TEXT: Moonless Night  
  Over Grimdell
  Moonless Night  
  Over Grimdell
  &
  Barbarians
  Barbarians
  A Sword and Sorcery Savage Worlds setting
  By Umberto Pignatelli
  
  Credits
  Author: Umberto Pignatelli
  Editing: Marguerite Kenner
  Art: Jae Young
  Layout: Michał Smaga
  Moonless Night  
  Over Grimdell
  &
  Barbarians
  Barbarians
  A Sword and Sorcery Savage Worlds setting
  By Umberto Pignatelli
  This game references the Savage Worlds game system, available from Pinnacle Entertainment Group 
  at www.peginc.com. Savage Worlds and all associated logos and trademarks are copyrights of Pinnacle 
  Entertainment Group. Used with permission. Pinnacle makes no representation or warranty as to the 
  quality, viability, or suitability for purpose of this product. 
  ©2011 Gramel Justyna Koryś, Beasts and Barbarians, Dread Star Dominions and all related marks 
  and logos are trademarks of Gramel Justyna Koryś. All Rights Reserved.
  Produced under license by Studio 2 Publishing, Inc. The Studio 2 logo is a trademark of Studio 2 Pub-
  lishing, Inc. All rights reserved.
  
  3
  Introduction
  Introduction
  This scenario is best suited for a group of 
  heroes, but can also be played by a Lone 
  Wolf hero.
  The heroes are mercenaries at the service 
  of Baron Grotho of Grimdell, a banner-
  man of the Count of Felantium. A few 
  months ago, the Baron left his castle and 
  his only daughter, Lia, in the care of Gilas-
  tius, a learned man as well and Lia’s per-
  sonal physician. At the request of his lord, 
  he fought the Cairnlanders in Northeim.
  Now Grotho is returning home. As he ap-
  proaches his castle, he can hardly believe 
  the news. During his absence Gilastius 
  revealed himself as a wicked Lotusmas-
  ter and has used his dark arts to create 
  a legion of minions. He has proclaimed 
  himself lord of Grimdell and forced Lia 
  to marry him.
  Baron Grotho has laid siege to Castle 
  Grimdell, but the fortress has sturdy walls, 
  is surrounded by a moat, and its northern 
  side is protected by the mountains. Gi-
  lastius has closed the gates and his small 
  army of foreign soldiers has been resisting 
  Grotho’s assaults for three weeks.
  The heroes are among Grotho’s infan-
  trymen. As the scenario begins, they are 
  standing in chains in the Baron’s tent. 
  Grotho is drinking wine from a horn and 
  looking at them with his piercing eyes. In 
  a booming voice, he says:
  “The sergeant told me you quarreled 
  with another soldier and killed him. You 
  know the rules: kill and be killed.  You 
  will all be beheaded at dawn. But he also 
  told me you are among the toughest men 
  in my army. Our scouts have reported 
  Syranthian mercenaries approaching. 
  They number twice our size, and will be 
  here in a day or two. Gilastius — may 
  the crows devour his black heart — will 
  pay them with gold from my own coffers! 
  We cannot stand against them. If we 
  don’t conquer the castle tomorrow, we’ll 
  all be food for worms. I need a group of 
  men who will sneak into the castle, kill 
  the traitor, and save my daughter. With-
  out their leader, Gilastius’ army will 
  surrender.  
  The mission is dangerous, but if you suc-
  ceed, you’ll be spared and rewarded. Re-
  fuse and the executioner’s axe will show 
  you no mercy. Tonight is moonless, and 
  this will give you an advantage. The 
  choice is yours, but you must decide now.”
  Preparations
  Given their situation, the heroes are 
  forced to accept. As they are about to de-
  part, a pale man steps out of the shadows 
  and the Baron introduces him as Sviss 
  Vann, a skilled Lotusmaster at his service.
  “You must be very careful,” Sviss says in 
  a whispering voice. “Gilastius has mas-
  tered the Lotus arts of illusion and shape 
  shifting. I wonder where he learned such 
  forbidden knowledge. Take this Lotus 
  Pearl, it will help you see through his 
  deceptions.” 
  He hands the party a small glass ball full 
  of milky liquid. It is a White Lotus of 
  Truth, a powerful concoction having the 
  dispel power (Arcane skill d10). It must 
  be broken against the target to dispel any 
  foul sorcery, and can double as sling pro-
  jectile if necessary. This item can be used 
  in various ways during the adventure, but 
  the heroes have only one and should not 
  waste it.
  
  Moonless Night  Over Grimdell
  4
  Grotho gives the heroes their gear back 
  and offers his help in making a plan. There 
  are two ways into the castle, from above or 
  from below.
  Castle Grimdell’s northern side is bordered 
  by the almost vertical face of a mountain. 
  With the right equipment, the party can 
  climb up the mountain and reach the cas-
  tle’s battlements. The daring feat must be 
  accomplished quickly and silently, because 
  there are sentinels patrolling the walls.
  As for the second way in, Grotho knows 
  there is a passage somewhere under the 
  moat leading into the castle’s dungeons. 
  The problem is no one has ever seen it or 
  used it. It might have caved in, or now be 
  the lair of some terrible beast. This plan is 
  not as daring as the first, but the heroes 
  must swim underwater across the moat 
  without alerting the sentinels on the bat-
  tlements, then dive to the bottom and find 
  the passage, if it exists.
  As a general rule, the party sets off in the 
  dead of night (1 AM) and the mission must 
  be completed before the sun rises (5 AM).
  “You have until dawn. Then I attack, 
  whether you have killed the sorcerer or 
  not.” Lord Grotho says as you leave.
  Infiltration 
  from Above
  Preparation. If the heroes choose to in-
  filtrate the castle this way, they are given 
  ropes and tiger’s claws and are taken to the 
  foot of the mountain.
  Climbing. The climb is considered Pre-
  pared (see Savage Worlds) and consists of 
  three 10” sections. Each section requires a 
  Climbing roll. The first part is easy (+2), 
  the second has very few handholds (–2), 
  and the third is normal. The heroes can 
  secure themselves with ropes to avoid fall-
  ing. In addition, if experienced climbers 
  lead the way the others can benefit from 
  their experience. In game terms, choose 
  the heroes’ climbing order. A hero receives 
  +1 to his climbing roll for each success 
  and raise scored by a climber before them. 
  So, if a group of three climbers rolls 4, 8, 
  and 6, the 8 scored by the second climber 
  means the third climber receives +2 to his 
  roll. 
  In case of failure, a hero simply doesn’t 
  advance, which stops the party members 
  coming after him in the climbing order, 
  and must retry the roll.  In case of a critical 
  failure, draw a card from the Action deck. 
  If it is red, the hero falls (if he is secured 
  with ropes, he only suffers from Bumps 
  and Bruises). If it is black, he makes a lot 
  of noise when he falls, and the party re-
  ceives a Detection Token.
  Grappling Hooks. Once the group has 
  reached the top, the heroes must throw 
  their grappling hooks and climb to the 
  battlements. The top is 10” away at Me-
  dium Range (–2). With a successful throw 
  each hero must also make an Agility roll 
  to properly anchor the hook. If the roll to 
  anchor the hook fails, draw a card from 
  Castle Description
  The castle vaguely resembles a tradi-
  tional medieval fortress. It is a mix of 
  traditional Imperial mansions and 
  rough Northeim buildings, consisting 
  of a large, two-story tower protected by 
  a stone fortification with battlements. 
  In the courtyard there is a well (funda-
  mental during sieges), the stables, and a 
  smithy. The entire complex is surround-
  ed by a moat full of water. The draw-
  bridge is activated by a mechanism lo-
  cated in the tower above the gate.
  
  5
  Infiltration from Below
  the Action deck.  A black card means he 
  makes noise and the group receives a De-
  tection Token.
  Arms’ Work. Now for the hardest part: 
  the heroes must climb the ropes using only 
  their muscles. This requires a Strength 
  roll. In case of failure, a hero doesn’t fall 
  but gains a level of Fatigue and must retry 
  the roll until he scores a success. He will 
  only fall if he reaches Exhausted. The Fa-
  tigue level can be removed by resting for 
  five minutes.
  Securing the Battlements. Every time a 
  hero reaches the battlements, draw a card. 
  If it is a black face card, a Twisted Guard is 
  nearby. The adventurer must use stealth to 
  evade him, or dispatch him quietly. There 
  are 4 guards in total on the battlements.
  After securing the battlements, the party 
  can reach the Courtyard (see below, In the 
  Castle)
  (M) Twisted Guards (4)
  Infiltration 
  from Below
  Preparation. If the heroes choose this way 
  to infiltrate the castle, they are stealthily 
  taken to the moat and given rough indi-
  cations of where the underwater passage 
  might be. No specific gear is provided un-
  less the heroes ask for it. For example, they 
  might want to take waterproof sealskins, 
  containing lanterns as well as weapons.
  Swimming. The party must make a Swim-
  ming roll to cross the moat. The water is 
  very calm and it is almost impossible to 
  drown, so a failure involves repeating the 
  roll, while a critical failure means making 
  Detection
  This scenario is a stealth mission; not 
  being detected is crucial. Since it is 
  impossible to detail how each NPC 
  will react in each situation, Detec-
  tion is handled in an abstract way. 
  Every time the heroes do something 
  conspicuous (detailed in the scenar-
  io), they receive a Detection Token. 
  The number of Detection Tokens in-
  fluences the behavior of those dwell-
  ing in the castle. Staying quiet for 
  half an hour in a secure place auto-
  matically reduces the tokens by one 
  unless they have 5 or more, in which 
  case the whole castle is being actively 
  searched.
  Unless it is completely stealthy (the 
  GM’s decision), combat gives the he-
  roes a Token every two rounds. The 
  Tokens are for the GM’s eyes only, 
  and should be concealed from the eyes 
  of the players.
  Zero Tokens. No alarm. All NPCs 
  are considered Inactive Sentinels.
  One Token. Low-level alert. All 
  NPCs are considered Active Senti-
  nels.
  Two Tokens. The guards are ac-
  tively looking for suspicious activ-
  ity. Every time the heroes come to a 
  new location, draw a card from the 
  Action Deck. If it is a club, a patrol 
  from the Guards Room (1 per hero) 
  arrives in 1d6 rounds!
  Four Tokens. All NPCs in the same 
  area (Court, Ground Floor or Upper 
  Floor) are actively looking for the 
  heroes.
  Five Tokens or more. General 
  alert! All NPCs are actively looking 
  for the heroes. Gilastius is awake, so 
  the heroes won’t be able to attack him 
  in his sleep. 
  
  Moonless Night  Over Grimdell
  6
  too much noise and the party receives a 
  Detection Token.
  Underwater Passage. Once the heroes 
  find the right section of the moat with a 
  Notice roll, they can find the underwater 
  passage. The underwater passage is quite 
  large (two people can swim side by side) 
  and 12” long. Each hero must make a Vig-
  or roll to hold his breath. Failure results in 
  a level of Fatigue). What the heroes don’t 
  know is toward its end, a metal grate bars 
  the passage!
  Grate. The heroes can either go back 
  (same Vigor roll as before) or try to force 
  the grate open. It is quite rusty, but the 
  heroes cannot stay underwater too long. 
  Breaking the grate is considered a Dra-
  matic Task based on Strength (–2). The 
  roll can be cooperative. The heroes have 
  five rounds to gather five successes and 
  break the grate. After this time they can 
  continue, but each round they must make 
  a Vigor roll or suffer a level of Fatigue (see 
  the Drowning rules in Savage Worlds).
  In The Dungeons. Once the grate is 
  broken, the heroes emerge in a low, half-
  flooded room. If they gain solid ground 
  and breath and rest for a few minutes, they 
  can recover from all their Fatigue. The 
  whole area is in Pitch Black conditions 
  unless the heroes brought a light source. 
  The only way out of the room is a slip-
  pery sewer channel leading upward. The 
  heroes are soon walking on level ground 
  and can see strange secretions on the 
  walls and a putrid, greenish substance in 
  the water. With a Lotusmastery roll, they 
  recognize the matter as Lotus waste, most 
  likely produced by Gilastius’ experiments 
  (see Laboratory below). The sewer ends at 
  the bottom of a well, full of foul-smelling 
  junk. When the heroes come into the well, 
  they disturb its dweller, a giant rat who 
  has been feeding on so much waste it has 
  become as big as a man.
  After dispatching the monster, the heroes 
  can climb up the well (Climbing roll re-
  quired), cautiously open the manhole, and 
  enter the Stables (see below, In the Ca-
  stle). 
  (M) Giant Rat (1)
  In the Castle
  The castle isn’t very big, so no map is 
  needed. The description of each location 
  includes its connections, i.e. how to ac-
  cess nearby areas. Some are obvious (like 
  walking through a door), while others are 
  more subtle or complex (like climbing a 
  wall and breaking a window). As a general 
  rule, NPCs need 3 rounds to move from 
  one location to the next. Unless otherwise 
  stated, the doors are made of wood and re-
  inforced with bronze bars (Toughness 8), 
  whereas the rooms are in Dim light cast 
  by sparse torches.
  Castle Court
  Battlements. The castle is surrounded by 
  a fortification with battlements on all four 
  sides. The guards patrol the battlements 
  throughout the night and end their shift 
  one hour before sunrise (4 AM). If the 
  replacements find their comrades dead or 
  missing, give the players three Detection 
  Tokens.
  Connections: Courtyard (down the stairs), 
  Stables or Smithy (jumping onto the 
  roof: Agility roll to avoid falling, which 
  causes 2d6 damage), Laboratory (Climb-
  ing (–4) roll to scale the wall; window has 
  Toughness 7), Armory (jumping to reach 
  
  7
  In the Castle
  a narrow Ground Floor window requires 
  a Strength roll; falling causes 2d6 dam-
  age), then an Agility roll (with –2 if the 
  hero doesn’t have the Small Hindrance) is 
  needed to squeeze through).
  (M) Twisted Guards (4)
  Stables. The stables are dirty and no long-
  er in use because Gilastius had the horses 
  slaughtered. The poor stable boys met an 
  even worse fate (see below). Nothing use-
  ful can be found here, except some old 
  servants’ rags (handy for an impromptu 
  disguise) and a pack saddle (Str+d6 Im-
  provised Weapon).
  Connections: Courtyard (main door), 
  Kitchens (side door, with a Stealth roll the 
  kitchens can be reached without alerting 
  the Courtyard sentinels), Smithy (side 
  door provides direct access to the Smithy 
  without going through the Courtyard).
  Smithy. The smith died a few weeks ago 
  and the forge is cold and empty. Besides 
  some furniture, the only useful thing the 
  heroes can find here is a large hammer 
  (Str+d8 Improvised Weapon).
  Connections: Courtyard (through door), 
  Stables (door).
  Courtyard. The central Courtyard is 
  empty except for a well and a broken 
  catapult, which someone has hopelessly 
  tried to repair. Each time the heroes enter 
  this area, a card is drawn from the Action 
  Deck. If it is a club, a single guard is cross-
  ing the Courtyard, making for the Gates 
  or the Main Hall. If the guard discovers 
  the heroes, he tries to run to the Gates to 
  warn his comrades.
  Connections: Main Hall (door, watched 
  by a guard), Gate Tower (door), Kitchens 
  (side door, unguarded).
  (M) Twisted Guards (1)
  Gate. The mechanism to control the 
  drawbridge is inside the Gate Tower. A 
  group of Guards is always stationed here, 
  busy drinking and warming themselves 
  by the fire. A big horn lies on the table. 
  If they spot any intruders the guards im-
  mediately sound it, awakening the whole 
  castle (give the party two Detection To-
  kens for each round the guards sound the 
  horn). Capturing control of this room is 
  a good idea because the heroes can then 
  lower the drawbridge (which takes three 
  rounds). This won’t end the adventure, 
  however. Gilastius still makes his last 
  stand in the Main Tower.
  (M) Twisted Guards (8)
  Connections: Courtyard (door).
  Ground Floor
  Kitchens. The castle’s kitchens are large 
  and filled with tables, chairs and various 
  cooking implements. A huge fireplace 
  stands in the northern corner. However 
  there is very little food and the place looks 
  almost abandoned. Most of the servants 
  assigned to the kitchens have disappeared 
  in Gilastius’ laboratory, except an old 
  Cairnlander slave called Morga. Morga 
  hates her new master, and if treated well 
  she agrees to help the party as long as she 
  can stay out of danger. Simple role playing 
  or a Persuasion roll can be used to con-
  vince her. The heroes receive the informa-
  tion detailed below. A higher number of 
  successes includes the information from 
  the lower entries.
  Success. “Nobody rebelled except Rukk 
  and Redo, the stable boy brothers. And 
  their fate has been terrible: Rukk is now 
  
  Moonless Night  Over Grimdell
  8
  a twisted thing, and Redo… well, he 
  just seems to have disappeared!”
  Raise. “Beware of the foul magic in the 
  Hall of Tapestries! Even my grand-
  mother’s neck bone could not protect you 
  from it!” (Morga shows a Cairnlander 
  amulet – macabre but worthless)
  Two Raises. “I hear strange sounds in 
  the chimney flue. They come from Gilas-
  tius’ laboratory, just above us. Ahhh… 
  this old woman should live in a well-
  built tomb, not a fetid castle.”
  Connections: Courtyard (door), Main Hall 
  (door), Laboratory (climbing up the chim-
  ney’s flue, Climbing (–2) roll required).
  Main Hall. The main room on the first 
  floor is lined with tall columns. A long ta-
  ble stands in the middle, and a few statues 
  are placed in the corners. The gate leading 
  to the Courtyard is closed and two Guards 
  stand outside. So, if they keep quiet, the 
  heroes don’t need to make Stealth rolls to 
  avoid them. But the Main Hall is watched 
  by a much deadlier guardian, Rukk (see 
  Creatures below). Rukk is perched on the 
  chandelier and waiting to attack. The he-
  roes must kill him quietly or convince him 
  they are friends of Gilastius’, which can be 
  done with a Social Conflict (party’s Per-
  suasion vs. Rukk’s Smarts d6). The party 
  must win with a margin of at least three 
  successes, or Rukk takes flight shouting 
  loudly, adding a Detection Token to the 
  party’s total each round until he is dis-
  patched.
  If the party wins the social conflict with 
  five successes, Rukk reveals a useful piece 
  of information.
  “My master is too smart to fear any as-
  sassin. He knows no good man will find 
  the courage to put the dagger through 
  HER chest!”
  (M) Rukk (1)
  (M) Twisted Guards (2, outside the 
  door)
  Connections: Courtyard (door), Guards’ 
  Quarters (door), Hall of Tapestries (stairs 
  to the second floor).
  Guards’ Quarters. This big room is filled 
  with sleeping benches and rough tables. 
  When not on duty, the guards gather 
  here. There are a lot of them, all created 
  by Gilastius’ foul magic. If the current 
  number of Detection Tokens is one or 
  less, the Twisted Guards are all fast asleep 
  and, unless the heroes do something par-
  ticularly noisy or storm the room, they can 
  walk past the door without having make 
  any roll.
  It the party has two or more Detection 
  Tokens, the guards are awake.
  (M) Twisted Guards (20)
  Connections:  Main Hall (door), Armory 
  (door).
  Armory. The well stocked armory is 
  guarded by a sleepy Twisted Guard. 
  When dealing with him, the party is con-
  sidered to have two less Detection Tokens. 
  As a rule of thumb, with a Notice roll and 
  a round of time, the heroes can find any 
  non Rare weapon they need, several suits 
  of Light armor (+1) and one suit of Me-
  dium armor (+2).
  (M) Twisted Guard (1)
  Connections:  Guards’ Quarters (corridor).
  
  9
  In the Castle
  Upper Floor
  Hall of Tapestries. This hall is adorned 
  with wonderful tapestries from Zandor, Tri-
  carnia and other exotic places. It is square, 
  12” by 12”, and dimly lit by three strange 
  lanterns placed in deep niches, emanating a 
  faint blue glow. The hall hosts a clever al-
  chemic trap. The tapestries are smeared with 
  a special Lotus concoction which is usually 
  harmless. When it reacts to the substance 
  burning in the lanterns, however, it creates 
  terrible hallucinations. In particular, one of 
  the tapestries is decorated with hundreds of 
  tiny spiders, which, to the drugged adven-
  turers’ eyes, seem to spring to life. The spi-
  ders are lethal, but only in the heroes’ minds!
  (WC) Illusionary Spider Swarm (1).
  Connections:  Laboratory (door), Lia’s 
  Room (door).
  Laboratory. The door to the Laboratory is 
  locked and Gilastius has the key. The lock 
  can be picked or bashed in. Alternatively, 
  an acrobatic hero can climb up through the 
  kitchen’s flue. The Laboratory hosts bub-
  bling cauldrons, shelves full of jars, a dissec-
  tion table, and an alchemist’s workbench.
  The laboratory is well worth exploring. 
  With a Lotusmastery or Healing (–4) roll, 
  a hero can find 1d6 Refined doses of Lotus.
  The dissection table is covered in blood 
  and body parts. This is where Gilastius 
  created many of his twisted servants.
  Any hero not acquainted with the inside 
  of the human body (lacking the Healing 
  skill) must make a Spirit roll or being Fa-
  tigued until he leaves the room as for the 
  Nausea rules (SWD, page 86).
  Finally, the alchemist’s workbench is truly 
  wonderful, cluttered with stills and twisting 
  tubes. There are three containers, each full 
  of bubbling liquid of a different color (Red, 
  Green, Blue) and connected to a central bowl 
  via a tube with a tap. By opening the taps, the 
  heroes can mix the liquids and, depending on 
  their skill, they can create a potion or make a 
  terrible mess! Each potion requires two doses 
  of liquid and each container holds three doses 
  (so, nine doses are available, to make a total 
  of four potions). It is also possible to create 
  potions by using two doses of the same liquid 
  (for instance, RR= red + red). Each power is 
  considered to have d10 Arcane skill and lasts 
  twice as long as normal (see the Alchemical 
  Potions table).
  Note that creating the potions requires no 
  skill roll, only mixing the components. In 
  addition, the order in which the compo-
  nents are mixed matters, because the first 
  is boiling and the second not.
  A book lies open on the table, its pages made 
  of thin metal sheets and full of strange for-
  mulas. “Giscamon’s Secrets” is a forbidden 
  book of the Alchemists of Gis. It is writ-
  ten in the Alchemists’ Code. With a coop-
  erative Smarts or Lotusmastery (+2) roll, a 
  hero who knows the language can decipher 
  the right ingredients for one of the potions 
  (GM’s choice), plus another for each raise.
  Connections: Lord’s Bedroom (door, see 
  The Killing Blow).
  Lia’s Room. This beautiful room, with 
  many feminine touches, is in complete 
  disarray. The window is barred by a sturdy 
  metal grate. The room is empty; Lia is in 
  the Lord’s Bedroom. An exquisite silver 
  coronet (value: 400 Moons, clearly a unique 
  piece) has been left on the bedside table.
  Connections: Hall of Tapestries (door), Lord’s 
  Bedroom (there is a secret door hidden in 
  the northern wall, which can be located with 
  a Notice (–2); see The Killing Blow).
  
  Moonless Night  Over Grimdell
  10
  The Killing 
  Blow
  When the heroes enter the Lord’s Room, 
  they see two people lying on a massive queen-
  size bed in the semi-darkness. One is a half 
  naked, blonde girl with a coronet on her head. 
  The other is a handsome man with remark-
  able, ink-black skin. The two are asleep, but it 
  is clear they are about to wake up. 
  The girl is Gilastius, while the man is Lia! 
  The devious Lotusmaster, who doesn’t 
  even trusts his men, has smeared himself 
  and the girl with a particular Lotus con-
  coction which swaps their appearances as 
  long as they are in bed. He has the girl’s 
  shape and she has his, but it is only an il-
  lusion.
  The illusion can be revealed by using the 
  Lotus Pearl on the bed or by paying atten-
  tion to specific details (for instance, Lia is 
  wearing her coronet, but an identical one 
  is in her bedroom). In addition, if the par-
  ty remembers Rukk’s strange words, they 
  might realize what Gilastius has done.
  If the heroes have been stealthy enough 
  (have three or fewer Detection Tokens), 
  hand them Action Cards. Only the hero 
  with the highest card can deliver the fin-
  ishing blow on one of the sleepers before 
  the other wakes completely. The hero can 
  briefly discuss with the rest of the party to 
  choose which target to hit.
  Whoever they strike, he or she dies, 
  putting an end to the illusion. If the hero 
  kills the real Gilastius, the party can con-
  centrate on fighting Redo (see below), and 
  the killer receives a Bennie. If Lia is killed, 
  the sorcerer wakes up immediately and 
  the murdering hero loses a Bennie for his 
  terrible mistake. 
  Alchemical Potions
  Combo
  Effect
  RR
  Explosion! Causes a huge 3d6 
  damage explosion in a Large 
  Burst Template. Destroys the 
  alchemist’s workbench. Party 
  gains 3 Detection Tokens.
  RG
  Fizzy Green Liquid. A tasty 
  boost trait (Strength) potion.
  RB
  Blood Red Gas. A blast potion. 
  Detonates on impact.
  GR
  Transparent Gas. If inhaled, 
  this dangerous concoction causes 
  terrible visions (fear Power).
  GG
  Bubbling Oil. If smeared on a 
  weapon, this liquid burns with a 
  fiery blaze (smite).
  GB
  Black liquid. A healing potion.
  BR
  Acid! Uh oh! The cup starts to 
  melt! If a hero is quick enough, he 
  can throw the contents away (out 
  of the window is a good choice). 
  Otherwise, the acid melts the 
  whole apparatus in three rounds! 
  This heroic action can be simu-
  lated with a short (3 successes in 
  3 rounds) Dramatic Task based 
  on Agility.
  BG
  Blood Snake! The liquid in the 
  cup solidifies, starts growing 
  and becomes alive! The con-
  tainer breaks and a fully grown, 
  intensely red snake emerges: a 
  Blood Snake, born of the power-
  ful magic of the Alchemists of Gis. 
  The snake has the same stats as 
  a Poisonous Snake from Savage 
  Worlds (replace the Poison Spe-
  cial Ability with Paralysis) and 
  is considered summoned through 
  the summon ally Power.
  BB
  Smoke! This combination creates 
  a cloud of foul-smelling fumes 
  that fills the room! A Vigor roll is 
  required to avoid coughing and 
  watery eyes (being Fatigued).
  
  11
  Aftermath
  Read the following:
  “Fools! You have killed the one you were 
  sent to save! And you have fallen into 
  the spider’s web, quite literally. Redo! 
  Kill them!”
  You notice something moving on the 
  ceiling, and suddenly a gigantic eight-
  legged shape drops onto you!
  The party must check for surprise. Redo, 
  the twisted giant spider, attacks the most 
  dangerous looking hero (or the one closest 
  to his master). The two opponents must 
  make an opposed Agility roll and, if the 
  hero fails, the creature gets the Drop.
  If the hero kills the real Gilastius, Redo 
  immediately attacks the party.
  If the players hesitate, Gilastius wakes up 
  and tries to distract the party by pretend-
  ing to be Lia, while Redo approaches the 
  adventurers stealthily. When the wicked 
  Lotusmaster leaves his bed, the illusion is 
  broken and his real guise is revealed (the 
  same is true for Lia).
  If the heroes have been noisy (four or 
  more Detection Tokens), the situation is 
  much worse. Gilastius is awake, hiding in 
  a dark corner with some guards, while Lia 
  is sleeping in the bed in her own guise. 
  Gilastius, Redo and the guards ambush 
  the party.
  (WC) Redo the Spider (1)
  (WC) Gilastius Vang (1)
  (M) Twisted Guard (1 per hero)
  Aftermath
  After killing Gilastius and depending on 
  what time it is (at the Game Master’s dis-
  cretion), the heroes must either sneak out 
  of the castle or wait for Grotho’s attack to 
  start. In the latter case, the attack begins 
  mere minutes after the evil Lotusmaster’s 
  death, giving the players the real flavor of 
  their success.
  Without the Lotusmaster’s evil presence, 
  Grotho’s army easily conquers the castle. 
  Giscamon’s Secrets
  This ancient book made of metal is a prized encyclopedia of alchemical knowledge and 
  was stolen from the laboratories of the Sixth Alchemist of Gis. A hero with the Lotus-
  mastery Arcane Background can study it to unravel its secrets. Every time the hero lev-
  els he may make a Smarts (–4) roll. With a success, he acquires one of the following pow-
  ers: barrier, boost/lower trait, detect/conceal arcana, environmental protection. He must 
  meet the requirements for the power as normal. If the hero already knows the power, he 
  gains a new trapping of his choice instead.
  Using the book is dangerous because it requires a great deal of experimenting. If the 
  modified roll result is 1 or less, the hero suffers a Lotusmastery Backlash.
  No hero can acquire more than one new power/trapping per rank by using the book.
  The book is also a very valuable object. Any alchemist worthy of his name would pay 
  as much as 4,000 Moons for it. Otherwise, the heroes can embark on a new adventure 
  to bring it back to Gis, where the Twelve Master Alchemists are eager to get it back…
  
  Moonless Night  Over Grimdell
  12
  Any Twisted Guards who survive the at-
  tack soon start feeling ill and revert to 
  their true form of castle servants. Sadly, 
  only one in three survives the excruciating 
  transformation.
  Grotho is very grateful and gives the 
  heroes a large reward (1,000 Moons for 
  each surviving hero). If the Game Mas-
  ter wants, the adventure can continue: a 
  mercenary army is approaching, and they 
  certain haven’t marched this far to return 
  home without any loot…
  If the party killed Grotho’s daughter, 
  however, Grotho refuses to see them. Sviss 
  Vann hands them half the reward (500 
  Moon each). He also strongly recom-
  mends the heroes leave the castle quickly. 
  Grotho, overcome with grief, might seek 
  revenge...
  Creatures and 
  NPCs
  Giant Rat
  Once a common sewer rat, the Lotus 
  waste this creature consumed has turned 
  it into a huge, ravenous abomination.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6 (A), 
  Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Notice 
  d8, Swimming d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities
  • Bite: Str+d4.
  • Claws: Str+d4.
  • Frenzy: The Giant Rat can attack twice 
  each round, once with its bite and once 
  with its claws, without any penalty.
  • Weakness (Lotus Pearl): If the Rat is 
  smeared with the liquid of a Lotus Pearl 
  and fails an opposed Vigor roll against the 
  Pearl’s Arcane skill (d10), it reverts to be-
  ing a common sewer rat and scuttles off.
   Gilastius Vang
  Gilastius Vang is a handsome, 
  muscular man from Fabereterra. His skin 
  is ink-black, much darker even than the 
  Ivory Savannah people, but it isn’t his 
  natural complexion. He is an outcast of 
  Gis, betrayer of his master, the Sixth Mas-
  ter Alchemist. When he was discovered 
  he was stripped of his rank, his skin was 
  permanently dyed with a special Lotus 
  ink – hence, the black color – as a mark of 
  infamy, and was cast out of the city.
  But the Alchemists made a big mistake! 
  Before being discovered, Gilastius had 
  stolen a precious alchemic tome (Gisca-
  mon’s Secrets) and several alchemic im-
  plements. When the Alchemists discov-
  ered the theft, he was already far away. 
  With these tools, as well as his charm and 
  knowledge, it was easy for him to find em-
  ployment at Lord Grotho’s castle.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Healing d8, Knowl-
  edge (Arcana) d8, Knowledge (Anatomy) 
  d6, Lotusmastery d10, Notice d8, Persua-
  sion d8, Taunt d8, Throwing d8.
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Tough-
  ness: 6
  Edges: Arcane Background (Lotusmas-
  tery), Attractive, Improved Level Headed, 
  New Power x2, Power Points x2.
  Hindrances: Arrogant, Curious, Greedy. 
  Powers [20 PP]: barrier (Crimson Lotus 
  of Burning Wall), entangle (Greenish Lo-
  tus of Living Tentacles), fear (Gray Lotus 
  of Horrible Visions), shapechange (Oil of 
  Shapes), stun (Yellow Lotus of Choking).
  
  13
  Creatures and NPCs
  Gear: short bronze sword (Str+d6), Gis 
  Fiery Wand (see special abilities), 5 doses 
  of Refined Lotus.
  Special Abilities
  • Gis Fiery Wand: Gilastius Vang stole 
  this strange ruby-tipped iron wand from 
  his master. It casts a ray of fire, as per the 
  blast power. It uses the owner’s Agility as 
  arcane skill and stores 12 Power Points, 
  which don’t recharge and can be used for 
  its power only. Once the Power Points 
  are used up, the gem turns black and the 
  wand becomes useless.  
  • Master of Shapes: Gilastius Vang was a 
  disciple of the Sixth Master Alchemist of 
  Gis. This enabled him to learn the secrets 
  of a concoction that allows him to use the 
  shapechange power, normally forbidden 
  to Lotusmasters. His favorite shape is a 
  Snake (constrictor) (see SWD, Size +1, re-
  tains human head).
  • Weakness (Lotus Pearl): Any of Gilas-
  tius Vang’s powers can be negated by the 
  Lotus Pearl’s dispel power.
   Redo, the Spider
  This hideous creature has the 
  bloated body of a giant spider and a fanged 
  mouth, but the rest of his face is Redo, one 
  of the castle’s stable boys. Gilastius turned 
  him into a monster to punish him for his 
  rebellious attitude. 
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4 (A), 
  Spirit d6, Strength d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d12+2, Fighting d8, In-
  timidation d10, Notice d8, Shooting d10, 
  Stealth d10
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Special Abilities
  • Bite: Str+d4.
  • A Man’s Soul: Gilastius has twisted his 
  body and tortured his mind, but the soul of 
  a brave man still fights within the monster’s 
  body. A hero can try to bring Redo over to 
  the party’s side. This is a social conflict (he-
  ro’s Persuasion vs. Redo’s Spirit). Mention-
  ing Redo’s brother Rukk or being a heroine 
  grants +2 to the roll. If the adventurer wins 
  three successes or more, Redo becomes an 
  Ally controlled by the party.
  • Venom: Venomous poison (see SWD 
  page 89).
  • Wall Walker: Redo can walk on vertical 
  surfaces at a Pace of 8.
  • Weakness (Lotus Pearl): If Redo is 
  smeared with the liquid of a Lotus Pearl 
  and fails an opposed Vigor roll against the 
  Pearl’s Arcane skill (d10), he reverts to his 
  human shape. The stable boy is alive but 
  Exhausted.
  • Web: Redo can shoot a web the size of 
  a Small Burst Template. This is a Shoot-
  ing roll with a range of 3/6/12. Any target 
  caught in the web (Toughness 7) must 
  break free. While trapped, he can still 
  fight, but all his physical actions suffer –4.
  Rukk
  One of Gilastius’ weirdest experiments, 
  Rukk has the body of a fully grown owl 
  and the face of a young man. The muta-
  tion has also transformed his mind, mak-
  ing him a fanatical follower of his master. 
  Despite being a poor combatant he is an 
  excellent spy and sentinel.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit 
  d6, Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d8, Stealth d8, 
  Taunt d8.
  Pace: See Below; Parry: 5; Toughness: 3
  Special Abilities
  • Flight: Rukk flies at a Pace of 8 and has 
  a Climbing Pace of 4.
  • Size -2: Rukk is quite small.
  • Small: Attack rolls against Rukk suffer 
  –2 due to his small size.
  • Talons: Str+d4.
  • Threaten: Rukk flies around his enemies 
  to hinder and distract them. This counts as 
  an Agility Trick with a +2 modifier.
  
  Moonless Night  Over Grimdell
  14
  • Weakness (Lotus Pearl): If Rukk is 
  smeared with the liquid of a Lotus Pearl 
  and fails an opposed Vigor roll against the 
  Pearl’s Arcane skill (d10), he transforms 
  back into the dead body of a boy.
  Swarm of 
  Illusionary Spiders
  The swarm consists of hundreds of poi-
  sonous spiders the size of a man’s hand! 
  Luckily, they are just an illusion in the he-
  roes’ mind, caused by the Blue Lotus of 
  Madness burning in the lanterns of the 
  Hall of Tapestries. 
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4 (A), 
  Spirit d12, Strength d8, Vigor d10
  Skills: Notice d6.
  Pace: 10; Parry: 4; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities
  • Disbelieving: Every hero is allowed an 
  opposed Spirit roll against the Swarm’s 
  Spirit each round. If he wins with a raise, 
  he realizes the swarm is an illusion. If a 
  friend tells the hero the spiders are not 
  real, he gains +2 to the roll.
  • Hundreds of Bites: The swarm deals 
  hundreds of bites, hitting automatically 
  and causing 2d6 damage to everyone in-
  side the Template. The damage is applied 
  to the least armored location; only targets 
  in completely sealed suits are immune. 
  The damage is illusory; unless the hero is 
  Incapacitated, it fades five minutes after 
  the swarm is dispersed.
  • Invulnerability: The spiders are totally 
  immune to any physical damage. The only 
  ways to dispatch them are Disbelieving, 
  using the Lotus Pearl, or destroying the 
  Lanterns (see below).
  • Swarm: Parry +2. Cutting and piercing 
  weapons only deal half damage. Area-ef-
  fect weapons work normally.
  • Weakness (Lanterns): If the lanterns are 
  destroyed, the effect of the Lotus weakens 
  until the illusion disappears. Each lantern 
  has Toughness 3. Every time a lantern is 
  broken, the Swarm suffers a Wound (i.e., 
  it becomes less realistic and compact).
  • Weakness (Lotus Pearl): If a Lotus Pearl 
  hits the Swarm, it temporarily cancels the 
  effect of the Lotus. However, unless the 
  party leaves the area or finds a more per-
  manent solution the swarm reappears in 
  2d4 rounds.
  Twisted Guard
  This ugly humanoid only vaguely resem-
  bles a man. Through his evil Lotusmas-
  tery, Gilastius has created many of them, 
  each with a different animal feature. One 
  has a long rat-like tail, another a pig’s 
  snout, and so on. When a Twisted Guard 
  is killed, his features revert to those of the 
  castle servant he was before.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit 
  d4, Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d4, Throwing 
  d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7 (1)
  Gear: Bronze tipped polearm (Str+d8, 
  2 hands), bronze coated mace (Str+d6), 
  bow (damage: 2d6, range: 12/24/48), light 
  leather armor (+1).
  Special Abilities
  • Animal Reflexes: The creature recov-
  ers from minor traumas very quickly. He 
  has +2 when rolling to recover from being 
  Shaken.
  • Sniffing: Twisted Guards are part ani-
  mal, so their senses are very sharp. They 
  have +1 to Notice and Tracking rolls.
  • Weakness (Lotus Pearl): If a Twisted 
  Guard is smeared with the liquid of a Lo-
  tus Pearl and fails an opposed Vigor roll 
  against the Pearl’s Arcane skill (d10), he 
  reverts to his human shape (castle servant, 
  use Commoner stats). Depending on his 
  personality, he might choose to help the 
  party.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Savage Worlds System (SWADE) [multi]/Beasts & Barbarians/Savage Worlds - Beasts & Barbarians - Moonless over Grimdell.pdf