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Anger Mismanagement
This short adventure is designed to last only one or two sessions, and can be fitted
into almost any campaign. For instance, it would fit nicely between Through the
Drakwald and Ashes of Middenheim . If you intend to play in Anger Mismanagement
you should stop reading now.
Introduction
This adventure is set during the aftermath of the Storm of Chaos. The area around
Middenheim is still rife with the remnants of the Archaon’s armies, packs of
maraudering beastmen and human bandits; travelling even a short distance can be
extremely dangerous.
The adventure begins with the PC’s in the foothills of the Middle Mountains. En route
to wherever the next part of your campaign is set, the party traverses an isolated
valley. Here, the PC’s will encounter some unique Berserkers of Khorne and the
corrupt remnants of a regiment of the local Elector’s troops. The GM should read
through this adventure carefully before running it, making notes if appropriate. The
profiles for all NPC’s are listed in an appendix at the end of the adventure.
If your campaign is not set in the aftermath of the Storm of Chaos, Anger
Mismanagement should be easily adapted to the wake of some other conflict, be it a
Skaven incursion, Orc Waaaagh or maraudering Chaos warband.
Plot Overview
To aid you in running this adventure, here is a brief overview of the background plot.
The local garrison were engaged in running battles with a warband of Berserkers of
Khorne, led by a fearsome mutant known only as “the Hound”.
On discovering that this mutant was creating his Berserkers by “infecting” the victims
of his tainted bite, a popular and ambitious junior officer, Lt. Küchenstein, mutinied
against his Captain, killing him and assuming the mantle of command. He placated
the other soldiers with a combination of threats and bribery.
They captured the Hound, and now keep him chained in their dungeon, where he has
been exploited in Küchenstein’s horrific money making scheme. The surviving
soldiers of the garrison “rescue” travellers and merchants, before confiscating their
goods and feeding them to the Hound. Many of those that he bites in turn become
Berserkers, which are released into the valley to threaten more travellers, luring them
into the “protection” of the garrison.
Structure & Outline
The main focus of this adventure is split between narrative, conversations with NPC’s
and combat (it is Warhammer, after all!). This is structured in a fairly linear fashion,
although you should feel free to mix things up if the fancy takes you. The adventure is
divided into three Acts:
• In Act 1, the PC’s encounter a few, isolated Berserkers, (hopefully) rescue an
NPC, before finding themselves facing insurmountable odds.
• Act 2 resolves this cliff-hanger through the arrival of an Imperial patrol. This
leads to the main “investigative” section of the scenario, when the PC’s can try
to discover the secrets held in the garrison fort.
• Finally, Act 3 resolves the plot by revealing the corruption of the local watch
commander. The PC’s discover the truth and must decide what to do about it.
It should be possible to run Anger Mismanagement in a single session, although it
could be easily stretched out to last two or three sessions if you prefer. The plot is
unabashedly linear. It is only a brief adventure, after all!
The descriptions of the NPC’s have been kept relatively simple; feel free to flesh them
out as appropriate.
Act 1 – to the Rescue!
Zorn Valley
Zorn Valley cuts off from the road as a sharp, steep-sided ravine containing a narrow
peddler’s track and a stream. After a few hundred yards, however, it opens out into a
wider bowl-like valley which is heavily forested. Remarkably, at first glance the
Storm of Chaos, which has wreaked havoc on neighbouring settlements, seems to
have left this peaceful valley comparatively unscathed.
To create a tone of anticipation you should juxtapose your descriptions of the
peaceful, pleasantly forested Zorn valley with ominously secretive dice rolls. These
don’t signify anything, but ought to foster paranoia nicely.
Attack!
Once the PC’s are suitably freaked out, they will find their suspicions justified when
they are ambushed by two Berserkers of Khorne. Profiles for a sample Berserker can
be found in Appendix 1 – NPC’s. If your party is particularly potent in combat you
may want to increase the number of Berserkers, although this is intended to be a quick
encounter which is not overly challenging for the PC’s.
The Berserkers will have Surprise on their side, as they burst from the undergrowth
on either side of the track, unless the PC’s have been taking precautions (moving
silently, scouting ahead etc.). They will attack single-mindedly, and cannot be
reasoned with. Indeed they are inarticulate with rage, blood-flecked foam and spittle
dripping from their distended, gaping maws as they rush at the party.
Once the Berserkers have been dealt with by the PC’s, on a successful Perception test
they will notice that, while the Berserkers are obviously followers of the ruinous
powers, daubed with blood, unholy sigils and such like, their clothes are somewhat
unexpected for followers of Khorne. One of the Berserkers appears to have been an
Initiate of Shallya, while the other was a wealthy merchant, if the fine cut of his, now
ruined, clothes is anything to go by.
If the PC’s search they bodies they will find, among other things d10 Shillings, 2d10
Pennies, a bill of sale which identifies the dead merchant as Oscar Gefeilsche , a blood
stained wooden symbol of Shallya and a grisly collection of human ears and noses
which, it is immediately apparent, were chewed off their victims by the dead
Berserkers. The PC who unearths this unpleasant collection of body parts must pass a
WP test or gain one Insanity Point.
The PC’s can debate what to do with the bodies, but within minutes of the attack they
hear the baying of more Berserkers mixed with human screams and should go to
investigate. If they don’t, feel free to herd or coax them there as you see fit.
Rescue
The PC’s enter into a small clearing with a smouldering fire and a simple hut; a
charcoal burner’s settlement. The screams are coming from within the hut where
Günter Gestankbrand (profile in Appendix 1 – NPC’s ) has locked himself. Outside
there are three more Berserkers, plus the partly consumed remains of another charcoal
burner.
The Berserkers are intent on breaking into Günter’s shack; he pokes and prods at them
with his rusty sword through the window and gaps in the wood (it is by no means a
secure abode). A Very Easy (+30 %) Perception test will allow the PC’s to notice that
strewn around the clearing are numerous tools such as axes, hatchets and burning
brands from the fire which could be used to evict Günter from his shack. Despite
these accessible tools, the Berserkers are mindlessly attacking the shack with their
bare hands in a frenzied rage. If the PC’s leap to the (incorrect) assumption that these
are, in fact, zombies, another round of observation and a Routine (+10 %) Perception
test will let them notice their heavy breathing, and the steady flow of blood from their
wounds which indicate clearly that the Berserkers are very much alive.
The PC’s are now faced with a choice. The Berserkers are so focussed on Günter, that
they will ignore the party unless one or more PC attacks them. If they do not
intervene, the Berserkers will break into the shack within a few rounds and Günter
will die shortly thereafter. At that point, the Berserkers will chase and attack the PC’s
anyway.
If the PC’s do attack, they will have Surprise over the Berserkers for the first round of
combat. The Berserkers will then break off from attacking the shack and focus on the
PC’s. Günter will, however, exit his shack and join in the fray.
Afterwards, overwhelmed with gratitude, Günter will gladly talk to the PC’s in his
thick, guttural accent. The key pieces of information Günter has to share are as
follows:
• The Berserkers have been attacking for about 4 weeks now
• They don’t seem to be all that intelligent, not like “normal” people
• One dead Berserker which Günter points out used to be a travelling peddler,
while another was a servant at the fortress.
• The third is a stranger, possibly a soldier from another province based on his
uniform (a tattered white Reikland uniform, almost unrecognisable under the
blood, mud and grime).
After a few minutes of talking to Günter, or immediately after fighting the three
Berserkers (if the PC’s chose not to help the charcoal burner), the party will hear the
baying of more Berserkers in the forest. A Very Easy (+30 %) Perception test will
reveal that there are far more than the PC’s can comfortably handle (at least 10 – more
if your PC’s have proved particularly adept at killing Berserkers), while a Routine
(+10 %) Perception test will indicate that the party is, in fact, surrounded.
The PC’s are free to act as they want, either scattering, hiding in Günter’s shack, or
preparing for a last stand in the clearing. Act 1 ends with the PC’s in dire straits.
Act 2 – Imperial Might
The tense cliff hanger of Act 1 will be quickly resolved. As the PC’s prepare to face
their end in whichever manner they have chosen, a patrol of Imperial Soldiers will
race in to the rescue.
The first the PC’s will know of this will be when half of the Berserkers facing them
fall suddenly in a hail of lead shot to the accompaniment of a thunderous roar and a
dense pall of acrid smoke. The PC’s should feel free to join in with the slaughter; the
patrol will, however, easily deal with the Berserkers without assistance.
The Patrol
The Patrol consists of eleven soldiers led by Corporal Gerhard Feigling (Profiles in
for Corporal Feigling and a sample soldier profile appear in Appendix 1 – NPC’s).
Seven soldiers are armed with a handgun, a hand weapon and a shield, plus a
breastplate. Four of the soldiers carry halberds instead of hand guns. The Corporal
rides a horse and is armed with a pistol and a hand weapon and is more heavily
armoured. An Average (+0 %) Perception test will notice that their uniforms seem
slightly ragged, although given the cataclysmic nature of the Storm of Chaos this
should not come as too great a surprise.
PC’s of a sensitive disposition may be slightly off put by the aggressive behaviour of
the soldiers. The last, wounded, Berserker is toyed with by three soldiers with
halberds, who keep him between them as they push him back and forth with their
pointed bills.
After a few rounds of this, the Corporal will shoot the Berserker before tersely
ordering his men to head back to the fortress. If the PC’s try to intervene before hand,
the Corporal will act immediately, slaying the Berserker and preventing the soldiers
from acting on the obvious aggression they will display towards the “nosy” PC. While
the PC’s have been rescued, and this is a good thing, you should try to foster an air of
unease and discomfort.
Journey to Castle Käserbsen
Assuming the PC’s don’t resist, the Corporal will insist that the PC’s return with him
to the fortress of the local garrison, Castle Käserbsen. He will try his best to make the
invitation seem sincere and innocent, insisting that they must enjoy Captain
Küchenstein’s hospitality. If they do resist, the levelled guns of 11 soldiers ought to
convince them to comply.
As the Corporal knows Günter, he will give him the choice of staying or going. He’ll
very politely say that since the immediate threat seems to have been dealt with, he’d
rather stay here. A Challenging (-10 %) Perception test will reveal that he is more
scared of going to the castle than staying in the forest on his own – he knows
something the PC’s do not. Günter will scurry off into the woods before the PC’s can
act on this.
As the PC’s travel to the Castle (a journey of some 2 hours), the Corporal will talk to
them quietly. If any of them voice any concern over the behaviour of the soldiers, or if
they are suspicious about the Berserkers he will beg them quietly to keep their
thoughts to themselves. If the PC’s insist he will ride ahead of them, out of earshot,
leaving a vicious looking subordinate to watch the PC’s.
A Routine (+10%) Charm test, or Challenging (-10%) Gossip Test will reveal that the
Corporal is worried about something; he seems to be in a moral dilemma. If
confronted over this, he will ride off as indicated above.
The Castle
The Castle consists of a modest stone keep and a clutch of wooden out buildings,
surrounded by a high wooden palisade. In front of this palisade is a 10’ wide, 10’ deep
trench filled with sharpened wooden stakes. No test is needed to notice the dark stains
of old, dried blood on the wooden spikes, and the decomposing remains of dozens of
Berserkers.
An Average (+0 %) Perception test will let the PC’s notice how well defended the
fortress is; any PC’s with military experience should treat this as a Very Easy (+30 %)
test.
The ground floor of the keep is an entrance hall, guardroom and barracks. The first
floor is solely devoted to the Great Hall, and the third floor consists of the captains
chambers. There are two levels of basements, the first of which is used to store goods
(foodstuffs, arms, black powder etc), the second of which is the Dungeon.
The outbuildings contain guest quarters, kitchens, smithy, stables and other such
subsidiary functions, although they are mostly empty.
Once inside the PC’s are escorted to the Great Hall where, after a short wait, they are
greeted by Captain Küchenstein (profile in Appendix 1 – NPC’s) .
Küchenstein will, at first, be charming to the PC’s, and will listen with polite (and
slightly creepy) interest to their story. He will insist that they join him for dinner and
stay the night, and will explain at length the danger represented by these Berserkers.
He tells the party that the valley is plagued by these mindless brutes, in seemingly
inexhaustible numbers. As such, he and his men have fortified their position here and
venture out only in small, armed patrols to protect travellers and merchants. The PC’s
were, Küchenstein insists, very lucky to have survived as long as they did.

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