LEG1352

FROSTBITE
A DIME NOVEL ADVENTURE FOR DEADLANDS
 LEG1352

FROSTBITE
Published by

CREDITS & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Written by: Dave Blewer
Editing: Dave Blewer, Robin Elliott, Simon Lucas, Piotr Korys, Paul ‘Wiggy’ Wade-Williams
Illustrations: Dan Harding, Andy Park & Cheyenne Wright
Graphic Design: Robin Elliott

www.legionpublishing.co.uk

First Published 2006

Legion Publishing, the Legion Publishing logo, Legionnaire,

and all related characters and elements are trademarks of Legion Publishing.

Deadlands created by Shane Lacy Hensley

This game uses the Savage Worlds game system, available from Great White Games
(www.greatwhitegames.com). Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack, and all associated logos
and trademarks are Copyright 2004, Great White Games. Used with permission.
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
Prologue Disaster struck in 1866 when the silver mines
began to play out, and it looked like the good
times were over. Businesses closed and townsfolk
Most manitous were bound into the Hunting began to move on to greener pastures as Overhang
Grounds by the sacrifice of the Old Ones at the end started to die. Those who had grown rich from
of the Great Spirit War, but not all, some escaped. the town’s prosperity, refused to let their town
One such manitou was a winter demon, similar to die without a fight. They enjoyed the positions of
the terrible Howlers unleashed by Raven on the relative power and respect that were hard earned
frozen wilderness of Canada, haunting the moun- and long paid for. At first they employed expensive
tains that would one day come to be known as the prospectors, purveyors of geological studies, and
Southern Colorado Rockies, it ran amok, freezing even weird scientists, but all to no avail.
everything in its path.
Five of the town’s notaries formed a secret
The local nature spirits hated all manitou and council, The Quorum, whose purpose was to save
tried to destroy it. The battles fought in the heights the town in any way they could. Quorum members
lasted many years, manifesting themselves as sud- had gained the most power and respect from
den earthquakes and savage storms. The nature Overhang and had the most to lose should it fail.
spirits lacked the power to destroy it, but were The Quorum membership comprised Reverend
able to restrict it to one single mountain, where it Isembard Scott, the minister of Overhang’s only
raged for decades. In time this mountain became church; Celia Baldwin, who ran the brothel and
known as Where-the-Frost-Kills-with-Teeth-of Ice hotel; Monroe Bell, a lawyer who made a tidy profit
by the local Ute tribe. running the Overhang Mining Corporation; Piotr
“Spider” Spiderewski, who ran the Silver Nugget
Eventually, the manitou exhausted itself and fell
Saloon, the last member was Sheriff Gibb’s.
into torpor; the nature spirits encased the dormant
demon in earth and rock, binding it even more Desperate, they made the fatal mistake of turn-
strongly to the mountain that was its prison. The ing to the supernatural to save their town. Whether
Ute still avoided the mountain, as vicious winter they hoped to contact God, Lucifer or something
storms frequently swept across its peak and valleys. else is unknown, but whatever their goal, they
The demon’s slumber was restless. succeeded in awakening the manitou entombed
within Mount Frostbite. The Manitou offered them
When the White Man came to the Ute lands, a bargain. If they sacrificed three innocent souls
he discounted redskin superstition as hogwash. upon the mountain, then it would save the town.
Prospectors intrigued by the blatant attempts to The Quorum debated this proffered bargain for
scare them away from Mount Frostbite with tall nearly a fortnight, each day saw another family
tales, scoured the mountain and discovered a large packing up their belongings and moving away.
seam of silver. A mining town was soon founded; Reluctantly they agreed.
Overhang, named for the precipice on the north-
Using their positions of trust and authority, it
ern side of the town that drops away for over five
was easy for them to lure three small children up
hundred feet. into the mountain. Scott, the pastor quickly killed
Overhang soon became a thriving boomtown them with a razor sharp knife. No sooner had the
with all the benefits and pitfalls that entails. For last one been killed than an earthquake rocked the
many years lawlessness ran rampant, but that all entire mountain, uncovering several previously
changed when Sheriff Cooper Gibbs was elected. untapped silver seams. The town was saved.
Tough, but fair, Gibbs eradicated most serious One problem remained however, the parents of
crime from the town, and Overhang became a the murdered children rightly demanded justice. It
near utopia, The bounty of the mines ensured the was easy for the Quorum to convince the townsfolk
towns prosperity whilst the sheriff kept it peace- that the creepy Whateley family were responsible.
ful. Only the Whateley family an inbred clan (yet Soon a mob was preparing to march on their
another branch of the infamous Whateley family remote homestead. Not wanting to risk Whateley
from Gomorrah, California) who had lived on the family members being taken alive and revealing
mountain for years, before even the foundation their innocence, Gibbs detonated dynamite on
of Overhang, gave the townsfolk any reasons for the mountain above their homestead, triggering
disquiet. an avalanche that flattened it, killing all within.

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 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
Strangely, no bodies were found in the wreckage because of her mother’s profession and swore that
and it was assumed that the Whateley’s had been she would never become a whore herself, despite
pulverised by the falling ice, snow and rocks. what the townsfolk expected. Matilda grew into a
As Gibbs left the site of his crime, he came across pretty, green-eyed, but head strong young woman.
the patriarch of the Whateley clan, Justus and his After her mother’s death from Influenza a year
great granddaughter Matilda, who was only a babe ago, the thirteen year old totally rejected life at the
in arms. Sheriff Gibbs gunned down the old timer Gay Paree and spent as much time away from it as
but couldn’t bring himself to kill the baby. He bur- she could, wandering the foothills and abandoned
ied the old geezer’s body in one of the spent mines mines of Frostbite, dreaming about the life she
and took the baby back to Overhang, where she craved beyond Overhang.
was adopted by one of Celia Baldwin’s girls.
Unfortunately for Overhang, Matilda unearthed
Since those dark days of murder and treachery, the hidden bones of her true grandfather Justus,
the town of Overhang has prospered, but the guilt while futilely digging for silver to fund her escape.
and the whispers of the manitou they awakened,
Her blood called to the venomous shade of the
has slowly eroded The Quorum’s sanity until they
dead old coot, allowing him to possess his grand-
have become thoroughly corrupt. They are able to
daughter’s body and hatch a plan for vengeance.
maintain a facade of decency, which masks the foul
and despicable fiends they are. Matilda has grown Using his Blood Magic skill, bolstered by the
into a pretty but sullen girl who is unaware of might of the manitou, Justus is able to open a tem-
her ancestry. She resents the line of work that her poral portal back to his old homestead as it was
deceased mother followed and refuses to become crushed by the Quorum’s avalanche. Through this
a “soiled dove” herself, despite what Miss Baldwin portal he is able to call the animated corpses of his
and the rest of the town expect. kinfolk. These frozen, crushed undead are attack-
Recently, in the last month the town has come ing the folk of Overhang. Justus wont rest until the
under supernatural assault. Two miners have been town is destroyed.
murdered, their tents coated in ice even though For its part, the manitou is happy to go along
the night hadn’t been particularly cold. In each with the shades plan. Not only does it raise the
case the assailant was found dead with his hands level of fear in the area, it also does so in a way that
locked around his victim’s neck. The assailant does not directly draw attention to the manitou
looked like someone had clobbered the hell out itself. Between Justus’ attacks and the corruption
of them with something large and blunt. Nobody of the Quorum, the manitou believes that it holds
knows who these assailants are, where they came all the cards.
from, or what caused the temperature to drop so
sharply in such a localised area. The townsfolk are The posse that just rode into town will reshuffle
in a state of muted panic, church services are held the deck and change the rules of the game.
everyday by Reverend Scott and the men-folk are
twitchy, quick to reach for their hog legs when
startled. Nobody has actually left town yet, but it’s
Getting the Posse to Overhang
only a matter of time.
Getting your Posse to the town of Overhang is as
Into this powder keg of fear, mistrust and treach- simple as appealing to their greed. Somehow they
ery come riding a small posse of strangers, looking get their hands on a deed that gives them a sub-
to make some easy money. stantial number of shares in the affluent Overhang
Mining Corporation. Maybe they are a gift from a
Vengeance from Beyond the Grave grateful patron or someone that the posse rescued
from a fearsome critter out on the plains. These
Matilda may have been born a Whateley, but she shares mean a regular income for anyone lucky
grew up unaware of her loathsome ancestry and enough to hold them, however the shares must
was raised by one of Cecilia Baldwin’s girls. She first be registered at the Overhang claims office
always felt like an outsider however and during before the cash can come rolling in. Once you get
her childhood often felt the hard stare of suspi- them to Overhang, they will soon be swept up in
cion upon her. She wrongly believed that this was the town’s troubles.

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 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
T HE T OWN OF OVERHANG weighed, and every businessman is able to spot a
fake or impure nugget.
Fear Level: 2
The silver is then exchanged for cash at the
Overhang is a small but bustling town that
Overhang Assaying and Bank, a subsidiary business
appears to cling precariously to a north -facing
of the Overhang Mining Corporation. A silver nug-
plateau. Over five thousand feet up, it can only be
get might be exchanged for goods in every single
reached via two twisting canyons, which are often
business in town before it’s finally deposited in the
blocked with snow in the long winter months.
Overhangs position is only tenable because of bank.
the rich silver mines that were discovered after a
series of earth tremors shook the mountain back
in 1866. PART ONE: RUMOURS AND LIES
A freestanding rock outcrop, known as The
Devils Burden, towers hundreds of feet above the The Posse arrive in Overhang after a hard
town and plunges it into a twilight gloom from journey up Mount Frostbite, arriving in mid-sum-
noon onwards; local legend has it that Satan rises mer, though the air is still chilly. Overhang itself
from his fiery pit during the worst winter storms is built upon a gentle slope that climbs towards a
and attempts to push the rock over onto the town. huge freestanding rock to the south, which casts a
They say that if you listen carefully you can hear shadow over the town from noon onwards.
him huffing and puffing as he strains against his
burden.
Detailed below are the main places of interest in
T HE OVERHANG M INING CORPORATION the town, including businesses and other oddities.
This list is in no way designed to be exhaustive.
All those who wish to profit from the silver mines Marshals can always add rival or additional busi-
must hold shares in the Overhang Mining Corpora- nesses as suits their whims and needs.
tion. There are two types of share available.
Listed with each location are details of the infor-
To engage in the back breaking work of actually mation that might be found there --if the posse is
digging the silver from the mine and bringing it to observant or asks the right questions. Also detailed
the surface, a miner must hold a “Preferred Mining are set piece encounters that might take place at
License.” These are readily available in Overhang,
that location depending on the posse’s actions
all one needs is ten dollars and he is licensed to
and circumstances. Included in this are a number
prospect for silver anywhere in the environs of
of red herrings, rumours and flat out lies that the
Mount Frostbite for the next four months.
Marshal can use to misdirect and deceive his play-
The truly profitable type of share though is the ers. Frostbite is a very open scenario and depends
Corporate Share. Relatively few of these have been on the posse to drive the action.
made available and they often change hands for
hundreds of dollars. A holder of a Corporate Share
must register an address at the Corporation Claims The Overhang Baptist Chapel
Office in person. Twice a year a dividend of profits
made from the sale of the mining licenses is wired This moderately sized wooden structure, sur-
to those addresses. Dozens of Corporate Shares rounded by a makeshift cemetery is found on the
left Overhang with the migrating townsfolk in 1866 north side of town near the precipice. The minister
and many of them have changed hands several of the church is Pastor Isembard Scott, a pugna-
times since. Presently the shares are reaping a six cious man who used to lead the townsfolk in fire
monthly dividend of nearly $5000 dollars. and brimstone sermons every Sunday, but since
the attacks started has led services daily.
COMMERCE IN OVERHANG
Although coin and folding money is accepted in I NVESTIGATION
Overhang, many of the miners actually pay for their A sharp eyed cowpoke nosing around in the
goods with silver nuggets. All of the businesses cemetery might notice, with a successful Notice
in town have scales with which the silver can be roll, the town suffered a rash of deaths about a year

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 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
ago. There are also four recent graves, but two of gins worked tirelessly during the outbreak and was
these are unmarked. lucky not to catch it himself. Pastor Scott also made
If the posse takes the trouble to break into frequent house calls to the sick and many believe
the chapel and succeeds at a Notice -2 roll, they that only his prayers saved the town.
discover a secret compartment beneath the pulpit. What about the more recent deaths?
Hidden within are Scott’s opium (which he uses to This is common knowledge around the town.
fuel his Scrye black magic power), and the sacrifi- Two miners in the last month have been discovered
cial dagger used to murder the children thirteen murdered. Their lonely tents out near the Absolu-
years ago. tion mine were coated in ice even though the nights
Despite appearances, the chapel and cemetery in question hadn’t been particularly cold. In each
are not holy ground. case the assailant was found dead with his hands
locked around his victim’s neck. The assailant
Q UESTIONS looked like someone had clobbered the hell out
What caused the deaths a year ago? of them with something large and blunt. Nobody
This is common knowledge around the town. knows who these assailants are, where they came
A year ago the town suffered an outbreak of Influ- from, or what caused the temperature to drop so
enza that led to nearly a dozen deaths. Several of sharply in such a localised area.
the girls at the Gay Paree succumbed and even The corpses of both victims and their attackers
Celia Baldwin hovered at death’s door for nearly have been buried in the cemetery. A watch was
a week before making a sudden recovery. Dr Wig- kept on the unmarked grave of the first attacker
“just in case” by Pastor Scott, Sheriff Gibbs and his
deputies but they reported nothing untoward on
the night that of the second attack.
Tell me about these services?
This is common knowledge. Since Pastor Scott
started leading the town in daily services, the
attacks have stopped.
Marshal’s Note: This is true. Justus Whateley
(in his granddaughter’s body) has been forced by
the town’s disapproval to attend the services. This
means that he hasn’t been able to visit the site of
his old homestead and summon the zombies of
his kinfolk. Chances are that the posse’s actions
will give him the opportunity to commence his
attacks.

EVENT: THE SERVICE

Pastor Scott leads the town in a service every day
between the hours of ten and eleven in the morn-
ing. The whole town turns out for these services
and Scott leads them in a typical fire and brimstone
fashion, reminding everyone that the Devil is
everywhere and only diligent prayer can prevent
his pernicious schemes from working.
The first service that the posse attends is a
particularly boisterous affair; one of the girls from
the Gay Paree, June Nix, even starts speaking in
tongues. This might alarm the Posse, but the poor

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 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
girl has just been swept up in the hysteria of the This is common Knowledge. Not much to say,
whole thing. The Posse are made to feel particularly he’s from Poland, Romania or Italy, one of those
welcome by Scott and even pointed out as part of European places. He brews a damn fine beer and
his sermon. Overhang is lucky to have him. Folk just wish he
However, if they stop going to the services, this was a bit friendlier.Event: First Drink Is On the
becomes noticed by the pastor. He starts sowing House
seeds of doubt about their piety in the minds of When the Posse first enters the Silver Nugget
his congregation. He never goes as far as saying they are greeted by Spider and offered a drink on
that they are behind the attacks, but lets his flock the house as a welcome. Spider doesn’t push it if
connect the dots. If the Posse doesn’t attend the they refuse the drink, but one of the miners will
services regularly, then they will certainly be viewed tell them that they are missing out, and Spider’s
in a dim light by the townsfolk. home brew is a superb beer and well worth trying.
Those that try the beer find this to be true.
The Silver Nugget Saloon Marshal’s Note: Those that drink Spiderewski’s
brew have now made themselves susceptible to his
Puppet power.
The Silver Nugget is the only saloon in town,
built atop a rocky promontory. It is owned and run
by the greedy Piotr “Spider” Spiderewski. The Sil-
ver Nugget is a fairly rough place where the miners EVENT: PATENTED GOOD OL’ FIST FIGHT
go to blow off steam after a day’s work. Violence
used to be rare in the Silver Nugget; Sheriff Gibbs Events in Overhang have made people very
does not show mercy towards those who disrupt tense, and this will eventually boil over into an all
his town. However, with the recent trouble the out brawl in the Silver Nugget. It is only natural
miners are just looking for an excuse to cut loose that the posse would be in the center of that brawl,
and find an outlet for their fear. Spider is the only what with being strangers in town and everything.
provider of booze in the town; he even stocks the This is especially true if Pastor Scott has been poi-
bar at the Gay Paree. soning minds against them.
The Silver Nugget is the highest building in The fight will start out in the time honored
Overhang. Spider refuses to close the windows of fashion of one of the miners taking exception
the saloon when it is open, meaning that an almost to one of the posse in some way – typically one
constant gale blows through the place. with either Arrogant, Tinhorn, Bad Luck, Minor
Habit, or Outsider Hindrances, but anything will
I NVESTIGATION do really. The Posse find themselves facing a like
If the posse’s suspicions about the Spiderewski number of combatants. The Miners are unarmed,
family brew have been aroused, they might break but won’t think twice about picking up makeshift
into the Silver Nugget to try and discover the secret weapons. Spider will be frantic during the whole
fight, shouting at people to stop. If any of the Posse
of its brewing. The brew is fermenting in open bar-
draw pistols then the Miners run for the doors, and
rels in the saloons root cellar. Suspended above
the posse’s standing dips even lower amongst the
the barrels are the freshly slaughtered corpses of
townsfolk.
rabbits, their blood dripping into the fermenting
beer.Questions Early on in the fight a miner will lift a chair above
his head ready to smash it down on some poor
Why is it so cold in the Silver Nugget?
hombre’s noggin, Spider will order him by name
This is common knowledge. Spider has a fear of (Earl) to put the chair down right now and leave.
enclosed spaces and gets very jittery when the win- Earl does exactly as he has been ordered, moving
dows and doors are shut, even during the worst rather awkwardly as he does so. Spider has openly
blizzards. The cold drafts don’t exactly make the used his Puppet power in full view of everyone.
place inviting, but the low prices and Spiderewski’s Three rounds after the brawl starts Sheriff Gibbs
wonderful home brewed beer make it more than and his deputies arrive to break things up. Those
worthwhile. who are obviously drunk and, or aggressive spend
Tell us about Spider? a night in the town jail. Obviously if anyone was

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 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
killed during the fracas, then things become a lot roaming the mountain and is rarely at home. Her
more serious. room is unremarkable, but a successful Notice (-2)
roll will find a piece of paper under her bed upon
which is scrawled the phrase “get out of my mind”
EVENT: THE WIND HAS EARS over and over again. At the bottom in a different
handwriting is written “Girl, you obey your elders.
This town has it coming!”
If the posse discusses any plans that they may
have in the saloon, Spiderewski will hear of them Breaking into June Nix’s room is just as difficult
eventually, including any suspicions that they might as breaking into Celia Baldwin’s. June’s room is
have about Quorum members. festooned with crosses and pictures of saints. She
has also taken to writing (copying actually, she
can’t actually read) random passages from her dog
The Gay Paree eared bible on the walls.
The majority of the inhabitants of Overhang are Q UESTIONS
miners who work for a few months to earn some
Tell us about Matilda?
decent money, and then return to their families
and their old life. However, men being men need This is common knowledge. Sheriff Gibbs found
female company, and that is where Celia Baldwin’s her abandoned up on the mountain when she was
Fancy House comes in. As many as a half a dozen a babe, her folks must have perished in an ava-
“soiled doves” work here, providing the hard work- lanche or something. She was adopted by one of
ing miners with companionship. Miss Baldwin runs Celia Baldwin’s girls, Anne Hall, who died during
a clean house, the girls health is checked monthly the Influenza outbreak last year. She hates living at
by Dr Wiggins and only those that pass 100% are the Gay Paree, thinking that life there is beneath
allowed to work. A Pair of brawny hired guns, the her. She is a bit of a dreamer and spends a lot of
twins Earl and Willard Ledbetter, keep an eye on time wandering the mountain.
things in the Gay Paree. The twins are very protec- Tell us about June Nix?
tive towards the girls and don’t hesitate to hand
out a beating to anyone who mistreats them. This is known by everyone at the Gay Paree. June
became very righteous, after the first attack. She
The Gay Paree also doubles as Overhangs only now refuses to see clients or even to let anyone
hotel. It costs a cowhand $5 a week for a bed and into her room. She has been heard muttering in
meals. Most newcomers to Overhang just pitch a her room at all hours.
tent in Silvertown, the makeshift shanty town that
has built up around the entrance to the Deliver- Tell us about Celia Baldwin
ance Mine. This is common knowledge. Miss Baldwin runs
and owns the Gay Paree, and has lived in the town
I NVESTIGATION for as long as anyone can remember. She’s tough
If the posse’s suspicions about Celia Baldwin, but fair with her girls. There were rumors of a
are aroused then they may attempt to break into romance between her and the sheriff years back,
her room to see if they can find any evidence. This but it seems to have fizzled out since. Celia almost
won’t be an easy task, the Ledbetter twins don’t died of influenza about a year back, the pastor even
take well to clients sneaking around in the Gay gave her a final blessing, but she made a miraculous
Paree. A successful Notice roll discovers a journal recovery. She has since retired from the whoring
that Miss Baldwin makes occasional entries in. business only taking up with those that catch her
Several pages have been torn from it, and the first eye, and never for money.
entry commends her 20th birthday in 1843. Celia
Baldwin doesn’t look older than 35 at the most.
The Posse might also have reason to want to EVENT: GET A ROOM
snoop around Matilda’s room. Again, they will
have to avoid the twins, but Matilda lives in the The posse will probably have to get a room at
guest quarters of the Paree so moving around will the Gay Paree. Matilda Hall, a pretty 13 year old
be much easier, also Matilda spends a lot of time with startling green eyes, greets them (if greet is

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 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
the right word) at the desk and sullenly checks crazed, the result of staying up most nights praying
them in. She makes it totally clear that she resents for forgiveness.
the time it takes to do so. She sneeringly asks if any Marshal’s Note: June is a red herring designed
of the posse wish to spend the night with any of to increase the posse’s feelings of paranoia.Event:
the girls. Walking Matilda
Celia Baldwin overhears this exchange and If the Posse gets suspicious about Matilda then
rushes in before the posse can answer, she quickly she will just up and vanish, whether this is because
apologizes and sends Matilda to her room, promis- the posse has been vocal about their suspicions
ing that they will talk about it later. Matilda answers or just pure coincidence is down to the Marshal’s
that she isn’t one of Celia’s whores that she can needs and whims. She has a habit of wandering the
order around, and storms out into the street. mountain for days at a time.
Miss Baldwin apologizes again and offers them
a free drink at the bar to make up for the girls rude-
ness. General Store and Mining Supplies
The Overhang General Store and Mining Sup-
EVENT: MISS CELIA MAKES HER MOVE plies is owned and run by an elderly couple, Fergus
and Dora Crawford. This well built two-storey
building (the Crawford’s live above their shop)
The manitou animating Celia Baldwin is serves the town of Overhang for all its general and
extremely curious about the world it has awakened mining needs. William Field, a retired miner rents
in and uses her old profession and her new powers an outbuilding from the Crawford’s which he has
to interrogate any newcomers. Miss Baldwin will converted into a smithy. He offers his services to
make it extremely obvious that she is attracted to repair mining equipment and shoe horses.
one of the Posse (preferably the most knowledge-
The Crawford’s are polite but aloof, trying to
able or worldly wise member of the group). She
distance themselves from their neighbors. Field
makes a concerted effort to talk this lucky hombre
in contrast is friendly and talkative, full of stories
into bed (lucky that he doesn’t realize that he is
about the old days in the town.
sleeping with a corpse, that is) and uses her mind
rape power to pilfer knowledge from his noggin. Q UESTIONS
The next morning she is aloof and distant from her
latest conquest, seemingly disappointed in him. If Tell us about the town’s history
her mind rape was successful then she might turn William Field is a good source for gossip about
her attentions to another member of the posse. the town’s history, but this info can be gotten from
Marshal’s note: If Celia successfully mind rapes almost anyone in town. It’s well known that the
a posse member then she and the manitou know town nearly went bust fifteen or so years ago, all
as much about the rest of the group as he does. the silver mines were running dry and people
were starting to pack up and move away to greener
pastures. Things got even worse when a local
EVENT: DID SHE JUST CURSE ME? inbred family murdered some youngsters in some
foul ritual. Townsfolk obviously weren’t going to
sit back and let that go on; a lynch mob marched
The town’s troubles have reawakened a child- up there to burn them out of their home. Before
hood religious fervor in June Nix, one of Miss they got there though, God himself delivered his
Baldwin’s girls. She refuses to see any clients. justice with a series of earthquakes that flattened
leading to some very loud arguments between her their homestead and uncovered the three mines
and Celia. June is a suspicious sort and the posse that saved the town.
have become the new center of her bigoted little
world. June mutters behind their backs in Ger- Inbred Family?
man (generally commenting on how ungodly they Yeah, horrible looking bunch, name of Whyley,
look) and has taken to crossing her self when they Whateley or something. They had lived here high in
approach, and making devil warding signs behind the mountain for years, even before Overhang was
their backs. June is generally wide eyed and a bit founded. There were over a dozen of them living

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 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
up there with sister marrying brother or father. No Sheriff Gibbs on the Whateley family
one was very surprised when they started murder- Getting any information out of Gibbs at all is a
ing kids; we were all half expecting it. Many in town feat in itself; the man is very close mouthed and
were happy to see them go when that avalanche
refuses to talk to anyone. If the posse persists
flattened their homestead. Strange thing was that
however, he will grudgingly give them some infor-
although we heard their screams as the snow and
mation, if only to shut them up. He will stick to the
ice hit them, no bodies were found. I guess that
god made extra sure that they would harm no one truth as much as possible, figuring that’s the best
again and ground them up good. way to avoid getting caught out.
If the posse thinks to ask if any of the Quorum Gibbs tells the posse that the Whateley fam-
were members of the lynch mob, no one can ily lived in the area long before Overhang was
remember them being there. founded, in a homestead further up the mountain.
They were a strange bunch, who had as little to
Tell us about the Crawford’s
do with the town as possible, which suited him
This is common knowledge. The Crawford’s just fine. He freely admits that up until the mur-
believe they are above the rest of us. They say that ders of the three children they had been mostly
they were Lord and Lady Crawford back in England, law abiding (“as long as you don’t count the laws
but fell on hard times and had to come to the New handed down by the almighty, that is”), but that
World to start again. I heard say that Mrs. Crawford he wasn’t surprised when their sinful ways were
practiced witchcraft to try and kill her way to the finally revealed. He also admits that the evidence
throne of Wales but she was unmasked and had to pointing to their guilt was circumstantial at best
flee the country. They live here, quiet like, to avoid (It amounted to the bodies being found near their
the Queens assassins who followed them west.
homestead and townsfolk’s distaste over their liv-
Tell us about William Field ing arrangements), but is quick to point out that
This is common knowledge. William is a good the murders stopped after they were dealt with.
sort, friendly and good with his hands. How he If they ask about his actions on the day of the
lives with the Crawford’s is beyond me. earthquakes, he tells them that he wasn’t part of it
and didn’t have the means of stopping it. His depu-
Sheriff’s Office and Jail ties at the time had both left the town as part of
the exodus from the area and he had his hands full
Sheriff Gibbs keeps an eye on Overhang from just keeping general order. He also gives the posse
this office. Attached to the office is a sturdy jail that the impression that he wouldn’t have stopped the
most often serves as a drunk tank. More serious mob even if he could.
lawbreakers are held until transportation to Pueblo Sheriff Gibbs on the recent attacks
can be arranged. Gibbs and his deputies live in
nearby homes.Investigation Gibbs’ is genuinely baffled by the attacks; he
doesn’t have a clue who is behind them. He is
The Posse might decide to break into the presently working under the assumption that it’s
Sheriff ’s office, his home or both. Unfortunately another outbreak of weirdness, and hopes that if
for them, Gibbs has been very careful about hiding
they hanker down and keep vigilant it’ll eventually
his membership of the Quorum and no evidence
stop.
of his nefarious deeds can be found.
Sheriff Gibbs on Matilda Hall
Q UESTIONS Gibbs’ is very close mouthed about the day he
Tell us about Sheriff Gibbs? found Matilda, saying that it was all a very long
This is common knowledge. Sheriff Gibbs is a time ago during all the fuss after the earthquakes.
good man, a hard man, but he is good. He certainly His memory is fuzzy, but he does remember finding
teaches malcontents and laggards they aren’t wel- her wrapped in swaddling clothes near the wreck-
come in Overhang. I am sure that tinhorns from age of a wagon. He assumes that her folks perished
back east would disapprove of his methods, but during the earthquakes. A lot of folks were leaving
they have no idea how hard life is out here. town about that time.

9
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
EVENT: THE LESSON Tell us about Monroe Bell?
This is common knowledge. Mr. Bell is consid-
ered to be the most important man in town; it is
At noon the day after the posse arrives in town,
due to his hard work that the Overhang Mining
the sheriff punishes a miner who was caught
Corporation runs so smoothly. Bell came to town
prospecting without a license. Everyone is called
nearly two decades ago to work as a lawyer, but
to the center of town by the church bells, to find
soon talked himself into a position of respectful
a miner stripped to the waist and tied to a horse
importance. He has certainly been a boon for the
rail in front of the jail. Gibbs announces that what
town since then.
they are about to witness is a lesson for all; he will
not abide lawlessness in his town, especially at a
time of such uncertainty and fear. The miner has
been sentenced to receive twenty lashes. With that, EVENT: FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS
Gibbs unfurls his barbed whip and commences
to carry out that sentence. After a few lashes the When the Posse first enters the Claims Office to
miner starts to whimper and moan. This moaning register their shares, they interrupt an old miner
increases in pitch and he starts shaking and sweat- who is paying for his license. The miner seems ter-
ing. After fifteen lashes he lets out a rasping gut rified of Bell, his hands visibly shaking, and nearly
wrenching scream and collapses. falls over himself so desperate is he to get out of
Dr Wiggins rushes forward and after a brief the ex-lawyers presence.
examination pronounces the man dead. Gibbs’ Bell is friendly and helpful during their trans-
seems genuinely shocked and concerned (roll action even going so far as to give the posse a
his Persuasion skill against a suspicious Player’s “welcome gift” of $75 as a down payment towards
Notice roll) , he rolls up his whip and heads into their first dividend. Certainly nothing in his manner
the Silver Nugget for a ginger beer –Gibbs doesn’t explains the miner’s obvious fear. If Bell is asked
drink Spider’s brew. The crowd disperses clearly about this he just shrugs and makes some com-
shaken. ment about some folks being scared of anything
Characters with either a medical or military that reminds them of the law. If the heroes wish to
background will know that someone as hale and track down the miner he can be found fairly easily
hearty as the deceased should have been able to in Silvertown. His name is Clay Bushnell and he
withstand twenty lashes easily (The British Army initially refuses to talk to the posse, but he can be
was not averse to handing down sentences of two persuaded after a few drinks.
thousand lashes). If they follow up his death, Dr Clay claims that he once saw a miner, by the
Wiggins can tell them that the miner died of a heart name of Barney Wheeler; refuse to pay for his
attack. license. Apparently Bell smiled and very quietly
said “You know, no one ever really liked you when
you were alive.” The miner just fell down dead on
Claims Office the spot, Clay ran before Bell spotted him outside
the Claims Office. Everyone believed that Wheeler
Here the business of the Overhang Mining had died of a heart attack, but Clay knows that is
Corporation is conducted by Monroe Bell. Mining was Bell’s doing.
licenses can be purchased here and dividends are
divided up amongst registered shareholders. It Of course, if Clay tells the Posse this in the Silver
is also here that anyone wishing to register their Nugget, then Spider will soon know and tell the
corporate shares must visit.Investigation rest of the Quorum. If that happens it’s only a mat-
ter of time before old Clay has an accident or a
If the posse takes the time to break into the heart attack himself.
Claims office they find nothing at all suspicious.
The records are well kept and accurate. A Smarts (-
2) roll will discover that Bell is fiddling the books a Overhang Assay and Bank
little and probably pocketing the money, but that’s
a perk of his position. It certainly isn’t a princely This large building serves as the fiscal heart of
sum that he’s taking.Questions the town; silver used in purchases is stored here

10
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
The miner’s here are a close mouthed bunch
--especially if one of their friends got whipped to
death in the street and the posse beat a bunch of
them senseless in the Silver Nugget. None of them
admit to knowing the two who were killed in the
attacks. The posse are sullenly told to go to Absolu-
tion, maybe the miners up there know more.

Deliverance Mine
The largest and most profitable of the Overhang
mines, this mine delves deep below The Devil’s
Burden and was originally exposed by the earth
tremors of 1866. It is said that this mine delivered
the town from a slow death.

I NVESTIGATION
Only those who have been either issued a
license at the Claims Office or are shareholders in
the Overhang Mining Corporation are authorized
to enter the mines on Mount Frostbite, luckily the
posse is the latter. Deliverance is cramped, exten-
sive and extremely claustrophobic. It also becomes
very evident that the miners resent their presence,
disrupting their back breaking work. The posse can
almost feel the weight of the massive rock above
them, the Devil’s Burden pressing down about to
until it is shipped to Pueblo. The town’s deputies, crush them at any moment.
Andy Kearney & Boyd Newcomb spend much
of their time here guarding the large, well built,
safe and tills. The bank has never been robbed,
Absolution Mine
however. It is a town joke that robbing the bank This mine is found five miles above the
would be a lot more hard work than working in the town. It isn‛t as profitable as the Deliverance
mines, where silver is readily available. The town’s Mine, but those who work there still make plenty
telegraph office is also found here.Investigation of profit.
There are no clues to be found here and quite
frankly, the posse probably isn’t right in the noggin
I NVESTIGATION
if they try and break into a bank with vaults full of This mine is a lot less oppressive than Deliver-
silver –that’s to say if they try and do it openly. ance, even though it is, if anything, even more
cramped and low-ceilinged. There is a small shanty
town outside of the mine consisting of a dozen or
Silvertown so tents. During the day these tents are almost
deserted as their owners toil below ground. The
Tents dot this area around the mouth of the miners have started taking turns at missing a days
Deliverance Mine, the most profitable of the town’s mining so they are sufficiently rested to stand guard
three mines. It’s here that most of the transient during the night however.Questions
miners live, many only stay for a while before mov- Tell us more about the attacks?
ing on or returning to their families. Shanty towns The posse can find the miners who found the
have grown around the mouths of the other two corpses of their colleagues. Sadly for the posse,
mines, but so far they haven’t grown large enough miners who work all day hacking at solid rock with
to warrant being named.Investigation pickaxes sleep very soundly, and the miners killed

11
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
were on the very edges of the camp. The other min- There is very little to investigate here, but
ers awoke to find a tent stiff with ice, and once they Samuels is a good source of information about the
cut their way in they discovered the grisly remains townsfolk.
of both the attacker and the assailant. Some of the
miners think that the attackers are coming from Q UESTIONS
Dead man’s Mine, a played out mine near the Old Tell me about Samuel Samuels?
Whatley place, where a group of miners were killed This is common knowledge. Samuel has lived
in a cave in years ago. here probably longer than anyone else. They say
Dead Man’s Mine? that he was married to one of the Whateley’s, but
Five miners were killed there in a cave-in, and was lucky to be away from the homestead on the
from that day until the day it struck out, strange day of the earthquake.
happenings were reported, such as chill spots and Marshal’s note: This is a lie, Samuels is a wid-
whistling wind that sounded suspiciously like the ower, but his late wife wasn’t a Whateley.
screams of the lost miners. After a series of nasty
accidents the mine was believed cursed and only
the most desperate of miners would ever work
Devil’s Burden
there. To this day the mine is avoided by all right
This is the name given to the huge free standing
minded individuals.
rock that towers over the town, casting it into twi-
light like darkness from noon onwards. Its height
Vindication Mine makes it appear precarious and newcomers often
eye it with alarm (especially when they discover
This Mine was uncovered near the summit of that the Deliverance Mine burrows beneath it).
Mount Frostbite by an avalanche and rock slide However, the townsfolk ignore it.Investigation
after the tremors of 1866. It is the least profitable Not much to investigate really –it’s a really,
of the three mines. really big rock that dwarf ’s the town of Overhang.
A kindly marshal might allow a hombre with some
I NVESTIGATION sort of otherworldly site to be “rewarded” with the
This mine is also a lot less claustrophobic than glimpse of an ancient evil staring back (and a Guts
Deliverance, even though it is even more cramped. (-2) roll), but then again maybe that isn’t all that
No other clues can be found here. The miners are kindly.
friendlier, but basically clueless.
Q UESTIONS
Tell me about Devil’s Burden?
The Overhang This is common knowledge. Devil’s Burden got
This promontory gives the town its name, that particular name because of a local legend that
situated above a drop of at least five hundred foot the devil used to rise up from his fiery pit during
straight down. This gives the residents of Overhang the worst blizzards and try to push the rock over.
some spectacular views, but also makes it hard to Folks swore that they could hear him huffing and
puffing as he strained against his burden. Other
reach and promises a screaming death to those
folks pointed out that the devil would probably
who are unwary or clumsy.Investigation
stay in hell where it was all warm and toasty on
There are no clues to be found here, but the such nights, but the name stuck. Most townsfolk
view is very good. soon stop noticing the imposing edifice, though
nobody stops cursing it for the early twilight that
Samuel’s Livery Stable it causes.

Horses can be stabled here for 25 cents a day. The Old Whateley Place
They are fed, watered and cared for by an old coot
who is burdened with the unfortunate name of This is the site of the old Whateley homestead;
Samuel Samuels.Investigation today all that remains is ruins. Everyone in town

12
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
knows that this was the place where a family of a passable barber. His dentistry skills leave a lot to
child killers lived. Local legend has it that their be desired though.
crimes were uncovered, and punished by god
through an avalanche that crushed them all over a
dinner of human remains.Investigation EVENT: SHAVE AND A HAIR CUT
See part two, The Whateley Wraith for more
information on this cursed place. If your players are anything like ours they prob-
ably don’t pay hardly any attention to the personal
Dead Man’s Mine grooming of their characters. When the posse
arrives at Overhang be sure to remind them how
long it has been since they have visited a barbers
There are several played out mines and point out that Dr Wiggins offers such a service.
scattered around the mountain, but this one in You could dangle the carrot of a Fate Chip because
particular has an ill reputation. they feel just so darn clean. The stick of course
is that they have to allow a man known locally
I NVESTIGATION as “The Vulture” access to their jugulars with a
This played out mine is spooky in the extreme, straight razor and listen to his incessant, annoying
nothing actually ever happens, but the posse get questions.
the feeling they are being watched. With a Notice
roll they find a shallow pit as if someone has
recently disturbed a hastily dug grave, no sign of a
body can be found.
PART TWO: THE WHATELEY WRAITH
The ruins of the Old Whateley place are found
Dr Wiggins’ Medicinal Apothecary on a steeply sided ridge beneath a crumbling sheer
cliff. All that remains of the extensive rambling
The front of this building is festooned with signs homestead are a few half demolished walls. The
advertising that this is where the folk of Overhang ridge is covered in rocks that have fallen from
come to get their broken bones splintered; their above, some have also bounced down the side of
teeth drilled; their hair cut and finally their loved the ridge making the approach difficult. Such is the
ones planted in the dirt. The Apothecary is divided height of the Devil’s Burden that it is visible from
into several rooms so that a grieving widow doesn’t here, although the town isn’t. This is important
have to sit alongside some miner complaining of for later, so be sure to mention it.
toothache. Dr Wiggins lives in a single room in the The Posse will probably visit here twice, the
back and despite being very busy always has time first time to check up on the rumours about the
to gossip or spy on his neighbours. place and the second time to stop Matilda’s/Justus’
nefarious schemes.
I NVESTIGATION
If the posse breaks into the “vulture’s nest” they
find that his back room is decorated with a number
The First Visit
of stuffed animals including a jackalope. A Notice The first time the posse visit the Old Whateley
roll determines the jackalope is in fact a fake. Noth- Place they find it deserted. A Hard (9) Tracking
ing else incriminating is found. check will discover that several people have visited
here. Most of them are heavy and drag their feet,
Q UESTIONS but one is small and light. A Raise on this roll tells
What can you tell me about Dr Wiggins? the tracker that only the last person actually arrived
This is common Knowledge. The townsfolk call and left the site all the others only ever left here.
Dr Wiggins, The Vulture. To them, he seems to be Those searching the ruin, and succeeding at a
always near when misfortune strikes and takes a Notice (-2) roll, discover a trapdoor hidden under
perverse pleasure from it. He is an extremely nosey a small pile of rocks. This leads down into the old
gossip with all the social skills of a skunk. They do homesteads root cellar. Dead center in the middle
have to admit that he is a good doctor though, and of the cellar somebody has placed a battered old

13
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
rocking chair, that somehow survived the avalanche intact. Somebody has wired a skeleton to the chair
The Vulture placing the disconnected bones in a vague human
form. This skeleton is Justus’ Whateley’s remains
As the Posse move around the town they will dug up by his granddaughter, and placed here as a
come to realise that they are being watched. whimsical keepsake by the twisted old wraith.
Dr Wiggins, the creepy doctor, dentist, barber The bones themselves have no power and the
and undertaker has taken an interest in their posse can do what they want with them, destroying
comings and goings. The good doctor is not or stealing them as they wish. However if they are
particularly stealthy in his surveillance and disturbed Justus’ will know that his lair has been
his distinctive stove-pipe hat certainly doesn’t discovered and will conjure three of his kinfolk to
help him in this regard. guard the place. Matilda/Justus will not return to
If the doctor is confronted by the posse, the homestead whilst the posse keep watch on it.
his first act will be to try and escape them; There is a chance that the posse will share their
if this is impossible then he will stammer findings with a trusted member of The Quorum,
some implausible (but true) story about their such as the sheriff. He will accompany them to the
appearance in town piquing his interest and site, but will flee if any supernatural creatures are
he was following, hoping to be of help. encountered. He fakes this fear in order to quickly
The townsfolk of Overhang will not react return to town and confer with his fellow conspira-
well if the doctor is summarily gunned down tors.
in the street, he’s disliked, but not hated. A The two deputies might possibly be assigned
posse that acts in such a rash manner will bring to keep an eye on the ruin, depending on circum-
a whole heap of trouble down on their heads. stances. However, they are quickly dispatched by
Justus and his ice zombies as soon as they are
left alone by the posse and their bodies are never
The Quorum found.
Initially the Posse are ignored by The If stories about zombies start circulating the town,
Quorum, beyond what is noted in the text. and the two deputies disappear mysteriously, then
It is only after the Posse have proved them- the town starts to dry up as people decide that it’s
selves competent that The Quorum starts to just far too dangerous to stay. The miners, always a
discuss them and think about using them in fickle bunch at the best of times, leave first. Maybe
their schemes. The Quorum meets at the Gay watching the source of their profit leave town in
Paree to discuss matters when needed, most droves will spur the heroes to try and solve matters
unmarried men-folk make a visit to the place themselves. The “cowardly” sheriff deputising the
occasionally, so it doesn’t seem particularly heroes might be what they need.
suspicious to folks to see the sheriff or saloon
keeper heading in there for an evenings enter-
tainment. Only Reverend Scott avoids obvious
Confronting Matilda
visits to the fancy house arriving much later Once the Posse have put all the clues together
than the rest of the group. It is highly unlikely they should come to the correct (and at the same
that his visits will be noticed by townsfolk, time, oh so wrong) conclusion that Matilda is the
although suspicious posse members staking source of the town’s woes. By this time she will have
out the church might be a different matter. vanished on one of her frequent walkabouts. The
It is possible that the Posse will uncover posse may (or may not) expect her to be conduct-
the secrets of any individual member of the ing her foul deeds at her real kin’s old homestead.
Quorum, and come to the conclusion that If the posse are particularly clueless, have a miner
they are the sole author of the town’s woes. report seeing her skulking around in the ruin.
The other Quorum members will act shocked As the posse approaches the Old Whateley Place,
at the Posse’s discoveries and even go so far something astonishing happens. A wave of arcane
as to appear to help them in confronting the energy emanates from the center of the ruin until
unmasked fiend. However, the posse will be it covers the entire ridge. This acts like a prism
unwittingly walking into a trap. through which the past is viewed. In place of the

14
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
ruin, the posse can see the Whateley homestead in plete. Justus gently explains this to Matilda and
all it’s rather questionable, rundown glory. she, in a very shaky voice agrees. Seeing the two
Distantly, as if from far, far away the posse hear souls in one body make peace with one another
an explosion, like a dynamite blast and screaming is both touching and extremely unsettling at the
within the homestead. They see a figure clutching same time. Justus makes the posse promise to
a bundle run out of the front door and fade from care for Matilda and get her to safety once he has
view, seconds later an enormous mass of ice, snow completed the ritual and gone onto the hell that
and rocks smashes into the homestead, crushing it. surely awaits him.
Chunks of ice break through the prism and bounce Finally before he starts the ritual, he casually
down the slope towards the posse; all must make informs the posse that the manitou knows exactly
an Agility roll or suffer 2d10 damage. what he is doing and will surely send The Quorum
That isn’t all that is called through the Time and their minions to stop him. He will be helpless,
Prism, Ice Zombies, one for each member of the for the ritual takes total concentration to complete
posse are also pulled through, and commanded correctly. Unfortunately he summoned the last of
by a scratchy feminine voice that is also somehow his deceased kinfolk to deal with the posse and
ancient, to deal with the intruders. The zombies they must defend both him and Matilda from harm
attack implacably. without any of his supernatural aid.
Justus/Matilda retreats to the root cellar and
makes ready to defend themselves. Matilda is
terrified and cries the whole while (her sobbing PART THREE: THE SIEGE OF WHATLEY RIDGE
might even give her position away). Justus fights
to the best of his ability until Matilda takes her first Justus/Matilda retreats to the relative safety of the
wound. Actual physical harm to his granddaughter root cellar to start the ritual, leaving the posse to
shocks him out of his vengeance crazed insanity prepare for the Quorums attack. They have almost
and he attempts to make peace with the posse. If half an hour to prepare and the Marshal should
they refuse to listen to him he fights with added allow anything in that time that sounds reasonable.
fury. A party that ignores his attempt at a parley and The Posse should be able to create areas where
kills the innocent thirteen year old girl probably they have a fair amount of cover. The Quorum can
should feel thoroughly ashamed of themselves. only approach the Ridge from one direction, but
Even if Matilda is killed, Justus will tell the posse of both a heavy tree line and the rocks from the old
The Quorum in one long hate filled unstoppable avalanche provide the attackers with a fair amount
monologue that, if nothing else, points out just of cover. In the posse’s favour they have elevation
how wrong the posse have gone. and a whole ridge to move around on, but they
If the Posse agree to hear what the old wraith must stick to the edges to defend it. The distance
has to say they will learn much of what is related between the ridge edge and the rocks on the slope
in the prologue, the villainy of The Quorum is is 40 yards; between the ridge and the tree-line the
revealed and the treachery upon which the town is range is 60 yards.
built becomes known. Justus explains that he too Twenty minutes later the entire ridge is struck by
was taken in by the manitous lies and furthered its a sudden blizzard, be sure to mention that it’s high
aims in his hatred of the town. Only the love that summer and this weather is extremely unusual for
he has for his granddaughter helped him finally this time of year. The cold attacks the characters,
see through those lies when the chips were down, forcing them to make a successful Survival roll or
now it falls to him to put things right. suffer a level of Fatigue, Luckily the blizzard is very
The Whateley clan are justifiably infamous for brief only lasting 30 minutes but it is very thick,
the evil that they have perpetrated throughout the reducing visibility to less than ten yards. When
Weird West, but they are also not without a little the blizzard eases the posse see the last of The
knowledge that can be used for good as well. Jus- Quorum’s forces just reaching the rocks below.
tus knows of a blood magic ritual that will lay the The attacking party includes all of the Quorum,
manitou to rest for at least another hundred years, apart from Sheriff Gibbs (see below), the two depu-
but it will take a heavy toll on his granddaughter’s ties (if they still live), the Ledbetter twins and two
body and requires a fair amount of time to com- miners for each posse member. It is impossible to

15
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
this only works on those who have drunk his evil
brew.
* Monroe Bell also carries a megaphone, but he
bides his time, waiting to see which of the posse
is the most effective. When he has identified his
target he attempts to use his Judgement Special
Ability.
* Pastor Scott is probably the least effective in the
siege, however, his dark gifts allowed the Quorum
to get into position and also scryed out the situa-
tion on the ridge. During the battle he scampers
between the rocks casting his deflection power on
Quorum members. If he is killed his protection
fails.
* You are probably wondering where Sheriff
Gibbs is? He is using an old and trusted tactic
and is currently planting dynamite along the edge
of the scarred cliff that towers over the ruined
homestead. Luckily for the posse he is silhouetted
against the sky line at the edge of the cliff and easy
to see, although a player will have to say that he is
purposely looking towards the cliff top, taking his
concentration off the attackers below.
* If the sheriff is spotted he is seventy yards
above the heroes. However even if he is winged by
a shot, he loses his balance and falls screaming to
account for all the possible tactics that a posse may die, impaled on the almost petrified wooden spars
come up with, so what we’ll do is list the possible of the destroyed homestead.
tactics of the Quorum below. * If the sheriff isn’t spotted and dealt with within
* The non Quorum members spend most of the twenty rounds he detonates the charges, dropping
battle taking pot shots at the posse from points of the cliff face down onto the posse. Each character
cover unless given specific orders by Spider. takes 3d10 damage. The sheriff miscalculates and
comes down with the rock fall dying instantly.
* If Celia Baldwin has successfully mind raped at
least one of the posse she will probably have a very * If Gibbs is killed, he returns as Harrowed and
good idea of the posse’s capabilities. The Quorum painfully pulls himself to his feet and attacks with
his whip.
members will utilize this knowledge in the best
way that they can. * If the entire Quorum is dealt with, the towns-
folk under their command flee the battle.Epilogue:
* Celia will also take advantage of her Harrowed The Death of a Town
condition to taunt the posse. She will purposely
break cover hoping that someone will try and plug By an amazing coincidence the end of the siege
her and give away their position. coincides with the completion of the ritual (bet
you weren’t expecting that). The whole mountain
* The miners are all heavy drinkers at the Silver starts to shake as if wracked by a massive earth-
Nugget and as such totally susceptible to Spider’s quake. The posse is almost certain that they can
suggestions. If the posse are being particularly hear a deep rumbling voice roaring with rage.
canny and not giving away their positions, he will
The shaking increases in intensity until it seems
order three of them to charge up the slope.
that the entire mountain will come apart. With a
* Spider also carries a metal cone that amplifies terrible grinding noise, Devil’s Burden falls forward
his voice; he will use this to use his Puppet power crushing the entire town of Overhang beneath it.
on any of the posse that he can see. Remember, The noise of the stone and wooden buildings being

16
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
crushed can even be heard miles away at the Old Hindrances: Greedy, Vow (Major)
Whateley ridge. With the destruction of the town, Edges: Alertness, Rich, Supernatural Attribute
the rumblings subside and finally stop. (Persuasion), Very Attractive,
Matilda is alive but only barely, during the ritual Gear: Derringer (5/10/20; 2d6 damage; RoF 1; 2
she had to carve some terrible arcane sigils in her Shots; AP 1), fancy dress, 8 bullets
own flesh (or her grandfather did), she has lost a Special Abilities:
lot of blood, but with the correct care will live. The Harrowed: If a Harrowed dies due to anything
poor girl has now picked up the Ugly Hindrance. other than a head shot, she’s only put down for
She is the posse’s responsibility for now and might 1d6 days.Mind Rape: When Celia engages in
even join the posse as a NPC or replacement PC. intimate activities with a hombre, she is able to
True to his word, Justus has departed her body for plunder his noggin for secrets and knowledge of
good. the world. She makes a Persuasion roll opposed
by the targets Spirit. A single success gives her an
Overhang and everyone in it is dead, crushed insight into his life including a vague impression of
beneath the Devil’s Burden. The three mines that its important events. A Raise uncovers some secret
the posse was hoping would make them their about the cowpoke that she might be able to use
fortune have been irrevocably destroyed. Even if in the future. Two Raises erases all memories of the
someone makes the effort to burrow to them they mind rape. Clients that haven’t had their memory
would find that all the Silver has disappeared. erased in this fashion must make a Guts roll or roll
The Posse defeated a very powerful manitou on the Fear Table.
similar in power to one of the Howlers; unfortu-
nately they killed hundreds of mostly innocent folk M ONROE B ELL
as well. It is believed by many that Monroe Bell is a
But that’s life and death in the Weird West. retired judge from Denver, but this couldn’t be fur-
ther from the truth. Bell is a charlatan who used his
quick wits to make his world. He came to Overhang,
The Quorum masquerading as a lawyer representing the trouble
prone miners during their scrapes with the law. His
ruse worked even better than he ever expected and
C ELIA B ALDWIN he soon found himself settling down and growing
Miss Baldwin owns and run’s the Gay Paree. fat off the troubles of others. Pretty soon he found
She appears at least twenty years younger than himself in the envious position of being the chief
her actual age. Celia is mostly retired these days clerk of the Overhang Mining Corporation with all
only taking special “clients” or those that catch her the power, influence and opportunities for profit
eye. She runs the boarding house with a ruthless that such a position entails. He now also oversees
efficiency, making sure that her girls are kept safe the Overhang Assay and Bank.
and clean.
His pact with the manitou has rewarded him
Celia’s age defying beauty is both a gift from the with a fearsome power –he can strike people dead
manitou and a sign of her great skill with makeup. with just his voice. He revels in the power of life
Celia Baldwin died a year ago during an Influenza and death this gives him, but is careful not to use it
outbreak. Miss Baldwin is now Harrowed, pos- often for fear of being discovered.
sessed by the manitou that haunts Mount Frostbite. Age: 38
The manitou has total dominion over her, using Handedness: Right
her to discover as much as it can about the world Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d12, Spirit d10,
in which it has awoken. Strength d4, Vigor d6
Age: Mid 30’s (actually 56) Skills: Fighting d4, Knowledge (Accounting) d10,
Handedness: Right Knowledge (Law) d8, Notice d10, Persuasion d12
Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d6, Spirit d12, Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
Strength d6, Vigor d6 Hindrances: Arrogant, Greedy, Vow (Major)
Skills: Fighting d4, Notice d8, Persuasion d12+2, Edges: Charismatic, Rich, Scholar
Shooting d6, Stealth d6 Gear: Fancy suit and shoes, derby, gold watch and
Charisma: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 a fancy case full of important looking papers,

17
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
Special Abilities: and quick to judge maybe, but a good man who
Judgment: If Bell speaks about a target as if does what he can to protect his flock from the
they had died for a whole minute (yes, ten combat growing dangers of the Weird West. However, this
rounds) within their earshot. Then he can make is a masquerade to hide the pastor’s true nature.
a Persuasion roll, opposed by the victim’s Vigor. Over the years Isembard has become a thor-
If successful then the victim suffers a heart attack oughly corrupt individual. He never was one of
as detailed in the Fear Table in the Savage Worlds the Blessed, and jealousy long burned in his heart
Core Rulebook.
against those who were chosen by God. The mani-
S HERIFF COOPER G IBBS tou has used this longing, gifting the fallen holy
man with the power to perform miracles. Scott
Sheriff Gibbs is the law in Overhang, he and his realizes that the source of these powers is more
two deputies come down hard on anybody that infernal than divine but has long ceased to care.
causes trouble in their town. Gibbs is known to be
mostly fair, but is vicious when riled. He is the only Age: 43
one of the Quorum who hasn’t been given any Handedness: Right
obvious gifts by the Manitou –the relic he carries Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d12,
predates his bargain with the Manitou. In truth the Strength d6, Vigor d8
manitou is waiting for him to die, when a lesser Skills: Faith d10, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Intimidate
Manitou will posses his body.Age: 36 d8, Knowledge (History) D8, Knowledge (Religion)
d10, Notice d6, Persuasion d8
Handedness: Right
Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength
Hindrances: Arrogant, Greedy, Vow (Major)
d6, Vigor d8
Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles), Charis-
Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d8, Intimidate d8, Notice
matic, Command, Conviction, Fervor, Inspire,
d8, Shooting d10, Tracking d8
Strong Willed
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
Hindrances: Mean, Vow (Major) Gear: Bible, Hickory Staff (d6+d4), hipflask filled
Edges: Combat Reflexes, Damned, Hip-Shooting, with liquor
Quick Draw, Speed Load, Strong Willed, Trademark Special Abilities:
Weapon (Devil’s Tongue) Black Magic: Scott has been gifted with several
Gear: Colt Peacemaker (12/24/48, 2d6+1, Shots 6, black magic powers detailed below. He uses his
AP1), Devil’s Tongue (d6, Parry -1, Reach 2, Raise Faith as his Arcane Skill.
on the attack roll causes victims Parry to suffer a Deflection: Scott can coat either himself or
-2 penalty for one round., See below), quick-draw another in a thick coating of ice that acts as armor.
holster, speed load cylinder, 24 bullets, sheriff ’s Scrye: Scott has opium fuelled waking dreams
badge. that allow him to view incidents and people that
Special Abilities: happen elsewhere.
Devil’s Tongue: Gibbs carries a relic called The
Devil’s Tongue. This barbed whip causes a victim Stormcall: Scott can conjure supernatural bliz-
of its lashes to experience their greatest fear, even- zards that wrack an area. This has a specific use in
tually causing the victim to die from a fear induced the scenario (see page 5), but can be used as the
heart attack. Each successful blow from the whip Marshal wishes.
forces the victim to make a Guts check A failure on
this roll causes them to roll on the Fear Table, with P IOTR “S PIDER ” S PIDEREWSKI
a bonus on that roll equal to the number of times Spiderewski, or Spider as his regulars call him, is
they have been struck in this combat. a Polish bachelor who came to Overhang to make
Harrowed: If Gibbs returns as a Harrowed and his fortune. He soon tired of working in the mines
dies due to anything other than a head shot, he’s and opened the Silver Nugget Saloon. Spiderewski
only put down for 1d6 days. has made a very good life for himself in Overhang
and is willing to do anything he needs to protect
PASTOR I SEMBARD S COTT it.
Pastor Scott comes across as a pious and righ- Age: 38
teous man of the cloth, a little bigoted, unforgiving Handedness: Right

18
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength extremely loyal to Miss Baldwin and almost over
d6, Vigor d6 protective of her girls.
Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d6, Persuasion When not on duty, the twins are often found in
d8, Shooting d6 the Silver Nugget drinking away their pay. They are
Charisma: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 frequent imbibers of Spider’s brew and as such are
Hindrances: Greedy, Outsider, Vow (Major) extremely susceptible to his suggestions.
Edges: Alertness, Rich
Age: 33
Gear: Scattergun (6/12/24 Dam 1-3d6 RoF 1 or 2
Handedness: Right
+2 to shooting rolls at short range, Small Burst
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength
Template), 20 shells
d6, Vigor d6
Special Abilities: Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d6, Shooting
Whisperin’ Wind: Spider is able to hear any d8
conversation in his bar long after it is finished. The Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
very winds of the mountain bring the words back Hindrances: Loyal, Mean
to him. Edges: Brawny, Speed Load
Spiderewski’s Brew: The Silver Nugget is Gear: Colt Navy pistol (12/24/28. 2d6, Shots 6, AP
famous for Spider’s homebrewed beer using a 1), brass knuckles (d6+d4), 12 bullets
family recipe that he brought with him from the M ATILDA H ALL
old country. Anyone who has drunk this brew is
susceptible to Spider’s suggestion. He has the pup- Matilda has been possessed by the shade of her
pet Power using his Smarts in place of a Faith skill. grandfather, Justus. This vengeance crazed wraith
Spider has ten power points for this power rides her body like a manitou, driving her on even
after a normally fatal injury. Of all the people in
this scenario, Matilda is the most innocent, lied
Others to and ostracized by the people who owe her the
truth about her past, and used cruelly by her own
dead kin.
A NDY K EARNEY & B OYD N EWCOMB
Age: 13
Kearney and Newcomb are Sheriff Gibbs two Handedness: Left
deputies. They have no part in, or knowledge of, Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength
the Quorum and will only go up against the posse d4, Vigor d4
if they believe them to be lawbreakers. However, Skills: Climbing d6, Faith d10, Fighting d4, Guts
they are frequent drinkers at The Silver Nugget. d8, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Stealth d6, Throwing
They might fall under Spiderewski’s spell and be d6
forced to fight against their will. Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 4
Age: 25 & 28 Hindrances: Curious, Overconfident, Young
Handedness: Right Edges: Attractive, Dodge
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength Gear: Shirt, trousers, boots, ill-fitting stetson,
d6, Vigor d6 bedroll
Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d6, Notice d6, Shooting Special Abilities:
d8 Possessed: The wraith of Justus Whateley has
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5 turned his granddaughter into a living harrowed.
Hindrances: Loyal When under his direct control she moves jerkily
Edges: Speed Load (reducing her Pace to 5) and speaks with a rasp-
Gear: Colt Navy pistol (12/24/28. 2d6, Shots 6, AP ing ancient voice that must be hell on her vocal
1), 24 bullets, deputy’s badge cords.
Black Magic: Justus can cast several black magic
E ARL AND W ILLARD L EDBETTER spells through his granddaughter. bolts (ice bolts),
The Ledbetter twins keep order in the Gay Paree. armor (body becomes covered in an icy armor),
They are tough hombres who are grateful to Miss and zombie (a portal is opened through which his
Baldwin for giving them a chance to leave behind murdered kin are called). Jubus has twenty Power
the misdeeds and crimes of their old life. They are Points.

19
 DIME NOVEL - FROSTBITE
D R T HEODORE W IGGINS I CE Z OMBIES
Dr Wiggins is Overhang’s doctor, dentist, barber Vengeful, frozen, crushed undead fiends that
and undertaker all rolled into one. Wiggins is a are summoned through time by the wraith of Jus-
tall thin man who could curdle milk with a single tus Whateley. They only obey his commands and
look. He is often seen stalking around the town in cannot be compelled to attack a member of the
his long black coat and stovepipe hat; he takes an Whateley clan.
overt interest in the town’s gossip and is more than Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength
happy to pass it on. d6, Vigor d6
Wiggins is generally disliked and distrusted in Skills: Fighting d6, Intimidation d6, Notice d4,
town and is known as “The Vulture” behind his Shooting d6
back. He’ll take an intense interest in the posse’s Pace: 4; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8 (1)
comings and goings, always seeming to be hanging Special Abilities
about and keeping an eye on them. He is of course, Armor +1: The zombies frozen flesh is hard
a red herring and doesn’t threaten them at all.Age: and resilient.
39 Claws: d6+d4
Handedness: Right Choking Grip: If the zombie gets a Raise on his
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Fightin’ roll he has managed to get his icy mitts
Strength d4, Vigor d6 around the throat of a poor hombre and slowly
Skills: Fighting d4, Guts d8, Healing d8, Notice chokes the life from him. The zombie does not
d8 need to make another Fightin’ roll and inflicts
Charisma: -2; Pace: 6” Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 damage automatically. The zombie can be prised
Hindrances: Big Mouth, Curious, Pacifist (Major), off its prey with an opposed Strength check.
Ugly Doomed: Once the zombie has killed, its
Edges: Healer vengeance is sated and it finally succumbs to its
Gear: Stovepipe hat, duster, medical black bag, terrible wounds and dies.
shaving kit. Icy Death: Frozen zombies have literally brought
T YPICAL D RUNK M INERS L OOKING FOR T ROUBLE the chill of the grave with them. The temperature
plummets in a radius of 10 yards around them.
These are your typical drunk miners looking to Water freezes and ice forms on most surfaces. Any-
forget their worries and their fears. Unfortunately one caught in this radius must make a Vigor check
for the posse many of them are very scared and are every round, or suffer one level of fatigue.
also looking for someone to blame for that fear.
Immunity-Fire: Ice zombies take half damage
Age: Varies from fire and fire based attacks due to their iced-up
Handedness: Varies bodies.
Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength
Fearless: Zombies are immune to Fear and
d8, Vigor d6
Intimidation.
Skills: Fighting d6, Gambling d6, Notice d6, Shoot-
ing d6, Stealth d6, Survival d6 Undead: +2 Toughness. +2 to recover from
Charisma: 0; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 6 being Shaken. Called shots do no extra damage.
Hindrances: Greedy, Illiterate, Mean Arrows, bullets, and other piercing attacks do half-
Edges: Brawny damage.
Gear: Varies. The miners attacking Whateley Weakness (Head): Shots to a zombie’s head are
Ridge have Springfield rifles and 10 bullets each +2 damage, and piercing attacks do normal dam-
(24/48/96, 2d10, Shots 1, AP 2, Reload 2) age.

20
COLD-BLOODED MURDER!
Among the cold cliffs of Mount Frostbite,
a deadly pact was struck. A desperate sacrifice to
save a town only allowed evil to prevail.

In recent weeks a couple of miners

have been murdered in their camps,
their tents being coated in a thick
layer of ice. The townsfolk are
frightened and old secrets are
coming back to haunt them.
Into this powder keg of fear,
mistrust, and treachery comes riding
a posse of strangers, looking to make
some easy money.
Can your heroes discover the
reason for these murders? Can they
deliver the town from the evil in
which is now enveloped? Play
Frostbite and find out!

Welcome to a new age of Deadlands.

We present Frostbite for the Reloaded generation!

$5.50 USD LEG1352

Requires the use of the Savage Worlds rulebook & Deadlands Reloaded, published by Pinnacle Entertainment Group
Legion Publishing, the Legion Publishing logo, Legionnaire, and all related characters and elements are
trademarks of Legion Publishing.