an
officer and hauled away. The next day, he is hung from the walls
as an example to others.
20. The enemy camp is suspiciously quiet all day. Suspicions rise,
they are planning a major attack.

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20 THINGS TO SEE DURING A VILLAGE RAID
On the frontier, life is tough. Raids and war are commonplace and 10. A villager—an axe embedded in his back—crawls down the
most villages are lightly defended at best—easy pickings for well- street. In great pain, he spots the party and loudly begs for aid.
armed raiders or and invading army. 11. Two raiders drag a woman from a smouldering house. Their
Use the table below, to add minor points of interest to a raid backs are to the PCs and they do not appear to have noticed the
on a frontier settlement. Of course, many of the entries below can adventurers.
be used for raiders of any ilk; simply change any mention of 12. A javelin flashes passed the lead PC’s face and embeds itself in
raiders to orcs, hobgoblins or whatever suits your campaign. a nearby wall.
13. With a crash, a blazing outbuilding collapses in on itself,
1. A small, snivelling child huddles behind a barrel, trying to hide throwing up a cloud of sparks and smoke.
from the rampaging orcs. 14. Two children—one clutching a baby to its chest—dash from a
2. Fire suddenly takes hold of a nearby building and smoke from side street and run straight at the party. Their soot-stained faces
its burning thatch fills the air. Indistinct screaming comes from are streaked with tears. Behind them lumber two drunk
within... warriors—intent on easy pickings. At sight of the PCs they turn
3. Shouts, screams and the sound of battle fill the air. One away.
particularly loud, piercing scream ends suddenly. 15. The frenzied squealing of a horse in tremendous pain breaks
4. A mother dashes across the street dragging one child behind through the clamour of battle.
her. In her other hand, she carries an old spear. 16. An arrow falls from the sky and lands—quivering—at a PC’s
5. The sprawled and bloody corpse of a militia member lies in the feet. There’s no indication who shot the arrow in question.
street. He has been hacked to death and lies in a pool of his own 17. A hand cart lies on its side in the street—vegetables, along with
blood. a few hand tools, lie scattered on the ground.
6. A jumbled collection of scattered household goods—clothes, a 18. A villager—clearly very dead—stands transfixed against a wall
cooking pot and so on—lies scattered on the ground outside a by a large spear driven through his chest.
home. 19. A raider lies dead in the street, his skull caved in. Near his
7. A raider—covered in blood and gore—sits slumped against a outstretched hand lies a yet burning torch.
wall. An arrow protrudes from his throat and his face is frozen 20. The thatch of a nearby building is beginning to smoulder—a
in a grimace of hate and pain. raider threw a torch onto its roof moments ago. A villager
8. Smoke blows across the street, obscuring the PCs’ view of dashes out of the building clutching a load of possessions to his
events. Humanoid shapes move within the smoke—and they chest. He dumps them onto the street and then dashes back
seem to be running directly toward the party! into the building.
9. A broken barrel lies on its side amid a puddle of wine. A crude,
bloody handaxe is embedded in the barrel.

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W ILDERNESS C AM PIN G

171
8 TRAVELLERS TO SHARE THE CAMPFIRE
The roads are dangerous for travellers, and a roaring campfire is world. Annoyed at his parent’s overprotection, he is eager to
always a welcome sight. However, heroes should be wary of those take part in adventure. He begs to join the PCs, but fetches a
who approach their tents at night. Flame may ward off wolves, hefty reward if returned to his family.
but it attracts the most unusual company. 5. Yezcha Silverhair (CE female halfling thief 3): Yezcha is an
Use the table below, to bring to life travellers who want to unassuming older hobbit, her long black hair streaked with grey.
share the PC’s campfire. She carries a small pack, and claims to be making a short journey
to visit her son, a wealthy merchant in a nearby town. She reads
1. Burlop the Brave (CG male human fighter 8) and Jinnid (LG male a book and keeps mostly to herself, but asks to sleep in camp
human paladin 4): Burlop can be heard from at least a mile off. for the night. However, there is no son. Yezcha is a thief, and
His bravado, rowdy guffaws and joyous proclamations carry takes the first opportunity to steal a valuable item and
through the air like the trumpet of an elephant. Six-foot tall and disappear into the darkness.
built like a bear, Burlop is clad in muddy hide armor and a 6. Tuppus Smmendyyn (LG female gnome magic-user 6): A crack
feathered helmet. His giant smile and vivacious charm are of thunder and lightning in the near distance precede Tuppus’
visible beneath a thick layer of dirt and scruff. Beside him trails arrival by minutes. She is comically misdressed for the weather,
Jinnid, his mute and faithful squire. Burlop immediately and her robes and beard are singed. Apparently dazed, she asks
identifies the PCs as fellow adventurers (accurately or not). As odd questions as to her location and nearby ley-lines, and
Jinnid cooks a rabbit, Burlop helps himself to the party’s drink mumbles arcane nonsense with every response. After some
and food. He brags loudly of his own (admittedly impressive) confused deliberation, she determines her experimental
accomplishments, asks of the PCs’ quests, before quickly teleportation spell went somewhat amiss. Tuppus requests
segueing back into his own deeds. If confronted, Burlop is escort to the nearest town or city, and promises the PCs some
cowed and embarrassed, and flounders into a glum silence. If arcane favour in return.
praised, however, he shares valuable contacts in the nearest 7. Milnan (NE male human): Milnan steps into the firelight, dagger
city, or informs the PCs of a treasure he is too busy to collect. drawn. He is gaunt and sweating, with black veins webbing his
2. Gryzob (LN female orc fighter 5): Gryzob swaggers into the pale flesh. Stuttering, he demands gold from the party between
firelight, all snarl and scowl and tusk. She stands menacingly for involuntary face spasms. Milnan is a skez head, completely
a few moments, then warms herself by the flame without so addicted to the drug. Desperate and willing to do whatever it
much as a “hello.” Gryzob was hired muscle for a travelling takes for his next hit, he is none-the-less unlikely to pose a real
elven merchant until racial tensions proved too much for the threat to the PCs.
pairing. The orc lost the fight, and fled fuming into the darkness 8. Unlucky Petar (NG male half-orc thief 4): Unlucky Petar politely
to happen across the PCs. She is injured, holding pressure to a hails the group from a distance. He is dressed as an adventurer,
small but deep rapier wound to the stomach. If untreated, the complete with leather armour, a short sword and an unpainted
wound festers and kills her in days. Gryzob is surly and does not hide buckler. He makes pleasant conversation as he eats his trail
desire conversation. If angered (an easy feat), she challenges rations, and inquires into recent news. His own story is a
her perceived aggressor to a duel. After all, she must regain comedy of disasters. Employed by no fewer than six
some pride after losing to an elf. adventuring companies, he watched as each one fell prey to
3. Zopher Zyznana (NG male half-elf): Zopher can be heard by the some unlucky mishap. From each, Petar emerged the sole
clacking of pots and the ringing of bells which hang from his survivor. Petar is making his way back to civilization from such
overlarge pack. A tinker and trader, the half-elf is an excellent a misadventure, and offers his services
conversationalist and lively camp-mate. He peddles es a range of for pay if the PCs seem
mundane but unusual goods, from witching bells to shrunken friendly (and competent).
heads to glass dolls, all while blowing marvelous smoke
moke shapes
from his pipe.
4. Potlam Geldstone (CN male human): Potlam am quietly
approaches the fire, and politely asks permission n to join the
party. A child of nine, he speaks with a nobleman’s lilt
ilt and wears
dusty but expensive clothes. He has no pack, no weapons and
no travelling equipment. A slightly spoiled but
otherwise rambunctious and likeable boy, Potlam
ran away from home three days ago to see thee

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10 NOTABLE CAMPSITE CHARACTERISTICS
Not all campsites are created equal. While some are 5. The campsite follows the contours of the land and is long, thin
unremarkable, others have one or more characteristics that set and undulating. Although mainly flat, it stands between two
them apart from their brethren. precipitous slopes. It is invisible from the nearest trail.
Use the table below, to determine a campsite’s notable 6. Several trees have fallen across the area. They form natural
characteristic: windbreaks and even provide concealment from casual
observers.
1. The campsite is prone to flooding; if it rains heavily while the 7. A fire recently raged through the area. Nothing remains but
party camp here, they are in for an unpleasant surprise after a scorched earth, blackened stumps and so on. A single forlorn
few hours. Alternatively, the ground could already be oak—bark blackened and leaf-stripped—survived the
waterlogged. conflagration.
2. The campsite straddles a game trail. During the night, numerous 8. Boulders and rubble lie strewn across the area. There is barely
foxes, badgers and other nocturnal creatures scuttle through, anywhere large enough to comfortably lie down. It takes hours
or around, the camp. of effort to clear a space to pitch the party’s tents.
3. The PCs have found a sheltered dell complete with a small 9. A crumbling wall of ancient origin bounds one side of the site.
spring bubbling out of the ground that fills a shallow pool of Overgrown with weeds and brambles, the moss-covered stones
fresh water. look as old as the world.
4. One of the trees standing at the campsite’s fringe is “dead 10. The campsite is a small hollow atop a high, steep-sided hill. The
standing”. If a high wind hits the campsite, the tree could topple summit commands sweeping views of the surrounds. It is a
to the ground. highly defensible position, virtually impossible to approach
unobserved.

10 SIGNS SOMEONE HAS CAMPED HERE BEFORE

Heroic adventurers often find themselves on the edge of discovers an unburied shallow latrine by standing it in.
civilisation in the wild lands. But they are not the first to explore Unfortunately, recent rain has reduced the contents to a kind of
such places, and previous explorers often leave signs of their viscous slop.
passing. 6. The ground slopes upwards in the PCs’ direction of travel.
When the PCs find a campsite, use the table below—at your Someone has previous taken the time to scrape out a flat
discretion—to dress the site with the leavings of previous section just large enough for a couple of bedrolls.
explorers. 7. A ripped and weather-worn, wind-blown cloak hangs from the
branches of a thorn bush. It flutters in a faint breeze, making a
1. An old, mouldy boot stands on a flat bit of ground between two rustling sound.
saplings sprouting from a low, mossy bank. 8. A shallow fire pit stands in the lee of a small rise. Nearby, several
2. A slender rope has been strung at roughly shoulder height small piles of gathered firewood stand ready to use.
between two trees. It is slightly mouldy. A Perceptive PC noticed 9. Some attempt has been made to screen this spot from a nearby
a balled up weather-beaten tarpaulin caught in the roots of a path. Fallen branches have been arranged in a haphazard
nearby gnarly oak tree. screen of sorts and the camp’s fire pit is positioned behind a
3. A fire pit, ringed by scorched stones, stands in the middle of mossy pile of stones.
patch of cleared ground. Here, the shrubs have been cut back 10. Trash—the leavings of an extended camp—cover the ground.
and some attempt has been made to clear away fallen leaves The rubbish includes frayed rope, a mouldy tent and several
and brush. The burnt remains of several branches lie amid the wine flasks. Perceptive PCs can make out the “footprints” of
campfire cold ashes. four tents.
4. A small, bugling hemp sack stands propped up against a tree.
Investigations reveal it is full of empty wine skins.
5. This campsite appears pristine and unused. However, an
unlucky PC leaving the camp—perhaps to relieve himself—

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10 THINGS ALREADY LIVING AT THE CAMPSITE
Many creatures live in the wilderness. Beyond the threats posed 5. A vast ant nest honeycombs the ground under the campsite. PCs
by wandering owlbears, wolves and other dangerous predators sleeping on the ground find themselves (and their kit) infested
sometimes the PCs find something else already living in the area. with ants the next morning.
Use the table below, to determine what already lives in the 6. Two rival male squirrels claim the area. When the PCs arrive,
campsite: the two are chattering at each other.
7. Nests festoon the upper branches of the surrounding trees, but
1. Wasps have built a nest high up in a nearby tree. Depending on all are empty. What could have forced so many birds to leave?
the time of year, they could be dopy or aggressive. Did they migrate or did they fall prey to a predator?
2. A badger set pierces the sheltered slope of a small rise. The 8. A dense patch of wild berry bushes grows throughout the area.
badgers emerge at night to feed. They are only aggressive if The berries are ripe, ready for picking and delicious.
attacked or cornered. 9. A shaded, reed-fringed pool is home to several dozen carp, and
3. An owl lurks in a nearby tree. It emerges at dusk to hunt. When one old and grumpy pike. Here, the fishing is good!
it returns, clutching a dead mouse it sits in the tree devouring 10. A small stream winds its way through the campsite. Among the
its prey and watching the PCs. It is so silent the PCs might not reeds clustering thickly along its steep banks live a female duck
even be aware of its presence. and her four young. Initially unseen, the youngs’ high-pitched
4. A fox den lies nearby. If the PCs are relatively quiet, the mated quacking quickly betrays their presence.
pair and their young emerge to hunt and play. The young are
fearless and scavenge through the camp for food scraps.

10 THINGS LURKING IN THE SHADOWS

Adventurers often spend the night in dangerous locales. Although dirty except where tears have cleaned it away. To her breast she
things move in the shadows outside the adventurers’ camp and clutches a baby wrapped in brown cloth. Jennan is on the run
sounds travel strange in the dark, not all night-time distractions from some threat appropriate to the PCs’ level (bandits, a
or encounters lead to combat. rampaging troll, a vindictive dragon or the like). She escaped
Use this table, to generate such minor events and happenings: with her child, but the rest of her village was massacred. Jennan
accepts food and care distractedly and without thanks.
1. Rustling in the bushes near the camp grows steadily louder and However, if any PC moves to touch her child, she swats them
louder. After a few minutes, a family of badgers—two adults away. Sadly, their help comes too late. The child died in the
and three young—emerge from the bushes and sniff about the attacks, and Jennan is deep in denial.
camp in search of food. 8. A pair of small red eyes regards the camp from a nearby stand
2. A large owl glides silently over the camp. When it is directly of bushes. The eyes are unblinking and watch the camp for
overhead it lets out a loud, deep hoot. several minutes before abruptly disappearing. They cat could be
3. With a loud crash and rustling of undergrowth something falls feral or could be a wizard’s familiar sent to spy on the party.
to the ground not too far from camp. (A rotten branch has fallen 9. A swarm of fireflies passes over the camp. Their luminescent
from a tree, but the PCs are unlikely to know that—paranoid bodies provide a spectacular display as thousands of insects
adventurers may believe a dragon or has dropped something or twist and weave through the night.
that some winged beast has just landed). 10. Basson Clayhanger (CN male halfling ghost): A shivering halfling
4. Something large passes in front of the stars, blotting it out for approaches the fire, and moves to warm his blue hands by the
several seconds. flame. He is oblivious to the PCs, consumed by a fruitless effort
5. A small swarm of bats is hunting. If the party has set a fire the to absorb some of the campfire’s heat. Basson is icy cold, and
light and the smell of burning wood keeps them away from the his breath mists in the air. If confronted, he dissolves into an icy
camp’s immediate environs but the sound of them moving vapour which floats from the campground. Should the PCs
through the trees—unseen—may unnerve the PC on watch. follow the freezing ectoplasm, they come across an old
6. The howling of a wolf obviously some distance off is answered campsite and a frozen halfling corpse (regardless of the current
by a much louder howl…coming from much closer. temperature). Unless the PCs burn the body to give the poor
7. Jennan Royce (LN female human): Jennan approaches the fire soul rest, the ghost returns to their campfire every night they
silently and shell shocked. Her clothes are torn, and her face is remain in the area.

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20 NIGHT-TIME CAMPSITE EVENTS
Adventures often spend days or even weeks in the wilderness. 7. A small, non-venomous snake slithers through the camp in
Whether they are searching for a lost burial crypt from an elder search of prey. It is timid and flees if attacked. Inattentive
civilisation or exploring the land at the behest of their noble guards may not see it until it gets quite close to them.
employer it is inevitable they'll camp out in the wilds at some Alternatively, those not wise in the ways of nature may assume
point. the snake is poisonous and rouse their comrades for nothing.
Wise adventurers post a watch during the night. Dangerous, 8. A faint drumming sound drifts through the night air. It comes
hungry things often lurk in the wilderlands and like nothing more from some unknown distant point and continues for several
than snacking on a sleeping adventurer. However, most nights hours before eventually stopping.
either pass peacefully—the GM failed to roll a random 9. The guard develops the distinct impression someone or
encounter—or something attacks the camp. There is very rarely something is watching the camp. Investigations reveal no
any middle ground—a minor encounter that is interesting but apparent signs of such a watcher, but the feeling refuses to
doesn't end in combat. fade.
Use the table below, to add minor points of interest or 10. One of the slumbering adventurers—or attendant NPC—has a
excitement to an overnight camp. Some can be nothing but a nightmare. He tosses, turns and murmurs in his sleep.
random minor distraction; others could presage an encounter or Eventually, he wakes up screaming.
foreshadow some future event. 11. The warmth of the campfire and the sonorous snoring of his
companions begin to lull the guard to sleep. He jolts himself
1. A light sprinkling of rain falls on the camp. Little more than a awake a few moments later; no-one notices his infraction, and
drizzle, it falls for an hour or so. no ill-harm seems to have come to the camp.
2. One of the larger sticks in the party's campfire burns through 12. Somewhere off in the distance, an animal shrieks in pain.
the middle, and its bits fall into the fire throwing up a sudden 13. The wind whistles through the campsite. The branches of
cloud of sparks. nearby trees creak, groan and loudly clack against one another.
3. A faint rustling in the bushes reaches the guard’s ear. It stops 14. A fox scurries through the campsite, clutching a small, limp
and starts several times over a period of about ten minutes. mouse in its mouth.
Investigations reveal a badger and her young. 15. A crashing sound in the distant heralds a rotten branch falling
4. A sudden wind blows up through the camp plucking at the from a nearby tree. It's a thick branch and makes a hell of a
guard's cloak and fanning the campfire. If the guard is unlucky, crash.
the wind might even blow a few embers from the fire onto a 16. One of the party begins to talk in his sleep. The speech seems
tent or sleeping adventurer. If the unfortunate guard is also to be complete gibberish. Disturbingly, he occasionally
inattentive, a small fire could result. pauses—as if listening to a response from some unknown
5. Clouds pass over the moon, plunging the campsite into even source.
deeper darkness. As deep shadows gather about the camp, the 17. Suddenly—and for seemingly no reason—a rope on one of the
temperature drops several degrees. party's tents snaps. It immediately begins to sag, which wakes
6. An owl perches on a tree near the camp and starts to hoot. up at least one of its occupants.
Unless driven off, the owl continues to hoot on and off for hours 18. Clouds scud across the sky, the moon's light eerily shining
potential disrupting slumbering characters' sleep. through them. Deep shadows dance amongst the party's tents.
A paranoid or over-anxious guard might believe the shadows
cluster about one particular spot in the camp.
19. It gets unusually cold for the season in the depths of the night.
Ill-equipped adventurers wake up shivering in the night.
20. The guard falls asleep and slumbers through the entire night.
Consequently, he does not wake any of the PCs to take their
shift. Nothing fell befalls the party as a consequence of the
guard's error, but the guard does remember feeling suddenly
and inexplicably sleepy just before the end of his vigil.

175
20 THINGS TO FIND AT AN ABANDONED CAMPSITE
Adventurers spend a lot of time in the wilderness hunting for lost 11. A ragged mottled green and brown cloak hangs from a tree’s
tombs, hidden monster lairs and more. As such, they often come low branches.
across things they weren’t looking for in their travels. 12. The skinned, gutted and now decomposing remains of a deer
One such thing they might discover is an abandoned have been dumped about 30 ft. away from camp.
campsite. Some may be just that—an abandoned camp—while 13. A crude map of the surrounding terrain has been drawn into a
others could the site of violent slaughter. patch of mud with a sharp stick. Several portions of the map
Use the below table, to determine what they find in an have been effaced by animals or inclement weather.
abandoned campsite. 14. By the looks of things, the campfire at this camp got a little out
of hand. A nearby tree’s branches have been scorched and the
1. The charred remains of several bloody rags lie among the ashes burn patterns on the ground extend well beyond the fire’s stone
of the campfire. There is, however, no sign of violence. ring.
2. An abandoned two-man tent lies crumbled on the ground. One 15. Wind-blown leaves cover much of this site. A small leaf drift
end is still attached to its guide ropes while the other flaps covers a shredded sack containing seemingly nothing more than
despondently in the breeze. rotting clothes. A perceptive character, however, searching the
3. A jumbled pile of firewood stands under the boughs of a tree clothes finds a small leather pouch contains 3 gp and 7 sp.
off to one side of the campfire. A small stash of full waterskins 16. A waterlogged book lies discarded on a low, flat stone. Once a
has been hidden under the pile. religious tract of a local religion the book is now nothing more
4. Food wrappers lie scattered about the camp, rustling in the than a sodden mass of parchment; only the cover remains
breeze. The party’s noses lead them to a shallow latrine hole legible.
which the campers did not bother to cover over before leaving. 17. The remains of several crude animal snares surround this
5. A single much-patched tent stands in the shadow of a tall tree. campsite; all are empty.
Within, the party find a bedroll, backpack and several days’ 18. A shallow grave—topped with a smattering of stones
worth of food along with other miscellaneous camping gear. Of surrounded by wild flowers—stands near a gurgling stream. A
the owner, there is no sign. ring of smooth stones—no doubt pulled from the nearby
6. A rudimentary attempt has been made to hide this old stream—surround the grave like a fence.
campsite. The low hanging branches of a tree have been pulled 19. A broken lantern lies on its side partially covered by leaves and
down and secured with rope to several iron spikes driven deep other wind-blown detritus. Any oil within has long since drained
into the earth. The spikes are rusting and the rope is festooned away.
with mould. 20. A large tarpaulin hangs between two trees suspended by stout
7. The ground around this central fire pit is churned up and hemp rope and anchored by several iron spikes.
splattered with dried blood. Trackers among the partyy can make
out the signs of a terrible struggle as well as the “footprints”
otprints” of
three tents.
8. A rusting hatchet stands where it was left, embedded d in the side
of a tree clearly too large to be brought down by such uch a small
weapon.
9. This was clearly a semi-permanent camp at some ome point.
Someone spent considerable time cutting down tree ee branches
and dragging them back to camp to create interlaced ced walls of
tumbled wood. The space inside the “walls” is large enough for
a half-dozen tents.
10. This campsite has four small fire pits spread evenlyy around its
perimeter; the grass and vegetation in the space betweenetween the
fires has been squashed flat—suggesting several people ople slept
therein.

176
W IZ AR D ’ S T OW ER

177
20 MINOR MAGICAL EFFECTS TO ENCOUNTER IN A WIZARD’S TOWER
Wizard's towers are strange places, full of strange sights, sounds 15. The sound of gently falling rain echoes throughout the tower,
and smells. no matter the weather outside.
16. Doors within the tower are crafted from some kind of super-
1. Small motes of multi-coloured light float near the ceiling. They hard transparent crystal. Inside each room the doors are
gently bob in the air currents and swirl about wildly when flanked by curtains which can be pulled across for privacy.
someone passes beneath them. 17. Every room in the tower has a black ceiling. Chaotic swirls of
2. The temperature in certain areas of the tower is either much multi-hued light writhe across their surfaces in a never-ending
hotter or colder than the others, for no apparent reason. cascade of colour.
3. A faintly glowing translucent mist hugs the floor. Those staring 18. Invisible servants formed of magic move about the tower
into the mist for too long are suddenly overwhelmed by a tidying up and cleaning. The resident wizard abhors mess and
sensation of falling which only ends when they shut their eyes. so has created these semi-sentient invisible servants to indulge
4. Doors open silently when a sentient being gets within 5 ft. and his lust for cleanliness and order.
close when it moves away. The tower’s resident can override 19. The fur of any animal entering the tower becomes charged with
this effect and command the doors to remain closed or open. static electricity and stands up on end. This does not hurt the
5. Gravity is subtly different in the tower. Light weight objects— animal, but can give it a somewhat comical appearance.
weighing less than one pound—if left unattended sometimes 20. Characters in the tower can become affected by the thinness of
begin to float of their own accord. (Small micro-pockets of zero the boundaries between planes at this point of the multiverse.
gravity float through the tower as a result of the erosion Occasionally, such characters are assailed by glimpses of these
between the various planes of existence existing in and about other planes and their inhabitants. The visions happen suddenly
the structure). and without warning and can be disconcerting. With practise,
6. The tower has no mundane decorations such as paintings, the visions can be controlled and the viewer can use this strange
tapestries or other decorative wall hangings. Instead, effect as a limited form of scrying magic.
beautifully created illusions of otherworldly places—alien
vistas, strange cities and so forth—decorate the walls. Careful 8 INTERESTING TOWER FEATURES
observation of the decorations reveals several have tiny moving
1. A sundial in the tower always casts a shadow to indicate the
features such as clouds, people, wandering monsters and so on.
correct time although it is not in sunlight.
7. Key pieces of furniture—the wizard’s favourites such as his
2. A small depression in the floor serves as a well of sorts. Although
desk, chair and so on—are animate and can move around at his
it is only a foot deep and has no obvious source of water, the
command.
“well” never runs dry.
8. Residual magic covers some sections of the floor. Characters
3. The tower’s windows are opaque from the outside, denying
stepping on such locations leave behind faintly glowing
anyone a view of what goes on within.
footprints that fade after an hour.
4. This whitewashed tower gleams brightly in sunlight. During
9. Faint music fills the tower; the type and style of music is
daylight hours, strange shadows and shapes writhe across its
dependant on the wizard’s mood.
white walls.
10. Glowing, intangible runes float through the air. They pop out of
5. The mortar used to build the tower is laced with lead; thus
existence when they come into contact with anything solid.
detect magic from outside reveals nothing of what lies within.
11. Insubstantial, ghostly figures float through the tower on
6. Dozens of carven gargoyles decorate the tower; sometimes
occasion; they pay no attention to the tower’s inhabitants. The
they seem to move or shift location.
figures seem to be of a haughty, cruel-meined race of humans
7. Intricate mosaic windows depicting ancient, famous wizards
who wear clothes of strange cut.
admit a riot of colour into the tower’s interior.
12. Every now and then, a blast of hot air—like a desert gale—
8. An impossibly slender and long flagpole atop the tower flies a
rushes through the tower.
flag emblazoned with the wizard’s personal sigil; no matter the
13. Gently glowing green mist fills this part of the tower. The mist
weather, the flag flutters majestically.
reduces visibility to about 5 ft., and resists mundane attempts
to dissipate it.
14. Heatless flames writhe about metal balls hung from the ceiling
in each room, providing light. A command word causes the
flames to extinguish (or ignite).

178
20 SPELL COMPONENTS TO DISCOVER IN A WIZARD’S TOWER
Wizards use any number of strange items and objects to power 8. A piece of cloth covered in dried mud.
their spellcasting and research. 9. A small clump of wool impregnated with dried wax.
10. This tightly-stoppered tiny potion vial holds an ounce or so of
1. This small pouch contains four packets of coloured sand; red, blood.
yellow and blue sand is mixed up in each packet. 11. A dozen small jars hold a variety of dried herbs.
2. A cloying smell hangs about this small, circular tin of beaten 12. A small strip of leather tied in a loop.
bronze. Guano fills the tin. 13. This small iron potion vial is labelled, "Dragon Blood." The vial
3. This small cracked prism gives the user a headache if it is looked feels slightly warm to the touch.
through for too long. 14. This old and worn brass key is tarnished with great age.
4. Four white and black feathers tied together with twine. 15. Two small clay statuettes depict sitting bloodhounds.
5. This small packet created from a sheet of heavy parchment and 16. A small silver mirror of fine make lies wrapped in a strip of black
closed with a plain waxen seal holds a small amount of gold velvet.
dust. embroiled
17. This neatly folded square of red fabric has a small embroile
6. A small drawstring pouch holds a half dozen acorns spider decorating one corner.
along with a sprig of holy and several pieces of 18. This small clay model depicts a multi-stepped ziggurat. It ha has
mistletoe. An included note reads, "Harvested on the clearly seen much use as several of its corners are chipped.
summer solstice." 19. A wooden box holds several chunks of quartz, rock crysta crystal,
7. This heavily padded pouch holds a small crystal granite and several other types of rock.
sphere completely free of blemish, scratches or 20. Three small forked metal rods; each is enscribed with the namname
other imperfections. of a different plane of existence.

179
20 THINGS TO DECORATE A WIZARD’S TOWER
Wizard’s towers are strange places full of esoteric items of 14. Esoteric runes—in the ancient magical language—snake around
unknowable purpose and artifice. It makes sense that such folk— the room at waist height. PCs able to read the runes realise they
steeped in arcane arts—would decorate their homes with objects are a form of ritualistic protection against scrying.
and items that one would be unlikely to find in more normal 15. A picture set into an ornate, gaudy frame depicts a great granite
dwellings. throne standing alone in a deep cavern. The dust of ages is upon
the throne and its surroundings. Small letters hidden in the
1. This large black tapestry covers one entire wall; small bottom left corner of the picture identify the scene as, "The
interwoven silver beads depict the best known constellations. God-Throne." The picture is unsigned.
Perceptive PCs note another constellation they don’t recognise; 16. A fabulously detailed blown-glass figurine standing on a side
this one is picked out with small red beads. table depicts a rearing unicorn.
2. Wrought iron torch sconces protrude from the walls; the 17. Surprisingly life-like carvings of a multitude of stone bats hang
sconces look like the blackened claws of some kind of terrible, from the ceiling.
mythical beast. 18. A crudely painted picture of the wizard dead in his coffin hangs
3. A pentagram covers much of the floor. The design is cut into the on one wall. The picture is signed by the wizard himself (in a
floor and its tiny channels are full of glistening mercury. trembling hand).
4. Thick red curtains hang down from the ceiling around the walls 19. Protective sigils are etched into the wall above every door and
and obscure any doors or other openings. Behind the curtains, window. The sigils themselves are filled with a mix of lead and
several cunningly-cut holes channel the wind from outside; silver and are designed to ward against scrying and
when the wind is strong enough, this causes the curtains to teleportation magic.
oscillate. 20. A beautiful rug of exquisite craftsmanship covers a large portion
5. This chamber’s walls are whitewashed. However, perceptive of the floor. The map depicts the surrounding area and shows
PCs can just make out the shadow of an image below the the location of several hidden tombs, derelict wizard’s towers
whitewash. and other adventure sites.
6. This door frame is decorated with intricate carvings of a swarm
of tiny hands grasping at the door; paranoid PCs may suspect 8 STRANGE SOUNDS
this is a trap.
1. Perceptive PCs hear the sound of barely audible muttering in a
7. The floor is of one-foot square alternating yellow and black
harsh, otherworldly language. The sound is so faint, though,
flagstones. The yellow flagstones look older and more worn
they cannot make out more than a few words.
than the black.
2. Many small holes pierce the tower's outer walls; when the wind
8. Soot mars the ceiling, although there doesn’t seem to be any
is stronger than a mere breeze this creates a whining sound that
obvious source of fire.
rises and falls as gusts batter the structure.
9. A fan of daggers—all of different craftsmanship and make—
3. Footsteps sound in a random direction, but investigations
decorates one wall. The daggers come from a variety of races
reveal the relevant area to be empty.
and cultures; some are crafted by orcs or goblins while others
4. A perceptive PC detects the faint sound of scrabbling claws on
are of human manufacture. One impossibly slender blade is
stone.
clearly of elven origin.
5. Barely audible crying or sobbing comes to the party’s ears; it
10. A scorched and battered suit of chainmail sits on a stand in a
comes from an unknown source.
small niche in one wall.
6. A high pitch buzzing sounds suddenly begins. No matter the PCs’
11. Small niches pierce the walls at roughly knee height. A sconce
actions, it increases in pitch for 30 seconds before abruptly
sized for a candle fills each niche, and dried candle wax of a
ceasing.
variety of colours covers the bottom of each niche (and in some
7. A low humming—seemingly coming from the tower’s very
cases has dripped down onto the floor).
stones—slowly becomes apparent to the PCs’ ears. It continues
12. A portrait of the wizard adorns one wall; he is pictured clad in
for 20 minutes before slowly fading away.
the finest robes, his fingers and throat heavy with jewellery.
8. A single, loud chime suddenly rings out. The sound echoes
Behind him, lies an alien landscape and motes of light cluster
through the tower.
about this head.
13. A cracked and blackened skull of probably human origin lurks in
a deep niche in the wall; small black curtains flank the niche.

180
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A NECROMANCER’S SANCTUM
In their forbidden corpse-filled laboratories necromancers pursue sludge and detritus of many experiments—shattered bones,
their unspeakable, blasphemous experiments. Such horrible decaying flesh and the like.
labours require terrible components and depraved research 13. A sagging bookshelf holds the remains of ancient tomes long
materials of the very worst kinds. Often, though, such details are since succumbed to the ravages of extreme age.
overlooked as the party merely loots the chamber for items of 14. A small box contains four long quills carved from bone. Their
obvious value. Use this table to generate such items of interest. It tips are exquisitely sharp and blackened with red “ink".
is up to the GM to determine the value of any particular piece on 15. A partially dissected body lies on the table. The body is that is
the table below, however most good-aligned PCs will be a long dead human. The unfortunate’s chest cavity has been
uncomfortable (at best) owning such items. opened and the organs removed.
16. An ornate pentagram carving on the floor provides a zone of
1. A wooden box contains a dozen thin, long black candles. protection around the necromancer’s workbench. The
When burnt, they give off an indescribable smell akin to carvings have been picked out with blood.
burning flesh. 17. Several beakers stand on a shelf above the table. Each is full
2. Seven skulls fill a shelf above the desk. A strange rune of a different kind of dark, sticky and noxious fluid.
decorates each skull’s forehead. 18. An oversized leather wallet holds a dissection kit.
3. A coffer near one wall holds a jumble of horribly misshapen Incongruously, the leather wallet is of the finest quality and is
bones. Most are of humanoid origin, but surely no creature even monogrammed with the necromancer’s initials.
could have survived long with such deformities. 19. A small cage hanging from the ceiling holds the skeletal
4. An ornate display of bones decorates the ceiling. Leg and arm remains of several songbirds amid a small heap of discoloured
bones form the perimeter of the “sculpture” while a circle of feathers. Hideously, the birds' remains yet stir and judder. A
skulls fills the centre. The bones are yellowing and old and close examination reveals they appear to still be trying to sing.
have been stuck in place with strong glue. One of the skulls 20. The room seems unnaturally cold and the party’s nonmagical
contains a bead from a necklace of fireballs. If the skull is lights do not dispel the darkness lingering in the room’s nooks
disturbed, the bead falls out and explodes when it hits the and crannies. Anyone spending much time here gets the
floor. feeling that unseen presences lurk in the chamber.
5. A fireplace pierces one wall. Deep soot and ash lie within.
Even a cursory examination of the pile turns up fragments of 6 PICKLED & PRESERVED THINGS
bone.
1. A large jar of cloudy vinegar is full of severed ears cut from a
6. A small red velvet pouch contains a single braid of long
variety of races.
impossibly red hair. The braid is carefully curled up and has
2. An orc's disembodied head steeped in crystallised honey fills an
been dusted with some kind of fine black dust.
earthen jar. Its face is frozen in a snarl.
7. A skull—with its top removed—serves as a mixing bowl of
3. A faerie or sprite’s tiny body is pinned to a large slab of wood
sorts. A nearby worn leg bone hints at its use as a pestle.
cut from the heartwood of a dryad’s tree. The body yet
8. A small sack of salt lies on one corner. It is half empty and the
occasionally quivers.
remaining discoloured salt looks contaminated.
4. A box crafted from carefully joined finger and toe bones holds a
9. A large earthen jar of honey contains the preserved head of
suspiciously well preserved heart along with several glistening
an old man. His face is contorted as if in indescribable agony.
strands of platinum blond hair (which are carefully draped over
10. Three small glass jars hold an array of different coloured dust.
the heart).
Each is the ash of a different cremated creature, used for
5. A large box holds a dry paste of powder bones mixed with blood
some ineffable purpose. A different esoteric sigil has been
and other bodily fluids.
carefully written on each jar.
6. A wooden frame holds a stretched and drying ragged patch of
11. A chandelier crafted of bones hangs down from the ceiling in
skin roughly a foot square. (The necromancer is turning the skin
the centre of the room. The bones are blackened with soot
into a scroll). Part of a faded tattoo is visible on one edge of the
and covered in dried wax.
“scroll”.
12. A small cauldron blackened with use and pitted with age
stands near the necromancer’s worktable. Dark, unnaturally
cold water fills the cauldron almost to the lip. Within lies the

181
20 THINGS TO FIND ON A WIZARD’S BOOKSHELF
Books are reliable companions to magical scholars, and wizards 13. Once an atlas of a remote location, this book has a hole
often maintain extensive libraries. Many of the writings they hollowed out inside. An ornate, but functional, cold iron dagger
collect are works of magic, such as arcane scrolls or carefully is concealed within.
scribed spellbooks; however, tomes filled with esoteric lore, 14. The Roll of Spells has countless pages covered completely with
philosophical treatises, and historical accounts have their place in tiny, precise text. It lists the names and effects of thousands of
a wizard’s collection as well. When looking through a wizard’s spells.
bookshelf, one never quite knows what they’ll find. 15. Inside of a scroll case is a series of papers on theoretical aspects
of arcane magic, speculating on its underlying principles.
1. This hardback tome entitled Kriptografi details common ciphers 16. An old but well maintained history book is kept inside a wooden
and methods of decryption and is written in a rather archaic box. It appears unremarkable, but to a collector it’s worth 250
form of Dwarven. gp.
2. A work bound in soft leather is titled Lorebook of Pigments and 17. Titled The Arcane Consequence, this moderately-sized book
discusses the ingredients of magical inks, how best to obtain discusses the direct and indirect effects of spells and the
and prepare them and acceptable substitutes. morality of magic, emphasizing caution and forethought.
3. This thin and unmarked book is a spellbook no more than 18. An untitled bestiary with thick parchment pages has a focus on
twenty pages long. The only spells scribed inside are common a wizard’s interests, listing harvestable components and
cantrips, but the spellbook is still worth 75 gp to a neophyte magical uses of numerous creatures.
wizard. 19. This slim, white leather book bears the title A Plea for
4. Written in flourishing script and titled The Complete Draconic Necromancy. It addresses prejudice against necromancy and
Lexicon, this sizable dictionary is for the Draconic language and necromancy’s useful applications.
includes detailed etymology. 20. The Origin of Magic contains a wide variety of myths that
5. A tablet of grey stone sits at the end of a bookshelf. One side of explain how magic came into the world.
it is carved with ancient practices and instructions for binding
outsiders. 8 THINGS TO FIND INSIDE A BOOK
6. The words Genealogy Infernal: The Intermingling of the Great
1. A scrap of weathered, aged parchment decorated with
Lords and Mortals, are stamped across the cover of this book.
beautiful doodles of writhing arcane fire.
Inside are family trees of the half-mortal children of devils and
2. A single brilliant white feather that clearly hailed from a very
their descendants.
large bird (or perhaps a more exotic creature).
7. Titled Mage Illeswyte’s History Arcanum, this sizeable tome is
3. A thrice-folded slip of parchment upon which has been written
cased in heavy leather and records the known facts of
a shopping list of sorts. It appears whoever wrote the list was
wizardry’s origins and development.
looking to restock a laboratory.
8. More a tightly bound stack of papers than a book, this work
4. A large but fragile oak tree leaf. It is brittle to the touch and
bears the heading The Ancient Mysteries of the Alabaster
disintegrates if handled roughly.
Tower. A quick perusal reveals it is a cheap work of fiction.
5. A quill with a red ink-stained tip. The pages between which it lay
9. A burlap cover protects a collection of iron sheets strung
are smeared with the same red ink.
together with chains. Each sheet is embossed with a unique
6. A small pouch fashioned from a heavy piece of parchment is
diagram used for planar travel.
glued to the book's inside back cover; a few shiny grains of
10. This neatly handwritten journal details a wizard’s attempts to
diamond dust yet linger within.
create new spells. Her methods are methodical and well
7. One of the book’s pages is heavily smeared with dried blood;
documented it's a useful guide for any spellcaster looking to
much of the page’s contents are obscured and the page is
devise new magic.
partially stuck to its neighbour.
11. The Lost Divinities is a book on the topic of deceased or vanished
8. A lock of long, jet black hair serves as a bookmark of sorts; tied
deities. It records the historical facts of their fall as well as
at both ends with delicate strands of black silk the whole gives
further speculation and theory.
off a faint odour of unidentifiable origin.
12. This battered, untitled treatise discusses spell-enhancing
diagrams that work on the principle of “arcane resonance.” A
skilled wizard quickly realises this book’s claims are completely
fraudulent.

182
20 THINGS TO FIND IN A WIZARD’S LABORATORY
It seems, PCs are always defeating evil wizards and looting their 13. A workbook lies on the desk. It details—in broad strokes—the
libraries and laboratories. Such locales are filled with strange, beginnings of research into lichdom. The wizard has not got very
esoteric (and often distasteful) things of unknowable and far; to date he has only listed a lich’s various abilities and
unguessable purpose linked to the wizard’s unfathomable characteristics.
research. Such things, though, are often glossed over in the mad 14. A big sack stuffed in a corner holds a large quantity of damaged,
stampede toward the wizard’s spare potions, scrolls and (of scorched or dirty clothes. The stench of chemicals and strange
course) their spellbooks. Use the table below to “populate” a reagents hangs over all.
wizard’s laboratory with minor objects of interest. It is up to the 15. A small bucket of wet earth sits under the bench. The earth
GM to determine whether any of these objects has much value. contains nothing of interest; rather it is kept here to extinguish
any unwanted (or sudden) fires.
1. A disembodied, grey hand ending in sharp claws hangs 16. This long, low wooden box has many compartments within;
suspended in a jar of dirty water. It might be a trick of the light, each compartment contains a commonly available spell
but every now and then, the hand seems to flex. component—bat guano, coloured sand and so on. There is
2. One long wooden box of polished wood holds carefully enough here to replenish five spell component pouches.
arranged and straightened lengths of hair. Each set is tied 17. A cracked crystal ball stands on a bronze tripod. The tripod is
together with bright blue string. obviously very old and the crystal ball falls apart if removed
3. A small box holds an ancient coin minted thousands of years ago from the stand. If the ball breaks, it emits a small puff of smoke
by a nation or race famed for its evil and brutality. The coin’s redolent with the smell of incense.
features are nearly worn smooth such is its age. Perceptive PCs 18. A high-backed wooden chair stands in a corner. Its intricately
may be able to make out a few faint details—the suggestion of carved back is highly polished and depicts the entwined heads
a face on one side and what looks like some kind of fantastical of two noble dragons.
creature on the other. The coin rests on a black velvet cushion. 19. A sheaf of parchments spilling from a leather folder depict the
4. A small earthen vial contains a thick dark red viscous fluid. This various types of summoning circles and lists the kinds of
is the semi-coagulated blood of a basilisk. creatures they are designed to contain.
5. A small stone beaker holds a small amount of carefully 20. Hidden in a concealed niche carved into the underside of the
harvested green slime. There is not enough slime to fully wizard’s workbench lurks a small transparent gem. Golden
consume a creature; the wizard studied the slime and sparkles glimmer within.
occasionally used it as a means of getting rid of otherwise
dangerous leavings from his experimentations. 6 STRANGE SMELLS
6. This silver dagger’s tip is broken off and the remaining blade is
1. The faint odour of smoke mixed with strange, otherworldly
dull with age. A gem once decorated the pommel, but it fell off
incense hangs in the air.
long ago.
2. Although its faint smell fills the area, the stench of ozone seems
7. The surface of the wizard’s workbench is scorched and burnt.
particularly concentrated in one locale.
Perceptive PCs can just make out the remains of carvings in the
3. An overpowering, cloying smell of roses mixed with cinnamon
wood, but their meaning is impossible to fathom.
hangs heavy in the area. Nearby, great vases of flowers hold
8. One small earthen jar is full of the carcasses of dried insects.
dead or dying flowers.
9. A velvet pouch lies discarded on a shelf. It is empty, but flecks
4. Sulphur mixed with other unidentifiable chemicals fills the air
of glimmering dust inside the pouch hint at what it once held.
with an acrid smell.
10. A skull stands atop a high shelf. Flickering, magical light emerges
5. Sweat mixed with the pungent odour of manure hangs this
from its eye sockets equivalent to a pair of candles. A small
area.
velvet cloth lies nearby. Perceptive PCs notice the top of the
6. The cloying, musty stench of death and decomposition hangs
skull is detachable. If it is removed, heatless flames burst forth
close to the floor. Smaller PCs—halflings, gnomes and so on—
from the interior and provide light equivalent to that of a torch.
detect the smell while taller PCs do not (unless they stoop to
11. A wooden bin contains a small quantity of burnt or otherwise
their shorter companions’ height).
damaged laboratory equipment. All is worthless until repaired.
12. A rack holds a half-dozen potion vials. Each has been
scrupulously cleaned and bares a label: healing, flight or
invisibility. Sadly, all are empty (or invisible?).

183
OGL V1.0A
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of Open Game License v1.0a. Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast Inc.
the Coast, Inc ("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved. System Reference Document: ©2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc. Authors: Jonathan Tweet,
1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
contributed Open Game Content; (b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material including Caves & Caverns. ©Raging Swan Press 2011; Author: Creighton Broadhurst and David
derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, Posener.
modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or So What’s The Tavern Like, Anyway? ©Raging Swan Press 2012; Author: Richard Green and
other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute" Liz Smith
means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise Alternate Dungeons: Haunted House. ©Raging Swan Press 2014; Author: Alexander
distribute; (d)"Open Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes the methods, Augunas.
procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product GM’s Miscellany: 20 Things Volume I. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Creighton
Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Broadhurst.
Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including 20 Things #1: Seedy Tavern. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Creighton Broadhurst and
translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. Jeff Gomez.
(e) "Product Identity" means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks 20 Things #2: Looting the Body. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Creighton Broadhurst,
including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, Seamus Conneely, Taylor Hubler and Anthony Jennings.
dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, 20 Things #3: Wizard’s Tower. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Creighton Broadhurst and
concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and Amber Underwood.
descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and 20 Things #4: Smuggler’s Lair. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Creighton Broadhurst.
special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural 20 Things #5: Subterranean Mine. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Creighton Broadhurst,
abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered Ron Calbick, Kalyna Conrad and Jeff Gomez.
trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which 20 Things #6: Ancient Necropolis. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: John Bennett and
specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) "Trademark" means the logos, names, mark, sign, Creighton Broadhurst.
motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated 20 Things #7: Haunted House. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Alexander Augunas,
products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) "Use", "Used" or "Using" Creighton Broadhurst and Cole Kronewitter.
means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative 20 Things #8: Cultist’s Lair. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: John Bennett, Creighton
Material of Open Game Content. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this Broadhurst and Mike Welham.
agreement. 20 Things #9: Bustling Marketplace. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Creighton
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice Broadhurst, Jeff Gomez and Alex Riggs.
indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You 20 Things #10: Creepy Graveyard. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst,
must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or Jacob W. Michaels, Alex Riggs and David N. Ross.
subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions 20 Things #11: Dark Caverns. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst,
may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License. David Posener and Alex Riggs.
3. Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of 20 Things #12: Slavers’ Compound. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton
the terms of this License. Broadhurst.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the 20 Things #13: Noisome Sewer. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst.
Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact 20 Things #14: Hill Giant Steading. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst.
terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content. 20 Things #15: War-Ravaged Land. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst.
5. Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as 20 Things #16: Necromancer’s Lair. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst
Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You and Jeff Gomez.
have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License. 20 Things #17: Goblin Lair. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton Broadhurst, Eric
6. Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this Hindley and Alex Riggs.
License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are 20 Things #18: Troublesome Treasures. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton
copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the Broadhurst.
copyright holder's name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you 20 Things #19: Kobold Warren. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Aaron Bailey, Creighton
Distribute. Broadhurst and Paul Quarles.
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an 20 Things #20: Fort on the Borderland. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton
indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement Broadhurst.
with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility 20 Things #21: Wilderness Camping. ©Raging Swan Press 2017; Author: Creighton
or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work Broadhurst and Jeff Gomez.
containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement 20 Things #22: Ocean Voyage. ©Raging Swan Press 2018; Author: Creighton Broadhurst.
with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in 20 Things #23: Fallen Dwarven Hold. ©Raging Swan Press 2016; Author: Creighton
Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The Broadhurst.
owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest 20 Things #24: Sun-scorched Desert. ©Raging Swan Press 2018; Author: Creighton
in and to that Product Identity. Broadhurst.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which 20 Things #25: Curio Shop & Pawnbrokers. ©Raging Swan Press 2018; Author: Creighton
portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content. Broadhurst.
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of 20 Things #26: Townsfolk & Villagers. ©Raging Swan Press 2018; Author: Creighton
this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Broadhurst.
Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License. The Thingonomicon. ©Raging Swan Press 2018; Author: Alexander Augunas, Aaron Bailey,
10 Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open John Bennett, Creighton Broadhurst, Ronald Calbick, Seamus Conneely, Kalyna Conrad, Jeff Gomez,
Game Content You Distribute. Eric Hindley, Cole Kronewitter, Jacob W. Michaels, David Posener, Paul Quarles, Alex Riggs, David
11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content N. Ross, Amber Underwood and Mike Welham.
using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do
so.
12 Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this
License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or
governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.
13 Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms
herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses
shall survive the termination of this License.
14 Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision
shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE: Open Game License v 1.0 ©2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

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