Old House. The Byron family refused to move, even when the Lab came. No one knows what happened to them, or their infamous collection of antique coins.
I wrote previously about how my adventure was inspired by Kelsey Dionne’s Cursed Scroll #1 for Shadowdark RPG. Kelsey described the Gloaming with a couple of terse, evocative sentences for each location, and left room for me and my table to make it our own.
“509. Outlaw Camp. 30 bandits camp here led by Greaves Redthorne, an outcast Knight of St. Ydris. Greaves, a cunning liar, serves the marrow fiend Unduluk, who is only a few moons away from erupting from the marrow tree at the center of camp. Unduluk needs protection from the Knights of St. Ydris (1406) for now, and human flesh after its apotheosis. The bandits do not realize they serve as both.“
These four sentences served as the spark for a fiery manhunt arc, none of it written explicitly in the text of the adventure. When the party set a trap for Redthorne on the bridge outside of Marin’s Hold, the only thing I knew about the guy, really, is that he’s a cunning liar.
As Redthorne approaches the bridge to meet with my players (for plot reasons), something is off. He hasn’t seen anyone travelling to or from Marin’s Hold all day. He lets the wind wash over him, breathing in the scent of the forest. He succeeds on a WIS check (his cunning). He raises a hand, the bandits stand motionless.
My players watch from the trees–ready to ambush–as the bandits form a tight huddle around their leader. Redthorne casts shadowdance, weaving shadow stuff into an illusory version of himself who walks confidently onto the bridge with more than half of the bandits (his deception, and his willingness to sacrifice the bandits).
My players spring their trap. Their archer/fighter fires a flaming arrow at the payload of explosives strapped under the fragile bridge. All of the bandits are killed in the explosion, torn apart and scattered with the bricks into the murky river below, but Redthorne dissolves into shadow. He steps toward the flame, ready to fight like a demon to his bitter end.
It was an epic conclusion to a great arc, and while none of it was spelled out for me by Kelsey, I feel like all of it was consistent with her design, her writing, and her worldbuilding.
Page 11 of my adventure lists 6 treasure sites with one sentence descriptions for each, naming a treasure and hinting at a danger within. In an earlier blog post, I had a lot of fun expanding on the Lakeside Lodge and ended up with a Shining-esque creepy mansion full of fish ghosts.
Let’s do that again, only this time for the Old House. Maybe we can answer some questions about the eponymous Byron Family and their so-called infamous antique coins.
Map of the Old House
As per usual, I go to Dyson Logos. Obviously, I love drawing maps, but I’m not a machine, I can never draw all the maps I need. And I want to play tonight.
I like this map and its counterpart. The Byron’s have been gone for over fifty years and the Old House was built in a *coastal vulnerability zone* (in other words, it’s been battered by the elements). Here we can see that only the brick elements remain and a lot of the wood/plaster/ceramic has fallen away. A small wooden shack on the west side of the mansions’ ruins is home to Granny Byron.
Granny Byron HP 8
Driven to hold onto her antique coins forever and ever and ever.
STR 18
Bite (d10), false teach shatter on Critical Damage (d6 Blast)
Adapted. Granny Byron has held onto these coins for a long, long time. She can perform any mundane action without the use of her hands.
Antique Coins. Just a normal box of antique coins. To the right collector in Bastion, easily worth £1,500.
OLD HOUSE ENCOUNTERS Roll d6
1. Jack Byron wants you off his property. He’s tired of pesky Lab workers picking through his trash. If you know where Sophia is, he’s much more agreeable
Jack Byron HP 6
Driven to help his mother rest.
Armour 1 (Breast Plate), STR 12, CHA 12
Shotgun (d8, Bulky)
“Those jackoffs at the Lab think they can take what they want, like city folk are so much smarter than us country folk. Wait a minute, where did you say you were from again?”
2. Janet Byron gardening around the ruined mansion’s exterior. She’s more welcoming of guests than her husband, but flies into a rage if anyone points out the dreadful state of her home.
Janet Byron HP 8
Driven to redeem herself in the eyes of her mother-in-law.
Armour 1 (Chainmail), DEX 12, CHA 12
Rapier (d8)
“Those antique coins are all we have left. Sophia needs to take over holding them for her grandmother, it’s her duty as her father’s eldest daughter.“
3. Ricky Byron setting bear traps all throughout the property, hidden under the brush. He isn’t interested in the Players, unless they’re willing to share stories of their violent exploits.
Ricky Byron HP 4
Driven to see others in pain.
CHA 8
Stinky Blade (d6), DEPRIVED on Critical Damage
“Ricky doesn’t give a shit about those coins. Ricky doesn’t give a shit about you.”
Bear Traps. Hidden under the brush, difficult to see because of all the litter and debris. Causes d6 damage and stuck for 1 Turn.
4. A dozen white rabbits emerge from the lowlands to the west and dash through the property toward the road to the east. One of them stops and looks at you for a moment, as if lost in thought, before reuniting with the others.
Retter, the Original White Rabbit
Driven to hide in plain sight.
Armour 1 (Blue Flames), CHA 14
Moonbeam (d10), permanently blinded on Critical Damage
5. Four Field Agents in rubber hazmat suits scanning the Old House with strange machinery. They will encourage the Players to leave, for their own sake.
Field Agents HP 4
Driven to find the Original White Rabbit.
Armour 1 (Hazmat Suit)
Snare Pole (d8, Bulky) ensnared on Critical Damage or Concealed Pistol (d6)
“I can’t believe you’d be here without the proper protection… I guess you people will do anything for a quick buck.”
6. Three Ferrymen looking to steal those antique coins they heard about. One of them managed to pry the box of coins from Granny’s hands, but she’s relentless. She got them back.
Ferryman HP 3
Driven to find some treasure and get back to the Lighthouse.
CHA 12
Pistol (d6) or Switchblade (d6)
Final Thoughts
- So, here we have a potential standoff at the Old House. Everybody has conflicting drives, and the verticality of the map makes it a potentially interesting stand off (if it comes to that).
- I wouldn’t describe the entire location in a lot of detail for the Players, just print a blank map and put it in front of them.
- Print one for yourself and write directly on the map: decide where a few bear traps are, put something useful but inexpensive in the treasure chest on the upper levels. I would put one of the Coastal Oddities from Page 37 in there, if it were me.
- The chest requires 7 antique coins be inserted into the lock-slot to open (lessening the total value of the coins to £1,200).
- For more hazards and obstacles, don’t forget to look at “34 Good Traps” on Page 304 of Electric Bastionland. For this map, I would choose the following:
- (6) “A column of light. When a being enters they are frozen, and an evil duplicate of them is conjured. The victim is only freed when the duplicate is killed.” Put this on on the southern altar.
- (21) “Rope bridge primed to split in the middle when the majority of the crossing weight has passed the midpoint. The characters can grab their half of the bridge and climb back up easily enough.” The last bit of ruins connecting the upper levels.
- (13) “Glossy, friction-less floor and spiked walls.” Seems like something Ricky Byron would do. On the top floor of the southern structure, he’s poured motor oil all over the floor and fixed sharp metal and glass to the remains of the walls. On top of that, there’s a risk of falling in the southeastern corner of the room. Ricky will try to trick the Players into going up there if he can.
Bath Imaginable 
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