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Legion Publishing - Critical Hits

Volume 8 No 3 - EL 7

L E G 1 0 3 1

I N T R O D U C T I O N

Greetings traveler and welcome to Critical Hits – a

series of electronic publications from Legion Publishing.

Each Critical Hit is a complete encounter that can be

dropped into any fantasy campaign with very little

preparation needed by the DM. The encounters are little

gems of ideas built around a single situation, person,

location, creature or object that the players stumble

across in their travels. Each Critical Hit provides all the

DM needs to use the encounter. Whether used as a dispos-

able diversion or the springboard for adventure, Critical

Hits give the overworked DM a break and the players

some memorable encounters that encourage creative role-

playing.

V o l u m e 8 N o 3 - E n c o u n t e r L e v e l 7

FEAR IN MIDWINTER

Published by

In Fear in Midwinter the party finds itself embroiled in

a creepy tale of terror. The simple folk of the sleepy, snowy

town of Midwinter are terrified by an evil presence, which

threatens them all. The safety and the continued existence

of the town seem uncertain. The fearful townsfolk, desper-

ate that the attacks on their homes and families be

stopped, turn to the PCs to help them discover what the

ghastly apparition is that stalks their town at night, and

what part the soothsayer, who arrived at the town pre-

dicting doom, has to play. Text inside a border should be

read aloud to the players (unless you have modified the

setting, in which case you’re on your own!).

www.legionpublishing.co.uk

First Published December 2003

C R E D I T S &

A C K N O W L E D G M E N T S

Written by

Simon Lucas

Editor

Kirsty Crabb

Illustrations & Maps

Robin Elliott

Typesetting

Kirsty Crabb

Graphic design by Wildstar Digital Arts

Contact - info@wildstardigitalarts.co.uk

Author courtesy of Snake Eyes Studio

Contact - info@snakeeyesstudio.co.uk

SETTING THE SCENE

The encounter opens as the PCS toil through a heavy

snowfall toward journey’s end. The rules for heavy

weather the party is likely to encounter in Midwinter are

presented below.

As you struggle through the deep snowdrift, the thick

falling flakes cling to your hair and clothes; partially

obscuring you from your friends and making each of

you appear to the others as an insubstantial ghost, an

apparition making its way through the storm. Despite

the additional heavy cloaks you each wear, the

weather has chilled you to the bone and you long for

warmth and a place to shelter from the biting wind.

Legion Publishing, Critical Hits, the Legion Publishing logo, Legionnaire,

and all related characters and elements are trademarks of Legion

Publishing.

Wildstar Digital Arts and its logo are trademarks of Wildstar Digital Arts.

Snake Eyes Studio and its logo are trademarks of Snake Eyes Studio.

'd20 System' and the 'd20 System' logo are trademarks of Wizards of

the Coast, Inc., a subsidiary of Hasbro, Inc., and are used according to

the terms of the d20 System License version 4.0. A copy of this License

can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.

Designation of Product Identity

All material, other than material already considered Open Gaming

Content is considered Product Identity as described in Section 1(e) of

the Open Gaming License v1.0a. This includes but is not limited to

Critical Hits and all significant characters, names, creatures, spells,

events, plots, logos, trade dress, product names, product lines, places,

Reserved, except where otherwise noted. The use of another company's

trademark should not be construed as a challenge to that trademark.

Reproduction of non-Open Game Content from this work by any means

without the express written consent of Legion Publishing is prohibited.

Although it is already bitterly cold here and the snow

lies deep on the ground, the weather has yet to really

close in around Midwinter. However, once the party

arrives at the town, the snows start to fall in earnest,

effectively sealing them in and around Midwinter for a

Legion Publishing - Critical Hits

Volume 8 No 3 - EL 7

few days at least. This gives them plenty of time to dis-

cover the trouble plaguing the town.

landscape all year round. When the sun shines in

Midwinter, the crisp white light dances off the snow and

the wooden walls alike, giving the town a magical

appearance. Those well-used to only seeing starwood in

the occasional piece of expensive furniture are forgiven

for mistaking the town as a millionaire’s paradise. The

thick, soft, luxurious furs worn by everyone in this cold

climate as a necessity give the inhabitants an appearance

of splendor and excessive wealth to those from the big

cities and warmer climes, where such garments are

expensive status symbols.

Up ahead, you see a welcome sight. A small town is

dimly visible through the thick snow and the lights

gleaming in the distance speak seductively to you of

log fires and comfort. As you near, you see the town is

surrounded by a low wall, now mostly buried beneath

the drifting snow but, you estimate, about three feet

high. A gap in the fence is the entrance to the town

and a channel of cleared snow guides you down the

main street toward the longed-for inn.

FEAR ON THE STREETS

The sleepy hamlet of Midwinter lies close to the

Werrimor hills, nestled in the tree line. It is a cold and

snowy place, but the abundance of trees means that there

is always a cheerful fire blazing in every hearth and the

place fosters a friendly open society of lumberjacks who

work hard for their families and each other

But there is trouble in paradise. A stranger with the

power of prophecy came to town not long ago and pre-

dicted that there would be blood running through the

snow-covered streets. He predicted other things too of

course, and the fact that many of his predictions were

borne out has made some of the townsfolk uneasy. The

sheriff of the hamlet, acting on information the sooth-

sayer provided, has taken the town militia (never a very

busy body of men) searching for the evil the soothsayer

predicted would assault the town.

The party reaches this little haven following their

recent exploits, perhaps in need of healing, a place to

recover their strength, or wait for their weapons and

equipment to be repaired, and to hard-bitten adventur-

ers well-used to paranoia and the dangers of the open

trail, the welcoming hamlet of Midwinter seems like some

utopian paradise.

Then, last week, the evil came to town. In the dead of

night a cry went up and an awful apparition was seen on

the streets. As the terrified villagers poured out of their

shacks, they saw the grim specter standing, dripping with

gore, in the main street. Its blood-soaked visage dripping

to the floor and staining the snow as it pointed malevo-

lently at the closed-up office of the absent sheriff. When

a burly woodcutter moved to confront the terrible vision,

it struck him dead in a flash of light and was gone. The

soothsayer has grimly predicted that this dire warning is

just the first of a hundred woes to befall the town and,

not three days later, swarms of insects crawled out of

every hearth in town, once more emptying the terrified

inhabitants into the snowy streets. Since then, these

strange happenings have been coming thick and fast. The

townsfolk have seen bizarre things in the woods, sudden

storms, unseasonable fogs and freakish gales have

plagued the town and, recently, things have taken a turn

for the worse.

THE TOWN OF MIDWINTER

The weather in Midwinter fluctuates from cold and

snowy to freezing and icy, meaning that, at some times of

the year, the town is all but cut off. Despite its remote-

ness and modest size, the little town is very prosperous,

standing as it does on the edge of one of the great star-

wood forests. This extremely hard wood is prized as a

building material and the beautiful glittering speckled

pattern of the grain that gives the timber its name. As a

result, starwood is the material of choice for hard-

wearing decorative furniture and commands a high price.

The fact that it only grows high in the snowy uplands

makes it an even rarer commodity and so a more expen-

sive luxury. This combination of a remote location and a

lucrative woodcutting industry means that there are few

poor people in Midwinter. The many woodcutting families

make a lot of money in the starwood business, but goods

and supplies are expensive to import, so the trades also

prosper. The difficulty of supply means that the prices for

goods in Midwinter are 50% higher than usual and certain

items are completely impossible to get hold of.

The apparition has appeared on each of the last three

nights; each time appearing to one of the woodsmen in

town when he is at home alone with his wife. Without

saying as word, the grim figure has cornered the terrified

man and struck him dead with a single blow, before van-

ishing through the walls of the house, into thin air. The

town is in uproar and the townsfolk are desperate for

something to be done. Some are already talking about

packing up and leaving town.

The town’s buildings are constructed from the abun-

dant material and the sparkling wood complements the

glistening icy covering of thick snow that blankets the

Legion Publishing - Critical Hits

Volume 8 No 3 - EL 7

Every night of the party’s stay in town, something

happens. After night falls, roll 1d10 to determine what

horror befalls Midwinter by night.

This money is to be handed over in two installments; the

first of 100gp each when the party claims to have dealt

with the trouble. The second to be paid two seasons later

provided there has been no reoccurrence of the recent

events. Until that time is up, the characters are to be

entitled to free room and board in the inn.

1d10

Event

1-2

Swarm

3-4

Illusion

5-6

Summoned Monsters

If the PCs seem unhappy about the proposed deal, the

guild master has a second offer he is authorized to make.

The party may accept a 1% stake in the guild profits from

the town each season for their natural lives. They must

come to collect their dues, but they will be entitled to

free room and board and access to the account of the

guild to ensure they are receiving their share. To put this

offer in perspective, it may help the characters to learn

that the guild members made 100,000pp last year. Wise

PCs will take up the offer and regularly return to

Midwinter to collect the healthy return on their wise

investment.

7-8

Strange Lights and Noises

9-10

Spectral Figure

Each of the events listed is a result of a spell (see

Rogues’ Gallery below for the available spells) but should

be presented to the players as a gruesome and mysterious

supernatural event. The Swarms are usually insects which

pour from the cupboards and larders of the townsfolk’s

kitchens. The summoned creatures tend to be packs of

Fiendish Dire Rats or Fiendish wolves and snakes which

tear through the town attacking anyone crossing their

paths. The strange lights and noises and illusions that

haunt the imaginations of the good people of Midwinter

stop them sleeping well, leaving them exhausted and irri-

table. Finally, the Spectral Figure is the grisly and deadly

killer who stalks the streets of Midwinter hunting the

person in the town most capable of organizing some

effort against the perpatrators of these evil events

(whose identities are disclosed below).

DEATH OR GLORY

Before they can start counting their loot however,

there is the small matter of uncovering what is occurring

in Midwinter. The strange goings on require that the

characters meet a few of the locals and ask some perti-

nent questions. That night however, by virtue of the fact

he tried to organize resistence against the terrible events

that have befallen Midwinter, the guildmaster who hired

the players to save the town is killed by the hideous spec-

tral figure. In the morning, his sobbing wife finds the

party and describes how pleased her husband was that

they had agreed to help save the town. Now he is dead

and she tearfully makes them promise they will stay true

to their word.

A TOWN’S PLEA

On the third night of the attacks, the head of the

Loggers’ Guild (the ranking official in the town during

the absence of the sheriff) approaches the characters in

the hope that they can save Midwinter from its fate.

The old man is tall and strong-looking with a heavy

beard and a gloomy countenance. He comes quickly

and gruffly to the point. “This town needs your help,”

he says. “With the militia and the sheriff away from

the place, there is nobody competent to protect

Midwinter from whatever peril lies out there in the

snowy darkness. We are unsuited to combat and to the

supernatural. The good people of this town are terri-

fied of what is happening and some are already

talking about leaving. You are the only ones in

Midwinter who may be able to drive out this evil.

Please help our little town: you will not find us

ungrateful.” He looks earnestly at each of you in turn,

trying to see what is in your hearts.

If the PCs start asking around, they are going to get

some conflicting stories and will need to sort the infor-

mation they can trust from the speculation and gossip.

Each location they visit, allow the characters a Gather

Information check (keep the required DC a secret). Each

success gains the characters a random snippet from the

Information list below. A failure earns the PCs one of the

items from the Gossip list below.

You can simply roll 1d20 to determine what the party

learns but it is better, if possible, to select one of the

entries suitable to the character’s line of questioning,

putting a greater emphasis on role-playing than on the

Gather Information die roll (indeed, you could give an

additional modifier to a roll for good role-playing). Feel

free to add to the list of snippets the characters may dis-

cover or to make them more explicit or vague as required

depending on the amount of time you have available.

Mercenary characters, keen to discover how ungrate-

ful the town may be, discover that the townsfolk are

indeed experienced traders. They have agreed to pay the

party 800gp per head for a definitive end to the trouble.

Legion Publishing - Critical Hits

Volume 8 No 3 - EL 7

INFORMATION

GOSSIP

1. It has been said that a group of bandits has

been waylaying wood shipments way down in

the valleys.

2. The Loggers’ guild holds all of the proceeds

of wood sales and distributes the required

amounts to keep the town maintained. Its a

kind of taxation.

3. There are some unseasonable weather condi-

tions these days – freak storms have become

frequent up in the woods – its weird.

4. The soothsayer told the sheriff that a great

evil was coming to town. I don’t know what it

was, but the sheriff took off right smart after

he heard about it.

5. All this trouble started just recently, maybe

just some two weeks ago. Whatever it is, I hope

the sheriff heads it off before it comes here.

6. The starwood that is cut from the forest is

one of the most lucrative commodities in hun-

dreds of miles.

7. In the forests hereabouts grow starwood

trees, prized for their timber and the source of

the town’s wealth. You’ve probably seen it in

the houses of wealthy merchants.

8. After the costs are paid for the town, the

wood cutters take their share of the profits.

9. Somebody has to act as sheriff, he’s been

gone too long – something’s amiss.

10. We don’t get many visitors here, just you

and that soothsayer in the last two months.

11. The old blind beggar came to town about

two weeks ago. He hangs about in the square

charging people for his nonsense.

12. Midwinter used to be such a peaceful place.

If this continues, I’m leaving!

13. The soothsayer said this would happen.

14. The town makes a huge profit in the winter

months but cannot spend much of its money

because the snows are so bad.

15. The guild can be ruthless in its tactics to

protect the interests of the woodsmen.

16. That soothsayer’s a charlatan and no

mistake – I caught him looking down my

bodice!

17. Bandit activity in the valleys cost the town

a lucrative shipment of starwood.

18. The blind old soothsayer is staying at the

inn. He’s marvelous.

19. The Loggers’ Guild uses its power to negoti-

ate the highest prices for the timber, ensuring

the wealth of the town.

20. There’s been strangers in the town square.

1. Some say that soothsayer has the gift of

sight, but a few lucky guesses don’t make a

fortune teller in my opinion.

2. Some say them what died was in league with

spirits in the woods.

3. I heard that the guild don’t like anyone

interfering with the wood trade and those

woodsmen were thinking of going it alone to

get a bigger share of their earnings.

4. They say the timber’s been bad of late and

that’s what’s got the guild so riled up.

5. Sometimes my feet smell; soothsayer said it

may be a form of prediction.

6. If the folk of this town weren’t such godless

money-grubbers, we wouldn’t be in this position.

7. Renniq has been acting mighty strange.

There’s blood on his apron too I’ll wager. Don’t

ask me what I mean – you’ll see!

8. You never heard this from me but that Lucy

Pullman was seen heading of into the forest

last week. And her a trader’s wife, if you catch

my meaning…

9. The innkeeper’s wife has been acting pecu-

liar recently. She won’t serve me ale no more.

10. I heard that the sheriff and the militia

robbed the guild and fled with all the money

and the guild just don’t know how to tell us.

11. The innkeeper’s wife doesn’t charge the

soothsayer in return for free consultations.

12. A few pints of ale and that Lenni Falstaf

can get violent. I think he’s got something to

do with it.

13. There is a giant snow cat on the loose high

in these parts.

14. I heard that the priest in Parsonvale has

been praying for this to happen to us.

15. If he’s a soothsayer, how come he can’t see

who’s doing all this to us? That’s what I want

to know.

16. A few swarms of rats and a deadly appari-

tion and the whole town falls apart. In my day

we used to have real problems.

17. Well, there’s a strange bunch of adventur-

ers snooping around asking questions, I heard

… oh.

18. It ain’t natural that monk hanging around

that old blind man like that. I don’t trust ‘em.

19. I don’t trust that sheriff, I mean just after

he leaves, all this happens.

20. I’m not one to gossip but, last week, I saw

the blacksmith cutting the head off a chicken.

Could be black magic if you ask me.

d20 Legion Publishing Critical Hits 31 - Fear in Midwinter.pdf

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