Horrible House playtest

I've written a procedural OSR-style adventure in the vein of Emmy Allen's Stygian Library. Having just come off a Shadowrun campaign, my Tuesday night gaming group are letting me run a playtest game. We're playing via Roll20 at the moment, our rooms at the local university having been shut down as a coronavirus measure.

The idea is that the characters enter a generally normal-seeming Victorian mansion with a chained angel at its heart and things get stranger and more threatening as they move further inside. I copied Emmy's depth mechanic almost unchanged.

This is all being done using Ben Milton's Knave as the system, with a few houserules. The characters are starting the adventure at level 3 because I'm not sure the players are ready to embrace the cheapness of life in OSR games just yet.

The characters are:

Maximus (Max) Johnson, played by James K. A student, mostly of ways to make other people's property into his property. Has been exiled in the past.

Adelaide, played by Tim. A gambler, who has been disowned.

Iris MacLeod, played by Theo. A herbalist who is suspected of crimes.

Castor, played by Mila. A poverty-stricken magician who carries around a hen named Eggrietta.

Karros Shepherd, played by James C. A tracker who has been replaced in his job.

The party started on the front porch. They needed to enter the house to find out what happened to the delegation of clergy they were supposed to accompany as a cover. They also had instructions to retrieve the magic tome Ivan Vantig (the owner) used to snare an angel.

There was no-one visible from the porch, just a swing seat creaking in the morning breeze. Adelaide and Iris approached, and the seat cast Charm. Adelaide successfully resisted but Iris sat down and the swing seat launched her into the air, inflicting 1d6 damage. She picked herself up and the party entered.

At depth 1 they found themselves not in a foyer or entrance hall, but in a portrait gallery. Max tried taking one of the several brass candelabra lighting the paintings, but it squirmed out of his grip. It backed away from the party, but stayed close, helpfully attempting to illuminate whatever they looked at. They were distracted from examining the paintings by their shadows, who were doing their own thing rather than mimicking the characters' actions. The shadows were miming their normal morning routines, so the characters wrote it off as odd but harmless. They proceeded into the next room.

Depth 2 found them in the house's private theatre, which the Vantig children had clearly been using as a playroom. There was a small pile of toys on the stage. Looking through them, Iris and Adelaide found a pair of earrings and a necklace. They might be costume jewellery, but they have the weight of the real thing, so they split the pieces between them and wore them to save inventory space. They also found a sheet of paper which had symbols scribbled on either side. The characters recognised one as a name in angelic script: Nelphael. The other is the demonic glyph AGA, meaning confinement.

(I made a mistake here. I made the players roll to recognise the symbols when I should have just given Castor the magician's player the information.)

There were a couple of (non-creepy) dolls in the pile, one with a button eye hanging loose from a thread. Castor repaired it as a gesture of good will in case the dolls came to life and tried to stab them in their sleep later. That took long enough for a random encounter roll and they found themselves attacked by three Wig Beasts. Springing from among the costume equipment, I gave the beasts surprise. It took two full rounds to put them down, during which Iris took more damage. (I took the Wig Beast damage die down to 1d4 when I realised these creatures which I intended to be just an annoyance were a genuine threat.)

Iris and Adelaide (who were co-incidentally the front line for the battle) both lost big tufts of hair to the beasts' attempts to sink tap roots into their scalps. Iris was hurt badly enough to take 10 minutes to prepare a dose of her healing herbs. There was no encounter during that turn. The candelabrum, which had followed them from a previous room, accidentally set the stage curtains on fire. They managed to pull it down and stamp it out before it spread.

It was a game with a lot of prep, so that was as far as we got. Tonight's session continues from there.

The why of villages

According to British crime dramas, you're 900% more likely to be murdered in a sleepy little countryside village than anywhere else in England. But when you've been on the road for weeks and supplies are running low, they can be a godsend.

So what makes this village tick? What do they do all day, what's their background, what are they secretly ashamed or proud of? Will they sell you supplies and wish you a safe journey, or will someone knife you in your sleep as a potential threat to her victory in this year's rhubarb pie baking contest?

The main source of income is:

1. Farming
2. Fishing
3. Mining
4. Hospitality for travellers on a nearby trade road
5. Craft - smithing, cooping, wagon-building, etc.
6. Forestry

An important nearby resource is:

1. A forest where game can be hunted
2. A bridge or ford
3. A marsh where bog-iron can be collected
4. A clay pit
5. A bat cave where guano can be harvested
6. A medicinal/culinary herb that grows wild

They offer adventurers (roll 3 times):

1. A blacksmith
2. Horses for sale
3. Dried food, lamp oil, rope, arrows
4. Healing
5. Cleric services
6. Guides

They are led by:

1. A minor noble family
2. A council of business leaders
3. An elected mayor
4. A clan chief
5. A governor assigned by the kingdom
6. An informal group of village elders

Who is/are 'advised' by:

1. A wealthy family stripped of a noble title generations ago
2. A secret council of 'concerned' citizens
3. A bandit clan with a nearby secret camp
4. A coven of witches
5. A whispering presence
6. A spy for the ruler

The citizens are:

1. A single race
2. Two or more races living together
3. Several races and immigrants
4. Mixed and include a small population of highly unusual creatures 
5. Mixed and include many exotic creatures
6. Mostly exotic creatures

An unusual feature is:

1. A ghost in the ruler's chambers
2. A fairy market every full moon
3. A law against killing cats
4. An inn built into an old ruin
5. A barred and shuttered building no-one is permitted to enter
6. An unusual town official - witch finder, sword examiner, nose-measurer, plague doctor, etc.

A nearby threat is:

1. The beast in the woods
2. The goblin camp
3. A border war
4. An ancient curse
5. A growing cult
6. A feud between two influential families

They don't talk about:

1. The leper colony their grandparents' generation burned down
2. The smuggling tunnels under the oldest houses and what they're used for today
3. The deal they made with an evil sorcerer during a hard winter
4. The massacre that happened decades ago
5. The unusual religion they practise
6. The reason for the sunset curfew

(Thanks to Spwack of the Slight Adjustments blog for the generator code.)

Court of Apes

A bestiary of apes for a dungeon adventure because sometimes the solution is more monkeys.

Macaque Minister

Ever-mindful of their dignity, Macaques are the orators and speech makers of the court. They argue their positions with punctilious decorum, no matter how ridiculous they are.

"I admire the passion with which the honoured member advocates for socks to be worn inside-out, but has he considered the impact on the yarn-makers and dyers?"

AC 9 [11], HD 2 (5hp), Att 1 × rapier (1d6), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 120’ (40’), SV D13 W14 P13 B16 S15 (MU2), ML 7, AL Neutral, XP 60, NA 2d4 (1d6+2), TT B

Specials: 

Sleep - Once per day a Macaque Minister may cast Sleep on any number of creatures who can hear it. Requires a common language and an uninterrupted round of waffling speech. Save vs paralysis resists.

Climb - Can Climb as per a Thief of 3 levels higher.

Ambi-ambidextrous - Can wield a weapon as long as any limb is free.

Prehensile tail - Tail can be used to grip. Can hold the Macaque's and extra weight up to that of a Halfling.

 

Colobus Counsellor

Always ready to offer stupid advice, whether asked for it or not.

"M'lord, I can assure you we will save hours of the servants' time cleaning by simply diverting a river through the castle on alternate Wednesdays."

AC 7 [12], HD 2 (7hp), Att 1 × staff (1d4), THAC0 18 [+1], MV 120’ (40’), SV D11 W12 P14 B16 S15 (C2), ML 7, AL Neutral, XP 25, NA 1d4+2 (2d4), TT N

Specials:
Cure light wounds - Once per day a Colobus can examine a patient and pronounce a diagnosis "You're pregnant/You're dead/You have bees." and provide a tonic in the form of 'medicinal' brandy that restores 1d6+1 HP.
Escape - If attacked, a Colobus may disappear into its own baggy robes and emerge fleeing in an unexpected direction.

Gorilla Philosopher

Gorillas who spend their time debating schools of thought. They slam their fists on the ground, beat their chests, snort and shake their heads, but there's no actual violence.

"The sock question is fascinating and deserves careful consideration. Nevertheless, we are apes and apes have no feet."

AC 6 [13], HD 4 (18hp), Att 2 × slam (1d4) or 1 x logic (1d6 + paralysis, see specials), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 120’ (40’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F2), ML 7, AL Neutral, XP 80, NA 1d4+1 (2d4), TT O

Specials:
Logic - a Gorilla Philosopher may attempt to disprove an opponent's existence. Requires a common language. Attack uses target's Int modifier as a bonus. Success does 1d6 psychic damage and target must save vs paralysis or lose a turn while they doubt their own reality.
Snarl - Once per combat a Gorilla may vent a growl of animal fury and automatically gain initiative for its side in the following turn.

Gibbon Scribe

Gibbons bumble about looking for things to record. Any things.

"Hang about, hang about - what was that part about winding my entrails around the flagpole? And do you mind if I write 'guts'? It's easier to spell."

AC 9 [10], HD 1 (4hp), Att 1 × sharpened quill (1d4), THAC0 19 [+0], MV 120’ (40’), SV D11 W12 P14 B15 S16 (C1), ML 7, AL Neutral, XP 10, NA 1d6+2 (2d6), TT S

Chimp Guard

Slouching chimpanzees with chainmail and dented helmets, using spears to prop themselves up. They watch proceedings with a sleepy disinterest until it's time to leap screaming into battle.

"You saying I'm corrupt? 'Cos that's insulting and when I feel insulted it costs twice the usual fee to walk through this door."

AC 7 [12], HD 3 (14hp), Att 1 × sword (1d6) or spear (1d6), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 120’ (40’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F2), ML 7, AL Neutral, XP 35, NA 2d4 (1d6+2), TT K

Bonobo Page

Chimp-like apes in livery, carrying trumpets and scrolls. They announce visitors and shout the events of the court as they happen.

"Hear ye! Sir Reginald Montague Fineteeth throttles Lord Eustace Curlwhiskers with his tail! Lord Eustace responds via an attempted eye gouge with a fish fork! Lady Marjorie Goldenfur absconds with the last of the pastries!"

AC 6 [13], HD 2 (7hp), Att 1 × trumpet (1d4), THAC0 17 [+2], MV 120’ (40’), SV D12 W13 P14 B15 S16 (F2), ML 7, AL Neutral, XP 20, NA 1d6 (2d4), TT P

Good King Paul

A 7-year old human boy with a cloth tail stitched to his shorts and glued-on monkey whiskers. He shouts nonsensical commands and the apes hurry to carry them out while applauding his wisdom.

"I declare today cheese day! Everyone eat cheese!" "Urgh, cheese is yuck now. It makes me feel funny. Anyone with cheese shall be put to death!" "By royal decree, everyone walk backwards!"

AC 9 [11], HD 1/2 (2hp), Att 1 x kick (1d2-1) or 1 x bite (1d2-1), THAC0 16 [+3], MV 120’ (40’), SV D14 W15 P16 B17 S18 (NH), ML 6, AL Neutral, XP 5, NA 0 (1), TT I