Goedwig An adventure for characters of 1st-3rd level Written by Brent Ault All Illustrations are Creative Commons Inspired by the King Raven Trilogy written by Stephen R. Lawhead This product is an independent production by Gallows Bird Games and is not affiliated with Lamentations of the Flame Princess. Lamentations of the Flame Princess is a registered trademark owned by James Edward Raggi IV 2 3 Cymru: The Backstory Former royal heir Bran – or Rhi Bran, as his remaining loyalists call him – has taken to banditry and poaching to survive, driven deep into the dense, ancient goedwig (coyd-wig) after witnessing his father brutally slain and having his lands seized by the English. Joined over many months by dissidents, outlaws, and loyal people of the region, Bran and his men have made the appointed local sheriff Robert’s duties a nightmare. With the petulant Royal Prince breathing down his neck and led by desperation, the Sheriff has offered copious silver to any group of men and women willing to enter the goedwig and hunt down Bran and his thieving flock. Any valuables discovered along the way are for the party’s keeping, so long as this part of the deal is kept quiet. The Adventure Goedwig provides players an opportunity to enter an ancient Welsh forest in search of a usurped former prince turned outlaw. The forest is riddled with traps, natural dangers, wildlife, and pagan magick. Upon meeting Bran and his flock, the party will likely come to a moral dilemma: Attempt to slay the vengeful thief and his fellow outlaws for silver and aide the occupying English forces, or assist Bran in his rebellious efforts to reclaim his lands and people. 4 Author’s Notes Goedwig is heavily inspired by the King Raven Trilogy written by Stephen R. Lawhead. Set in 11th century Wales during the Norman invasion, it is a gritty retelling of the Robin Hood mythology. The books are fantastic reads in themselves, and I highly recommend them to fans of darker, historical fantasy. I have chosen to place the adventure in a non-specified, fictional era of historical Wales (known locally as Cymru) to better mesh with other Lamentations of the Flame Princess adventures. Wales was conquered by the English well before the 17th century, so historical accuracy should be taken lightly. Magick in this time is viewed as evil; fit only for outcast pagans and witches. Practitioners should be wary of displaying their abilities, lest the deeply superstitious and religious common-folk deem them heretics. Lastly, this setting is written as a human-centric adventure. Referees wishing to including demihumans can easily reskin them into the following classes, with little adjustment: • Halfling: As a Ranger or Hunter. Simply remove weapon size restrictions. • Dwarf: As a Barbarian or Nord. Optionally replace the Architecture bonus with Bushcraft. • Elf: As a Spellsword or Dabbler. No gameplay adjustments are necessary. That being said, Referees running traditional fantasy adventures should find little trouble in converting characters and settings to fit their campaign. 5 The Goedwig The goedwig is overgrown and densely sprawling, containing only a single primitive road for travel. When not on this road, movement through these woods is reduced by half. During the day, minimal sunlight breaks through the canopy above, leaving much of the terrain visible but shaded. At night, the goedwig is impossibly dark, and without proper lighting PCs will inevitably find themselves lost and vulnerable to predators. Food is abound in the goedwig, and any player rolling Bushcraft to forage or hunt for game does so with a +2 skill advantage (see: Rules & Magic pg. 34). d8 Rumors of the Goedwig T/F A beautiful woman will lead willing men to a 1 F paradise below the waters The pagans still practice their rituals and magick 2 T deep within the goedwig 3 A sorrowful spirit cries for the dead and dying T 4 Using fire in the goedwig will curse its creator F 5 An old druid healer lives alone in the goedwig T Men and women of the cloth are cursed within the 6 F goedwig The Sheriff will be executed if the situation isn’t 7 F resolved soon 8 A man-sized raven haunts the goedwig T 6 Encounters Each time the party enters a new hex, the Referee must check to see if there's a described encounter. If there is an encounter listed for the hex, then the Referee presents it to the group, automatically assuming that they have stumbled across the event of interest. While some encounters contains secrets (which are later revealed through searching), the encounters themselves are automatic, and should be presented to the players without requiring any effort on their part. If there is no description for the hex, roll 1d6. The result tells you how many hexes the party can travel before they have a random encounter. If they move that number of hexes without running across a hex encounter that is described in this book, roll on the following table. Start over again each time the players have any kind of encounter. Note that when they enter a hex they've already explored, it counts as "no encounter." 7 d12 Random Encounter Number 1 Afanc (ah-vahnk) 1 2 Bramble Beast 1 3 Cath Palug (kath-palig) 1 4 Cherub 2d4 5 Feral Knight 1 6 Gwyllgi (gwishkey) 1 7 Outlaw 2d4 8 Pagan Outcast 1d6 9 Pwca (pooka) 1d3 10 Rhi Bran y Hud 1 11 The Skulk 1 12 Spriggan 1d3 “I have seen the lone canny fox outwit the hunter often enough to know that it matters little how many horses and men you have. All the wealth and weapons in the world will not catch the fox that refuses to be caught.” - Wil Scarlet 8 The Cyhyraeth A ghostly spirit called the Cyhyraeth (kuh-huh-raith) haunts the goedwig, lamenting the mortals facing death in her forest. Any time a human character reaches half their HP or less, the unnatural wail of a woman can be heard in the distance. At 0 HP this wail returns, only louder and more sorrowful. Upon reaching death, a piercing scream will be heard echoing through the forest. There is a 1-in-6 chance the Cyhyraeth will appear after combat. She will make no attempt to engage with or attack the PCs, and will only silently watch from the distance. If attacked however, she will retaliate. Cyhyraeth Armor 19, Movement 60’, 7 Hit Dice, 32 hp, special attack, Morale 9. If attacked (and only if attacked) the Cyhyraeth’s wail will reach a hideous crescendo, and anyone within a 50’ radius who hears this must save vs. Magic or die in 2d6 rounds. The touch of the Cyhyraeth is frigid, but deals no damage; instead it drains 1d4 levels. Due to her incorporeal form, the Cyhyraeth can only be hit by magic weapons. She is undead, and thus immune to Sleep, Charm, and Hold spells. She can however be Turned by a Cleric. The Cyhyraeth can walk on water, but cannot cross running water such as streams or rivers; she loses the ability to drain energy or to wail for 7 days if she does. 9 10 The Outlaws Aside from their listed weapons, Bran and his flock carry simple antler-handled daggers (1d4) and 1d6×10 sp apiece. All are wearing basic Leather armor, excluding Tuck and Mairwen who wear simple robes. Rhi Bran y Hud: 4th level Specialist Armor 17, Movement 90’, 4 Hit Dice, 16 hp, longbow 1d8+1, Morale 12. Bran wears a full-headed mask resembling a black raven’s skull that provides a +1 AC, as well as a cloak fashioned from hundreds of black feathers that provides a +1 to Stealth in forested areas. Iwan: 4th level Fighter Armor 16, Movement 90’, 4 Hit Dice, 22 hp, greatsword 1d10, Morale 12. Bran’s closest friend and an imposing figure, despite his nickname roughly translating to “Little John”. On an 18 or higher, Iwan receives a free attack on any enemy within 10’. Wil Scarlet: 3rd level Specialist Armor 15, Movement 90’, 4 Hit Dice, 15 hp, sword 1d8, Morale 11. Spared from the gallows by Bran and his flock, Wil is a loyal follower and skilled thief. On an 18 or higher, Wil receives a free attempt at Sleight of Hand (4-in-6 chance) to pilfer a small item on the PC’s belt, such as a dagger or vial. 11 Tuck: 4th level Cleric Armor 12, Movement 90’, 4 Hit Dice, 14 hp, quarterstaff 1d4+1, Morale 9. A Catholic Friar with no loyalty to a crown he sees as morally bankrupt, Tuck is a formidable man with an insatiable love of mead. He has prepared the spells Bless, Cure Light Wounds, Sanctuary, and Heat Metal. Mairwen: 4th level Magic-User Armor 13, Movement 90’, 4 Hit Dice, 12 hp, spear 1d6, Morale 11. Bran’s lover, and daughter of a nobleman who surrendered to the English rather than face execution. In her time in the goedwig, she has become an effective user of magick. She has memorized the spells Charm Person, Sleep, Change Self, and Wall of Fog. 12 Outlaws: 1st level Fighters Armor 14, Movement 90’, 1 Hit Dice, 8 hp, shortsword (1d6), Morale 10. These are Bran’s dedicated followers that make up the majority of his flock. When needed, roll on the table below to generate a name and character trait. d12 Male Female Character Trait 1 Arvel Aderyn Deeply religious 2 Cadfan Carwyn Discourteous 3 Cadoc Ceri Facial scarring 4 Dwyn Delyth Superstitious 5 Ifan Efa Missing 1d3 fingers 6 Madog Eleri Missing an arm 7 Morgan Glenys Mute 8 Olwyn Lyn Elderly 9 Rhodri Morgana Piercing Eyes 10 Rolant Nerys Quiet and demure 11 Siarl Nimue Tattooed Forearms 12 Wyn Seren Young 13 1.