I love the Hounds of Hendenburgh by Liam Pádraig Ó Cuilleanáin. In fact, I love it so much that I gave it a mid-century coat of paint and ran it using Electric Bastionland (there’s even a nod to it in my first adventure, the Fading Coast).
One of the things that makes the adventure an instant classic in my eyes is that it’s a totally open-ended adventure with clear, powder-keg-like stakes. The adventure easily supports a short campaign, maybe 6-10 sessions, if you play up the mysteries and let the players explore and encounter the hounds multiple times. On the other hand, it’s the kind of scenario that makes a really great one shot if you strip away some of the distractions and focus on the dungeon.
But, I love those distractions. So I had a thought…
What if you ran the entire adventure in a single in-game night?
Like the popular Ravenloft variant Strahd Must Die Tonight!, the players are on a strict real-time clock: in a 4-hour session, they get 3 hours to explore before the Hounds descend. The core module remains largely the same, but with a few minor tweaks, we can really ratchet up the tension.
1. “Someone you love is dying…”
For the main hook, the players need an urgent reason to leave the Kryptwood. At the start of the session, they have already secured the medicine required to save a loved one back home. However, due to a streak of bad luck, they find themselves lost in the Kryptwood just as the sun dips below the treeline.
2. There is No Escape
The party starts on the road toward Hendenburgh and can explore the Kryptwood freely for the first three hours. However, if they attempt to leave early, spectral hounds manifest to block their path. Their only options are to break the curse or survive until dawn.
3. A new Map!
The original map is functional, but it didn’t quite pull me into the setting. For my version, I tried to create a realistic environment while keeping all of the original points of interest in their ~general~ spatial relationship. But yes, I shrunk the forest way, way down.
Each hex represents roughly 30 feet (or, the distance a PC in most systems can move and still take an action). While some points of interest may seem ridiculously close together–Sly George is sleeping with Martin’s “missing” wife within a football field’s distance, for instance–this scale is designed intentionally for gameplay. Much like how Baldur’s Gate 3 places the Goblin Camp just down the road from the Emerald Grove, compression serves the narrative. Once your players are moving across the map, uncovering secrets, and having back-to-back encounters all in a single night, the tight pacing will far outweigh any realism concerns.
The Ending
At the start of the third hour, unleash the hounds. Regardless of where the players are, spawn spectral hounds to relentlessly pursue them until the hour ends. As the sun begins to rise, the hounds disappear, leaving the party free to escape the Kryptwood and save their loved one back home.
Any steps the players take to break the curse proceed as written in the original adventure, but play all NPCs at maximum intensity:
- The Coroner: Cold, clinical dispenser of information.
- The Innkeeper: Anxious and eager to help.
- Sly George: Peak paranoia, convinced his enemies are closing in.
- The Crones: Desperate to make a deal.
I’m running this setup for my group on October 30 as a Halloween Special. Expect a play report shortly after. To prep, I drew my map directly onto a Chessex vinyl mat, but if you don’t want to permanently stain your grid for a single session, I highly recommend printing a poster through Staples. Download my map below if you’re ready to put your players through a 4-hour gauntlet!
Leave a comment