Haunted ship.pdf

Haunted Ship

Whiten by: Joaquim Ball-llosera

Playtesters: César Bernal, Lluís Ceballos, Óscar Estevez, Eva Pasarisas

Contents

Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1

Scene ........................................................................................................................ 1

Summary .................................................................................................................. 1

Thus was how all begins… ..........................................................................................2

Ship at sight! ..............................................................................................................2

Resolution...............................................................................................................2

The Liner Crew and Passengers .............................................................................3

That’s not all folks! ............................................................................................... 10

Introduction

Haunted Ship is a non-linear encounter placed on a river liner, suitable for any group,

but preferably for adventurers in their second or third career. This encounter, based

on the Emperor Luitpold adventure (by Graeme Davis), will let you jazz up a river trip.

PC should go traveling by boat in a major river route. In fact, this adventure was

designed to be used as a side quest for Death on the Reik , and took place between

Aldorf and Talabheim.

Scene

This adventure is set on a large and luxurious river ship called Vorhaben which travels

between to any major Imperial cities, where due to an arcane accident, everybody in it

has become a ghost. Characters will find a drifting ship apparently abandoned, but

soon they realize that they are on a haunted ship.

Summary

Igor Tolstoy, a necromancer from Osternmark, has found the last ingredient for a

mighty necromantic ritual inscribed on an ancient Arabyc scroll. The ritual would let

him raise the souls of dead soldiers to grand him the power to control an army of

ghosts. This last ingredient was a kind of sand dust that whoever touches it directly,

even inhale it, would become an apparition; that is, an invisible and insubstantial being

bond to the material world until someone frees him. Thinking he has the proper

antidote, and before proceeding on a larger scale, Igor Tolstoy board on the Vorhaben

to check the sand dust in a controlled environment. However, the daemon he

summoned to get the magical sand dust, betrayed him, and now he is also trapped in

the ethereal plane like the rest of the ship crew and passengers.

Thus was how all begins…

“Igor Tolstoy stepped in the assigned stateroom on the Vorhaben. The moonlight from a

full Moorslieb idlely lighted the room through the oxeye. It was more than enough for

his needs. Excited but firmly he opened a box carved in Arabyc runes. From inside, he

took a crystal bottle containing a kind of sand dust. He looked inside the bottle: with

every moonbeam the sand dust seemed to form little whirlwinds, like desert tornados in

miniature. It was a powerful arcane focus, given from a Greater Daemon. It was the last

ingredient in his live long quest. From now on -he thought- he could command an army

of dead soldiers’ souls. Now he will rule the world. The music in the main room of the

ship, indicating the ball had begun, made him return from his thoughts. He shook his

head and opened the bottle to pour its content on a corpse he had hidden on a crate. He

had to check the magical sand dust in a controlled environment. Once the bottle opened,

the sand dust started to spread through the room forming in the air hypnotic twist and

forms beyond sanity. Suddenly, even after taking the antidote, he felt his body melting

to another plane, as his soul was pulled out of him to the vacuum... to an infinite

nowhere...”

Ship at sight!

Read or paraphrase the following section to the players:

It is another fine day on your riverboat. Sun is up in the sky and warm your skin, no

clouds threaten it and water has that color which raises your mood. The only obstacle

on your way has been few hours ago, when you passed some rapids. Lucky you were to

find a boatman who knew how to handle them.

After a meander, a huge floating mass approach directly to you. It’s a large river liner,

and it appears to be drifting. A wood plaque on the side reveals it as the Vorhaben. No

one is seen on the deck, the topmast is broken and hanging on the ship’s side. An oar lay

wrecked, too. Suddenly you realize that if it isn’t stopped, the ship will crash on the

rapids down the river. After all, this may be a not so quiet day...but, what happened to

the liner crew and passengers?

While the river liner was drifting, it collided with some rocks and formed a water

leakage on the hull. Due to this, the ship is sinking. The ship fills up at a rate of 30

cm/hour (1 feet/hour) until water reaches the oar deck where it will sink. By now, It

has elapsed 1,5 hours until the PC got on to the ship; so that means bilges at the

bottom of the ship is 45 cm (aprox. 1,5 feet) flooded. It is left 8 hours before it sinks

(INT check to know it; apply a +10 bonus each for Sail skill and every sea/river

related career, and a 20% bonus for Super Numerate Talent). To empty the

warehouse it will be necessary double the time passed flooding it (time is reduced to a

half for every collaborative PC), several buckets (they can be found in the room at the

walking deck) and form a working line of at least 10 people from bilges to the oak

deck.

Resolution

The adventure consists in freeing the ship crew from their ghostly state before the

ship sinks. This is accomplished by resolving the last crew/passenger desire or

obsession before it became an apparition. In certain conditions the apparitions can

turn visible and affect substantial thinks by sheer willpower, is in that short moments

that they can plea for help and give clues that what happened in the ship and how to

free them. Eventually, player characters will fight against the evil ghost Igor Tolstoy.

As PC do certain actions stated in NPC descriptions, they will appear to expose their

will. It’s the aim of the PC to find out what has happened and try to help the ship crew

and passengers.

The Liner Crew and Passengers

Herein you will find the main characters of this adventure. Each description shows the

NPC names (Name); their status in the ship (Status); physical description (Look) and

personality; where they can be find (Position) in the ship - they are usually bond to that

position, so if not stated otherwise they can’t walk out of that place; their obsession or

what is troubling them (Obsession) in his ghostly form; what condition make them

appear (Condition) in the material world; and how to help them to remove its curse

(Rescue). Also, there are some notes about roleplaying hints and tactics (Notes) and

their scheme, although when in ghostly form they use the Apparition scheme at the

end of the text.

Apparitions can come into the material plane for 1d4 rounds (10 to 40 seconds) before

a ghostly hand of an enraged Igor Tolstoy pulls him back to the ethereal plane. In that

time it can talk, and see what is happening in the real world. If the condition is met

again the can appear anew, but only 1d10+1 rounds after last time pulled to the

ethereal plane. No one, except Igor Tolstoy, knows what has happened or why. Once

they have returned from their un-life, they can’t remember anything while in the

ethereal plane.

Name : Gottfriedd Iorga .

Status: Crew – Ship’s Captain.

Look: Middle-aged, burly, bearded.

Personality : Taciturn, punctilious, efficient.

Position: Bond to the wheel house.

Obsession : He wants every body safe on his ship.

Condition : Someone tries to change the ship’s course.

Rescue: He will be freed once every NPC is removed from their own curse.

Notes: He is the best source of information. The first time PC go in the wheel hose he

will appear and plea for their help: “ Something terrible threaten this ship. Please, help

us! ”. He can explain anything about “his” ship and what was happening (the evening

ball) before the terrible facts that keep him apart of his beloved Vorhaben (last night).

He doesn’t know what happened or who could have done it. He is bond to the wheel

house, and he still thinks that commands the ship, so he won’t abandon it for any

reason.

Gottfriedd Iorga, Human, Sea Captain,

ex-Navigator, ex-Boatman

Main Profile

WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel

46 42 27 42 40 58 32 67

Secondary Profile

A W SB TB M Mag IP FP

1 16 2 4 4

Alcohol, Gossip, Navigation, Outdoor

Survival, Perception (+10%), Read/Write,

Row, Sail (+10%), Speak Language

(Reikspiel, Kislevian, Classical), Swim

(+20%),

(Cartographer,

3 -

Shipwright).

Talents: Disarm, Night Vision,

Orientation, Seasoned, Super numerate,

Traveller.

Skills: Academic knowledge

(Astronomy), Command, Common

knowledge (the Empire, Estalia, Kislev,

Marine

Superstitions),

Consume

Trappings: Rapier, Light Armour

(Leather Jack), Navigator’s instruments,

Telescope, Ship.

Trade

Name : Heinz Stroke .

Status: Crew – Bosun.

Look: Strong, scarred, unshaven

Personality : Abrasive, professional, brusque.

Position: Normally on the promenade deck, but he can be found on any part of the ship

as condition is triggered.

Obsession : Watching no one damages the ship.

Condition : Anytime a PC tries to damage the ship, he will appear to reproach it. If the PC

doesn’t stop, he will attack him until he stops or Igor pulls him back to the ethereal world

(1d4 rounds). Any damage made by PC is also recorded on the lieutenants’ map (see

below).

Rescue: He will be safe when PC manage to make the whole crew working in their places

in the material plane.

Notes: As PC enter the promenade deck he will appear complaining about his

assistants low efficiency. He will call to Mrs. Stirgenland and Ieltsin (see below) to

order them to do some reparations (although none of them will show). He will ask the

PC about rowers “I have noted the ship has lowered its speed” . If ask about why he

doesn’t do it himself replies stating “I can’t. I’m very busy here. I have to watch

everybody is in their post. It is from the promenade deck that I can control every thing!” .

Heinz Stroke, Human, Mate, ex-Marine,

ex-Seaman, ex-Fisherman

Main Profile

WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel

45 39 44 45 35 40 39 32

Secondary Profile

A W SB TB M Mag IP FP

2 14 4 4 4

Intimidate (+10%), Outdoor Survival,

Perception, Row, Sail, Scale Sheer

Surface, Speak Language (Reikspiel,

Norse, Breton), Swim (+10%), Trade

(Merchant, Shipwright).

5 -

Talents: Disarm, Hardy, Orientation,

Resistance to Disease, Resistance to

Magic, Seasoned Traveller, Street

Fighting, Strike Mighty Blow, Strike to

Stun, Warrior Born.

Skills: Command, Common knowledge

(the Empire, Wasteland, Norsca),

Consume Alcohol, Dodge Blow, Gossip,

Trappings: Light Armour (leather Jack),

Sword, Grappling Hook, Crossbow.

Name : Reiner Stirgenland and Leopold Ieltsin .

Status: Crew – Lieutenant and Second lieutenant (Pilots).

Look: Youthful, well-dressed. They are twins.

Personality : Educated, professional, courteous.

Position: Pilots’ cabins.

Obsession : Watching out for ship rigs.

Condition : When sails, oaks, or any other part of the ship rigs are being handled (not

maliciously) or repaired. They also appear as PC come in the pilots’ cabin.

Rescue: To rescue them it is necessary to plug the water leakage and repair all damage

done by Igor Tolstoy (he has already broken the topmast and an oak). A Trade

(shipwright) check is in order for every damaged piece. PC can find all the necessary

material in the sail and rope Locker at the promenade deck.

Notes: As PC go in the pilot cabin they will appear complaining about the ship bad

condition: “ !Someone is damaging the ship, you can’t allow this, you must keep the ship

from sinking! ”. In their cabin there are the ship maps in ghostly form as well; Every

time there is any damage on the ship, they do cross that part of the ship, so PC will

know what must be repaired. At the moment PC get on the ship there are several

marks on it: the hull water leakage at the bilges, an oak, and the topmast. Once

rescued, they can continue reparations on any damage Igor Tolstoy can do (see below).

Reiner Stirgenland and Leopold Ieltsin

(both use the same scheme), Humans,

Tradesman

Main Profile

WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel

30 35 32 33 40 41 38 35

Secondary Profile

A W SB TB M Mag IP FP

1 10 3 3 4

Skills: Common knowledge (the

Empire), Evaluate, Gossip, Haggle,

Perception, Read/Write, Speak

Language (Reikspiel), Trade (Carpenter,

Shipwright).

1 -

Talents: Ambidextrous, Savvy, Strong-

minded.

Trappings: Light Armour (Leather

Jerkin), Shipwrighting Tools, Dagger.

Name : Jakob Roundfingers .

Status: Crew – Hafling Cooker.

Look: Plump, smiling.

Personality : Bustling, cheerful.

Position: Kitchen.

Obsession : Cook the dinneººr.

Condition : If anybody tries to get something to eat or cook from kitchen.

Rescue: He needs to get the kitchen tidy (as it has been affected by Igor) and ready for the

dinner. He’ll also plea for help to cook a meal for several passengers, as his ghostly form

unable him to pick the pans and pots.

Notes: He appears in despair as he can’t tidy his kitchen. He will ask about the number

of passengers sitting down at table and the food available. Once rescued, he will try to

help PC as good as he can, giving hints of obsessions and functions of the rest of crew.

Jakob

Roundfingers,

Halfling,

Dodge Blow, Evaluate, Gossip, Haggle,

Perception, Red/Write, Search, Speak

Language

Tradesman, ex-Servant

Main Profile

WS BS S T Ag Int WP Fel

30 38 20 29 41 49 33 51

Secondary Profile

A W SB TB M Mag IP FP

1 13 2 2 4

(Halfling,

Reikspiel,

Kislevian), Trade (Cook).

1 -

Talents: Acute Hearing, Hardy, Night

Vision, Resistance to Chaos, Resistance

to Poison, Savvy, Specialist Weapon

Group (Sling), Very Resilient.

Skills: Academic Knowledge

(Genealogy/Heraldry), Blather, Common

Knowledge (Halflings, the Empire),

Trappings: Sling, Pans and Pots, Kitchen

knife (SB-2).

Name : Theodor Bond .

Status: Crew – Ship Purser.

Look: Slim, dapper, handsome.

Personality : Suave, charming, polite.

Position: Purser office.

Obsession : Watch for the passengers to have a good trip.

Condition : If the PC tries to go into the vault (Strong Room) or go in the Purser office.

Rescue: A gentleman called Sergei Romanov has lost his ring. He has to find it.

Notes: If he appears during a vault robbery on behalf of PC (Bosun Heinz Stroke may

also appear) he will reproach them, attacking only if completely necessary and always

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