TEXT: 1
  — 1 —
  FAERIE TALES FROM UNLIT SHORES
  Three Nights in Portsmouth
  FT 2.5
  Daniel J. Bishop
  
  — 2 —
  FT 2.5 
  Three Nights in 
  Portsmouth
  A Dungeon Crawl Classics anthology for 4-8 level 
  2 characters by Daniel J. Bishop. 
  Written by Daniel J. Bishop • Cover Design by Matt
  Morrow • Cartography by Kristian Richards • Edit-
  ing by Perry Fehr • Interior Art by Luigi Castellani; 
  Layout by Mark Gedak
  Playtesters: Heather Bishop, Morgan Clayton, Bailey 
  Armstrong
  This product offers three short adventures that can be 
  sprinkled into, or occur separately from, FT 2: The 
  Portsmouth Mermaid, by Purple Duck Games. The 
  judge may also use these are parts of later campaign 
  events, occurring between FT 2 and FT 4, or even 
  one or more to give PCs some much needed XP if 
  they are not yet ready to handle The Portsmouth Mer-
  maid.  If you are not using Portsmouth, these scenari-
  os can easily be adapted to any urban environment.
  The village of Portsmouth in The Portsmouth Mer-
  maid offers several features that the players may not 
  become aware of unless they are specifically pointed 
  out. Each of these adventures highlights one of these 
  features. As The Portsmouth Mermaid takes place 
  during a Yuletide celebration, winter is assumed in 
  each of these scenarios. A good judge can easily adapt 
  these to other seasons, often with no more work than 
  changing parts of the descriptive text.
  Each of these is also short enough for a judge to run 
  in a two- or three-hour convention slot without dif-
  ficulty.
  Blood for Cthulhu!
  Synopsis: Cthulhu cultists capture an ally of the PCs 
  to be sacrificed in a ceremony in the salt marshes. 
  Minions of Dagon are already central to The Ports-
  mouth Mermaid. This side adventure brings the 
  Cthulhu cultists into sharp focus.
  Setup: An ally, or a character that the PCs like, is 
  kidnapped by Cthulhu cultists. That the NPC has 
  been kidnapped is not obvious until dark. The PCs 
  learn that a suspicious-looking party went into the 
  salt marshes east of town, where there are rumors of 
  occasional human sacrifices at an old standing stone, 
  about three hours’ travel distant. Local folklore says 
  that the sacrifices occur at midnight, which is now 
  just over three hours away….
  The Cthulhu cultists may simply be taking a victim, 
  but if the PCs actually like any of the Dagonite NPCs 
  they have met, or would be moved to rescue them, 
  that is the character taken. Another Dagonite char-
  acter supplies the PCs with the information needed 
  to find the monolith, including a crude map. In this 
  way, the initial sacrifice was intended by the cultists 
  to weaken the Dagonites, and the Dagonites are using 
  the PCs to disrupt the cultists.
  If the judge is cruel, the Dagonite NPC that the PCs 
  are attempting to rescue has not even been kidnapped 
  – the Dagonites don’t know who has been taken, and 
  simply want the PCs to break up the cult ceremony. 
  In this case, a secondary NPC – perhaps one even 
  more important to the PCs – is the actual sacrifice. If 
  the PCs are not moved to investigate, they might not 
  discover this until far too late.
  For Judges not using the FT Series modules, Dago-
  nites are followers of Dagon, a similar, but different, 
  deity from Cthulhu. You can use any rival cults in 
  your campaign setting, or simply ignore the rival cult 
  angle. Apart from tying into the general action in 
  Portsmouth, it isn’t important to how this side-adven-
  ture plays out.
  Event One: The Salt Marsh: East of Portsmouth, the 
  higher land gives way to a salt marsh fed by countless 
  small streams and brackish pools. Sea water washes 
  into the marsh here, making a habitat for shrimp, sea 
  birds, crabs, and many other creatures. Local leg-
  end suggests that the salt marsh was created by one 
  “Granny Whateley”, who foolishly bargained with a 
  devil for a mill that could grind anything, but forgot 
  to ask how to stop it. She used it to grind salt, and 
  her ruined cabin is rumored to be hidden somewhere 
  within the marsh, the ancient mill still churning out 
  an endless supply of salt.
  
  3
  — 3 —
  Crossing the salt marshes towards Harbin, you see the 
  path you were told to follow, heading north toward the 
  sea. The road here is on a causeway of built-up stone and 
  earth, cutting through marshland to the north and south, 
  and stretching an hour to the west. How far it may stretch 
  to the east you cannot be certain, but Harbin is said to be 
  no more than eight miles – perhaps three and a half hour’s 
  walk – from Portsmouth. The marshland looks almost 
  peaceful, its blanket of dull snow broken here and there by 
  reeds or clusters of dark twisted trees. Somewhere within, 
  though, is an ancient stone monument where, at mid-
  night, sacrifice will occur. You have only two hours left to 
  prevent it.
  Travelling the salt marsh at night is handled abstractly. 
  To succeed, the PCs must reach the next event within 
  the next 80 minutes (but see also Event Three). Do-
  ing so requires that the PCs successfully complete five 
  “steps” within the allotted time. Each attempt to move 
  forward through the marshlands requires a roll. The 
  standard roll takes 10 minutes of moving through the 
  marsh. A high roll can complete 1, 2, or even 3 steps. 
  A low roll can result in no forward progress, or even 
  undo previous successes. Finally, each time the PCs 
  engage in combat which lasts more than 1 round, they 
  lose 10 minutes.
  The players must decide which character is leading. 
  The leader rolls 1d20, adding Intelligence and Luck 
  modifiers. The roll gains a +2 bonus for each character 
  with an appropriate occupation – this should include 
  foresters, trackers, and even vagabonds! If the leader 
  has an appropriate occupation, roll on 1d24 (the +2 
  bonus still applies). The judge may allow greater bo-
  nuses to characters who are swamp natives, or who can 
  scout by flying. Note also that the group can change 
  the leader over the course of this event without pen-
  alty, but any long conversations between rolls should 
  be docked against the group’s time.
  The writer suggests using 1d12 to indicate the number 
  of 10-minute intervals that has passed, and 1d5 to 
  indicate the number of successful steps that must still 
  be made. Keeping these things within the players’ view 
  will help create a focused sense of urgency, especially if 
  they lose time due to side conversations.
  1d20 + 
  Modifiers
  Outcome
  0 or less
  A promising start leads to a rime-encrusted 
  mire which is obviously impassable; not only 
  has the last 10 minutes of effort been lost, but 
  you need to backtrack to regain a trail (lose 1 
  successful step)
  1-5
  The trail disappears into the marsh. Roll a Luck 
  check or be forced to backtrack (lose 1 success-
  ful step); if the check is successful, nothing is 
  gained, but no successful steps are lost, either.
  6-7
  You have gone in a circle; nothing is gained.
  8-9
  2d6 Hobyahs burst out of the surrounding 
  swamp, attempting to overwhelm the PCs. 
  They fight in waves, moving in and out of the 
  reeds, but unless confronted with dogs, will 
  fight to the death. When the last is felled, there 
  is a 1 in 6 chance that another wave of 2d6 
  hobyahs appear. Check until no more hobyahs 
  come.  There is a 1 in 6 chance that the PCs 
  also gain a successful step. Hobyah: Init +1; 
  Atk bite +1 melee (1d3); AC 10; HD 1d6; hp 4 
  each; MV 20’ or roll 40’; Act 1d20; SP infravi-
  sion 60’, afraid of barking dogs; SV Fort -2, Ref 
  +0, Will +0; AL C.
  10-11
  A way towards their goal is found, but it runs 
  along the exposed flesh of several gigantic, 
  presumably hibernating, salt leeches. PCs 
  choosing to risk this passage must each make a 
  Luck check. 0 failures: all PCs make it safely. 1 
  failure: a leech shifts, but does not awaken. 2+ 
  failures: a leech awakens and attacks. For every 
  six rounds of combat, there is a 1 in 5 chance 
  of another leech awakening and attacking. 
  Colossal Salt Leech: Init -8; Atk bite +4 melee 
  (1d6 plus blood drain); AC 14; HD 4d8; hp 20 
  each; MV 10’ or swim 30’; Act 1d20; SP blood 
  drain (automatic 1d4 per round after bite), half 
  damage from bludgeoning weapons; SV Fort 
  +4, Ref -2, Will -4; AL N.
  12-15
  A ruined cottage is seen in the distance, appar-
  ently 1d3 successful steps away. If a successful 
  step would reach the cottage, it appears to have 
  moved, and is now again 1d3 successful steps 
  away. If ignored, this does little harm, but any 
  successful step toward the cottage doesn’t count 
  as a step towards reaching Event 2. Further-
  more, every 3 successful steps towards the cot-
  tage negate a successful attempt towards Event 
  2. It is impossible to reach the cottage; it always 
  appears farther away when approached. If the 
  PCs ignore the cottage, they gain a successful 
  step.
  
  — 4 —
  16-18
  A relatively safe passage is discovered, resulting 
  in 1 successful step. However, each PC must 
  make a DC 5 Strength or Agility check to cross 
  a section of freezing water. Any failure results in 
  the PC getting his lower half soaked, and taking 
  1d3 points of temporary Strength, Agility, or 
  Stamina damage (roll randomly) due to hypo-
  thermia. He loses 1 additional point every 10 
  minutes until he makes a DC 10 Fort save. This 
  damage continues until he has warmed himself 
  by a fire or made 3 successful saves.
  19-20
  A relatively safe passage is discovered, resulting 
  in 1 successful step.
  21-22
  A relatively safe passage is discovered, resulting 
  in 1 successful step. You can increase this to 2 
  steps by pushing through a miasmal fog (each 
  PC must make a DC 10 Fort save or suffer 1d3 
  temporary damage).
  23-24
  A relatively safe passage is discovered, resulting 
  in 2 steps 
  25+
  Remains of an ancient road are discovered, 
  allowing the PCs to move rapidly. Complete 
  2 steps within 10 minutes. You can attempt 
  to complete 3 steps, but then the PC with the 
  lowest Luck must make a DC 10 Reflex save 
  or slide into the marsh. This reduces the gain 
  to only a single step if the other PCs pause 
  to help him. Unaided, a PC must succeed in 
  three Strength checks (DC 5, 10, and 15) to 
  pull himself free from the mire. Armor penalty 
  applies. Any failed check causes 1d3 points of 
  temporary Stamina damage; if Stamina reaches 
  0, the PC drowns. Once free of the mire, the 
  PC can then take 1d3 point of Stamina dam-
  age to catch up to the others, or be 5 minutes 
  behind per check (15+ minutes).
  All temporary damage taken in these step can recov-
  ered with 10 minute’s rest. 
  Event Two: Salt Hounds: The tangled marshes give way 
  to an ancient road, rising on a sort of a berm, and wide 
  enough that two may walk abreast. In the distance, about 
  half an hour away, you can see the light of a large fire 
  burning – surely this is the place you seek!
  At the start of Event One, the PCs had 120 minutes to 
  reach the sacrificial area before it is too late. Subtract 
  the time spent in Event One from this in order to 
  determine how much time (if any) remains.  If the PCs 
  are too late, that’s okay. There is not requirement that 
  they arrive in “the nick of time”.  Success or failure 
  should be based upon game play, not the “needs of the 
  plot”!
  If the PCs reach this point before midnight, going 
  forward summons one salt hound per sentient crea-
  ture (which can include, for example, familiars). If the 
  sacrifice has already been completed, there is only a 1 
  in 3 chance that a salt hound will arise for any given 
  creature; after an hour, the hounds no longer appear. 
  Salt hounds arise from the frozen slime and broken 
  reeds of the winter marsh. They appear as a large dogs 
  made completely out of bog-stuff, with flaming eyes of 
  marsh gas the size of saucers. 
  When a salt hound successfully bites an opponent, 
  that creature must make a DC 10 Fort save or take 
  1d3 Stamina damage as the hound drains salt from its 
  victim. Each salt hound will only attack the being that 
  summoned it, although it can be attacked by others. 
  If the being it was summoned to attack is reduced to 
  0 hp or 0 Stamina, the salt hound collapses back into 
  cold muck and half-frozen marsh plants. Likewise, a 
  slain hound collapses into muck and detritus.
  Salt Hounds (number varies): Init +0; Atk bite +0 
  melee (1d3 plus salt drain); AC 14; HD 1d8+3; hp 8 
  each; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP salt drain (Fort DC 10, 
  1d3 Stamina), attack only summoner, death throes; SV 
  Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +5; AL C.
  Event Three: Approaching the Ceremony:  The sacri-
  ficial area is half an hour from Event Two, but charac-
  ters can hustle if they so choose, trading 1d3 points of 
  temporary Stamina damage (recovered with 5 minutes’ 
  rest) to reduce the time to 15 minutes. If it is before 
  midnight, this event occurs halfway to the final loca-
  tion. 
  As you plow through the frozen marsh towards the red 
  glare ahead of you, you become aware of the sound of 
  muffled tom-toms. Suddenly, as though you have breached 
  a containing wall, you can hear the noise of the religious 
  cult ahead, noises that sound like a strange and terrible 
  admixture of human calls and bestial language – howls 
  and squawking ecstatic hoots that only a poet or a mad-
  man could truly describe. Like waves, the orgiastic ulula-
  tions break, and a chorus of voices rises, chanting “Fung-
  ghoul-ay muggle-won-ah-fuh Cthulhu Rye-lay weegah 
  nagul fuh-ta-gun’.” The most horrible thing is that you 
  almost believe you can hear an inhuman something else 
  which answers in an indescribable whispering voice.
  (The Judge may substitute a different pronuncia-
  tion guide to “Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh 
  
  5
  — 5 —
  wgah’nagl fhtagn” if she wishes!)
  Continuing on requires a DC 8 Will save. Those who 
  fail faint, passing out for 2d20 minutes (2d3 if a char-
  acter attempts to revive them).
  Event Four: Blood for Cthulhu: This event assumes 
  that it is still possible to rescue the sacrifice. If mid-
  night has passed, skip to Aftermath.
  As if a curtain is drawn back, you find yourself suddenly 
  before a tableau of horror. A grassy island rises from the 
  frozen marsh, clear of trees and relatively dry, perhaps 
  200 feet across. A horde of naked humanity leaps and 
  twists around a monstrous ring-shaped bonfire, bray-
  ing, bellowing, and writhing. In the center of the bonfire 
  stands a great granite monolith, some eight feet tall, with 
  a smaller greenish statue atop it – somehow, the small 
  statue seems to loom larger than either fire or monolith. 
  The dancers move widdershins around the fire in an 
  endless-seeming bacchanal. Between you and the dancers 
  are a wide circle of ten scaffolds, from each of which hangs 
  a potential sacrifice, head downward, and likewise void of 
  clothing.
  The occasional antiphonal whisper seems to come from the 
  darkness beyond the fire. Perhaps it is only imagination 
  that creates the faint beating of great wings from the low 
  wind, or a glimpse of shining eyes and a mountainous 
  white bulk far beyond the island from glittering ice, salt, 
  and stars.
  There are about 100 Cthulhu cultists involved in the 
  ceremony, not only from Portsmouth, but from other 
  villages in the area. The Judge is encouraged to include 
  possible glimpses of NPCs from Westlake, for ex-
  ample, which are known to the PCs. This is even more 
  effective if the Judge can avoid granting the players 
  certainty – these cultists are barely glimpsed, and soon 
  escape.
  The PCs are presumably armed, while the cultists are 
  naked. A strong showing by the PCs breaks the cultists 
  immediately, and they scatter into the swamp. In this 
  case, they need defeat a mere 1d10+10 cultists while 
  the others flee. Cautious PCs embolden the cultists, 
  who swarm them in order to gain additional sacrifices 
  for dread Cthulhu.
  
  — 6 —
  If midnight arrives before the cultists are defeated, 1d3 
  cultists will attempt to slay each of the sacrifices with 
  obsidian knives placed near them. There is a 1 in 10 
  chance that any successful sacrifice is the person that 
  the PCs are attempting to rescue, and each successful 
  sacrifice strengthens the White Polypus Thing which 
  lurks in the darkness. If three or more sacrifices are 
  made, the Thing attacks.
  The strength of the White Polypus Thing depends 
  upon the number of successful sacrifices made. Where 
  the “Sac” is used in the statblock, substitute the num-
  ber of each sacrifice made. For example, each sacrifice 
  grants the Thing one Hit Die, one Action Die, and 
  determines the creature’s attack bonus. 
  The Thing is an amorphous white shape with lumi-
  nescent eyes, about 15’ tall. It is surrounded by dark, 
  bat-like demons that are actually extensions of its 
  being, and which fly in and out of its central mass. At-
  tacks against the bat-like demons do not count against 
  the Thing’s total hit points. If a demon is hit, it simply 
  vanishes in a puff of cold white air, and a new demon 
  is formed by the Thing. If the Thing is reduced to 0 
  hp, it is not slain, but is instead forced back into the 
  Outer Dark. It seems to both recede and grow larger, 
  until it is only a pinpoint that fills the entire sky. Freez-
  ing air washes over all present (Fort DC 5 or take 1d5 
  damage), and then it is gone.
  Cthulhu cultists (up to 100): Init +0; Atk fist +0 
  melee (1d3 subdual); AC 10; HD 1d6; hp 4; MV 30’; 
  Act 1d20; SV Fort +2, Ref -1, Will +5; AL N.
  Polypus White Thing: Init +Sac; Atk bat-like demon 
  +Sac melee/ranged (1d5); AC 10+S; HD Sac d10+2 
  per S; hp 8 per Sac; MV fly 50’; Act Sd20; SV Fort +S, 
  Ref +S, Will +Sac+5; AL N.
  Aftermath
  The primary benefit of success is rescuing someone 
  important to the PCs. The other would-be sacrifices 
  are either interment merchants, vagabonds, colliers, 
  and others on the fringes of society. There is a 1 in 5 
  chance that any given sacrifice is a Dagonite. While 
  this may earn the PCs an ally in the Esoteric Order 
  of Dagon, interrupting the ceremony will surely earn 
  them the enmity of the cult of Cthulhu.
  The obsidian knives do 1d3, but break on a natural 
  1 or 20. A wizard or elf can use one of these daggers 
  to sacrifice a sentient victim to Cthulhu as part of 
  casting a spell, gaining a +1 bonus for each victim so 
  sacrificed. The daggers owner suffers nightmares if it is 
  kept on his person (Will DC 10 or suffer 1d3 Person-
  ality or Intelligence damage each night of sleep; player 
  chooses). The DC is lowered to 5 if the dagger is kept 
  elsewhere. The save only fails on a natural “1” if the 
  dagger is kept remotely under lock and key. 
  The idol atop the monolith is an 8-inch image of 
  Cthulhu, carved into light, soapy green stone. Anyone 
  who carries the idol has her Luck reduced by 2 until 
  she gets rid of it permanently. A cleric of Cthulhu 
  who possesses this idol may use it three times a day to 
  perform any of the following functions: add +2 to any 
  spell check, lower disapproval by 2 (to a minimum of 
  1), or cause a creature within 100’ to take 1d8 dam-
  age (no save). A cleric of Cthulhu will recognize these 
  benefits instinctively.
  A cleric of any other deity who carries the idol also has 
  his disapproval go up by 2 so long as the idol is in his 
  possession. If the cleric destroys the idol, he immedi-
  ately lowers his disapproval to 1. In addition, he gains 
  a +4 bonus on his next spell check. The idol is not easy 
  to destroy, though, requiring 9 points of damage and 
  ignoring the first 5 points from any blow. Each time a 
  Polypus White Thing
  
  7
  — 7 —
  character strikes the idol, he must succeed in a DC 10 
  Will save or suffer a minor curse, taking 1d3 points of 
  damage to a random ability score (not Luck). A cleric 
  will instinctively know these benefits and risks of the 
  idol.
  A cleric of Cthulhu who destroys the idol is instantly 
  blasted for 3d8 damage (no save). A cleric of Cthulhu 
  or non-cleric who destroys the idol must succeed in a 
  DC 15 Will save or suffer a minor corruption, which 
  forms over the course of 1d7 weeks.
  A wizard of elf can use the idol to Spellburn by calling 
  upon dread Cthulhu himself! To do so, the caster must 
  hold the idol while casting the spell, and roll on the 
  following table. If a living sacrifice is included in the 
  casting, roll 1d8. If the sacrifice is sentient, roll 1d5. 
  Otherwise, roll 1d14. The caster is instinctively aware 
  of how to use the idol, but is not aware of the table 
  results (until they occur!).
  1d5, 1d8, 
  or 1d14
  Result
  1
  The Great Abyss yawns before you, and for a 
  moment you see the universe with great clarity, 
  including your terrible insignificance in the 
  whole of Creation…and even the insignificance 
  of Creation itself compared to the Elder Gods. 
  Roll 3d3. You take that much Personality dam-
  age, but you also gain twice the result as a bonus 
  to your spell check. 
  2
  You see the underpinnings of this universe with 
  great clarity, and are able to pull the right strings 
  to increase the effect you desire. You gain a +7 
  bonus to your spell check with no cost.
  3
  The underpinnings of the universe are visible to 
  you, and you are able to see what must be done 
  to succeed. You gain a +5 bonus to your spell 
  check with no cost.
  4
  A moment of clarity grants you a +3 bonus to 
  the spell check at no cost.
  5
  You see your companions as they truly are, not 
  as the fleshly things they cloak their true nature 
  within, and it is appalling. Choose one of your 
  companions now. You gain up to 10 points of 
  Spellburn at no cost now, but if you do not 
  sacrifice that companion the next time you use 
  the idol, you will take additional points of abil-
  ity score damage equal to twice the Spellburn 
  granted, and each point will be determined 
  randomly from Strength, Agility, and Stamina. 
  The Judge may wish to inform the player of the 
  choice facing him confidentially.
  6
  You touch Cthulhu’s sleeping mind. Your spell 
  check is improved by +3, but you have night-
  mares for 1d3 nights, and cannot recover lost 
  spells through rest during this time.
  7
  You touch Cthulhu’s mind, where in dreams in 
  R’lyeh, and for a brief second (which seems like 
  an eternity to you) you experience the dreams 
  of the Elder God. You gain a +5 bonus to your 
  spell check, but are haunted by nightmares 
  for 2d5 nights, during which you cannot gain 
  the benefits or natural healing or recover spells 
  through sleep.
  8
  You enter into the thoughts of Cthulhu, and live 
  an eternity in his dreams. For 1d3 rounds your 
  body does nothing; thereafter roll 1d3 for each 
  round you spent frozen; the total is your bonus 
  to the spell check. Now roll 1d7 for each round 
  you were inactive; this is the number of nights 
  you have nightmares for. These nightmares 
  prevent natural healing, and prevent the recovery 
  of lost spells.
  9
  The idol feels coldly alive in your hands, enervat-
  ing your body. You gain Spellburn as normal, ex-
  pressed as Strength, Agility, or Stamina damage.
  10
  The idol feels coldly alive in your hands, and you 
  can detect a malevolent will aligning momen-
  tarily with your own. You gain a +3 bonus to the 
  spell check, but take 1d5 points of Personality 
  damage.
  11
  The idol feels coldly alive in your hands, and 
  for a brief second a tendril of Great Cthulhu’s 
  thoughts is focused upon you. You gain a +3 
  bonus to the spell check, but must roll on the 
  Minor Corruption table on page 116 of the core 
  rulebook. You may spend a point of Luck to 
  avoid the corruption.
  12
  The idol feels warm in your hands, as Great 
  Cthulhu becomes aware of you. You gain a +5 
  bonus to the spell check, but must roll on the 
  Major Corruption table on page 118 of the core 
  rulebook. You may spend a point of Luck to 
  avoid the corruption.
  13
  The idol feels hot in your hands, and you must 
  succeed in a DC 15 Fort save not to drop it. 
  If you succeed in the Fort save, you gain a +10 
  bonus to the spell check. Whether you succeed 
  or not, you take 1d3 damage from the idol and 
  must roll on the Greater Corruption table on 
  page 119 of the core rulebook. You may spend a 
  point of Luck to avoid the corruption, but if you 
  do, you must roll again on the Major Corrup-
  tion table, and you must take the result.
  
  — 8 —
  14
  Cthulhu Awakes! You immediately take 1d4 
  damage to Strength, Agility, Stamina, Intelli-
  gence, and Personality as you are blasted by his 
  full consciousness. Three points of this damage 
  are permanent; roll randomly to determine. The 
  spell you were casting is seared from your mind, 
  so that you may not recover it without relearn-
  ing it or performing some Quest to undo the 
  damage to your psyche. You gain a Greater Cor-
  ruption which you cannot spend Luck to avoid. 
  You pass out for 1d20 minutes. When you 
  awaken, the idol is gone…returned to its Dread 
  Master in R’lyeh. 
  If brought to the Church of Dagon in Portsmouth, 
  Soldeed will buy the idol for up to 300 gp, coins 
  brought up from ancient shipwrecks by the Children 
  of the Deep. These coins are greasy, and stamped with 
  the markings of lost civilizations. They are faintly dis-
  turbing; merchants away from Portsmouth are willing 
  to accept them only at half their value.
  Trail of the Rat
  Synopsis:  A child is kidnapped by giant talking rats 
  and dragged into a deserted building. Should the PCs 
  attempt to rescue the child, they discover the tunnels 
  under Portsmouth. This gives the Judge a means to 
  introduce the under-tunnels to the PCs, and it gives 
  the PCs a chance to gain allies in Portsmouth. Finally, 
  it can be used to introduce the idea that the ghouls in 
  Portsmouth know things, and can be traded with.
  The Portsmouth Mermaid can also segue very easily into 
  The Thing in the Chimney, the first adventure in this 
  author’s HT 1: Perils of Cinder Claws. If the Judge goes 
  on to run the second adventure, The Nexus of Yule, 
  later in the PCs’ adventuring career, she is encouraged 
  to link the talking giant rats of Portsmouth to the Rat-
  fields in that adventure. See HT 1, published by Purple 
  Duck Games, for more details.
  Setup: This scenario can take place at any time, al-
  though it is better as dusk approaches, when there are 
  fewer people on the street. The PCs see a few children 
  lingering as the sky grows darker, having a boisterous 
  war with dirty snow taken from Portsmouth’s streets. 
  Perhaps a PC is hit by an errant snowball, or the PCs 
  stop to talk to the children briefly. It is entirely ap-
  propriate for a gaggle of urchins to mob the PCs with 
  cries of “A penny, M’Lord!” or “A coin to buy a sweet-
  ie, M’Lady!” These are simply children: dirty, largely 
  selfish, and, when the players are certain that they are 
  thankless, willing to give a heartfelt “Thank you, and 
  bless you, Miss!” even if they are sent on their way 
  without a bent copper piece. There is nothing sinister 
  about them.
  If Princess Annegret is with the PCs, she will give out 
  several copper pieces. She will also, once a child is kid-
  napped, insist on his rescue, if the players do not seem 
  motivated to help.
  This scenario assumes that the PCs seek to rescue the 
  child. If they do not, the scenario ends. The PCs may 
  later go back to examine the building; in this event, 
  the Judge will have to extrapolate what is there from 
  the encounter areas described below, and the general 
  information in FT 2: The Portsmouth Mermaid.
  Adventure Start: There is a child’s cry behind you, 
  quickly muffled. You turn just in time to see a cloaked 
  figure drag a young boy into an abandoned building. The 
  door closes behind the struggling figures, and the muffled 
  cries fall silent.
  From the outside, the building looks typical of the many 
  abandoned buildings in Portsmouth – two storied with 
  shuttered windows sealed with boards, sagging from 
  time and neglect, and showing signs of fungal infestation 
  (thankfully dormant in the winter months). The door is 
  barred from the inside, but the hinges are weak; it can be 
  kicked open with a DC 5 Strength check.
  Encounter Areas:
  1. Interior: The building is a mere shell inside, the up-
  per floor rotted away so that a staircase to the right goes 
  nowhere. To the left, there is a great hole that appears to 
  have been gnawed upward from below, like a gigantic rat 
  hole over ten feet across. The hole is not recent, and debris 
  has been moved by passage in both directions, up from 
  below, and down into the darkness. You can hear scuffling 
  noises below.
  Characters whose occupations include tracking can 
  easily determine that the two figures, one of them 
  struggling, went down the hole. Moreover, one of the 
  figures was barefoot, with long clawed feet. A DC 10 
  Intelligence check will identify the tracks as human-
  sized but rat-like. Other characters can make a DC 10 
  Intelligence check (using 1d10) to track the pair to 
  
  9
  — 9 —
  
  — 10 —
  the tunnel, but have no chance of identifying what the 
  tracks are.
  Anyone foolish enough to climb the stairs to the north 
  has a 1 in 3 chance of them collapsing on the way up, 
  and a 1 in 3 chance of them collapsing on the way 
  down. Falling damage is 1d6.
  2. The Rat Tunnel: The tunnel drops down 10 feet 
  before curving off to the east at a 45-degree angle. The 
  sides are rough, almost chewed-looking, but if a rat dug 
  through the stone and earth here, but the rat that chewed 
  such a hole would have to be of enormous size!
  The tunnel is 40’ long. The first 10’ is a drop (Climb 
  DC 5) and the rest is a slope of 45 degrees or less 
  (Climb DC 3). Characters who fail create a fall of 
  loose material that clatters loudly in the darkness. 
  Only if a natural “1” is rolled – and the character 
  cannot succeed with the result – does the PC lose his 
  balance completely, sliding down the clattering scree to 
  land prone in Area 3.
  3. Which Way Did He Go?: The rat-hole opens into 
  an ancient tunnel of olive- and emerald-flecked black 
  stone. The immediate area is widened to 40 feet, forming 
  a rough chamber in a tunnel running into the darkness 
  north and south. The tunnel here is 20 feet wide and 16 
  feet high, so old that stalactites half a foot long hang from 
  the tunnel ceilings. The more recent chamber you are in 
  has also grown stalactites, although these are tiny fingers 
  of rock barely discernable on the rough ceiling. The air is 
  damp and cool, and the must of ages hangs heavy on the 
  air. You can hear the chittering and scuttling of rats all 
  about you in the darkness. 
  This is part of the prehuman tunnels running beneath 
  Portsmouth (see FT 2 for more details). The child and 
  his kidnapper have gone north, but this may not be 
  immediately obvious. 
  • 
  If a PC fell down the rat-hole (Area 2), he heard 
  a cry, cut short, as he landed. An Int check (DC 
  15) indicates that the cry seemed to come from the 
  north. Otherwise, the PC is unsure. If the player 
  demands to know the direction the PC thinks the 
  cry came from, roll 1d6. On a 1-3, say “north”. 
  Otherwise, “south”.
  • 
  Tracking in this area is difficult, but a DC 15 skill 
  check can show the proper direction to take. Re-
  member that PCs without an appropriate occupa-
  tion roll this check on 1d10.
  • 
  A PC may spend 1 Luck to guess the right direc-
  tion.
  There are many rats lurking in the darkness. Any PC 
  that can hit AC 13 with a ranged weapon can kill a rat, 
  and any attack (hit or miss) sends 1d5+1d3 rats squeal-
  ing off into the darkness.
  The passage that leads to Area 4 is 10’ wide but only 4’ 
  high, so that characters taller than a halfling must duck 
  to enter. Thick, torn webs indicate that the passage has 
  been used recently. The spiders themselves are hiber-
  nating for the winter, although thick egg sacks might 
  give players pause…the webs are flammable, and burn 
  quickly (but not completely), making the corridor far 
  more clear in 1d3 rounds.
  4. The Pied Piper of Portsmouth: As soon as PCs be-
  gin moving down the corridor, or if they light the webs 
  on fire, an eerie piping noise echoes through the stone 
  tunnels. It seems to be coming from ahead of them. 
  Within 1d3 rounds, a rat swarm is summoned into the 
  passage, coming from the larger corridor to the west. 
  Every 1d5 rounds thereafter, another rat swarm comes 
  from the same direction, as long as the piping contin-
  ues. These swarms immediately attack the PCs. If the 
  piping stops (see Area 5), all swarms disperse in 1d3 
  rounds.
  Rat swarm: Init +4; Atk swarming bite +1 melee (1 
  plus disease); AC 9; HD 4d8; hp 16 each; MV 40’ or 
  climb 20’; Act special; SP bite all targets within 20’ x 
  20’ space, half damage from non-area attacks, disease 
  (DC 5 Fort save or additional 1d3 damage); SV Fort 
  +2, Ref +4, Will -2; AL N.
  The passage is only 20 feet long, ending in a low chamber 
  approximately 30 feet to a side. An arched corridor exits 
  from the center of the left-hand wall – this seems to be the 
  source of the eerie piping. Cold water drips down the far 
  wall, creating a green-flecked rippling pattern of age-old 
  mineral deposits on the black stone.
  The PCs have one round before two giant talking rats, 
  each about the size of a halfling, come bounding out 
  of the north passage. The judge should play up the 
  fact that they can speak (i.e., “Hot damn!” one growls. 
  “Look what’s come fer dinner!”). For most players, this 
  
  11
  — 11 —
  will be surprising and potentially creepy. Rat swarms 
  ignore these creatures. They seek only to delay and 
  weaken the party, so that more rat swarms might be 
  summoned.
  Giant talking rats (2): Init +3; Atk bite +2 melee (1d4 
  plus disease); AC 13; HD 1d6+2; hp 6, 7; MV 30’ 
  or climb 20’ or swim 20’; Act 1d20; SP disease (Fort 
  DC 7 or suffer 1d3 damage each day for 2d7 days), 
  manipulative paws, speech (goblin tongue), infravision 
  60’; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +0; AL C.
  5. End of the Trail: The corridor leads into a circu-
  lar chamber, 30 feet in diameter. The floor drops away 
  some 15 feet below the level of the passage. A stair winds 
  around the room, broader and shallower than one made 
  for human feet, ending just to the left of the passage. A 
  muffled figure stands in the shadows across the room, 
  holding a flute from which the strange piping sounds. It 
  is dressed in motley robes and hood of many dark hues. 
  At its feet you can see the unmoving form of the child you 
  seek.
  Machen, the rat-sorcerer, kidnapped the child (Hans) 
  to give to the Portsmouth ghouls in exchange for miss-
  ing fragments of the cultes infernales that contain the 
  spell invisible companion. As long as he plays the Rat 
  Lord’s flute, rat swarms are summoned as described 
  in Area 4. As soon as he is injured, or is engaged in 
  melee, he is obliged to stop. If spells are cast, Machen 
  may attempt to spell duel, either using the flute or his 
  own spell abilities. He is certainly willing to threaten 
  PCs with the “Lord of Rats”, and warn them that “The 
  ghouls are coming, and they expect this child”.
  Whether or not the Lord of Rats cares, sends agents 
  to exact revenge, or even exists is up to the judge. If 
  the judge also runs the aforementioned adventure, The 
  Nexus of Yule, the Ratfields may also refer to the “Lord 
  of Rats”, who is either a rat-god or a supernatural 
  patron.
  The Rat Lord’s Flute
  The Rat Lord’s flute allows its owner to play 
  any one of three tunes:
  • 
  Summons a rat swarm from the surrounding 
  area. This takes as little as 1d3 rounds to as 
  long as 1d5 hours, depending upon the local 
  rat population. These rats act as the flautist 
  wishes, so long as he continues to play. If there 
  are many rats in an area, additional swarms 
  may be summoned, as determined by the 
  judge.
  • 
  Charms a humanoid creature, as per the charm 
  person spell (1d20 + Personality modifier to 
  determine result on the spell table).
  • 
  Casts sleep using 1d14 + Personality modifier.
  If the user is a rat, or has allied himself to the 
  Lord of Rats (using patron bond or as a cleric 
  of the Rat God), there is no cost to using the 
  flute. Otherwise, the flute draws upon the 
  strength of the flautist, draining 1d3 points 
  of temporary Stamina damage each time it is 
  used. Further, whosoever carries the flute, un-
  less dedicated to the Lord of Rats, has her Luck 
  
  — 12 —
  reduced by 2 so long as the flute is carried, 
  and is preferentially attacked by rats or rat-like 
  creatures if the flute is not being played.
  Machen, the rat-sorcerer: Init +3; Atk bite +4 melee 
  (1d4 plus disease); AC 13; HD 6d4+12; hp 24; MV 
  30’ or climb 20’ or swim 20’; Act 1d20; SP disease 
  (Fort DC 7 or suffer 1d3 damage each day for 2d7 
  days), spells, manipulative paws, speech (common, 
  goblin tongue), infravision 60’; SV Fort +4, Ref +2, 
  Will +0; AL C. Spells (spell check +6): choking cloud, 
  dispel magic, magic shield, ray of enfeeblement, and 
  spider climb.
  The child, a small and grubby-looking urchin, appears 
  to be in shock or ensorcelled – he can take no action 
  except moving at a slow pace (5’) until brought back 
  to the street.
  Parlay with the Ghouls
  As you enter the main tunnel, you hear a sharp hiss to 
  your left. “What beings are these?” a foul voice hisses. 
  “What matters it, brothers?” says another. “They have 
  brought the agreed-upon price. I can smell the young liv-
  ing blood and marrow.” Three figures crouch in the tunnel 
  to the south, feral-looking man-things with eyes that glit-
  ter in the dark. They stink of the grave.
  These are three of the Portsmouth ghouls (calling 
  themselves Christian, Anderson, and Hans). They 
  carry fragments of ancient scrolls in a wooden box, 
  the cultes infernales containing invisible companion, 
  as the rat-sorcerer had arranged. This version of the 
  spell requires that the companion be bound to an item 
  made of brass (such as a ring or a lamp), which must 
  be provided by the caster for the spell to work. Control 
  of the brass item is required to control the companion, 
  and control can be transferred by passing on (or steal-
  ing) the item. The ghouls will gladly trade the scroll 
  fragments for the child. They will talk, and may make 
  a different exchange for the boy if the PCs desire, but 
  if completely thwarted they attack.
  Ghouls (3): Init +1; Atk bite +1 melee (1d4 plus para-
  lyzation) or claw +3 melee (1d3); AC 13; HD 2d6; hp 
  7, 10, 4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead traits, para-
  lyzation (1d3 rounds, Will DC 14 negates), uncanny 
  knowledge; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.
  Aftermath
  The boy’s name is Timmy Tivvers. Once taken back to 
  the winter streets of Portsmouth, he recovers quickly, 
  wanting nothing more than to run away. Although 
  he may escape without even thanking his rescuers, at 
  some future time (either while playing through The 
  Portsmouth Mermaid or later), the PCs receive unex-
  pected (and timely) aid from a group of ragged urchins 
  led by Timmy. 
  This might be a distraction that gives the PCs a chance 
  to run away…or turn the tables on a foe. It might 
  be much-needed information, such as the nature of 
  Doctor Fell. A hissed warning prevents the PCs from 
  choosing the wrong ship. If the players seem suitably 
  appreciative, the judge can have additional appearances 
  of Tivvers & co. occur whenever the PCs are in Ports-
  mouth, over the course of a long campaign.
  On the other hand, every ghoul the PCs meet is auto-
  matically hostile until a price has been paid for their 
  audacious rescue of young Mr. Tivvers. 
  The Open Tomb 
  Synopsis: A tomb in the Overlook is rumored to be 
  the hiding place of a great store of pirate gold. Investi-
  gating characters find a tunnel that leads to the lair of 
  a sea-dragon.
  Dragons are rare in the Dungeon Crawl Classics game 
  system, but they are not rare in fairy tales, and one of 
  my goals with the FT Series was to include a dragon 
  somewhere in each adventure. FT 0 has the rose 
  dragon, and FT 1 has the jabberwocky. When work-
  ing on The Portsmouth Mermaid, a dragon didn’t seem 
  appropriate to either the main storyline, or the add-on 
  encounters based on fairy tales and nursery rhymes. 
  This short adventure, then, adds a dragon hiding 
  within Portsmouth itself. It also supplies a potentially-
  needed source of revenue, as the basic set-up of FT 2 
  can easily bleed the PCs of whatever riches they might 
  have.
  Finally, if your players are anything like mine, as soon 
  as they learned there is a cemetery in town, they will 
  head there to look for spare loot or clues. What they 
  find is the Open Tomb.
  
  13
  — 13 —
  Setup
  The Overlook is a graveyard on a high promontory 
  overlooking Portsmouth Harbor (see FT 2), the an-
  cient stone honeycombed with catacombs and burial 
  vaults. At night, the Overlook is haunted by ghouls; 
  there is a 25% chance of meeting 2d6 on any given 
  night. These ghouls are not mindless; they can be spo-
  ken to and bargained with. They know many things, 
  and can answer almost any question related to doings 
  in Portsmouth over its entire history. They certainly 
  know that many graves are empty, the “deceased” not 
  being within their sealed caskets – they even know that 
  these so-called dead men slip into the water and swim 
  out to Devil’s Reef.
  Ghouls (3): Init +1; Atk bite +1 melee (1d4 plus para-
  lyzation) or claw +3 melee (1d3); AC 13; HD 2d6; hp 
  7, 10, 4; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP un-dead traits, para-
  lyzation (1d3 rounds, Will DC 14 negates), uncanny 
  knowledge; SV Fort +1, Ref +0, Will +0; AL C.
  If the PCs examine the tombs, they will soon discover 
  one that can be broken into: The lock is of poor qual-
  ity (DC 5), the door is open, or the door is hanging 
  from one hinge, or even missing. If the PCs make mul-
  tiple forays to the Overlook, the judge is encouraged to 
  have the state of the entrance deteriorate over time.
  Adventure Start
  You find yourself outside of a tomb you could probably 
  enter. It seems to be composed of a main dome, made of 
  time-weathered granite, with two low wings to the east 
  and west. Although the tomb was once decorated with 
  angels and cherubs, time and the elements have worn 
  away the stone, until the once-celestial creatures seem 
  almost aquatic…the angels of the deep. The name over the 
  entrance is likewise worn, and only the first four letters 
  can be made out clearly. Still, you think that the name of 
  the family buried here is “Hookmorton”.
  Encounter Areas
  1. The Open Tomb: Within the mausoleum, there is a 
  smell of decay, which even the salty air blowing off the 
  ocean cannot entirely dispel. Beneath it is the scent of sour 
  alcohol and vomit – it seems from the shattered clay jugs 
  and dirty bottles that the living have used this place in the 
  not-too-distant past. To the right and the left of the domed 
  entry chamber, archways lead into roughly square cham-
  bers where the family crypts are located.
  There are six crypts in the west wing, and five in the 
  east. Where one crypt would be to the east, there is a 
  set of narrow stone steps leading into the damp stone 
  of the Overlook. Asking around in Portsmouth reveals 
  that the last Hookmortons died out or left town two 
  generations back.
  If players examine the other crypts, they are (clockwise 
  from the northwest corner):
  Western Room: 
  • 
  James and Gwendolyne Hookmorton.
  • 
  Our Beloved Peter, Taken From Us As A Child: In 
  addition to the boy’s skeleton there is the skeleton 
  of an inch-long woman, which glows slightly (dim-
  mer than candlelight) for 2d5 days, and occasion-
  ally makes faint sounds, like the tinkling of a tiny 
  silver bell.  If this grave is opened, the boy’s shadow 
  slips out. It follows the PCs for 1d5 days, caus-
  ing whatever boyish mischief it can, before finally 
  seeking to attack the youngest male. If the shadow 
  succeeds in slaying its chosen victim, it forces itself 
  into his body, which grows younger until about 9 
  years old, and then the body flies away, crowing 
  like a rooster and laughing (fly 60’). Peter’s Shad-
  ow: Init +3 (able to always surprise); Atk debilitat-
  ing touch +4 melee (1 permanent Strength); AC 
  15; HD 3d8; hp 9; MV fly 40’; Act 1d20; SP stalk 
  prey to guarantee surprise, permanent Strength 
  damage, incorporeal, immune to non-magical 
  weapons, un-dead traits; SV Fort +3, Ref +8, Will 
  +6; AL N.
  • 
  Dearest Nana, Inseparable Even In Death: Con-
  tains the skeleton of a large dog.
  • 
  John Darling Hookmorton, Dreams Die Not.
  • 
  Jas. Barrie Hookmorton and Elizabeth S. Hook-
  morton.
  • 
  Sir Nicholas Hookmorton and Courtney Stewart 
  Hookmorton, The Brave Die Not, But Stand Eter-
  nal Vigilance: This crypt is empty.
  Eastern Room:
  • 
  Captain Jas. Hookmorton, Lost At Sea, Buried 
  Here His Memory: There is no body here, but 
  there is an oiled leather sack containing 120 sp 
  and 50 gp. If the judge desires, an ancient vellum 
  map in a scroll tube can also be found, leading to a 
  buried treasure. This is a great way to motivate PCs 
  
  — 14 —
  to explore another adventure location the judge is 
  interested in!
  • 
  Lady Jacqueline Harkness-Hookmorton: This 
  crypt is empty.
  • 
  William Patrick Hookmorton and Lady Mary 
  Clearwater Hookmorton.
  • 
  James and Thomas Hookmorton, Born Together, 
  Died Together: The bones of these twins shows 
  (DC 10 Intelligence check) that they died of sword 
  wounds. Enquiring PCs may learn of “Those 
  young Hookmorton fools” who slew each other in 
  a duel, decades back, over who fired an arrow at a 
  bird. The arrow struck a girl they both fancied; she 
  survived.
  • 
  Stairs downward instead of a crypt.
  • 
  Lillian Hookmorton and Sarah Jane Heriot, The 
  Flesh Lasts But A Little Time, The Love That 
  Binds Us is Immortal.
  2. The Corkscrew: There is a narrow passage at the 
  bottom of the stairs, only six feet high and five feet wide. 
  It quickly turns to the left, and then begins to corkscrew 
  downwards into the dark, wet rock. The rock is slick with 
  moisture, and there is a constant dripping. The walls 
  are pierced at odd intervals by other tunnels, radiating 
  outwards. These smaller tunnels are only about two feet 
  in diameter, so that a human would be forced to crawl 
  within them. They smell strongly of corruption.
  PCs must move slowly down the corkscrew because 
  of the damp, slick conditions. An average party takes 
  30 minutes down, and 45 minutes to return. PCs who 
  attempt to move faster must make a DC 10 Agility 
  check to move at twice this speed; failure indicates an 
  abrasive fall, sliding downward 1d7 x 5’ (modified by 
  Luck), for 1d3 damage per 5’.
  The side tunnels twist and turn, leading under the 
  graves of the Overlook. Some tunnels may lead to 
  the Undertunnels beneath Portsmouth, and others to 
  the Dreamlands – a plane visited by mortals almost 
  exclusively in their nightmares, home to ghouls, bone-
  eaters, and night gaunts. These tunnels are used by the 
  Portsmouth ghouls. PCs engaged in combat here can 
  only use small weapons, and have a -2d penalty to ini-
  tiative, attack rolls, and damage (halflings suffer only a 
  -1d penalty). The ghouls suffer no such inconvenience.
  As PCs travel downwards towards Area 3, the air be-
  comes damper, and the smell of brine overpowers the 
  graveyard stench of the upper area.
  3. Grimperrault’s Lair: The passage ends at last in a 
  larger cavern, roughly crescent-shaped. The high ceiling 
  is dimly lit by countless glowing points of blue light that 
  shine like stars. The floor is covered in a foot-deep salt wa-
  ter, choked with a floating morass of giant kelp, bladder-
  wrack, and blackened wood from the smashed remains of 
  ancient ships. You can see another passage ahead of you, to 
  the left; it must open to the surface in some way, as light is 
  filtered down from above. A passage to your right seems to 
  lead up, out of the water.
  The water and seaweed hide the uneven floor of the 
  cavern. PCs moving at greater than half speed must 
  succeed in a DC 15 Reflex save or fall; on a natural 
  “1”, a falling PC takes 1d3 Agility damage from hid-
  den rocks. The spots of light are glowing worms hang-
  ing from strands of mucilage, which trap the tiny flies 
  they consume. The worms hang 5-8’ off the ceiling, 
  which is 15-30 feet above the cave floor. If the float-
  ing wood is examined, a plank bearing the title “Jolly 
  Roger” is found.
  This is the lair of the sea dragon, Grimperrault. The 
  dragon is not here when the PCs first enter; thereafter 
  when her lair is approached, roll 1d8: (1) the dragon 
  is absent, (2-4) the dragon is present, but asleep if the 
  PCs have not been unusually noisy, (5-7) the dragon 
  is present and awake, or (8) the dragon is present 
  and awake, but has been wounded for 1d24 points of 
  damage. Grimperrault is not hampered by the uneven 
  floor.
  For every 10 minutes the PCs spend in Areas 3, 4, and 
  5, the judge rolls a die. If the die comes up “1”, the 
  dragon returns. After the first 10 minutes, roll 1d8, 
  then 1d7, 1d6, etc. Depending upon what the PCs 
  are doing when Grimperrault returns, the party may 
  be able to parlay with the dragon. The dragon speaks 
  Draconic, Elvish, and Serpent-Man. Any service the 
  PCs might ask of Grimperrault will be costly indeed – 
  every 10 gp offered creates a 1% chance of agreeing to 
  a task which the dragon can easily and safely do. The 
  dragon has lived in this cavern for over a century, and 
  knows most of what occurs on or below the sea in this 
  region.
  Grimperrault, the Sea Dragon: Init +10; Atk claw 
  +11 melee (1d8); bite +11 melee (1d12); AC 20; HD 
  
  15
  — 15 —
  10d12; hp 50; MV 50 or swim 100’; Act attacks 3d20, 
  spells 1d20; SP breath weapon, 100’ infravision, am-
  phibious, spellcasting, immune to fire, plant growth, 
  pass through vegetation; SV Fort +10, Ref +10, Will 
  +10; Al N. Spells (+5 spell check): Ropework.
  Grimperrault is a vast creature, the size of a small 
  house, resembling a cross between a scale-less fish and 
  a salamander. Her moist skin is mottled amethyst and 
  emerald, and her eyes glitter with a green-gold light. 
  Although she doesn’t have wings, she can crawl on any 
  surface (including walls and ceilings) at her full move, 
  and swim with ease. Grimperrault’s breath weapon 
  is a 30’ long cone of cold, with a 20’ base, that does 
  damage equal to the dragon’s current hit points (Fort 
  save DC 17 for half). Her cold, slimy skin makes him 
  entirely impervious to fire.
  The dragon conceals her lair with seaweed, which she 
  can make grow to twice its normal size once per hour. 
  Growth takes 1d4 rounds, and targets within the area 
  of growth (up to 100’ radius) are entangled, moving at 
  half speed and taking a -2 penalty to attacks. Grimper-
  rault herself can pass through any vegetation at will 
  without leaving any trace. When she casts ropework, it 
  manifests as strands of dark seaweed that enlarge and 
  animate to do her silent will.
  4. Exit to the Sea: The passage leads almost immedi-
  ately to a borehole 15 feet in diameter. The upper area is 
  choked with branches and vines, but the sky can be dimly 
  seen about 40 feet overhead. A great mass of seaweed 
  chokes the lower area of the borehole. This is so thick that 
  you could actually stand upon it, although it is not stable 
  enough to stand easily.
  The top of the borehole leads to a cliff off Portsmouth 
  Harbor, far below the Overlook. From above, it is 
  almost impossible to notice due to the overgrown 
  vegetation around it (which Grimperrault used her 
  plant growth ability to create). The lower area is even 
  more choked with vegetation, although Grimperrault 
  can pass through it without hindrance. It leads 80 feet 
  down to a passage leading into Portsmouth Harbor. A 
  PC standing on this mass must make a DC 5 Reflex 
  save each round to keep his footing; this increases to 
  DC 10 if moving faster than half speed, and DC 15 if 
  fighting.
  5. The Dragon’s Hoard: This cavern is not lit, and 
  the PCs will be unable to see anything without a light 
  source. The descriptive text assumes torches, and 
  should be modified as needed. Torches may be difficult 
  to light in the sea dragon’s lair, especially if the PC car-
  rying them has fallen into the briny water more than 
  once!
  The passage curves sharply upward, leading you to a 
  cavern whose walls and ceiling disappear beyond the reach 
  of your torchlight. The floor glitters with scattered reflec-
  tions, light from the dancing flames striking coins strewn 
  haphazardly upon the floor. Several sea chests are visible, 
  open or shut. From what you can see, this dank room 
  must contain the treasure of a dozen shipwrecks or more!
  This cavern contains Grimperrault’s treasure. The 
  dragon will look with displeasure upon any she catches 
  stealing from her hoard! It consists of four open chests, 
  two closed chests, three bags, and a considerable 
  amount of loose coins, gems, and jewelry. 
  • 
  Chest 1 (open): 1,234 cp, 163 sp, 53 gp, two 
  strings of pearls worth 50 gp each.
  • 
  Chest 2 (open): Yards of ruined silk and brocades, 
  including a bolt of cloth sewn with tiny pearls, still 
  worth 25 gp due to the pearls.
  • 
  Chest 3 (open):  125 gp minted on greasy Dago-
  nite gold (see FT 2), 136 small topaz stones worth 
  5 gp each, a silver ring with a hematite stone worth 
  15 gp, and two jade statuettes of cavorting mer-
  maids worth 125 gp each.
  • 
  Chest 4 (open):  250 sp, 125 gp, a ruined tricorn 
  hat with a great black plume, a gold ring with a 
  blood-red gem (apparent value 50 gp, but the gem 
  can be swiveled to reveal three drops of a deadly 
  poison; each drop does 3d6 Stamina damage, Fort 
  DC 20 or die immediately, when consumed), and 
  a black iron hook meant to replace a lost hand. 
  The iron hook is magical, and not rusted despite 
  the damp, salty air. When it is placed upon the 
  wrist where a hand has been severed, it serves as a 
  +2 weapon that does 1d5 damage. In addition, it 
  grants the wielder an extra Action Die (1d16) that 
  can only be used to make attacks with the hook. 
  When using this Action Die only, the hook scores 
  a critical on a natural “16”. The user permanently 
  gains +1 hit point with each victim slain using the 
  hook, and gains a second attempt with any failed 
  Recover the Body check. However, a soul hunter 
  (see below) begins stalking any who wears the 
  
  — 16 —
  hook after 1d7 days.
  • 
  Chest 5 (closed, locked DC 15): A tattered pirate 
  flag, a black curly wig, ruined fancy clothing (a 
  man’s) from which 30 gold buttons (1 gp each) 
  can be recovered, and a small velvet bag containing 
  three emeralds (50 gp each) and a ruby (150 gp).
  • 
  Chest 6 (closed, locked DC 10, poison pin trap – 
  DC 10 to locate and remove, 1d3 Strength dam-
  age [Fort DC 10 or damage is permanent]): Six 
  tablets made of an unknown white metal which is 
  impervious to any harm mortal strength or spell 
  can inflict. Upon each of these tablets is written a 
  single spell. A PC could attempt to learn the spell 
  from the tablet, but each attempt to do so costs 1 
  point of Luck per spell level (something the PC 
  learns only by making the attempt). They can be 
  sold for 100 gp each (or perhaps more, depending 
  upon the buyer), but are certain to wind up in the 
  collections of wizards antagonistic to the PCs. The 
  six spells are: (level 1) Ekim’s mystical mask, find 
  familiar, ward portal, (level 2) locate object, monster 
  summoning, and (level 3) consult spirit.
  • 
  Bag 1 (oiled leather, tied tightly shut, seems to 
  contain a wealth of coins): Contains an elemental 
  wind grue (see below), which attacks as soon as 
  it is released from the bag. A cleric, wizard, or elf 
  with access to the binding spell can attempt to 
  bind the creature within the bag before releasing it.
  • 
  Bag 2 (a large bag of oiled leather, tied shut): Con-
  tains 3,456 sp and 12,345 cp.
  • 
  Bag 3 (rotting cloth bag, falls apart when exam-
  ined): 342 gp and 10 garnet gems worth 15 gp 
  each.
  • 
  Scattered Items: 
  • 
  67,456 cp, 3,451 sp, and 450 gp in scat-
  tered coins.
  • 
  2 strands of pearls worth 25 gp each.
  • 
  A trident with pearl inlay on the shaft (as 
  spear, 40 gp value).
  • 
  467 loose pearls worth 2 gp each.
  • 
  152 loose gems of other types, each worth 
  2d6 gp.
  Soul Hunter
  The soul hunter is an extradimensional  creature that 
  subsists off of the souls of its victims. Its bite passes 
  through flesh without harming it, but tears off a 
  small piece of the victim’s soul, causing 1d3 points of 
  Strength, Agility, or Stamina damage and rendering 
  part of the body useless. The damage reflects the effect 
  of the bite: 1 point of Agility damage might indicate 
  that a few fingers are rendered useless, but, eventually, 
  as the damage adds up, the victim is able to use less 
  and less of his body. The player can choose which abil-
  ity, from among the three, to take the damage from.
  (Some sages and theologians theorize that the soul is 
  suffused throughout the body, so that when an ampu-
  tee feels “phantom limb pain”, he is in fact feeling the 
  remnant soul which has no bodily housing. The action 
  of the soul hunter is the opposite; the housing remains, 
  but parts of the soul are taken.)
  The soul hunter needs very little “food” to survive. 
  After each attack, it retreats into shadows and disap-
  pears. This allows prepared characters to attempt a free 
  whack. Thereafter, it is attuned to its current victim’s 
  soul, and cannot feed off of another until the victim’s 
  entire soul is consumed. Every 1d5 days, the creature 
  will crawl out of some shadowy area, attack until it has 
  successfully caused its victim damage, and then retreat 
  again.
  So long as the soul hunter lives, the damage it causes 
  cannot be healed or undone, short of divine interven-
  tion (DC 20). Such divine intervention also severs 
  the soul hunter’s bond with its victim, and it is free to 
  choose another (although if the character retains the 
  magic hook, it will always choose him). If the soul 
  hunter is slain, its victim recovers the ability damage 
  normally. Because the soul hunter is bound to a spe-
  cific victim, it always knows exactly where that victim 
  is, and can track it through shadows with complete ac-
  curacy. Even blinding the creature cannot prevent the 
  soul hunter from knowing exactly where its victim is.
  The soul hunter’s appearances are preceded by a sound 
  like the ticking of a clock, which only the victim can 
  perceive. This gives the victim 1d5 rounds to prepare, 
  but doesn’t prevent the soul hunter from appearing 
  suddenly from shadows, surprising on a 1 in 4 chance. 
  This may be masked by other ticking noises, and other 
  ticking noises may be mistaken for the hunter.
  The soul hunter’s ability to move through shadows, 
  travelling from any shadowed area to any other shad-
  owy area, anywhere, can be foiled only by full illumi-
  nation, so that there are no shadows which it can use. 
  Otherwise, even weak shadows allow the creature to 
  pass by using an Action Die, and stronger shadows al-
  
  17
  — 17 —
  low it to pass using a normal move.
  The soul hunter looks like a shadowy crocodile, with 
  glowing eyes. Its legs are longer than those of a true 
  crocodile, however. If reduced to 0 hp, it melts into 
  shadows, never to be seen again. 
  Soul Hunter: Init +0; Atk bite +5 melee (special); AC 
  20; HD 5d8; hp 25; MV 30’; Act 1d20; SP transport 
  through shadows, surprise, soul consumption, soul 
  binding; SV Fort +3, Ref +5, Will +5; AL C.
  Elemental Wind Grue
  This creature appears to be a small humanoid covered 
  in coarse black hair, whirling in a frenzy of motion. It 
  appears to have too many arms and legs, and too many 
  mouths full of sharp fangs, but it is never still enough 
  to be certain. The elemental grue is accompanied by a 
  high wind that blows loose items within 30’ as though 
  in a storm. As a free action each round, the grue can 
  force 1d3 creatures to make a Strength check (DC 10) 
  or be pushed back 1d3 x 5’ due to high winds. A crea-
  ture failing the Strength check must also succeed in a 
  DC 15 Reflex save, or lose its next action.
  The high winds surrounding the elemental creature 
  grant it a +4 AC bonus vs. missile weapons.
  The grue’s poisonous bite requires a DC 12 Fort save, 
  or the victim takes 1d4 points of temporary Strength 
  damage. This damage is restored at the rate of 1 point 
  per 10 minutes of full rest, or 1 point per hour of 
  activity.
  When the grue is reduced to 0 hp, it disappears in an 
  explosion of wind. All creatures within 30’ must suc-
  ceed in a DC 10 Strength check or be knocked back 
  1d5 x 5’, and all creatures within 30’ must succeed on 
  a DC 15 Fort or Reflex save (choose the better for each 
  creature), or be knocked prone. Creatures failing both 
  saves also take 1d5 damage.
  Elemental Wind Grue: Init +8; Atk bite +1 melee 
  (1d3 plus poison) or claw +3 melee (1d3); AC 16; 
  HD 3d6; hp 12; MV fly 50’; Act 5d20; SP +4 AC vs 
  ranged attacks, blow back, poison, death throes; SV 
  Fort +3, Ref +10, Will +0; AL C.
  Aftermath
  Depending upon how they deal with Grimperrault, 
  the PCs may have access to a considerable amount of 
  treasure. Bringing all of that treasure to the surface, 
  especially while dealing with the challenges of The 
  Portsmouth Mermaid, might entail some difficulties. 
  This is especially true if the dragon has not been dealt 
  with; the dragon will certainly attack any ship the PCs 
  might use if they have taken any part her treasure. 
  In addition, one PC may now be the target of a soul 
  hunter, and the group as a whole might be followed by 
  Peter Hookmorton’s shadow.
  
  — 18 —
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  Open Game License v 1.0 Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
  System Rules Document Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; 
  Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on original 
  material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
  DCC RPG, copyright © 2012 Goodman Games, all rights reserved, visit 
  www.goodman-games.com or contact info@ goodman-games.com
  Faerie Tales of Unlit Shores: Three Nights in Portsmouth © 2015,
  Purple Duck Games; Author Daniel J. Bishop
  This product is based on the Dungeon Crawl Classics Role 
  Playing Game, published by Goodman Games. This product is 
  published under license. Dungeon Crawl Classics and DCC RPG 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Dungeon Crawl Classics/DCC Adventures & Settings/FT2.5 Three Nights in Portsmouth (DCC).pdf