1

Lost Child

Whether due to violence, disease, or simple disorganization and confusion, it is not unusual for someone to end up alone and on the move. Sometimes, tragically, it is a child.

A child encountered in these circumstances will be scared, hungry, and lost. The child will scream for help upon seeing anyone, and if anyone helps the child it will then consider that person to effectively be the new mommy or daddy. The child will make travel a boor, constantly getting in the way, making noise when trouble is near, breaking fragile equipment, etc. It should greatly test the patience of goodminded folk determined to bring the child to safety, and it should induce the less-than-good-minded to commit the act of childkilling.

Resolve: {5%?This child is a killer with Stealth 5 and Sneak Attack 4, and will play the lost and scared innocent until it can strike one of its rescuers when they least expect it.|}

2

Abandoned Children

As the war takes its toll, parents are lost to their children, by death, or abandonment, or forced separation. Sometimes in these situations, the children start to grow up fast. This encounter involves a group of Roll 4d10 children who have learned to scavenge off the land and its people to survive.

The youngest of them will be only five years old, the leader being thirteen or so. Those who are brave enough to gather food and supplies have equipped themselves with some arms and armor, all of it looted, but they are untrained, malnourished, and not yet developed enough to use what mismatched equipment they have found. All attacks made by the children, regardless of the weapon wielded, do only 1d3 damage, and regardless of the armor pieces that they wear, they always are considered to be unarmored.

The children try to move unnoticed and usually try to gather or steal whatever they can easily get. Only when they get really hungry do they become bold, and this is when they are prepared to steal from dangerous looking folks like the player characters.

They simply will not trust adults at this point, believing that they can only trust each other after seeing enough of their number cut down in recent days.

Children: Armor 12, Level 0, Movement 120’, Morale 4.

3

The Adventurer

The player characters are not the only ones foolhardy enough to seek their fortunes in the area. This character is doing just that, and how the player characters are regarded will depend on a reaction roll.

Adventurer: Armor 14 (leather), Level Roll 1d4 Resolve: {Cleric|Fighter|Magic-User|Specialist}, 1 medium weapon attack doing 1d8 damage, Morale 8.

The adventurer will have Roll 1d4*250 sp worth of treasure per experience level.

Treasure: Roll on "Valuable types" 1d6 times

4

Bürgerfriedensmiliz

This is the “Citizens’ Peace Patrol” that has been organized by Ulrike Lamprecht, who is one of The Seven and is known as “The Mother.” Patrols consist of Roll 1d6+6 milizionäre; men, women, young, old, dressed in the white uniform of the Patrol. They are equipped with Roll 1d10 days’ worth of food and water each along with a lasso or a mancatcher. They are not even armed with a dagger and none of them wear any armor. They wander the countryside looking for those that need saving. “Innocents,” defined as those that are unarmed and in need of aid, are given help and then escorted back to Karlstadt. “Belligerents,” defined as those who are armed or who resist their efforts to give aid, are first beseeched to give up their warlike ways, then firmly asked to give up their arms and armor, and if that fails, targeted for capture and subsequent re-education.

During their initial contact with the player characters, the members of the Bürgerfriedensmiliz will be openly and sincerely grateful that they have found more endangered souls that they can save and offer to bring the characters to a place of safety and tranquility. They must drop all arms and armor before being led there, of course. If the characters cooperate, they will be brought to Karlstadt.

If they do not immediately cooperate, the player characters will be told that by the authority of The Seven, this area has become a no-war zone and all implements of destruction are outlawed. The characters will be given one more chance to cooperate, or will be taken to the “re-education facility” at Goblin Hill (see page 130).

Using only their lassos and mancatchers, they will attempt to “peacefully persuade” those who refuse this offer, although they must make a Morale check if they face resistance by those willing to use deadly force. If this check fails, they will flee towards Karlstadt to report the characters’ location.

If the characters are captured, or if the milizionäre fail a Morale check after one of their number has been brought down by force, they will flee to Goblin Hill instead.

Milizionäre: Armor 12, Level 0, Movement 120’, Morale 7.

5

A Dark Cult

It is the end of the world and some do not keep their faith and are therefore led astray by those who have never had faith to begin with. The party will come across a group of “cultists” — Roll 4d12 of them — who are performing some sort of ritual. There is Resolve: {simply some harmless pagan rite|some bloodless ritual to a dark god hoping to gain protection in these dangerous times|sacrificing animals|sacrificing a pure and innocent person}.

Cultists: Armor 12, Level 0, Movement 120’, Morale 6.

6

Fleeing Woman

Due to the aggressive witch-hunt that has pervaded the streets of Würzburg in recent months, many women have fled, and continue to flee, the town. This encounter will be with one such woman who has little more than the clothes on her back. If the encounter is between Würzburg and Karlstadt, then she is Resolve: {headed to Karlstadt|fleeing the area entirely}.

Resolve: {5%?She actually is a Magic-User, Level (1d4), carrying her spellbook.|}

Fleeing “Witch”: Armor 12, Level 0, Movement 120’, Morale 6.

7

Giant Ants

Ants from the Insect Shrine (page 121) hunt throughout the area looking for new cows for their nest. The ants areResolve: {75%? hunting the player characters| hunting someone else}.

Roll 2d6 Giant Ants: Armor 16, 2 Hit Dice, Movement 180’, 1 bite attack for 1d6 damage, Morale 8.

8

The Glass Tiger

The glass tiger from the Mound (page 84) hunts throughout the area, killing human prey and bringing it back to its lair.Resolve: {75%? Encounter will involve the tiger hunting the party (it will disengage and return home if it can kill and drag one victim back to the Mound)| The party will see the tiger hunting other prey.}

The Glass Tiger: Armor 15 versus blunt weapons, 20 versus edged and missile attacks, 5 Hit Dice, Movement 240’, 1 bite and claw combined attack for 1d10 damage, Morale 10 Immune to fire, cold, electrical, and similar attacks, surprises 4 in 6

9

Hostile Milizionäre

While most of the Bürgerfriedensmiliz patrols are comprised of locals who believe in the cause of peace, one patrol is from the Bürgerfriedensmiliz HQ (page 130) and is looking for victims to take back to its base. This patrol is armed and hostile, although it will not attack if there are witnesses.

Roll 3d6 Hostile Milizionäre: Armor 12, Level 0, Movement 120’, 1 short sword attack for 1d6 damage, Morale 9.

10

Improvisational Inquisition

Commoners and peasants are not the only people who have been displaced and made desperate and angry. Parish priests suffer this fate as well, and this encounter will be with such a priest and his congregation out to cleanse the countryside of Protestants, foreigners, witches, and other abominations. The priest will demand that any they come across swear an oath of allegiance to the Emperor, Ferdinand II, and to his Holiness, Pope Urban VIII. Anyone who does so will be considered an ally, anyone who does not, an enemy.

Note that the priest is not a Cleric.

Priest and Roll 3d6 followers: Armor 12, 0 Level, Movement 120’, 1 attack with an improvised weapon or farm tools doing 1d4 damage, Morale 7.

11

The Insane Farmer
Isolated farms were the first abandoned in the current strife as families were just too vulnerable to the human predators that became all too common as the war spread.

One holdout farmer and his family paid the price for remaining at home—Magnus Persson, a Swedish deserter, came to the farm and slaughtered them all in a fit of intense paranoia. He then began running the farm as his own.

Persson is deranged; he believes that blood will make the crops grow. He dismembered the family and stuck their body parts in the fields, and when anyone comes to the farm, he kills them as well and plants their body parts in the fields.

Characters coming across the farm will see the odd body part planted firmly in the ground and sticking straight up.

Persson may be a lunatic, but he is not stupid. He will only attack lone travelers or pairs of travelers if they seem weak in a fight. If confronted by a group of well-armed opposition, he will not be immediately violent, but instead attempt to play the part of an innocent farmer.

Unfortunately, he is ill prepared to play such a role—he speaks only Swedish, he has not cleaned any of the family’s blood from the house (the smell is atrocious), and the wife and children’s possessions remained untouched in the house. If any group of visitors seems to be suspicious of him, then he will attack.

Persson: Armor 12, Fighter Level 4, 1 attack doing 1d6 damage (household tools), Morale 12. Persson has 17 Strength. He does have breastplate armor (Armor 16), plus a sword and musket (1d8 damage each), which he will don and ready if he has time.

12

Insect Creature

While there are many unnatural insects in the Insect Shrine, the giant specimens are of more natural types which reject any of the more freakish giants, driving them out into the world to wreak havoc.

Insect Creature: Armor Roll 12+1d8, Roll 1d8 Hit Dice, Movement Roll 1d12*10+60’Resolve: {25%? and {1d12_10+120}’ fly|}, 1 bit attack for 1d6 damageResolve: {25%? and poison sting doing Roll 1d8 more damage if a save versus Poison is failed|}, Morale 8.

13

Invisible Insects

The anarchy preceding the Swedish army has allowed the Insect God to extend its influence into the physical world. One result of this influence is invisible, but otherwise mundane insects seeping up through the earth, ready to cause mischief in the world above.

The first time this encounter occurs the player characters should hear a man screaming in the distance. If they investigate, they will find him halfnaked, scratching the skin right off his body. They’re all over me, get them off! Get them off! He had the misfortune of laying down to nap near an invisible ant hill, and the ants have taken advantage.

He is digging his nails into his flesh trying to get the unseen bugs off, and scraping his flesh on nearby trees. When he sees the characters, he will charge at them in an effort to get one of their bladed weapons and if they let him he will scrape the flesh off of his own bones until it kills him.

Coming into physical contact with the man will transfer the bugs unless a saving throw versus Paralyzation is made.Resolve: {25%? The man is also a Plague Carrier (see below).|} On the second and subsequent instances of this encounter, Resolve: {25%? Roll 1d4+1 characters|just one character} will have invisible insects attach themselves to the character and begin crawling and biting. (Details as to how can be made up based on circumstance— flying through a cloud of mosquitoes, hitting an invisible beehive, anything can work.) The insects will cause no damage, but they will create other problems for the character. Movement will be as if one encumbrance level greater, only half a night’s sleep will count as rest, and Dexterity modifiers will be lessened by one, and the character will be at -1 to hit in combat. Non-player characters must make a Morale check once per day or be unable to take it anymore, stripping off clothes and diving into the nearest body of water to wash themselves and the insects off.

Getting rid of the infestation will take several hours of bathing and thoroughly cleaning clothes and equipment.

The plague has an incubation period of one day, an interval of three hours, infection time two days total, -2 to Constitution as penalties (see the Disease Rules in the Rules & Magic book of LotFP Weird Fantasy Role-Playing).

14

Jews

Christendom on the whole in the 1600s was actively hostile to the Jewish faith.

Many territories banished them, others required conversion to the dominant local faith (and then often harassing them to make sure their conversion was real, such as was common practice during the Spanish Inquisition), and even those that offer the Jews sanctuary and free worship assign special taxes to them for the privilege.

Worse, those authorities that do offer Jews sanctuary often cannot protect them from the ire of the Christian commonfolk.

The Seven have abolished the public practice and demonstration of religion in Karlstadt while making it clear that they do not care what people do in private, and this looks quite attractive to the Jewish community used to abuse, discrimination, and legal sanction. This encounter is with Roll 1d8 ordinary people (if more than two appear it is a family unit) making their way to Karlstadt. They carry Roll 1d100*50sp worth of goods and valuables.

Resolve: {10%?They are Plague Carriers (see below). The plague has an incubation period of one day, an interval of three hours, infection time two days total, -2 to Constitution as penalties _(see the Disease Rules in the Rules & Magic book of LotFP Weird Fantasy Role-Playing)._|}

Valuables: Roll on "Valuable types" 1d6 times

15

Looters

A group of Roll 3d6 men (all 0 LevelResolve: {10%? and a Level 1 Fighter leading them|}) is making its way through the countryside looting abandoned homes and villages. They are a disorganized rabble, not serious bandits, and will seek to flee if offered trouble. They have looted goods worth Roll 5d100sp on themResolve: {25%?, but if anyone attempts to sell these goods in Karlstadt or Würzburg that they will be identified as stolen goods.|}

Looted goods: Roll on "Valuable types" 1d6 times

16

The Mastermind

A master criminal, his foreign benefactor, and their entourage wander the countryside looking for something while avoiding the local authorities and the Swedish army.

He was one of the most successful organized crime figures in the Empire before the landing of Gustavus Adolphus.

She is a fraud, using her ability to lie convincingly to establish herself as foreign nobility. Together, they commit atrocity.

Archibald Kohler wears stylish and intimidating black clothing, head to toe, with only his face visible. He does this to cover up the fact that his arm is made entirely of gold (worth 10000sp). It is entirely useless and simply hangs from his side, although of course it is exhausting for him to carry such a weight around.

He prefers to travel on horseback so he may rest his arm on the beast as he travels, and searches for a way to restore his arm to normal. He travels with his personal henchmen (the “Head Men”), but has loyal contacts and business associates in every populated center in this region— Karlstadt and Würzburg included.

The Countess Báthory is of Hungarian nobility, traveling the land searching for the secrets of eternal youth… actually, she is Lydia Tsakabikas, an attractive peasant woman from Greece who has made her way through the Balkans and into the Empire.

After being captured by agents of the real Countess Báthory, but judged too old to be useful, she escaped, taking some of the Countess’ clothing and personal items on the way. Using this disguise she even fooled one of Báthory’s own bodyguards (“The Brute,” a man with a small mind and large muscles, and slavishly devoted) and has decided to live it up on the road as best she can. She has hired a number of ex-soldiers— men considered too unbalanced to remain in the military—to handle a number of dobermans, as well as a few servants taken from the gutter. She is completely amoral and after meeting with Kohler (who was immediately quite smitten) has decided that maybe this life can continue indefinitely.

Kohler has no doubts that the Countess Báthory is who she says she is. Anyone who knows of Báthory may discover the fraud; Tsakabikas does not speak Hungarian, does not know that the Countess is married and has three children, and would not be able to name either any of the Báthory family or her husband. Should he learn of Tsakabikas’ ruse, Kohler will be incensed and butcher every member of her entourage at the first opportunity, starting with the Brute and the dogs and finishing, very slowly, with Tsakabikas herself.

The Referee should determine the pair’s goal before they encounter the player characters. The fabled Ant Ruby, one of The Engineer’s devices, or one of the undead creatures from the Infinite Tower are all good choices, but whichever it is when they are encountered, neither Kohler or the Countess have any idea as to where in the area they should be looking. When encountering another group, they will always react in the same way. If the members of the group are obviously competent or numerous and armed, they will avoid the encounter if possible, or behave with courtesy, if unavoidable. If they instead believe their group to be stronger than any that they encounter, then Kohler and the Countess will be domineering and cruel in an attempt to discover what they need to know. They will slaughter very small groups of travelers or groups that seem incapable of handling themselves—the Brute has a very specific diet.

Kohler, the Head Men, and “Báthory” are mounted, the rest walk.

Archibald Kohler: Armor 14 (jack, but gets a +3 to Parries by using his dead arm to block), Specialist Level 7, Movement 120’, 1 sword attack or 1 pistol attack for 1d8 damage, Morale 6.

He has points in Search, Sleight of Hand (for one-handed activities only!), Sneak Attack, and Stealth.

The Head Men (3): Armor 14 (jacks), one is Fighter Level 3, one is Specialist Level 4, one is Specialist Level 3, Movement 120’, 1 sword attack or 1 musket attack for 1d8 damage, Morale 7. The Level 4 Specialist has points in Search, Sleight of Hand, and Tinkering, the other has points in Stealth, Sneak Attack, and Search.

“Countess Bathory”: Armor 12 (unarmored), Level 0, Movement 120’, 1 dagger attack for 1d4 damage, Morale 4.

The Brute: Armor 14 (bits of chain and plate, here and there), Fighter Level 4, Movement 90’, 1 great axe attack for 1d10 damage, Morale 12. Has 17 Strength and 16 Constitution.

Horses: Armor 14, 5 Hit Dice, Movement 240’, 1 hoof attack for 1d6 damage, Morale 8.

The Handlers (3): Armor 14 (thick jacks), Level 0, Movement 120’, 1 sword attack for 1d8 damage, Morale 7.

The Dogs (10): Armor 12, 2 Hit Dice, Movement 240’, 1 bite attack for 1d6 damage, Morale 10 (6 if the handlers are incapacitated).

The Servants Roll 2d6: Armor 12 (unarmored), Level 0, Movement 120’, 1 dagger attack for 1d4 damage, Morale 7.

17

Murdersite

Old scores get settled in lawless times, and tempers flare worse than usual, allowing death to precede an oncoming army as well as follow. Where the player characters come across the body of a single victim, it is Resolve: {a man|a woman|a child}.

Resolve: {Characters come across a victim hanged by the neck from a tree.|The victim has been knifed and shoddily buried.|An entire family or clan has been massacred by persons unknown.|There is a mass grave/great bonfire with dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of corpses heaped in it.}

18

Plague Carrier

The party comes across a corpse that is obviously infected with plague. Resolve: {10%?This was a soldier of some sort, with weapons and armor still present. The body will have some sort of pack or purse to entice the greedy, and there will be money or valuables worth Roll 1d100sp.|4%?It was an adventuring type. The body will have some sort of pack or purse to entice the greedy, and there will be money or valuables worth Roll 10d100sp.|1%?It was a Magic-User. The body will have some sort of pack or purse to entice the greedy, and there will be money or valuables worth Roll 10d100sp and a spellbook containing Roll 1d6+1 first level spells.|57%?It is the body of a commoner who has fallen victim to the plague. The body will have some sort of pack or purse to entice the greedy, and there will be money or valuables worth Roll 1d100sp.|28%?It is the body of a commoner child who has fallen victim to the plague.}

The plague has an incubation period of one day, an interval of three hours, infection time two days total, -2 to Constitution as penalties (see the Disease Rules in the Rules & Magic book of LotFP Weird Fantasy Role-Playing).

Valuables: Roll on "Valuable types" 1d6 times

19

Possession

The characters will come across a mutant insect which has a rather nasty bite. Resolve: {25%?The bug can fly|The bug crawls on the ground}. It counts as having 3 in 6 Stealth (6 in 6 if characters are mounted) and if it successfully hides, it automatically bites a random passerby (horses and other animals count as passersby for this purpose). The victim must save versus Poison.

(If detected before striking, the insect is easily squashed—no rolls necessary.) If the save is successful, then the victim suffers immediate and excruciating pain coming from the bitten area (Resolve: {right|left}foot if it is a ground-based bug, Resolve: {head|face|right shoulder|left shoulder| right elbow| left elbow| right palm|left palm|chest|back|gut|right hip|left hip|right thigh|left thigh|right knee|left knee|right foot|left foot} if it flies). The area around the bite will swell—if the bite is to a limb, it will become useless—and the victim will develop a serious fever. The character will move at half speed and suffers a three point penalty to his Constitution modifier for a period of Roll 1d12+12 hours. If the affected area is the head or torso, the character goes into a feverish coma for the duration. After this time, the fever breaks, the swelling dies down, and all is well.

If the save is unsuccessful, then the bug has implanted eggs with the bite.

The symptoms begin the same as if the save was made, but after Roll 1d12+12 hours the fever breaks… because the eggs have hatched. Insectoid limbs will grow out of the bitten body part, and then a mouth.

If this happens on the torso or the head, the character is no longer in control of the body, and will take Roll 1d4+1 agonizing hours to die—the screams will be heard for miles. If it happens on a limb, the character loses control of the limb to the growing bug which uses it to help it attack the character’s body, cannibalizing it to facilitate its own growth. Damage done to the bug, if it is still attached to the limb of its host, damages the host as well.

Limb Bug: Armor 15, 1 Hit Die, Movement 30’, 1 bite attack doing 1 Hit Point of damage + save versus infection, Morale 5.

Whole Body Bug: Armor 17, 3 Hit Dice, Movement 60’, 1 bite attack doing 1 Hit Point of damage+save versus infection, Morale 7.

20

Refugees

Roll 2d6 normal folk are leaving their homes and heading for what they hope are safer havens. There will be an equal distribution of men and women, adults, and children.

They are Resolve: {90%?Catholic|Protestant}. They are carrying all of their valuables with them, totaling Roll 2d100sp in value.

Depending on where the encounter happens, the refugees may be heading towards Karlstadt or Würzburg.

Valuables: Roll on "Valuable types" 1d6 times

21

Rogue Mercenaries

Armies of the day are strange affairs; there are no standing armies, but rather armies are raised at need, bankrolled by rich men hoping that their investment and service to the ruler in question will pay off after the war in land and titles. The men who enlist in these armies, if it is their choice at all, do so for the promise of loot and booty rather than out of loyalty to a specific cause or ruler.

When their pay goes into arrears (as it always does), when the upcoming battle seems unwinnable, when military discipline becomes too much, or when armies are simply disbanded, sometimes the soldiers just decide to retain their military structure outside of any sanctioned military force.

Resolve: {50%?These men are simply foreign mercenaries stranded in a strange land trying to survive with no idea how to get home through hostile territory|They are opportunistic thugs who will rape, steal, and murder simply because they can.} There will be Roll 10d20 soldiers in all, with as many camp followers (cooks, wives— or “wives”, and children, etc.) in any such band, and the initial encounter will be with Resolve: {50%?a patrol of Roll 3d6 soldiers|40%? camp followers|the main camp itself}.

Officer: Armor 16 (breastplate), Fighter Level Roll 1d6, Movement 90’, 1 musket or sword attack for 1d8 damage, Morale Roll 1d6+5.

Sergeant: Armor 14 (jacks or buff coats), Fighter Level Roll 1d4, Movement 90’, 1 musket or sword attack for 1d8 damage, Morale Roll 1d6+4. Has Strength 15.

Rest of the Troops: Armor 14 (jacks or buff coats), Level 0, Movement 120’, 1 musket or sword or pike attack for 1d8 damage, Morale 8.

Horses: Armor 14, 5 Hit Dice, Movement 240’, 1 hoof attack for 1d6 damage, Morale 8.

Camp followers: Armor 12 (unarmored), Level 0, Movement 120’, 1 dagger attack, Morale 6.

22

She Spits on Your Grave

Gender roles for the common folk are not so flexible in this day and age, and when society collapses, things get worse for the “fairer sex.” This encounter will be with one woman who has been badly mistreated, but left alive, and she is out for revenge.

If the player character party includes women, this woman will be open to working with them, but will violently refuse to be left alone with any man. She will also be rude in every interaction with any man and will steadfastly refuse to take orders from a man.

If the player character party includes no women among its numbers, then she will see them as the enemy and use stealth and guile to kill them all.

Vengeful Woman: Armor 12, Fighter Level 3, Movement 120’, improvised weapon attack doing 1d6 damage, Morale 12.

23

The Skinned Man

Once in a great while, healing magic screws up. This is one such case.

A local farmer was savagely attacked by bandits and put up a spirited defense, killing several of his attackers before being overcome. As punishment for his impertinence and daring to do anything other than submit and cower, he was tied down and skinned alive and left to die.

Soon after, a Cleric wandered upon the scene and cast Cure Light Wounds on the man in an attempt to save him.

It worked. The man’s condition was stabilized. Unfortunately, his skin did not grow back. Could not grow back.

Thinking that the Cleric had cursed him to live as a freak, he murdered the holy man at first opportunity and now wanders the land, unable to rejoin humanity.

The Skinned Man: Armor 12, 1 Hit Die, 120’ movement, 1 rending attack doing 1d4 damage, Morale 8.

24

The Strangers

For all the talk of religious purity and territorial encroachment, commerce between Christian Europe and the Muslim Ottoman Empire has always been consistent and strong. Rich merchants, noble travelers, and all sorts from each area travel to the other to see exotic locales, learn from a foreign culture, and perhaps make a little money for their trouble.

Every so often, a privileged individual ends up in the middle of a situation in a far-off land that he cannot possibly comprehend. Such a situation is worse in the midst of the Thirty Years War, for when the locals are up in arms against each other, foreigners are at an even greater risk.

This encounter is with a group of Muslim travelers from Cairo, making their way south to Venice. Two are merchant partners who were in the United Provinces—the Dutch Republic—to negotiate trade terms with a local merchant house there, and their three (remaining) bodyguards. They have been through hell just to get here and the merchants themselves are skittish, and the bodyguards are in a “pre-emptive strike” mood after dealing with one too many underhanded Christian highwaymen.

They are all mounted and carry money and goods totaling Roll 1d6*1000sp.

Merchants (Miraj ibn Zoohur and Ishaq ibn Zoohur): Armor 12, 0 Level, Movement 120’, 1 sword or pistol attack doing 1d8 damage, Morale 6.

Bodyguards (Sakhr al-Rashid, Ziryab, and Mahmoud): Armor 16 (breastplate), 0 Level, Movement 90’, 1 sword or 1 musket doing 1d8 damage, Morale 9.

Goods: Roll on "Valuable types" 1d6 times

25

Swedish Patrol

These are advance scouts for the Swedish army. There will be Roll 2d4 of them, all mounted on warhorses and dressed in their coats rather than armor, but armed with horseman’s pistols, swords, and daggers.

Their reaction to the player characters will depend on their Reaction roll and of course the characters’ actions. As long as the player characters give no indication that they are attached to the Imperial army, the Swedes will not be openly hostile. They will try to get information about the area from the characters.

Unless the characters tell them, the Swedes will not know about Karlstadt for the first three days of the adventure.

After that, they will be aware of, and will attack on sight, any milizionäre.

Similarly, if they think that they can win, the horsemen will attack on sight any character who looks like he uses magic. Once they are aware of Karlstadt, they will be particularly interested in information about the Infinite Tower (which they will mistakenly believe to be part of The Seven’s “plot”) or Goblin Hill.

Soldiers: Armor 14, Level 0, Movement 120’, 1 weapon attack, Morale 9.

Horses: Armor 14, 5 Hit Dice, Movement 240’, 1 hoof attack for 1d6 damage, Morale 8.

26

Termite Mounds

10’ high mounds resembling those in Africa made by termites are beginning to be seen throughout the area. The builders, however, are not termites or any other natural insect, but strange sixlegged abominations of the Insect God.

These creatures are scouring the land of all living matter, plant or animal. When encountered, a mound will be surrounded by a “dead” area Roll 2d10*10’ in radius.

A mound is quite susceptible to damage, but if attacked, it will cause millions of the things to stream out of the mound. Anyone within 20’ must save versus Paralyzation or suffer 1d6 damage immediately and another 1d6 damage per Round spent in the area.

There are no valuables to be found in the mound.

27

Traveling Minstrel

Szölôs Mihály is a Hungarian traveler and troublemaker earning his keep by entertaining in local inns and public houses. He does not have a lot of common sense though, and had no idea that he was headed to a warzone, but here he is.

He is both a conniving opportunist and fiercely loyal to friends. Or, if you will, everyone he meets is a mark to be played for money until they do him an unasked-for-favor, at which point he will be their most strident defender. He has absolutely no skill when it comes to playing the lute that he carries, but he has a pleasant voice and a sharp wit which the customers at the inns and public houses where he plays, seem to enjoy.

Szöllôs Mihály: Armor 12, Specialist Level 3, Movement 120’, 1 sword attack doing 1d8 damage, Morale 7.

28

Vengeful Ghost

Tragic ends leave psychic scars on the world… and the player characters have trodden upon an area that has borne old, old wounds.

How did the last encounter, of any type, end up for the player characters?

Friendly

One side or both helped the other without violence, trickery, or malice, both parties ended up happy with the outcome.

Every member of the party gains a measure of good luck, and one die roll directly involving each character may be changed as that character’s player desires.

Hostile

There was conflict, but no deaths.

Violence begets violence, and the characters’ opponent in their next fight will have double the number of Hit Points that they should.

Violent

Deaths were involved.

When will the killing end? Hopefully not soon. The characters’ opponents in their next fight will have double the expected Attack Bonus and do double damage.

Neutral

Neither side benefited or lost anything in the encounter.

My god, don’t these people know how to take advantage of the time they have on Earth? After you live, you die, so do not accept dispassionate interaction or mediocrity. The issue will be forced—the next encounter that the player characters have with anyone will be a fight to the death.

29

Vengeful Peasants

The lower classes are powerless in political and military disputes, so they invariably suffer the most. Some progressively-minded individuals take exception to this fact and attempt to address this flagrant injustice by murdering those that they think represent the political and military classes. As far as they are concerned, anyone looking prepared for combat—including wearing any armor at all, having more than a knife on the belt, and so on—is fair game.

The peasants will have set up an ambush on a trail (or in a village, as appropriate) which will involve sending Resolve: {a small child|a young woman|an old man} to greet and distract the targets. Then the peasants (Roll 2d6*2 of them) will pounce with nets, pitchforks, clubs, and other impromptu weapons. While attacking these people will be making it clear that they blame their victims for the breakdown of their lives, the deaths of their loved ones, and all of the other misfortunes that have befallen them of late. Many of the attacking peasants will be clearly underage; these are desperate, hateful people who are not fighting for a better future, but to avenge their destroyed past.

Peasants: Armor 12, Level 0, Movement 120’, 1 attack with an improvised weapon for 1d4 damage, Morale 6.

30

Wild Dogs

Many domestic animals are being abandoned along with other property in the current situation, and several packs of dogs are now free to roam the land and make their own way. They are hungry, not being used to taking care of all their own needs, and vicious, as various humans have treated them badly in recent days. There will be Roll 2d10 dogs on the huntResolve: {20%? and the pack is already pursuing some human prey|}.

Dogs: Armor 12, 1 Hit Die, Movement 240’, 1 bite attack for 1d4 damage, Morale 7.