TEXT: Snake Bit
  A Deadlands Reloaded Adventure
  for 4-5 Novice-Seasoned Heroes
  by Bronto Awesome
      
  The Story So Far
  Marshall Patrick Downs likes to run
  a tight ship, his vessel being a town called
  Stakes in King County. He colorfully refers
  to criminals as snakes and brags about being
  an ancestor of Saint Patrick of Ireland due to
  the fact that he is driving the snakes out of the
  county. He tolerates no crime and is also quick
  to hang a man he deems guilty without a fair
  trial. This practice has gotten out of hand on a
  few occasions and has drawn the attention of
  the Federal Marshal’s Office. He has escaped
  prosecution so far mainly because he has been
  able to successfully cover up his misdeeds.  
  Rick  'Eddie'  Gallows  was  a  simple
  man, somewhat deformed at birth and none
  too  bright,  who  found  that  he  could  be
  accepted  into  society  by  doing  certain
  distasteful jobs others avoided. This led him
  to a career in the field of butchery. He also
  became the official hangman for a six county
  area. Recently, despite being Marshal Downs’
  designated  hangman,  Gallows  agreed  to
  cooperate with a Federal Marshal and testify
  about  the  Marshal’s  practices.  Naturally,
  Marshal  Downs  needed  to  shut  Eddie  up
  permanently.  Pat  and  some  loyal  deputies
  kidnapped  the butcher and  took him to a
  remote site in the county known as the Snake
  Pit, a place the locals fear to go.
  The Snake Pit is the name given to the
  place by the white folk of King County. The
  hole  is  actually  a  sacred  site  to  the  local
  Indians,  who  believe  that  the Snake  Spirit
  resides there. They bring rattle snakes to the
  pit to send them on into a safe place in the
  underworld. Rather than hang or shoot Eddie,
  the marshal and his band tossed the butcher
  into the Snake Pit. 
  Eddie miraculously survived down in
  the  cave,  although  he  suffered  numerous
  snake bites. This might have seemed divine
  intervention, but was actually the work of the
  Manitous who dwell in the Snake Pit. Those
  evil spirits felt that the butcher was someone
  they could work with to create more fear in
  the world. The snake poison further addled
  Eddie’s mind.  Rather than fearing the snakes,
  he decided that they were actually his only
  true friends. Eventually, Eddie decided to live
  permanently  with  the  snakes  rather  than
  return to human civilization. Still, he missed
  his old friends in town, the humans that could
  actually speak. Following the evil, whispered
  advice  of  the  Manitous,  Eddie  decided  to
  make  some  new  human  friends  that  were
  
  more  like  the  snakes.  These  new  friends
  would help him exact revenge upon Marshal
  Downs.  But  you  can  never  have  enough
  friends.
  Getting Started
  The posse is drawn into the adventure
  by being hired by a saloon gal named Selma
  Botti to find out what has happened to her
  gambler boyfriend,  Jack Sovertens. She last
  heard from him a month ago when he sent her
  a letter from a railroad town in King County
  called  Stakes.  She  gives  the  heroes  a  full
  description  of  Marcus  along  with  a
  photograph.  She adds that he always carried a
  pistol,  a  Remington  1875,  with  a  four leaf
  clover on the handle. Selma can only offer
  $100.00 in reward money.
  The posse travels to Stakes as they see
  fit. When the posse arrives in town, the first
  thing they see is a hanging being conducted
  by the Marshal. Two men are hung for the
  crime  of  horse  thievery.  The  process  is
  straightforward  and  somber.  A  few  people
  stand around to witness the execution and
  then go about their business.
  As the heroes check out the town, the
  following events take place.  Some of  these
  investigative scenes may not take place until
  Scene Two, depending upon the actions of the
  players. 
  Searching for the Gambler
  The heroes will most likely ask around
  looking for Jack Sovertens. Most remember
  the youth, but claim he simply disappeared as
  so  many  do  in  this  boom  town.  With  a
  successful  Streetwise  roll,  the  heroes  learn
  that Jack was arrested for cheating and was
  transferred to another jail outside of county.
  Marshall Downs confirms this story should
  the posse ask him. He claims that he decided
  to let the state take care of the petty criminal
  and turned him over to the jurisdiction of the
  State Police. Most likely, the gambler has fled
  to another state, skipping bail, Pat claims.
  The heroes find Soverten's pistol, the
  one with the clover on the handle, in a display
  case in the  Four Star General Store. The
  price is $200. Initially, the proprietor claims
  that he got the pistol in a trade with a local
  homesteader that was desperate for money. If
  the  heroes  press  him  (with  a  successful
  Persuasion or Intimidate roll versus a d6), he
  admits that he got it from a desperate gambler
  at a steal.  The initials R.  E.  G.  have been
  scratched  recently  on  the  bottom  of  the
  handle.  Pressed  again,  the  proprietor
  eventually admits that he bought it cheap off
  of the former butcher, who is living out in the
  wilderness somewhere around the Snake Pit. 
  Jack’s gun is actually lucky. The owner
  may pull a chip each session to be used only
  for checks associated with shooting with the
  gun.
  A new bounty
  This event takes place some time after
  the  heroes  have  spent  some  time  asking
  around about the gambler. The posse notices a
  new wanted poster has been posted at various
  places around Stakes.  A $50 reward is offered
  by  the  Marshal's  Office  for  information
  leading authorities to those responsible for
  defiling the bodies of those recently hung by
  the law. 
  The heroes learn from various sources
  that the Marshal likes to let a body hang for
  24 hours as a reminder to everyone to obey the
  law. Over the last few months, someone has
  been cutting up the recently hung bodies and
  stealing their heads. Should the posse inquire,
  Marshal Downs offers them $2.00 each to stay
  up and guard the bodies recently hung. The
  Marshal (The GM) should do everything he or
  she can to get at least one hero to watch over
  the hanged men. Scene One occurs when the
  posse is guarding the gallows.
  
  The Town Marshal's Reputation
  With  the  right  connections  and  a
  successful  Streetwise  roll,  the  heroes  learn
  that  Marshal  Downs  has  come  under  the
  scrutiny of  the Federal Marshal’s Office for
  unlawful lynching. He has not yet, however,
  been  charged  with  anything.  During  a
  conversation  with  one  of  the  citizens  of
  Stakes,  that  person  mistakes  the  hero  for
  another of the Federal Marshals. Through this
  encounter the heroes can learn that Federal
  Marshals have been here in town investigating
  the Marshal.
  Scene One: Hangman's Commin'
  During the night, Eddie comes to steal
  the head and spine of each hung man so that
  he can turn them into snakes. He wears a
  white sack over his head with eye holes cut
  out in order to let him see. He previously wore
  this mask during his role as hangman. At least
  one  of  the  heroes  should  be  alert  to  his
  presence. If let alone to do his grizzly work,
  the  heroes  witness  Eddie  cut  the  bodies
  carefully, separating the head from the body
  and  leaving  the spine attached  and  intact.
  Obviously, viewing this scene requires a Guts
  check.   If  the heroes interfere in any way,
  Eddie throws a sack of rattle snakes at them to
  scare them off. If this does not deter them, he
  attacks with a serrated carving knife.  
  Eddie’s sack of rattlesnakes works like a
  grenade.  If  it  hits  the  intended  target,  it
  bursts  open  in  the  area  of  a  small  burst
  template distributing the rattlesnakes evenly.
  If a character is hit by the sack, a single snake
  gets  to  make  a  free  bite  attack  on  that
  character. If the bag misses, it still bursts open
  to spread out the snakes inside.
  RICk 'Eddie' Gallows (Wild Card)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d6, Notice d6, 
  Throwing d6.
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 9
  Hindrances: Obese
  Edges: Brawny
  Gear: Carving knife (d8 + d6), sack of rattlers,
  bloody bag, 2d6 dollars.
  Rattlesnakes (5)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit
  d6, Strength d4, Vigor d4.
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d6, Notice d12.
  Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 2
  Natural Tools: Bite (Str)
  Special Abilities:
  Poison: A rattlesnake’s bite injects poison. A
  character bitten by a rattlesnake must make a
  Vigor roll at -2. With success, the bite area
  swells  and  becomes  numb.  The  victim
  becomes  Exhausted  until  healed.  With  a
  failure, the victim becomes Incapacitated and
  must make a second Vigor roll or die.
  Regardless of a fight’s outcome, Eddie
  lives a little longer than he should after the
  
  heroes defeat him in combat. He lives long
  enough to answer a few questions. He reveals
  the location of  the snake pit and how the
  Marshal threw him into it. He confirms that
  Jack Sovertens is just fine and is safe at the
  snake pit. His final words are, “I wish you and
  me were snakes.  Snakes ain’t afraid  of  the
  Marshall 'er nobody.”
  Scene Two: Fools make the Rules
  This scene takes place after the posse
  has learned  that Marshal  Downs is a dirty
  lawman. At some point, provided the posse is
  persistent  enough,  Marshal  Downs  decides
  that the heroes have been nosing around a
  little too much and decides to arrest them.
  The  Marshal  may  have  to  improvise  the
  location  of  the  arrest  attempt.  Because
  Marshal Downs is prone to showmanship, he
  calls the posse out onto the street in front of
  the whole town. He has with him a deputy for
  each  posse  member.  He  calls  the  heroes
  snakes and announces that they are all wanted
  for murder in Texas. He then orders them to
  disarm. 
  Marshal Patrick Downs (Wild Card)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Notice d8, 
  Shooting d10.
  Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: -
  Edges: Quick Draw, Hip-Shooting, 
  Marksman, Speed Load
  Gear: 3 Peacemakers (12/24/45, 2d6+1, AP 1),
  knife (d6+d4), Derringer (in boot) (5/10/20,
  2d6, AP 1), marshal’s badge, $149.
  Deputies (4-5)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Gambling d6, Notice d6, 
  Shooting d6, Stealth d6, Survival d6.
  Charisma: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: -
  Edges: Quick Draw
  Gear: Colt  Army  (12/24/45,  2d6+1,  AP  1),
  Winchester ’76 (24/48/96, 2d8, AP 2) knife
  (d6+d4),  30  .44  pistol  rounds,  30  .45  rifle
  rounds, $1d6.
  Scene Three:  Wigglin' and a Hissin'
  Eventually the posse will want to go
  investigate the Snake Pit. The way to the place
  can be learned from any of the townfolk. The
  Snake Pit is actually an old, abandoned mine
  shaft. The opening is in the side of the dry
  river bed. The hole drops down ten feet then
  curves around into a tunnel that rises again to
  curl back upon itself.
  The  first  thing  that  the  posse
  encounters are the decaying snake bodies and
  snake skeletons from all the rattlers that have
  been tossed down in the hole by the Indians.
  Just inside are some snake paintings on the
  walls. A little farther along, the heroes come
  
  across  the  live  ones  that  Eddie  has  been
  fostering.  They are clustered together waiting
  to be fed again by their keeper.
  Rattlesnakes (9)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4 (A), Spirit
  d6, Strength d4, Vigor d4.
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d6, Notice d12.
  Pace: 4; Parry: 6; Toughness: 2
  Natural Tools: Bite (Str)
  Special Abilities:
  Poison: A rattlesnake’s bite injects poison. A
  character bitten by a rattlesnake must make a
  Vigor roll at -2. With success, the bite area
  swells  and  becomes  numb.  The  victim
  becomes  Exhausted  until  healed.  With  a
  failure, the victim becomes Incapacitated and
  must make a second Vigor roll or die.
  The tunnel leads up to the main cavern
  where Eddie has been living  with his new
  friends. As the posse enters the area, five of
  the butcher’s new creations emerge from the
  shadows to attack. They are the remains of the
  hanging victims animated in undeath by the
  Manitou that haunt this tunnel. The creatures
  move like snakes twisting and turning on the
  boney spinal column hanging down from a
  severed  head.   They are hostile to all  but
  Eddie.
  Undead Human Spinesnakes (5)
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d8,
  Strength d6, Vigor d6.
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d10.
  Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities:
  Bite: Str
  Coil  Attack: Rather  than  biting,  the
  Spinesnake  may  attempt  to  wrap  its  spine
  around a victim like a lasso and succeeds with
  a successful opposed Fighting versus Agility
  roll. An opposed Strength roll is required to
  break out, killing the Spinesnake. Otherwise,
  the victim is +2 to hit in combat.
  Fear: Anyone who sees a Spinesnake must
  make a Guts check.
  Fearless: Spinesnakes are immune to Fear
  and Intimidation.
  Undead: +2 Toughness. +2 to recover from
  being  Shaken.  Called  shots  do  no  extra
  damage. Arrows, bullets, and other piercing
  attacks do -4 damage.
  Weakness (Head): Shots to a spinesnake’s
  head are +2 damage, and piercing attacks do
  normal damage.
  Once the monsters are defeated, the
  posse  can  investigate  the  room.  With  a
  successful Notice roll, a hero notices that one
  of the creatures, which has not decayed much,
  was made from Jack Sovertens' body.
  A natural  rock shelf  displays Eddie’s
  treasures gleaned from the hanging victims.
  Eddie’s bed is made on the widest part of the
  shelf. The posse finds the following treasures:
  a Remington Pepperbox, a sack of rattlesnake
  rattles,  a  silver-plated  opera  glass  ($30),  3
  pocket watches  ($3  ea.),  a complete set of
  butcher’s knives, $52 Union, $37 Confederate.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Deadlands [multi]/Deadlands Reloaded/Misc/DLR - Adv - Snake Bit.pdf