TEXT: Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  1
  Contents
  Only Fools Trust the Weather
  Environmental effects in Savage Worlds ................................2
  Flexible Magic
  A new magic system in the Ars Magica tradition ....................3
  City of the Shark
  A fantasy city for Savage Worlds .............................................5
  The Lair of the Rat Men
  What terrors lurk in the city sewers? ....................................29
  Last Goblin Standing
  Enter the byzantine world of the Goblin Woods ..................34
  All Monsters Great and Small
  A bestiary of ﬁ endish beasts .................................................39
  Butch & Sundance
  A pair of iconic outlaws for Deadlands: Reloaded ..............41
  The Grave
  The chilling legend of Nathaniel Cooper ...............................42
  A Mysterious Man in the Corner…
  A plethora of NPCs for use in any setting.............................43
  Strength in Versatility
  New power modiﬁ ers for Necessary Evil ..............................45
  So Sayeth the Lord
  Christian trappings for Deadlands: Reloaded ......................49
  Naked Savagery
  L
  ately my players’ characters have been getting their butts kicked in 
  Savage Worlds, repeatedly and viciously. They come to Savage Worlds
  from a long history of Dungeons & Dragons games, so I kept thinking of the 
  problem in terms of a “D&D mentality.” Not that a D&D mentality is a bad 
  thing; it can be incredibly useful—when playing D&D. It wasn’t until recently, 
  though, that I was able to conceptualize what I meant by the term.
  In D&D, you’re free to pick a ﬁ ght with pretty much anything. There are only 
  a few foes (dragons, for one) that can kill you outright with one shot, and 
  even then it’s unlikely. You bash each other, back and forth, ticking off hit 
  points until one side gains an advantage. And if it’s the enemies who are 
  gaining, you probably have a few more rounds to decide whether the party 
  needs to retreat.
  The beauty and danger of Savage Worlds is that it models so well the 
  unpredictability of “real” combat. You and your enemy might hack away at 
  each other for 20 rounds with no clear advantage gained by either side. You 
  might take down the Big Bad with your ﬁ rst shot! By the same token, the Big 
  Bad might take you out with his ﬁ rst shot. The moral is that you shouldn’t 
  enter combat—ever—unless you have a clear advantage, or literally no 
  other choice. Combat in Savage Worlds, as in life, is lethal business.
  In Savage Worlds, you have to maximize your advantages if you want 
  to win. If you choose to do a Berserk, ﬁ ve-person Gang-Up, Wild Attack 
  with your improved Trademark Weapon, there’s no rules stipulating what 
  stacks with what. You just get +10 to your Fighting roll...which likely gets 
  you a bonus damage die when you hit with a raise...which nets you a better 
  chance of cutting down your foe before he can hurt you.
  Now take that same principle and apply it globally—maximize every 
  advantage. If you have access to gear, ask yourself how you could put it to 
  work in a clever plan. If your enemy, Billy Badass, is a master ﬁ ghter but low 
  on Smarts, ask yourself how you might take advantage of that weakness. 
  Most of all, don’t ever rush yourself into a place of disadvantage for any 
  reason; choose your battles, and manipulate the situation so that it favors 
  your side. None of this is a guarantee of victory, but it can’t hurt.
  Embrace the naked savage within, and let the chips fall where they may!
  We Built This City
  This is a very special issue of Shark Bytes—you’ll ﬁ nd the ﬁ rst installment of 
  the City of the Shark published herein. Special thanks to Dave “grubman” 
  Bezio for initiating the Savage City Project, to Stuart “essenbee” Bonham for 
  pulling together everything that’s been created so far, and to Stephen Peto 
  for providing some fantastic maps (and making last-minute additions with 
  aplomb). Keep a sharp eye on the Pinnacle Forums: with only 12 locations 
  (and a few organizations) ﬂ eshed out, part two of the project will look to ﬁ ll in 
  much, much more, as well as giving you Loyal Savages a truly collaborative 
  venue for your creations.
  M. A. Cutter
  Editor
  September 13, 2006
  Shark Bytes is an unofﬁ cial, not-for-proﬁ t fanzine produced by and for fans of Savage Worlds—Pinnacle Entertainment’s role-playing game of fast, furious fun. Pinnacle 
  is in no way associated with the publishers of this fanzine and should not be held responsible for its contents. Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack, and any other associated 
  trademarks or logos remain the property of PEG, Inc. and are used here with permission. Everything contained herein is considered unofﬁ cial unless explicitly stated 
  otherwise. All artwork appearing in this issue of Shark Bytes is the property of the Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc. or from the public domain, unless noted otherwise, 
  and is used herein with permission. All articles and artwork remain the property of their copyright holders.
  The Unofﬁ cial Savage Worlds Fanzine™
  Volume 2, Issue #2
  September, 2006
  Editor: M. A. Cutter
  Contributing Editors: Bob Bretz, William Reger
  Cartography: Stephen Peto
  Artists: Rick Hershey, Cheyenne Wright
  Some artwork from Fantasy Filler Art, © Rick Hershey, All Rights 
  Reserved.
  Webmaster: Peter Leitch
  Shark Bytes created by Bill “JB” Littleﬁ eld
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  2
  W
  hen was the last time the weather played a role in your Savage Worlds game? Here’s a fast and furious method for 
  making Mother Nature a factor characters can’t ignore. For a random environmental effect, the GM and one player 
  should each draw a card. If the GM’s card is higher, draw another card and consult the following table, cross-referencing 
  the card with the season. The effect lasts 1d4 days.
  Card
  Spring/Fall
  Summer
  Winter
  2
  Just plain miserable:
  All characters make Fatigue 
  rolls at –2, and draw again for 
  Summer (if card is Heart or 
  Diamond) or Winter (if Spade 
  or Club); no effect from drawing 
  another 2.
  Just plain miserable:
  All characters make Fatigue rolls 
  at –2, and draw again; no effect 
  from drawing another 2.
  Just plain miserable:
  All characters make Fatigue rolls 
  at –2, and draw again; no effect 
  from drawing another 2.
  3
  Heavy precipitation:
  Considered heavy rain for black powder weapons. All Fatigue effects from thirst are removed.
  4
  Unbelievable wind:
  –2 to Boating & Piloting,
   –1 to Shooting & Throwing.
  Brutally hot:
  Check for Fatigue as Heat 
  hazard (100 degrees).
  Unbearably cold:
  Check for Fatigue as Cold 
  hazard (–20 degrees).
  5
  Blinding sun: 
  Agility-based skills and Notice have a –1 to the roll if performed in the direction of the sun.
  6
  Too cold for this time of year: 
  Draw another card and consult 
  Winter results.
  Unrelenting heat: 
  Check for Fatigue as Heat hazard 
  (90 degrees).
  Unending cold: 
  Check for Fatigue as Cold 
  hazard (30 degrees).
  7
  Too hot for this time of year: 
  Draw another card and consult 
  Summer results.
  8
  A typical rainy day:
  Considered drizzling rain for black powder weapons. All Fatigue effects from thirst are removed. 
  +1 Tracking.
  9
  Will this rain never end?
  See 8, above, but effect lasts 
  2d4 days.
  Thunderstorm:
  Heavy rain for black powder 
  weapons. Chance of lightning 
  strike (20 on 1d20) if in open too 
  long. All Fatigue effects from thirst 
  are removed.
  Signiﬁ cant snow cover: 
  Outdoor movement 
  reduced by 1”;
  Tracking +2.
  10
  Hustle & bustle:
  People and animals making more noise than usual; +1 to Stealth rolls.
  Jack
  Windy:
   –1 to Boating & Piloting rolls.
  Hot & humid: 
  Use only 3x Strength for Load limit 
  (5x for Brawny).
  Biting cold: 
  Use only 3x Strength for Load limit 
  (5x for Brawny).
  Queen
  The wildlife are out & about: 
  +1 to Survival rolls.
  King
  Still & beautiful darkness:
  Only four hours of sleep needed 
  to be considered fully rested.
  Quiet & beautiful night:
  At night, Notice rolls involving 
  listening are made at +1.
  Still & beautiful snowfall: 
  Darkness penalties are reduced 
  by 1 (dark becomes dim, dim 
  becomes normal).
  Ace
  A day that makes you glad to be alive!
   +1 to Spirit rolls to remove the Shaken condition. 
  If this card was a second card drawn after drawing a 2, ignore the effects of the 2.
  Joker
  It’s almost as if you asked for this kind of weather.
  Draw two more cards and let the players pick one.
  Only Fools Trust the Weather
  Environmental effects in Savage Worlds
  by Marc Gacy
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  3
  O
  ne thing I’ve noticed about Savage Worlds is that the 
  magic system, like everything else, is Fast! Furious! 
  Fun! However, I am a fan of more detailed magic systems, 
  such as that of the new GURPS 4th edition, and Ars Magica 
  4th edition.
  That being the case, when a challenge was posted on 
  the Savage Worlds forums to develop a “free-form” magic 
  system, I took the opportunity. This is what resulted—a 
  ﬂ exible magic system that, I hope, preserves the ﬂ avor of 
  the Ars Magica system while maintaining the fast, fun and 
  furious nature of Savage Worlds.
  1. SUMMARY
  Every magic spell consists of two parts, the Form (verb) and 
  Technique (noun). When casting a spell you decide what 
  the spell should do, guided by the Forms and Techniques 
  your character has learned. Your ability scores in the chosen 
  Form and Technique are added together and then compared 
  to a small chart to determine the die type for casting that 
  particular spell.
  After the spell is cast, you must attempt to avoid being 
  Shaken by the exertion of the spell. 
  Some spells may be memorized, giving the caster certain 
  beneﬁ ts over the usual spur-of-the-moment spells.
  Power Points no longer power spells, but can enhance spells 
  or help resist the fatigue (Vigor roll to remove Shaken) that 
  results from casting.
  2. CASTING SPELLS
  To cast a spell, ﬁ rst choose a Form and Technique that 
  best ﬁ t the spell (see #3 below). For example, if you want 
  to cast a lightning bolt, it should probably be a Creo Aruam 
  spell. Sometimes more than one Technique might apply, in 
  which case the strongest is used for purposes of the spell. 
  However, you may choose to use a weaker Technique for 
  any reason (such as target immunities or other factors).
  Add together the ranks of Form and Technique used for the 
  spell in order to determine the die type used. Note that with 
  a successful Knowledge (Occult) skill check you can cast a 
  Form or Technique you have no ranks in, at Rank 0, but you 
  must have at least 1 rank total to cast a spell (you cannot 
  cast a spell if you know neither the Form nor the Technique 
  involved).
  You can spend a Power Point to raise the Rank Total of any 
  spell you could normally cast by 2 when determining spell 
  die type.
  Flexible Magic 
  in the Ars Magica Tradition
  by Emiricol
  Rank Total
  Spell Power Die Type
  1
  d4–2
  2
  d4
  3
  d6
  4
  d8
  5
  d10
  6
  d12
  * More: +X (e.g. 8 would be d12+2)
  Then, select the Effects you desire the spell to have (see #4 
  below). Add the numbers for each Effect used to determine 
  the difﬁ culty number of the spell. This is also the target 
  number used for a Vigor check to resist being Shaken by the 
  exertion of casting the spell. (Some GMs may opt to have 
  the PC Shaken for a number of turns equal to the amount by 
  which the check is failed.)
  Thus, if the Effects were to give the caster only (Range 0) steel 
  claws doing 2d6 damage (Power 2) for one hour (Damage 
  3), the target number would be 0+2+3=5 for determining if 
  you succeed in casting the spell, and the same for the Vigor 
  roll to avoid being Shaken from the exertion.
  You can spend one Power Point to remove any Shaken 
  condition resulting from the exertion.
  3. FORMS/TECHNIQUES
  FORMS (Edges)
  • 
  Creo (create)
  • 
  Intellego (perceive)
  • 
  Muto (transform)
  • 
  Perdo (destroy)
  • 
  Rego (control)
  TECHNIQUES (Skills)
  • 
  Anim (Animal)
  • 
  Aquam (Water)
  • 
  Auram (Air)
  • 
  Corpus (Body)
  • 
  Herbam (Plant)
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  4
  • 
  Ignem (Fire)
  • 
  Imaginem (Image)
  • 
  Mentem (Mind)
  • 
  Terram (Earth)
  • 
  Vim (Power)
  4. EFFECTS
  These effects are guidelines. The GM can adjust these 
  numbers or the total as needed to affect the tone of the 
  game, or to accommodate a particular spell in order to avoid 
  a “high power/low usefulness” situation.
  Range
  0 - Self/Touch
  1 - Bowshot
  2 - Line of Sight
  3 - Anywhere
  Targets
  (use either Targets or Area)
  0 - Self
  1 - 1
  2 - 2-5
  3 - 6-10
  Extend as needed by multiples of 5
  Area
  (use either Targets or Area)
  0 - One person
  1 - 1”
  2 - 5” or more
  3 - 10” or more
  Extend as needed by multiples of 5”
  Duration
  0 - Instantaneous
  1 - 1 round
  2 - 1 minute
  3 - 1 hour
  Additional duration in days, weeks, months, etc.
  Power
  0 - Trivial (cantrip)
  1 - Light (1-3rd level D&D spells, up to 1d6 damage)
  2 - Moderate (4-6th level D&D spells, up to 2d6 damage)
  3 - Heavy (7-9th level D&D spells, up to 3d6 damage)
  Additional damage as a positive modiﬁ er per rank
  5. IMPROVING
  Forms and Techniques are advanced as Edges and Skills, but 
  are ranked numerically rather than as a die type. Spending 
  two Edges on Form Creo would give you rank 2 in that Form. 
  Forms may not rise above Rank 3. 
  Some GMs may require formal training by another mage with 
  a Rank as high or higher than the one you wish to achieve, 
  or some amount of study or experimentation, but this is left 
  to GM discretion and will vary by campaign world.
  6. FORMALIZING SPELLS
  A PC is capable of learning a number of “Formalized” spells 
  equal to half his Smarts. A Mage with d8 Smarts could learn 
  8/2=4 formalized spells. To formalize a spell, write out the 
  spell’s Form, Technique, and Effects. This can never change 
  after formalizing! Most mages therefore choose to formalize 
  only their most potent “ﬁ eld use” spells.
  Formalized spells raise the caster die type for the spell 
  by 1 point. Thus, a formalized “Muto Corpus” spell with 4 
  combined Form/Technique ranks would shift from d8 (for 4 
  ranks) to d10.
  7. RITUALIZED SPELLS
  Some powerful spells can be cast as Rituals, with great 
  beneﬁ t. The downside, however, is that it requires a number 
  of hours equal to the ﬁ nal spell die type. Thus if the Ritual 
  ends up being cast with a d10, the ritual itself requires 10 
  hours. Interruptions ruin any progress made.
  Beneﬁ ts:
  • 
  Use the highest Form and Rank from the group of 
  casters conducting the Ritual.
  • 
  Each caster may spend one Power Point per 
  hour of the ritual to add 1 to the spell casting die type 
  at the end of the ritual. If the ritual runs longer than the 
  power points available, a fraction is applied (divide total 
  Power Points spent by number of hours). Thus, if a 12 
  hour spell had 6 casters with 10 Power Points each, 
  the total bonus to the spell die type at the end would be 
  6x10=60/12=5. Round down.
  • 
  Though all casters must roll to see if they are 
  Shaken by the spell, the highest Vigor of the group is 
  used to determine each caster’s status. If 5 casters 
  have Vigor of d4, d6, d6, d8 and d10, all ﬁ ve use d10.
  • 
  The GM may allow non-standard spells or unique 
  spells, depending on the setting, that are simply 
  impossible by the normal rules for individual casters. 
  Special factors may need to be in place such as a 
  unique crystal, a particular solstice, an eclipse, etc., 
  potentially making the casting of such spells plot points 
  in and of themselves.
  I hope you enjoy these rules. Further playtesting may result 
  in revisions. Please send your actual play experiences with 
  these rules, good or bad, to emiricol@emiricol.com.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  5
  The City of the Shark
  A collaborative project of the Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group Savage Worlds forums
  Encounters
  by Clint Black, Stuart N. Bonham, Bob Bretz, and Bill 
  Reger
  While the characters are moving about the city, roll 1d8 on 
  the Encounter Type table; a result other than an 8 indicates 
  that 2d6 should be rolled on the appropriate sub-table. The 
  GM can use the result as inspiration for an encounter or 
  ignore it as she deems ﬁ t. 
  Savage Tales
  The GM can use these tables as a starting point for generating 
  his own Savage Tales, or devise his own. When a Savage 
  Tale result is rolled, the GM may either run a Savage Tale 
  (see pp. 29 and 34) or simply re-roll.
  Encounter Type
  d8
  Event Type
  1
  Citizen (events involving “normal” folks).
  2
  Political (events involving nobles, politics, ambassadors).
  3
  Merchant (events involving merchants or trade).
  4
  Legal (events involving the guard or thieves).
  5
  Religious (events involving churches or cults).
  6
  Visitor (events involving visiting nobles, farmers, gypsies 
  and wanderers).
  7
  Unusual (strange events that don’t ﬁ t other categories or ﬁ t 
  more than one).
  8
  Savage Tale.
  Citizenry
   
     2d6 
  Encounter
  2
  A building is on ﬁ re and a bucket chain is forming.
  3
  A chamber pot is emptied onto a character from an upper-
  story window.
  4
  An overturned wagon is blocking trafﬁ c and causing a 
  commotion.
  5
  The character with the highest Notice roll ﬁ nds something 
  of signiﬁ cance lying in the street (map, clue, item, etc.).
  6
  A drunk tries to pick a ﬁ ght with a character.
  7
  A citizen recognizes one of the characters (possibly 
  mistaken).
  8
  The town crier is announcing an event, public trial or public 
  execution.
  9
  A general brawl erupts in the street or inside a building.
  10
  A mongrel dog saunters up and wets a character’s leg, 
  causing much mirth among onlookers.
  11
  A group of bravos are throwing their weight around.
  12
  A citizen bumps into one of the characters and slips her a 
  note, a cryptic message, a map, or a strange item.
  Political
  2d6
  Encounter
  2
  A local person of importance (mayor, magistrate, etc.) is 
  looking for help in dealing with some vicious rumors that 
  are undermining his/her authority.
  3
  A character ﬁ nds a piece of very incriminating evidence 
  against someone in local power.
  4
  A rabble-rouser is denouncing Sir Hensley.
  5
  An unusual creature stops the characters and asks 
  them for help in gaining admission to see the person in 
  charge of the town.
  6
  A local “lady of the evening” conﬁ des that she is 
  pregnant with a married personage of importance’s 
  child, and wants the characters’ help to get some 
  support.
  7
  A proposed law is announced (actual passage is rare 
  but everyone has an opinion on what should be taxed, 
  made legal or illegal).
  8
  A local personage of importance is supporting a tax, the 
  proceeds of which will go to a speciﬁ c local temple, and 
  someone wants the characters to ﬁ nd out why.
  9
  Sir Hensley and his entourage pass by.
  10
  A cloaked personage with an upper class accent asks 
  the characters to investigate someone of importance 
  and report on his/her shady dealings. 
  11
  An important personage of political inﬂ uence is being 
  targeted for a kidnapping, and the characters just heard 
  about it!
  12
  The characters overhear snatches of conversation from 
  a hooded group concerning an attempt on Sir Hensley’s 
  life! 
  Merchant
  2d6
  Encounter
  2
  A merchant is selling odd trade goods, such as furs, 
  shrunken heads, trinkets, old maps, etc.
  3
  A merchant claims a character is a thief.
  4
  A merchant is trying to buy a valuable item he sees a 
  character carrying.
  5
  A merchant points at a person running past and cries 
  “Thief!” 
  6
  While a merchant stops the characters and extols the 
  virtues of his goods, an accomplice attempts to relieve 
  the party of something they have.
  7
  Two merchants argue loudly as a small crowd gathers.
  8
  The characters spot a merchant being shaken down by 
  a small group.
  9
  A merchant is hiring caravan guards.
  10
  A merchant is hiring muscle to deal with a rival.
  11
  The characters notice a merchant stall that is closed at 
  the busiest time of day, yet hear movement from inside.
  12
  A creature of power suddenly appears and attacks a 
  merchant’s stall!
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  6
  Legal
  2d6
  Encounter
  2
  Dangerous prisoners have escaped from gaol and are 
  on the loose.
  3
  The city guard passes, escorting prisoners to gaol.
  4
  The characters overhear a shady character bribing a 
  city guard.
  5
  The characters witness a robbery or mugging.
  6
  The characters witness the city guard conducting a raid.
  7
  A character is beset by street urchins.
  8
  A beggar or thief attempts to pick a character’s pocket.
  9
  A mob pursues a ﬂ eeing thief.
  10
  The city guard has erected a roadblock and is 
  questioning citizens.
  11
  The characters witness an abduction attempt.
  12
  A thief in trouble with the guild asks the characters for 
  help.
  Religious
  2d6
  Encounter
  2
  A priest publicly denounces the party for attacking his 
  temple!
  3
  A local begs the characters for help against the religious 
  fanatics who are after him.
  4
  A religious procession or celebration is in progress.
  5
  Doomsayer announces a horriﬁ c event coming soon!
  6
  A priest preaching on a street corner asks for donations. 
  7
  Church crier announces a temple’s upcoming event or 
  holiday.
  8
  Pilgrims approach the characters looking for directions 
  or protection.
  9
  A loud religious argument breaks out between two 
  different groups.
  10
  The characters see a funeral procession on its way to 
  the graveyard. 
  11
  A priest asks the characters to investigate something 
  odd happening at his temple or to his ﬂ ock.
  12
  A priest publicly announces that the party has been 
  chosen by his temple to lead a crusade against some 
  perceived threat.
  Visitors
  2d6
  Encounter
  2
  The characters encounter a noble and his party, from a 
  kingdom normally at odds with Sir Hensley, in town.
  3
  A druid, with his animal companion(s), demands that 
  the characters take him to someone in charge of this 
  “abomination against nature.”
  4
  A travelling circus arrives in the city.
  5
  A gypsy band is entertaining, and possibly robbing, the 
  locals.
  6
  The characters encounter a purveyor of exotic foreign 
  goods, or so he claims.
  7
  Another group of adventurers demand information/
  money/ the characters’ participation in their quest or 
  something else.
  8
  A group of visiting farmers are being ridiculed/robbed/
  abused by a gang of young thugs.
  9
  A ranger/trapper/woodsman asks the characters if 
  “everyone in town smells as bad as the town does,” and 
  where the nearest merchant’s store is. 
  10
  A gypsy stops the characters and requests their help or 
  asks for a donation.
  11
  A foreign sorcerer, with his non-human pet, requests 
  information on where a certain local of import lives
  12
  A cloaked man with a foreign accent is willing to pay for 
  information concerning the activities of the town guard 
  and local defenses.
  Unusual
  2d6
  Encounter
  2
  Savage Tale.
  3
  A small group of men come out from behind a building, 
  screaming, with daggers in their hands.
  4
  One character stumbles over a small wooden box, about 
  the size of a ﬁ st. 
  5
  The characters meet another band of adventurers, just 
  back from the dungeons beneath the city.
  6
  A rumormonger offers to buy or sell information. 
  7
  Re-roll twice on the Encounter Type table (ignoring 
  results of 7), and combine the two encounter types.
  8
  The party is offered a map or other item of interest by an 
  obvious drunk, in exchange for a bottle of wine.
  9
  A hooded non-human asks the party for help.
  10
  The characters hear that someone is standing at the 
  edge of the chasm, looking like they are going to jump.
  11
  A lunatic seems to recognize one character, and gives 
  him or her vague warnings of some impending doom.
  12
  Savage Tale.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  7
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  8
  10. The Overlook Inn
  by William Reger
  As its name implies, the Overlook Inn sits overlooking the 
  main road leading to the castle, and the road from the bridge. 
  It has an excellent view of the town and the cascading 
  waterfall. Since the main road toward Sir Hensley’s castle 
  winds past the low, wood-railed front porch and stylized cliff 
  face on the sign, the Overlook Inn is a great place for guests 
  to watch citizens’ and visitors’ comings and goings in town. 
  The inn’s lower ﬂ oor is made of stone, and the upper two 
  stories are wood and brick. A game of checkers is almost 
  always going on. A part-time stable and used item store is 
  snuggled behind the Inn.
  Ground Floor: The bottom level houses the main room, with 
  a bar and many tables. The tables and chairs are moved at 
  night and cots are brought out for those who want to crash in 
  this “common room.” Figure a very cheap price for this, with 
  the sleepers awakened at dawn and given a simple bucket 
  of tepid water with which to wash up, shave, and brush their 
  teeth. Those in the common room can exit by the front door, 
  but sleepers are expected to keep the door barred at night. 
  Stairs to the upper ﬂ oor are here too. All other doors are 
  locked and no food or drink is stored behind the bar at night. 
  There is an outhouse in the back by the stables. There is a 
  kitchen with a trap door leading to a storeroom underneath. 
  The GM may put a hidden dungeon entrance here. (Perhaps 
  one that leads to the sewers, and then to the Lair of the Rat 
  Men; see p. 29 –Ed.) Next to the kitchen is small room where 
  the cook sleeps.
  2nd Floor: The second ﬂ oor has more stairs up, and a shared 
  bathroom (with cast-iron tub, heating pan, and commode). 
  The bathroom may be barred from the inside, and at other 
  times automatically locks so only a room key can open it. 
  There are eight single rooms and three double rooms on 
  the ﬂ oor (stairs and bathroom ﬁ lling the space where the 
  other double room would be.) The single rooms have bunks 
  so they can sleep two, with a closet and trunk (no lock, but 
  can take a padlock). The double rooms have two bunks (four 
  sleepers) that can be hooked together to make two doubles. 
  They each have four closets, four trunks, room for a table 
  and four stools/chairs for quiet talks. There are also corner 
  rooms in three of the four corners. A single hallway goes 
  down the center of the ﬂ oor. 
  3rd Floor: The third ﬂ oor is a copy of the second, except it 
  is primarily for the innkeeper Jonas Morgan and his live-in 
  staff. The innkeeper and his wife have a double, their children 
  share a double, and the singles are for the serving/cleaning 
  girls and barkeep. There is a door blocking the hall into the 
  living quarters of these people, and the remaining double 
  is a paying guest room for guests whom the family knows 
  pretty well. 
  Why this Inn? While the beverages are fair, they are not 
  noble wines. The beer is good and the ale sturdy. The real 
  draw is the halﬂ ing cook (and attractive barmaids) who can 
  make anything that is the least bit palatable taste like the 
  ﬁ nest dish known. Elves have been know to go out of their 
  way for a taste of the Birchbark Soup, and orc clan chiefs 
  have pronounced the Inn “protected by the clan” after tasting 
  the Stuffed Boarshead Pie. Even dwarves have grudgingly 
  acknowledged that the cook seems to know how to make 
  Stone & Shroom Soup. Bets are made that there is not a 
  recipe known that this cook can’t make!
  The Inn is a great place to rest. If characters get on the 
  owner’s good side, they’ll ﬁ nd his wife to be a ﬁ ne healer! 
  The store will have used items for sale at a 20% discount if 
  the owner is well-disposed to the buyer.
  Attached Stables: This building has a main level with four 
  usable stalls and four stalls as makeshift storage, with piles 
  of adventuring gear from those who had to hawk their stuff 
  to pay their bill, left it in keeping and never returned, or just 
  couldn’t bear to keep a fallen comrade’s equipment. There is 
  a loft where the stable boy sleeps and keeps guard at night. 
  The stable can be locked from the inside. 
  The “Store”: Any common item may be had here if the store 
  is searched long enough. The sons have gotten to know 
  these piles well, and make a Notice roll to ﬁ nd something 
  in 10 minutes on a success, half that time (or an additional 
  item of the same kind) for each raise! On a failure they didn’t 
  ﬁ nd it, and on a 1 they don’t have that item right now (check 
  again in a week). At the GM’s discretion there may be an 
  “exceptional” item in the pile, but only if magic items glow in 
  your game would the owner know and charge accordingly. 
  He will charge full price for items that look very well made 
  (he knows weapons and armor), but is not a magic user. 
  There is even a full actor’s make-up kit that was abandoned 
  when the troupe decided to go treasure hunting and never 
  returned. 
  Savage Tale: Patrons of the Overlook Inn often attempt to 
  get to know the help. In one case, characters may ﬁ nd out 
  more than they bargained for. The elven maid Smileshine is 
  an orphan, a poor wretch found by the innkeeper before he 
  lost his leg. She had fallen and hit her head. His wife ﬁ xed 
  her up after he carried her some 30 miles to the inn. When 
  she came around she had no memory of who or what she 
  had been, so the two gave her the name Smileshine and a 
  place to stay. She still remembers nothing of the time before 
  she was given shelter by the innkeeper.
  What no one knows is that she is the daughter of an 
  ambitious elven noble who has already married her (as 
  an infant) to a more powerful elven noble’s son. In a few 
  years her father has to produce her or forfeit the marriage 
  contract, thus losing face and status. He has reward posters 
  out for her, but the likeness is poor (the only pictures have 
  her in full elven regalia by an artist who likes to stylize his 
  subjects) and does not come close to the simple smock she 
  wears, with her hair cut short and free. Who knows if she 
  will remember, ever be recognized, or what her betrothed 
  is like? A childhood marriage contract between newborns 
  doesn’t leave the newlyweds with many memories of each 
  other, since they never met.
  The Stable Boy: This young man seems to know much for 
  his age. That is partly because he is a young shadow-caster. 
  He has a natural power to separate his shadow from himself 
  and send it, like an Extra, anywhere a shadow could go. 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  9
  Once split, the shadow can hear and see, but not interact. 
  The boy stays in the barn, and his shadow haunts the night 
  observing everything and then returning before the dawn 
  light might dissipate it. The boy can normally attempt this 
  on a successful Spirit roll, with a natural 1 causing him to 
  become Fatigued (–1).
  People
  Jonas “One Leg” Morgan (WC) 
  Inn owner and ex-adventurer, Jonas will help adventurers 
  and hold equipment for them for a set time. If he likes 
  characters he will talk about what he saw in the dungeons 
  during his younger days. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d8, Knowledge (Business) d6, 
  Notice d6, Shooting d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 4 (run d4); Parry: 6; Toughness: 6 
  (8)
  Hindrances: One Leg
  Edges: Sweep
  Gear: Battleaxe, crossbow, chain 
  hauberk, $35 
  Henrietta Morgan (WC) 
  Wife of Jonas, she helped 
  him overcome his lost leg 
  by supplying a good peg. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, 
  Smarts d8, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Healing d8, 
  Knowledge (Animals) d8, 
  Knowledge (Medicine) d8, 
  Notice d6, Persuasion d6, 
  Shooting d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; 
  Parry: 2; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Loyal (to inn family) 
  Edges: Marksman
  Gear: Crossbow, $15 
  Alferdo & Deangelo Morgan (Extras) 
  Sons of Jonas, they help ﬁ nd anything needed that Jonas 
  may have for sale in the stable. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, 
  Scrounging d8 (ﬁ nd a needed item for sale)
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: None
  Edges: None
  Gear: Daggers, short swords in room, leather armor
  Poppin Hairyfoot (Extra) 
  Halﬂ ing cook and a terror in the kitchen, Poppin loves his 
  work! 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Knowledge (Cooking) d12, Throwing d6
  Hindrances: Small 
  Edges: None
  Gear: Butcher knife (Str+1) 
  Ellis (stable boy) (Extra) 
  An orphan, Ellis is rarely seen but often sees much that 
  goes on around town. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Knowledge (Animals) d8, Knowledge (Local) d8, 
  Notice d8, Riding d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d6 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: None 
  Edges: None 
  Gear: Knife (Str+1) 
  Hugh Vaughan (barkeep) 
  (Extra) 
  Hugh pours a mean drink 
  and is said to know them 
  all. He is normally a quiet 
  man. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, 
  Smarts d6, Spirit d6, 
  Strength d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d4, Guts 
  d6, Knowledge (Bar-
  keeping) d8, Knowledge 
  (Drugs) d8, Stealth d6 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; 
  Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: None 
  Edges: None 
  Gear: Club, pouch of knockout drugs 
  (Vigor roll at –2 or Incapacitated.) 
  Veronica, Kristi, and Smileshine the Elf-maid 
  (barmaids) (Extras) 
  These single ladies keep the bar hopping and the drinks 
  ﬂ owing! They have heard every pickup line in the book. 
  They are actually pretty down-to-earth and aren’t likely to 
  fool around. Jonas and his wife treat them like daughters. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Notice d6, Persuasion d8, Stealth d6, Taunt d8 
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6’; Parry: 3; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: None 
  Edges: Attractive, Block 
  Gear: Mugs and bottles.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  10
  20. Collegium Arcanum
  by Stuart N. Bonham
  The Collegium Arcanum is a guild of magicians that 
  welcomes members of any race or background. The beneﬁ ts 
  of guild membership include reduced training costs, superb 
  research facilities, a well-stocked library, and the increased 
  prestige that membership in such an organization brings.
  Surrounded by a high wall that encloses pleasant gardens, 
  the Collegium building is a four-story round tower built in 
  a grand, if somewhat eccentric, style. Spires, minarets and 
  gargoyles adorn the outside of the tower, which is faced 
  with alternating bands of black and white marble blocks. 
  The tower is guarded by two stone golems (see Pinnacle’s 
  Fantasy Bestiary Toolkit, page 29) that stand on either 
  side of the grand entrance hall. On the top ﬂ oor is a library 
  containing over a hundred tomes covering almost every 
  aspect of magical study. The other ﬂ oors include alchemical 
  laboratories, study rooms, meeting rooms and bedchambers. 
  All of these facilities are available to members only. 
  A small complex of underground rooms lies beneath the 
  tower, including the council chamber and strong-rooms 
  that contain the Collegium’s treasures, both monetary and 
  magical. The senior members of the guild also have private 
  laboratories in this part of the building.
  Potentially a very powerful force within the City of the Shark, 
  the wizards of the Collegium are usually too busy with their 
  own esoteric pursuits to get involved in politics. However, 
  the Guildmaster, Gazekhar Grimsarken, does on occasion 
  act as an advisor to Sir Hensley on arcane matters, and the 
  Collegium has rallied to the defense of the city in the past.
  The Collegium is always on the look out for magical 
  curiosities and relics, and any adventurers donating such 
  items are likely to ﬁ nd favor with its leader. Commissions are 
  also accepted to manufacture small magic items, a sideline 
  that provides valuable income. The guild has access to any 
  arcane items or lore required by the plot, as the GM sees ﬁ t. 
  However, anyone planning on raiding the tower for magical 
  treasure will be in for a shock. Beside the stone golems, the 
  Collegium is guarded by other, less obvious, means. These 
  include sentry orbs, mechanical and magical traps, and 
  summoned elementals.
  People
  The current Guildmaster is the Archmage Gazekhar 
  Grimsarken, a vigorous, ﬁ erce-looking man in his mid-ﬁ fties. 
  His long beard and wild mane of hair give him a somewhat 
  forbidding appearance. Gazekhar does not suffer fools 
  lightly, and he can be quite abrupt and curt in his speech, 
  but his intellect is razor sharp. His one weakness is his 
  curiosity, which has gotten him into several scrapes over the 
  years. Anyone with a mystery to recount can quite easily 
  capture his attention—if they can ever get to see him at the 
  Collegium. Gazekhar has very little free time to devote to 
  strangers who call unannounced.
  Gazekhar Grimsarken (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d12, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d10, Intimidation d10, Knowledge 
  (Arcana) d12, Notice d8, Shooting d10, Spellcasting d12+2, 
  Stealth d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Curious
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Alchemy, Arcane 
  Artiﬁ cer, Connections, Improved Rapid Recharge, Wizard
  Gear: Blade Wand, Charm of the Warrior, Ring of Shielding
  Power Points: 40
  Spells: armor, blast, bolt, detect/conceal arcana, dispel, ﬂ y, 
  light, puppet, teleport
  In addition to the Guildmaster, the Collegium is currently 
  home to seven novice and four veteran mages. At any time 
  there are also 1–6 visiting wizards staying in the tower, either 
  conducting research there or travelling through the region 
  on their way elsewhere. The wizards hire cooks, cleaners 
  and servants from the local populace as needed.
  Behind the Scenes
  It is traditional among the younger members of the Collegium 
  that new members go through an initiation, usually consisting 
  of completing some daring act. Popular at the moment is 
  the challenge of entering the abandoned (and supposedly 
  haunted) Ragmire Sawmill (97; see page 17) alone at night 
  and bringing back some object from inside.
  Varian Drask is a visiting mage who has been at the tower 
  for several months now and shows no signs of leaving. He 
  has a brash manner and is rather evasive about the exact 
  nature of his research. He spends many hours each day in 
  the library or locked in the laboratory that has been assigned 
  to him. Other than that, however, he appears to be a very 
  accomplished wizard with some knowledge of demonology 
  that he freely shares with the other mages at the Collegium. 
  Unknown to all, however, Varian’s interest in demons extends 
  well beyond the theoretical. He is in fact experimenting with 
  summoning various minor beings of Hell. At some point in the 
  very near future, he will successfully summon a demon that, 
  due to a minor error in the drawing of the protective circle, 
  will attack and kill him. This demon will be a changeling; it 
  will immediately assume the appearance, mannerisms and 
  memories of the unfortunate mage, including many of the 
  secrets of the Collegium. One of Hell’s own spies will be at 
  large in the City of the Shark…
  Varian Drask (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d18, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Knowledge (Arcana) d10, 
  Notice d8, Spellcasting d10, Stealth d6, Taunt d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Rapid Recharge, 
  Wizard
  Gear: Chalk of Demon Warding, Wand of Vines
  Power Points: 25
  Spells: armor, bolt, detect/conceal arcana, dispel, light
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  11
  24. Sir John Pennington’s Scribe 
  Shop
  by Barry Green
  The sign in front of the shop shows an inkwell and quill. Sir 
  John is a wiry little monk with a hunched back. Sir John’s 
  shop consists of shelves along the walls and a large writing 
  desk in the back corner of the room. The shelves contain 
  scroll cases, paper, ink, maps, wax, quills, documents, and 
  anything else that is likely to ﬁ nd it’s way into a scribe’s 
  hands. Sir John does not like to be disturbed when writing, 
  but is otherwise a pleasant fellow. Sir John is also not 
  above forging documents, although it will take a successful 
  Streetwise roll to determine that fact. Sir John can produce 
  many different maps of the area or even the world although 
  some may be a bit suspect.
  Savage Tale: As the characters are speaking to Sir John, 
  two short hooded men enter the shop. After several minutes 
  Sir John starts yelling, “They’re stealing my merchandise! 
  Stop them! Stop them!” The characters then see the two 
  short men rush out the doorway. A Notice roll will tell them 
  that those aren’t men, they’re goblins! The goblins rush out 
  of the shop and try to make it to the safety of their woods. 
  They’ve stolen a scroll case that contains information about 
  the goblin encampments in the woods. The information may 
  be dated, but the goblin chief wants that map. The chief was 
  tipped off by a local spy named Asa. Let the chase begin!
  48. Asa’s House
  by Barry Green
  No one knows a lot about Asa other than he just seems 
  to hang around town. He likes to chat, especially with any 
  newcomers in town. He’s a pleasant sort if a bit unkempt in 
  appearance, and may even buy you a drink if you catch him 
  on a good day. Truth is that Asa is lazy and a rat. Asa worked 
  out a deal with the goblins—he keeps them informed on 
  what goes on in town and they give him money. He’s good at 
  what he does whether through eavesdropping or just plain 
  asking. He can be a font of information…if the price is right. 
  He rarely gives out more than the bare necessities unless 
  he thinks it may lead to something he can take to the goblins 
  for a big score.
  Savage Tale: Asa has drawn the interest of a concerned 
  citizen who wants to know more about this odd fellow. The 
  concerned citizen hires the party to spy on Asa and follow 
  him. Asa realizes the party is following him and arranges 
  with the goblins to have the party ambushed when they 
  follow him out of town and into the forest.
  Asa (WC) 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor 
  d4 
  Skills: Fighting d4, Gambling d4, Guts d4, Investigation d10+2, 
  Lockpicking d4, Notice d8+2, Persuasion d8, Riding d6, Stealth 
  d6, Streetwise d10+2, Throwing d4, Tracking d8 
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6 (d10 Run); Parry: 4; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Quirk (Lazy) 
  Edges: Alertness, Charismatic, Fleet-Footed, Investigator 
  Gear: Short sword, two throwing knives
  57. Elton’s house 
  by Barry Green
  Elton was a carefree adventurer many years ago who found 
  himself in the city investigating rumors of gold purported to 
  be in the dungeons below. One day he met Carrissa, who 
  was in the marketplace selling produce from her father’s 
  farm. It was love at ﬁ rst sight, and soon thereafter they were 
  wed. Elton continued exploring the sewers and dungeons 
  below the city with other adventurers until one day when only 
  he returned severely injured. As his wife nursed him back to 
  health, he learned he would soon be a father. Faced with his 
  own mortality and a newfound sense of loyalty to his wife 
  and child, Elton gave up adventuring and never looked back. 
  He lives comfortably (if somewhat frugally) from his years of 
  adventuring and enjoys the simple pleasures of raising his 
  son and taking care of his wife. Five years later Elton has a 
  son and is carrying about 80 extra pounds on his frame. 
  Savage Tale: Rumour has it that Elton has maps of the 
  sewers and dungeons below the city. He does indeed have 
  partial maps of several underground locations. Some are in 
  good shape, but many have been ruined or faded over time. 
  Additionally a lot can change in ﬁ ve years. Elton doesn’t need 
  money and the maps can’t be bought (or rather copied—he 
  always keeps the originals). However, he lost his ancestral 
  sword the last time he came crawling out of the dungeons, 
  and a promise by a “trustworthy” (in his opinion) group to 
  return it will result in getting copies of the maps. 
  Elton (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Gambling d4, Guts d8, 
  Healing d4, Notice d6, Riding d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, 
  Survival d6, Throwing d8 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 5 (d4 running die); Parry: 7; 
  Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Obese, Loyal 
  Edges: Block, Brawny, Dodge, Harder to Kill, Trademark 
  Weapon (see above)
  Gear: typically just a knife 
  Carrissa (wife) (Extra)
  (d6 stats) 
  James (5-year-old son) (Extra)
  (d4 stats)
  65. The Bridge Inn
  by Stuart N. Bonham
  Situated near to Hensley’s Bridge, the Bridge Inn is an 
  imposing structure. It consists a large three-story building—
  the ground ﬂ oor being stone-built, while the upper stories are 
  timber-framed—with two wings and a stable block enclosing 
  a central courtyard. The main building houses the common 
  room, which has two ﬁ replaces and a large kitchen. On 
  the ﬁ rst ﬂ oor are the inn’s best guest bedrooms, while the 
  apartments of the innkeeper and his family are situated on 
  the second ﬂ oor. The inn boasts a well-stocked beer and 
  wine cellar. The north wing is a later addition and consists 
  of two ﬂ oors with a total of 18 reasonably-priced but basic 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  12
  guest rooms. The south wing is the most recent addition; it 
  is similar to the north wing, but the quality of building is quite 
  poor compared to the rest of the inn. An archway through the 
  principal building leads from the main road into the central 
  courtyard, from which the stable block may be accessed. 
  The stables can house up to 20 horses or mules.
  The Bridge Inn is a popular meeting place for local artisans, 
  merchants, off-duty town guardsmen, travellers, and other 
  folk. It has a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and is a great place 
  to catch up on news and gossip. Singers and musicians 
  entertain the patrons on most nights. 
  Prices are reasonable, the food is plain but wholesome and 
  the beer is dark, warming and, some say, a meal in itself. The 
  best rooms (on the ﬁ rst ﬂ oor of the main inn) are pricey but 
  very comfortably appointed, with feather-stuffed mattresses 
  on the beds, and their own privies. The cheaper rooms, 
  which are located in the wings, are drab but functional, 
  with beds that can sleep three in a pinch. Each wing has a 
  communal privy.
  The inn’s specialty beverage is Old Grommit’s. This “meal-
  in-a-mug” beer is well known throughout town and is favored 
  by hard-up adventurers as an alternative to eating. It is thick, 
  dark, warming—and somewhat “chewy” towards the bottom 
  of the glass. Although it is quite ﬁ lling, the brew is prone 
  to give some imbibers “the runs,” so it is hardly a genuine 
  replacement for food.
  People
  Derrik Torgran, Jovial Innkeeper and Master 
  Thief (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d6, Guts d8, Lockpicking d12, 
  Notice d10, Stealth d12, Streetwise d8, Taunt d8, Throwing 
  d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 (7)
  Hindrances: Cautious, Vengeful (Major)
  Edges: Acrobat, Dodge, Level Headed, Thief
  Gear: Dagger (+2 damage), concealed. He also owns a 
  short sword and back-scabbard, and a chain mail shirt 
  of very ﬁ ne make that he can conceal beneath ordinary 
  clothing. These latter items are normally kept in his 
  apartments at the inn. Naturally, Derrik also has access 
  to the not inconsiderable resources of the Thieves’ Guild, 
  which includes poisons, potions and other arcane items, at 
  the GM’s discretion.
  Derrik cuts a somewhat comical ﬁ gure to those who take 
  him at face value. His ruddy complexion, shiny bald pate, 
  deep belly-laughs and rather bumbling manner are the 
  very picture of the keeper of a homely inn. They are also a 
  front, for beneath this veneer lies a calculating and ruthless 
  character, who has his ﬁ nger in nearly every scam, burglary 
  and street crime that occurs in the city.
  He is a meticulous planner, cold and calculating, and 
  runs the guild in the same efﬁ cient manner. He also has a 
  ruthless streak and will not hesitate to have those who cross 
  him or interfere with his plans prevented from ever doing so 
  again…
  Behind the Scenes
  Derrik Torgran is the head of the Thieves’ Guild in the City 
  of the Shark. His cover as the amiable barkeep of the Bridge 
  Inn gives him good reasons to be loading heavy barrels into 
  his cellar at night, and removing supposedly empty ones. 
  The draymen who delivery the beer barrels are in the guild’s 
  employ, and provide a excellent means to smuggling goods 
  in and out of the city. The inn’s cellars link into the sewers 
  via a hidden entrance, and provide an ideal location for guild 
  meetings. 
  A backroom at the Bridge Inn runs regular high-stakes 
  gambling sessions and Carlio, one of the Guards at Hensley’s 
  Bridge (100, see p. 18), is a regular. He once lost big time 
  in a dice game against Wolfram Pertl, the town’s wealthiest 
  merchant, and could not cover the bet. Faced with 24 hours 
  to come up with the cash, Carlio became desperate. Luckily 
  “Good Ol’ Derrik” offered to pay the debt for him in return for 
  certain “services;” now Carlio acts as an insider source of 
  information for the guild. He is in no way disloyal to the City 
  Guard or to Sir Hensley, but he does pass information on to 
  Derrik regarding those entering and leaving the city.
  The Thieves’ Guild
  by Stuart N. Bonham
  The Thieves’ Guild in the City of the Shark is a small but 
  highly effective criminal organization. Discrete inquiries will 
  lead independent thieves to the guild, which currently has 
  its base in the Bridge Inn, a homely hostelry situated near 
  Hensley’s Bridge.
  The guild is involved in many varied activities throughout 
  the city. Some of these are legitimate or semi-legitimate 
  concerns, such as their operation of a number of gambling 
  joints and drinking dens. However, the main source of 
  income is thieving, coupled with acting as a black market 
  for stolen and illegal goods. The guild does not engage in 
  assassinations as a rule, but woe betide anyone who crosses 
  the Guildmaster…
  A network of safe houses is maintained throughout the city. 
  These can be recognized by a secret mark known only 
  to guild members. Many are seemingly normal shops or 
  dwellings that have hidden entrances or secret rooms built 
  into them.
  With its blackmail connections and insider sources, the guild 
  makes for a highly effective intelligence-gathering network. 
  If he so wishes, the Guildmaster can be of tremendous help 
  or hindrance to an individual or group. Several times in the 
  past, vital information has been anonymously passed to the 
  authorities when the city has been threatened. The guild has 
  no desire for major changes in the City of the Shark, as the 
  status quo suits it very well indeed.
  Guild Organization
  The Guildmaster of Thieves is currently Derrik Torgran, 
  owner of the Bridge Inn. A meticulous planner, he oversees 
  the activities of thieves engaged in street crime, surveillance 
  and blackmail. Beneath him are several master thieves, 
  known as the “Gaffers.” They are consulted before any 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  13
  job is undertaken, and they manage small gangs of “Lads” 
  on a day to day basis. Torgran’s right-hand man is Revlan 
  Harmister, the most senior of the Gaffers.
  Revlan Harmister, Master Thief (WC) “The 
  Landlord”
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d6, Guts d8, Lockpicking 
  d10, Notice d10, Stealth d12, Streetwise d10, Taunt d8, 
  Throwing d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (7)
  Hindrances: One Arm
  Edges: Brawny, Common Bond, Thief
  Gear: Hook, leather armor, short sword
  Revlan is very well respected by all guild members and is 
  a close conﬁ dant of Derrik Torgran, the Guildmaster. He 
  pulled off some notable jobs in his time, until a particularly 
  nasty trap cost him his left hand. This has been replaced by 
  a steel hook, which he can use as a weapon (Str damage). 
  Now retired from active thieving, he is Torgran’s lieutenant 
  and organizes the safe houses that the guild maintains 
  throughout the city. He is known to all in the guild simply as 
  “The Landlord.”
  The “Lads” are the thieves who work the streets. They have 
  some degree of independence in terms of work, but are 
  required to undertake a number of guild-organized jobs each 
  year or to take on “special missions” at the guild’s behest. 
  There are currently approximately 25 Lads in the guild.
  The beneﬁ ts of guild membership include job opportunities 
  and mutual protection. The guild also maintains a network of 
  useful contacts and fences throughout the City of the Shark. 
  In return for these beneﬁ ts, members must hand over a cut 
  of their ill-gotten gains to the guild—usually a third. Holding 
  out on this cut is unwise...
  78. The Order of Hospitallers of 
  Alycia the White
  by Stuart N. Bonham
  Known simply as the Hospitallers to most, this order of 
  monks and nuns is dedicated to caring for the sick and 
  needy, wherever they may be found. They follow the path of 
  humility, poverty, paciﬁ sm and service laid out by the goddess 
  Alycia, in her aspect as the White Maiden. Members of the 
  Order arrived at the ruins that eventually became the City 
  of the Shark with Sir Hensley many years ago. He built the 
  abbey hospital for the Order, and continues to sponsor them 
  to this day. Donations towards the upkeep of the Order are 
  made by prominent citizens, as well as the grateful families 
  of those who have been healed, and the congregations who 
  attend services at the abbey.
  The abbey building itself is a large square pile with towers 
  at each corner, and is dominated by a brilliant white dome 
  that encloses the central sacred space. The Order’s simple 
  services are held beneath this dome; they consist of prayers 
  and readings from the Holy Book, the Alycion; hymns of 
  praise; and exhaltations to service and a simple life. They are 
  held at dawn, noon and dusk each day and are reasonably 
  popular with the common folk of the city.
  Much of the rest of the building is given over to the hospital, 
  which has 30 beds in two communal wards (one for men, one 
  for women). The ground ﬂ oor also houses a number of small 
  rooms used as ofﬁ ces, private wards or meeting rooms, as 
  need requires, and a small library of medical tomes. The 
  monks and nuns live in tiny austere cells in the corner towers; 
  the cells are reached by narrow spiral staircases that wind 
  their way to open cupolas atop each tower. In these cupolas 
  are set wind chimes of wood and metal that constantly ﬁ ll 
  the air with sweet sounds. Pleasant gardens surround the 
  abbey, tended by the monks and nuns. Many potent herbs 
  and other medicinal plants are grown in these gardens.
  Beneath the abbey lie two large cellars; one is used for 
  storage, while the other is a crypt where the bodies of monks 
  and nuns are interred when they pass on.
  The iconography of Alycia as the White Maiden always 
  depicts the goddess with a cat. For this reason, the abbey 
  is home to numerous strays and semi-feral felines. Visitors 
  will ﬁ nd that there is a cat watching them from almost every 
  ledge or windowsill, and that every sunny spot has a resident 
  dozing in the warmth. These animals are always very friendly 
  if they are encountered within the abbey precincts, and seem 
  to adore the monks and nuns who live there.
  Hospitallers always wear plain white robes. When outside 
  the abbey, they don broad-brimmed hats and carry staves. A 
  constant feature of their attire is a large leather pouch hung 
  on the belt, in which they carry herbs, potions, bandages 
  and other items required by the healing arts.
  People
  Hospitallers gain +2 on Faith rolls within the grounds of one 
  of the Order’s abbey hospitals.
  Abbot Theron (WC)
  Abbot Theron is a old man now and his eyesight is failing 
  him. He rarely leaves the abbey these days.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d10, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Faith d10, Guts d6, Healing d10, Knowledge 
  (religion) d10, Notice d8, Persuasion d10
  Pace: 5; Parry: 2; Toughness: 4 
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes, Elderly, Paciﬁ st (major), Vow 
  (Poverty, care for sick and needy)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles), Healer
  Gear: Simple robes, ﬂ oppy hat, pouch with healing herbs 
  etc.
  Power Points: 25
  Powers: greater healing, healing, peace, purify, slumber, 
  succor
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  14
  The abbey currently has 6 monks and 4 nuns resident, who 
  may be represented by the following statistics.
  Hospitaller Monk or Nun (Extra)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Faith d8, Guts d6, Healing d8, Knowledge (religion) 
  d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: Paciﬁ st (Major), Vow (poverty, care for sick 
  and needy)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles), Healer
  Gear: Simple robes, ﬂ oppy hat, staff, pouch with healing 
  herbs etc., bowl for collecting alms
  Power Points: 10
  Powers: healing and either (roll d6) 1–2: purify, 3–4: 
  deﬂ ection, or 5–6: succor
  83. Zed’s Smithy
  by William Reger
  Zed’s greets those entering Teller Lane with the odor of 
  burning coal and the sound of almost constant hammering. 
  Zed Steelhammer is a dwarven blacksmith from the 
  Steelhammer clan. His family came to town shortly after 
  construction of the fortress was begun, and he built his home 
  under the stone-walled, slate-roofed, blacksmith shop and 
  into the escarpment to keep the feeling of home. The four 
  rooms (two bedrooms, kitchen, and storage) underground 
  are roomy and well constructed, with a heavy wood door that 
  can be barred from inside. Cleverly hidden air shafts keep 
  the place well ventilated and the buried location keeps things 
  an even temperature. His family is with him and together 
  they cater to the many adventurers that frequent the area 
  as well as the local militia. Zed has nothing but contempt 
  for his competition at Ploughshares to 
  Swords (88, see p. 17).
  People
  Zed Steelhammer, Dwarf (WC) 
  Happiest when hammering over a 
  new piece of metalwork, Zed will stop 
  long enough to conduct business, 
  greet a fellow dwarf or stare at an elf. 
  Zed has a strongbox hidden in his 
  bedroom.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, 
  Spirit d6, Strength d8, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d8, 
  Knowledge (Metalworking) d8, 
  Knowledge (Legendary Weapons & 
  Armor) d8, Notice d6 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 5; Parry: 6; 
  Toughness: 6 (7) 
  Hindrances: Slow, Vow (minor, make 
  elves pay), Vengeful (minor) 
  Edges: Brawny, Low-Light vision, 
  Tough
  Gear: Battleaxe, crossbow, leather 
  armor, $140 
  Derde Steelhammer, Dwarf (Extra) 
  Wife and companion of Zed, she misses her family and 
  other dwarves but doesn’t let Zed know. She will tend to 
  invite any dwarves that stop by for dinner and conversation. 
  She is not a great cook but can make most dwarven dishes 
  passably. 
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d4, Guts d6, Healing d4, Knowledge: 
  (Metalworking) d8,Notice d8, Persuasion d8, Shooting d4 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 5; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 (6) 
  Hindrances: Loyal (to family), Slow 
  Edges: Low-Light Vision, Tough
  Gear: Short sword, crossbow, leather armor, healers kit, 
  $45 
  Hor & Harba Steelhammer (Extras)
  Son and daughter of Zed, they help by tending the forge 
  and running errands. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Knowledge (Local) d6, Notice 
  d6, Shooting d6 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 (7)
  Hindrances: Slow
  Edges: Low-Light Vision, Tough 
  Gear: Daggers, short swords in room, leather armor
  Notes
  While Zed will occasionally shoe an animal, he thinks this 
  is beneath him and charges 50% more than normal. The 
  work is always top notch, though. He charges one tenth 
  the purchase price to repair items (one-twentieth for other 
  dwarves, one-ﬁ fth for elves—until the descendants pay 
  back what the original elves “stole” from his clan some 
  2,000 years ago, with interest). He knows some weapon and 
  armor lore and can, for a small price, often identify unusual 
  weapons and armor. He also sells used items for half price 
  (which he will happily repair for standard prices) and will buy 
  used items for twenty percent of purchase price. Zed sells 
  his repaired items to the stores in town but usually has one 
  piece of any used weapon or armor a player is looking for 
  (the player rolls a Spirit check, on a success Zed has one 
  such item, plus one more per raise). Zed is skilled enough to 
  aid in creating magic items but knows no magic himself, or 
  so he claims. In his strongbox Zed has a dwarven amulet of 
  arcane detection (Detect Arcana, 5 Power Points, activated 
  by Spirit roll by a dwarf only. A result of 1 leaves the user 
  Fatigued at –1.)
  Specials
  Zed has a few special items for sale to non-elves.
  Wolf-dagger: This dagger has the handle in the shape of 
  a wolf’s tail, a sharp-edged blade with a wicked looking tip 
  shaped like the mouth of a wolf. It is magical and seeks (and 
  hits) the weakest point of armor when it hits with a raise. 
  Sharpedge: This great sword has a magical edge that can 
  cut through almost any armor! It has an AP of 4 and never 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  15
  needs sharpening! 
  Light-Chain: this armor is made with a secret process that 
  takes thrice as long to make as normal chain but delivers an 
  armor half the weight of a normal chain hauberk. 
  Iron-Staff: A quarterstaff that seems to be made of metal. 
  Weight: 15, Damage Str+2, Parry +1, Reach 1, two handed, 
  and a rune of striking (upon command grants smite power 
  1/day).
  86. Lightﬁ ngers’ House of Games
  by Erin Mills
  Lightﬁ ngers’ House of Games is a haven of games of chance 
  and skill of all kinds, with a twist. The opulently furnished front 
  rooms of the House are dedicated to traditional games of 
  chance: dice games, card games, gambling, etc. This, along 
  with living quarters and stockrooms, comprise about ten 
  percent of the large building the House occupies. However 
  the real draw is what exists beyond the gambling suites and 
  the well-stocked bar. 
  Lia Lightﬁ ngers, or the Gamesmistress as she is known, is 
  a retired thief gone legit. She is also an accomplished trap-
  smith. The remaining 90% of the House is a mock dungeon 
  comprised of ingenious devices, secret passages, and quite 
  a bit of treasure from Lia’s own stash for those who manage 
  to get through her maze of rooms. 
  The passages and rooms of the dungeon are movable, so Lia 
  and her staff can alter the conﬁ guration for repeat customers 
  or just to mess with the heads of those who decide to take a 
  chance at Lia’s prizes, which occasionally include some rare 
  relics she acquired during her adventuring days.
  The House is popular with adventuring groups who want to 
  hone their skills without the risk of dying in the process. Lia 
  doesn’t use real monsters in her dungeon, and the traps are 
  designed more to hurt a player’s pride and ego than their 
  being. After all, killing the customers is bad for business. All 
  are welcome at the house, rich or poor, noble or common, 
  and the Gamesmistress has been known to extend credit to 
  a soul who is down on his luck.
  Once every two months, Lia shuts down the dungeon for a 
  week to set new traps and surprises in order to keep things 
  interesting. The gambling suites and the bar are still open for 
  business though.
  Needless to say, while an agreement with Lia prevents them 
  from using the House as their headquarters, the Thieves’ 
  Guild has been known to use the dungeon after hours for 
  training, and Lia herself runs the occasional trap-building 
  and disarming seminar for them.
  People
  Naturally, an operation as large as the House requires a 
  large staff. The House of Games is one of the city’s largest 
  employers. Lia pays her employees well, from the attractive 
  barmaids to the unseen mechanics who keep the Dungeon 
  operational. However, several staff members bear closer 
  attention. 
  Hans Kesselring
  Hans Kesselring is a very skilled magician who has turned 
  his knowledge into a proﬁ table partnership with Lia. Hans 
  is the person responsible for populating the dungeon with 
  magical recreations and facsimiles of various monsters 
  found throughout the world.
  These are not illusions, per se, as they can be felt and 
  leave very real collateral damage when ﬁ ghting those who 
  challenge the dungeon. These creatures can hit hard, but 
  are created with just enough power that a ﬁ ghter may get 
  bruised and possibly suffer a broken bone or two. 
  Hans is very protective of his magic, and his knowledge, as 
  he is the only one who has discovered how to practice it. He 
  recognizes that there are many evil magic users out there 
  who would love to be able to generate their own monster 
  army on command. Hans takes great pains to keep a low 
  proﬁ le on those rare occasions when he has to venture into 
  the common areas of the House.
  Hans Kesselring (WC) 
  Projectionist Mage and Monster Master of the House of 
  Games.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12+2, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d4, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Spellcasting (Projectionism) d12, Fighting d6, 
  Knowledge: Occult d12 +2, Notice d10 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Rapid Recharge, 
  Wizard 
  Hindrances: Cautious, Yellow
  Power Points: 30
  Powers: Hans has only one spell in his arsenal: projection.
  Projection allows him to create solid illusions of any creature 
  he has encountered and been able to study. For game 
  purposes, use the standard stats for any given creature, but 
  all attacks do only nonlethal damage. When the projection is 
  defeated, it dissolves into nothing. Hans can also command 
  these projections to do his bidding, and can, if necessary, 
  remove the inhibitors he has built into the spells so the 
  creatures can attack with lethal force.
  Projection costs the same amount of Power Points as shape 
  change.
  Lia Lightﬁ ngers
  It is unusual for a thief to announce her profession in her own 
  name. It’s even more unusual for a thief to go from teenage 
  cutpurse to well-respected businessperson in a scant ten 
  years. But then, Lia Lightﬁ ngers has always prided herself 
  on doing what people say can’t be done. 
  Lia Lightﬁ ngers began her career as a preteen apprentice to 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  16
  the Thieves’ Guild of the city of Callow’s Keep. She was very 
  good at it, being a full head shorter than any other apprentice 
  her age, and quieter than a mouse wearing slippers.
  And then puberty hit.
  The next thing the Guildmasters knew, Lia had grown to a 
  staggering 6’1”, yet remained as lank as ever. Naturally, the 
  held opinion was that Lia was now useless as a thief and 
  was far too tall to be able to do any of the more risky jobs 
  outside of picking pockets. Frustrated, Lia left the guild and 
  turned to the open road, determined to prove that she still 
  had what it took to be one of the best thieves in the world.
  Word soon spread about Lia. She had managed to adapt to 
  her gangly form and gotten around it by learning the arts of 
  contortionism. Many were the adventuring companions who 
  goggled at the sight of Lia folding herself into a box a third of 
  her size. For the next six years, Lia would amass a fortune 
  from dungeon crawls and treasure hunts, and living a very 
  frugal lifestyle, while keeping the bulk of her funds hidden in 
  a secret stash in the City of the Shark.
  Which is not to say that all was sunshine and roses in Lia’s 
  career. Near the end of said career, she fell victim to a 
  diabolical magical trap in an evil wizard’s tower and nearly 
  died as a result. One of the wizard’s apprentices took pity on 
  her and rescued her from the tower, after aiding her fellow 
  adventurers in dispatching the wizard. The apprentice was 
  Hans Kesselring.
  Hans managed to nurse Lia back to health, but the magical 
  backlash generated by the trap had left her with a shocking 
  head of blue hair with silver streaks, and oddly glowing 
  gold eyes. It was shortly after her recovery that Lia decided 
  to retire, took stock of her stash and discovered she had 
  enough to open a small inn.
  She did so, and, after asking permission from Sir Hensley, 
  was allowed to run games of chance in her common room. 
  This added to her business and she kept expanding until 
  she discovered she had saved enough to begin construction 
  of the House of Games. It took an additional two years to 
  build the House, but since opening it has become one of the 
  major destinations for visitors to the City of the Shark.
  The revenue generated by the House employees for other 
  local merchants, plus the generous donations that Lia makes 
  to Sir Hensley for defense of the city and public works, as 
  well as to several of the temples in the city, on top of her 
  regular taxes, is enough to make the Gamesmistress a force 
  to be reckoned with. She rarely has need to use the clout 
  she has, but none of the movers and shakers in the City 
  of the Shark ever forgets to send her an invitation to social 
  gatherings.
  Lia doesn’t take herself, or indeed anyone too seriously. 
  She’s quick with a laugh and a joke for anyone who comes 
  through the doors of the House. She mingles nightly with her 
  customers, meeting new people, sharing anecdotes with the 
  regulars, occasionally running one of the card or dice games 
  in the gaming parlors.
  She brooks no nonsense, however, and anyone who takes 
  advantage of her hospitality is shown to the door by Lars 
  and Krutch, her two extremely burly half-orc bouncers. Lia 
  is running a permanent party at her House, and only wants 
  friends there.
  Lia is considered an eccentric by the denizens of the city, but 
  a harmless one. “Every town needs an entertaining crazy” is 
  the prevailing attitude. Her irrational fear of gnomes is well 
  known (“Good gods...GNOMES!”), but she manages to keep 
  it under control for the sake of making sure the House is 
  open to everyone.
  Lia Lightﬁ ngers (WC) 
  Retired Master Thief and Gamesmistress of the House of 
  Games
  Attributes: Agility d12+2, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d8 
  Skills: Climb d10, Fighting d10, Gambling d12, Guts d8, 
  Knowledge (House of Games layout) d12, Lockpicking d10, 
  Notice d8, Stealth d10, Streetwise d8, Taunt d10 
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: Overconﬁ dent, Quirk (Minor fear of Gnomes), 
  Quirk (Unusual appearance), Small (Underweight for her 
  height) 
  Edges: Attractive, Quick, Filthy Rich, Thief 
  Gear: Lockpicks, leather armor worn under her working 
  clothes, ﬁ ve daggers (Str+1, one in each boot, two in her 
  belt, one up her left sleeve) 
  Note: Lia is left-handed.
  Lars and Krutch (Extras)
  Half-Orc House of Games Bouncers 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d12, 
  Vigor d10 
  Skills: Fighting d12, Guts d6, Notice d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Outsider 
  Edges: None
  Behind the Scenes
  Lia Lightﬁ ngers is a very straightforward person. She acts 
  exactly as she believes, demanding the same of everyone 
  who works for her. However, Hans is very concerned that his 
  notes on projectionism will get out to someone who could 
  use them for evil purposes. He has become more paranoid 
  and fearful about this lately, drawing more and more into the 
  deeper recesses of the in-between spaces of the dungeon. 
  Lia is trying to placate Hans by beeﬁ ng up security when 
  the House is closed, but she is also getting very annoyed at 
  Hans’s ongoing paranoia, justiﬁ ed or not.
  The layout of the dungeon is left open, so that the GM can 
  tailor it to his needs. The modular design of the dungeon, 
  plus Lia’s bimonthly renovations, ensure that it is never the 
  same trek twice whenever a party decides to take on the 
  dungeon.
  Lia is also gearing up for her second annual “Run for the 
  Reaver” contest. This is an annual event wherein a select 
  group of contestants are sent into the dungeon to face a 
  variety of Hans’ most challenging monsters and Lia’s most 
  devious traps. At the end of the Run is a legendary magic 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  17
  sword: The Crystal Reaver. Lia acquired the Reaver some 
  years ago after her adventuring party slew the great dragon 
  Nightclaw. So far, the Reaver remains unclaimed.
  The Crystal Reaver grants anyone who wields it an automatic 
  +2 on all Fighting rolls in combat. Additionally, the Reaver 
  generates a ﬁ eld of protection that grants +2 armor to the 
  wielder.
  Savage Tale: Something is rotten at the House of Games. 
  Every other night for a week, a dead body has been found 
  in one of the rooms of the dungeon. Lia isn’t happy about 
  this, and neither is the Sheriff. He has informed Lia that if 
  this continues, Sir Hensley will order the House shut down 
  for good.
  Lia decides to hire some outside help to explore the dungeon 
  and ﬁ nd out just what the hell is going on in there. Is someone 
  trying to drive Lia out of business? Is there a secret entrance 
  to the dungeon that’s been undiscovered so far? Or has Hans 
  lost control of his paranoia and begun attacking anyone who 
  gets too close to him with lethal projections?
  88. Ploughshares to Swords
  by Paul
  In a small logging town it’s hard to imagine why a weaponsmith 
  would set up his business, but Saevel Clearwater did just 
  that. Son of a rich merchant and his beautiful elven consort, 
  Saevel might have never taken up this profession if his father 
  hadn’t been killed while passing through the Goblin Woods. 
  When Saevel came of age, with his mother’s blessing, he 
  took a portion of his father’s fortune and invested it into an 
  armory in the town nearest to the forest in which his father 
  was killed. If it weren’t for his quest for vengeance on the 
  goblins (which he only half-heartedly pursues), Saevel would 
  likely leave the city.
  Now Saevel turns out quality weapons to all that ask and 
  does his best to instruct them in their use. In addition he helps 
  maintain the equipment for the logging camp to supplement 
  his shop’s income. Though he could afford to keep the shop 
  running from his family’s fortune, he prefers not to ask.
  Saevel Clearwater (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d6, Knowledge (Weaponsmithing) 
  d10, Notice d6, Repair d10, Shooting d6, Streetwise d6 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5 (6)
  Hindrances: Outsider, Quirk (minor, Pride), Vengeful 
  (minor)
  Edges: Filthy Rich, McGyver 
  Gear: Fully equipped smithy, leather armor, forge hammer 
  (treat as maul but does only Str+1), any weapon or armor in 
  the shop (GM’s choice).
  Special Abilities: 
   
  • Agile: Taking after his mother’s elven heritage,  
   
  Saevel has a base d6 Agility.
   
  • Low-Light Vision: Saevel can see in poor light  
   
  more efﬁ ciently than a human, and thus ignores   
   
  attack penalties for Dim and Dark lighting.
  97. Ragmire Sawmill
  by Bob Bretz
  As the City of the Shark grew, the need for lumber increased. 
  In order to meet this demand, ambitious businessmen 
  constructed a sawmill on the Wiggy River, near the northern 
  end of Shark Lake. The mill was powered by paddle wheels 
  placed in the river; but as the water level rose and fell due to 
  the amount of local rainfall the mill lost efﬁ ciency. To counter 
  this problem a giant windmill was constructed to supplement 
  the paddle wheels. For many months the mill produced tons 
  of lumber, and as a result the townspeople where able to 
  build dozens of houses and businesses. 
  This all changed when the mill workers experienced several 
  unexplained mishaps resulting in death. In time rumors began 
  to spread that the facility was cursed. To make matters worse 
  people began to see what they described as ghosts. People 
  passing by the building claimed to hear wailing cries coming 
  from the woods near the mill. When the workers refused to 
  return the mill had to be shut down. 
  The mill owners tried to reopen for business, but could 
  secure no willing employees. Other means were found to 
  attain lumber. Stripped of its equipment, the mill now lies 
  abandoned. The curious occasionally visit, but when reports 
  of people disappearing started to spread, the townsfolk 
  stayed away.
  Even though the building is abandoned, it remains in good 
  condition. It is a two-story, rectangular structure with the 
  center section hollowed out so large trees could be brought 
  in to be cut into lumber. Various smaller rooms line the 
  perimeter of the center section on both ﬂ oors, for storage 
  and other uses. The windmill, which is on the side opposite 
  of the paddle wheels, is some thirty feet tall and always 
  seems to be moving, regardless of the wind conditions.
  People 
  The site is usually shunned, as people are scared away by 
  the various ghost stories. A few brave individuals, though, 
  do use the mill from time to time for various reasons. 
  The most common visitors are members of the Thieves’ 
  Guild. They occasionally use the site as a temporary hideout 
  or as a staging ground for criminal activities. The fact that 
  the mill is haunted doesn’t seem to bother them; they hope 
  that fear of the place will help keep the curious away. As yet, 
  the thieves haven’t reported any problems with the building; 
  or they simply aren’t telling anyone. 
  The most well-known person to be associated with the site is 
  “Lunatic” Larin. A tall, older human man, he dresses scraggly 
  and has wild, white hair. Visitors to the site occasionally meet 
  him. Brandishing a sword, he claims to be battling the forces 
  of evil in the area. Exactly why he does this is unknown, but 
  many believe that he was a knight who came to Ragmire to 
  clear it of its’ evil, only to be driven insane by the curse placed 
  on it. The nickname “Lunatic” was given to him by local law 
  enforcement, who generally leave him alone, ﬁ guring he’s 
  just crazy and no real harm. 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  18
  Behind the Scenes 
  The secret of Ragmire Sawmill is that it is not haunted, but it 
  may very well be cursed. For some reason, the area of the mill 
  is a hotbed for interdimensional activity. The “ghosts” people 
  claim to see are, in fact, doorways to other dimensions; 
  they have no ﬁ xed point and wander the building at random. 
  Although no one has made the connection, the frequency 
  of the doorways’ appearances coincides with the position 
  of the planets in the sky. The reason most visitors haven’t 
  noticed the “ghosts” is because they weren’t present when 
  the planets were in the proper alignment.
  People who have disappeared have fallen into, or been 
  overtaken, by these wandering phenomena. This is what 
  happened to Larin. As a child, he fell into one of these portals 
  and reappeared some ﬁ ve years later as the fully grown man 
  people have encountered. Presumably, the rate that time 
  passes wherever he went was much different than his home 
  dimension. If one where to spend some time with him they 
  would learn what happened to him—that he fought in a war 
  against some kind of evil in this alien dimension. The sword 
  he carries, which he calls Vengeance, is magical in nature; 
  no doubt he came by it in his war against evil. Given Larin’s 
  mental state, his full story may never be known.
  The “wailing” that emanates from the forest is simply a 
  side-effect of the clear cutting of the local woods to ﬁ ll the 
  lumber demand. Wind is channeled through the gaps left by 
  downed trees, trapped and whipped through various gaps 
  in the forest, to cause a whistling sound that resembles soft 
  moaning. A natural phenomenon, albeit a ironic one.
  “Lunatic” Larin (WC) 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d10, Guts d6, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d4, Survival d8 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6 
  Hindrances: Delusional (Major, forces of evil are 
  attempting to invade the world), Heroic 
  Edges: Danger Sense, Hard to Kill, Trademark Weapon 
  (“Vengeance,” Greatsword) 
  Gear: “Vengeance,” Greatsword (Str+6, due to +2 magic 
  damage).
  100. Lord Hensley’s Bridge
  by David Bezio
  The Bridge
  Lord Hensley’s Bridge is just south of the town proper, and 
  provides the only easy access to the City of the Shark. It is 
  20 feet wide, and spans the bottomless Chasm of Darkness. 
  The bridge is very stout, and can hold the weight of at least 
  10 elebeasts, 30 men, and a monkey (it’s a long story!). At 
  ﬁ rst merely a fallen tree, then stout wooden planking, Lord 
  Hensley’s Bridge is now an impressive, dwarf-built, stone 
  construction.
  On the south side of the chasm, two towers guard the bridge’s 
  entrance, as well as entrance into the city. A portcullis stands 
  between the towers, each of which boasts small battlements 
  and a ballista. In front of the towers stand the Golem-Knights. 
  These impressive pieces of magical workmanship are 12-
  foot-tall suits of armor. The armor enhances the ﬁ ghting 
  ability and strength of the guard within (see below). At night, 
  the Golem-Knights move behind the portcullis.
  During the day, everyone attempting to enter the city is 
  challenged, and logged into the bridge records. No one is 
  allowed to enter at night. 
  The Chasm of Darkness
  The Chasm of Darkness isn’t just a fanciful name made up 
  on the spur of the moment. The chasm is truly possessed 
  of an unnatural darkness and an oppressive mist. Lanterns 
  lowered into the chasm seem to be gradually swallowed 
  by the darkness, and no one has yet dared to scale down 
  more than 50 feet. Still, there is something down there, 
  as ﬂ ashes of light, rumbling noises, and distant screams 
  can sometimes be heard. Bridge guards have told tales 
  of hearing evil whispers and catching glimpses of glowing 
  eyes, or shadowy ﬁ gures that scuttle back into the depths of 
  the chasm when spotted.
  The Guards
  There are a total of seven gate guards, led by Captain Von 
  Groobster. The guards live and work at the gate, but rotate 
  out two at a time for two days, except for the Captain, who 
  seems to always be at the tower. During the day two guards 
  man the ballistas, two man the Golem-Knights, and Captain 
  Groobster stands at the gate entrance to challenge those 
  seeking to enter the city. At night one guard patrols the 
  battlement of the western tower, sounding the alarm if there 
  is trouble.
  Captain Von Groobster (WC)
  Captain Groobster is a short bald man with a oversized 
  handlebar mustache. He is not only the Captain of the 
  gate guard because he is a competent leader and trusted 
  servant of Lord Hensley, but because he is also a skilled 
  battle mage. Should the gate ever come under attack 
  (though it hasn’t yet), the attackers will be very surprised to 
  ﬁ nd themselves ﬁ ghting not only the mighty Golem-Knights, 
  but also dodging the spells of the good Captain.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d10 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d8, Knowledge (Tactics) d8, 
  Notice d6, Riding d8, Shooting d10, Spellcasting d10 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (9)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic)
  Gear: Chain hauberk (+2), sword (Str+3), staff (Str+1, Parry 
  +1, Reach 1, two-handed)
  Power Points: 25
  Powers: blast, bolt, burst, entangle
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  19
  Bridge Guards, 6 (Extras)
  The bridge guards are a strange mix. There is Carlio, a 
  gambling playboy; Frito, a young country boy who has a way 
  with a sword; Franco, a burly grumpy old man who doesn’t 
  waste words; Esparelle, a bookworm who is constantly 
  peering into the chasm out of paranoia (and probably 
  rightfully so!); Micmont, the captains second in command 
  who is a most competent career soldier who has seen many 
  wars; and last, the half-folk Griddle, who is obsessed with 
  wearing the Golem-Knight armor (because it’s so tall!).
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Fighting d10, Guts d8, Knowledge (Siege Warfare) 
  d8, Notice d6, Shooting d8 
  Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 8 
  Gear: Chain Hauberk (+2), Sword (Str+3), Battlement 
  archers also have a Bow (2d6, 12/24/48)
  Special Abilities: Battle Hardened (+1 to Vigor rolls to 
  recover from Shaken) 
  The Golem-Knights 
  The Golem-Knights were imported from across the sea. 
  They came to the City of the Shark as a gift from the Great 
  Wizards of the furthest coast of Forniacal. They are an 
  ancient magic from a forgotten time. While the power of 
  the Golem-Knights is impressive, Lord Hensley still has his 
  doubts of the intentions of the Great Wizards, as it is their 
  way to conquer or destroy smaller holdings. The following 
  stats reﬂ ect the abilities of the Golem-Knight armor. The 
  wearer of the armor retains all other abilities, but is treated 
  as a Wild Card while in the armor. When the armor falls, 
  the wearer can emerge from it, Shaken, but otherwise 
  unharmed.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Strength d12+2
  Skills: Fighting d12 
  Pace: 10; Parry: 8; Toughness: 15 
  Gear: 2 huge Swords (Str+5) 
  Special Abilities: Ambidextrous, Arcane Resistance, 
  Combat Reﬂ exes, Improved Frenzy, Large, Thick Armor 
  (Toughness 15)
  The Market Square
  by Tartex
  The market square is surrounded by some of the biggest 
  buildings in town. The farmers and ﬁ shermen of the region 
  sell their goods here twice a week. But even on other days a 
  few kids and elders are sent to make some coins. 
  It is not unusual to have the occasional stranger from faraway 
  lands at the market either. These people are normally guests 
  of Wolfram Pertl, the richest merchant in town. Even if there 
  are no strangers, who the street kids point at, one can ﬁ nd 
  all the goods not locally produced at the stands of Pertl’s 
  agents: spices, as well as rare weapons and sometimes 
  even a potion or two. 
  Except for the wooden stands the paved square has two 
  further attractions to offer: the guardian statue and the 
  stocks.
  The statue is called “The Armless Guardian,” as it is that 
  of a warrior. It seems to be quite old and even the scholars 
  have no idea who could have build it. Only the features of 
  the warrior’s face seem beaten by centuries of weather as 
  the rest of the statue is in perfect condition—except for the 
  missing arms. The townspeople regularly try to ﬁ x this ﬂ aw, 
  but no matter how inventive or costly the restorations, after 
  a few days the new arms simply fall off.
  Still the statue serves its function as a symbol for the city’s 
  rights because the guardian of stone carries a sword. The 
  sword is not held in the missing hands, but is ﬁ xed to the 
  back of its head, by the handle. The blade rises far above 
  the guardian’s features. The very same scholars that cannot 
  tell you about its origin will tell you that the shadow of the 
  sword has to point somewhere when the sun is at a certain 
  level.
  By contrast the stocks are not mysterious at all. They are 
  regularly ﬁ lled with petty criminals and attract a crowd of 
  mainly poor kids and nosy women. Only in rare cases, when 
  the city guard exhibits a goblin or another unusual creature, 
  do the stocks get more attention.
  Wolfram Pertl, The City’s Richest Merchant (WC) 
  Wolfram Pertl looks like an emaciated, humble old man in a 
  modest tunic. A stranger could even think he was a beggar, 
  but everyone in town knows he is the richest merchant of 
  the region. Wolfram makes his home at Location 11.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Guts d10, Intimidation d8, Knowledge 
  (Trade) d10, Notice d10, Persuasion d10, Steetwise d6, 
  Taunt d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 4 (+d4); Parry: 7; Tougness: 6
  Hindrance: Lame, Wanted (minor) 
  Edge: Charismatic, Alertness, First Strike, Command
  As a young man Wolfram Pertl was one of the Spider Knights. 
  This order ruled the east with an iron ﬁ st and the power of 
  an ancient evil. In the last days of its reign, Wolfram realized 
  what he was doing. He ran off days before the Union of 
  Freedom was founded. 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  20
  He could have redeemed himself by joining the Union, but 
  he had promised his pregnant wife that her protection would 
  have priority over saving his very soul. So they settled in the 
  ruins that would become this very town, with riches stolen 
  from the Spider Knights. Nobody asked questions here, and 
  later their son was born. This happened before Sir Hensley 
  II appeared.
  When the Spider Slayers started to roam the lands for the 
  escaped knights a decade later, Wolfram had already built 
  a fortune by trading. He even gave one-third of his earnings 
  to the poor and one-third to the gods, by way of the temples. 
  Around this time the 35-year-old merchant decided to risk a 
  desperate move to get rid of his Knight Aura: an alchemist 
  from afar offered him help. In a ritual the alchemist ripped 
  out the aura—literally.
  The once mighty warrior was crippled, but he hurled the 
  source of the aura, the Spider Gem, into Shark Lake, hoping 
  to leave behind the evil ways of his youth forever. 
  Another decade has passed since then, and Wolfram spends 
  most of his days walking around the marketplace, leaned 
  over his stick, or instructing his agents. He looks much older 
  than he really is. Still, most of his scars are hidden under 
  his modest tunic. He loves to talk to strangers and ask them 
  about their travels. He does not need to spend a lot of time 
  with his business anymore, as everything is set up and 
  most of the money comes from the long-distance trade of 
  spices and other ingredients. Sometimes, though, he likes 
  to choose the caravan escorts personally. 
  Wolfram Pertl is harmless nowadays and loathes everything 
  evil or chaotic. He is a conservative and religious man. He 
  would never, for example, lend money to anyone because he 
  regards this as a sin.
  Elin Pertl, Wolfram’s Son (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d6, Driving d10, Fighting d8, Gambling d6, 
  Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Streetwise d10, 
  Taunt d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughess: 5
  Hindrances: Yellow (Guts d4–4) 
  Edges: Attractive
  Some call him the best catch in town, others a spoiled brat. 
  Whatever side you belong to, everyone has an opinion 
  on Elin Pertl, the only son of the richest merchant. Elin is 
  a handsome and athletic man and turned 20 recently. He 
  is a skilled fencer and even better horseman, driving a 
  two-wheeled curricle. Still, he would be a coward in a real 
  ﬁ ght. People with experience notice that within a minute. 
  Nevertheless he has achieved everything he ever wanted to. 
  He just did not need to put much effort into anything. People 
  say he exploits his father, using the old man’s money for the 
  yearly spring, summer, autumn and winter festivals that have 
  turned from religious ceremonies into carnivals.
  But Elin feels no guilt for wasting his father’s money, since he 
  knows how dirty the basis of all this wealth is. When he was 
  still a boy, he became secret witness to the ceremony that 
  crippled his father. Watching would not have been enough 
  for Elin to hate Wolfram though. But that fateful night the 
  curious kid secretly exchanged the magic Spider Gem for a 
  similar-looking, but harmless, shard of colored glass, while 
  the alchemist tried to revive his father. Elin hid the Spider 
  Gem in the deep well in the cellar of his father’s house. 
  Whenever he would climb down there and press the magic 
  stone against his forehead, he could see and feel the past 
  crimes of his father.
  While Elin confronted Wolfram with his dark past, the former 
  Spider Knight does not know that Elin exchanged the gems. 
  Elin would prefer to die than to tell a stranger about his father’s 
  crimes though. On this subject he is not cowardly at all. It is 
  quite possible that his personality will change drastically if 
  his father is openly accused. Elin does not believe his father 
  changed into a good man, but believes that you have to stick 
  to your family. He is unable to understand the the paradox of 
  his own behavior.
  Elin spends most of the time chasing girls or racing the 
  countryside. He sees other young and talented people as 
  rivals, or uses them as a means to play tricks on his father.
  The Streeters’ Guild
  by DATI
  The Streeters’ Guild has been around for centuries. The 
  guild is in the business of street entertainment and is a 
  marginally respected part of the community. If you see 
  someone singing, dancing, juggling, etc. in the streets for 
  the tossed coins of passers-by, then they’re members of the 
  Streeters’ Guild—or they had better be. 
  Like the Beggars’ Guild and Whores’ Guild, the Streeters’ 
  Guild was born out of the need of a small, specialized group 
  of poor folks to provide for communal security and status. 
  The Streeters’ Guild honestly and fairly provides its services 
  and jealously guards its turf—thus reducing the need for the 
  city guards to keep an eye on a part of the population that 
  could easily become a problem. Thus the authorities get 
  what they want (peace and quiet, at least a little tax income) 
  and the streeters get what they want (a lock on their little 
  slice of the economic pie, just enough legal status to warrant 
  some kind of respect and protection).
  Like other lower-class working guilds, the streeters have an 
  awkward relationship with the Thieves’ Guild. Traditionally, 
  some protection money is paid to the Thieves’ Guild, and 
  in return the thieves are expected to keep street gangs and 
  individual thugs off the backs of the streeters. Amongst 
  themselves, the thieves acknowledge that it wouldn’t be a 
  good idea to push the streeters (or the beggars and whores 
  for that matter) too hard. For one thing, the “street-level” 
  guilds know a lot of people and can informally gather a lot 
  of information; if they were to start dropping some of that 
  information into the ears of the authorities... 
  It’s best for all sides if things never come to that level of 
  disagreement. So they usually don’t. 
  The Streeters’ Guild recognizes the same set of ranks as all 
  guilds. A guild member is either a Master, a Journeyman, or 
  an Apprentice. An Apprentice is very much a trainee in the 
  service of a Master or senior Journeyman. An Apprentice 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  21
  becomes a Journeyman after years of apprenticeship and 
  upon the approval of their master. At that point, the guild 
  member is considered to be a competent professional and 
  is expected to behave as such. 
  Most Journeymen never make the jump to Master. In the 
  Streeters’ Guild, a Journeyman becomes a Master when 
  three other Masters judge him or her to have conducted a 
  ‘Master Performance.’ At least one of the judging Masters 
  must have the same specialty (acrobatics, dance, juggling, 
  etc.) as the Journeyman in question. Approval by all three 
  Masters is required in order for the Journeyman to be 
  declared a Master. 
  The vast majority of streeters inherited their guild membership. 
  They’re streeters because their father or mother (or both) 
  were streeters. However, Masters have the right to pick 
  anyone they wish as Apprentices. That’s how new blood is 
  brought into the guild. 
  Usually, the eldest Master in the town is also that town’s 
  Guildmaster. He or she has the authority to speak for the 
  guild to any interested parties. 
  Streeters don’t get rich. Even the Guildmasters usually only 
  own a very modest home—or perhaps simply rent a room in 
  a local inn. Historically, many streeters have lived up to their 
  name by literally sleeping in the city streets. 
  The typical Streeters’ Guild doesn’t have a Hall. Meetings of 
  the guild are usually in a corner of the town square or in the 
  back room of one of the poorer taverns. Day-to-day decisions 
  within the guild are made by the Guildmaster. Other Masters 
  have the right to challenge a Guildmaster’s decisions, but 
  that’s a rare event. The guild is not a democracy and only the 
  Masters really have a voice in how things work. However, 
  the function of the guild is so bounded by a tradition of “do 
  your own thing as long as you don’t make waves” that the 
  political organization of the guild almost never becomes an 
  issue. 
  Masters and Journeymen are expected to pay a small 
  monthly contribution to the guild. The Guild Fund is normally 
  used for any necessary political payoffs and to help down-
  on-their-luck guild members and their families. Claims of 
  mismanagement of the Guild Fund are often a source of 
  tension between a Guildmaster and the other Masters in a 
  city or town.
  Guildmaster Norbert Clay
  The Master is a gray-haired, slightly paunchy man in his late 
  50s who has a rather grumpy demeanor. Master Clay is a 
  gamester—his Guild specialty is playing the game of “Castle” 
  (the equivalent of chess in this world). For a few coppers, or 
  perhaps a cup of ale, anyone can lose to the Master in a 
  friendly game of Castle. Losing is often a breathtakingly fast 
  experience, but it usually demonstrates a ﬁ ne point of the 
  game that the typical Castle player would be well-advised to 
  observe and learn. Every few years, a serious Castle player 
  comes to town and challenges Master Clay to a match. This 
  is usually an event of some notice, attracting both local and 
  out-of-town Castle players to observe the game. 
  Master Clay is relatively well off for a streeter. He is 
  considered to be a reasonable and responsible Guildmaster 
  and is generally well-respected (but not necessarily well-
  liked) by both the locals and members of the guild. However, 
  there is some tension between him and Mistress Lila Grace 
  (the only other Master in town). Mistress Grace feels that 
  Master Clay should be freer in using the Guild Fund for 
  charitable purposes. The Master’s ﬁ rst instinct whenever a 
  guild member is having ﬁ nancial problems is to encourage 
  the guild member to work their way through it, rather than 
  simply giving them some money. While Mistress Lila agrees 
  with the basic principle, she thinks Master Clay sometimes 
  takes it to an extreme. 
  The Master prefers to live in an inexpensive room in one of 
  the local inns. He frequently changes the inn at which he 
  stays. 
  Norbert Clay, Grumpy Guildmaster (Extra)
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d4, Guts d6, Intimidation d6, Knowledge 
  (Castle) d12+2, Notice d10, Persuasion d8, Stealth d4, 
  Streetwise d10, Taunt d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: Elderly, Mean, Vow (to the Streeters’ Guild). 
  Edges: Charismatic, Professional and Expert (Knowledge: 
  Castle), Strong-Willed. 
  Gear: Cherry-wood Castle board and pieces, pair of 
  cunningly-crafted folding chairs.
  Note: Players make opposed Knowledge (Castle) rolls 
  whenever they play a game. Wild Cards who don’t have the 
  Knowledge (Castle) skill roll a d4–2.
  Journeyman Hiram Waters
  An elderly man (rumored to be in his 80s) who is always 
  carrying, juggling, or manipulating the traditional red, yellow, 
  and blue wooden balls of a juggler. Journeyman Waters was 
  an excellent juggler—and still well above average in skill—
  but age is taking its toll. As his health fails, Journeyman 
  Waters appears less and less often in his usual spot in the 
  Market Square. Instead, his young friend and fellow juggler, 
  Smitty Johns, is regularly ﬁ lling in for him.
  Journeyman Waters is a widower, his wife having died in a 
  plague a decade earlier. He had two sons and a daughter, but 
  he outlived them as well. The end is coming for Journeyman 
  Waters, and if it wasn’t for the guild, it would be a lonely and 
  very uncomfortable one.
  The city has been the Journeyman’s home for decades. He 
  has an encyclopedic knowledge of all of the best alleyways 
  in which to pass the night.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  22
  Hiram Waters, Elderly Juggler (Extra)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4 
  Skills: Fighting d4, Guts d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d8, 
  Stealth d4, Streetwise d8, Swimming d6, Throwing d10
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4 
  Hindrances: Elderly, Poverty, Hard of Hearing (minor). 
  Edges: Ambidextrous. 
  Gear: Bedroll, various juggling items—especially the 
  three wooden balls (painted red, yellow, and blue) of a 
  Journeyman juggler.
  Note: Due to his long experience as a juggler, Hiram rolls 
  his Agility +2 whenever he’s required to perform some 
  particularly difﬁ cult feat of juggling.
  Journeyman Smitty Johns
  A young, slender man of otherwise very average appearance, 
  the Journeyman appeared two years ago, claiming to have 
  recently been demobilized from the Imperial Army after 
  having been pressed into service to ﬁ ght in a distant war. 
  Journeyman Johns requested and received permission from 
  Master Clay to begin working in the city. Johns became friends 
  with Journeyman Waters (the other juggler in town) and for 
  a year or so they often performed together. As Journeyman 
  Waters’ health continues to decline, Journeyman Johns has 
  been taking care of his older friend. 
  Smitty Johns, Juggler...with a Secret (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10 
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d12, Guts d8, Intimidation d8, 
  Lockpicking d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Stealth d10, 
  Streetwise d6, Swimming d6, Throwing d12
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 8; Parry: 8; Toughness: 7 
  Hindrances: Enemy (major, Assassins’ Guild), Paciﬁ st 
  (minor), Poverty. 
  Edges: Alertness, Ambidextrous, Danger Sense, Fast 
  Healer, Fleet-Footed, Quick, Thief, Two-Fisted. 
  Gear: Bedroll, various juggling items–including some 
  superbly balanced ‘juggling knives.’
  Note: Smitty is a Wild Card. He rolls his Agility (with a Wild 
  Die) whenever he’s required to perform some particularly 
  difﬁ cult juggling action.
  As you might guess from looking at Smitty’s stats, he isn’t 
  really a streeter. Smitty was born and raised in the Imperial 
  Capital as a member of the Assassins’ Guild. One day, 
  Smitty decided that he’d had his ﬁ ll of killing. So he walked 
  away from it all.
  Unfortunately for Smitty, you just don’t walk away from the 
  Assassins Guild. They don’t like that.
  (Note: Most people believe that there is, of course, no 
  such thing as an Assassins Guild—that’s just a rumor. And 
  besides, it’s best not to speak of such things.)
  Mistress Lila Grace
  A dark-haired, athletic woman whose age is somewhere 
  between 30 and 50, Mistress Grace is a talented dancer 
  and an avid trainer of younger dancers. She arrived in 
  town about ten years ago. It is rumored that in her younger 
  days Mistress Grace had a torrid romance with a powerful 
  nobleman that ended when the nobleman was forced to 
  enter into an arranged marriage. Sharp eyed observers 
  note that Mistress Grace has several old, linear scars on the 
  back of her right calf. It has been commented that it looks 
  like someone once amateurishly attempted to hamstring 
  Mistress Grace. 
  Lila Grace, Big-Hearted Dance Mistress (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Guts d6, Healing d6, 
  Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, 
  Swimming d4
  Charisma: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6 
  Hindrances: Enemy (Imperial Noblewoman, minor), Loyal, 
  Vow (to the members of the Streeters’ Guild) 
  Edges: Attractive, Charismatic, Connections (Imperial 
  Nobleman). 
  Gear: Bedroll, carpetbag, tasteful costume jewelry, various 
  dancing outﬁ ts.
  Note: Due to her long experience as a dancer, Mistress 
  Grace rolls her Agility +2 whenever she’s required to 
  perform a particularly difﬁ cult dance performance.
  Apprentice Chian and Apprentice Miya
  A pair of orphaned, quarter-elf girls that Mistress Grace found 
  turning tricks just outside of the city several years back. She 
  took the girls in and made them into her apprentices. Both 
  girls have red hair and green eyes. The most visible sign of 
  their elvish heritage is their lithe builds and slightly pointed 
  ears. Both are turning into excellent dancers. The shyer 
  Chian is the more serious of the two about her studies—
  Miya prefers to party with the local boys instead.
  Chian, Studious Apprentice Dancer (Extra)
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Guts d4, Healing d4, 
  Notice d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: Poverty, Cautious, Loyal. 
  Edges: Attractive. 
  Gear: Bedroll, carpetbag, various light dancing outﬁ ts.
  Miya, Party Girl and Apprentice Dancer (Extra)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d6, 
  Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Taunt d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 
  Hindrances: Poverty, Greedy (minor), Quirk (Party 
  Animal). 
  Edges: Attractive. 
  Gear: Bedroll, backpack, simple cosmetics, tawdry 
  costume jewelry, various light dancing outﬁ ts. 
  Note: The girls roll their Agility whenever they are required 
  to perform a particularly difﬁ cult dance performance. 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  23
  Mistress Lila and her apprentices usually spend the night 
  on a rooftop. They know the roofs of the city very well—
  with special attention to those on which it is easy to stay 
  concealed while getting some kind of shelter. Consequently, 
  the Mistress and her apprentices are pretty accomplished 
  free-climbers. 
  You might have noticed that Mistress Grace and her 
  apprentices have non-trivial Fighting skills. Among the 
  Dancers of the Streeters’ Guild a kick-oriented martial art 
  is slowly and steadily being developed. It’s an ability that 
  Mistress Grace doesn’t like to be well-known.
  Journeywoman Anna “Goldy” Lace and 
  Journeyman Michael “Ox” Lace
  Goldy is a somewhat plain and slender woman in her late 
  twenties who is an accomplished acrobat. She has a wild 
  shock of blonde hair that is her most recognizable feature 
  and the source of her nickname. Her husband, Ox, is a 
  brutish-looking, but actually quite good-natured, strongman. 
  The two ﬁ rst started working together when they were 
  teenagers. After a long friendship, they eventually married. 
  Goldy and Ox live in a small stall in the marketplace. They 
  have two children: Little Mike (a boy) and Dandelion (a 
  girl). Both of the children are too young to be apprenticed. 
  Amusingly, Little Mike is taking after his mother (small and 
  graceful), while yellow-haired Dandelion is big for her age 
  and quite strong. 
  Anna “Goldy” Lace, Journeywoman Acrobat and 
  Devoted Mother (Extra)
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d10, Fighting d4, Guts d4, Notice d4, 
  Persuasion d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: Poverty, Loyal. 
  Edges: Acrobat, Dodge, Luck. 
  Gear: Acrobat’s tights.
  Goldy rolls her Agility +2 to do acrobatic maneuvers.
  Michael “Ox” Lace, Journeyman Strongman 
  (Extra)
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d12, 
  Vigor d10 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4, 
  Streetwise d6, Swimming d4, Throwing d4
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8 
  Hindrances: Poverty, Quirk (Speaks Very Little), Ugly. 
  Edges: Brawny. 
  Gear: Leather vest that displays his arm and chest 
  muscles. 
  “Little” Mike Lace, skinny kid (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d4, Fighting d4, Notice d4, Stealth d4, 
  Streetwise d4, Swimming d4, Throwing d4
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: Poverty, Young 
  Edges: Luck 
  Gear: Sticks and string. 
  “Dandelion” Lace, big-for-her-age kid (Extra)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d4, Streetwise d4, Swimming 
  d4, Taunt d4, Throwing d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 6 
  Hindrances: Poverty, Young 
  Edges: Brawny 
  Gear: A tattered rag doll named Missy.
  Journeyman “Wolf” Lander
  Wolf is a small, ﬁ erce-looking man in his early thirties who 
  is an accomplished dog-trainer. He has three well-trained 
  canines who perform various tricks for the amusement of the 
  crowd. Journeyman Lander isn’t much of a people-person. 
  When performing, he tends to stand off to the side and give 
  quiet commands to his dogs as they faithfully go through 
  their paces.
  “Wolf” Lander, Journeyman Dog-trainer (Extra)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d10, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Intimidation d6, 
  Knowledge (Animal Training) d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6, 
  Streetwise d4, Survival d6, Swimming d6, Throwing d6, 
  Tracking d6. 
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 
  Hindrances: Poverty, Outsider, Quirk (Always Unwashed). 
  Edges: Alertness. 
  Gear: Fur and leather clothing, hunting knife.
  Journeyman Lander and his dogs live in a tiny log cabin on 
  the eastern edge of the Goblin Woods.
  The Dogs (Extras)
  Rascal is a medium-sized, mixed-breed, white-furred 
  sheep dog who lost his right front leg in a long-ago ﬁ ght 
  with a black bear. He has a tendency to try to herd women 
  and children away from any situation that he considers to 
  be dangerous.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d6 (Bite Str+2), Guts d8, Notice d10 
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Lame, Size –1.
  Earl is a huge bull mastiff. Normally gentle and patient, Earl 
  can become hostile in a hurry if Wolf is ever threatened. He 
  will also respond to an attack command from Wolf. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Fighting d8 (Bite Str+2), Guts d6, Notice d10 
  Pace: 10 (Run d8); Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 
  Edges: Brawny, Fleet-Footed. 
  Go for the Throat: Earl instinctively goes for an 
  opponent’s soft spots. With a raise on his Fighting roll, Earl 
  hits the target location that has the least armor. 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  24
  Wash is a small, unusually intelligent, terrier. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8(A), Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d4 (Bite Str+2), Guts d6, Notice d12 
  Pace: 10 (Run d8); Parry: 4; Toughness: 3 
  Edges: Fleet-Footed; Hindrances: Size –2.
  Earl and Wash have a particularly crowd-pleasing act where 
  Wash rides on Earl’s back. While Earl and Wash perform, 
  Rascal circulates through the crowd, carrying a small 
  wooden bucket in his mouth, begging for coins.
  In addition to the three performing dogs above, Wolf also 
  owns two other partly-trained younger dogs. Use Rascal’s 
  stats for those dogs, but without the Lame Hindrance 
  (presume a Pace of 8).
  The Church of the Deadwatch
  by Theron “SlasherEpoch” Seckington
  The Deadwatch is an organization that seeks out undead 
  whose souls are still trapped in their bodies and helps them 
  to move on to the afterlife. Though trained in ﬁ ghting the 
  undead, this is not their primary responsibility in the secular 
  world. Rather, they serve as cleaners, moving through 
  dungeons once getting an “all clear” from adventurers and 
  ﬁ nding out which zombies, skeletons, and worse things are 
  “free,” and which are simply too damaged to move. 
  Regardless, the Deadwatch’s members bury the undead, 
  using their abilities to speak with the hapless haunt’s soul 
  ﬁ rst, if they can, to discern its religious denomination, or 
  simply burying the thing with a general blanket ceremony 
  that covers most religions dating back a few hundred years. 
  The Deadwatch occasionally employs adventurers to seek 
  out rare religious texts from defunct cults to discover their 
  burial rites, in order that they may serve their “clients” 
  better. 
  Knowing that their mission is somewhat odd, the Deadwatch 
  has picked up some mundane skills. They are employed in 
  murder cases to use their ability to speak to the dead, and 
  often serve as a town’s undertaker (a service they perform 
  for virtually nothing). Deadwatch priests are skilled in the 
  making of potions, poultices, and other such things, and 
  the closest to their god (the elderly, or those with terminal 
  diseases—the closest to death) are able to heal wounds 
  with a touch. 
  Deadwatch followers are encouraged by their faith to keep 
  trim and ﬁ t and abstain from drinking or drugs, although 
  members of the faith are allowed to marry and even take 
  lovers. 
  There is a common misconception that the Deadwatch 
  worship death, although that is not true. They celebrate life, 
  often sponsoring feast days and games, and simply believe 
  that judgment should come immediately. Members are never 
  resurrected (if such a thing exists in your game), nor do they 
  take any sort of life-extending potions or drugs. 
  A church usually consists of about 10 acolyte-undertakers, 
  2 chemists, and a chapter priest. The acolytes take turns 
  caring for the chapter head. 
  Acolytes 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Faith d6, Fighting d6, Healing d6, Knowledge 
  (Religion) d10, Persuasion d6, Shooting d6, Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 
  When encountered in a dungeon, Acolytes are usually 
  found in groups of 4–6, and the following skills, gear and 
  powers will be distributed among the group:
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Intimidation d6, 
  Lockpicking d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Tracking d6
  Gear: Shovel (Str+2, Parry+1, Reach 1)
  Power: bolt (a crackling, jagged beam of light)
  When dungeon-diving, Acolytes are equipped with leather 
  armor and a saw launcher (as crossbow, but deals cutting 
  instead of piercing damage) and 15 saws. Acolytes may 
  receive other gear based on a particular mission.
  Abilities 
  Speak with Dead: With a touch, a Deadwatch Acolyte 
  may ascertain which corpses contain souls and which 
  do not. By making a successful Faith roll, Acolytes may 
  communicate with corpses that still contain souls, which 
  they do to ask which religion the corpse followed in life 
  in order to lay it to rest. A soul may attempt to resist this 
  questioning, in which case an opposed Spirit roll is made, 
  the Acolyte receiving a +2 bonus if he succeeded with 
  a raise on the casting roll. For each additional Acolyte 
  present and concentrating on the ritual, the one asking 
  questions receives a +1 bonus to the Faith roll and 
  opposed Spirit roll. Finally, a soul is bound to give an 
  answer but may still attempt to lie. Most souls, however, are 
  more than happy to depart to judgment after the Acolytes 
  explain the beneﬁ ts of doing so.
  Arcane Background: Miracles. Acolytes know smite 
  (against Undead only), elemental manipulation: earth 
  (which they use mostly to make grave-digging easier), and 
  detect/conceal arcana (which lets them ﬁ nd souls at range). 
  They have 15 Power Points.
  Chemists 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Faith d6, Fighting d4, Healing d6, Knowledge 
  (Chemistry) d10, Knowledge (Religion) d10, Shooting d6, 
  Throwing d4
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Edges: Healer
  Abilities
  Chemists make potions and patch wounds. Don’t worry 
  overmuch about the actual process by which potions are 
  made. Just assume that, at any given time, each temple has 
  1d8 doses of the following things:
  Healing Potion (one dose, cures one wound, cost 200) 
  Healing Bandages (each bandage grants a one-time +4 
  bonus to the Healing skill for removing wounds, cost 100) 
  Energy Drink (removes a level of fatigue from any source, 
  cost 350) 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
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  Universal Antidote (cures most non-magical poisons, cost 
  500) 
  Healing Ointment (a ﬁ ve-day treatment; applied daily to 
  wounds, it grants a +2 bonus to natural healing rolls; cost 
  100)
  Temple Priest (WC) 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4 
  Skills: Faith d10, Fighting d6, Healing d10, Knowledge 
  (Religion) d12, Persuasion d8, Shooting d6
  Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles).
  Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Power Points: 25
  Powers: armor, smite (against undead only), elemental 
  manipulation: earth and ﬁ re, healing, bolt.
  Speak with Dead: As the Acolyte ability.
  Terminal illness: Each time the players enter the temple 
  in a manner not connected with the plot (such as seeking 
  healing or potions), draw a card. On a Joker, the priest has 
  died from disease or old age, and the temple is in mourning. 
  However, the priest will not die while the players are returning 
  to collect a reward from him—that’s just mean.
  Other Services
  The church offers some additional services to adventurers 
  or troubleshooters that it does not offer to others: 
  For a donation (use discretion here, GM), the church allows 
  researchers to use its library, which is mainly full of obscure 
  religious texts. Bonuses should be granted to that end. 
  The church can enchant non-magical weapons for 48 hours 
  to deal +2 damage to Undead creatures. Cost is 100x the 
  weapon’s damage. Arrows, bolts and such cost (damage die 
  types added together / 2 x 20) for 20 shots. 
  Once per month, by the light of the moon (melodramatic, 
  yes?) the Church is able to prepare a draught that may cure 
  any poison, most curable diseases, lift curses, or remove a 
  permanent crippling injury. The “Living Miracle” isn’t handled 
  lightly, and is a well-kept secret. It has no cost; instead, it 
  is given as a reward to adventurers who have helped the 
  church perform its duty, or shipped to another location for 
  a “good cause.” Churches have been known to allow their 
  entire clergy to fall rather than allow the Living Miracle to fall 
  into the wrong hands. 
  The Deadwatch can be a source of adventures, usually 
  sending characters into the sewers to scout ahead for its 
  members, asking them to retrieve religious texts, or asking 
  the heroes to escort new and old members to and from other 
  cities. 
  Final Notes 
  The church asks that anyone it repeatedly beneﬁ ts call upon 
  them after they’ve cleared out dungeons to make sure that 
  all the souls have passed on. 
  The Deadwatch changes acolytes between towns regularly 
  to keep skill sets rotating and adjusting for particular 
  environments. Only the temple priests and the chemists are 
  long-term investments, but even then, changes have been 
  known to occur in the lineup.
  The City Sewers
  by Stuart N. Bonham
  An extensive network of ancient sewer tunnels runs beneath 
  the city. They are prone to ﬂ ooding and fast currents during 
  and following rainstorms. Main sewer tunnels are 10’ wide 
  and 6’ high, with 2’ wide ledges against the walls, between 
  which runs a river of sewage. Secondary sewers are 3’ wide 
  and 5’ high. These are damp and dirty with areas of standing 
  water. Many have shallow streams of ﬁ lthy water ﬂ owing in 
  them. Numerous small pipes and passages have not been 
  detailed on the map (see p. 26).
  The drains and pipes gush ﬁ lthy, foul-smelling water into 
  the central channel of the main sewer. The sewers channel 
  water and waste to the south, where they empty into the 
  Chasm of Darkness through barred slots. These slots are 
  3’ wide and 1’ high, and have stout iron bars spaced every 
  six inches across their width. Main sewers that empty into 
  the chasm have two such slots; secondary sewers have a 
  single slot.
  Getting Into the Sewers
  Characters can gain entrance to the sewers in a number 
  of ways. The most obvious of these is via the drains and 
  gratings that channel rainwater into the system. All major 
  streets in the city have these features. Most of the gratings 
  are ﬁ xed in place; others can be opened for cleaning but are 
  normally padlocked. Still others have been converted into 
  secret doors by thieves or others. Each grating leads to a 
  vertical shaft about 25 feet deep. For those gratings that can 
  be opened, an iron rung ladder is set into the side of the 
  shaft.
  Some buildings have ancient cellars that feature stone 
  trapdoors leading into the sewer system. Others have secret 
  entrances used for a variety of nefarious purposes (e.g., the 
  Bridge Inn, see p. 11).
  The Rat Men
  The sewers have recently become home to a number of Rat 
  Men (see Fantasy Bestiary Toolkit, p. 47) who have been 
  driven nearer the surface by a gruesome predator known 
  only as “The Crawler.” This monstrosity has caused them to 
  abandon their deeper nests and build a new lair in the ancient 
  sewer system of the city. Now they scavenge for food in the 
  city at night, avoiding contact with the inhabitants where 
  possible. They have kidnapped several people in recent 
  months, however, carrying them back to their lair, where 
  they have been sacriﬁ ced to the Rat God and then eaten. 
  As these abductees have so far been drunks or low lifes, 
  to date little action has been taken by the city authorities in 
  response to the disappearances.
  The Rat Men are a malign race of half-human, half-rat 
  creatures whose nightmarish origins can only be guessed 
  at. Like all rodents, they can ﬂ atten and squash their bodies, 
  enabling them to squeeze through narrow sewer pipes and 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
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  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  27
  under low gaps. They also have a superb sense of direction, 
  and never get lost in the maze of sewers and tunnels beneath 
  the city. All Rat Men are carriers of disease and can infect 
  anyone they bite. They are often found in the company of 
  rats. They can speak the language of rats, and often use 
  them to spy on intruders in the sewers. Their leader is a 
  particularly evil old shaman of the Rat God.
  Sewer Encounters
  The chance of a random encounter is 1 in 6. If an encounter 
  is indicated, roll 2d6 on the chart below:
  2d6
  Encounter
  2
  Event
  3–4
  Thieves (1d6)
  5–6
  Rat Men (2d6)
  7
  Lights in the distance
  8
  Swarm of rats
  9–10
  Slithering sounds in the distance
  11
  Rat Men (3d6)
  12
  Dissolver
  Thieves: Thieves regularly use the sewers to move about 
  the city unseen. Roll d6 to determine the number of thieves 
  encountered. Under most circumstances, the thieves will 
  avoid contact with adventurers in the sewers, and will ﬂ ee. 
  However, they may attempt to assault and rob lone wanderers 
  or small groups of explorers. 
  Rat Men: If the party is together and alert, the Rat Men 
  will simply hide and observe them, reporting their position 
  back to their colony when possible. However, if the party is 
  distracted or resting, or there is an opportunity for an ambush, 
  then the Rat Men will attack. Lone characters moving about 
  the sewers may be snared with nets and carried back to the 
  lair as gifts for the Rat God.
  The Rat Men have access to all parts of the sewers via their 
  own tunnels. These tunnels are 1’ high and the entrances 
  are cunningly hidden by pivoting stones or slates that are 
  very hard to ﬁ nd. The Rat Men are armed with short swords; 
  half of those in any encountered group are also equipped 
  with short bows and quivers of 20 arrows.
  Lights in the Distance: The party sees lights bobbing about 
  in the distance. These may be the lanterns of others who are 
  moving about in the sewers. Alternatively, they may be one 
  or more Will-o’-the-Wisps (Fantasy Bestiary Toolkit, p. 58) 
  ﬂ oating along in a sewer pipe. These latter may attempt to 
  lure the explorers into the deep water of a catch-basin—
  possibly the lair of a Dissolver…
  Swarm of Rats: Hundreds of rats are ﬂ eeing from something 
  as yet unseen and attack anything in their path.
  Slithering Sounds in the Distance: Sickening slithering 
  noises are heard echoing down the sewer pipe, as if something 
  large and ﬂ abby is squirming through the tunnels. This is the 
  Crawler, a terrifying chthonic monster that sometimes hunts 
  in the tunnels (see Lair of the Crawler, p. 33, for details of 
  this creature). 
  Dissolver: (See Fantasy Bestiary Toolkit, p. 17). This 
  creature lurks in a pool of fetid water, waiting to envelop 
  unwary passers-by.
  Event: Roll on the following chart for an event:
  1d6
  Event
  1
  Characters ﬁ nd a dead body ﬂ oating in the sewer channel; the 
  cause of death is determined by the GM.
  2
  Far-off clanking noises are heard.
  3
  A message or warning of some kind is found scrawled upon 
  the sewer wall.
  4
  A party of Rat Men is carrying an unconscious prisoner back 
  to their lair for sacriﬁ ce.
  5
  The Crawler appears (see p. 33).
  6
  GM’s choice.
  Key to the Sewer Map
  The following areas are shown on the main Sewer Map (see 
  p. 26). Of course, GMs are free to add their own locations 
  to the map and expand the sewers to ﬁ t in with their version 
  of the City.
  C 
  Collapsed tunnel: The way ahead is completely 
  blocked by debris.
  B 
  Catch basin: This high-ceilinged, 30’ square space 
  is where the main sewer channels from higher levels 
  connect with the lower levels of the system. Twenty-ﬁ ve feet 
  up the north wall, a main sewer pipe enters the chamber. A 
  waterfall of rainwater and sewage gushes from the tunnel 
  and plunges into a 6-foot-deep pool in the middle of the 
  catch basin, from which it ﬂ ows south into the lower main 
  pipe. Secondary sewers and minor drains also join the catch 
  basin from the east and west, pouring their contents into 
  the pool. A 2’ wide ledge skirts each wall of the basin. Iron-
  rung ladders on the wall, on either side of the upper sewer 
  opening, provide access to the north.
  W 
  Weir: At this point, the sewer pipe opens out into 
  a long, low-ceilinged tunnel that slopes upward from south 
  to north at an angle of about 25 degrees. The 4-foot-high 
  tunnel is built as a series of “steps;” each step is 2½’ high, 6’ 
  wide, and 6’ long. The weir rises some 25’ in elevation to join 
  with the upper sewer system. A constant stream of efﬂ uent 
  ﬂ ows down the steps. The noise of the falling water makes 
  it necessary to shout in order to communicate with fellow 
  explorers.
  U 
  Underground stream: This subterranean watercourse 
  used to ﬂ ow into the Wiggy River to the east, but its course 
  was altered in antiquity. First, a deep pool was constructed, 
  from which the well in Hensley Castle now derives its clean 
  water supply. Then the stream was channelled southwards 
  into a main sewer feeder pipe, providing a constant ﬂ ow of 
  water with which to ﬂ ush the system. Secondary sewers and 
  drains serving the castle empty into the stream south of the 
  pool.
  The stream tunnel averages 4’ in diameter and the water is 
  knee-deep. It continues for some 150’ to the north of the well 
  pool, where it seemingly ends at a 6’ deep pool. This is in 
  fact a sump that can be passed by bold adventurers. Beyond 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  28
  the sump, the tunnel resumes and penetrates deep into the mountain.
  The original course of the stream is marked on the map. This tunnel still exists, although entry into it was barred by a locked 
  iron grating hundreds of years ago. Beyond this wall, the stream heads east towards the Wiggy River. It opens into the river 
  about 10 feet below the surface of the water. This opening is also barred by an iron grate.
  1. Lair of the Rat Men: This ruined temple and its associated crypts were cleared of their undead inhabitants by adventurers 
  and Deadwatch priests a few years ago. It has now become the Rat Men’s lair (see p. 29).
  2. The Thieves’ Guild: The Thieves’ Guild has taken over what used to be a small gaol complex attached to the original 
  fortiﬁ cations of the city. This location will be detailed in a future issue of Shark Bytes.
  3. Lair of the Crawler: A 40’ deep vertical shaft leads down to the lair of the Crawler (see p. 33).
  4. Tombs of the Old City: Undead guardians yet lurk in these forgotten crypts, which will be detailed in a future issue.
  5. Ruins of the Watch Tower: This underground complex lies beneath the ruins of an ancient watch tower. The stone from 
  the ruin was robbed out by Sir Hensley’s stone-masons years ago when the City of the Shark was built, so there is now little 
  sign that the tower stood here at all. However, the underground levels of the building have survived, although there is no 
  longer any access to the surface. This location will be detailed in a future issue.
  Story Hooks
  There are many reasons for characters to begin exploring the sewer system beneath the city streets. Here are a few 
  examples:
  1. The characters are hired to delve into the sewers in order to locate a lost or stolen item.
  2. The adventurers hear tales of shadowy ﬁ gures staring out from behind sewer gratings. They may be thieves casing a 
  joint, or Rat Men waiting for an opportunity to emerge unseen into the city. Perhaps a character spots such a ﬁ gure (Notice 
  roll at –2)?
  3. A swarm of rats erupts from a sewer grating, causing havoc in the street as people are attacked by the rampaging 
  rodents. The creatures are mad with fear—what has caused them to ﬂ ee from the tunnels below?
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  29
  The Lair of the Rat Men
  A tale of the Savage City
  by Stuart N. Bonham
  T
  he Rat Men have set up their lair in the ruins of an ancient 
  temple that dates from the time of the Old City. A secret 
  passage leading from the sewers to the ruins was discovered 
  by adventurers a few years ago. The area was cleared of its 
  undead inhabitants during several forays by the explorers 
  and a party of acolytes from the Church of the Deadwatch. 
  Maps showing the location of the secret passage are lodged 
  in the archives of the Deadwatch church.
  About six months ago, a tribe of Rat Men, driven up from 
  the lower dungeon levels by the predations of the Crawler, 
  discovered the ruined temple and set up home there. At 
  any one time there are 40 Rat Men in the lair, not counting 
  the shaman and his acolytes. The rest of the colony will be 
  out foraging in the sewer tunnels or skulking about in the 
  city above. The Rat Men move about their lair, so the room 
  descriptions below do not generally list them as inhabitants 
  of the various locations. Instead, for every room that the 
  characters enter and each turn of a corridor they move 
  around, there is a 1 in 6 cumulative chance of encountering 
  d6+2 Rat Men. The ﬁ rst confrontation with Rat Men will result 
  in the creatures attempting to alert the rest of the lair as 
  to the presence of the intruders. Once the alarm has been 
  raised, the remainder of the Rat Men in the lair will begin 
  hunting down the characters in order to capture or kill them. 
  Cornered Rat Men ﬁ ght with vicious abandon, but generally 
  the creatures are cautious combatants. They are organized 
  and know the area very well. They use hit-and-run tactics 
  to wear the invaders down and lead them into ambushes 
  and traps. The Rat Men will utilize the features of the ruined 
  temple to give themselves the best tactical advantage in all 
  situations.
  Basic statistics for the Rat Men may be found in the Fantasy 
  Bestiary Toolkit on page 47. They are equipped with short 
  swords; 50% of Rat Men encountered are also armed with 
  short bows (20 arrows each). Details of the leader of the 
  colony, and his three acolytes, are provided below.
  Shaman of the Rat God (WC)
  The evil old shaman is a cunning leader who will organize 
  the defense of the lair from the relative safety of the Rat 
  God’s shrine. He will assign his acolytes to bolster the 
  defenders, sending out orders and receiving progress 
  reports via ordinary rats that act as his messengers. If the 
  tide turns against the Rat Men, he will order his troops back 
  to the shrine to defend his person.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d6, Guts d4, Notice d8, 
  Stealth d10, Spellcasting d10, Survival d8, Tracking d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Command, Fervor
  Hindrances: Elderly
  Gear: Staff topped with Rat Man skull (Str+1, Parry +1)
  Power Points: 20
  Powers: armor (living armor of rats), bolt, fear (terrifying 
  visage), healing, telekinesis.
  Special Abilities
   
  • Avatar of the Rat God: Can summon and control  
   
  a swarm of rats if 3 PP are expended.
   
  • Bite: Str+1.
   
  • Direction Sense.
   
  • Immunity.
   
  • Infection.
  Acolytes of the Rat God (3) (Extras)
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d6, Guts d4, Notice d8, 
  Stealth d10, Survival d8, Tracking d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic)
  Gear: Staff topped with Rat Man skull (Str+1, Parry +1)
  Power Points: 10
  Powers: barrier (a wall of darkness), bolt.
  Special Abilities
   
  • Bite: Str+1.
   
  • Direction Sense.
   
  • Immunity.
   
  • Infection.
  Map Key for the Lair of the Rat Men
  The layout of the temple adheres to the following rough plan 
  (see map on p. 31). Storerooms are positioned to the north, 
  while living areas, such as the kitchens, refectory and library 
  are sited in the central portion of the complex. The main 
  ceremonial areas lie to the west, and the rooms to the east 
  tend to be dormitories and private quarters. The southern 
  portion of the plan is reserved for the dead, for it is here that 
  the crypts were built.
  The corridors in the ruined temple are between 6’ and 10’ in 
  width and they have arched ceilings that peak at around 10’ 
  high. Most doors are made of hardwood unless otherwise 
  noted; they were smashed open in the assault of several 
  years ago, and are either hanging off their hinges or open 
  very easily. The doors leading into the Great Hall are in 
  relatively good condition, however, having been repaired by 
  the Rat Men. There is a pungent smell of rodents in all rooms 
  except the crypts, which are musty and thick with dust.
  The map key below does not provide details of every area 
  the characters may explore. For such rooms, the following 
  table may be consulted to provide the GM with some typical 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  30
  contents with which to dress up each location.
  d10
  Result
  1
  Bones from several disarticulated skeletons.
  2
  Rusty circular saw blades, as used by Deadwatch priests.
  3
  Several smashed storage jars.
  4
  Rotting barrels with unknown contents.
  5
  Iron spikes driven into the wall or door.
  6
  A broken weapon, rusted and useless.
  7
  Rats! They may scamper off to warn the Rat Men of 
  intruders, at the GM’s option.
  8
  Lengths of rusty iron chain.
  9
  Thick cobwebs on the ceiling (no resident spiders).
  10
  Harmless mold or slime on the ﬂ oor or walls.
  1. Storeroom
  Unknown to the Rat Men, a secret passageway from the 
  sewers terminates in a door that opens into this storeroom. 
  The ﬂ oor is piled high with heaps of rotten and partially burnt 
  wood. Growing on this wood is a thick green mold from 
  which several large, bell-like toadstools sprout. If the fungus 
  is disturbed by moving the wood, then the toadstools release 
  clouds of choking spores. Unfortunately, the wood must be 
  shifted to gain access to the room from the secret door. The 
  fungus is easily destroyed by ﬁ re.
  Fungal Spores: these spread out to ﬁ ll the room and 4” 
  down the hall; anyone caught in the cloud must make a Vigor 
  roll each round or suffer a level of Fatigue. Anyone reduced 
  below Incapacitated level has choked to death.
  2. Rat Men Tunnels
  This maze of narrow tunnels leads to several exits into the 
  sewer system. The tunnels can be traversed by humans 
  with difﬁ culty (pace is halved; characters cannot run), but 
  only if they are wearing non-rigid armor. The various small 
  chambers shown are guard posts that are continually 
  manned under normal circumstances.
  3. Great Hall
  This ancient hall is now the main dwelling place for the Rat 
  Men. The huge room is lit by burning torches in wall sconces, 
  and by a great ﬁ re that burns in a pit in the center of the space. 
  Four great columns, carved in the shape of trees, support 
  the arching roof. The walls are covered in paintings, most of 
  which have been damaged. However, many robed human 
  ﬁ gures can be discerned in the frescoes. Interestingly, the 
  ﬁ gures appear to have no faces—just strange slit-like eyes 
  (they are in fact wearing masks).
  There are many straw nests scattered along the walls of 
  the room—enough to sleep eighty or more Rat Men. In one 
  corner stand three iron cages. These are where abductees 
  from the City are held prior to being offered to the Rat God. If 
  the adventurers are raiding the lair to rescue a captive, they 
  will be found locked inside one of these cages.
  Heavy curtains cover the ceremonial passageway that leads 
  south to the Shrine of the Rat God.
  4. Shrine of the Rat God
  This vaulted chamber is lit by two great braziers that burn 
  to either side of a bloodstained stone altar. Behind this 
  gruesome block stands a crude bronze statue of the Rat 
  God. The original stone statue that once stood in this position 
  lies smashed to pieces at the feet of the usurper god.
  Stone statues stand in alcoves to either side of the room; 
  they have been defaced and it is hard to make out their 
  features. They are in fact the robed efﬁ gies of high priests 
  who once presided over the rituals performed in the temple 
  centuries ago.
  5. Refectory
  This area was once a refectory where the priests of the temple 
  sat down to eat together. It is now almost unrecognizable as 
  such. The ﬂ oor has partially collapsed, leaving a huge crack 
  in the middle of the area that runs from wall to wall. The crack 
  is 3–5 feet wide. In addition, the ceiling is highly unstable. 
  The Rat Men have erected several wooden struts to prevent 
  the roof caving in. In defending the Lair, the Rat Men may 
  knock these struts aside in order to try and precipitate a 
  collapse.
  6. Library
  This was once the library of the temple. Now the room is piled 
  high with debris. The roots of some great tree penetrate the 
  ceiling, and fallen masonry, soil and broken bookcases lie 
  in heaps around the room. The piles of debris provide good 
  hard cover against missile ﬁ re for those who hide behind 
  them.
  7. Scriptorium
  This room is where the temple priests once copied out their 
  holy books and scrolls. Now it is strewn with broken and 
  rotten furniture—chairs, desks and bookcases. A partially-
  collapsed wooden platform stands at the east end of the 
  room. An iron spiral staircase leads up to the platform, which 
  is still strong enough to bear the weight of several people.
  8. Dormitory
  The door to this dark room is smashed almost beyond 
  recognition. The room is festooned with sticky webs. The Rat 
  Men avoid the area due to the pair of giant spiders that lair 
  here (see Savage Worlds rulebook). The spiders sometimes 
  emerge from their webs to hunt, but mostly they lurk over 
  the doorway ready to ensnare any unwary visitors. In their 
  defense of the Lair, the Rat Men may attempt to force the 
  characters into the room, where they will be at the mercy of 
  the oversize arachnids.
  9. Spiral Staircase
  This stone spiral staircase leads up, but is blocked by 
  hundreds of tons of rubble after only a few turns.
  10. Antechamber
  All the doors in the crypt area are made of stone. They have 
  been forced open from the outside. The antechamber itself 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  31
  bears the scars of a major ﬁ ght that happened here in 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  32
  are the remains of a pair of guardian mummies.
  Three open chests, their locking mechanisms smashed, 
  stand against the north wall of the crypt. The chests are 
  empty, their contents long since looted.
  Story Hooks
  Here are a few ideas to get the characters involved with the 
  Rat Men and their lair:
  1. A strange illness is spreading through the city and the 
  Hospitallers of Alycia the White are having difﬁ culty curing 
  it. However, they believe that the disease-carrying Rat Men 
  may be responsible, as some of the creatures have been 
  spotted recently in the alleys of the city after dark. If the Rat 
  Men’s lair could be located, the threat to public health 
  the past. There are burn marks on the ﬂ oor and walls, and 
  the ﬂ agstones are strewn with smashed bones. Once ﬁ ne 
  tapestries depicting scenes of temple life lie in tatters on the 
  ground.
  11. Burial Chambers
  Each of the niches contains an open cofﬁ n. Examination of 
  the cofﬁ ns shows that they were smashed open from the 
  inside. A large number of bones crunch underfoot as the 
  characters explore this area.
  12. Crypt
  The main crypt contains three sarcophagi, their lids smashed 
  and lying scattered around the open tombs. Strangely, the 
  ﬂ oor is covered with crisp, dry leaves, like those that fall from 
  autumn trees. There is no obvious way these leaves could 
  have gotten into the crypt, and since they have not rotted, 
  they cannot have been here that long. If the leaves 
  are cleared away, it will be seen that the tombs 
  stand upon a large pentagram carved into the 
  ﬂ agstone ﬂ oor.
  There is a niche in the west wall that 
  appears to have partially collapsed. 
  The niche, and the area immediately 
  in front of it, is strewn with fallen 
  masonry and soil. If the niche 
  is cleared, a valuable golden 
  broach 
  may 
  be 
  found—
  treasure missed by those 
  who fought the occupants of 
  the tombs.
  The middle sarcophagus 
  has become the lair of a 
  giant centipede that enters 
  and leaves the crypt via 
  the collapsed niche (it can 
  tunnel though the packed 
  earth quite effectively). 
  Anyone examining the 
  sarcophagus 
  will 
  be 
  attacked as the creature 
  emerges to defend its 
  nest. The statistics for this 
  creature may be found on 
  page 12 of the Fantasy 
  Bestiary Toolkit.
  There is evidence of a 
  major battle having taken 
  place here in the past. The 
  walls bear scorch marks, 
  and there are two piles 
  of burnt bones and ash 
  lying near the sarcophagi. 
  Close 
  examination 
  of 
  the burnt areas reveals 
  the remnants of ancient 
  bandages mixed in with 
  the cremated bone. These 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  33
  might be eliminated once and for all. Additionally, the contents 
  of the lair may provide the Hospitallers with the materials 
  they need to create a serum against the disease.
  2. A thief from the Bridge Inn has disappeared while 
  delivering a coded message on a journey through the 
  sewers. The Thieves’ Guild suspects rivals, but in reality 
  the Rat Men snared him and carried him off to their lair. 
  The adventurers are hired to ﬁ nd out what happened and 
  to retrieve the message, if possible. If the message is 
  reclaimed, the characters have the option of returning it, de-
  coding it themselves, or passing it on to rivals of the Thieves’ 
  Guild for a tidy sum of money.
  3. The authorities have turned a blind eye to the occasional 
  disappearance of a drunkard or a streetwalker over the past 
  few months. But now the daughter of a more respectable 
  citizen has gone missing and the City Watch has had to take 
  notice. The adventurers are hired for the disagreeable job of 
  searching the sewers for clues to the abduction.
  4. Tales of the original assault on the ruined temple are still 
  told in some taverns, where they often earn the storyteller 
  a pint of ale or two. A king’s ransom was hauled out of the 
  dungeon back then – perhaps some overlooked treasure yet 
  remains in the ruined halls of that ancient fane?
  Lair of the Crawler
  The sewer tunnel opens into a chamber some 40 feet square 
  at this point (3 on Sewers Map, see p. 26). A number of 
  water channels and small drains converge here; the drains 
  are covered by rusty grates. Lengths of iron chain hang from 
  the vaulted roof, as do milky stalagmites, some of which are 
  several inches in length. There is a constant drip-drip-drip of 
  water seeping in from above.
  The exact purpose of the chamber is unclear, but one 
  feature immediately captures the attention—a circular 
  shaft near the northeast corner that drops vertically down 
  into inky blackness. A steady trickle of water ﬂ ows into the 
  shaft, which has perfectly smooth sides. An examination 
  of the shaft reveals traces of foul-smelling, pus-like slime 
  adhering to the walls. The shaft drops 40’ before it opens 
  into a partially-ﬂ ooded series of natural caverns; these form 
  the lair of the Crawler.
  The Crawler (WC)
  Thanks to Dave Blewer for help with the design of this 
  creature.
  This loathsome creature is best described as a kind of 
  subterranean squid. Its glistening, boneless body is some 
  25’ in length and has a gelatinous appearance. The head 
  is a mass of long, pallid tentacles that squirm and ﬂ op in 
  front of it as it ﬂ ows though even the tightest of tunnels. The 
  Crawler can exude a noisome slime that enables it to move 
  surprisingly quickly. When doing so, the creature makes a 
  sickening slithering sound. However, the thing can move 
  very quietly when it is stalking prey; under such conditions, 
  no slime trail is produced.
  Although the monster has no eyes, it is a supreme hunter. Its 
  tentacles are extremely sensitive to changes in air pressure; 
  it can even detect the breathing of its prey at a distance. 
  Effectively, this means that the Crawler can “see” even in 
  total darkness.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d10, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d10, Stealth d8, Tracking d10
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 13
  Treasure: Scattered coins, weapons, and possessions of 
  the Crawler’s many victims are found within its lair (exact 
  contents and amounts according to GM’s discretion).
  Special Abilities
   
  • Bite: The Crawler’s bite inﬂ icts Str damage, and  
   
   
  its powerful jaws give its bite attack AP 2.
   
  • Darkvision: the Crawler’s sensory system is  
   
   
  unaffected by darkness.
   
  • Flow: The Crawler can deform is boneless body,  
   
   
  enabling it to move through gaps as narrow as 2  
   
   
  feet wide. 
   
  • Large: Attackers add +2 to their attack rolls.
   
  • Paralysis: Any creature Shaken or Wounded  
   
   
  by the Crawler’s tentacles must make a Vigor roll or be  
   
  paralyzed for 2d6 minutes.
   
  • Protozoan: The Crawler is a primeval creature with   
   
  a simplistic, if effective, physiology. Since there are  
   
   
  fewer critical parts to its internal organs, it suffers only  
   
  half damage from piercing attacks. Additionally, the  
   
   
  Crawler gains +2 on rolls to recover from the Shaken   
   
  condition.
   
  • Size +5: The Crawler is some 25 feet in length. 
   
  • Slime: When exuding slime the Crawler is Fleet- 
   
   
  Footed, but it cannot use Stealth because of   
   
   
  the horrible slithering noises the slime makes as  
   
   
  the creature moves. Those who know about the  
   
   
  effects of the Crawler’s slime must make a Guts check  
   
  on hearing the sudden, horrible splurting noises, as they  
   
  realize the thing may be slithering toward them in a rush!  
   
  Of course those not in the know may be more curious as  
   
  to what is making such awful sounds…
   
  • Tentacular Mass: Inﬂ ict Str damage, the Crawler can  
   
  attack all opponents within 3” of its head at no penalty.
   
  • Weakness (Fire): The slime produced by the Crawler  
   
  is somewhat ﬂ ammable, so ﬁ re-based attacks inﬂ ict +4  
   
  damage to the creature.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  34
  Last Goblin Standing
  A tale of the Savage City
  by M. A. Cutter
  Introduction
  Answering a broadsheet call for brave and ruthless 
  mercenaries, the heroes set out on a mission of revenge. 
  But they are soon drawn into a byzantine web of intrigue, 
  backstabbing, double-crosses and dirty dealing, with the 
  lives of a poor and pitiful people hanging in the balance. What 
  secrets lurk in the shadowy depths of the Goblin Woods?
  GM’s Overview
  Long ago, the ﬁ rst local woodsmen settled beside the 
  Chasm of Darkness and began carving into the brush-
  choked periphery of the Goblin Wood. Even then the forests 
  were known to be infested with nasty, ﬁ lthy goblins. Led by 
  the ﬁ rst of the Hensleys, and allied with dwarves and elves 
  (and sometimes even orcs), war after bloody war was fought 
  to drive the ﬁ endish devils back into the depths of the Goblin 
  Woods. Today all manner of nonhuman creatures can be 
  encountered traveling openly through the streets of the City 
  of the Shark—except goblins. But that doesn’t mean they 
  play no part in local affairs...
  Characters will need to exercise some restraint and 
  craftiness if they wish to exit the Goblin Woods alive. All is 
  not as it seems, and the impetuous will likely ﬁ nd themselves 
  torn to shreds by an angry grizzly, or skewered for a goblin 
  meal. On the other hand, heroes who use make use of 
  stealth, cunning and trickery will likely ﬁ nd success. There is 
  always a way to turn a complex situation to one’s advantage. 
  Still, “Last Goblin Standing” is best undertaken by a party 
  of Seasoned heroes with their Extras in tow. Veterans are 
  unlikely to ﬁ nd much of a challenge, and Novices are unlikely 
  to ﬁ nd anything but a swift demise.
  Scene One: A Call to Vengeance!
  Summer, with its oppressive heat, has come to the City 
  of the Shark. Characters looking for work—or simply an 
  afternoon’s diversion—ﬁ nd a colorful broadsheet posted on 
  a wooden kiosk in the Market Square:
  MERCENARIES WANTED!
  Only the pitiless need apply. Quality weapons supplied, generous 
  pay awaits your return. See Saevel Clearwater at Ploughshares 
  to Swords, located where Flory’s End meets Teller Lane.
  At Ploughshares to Swords (88, see p. 17) interested parties 
  see black smoke pouring from a forge’s chimney and hear 
  the keening ring of a heavy hammer on red-hot steel. 
  Sinewy strong and drenched in sweat, the half-elf Saevel 
  Clearwater is found working through the hottest part of the 
  day. Characters observing him ﬁ nd that he takes no notice of 
  spectators, nor does he bother to hide his heritage from any 
  who might take issue with it. Rather, a grim determination 
  seems to drive him on.
  If approached and asked about the broadsheet, Saevel 
  drops his hammer and looks the characters up and down. 
  (If the GM wishes he may roll on the Reaction Table, but 
  remember that this may force characters to use Persuasion 
  before Saevel will hire them. Characters may add +2 to the 
  roll, as Saevel is likely to be well-disposed toward any who 
  answer his advertisement.) Once he is satisifed that they are 
  up to the task, Saevel says,
  “It’s a simple job—as simple as revenge. The ﬁ erce and 
  warlike goblins who infest the nearby wood killed my father, 
  many years ago. For years I’ve crafted weapons to be wielded 
  against them, and done my part to support the loggers who 
  work at the fringes of the woods. But it’s not enough. Still the 
  goblins thrive, and still they creep about and plot to slay us 
  all. It must come to an end, today.”
  Saevel wants the characters to travel into the Goblin Woods, 
  discover the location of their village (Saevel has heard 
  rumors of such a place, but does not know how to ﬁ nd it), 
  and burn it to the ground. To aid them in their task, Saevel will 
  grant each character their choice of a high-quality dagger, 
  short sword or battleaxe (+1 on Fighting rolls with these 
  non-magical but keen-edged weapons). If they return with 
  the head of the goblins’ Chief, and there is a visible haze of 
  smoke rising from the woods, Saevel promises to pay them 
  handsomely—$500 in gold for each survivor.
  Characters who ask around town for information on the 
  goblins’ location (and succeed with a raise on a Streetwise 
  roll) are told of a certain ne’er-do-well named Asa (see 48 on 
  p. 11) who may be in possession of the information they need. 
  They will, of course, need to use Intimidation, Persuasion, 
  or some similar means to get Asa to talk. Otherwise, the 
  characters may simply set off into the woods and trust their 
  own skills to lead them to the goblin village.
  Scene Two: The Flying Head
  At the verges of the Goblin Woods, characters ﬁ nd well-
  tended paths frequented by wood-cutters and their hirelings. 
  Large stumps are a common sight. After hundreds of years 
  working this area, the loggers have learned ways to increase 
  their chances of survival; the underbrush is frequently hacked 
  and burned to increase visibility. Although goblin ambushes 
  have mysteriously decreased in the past few years, the Goblin 
  Woods tend to grow back with preternatural quickness—
  which keeps the loggers busy but also makes them nervous. 
  As any logger will tell the characters, “Somethin’ ain’t right 
  about them woods...never has been.”
  A mile or more into the woods, the paths vanish. Thick 
  growths of creepers and brambles choke the forest ﬂ oor, 
  towering over the heads of even the tallest characters. The 
  trees here are very old and mossy, and most are too large 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  35
  for a man to get his arms around. Characters must succeed 
  at a Tracking or Survival roll to ﬁ nd even a deer track through 
  the heavy growth.
  It is here, where the Goblin Woods reveal themselves as 
  twisted and spooky, that the characters are hailed by a rustic 
  traveler: Grem the Woodsman. Grem stands tall at six feet, 
  wearing rough clothes made of deerskin. Over one shoulder 
  is slung a cloak of elk-hide, and over the other is a large bow 
  seemingly made from an elk’s horns. He scratches at his 
  bushy black beard and grumbles, “You a little far from home, 
  ain’t’cha?” He gestures casually toward the woods. “T’ain’t 
  for city folk out here.”
  Grem the Woodsman (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d8, Stealth d8, 
  Tracking d8, Survival d10, Swimming d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Edges: Woodsman.
  Gear: Bow (12/24/48, 2d6), 10 arrows, dagger (Str+1)
  If the characters tell Grem about their search for the goblin 
  village, he is helpful (“Just keep goin’ on that path till you ﬁ nd 
  the Standing Stones, and turn a little left of the setting sun. 
  You’ll ﬁ nd it where the evergreens is thick.”) but also curious 
  why they would want to visit such a place. He agrees that 
  vengeance is as good a goal as any, but his account of the 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  36
  goblins differs markedly from Saevel’s. He uses words like 
  “pitiful,” “wretched” and “cowardly” to describe them, but if 
  pressed on what he means he just shrugs, saying he “ain’t 
  too good with words.”
  “Besides,” Grem goes on, “you’d do better to worry yourselves 
  about the Flying Head than them goblins. I hear tell it’s been 
  abroad of late.” Grem is more than willing to share the whole 
  story if the characters share a bit of food, or even better, a 
  bit of strong drink.
  “Evil spirits is part an’ parcel o’ these woods. Some say they 
  crawled up out of that Black Chasm when the world was 
  young. Who knows? Do it really matter? One of ‘em was 
  a Flying Head. This beast, when it rested on the ground, 
  was taller than the tallest man, and covered with thick fur to 
  turn away the strokes of arrows. The face was all dark and 
  angry-like, ﬁ lled with wrinkles and horrid furrows. Long black 
  wings came out its sides, and when it ﬂ ew through the air it 
  cut loose with a mournful wailing to terrify all the people. And 
  on its underside? Two hooked claws for attacking its prey, 
  which more often than not was men.
  “Many years ago, the story goes, when the Head was out 
  seeking victims it ﬂ ew to the City of the Shark. Back in those 
  days it was called Hensleytown, a little logging burg. There 
  was an old woman who lived alone at the edge of town, and 
  she would sit in her hut eating roasted chestnuts out of the 
  stove on cool autumn nights, as was her custom.
  “The Head landed on the ground and crept closer, curious 
  as to what the old lady was doing. She being old and wise 
  didn’t pay the thing no mind, but she felt afraid. Finally 
  the Head couldn’t stand it no more, the food sounded so 
  crunchy and tasty. So it stretched out one claw to the stove 
  and grabbed a few hot coals—that’s what the old lady was 
  eating, it believed—and tossed ‘em into its mouth.
  “The old lady was startled by a scream like you ain’t never 
  heard. That Head ﬂ ew off into the night and ain’t been seen 
  again...till now. You folks had better watch yourselves.”
  With that, Grem smiles and bids the characters good luck. 
  He sets off alone and doesn’t look back.
  Grem’s directions are accurate; the track wends its way for 
  miles through the worst of the brambles and emerges near 
  the Standing Stones. The ring of monoliths is silent but for 
  the chirping of birds and cries of far-off forest animals. But 
  soon characters hear another sound—a warbling, mournful 
  wail from above. Characters have only seconds to hide (if 
  they wish) before the terrible Flying Head swoops into view. 
  Having scented the characters a mile back, the Head will 
  attempt to ﬁ nd them if they are hiding; otherwise, it lets out a 
  screech and dives to attack.
  The Flying Head (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d10, Guts d8, Notice d8
  Pace: 2 (12 Flying); Parry: 7; Toughness: 11
  Special Abilities
   
  • Claws (Str+2).
   
  • Thick fur: A thick coating of hair acts as armor (+2).
   
  • Size +2: The Flying Head stands 7’ tall on the  
   
   
  ground.
  Weakness: Characters who think back to Grem the 
  Woodsman’s story may attempt to get a ﬂ ame into the 
  Flying Head’s gaping mouth, by means of a ﬂ aming arrow, 
  bolt, etc. This is a Called Shot with a –4 penalty, but if 
  successful the Flying Head will emit a shriek of agony and 
  ﬂ y away as fast as it can, never to be seen again.
  Scene Three: Shroomtown
  The goblin village lies about a mile southwest of the Standing 
  Stones, nestled in a valley hidden by dense growths of pine 
  and spruce. Characters who observe the village and its 
  inhabitants may be surprised at what they discover.
  Far from the warlike picture painted by Saevel, the village 
  appears dedicated to the cultivation of mushrooms in 
  all shapes, colors and sizes. Despite the richness of the 
  mushroom ﬁ elds and apparent plentiful food, the goblins live 
  in appalling poverty. Wearing little more than rags, they tend 
  dim, shady ﬁ elds of fungus. They carry no weapons and 
  wear no armor, nor are any sentries posted near the town.
  If characters approach openly, most of the goblins screech in 
  terror and ﬂ ee for the shelter of their tiny huts. About a half-
  dozen goblin males and females, appearing quite nervous 
  and ﬁ dgety, muster their courage to greet the newcomers. 
  Their spokeman calls himself Milksop.
  Milksop welcomes the characters to Shroomtown in a 
  quavering voice, and answers their questions plainly and 
  honestly. If informed of the characters’ purpose in coming 
  here, he falls to his knees and begs for mercy on behalf of 
  his family and friends. Asked about the mushroom ﬁ elds, 
  Milksop replies that they are for trade with the City of the 
  Shark. He seems quite proud of how well this season’s crop 
  is doing.
  Characters will likely sense the disconnect between 
  the richness of the mushroom ﬁ elds and the poverty of 
  Shroomtown’s inhabitants. “We no trade shrooms,” Milksop 
  says in a matter-of-fact tone, “only Big Bosses trade. We 
  work.” Eventually, by Persuasion or Intimidation (Milksop’s 
  initial attitude is Uncooperative), characters should be able 
  to get to the bottom of the situation. Each week a powerful, 
  well-armed group of goblins comes for their “tribute:” a large 
  haul of mushrooms that they trade with various concerns in 
  the City of the Shark. Sometimes a band calling themselves 
  the Blacktongue Obliterati arrive for the mushrooms, and 
  at other times the dreaded Pierced Piercers make an 
  appearance. On the few occasions both bands have arrived 
  at one time, the result was battle and bloodshed. “They no 
  like each other,” Milksop whistles, “but what we to do? We 
  farmers.”
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  37
  Milksop explains that the Blacktongue Obliterati are expected 
  any day. They must have the tribute ready or lives will be 
  lost.
  (Unbeknownst to Milksop, the Pierced Piercers have a spy 
  among the villagers. Once the characters have departed to 
  make camp or otherwise, the spy—named Traff—sets off 
  toward Stabbinburg. Traff receives a +5 to Stealth rolls in the 
  woods, due to dim light and heavy cover.)
  Milksop (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Climb d6, Guts d4, Notice d8, Taunt d6, Stealth d10, 
  Throwing d6, Swimming d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 2; Toughness: 4
  Gear: Hoe (Str+1).
  Special Abilities
   
  • Infravision: Goblins halve penalties for dark lighting  
   
  against living targets (round down).
   
  • Size –1: Goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  Use the following stats for the goblin villagers (and spy):
  Goblin Villagers (Extras)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Notice d6, Stealth d10, Throwing d4, Swimming d4
  Pace: 5; Parry: 2; Toughness: 4
  Gear: Farming implements.
  Special Abilities
   
  • Infravision: Goblins halve penalties for dark lighting  
   
  against living targets (round down).
   
  • Size –1: Goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  Scene Four: Return of the 
  Blacktongue Obliterati
  The next day a large band of goblins approaches from the 
  north. They are not expecting trouble; apply a –2 modiﬁ er to 
  their Notice rolls. Led by a vanguard of 20 goblin warriors, 
  the company’s leaders soon come into view. At the center 
  strides an armored warrior, tall for a goblin at 5’ and powerfully 
  built, with a short sword riding on each hip. His long black 
  tongue lolls from one side of his misshapen jaw, giving the 
  impression of a big, ill-tempered dog. He is ﬂ anked by a 
  keen-eyed goblin archer on one side, and a cloaked goblin 
  on the other whose face openly displays a superior smirk.
  Assuming they are not attacked, the Blacktongue Obliterati 
  enter the town to collect the many sacks of mushrooms 
  awaiting them. They shout rough orders at the poor villagers, 
  cufﬁ ng them out of the way, and speak only to Milksop. 
  Milksop, coward that he is, will fall to his knees instantly 
  and reveal the presence of “mercenaries” in the area (no 
  matter what arrangements may have been made with the 
  characters earlier). The warrior, Boss Blacktongue, smiles 
  at the news, eager to meet these mercenaries. He calls out 
  to the woods, approaches their camp or hiding spot, etc., 
  saying in a rather cultured voice, “Please, chaps! We only 
  wish to speak with you!” If by some turn of events a battle 
  breaks out between the characters and the Blacktongues, 
  the Boss will attempt to parley as soon as he sees what 
  carnage the characters are capable of dealing out. In short, 
  he doesn’t want to ﬁ ght—he wants to make a deal.
  “You see,” Boss Blacktongue says past his wagging 
  tongue, “we’ve a problem with these rather beastly fellows 
  calling themselves the Pierced Piercers. Everyone knows 
  Shroomtown belongs to me and mine, but they’re of the 
  opinion that it belongs to them. The deluded bounders are 
  as fond of bodily decoration as they are of spears, if you 
  hadn’t guessed. Look—we need them wiped out without a 
  fuss, but it just wouldn’t be right for goblins to raise weapons 
  against our kin. We need to be civilized about this. I’d like you 
  to slaughter them.” Despite the protests of his lieutenants, 
  Bull’s-Eye Bill and Kamarashi the Dark, Boss Blacktongue 
  relates the location of Stabbinburg and offers the characters 
  $400 worth of mushrooms, payable once the Piercers are 
  wiped out. “Give it some thought, chaps. You may contact 
  us through our man, Milksop.” With that the Blacktongues 
  depart, mushroom tribute in tow.
  Boss Blacktongue (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d12, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Climb d6, Fighting d10, Guts d8, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d8, Stealth d8, Throwing d6, Swimming d6
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 7 (9)
  Edges: Block, Charismatic, Two-Weapon Fighting.
  Gear: Short spear (Str+2), 2 short swords (Str+2), chain 
  hauberk (+2), pot helm
  Special Abilities
   
  • Infravision: Goblins halve penalties for dark lighting  
   
  against living targets (round down).
  Bull’s-Eye Bill (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climb d6, Fighting d4, Guts d6, Notice d10, 
  Shooting d10, Stealth d10, Swimming d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 (6)
  Edges: Marksman.
  Gear: Bow (12/24/48, 2d6), 20 arrows, leather armor (+1)
  Special Abilities
   
  • Infravision: Goblins halve penalties for dark lighting  
   
  against living targets (round down).
   
  • Size –1: Goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  Kamarashi the Dark (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climb d6, Fighting d6, Guts d4, Notice d6, Taunt d6, 
  Spellcasting d8, Stealth d10, Swimming d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic)
  Gear: Short spear (Str+2), dagger (Str+1)
  Power Points: 15
  Powers: armor, bolt, entangle, fear, obscure
  Special Abilities
   
  • Infravision: Goblins halve penalties for dark lighting  
   
  against living targets (round down).
   
  • Size –1: Goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  38
  Goblins (20) (Extras)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climb d6, Fighting d6, Guts d4, Notice d6, Taunt d6, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d10, Throwing d6, Swimming d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Gear: Short spears (Str+2)
  Special Abilities
   
  • Infravision: Goblins halve penalties for dark lighting  
   
  against living targets (round down).
   
  • Size –1: Goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  Scene Five: Fury of the Pierced 
  Piercers
  The next day, the Pierced Piercers arrive on the scene to 
  investigate the tale of “brave heroes” told to them by their 
  spy, Traff. The Piercers are led by a massively obese goblin 
  calling himself Tad the Impaler, who is festooned with scores 
  of earrings, nose rings, eyebrow rings, nipple rings (and 
  other rings left to the GM’s imagination) fashioned of every 
  imaginable material from bone to silver to wood. He carries 
  a brace of throwing spears and is accompanied by his 
  three lieutenants, a company of troops sporting numerous 
  piercings of their own, and his beloved pet, “Cuddles,” a 
  grizzly bear with a brass nose ring.
  Like the Blacktongues before him, Tad also wishes to 
  parley with the characters. As his troops begin knocking the 
  villagers about and demanding mushrooms, he grins widely. 
  “We’s the ones who have Shroomtown’s best interests in 
  mind, don’t’cha know. All those Blacktongues know how 
  to do is exploit their poor kith and kin. We’re providing a 
  valuable service to these farmers—protection from all the 
  evil things that walk the wood. All the same, it wouldn’t be 
  right to wage war on our cousins, even if they’s a bunch of 
  blowhards. On t’other hand...if you could wage the war, I’d 
  certainly be appreciatin’ it more than you know. And I’d show 
  that appreciation to the tune of, say, $400 worth of these 
  ﬁ ne mushrooms you see growin’ all about’cha. Shrewd 
  bargaining might even get you more than that in the Market 
  Square.”
  Tad the Impaler (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d10, Guts d8, Notice d6, Taunt d8, Stealth 
  d4, Throwing d10
  Pace: 4 (Run d4); Parry: 7; Toughness: 9 (10)
  Edges: Block, Tough as Nails.
  Hindrances: Obese.
  Gear: Short spears, 8 (Str+2), leather armor (+1)
  Special Abilities
   
  • Infravision: Goblins halve penalties for dark lighting  
   
  against living targets (round down).
   
  • Size –1: Goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  Lieutenants (3) (Extras)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climb d6, Fighting d8, Guts d6, Notice d6, Taunt d6, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d10, Throwing d6, Swimming d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Gear: Short spears (Str+2), leather armor (+1).
  Special Abilities
   
  • Infravision: Goblins halve penalties for dark lighting  
   
  against living targets (round down).
   
  • Size –1: Goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  Cuddles, Large Bear (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+4, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d10, Notice d8, Swim d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities
   
  • Bear Hug: see Bear in Savage Worlds rulebook.
   
  • Claws: Str+2.
   
  • Size +2.
  Goblins (20) (Extras)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climb d6, Fighting d6, Guts d4, Notice d6, Taunt d6, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d10, Throwing d6, Swimming d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Gear: Short spears (Str+2)
  Special Abilities
   
  • Infravision: Goblins halve penalties for dark lighting  
   
  against living targets (round down).
   
  • Size –1: Goblins stand 3–4’ tall.
  Resolution
  Once all the major players have been introduced, resolution 
  depends on how the characters choose to handle the 
  situation. Depending on their particular disposition, they 
  might choose to defend the downtrodden villagers, ally with 
  either the Blacktongues or the Piercers, or even wage war 
  on every goblin in the woods! Whatever they choose, the 
  characters would do well to use cunning; tricking both sides 
  into ﬁ ghting each other—and mopping up the remnants—is 
  a far better plan than openly attacking either side.
  If the characters take the ﬁ ght to Black Rock Fort (home 
  of the Blacktongue Obliterati) or Stabbinburg (refuge of the 
  Pierced Piercers), they will face the forces listed above, 
  along with 40 additional goblin troops. The GM may detail 
  these locations or improvise them as he sees ﬁ t.
  Rewards
  If the characters choose to enter the employ of the 
  Blacktongues or the Piercers, the goblins will gladly hire 
  them, and will even pay them the promised mushrooms if 
  the characters succeed in eliminating their rivals. It could be 
  that the characters return to the City of the Shark allied with 
  a powerful clan of goblin warriors.
  As for Saevel Clearwater, as long as the characters bring 
  him the head of a goblin (and the half-elf can plainly see 
  copious smoke rising from the Goblin Wood) he will in good 
  faith pay them their promised reward. Crafty characters can, 
  of course, think of ways to outwit the weaponsmith. But if he 
  ever catches wind of their duplicitous acts (or, worse, learns 
  that they are allied with a goblin clan), the characters will 
  earn the enmity of a very rich foe...with a long memory.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  39
  All Monsters Great and Small
  A bestiary of ﬁ endish beasts
  by William Reger
  Death Shades
  Canines that have been tortured to death may come back, 
  or be raised, as Death Shades. These grey, emaciated 
  creatures may look like a wolf at ﬁ rst glance, but the blood-
  red glowing eyes, overly large jaw and large, clawed paws 
  soon reveal their true nature.
  Attributes: Agility d8 Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength d8 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d10, Stealth d8
  Pace: 8 (Run d10); Parry: 6; Toughness: 7
  Special Abilities
   
  • Undead
   
  • Fleet-Footed
   
  • Bite (Str+2)
   
  • Go for the Throat
   
  • Size –1
   
  • Infection: Wounds caused by Death Shades  
   
   
  are hard to treat. –2 to Healing rolls.
  Devil Bear (WC)
  These massive bears have been twisted by mutation or 
  magic, growing horns from various parts of their bodies and 
  developing a decidedly vicious outlook. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8 (A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+5, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d12, Notice d8, Stealth d6 and 
  Swim d6
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 13
  Special Abilities
   
  • Size +3: Up to 12’ tall and 1500 pounds of bone and  
   
  gristle.
   
  • Bear Hug: See Bear in Savage Worlds rules.
   
  • Claws: Str+3
   
  • Natural Armor: +2 Bony armor protrudes from  
   
   
  several parts of the mutated body.
   
  • Berserk: the mutation causes an emotional instability  
   
  granting the Berserk edge.
  Geared Horror
  Created by mad scientists or wizards who have gone off 
  the deep end, these constructs are a mass of gears and 
  blades, usually just slightly bigger than a man. Simple-
  minded, these creatures follow the last commands their 
  “programming” remembers, usually just before they carve 
  their creators up into little pieces. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d10, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Notice d6
  Pace: 5 (Run d4); Parry: 6; Toughness: 9
  Gear: None of use. Destroyed Geared Horrors have parts 
  that any inventor would love and worth $100 to a collector. 
  A captured Geared Horror is worth $1000 to a collector! A 
  destroyed Geared Horror weighs around 500 pounds.
  Special Abilities
   
  • Armor: +2
   
  • Slow
   
  • Construct
   
  • Blades (Str+3)
   
  • Size: +1 (larger than man-size and built more  
   
   
  massively)
   
  • Improved Sweep: the arms can easily attack all   
   
  creatures around the construct.
  Metal Eater
  A created species, these large-dog-sized creatures have 
  been made to be a bane of metal anywhere. A pair of one-
  meter-long antennae are afﬁ xed to the creature’s forehead, 
  while a tapered mouth and two tiny eyes make up the rest 
  of the face. The creature can dig much like a dog and is 
  fairly strong. The power of its antennae is that they can 
  sweep across metal and deposit a thin ﬁ lm of microbes that 
  cause deterioration in seconds—steel rusts away to a pile 
  of reddish ﬂ akes. The creature then sucks up the remains, 
  thus providing nourishment for its twisted nature. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6(A), Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Climb d6, Fighting d8, Guts d6, Notice d8, Stealth 
  d8, Swimming d8
  Pace: 8; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9
  Gear: None, but a cured hide is worth twice the value of 
  leather armor, as it can make a tunic equal to the protection 
  of chain but with the weight of a leather tunic.
  Special Abilities
   
  • Antennae: Reach 1, Damage 4d6 to metal only in   
   
  SBR area
   
  • Claws: Str+1
   
  • Natural Armor: (+2) The beast’s hide is such, due   
   
  to the metabolizing of the iron oxide, it is the equal to  
   
  ﬁ ne chain at half the weight!
   
  • Berserk: Metal within 60 feet (10”) causes an  
   
   
  emotional instability granting the Berserk edge. 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  40
  Madness Moth (WC)
  Nature gone mad or the leavings of an alien species, these human-sized moths have mouths with razor sharp teeth and 
  wings which, when unfolded, have a hypnotic pattern that can ensnare any reasoning creature. They have two clawed 
  hands and four legs. When the mouth is open, hundreds of ﬁ laments can be seen twisting with seeming minds of their 
  own. This is usually the last sight a victim has before the mouth ratchets open large enough to swallow the head. The 
  moths attack by appearing suddenly (gliding in) and spreading their wings—causing all who look upon them to stand 
  stupidly. As the victims have their brains removed, the husks usually die in minutes. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d10, Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Notice d8, Stealth d10
  Pace: 6 (Fly); Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Gear: None. Wings from a Madness Moth may be placed on display as art and, while they lose their mezmerizing ability, 
  are considered a work of art in any culture (value as a work of art 3d10 times $100). The weight of each wing is around 5 
  lbs.
  Special Abilities
   
  • Flight: The wings allow ﬂ ight at normal pace and gliding at twice normal pace (losing one inch of height for every 2   
   
  inches traveled).
   
  • Hypnotic Attack: With the wings spread, all creatures in sight (180 degrees to the creature’s face) must make a  
   
   
  Smarts check at –2 or be ensnared until the creature leaves or they are physically blocked from viewing.
   
  • Bite: The moth can open it’s mouth wide enough to engulf an ensnared human head, where the ﬁ laments slip into   
   
  every oriﬁ ce on the head and begin to eat the brain tissue. Targets suffer 3d6 damage per round until dead.
   
  • Claws: (Str+2)
   
  • Wall Walker: The legs have a sticky substance that adheres to anything, allowing the creature to cling to any  
   
   
  surface.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  41
  Robert Leroy Parker, aka “Butch Cassidy” (WC)
  Born April 13, 1866, the eldest of a family of 13 children. Was rustling cattle by 1884 
  and took the name Butch Cassidy, possibly in honor of a shady local rancher named 
  Mike Cassidy. First major crime was the robbing of the San Miguel Valley Bank, 
  along with three other cowboys, in Telluride on June 24, 1889, of $20,000 in cash. 
  He formed the Wild Bunch, including Dick Maxwell, Elzy Lay and Harry Longbaugh, 
  who robbed their ﬁ rst bank on August 13, 1896, in Montpelier, Idaho. While he 
  supposedly died in San Vicente, Bolivia, in 1909 after a string of train and bank 
  robberies, there is solid evidence he faked that death, ﬂ ed to Europe, had some 
  cosmetic surgery done and returned to the U.S. to marry and grow old, dying in 1937 in 
  Spokane, Washington. 
  Rank: Veteran
  Experience Points: 65
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d6, Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d4, Gambling d4, Guts d6, Intimidation d6, Knowledge (Demolitions) d4, Notice 
  d8, Persuasion d10, Riding d8, Shooting d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d8, Survival d6, Swimming d6, Taunt d8 
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Charismatic, Dodge, Nerves of Steel, Strong-Willed.
  Hindrances: Greedy (minor), Paciﬁ st (minor), Poverty, Wanted (major).
  Gear and Equipment: $25, cowboy boots, shirt, bandana, hat, jeans, chaps, horse, saddle and saddle bags, 
  outdoor gear, Colt pistols and holster.
  Harry Longbaugh, aka “The Sundance Kid” (WC)
  Born in Colorado in 1870. Met Butch Cassidy in 1900 and joined the Wild Bunch. 
  On August 29, 1900, the Sundance Kid and Butch Cassidy robbed a Union Paciﬁ c 
  train at Tipton, Wyoming. This was followed by a raid on the First National Bank of 
  Winnemucca, Nevada (September 19, 1900) that netted $32,640. The following year 
  the gang obtained $65,000 from the Great Northern train near Wagner, Montana. 
  Fled to Argentina in 1902, robbed banks with Butch Cassidy in Bolivia in 1906, and 
  supposedly died in 1909 (and again in 1911) although the bodies were never positively 
  identiﬁ ed. 
  Rank: Legendary
  Experience Points: 110 
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d8, Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Gambling d10, Guts d8, Intimidation d10, Notice d8, Riding d8, Shooting d12, 
  Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, Survival d6, Taunt d8, Tracking d6
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 6
  Edges: Block, Dodge, Nerves of Steel, Quick, Strong-Willed.
  Hindrances: Greedy (minor), Loyal, Mean, Wanted (major).
  Gear and Equipment: $250, cowboy boots, shirt, bandana, hat, jeans, chaps, horse, saddle and saddle bags, 
  outdoor gear, Colt pistols and holster.
  Butch & Sundance
  A pair of iconic outlaws for Deadlands: Reloaded
  by Sitting Duck
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  42
  The Grave
  The chilling legend of Nathaniel Cooper
  by Michael Schau
  T
  he abandoned graveyard lay before me in the blistering heat, windswept, 
  unkempt and covered in dust and sand. From afar, the wooden headstones 
  looked like the splintered teeth of a giant. Some had fallen over, some were cracked 
  and broken, others were bleached out by the unforgiving sun, their epitaphs faded 
  away almost into nothingness.
  It had been almost a year since I’d come here the last time. Not that it mattered. Time no longer held sway over this 
  place.
  The grave I came to see bore no distinguishing features. It was just another small patch of barren, dry earth with a 
  cheap, wooden headstone rammed into the dust. A long time ago, there had been some flowers here. lilies. White 
  ones. They were all dead now, crumbled to dust.
  The wood of the headstone was weathered, old. The inscription upon it was fading, barely readable. It didn’t matter, 
  either. I knew the inscription by heart. I saw it floating in the darkness, with letters written in burning blood, every 
  time I closed my eyes.
  Nathaniel Cooper
  March 15, 1841 – May 5, 1867
  May the Lord have Mercy
  Yeah, right. Nobody who knew Cooper would have felt anything but relief at the news of his death. Nathaniel 
  “Cold-Blooded” Cooper, that’s what they used to call him. He was an outlaw, a thief and a killer. He was trouble 
  personified, just looking for a place to happen. Pain and sorrow followed in his wake, for he killed people without a 
  second thought. And he was damn good at killing people.
  I had been there, at the funeral. I don’t remember much of it, the memories only a blur. Black and white images, like 
  visions. The rain hammering on the lid of the coffin. The muffled voice of the priest, speaking the eulogy. The sound 
  of the wet earth hitting the coffin lid as they filled up the hole.
  Nine years had passed since the funeral, and yet…sometimes I felt a strong urge to come here, to walk amongst these 
  graves. To stand in silence over the grave of Nathaniel Cooper, thinking. 
  Wondering…
  Every time I came here, the same questions ran through my head, but Nathaniel Cooper wouldn’t answer them. 
  He couldn’t, because he was dead. But his grave lay before me, abandoned, the coffin empty, for I am Nathaniel 
  Cooper.
  Nathaniel “Cold-Blooded” Cooper (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d6, Gambling d6, Guts d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8,
  Riding d6, Shooting d10, Streetwise d6, Taunt d6
  Charisma: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 7
  Grit: 4; Dominion: +3
  Hindrances: Death Wish, Mean, Wanted (minor).
  Edges: Dead Shot, Dodge, Duelist, Hip-Shooting, No Mercy (Shooting),
  Quick, Quick-Draw, Strong-Willed, Two-Fisted.
  Harrowed Edges: Implacable, Stitchin’.
  Gear: 2 Lemat grapeshot pistols (12/24/48, 2d6, AP 1), 2 shotguns
  (5/10/20, 1-3d6).
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  43
  A Mysterious Man in the Corner...
  A plethora of NPCs for use in any setting
  by William Reger
  Imyugysa Sacamora (WC)
  Race: Human (Samoan decent); Sex: Female; Profession: 
  Perfumer (Fence)
  Description: Imyugysa is an unattractive old woman of 
  large build. She has unkempt black/brown hair. She is 
  poorly dressed in out-of-date clothing. Her shop is nearby 
  and is well known for inexpensive purfumes.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Guts d6, Knowledge (Chemistry) d8, Knowledge 
  (Perfume Industry) d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d4, Stealth 
  d6, Streetwise d8, Throwing d4.
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Berserk, Connections (Underworld), Connections 
  (Wealthy).
  Hindrances: Ugly, Mean, Greedy (major).
  Special Abilities: Imyugaysa can mix up poisons that can 
  kill or just knock out someone who inhales the scent or 
  imbibes a liquid dose. Skill is Chemistry with a Vigor roll 
  save to avoid an effect (–2 to the roll if she got a raise on 
  the mixture). She needs to know the target to make a batch 
  and the herbs are hard to get outside her native land.
  Gear: Cheap clothes, well stocked healers kit with 2d4 
  portions of special herbs, $50 and a small weapon or two 
  (dagger with poison and a derringer in post gunpowder 
  times), and a key to a strong-box.
  Marlin Trilwreath (Extra)
  Race: Human; Sex: Male; Profession: Professor (Sage)
  Description: Marlin Trilwreath is an unexceptional looking 
  middle aged man of small build. He has unkempt gray hair. 
  He is dressed normally for the area. He is known in many 
  circles as a learned, if unpretentious and a bit confused, 
  very intelligent man.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Investigation d10, Knowledge (Ancient civilizations) 
  d10, Knowledge (Science) d10, Knowledge (Occult) d10, 
  Notice d10
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 3
  Edges: Charismatic, Jack of All Trades, Scholar (Science, 
  Ancient Civilizations).
  Hindrances: Elderly, Small.
  Gear: Out-of-style but comfortable suit, $50, papers and 
  research tools in an appropriate container (scroll tubes and 
  backpack or briefcase).
  Fred Phock (WC)
  Race: Human; Sex: Male; Profession: Hunter
  Description: Mr. Phock is an unexceptional looking middle 
  aged man of normal build. He is completely bald. He is 
  poorly dressed in old worn hunting clothes.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d6, Healing d4, Notice d6, Ride 
  d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Survival d8, Tracking d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Edges: Woodsman.
  Hindrances: Curious, Cautious, Loyal.
  Gear: $100, old camouﬂ age clothes, Hunting knife, saber 
  or machete, traps, rope, camping gear, Riﬂ e or Longbow, 
  and Pistol (with holster and two magazines).
  Phillip Friphi (Extra)
  Race: Human; Sex: Male; Profession: Research Assistant 
  (Apprentice)
  Description: Mr. Friphi is an unexceptional looking adult 
  man of normal build. He has unkempt brown hair. He is 
  dressed normally for the area. He is usually seen carrying 
  a gigantic set of books.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Investigation d8, Knowledge (History) d8, 
  Knowledge (Nature) d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6, and 
  Tracking d6.
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6”; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Scholar (History, Nature).
  Hindrances: None.
  Gear: Books, average clothing, a few coins and about $50. 
  Greg Gravel (WC)
  Race: Human; Sex: Male; Profession: Security Guard
  Description: Greg is a handsome man of average build. 
  He wears clothing that is of average quality and tends to 
  blend in, except when he is in uniform. Greg becomes 
  an overconﬁ dent braggart when he is in his guard outﬁ t, 
  feeling invincible to the world.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d6, Throwing d8.
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6”; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (9)
  Edges: Attractive, Quick, Quick Draw.
  Hindrances: Arrogant and Overconﬁ dent (in uniform), but 
  Cautious, Delusional (major, only immune to death when in 
  uniform) and Minor Paciﬁ st (out of uniform)!
  Special Abilities: If magic is allowed the badge or symbol 
  has real magic abilities allowing Greg to cast a deﬂ ection 
  spell using his Spirit due to his strong belief in what he is 
  doing. It can only be done once a day.
  Gear: $25, uniform or average clothes, body armor 
  (chainmail or bulletproof vest), short sword or police baton, 
  badge or symbol of ofﬁ ce (see Special Abilities), handcuffs 
  or rope, Pistol (with holster and ﬁ ve magazines) and 
  Shotgun (or Crossbow with bolts)..
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  44
  Vinicio Gennaro (WC)
  Race: Human (Italian decent); Sex: Male; Profession: 
  Bodyguard (Enforcer)
  Description: Vinicio Gennaro is a handsome middle aged 
  man of large build. He has brown hair that is well kept and 
  tastefully combed. He is non-distinctly dressed, in a simple 
  outﬁ t that is in style but not new. His favorite pastime is 
  playing crack the skull using a big club.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d10, Guts d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d6, 
  Stealth d6, Shooting d6, Streetwise d4 and Throwing d6.
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Edges: Attractive, Brawny.
  Hindrances: Loyal, Quirk: Single minded, Vow (major, 
  Obey the orders of the Family Head).
  Special Abilities: Vinicio is a solid performer, not too 
  bright but if told to do something, does it with a single-
  minded purpose. He does know how to make people talk.
  Gear: Slick suit, hidden pistol or dagger, sap, $50 and a 
  large club or baseball bat (modern times) with the item 
  being magical in nature if proper for setting (+4 to damage 
  and a 2AP that forces a vigor roll (–2) if targeted against a 
  limb and it hits to avoid breakage).
  Antonella Teloﬁ la (Extra)
  Race: Human; Sex: Female; Profession: Teacher
  Description: Antonella Teloﬁ la is an unexceptional looking 
  middle aged woman of small build. She has dark hair, 
  olive skin tones, dark eyes and very red, pouty lips. She 
  is dressed normally for the area. She teaches high school 
  level classes by day and teaches classes in ancient art 
  after hours. She is known for a ﬁ ery temper if crossed.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Healing d6, Knowledge 
  (Ancient Civilization Arts) d8, Knowledge (History) d8, 
  Notice d6, Throwing d4
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 4
  Edges: Charismatic, Jack of All Trades.
  Hindrances: Quirk (minor, Temper if crossed), Small, 
  Cautious.
  Gear: Out-of-style but comfortable outﬁ t, $50, a purse with 
  a hefty strap that can work as an improvised club at Str+2 
  damage, papers and ﬁ rst aid kit in an appropriate container 
  (scroll tubes and backpack or carryall).
  Wilhelm Christian (WC)
  Race: Human; Sex: Male; Profession: Farmer
  Description: Wilhelm Christian is an exceptionally healthy 
  looking middle aged man of normal build. He has dirty 
  brown hair and is dressed as a farmer in poor old worn 
  clothes and talks with a German accent.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Knowledge (Farming) d6, 
  Notice d4, Ride d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d4, Throwing d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Edges: Alertness, Quick
  Hindrances: Cautious, Quirk (minor, Loves the Land), 
  Poor.
  Gear: $10, old clothes, carving knife, farm tools, Shotgun 
  or Bow, and a small plot of land (likely rented).
  Harper Omaz (Extra)
  Race: Human; Sex: Male; Profession: Tavern Owner
  Description: Harper Omaz is a short, ugly looking adult 
  man of normal build. He has unkempt brown hair. He 
  dresses normally for the area but usually has a clean apron 
  on. He is usually seen in his bar watching the patrons.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d4, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d4, Intimidation d6, Knowledge 
  (Business) d6, Persuasion d4, Notice d6, Stealth d6, 
  Swimming d4, Throwing d6.
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Toughness: 5
  Edges: Alertness, Charismatic.
  Hindrances: Ugly, Quirk (minor, Constantly concerned 
  about getting dirt on his person).
  Gear: Average clothing with apron, a hidden sap, a 
  crossbow or shotgun in a hidden spot, darts, a parrying 
  dagger (Str+1 and Parry +1 if used off hand), a cash box 
  and about $150. 
  Xavier Reynaud (WC)
  Race: Human; Sex: Male; Profession: Aristocrat
  Description: Xavier Reynaud is a handsome adult man of 
  normal build with slightly lighter black hair at the temples. 
  He wears clothing that is of exceptional quality and tends to 
  stand out at all times. Xavier has a cutting wit and a languid 
  air that put some people off when they hear it.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Knowledge (Politics) d6, 
  Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Shooting d8, Taunt d6.
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 (7)
  Edges: Attractive, Noble, and Quick Draw.
  Hindrances: Quirk (minor, Languid accent), Curious, Loyal 
  (to friends).
  Special Abilities: If magic is allowed the rapier (or dress 
  sword) has real magic abilities allowing Xavier to cast an 
  increase attribute: Fighting spell using his Spirit due to his 
  strong belief in the ancestral power of that blade. It can 
  only be attempted ﬁ ve times a day lasting for 3 rounds if 
  successful but causing a shaken status if he rolls a one.
  Gear: $225, quality clothes, body armor available (chain 
  mail or bulletproof vest), family heirloom magic rapier, Pistol 
  (with holster and ﬁ ve magazines) or Bow (hunting style with 
  arrows), ancestral estates and support with appropriate 
  duties.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  45
  Strength in Versatility
  New power modiﬁ ers for Necessary Evil
  by Chris “JackAce” Hartmann, with members of the Pinnacle forums
  S
  uper villains come in all varieties. Each has a very speciﬁ c 
  set of abilities, limitations and unusual weaknesses. 
  While the powers and modiﬁ ers from the Necessary Evil 
  setting book already present myriad possibilities, a true villain 
  will always seek new ways to fulﬁ ll his devious schemes. 
  The following list contains a number of additional modiﬁ ers 
  for existing super powers, as well as a few completely new 
  Powers and Hindrances to help you create the villain of your 
  dreams (or nightmares).
  New Modiﬁ ers
  Device
  Handheld: The standard rules for devices assume that the 
  device is worn (like armor) or in some other way attached to 
  the villain’s body (belt clip, wristband, mask, etc.). If operation 
  of the device requires the use of one or both of the villain’s 
  hands (like a sword, pistol or ﬂ ashlight) the total cost of each 
  power is reduced by one more point (remember, though, that 
  no power can cost less than one point). The device will then 
  be subject to such rules as Quick Draw and suffers the usual 
  –2 penalty if used with the wrong hand.
  Absorption
  Additional Type (+4): The villain can absorb damage from 
  more than one source. Each time this modiﬁ er is selected, 
  you may choose another type of energy to be absorbed.
  Ageless
  Variable Age (+1): The villain can alter her apparent age. 
  She could appear as a little girl, an old crone or anything in 
  between. She can age or rejuvenate at a rate of a decade 
  per minute (a year per round).
  The rejuvenation process granted by this power has no 
  effect on the villain’s wounds, only her general biological 
  condition.
  Altered Form
  Liquefy (+3): The villain can turn his body into liquid or 
  another similarly malleable form of matter (like sand or gel). 
  This allows him to pass though tiny openings (like a keyhole) 
  or meshed objects (like nets or cages).
  Turning into liquid and reassuming solid shape both count as 
  separate actions, but they can be performed within the same 
  round. The villain can remain in the liquid state as long as he 
  wishes, but as long as he does he suffers the same penalty 
  as if he was Shaken. That means he cannot perform any 
  actions other than slow movement. Reassuming solid shape 
  automatically removes the Shaken condition, unless the 
  villain also became Shaken for some other reason. While he 
  is in liquid form, it is almost impossible to wound the villain. 
  However, as with the intangibility power, there may still be a 
  few ways to harm him.
  Animation
  Herd (–2): The villain can animate groups of small objects, 
  but never a single very large one. He may only animate 
  multiple smaller objects as detailed in the original power’s 
  description. No single object under the villain’s control may 
  be larger than half his actual level of animation.
  Object Limitation (–2): Choose a speciﬁ c type of objects 
  (statues, toys, books, etc.) The villain can only animate 
  objects of that type.
  It’s up to the GM to decide how speciﬁ c the limitation has 
  to be. “Only vehicles” still leaves the villain with lots of 
  opportunities, while “only Volkswagens” would put a serious 
  restriction on the power’s usefulness.
  Construct
  Cyborg (–1): This villain is part machine and part living 
  creature. Unlike a real robot, he does have at least one 
  vulnerable biological body part which can be targeted with 
  a Called Shot. Such a shot suffers a –4 penalty to hit and 
  causes +4 damage.
  Damage Field
  Always On (–1): The villain can not turn this power off. Any 
  person coming close to him will be subject to the damage 
  ﬁ eld. This tends to make social interaction rather difﬁ cult. 
  This effect cannot be combined with the Selective modiﬁ er.
  Duplication
  Feedback (–2): Whenever a duplicate is damaged, the 
  villain must make a successful Vigor roll or be Shaken.
  Focus (Half Total): The villain must have access to a 
  speciﬁ c item or material in order to create his duplicate. 
  Without the required focus, he cannot use the power. For 
  example, a villain with the ability to summon his mirror image 
  would require the presence of a mirror for his duplicate to 
  step out of. If the villain has a body of sand, earth or other 
  kind of matter, he might require a certain amount of the same 
  matter to copy himself.
  Earthquake
  Volcano (+5): This use of the power summons a fountain of 
  lava to burst from the ground.
  The fountain can only be created on solid ground and no 
  more than 5” away from the villain. This requires an entire 
  round and cannot be combined with any other actions.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  46
  The lava spatter covers a Large Burst Template and causes 
  2d10 damage to everything in the area. The core of the 
  eruption, which has the size of a Small Burst Template, 
  counts as a Heavy Weapon.
  After the eruption, the lava drains back underground, leaving 
  only a patch of broken and scorched earth, which counts as 
  Difﬁ cult Ground.
  Ensnare
  Damaging (+2/+4): The snare does damage to the ensnared 
  target. The basic version cost +2 points and deals 1d6 
  damage each round after the target had his chance to break 
  free. If the target escapes the snare, he takes no damage. 
  For an additional +4 points, the damage increases by 1d6, 
  to a maximum of 5d6. Note that this damage never counts 
  as a Heavy Weapon.
  Explode
  Selective (+2): The villain can select who within the area of 
  effect of their explosion is damaged.
  Flight
  Space Flight (+5): Your villain can ﬂ y right out of the 
  atmosphere and continue to move in outer space. Without 
  gravity or air friction to slow him down, there is theoretically 
  no limit to the velocity he can reach. His Flying Pace acts as 
  Acceleration in space.
  This power also protects the villain from the most obvious 
  hazards of deep space: hard vacuum, cosmic radiation 
  and high velocity microdebris have no effect on him. He is 
  not truly immune to these effects, he rather ignores their 
  presence. This means that he does not gain any protection 
  to similar dangers when he returns to the atmosphere.
  Growth
  Long Stride (+1): Your increased size comes with long 
  legs that let you move in longer strides than a normal-sized 
  person. You may add your Size modiﬁ er to your Pace.
  Hardy (+4): Whenever your villain increases her Size to +4 
  or greater, she also gains the beneﬁ t of being Hardy. If she 
  is Shaken, further Shaken results have no effect—they do 
  not cause a Wound.
  For obvious reasons this modiﬁ er can only be chosen if the 
  villain already has at least four levels of growth.
  Gargantuan (+5): If your villain’s Size reaches +9, she counts 
  as a Gargantuan creature. She now has Heavy Armor and 
  all melee attacks count as Heavy Weapons. She can also 
  attack smaller creatures or objects by stepping on them. In 
  this case she adds the difference in Size between her and 
  the target to her damage total. Of course, the villain also 
  needs at least nine levels of growth to choose this modiﬁ er.
  Heightened Senses
  Additional Sense (+1): The villain has an additional sense 
  that normal people lack. He might be able to sense electricity, 
  bio-forms, magic or what ever else the player can come up 
  with. The new sense should work similarly to one of the 
  natural senses, so detecting something will require either 
  line of sight, range of sound, or close proximity.
  Microscopic Vision (+1): The villain can see tiny details 
  that others would need a magnifying glass to make out. He 
  can also “zoom in” even closer to see microscopic objects, 
  but this requires his full concentration and prevents him from 
  using any skills except those that are directly connected to 
  his microscopic analysis (typically Notice and appropriate 
  Knowledge skills).
  Ultra/Infrasonic Hearing (+1): Your villain can hear sounds 
  that are either above or below the frequency range of the 
  normal human ear. He can choose this modiﬁ er twice to 
  hear in both ranges.
  EM-Sense (+1): The villain can sense the presence of 
  electromagnetic ﬁ elds. This allows him to “track” radio 
  broadcasts (but not listen to the message) or active power 
  lines.
  Requires Activation (–1): The power must be activated. 
  This is a free action, but it isn’t the character’s “normal” state 
  (i.e., his senses only work better when he’s actively engaged 
  them). If taken by surprise, the power has no affect.
  Intangibility
  Affects Others (+3): The villain is capable of turning 
  another person or creature intangible as well. They must be 
  in constant contact with the villain to remain intangible and 
  are subject to the same beneﬁ ts and limitations the power 
  provides. The player can spend a bennie to allow more 
  than one person or creature to be intangible. If the villain 
  wanted to use this power on an unwilling target, he must 
  make a touch attack; to maintain his grip for following rounds 
  requires maintaining a grapple.
  Interface
  Virus (+2): The villain can upload an extremely aggressive 
  virus into any computer system.
  This requires a Knowledge (Computers) skill roll that does 
  not beneﬁ t from the normal +4 modiﬁ er. Any defense systems 
  the target computer has will modify the result or even make 
  an opposed roll, GM’s choice.
  On a successful roll the target system is infected and stops 
  working until repaired. With a Raise, the system is damaged 
  beyond repair and must be replaced entirely.
  Invisibility
  Always On (–2): The villain is always invisible. If she wishes 
  to engage in any kind of social interaction, she must take 
  special measures to conceal her unusual appearance.
  Leaping
  Glider (–1): The villain uses wings or some kind of levitation 
  to glide through the air. He can use his leaping power only to 
  jump horizontally or vertically down, but never up.
  Smashing Impact (+2): After a leap your villain can use the 
  energy of her fall to cause signiﬁ cant damage to structures 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  47
  around her point of impact. Earth, concrete and brickwork 
  will crack and crumble within a radius equal to the villain’s 
  level in leaping. Characters caught in the impact zone must 
  make an Agility roll or be Shaken.
  Mind Reading
  Empathic Only (–1): The villain can only read a target’s 
  emotions and not their thoughts.
  Minions
  Superpowers (Variable): You can choose superpowers for 
  your minions at the same cost as for your villain. The power 
  points are spent only once and can affect any number of 
  minions.
  Paralysis
  Midas Touch (–1): The villain can’t turn off his power. Every 
  person he touches (except himself) with his bare hands will 
  be paralyzed.
  Shrink
  Dwarf (–2): Your villain is always small. Pick a height of 3’ or 
  smaller and apply the modiﬁ ers given in the Size Modiﬁ ers 
  table to your Traits.
  Speed
  Water Running (+1): The villain can run across water as if 
  he were running on solid ground. He can change directions 
  while on water, but must remain in constant motion to stay 
  above the surface.
  Stun
  Cone Template (+0/+1): Instead of the Medium Burst 
  Template, the power can affect an area determined by the 
  Cone Template. Unlike a real ﬂ ame weapon, the Cone Stun 
  does not give targets a chance to dodge out of the cone. This 
  option does not cost additional points if the Cone Template 
  completely replaces the Medium Burst. If you want your 
  villain to be able to use both options, it costs +1 point.
  New Powers
  Light (1/Level)
  Trappings: Headlights, Flames, The Glow
  Not everyone can see in the dark. Thanks to this power not 
  everyone needs to. Your villain can emit light from his body 
  to illuminate an area with a radius of 4” per level. Within 
  this area all darkness penalties are removed. Note that this 
  means the villain’s foes will be able to see him too! The 
  villain can activate and deactivate this power at will as a free 
  action.
  Modiﬁ ers:
  Always On (Halve Total): The villain cannot turn the light 
  off. He is glowing constantly.
  Focus (–1): The villain cannot produce the light from his 
  own body. He requires some kind of item to make it glow. 
  This is not a speciﬁ c item (unless the power is supposed to 
  be a device), but a relatively common item (a log of wood, a 
  light bulb, etc.).
  Light Beam (+1): Instead of a diffuse glow, the villain can cast 
  a tight beam of light. This beam can be directed to illuminate 
  the area of a Medium Burst Template at a distance of up 
  to 6” per level. Enemies within the illuminated area suffer 
  no darkness penalty when targeting the villain because they 
  can aim for the light’s source.
  X-Ray Vision (1/Level)
  Trappings: Intense stare, X-Ray goggles, ESP
  Your villain can see through solid matter. For each level of this 
  power, his gaze can penetrate 1” of light materials like paper, 
  cloth or skin/muscle tissue. Denser materials like metal or 
  concrete halve the depth of penetration. Lead, and some 
  other extremely dense materials, cannot be penetrated by 
  X-Ray vision at all.
  The villain can adjust his depth of penetration to any level he 
  wishes up to his maximum level.
  New Hindrances
  Out of Control (Minor)
  The villain is not fully in control of her super powers. Her 
  powers tend to activate themselves unexpectedly, especially 
  in times of great emotional agitation. Whenever the character 
  is in a stressful/embarrassing/frightening situation, she 
  needs to make a Spirit roll or one of her powers goes off 
  involuntarily. For this sake, normal combat should not be 
  classiﬁ ed as “stressful,” but a confrontation with an old 
  archenemy or some other major foe would.
  Unusual Diet (Minor/Major)
  Your villain’s metabolism works differently than that of a 
  normal human, and as a consequence he requires some 
  kind of food that is not normally considered edible. For a 
  Minor Hindrance the substance he requires is unusual but 
  relatively common (metal, stone, electricity). If this is a 
  Major Hindrance, your villain’s food of choice is very rare, 
  expensive and/or difﬁ cult to get (diamonds, plutonium). As 
  an alternative, the source of the villain’s food could mark him 
  as a true monster in the eyes of the general public (human 
  brains). The villain is able to chew the food he needs to eat, 
  but that does not mean that a metal eater can just take a 
  bite out of a battle tank. That would require the Melee Attack 
  power and possibly the Focus modiﬁ er. The villain is still 
  capable of eating normal human food; he just doesn’t get any 
  sustenance from it. If you want normal food to be harmful to 
  your villain, choose an appropriate Allergy or Disability as 
  well.
  Other Suggestions
  The following options did not quite make it into the list 
  above as full-ﬂ edged modiﬁ ers. Application of the following 
  modiﬁ ers should be done with care, as they could easily 
  be exploited to gain “free points” or other unreasonable 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  48
  advantages. Still, the GM might want to allow his players to 
  use them if they come up with entertaining ideas about how 
  their powers are supposed to work.
  Natural Ability
  This modiﬁ er can—theoretically—be applied to any power; 
  it will work much better for some than it will for others.
  Instead of a human being with unnatural powers, the villain 
  is actually a member of some completely different species, 
  and his “powers” are indeed perfectly natural abilities for his 
  race. As a result, the powers affected by this modiﬁ er can 
  never be negated, nulliﬁ ed or in any other way taken away 
  from him.
  Natural Abilities are almost always powers which are 
  “always on,” but in some cases even an active power could 
  be classiﬁ ed as natural.
  It is even possible to apply this modiﬁ er to a device. In this 
  case, the device is not supernatural in origin, but simply very 
  well-made.
  Natural Ability can make the villain very powerful in certain 
  situations, and the Power Point cost should reﬂ ect this. In 
  some cases, increasing the cost by 1 per 3 points may be 
  enough, but this could easily be increased to doubling the 
  total cost.
  As an alternative, the GM might decide to use Natural Ability 
  as a Background Edge. This Edge can be chosen several 
  times (but only at character creation), each affecting any one 
  of the character’s starting powers.
  Power Link
  This is a general modiﬁ er that is used to link two or more 
  powers together. Linked powers can only ever be used in 
  conjunction with each other. There are two basic ways this 
  can work:
  1. Activation of either power automatically activates the other 
  one.
  The villain can never activate only one of the affected powers. 
  He either has all of them active or none at all.
  Example: If Damage Field and Armor are linked, the “force 
  ﬁ eld” protecting the villain will always cause damage to 
  adjacent targets too. He can’t have his protection without 
  causing damage, and he can’t “zap” folks without having his 
  armor up.
  2. Activation of one power is required to gain access to the 
  other.
  The primary power must be of the kind that is activated when 
  needed and stays on until the villain decides to deactivate 
  it again. The secondary power could be either active or 
  permanent.
  Examples: A villain with Shrink and Flight linked would only 
  be able to ﬂ y while he is in his shrunken form.
  If Melee Attack is linked to Invisibility, the villain can only 
  deliver her “sneak attack” while invisible.
  In very rare cases it might be possible to link a passive 
  power to an active one, like Regeneration linked to Decay 
  (the villain will only regenerate while decaying something 
  else). However, this basically transforms a passive power 
  into an active effect and would probably require the entire 
  rules for the power to be rewritten.
  Due to the sheer number of different possibilities for 
  combinations, some of which could be quite limiting, with 
  others hardly noticeable in actual game play, it is virtually 
  impossible to set a speciﬁ c power point modiﬁ er for the Power 
  Link. It’s up to the GM to decide how great the disadvantage 
  of having linked powers really is, and thus how much cheaper 
  the powers in question should actually become.
  Super Edge
  Requires Activation (–1): This will work quite well for some 
  of the available Edges, but not at all for others. In general, 
  “requires activation” can be applied to any effect that would 
  normally be “always on,” including all the passive and 
  defensive Combat Edges (Block, Dodge, First Strike, etc.). 
  However, for Edges that grant a certain bonus to a speciﬁ c 
  action the character performs (like Marksman or Sweep), the 
  –1 modiﬁ er would basically be a free point. Since activation 
  is a free action, the character could simply activate the Edge 
  right before he used it, and after that he wouldn’t need to 
  worry about it anymore.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #2
  49
  So Sayeth the Lord
  Christian trappings for Deadlands: Reloaded
  by Piotr “Ramel” Korys
  Here’s an easy way to add some character to your priestly hero—just have him recite a piece of scripture appropriate to 
  his religion and the power he’s activating. The following examples are for a Christian priest; however, nothing says your 
  character has to be a Christian.
  Armor: “Stand ﬁ rm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place.” Ephesians 
  6:14 
  Barrier: “Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of ﬁ re by night left its place in front of the people.” Exodus 13:22 
  Beast Friend: “Thou shalt tread upon the lion and adder: the young lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.” Psalm 91:13
  Blast: “At the breath of God they are destroyed; at the blast of his anger they perish.” Job 4:9 
  Bolt: “For our God is a consuming ﬁ re.” Hebrews 12:29 
  Boost Trait: “And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, 
  ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” Matthew 
  17:20 
  Burrow: “And the prince that is among them shall bear upon his shoulder in the twilight, and shall go forth: they shall dig through the 
  wall to carry out thereby.” Ezekiel 12:12
  Burst: “His breath sets coals ablaze, and ﬂ ames dart from his mouth.” Job 41:21
  Conceal Arcana: “It is hidden from the eyes of every living thing.” Job 28:21 
  Deﬂ ection: “No weapon forged against you will prevail.” Isaiah 54:17 
  Detect Arcana: “And you shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.” John 8:32 
  Dispel: “I will destroy your witchcraft and you will no longer cast spells.” Micah 5:12
  Elemental Manipulation: “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong 
  east wind and turned it into dry land.” Exodus 14:21
  Entangle: “I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven.” Matthew 18:18 
  Environmental Protection: “I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; 
  nothing will harm you.” Luke 10:19
  Fear: “Distress and anguish ﬁ ll him with terror; they overwhelm him.” Job 15:24
  Fly: “The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might ﬂ y to the place prepared for her in the desert.” Revelations 
  12:14
  Greater Healing: “He sent forth His word and healed them.” Psalms 107:20 
  Healing: “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds.” Jeremiah 30:17
  Invisibility: “He is the image of the invisible God, the ﬁ rstborn over all creation.” Colossians 1:15
  Light: “Let your light shine, that they may praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16 
  Lower Trait: “The vigor of his step is weakened; his own schemes throw him down.” Job 18
  Obscure: “The light in his tent becomes dark; the lamp beside him goes out.” Job 18:6 
  Quickness: “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Mark 9:23
  Shape Change: “All ﬂ esh is not the same: Men have one kind of ﬂ esh, animals have another, birds another and ﬁ sh another.” I Corinthians 
  15:39
  Smite: “I will carry out great vengenance on them and shall punish them in my wrath. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” Ezekiel 
  25:17
  Speak Language: “All of them began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.” Acts 2:4
  Speed: “Here they come, swiftly and speedily!” Isaiah 5:26
  Stun: “Be stunned and amazed; be drunk, but not from wine, stagger, but not from beer.” Isaiah 29:9
  Telekinesis: “The magicians said to Pharaoh, ‘This is the ﬁ nger of God.’” Exodus 8:19
  Teleport: “He mounted the cherubim and ﬂ ew; he soared on the wings of the wind.” Psalms 18:10
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shark Bytes/Shark Bytes Volume 2 Issue 2.pdf