King Haldor's Orb

For 4 or more heroes

By Chris Camfield

Skills required (check for "exotic skill" and/or "stacked roll" penalty):
Lore
Seamanship

Stealth

Pick Locks

Sprinting

the Vikings are summoned into the presence of the village chieftain. He says that the soothsayer has seen more troubles ahead, and to avert these dangers to the village, he wants the heroes to retrieve the magic orb of the long-dead King Haldor, whose great hall was not very far from the village - just up the coast a day or so.

Carrot #1

The players may make a Freestanding Lore roll (difficulty 6) to recall that King Haldor was killed by a great Dragon that made his ruined hall its home, and no one has claimed to have slain it. The stone was said to have been kept in his undergroud treasure chamber, deep in the earth.

Points Gained: -10 points

Event 1: The Trip There

The trip to the ruins is not very far and there's no chance of getting lost, but really bad winds and choppy seas mean that the players must make a Sta +Seamanship roll difficulty 7 or suffer 1 point of Impairment for the rest of the encounter.

Point Cost: 10 (diff 7) + 15 (three traps) + 5 (ambush attempt) + 30 (the final fight)

Event 2: The Great Hall

On arriving at the ruins, the Vikings poke around for a bit, and find a very large staircase leading down. It opens up into a large hall with thick pillars, and great piles of rubble all around. After exploring this hall for a bit, they will spot an exit on the other side of the hall.

At this point in time, get a marching order from the Vikings. They must make a Dex+Stealth roll difficulty 6 not to wake the dragon. This is a Line of Doom roll from the rear, and players who fail (or who are behind someone who fails) take 20 points of armor-ignoring damage from the dragon's firey breath as they run screaming down the fall from a dragon whose head alone is the size of a entire house.

Point Cost: 35 (20 armor-ignoring damage) + 10 (line of doom)

Event 3: The Road to the Chamber

As they travel down the hallway, the Vikings come to a large locked door made of bronze and iron. A similarly large lock mechanism is at one side of the door.

This is a singular Pick Locks roll, difficulty 7, or the Viking picking the lock takes 15 damage as a panel in the door opens and a metal gauntlet smacks him in the nose.

Point Cost: 10 (diff 7) + 15 (damage)

As they travel further along the hallway, the ceiling gets higher. Someone (pick someone at random) steps on a paving stone which sinks a little. They hear a rumbling sound coming from the rear. If any of the Vikings
turn to look, as opposed to just running, they see a large Indiana-Jones style boulder rolling towards them.

This is a standard roll versus Sprinting, difficulty 6, or take 15 points of damage.

Point Cost: 15 (for the damage)

Event 4: The Chamber Itself

The corridor ends in a large set of double doors, which are ajar. Through the doors, the heroes hear the sound of rough voices speaking and laughing.

The heroes have an opportunity to sneak up their foes - this is a standard ambush opportunity (Weak Link Stealth roll), difficulty 6.

Through the doors, this is what the players will see: the room is about 60 paces square. However, something strange must have happened in the past, because most of the floor is cracked and fissured. A dim red light filters up through the fissures, and periodically boiling jets of steam shoot up into the air. The only remaining ground that is safe to stand on is a walkway down the centre of the room (about 6 paces in diameter) which runs to a semi-circular dais against the far wall. The dias runs right down to the fissured area, and is 20 paces in diameter. It has a small flat bit at the top, but otherwise consider it to be a semi-circular set of stairs. (i.e. a slope.)

On this dias, talking back and forth, are two very large and grim looking Dark Vikings, who are Superior but Predictable opponents. If not ambushed, they will taunt the players and invite them to "come and die, if you're eager."

At the top of the dias, is a head-sized glowing rock - the orb. There is also a chest at the top of the dias, containing 5 silver, two A, one B, and one D treasure.

Most of the room (where the cracks and fissures are) is a damaging place doing 15 points of damage.

Points Gained: -50 Ambush opportunity, -5 Slope, -10 No missile weapons -85 Treasure.
Point Costs 15 Steam jets: (15 damage)

Tally for Events: