The ties that bind.pdf

The Ties That Bind

An Adventure for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay

Written and Designed by: Bryan Kropp

Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.

--William Shakespeare, Henry IV

Introduction

as necessary to suit your campaign. The

original setting was north of the Aver, between

the river and the Stirhügel, but should be

adaptable anywhere.

This adventure can be played at any point in the

middle of a campaign, or used as a way to

introduce a new group of characters to each

other under adverse circumstances. It should

provide sufficient challenges for a group in a

basic or first advanced career, and offer some

interesting situational roleplaying along the

way.

A restful nights stay at the Inn of the Falconer’s

Regret is interrupted when the innkeeper’s

daughter is spirited away through the wheat

fields by a river troll. The innkeeper’s son and a

hastily assembled rescue party set out in pursuit

of the troll. The beast is tracked until it

disappears into a hillside barrow, which houses

much more than just a fugitive troll. The Player

Characters will need their wits about them to

bring the girl out, but perhaps there is more to

be learned before the night is through.

The scenario begins during the harvest season at

a coaching inn situated in the fertile farmlands

fed by the Aver River. You can easily place it

in any isolated farming village along any river

in the Empire and even adjust the time of year

The Falconer’s Regret

duty compels them to help. If necessary,

cajoling, begging, and even offering of a reward

will be tried in turn by the frantic innkeeper and

his son.

A coaching inn should be a welcome sight to

any traveler after a long days journey through

the wilds. The Falconer’s Regret is no

exception. The largest structure in this small

and isolated farming community, the inn’s

success must be attributed to the fact that is it

the only civilized establishment for many miles

in either direction along the Aver. A very good

model of a coaching inn exists on pages 17-18

of the Game Masters Pack. Large fields and the

occasional farmhouse surround the inn, while

gentle hills lie just beyond the farmland.

Villagers can be seen bundling grain, and

harvesting squash.

The Chase

Tracking the troll through the fields of squash

and wheat proves fairly simple, as there are

large footprints, downtrodden crops, and

occasional traces of sludge left behind. Due to

these factors, a successful Easy (+20%) Follow

Trail Test will allow a character to stalk the

troll across the fields. Occasionally, the trolls

head and shoulders (and hence Esmer’s limp

body) can be seen above the stalks. At the very

least, the unusually strong odor will allow the

party to continue in the right direction, and give

the least seasoned traveler a chance to realize

that the kidnapper is a river troll. Fortunately,

the creature is heading away from the river, so

perhaps there is a chance of catching him before

he devours his victim.

Set the scene by describing to the players their

arrival at the inn. They will be coming in out of

a light rain. A warm fire provides solace from

the coming night‘s chill air, as locals in the bar

room chat excitedly about nearing the end of

Harvest-Tide. A jovial man wipes glasses

behind the bar, while patrons of the inn await

their meals, and servers bustle about. The PC’s

meals will be interrupted as you read them the

following highlighted text. Throughout the

adventure, highlighted text like this should be

read or paraphrased to the players.

Trolls move faster then humans on foot; making

it unlikely the PC’s will catch up to the

kidnapper. They may succeed in striking it with

a few arrows or other missiles but this should

not slow the troll due to his regeneration. The

constant drizzle makes the fields muddy, so

even horses will be unable to catch up. Hans

and the party will emerge from the tall grasses

to see the large from of the troll just

disappearing into a hillside cave. Fear that this

is a convenient place for the kidnapper to enjoy

his snack should prompt the group to follow.

Shouts from outside rouse everyone as a crowd

forms at the windows and doors. A woman can

be seen disappearing into the wheat field across

the road, slung over the shoulder of what

appears to be a troll! “No,” shouts the frantic

innkeeper. “Esmer, my beautiful girl, someone

help her!” It becomes apparent that very few

people here are willing to chase after the beast.

A young boy named Hans joins the innkeeper,

trying to recruit other to go with him to rescue

his sister.

The descent into the cave reveals a crude

circular staircase, leading to an ancient wooden

door that has been torn aside. Approaching the

door, anyone pausing to make a Listen Based

Perception Test will hear hushed voices and a

sound of grating stone coming from inside. A

little stealth at this point will allow the party to

surprise the group of goblins who are attempting

to move aside the heavy stone lid of a

sarcophagus. The sarcophagus lies in front of a

semicircular fountain, topped by a statue of a

mermaid with a dove perched on her finger.

As the adventuring party will be some of the

stoutest patrons in the bar, they will eventually

draw the attention of Hans and his father, Dieter

Plotreiber. It turns out that Dieter is not only

the bartender, but also the proprietor of the inn,

and he is desperate to save his only daughter

from the troll. Perhaps the PC’s will feel pity or

Alternatively, rushing in will put both groups on

an equal footing. The goblins, annoyed by the

second intrusion, drop the stone lid and draw

weapons as they face the party.

Talents: Fearless, Frightening, Natural

Weapons, Night Vision, Specialist Weapon

Group (Two-handed)

Special Rules:

• Regeneration: At the start of its turn

each round, a Troll regenerates 1d10

Wounds. Wounds caused by fire cannot

be regenerated. This ability ceases to

function if the Troll dies

• Stink Baaaad: Due to the especially

unpleasant stench of a River Troll, any

opponents in melee combat have -10%

penalty to WS, unless they have no sense

of smell or some means of nullifying

said sense.

• Stoopid: Trolls are quite stupid and they

often forget what they are doing. Any

time a Troll encounters something that

might distract it, such as a fresh corpse

to eat or a particularly ripe smell to

investigate, it must make an Intelligence

Test or stop whatever it was previously

doing to engage with the new distraction

(in the above examples, eat the corpse or

investigate the smell). If the Troll is

being attacked, it is far less likely to be

distracted and the test becomes Easy

(+20%)

• Vomit: A Troll can vomit on a melee

opponent as a full action, spraying

corrosive and ill-smelling digestive

juices whose foulness defies description.

The vomit attack hits automatically for

Damage 5, and ignores all Armor Points.

It may be dodged by not parried (for

obvious reasons).

Armor: None

Armor Points: Head 0, Arms 0, Body 0, Legs 0

Weapons: Claws and Great Club

Slaughter Margin: Hard

Hans Plotreiber, Innkeeper’s Son

Career: Servant

Race: Human

Main Profile

WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel

46% 38% 37% 34% 43% 28% 44% 39%

Secondary Profile

W SB TB M Mag IP FP

Skills: Animal Care, Blather, Common

Knowledge (the Empire), Dodge Blow, Drive,

Evaluate, Gossip +10%, Perception, Sleight of

Hand, Speak Language (Reikspiel)

Talents: Acute Hearing, Flee!, Hardy, Very

Resilient, Warrior Born

Armor: None

Armor Points: Head 0, Arms 0, Body 0, Legs 0

Weapons: Hand Weapon (axe)

Trappings: Good Craftsmanship Clothing,

Pewter Tankard, Tinderbox, Storm Lantern,

Lamp Oil

Hans is a free spirited young man who stands to

inherit his father’s position and business in a

few years. He is very concerned about his sister

Esmer, so will be very serious till she is rescued.

Once this is done, he will revert to his free

wheeling ways. If none of the PC’s manages to

keep the golden circlet from the sarcophagus for

themselves, Hans will pitch in to help the story

along.

River Troll, Hungry Kidnapper

Main Profile

WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel

36% 15% 51% 44% 22% 18% 27% 10%

Secondary Profile

W SB TB M Mag IP FP

Skills: Intimidate, Perception, Scale Sheer

Surface, Speak Language (Goblin Tongue),

Swim +10%

Quick Guide To The Barrow

4. Growls can be heard coming from this

room, beyond the portcullis, which

proves impossible to lift. It does not

look as if the troll entered here, as the

portcullis seems rusted shut. This room

is not intended to be entered, but to

provide a distraction and mystery. In

reality, there is a Wyvern here, which

the undead have locked away. When it

expires they plan to make it into a

mount.

5. Fog fills the passageway leading up to

the main audience chamber of the

Ancient Prince Osorkon. See the map

for where the fog begins and where it

starts to glow with light from the magma

pit. The warmth and humidity increase

near the entrance, and the fog obscures

the raised portcullis from view

1. Entrance. A crude circular stone

stairway leads down from the hillside

cave entrance. The door to Room 2 is

barely still on its hinges.

2. Crypt Room. Goblins have made a

campfire and several unlit torches hang

from the walls. The goblins are

attempting to open the ancient

sarcophagus, and have apparently

imprisoned one of their number under

the hinged floor grate. A mermaid

fountain bubbles on the south end, while

two statues of soldiers stand unmoving

at the north.

3. Small Living Area. The door is slightly

ajar, and no fire burns in the fireplace.

However there is a pile of sleeping furs,

a chest, and another statue behind the

door. This statue looks exactly like the

two in the north corner of the Crypt

Room. However this statue seems only

half done.

The full-size map on page 6 shows squares in a

scale of 1 square = 2 yards/meters, which is the

standard WFRP scale.

The Barrow Under the Hill

place. While there may be growls coming from

within, this is just a red herring so don’t spend

too much time on it.

There are only four goblins trying to open the

sarcophagus, and they are probably not a serious

threat to the party. One of their number is

locked under the hinged grate in the floor, so

there must have been some squabbling. The

prisoner is likely to survive the fight unless the

PC’s are feeling particularly mean (he is fairly

helpless locked up under the floor as he is). He

or any other goblins that are left alive will

attempt to beg for their lives through gestures

and grunts.

The passageway just north of room 3 is blocked

by a cave-in. Underneath the rubble is a half

buried skeleton of some unfortunate who did not

make it out in time. He still wears a plate bracer

on one of his arms. There is a full set of plate

leggings buried under the rubble if someone

takes the time to dig the body out.

Room 3 may be of interest. While no fire burns

in the fireplace, someone might have holed up

here at one time. Another statue, identical to the

two found in room 2, stands partially completed

behind the door. There are furs piled on some

straw for someone to sleep on, and a chest. The

chest contains 7 shots worth of gunpowder, and

73 brass pennies. Once the group decides to

continue down the eastern passage, they may

notice occasional sludge and seaweed,

confirming their choice of direction.

They don’t speak any human language, and few

characters speak the Goblin Tongue. You may

also choose to have them attempt to show that a

large beast came through here, and that he was

bearing someone on his shoulder. Acting this

out for your PC’s could prove entertaining. The

goblin will mime a hunched beast with a

burden, and point down a hallway leading

deeper into the cave. One of the goblins has a

pouch containing 4 Mad Cap Mushrooms.

Where this passageway turns south, the party

will find the air growing damp. Shortly

thereafter, a dense mist will obscure vision

beyond 4 yards, and make it dangerous to move

at more than normal rate. At the next

intersection, be sure to inform your PC’s that

they can feel the humidity increasing, as sweat

beads up on their bodies. Also, inform them

that a dull yellow glow emanates from the

passage to the east.

A flickering campfire in the center of the room

has the goblins’ dinner cooking over it. Two

old looking statues stand in corners of the room,

and there are a couple of cobweb covered, unlit

torches in holders along the walls. The lid of

the sarcophagus lies most of the way open, and

something within glints in the dim firelight.

The lid can be removed completely with effort

from a couple of PC’s, revealing a complete

skeleton lying within. Traces of ancient,

decaying fabric cling to the bones, and a

delicate golden circlet crowns the skull. Most

tantalizing of all is a sizable cut amethyst resting

freely among the bones.

Anyone following the passage leading to room 4

to the north will quickly encounter a warm, 1

meter deep pool of water which stops at another

impassible portcullis. Feel free to have leeches

or something else in the water if you want to

make it a bit nastier. However, following the

remaining passage will cause the PC’s to

emerge into room 5. The mist extends some 4

yards into the room, so they will be completely

inside the room before the mist trails off and

they can see for normal distances.

Hopefully, your players will remember their

reason for being here, and continue to track the

troll. As they proceed down the hallway, they

will encounter an intersection with a portcullis

and two possible directions to go. One leads to

room 3, and the other leads further into the cave.

The portcullis proves impossible to open, as

large amounts of rust seem to have frozen it in

The first thing they will feel is the warmth of the

pit of magma at the north end. At the south end,

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