Crunchy Crystals

For 6 heroes

By Jason D. Smith

Type: Cushion
Hook: Underground

Event #1: Did You Hear That?

Narration: "You climb through the increasingly rocky tunnels and notice that the few luminescent crystals that you encountered on the way have become more abundant. Soon, the dimmly glowing crystals cover most of the walls and floor with their sharp, angular, forms. Eventually, the path you follow juts upwards sharply, forming a ledge composed of the treacherous crystals. Climbing it shouldnt be a problem, as the crystals offer numerous hand-holds, if you can avoid cutting yourselves to ribbons on their pointy protrusions. While you are studying the climb ahead you hear a distant sound from the other side of the crystaline obstruction."

Gain - Identify Sound

The Pillagers have the opportunity to make out the distant sound.
Freestanding roll; Singular: No Fault; Awareness vs Difficulty 6 to recognize this:

Closer Inspection: "You recognize the tapping as ringing hammer blows, like those of miners, but fainter still you hear the voices of Norsemen. Occasionally one will cry out in pain."

Points Earned: -10 (Freestanding roll, Difficulty 6)

Trap - Careful Climb

The Pillagers must climb the spikey wall of crystals to proceed.
Standard roll; Climb vs. Difficulty 9, No Equipment Needed, or suffer Dam rating 15

Points Spent: 30 (Difficulty 9), 15 (Damage rating 15)
Points Earned: -5 (No equipment needed)

Narration: "The distant sound becomes louder as you continue down the crystal filled hall."

Event #2: Mine Your Own Business!

Narration: "You round a corner of the tunnel and it opens up into a large chamber from which the din is originating. Norsemen in chains bang away at the glowing crystals with picks and hammers and load the fragments into waiting carts. Several Dark Vikings mill about, whacking the slaves soundly if they begin to slow. Then they see you.

"Aha! Its about time some fresh slaves arrived!" one of them bellows as they approach.

Combat: The Mine

These Dark Vikings are here to guard the slaves and make sure they work. However they are bored and welcome the opportunity to pound on some Vikings. This is a half encounter, for a party of 6. Adjust Threat as needed for different Horde sizes. The Dark Vikings Do Not Have Missile Weapons.

Points Spent: 0 (Standard Combat, Secondary to Main Combat)
Points Earned: -10 (No missile weapons for Missile Weapon Capable foes)

Combat Map - Mining Site

The Mining Site is 20 paces N-S and 30 paces E-W. The characters enter from an opening in the east side of the south wall, and the exit is on the west side of the north wall. The players start on the second level, which is about 8 paces wide and extends from the southern exit and wraps around the west wall to the northern exit. The sloped area is just east of the northern exit, and leads from the second level to the first level.

Terrain - Limited Exits

The opening the Horde came through and the one on the other side can only be exited by one Pillager at a time.

Points Earned: -10 (2 Limited Exits)

Terrain - Multiple Levels

The part of the floor that has not yet been dug out counts as a second level.

Points Earned: -5 (1 Additional Level)

Terrain - Barriers

Three carts full of crystals act as barriers. All are on the first level. One is near the ramp, the other near the south wall, the last in the northeast corner.

Points Earned: -9 (3 Barriers don't count against 3 feature limit)

Terrain - Decoys

The Norseman slaves may freak out and start running around catching arrows to the head and such.

Points Earned: -30 (3 Decoys)

Terrain - Sloped Area

The ramp to the north is a sloped area, 6 paces wide, up against the north wall, leading from level 1 to level 2.

Points Earned: 0 (1 Sloped Area, exceeds 3 feature limit)

Gain - Treasure

If the pillagers search the bodies they find treasure.

Conditionally available (Search bodies); 1 Category A Treasure, 6 oz of Silver

Points Earned: -10 (1 Category A Treasure) 6 (6 oz Silver)

Event #3: Quick, Olaf! To the Bat Cave!

Narration: "As you work your way down the hall from the mine, dimmer now as the crystals appear less often, you see a metal cage suspended above the ground by a chain. Inside is a badly injured man. He looks at you in fear and tries to cower in the back of the cage. Some kind of complicated lever mechanism beside you operates the hoist for the chain, but the device has been damaged, and crackles with blue lightning."

Background: "The man is a traveling merchant, Grigori, and was captured by the Dark Vikings. He managed to hide his wares though, in a nearby cave. The lever mechanism for the cage was broken by the Dark Vikings during an argument over what to do for lunch. Until the Pillagers lower the cage, Grigori is too scared to speak to them."

Trap - Broken Cage Mechanism

Conditionally Avoidable (Dont lower the cage); Singular: Rush, Traps vs. Difficulty 6 to fix the device, or STA vs. Difficulty 8 to just grab the lever and pull. Failure inflicts Dam rating 25 Armor Ignoring Damage from an electric jolt .

Points Spent: 20 (Exotic roll, STA); 20 (DIff 8); 35 (Dam rating 25); 10 (Armor Ignoring Dam)
Points Earned: -10 (Alternate Method, Traps or STA); -20 (Conditionally avoidable)

If the Pillagers lower the cage, releasing Grigori, he thanks them profusely and offers to reward them.

Closer Inspection: "'Oh, thank you! Thank you! I thought I was going to die in there! My name is Grigori. Please, let me give you something. I was able to hide my pack before they attacked me. Come, its this way, near the bridge...' the man says as he limps painfully ahead of you."

Gain - Gee, Thanks!

Grigori shows the Horde to a small cave where he hid his pack. He grants them a treasure, and offers to Bargain for further items. He has one of everything and a +6 to his roll to Bargain. The cave also makes a good place to rest, as it is pretty much out of the way.

Conditionally Available (Lower cage); Category D treasure, Bargaining Opportunity, Healing Opportunity (12 hours)

Points Spent: 40 (Opposed Roll vs +6)
Points Earned: -40 (Category D Treasure); -15 (Bargaining Opportunity); -15 (Healing Opportunity, 12 hours)

Carrot - First Aid

If the Pillagers offer to heal Grigori, successfully or not, he warns them of the bats ahead. Conditionally available (offer to heal Grigori); +4 to Bravery roll avoid panicking at the bats ahead.

Closer Inspection: "Thank you again. By the way, if you're going ahead, be careful of the bats. They wont hurt you, but they can be pretty scary. Heh heh..."

Points Earned: -20 (+4 for one roll)

Hazard - Ick! Bats!

Narration: "The rickety bridge made of old wood and ropes swings dizzyingly over a dark ravine. As you slowy work your way across, a dark cloud launches itself, screeching, out of the depths. Hundreds of bats whirl maddeningly about your faces, squealing and chittering and getting caught in your hair."

Background:The Pillagers must fight back the panic that this "attack" coaxes from their primal instincts. "Knowing" that the bats wont hurt them, from Grigori's warning, grants a +4 to the roll.

Weak Link, Failure Leads to Trap, Bravery vs Difficulty 7 to avoid flailing about like a sissy and straining the bridge.

Points Spent: 40 (Weak Link); 10 (Failure Leads to Trap), 10 (Difficulty 7)

If any of the Pillagers panicked:

Narration: "As the bats finally dissapate, you realize that your blind flailing has shaken the bridge from its moorings on the back side. Better start running!"

Trap - Scandinavia Bridge is Falling Down...

The Horde must Sprint to the far side before the bridge falls.

Standard, Sprint vs Difficulty 5 or hang onto the bridge as it slams against the ravine wall for Dam rating 15

Points Spent: 15 (Dam rating 15)
Points Earned: -10 (Diff 5)

If any of the pillagers fail the sprint roll, they climb the bridge to the other side afterward, where their companions are likely laughing at them.

Event #4: Dark Wyrm or "Rats! I shoulda left the Magical Dwarven Battle Sword at home!"

Narration: "Climbing over a few small ledges, you finally enter a large chamber, lit by torches. A huge black serpent dominates the center of the room, sitting in it's undersized pen, greedily wolfing down the glowing crystals which rest in a bin nearby. Some bored looking Dark Vikings push cartloads of crystals to the bin for the dragon. When the Dark Vikings notice you, they seem disturbingly pleased. 'Finally! Some action!' , one growls."

Background: "The Dark Vikings found this monster when it was small and began feeding it in hopes of increasing its size. It worked, but now it just keeps eating! They aren't sure what to do. Its gotten too big and tough to kill (most weapons wont even scratch it), but its "guarding" their treasure (which it won't let them near either), so they don't want to just leave. Needless to say, they are in a foul mood at this point..."

Combat - The Pen

These Dark Vikings are bored and looking forward to pounding on some "Viking whelps".

Combat Map - Dragon Chamber

The Dragon Chamber is 30 paces by 30 paces and pretty much circular. There are two exits on the far side, to the north and the one the pillagers came through, to the south. Slopes lead up to the two northern exits. The dragon is in the center of the room and is about ten paces long and ten wide, and it is coild around a small building in it's pen.

Trap - Nasty, Nasty Dragon Thing

The Dragon will breath "corrosive mist" on anyone who kills 3 Dark Vikings. It will also bite anyone who gets too close (within 4 paces). The dragon's tough scales are impervious to all but great weapons.

Conditionally Avoidable (Don't kill 3 Dark. Vikings), Singular: Rush, Dodge vs Difficulty 6 or suffer Equipment damage (Equipment rolls vs Difficulty 3) each time 3 Dark Vikings are killed, targeting the killer, Remains in Effect.

Conditionally Avoidable (Dont get too close to Dragon), Singular: Rush, Dodge vs Difficulty 6 or suffer Dam 20, Limited Targeting (1 nearby Pillager), Remains in Effect

Singular: No Fault, Great Weapon vs Difficulty 6 to disable Dragon, need 5 successes, Unlimited Attempts, Action Sink

Points Spent: 40 (Req 4 successes); 25 (Dam rating 20); 40 (Damages Equipment)
Points Earned: -15 (Limited Targeting, 1 Pillager); -20 (Conditionally avoidable)

Terrain - Sloped Areas

There are two ramps near the northern exits that cover 6 paces each.

Points Earned: -10 (2 Sloped Areas)

Gain - Treasure

Inside the little building is some treasure.

Conditionally Available (Disable Dragon),Category A, B and D Treasures

Points Earned: -10 (Category A Treasure), -20 (Category B Treasure), -40 (Category D Treasure)

Point Tally