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GW Memories: Frankenstein
In a previous post, I mentioned the Frankenstein game that Mike Brunton and I developed at Games Workshop, and promised to say a little more about it.
As far as I know, there was no formal plan to spin off a set of boardgames themed around classic horror monsters. Fury of Dracula came with Steve Hand when he joined GW, and he also created Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb, but the visual presentation of each was very different. Frankenstein, of course, was never published, for reasons that will become clear.
Anyway, here is what I remember.
It all started in a Nottingham city centre pub one evening after work: The Bell, if memory serves. Mike and I started riffing on a Frankenstein concept and throwing out ideas, each more ridiculous than the last. Ale flowed and we were cracking each other up, as we often did, but the following day we thought that we might actually have something. Mike drew up a map and some rules, and I started writing silly text on some blank cards.
The premise of the game was very simple. The board was a hex grid with a lab at each of its six corners. Each of the 2-6 players took the role of a mad scientist involved in a race to create a monster from body parts. The bulk of the board was made up of spaces representing a typical German-ish town from the old Hammer and Universal horror movies, and players set out across the board in search of the body parts they needed. The hospital, the morgue, and the graveyard were able to supply some parts, but a quicker option was to obtain them from innocent townsfolk. Think of it as a beetle drive (the Cooties game, to American readers), with added murder.
Townsfolk came in various strengths, which was matched against the player-scientist’s Lunacy rating in combat. A nice little balancing mechanic ensured that while a higher Lunacy made you more likely to win, it also reduced the number of body parts you could retrieve from an encounter, because you made more of a mess of your victim.
By today’s standards, the range of victims was quite tasteless, including women and children, but this was the 80s and tasteless humor was considered edgy and fun. Take a look at The Young Ones or almost any other British comedy of the time. Anyway…
Other players could try to sabotage you by playing encounter cards on you to increase the difficulty of a combat. Police cards, in particular, could stack to a hideous degree if multiple players decided to gang up. Otherwise, you drew an encounter card when you entered a new space, and either chose to fight it or save it – perhaps to play on an opponent.
The object of the game was to collect all the parts for a complete monster – torso, left and right legs, left and right arms, head, and brain – assemble them in the lab, and wait for a storm (also an encounter card) to animate your creation. Storms came in varying strengths, which affected the chances of success. There were also sabotage cards – lab accidents, rotten parts, and so on – to slow opponents down. The first player to animate their monster successfully was the winner, although we were also considering an expansion pack (de rigeur for boardgame pitches to GW at the time) in which the monsters started terrorizing the town themselves, and fought it out for final victory.
Mike and I assembled a prototype and played it in the GW Design Studio with other writers and designers, to universal acclaim. We were invited to demo it for Bryan Ansell himself at his impressive home (Castle Grayskull to us mortals) just outside Nottingham. Or rather, I was – and that’s where things started to go awry.
Mike was Yorkshire through and through, never afraid to speak his mind and equipped with a wit that could seriously upset anyone whose abilities were not commensurate with their rank – and in his mind, that included most of Games Workshop’s management at the time. It was decided that he shouldn’t be present at the demo, and I should do it alone.
The trouble was, Mike had been tinkering with the rules and the draft I took to the demo was completely new to me. The demo was a disaster, and both Mike and I were berated the next day by various middle managers who denied ever having liked the game and how dare we waste Bryan’s time like that.
Frankenstein was over. I made various efforts to fix the problem, but Bryan had decided it was a bad game and that was that. All the game’s most vocal supporters now hated it, and always had, rather than helping us to get a another chance at a demo. And this despite the fact that the game had already been mentioned in White Dwarf’s news column, the very accurately named “Awesome Lies,” and that cover art had already been commissioned from Les Edwards, the artist behind the Fury of Dracula box art. Our game had failed, and was never to be mentioned again.
And it was all my fault, or at least I felt it was. Frankenstein remains a lifetime regret, although I have to be honest and say that its gallows humor crossed most lines of decency and good taste, and it would definitely not be publishable today.
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November’s Monster of the Month is posted on my Patreon page.
The hag is a well-known creature in many fantasy games, but the underlying folklore is complex, varied, and often terrifying. This 6-page, system-agnostic, PDF monster toolkit includes:
- Stat guidelines for d20-based, d100-based, and other tabletop roleplaying systems.
- A full monster description with lists of basic and optional skills and traits.
- Notes on four variants: Black Annis, Grindylow, Cailleach Bheur, and Fad Felen.
- Three adventure seeds, covering fantasy, historical, and modern settings..
As a member of The Monster of the Month Club, you can expect regular, in-depth treatments of creatures from worldwide myth and folklore—some familiar, some not—in a system-agnostic format that is easy for an experienced GM to use with the tabletop rpg system of their choice.
Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/MonsteroftheMonthClub, follow us @MotMClub, or email [email protected].
GW Memories: Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb
I’m interrupting the series on WFRP 1 in-jokes and Easter Eggs because I just stumbled across an unboxing video for this little game, which I had almost completely forgotten. I’m putting down what I remember about it while it’s still fresh in my mind.
Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb was a boxed boardgame designed by Stephen Hand, the designer behind Chainsaw Warrior, Fury of Dracula, and Chaos Marauders. I believe it was the last game he designed for Games Workshop before quitting, unhappy with management and his role in the company. In a way, his experience paralleled mine: boardgames and roleplaying games both suffered as GW’s focus on miniatures became all-consuming. I remember (half) joking at the time that it would be more honest if the company was called Miniatures Workshop.
The title was stolen from a lesser entry in Hammer Films’ roster of mummy movies. I recall that Steve was a huge fan of classic Hammer and Universal horrors, as well as more contemporary horror. After leaving GW, he wrote the novelization of Freddy vs. Jason, among many other things.
One of the more novel design elements was the 3D board, which was assembled from carboard components in the box. The playable characters were miniatures chosen from GW’s Gothic Horror line, and I wrote up a few more miniatures as playable characters in a support article for White Dwarf. I suspect that in the eyes of GW management, the whole thing was as much an attempt to shift some more of those minis as a sequel to the well-received Fury of Dracula.
And that’s all I really remember of this game. The unboxing video will tell you everything you need to know about it, except for one thing: at the time, there was an effort to make a third gothic horror boardgame, which never came to fruition. I’m not sure it was even announced.
Perhaps I’ll blog about that in the future.
Want to support my work?
If you’ve enjoyed the content on this blog, please consider supporting me by making a small donation. Here are a couple of ways to do so.
Thanks!
And Also…
September’s Monster of the Month is posted on my Patreon page.
The nuckelavee is a demonic monster from the Orkney Islands, which spreads pestilence and terror in equal measure. This 4-page, system-agnostic, PDF monster toolkit includes:
- Stat guidelines for d20-based, d100-based, and – through comparisons with common creatures from most settings – all other tabletop roleplaying systems.
- A full monster description with lists of basic and optional skills and traits.
- Three adventure seeds, covering fantasy, historical, and modern settings.
As a member of The Monster of the Month Club, you can expect regular, in-depth treatments of creatures from worldwide myth and folklore—some familiar, some not—in a system-agnostic format that is easy for an experienced GM to use with the tabletop rpg system of their choice.
Join us on Patreon at patreon.com/MonsteroftheMonthClub, follow us @MotMClub, or email [email protected].
Dirty Vortex: The Best Games You’re Not Playing
This week, I’m taking a break from old Games Workshop memories to talk about some newer games.
Once in a while, I come across a game that impresses me to much that I write to the publisher out of the blue and offer to write something for them. For Vaesen, this was Mythic Britain and Ireland. For Dirty Vortex’s game Solemn Vale, I basically said “I’ll write whatever you need – just let me do something!”
I recently reviewed Solemn Vale in a post for free and paid members of the Monster of the Month Club. It’s a rules-lite, highly atmospheric game inspired by British folk horror of the 1960s and 70s. If you grew up in Britain around that time – and I’m guessing that most of you didn’t – you would have been immersed in shows like Quatermass, Doomwatch, The Strange Report, and Counterstrike. You might even have come across one-off TV plays like The Stone Tape, which explained hauntings as psychic vibrations from the past that had been trapped in the crystalline structure of old masonry. You’ll almost certainly recall the original 1973 version of The Wicker Man, with Christopher Lee and Edward Woodward.
Solemn Vale captures that vibe perfectly: everything seems mundane on the surface, but is very creepy underneath. The art – by author and DV proprietor Mark Kelly, who did a lot for Vampire and it shows – supports this tone and atmosphere perfectly, and the Wyrd Abacus system that underpins Solemn Vale (and its 80s, X-Files-meets-Stranger-Things American-based spinoff Summer of Strange) is quick, clean, and flexible, which is everything a rules-lite system should be.
Apart from the mechanics, the structure of Wyrd Abacus adventures is worth mentioning. It sets out several hours (or several sessions) of play in just a few pages, giving the Narrator all they need without drowning them in details. As a piece of design, I’d put it up there with Robin D. Laws’s Dramasystem and James Wallis’s The Adventures of Baron Munchausen.
Now, I said that I’ve written for Solemn Vale (and for Summer of Strange), so am I simply shilling for Dirty Vortex to make some cash? No. I was paid a flat fee for everything I wrote, with no royalties. I’m writing this post because I believe in indie ttrpg publishers – now more than ever, given the increasingly unsettling news from Hasbro – and Dirty Vortex is one of the best.
On their website (https://dirtyvortex.net/) you’ll find a lot for Solemn Vale and Summer of Strange, plus Deco Dice, The Sigma Syndrome, and other goodness. There are also some intriguing tools, such as character and rule generators, which can be fun to play with.
To order Solemn Vale and Summer of Strange (plus the Solemn Vale adventure collection Tales from the Wyrd), you have the following options:
Physical and digital books are available from Backerkit. Many people like it for its trusted payment processing. The page is here.
The Dirty Vortex Webstore accepts PayPal and credit cards.
DriveThruRPG has most (but not all) products, in PDF form only, including a Pay What You Want file of the Wyrd Abacus standalone rules, for those who want to try out the system, or just read it.
Trust me – it’s worth your time.
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If you’ve enjoyed the content on this blog, please consider supporting me by making a small donation. Here are a couple of ways to do so.
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Advanced Heroquest: New Equipment
The final outtake from Advanced Heroquest Undead Supplement (published as Terror in the Dark) offers a few items of equipment for adventurers who are expecting to confront the undead.
As with everything in this series, it is presented exactly as I wrote it in 1991. I probably haven’t thought about AHQ since then, so I can offer no guarantees about how well it works – but I welcome your feedback in the comments.
Also, I have been approached about making this available as a free electronic publication. Is that something that would be of interest to the community? Honestly, when I posted the first instalment I had no idea that AHQ was still popular. Anyway, let me know.
Next Saturday, I’ll do… something else. I’m thinking of kicking off a series about the gods of the Old World, as presented in the WFRP 1 rulebook and other 1st edition sources. Does that sound like it would be of interest? Again, let me know.
All Posts in this Series
The Quest Machine, Part 1: Royal Tombs and Monument
The Quest Machine, Part 2: Monastery Catacombs and Sanctuary of Morr
The Quest Machine, Part 3: Cemetery and Place of Legend
The Quest Machine, Part 4: Underground Battlefield and Dwarfhold Tomb Complex
The Quest Machine, Part 5: Necromancer’s Lair and Evil City
The Quest Machine, Part 6: Overrun Necropolis and Vampire’s Stronghold
NEW EQUIPMENT
Heroes who are going hunting undead can invest in a range of specialised equipment to help them in their Quests. This section gives you the costs and some special rules for various items that will be useful against undead.
Stake and Mallet
The surest way to deal with a Vampire is by staking it through the heart. This is easy enough if you can catch the Vampire sleeping in its coffin, but when you’re faced with a fully awake and distinctly hostile Vampire Lord in the darkness of the catacombs, it’s easier said than done!
The stake and mallet occupy both hands – a Hero can’t use a shield while wielding them, and loses the Toughness bonus (optional rule: he may still claim the Toughness bonus against attacks from the three squares to his rear, since his is carrying the shield slung over his back).
The stake and mallet is an unwieldy weapon, to say the least – a Hero trying to stake a Vampire in hand-to-hand combat suffers a -4 penalty to all hit rolls. It cannot score a critical hit, and it fumbles on a roll of 4 or less. However, if the attack is successful there is no need to roll damage dice – the Vampire is automatically destroyed unless the GM uses a Fate Dungeon Counter to convert the success into a failure.
Garlic
Garlic is a popular folk-remedy against Vampires. A Vampire attacking Hero who wears a garland of garlic around his neck in hand-to-hand combat suffer a -2 penalty to all hit rolls.
Blessed Weapons
In exchange for a small donation to their temple, many priests will bless a weapon, making it more effective against undead. If you use Priest Hero from the Advanced Heroquest Companion, note that priests controlled by players cannot do this – only those who are safely settled in their own temples and don’t go adventuring hsave the time to learn rituals like this!
A blessed weapon rolls one extra damage die when rolling to wound an undead target. However, blessings don’t last for ever – before the player makes the wound roll, the GM should roll a D12 – on a result of 1, the blessing has worn off and the weapon only rolls the normal number of damage dice!
Holy Water
Holy water can be obtained from temples between expeditions. A flask of holy water is a ranged weapon, with a maximum range of 4. It can be thrown even if the Hero has moved that turn. If it hits an undead creature or a Daemon (ie a Daemonette, Bloodthirster or Greater Daemon of Tzeentch), the holy water rolls a number of damage dice equal to the target’s Toughness score. The more powerful an undead creature or Daemon is, the better chance the holy water has of hurting it!
Mirror
Vampires and spirits (Ghosts, Spectres, Wights and Wraiths) don’t reflect in mirrors, and the fact seems to upset them quite a bit. Holding up a mirror to a Vampire or spirit will repel it, so that it must make a Bravery test in order to enter the Hero’s death zone. Note that a Hero must be facing a creature in order to hold up a mirror to it!
Salt
Due to a peculiarity in the magical process by which they are made, Zombies simply can’t stand salt. This weakness can be used by Heroes in two ways:
If a bag of salt is sprinkled on the floor, no Zombie can enter that square. A Hero can only sprinkle salt into a square in his death zone. The salt remains there permanently – it can’t be gathered up and used again!
A bag of salt can be thrown at a Zombie as a missile. It has a range of 3 squares, and can be thrown even if the Hero has moved that turn. If it hits a Zombie it causes no damage as such, but the Zombie must roll its Toughness or less on a D12 or it is immediately destroyed. The bag bursts on contact with the Zombie (or with the floor if the throw is missed), and cannot be used again. If the throw misses, roll on the table for Skaven Plague Censers in the Advanced Heroquest rulebook to find out where it landed.
Card counters are provided for marking squares which are filled with salt.
COSTS TABLE
Item Cost
Stake & Mallet 5 GCs
Garlic, 1 garland 5 GCs
Blessing a weapon* 20 GCs
Holy Water, 1 flask 10 GCs
Mirror 5 GCs
Salt, 1 bag 1 GC
* Note that an arrow or crossbow bolt counts as a single weapon.
Advanced Heroquest: Magic Treasures
The outtakes from Advanced Heroquest Undead Supplement (published as Terror in the Dark) continue this week with a selection of magical treasures that I submitted with the original manuscript. Next week, I’ll post the final instalment, on mundane equipment.
All Posts in this Series
The Quest Machine, Part 1: Royal Tombs and Monument
The Quest Machine, Part 2: Monastery Catacombs and Sanctuary of Morr
The Quest Machine, Part 3: Cemetery and Place of Legend
The Quest Machine, Part 4: Underground Battlefield and Dwarfhold Tomb Complex
The Quest Machine, Part 5: Necromancer’s Lair and Evil City
The Quest Machine, Part 6: Overrun Necropolis and Vampire’s Stronghold
New Magic Treasures
Here are some new magic treasures, each with a special relevance to the undead. To include these in your games, use the Treasure Chests Table as usual. If a Magic treasure is indicated, do not roll on the Magic Treasure Table straight away. First, roll a D12 – on a roll of 12, roll on the table below; on a roll of 1-11, roll on the Magic Treasure Table as normal.
D12 Item
1 Scarab of Ra
2 Raven talisman of Morr
3 Sword of Sanctity
4 Scroll of Sanctuary
5 Arrows/Bolt of Life
6 Amulet of Strength
7 Amulet of Courage
8 Amulet of Life Protection
9 Amulet of Proof Against Poison
10 Sword of Life
11 Amulet of Life Warding
12 Wand of Light
Scarab of Ra
A magical gem from far-off Araby, the Scarab of Ra is a polished stone carved into the form of a desert beetle. Any Mummy struck by the Scarab is immediately destroyed. The Scarab may be thrown, with a range of 4 squares, even if the Hero has moved that turn. It may also be used to strike a Mummy in hand-to-hand combat, although this is a lot more risky! A thrown Scarab may be recovered and used again.
Raven Talisman of Morr
This is a magical carving about the size of a man’s palm. Made of black stone, it is carved into the form of an open portal with a raven perching on the top. The power of Morr, the guardian of the dead, is channelled through the carving, and a Hero who holds up the carving in front of an undead creature becomes Fearsome to that undead creature if the undead creature passes an Intelligence test – if not, the creature is too stupid to recognise the symbol, and is not afraid of the Hero!
Sword of Sanctity
This sword automatically destroys any Daemon or undead creature which it strikes. If the hit roll is successful, the creature is destroyed; there is no need to roll for Wounds.
Scroll of Sanctuary
This scroll may be read by a Wizard in the same way as any other magical scroll. When the Wizard reads the scroll, a glowing ring of golden light appears on the floor, tracing out the Wizard’s death zone. No undead creature or Daemon may cross this line or attack across it in any way. Living creatures may cross the ring and attack across it freely, with both weapons and spells. The ring fades at the start of the next exploration turn. When the incantation is read, the scroll crumbles to dust.
Arrows/Bolt of Life
When one of these magical missiles hit an undead creature, it is automatically destroyed. Against all other targets, it counts as a normal arrow or bolt. The arrow or bolt is destroyed when it hits an undead creature. To discover whether you have found an arrow or a crossbow bolt (and how many!), roll a D12: 1-3 = 1 bolt, 4-12 = 2 arrows.
Amulet of Strength
When this magical amulet is found, roll a D12. The result is the number of “charges” the amulet has. When a Hero wearing the amulet is struck by a Wraith, or suffers any other magical effect which would reduce his Strength, cross off one “charge” from the amulet instead of reducing the Hero’s score. When the amulet runs out of charges, it crumbles to dust, and any further attacks affect the Hero normally.
Amulet of Courage
Wearing this amulet adds 2 points to a Hero’s Bravery score. Note that it cannot increase a Hero’s Bravery score above 11 – if a Hero with a Bravery score of 10 puts it on, it only adds 1 point, and if a Hero with Bravery 11 or higher puts it on, it does nothing at all!
Amulet of Life Protection
When this magical amulet is found, roll a D12. The result is the number of “charges” the amulet has. When a Hero wearing the amulet is struck by a Spectre, cross off one “charge” from the amulet instead of reducing the Hero’s characteristics. When the amulet runs out of charges, it crumbles to dust, and any further attacks affect the Hero normally.
Amulet of Proof Against Poison
When this magical amulet is found, roll a D12. The result is the number of “charges” the amulet has. When a Hero wearing the amulet is struck by a poisoned attack (including the claws of a Ghoul, the bite of a snake, or whatever), cross off one “charge” from the amulet. The poison does not affect the Hero, and the attack causes damage as normal. Thus, the Ghoul loses its normal +1 to Wound rolls, the dagger of a Skaven Gutter Runner counts as a dagger instead of a sword, and so on. In most cases you should have no trouble discounting poison damage from an attack, but if in doubt, the Hero suffers half the damage that the poisoned attack would normally cause. When the amulet runs out of charges, it crumbles to dust, and any further attacks affect the Hero normally.
Sword of Life
This weapon is a Banesword, enchanted to cause more grievous wounds when fighting undead. Roll to hit and wound as normal; the sword causes double the normal number of Wounds to an undead target.
Amulet of Life Warding
An Amulet of Warding protects its wearer against the attacks of undead monsters. A Hero wearing an Amulet of Warding will suffer one less wound from each attack by an undead creature. In addition, an undead creature can never get a free attack while fighting the Hero.
Wand of Light
The Wand of Light can only be used by a Wizard. It fires a bolt of pure life-essence up to 12 squares in the Wizard’s line of sight. Place a fireball template at the target point – every undead creature which is wholly or partly under the template is hit by a number of damage dice equal to its own Toughness score – the tougher it is, the more the life-essence harms it! The bolt has no effect on creatures other than undead.
Advanced Heroquest: The Monster Tables
The outtakes from Advanced Heroquest Undead Supplement (published as Terror in the Dark) continue this week with the monster tables that underpin the Quest Machine system. Next weekend, I’ll post one of the final unpublished sections: Magical Treasures.
Once again, apologies for the wobbly tables. I’ve tried a few things to get the columns straight, but WordPress continues to defeat me.
Also, I make no guarantees about how balanced these tables are in terms of balance. A Greater Daemon of Tzeentch seems significantly more dangerous than a group of four cultists, but all I can tell you is that this is what I wrote at the time. If you intend to play wit these tables, feel free to adjust them as you see fit.
MONSTER TABLES
These are the tables you will use for generating monsters while using Quests from this pack. The GM’s notes for each Quest tell you which tables to use, and when.
Unoccupied Complex
Use this table for both Lairs and Wandering Monsters.
D12 Creatures Treasure
1 4 Giant Rats –
2 2 Giant Rats –
3 1 Giant Spider –
4 4 Tomb Robbers* 100 GCs
5 4 Giant Bats –
6 3 Giant Beetles –
7 1 Rat Swarm –
8 1 Bat Swarm –
9 1 Beetle Swarm –
10 1 Giant Snake –
11-12 Roll once on the relevant Undead Table
*Tomb Robbers are identical to Men-at-Arms, except that they have swords and not halberds.
Disturbed Complex
Use this table for both Lairs and Wandering Monsters.
D12 Creatures Treasure
1-2 Roll once on the Unoccupied Complex table
3 4 Tomb Robbers* 100 GCs
4 4 Skaven Warriors 40 GCs
5 2 Skaven Warriors & 1 Champion 40 GCs
6 6 Goblins 10 GCs
7 4 Goblin Archers 5 GCs
8 4 Orcs 25 GCs
9 3 Orcs & 1 Orc Champion 50 GCs
10 2 Chaos Thugs & 1 Chaos Warrior 50 GCs
11-12 Roll once on the relevant Undead table
*Tomb Robbers are identical to Men-at-Arms, except that they have swords and not halberds.
Undead
Undead Lairs Table
D12 Occupants Treasure
1 Roll once on the Unoccupied Complex table
2 4 Skeletons 10 GCs
3 2 Skeleton Warriors 30 GCs
4 2 Skeleton Warriors & 1 Undead Champion 50 GCs
5 4 Skeletons & 1 Undead Champion 25 GCs
6 4 Skeleton Warriors 40 GCs
7 2 Skeletons & 4 Zombies 10 GCs
8 6 Zombies 10 GCs
9 Roll once on the Ghoul subtable
10-11 Roll once on the Ethereal Undead subtable
12 Roll once on the relevant Followers table
Undead Wandering Monsters Table
1-2 Roll once on the Unoccupied Complex table
3 4 Skeletons 10 GCs
4 4 Skeletons & 1 Undead Champion 25 GCs
5 4 Skeleton Archers 20 GCs
6 6 Zombies 10 GCs
7 1 Skeleton & 4 Zombies 25 GCs
8 3 Skeleton Warriors 45 GCs
9 1 Mummy
10 Roll once on the Ghoul subtable
11 Roll once on the Ethereal Undead subtable
12 Roll once on the relevant Followers table
Ghoul Subtable
D12 Creatures Treasure
1-6 1 Ghoul 5 GCs
7-9 2 Ghouls 10 GCs
10-11 3 Ghouls 15 GCs
12 4 Ghouls 25 GCs
Ethereal Undead Subtable
D12 Creatures Treasure
1-8 1 Ghost –
9 1 Spectre –
10-12 1 Wraith –
Liche Followers Table
D12 Creatures Treasure
1 Roll once on the Undead Lairs table
2-3 2 Skeleton Warriors 50 GCs
4 2 Skeleton Warriors & 1 Undead Champion 100 GCs
5 1 Undead Champion 50 GCs
6 2 Undead Champions 200 GCs
7 8 Skeletons 50 GCs
8 8 Zombies 50 GCs
9 1 Mummy 50 GCs
10 1 Wight 150 GCs
11 1 Spectre 200 GCs
12 1 Lesser Vampire 150 GCs
Necromancer Followers Table
D12 Creatures Treasure
1 Roll once on the Undead Lairs table
2-3 2 Skeleton Warriors 50 GCs
4 2 Skeleton Warriors & 1 Undead Champion 100 GCs
5 1 Undead Champion 50 GCs
6 6 Skeletons 200 GCs
7 6 Zombies 50 GCs
8 1 Wraith 50 GCs
9 1 Mummy 50 GCs
10 1 Ghost 150 GCs
11 2 Ghosts 200 GCs
12 4 Ghouls 150 GCs
Vampire Lord Followers Table
D12 Creatures Treasure
1 Roll once on the Undead Lairs table
2 1 Bat Swarm –
3 1 Rat Swarm –
4 4 Wolves –
5 4 Giant Bats –
6 4 Giant Rats –
7 4 Men-at-Arms* 50 GCs
8 1 Gorgon (human-bodied) 100 GCs
9 1 Gorgon (snake-bodied) 75 GCs
10 1 Witch 100 GCs
11 3 Men-at-Arms & 1 Sergeant* 100 GCs
12 1 Lesser Vampire 100 GCs
* These are normal Humans who are enslaved by the Vampire Lord’s will. They are as described in the Advanced Heroquest rulebook, except that their Bravery is always 10 owing to the Vampire Lord’s mental hold on them. If the Vampire Lord dies, they are released from his control and go back to normal.
Undead Warlord Followers Table
D12 Creatures Treasure
1 Roll once on the Undead Lairs table
2-3 2 Skeleton Warriors 50 GCs
4 2 Skeleton Warriors & 1 Undead Champion 100 GCs
5 1 Undead Champion 50 GCs
6 6 Skeletons 200 GCs
7 6 Zombies 50 GCs
8 2 Undead Champions 150 GCs
9 4 Skeleton Warriors 50 GCs
10 4 Skeleton Warriors & 1 Undead Champion 150 GCs
11 6 Skeleton Warriors 150 GCs
12 2 Wights 200 GCs
Chaos Sorcerer Followers Table
D12 Creatures Treasure
1 Roll once on the Undead Lairs table
2 4 Evil Cultists 50 GCs
3 4 Chaos Thugs 20 GCs
4 3 Chaos Thugs & 1 Chaos Warrior 100 GCs
5 1 Chaos Warrior 50 GCs
6 1 Chaos Champion 75 GCs
7 2 Chaos Warriors & 1 Chaos Champion 100 GCs
8 1 Minotaur 30 GCs
9 1 Troll 5 GCs
10 1 Daemonette 50 GCs
11 1 Bloodthirster 100 GCs
12 1 Greater Daemon of Tzeentch 150 GCs
Opposition Table
D12 Creatures Treasure
1-3 4 Men-at-Arms 20 GCs
4-6 3 Men-at-Arms & 1 Sergeant 50 GCs
7-8 2 Sergeants 30 GCs
9 2 Sergeants & 1 Warrior 100 GCs
10 2 Warriors 150 GCs
11-12 4 Heroes 200 GCs
Notes: Warriors are identical to Heinrich Lowen, as given in the Advanced Heroquest rulebook. For 4 Heroes, use the Heroquest characters: Rogar, Ladril, Telor and Durgin.
All Posts in this Series
The Quest Machine, Part 1: Royal Tombs and Monument
The Quest Machine, Part 2: Monastery Catacombs and Sanctuary of Morr
The Quest Machine, Part 3: Cemetery and Place of Legend
The Quest Machine, Part 4: Underground Battlefield and Dwarfhold Tomb Complex
The Quest Machine, Part 5: Necromancer’s Lair and Evil City
The Quest Machine, Part 6: Overrun Necropolis and Vampire’s Stronghold
Advanced Heroquest: Side-Quests and Cardboard
The outtakes from Advanced Heroquest Undead Supplement (published as Terror in the Dark) continue this week with a section on side-quests and the list of cardboard components that I submitted with the original manuscript. Next week, I’ll post the long-awaited monster tables that power all of this.
SIDE-QUESTS
This section was inspired by an old board game called Expedition that I had played as a teenager. This video tells you all about it. As you worked to outfit your expedition, you could pick up cards that gave you additional goals for additional rewards, and I thought this was a good idea for Advanced Heroquest.
Side-Quests are an optional rule for Advanced Heroquest – that is, you can use them if you like, but you don’t have to.
In addition to the main quests provided by the Quest Machine, Heroes who are planning an expedition into tombs and similar places may be approached by various interested parties, offering them minor jobs. Before the Heroes set out, roll a D12 for each one. Each result of 10 or more indicates that the Hero has been approached with the offer of a side-quest; roll again and consult the following list:
- A Wizard offers 20 GCs for a Mummy’s Bandages. Collect this money on your return if you have encountered and destroyed at least one Mummy.
- A Temple offers 50 GCs for a Book of Lore. Collect this money on your return if you have been in a Hazard room which contains a Lectern.
- An Alchemist offers 50 GCs for Vampire’s Blood. Collect this money on your return if you have encountered and destroyed at least one Vampire.
- A scholar offers you payment for mapping the complex. On your return, collect 1 GC for each room on your map.
- A Temple offers a bounty of 1 GC per Wound point for all undead creatures you destroy. Creatures that are wounded but not destroyed don’t count.
- An Alchemist offers 25 GCs for a Ghoul’s claw. Collect this money on your return if you have encountered and destroyed at least one Ghoul.
- A Wizard is researching Ethereal Undead. If you meet a Ghost, Spectre or Wraith on this expedition, you may sell your story to him for 20 GCs.
- A Wizard is researching artificial life. If you meet a Construct or Homunculus on this expedition, you may sell your story to him for 20 GCs.
- A Wizard is researching necromantic animation of superior undead creatures. If you meet an Undead Champion or Undead Warlord on this expedition, you may sell your story to him for 20 GCs.
- A collector of antiquities will pay you handsomely for any jewellery you bring back from this expedition. When you return, add 10% to the value of the treasure you have brought back.
- A Wizard is researching the effects of magic upon undead creatures. On your return, you may claim 5 GCs for each spell you cast at an undead creature. This reward may only be collected if at least one spellcaster survived the expedition.
- A Wizard is researching the use of magic by Dark Wizards. On your return, you may claim 5 GCs for each spell cast at you by a Dark Wizard. This reward may only be claimed if at least one spellcaster survived the expedition.
CARD COMPONENTS
This is the unedited list of requested components that I sent to Games Workshop. It may be of interest to anyone who is planning to recreate the supplement as I originally planned it. At the time, it seemed too much to ask for miniatures of all of these items, though today I’m sure there are many suitable STL files for 3D printing. If you know of any good sources, feel free to list them in the comments.
The HeroQuest set already had a sarcophagus and other pieces of furniture that would have come in, as well, although the proportions are not quite what I ask for in this list. I don’t know why that is: perhaps I vaguely remembered the items but not their shape, or perhaps I wasn’t thinking of Heroquest at all.
Furniture
- Sarcophagus – 3 squares x 1 square
- Lectern with book – 1 square
- Shrine – 3 squares x 3 squares
- Charnel Pit – 3 squares x 3 squares, pit full of bones
- Workbench – 2 squares x 1 square
- Pillars – 1 square each, 2 of them
- Gong – 2 squares x 1 square, huge gong on frame
Character Monster Counters
- Necromancer
- Liche
- Undead Warlord
- Vampire Lord
- Lesser Vampire
- Clan Skryre Skaven Sorcerer (if there’s not one already)
All Posts in this Series
The Quest Machine, Part 1: Royal Tombs and Monument
The Quest Machine, Part 2: Monastery Catacombs and Sanctuary of Morr
The Quest Machine, Part 3: Cemetery and Place of Legend
The Quest Machine, Part 4: Underground Battlefield and Dwarfhold Tomb Complex
The Quest Machine, Part 5: Necromancer’s Lair and Evil City
The Quest Machine, Part 6: Overrun Necropolis and Vampire’s Stronghold
Advanced Heroquest: The Quest Machine, Part 6
The outtakes from Advanced Heroquest Undead Supplement (published as Terror in the Dark) continue this week with the final two Quest Machine locations: Overrun Necropolis and Vampire’s Stronghold. Next weekend I’ll post a section on side-quests and the list of cardboard components that I submitted with the original manuscript.
As in previous instalments, the quests for these two locations include multiple references to Warhammer lore. The city of Praag is well known from the Kaleb Daark comic and later sources, but as far as I remember the Geroyograd cemetery is my own invention. Kreutzhofen and the Reichenbach family come from Death’s Dark Shadow, a minor Flame Publications release developed by Carl Sargent from the old scenery pack Blood on the Streets. Sadly, this is no longer available. This was written before the Vampire Counts became part of Warhammer lore, otherwise I would probably have named the Carstein family instead.
OVERRUN NECROPOLIS
Two centuries ago, the forces of Chaos rampaged across the Old World. Although they were finally defeated and turned back into the Northern Wastes, there are some places which retain the mark of Chaos to this day. One such place is the doomed city of Praag, which was conquered and occupied by the forces of Chaos for over a year. To this day, the city has not been re-settled, and travellers who have passed by it return with horrifying tales. Just outside the city walls stands the great cemetery of Geroyograd. Here, the foul influence of Chaos has been no less than within the walls, and all manner of evil may be found here
Quests
Roll once on the following table to discover why the Heroes are going into the Chaos-tainted cemetery:
D12 Quest
1-3 The Emerald Tear
4-6 Bogatyr’s Sword
7-9 The Raven Shrine
10-12 Rat’s Bane
The Emerald Tear
Players’ Information
Imperial Wizards have discovered the heart of Chaos within the cemetery. A huge chunk of Warpstone – primal Chaos in solid form – lies somewhere in the catacombs beneath the graveyard, and its influence is responsible for much of the evil that afflicts the place. Your Quest is to find the Warpstone and destroy it, using a ritual which the Imperial Wizards have taught you. But beware – Skaven have been seen in the area, and they too must be searching for the Warpstone…
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table
Wandering Monsters: Disturbed Complex table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Disturbed Complex table
If referred to a Followers table: Wandering Monsters Matrix from The Quest for the Shattered Amulet in the Advanced Heroquest rulebook
Take a Clan Skryre Sorcerer Character Monster Counter to represent the leader of the Skaven expedition. The Clan Skryre Sorcerer may be added to any group of Skaven encountered on the Quest.
Each time the Heroes encounter a Quest room, roll a D12. On a roll of 1-9 it is actually a Hazard room, and the GM may take one Dungeon Counter. On a roll of 10-12, the Heroes have found the piece of Warpstone known as the Emerald Tear. To complete the Quest, a Wizard must spend an entire exploration turn in the room with the Warpstone reading the ritual to destroy it.
Bogatyr’s Sword
Players’ Information
The great Hero Bogatyr fell in the defence of Praag as the forces of Chaos engulfed the land, and was one of the last people to be buried in the cemetery of Geroyograd before Praag was conquered. Now, the Tsar of Kislev has received a prophecy concerning Bogatyr’s sword – if it can be recovered by a true Hero and given back to the Tsar, then Praag may be reclaimed from Chaos at last. Your Quest is to find the sword of Bogatyr and take it to the Tsar.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Disturbed Complex table
Wandering Monsters: Disturbed Complex table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Disturbed Complex table
If referred to a Followers table: re-roll
Quest rooms will always be stairs down. Each time the Heroes find a sarcophagus, you should roll a D12 – a roll of 12 or more means that they have found the tomb of Bogatyr. Add 1 for each sarcophagus they have already discovered, and 1 for each Fate Point they spend to increase their chances. Players must decide to spend Fate Points before the dice is rolled.
The sarcophagus contains only the sword and the bones of Bogatyr. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find the sword and take it out of the complex. The Sword of Bogatyr is a magical weapon – it does double damage against all creatures and followers of Chaos (Chaos Thugs, Chaos Warriors, Chaos Champions, Chaos Lords, Minotaurs, Beastmen, Bloodthirsters, Daemonettes, Greater Daemons of Tzeentch). The Heroes may use the sword while fighting their way out of the complex, but may not keep it after the Quest.
The Raven Shrine
[4]Players’ Information
Somewhere in the cemetery is a shrine sacred to Morr, the guardian of the dead. If the shrine can be found, a short ritual conducted there will weaken the power of Chaos in Praag considerably. Your quest is to escort a priest into the cemetery, find the shrine, and protect him while he conducts the ritual.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Wandering Monsters table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Wandering Monsters table
If referred to a Followers table: Chaos Sorcerer Followers table
A Priest Character Sheet is given elsewhere in this book. Each time the Heroes discover a Quest room, roll a D12: on a roll of 1-9 it is a set of stairs down, on a roll of 10 or more it is the shrine. Shrines found in Hazard rooms are lesser shrines, of no importance to this Quest. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must reach the shrine with the priest, who must then spend a full exploration turn there to complete his funeral ritual. After the ritual has been completed, all undead creatures encountered will have half their normal W score. A Hero who searches a sarcophagus during this Quest loses a Fate Point each time he does so.
Rat’s Bane
Players’ Information
A powerful Skaven Sorcerer is in the cemetery of Geroyograd, planning an unspeakable ritual which will strengthen the power of Chaos not only in Praag but throughout the Old World. You must go into this terrible place, find the Skaven before the ritual can be completed, and kill it if possible.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Disturbed Complex table
Wandering Monsters: Disturbed Complex table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Disturbed Complex table
If referred to a Followers table: Wandering Monster Matrix from The Quest for the Shattered Amulet in the Advanced Heroquest rulebook
Take a Clan Skryre Sorcerer Character Monster Counter to represent the Skaven. There are no Quest rooms in this Quest, so re-roll any Quest Room results on the Room Type table. Each time the Heroes encounter Skaven (before any combat takes place), roll a D12: on a roll of 10-12 the Sorcerer is with the encountered Skaven! To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find and destroy the Skaven Sorcerer.
VAMPIRE’S STRONGHOLD
On the slopes of the Grey Mountains, near the border between The Empire and Bretonnia, stands the village of Kreutzhofen. It was once ruled by the von Reichenbach family, whose ruined mansion lies just outside the village shunned by all. It is said that a strong strain of vampirism ran through the Reichenbach bloodline; certainly their rule was tyrannical, which is why the locals rose up against them many years ago. Some say that the von Reichenbachs were not all wiped out, and that the evil Vladimir von Reichenbach – now a Vampire – haunts the extensive cellars and crypts beneath the ruined mansion…
Quests
Roll once on the following table to discover why the Heroes are going into the ruined mansion:
D12 Quest
1-3 Search and Destroy
4-6 No Resting Place
7-9 Rescue
10-12 The Monster
Search and Destroy
Players’ Information
Irrefutable proof has been found that a Vampire lurks beneath the Reichenbach mansion. Your Quest is to enter the complex, find the Vampire, and destroy him.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Vampire Lord Followers table
Wandering Monsters: Vampire Lord Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Vampire Lord Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Vampire Lord Followers table
Take a Vampire Lord Character Monster Counter to represent Vladimir von Reichenbach. Generate the complex normally, except that the first two Quest rooms will be stairs down. The third Quest room is the Vampire’s inner sanctum – unless the Heroes have previously met and destroyed him he will be here, along with minions generated by two rolls on the Vampire Lord Followers table. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find and kill von Reichenbach.
No Resting Place
Players’ Information
Vampires must rest in a coffin, and a powerful or clever Vampire normally keeps more than one. Your Quest is to enter the tunnels beneath the mansion, find as many coffins as you can, and destroy them all.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Vampire Lord Followers table
Wandering Monsters: Vampire Lord Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Vampire Lord Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Vampire Lord Followers table
Take a Vampire Lord Character Monster Counter to represent Vladimir von Reichenbach. Whenever the Heroes encounter a Quest room, roll a D12: on a roll of 1-9 the room contains an empty coffin, which may be destroyed by spending an exploration turn in the room with it. On a roll of 10-12 the Heroes have found a coffin which is currently occupied by von Reichenbach.
The room is guarded by minions generated by one roll on the Vampire Lord Followers table, and on the second round of combat von Reichenbach will have awoken and left his coffin, able to attack or escape. Once the Heroes find and destroy the coffin that von Reichenbach actually occupies, the Quest is at an end.
Rescue
Players’ Information
Somewhere deep within his lair, von Reichenbach is holding a prisoner – the daughter of a local nobleman. Unless she can be saved, she will surely perish – or worse. Your Quest is to find and rescue the princess – her father is offering a reward for her safe return.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table until second Quest room found, then Vampire Lord Followers table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Wandering Monsters table until second Quest room found, then Vampire Lord Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Vampire Lord Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Vampire Lord Followers table
Take a Vampire Lord Character Monster Counter to represent von Reichenbach. At any time during the Quest, von Reichenbach may turn the princess into a Lesser Vampire by trading ten Dungeon counters (NOT including von Reichenbach’s Vampire Lord Character Monster Counter) for one Lesser Vampire Character Monster Counter.
Generate the complex normally, except that the first two Quest rooms will be stairs down. If you generate a Maiden encounter in a Hazard room, ignore it and fill the room with monsters generated by one roll on the Vampire Lord Followers table instead. The third Quest room is the cell where the princess is imprisoned, if she has not been turned into a Vampire – use the Victim Character Sheet to represent her. If the princess becomes a Vampire before the Heroes find her, discard the Victim Character Sheet and play her as a Character Monster – the Heroes will be in for a nasty shock when they find her!
To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find the princess before she is turned into a Vampire, and escort her out of the complex. In addition to normal rewards, the princess’ father will pay the Heroes 100 GCs if she is rescued without being hurt, 20 GCs if she is rescued but wounded – and nothing at all if she is killed or turned into a Vampire, of course.
The Monster
Players’ Information
Somewhere in the crypts and passages beneath the ruined von Reichenbach mansion, a madman is conducting experiments into the creation of artificial life. In a deserted secret laboratory far underground, local doctor Jakob Entesang has discovered the partially-completed creature, built from the remains of the dead by one of the von Reichenbach family. The villagers of Kreutzhofen have just become aware of what is happening – your Quest is to find the secret laboratory, confront the mad doctor, and put an end to his experiments once and for all. No easy task when they say that the cellars of the ruined mansion are haunted by ghosts, Vampires and worse…
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table until second Quest room found, then Vampire Lord Followers table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Wandering Monsters table until second Quest room found, then Vampire Lore Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Wandering Monsters table until second Quest room found, then Vampire Lord Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Vampire Lord Followers table
Take a Necromancer Character Monster Counter to represent Doctor Entesang. At any time during the Quest, the mad doctor may activate his monster by trading ten Dungeon counters (NOT including his own Character Monster Counter) for one Construct Character Monster Counter.
The first two Quest rooms will be stairs down. The third Quest room is the hidden laboratory – Entesang will be here, and so will the Construct unless it has already been activated. Entesang counts as a Sergeant. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find and destroy the Construct.
All Posts in this Series
The Quest Machine, Part 1: Royal Tombs and Monument
The Quest Machine, Part 2: Monastery Catacombs and Sanctuary of Morr
The Quest Machine, Part 3: Cemetery and Place of Legend
The Quest Machine, Part 4: Underground Battlefield and Dwarfhold Tomb Complex
The Quest Machine, Part 5: Necromancer’s Lair and Evil City
The Quest Machine, Part 6: Overrun Necropolis and Vampire’s Stronghold
Advanced Heroquest: The Quest Machine, Part 5
The outtakes from Advanced Heroquest Undead Supplement (published as Terror in the Dark) continue this week with two more locations from the quest generation system: Necromancer’s Lair and Evil City. Next weekend I’ll post the final two Quest Machine locations: Overrun Necropolis and Vampire’s Stronghold.
Unlike in previous instalments, the quests for these two locations do not include references to Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, but they do tie in to some of my previous work on Warhammer lore.
I created the liche Morbius in the box-back story I wrote for the Skeleton War Machines boxed set. I had hoped to do more with him and his Skeleton champions at some point, but the opportunity never arose and as far as I know this is the only other place in all of Warhammer lore that he is mentioned. His name, in case anyone is interested, came from the word “morbid” with a Latin-style ending to sound more mystical.
The Skeleton hero Ennio Mordini, and the story of his conquest of Lambrusco, came from another box-back story of mine: this time, The Nightmare Legion from the Regiments of Renown series. The names of the Tilean city-states in that story are typically trite for Warhammer at that time, when we believed that no-one outside the English-speaking world would ever see our work and our view of Old World nations was informed by the prejudices and conventions of 20th-century British comedy. Lambrusco was named for a wine that was cheap and freely available in corner shops across the country, which my girlfriend at the time drank in heroic quantities. Organza had no particular inspiration – I was vaguely aware that it was some kind of fabric, but mostly the name sounded okay in context and I only had 30 minutes or so to write the story so I couldn’t be picky.
Like Morbius, I vaguely intended to do something more with Mordini and his war of vengeance against Tilea’s city-states, but the opportunity never came. However, he has been mentioned a few times down the years, as this entry in the Warhammer Wiki shows. And yes, his name is based on that of Italian composer Ennio Morricone, who is best known for his iconic theme tune to the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The first syllable in Mordini was chosen to suggest death.
NECROMANCER’S LAIR
Deep in the Badlands beyond the Border Princes stands a ruined fortress guarding an abandoned mine – a relic of a brief period of Human exploration in this remote and forbidding place. Now, nothing living remains in the place – but it is far from empty. The name Morbius is known to a few scholars and wizards, and written in a handful of tomes of lore. Over the centuries, this powerful Liche has brewed many schemes and caused great evil, and the living seem powerless to stop him. Finally, Morbius has been tracked to his lair in the abandoned fortress and the mine beneath. The Hero who rids the world of this dread creature will win great renown, and there are other evils to be righted in this foul place.
Quests
Roll once on the following table to discover why the Heroes are going into the lair of Morbius:
D12 Quest
1-3 Search and Destroy
4-5 The Skull Crown
6-8 Rescue
9-10 Furnace of Souls
11-12 Race Against Time
Search and Destroy
Players’ Information
Now that the lair of the dread Liche has been discovered, his evil can be brought to and end once and for all. Your Quest is to enter the complex, find Morbius, and destroy him.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table until second Quest room discovered, then Liche Followers table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Wandering Monsters table until second Quest room discovered, then Liche Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Wandering Monsters table until second Quest room discovered, then Liche Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Liche Followers table
Take a Liche Character Monster Counter to represent Morbius. Generate the complex normally, except that the first two Quest rooms will be stairs down. The third Quest room is the Liche’s inner sanctum – unless the Heroes have previously met and destroyed him he will be here, along with minions generated by two rolls on the Liche Followers Table. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find and kill Morbius.
The Skull Crown
Players’ Information
Morbius has somehow acquired the Skull Crown – an evil magical treasure, made centuries ago by the priests of an outlawed cult in far-off Cathay. It seems that he has not yet learned how to use the Crown, and he must be stopped before he does so – for if he should master the Skull Crown, his power would increase a hundredfold, and there would be no end to his evil. Your Quest is to enter his lair and steal the Skull Crown.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Wandering Monsters table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Wandering Monsters table
If referred to a Followers table: Liche Followers table
Take a Liche Character Monster Counter to represent Morbius. Each time the Heroes encounter a Quest room, roll a D12. On a roll of 1-9 it is actually a Hazard room, and the GM may take one Dungeon Counter – Morbius has become alerted to their presence, and is organising his forces against them. On a roll of 10-12, the Heroes have found the Skull Crown. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find the Crown and leave the complex with it.
Rescue
Players’ Information
Somewhere deep within his lair, Morbius is holding a prisoner – the daughter of one of the Border Princes. Unless she can be saved, she will surely perish in one of his evil rituals. Your Quest is to find and rescue the princess – her father is offering a reward for her safe return.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table until second Quest room discovered, then Liche Followers table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Wandering Monsters table until second Quest room discovered, then Liche Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Wandering Monsters table until second Quest room discovered, then Liche Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Liche Followers table
Take a Liche Character Monster Counter to represent Morbius. Generate the complex normally, except that the first two Quest rooms will be stairs down.
There are two ways the Heroes can find the princess – as the Maiden in a Non-Player Character Hazard room, or by reaching the third Quest room in the complex. Use the Victim Character Sheet to represent her. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find the princess and escort her out of the complex. In addition to normal rewards, the princess’ father will pay the Heroes 100 GCs if she is rescued without being hurt, 20 GCs if she is rescued but wounded – and nothing at all if she is killed, of course.
Furnace of Souls
Players’ Information
After decades of research, Imperial wizards have discovered the source of Morbius’ power. At the heart of his lair is the Furnace of Souls – a huge magical generator driven by the tortured ghosts of everyone he has ever killed. If this evil device can be found and destroyed, the Liche’s power will be broken – and the spirits of his victims will be able to rest in peace.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Wandering Monsters table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Wandering Monsters table
If referred to a Followers table: Liche Followers table
Take a Liche Character Monster Counter to represent Morbius.
Each time the Heroes encounter a Quest room, roll a D12. On a roll of 1-9 it is actually a Hazard room, and the GM may take one Dungeon Counter – Morbius has become alerted to their presence, and is organising his forces against them. On a roll of 10-12, the Heroes have found the Furnace of Souls. Unless he has previously been encountered and destroyed, Morbius will be here, with minions generated by two rolls on the Liche Followers Table. Morbius will fight to the finish to defend the Furnace of Souls – he may not Escape from a combat in this room. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find the Furnace of Souls and a Wizard must spend an entire exploration turn in the room wrecking the device.
Race Against Time
Players’ Information
An evil ritual is about to take place in Morbius’ lair. It must be stopped, or the Liche’s power will be increased even further. Your Quest is to find the chamber where the ritual is taking place, and stop it before it can be completed.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Wandering Monsters table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Liche Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Liche Followers table
Each time the Heroes encounter a Quest room, roll a D12. On a roll of 1-9 it is actually a Hazard room, and the GM may take one Dungeon Counter – keep Wandering Monster and Character Counters separate, though, as in this Quest they are not played in the normal way. On a roll of 10-12, the Heroes have found the Liche’s inner sanctum, where the ritual is in progress – Morbius is here, along with minions generated by all the Dungeon Counters the GM is holding at this point. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must destroy all the monsters in the room, and either kill Morbius.or force him to Escape.
EVIL CITY
Ennio Mordini was one of the most feared and respected mercenary leaders in all of Tilea. He and his troops were so effective that many Tilean princes competed to employ them – but all were secretly afraid, for if Mordini should turn against them they would be helpless. Finally, the Dukes of Lambrusco and Organza plotted to rid themselves of this dangerous man, and Mordini’s troops were sent into a trap. Not one survived, although Mordini swore as he died that he would be avenged on the scheming princes who connived at his death. Shortly afterwards, a huge, unstoppable army of skeleton warriors marched on Lambrusco, wearing the tattered colours of Mordini’s murdered mercenaries. The city was taken by storm, and not one of the citizens escaped. Lambrusco is now a city of the dead, and the other princes of Tilea tremble at what may happen next.
Quests
Roll once on the following table to discover why the Heroes are going into the dead city of Lambrusco:
D12 Quest
1-3 Assassination
4-6 Rescue
7-9 The Heart of Shallya
10-12 The Raven Shrine
Assassination
Players’ Information
The princes of Tilea have decided that the only way to deal with the undead menace is to kill Mordini a second time. Your quest is to go into the city, find the Undead Warlord that was once Ennio Mordini, and destroy it.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Warlord Followers table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Warlord Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Warlord Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Undead Warlord Followers table
Take an Undead Warlord Character Monster Counter to represent Mordini.
There are no Quest rooms in this Quest, so re-roll any Quest Room results on the Room Type table. Each time the Heroes encounter an Undead Champion (before any combat takes place), roll a D12: on a roll of 10-12 they have actually encountered Ennio Mordini – an Undead Warlord! Roll once on the Undead Warlord Followers table and add the result to the monsters for this encounter. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find and destroy the Undead Warlord.
Rescue
Players’ Information
Word has reached neighbouring princes that there is a single living person still in Lambrusco – the youngest daughter of the Duke. How she escaped the slaughter, no-one knows. Perhaps she was able to hide, or perhaps Mordini is keeping her alive until he can think of a suitable fate for her. In any event, she must be rescued from the clutches of the Undead Warlord! The Duke of Organza has offered a reward for her rescue.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table until second Quest room discovered, then Undead Warlord Followers table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Wandering Monsters table until second Quest room discovered, then Undead Warlord Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Wandering Monsters table until second Quest room discovered, then Undead Warlord Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Undead Warlord Followers table
Take a Undead Warlord Character Monster Counter to represent Mordini. Generate the complex normally, except that the first two Quest rooms will be stairs down. There are two ways the Heroes can find the princess – as the Maiden in a Non-Player Character Hazard room, or by reaching the third Quest room in the complex. Use the Victim Character Sheet to represent her. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find the princess and escort her out of the complex. In addition to normal rewards, the prince will pay the Heroes 100 GCs if she is rescued without being hurt, 20 GCs if she is rescued but wounded – and nothing at all if she is killed, of course.
The Heart of Shallya
Players’ Information
Hidden in a shrine somewhere in the city is the Heart of Shallya – a powerful artefact of Good. Surrounded by so much evil, its powers are beginning to wane, and it must be recovered before it is destroyed altogether.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Warlord Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Warlord Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Undead Warlord Followers table
Take an Undead Warlord Character Monster Counter to represent Mordini. Each time the Heroes encounter a Quest room, roll a D12. On a roll of 1-9 it is actually a Hazard room, and the GM may take one Dungeon Counter – Mordini has become alerted to their presence, and is organising his forces against them. On a roll of 10-12, the Heroes have found the shrine containing the Heart of Shallya.
To complete the Quest, the Heroes must find the Heart and leave the complex with it. The Heart of Shallya can cast Flames of the Phoenix three times, and Power of the Phoenix once, even in the hands of a non-Wizard. The Heroes may use the Heart to heal themselves while on the Quest, but may not keep it after the Quest is over.
The Raven Shrine
Players’ Information
Somewhere in the city is a shrine sacred to Morr, the guardian of the dead. Morr is opposed to all undead, and if the shrine can be found, a short ritual conducted there will weaken the power of the Undead in Lambrusco considerably. Your quest is to escort a priest into the city, find the shrine, and protect him while he conducts the ritual.
GM’s Information
Lair Occupants: Undead Lairs table
Wandering Monsters: Undead Warlord Followers table
Wandering Monster Dungeon Counters: Undead Warlord Followers table
If referred to a Followers table: Undead Warlord Followers table
A Priest Character Sheet is given elsewhere in this book. Each time the Heroes discover a Quest room, roll a D12: on a roll of 1-9 it is a set of stairs down, on a roll of 10 or more it is the shrine. To complete the Quest, the Heroes must reach this room with the priest, who must then spend a full exploration turn here to complete his funeral ritual. After the ritual has been completed, all undead creatures encountered will have half their normal W score. A Hero who searches a sarcophagus during this Quest loses a Fate Point each time he does so.
All Posts in this Series
The Quest Machine, Part 1: Royal Tombs and Monument
The Quest Machine, Part 2: Monastery Catacombs and Sanctuary of Morr
The Quest Machine, Part 3: Cemetery and Place of Legend
The Quest Machine, Part 4: Underground Battlefield and Dwarfhold Tomb Complex
The Quest Machine, Part 5: Necromancer’s Lair and Evil City
The Quest Machine, Part 6: Overrun Necropolis and Vampire’s Stronghold
January’s Monster of the Month
Happy New Year to Monster of the Month Club members! January’s Monster of the Month just posted.
In Danish folklore, a helhest (‘hell horse’) is a churchyard revenant, active at night and attacking any living person it finds within its territory. When a helhest appears, disease is sure to follow.
This 5-page product includes:
- Stat guidelines for 3d6/d20-based, d100-based, and other tabletop roleplaying systems.
- A full monster description with lists of basic and optional skills and traits.
- Two case studies from Danish folklore.
- Three adventure seeds, covering fantasy, historical, and modern settings.
The Monster of the Month Club
As a member of the Monster of the Month Club, you can expect regular, in-depth treatments of creatures from worldwide myth and folklore—some familiar, some not—in a system-agnostic format that is easy for an experienced GM to use with the tabletop rpg system of their choice.
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Graeme Davis 