Broad Word

8/10/2019 Broad Word

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Written byJeff Mejia & James Stubbs

Edited byJames Stubbs

Layout byJames Stubbs

Cover Design & Logo byJeff Hebert

Cover Art by Jeff Hebert

1PG Line Producer:James Stubbs

1PG System Designer:Todd Downing

PUBLISHING NOTICE

Broadsword - Barbaric Fantasyis published by Deep7

P.O. Box 46373, Seattle, WA 98146

www.deep7.com

All material is Copyright 1993, 2007 Deep7

1PG is a trademark of Deep7

All rights reserved worldwide. Any unathorized duplication, distribution or commercial use of this

product in its electronic or hardcopy form is expressly prohibited without prior written authorization

of Deep7.

LICENSE AGREEMENT

By opening this le, you agree to the following terms of the license:

You are granted permission to print the electronic le to hardcopy form, so long as it qualies as personal use, is not used for commercial sales and does not infringe upon the copyright in any way. You are authorized to

make and keep one (1) copy in electronic form for backup purposes.

Unathorized duplication, distribution or sale of the product in any form constitutes a breach of this license, and those responsible will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Support Deep7 by not pirating our

products, and we will continue to offer revolutionary roleplaying material.

You agree to hold Deep7, its principals and personnel free of any and all liability i n relation to this product.

Dedicated to the memory of

Samantha Downing

1967 - 2005

Table of ContentsRules of Play ....................................................... 3

Character Sheet ................................................... 4

For the Ref .......................................................... 5

Advantages ........................................................ 6

Magick ................................................................ 7

Scenarios:

1. The Captains Daughter ....................... 8

2. Safety in Numbers ............................... 9

3. Tombs of the Juna ............................... 10

The Crimson Chronicles 1. Jungle Captives ................................... 11

2. Vexd ................................................... 12

3. Knives in the Dark .............................. 13

4. Scourge of Stone ................................ 14

5. Coils of the Brotherhood ..................... 15

6. Doom in the Temple ............................ 16

Double Character Sheet ...................................... 17


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At last you will know what it is to draw naked steel and face a

Behemoth from the Elder Night or to storm the gates of a palace

to retake your rightful throne form the usurper who calls himself

king. Ride, ght, wench and kill! The walls of the Jeweled Cities

of the south will tremble as you crush them beneath your heels!

Broadswordis a simple-to learn role-playing game where playerstake on the roles of heroic characters crafted from the Sword

& Sorcery movies and comics of the 70s and 80s. The 1PG

assumes the players and referee already have some rudimentary

experience with role-playing, and is meant to be played in the

vein of movies LikeBeastmaster,Ator the Fighting Eagle, and

Deathstalker, as well as comics such as Claw the Unconquered

and Skull the Slayer.

CHARACTER CREATION & GAME RULES

Stats & Skills: okay, before we start wenching and swinging

swords we need to go over some simple ground rules. Players roll

1D3 for each stat (the bold entrieson the character sheet). Roll

1D6+3 for the total number of points to distribute into skills (theindividual listings below each stat on the character sheet). Every

skill starts at 0, and no stat/skill combination can be less than 1

(although skills can, see below). Put no more than 3 points in

any single skill. If you need extra points, you can take them from

other skills, leaving them at -1 for each point taken. For example,

if you have Bluff 3, you can take 2 points from it and add

those two points to a different skill. If you dont see a skill you

really want your character to have (Crocheting, for instance), just

write it in the margin after conrming with the referee.

Alternately, the referee may choose to have players build their

characters with points. If so, distribute 8 points into the four pri-

mary stats, and use the rules that follow for secondary stats.

Secondary stats:Roll 1D6 and put the number in GUTS, and

then roll 1D6 and write the result in PRESENCE. PRESENCE

tells you how long your character can keep calm and hold out

when faced with unnerving situations, and GUTS signies his

ability to handle stress. Any time your character has a traumatic

experience in the game (like witnessing his betrothed being cut

down by village raiders, or getting wounded), make a GUTS

Check. If you roll equal to or lower than your characters GUTS,

his PRESENCE is unchanged. The more GUTS your character

has, the easier it is to keep his PRESENCE intact. If you dont

make it, then his PRESENCE score is reduced by 1. If you char-

acter completely loses his PRESENCE, he becomes twitchy and

panicked. You need to roll a 4 or less every time your charactersshoots in order to avoid hitting one of his teammates by mistake.

Most likely one of them will have to knock out your character.

You may always put Character Points into PRESENCE at the end

of the game.

Roll 3D6+10 and write the number in BLOOD. This is how much

BLOOD your character has. Every time your character takes

damage, he will lose BLOOD. When your character has lost all of

his BLOOD, he is dead.

REPUTATION gives you an idea of how many peasants or others

in the land have heard of your character and his exploits. It is

important any time you need to ask for favors or assistance.

Beginning characters start with REPUTATION 0, but you may

increase that score by rolling 1D6 and getting equal to or under

BRAWN, PERSONALITY, PERCEPTION, and KNOWLEDGE

(but you may only try once for each at the beginning of the

game). Add 1 to your characters REPUTATION for each suc-

cessful check. REPUTATION rolls are the same as Skill Checks

- roll equal to or under your characters Reputation.

Background table:Roll on this table to determine your charac-

ters Background.

When creating your character, for every point of PRESENCE you

get a point to be used to purchase advantages. Most advantages

cost only 1 point but there are several that cost 2 points. You may

only purchase advantages during character creation.

Starting Money:Roll 2D6 x 100 silver pieces.

Skill Checks

When the character performs an action (and by action we mean

anything where the outcome may not be as certain as walking or

tying ones shoes), determine what general skill will get it done.

Add the skill with the stat it falls under to get the Target Number

and then roll equal to or below it on 1D6. Rolling a 1 is always asuccess, while rolling a 6 is always a failure. The referee may add

to or subtract from the Target Number based on environmental

factors (motion, weather, level of difculty), so having a target of

6 isnt useless - it allows you to effectively absorb a -1 to your

Target Number without having to worry too much.

In combat, use Fighting for attack/defense. For ranged attacks use

Shooting for attack and Fighting for defense. Both

combatants will make Skill Checks at the same time. Whoever

has a greater margin of success achieves his goal. Ties go to the

defender; if both opponents are attacking, a tied margin means

both succeed. Subtract the weapons damage from the wounded

characters BLOOD. Always add the attackers BRAWN to thetotal damage done on non-ranged attacks. Damage from punches

is the same as BRAWN, and kicks do BRAWN +1. In the Case

of a test of wills or standoff between characters roll 1D6 versus

PRESENCE. Characters with REPUTATION can add it to the

Target Number. The greater margin of success wins and the loser

must make a GUTS Check or lose 1 point of PRESENCE. If nei-

ther roll is equal to or below PRESENCE, the one that achieves

the smallest negative margin wins.

ARMOR

Wearing Certain clothing has armor value (AV). Thick hides and

heavy furs give you 1 AV, leather armor gives you 2 AV. Metal

armor such as chain mail or scale armor gives you a 3 AV. A

shield grants 2 AV. When the character takes damage, subtract AV

from the damage dealt to the hit location.

CHARACTER IMPROVEMENT

If you survive a whole scenario, you get 1D3+5 Character

Points. Put these points into stats, skills, PRESENCE,

REPUTATION, BLOOD, or GUTS. But Broadsword characters

arent necessarily meant for long campaigns - dont worry if

they get killed. Just roll up a new one and your ref will t him in

somewhere along the way.

Additional rules can be found in The IPG Companion, available

now from Deep7s web site at www.deep7.com.

Rules of Play


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CHARACTER GENERATION RULES Roll 1D3 for each stat. Roll 1D6+3 for the total number of points to distribute into

skills. Put no more than 3 points into any one skill. If you need extra points, you can take them from other skills,

leaving them at -1 for each point taken (no stat/skill combo canbe less than 1). Roll 1D6 for PRESENCE: this is your charisma, your mental

and physical bearing. It also determines the amount ofadvantages you receive.

Roll 1D6 For GUTS: When you are frightened or unnerved, an unsuccessful GUTS check will take away 1 point of

PRESENCE. Roll 3D6+10 for BLOOD; when you take damage, you lose

BLOOD; when BLOOD is gone, the character is dead. Roll equal to or under BRAWN, PERSONALITY,

PERCEPTION, and KNOWLEDGE stats; receive 1 point inREPUTATION for each success.

Roll on Background table. For every point of PRESENCE you get a point to be used topurchase advantages. Most advantages cost only 1 point but

there are several that cost 2 points Roll 2D6 X 100 Silver Pieces for starting cash.

SYSTEMWhen you want the character to do something, determine the stat/skill combination that will accomplish the task. Add the skilland stat for the Target Number. Roll equal to or under the Target

Number on a 1D6 for a success. Rolling a 1is always a success,rolling a 6 is always a failure.

COMBATUse Fighting for all attack/defense, including unarmed combatand ranged attacks. Combatants roll simultaneously. The greatermargin is successful. Ties go to the defender: if both opponentsare attacking, a tied margin means both attacks succeed. Subtract

the weapons damage from the wounded characters BLOOD. Addattackers BRAWN to the total damage of non ranged attacks.

ARMORCertain clothing has armor value (AV). Thick hides and heavyfurs give you 1 AV, leather armor gives you 2 AV. Metal armorsuch as chain mail or scale armor gives you a 3 AV. A shieldgrants the wearer 2 AV. When the character takes damage, sub-

tract AV from the damage dealt to the hit location.

CHARACTER IMPROVEMENTIf the character survives an entire scenario, you get 1D3 +5character points and 1 point in REPUTATION. If the charactersurvives to the end of the scenario but is a replacement for a deadcharacter, you only get 1D3+1 character points. Put these points

into Stats, Skills, PRESENCE, GUTS or BLOOD.

CHARACTERS

Background Table (1D6)1. Mercenary:+1 Endurance, GUTS, and Fighting

2. Scholar:+1 KNOWLEDGE, Languages, Literacy

3. Barbarian:+1 Endurance, +2 Wilderness Survival

4. Nobleman:+1 Riding, Heraldry, +1D6x100 silver

5. Thief:+1 Streetwise, Bluff, Thievery

6. Magic User:+1 Reputation, KNOWLEDGE, Perception

(see the Magick section for more information about spells

and the different types of magic users).

Hit

Location

1

Head

2

Torso

3

L. Arm

4

R. Arm

5

L. Leg

6

R. Leg

AV

Weapons Damage

NAME:________________________________OCCUPATION:__________________________Silver:________________________________Height:_____Weight:_____Gender:________Eyes:________Hair:_________Age:________

Brawn.........{ }Carousing ........

Climbing ..........Endurance ........

Fighting ...........

Riding ..............

Shooting.........

Personality..{ }Bluff ................

Flirt ..................

Intimidate ........

Persuade ...........

Perception...{ }Diplomacy .......

Gambling .........Stealth ..............

Streetwise ........

Thievery ...........

Knowledge{ }Area Know. ......

Healing ............

Heraldry ...........

Languages ........

Legends & Lore

Literacy ............

Magick .............

Profession ........Survival ...........

Tracking ...........

BLOOD...........{ }GUTS.............{ }pRESENCE........{ }REPUTATION...{ }CHAR PTS......,{ }

Equipment


5/17

This page is specically for those brave few who take on

the duties of the referee. You get to have your Hellspawned

Demons disembowel your friends!! Whether youre a

novice or a pro here are some helpful hints for running a

successful game ofBroadsword.

SETUP & GAMEPLAY

Play order is based on the

PERCEPTION stat - higher

PERCEPTION goes rst. To keep the

order of play coherent, you may choose

to seat your players around the table in

order of highest PERCEPTION to

lowest and go around the table. A player

with a higher PERCEPTION may

choose to hold his action and interrupt

another players action later in the orderof play, but once an action is taken for

the round, the player can take no further

actions.

CUT TO THE CHASE

That means keep the adventure short

and to the point. Think of it in terms of

a movie. Get into the meat of the story

as soon as possible. Remember, you

dont have to plan a campaign. Each

scenario is meant to be played within a

single evening, or 2-3 hours each. Ifyou want to bring back surviving

characters and play another scenario, go

for it!

DONT FORGET THE POPCORN

For many experienced players used to

competitive campaign-style roleplaying,

the idea of disposable warriors might be

a bit foreign. Tell them to chill. You

may have to remind your players that

they are the Barbarian heroes in a

Sword & Sorcery epic. Reference Krull,Hawk The Slayer, or the Barbarian Brothers. this is not a

scholarly work or an in-depth roleplaying experience; its

make-believe goes to the movies.

SET THE MOOD

Put on some appropriate soundtrack music: Conan the Bar-

barian, King Arthur, Braveheart. Tell a visual story. The

darkness surrounds you as you approach the hidden

temple. The woods around you are devoid of even the

slightest sound. Your horse snorts and rears nervously as

an eerie red glow can be seen beyond the foliage that

Weapons:ITEM DAM

Arrow ................................7

Ball & Chain .....................5

Battleaxe .......................... 6

Blade .................................4

Club .....................4

Crossbow Bolt ..........6Dagger ..........................3

Great Axe ..........................8

Great Sword ......................8

Hatchet ..........................4

Javelin ...............................4

Lance ................................5

Mace/Morningstar ............5

Maul .................................6

Nunchaku ..........................4

Pole Arm ...........................7

Quarterstaff .......................4Shuriken ............................1

Sling Bullet .......................3

Spear .................................5

Sword ................................6

Warhammer .......................4

Large Animal Bite .............8

Medium Animal Bite .........6

Large Claw ........................7

covers the ancient temples doorway

THE BAD GUYS

A good rule of thumb when creating a villain or villains

is to make them durable enough to be a challenge, but

vulnerable enough to make the players believe they have

a chance. If you have a Lair full of carnivorous apes then

give them 15 blood each. A lone Lich Sorcerer might have

20, to represent his more durable nature. If there are a few

too many bad guys in a scenario, cut them out. Too few?Add some. Nothing is carved in stone.

IMPORTANT

Bad guys seldom kill the entire

group. Usually one or more

characters survive. Even if the rst

group of heroes gets taken out,

make sure at least one character

survives to ride off. If a players

character is killed, encourage them

to make a new one and join back

in as soon as the story will allow.By the same token, you may want

to have each player start by creating

two or more characters, so they

have backups handy. These

characters are so one-dimensional it

is even possible to play two at the

same time!

DRAMATIC LICENSE

It is your prerogative as the referee

to tell the story as you see t.

Never be afraid to say, Because Isaid so if you need a decision

made, roll a die for it. If you

need to gure out how many

thieves are hiding in the sewer, roll

a die for it. If the task is really

easy, give em a +1 or +2 on their

target number. If the task is super

difcult, give em a -1 (remember

rolling a 1 is always a success and

a 6 is always a failure).

THE SCENARIOS INCLUDEDThere are nine scenarios included with this game that can

be played in whatever order you see t. Feel free to design

your own, and keep checking www.deep7.com for free

scenarios to download!

THE 1PG COMPANION

For those of you who like a bit more depth to your 1PG

gaming sessions, check out the The 1PG Companionfor

additional tabletop rules, such as building better NPCs, and

additional character development rules.

For the Referee


6/17

Advantages are what differentiate your hero from the

countless masses. They are abilities that give your

character an edge and enable them to go up against

Sorcerers, Demons and even challenge the Gods

themselves. When creating your character, for every point

of PRESENCE you get an advantage point to be used to

purchase the following advantages. Most advantages cost

only 1 point but there are several that cost 2 points.

Beast buddy

dog, monkey, ferret, hawk, leopard etc. its more than a

pet, its your characters buddy. Treat it well and itll do the

same.

Beast empathy

animals generally like your character,

wild animals wont initiate an attack and domestic animalslove him.

Called shot

make a non lethal called shot with a

missile weapon with no negative penalty. Aim for the rope

holding the candelabra; shoot the Sorcerer in the wrist to

make him drop the wand. Its your call.

Chainmail Bikini (2)

Whether your character sports a chainmail bikini, or runs

through the desert bare-chested with just a loincloth, not

only will they be immune to the elements - but they are

considered AV 3. But once they cover up, all bonuses arelost.

Danger Sense

Your character has a sixth sense when it comes to

trouble. Nothing he can identify but he has learned to pay

attention to it. It usually occurs when something is about to

go down, giving them that split second to react.

Fearless

Your character has no fear. No need for fear checks. Magi-

cal fear doesnt even affect him.

Flesh wound (2)If your character survives a ght. Any damage suffered in

that ght is reduced to just 1 point. If only 1 point was suf-

fered initially then the damage is

reduced to 0.

Good looking

Your character is hot! If shes a gal then shes a stone fox.

If hes a guy he is a total hunk. Initial reactions will always

be favorable (+3 to irt rolls), Though a low personality

score could affect this afterwards

Leap

Your character can spring 10 upward forward and up to 30

forward. If used in an attack he gains a +1 to his attack roll.

Lightning Attack

Doubles your characters melee attacks with a specic

weapon.

Luck

Your character can ignore any failure once a day and re-roll

with a +2 bonus

Magical Immunity

Your character is immune to any magical effects or

illusions. The character is also immune to the effects of

benecial magic such as healing spells and potions, etc.

(This advantage cannot be combined with Mystic Power).

Night Vision

At night or in no light situations your character is able to

see as if it were dusk. This does not work in magical dark-

ness or if they are blinded.

Poison Immunity

Your character is immune to all poisons, even magical

ones.

Rapid Fire

Your character can re up to three arrows from a bow or

hurl up to six daggers, knives or shuriken during a combat

round. This advantage doesnt work with crossbows.

Sharpened Senses (2)

Your character can see and hear farther than average. (+2

to sight and hearing checks as well as to the Tracking skill)

He can also discern poisons by avor or smell.

Summon Horde

Whenever your hero needs a little backup he is able to go to

the nearest tavern, dockyard, gladiator school etc. and can

recruit a bunch of mooks to help him out (at least

temporarily). The amount of mooks and length of service is

determined by your characters personality and other

factors as decided by the GM. Troop quality is, of course,

variable.

Talk to Animals 1, (2)

For one point your character can talk to a species of animal

for 2pts your character can talk to all animals.

Toughness

Your characters skin has a natural armor value (AV) of

2 the same as a suit of toughened leather armor.

Weapon Flourish

Your character can spin his sword or axe or whatever with

such style and panache that he gets a free attack while his

opponent is staring in awe. He can use this advantage no

more than three occasions against the same opponent.

Advantages


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This section ofBroadsword - Barbaric Fantasydeals with the

rules for magic and magical combat that owners of the 1PG

Companion can incorporate into their games. This is an

expanded version of the quick and dirty rules into a more robust

system to reect the style of magic found in the genre.

So You Want To Throw Fireballs?

It takes a very special person to master the mystic or divine

arts and this is reected in the casters acquisition of the Magick

skill and a sacrice of two of their initial character points.

Characters can never become spellcasters after character creation.

Magic Power Levels and Spellcasting

Spells are determined by their intensity, which is a target

number modier. Casting a spell is done by rolling under the

KNOWLEDGE/Magick target number as normal as long

as the intensity of the spell is less than the target number. If the

intensity is greater, the difference is applied as a modier to their

check. For example, a character trying to cast a intensity 6 spell

with only a target number of 4 is going to suffer a -2 penalty to

their check. Conversely, if the intensity had been a 4 or less, it

would only require a normal skill check to cast it.

Starting Spells & Spell Creation

A starting character gets a number of spells equal to their

score in Magick plus one. None of these spells can be of an

intensity higher than their KNOWLEDGE/Magick score.

The creation of spells, however, is a bit trickier. It is up to the

referee and the player to create and agree upon spells before the

game begins. Alternatively, a referee who has planned a game

ahead of time may just have a prepared list of spells for the

players to choose from that matches their idea of magic in the

game world. Spells can be grouped into two types: damaging and non-

destructive magic. The damage caused by a spell is its intensity

rating multiplied by two (i.e. an intensity 6 Fire Blast spell will

cause 12 damage). Healing spells are the one exception to this in

that they always heal their intensity x2 - think of it as reverse

damage. Non-destructive spells that affect a target (such as

Mental Suggestion) are just a KNOWLEDGE/Magick

opposed roll. However, when the attacker is using a spell with

intensity greater than their combo stat/skill, the margin of the

penalty incurred against them is also granted as a bonus to the

defender. The duration of any non-damaging spells is equal to its

intensity in rounds.** Sample Spells **

Ball of Flame

Intensity: 4. Damage: 8

A small ery ball erupts from the casters hand.

Bone Dance

Intensity: 6. Duration: 6 rounds

Allows for communication with the spirit of a dead person.

Light Heal

Intensity: 3. Restores: 6 damage

A minor healing spell useful for wounds that are not serious.

Arcane Backlash

Magic is a ckle mistress and the consequences of failing a

casting can be severe. Whenever a character fails to affect their

target, the possibility for backlash occurs. Have the player roll a

d6, on a result of 6, backlash happens. Backlash deals the spells

intensity rating in Blood damage to the caster. The referee may, at

his discretion, also rule that a minor temporary cosmetic change

has happened to the caster (hair turns an unnatural color, leaves

sprout from their arms, etc.). These sort of changes impose a -1

penalty to PERSONALITY until it goes away (usually a numberof days equal to the margin of failure).

Becoming Powerful

A character may, at the end of each completed scenario, pay

two character points to permanently reduce the intensity rating of

one of their known spells by one. This does not effect its previous

damage rating or effects - it just makes it easier to cast.

Arcane v. Divine Spells

The biggest distinction between a mage and a priest is how

they power their spells and the types of magic they know. A priest

gets their power from some higher power and must make a

successful Language skill check before they can make a

Magick check. A mage channels the power within andrequires nothing but a Magick check. A mage is also,

however, barred from performing any type of magic that will heal

damage or remove detrimental effects. On the other hand, a priest

can never have more damaging spells than non-damaging ones

(priests of an evil power are not subject to this rule).

Gaining New Spells

Mages must nd spells through nding forgotten lore

during their travels or getting access to one of the few rare

magical research libraries that exist. Once they nd a spell they

want, a Magick check (minus any penalties for the intensity

of the spell) is all that is required to learn it. Priests must please

their patron power through remarkable shows of their worship orquests that further the powers goals. They, like the mage, must

make a check, as above, to learn it otherwise they must wait until

they can try again.

Druids & Shamans

Druids and shamans are considered a divine magic user as

they serve to further the cause of nature and spirits respectively.

They are not limited to the ratio between damaging and

non-damaging spells like a priest but, as a balance, druids are

unable to perform magic in urban areas or dungeons. Shamans

cannot have any damaging spells but may be able to inuence

spirits to stymie their enemies. Getting a favor from a spirit is the

same as a priest casting a spell - a Language check followed by a

Magick one.

Summoning Otherworldly Beings

is never a good idea. Most evil beings just want to break the

casters control so that they can get laid, cause as much misery as

possible and/or take over the world. The benevolent ones

typically speak in cryptic messages or riddles and are so

concerned with the larger picture of the cosmos that getting them

to do anything useful (insignicant to them) is a tough battle.

Admittedly, there are exceptions to both types. Summoning spells

are specic to the named being. The intensity of the spell is each

of the beings stats x2.

MagicK


8/17

The PremiseThe PCs are disbanded mercenaries after a hard campaign.

The graves of comrades litter bloody elds from this endeavor.

Amongst the fallen is their Captain, a good man who looked to

their welfare. After taking their pay, the companions agree to

return his ashes and few belongings back to his family.As luck would have it, their former captains village, Ranens

Ford, is two days ride from where the PCs muster and near

the large port city of Pyrani, an excellent place to seek further

employment as well as get in a bit of rest and relaxation.

Ranens Ford

The journey is uneventful. However, upon arrival at the small

farming community, they discover another tragedy has darkened

the door of their Captains home. Several weeks ago, at the annual

faire the Captains only daughter, Sienna, was seduced by a

rogue named Malo who accompanied a troupe of entertainers.

According to Siennas friends, Malo seduced her with stories of

city life - theater, parties, and luxuries she had only dreamed of.

The night that the faire left Ranens Ford, Sienna supposedlyleft with them. With her husband away, Lorena, the Captains

wife, was powerless to do anything. In her grief at the news of

her husbands death, she begs the PCs to bring back her child.

The Entertainers

The obvious course of action is to track down the troupe. This

is relatively easy since the traveling faire makes a regular circuit

of the villages. Two villages away in the town of Lenwick, they

catch up with the traveling faire. This encounter allows the PCs

to interact, roleplay and utilize skills they have spent points on.

There are a variety of games of chance, competitions, and minor

tournaments (everything from card and dice games to cockghts

and archery competitions). Inquiries about Malo and Sienna willuncover little. None of the entertainers remember the pair.

Eventually, the PCs will be directed to Kovar, the bare knuckles

ghting champ of the faire. Kovar admits to knowing Malo but

wont comment any further. If players become threatening, they

nd they will have to ght the troupe plus locals who frown

upon outsiders spoiling their one celebration a year. In any event,

Renaldo, the troupe leader, suggests the PCs bring it into the ring.

If one of them bests Kovar, theyll tell the PCs all they know.

But if the PC is beaten, the group must peacefully leave the faire.

If Kovar is beaten, the entertainers keep their word. He relates

that he knew Malo years ago when they served in the Northern

Legions. Malo is a pimp in the port city of Pyrani, He joins the

Faire circuit every season and specializes in seducing countrygirls and sweeping them to the city where he sells them to

waterfront brothels and wine shops. Kovar remembers Malo was

very happy about his latest conquest as she was redhaired and a

rare commodity in these parts. Malo left the troupe a day after

leaving the village where he found the girl, making haste back to

Pyrani. Malo frequents a waterfront tavern called Krugers.

If the PC loses the bout Kovar will reveal nothing. However,

the PCs will later be approached by a dancing girl named Tamara;

she was the object of Malos attention before he met Sienna,

and was promptly discarded. She has no problem letting the PCs

know all they want to about Malo and his ways for a few silver.

Pyrani

Pyrani is a bustling Port city on the shores of the southern sea.

Krugers is a dingy tavern in the Low wharf district. Krugers

is popular for the rougher crowd who haunt the wharf - sailors,

drug peddlers, whores and rogues frequent this dark tavern.

Malo is easy to nd, hes holding court by the re. He has a

young girl on his lap and rough looking bravos sitting at his long

table. (There is bound to be a ght, no one other than the PCs and

Malos crew get involved but everyone stays to see the show.).

If Malo is subdued, he sings like a canary. He remembers thegirl. He didnt touch her. He sold her to Sevitrex the priest. The

priest has a thing for redheads but they must be virgins. Malo

brought the girl to the priest and was paid. Thats all he knows.

If Malo is killed by the PCs in the ght, allow one of his

surviving henchmen or the girl that was sitting on his lap to come

forward with some information regarding Sevitrex.

Sevitrex of Inisa

Sevitrex is the high priest of the Fire Goddess, Inisa. Few

worship her as she represents the destructive force of re. Most

seek to placate her and keep her gaze far away. She has a small

chapel in the temple district, in an alleyway off of the Street of

Gods. The chapel is a stone building of little more than a aming

pit before the large hideous feminine statue. The temple acolytesare expected to keep the ame fed at all times. Despite its small

size, the temple is powerful since it generates monthly income by

all the businesses in the city that tithe to the goddess to insure tha

res dont suddenly appear and destroy their livelihood.

Sevitrex resides in a estate in the citys high quarter. He has no

guards, but raises mastiffs who run the property day and night.

He has seven acolytes in his home. During the day, they go about

their duties. At night, the acolytes retire to their rooms.

Sienna is held captive in a room near that of Sevitrex. He plans

to sacrice her and has told her, just to feed off of her terror.

If the PCs go to the estate in the day, the servants will be

distributed in the estate performing thier duties. In the evening,

the acolytes are in their quarters. In the event of intrusion, they

will defend Sevitrex, willingly sacricing their lives for his.

In the day, Sevitrex is in his study. In the evening, he is in

his parlor writing treatises on torture or in his torture chamber

rening techniques on girls he purchased. At all times, he will be

with the largest of his hounds.

Kovar: BRAWN 3/Fighting 3; PERSONALITY 2; PERCEPTION 1;

KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 18.

The Captains Daughter

Malo: BRAWN 2/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 3/Bluff 2 Flirt 3,

Persuade:2; PERCEPTION 2; KNOWLEDGE 2; BLOOD: 13

Equipment:Blade (4 damage)

Malos Goons/Sevitrexs Acolytes: BRAWN 1; PERSONALITY 1;

PERCEPTION 1; KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 9

Equipment:Dagger (3 damage)

Sevitrex: BRAWN 3/Fighting 3; PERSONALITY 2; PERCEPTION 1;

KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 18

Equipment:Demon Hound SpellThis spell increases a canines size and give it the appearance of a demon creature whose

pelt smells of burning coal and whose eyes burn with a demonic red re.

Demon Hound:BLOOD 20 AV 3. Claws 6 damage Bite 8 damage.

Mastiff: BRAWN 1/Fighting 1; BLOOD 10.

Equipment:Bite (5 damage)

By Jeff Mejia


9/17

The Premise: The players are the survivors of a caravan that

has just been attacked by bandits. Outnumbered, they must make

their way down to the lowlands avoiding the bandit trackers,

mountain creatures, natural perils and the elements.

Set Up: Your characters have been traveling for several days

with a caravan that has left the city of Hogar and is crossing

the mountain range to the city-state of Belsa. This is the last

caravan through the mountains prior to the heavy winter snows

that will close the pass for many weeks. The caravan consists of

18 wagons and close to 200 people. 50 of which are guards. The

journey has been peaceful and routine and spirits were running

high as they reached the summit of the mountain pass. That was

yesterday. This morning minutes before dawn the caravan was

attacked by a large force of raiders. Your group has managed

to break away into the woods. They have the clothes on their

backs and the weapons they had at hand when the raiders struck

but nothing else, no mounts- no packs, no provisions- there was

just no time. In addition to your group are three youngsters- ayoung boy Timon, 8 years-old and his two sisters, Kaya, 12 and

Madeline, 17. Madeline was married to a tradesman who was

killed just moments ago. She is also very pregnant.

On the run: The rst encounter of the adventure is with an equal

number of raiders who are in hot pursuit of the children. One

of the raiders has a chained Slarth with him. Slarths are huge

ferret-like creatures about 7 feet long. They have thick white fur,

wicked teeth and claws and a phenomenal sense of smell.There

is one opponent for each character and another who has the Slarth

with him. The two younger children are armed with small knives.

They will attempt to put up a ght but will not be much of a

match for the raiders. The pregnant girl is unarmed. Immediatelyafter the last raider is hopefully dispatched, a hunting horn is

heard. This is a call to the raiders to rendezvous at the caravan

ambush site. This will be an ideal time to escape since it may be a

while before the raiders nish pillaging and take a count of their

numbers. Soon enough they may be after the group.

Shelter:Near the evening, after an arduous day of cross country

travel the group must Utilize their skills to create a sheltered

re and forage for food (Note: any characters that have suffered

wounds in the previous encounter are not able to recover any

BLOOD points until they get to a place of relative shelter). The

group locates an area near a stream. Small game is plentiful

and the characters hopefully have survival skills or at least

appropriated a spear from the bandits in the earlier encounter to

spear a sh or two. On the second day the temperature drops

noticeably, they soon notice the sky darkening. By mid-day it

is apparent that a storm is coming. And the pace is shortened

considerably by Madelines obvious condition. Anyone with

healing skill will notice that she is very near to delivering.

Around late afternoon snow begins to fall. Someone in the

group may discover a cave where shelter could be found. The

problem is that the shelter is already home of a large Grizzly bear.

The bear is ferocious and easily two feet taller than the largest

member of the group. It will not run off and must be overcome.

The lair looks and smells like it has been occupied by a bear for

some time. And amongst the refuse are the decomposed remains

of a human. Also in the refuse is a large sack containing a coil of

rope, a hatchet, ints, a small cooking pot, a bit of rock salt and a

small pouch of pepper, a blanket, and a sewing-kit.

With a furious storm building outside, this is the perfect time to

have Madelines baby arrive. Let nature take its course and allow

the players to help out in the process having your ham sted

gladiator try to deliver a baby will be an event your players will

be recalling for years. Upon further examination, one of the

characters will discover that theres a very small partially blockedpassageway in the rear of the cave. If it is opened wider, owing

water from an underground river can be heard.

The cavern opens up to a height of about 20 the river is owing

towards the lowlands a character with area knowledge may

deduce that this is a tributary to a main river in the lowlands near

the city you were all traveling to. There are enough raw materials

nearby that a serviceable raft can be constructed.

Refuge and betrayal: Eventually the players make it down from

the high ranges. If the trip is overland then the GM might want to

add a possible encounter with a hungry mountain lion or a large

pack of hyenadons.

If the group constructs a raft and oats down then maybe an

encounter featuring some treacherous rapids on the way down

from the highlands.

In either event the group will soon see a smokestack in the

distance indicating civilization. After a mile or so more of travel

the group should reach a small steading. The steading consists

of a log palisade surrounding several wooden buildings. The

residents ve men and three women are friendly but in fact

they are in league with slavers. When the group rst arrives the

residents will welcome them with gestures of concern and offers

of aid, but at the same time they will secretly send word to the

slavers.

In the evening the steading folk will hold a banquet with roast

meats, fruit pies and plenty of ale to relax the group and get themdrunk. The young boy Timon will feel uneasy about the whole

deal and will try and warn the group of possible treachery. If

confronted the men of the Steading will attack and the women

will ee to safety. If the group does not heed Timons warnings

they will awaken to nd themselves in chains and locked in a

smokehouse to await the arrival of the slavers.

If the men of the steading are overcome then the group will nd

amongst their modest spoils (weapons, armor, pelts, a few coins

etc.) several mules and horses as well as a wagon with which to

make their getaway to the safety of the city of Belsa

Safety in Numbers

Raider: BRAWN 2/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 1; PERCEPTION 1;

KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 12Equipment:Leather Armor AV: 2. sword, battleaxe or spear

Slarth:BRAWN 2/Fighting 1; BLOOD 10

Equipment:thick hide AV 2. Claws (6 damage). Bite (6 damage)

Grizzly Bear:BRAWN 3/Fighting 1; BLOOD 30

Equipment:thick pelt AV 2. Claws (7 damage). Bite (8 damage)

Men of the Steading: BRAWN 2/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 1;


Equipment:sword, battleaxe or spear

By Jeff Mejia


10/17

The Premise: The group is in Al-Khalid, a major trading nexus

at the foot of the Drujistan Mountains. One of the group members

is approached by an old colleague named Hassan. Hassan has a

map to the tomb of a king of ancient Juna, high in the Drujistan

Mountains in the land of the Morgal tribes. Hassan and his

brother Elar have had this map for many years. The area wherethe tomb is located is considered holy by the Morgal tribesmen

and has always been guarded against intruders so, while they

knew where the treasure was, getting to it was impossible. Until

now. Recently the Morgal have been beset by twin catastrophes.

First, they were embroiled in a war with a new tribe, who has

recently moved into the Morgal lands, the Jaga. As erce as the

Morgal are, the Jaga have proven ercer. Many warriors have

fallen to the blades of the Jaga and much Morgal land has been

lost. The Jaga hordes have yet to reach the area where the tombs

of the Juna are located but eventually they will, and the Jaga will

have no qualms about looting another tribes holy site.

Secondly, a plague has swept the Morgal, sending many of their

people to the shadow-realm of Hala the goddess of death, leavingthe Morgal broken in body and spirit.

As it is written that one mans tragedy is another mans triumph,

so it is here. Hassans brother had passed on, leaving Hassan

in sole possession of the map. Though still doughty, Hassan is

getting old and would not be able to reach the tomb much less

make off with its treasures and return to Al-Khalid on his own.

Hassan bargains for two shares of any treasure. For his part he

will provide the map and funds. Posing as traders, the group will

make their way into the mountains. Once at the tombs, he will

stay with the mounts while the group retrieves the actual riches.

As stated, Hassan is a former colleague and is trustworthy.

Morgal campAfter several days of uneventful travel, the group nds itself

entering the lands of the Morgal. That same afternoon they spy

a small camp. There appear to be about a half dozen tents. A

closer inspection shows this to be a very poor camp indeed. The

tents are badly patched and the goats are skinny. There looks to

be about 6 old men and about three times as many women and

small children. If the group makes contact, they nd the camp is

all thats left of what was once a much larger Morgal tribe. This

particular group is making their way down to the lowlands barely

a few days ahead of Jaga outriders. The camp has nothing to trade

other than information. They can tell the PCs that a major battle

was fought three days ago and that the Morgal were soundly

defeated by the Jaga and the enemy are now virtually unopposed.

The Morgal refugees expect that once the Jaga have nursed their

wounded and nished celebrating their victory they will move

into the Morgal lands in force.

Jaga war band

Camped near the pass to the entrance of the tombs of the Juna

is a small war band of Jaga scouts. These advance scouts of the

larger Jaga horde have located the tomb and are working up

the courage to enter the forbidden site and loot it. Though they

are not cowards, they are a superstitious people and it may take

several skins of wine and a good pep talk by their leader before

they enter the tombs.

The tomb

The tomb on the map is at the base of a cliff. There is a stone

seal that must be moved to get in. The passage is 10 wide and

7 high, and goes downward. The tomb is completely dark, the

passageway dry and the air very stale. With light, the PCs see

that glyphs are etched in the walls, a successful Legends & Lore

check show these to be warnings for thieves of the deadly curses

and damnation that will be their fate if the tomb is disturbed.

There are several traps. The rst is a pressure plate about 50

from the entrance. If undetected, (Thievery check) the trap shootsdozens of darts from the ceiling. They cause no harm but they are

coated with a poison that has weakened through the years. Any

struck PC will suffer 3 BLOOD damage per turn for 2 turns.

Further down lies another pressure plate that, if undetected, will

cause a cave-in behind the group trapping them. They can dig out

but the effort will take hours. If the cave-in happens, the group

will hear noise coming from further down the passage. The noise

is a clattering and clicking, like bone or shell clacking on stone. If

the group continues, they encounter the third and nal trap.

This pressure plate causes a ne powdery dust to fall upon the

group from above. When the dust contacts any exposed metal,

(armor, weapons, tools, etc.) it immediately turns all metal to

rust. After this trap has sprung, deactivated or circumvented,the clattering become louder. The group comes to the end of the

corridor that opens into a large chamber. A stone sarcophagus

lies in the center of the room, and, dancing around it madly, is

a most horric sight, (GUTS check) a demonic creature half

man/half scorpion. The clattering noise comes from insect limbs

striking the agstones of the oor. The creature pays no attention

to the group unless they cross into the room then it will attack

mercilessly. The demon will leave the room to pursue but it is

bound to the tomb and will not leave it. If reduced to 0 BLOOD

the demon will dissipate with an agonizing wail.

If the PCs manage to defeat the traps and the demon, the

treasure of the Juna is theirs. Several chests of gold coins,

jewelry, and ornate weapons are found in the sarcophagus alongwith the mummied remains of the last Juna kings. The PCs must

hurry for, with the rising and setting of one sun, the demon will

return from the netherworld to continue his bound duty.

If successful, the group can leave the valley without incident.

But the Jaga are out there in the high mountains of Drujistan, as

are the Morgal. And when the wine cups ow and the bragging

starts in the taverns and brothels of Al-Khalid, the adventurers

may nd that great treasures bring great troubles - but that is a

story for another time.

Tombs of the Juna

Morgal Tribesman: BRAWN 1/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 1; PER-

CEPTION 1; KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 9

Equipment:short sword and spear

Jaga Warrior: BRAWN 2/Fighting 2; PERSONALITY 1; PERCEP-

TION 1; KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 12

Equipment:Leather Armor AV 2. scimitar (6 damage) and bow

Scorpion Demon: BLOOD 40

Equipment:hide AV 3, huge scimitar (8 damage) Stinger (8 damage)

This is a large creature that has the lower body of a giant scorpion and theupper torso of a scabrous bald headed man. The demon has eyes of green reand large vampiric fangs. It wields a two-handed scimitar and possesses alarge stinger which does horrendous damage.

By Jeff Mejia


11/17

The Premise: The heroes are on their way to explore some long-

forgotten ruins for prot and plunder but run afoul of vicious

natives.

The Setup: One of the heroes has a treasure map that they either

won in a shady game of chance, inherited it from their mad unclewho swears its real, or through some other plot contrivance.

Feel free to roleplay the acquisition of the map as it will add

enjoyment to the story. The map claims that, along the Silver

Coast, there lie ruins of an ancient civilization, renowned for their

gold and jewelry. If truly undiscovered, these ruins would be an

enormous source of treasure.

The Silver Coast: An Area Knowledge check will reveal that

the Silver Coast is notorious for both pirates and slavers, who

often work in conjunction. The Coast is bordered by thick jungle

named Greenswath, but more ominously known as The Green

Death (and where the map says the ruins are). A Legends & Lore

or Mystic Lore check will reveal that the Silver Coast was home

to an ancient race of people called the Divia, who were great

scholars and sorcerers until a magical catastrophe (some say the

anger of the gods) destroyed them. More importantly to treasure

seekers, however, was the Divians legendary skill in beautiful

goldwork and ostentatious jewelcrafting. What is readily

apparent, however, is that it will be a long journey to reach

the spot indicated on the map and that peril will be a constant

companion.

The Green Death: Getting to the jungle is relatively easy.

Characters will only have to make their way along bandit-infested

roadways, stay at inns who make a tidy sum at swindling the

travelers who stay there, and, if theyre brave enough to travel at

night, whatever creatures dog their path in the darkness.

The jungle can be felt before it can be seen as the dryness

of the grasslands grows considerably warmer and the humidity

climbs. Lions gaze impassively at the invaders from their tall

grass or rocks, too warm for them to bother menacing the party.

The jungle at least offers shade from the blazing sun if not from

the oppressive heat.

The Green Death is appropriately named as the lush landscape

holds its own dangers for the unwary and unaccustomed.

Snakes, spiders and other small but no less dangerous beasts are

omnipresent. Large predatory animals such as panthers, erce

gorillas and bull elephants are also to be contended with and the

uninitiated can just as easily nd their end by eating unfamiliarberries, fruits or mushrooms.

A day or two inside the jungle, however, brings an attack by a

pack of erce apes who are angry at the party for disturbing their

mating rituals. Characters will need to either defeat these wild

beasts or nd some way to frighten them away before the party is

bludgeoned to death and mauled.

The Natives Are Restless: Despite the other perils, the biggest

danger comes from the biggest game of them all: man. The

Greenswath is home to several tribes of savages, who are

rumored to be both cannibals and worshippers of dark evil

primordial gods. They are also extremely hostile amongst the

various tribes and are openly warlike against outsiders disturbing

their hunting grounds and sacred sites.

These natives are typically nude except for savage trophies of

feathers, teeth and the occasional human body extremity such as

ngers or ears. Their weaponry is crude clubs and stone-tipped

spears. The biggest issue facing the party, however, is that it is

virtually impossible to go anywhere in the Greenswath without

infringing upon one tribe or anothers lands. The truly unlucky

may nd themselves in contested ground between two very angry

tribes who would just as soon kill each other as the trespassers.Trapped! By Heathen Savages!: Unfortunately for the party, the

natives are more interested in capturing for their blood sacrices

rather than outright butchery. The preferred tactic is to herd the

victims by a group of warriors into an ambush by hunters armed

with blowguns and nets. Blowgun darts cause no Blood damage.

However, once struck by a blowgun dart, the victim must make

a BRAWN check each round or loose a point of BRAWN. When

BRAWN, hits zero, the affected person falls unconscious for

2 hours. Characters ensnared in nets suffer a -1 penalty to all

physical actions and prevent any kind of ranged attack with a

weapon.

Characters awaken in order of who was taken down rst

to nd themselves bound in a crude hut with their weapons

and armor removed. The sounds of cruel laughter and strange

language lter in through the animal hide door ap. Two burly

guards can be seen guarding the door outside.

Sold Into Slavery: Escape should be the rst thought on the

partys minds. Characters with a BRAWN of 1 cannot attempt

to break their bonds. Everyone else is at a -2 penalty to do so.

However, once a single character is free, it is easy enough to untie

the others as long as they can be silent. Make PERCEPTION

checks for the guards. If they are alerted, they will rush in with

weapons and the party (at least those who are free) will have to

ght them barehanded until they can possibly take one away from

a guard. The sound of a ght will draw others because the two

guards will certainly yell warnings. Eventually the troublemakers

will be subdued again, rebound and dragged before the tribes

chief.

The chief, however, has a group of outsiders with him

along with a long line of bound native slaves and a large bag

of obviously worthless but shiny baubles. It becomes quickly

apparent that they have been traded to a group of men who can

only be slavers.

The crude ropes are overlaid by manacles and chains, their

weapons and armor are bundled up, and they are lead away to

their unknown fate to the sounds of loud yells intermixed with

the screams and pleadings of native women and children slavesthat are being left behind to slaughter in the name of heathen

gods.

Jungle Captives

Damn Dirty Ape: BRAWN 1/Fighting 1; BLOOD 8

Savage Native: BRAWN 2/Fighting 1 Shooting 1; PERSONALITY 1;

PERCEPTION 1/Stealth 1; KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 10

Equipment:dagger, blowgun and net

The Crimson Chronicles Part One By James Stubbs


12/17

The Premise: Our heroes, sold into slavery, meet a captive pirate

queen who offers to take them to the exact location of the ruins if

they help her escape and make it back to her ship.

The Setup: The biggest event now is the long march back to

the slavers camp. The weather is as miserable as before but theimportant thing here is to instill a true sense of hatred against the

slavers but that shouldnt be too difcult. They can joke about the

good price the characters will fetch in the pleasure dens, mines,

or whatever other demeaning job you can think of. If the referee

wants to be especially cruel, he can add in comments that one or

more of the male characters would make good eunuchs and that

they could save the surgeons some trouble and do the job here..

The slavers are stingy with both water and food and, even

though the characters are spared, they whip their other captives

without provocation. Rest and sleep are kept only to enough

time to make sure that none die from exhaustion although the

characters may guess that the slavers are trying to get back to

their camp and out of the jungle as quickly as possible to avoid

any confrontation with another rival tribe.

Pirate Queen of the Slavers Camp: Makeshift is a good choice

of words to describe the camp. It is obvious that it was planned to

be able to move in a hurry. Slaves are all bound to trees by a long

chain in which their manacles are connected.

More astounding is the single non-native woman chained up by

herself but the slavers soon join the partys manacles onto her

chain as well. She seems just as surprised and not without some

small measure of relief.

She introduces herself as Vex, Captain of the pirate ship,

Bloodwake. She was with a landing crew looking for ruins that

was rumored to have great treasure when they were ambushed by

slavers. Her men where killed and she was taken captive just as

they discovered the ruins. She will offer to take the party directly

to the ruins if they will free her and get her back to the beach

where her longboat is moored. She would prefer to get back to

her ship rst but, if the characters insist, she will grudgingly

take them to the ruins rst but, in exchange for putting her in

peril again, she will demand a share of the gold. And, if her ship

is taken over by her ambitious rst mate in the meantime, she

will hold them personally responsible for costing her a ship and

stranding her on this godsforsaken land.

Camp Amusements: Perhaps it is the heat or the stress of

constantly being on alert, but these slavers are excited andirritable. However, they have their own alcohol as well as several

asks taken from Vexs slain crewmen. They begin drinking

heavily. This improves their mood considerably and soon they

are laughing and joking amongst each other. However, like most

cruel men, the drinks soon bring out the mean and sadistic streaks

in them. Liberties are taken with the female captives and Vex is

roughly drug away, protesting and cursing that shed rather mate

with a pig, into a nearby tent by a very fat and sweaty man with a

large keychain.

Several of the native male captives are forced to ght each

other one on one with knives. If the characters, however, make

too much of a nuisance of themselves, they will nd themselves

tossed into the ring and forced to ght to the death! The non-

native captives are valuable to the slavers but only so much

before they become more trouble than theyre worth.

Escape!:Now would be the perfect time for the party to attempt

to escape as their captors are intoxicated and occupied. A

BRAWN check at a -1 penalty will snap the manacles behind the

characters back. There is no limit to the number of attempts but,

for each failed try, they bloody up their wrists and hands (1 Blood

damage per failure).The slavers are too far gone to pay attentionto the clanking chains.

Freed characters can either immediately attack their captors or

attempt to free their companions and, possibly, some of the other

slaves. Most of the native slaves will just ee into the jungle but

some of the men will turn on their tormentors even though they

have no weapons. Freeing others is just a simple BRAWN check

to break the manacles or the key can be gotten off Jerrod the

Fat, the head slaver who had taken Vex to his tent. In the middle

of the ght, if the characters didnt immediately go to help her,

Jerrod staggers out of the tent screaming and clutching his very

bloody groin as Vex emerges, rearranging her disheveled clothes,

but with his knife. Shell spend the rest of the combat taunting

him and chasing him around the camp, inicting supercial cuts

until she gets bored and puts him out of his misery.

Characters that seize any weapon who had lost Blood freeing

themselves, are at a -1 penalty to Fighting checks as their hands

are slick with their own blood.

Putting an End to the Slavers: The moment Jerrod dies, the

rest of the slavers dont see any reason to continue this fruitless

venture. Some will try to surrender to the characters while others

ee into the jungle pursued by any surviving natives. Assuming

the party takes prisoners, theyre not really any help information-

wise but they do have a few coins on them. If nothing else, Vex

will offer the party a single gold piece for the lot of the prisoners

as offering to the shark god the next time she sails.

The real treasure, however, is a small chest inside the Jerrods

tent that contains fty gold pieces. The chest is locked but can

easily be smashed open with a weapon or the key can be found

inside his hoot. If you want to insert a plot hook for another

adventure outside the scope of this campaign, you can make the

coins bear a royal seal meaning that only someone in power is

either nancing slavery or had the money stolen from them. From

this point, the trip to the beach is uneventful and Vex will invite

them aboard her ship for healing, food and rest or, if they want to

press on to the ruins, skip ahead to scenario four.

Vexd

Slaver: BRAWN 2/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 1; PERCEPTION 1;


Equipment:sword

Jerrod the Fat: BRAWN 1/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 1/Persuade 1;

PERCEPTION 1/Diplomacy 1; KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 25

Equipment:dagger

The Crimson Chronicles Part Two By James Stubbs


13/17

The Premise: Fresh from their escape from the slavers, our

heroes accept the hospitality of Vex aboard her ship. Sadly,

life amongst pirates is rarely neither safe nor restful due to her

ambitious rst mate and a rebellious crew.

The Setup: Vex is rowed back to her ship which is sitting withsails unfurled and the anchor slowly being heaved up the side of

the ship. The Bloodwake is sleek and lays low in the water, her

long oars dipping into the water. It is obvious that she is a coastal

raider and ill-suited for forays out into deeper water but she is

fast as her graceful curves attest to.

Vex curses and screams until heard, a cheer rises up from

her crew, and a rope ladder lowers to meet them as they pull

alongside. A rugged looking man with a chest tattoo of a shark

glares at the characters and, just as quickly, masks his obvious

resentment. Vex doesnt appear to notice this and introduces him

as Viler, her rst mate, and makes a comment about how she is

still very much alive, with a meaningful look at Viler.

Shipboard Hospitality: Vex is true to her word and offers the

meager healing she has available (4 Blood restored/character),

a silk pillow cushion for their assigned hammocks and the best

food and wines available from her quarters. She will offer to draw

the party a detailed map to the ruins when they are sufciently

rested and healed although, if they press, she will draw it up

immediately. She will also offer to replace their missing armor

and weapons (with suspicious bloodstained versions) Healing

will take the day and Vex will insist on them resting in comfort

aboard ship rather than in the dangerous jungle. Each additional

day spent on the ship will restore an additional 2 Blood (or you

can use the healing rules from The 1PG Companion).

Meet the Crew: Like most pirate crews, theBloodwakeis a

motley bunch of cutthroats, misanthropes and the unfortunate.

Most of them are purely in it for the money but a few are escaped

slaves and one dashing young man with a ragged scar across

his forearm claims to be a deposed prince on the run from an

arranged marriage. With the exception of Viler, most of the crew

are very happy to see their captain safe and the rst evening is a

celebration of her return and a wake for their fellows that didnt

make it back.

The current total crew of theBloodwakeafter the loss is

sixteen souls: the captain, her serving girl, rst mate, navigator,

helmsman, tiller, galley overseer, and ten other men who serve

general duty such as lookouts, men-at-arms, deck swabbing, etc.The oars are manned by twenty-six slaves who are kept chained

to their benches below deck.

The Captains Confdence: Over dinner in her stateroom, Vex,

once she dismisses her serving girl, will conde in the party that

she is quite aware of Vilers distaste for her and didnt miss his

reaction at her return. She is no stranger to treachery and has had

her eye on him for some time. His reckless ambition had been an

asset until recently but he has grown too bold. Her spies have told

her that he is fermenting mutiny amongst his sympathizers and is

blaming the debacle at the ruins as her fault with no gold to show

for it.

Challenging him to one-on-one combat in front of the crew

is not an option because even after she kills him (and Vex is

very condent in the end result), she would still have to fear the

unknown assassin in the night trying to avenge him. She knows

some of the possible mutineers but there are probably others

keeping low or whos allegiances would swing at his death,

claiming that she had gone too far.

Instead she needs someone to do her dirty work for her. Why,

if he was killed in the night, his valuables and her treasure map

stolen and a longboat missing, who wouldnt blame her as shehad been victimized too? She will ensure that just compensation

is placed in the longboat for their escape. However, the deed

needs to be done tonight before Viler can cause any more dissent

and a mutiny does occur.

On the Rain-Slick Precipice of Darkness: Let the party plan

however they wish. Vex has told them where Vilers cabin is

on the ship. A minor squall sets in as night falls, nothing very

dangerous but is does send the crew below deck and rocks the

ship making balance difcult. All lanterns are extinguished to

prevent re from one falling and the ship is only illuminated by

the moon. There are seven men involved in the mutiny plot: Viler

the galley overseer, and ve crewmen. Viler, and the overseer

are the brains behind the plot and they are, not in Vilers cabin,

but the overseers with one of the crewmen. The other four co-

conspirators are in the hallway outside on the lookout for spies or

anyone else. If the party takes the time to ransack Vilers cabin,

they nd a small chest containing fteen gold pieces.

It is unlikely that the party will be able to sneak up and

dispatch ve men in a darkened hallway. If a ght erupts, Viler

and the overseer have devised a ingenious escape from the cabin.

Viler arranged for a shing net to be hanging over the side which

can be reached from the cabin. They will scale the net up to

the deck, storm Vexs cabin, kill her, and then raise the alarm.

Secretly, Viler plans to betray the crewman with them, kill him

and pin the captains murder on him.

Fight in the Storm: The crewman is left at the railing to cut the

net ropes if anyone tries to follow. Unfortunately, the rain has

made the net hard to cut and it will take three rounds before he

can sever it. The captains door is broken down just as the party

makes the deck. Vex is cursing and waving her sword about as

her serving girl screams once (the noise hopelessly lost in the

wind and pounding rain) and swoons. Its two against one and

Vex will be cut down unless someone ignores the crewman long

enough to intervene. Once defeated, Vex will hurry them to a

longboat and lower it over the side telling the party that the story

will be that Viler and her overseer died protecting her life and

virtue from the party although not before the map was snatched.Vex tried to pursue but stopped to tend to her servant. As the

party rows away, they nd a bag containing the map (if they

didnt insist on having it earlier) and fty gold coins.

Knives in the Dark

Pirate: BRAWN 2/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 1; PERCEPTION 1;


Equipment:sword

Viler: BRAWN 2/Fighting 2; PERSONALITY 1/Intimidate 1;

PERCEPTION 1/Thievery 1; KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 30

Equipment:sword

The Crimson Chronicles Part Three By James Stubbs


14/17

The Premise: Armed with an exact map to the ruins, the party

leaves theBloodwakeand makes their way back into the jungle

but not before they stumble upon native hunters and are chased

into the very ruins they were looking for. There, they are in for a

surprise to nd the place a far cry from abandoned to the ages.

The Setup: The row from the pirate ship to the beach is

uneventful and soon the party is engulfed by the oppressiveness

of the jungle, now seeming even more sinister by night. Any light

carried by the heroes casts long shadows and the feeling of being

watched is ever there. Nocturnal predators screech and growl

and the occasional mortal cry of prey being brought down should

warn the party that night belongs to the hunter.

The map is very specic in what direction to go but the referee

may want to ask for BRAINS checks to avoid getting lost in the

dark. The ruins are a sacred place to the natives and they do not

venture onto its grounds except for times of worship. If the group

gets turned about, they will encounter a native hunting party,

also out later than they should be but they have the advantage ofknowing the terrain. They will hide themselves in thick brush and

ambush the heroes.

Night Fighting: The natives will hurl their spears from hiding

and then rush in to attack with their crude knives and clubs.

Anyone carrying a light source grants the attackers a +1 bonus

on their attacks against them as they will be the favored target.

Dropping the light negates this penalty but runs the risk of

starting a re. Lanterns simply go out but torches may set the

underbrush on re. These blazes will be small given the wetness

of the environs but theyre still enough to give minor burns

(1 Blood damage) to anyone that stumbles into them. Safely

extinguishing a light takes one full round.If the lights go out or none were used to begin with, it is

a blind free-for-all. If any res were set, theyre not enough

to really see anything clearly by. Anyone making melee or

ranged attacks, is under a -2 penalty to their rolls. If they hit,

roll another d6 to see if they actually hit a buddy instead. Any

sixes are friendly re. The best strategy here would be to hit

the ground, crawl away and regroup. Doing so will remove any

chance of hitting party members as everyone knows where their

companions are.

The Outside Wall: Once the ght is over, it is only a small

matter to correct their steps and nd the ruins. By night, the

ancient vine-encrusted walls look foreboding. Crumbling ancientheathen gods, leer at the party from the disintegrating sandstone

edice. Two lit torches ank the entrance and there are two native

guards. The heroes can make a treacherous climb over the wall or

simply attack the two guards. If attacked, they simply attempt to

ee. They dont know why anyone would want to enter the ruins

willingly and are more than content to let the invaders go to their

end inside. Given the previous ambush, however, it is more likely

they will be put to the sword regardless.

The Courtyard: Assuming they brought their own light or took

one of the torches from outside, the courtyard of the ruins is

in total abandonment to the elements. Once stately homes and

businesses have crumbled or collapsed. Although, at the far end

of the ruins stands a temple that seems to have withstood the

ages better than the others. Most disconcerting, however, are the

frequent bloodstains on the stonework and the human skeletal

remains. One grisly discovery is even still fresh, her wrists

still bound by vines and desiccated face full of terror, frozen for

eternity. If they inspect the body, there are two large puncture

wounds in her back. Something big killed this woman.

Arachnophobia: A monstrous spider roams the courtyard and

the natives worship it with regular virgin sacrices. It wont takelong for the heroes to draw its attention with their moving about

and talking. It has grown complacent with the easy meals given

it and makes no effort to conceal its approach. Only by defeating

this creature can the party continue to the temple.

The Temple: The temple is still solid and squat, the carvings into

its walls and columns even more grotesque and profane than the

outside walls. The place looks abandoned but there is a noticeable

lack of dust and walkways and rooms are free of debris. An

ankle-deep pool in the foyer is still circulating fresh water from

tiny bronze pipes. A golden snake statue coils around the raised

center of the pool.

The party will soon encounter the inhabitants of the temple,a mixture of native, non-native and mixed-blood people. They

can speak the same language as the party and welcome them

to their refuge. Few wear clothing but all are bedecked in

golden jewelry. The leader identies himself as Anes and offers

the hospitality of his people while the heroes who killed their

captor the giant spider rest and feast. Over the meal and dancing

he will explain that they are former slaves and castaways who

had taken refuge here in the ruins to escape the natives or, in

some cases, rival tribes. The temple garden still bears fruit,

vegetables and herbs, aqueducts still work and they can ferment

wine. The giant spider was worshipped as a native god but they

were safe as long as they stayed in the temple when it was about.

It was, in a sense, their captor and their savior. Although they do

not morn its death as it had taken many of them in the past.

The partys food and drink is drugged. If they can make a

BRAWN check at a -2 penalty they stay awake and realize that

something is wrong. Otherwise it looks like they just had too

much potent wine and passed out. Any still conscious is offered

a companion for the night. When exhausted and asleep, they will

be bound and taken captive along with the drugged.

Scourge of Stone

Native Hunter: BRAWN 1/Fighting 1 Shooting 1; PERSONALITY 1;

PERCEPTION 1; KNOWLEDGE 1/Tracking 1; BLOOD 10

Equipment:sword

Giant Spider: BRAWN 3/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 1;

PERCEPTION 1/Stealth 1; KNOWLEDGE 1; BLOOD 30

Equipment:bite (6 damage)

The Crimson Chronicles Part Four By James Stubbs


15/17

The Premise: Awakening to nd themselves in captivity, the

party must ght their way past their captors god and its crazed

and fanatical followers.

The Setup: The PCs nd themselves at the bottom of a large

dimly-lit stone pit. They have been divested of their weaponsand armor but the oor is littered with human bones that can be

used as improvised clubs if necessary (they break and become

useless on a roll of 6). The pit is roughly twenty feet deep. Its

walls have cracks in the stonework but they are ill-suited for foot

of handholds. Any attempts to climb are at a -2 penalty and a

check must be made for every ve feet ascended. Failure means

the character falls and suffers 1 Blood damage for every ve feet

fallen plus another 5 Blood damage when they hit the stone oor

(this only occurs when they have scaled more than ten feet).

At the top of the pit, it is evident that a large stone or stone

slab covers the top. Faint traces of sunlight stream in at the edges

and provide the only illumination. Fifteen feet up from the oor,

a hinged iron grate can be seen. Any character that was able toclimb up is assailed by a pungent odor and a faint hissing sound

but is otherwise unaffected. The stone obstruction at the top is

impossible to move as it is too heavy and gripping it will cause

the character to loose their purchase and plummet to the oor

below.

A Fellow Prisoner: The PCs, however, are not alone in the pit.

A frightened teenaged girl is huddled against the wall opposite

the party. Her wrists and ankles are bound together with golden

chains which, while ornamental, can be easily snapped by anyone

with a BRAWN of 2 using a simple check). She is absolutely

terried and will latch onto the rst male that frees her. She can

only stammer out various words such as god, priest, andsacrice. If the referee wants to be aggravating, (and who

doesnt?) you can have speak a different language than the party.

Not, however, that it will take a genius to gure out that they are

in big trouble and have been duped.

The Sacrifce: Soon, the pit cover will be rolled away and Anes

will mockingly call down to the party and gloat over their fate at

the hands of Valga the Mottled God. He states that the girl was

their meager sacrice but that Valga will feast today and leave

their bones at the bottom of the pit where many more worthy

have met their ends.

A loud hissing noise erupts from the iron grate near the top

of the pit and a bronze hook on a pole is inserted down into thepit to open the grate. Any character that managed to climb up to

the top of the pit (and remained there) can easily grab the pole

and yank it and its unfortunate wielder into the pit. His neck

snaps loudly against the oor, killing him instantly. Alternatively,

throwing a bone from the oor with a Shooting check at -1 will

accomplish the same thing. This hooked pole is an improvised

pole arm and does 5 Blood damage.

Stopping the grate opening will only delay the inevitable as

the grate shudders violently and a forked tongue icks through

the bars. Otherwise, a large snake head will erupt from the open

portal, bare its fangs and hiss loudly which sends the captive girl

into hysterics.

Valga the Mottled God: Valga is an anaconda of monstrous

proportions. Its head alone is big enough to dwarf a man. It

attacks by coiling around the walls of the pit in attempt to

encircle and then constrict the victims. Once crushed and lifeless,

Valga will devour its meal.

Standing to ght is not a good strategy as it will become

easy to be surrounded by the coils of the large snake. Actually

getting atop the beast prevents this but will send the monster into

a frenzy of undulations as it tries to buck its tormentors. Valga

isnt any smarter than a normal snake and will concentrate onwhoever is causing the most damage. Anyone on the serpent must

make a BRAWN check every round to avoid being tossed off.

Characters on the oor of the pit must make a Dodge check to

avoid becoming enveloped in the coils of the snake. If they fail,

they will suffer 5 Blood damage each round from crushing. A

BRAWN check will allow them to wrench themselves free.

If a PC or the girl dies during the ght, Valga will stop

moving and attacking to swallow its prey. This will allow for one

free round by all characters to get in attacks as the unfortunate

victim is swallowed and a horrible lump that was once a person

inches its way down the big snakes gullet.

The Death of a God: Once Valga has lost enough Blood to only

be ten or less damage away from death, it will try to escape. The

giant serpent chooses the large opening at the top rather than the

narrow grate it slithered out of.

As much as Anes values the terror his god puts into his

followers, he doesnt want it loose out of the pit and orders the

stone dropped but the snake is quicker than he anticipated. The

heavy rock drops and crushes the snakes head, and conveniently

wedges the top of the pit open so that the PCs can scale the body

and escape. The party can hear Anes screaming for his followers

to kill the indels who has killed the vassal of their god. Angry

shouts can be distinctly heard.

Like Fervent Lambs to the Slaughter: The party can climb the

body of Valga and either go out the top of the pit or snake their

way into the grate the snake came out of. The grate leads to the

basement of the temple so, if your group chooses this route, go

ahead to the next scenario. Otherwise, as the party crests the lip

of the pit, they are beset by ten crazed cultists armed with knives.

These zealots are no match for angry PCs but theyre just chattel

as Anes makes his escape to the temple.

Coils of the Brotherhood

Valga the Mottled God: BRAWN 3/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 1;


Equipment:constriction (5 damage)

Fanatical Cultist: BRAWN 1/Fighting 1; PERSONALITY 1;PERCEPTION 1; KNOWLEDGE 1/Legends & Lore 1; BLOOD 12

Equipment:dagger

The Crimson Chronicles Part Five By James Stubbs


16/17

The Premise: Having escaped being sacriced to a massive

snake god, the heroes seek their revenge against Anes, the head

priest of a loathsome cult.

The Setup: The PCs can pursue Anes for revenge or ee out

of the ruins (and give up on their dreams of riches). However,if they took the tunnel out of the pit, they have no choice but to

ght their way through the temple.

If they came over the top of the pit, they fought the immediate

threat of Aness hastily gathered bodyguards. The PCs nd

themselves in a rough arena with many shocked spectators,

stricken by the death of Valga. Anes can be seen ducking inside

an entrance to the temple built onto the bloody sands of the arena.

The Temple: The interior of the temple is poorly lit with sconces

few and far between. Hideous heathen scenes are portrayed on

the walls of man and monster couplings, blood sacrices and

other atrocities.

If the girl (whose name is Larissa if anyone asks) was notkilled by the snake in the pit, she will grab her champion and

insistently tug on their arm trying to lead them. She is trying to

take them to the temple armory but the PCs will have to ght

their way through a few temple acolytes rst and the two guards

in front of the weapons room. Once inside, however, the party

will have their choice of any type of weapon they want. Although

there is no armor, they can nd several robes to try to disguise

themselves with. This will, obviously, not be an easy task as Anes

has raised the alarm and everyone inside the temple is on alert.

The other important thing inside the armor is a large bronze

chest with chains and a lock. A Thievery check will open the

lock or they can violently bash it open but that will make lots of

noise and draw attention. Inside the chest are two glass vials of awine colored liquid. Drinking a whole vial will restore 15 Blood,

half will restore 7, etc. even though the draught tastes and smells

putrid.

What? No Map?!:Nope. Sorry. To be honest, the layout of the

temple should be determined by the referee. If their ght with

the snakes and cultists has heavily blooded the party, you should

reduce the number of rooms they have to explore before reaching

the room that contains the main altar where Anes has ed to. This

inner sanctum and the armory room are the only two specically

mentioned but other possibilities include acolyte living quarters,

holding cells for other future sacrices (a possible replacement

point for dead PCs with fresh characters), the head priestspersonal chambers, a torture room and an astrology room.

Just remember that the temple guards and acolytes will be out

in force and the PCs can just ght their way to the sanctum (the

girl knows the way if the PCs think to ask) or they can try to bluff

their way through.

Knock Knock. Whossssss There?: A writing door guards the

front door of the sanctum. Upon closer inspection, the door is

made of living poisonous snakes. Attacking the door will just

make the snakes disperse and attack back (poisonous bite: 1

Blood damage/round). The better solution would be to grab one

of the wall sconces, as the snakes will ee before naked ame.

Any type of mystical re will also do the trick.

Anes, Head Priest of Valga: As the party barges into the

sanctum, Anes is behind an altar wiping his mouth on the sleeve

of his robes. An empty ask is in his

Broad Word

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