TEXT: THE INHERITORS
  
  The Inheritors
  by Zach Welhouse
  Credits & Acknowledgements
  AdditionAl MAteriAl: Matthew Cutter
  editing: Matthew Cutter, Clint & Jodi BlaCk
  deAdlAnds BrAnd MAnAger: Matthew Cutter
  Art director: aaron aCevedo
  lAyout And grAphic design: aaron aCevedo, Joel kinstle , Mike Chaney
  cover Art: Chris Bivins
  interior Art: Johan lindroos, Chris Bivins
  cArtogrAphy: alida saxon
  savage Worlds by shane lacy hensley
  This document may be printed for personal use. 
  It may not be distributed, either electronically or in print.
  © 2013 Pinnacle Entertainment Group. Savage Worlds, Deadlands: the Weird West,  
  and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Pinnacle 
  Entertainment Group. All rights reserved.
  
  Contents
  Contents
  Chapter One:  
  Introduction  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 1
  The Story So Far  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 1
  Running the Inheritors  .  .  .  .  . 3
  Choosing a Rube   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 3
  The Setup  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 4
  Chapter Two:  
  Last Rites  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 5
  Back to Brookville  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 5
  Brookville   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 5
  Chapter Three:  
  Who’s Running  
  My Ranch  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .8
  Aunt Agatha’s Ranch  .  .  .  .  .  . 8
  Onerous Tasks  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 10
  Interludes  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 12
  Wranglin’ Hands  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 14
  Sellin’ the Ranch  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 16
  Chapter Four: 
  Absolution  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
  Confronting Ford  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 17
  Hunting the Sin Eater   .  .  .  .  . 18
  Chapter Five:  
  The Strawberry Days  .  . 20
  The Ranch’s Fate  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 20
  Traitor in Their Midst  .  .  .  .  . 20
  The Blessed Spike  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 21
  Killing Sadie Gorman  .  .  .  .  .  . 22
  Aftermath   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 24
  
  1
  Dear Aunt Agatha is dead, and she’s 
  left the family farm in Kansas to a posse 
  member. The lucky sod just has to go 
  back to Kansas and sign a few papers 
  for a one-way ticket to Easy Street. 
  The arrangements only take a week to 
  complete, so as long as the ranch isn’t 
  haunted, no old feuds see fit to unearth 
  themselves, and Black River doesn’t get a 
  hankering for the family plot, everything 
  should go off without a hitch, amigo. 
  Better bring a few friends...just in case.
  THE STORY SO FAR
  Back in the autumn of 1869, ex-CSA officer 
  Jake Clawson led a band of outlaws in a 
  string of trail robberies and murders in the 
  environs of Brookville, Kansas. Eventually, 
  the townsfolk got fed up with the Clawson 
  Gang’s depredations. The preacher rounded 
  up a large posse, and after a quick survey 
  they discovered the miscreants hiding in 
  nearby Smoky Hill Swamp.
  All the bushwhackers died there, along 
  with the preacher and a half-dozen other 
  citizens, 
  in 
  Brookville’s 
  largest-ever 
  armed conflict. The bodies of the fallen 
  were all buried in the church cemetery, 
  except for Jake himself. Before he died he 
  cursed Brookville to poverty and madness 
  forevermore, and then fell and sank right 
  to the bottom of the swamp—where his 
  lust for revenge created a sin eater (see 
  the Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook).
  Eatin’ Sins
  Over the next 12 years, the sin eater 
  exerted its subtle, evil influence over 
  the town. And it stewed angrily in the 
  swamp’s depths, intent on shattering the 
  peaceful rest of its friends and enemies 
  alike. Finally it decided to desecrate the 
  church and graveyard, if it was the last 
  thing it ever did.
  First it needed more guises in which to 
  do its evil work. Prowling the farms along 
  the edge of the swamps, it discovered 
  the Ford Ranch. William Ford had fallen 
  into dissolution and drink after his 
  precious wife Jolene was killed by the 
  Clawson Gang. When Jolene’s brother 
  Hank Garrison arrived unexpectedly 
  from Dodge, William Ford vented years 
  of simmering anger upon his brother-
  in-law, killing him in a blind rage. The 
  sin eater found Hank Garrison’s shallow 
  grave and absorbed his soul.
  Although the people of Brookville had 
  long petitioned Black River for a rail 
  spur from nearby Salina, the rail agent 
  the company assigned to them was a 
  madwoman named Sadie Gorman, a 
  witch with her own curse to bear. No 
  deal ever gained traction. Several months 
  ago Sadie sent Jenny Hill—a witch and 
  rail agent posing as a seller of practical 
  jokes, Infernal Devices, and mail-order 
  pre-fabricated homes—to Brookville to 
  assess the lay of the land. On a lonely 
  trail near Smoky Hill Swamp, the sin 
  Chapter One: 
  Introduction
  Chapter One: 
  Introduction
  
  The InherITors
  2
  eater ambushed Jenny and absorbed her 
  guise too.
  Aunt Agatha’s Struggle
  Since she lost her beloved husband 
  George to a fever in 1871, Aunt Agatha 
  ran the ranch along with some hired 
  hands. It was a struggle to keep up on the 
  payments, and Agatha always seemed to 
  be a few weeks behind with Ms. Guernsey 
  at the general supply, but somehow she 
  kept things together. Even despite the 
  constant scheming of William Ford, who 
  for years had been trying to run Aunt 
  Agatha off her adjacent land and take it 
  for his own, her future seemed solid, if 
  not exactly rosy.
  But after the sin eater took on Hank 
  Garrison’s form, things took a turn for the 
  worse. The abomination tormented Ford 
  nightly with the shape of the brother-in-
  law he’d murdered in cold blood, until 
  the rancher nearly went mad. At the 
  sin eater’s direction, Ford hired a few 
  ne’er-do-wells to stage a “haunting” on 
  Agatha’s property, arranged for rustlers 
  to steal her cattle, and in general made 
  her life a living hell.
  No one knows exactly what became 
  of Agatha. In truth, her heart gave 
  out while the “ghosts” were cavorting 
  under her window, hands gripped on 
  the barrel of a shotgun. Next morning 
  the farm hands found her torn clothing 
  scattered about, a loaded shotgun on her 
  bed, and the impression of where she’d 
  been laying still fresh on the bedcovers. 
  They assumed she went mad and ran off 
  into the swamp. Actually, the sin eater 
  discovered her dead body and absorbed 
  it...gaining yet another useful guise.
  Where Things Stand
  In Jenny Hill’s guise, the sin eater made 
  a deal with Sadie Gorman to arrange for 
  the church and graveyard’s desecration 
  by the Black River witches. In return, the 
  sin eater will hand over both Agatha’s 
  ranch and the Ford Ranch—over four 
  hundred acres combined—free of charge.
  For now, the sin eater considers William 
  Ford a useful pawn, one it will kill when 
  
  ChapTer one: InTroduCTIon
  3
  the time is right. The abomination figures 
  everything to be wrapped up with Aunt 
  Agatha’s land, all 160 acres ready to be 
  handed over to Black River. The creature 
  didn’t count on Agatha’s forethought, 
  though, or her mortal dread of William 
  Ford. Thus, her last will and testament 
  stipulated that a telegraph be sent to her 
  only heir in the event of her untimely 
  death.
  And there’s another big problem for 
  heroes who take on the burden of Aunt 
  Agatha’s ranch: Sadie Gorman. The Black 
  River witch—more fearsome abomination 
  than human—was promised a sizeable 
  chunk of land in Brookville, and she 
  intends to collect it. At the summer’s end 
  she and her confederates arrive ready to 
  bring Hell to Agatha’s ranch.
  RUNNING THE 
  INHERITORS
  The Inheritors works best as a lull 
  between major stories. It’s designed to run 
  the length of a single summer in-game, 
  so the posse shouldn’t feel compelled to 
  storm through Brookville without taking 
  time to acclimate. Besides, jump-starting 
  a dying ranch takes time! 
  Introduce the adventure when the 
  posse needs a large amount of money 
  for a specific goal. That gives everyone a 
  good reason to be money-grubbing and 
  consider deals they may not otherwise 
  take. If they have strong convictions, 
  having to choose between their morals 
  and the success of the original mission 
  could spark some rich conflict. 
  Knowing how the posse plans to spend 
  its nest egg also helps you, Marshal. 
  Characters with large piles of ready cash 
  can have a major influence on a campaign’s 
  direction. 
  Foreknowledge 
  gives 
  you 
  time to prepare for spending that might 
  drastically change the playing field. 
  Choosing a Rube
  You know your players better than 
  we do, Marshal, so we’ll leave it up to 
  you which one of your heroes was niece 
  or nephew to poor old Agatha. The 
  best choice is someone who’s willing 
  to fill in a few years of their character’s 
  early back story as time spent living on 
  the ranch in Brookville, Kansas. The 
  sodbuster’s memories are a little vague, 
  but overall pleasant. Bottom line: Aunt 
  Agatha was a kind, nurturing, and 
  beloved relative.
  With a little imagination, nearly 
  any character can be the inheritor 
  of Agatha’s ranch—and her myriad 
  troubles. Assume the old woman was 
  likely as not to adopt an orphan in 
  need, so a cowpoke of any race, color, 
  or creed could conceivably be Agatha’s 
  kin. Unlikely characters, such as 
  ornery gunslingers, work well too: An 
  honorable struggle to restore family 
  land to its former greatness provides 
  players of such heroes a chance to 
  show different facets of the hombre’s 
  personality.
  Regardless of who you choose, 
  Marshal, give that player a copy of the 
  telegraph handout (on page 4) before 
  you begin the adventure.
  
  The InherITors
  4
  THE SETUP
  The Inheritors assumes a start date 
  in late spring, 1881. For your posse, 
  the adventure begins when one lucky 
  cuss receives an unexpected telegraph 
  (see above). It indicates dear old Aunt 
  Agatha has died, and the character has 
  inherited the family ranch. What seems 
  like the simple matter of traveling to 
  Kansas, paying proper respects, signing 
  a few papers, and pocketing any profits 
  is anything but easy. It’s a big ol’ knot of 
  evil just waiting for the inheritors to sort 
  it out.
  Seeing as your band could be anywhere 
  in the Weird West when the telegraph 
  arrives, it might take one or more sessions 
  of traveling to reach Brookville, Kansas. 
  Go ahead and take care of that, Marshal, 
  and when you and your inheritors catch 
  up we’ll be waiting in the next chapter.
  MY DEAREST,
  IF YOU ARE READING THIS I HAVE PASSED ON. 
  THAT BLASTED WILLIAM FORD JUST WONT QUIT. 
  BROOKVILLE RANCH IS YOURS NOW. 
  CLAIM IT OR SELL IT UP TO YOU. 
  ALL MY LOVE, 
  AUNT AGATHA
  
  5
  Brookville, Kansas was overlooked by 
  most of the Weird West’s major battles. 
  Local folks had a nasty run-in with 
  bushwhackers back in ’69, but since then 
  it’s been generally sedate. This isn’t to say 
  Brookville’s a model of rural bliss. No, the 
  town’s got plenty of feuds and nightmares, 
  and they’re very much its own.
  BACK TO 
  BROOKVILLE
  How the lucky inheritors get back to 
  Brookville, Kansas from their present 
  location is up to them and you, Marshal. 
  Here’s what they find upon their arrival 
  in Aunt Agatha’s old stomping grounds.
  Talking Up the Locals
  With a successful Streetwise roll, a 
  cowpoke can get locals talking about 
  whatever subject they bring up. At your 
  discretion, 
  Marshal, 
  some 
  residents 
  might remember Agatha’s heir from his 
  or her days living in Brookville. Or it 
  could be that the inheritor was simply 
  Agatha’s last living descendant, and has 
  never set foot in Brookville before now.
  Either way, everyone in Brookville knows 
  William Ford has been after Agatha’s ranch 
  for years. Town gossip confirms Agatha 
  was always a mite superstitious, but that 
  doesn’t mean Ford wasn’t serious about 
  getting her land. If the heroes speak to 
  Ruth, Loris, and the rest of Agatha’s former 
  farmhands, they learn a bit more: In the 
  months leading up to her disappearance 
  and presumed death, Agatha was as crazy 
  as a dog in a cathouse.
  BROOKVILLE
  Fear Level: 3
  Brookville’s a sleepy farming town 
  primarily concerned with wheat, cattle, 
  and hogs. Ever since the Rail Wars 
  entered a new phase of consolidation, 
  general store owner Charlotte Guernsey 
  has led a push to attract the Rail Barons’ 
  attention. Black River was the first to 
  investigate, although its agent (Jenny Hill) 
  disappeared before passing judgment. 
  Most folks are content to keep their heads 
  down and focus on day-to-day problems. 
  There’s enough trouble going on in the 
  state without inviting it to their doorsteps.
  Summer in Brookville is long and hot. 
  Several days a week, the high temperature 
  tops 100 degrees. Shade doesn’t do much 
  against the heat, and even less for the 
  humidity. Characters that don’t drink at 
  least four quarts of water per day are at 
  risk of dehydration. If that amount of water 
  isn’t available, characters must make Vigor 
  checks every four hours. Failure results 
  in a level of Fatigue. Regardless of the 
  results of the check, the daylight hours are 
  bright, sticky, and uncomfortable. For more 
  information see Heat in Savage Worlds.
  Like most small towns, Brookville has 
  the basics like a small bank, doctor’s 
  office, marshal, and a general store. Here 
  Chapter Two: 
  Last Rites
  Chapter Two: 
  Last Rites
  
  GhosT Towns
  are some notes on whom and what is to 
  be found in its various locations:
  Brookville Bank: If visitors show Aunt 
  Agatha’s telegraph around town, locals 
  direct them to the Brookville Bank. The 
  lone banker, Jeb Duffy, confirms that he 
  sent the telegraph in accordance with 
  Agatha’s wishes. He asks Agatha’s heir to 
  sign some initial paperwork in exchange 
  for the contents of Agatha’s safe deposit 
  box. The box contains the keys to the 
  ranch, a surveyor’s map of the property, 
  and a silver wedding band (worth $25).
  Untangling 
  the 
  legalese 
  of 
  the 
  paperwork requires a Knowledge (Law) 
  check, or in lieu of that a Smarts roll at –2. 
  Success reveals Agatha owed $100 to 
  Charlotte Guernsey, owner of 
  the general store. Moreover, 
  this debt, along with its 
  substantial interest rate, 
  transfers 
  to 
  Agatha’s 
  heir. If the posse didn’t 
  have incentive to fix up 
  the ranch before, it does 
  now!
  Jeb 
  Duffy: 
  Use 
  Townsfolk 
  stats 
  in 
  the 
  Deadlands 
  Marshal’s 
  Handbook.
  Church: The two-story brick 
  church house sits on a small hill 
  above Brookville’s cemetery. Both 
  the church and the cemetery 
  are built on consecrated 
  ground—the 
  only 
  place a sin eater can 
  be properly buried. 
  Even 
  though 
  no 
  body was found, 
  Aunt 
  Agatha’s 
  freshly dug plot is 
  here also.
  D o c t o r : 
  Brookv i l le’s 
  doctor 
  is 
  a 
  sour, cynical 
  man by the name of Bertram Weekes. If 
  asked about Agatha, he confirms there 
  was no corpse. She was assumed lost in 
  the swamps, considering “She was under 
  considerable mental strain just before her 
  death.” Weekes doesn’t know any details 
  about Agatha’s troubles.
  Dr. Bertram Weekes: Use Townsfolk 
  stats in the Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook, 
  but add Healing d8 and Knowledge 
  (Medicine) d10.
  General Supply: Charlotte Guernsey 
  owns Brookville’s lone general supply 
  store. Brookville is a fine town, but 
  Charlotte Guernsey believes it can be 
  better. She runs the general store and prides 
  herself on knowing what people 
  need. Sometimes it’s a piece of 
  penny candy or a fraternal 
  joke catalog left by a 
  traveling saleswoman. 
  Sometimes 
  it’s 
  a 
  railroad. 
  Charlotte 
  doesn’t 
  know anything about 
  the supernatural, nor 
  does she approve of 
  deviltry. However, her 
  eye for business may 
  cause 
  trouble. 
  Once 
  Aunt Agatha’s ranch is 
  less of a Hellhole, 
  
  ChapTer Two: LasT rITes
  7
  Charlotte is the first buyer to express 
  cautious interest. Turning around and 
  selling the land to Black River is simply 
  good business—and heaven knows 
  Brookville needs a railroad!
  Charlotte Guernsey: Use Townsfolk 
  stats in the Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook, 
  with Intimidation d6, Knowledge (Law) 
  d6, Persuasion d6, Streetwise d6, Taunt 
  d6, and Strong Willed.
  Grand Washington Hotel: Brookville’s 
  sole hotel is barely large enough for the 
  name. The rooms have solid locks though, 
  and the soup’s always just right. Sadie 
  Gorman (see page 22) and her Black River 
  coven stay here whenever they come 
  to town. Rooms are $3 per day, and the 
  liquor’s better than it needs to be. 
  Marshal: The town marshal 
  is a lazy, dull fellow named 
  Tanner Fuchs. He’s content to 
  let trouble fade away rather 
  than catching it.
  Marshal 
  Fuchs: 
  Use 
  Gunman 
  stats 
  in 
  the 
  Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook. 
  Add the Clueless and Quirk 
  (Lazy) Hindrances.
  Merle’s 
  Junkyard: 
  The 
  junkyard sits just outside the 
  town limits, where owner 
  Merle Dawkins can hammer 
  as loud as he wants on his 
  collection of broken-
  down 
  agricultural 
  machines. 
  If 
  there’s a piece of 
  farm equipment 
  in the county 
  that 
  Merle 
  can’t 
  fix, 
  he’d cobble 
  together a 
  hat 
  just 
  so 
  he 
  c o u l d 
  eat it. 
  The junkyard doesn’t see much business 
  because of Brookville’s small size. Everyone 
  knows Merle would be happier somewhere 
  with more pistons and gauges. Still, this 
  homegrown 
  mechanical 
  genius 
  has 
  something keeping him in Brookville. Few 
  suspect it’s his black-sheep brother, Hutch (see 
  the Squatters’ Cabin on page 14).
  Merle Dawkins: Use Townsfolk stats in 
  the Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook, but add 
  the Loyal Hindrance, Repair d8, Notice 
  d8, and the McGyver Edge. 
  The Slab: Brookville’s largest saloon 
  doesn’t get many visitors. They see the 
  lanky barkeep in his funeral blacks and 
  assume it’s the 
  undertaker’s 
  o f f i c e . 
  They aren’t 
  w r o n g , 
  either. “Fat” Lyle—
  who can’t weigh a pound 
  over 
  130—keeps 
  the 
  coffins in the back and 
  the whiskey in the front. 
  It’s an odd arrangement, 
  but the booze is cheap and 
  Fat Lyle is good people.
  Strangers who come to the 
  Slab are given the cold shoulder 
  if they keep to themselves and 
  act all mysterious-like. Buying a 
  few rounds for the regulars, 
  having an honest face, and 
  steering clear of politics is 
  the best way to remedy 
  the situation. Graciously 
  losing a few rounds 
  of poker never hurt 
  either.
  “Fat” Lyle Baker: 
  Use Townsfolk stats 
  in 
  the 
  Deadlands 
  Marshal’s Handbook.
  
  8
  When the posse makes its way back to 
  the family ranch, they find a dilapidated 
  property that’s going downhill fast. 
  Fixing it up is going to take decisive 
  action and plenty of elbow grease. And 
  maybe a bullet or two to boot, amigo.
  AUNT AGATHA’S 
  RANCH
  Fear Level: 3
  The ranch consists of a two-story ranch 
  house, 160 acres of land, and assorted 
  outbuildings. Everything is in shambles 
  when the posse arrives: the windows are 
  broken, the fences are split, and the fields 
  have gone to seed. Several large fire pits ring 
  the property, all of them showing evidence of 
  a large blaze about two or three weeks ago.
  The only plants that seem to prosper 
  on the ranch are chock full of thorns and 
  burrs. The outbuildings look ready to blow 
  down as soon as anyone as much as says, 
  “Boo.” And that’s while the sun’s still up.
  At night, Aunt Agatha’s ranch is 
  more than just run down: It’s deadly. 
  Even though Smoky Hill Crick is the 
  only feature separating the ranch from 
  the Ford farm, the sense of isolation 
  is suffocating. The air is heavy, as if a 
  thunderstorm or a twister is going to tear 
  through as soon as everyone stops paying 
  attention. Clouds fill the sky and smother 
  the moon, trapping the day’s heat close 
  to the ground. Any scream that could 
  escape from the blankets of warmth 
  would still die under the oppressive 
  drone of hidden insects. Wonder what 
  they could be eating…
  A . Ranch House
  The two-story house is in ill repair. 
  The wraparound porch roof is punched 
  through with holes. Most of the interior 
  woodwork has been burned as fuel. 
  The piano’s warped, and the kitchen 
  has a serious mold problem. The whole 
  place smells musty and stale. Keen-eyed 
  investigators notice a horseshoe hung 
  above almost every doorway in the house.
  The 
  house 
  doesn’t 
  contain 
  any 
  information to challenge the townsfolk’s 
  claims. A successful Notice roll, however, 
  reveals Agatha’s diary under a loose 
  floorboard in her bedroom.
  Agatha’s diary is a prim, boring affair 
  until her final weeks. During this time, her 
  writing becomes larger and more frantic. 
  And Agatha’s anti-ghost defenses may cast 
  doubt on her sanity. It reads, in part:
  “It’s back, it’s back, that foul spirit has 
  returned to plague me again, oh Lord save me.
  “It’s that poor old Jake Clawson. I’m 
  haunted by his spirit. He seeks vengeance 
  Chapter Three: 
  Who’s Running 
  My Ranch?
  Chapter Three: 
  Who’s Running 
  My Ranch?
  
  ChapTer Three: who's runnInG My ranCh
  9
  on Brookville for his untimely demise! He 
  roams the fields at night and steals my 
  cattle. The hands all beg me to leave, but 
  I’m not one to let a dead man stop me. I 
  know how to handle his kind.
  “Anti-haunting 
  precautions: 
  Wear 
  clothes inside out. Hang horseshoes 
  above doors. At night, always keep watch 
  fires burning. Mark cattle with Jenny’s 
  invisible paint.
  “Can’t trust anyone, not anymore—
  especially that contemptible William 
  Ford, with his halleluiahs and his false 
  prayers!” 
  During 
  Jenny 
  Hill’s recent visit, 
  Aunt 
  Agatha 
  bought a can of 
  her invisible paint, 
  along 
  with 
  the 
  revealing solution. 
  They are both in the 
  swimmin’ shed (see 
  G, below). For a few 
  months before her 
  death, Agatha was 
  marking her cattle 
  with invisible paint. 
  She hoped a quick 
  rinse in the patent-
  pending 
  visibility 
  solution 
  would 
  show 
  Brookville 
  who’d been stealing 
  her beeves, once 
  and for all!
  B . Barn
  The 
  barn’s 
  a 
  three-story 
  mess 
  of moldering wood 
  and 
  damp 
  hay. 
  Holes in the walls 
  reveal 
  the 
  lower 
  level to be a tangle 
  of scrap lumber and 
  rusting metal. An incline leads up to the 
  second story, which is accessible via a 
  pair of sliding doors. A large hole in the 
  second-story floor leads to the remains 
  of the threshing machine. A successful 
  Repair check (–4) puts it in working order 
  again. Alternately, it can be scavenged for 
  parts. The third story of the barn can only 
  be accessed via rickety ladders. There’s 
  nothing up there but hay, weeds, and 
  rats. However, the bare windows offer 
  the best view on the ranch.
  Dean and Shem Bucket have been 
  the sin eater’s unsuspecting lackeys in 
  Brookville, by way of their “employer,” 
  
  GhosT Towns
  took a chunk out of Shem. Terrifying 
  the Dawkinses (see J, below) is more fun 
  anyway.
  The Brothers Bucket start their nightly 
  haunting of the ranch from the barn. 
  Although there isn’t much left for them 
  to break, they make a good try of it. Then 
  it’s haunting ululations and bullroarer 
  shenanigans until they get bored. 
  They’re not paid enough for heavy 
  fighting, but don’t mind scaring folks 
  into deadly terrain if the opportunity 
  arises. If pursued, they’ll flee south and 
  try escape through the fields. Driving off 
  the Brothers Bucket is an Onerous Task 
  (see sidebar).
  Dean & Shem Bucket: Use Outlaw 
  stats in the Deadlands Marshal’s 
  Handbook. Remove the 
  Bloodthirsty 
  and 
  Wanted Hindrances, 
  and 
  add 
  Intimidation 
  d6, 
  the Clueless and 
  Doubting Thomas 
  Hindrances, 
  and 
  the 
  Rebel 
  Yell 
  Edge. 
  They’re 
  armed with double 
  barrel shotguns 
  (
  R
  a
  n
  g
  e 
  1 2 / 2 4 / 4 8 , 
  D a m a g e 
  Onerous Tasks
  Aunt Agatha’s ranch is in rough 
  shape. There are so many problems 
  with it that no one in their right mind 
  would be interested in buying it. That’s 
  where the posse comes in. Solving 
  each of the ranch’s major problems is 
  an Onerous Task, which provides a 
  +1 bonus when attempting to sell the 
  ranch. See Sellin’ the Ranch on page 
  16 for more details.
  Hank Garrison—in reality, the 
  sin eater disguise—for about a 
  year. The false Garrison paid 
  them $5 a week to “haunt” 
  Aunt Agatha’s ranch leading up 
  to her death, and picks right up 
  where he left off when the heroes 
  arrive. Dean and Shem don’t think 
  much of it, since Ford’s been after 
  the ranch as long as either of them 
  can remember. They figure he and 
  Garrison are allies.
  The good ol’ boys make 
  a 
  night 
  of 
  running 
  around the ranch with 
  ghost costumes and 
  bullroarers 
  supplied 
  through Jenny Hill’s 
  joke catalog. They’ve 
  avoided the northern 
  part of the ranch since 
  a pit wasp almost 
  
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  11
  1–3d6, RoF 1–2, Shots 2, +2 Shooting), 
  single-action 
  Peacemakers 
  (Range 
  12/24/48, Damage 2d6+1, RoF 1, Shots 6, 
  AP 1), glow-in-the-dark ghost costumes, 
  bottles of bear scent, and bullroarers.
  C . Smithy
  The worn anvil is the last of the 
  blacksmith’s tools to remain undisturbed. 
  Scavengers have stolen or scattered the 
  rest. Evidence of the latter situation exists 
  in a trail of machinery running from 
  the smithy to the barn. Most is scrap. 
  The ranch’s lack of facilities for shoeing 
  horses and branding cattle make it more 
  difficult to sell. So too does its lack of 
  adequate machinery. Locating a source 
  of cultivators, reapers, threshers, and 
  binders is an Onerous Task.
  The teeth of a harvester are halfway 
  buried in a mound close to the barn. 
  Unearthing it reveals a trove of spare 
  parts. A trained engineer can locate 
  usable salvage with a successful Repair 
  check (–2). These might be used to repair 
  machines piecemeal. Alternately, a mad 
  scientist could use them as the basic 
  supplies to create an agriculture-based 
  Infernal Device as described in the 
  Deadlands Player’s Guide.
  Merle 
  Dawkins, 
  the 
  owner 
  of 
  Brookville’s 
  junkyard, 
  can 
  provide 
  several jury-rigged machines if the posse 
  assists his dear, ailin’ kin (see J). Even if 
  they don’t, Merle’s prices are fair and he 
  accepts payment in scrap.
  D . Orchard
  Apple and plum trees rot in the summer 
  sun. The ground is thick with decaying 
  fruit. Drunken worms burrow through 
  the mess, adding their stink to the rotten 
  trees. The experience is an assault on the 
  sinuses. 
  The trees are rotten because they’re the 
  frequent target of pit wasps. Anyone who 
  examines the trees (or other instances of pit 
  wasp damage throughout the ranch) can 
  make a Survival or Knowledge (Occult) 
  check. Success reveals the presence of a 
  pit wasp hive and its flammable nature. 
  Because pit wasp tunnels run throughout 
  the ranch, drones and warriors can be 
  encountered anywhere.
  The giant insects have built their hive 
  underneath the orchard. Its tunnels 
  extend throughout the ranch, ready to 
  provide access to unwary cowpokes. 
  The tunnel ceilings can only support 150 
  lbs. Anything heavier collapses them, 
  dumping the interloper into cramped 
  quarters with a passel of angry wasps. A 
  successful Agility check allows a trapped 
  saddletramp to scramble out again 
  without any difficulty. Failure means the 
  wasps are mad and it’ll take a successful 
  Climbing check to scramble free of the 
  roiling earth. If the Climbing die comes 
  up 1 (regardless of the result of the Wild 
  Die), the struggling hero crashes deeper 
  into the hive. This incurs a –4 penalty to 
  subsequent Climbing checks to escape.
  The pit wasp queen’s chamber is buried 
  25 feet below the orchard. Suicidal heroes 
  can crawl through the narrow tunnels of 
  the hive to face her. There are safer ways 
  to root her out. The nest burns easily, and 
  the smoke forces the angry swarm to the 
  surface.
  Driving off the pit wasp queen is an 
  Onerous Task. If any wasps remain when 
  the Black River witches hit town, they 
  make excellent companions in mayhem.
  Pit Wasp Worker Swarms (4): See the 
  Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook.
  Pit Wasp Warriors (12): See the 
  Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook.
  Pit Wasp Queen (1): See the Deadlands 
  Marshal’s Handbook.
  E . Smoky Mountain Crick
  The pit wasps living in the orchard 
  have clogged the crick with rotten trees 
  
  The InherITors
  12
  and discarded vegetable matter. Until 
  the dam is breached, the swimmin’ hole 
  (see F) remains stagnant. Unclogging the 
  crick requires six sticks of dynamite and 
  a successful Smarts check, or eight man-
  hours of labor and a successful Strength 
  check (–2). Failing the Smarts check riles 
  the pit wasps and the skeeters in the 
  swimmin’ hole; furthermore, it blasts a 
  new swimmin’ hole closer to the orchard. 
  Failing the Strength check results in a 
  level of Fatigue that fades after a good 
  night’s rest. Unclogging the crick is an 
  Onerous Task.
  F . Swimmin’ Hole
  A 
  pallid, 
  maculated 
  beech 
  tree 
  overlooks the swimming hole. Anyone 
  interested in jumping from its rope swing 
  into the water below must be looking to 
  win a dire bet. The water, such as it is, lies 
  stagnant under a layer of scum. In better 
  times, Smoky Mountain Crick fed into 
  the old quarry. Now it’s home to a nest of 
  Texas skeeters. 
  Normal skeeters mask the approach of 
  their larger cousins. Unprotected flesh 
  attracts the little bloodsuckers faster 
  when the Fear Level’s as high as it is. 
  Worse, they aren’t content to just die 
  when swatted; instead, they explode in 
  messy red spatters. 
  The Texas skeeters attack 1d4 rounds 
  after anyone approaches the swimming 
  hole. Anyone disturbing the water’s 
  surface automatically gains the swarming 
  insects’ attention.
  Unless the pond is drained, the crick 
  is unblocked (see E), or the Fear Level 
  is reduced below 3, more Texas skeeters 
  hatch whenever it’s most inconvenient 
  for everyone involved. Dealing with the 
  skeeter infestation is an Onerous Task.
  Texas Skeeters (2 swarms): See the 
  Deadlands Marshal’s Handbook.
  Interludes
  Not everyone who’s slapped leather 
  on the trail will feel their talents are best 
  suited for ranch work. It doesn’t mean 
  they can’t help put the shine on Aunt 
  Agatha’s ranch. Watching the cattle at 
  night or grousing with the hands over a 
  plate of beans is a prime time to share a 
  tale of rare heroism. This is a chance to 
  break out an Interlude, as described in 
  Savage Worlds.
  Maybe the hands are skittish and 
  want to know what their employers 
  have seen out in the dark. Maybe a 
  local’s looking for a reason to start 
  trusting the posse after a rocky start. 
  Think of a reason to get the heroes 
  talking about themselves, Marshal. 
  It’ll pass the time—especially if you’re 
  looking for a way to while away the 
  days until summer’s end and the arrival 
  of the Black River agents.
  Anyone who shares a story about 
  dear Aunt Agatha with a local receives 
  a +2 Charisma bonus when dealing 
  with the residents of Brookville. Folks 
  appreciate 
  travelers 
  who 
  haven’t 
  forgotten their roots.
  Proper Tale Tellin’ to lower the 
  area’s Fear Level comes later, after 
  the sin eater’s been put down. Until 
  then, there’s no shame in swapping a 
  few bawdy exploits and shooting the 
  breeze while the next batch of skeeter 
  ointment boils.
  
  ChapTer Three: who's runnInG My ranCh
  13
  G . Swimmin’ Shed
  This rough wooden shed contains an 
  old canoe and the dried-out carcasses 
  of several small mammals. A successful 
  Healing check reveals the animals 
  have been drained of all their blood; 
  a successful Survival or Knowledge 
  (Occult) check (–2) pins the blame on 
  Texas skeeters. Four cans are stacked 
  in the corner of the shed. Three contain 
  Hill & Sons Patent-Pending Visibility 
  Solution. The fourth contains Hill & 
  Sons Patent-Pending Invisible Paint. The 
  invisible paint is a clear liquid that dries 
  to be imperceptible. When it’s exposed to 
  the visibility solution, it turns bright red. 
  Otherwise it’s normal paint.
  H . Pasture
  Cattle and sheep once roamed this 
  expanse of scrub grass. Until they return, 
  it’s an expanse of dry grass, broken 
  fences, and barbed wire. Bloodwire (see 
  I) hiding in the pasture receive +2 to all 
  Stealth rolls.
  Filling the pasture with edible critters—
  after removing all the bloodwire—is an 
  Onerous Task. Average cattle cost $120 a 
  head, while their high-quality brethren 
  cost $175. Liberating the old herd from 
  William Ford is a more economical path 
  to success.
  Bloodwires (5): See the Deadlands 
  Marshal’s Handbook.
  I . Toolshed
  The earth around the dilapidated old 
  shed is stained red with the rust of disuse. 
  Inside, el cheapo pitchforks, shovels, axes, 
  and once useful tools slowly oxidize. 
  Digging through the hedge of old junk 
  requires a successful Agility check. 
  Failure results in 2d4 damage. Feel free to 
  make offhand comments about lockjaw 
  while you’re at it, Marshal.
  As long as the Fear Level remains at 3, 
  bloodwire spawn from a burrow beneath 
  the shed. Whenever their population 
  dips below four, a new abomination 
  emerges the following night. Destroying 
  the toolshed and dispersing its contents 
  removes the threat.
  J . Farm Hands’ Cabins
  This rough collection of log and sod 
  cabins once housed the temporary 
  workers who helped Agatha run the 
  farm. When the hauntings began and the 
  cattle started disappearing, they up and 
  quit. Now that Agatha’s dead, those who 
  haven’t left town feel right bad about it. 
  Getting the hands to admit their guilt to 
  a pack of strangers takes some work, but 
  gives the posse a crew of laborers to boss 
  around. 
  Tracking down the influential ranch 
  hands, Ruth Moore and Loris Slack, 
  requires a successful Streetwise check or 
  making friends at the Slab. Ruth and Loris 
  worked on Aunt Agatha’s ranch longer 
  than anyone besides Agatha herself. 
  Although they were never especially 
  close to her, she kept them housed and 
  fed. Ruth is an easygoing black woman in 
  her mid-30s, and Loris is a dour Scottish 
  immigrant in his late 20s.
  Ruth Moore & Loris Slack: Use 
  Townsfolk stats in the Deadlands Marshal’s 
  Handbook for the ranch hands. They also 
  have Riding d6 and Survival d4.
  Shaming them into helping out at the 
  ranch is a Social Conflict, as described in 
  Savage Worlds. The conflict occurs over 
  three rounds, each of which incurs an 
  opposed Persuasion check. The winner 
  of each round receives a token for every 
  success and raise on the roll. If the ranch 
  hands end with a higher Margin of 
  Victory, the citizens of Brookville agree 
  with their arguments. If the posse wins, 
  consult the Wranglin’ Hands table.
  The first round of the conflict, Ruth and 
  Loris argue they did what they could. 
  Agatha refused to leave the farm, even 
  
  The InherITors
  14
  when the writing was on the wall. They 
  tried to convince her, but Agatha was 
  made of iron and vinegar. Public opinion 
  is with the ranch hands on this one, so 
  they receive a +2 bonus to their roll.
  In the second round, the hands shift the 
  blame to other members of Brookville. 
  William Ford is Agatha’s neighbor—if 
  he’s really turned over a new leaf, why 
  didn’t he act more neighborly and help 
  the old woman scare up a search party? 
  How come the preacher didn’t intervene 
  when Agatha started wearing her clothes 
  inside out and talking about dead Jake 
  Clawson?
  The third round of the conflict turns 
  morose, especially if it occurs in a saloon. 
  The hands know Agatha’s dead and 
  buried, so there’s nothing left to do but 
  await the Day of Reckoning when they 
  will answer for their sins. If the Fear 
  Level on Aunt Agatha’s ranch is higher 
  than 3, the ranch hands receive a +4 
  bonus to their roll. (Use Townsfolk stats 
  for the other farm hands.)
  K . Squatters’ Cabin
  When the ranch went belly-up, a pair 
  of ailing travelers claimed a corner of it 
  for themselves. Hutch and Rose Dawkins 
  are small-time thieves who’d turn honest 
  if life gave them the chance. They’re not 
  used to the kindness of outsiders though, 
  so any aid is met with suspicion.
  The Dawkins protect “their” land with 
  three mean dogs. One of them almost 
  caught Dean Bucket, a fact which Hutch 
  is right fond of. Once he gets talking, he’s 
  happy to share, “Not many men can say 
  their hounds almost caught a ghost or a salt 
  witch, or a whatever it was!” The Buckets 
  have taken to carrying bear scent with 
  them to confuse and agitate the dogs.
  Samaritans may hope to evict the 
  Dawkinses by treating what ails them. 
  Diagnosing each patient requires a successful 
  Healing check. Rose’s anemia is caused by 
  Wranglin’ Hands
  Margin 
  of 
  Victory
  Result
  Tie 
  What’s done is done. 
  The hands feel bad about 
  Agatha, but the shame 
  fades with time. Four of 
  them stop by the ranch 
  once in a while to help 
  out.
  1–2
  Six 
  hands 
  volunteer 
  to 
  do 
  manual 
  labor 
  whenever they can get 
  away from their other 
  duties. They won’t fight 
  unless 
  cornered, 
  and 
  nights are right out.
  3–4
  Eight hands volunteer 
  to work regular shifts on 
  the ranch for the entire 
  summer. 
  They’ll 
  take 
  up arms if need be, but 
  refuse to work nights. 
  On 
  the 
  other 
  hand, 
  Agatha’s heir had better 
  be dedicated to the task. 
  There can’t be shirking 
  on either side!
  5+
  Twelve hands volunteer 
  to work regular shifts on 
  the ranch for the entire 
  summer. They’ll take up 
  arms and work nights if 
  need be.
  
  ChapTer Three: who's runnInG My ranCh
  her lack of a stimulating and nourishing 
  diet. She’s not starving, but just as certain 
  “acid fruits” aid with scurvy, an appropriate 
  combination of chemicals would energize 
  her in no time. A successful Knowledge 
  (Chemistry) check at –2 pinpoints the 
  offending chemical as zinc. After 2d6–3 days 
  of good eating (or 1d6–3 days of concentrated 
  pills), she’ll be right as rain. 
  Hutch’s condition is trickier. He’s 
  always had trouble sleeping, and snores 
  like a Wasatch sawmill, but the last few 
  months have been worse. His nerves 
  have been affected by the triple whammy 
  of stress, living on haunted ground, and 
  those no good Brothers Bucket. A steady 
  supply of opiates would trade Hutch’s 
  Bad Dreams for a Habit (Major). 
  Alternately, 
  lowering 
  the Fear Level below 
  3 would eliminate the 
  Bad Dreams with no 
  side effects.
  A f t e r 
  t h e y ’r e 
  in better 
  shape and 
  plied 
  with 
  a few dollars of 
  Christian charity, the 
  Dawkinses are willing to 
  leave the ranch for greener 
  pastures. Evicting the 
  Dawkinses 
  and 
  their 
  dogs is an Onerous 
  Task.
  Hutch and Rose Dawkins have claimed 
  preemptive squatters’ rights on Aunt 
  Agatha’s property. Hutch’s condition 
  (“Th’ sleep sickness”) makes it difficult 
  to stay employed. Although trained as a 
  cobbler, he resorts to petty theft, grifting, 
  and selling salvage to Cousin Merle to 
  make ends meet. He supports Rose as 
  well as he can, but considering they’re 
  both squatting in a dilapidated cabin on 
  Aunt Agatha’s land, that ain’t so well.
  Cousin Merle wishes he could do more 
  for his poor relations, but the junkyard 
  business isn’t exactly booming. Anyone 
  who could help out gains the gratitude of 
  a top-notch handyman.
  Hutch & Rose Dawkins: Use Outlaw 
  stats in the Deadlands Marshal’s 
  Handbook, substituting Poverty for 
  Bloodthirsty. Hutch has the Bad 
  Dreams 
  and 
  Heavy 
  Sleeper 
  Hindrances, and 
  Rose the Anemic 
  (Minor) Hindrance
  Mean Dogs (3): 
  Use Dog/Wolf stats in 
  Savage Worlds.
  L . Fields
  The 
  fields 
  once 
  grew 
  wheat, alfalfa, and beans. 
  Rows of sunflowers added 
  a bright, Kansas touch to the 
  ranch’s breadbasket. Now, the 
  fields are home to nettles and 
  other weeds. As long 
  as the Fear Level 
  remains 
  3, 
  the 
  droning 
  insects 
  that 
  live here are 
  unrelenting 
  in 
  their 
  d i r g e s . 
  
  The InherITors
  16
  on the scope of the destruction. There 
  isn’t much left on the ranch to destroy, but 
  buyers want to know they’re not starting 
  from scratch.
  If word gets out that Black River is 
  buying, the ranch is suddenly worth a lot 
  more. Buyers (including the Sin Eater and 
  the witches) are willing to pay an extra $10 
  per acre. However, the new owner receives 
  a midnight visit from Sadie and her girls 
  about letting everything go for a 50% 
  “friendly neighbor” discount. Blackmail, 
  curses, and outright violence are the 
  wages of those who refuse without a dang 
  good reason—and plenty of backup. 
  Finally, every sale ends with lawyer 
  fees and local taxes to keep the payoff 
  appropriate to your campaign. Don’t feel 
  the need to cheat the posse. Either they 
  worked hard for this money, or in true 
  robber baron fashion, they stiffed a lot of 
  hard-working people for it.
  Notice checks to hear anything else 
  receive a –2 penalty. 
  Putting the fields in order is an Onerous 
  Task. Six hard workers using hand tools 
  can clear the land in a month and a 
  half. However, extended labor attracts 
  iridescent white flies. Their bites result 
  in rows of white pustules that resemble 
  clutches of eggs. These are repulsive, but 
  harmless unless the ranch’s Fear Level 
  increases to 4. At that point, the pustules 
  hatch, giving new meaning to having a 
  bad case of the hives. 
  SELLIN’ THE RANCH
  If the posse agrees to sell the ranch to 
  Black River or Hank Garrison (actually 
  the sin eater, disguised), an opposed 
  Persuasion check is all that’s required. 
  But selling the ranch for a fair price 
  requires 
  fancy 
  salesmanship. 
  Simulate 
  the brass tacks bargaining with the Social 
  Conflict system in Savage Worlds. During 
  the first round of conflict, the purchaser is 
  wary about the land’s physical state. (“Are 
  there enough cows? What kind of shape 
  are the buildings in?”) This requires an 
  opposed Persuasion check. The second 
  round of conflict’s topic is the cursed nature 
  of the ranch. There have been enough stories 
  that even the science-minded require some 
  sort of natural explanation. This is also an 
  opposed Persuasion check. The final round 
  is wrangling over local taxes and fees. This is 
  an opposed Knowledge (Law) check.
  Each check starts with a –4 penalty. 
  Give a +1 bonus for each completed 
  Onerous Task. Initially, buyers are only 
  willing to pay $5 per acre ($800 overall). 
  Each Margin of Victory increases the 
  amount by another $6 per acre. 
  Blowing up the orchard, seeding the 
  fields with vegetation-killing ghost rock, 
  or other acts of widespread mayhem 
  subtract 1–2 Margins of Victory depending 
  
  17
  By this point, substantial evidence points 
  toward William Ford having scared Aunt 
  Agatha to death to steal her land. Sooner 
  or later, the posse may want to pay Ford 
  a visit. When they do, they’re more than 
  likely surprised by what they find.
  CONFRONTING FORD
  William lives alone on his ranch, 
  tending wheat and cattle. During the 
  harvest he hires a few workers to help 
  out, but otherwise the entire operation’s 
  a one-man affair. On this account, Ford 
  spends most of his time in the fields or 
  at church. His only regular visitor—and 
  tormentor—is the sin eater, dressed in the 
  skin of William’s brother-in-law, Henry 
  Garrison.
  William’s a solid, weary-looking man in 
  his late 40s. His hair is graying. He wants 
  to be the kind of man who helps the 
  posse, but his despair is almost palpable 
  and difficult to dispel. The sin eater has 
  cultivated this feeling of isolation. Some 
  visits the abomination is all smiles, 
  pretending it’s just like old times. Other 
  nights, the sin eater turns the screws 
  tight and talks about how its terrible, 
  bloody headaches started after a walk in 
  the swamp with his dear brother-in-law.
  Alert and suspicious heroes might 
  suspect Ford of having a stable of loyal 
  gunmen ready to die at his side, but they 
  find nothing of the sort. Instead they find a 
  broken, lonely man, surly and suspicious 
  of visitors. A successful Persuasion roll 
  (opposed by Ford’s Smarts) or Test of 
  Wills, along with questioning about his 
  role in Aunt Agatha’s disappearance, 
  causes Ford to break down. He says 
  between sobs,
  “I didn’t kill your Aunt Agatha. Anyone 
  who paints my door with that kind of 
  slander is askin’ for a whippin’. I admit 
  me and your aunt had disagreements and 
  traded harsh words on a few occasions. 
  But that was as far as our feud went!
  “I wanted her land, and she refused 
  to sell it. End of story. I’m sorry she had 
  to die alone and unloved. That’s none o’ 
  my business. I ain’t even int’rested in the 
  ranch nomore.”
  A raise on a Persuasion check or Test of 
  Wills demolishes William’s rough façade 
  and brushes aside his crocodile tears. 
  Defeated, he also says, 
  “I don’t feel connected to humanity in 
  any worthwhile fashion nomore, so the 
  least I can do is set the record straight. 
  It may not change my chances for 
  redemption, but I have to try. I’m gonna 
  start with Jolene, my dead wife and Hank 
  Garrison’s dead sister.
  “Before my Jolene died, I was a fair 
  man. But when the last shovel of dirt 
  fell on her plain coffin, I tried to bury 
  my heart in riches. Your Aunt Agatha’s 
  ranch was my target. When I failed in 
  that endeavor, I turned my attention to 
  drink. And with it, rage.
  Chapter Four: 
  Absolution
  Chapter Four: 
  Absolution
  
  The InherITors
  18
  “I slew my brother-in-law Hank Garrison 
  in a drunken rage. I blamed him for bringing 
  Jolene to Kansas in the first place. But 
  then—Hank came back a few months later. 
  He...wasn’t right. I swore off the whiskey 
  and turned to God that day. But it didn’t 
  stop my nightmares...or Hank’s visits.
  “He comes out of the swamps, you see. 
  Because that’s where I killed him. I buried 
  him under a tree’s roots in the Smoky Hill 
  Swamp. A great big ol’ beech tree that 
  looks like a gallows. But ol’ Hank came 
  back. He done come back...lots o’ times.” 
  Fifteen head of cattle in Ford’s pasture 
  belonged to Aunt Agatha, and all of them 
  bear a mark in Jenny Hill’s invisible paint. 
  With a dollop of the revealing solution 
  (found at Agatha’s ranch; see page 8) the 
  marks are rendered plain as day. Ford 
  only knows about three of them, which 
  he liberated after Agatha’s death. The rest 
  were originally rustled by the sin eater, who 
  hoped to implicate the farmer in the crime 
  and offer him up as a patsy for the land grab.
  When the sin eater finds out William 
  grew a backbone and spilled the beans 
  about its activities, it readjusts its 
  tactics. After killing William, it turns to 
  discrediting the posse. If they haven’t 
  endeared themselves to the locals, it kills 
  a few of them and points the angry mob 
  in the posse’s direction.
  William Ford: Use Townsfolk stats from 
  Deadlands Reloaded with Shooting d6, Vigor 
  d8, Bad Dreams, and Mean. When he’s 
  ready for trouble, William carries a double 
  barrel shotgun (Range 12/24/48, Damage 
  1–3d6, RoF 1–2, Shots 2, +2 Shooting).
  HUNTING THE  
  SIN EATER
  William Ford may not be a saint, but 
  he still looks pretty good next to the sin 
  eater that haunts Smoky Hill Swamp. 
  The abomination is bound to the swamp 
  by the dying curse of Jake Clawson. As 
  the unhallowed ground surrounding 
  Brookville grows, so does the sin eater’s 
  terror-tory. To find the creature, the 
  heroes first need to find the gallows tree.
  The sin eater that haunts Smoky Hill 
  Swamp wants out. Since Jake Clawson’s 
  dying curse in ’69, it’s stewed in an 
  isolated patch of unhallowed ground. 
  The only bodies with the decency to be 
  buried in the cursed earth have been 
  few and far between. When Jenny Hill 
  visited the swamp as part of a Black River 
  scouting mission, the abomination saw its 
  chance and struck. Using her memories, 
  it arranged a bargain with her employer, 
  Sadie Gorman: all the land she needed 
  in the Brookville region in exchange for 
  corrupting the town graveyard.
  Black River’s still sore at the sin eater 
  for devouring Jenny. If it doesn’t deliver 
  Agatha’s and Ford’s ranches by the end 
  of the summer, all deals are off. They’ll 
  leave it to rot in Smoky Hill Swamp and 
  trust their own methods to take the land.
  Smoky Hill Swamp
  Fear Level: 4
  Smoky Hill Swamp’s long been a place 
  of ghost stories. Smoky Hill Crick flows 
  through the swamp, pooling around tree 
  roots and at the bases of rocky inclines. 
  The foliage is thick and tangled, making 
  for slow, noisy progress. Animal life 
  makes its presence known through 
  distressingly human-like cries that chill 
  the blood. However, it’s rare to see the 
  noise’s source. Smoky Hill Swamp’s 
  inhabitants have gotten good at hiding.
  It’s difficult to navigate the swamp 
  because nature refuses to act like it should—
  landmarks vanish into the green and trails 
  twist out of sight to leave a traveler stranded. 
  It takes a successful Survival or Tracking 
  
  ChapTer Four: absoLuTIon
  19
  roll at –4 to find the so-called “gallows 
  tree” where Jake Clawson met his end. 
  Failure means the trackers still reach their 
  destination, but not before their scout leads 
  them through a patch of the most vicious 
  stinging nettles a body’s ever seen. Heroes 
  passing through these nasty nettles need a 
  successful Vigor check, or they suffer 2d4 
  damage and Toughness –1 for 2d6 hours. 
  A good alcohol scrubbing removes the 
  enzymes—and their effects—immediately.
  At the Gallows Tree
  The scraggly ivy hanging from the 
  gallows 
  tree’s 
  branches 
  resembles 
  twisted nooses. A row of stunted burr 
  oaks leads to the tree. Each one bears the 
  naturally shaped face of one of the men 
  who stood against Clawson’s raiders. A 
  successful Notice check turns up a shovel 
  and several empty liquor bottles.
  The sin eater enjoys the atmosphere 
  around the gallows tree. When it needs 
  to lie low for a while, it hides in the 
  branches. Anyone walking underneath is 
  in for an unpleasant surprise.
  The sin eater’s wardrobe of stolen flesh 
  is sparse, but suited for the goings on in 
  Brookville. It has absorbed the identities 
  of five corpses: Jake Clawson, CSA 
  bushwhacker; Otis O’Cleary, a lone drifter; 
  Hank Garrison, back from “visitin’ the 
  folks in Dodge”; Jenny Hill, Black River 
  agent and seller of fraternal jokes; and 
  dear old Aunt Agatha herself. The foul 
  beast doesn’t hesitate to use Aunt Agatha’s 
  guise if it’ll help it get the drop on visitors.
  Sin Eater (1): See the Deadlands 
  Marshal’s Handbook.
  In late August, two days before 
  the annual Strawberry Days festival, 
  folks start rolling into town from the 
  surrounding country. Among them are a 
  band of Black River agents led by Sadie 
  Gorman. The witches intend to check 
  on the sin eater. If it hasn’t acquired 
  Agatha’s ranch yet, they take control of 
  the situation. Using their usual tactics of 
  intimidation and blackmail, they find the 
  obstacle and remove it. If that obstacle 
  happens to be the posse, so be it!
  
  20
  THE RANCH’S FATE
  If Agatha’s heir refused to step forward 
  to claim the ranch and its attached debt, 
  the land is put up for public auction at 
  the annual Strawberry Days festival. The 
  sin eater—appearing as Hank Garrison—
  purchases it for a pittance. The creature 
  transfers the land to Sadie Gorman, who 
  has a Black River spur to Brookville built 
  by the end of spring. By the time the next 
  Strawberry Days roll around, 60% of the 
  county is unhallowed and Smoky Hill 
  Swamp is well on its way to becoming a 
  Deadland.
  If the posse sells the ranch before the 
  Strawberry Days festival, there are two 
  ways to spin the story and keep the 
  witches involved. First, have them arrive 
  whenever it’s dramatically convenient. 
  They didn’t get to work for one of the 
  West’s meanest Rail Barons by being bad 
  at their jobs. Alternately, the sale goes 
  through as planned. However, when the 
  posse tries to withdraw the money from 
  the bank, they’re informed of certain legal 
  irregularities that occurred during the 
  deal. The seller is free to fill out the proper 
  paperwork and sell the land properly this 
  time…but the original buyer is no longer 
  interested (or depending on the tone 
  of your game, alive). Maybe some kind 
  ladies from Back East could be persuaded 
  to buy in—at a discount.
  TRAITOR IN  
  THEIR MIDST
  Regardless of how the Wichita Witches 
  enter the scene, they bring with them one 
  more wrinkle: Vanessa Sittler. She visits 
  the posse soon after the witches enter 
  town. Although she’s a Black River agent, 
  she’s looking to snatch the Brookville 
  spur project from under Sadie’s nose. 
  She needs help, but is certain the 
  results would be beneficial for everyone 
  involved—except Sadie, of course.
  Vanessa agrees not to bother Brookville 
  with the witchy side of Black River’s 
  business: There’s no money in it anyway, 
  especially after word gets out. She’s 
  content to use her tiny corner of the rail 
  empire as a stepping stone to bigger 
  prizes in other parts of the country. She’ll 
  also pay a (mostly fair) price for the land, 
  rather than following the standard Black 
  River procedure of up and taking it.
  If Agatha’s heir is interested in selling, 
  Vanessa draws up a contract and shares 
  the secrets needed to kill her boss. For 
  more information see The Blessed Spike 
  below. Vanessa’s also willing to share 
  what she knows about Jenny Hill and the 
  Chapter Five: 
  The Strawberry 
  Days
  Chapter Five: 
  The Strawberry 
  Days
  
  ChapTer FIve: The sTrawberry days
  21
  sin eater, but holds onto those bargaining 
  chips until she needs them.
  Vanessa Sittler
  Vanessa Sittler isn’t a witch, she’s 
  more like an anti-witch. Magic slides off 
  her like water on a duck’s back, making 
  her the ideal agent for clashes with Bayou 
  Vermillion 
  and 
  freelance 
  hucksters. 
  Unlike Sadie’s other two flunkies, Vanessa 
  won’t chain herself to anyone—and that 
  includes the capricious Hell-spirits who 
  trade power for human souls.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d10, Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: 
  Fighting 
  d8, 
  Guts 
  d8, 
  Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Persuasion 
  d8, Knowledge (Law) d6, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d10, Streetwise d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; 
  Toughness 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (Major)
  Edges: Charismatic, Improved Arcane 
  Resistance, Knack (Born on Christmas), 
  Quick Draw, Snakeoil Salesman
  Gear: Brass knuckles (Damage Str+d4), 
  Derringer (Range 5/10/20, Damage 2d6, 
  RoF 1, Shots 2, AP 1).
  THE BLESSED SPIKE
  Magic 
  wasn’t 
  enough 
  for 
  Sadie 
  Gorman. She wanted the really good 
  stuff: immortality, safety from mortal 
  weapons, and revenge on the Union Blue 
  rowdies who betrayed her coven to save 
  their own hides. Turning to the classics, 
  Sadie hid her heart where no one would 
  ever find it: the furnace of a Black River 
  locomotive. Her wicked deeds seeped 
  into the nearby ghost rock, forming a 
  new heart amid the smoke and flames.
  The dark ritual used to bind Sadie to the 
  rails was never intended to be reversible. 
  However, there’s a loophole large enough 
  to drive a locomotive through for those 
  who know where to look. Jamming a rail 
  spike through her black heart does the 
  trick, but the spike needs to blessed first 
  and it has to come from a Black River line. 
  The nearest Black River track is 22 miles 
  east of Brookville, just outside Salina.
  The Ritual
  To complete the ritual, the spike must 
  be blessed while it’s fresh from the 
  ground. After five minutes it loses its 
  symbolic connection to Black River. Next, 
  the ritualist must hold it in one hand and 
  recite a rosary, Sadie’s baptism name 
  (Veronica), and a backward version of 
  the pledge she made to Black River. With 
  that, the spike becomes a tool of divine 
  vengeance.
  To first pull a spike from the line, one 
  hero must succeed on a Strength check 
  (–2). Using a tool like a hammer or a 
  crowbar provides a +2 bonus.
  Blessing a Black River spike uses the 
  Dramatic Tasks rules in Savage Worlds, 
  with a few minor modifications. The 
  ritual lasts for five combat rounds, and 
  each round the spike is passed to a 
  different “active” character. Each round, 
  the active character makes a Faith roll 
  (–2), Knowledge (Occult) roll (–2), or 
  Smarts roll (–4) to recite the ritual (other 
  characters can assist, as usual, using 
  Cooperative Rolls).
  If the active character’s Action Card 
  is a club, the spike suddenly flares with 
  unholy heat. All trait rolls that round 
  are made at a –2 penalty, and the spike 
  deals 2d6 damage to whoever’s holding it 
  (treat this as a Disarm attempt, per Savage 
  Worlds). If someone drops the spike before 
  five rounds are up, the ritual is ruined. 
  At the end of five rounds, if the posse 
  has accumulated five or more successes 
  their spike is blessed, and works as Sadie 
  Gorman’s Weakness. If they accumulate 
  less than five successes, the spike flares 
  
  The InherITors
  with light, bursts into flames, and melts 
  into slag before their eyes.
  They’re welcome to try again, but 
  they’ve 
  got 
  another 
  problem 
  now: 
  witches!
  KILLING SADIE 
  GORMAN
  Right after the posse has their secret 
  meeting with Vanessa Sittler, the other 
  witches pull their sister aside for an 
  impromptu chat. This is to say, they beat 
  her viciously and scar her with black 
  magic until Vanessa spills the beans on 
  everything she told the posse. As a result, 
  the coven is right behind the posse as 
  they begin the ritual. 
  Moreover, 
  Sadie 
  recognizes via 
  her Railsense 
  a b i l i t y 
  w h a t ’ s 
  happening 
  as soon as 
  the 
  first 
  spike 
  is 
  pulled, and 
  zeroes in on 
  their 
  exact 
  location.
  Sadie 
  and 
  her two 
  sidekicks arrive on the scene just after the 
  fifth round of the ritual ends—successful 
  or not—with fire in her eyes and smoke 
  pouring from her mouth. During her 
  approach, Sadie’s about as subtle as 
  swamp gas. She says with an evil smile,
  “You made a big mistake here, amigos. 
  Now we’re goin’ to have to send your souls 
  screamin’ into Hell. Then we’ll help ourselves 
  to Brookville.”
  The witches neither give nor expect any 
  quarter. They fight to the death. 
  Sadie Gorman
  The rails are Sadie’s bones, the 
  shrill cry of the whistle her breath. Her 
  blood? That’s still blood…although its 
  previous owners may dispute claims of 
  ownership.
  Sadie’s 
  replacement 
  heart, 
  made 
  of ghost rock, burns constantly, 
  reminding her of the pact she formed 
  with the rails. As long as Black 
  River prospers, she’ll keep on 
  moving. This unearthly activity is 
  apparent to anyone who sees her 
  when she’s mad. Under everyday 
  circumstances, Sadie’s a mite 
  twitchy. She channels this energy 
  into shuffling papers, brushing 
  her hair, and extreme punctuality. 
  Earning Sadie’s ire causes her to 
  reveal her true form. She exhales 
  great clouds of acrid smoke, which 
  are lit by her blazing eyes. Iron 
  nails force themselves from her 
  hands, and her flesh becomes 
  indistinguishable 
  from 
  weathered oak. 
  Sadie’s vicious and wholly 
  aware of the bounds of her 
  invulnerability. When on 
  the hunt, she prefers to 
  swoop down on her prey 
  from the air, closing the 
  distance with spells and 
  piercing, 
  whistle-like 
  
  ChapTer FIve: The sTrawberry days
  23
  shrieks. After scattering the resistance, 
  she wades into combat with her rending 
  claws.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d10, Strength d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: 
  Fighting 
  d10, 
  Guts 
  d8, 
  Intimidation d8, Notice d8, Persuasion 
  d8, Knowledge (Law) d6, Knowledge 
  (Occult) d10, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, 
  Spellcasting d10
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; 
  Toughness: 9 (2)
  Hindrances: Bloodthirsty
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), 
  Berserk, Charismatic, Trademark Weapon 
  (Whip), Quick Draw
  Powers: 
  Armor, 
  blast, 
  detect/conceal 
  arcana, havoc, fly, slow. Power Points: 30
  Gear: Derringer (5/10/20; 2d6 damage; 
  RoF 1; 2 Shots; AP1), whip (Parry –1, 
  Reach +2, if the wielder scores a raise on 
  his attack roll, the attack does not inflict 
  an additional d6 damage. Instead, the 
  victim suffers a –2 to his Parry until his 
  next action).
  Special Abilities:
  • Armor +2: Sadie’s weathered-oak skin 
  repels damage.
  • Construct: Sadie receives +2 on Spirit 
  rolls to recover from Shaken. No 
  additional damage from called shots. 
  Does not suffer wound modifiers. 
  Immune to disease and poison.
  • Fear: When Sadie reveals her true 
  form, she’s an unholy terror. Anyone 
  experiencing her fury must make a 
  Guts roll.
  • Invulnerability: Sadie can be Shaken, 
  but never wounded, by any attacks 
  other than her Weakness.
  • Iron Nails: Str+d8.
  • Railsense: Sadie can sense activity 
  on all Black River rails within 66 
  miles. She’s automatically aware of 
  vandalism and trains on the tracks. 
  Other information that interests her 
  requires a successful Notice check.
  • Weakness (Blessed Spike): Wounding 
  Sadie’s burning coal heart (a Called 
  Shot at –6) with a blessed Black River 
  spike is the only way to kill her once 
  and for all (see The Blessed Spike, 
  above, for details). If she suffers even 
  one wound in this manner, her heart 
  flares into shrieking flames and 
  consumes her body in spectacular 
  fashion.
  Black River Acquisition 
  Specialists (2)
  When these witches from Wichita roll 
  into town, it’s business time. Black River 
  receives the land and rail contracts it 
  wants in exchange for a hearty portion of 
  blackmail and bloodshed. 
  Although these hellcats are Sadie 
  Gorman’s clerks and enforcers, they’re 
  not the most loyal bunch. The home office 
  is willing to overlook their infighting as 
  long as it doesn’t endanger the success 
  of a deal. The extra level of backstabbing 
  keeps them fit and feisty.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d10, Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: 
  Fighting 
  d8, 
  Guts 
  d8, 
  Intimidation d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, 
  Knowledge (Law) d6, Shooting d6, Stealth 
  d10, Streetwise d6, Spellcasting d10
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; 
  Toughness 6
  Hindrances: 
  Bloodthirsty, 
  Greedy 
  (Minor)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), 
  Charismatic, Trademark Weapon (Whip), 
  Quick Draw
  Powers: Beast friend, bolt, detect/conceal 
  arcana, deflection, fly, slow. Power Points: 20
  Gear: 
  Brass 
  knuckles 
  (Str+d4), 
  Derringer (Range 5/10/20, Damage 2d6, 
  RoF 1, Shots 2, AP 1), whip (Parry –1, 
  Reach +2, if the wielder scores a raise on 
  
  The InherITors
  24
  his attack roll, the attack does not inflict 
  an additional d6 damage. Instead, the 
  victim suffers a –2 to his Parry until his 
  next action), forged legal papers.
  AFTERMATH
  The writing’s on the wall in Brookville. It 
  will have its rail spur, regardless of who’s 
  in charge of the Black River delegation at 
  the end of the day. If Agatha’s ranch ends 
  up with someone opposed to railroads, 
  Black River withdraws their interest. 
  Other companies arrive soon enough, 
  willing to pay more for the land rights.
  Once the danger’s dealt with in 
  Brookville, it’s a good opportunity for 
  the posse to do some Tale Tellin’ and 
  share its exploits in an attempt to dispel 
  the Fear Level a bit. Brookville’s eager to 
  hear that the curse of old Jake Clawson 
  is done with. Casual talk around the 
  Slab connects Sadie Gorman’s flashy 
  demise to Jake Clawson, even if the posse 
  doesn’t. The locals get all the particulars 
  wrong, but the hint may help anyone still 
  seeking the area’s real Fearmonger. 
  By the end of the summer, posse 
  members may have made friends or 
  connections in Brookville. The Strawberry 
  Days festival is a good time to bid farewell 
  to these folks. Unless something went 
  terribly awry over the summer, people 
  are used to seeing the posse around 
  now. Between the pie-eating contest, hog 
  racing, and selecting Miss Strawberry 
  Days, those who knew Agatha stop by 
  to thank the heir. Cleaning up the ranch 
  was a hard job, but in the end it all pulled 
  together. Aunt Agatha would be proud of 
  the spit and sand shown in fixing it up.
  With an endorsement like that, there’s 
  nothing left for the posse to do but count 
  its newfound cash, saddle up, and ride 
  into the sunset.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Deadlands Reloaded/Deadlands Reloaded - Adv - The Inheritors.pdf