From

the
Shroud
Issue 1 Feb 2017
Newt Newport
with Neil Shaw

Cover and Internal Art (pages 5,7.10.16,17) David M.Wright

Map on page 13 Glynn Seal of MonkeyBlood Design.
All other images public domain.

Proof Readers Paul Mitchener and Antony Lewis

Text Copyright respective Authors and Artists

“Generic Life Events” is Open Gaming Content in its entirety.
Other Crypts and Things Books available through D101 Games
Cyrpts and Things Remastered
Tombs of the Necromancers

Available Soon in 2017

Life and Death Zarth Edition
Under Dark Spires
Tournaments of Madness and Death
 Editorial
Like a mote in a dead god’s eye, From the Shroud came floating up from the inky depths.
A bit of dark and deadly fun after the main Crypts and Things Remastered rulebook was
finally released. This ‘zine had its roots in the fact I initially wrote The Secret of Skull
Hill intending it to be a release for Halloween. Missing my own deadline I was initially
at a loss of what to do with it. Should I just release it as a small and lonesome pdf only
release? Then inspiration struck, other OSR publishers occasionally do A5 format zines,
so why not me! So hardrives were searched, a call for content was put out to the fans and
after a quick spell of keyboard hammering this is the result.

This small tome contains the following fragments of fear to bring your games to life.

Achievements. A short system that sits alongside the experience system to reward
characters for things they have done in their adventures, making them memorable events
and useful benefits. See page 6.

The Secret of Skull Hill. A short adventure of mystery and otherworldly delights
featuring the schemes of an alien parasitic race and their attempts to reunite the body and
soul of their host god. See page 7.

By their Master’s Dark Command. The sad and short lives of Sorcerer’s apprentices
revealed, and the useful things they become after death detailed. See page 20.

Exotic Liquid Relief by Neil Shaw. Is your character bored with quaffing bog standard
Blackmire’s Best whenever they need to regenerate 1d6 Hit Points? Well Neil Shaw
provides details of a variety of brews to make your character’s life more varied and
interesting. See page 28.

Generic Life Events. This table is if you are overwhelmed by the sheer number of Life
Event tables in the main rule book or simply after a OGL version you can base your own
efforts off. See page 31.

Useful Items of the Kindly Ones. Minor magical items left behind by the gods who
used to care about Zarth. See page 32.

Things to Find in Great Pots. A short random table for the harried Crypt Keeper for
that inevitable moment when the players ask “so that pot you mentioned just now, what’s
in it?" See page 33.

The Tea Party of Doom. A short encounter somewhere in the dark dismal woods with
a crazy immortal Alchemist who has been playing with the psychoactive toads and their
potential to provide tea. See page 34.

3
Using This with Other Old School
Class/Level Based Games
The contents of this zine are broadly compatible with all other editions of the World’s
Favourite Fantasy role-playing game, especially the so called “Old School editions” of the
70s-80s. While specifically designed to be played with Crypts and Things (C&T), From
the Shroud is useable with Swords and Wizardry (in fact, C&T is a S&W variant) and
other comparable retroclone and original editions up to 2nd with minimal conversion.

The following rules and terms are specific to C&T and referees of other systems may
need to be aware of them.

Crypt Keeper is the name of referee or Dungeon Master in C&T

Sanity System. C&T has rules for Sanity loss, but this is very much left open to the Crypt
Keeper when to use. For other systems, either ignore it when the adventure calls for
Sanity checks or use your own favoured system.

One Magic System. C&T gathers all the spell lists into one, gives them a colour- White
(Good magic), Grey (Neutral, mainly illusionary magic) and Black (Evil Magic).

No Saving Throws. Player characters have a Luck score that they Test their Luck against
to avoid spell effects, physical harm and other misfortunes that the Saving Throw
mechanism protects characters against. Monsters don’t get to Test their Luck, spells that
the character’s fling at them automatically take effect unless the creature has magical
resistance that nullifies the effect.

No class based non-player characters. C&T keeps to Swords & Wizardry’s (the system it
was built on top of) convention that all NPCs are monsters, with Special abilities rather
than Classes. So a powerful Necromancer in C&T is a monster with 4 Hit Dice and the
Special Abilities of being able to cast Magic Missile, Raise Dead and Curse, rather than a
4 Level Magic User.

Submissions
Issue 2 is already on the drawing board and I’m quite happy to receive submissions.
Bear in mind this is a publication specifically to celebrate Crypts and Things and that
you should follow the style and format given in the main rulebook. So, for example
new monsters should follow the format given in the Compendium of Fiends and
adventures should present statblocks in the short-condensed form that appears in
The Hall of Nizun-Thun and The Haunted Lands. Other than that, be playful and
have fun :)

Submissions should be made to [email protected].

4
5
 Achievements
Achievements are handed out by the Crypt Keeper as rewards at the end of the adventure
in addition to XP and treasure.

They are partially to reward characters at key points in the Adventure, but also to make up
for the fact that unlike regular D&D, with its mass of magic items, there is no mechanism
for imparting bonuses and extra abilities.

Achievements can also celebrate events in the scenario as well as being tied to specific
locations.

Mostly give to hit, damage, skill or saving throw bonuses, with occasional special abilities
or benefits.

Minor Achievements (Level 1-4)

+1 bonus to saves/skill rolls/to-hit etc. Small very specific new abilities.

e.g.. From Blood of the Dragon.

• Minor: Ape Killer, +1 to hit Giant Apes (Awarded to the character who killed the
most Battle Apes during the adventure).
• Minor: Understanding of Battle Apes – can recognise the signs of Battle Apes
(tracks, spore etc.) and have a rough understanding of their culture.
• Minor: Serpent Knowledge – can recognise a creation of the foul serpentine art of
Vivimancy. (Awarded to the players who explored the lab and/or read the Serpent
Men texts)
• Minor: Navigate dangerous spaces. +1 to any skill rolls or saves when moving
through corridors where there is a danger of collapse.
• Minor: Read Serpentine. +25% bonus to Read Language roll
• Freedom of the village of Cragspire.

Major Achievements (Level 5-8)

+2 bonus to saves/skill rolls/to-hit etc New abilities with broad application.

Heroic Achievements (Level 9-15)

The stuff of legends, powers outside of the normal almost magical in nature e.g.
maximum damage with a particular weapon, always hits with sword, always acts first in
combat.

Demigod Achievements (Level 15+)

The powers of the gods, eg Immortality, Touch of Death, Create Ice Castle from Water

6
 The
Secret
of
Skull
Hill
Crypt Keeper's
Information
A weird alien god’s skeletal body lies
buried up to its neck in nearby Skull Hill.
The characters are lured to it by tales of
treasure spread locally by shape changing
alien cultists of the god who wait in
ambush when the characters get there,
ready to drag them through the mouth of
their god into its very soul for sacrifice.
The Dead God Ugsharak
Once upon a time in an alien Other
World there was a god called Ugsharak.
As a deity that lived outside of time and
space, he could be called upon to provide
magical knowledge and power. Ugsharak
was served by a race known as the Gizoni,
who in return for blood sacrifice received
potent black magic from the god. When
he took form in the world it was as a
monstrous thirty foot tall giant skeleton
whom the Gizoni called the “God Who
Walks in Bone”.

7
Over a span of a thousand years the Gizoni home world weakened and became a
desolation because of the constant need for blood for Ugsharak. In response, Ugsharak
decided to leave, gathering his priesthood into his mouth and traveling to a new world to
start the cycle of pain and suffering again.

Upon reaching the world of Zarth he materialised there in his physical form. However,
disaster awaited him. His body materialised in the earth, an element abhorrent to him,
and he became trapped in rock up to his neck. His soul escaped to a place in the Shroud
helped by a the Gizoni. In time, the Gizoni priests made a bridge via an ancient crystal
Black Monolith not far from his body, which had now fossilised, with only the skull
above the earth. Thus the legend of Skull Hill was born.

Years later refugees from one of Zarth’s devastating wars settled nearby. They were
simple farmers and a superstitious lot. When they found the Black Monolith at the edge
of their lands, they started leaving some of their crops as an offering at Harvest time.
One day the Gizoni came out from behind it, as they had gated over from the Shroud to
make sure the Zarth end of the portal was still intact as was their wont from time to time.
The locals prostrated themselves before these new gods and soon they were providing
human sacrifices to the Gizoni at ‘Harvest Time’ who would take them to the slumbering
Ugsharak in the Shroud. Tragically though, within a couple of generations the nearby
human settlements were deserted due to the strain put on their populations from the
annual sacrifices demanded by the Gizoni.

Thousands of years passed. Human civilizations came and went all avoiding the Lonely
place due to its sinister reputation. Frustratingly for the Gizoni, who increasingly lost
track of time on Zarth trapped within the vague timelessness of the Shroud, they
remained but a few captured souls away from completing their plans.

That was when Kez the Traveller, a minor sorcerer, fell into their hands. Kez had been
wandering the lost places of Zarth after escaping the attention of his tyrannical master,
looking for quick and easy sources of magical power. He thought he had hit paydirt as his
magical sensitivity detected the entrance to Ugsharak’s Soul in the Mouth of the Skull on
Skull Hill. But he was quickly overcome by the Gizoni, who were waiting in ambush, and
who dragged him into the Skull and then through to the Shroud.

Instead of being impulsive and sacrificing him to Ugsharak immediately, the Gizoni
bound the sorcerer to their crystal torture table and asked him where the nearest human
settlement was. Kez kept his cool through the haze of pain and did a deal with the
Gizoni. He would lead the humans straight into their ambushes, and when they had
enough victims (only three more) they would free him. Being a very logical race, the
Gizoni agreed. Obviously, they weren’t foolish to release Kez from the table, but one of
their powers of the table was to recreate the person bound to it as an illusionary form,
which to all intents and purposes is real to the viewer. This phantasmal version of Kez
now wanders the Lonely place looking for humans to lure into the Gizoni trap at Skull
Hill.

8
The Players' Information
From a barkeeper in a ramshackle inn on the edge of civilisation....

“There be gold in Skull Hill! Yes, I know it’s probably a legend without any truth, but a traveller called
Kez came through here the other day with a map swearing he was off to make his fortune there. He must
be busy because he’s not been back since. He owes me 5 gold crowns for grog and grub, will you mind
collecting it from him? I’ll give you free lodging for a month!”

Further questioning of the innkeeper and regulars by the characters establishes that a
man in his late twenties, calling himself Kez the Traveller, arrived at the inn a couple of
days ago. He was instantly likeable (since he cast a Charm spell on them) to everyone in
the inn, who bought him drinks and food without asking for much in return except his
delightful company. He spent a lot of time boasting about how he knew about a hidden
treasure hidden in Skull Hill, a local landmark of ill repute. He spent the night at the inn,
again without paying, before leaving early in the morning on the dirt path that leads to
the Lonely Place.

The inn’s regulars say that he must be crazy. The Lonely place is a bad place full of ghosts
and undead that everybody’s elders warned them about from young childhood. Kez is
just one of those people who comes each generation, gets all fired up about riches being
buried under Skull Hill, charges off into the Lonely Place and is never seen again. Apart
from the innkeeper, who want’s payment for the food and lodging, no one else expects
to see him again. If asked for details about the treasure the locals say it something to do
with Skull Hill being part of a palace of the Emperor who used to rule these parts.

Part 1 The Lonely Place

This weirdland exists at the very edge of the farmlands that sustain the nearest city-
state. Where the Crypt Keeper places the Lonely Place is up to them and dependant on
where they are running their campaign. If you are using the Continent of Terror setting,
suggestions include any of the City States in the Free Territories region, or in Last Stand,
north of the City of Water.
There is a very definite boundary of the Lonely Place. Beyond the dry stone wall of the
last farmer’s field, suddenly there is an eerie silence which indicates a complete absence of
animal life. Characters will find it greatly unsettling over time. Apart from the characters
and the Gizoni, there is nothing else moving in this area of land which is twenty five
miles square.

The main landmark of the Lonely Place, Skull Hill, can be seen from the boundary. The
hill rises out of the centre of the plain and dominates the local landscape.

9
 The Features of Skull Hill
Skull Hill is a steep 100 feet high rocky hill.
It is the only significant landmark in the
otherwise flat and featureless Lonely Place.
The north face of the hill is a cliff, atop
which is a 25 feet high skull which looks as
if it’s been carved out the rock Characters
can either climb the rocky cliff face of the
hill or go up a path to the summit, which is
the crown of the Skull.

1. The Monolith
Standing on a small rise to the side of
the main track in the shadow of the Skull
is this black crude block of black crystal
about ten foot high. It shimmers and
occasionally gives a flash of electricity.

Secret
The monolith portal is attuned to the
Gizoni who can use it to pass between
the Lonely Place and the Soul of Ugsharak
(see Part 2 below). There is a 1 in 6
chance that 1d6 Gizoni appear cloaked
in Invisibility spells 1d6 rounds after the
characters inspect the Monolith. They
will stay invisible and pick an opportune
moment to ambush the characters, seeking
to capture them alive.

2. The Hanging Trees

Twenty three human skeletons hang from
the branches of the five trees that make
up this close group. When humans lived
in the Lonely Land, this is the place where
criminals were traditionally hung.

Secret
One of the Gizoni, with an invisibility
spell cast on him, has a magic whistle,
which he can blow to silently bringing back
1d4 of the hanged men as skeletons per
round. Only the dead can hear the whistle.
The Gizoni will stay Invisible and will not
10
attack the party. Characters who say they are looking for hidden adversaries in the area my
Test their Luck to spot the tell-tell glimmer of the Gizoni as it moves slightly. If detected,
the Gizroni will flee up the path, trying to remain invisible, back into its colleagues inside
the skull (see location 4 below) via Kez’s Camp (see 3 below)

Skeletons AC 8 [11] HD 1 HP 6 Attacks 1 strike (1d6) Move 12 Special: Immune to

sleep and charm spells CL/XP 1/15

Gizoni AC 7 [12] HD 2 HP 10 Attacks 1 Claw (1d8) or 1 Mind Blast (1d6, Range 20

feet) Move 9 Special: Can communicate by thought alone to other Gizoni within 30 feet
naturally. Able to go Invisible as per spell twice a day for up to four hours at a time CL/
XP 4/120

Note if the characters have decided to climb up the cliff face, the skeletons will jump
over to the cliff to attack them. This adds a new hazard to the climb.

3. Kez’s Camp
The top of the hill is the grassy crown of the skull. A single very ancient tree grows over
the crown, its branches spreading out like an umbrella over the area.

Secrets
Here on the crown of the hill are the signs of Kez’s last camp from about a month ago:
A long burned out fire, a half-eaten meal and a waterskin dropped on the ground. If
looked for there are tracks, which upon close inspection looks like someone was dragged
unconscious into the hole by two attackers.

The entrance into the skull is a hole five foot across at the front of the crown. This leads
down into the inside of the skull.

4. Inside the Skull

This area is completely pitch dark. No light source, whether mundane or magical, can
penetrate it. Logic tells the characters that they should be in a fifty foot by fifty foot
chamber under the crown of the hill. But all is dark and all the characters can do is
stumble about in it.

Secret
This is another entrance to the Soul of Ugsharak. The inside of the skull is in the Shroud,
the strange twilight world that surrounds Zarth and separates it from the alien Other
Worlds. Eventually the characters will grope around enough in the darkness and end up at
the entrance to Ugsharak’s soul (see Part 2 below).

11
Part 2 Within the Soul of Ugsharak
1. The Bridge to Zarth
This area is part of the Shroud, and the link between the Soul and Zarth. It takes the
form of a ghostly arched bridge, twenty foot long, ten foot across that hangs in the grey
twilight of the Shroud. Rolling about on the bridge gibbering nonsense are about ten
decapitated human heads.

Secret
The Heads are those of sacrificed victims of the Gizoni. They are easily destroyed and
do not have any magical powers or resistance. Their only purpose is to act as watchdogs
on the bridge. They are linked to the crystal in the Chamber of the Gizoni (see location
5 below) and their masters can see what they see by touching the power crystal in that
room. One or two of the heads will follow the characters when they leave the bridge.

The Bridge is one way and characters seeking to escape the Shroud and return to Zarth
via this route will find themselves travelling across a featureless grey twilight plain.

General Features of the Soul of Ugsharak

This Crypt is made of green glowing crystal which glows and pulsates. The crystal
brightly illuminates all areas as if they are in full daylight. Thieves and other sneaky types
trying to hide in shadows and darkness will curse this feature of the Crypt. Magically
sensitive characters will feel a living pulse if they touch the walls. The Crypt is a living
thing, an expression of the Soul of Usgshrak that is trapped in the Shroud. If the
character try to damage it, by bashing walls for example, it will react in pain by glowing
red. It will also dispatch the nearest group of Gizoni to investigate. It cannot be truly
harmed because it is a Greater Other of god-like status.

Another feature of the Crypt are the alien Gizoni. This parasitic alien race come from the
dead Other World known as Gizon (which can be viewed by the characters from location
9 in the crypt). Most of this almost limitless horde are asleep in the Sleeping Chamber
(see location 9) in a sort of hyper dimensional vortex. Small numbers (around twenty
or so) are active and awake in the Soul. Occasionally they venture out into Zarth under
the cover of invisibility spells (see locations 1 and 2 in Part 1 above). The Soul is able to
support this small number and awakens replacements from the Sleeping Chamber. Once
Ugsharak’s Soul is reunited with its Body on Zarth, the entire race will be awakened to
serve the God in Bone that Walks and wreak havoc on the lands it strides through.

12
13
2. The Hall of Hands
A small flight of steps, ten foot high and twenty foot across, leads up a large thirty foot
wide by ten foot high arch of red glowing crystal. Beyond the arch is a rectangular shaped
hall.

Secret
The Hall is alive like the rest of the crypt, and when the characters walk into the Hall,
a sea of crystal arms will shoot up and grab at them. Make an attack roll (as a 5 HD
monster). Any characters hit are held firmly until the nearest group of Gizoni can reach
them. If the Gizoni capture any player characters, they will take them to the Torture
Room (see location 5 below) for sacrifice.

Thieves can attempt to climb the sheer walls, but failure leads to falling on to the floor
and being held by the crystal arms.

3. Eyes of the Soul

In the floor of this twenty foot square room are two large pools of milky white water
about five foot across and six inches deep each.

Secret
When a living creature looks into the pools, they can see the Lonely Place through them,
as if they were two large eyes looking down from the sky. With mental concentration and
effort, the viewer can zoom in look around. This is how the Gizoni keep tabs on what is
going on in Zarth.

4. The Prison
In the centre of this twenty-foot diameter room is a group of crystal shards, ten foot
high, which have erupted from the floor around an area five foot across. Trapped in this
crystal cage is a human male, who wears a red robe and green tunic. His long blonde hair
is dishevelled and his eyes cry out in torment.

Secret
This is the fake Kez the Traveller. This is a phantasm produced and controlled by the
Gizoni using the twisted magic of the Torture Table (see location 5 below), to lure
victims to the Soul. He will ask the characters to release him by smashing the crystal
cage. He claims to know the location of the Gizoni’s treasure, and if freed will take them
to the rubbish room, where two Gizoni for each character will be waiting in ambush.

5 The Torture Chamber

In the centre of this 50-foot diameter circular room is a circle of five crystal tables. On
one of them, a man in a green tunic is held down by living crystal claw-like appendages
which have grown from the sides of the table. A crystal skull, which also grows out of
the table, is clamped over his head.

14
Secret
The bound man is Kez the Traveller in bodily form. Any magically aware character, like a
Sorcerer, will sense the table slowly sucking the magical energy out of him.

Kez is unconscious but if released will wake up in 1d6 minutes. He will initially be
groggy and tired, but will gradually wake up fully. This process can be speeded up if the
characters aid him with food and drink.

Kez the Traveller AC 9[10] HD 4 HP 20 Attacks Unarmed (1d3) SR: Casts Magic as a
fourth level Sorcerer. Move 12 CL/XP 5/ 240

Kez is a sorcerer, but is currently without his sorcery book and is drained of his magic.
He knows that the Gizoni have dumped his magic book in their rubbish room (see
location 8 below) but is cautious about rushing off to regain it. He thinks (quite rightly)
that they are not above arranging an ambush there. He’d much rather, with the player’s
help, escape the Soul and return to Zarth.

The four empty crystal tables await captured characters, who will be bound and drained
like Kez was.

6 The Command Chamber of the Gizoni

In the centre of this room are ten high-backed crystal chairs. There will be 2d6 Gizoni
here when the characters enter the room, with a 2 in 6 chance that they will be asleep.
Otherwise they are mentally conversing with one another. Characters who are magically
sensitive will sense a gentle murmur of chatter just too quiet to interpret. In the centre
of the circle of chairs is a pulsating red crystal about four foot high. Before the Crystal
Column is a stone tablet with alien writing on it.

Secret
The Red Crystal is linked into the same energy circuit as the Heart Stone and the crystal
tables in location 5 and allows the Gizoni to do the following if touched.

• Heal 2d6 Hit points. This is a desperation move since every time the Gizoni do this
it uses up one captive soul in the Heart Stone.

• Take active control of the fake Kez.

• See through the Eyes of the Soul in location 3.

• See directly into any location within the Soul of Usharak.

The Stone Tablet before the Red Crystal, is the sacred prime commandment of the
Gizoni that written on stone from their home world many millennia ago. On it is written
in the alien tongue of the Gizoni (readable on a successful Read Languages roll):

15
“We are the Keepers of the God Ugsharak...
We pass into the soul of our god through his mouth.
We gather sweet red blood for his delight.
When he his delighted he gifts us”
Gizoni AC 7 [12] HD 2 HP 10 Attacks 1 Claw (1d8) or 1 Mind Blast (1d6, Range 20 feet)
SR: Can communicate by thought alone to other Gizoni within 30 feet naturally. Able to
go Invisible as per spell twice a day for up to four hours at a time CL/XP 4/120

7 The Heart Stone

In the centre of this fifty-foot square room is a ten-foot-high green pulsating crystal
which is five foot wide. As it pulsates rays of green energy radiate under the floor visible
through the crystal and room gently shakes.

Wrapped around the crystal is a large creature with a bloated abdomen, it has six
insectoid legs each with sharp dagger like ends, and a face, with two milky white eyes and
a mouth with two sets of sharp teeth, one vertical and one horizontal.

Secret
This is the Heart Stone, the physical manifestation of the power of Ugshrak’s soul. It is
filled with the stolen power of 664 human souls and only needs two more sacrifices until
it has enough power to be reunited with its body on Zarth. These sacrifices must be made
16
on the table in The Torture Chamber. If
the final two sacrifices are made the events
described in “What happens if Ugsharak’s
Soul is reunited with his Body” below unfold.

Characters who possess the Magic Sensitivity

Ability will hear the sacrificed spirits
whispering to them via their mind “Free us”,
“Let us go”, “Don’t let Ugsharak burn us so
he can be back with his body”.

If the characters smash the crystal, which

takes 50 hit points of damage, there will
be a large explosion which will throw the
characters off their feet. The characters will
then black out and the events described
in “What Happens if the Heart Stone is
broken” below play out.

The Beast, a mutated Gizoni who was

once the leader of their community until
the power of the Heart stone warped and
corrupted it, stands guard over it. It will
prevent the characters smashing or even
touching the crystal. It possesses a paralysing
poison in its leg tips, so will attack with that
in an effort to capture the characters. It will
only attack to kill those characters who are
especially effective in damaging it. It can
summon the Gizoni from the Command
Chamber (location 6 above) by touching the
crystal for one round and activating a sort of
alarm to them. Like the other Gizoni it can
heal 2d6 hit points by touching the crystal
for one round, but is loath to do so since it
expends one of the sacrificed souls to do so.

The Beast AC 4 [15] HD 5 HP 40 Attacks

4 Tentacles which end in a singular claw
(1d4 each Paralysing Poison) or one Bite
(1d12) Move 9 Levitate Special: Immune to
mind control magics, disease and poison.
Can regenerate 2d6 Hit points per Round by
giving up its attacks and touching the crystal.
MV 15 CL/XP 7/600 .
17
8 The Rubbish Room
Gold, gems,and treasure considered worthless by the Gizoni are to be found carelessly
tossed here in a pile.

Secret
The horde comes to 300 Gold Pieces, 500 Silver Pieces and five gems worth 100 gp, 50
gp, 200 gp, 23gp and 50 gp respectively.

Also amongst the ‘rubbish’ is Kez’s spell book, which contains the following spells:

1st Cause Light Wounds, Charm Person, Luck, Read Languages.

2nd Invisibility, Divination, Entangle.

The Gizoni Ambush. If the characters have blundered round the complex and alerted the
Gizoni there are at least one Gizoni per character here, hanging from hooks in the ceiling
waiting to drop down on them and attack.

9. The Sleeping Chamber of the Gizoni

The size of this room is confusing. On first glance it looks like a fifty foot diameter
room, then the viewer’s perspective is warped when they realise that it goes up and down
into infinity without any end. Around the sides of the room are crystal coffins containing
Gizoni in magical suspended animation.

Secret
When the ‘awake’ Gizoni are slain, replacements are woken up here 1d20 minutes later.
The Soul does not have enough energy to support any more than the small number
that are currently awake in the complex, but when its Soul and Body are reunited the
whole race will be awoken and unleashed upon Zarth! Crypt Keepers may require the
characters to make a Sanity Roll if they realise the implications of this.

10. View to the Gizoni Homeworld

Through a transparent crystal wall opposite the chamber’s entrance, the characters will
be able to view the smoking, deserted ruin that is the Gizoni’s dead home world, its dead
cities and its toxic landscapes.

18
Resolution
There are two ways of resolving the adventure and returning to Zarth

What happens if Ugsharak awakens

If the Heart Stone is full with the souls it needs- about four when the characters enter the
Soul, the soul and the body are reunited.

There is a bright flash the moment this happens, and the characters are expelled from the
Soul and back to Zarth. The characters find themselves back at the Black Monolith, at
the moment that Ugshrarak frees himself from the rock of the hill (something that takes
about 10 minutes). Once free Ugsharak senses the characters, unless they have run away
immediately, and comes stomping over to where they are to feed upon their souls.

Ugsharak the Bone Giant AC 2[17] HD 7 HP 50 Attack 2 Crushing fists (1d12 each)
or 1 Bite (3d6) Move 18 SR Earth Quaking stomp, Fall Prone taking 1d6 damage, player
characters may Test their Luck to Avoid. CL/XP 7/600

If left undefeated, the Bone Giant strides across the land with its Gizoni horde,
devouring whole communities at a time.

What happens if the Heart Stone is broken

If the characters smash the Heart Stone, there is an intense bright flash of light as all the
thousands of souls trapped within are released.

The characters are sent back to Zarth and appear outside of the Black Monolith. They
can hear bird song. If they look around they find the dead bodies of the Gizoni littering
the Lonely Place and that Skull Hill has collapsed upon itself.

Ugsharak and the Gizoni have been slain and banished forever from Zarth and the
Shroud.

19
 By their
Master’s Dark
Command
The role of the Apprentice in
Crypts and Things
Sorcerers’ Apprentices are the down-trodden bottom feeders in the magical world of
Crypts and Things. They may have great hopes of being a powerful sorcerer one day, but
the reality is that they are conned into doing a lot of harsh and unpleasant manual labour
for their master, who spends very little time training or even caring for them.

The following tables put flesh upon the bones of these AC 9[10] HD 1 HP 4 Monsters.

The Apprentices themselves

To find out what the Apprentice is like, roll on the following tables.

You can also use these tables to generate them as magically knowledgeable npcs
(Sorcerers very rarely teach their Apprentices any useful magic) that can accompany the
characters on adventures, in a similar way to Henchmen (Crypts and Things page xx).
Table 1: Why the person became an Apprentice
Roll 1d6 Reason
1. To escape poverty; quite simply the Sorcerer feeds, clothes and houses
them.
2. Sold into slavery to the Sorcerer as a child.
3. Wanted to learn magic from the master.
4. Parents, who are both dead, were pupils of the master before them.
5. Wandered into the Sorcerer’s tower one day and never left.
6. Actually an Other from an Otherworld who has stayed in the warmth of
the Sorcerer’s tower and serves the Master, because the outside world of
Zarth looks terrifying.

20
Table 2: Skills
*When Apprentices are asked to help with a task where their knowledge may be of help,
they provide a +2 Bonus to any relevant Skill test.

Roll 1d10 Skills

1 A Thug, +1 to Attack and Damage
2 A Mule, carries heavy objects without complaint or reduction in
movement speed.
3 An idiot savant, who remembers and can pull from memory spells/rituals
taught to them.
4 Very magically sensitive, as per normal sorcerer abilities but range is one
hundred feet and automatically successful.
5 A Khaos mutant, roll d4 Khaos Features (Crypts and Things page 174)
6 Innately knows one 1st Level spell which they can cast once per day.
7 Knows and reads dead languages automatically*.
8 A story teller, picks up legends and myths of Zarth’s ancient past*.
9 Fascinated by alchemy*.
10 Naturally resistant to magic, provides a 25% Magic Resistance to anyone
within 10 feet of them.

Table 3: Personality Quirks

Roll 1d10 Personality
1 Obsessive about finding out magical knowledge
2 Unhealthy obsession with the darker side of magic
3 Insane, mind has already flipped before the practice of magic began.
4 Naïve, thinks sorcery is for the benefit of humankind.
5 Power hungry, sees others as a threat or personal servants.
6 Passive, just like going along with the flow man.
7 Arrogant, just as long as others recognise them as the best at magic they
will get along fine.
8 Paranoid about the unseen supernatural.
9 Workmanlike, sees the practice of magic as just another way of making a
living.
10 Happy. The practice and discovery of magic makes the character genuinely
happy and full of joy!

21
Table 4: Payment (for Apprentices in Adventuring Groups)
How often the Apprentice is paid is arranged between the characters and the apprentice
when they hire them. Usually it’s at the end of each adventure, but in the mind of the
needy and neglected Apprentice, payment may be expected in some form or another
almost constantly. This certainly is the case of result 5: Friendship.

Roll 1d10 Expected Payment

1-2 In magic items/writings.
3-4 In Gold/Treasure
5 They just want to be the party’s friend, hang out, be made to feel safe and
important, get fed and have a safe place to sleep.
6 In blood, any corpses that the party makes or comes across the
Apprentice expects to be allowed to loot for useful body parts.
7 As above but only interested in live captives. May not make this clear on
first meeting.
8 Believes that they are on some great magical quest to save Zarth. Will
expect the group to live up to this on a regular basis.
9 Rescue of a friend/relative trapped in their former Master’s tower
10 As above but rescue is from an Hellish Otherworld.

Table 5: Revenge
If the Apprentice is hired by the characters and not paid, this is the form of revenge that
they take.

Roll 1d10 Revenge

1-2 Runs away, but bad mouths the character in every settlement they visit.
3-4 Casts a Hex at the character that they feel did them wrong
5-6 Goes to the nearest gang boss and hires them to make the character’s life
difficult
7 As above but hired to set up an ambush and kill.
8 Goes after the character’s friends and family.
9 Sets a magical trap for the characters that transports them to an
inhospitable part of the Shroud.
10 Summons an Other of Challenge Level appropriate to the character’s
Level and unleashes it on them.

22
Table 6: Weapon
The apprentice is armed with.

Roll d10 Weapon

1-4 Nothing
5 A kitchen knife stolen from the kitchen
6 A valued dagger that the Master gave them as a reward
7 A sharp stick (1d4 damage) or another improvised weapon
8 A staff
9 A club
10 A Short Sword.

Table 7. The Fate of an Apprentice

When the Apprentice becomes too powerful they are going to be:

Roll 1d10 Apprentice’s End

1 Turned into spare parts for spells/magic items
2 Transported to hell to appease some demon the sorcerer is in contact with.
3 Reduced to Sorcerer’s Dust (see below).
4 Trapped in the Shroud behind a magic mirror (see below).
5 Fed special poisonous potions, that drives the Apprentice insane and turns
them into a Thrall (see below).
6 Ritually slain, their head chopped off and turned into a Head Guardian
(see below).
7 Ritually slain and bound into the sorcerer’s residence as a Useful Ghost
(see below).
8 Sold into Slavery
9 As above but with the added bonus of being cursed/crippled before they
go (having tongue removed is a favored one here).
10 Sent out to spy on free people for the Sorcerer, under the cover of being
kicked out.

If you are dealing with a NPC who has joined the player’s adventuring group, this is the
gruesome fate that they escaped.

Cultists
Some powerful Sorcerers (9th Level and up) in effect gather a small cult about their being,
who are charmed by the mysterious powers. This is the fate of apprentices of such
powerful sorcerers, press ganged into the devotional cult away from any serious magical
study but forever in the sorcerer’s service.

23
New Magic items
Sorcerer’s Dust
Common Arcane lore has this to say about this alchemical powder:

“It is said when a sorcerer gains power over the Shroud, that an alchemical change occurs within his body,
that certain substances within their body are created. Upon death in ancient times many priest-kings
were mummified. Tomb robbers in league with devious sorcerers and treacherous embalmers would steal
the mummy and have it transformed into ‘Sorcerer’s Dust’, a magical powder made up of the magical
substances present within the Sorcerer’s body which when ingested granted expanded lifespan”
Of course, this commonly accepted view amongst present day sorcerers fails to mention
that the effects of Sorcerer’s Dust is a lot more random than this.
What does sorcerer’s dust do?
Roll d20 Effect of the dust
1 A powerful healing agent. Restores all lost Hit Points and Constitution.
2 A corrupting agent. Roll once on the Corruption Features Table (C&T page xx)
3 One time use of a spell 1d6 Level (1 White Magic, 2-3 Grey, 3-6 Black).
4 Grants the ability to turn insubstantial once per month at the time of the full
moon.
5 The ability to walk between Zarth and the Shroud once per month.
6 Restores all lost Sanity Points.
7 Hardens the character’s skin, permanently change Armour Class by -2[+2].
8 Give the character the ability to turn into a bat once per day for 1d6 hours.
9 The ability to understand all languages.
10 The ability to communicate via the mind.
11 The ability to see Invisible things.
12 Creates an Evil Twin of the character, 1d100 miles away, who knows of the
character’s existence and starts immediately plotting their downfall. The Evil Twin
has exactly the same abilities and characteristics as the character.
13 Turns the character’s hair green.
14 Gives the character a power and potent vision of their future
15 Grants them the ability to see Others cloaked by illusion for what they really are.
16 Summons up the Spirit of the Sorcerer or Apprentice whose dust it is. The spirit is
then eternally linked to the character and gives advice via mental communication.
17 As above by spirit is malevolent and tries to possess the character. Player characters
get to test their Luck to avoid possession.
18 Ages the character by 3d6 years.
19 Reduces the character’s age by 3d6 years.
20 Doubles the Character’s lifespan.

24
Magic Mirror
The apprentice is tricked into walking through a portal to the shroud, then the way back
sealed by some magic crystal. The apprentice is then bound to the sorcerer under the
promise that eventually after ‘undisclosed’ amount of time they will be freed, the mirror
will be broken. Until then the apprentice acts as the sorcerer’s eyes and ears in the world
of the Shroud. If course if the characters come into possession of the Magic Mirror they
are under no obligation to smash the mirror and free the apprentice.

New Monsters
Useful Ghosts
“So, there we are in old man Madark’s Mansion, doing a bit of the old breaking and entering for fun
and profit, and stupid Tinsa stops dead in her tracks dropping the silverware were making off with.

“What is it?” I hiss.

“G-G-G-G-host!” she says trembling pointing in the direction of the stairs we’ve just come up.

I quickly look towards the open window, which is our way out, and then at the stairs. That’s when I see
it, a pale white apparition of a lad of about 17 coming up the stairs. “Now what are you doing with the
Master’s best dinnerware? He will be so cross and we can’t have that can we now” says the lad in clear
tones, despite having a big open wound right across his neck were someone’s slit his throat.

At this point I admit I froze, despite being a member of the guild for twenty working years. I’d heard
stories about these ghostly horrors, apprentices killed and forced to work for their black- hearted masters
into eternity. “We can’t have you leaving” he goes, and quick as a flash he’s at the open window and
shutting it closed. I heard the click of the lock and at that point I knew that the useful ghost had trapped
us in the mansion and his master would have to be faced.”

Murdered by their masters, these apprentices are still bound to them, and wander their
master’s residence providing what service the can either after death. Being insubstantial
they can walk through walls and other solid barriers, but rely upon their telekinetic
powers to interact with the physical world. They can use this power as a deadly attack,
flinging hard items at great speed at foes.

Type: Undead
Armour Class: 7 [12]
Hit Dice: 1
Move: 150 Flight
Attacks: Can telekinetically throw objects (1d4-1d6 depending on size)
Special: Only damaged by Magic Spells and Enchanted Items, Immaterial can pass
through walls etc Not affected by Charm or Sleep spells.
Challenge Level/XP: 2/30

25
Head Guardian
“So we made our way to Bartlebew’s crypt. I should have twigged there’d be a Guardian Head at the
entrance and sure enough on a plinth right at the door was the head of woman in her mid-twenties with
long flowing blonde hair and a grey sunken countenance. “So you be your master’s guardian then?”

“Yes, I guard the master into eternity. Though he has gone beyond the Shroud, I remain to protect his
grave” she rasped with a voice like gravel.

“Don’t suppose you be letting me past?” I asked hopefully.

“No” she responded firmly.

“Then you leave me no choice but to cleave ye in twain” I said dramatically, as I pulled out my special
head axe I keep for such occasions. It was then the high-pitched screaming started. Fortunately, I had
remembered to plug my ears with cotton this time round.”

Head Guardians are created by from the decapitated head of a once faithful apprentice
betrayed by their master in a particularly foul Black Magic rite. The head can sense living
creatures in a fifty-foot radius around itself. It defends itself by issuing a blood curdling
high pitch scream that not only alerts any other creatures within earshot, but paralyses
any living creatures for 1d6 minutes. Player characters get to Test their Luck to avoid this
effect. It also has the power of flight and is able to attack opponents with its bite.

Type:Undead
Armour Class: 5 [14]
Hit Dice: 1
Move:15 Flight
Attacks: 1 Bite (1d6)
Special: High Pitched Paralyzing Scream, Can Fly, attacks, Not affected by Charm or
Sleep spells.
Challenge Level/XP:2/30

26
Thrall
“Upon reaching the nexus of magical understanding, the
apprentice is invited to participate in a Rite of Initiation.
The poor apprentice is beaten to an inch of his life by
masked assailants (often fellow apprentices or brigands hired
for the job from the nearby city) and then ‘saved’ by the
Sorcerer, who completes the rite by casting ‘healing magics’.
These spells complete the rite and turns the apprentice into
an insane, physically powerful monster completely under
the control of the Sorcerer with whom they are obsessively
emotionally bonded to.”

Thralls are the result of a powerful black magic

rite that turns an unsuspecting Apprentice into a
humanoid monster under the Sorcerer’s control.
Thralls are usually used in combat and other
situations where physical strength is required.
Thralls are chosen from Apprentices that are strong
and musclebound, and not too clever. The resulting
Thrall is completely loyal to their master and is
completely unshakable in combat. They can also
berserk against opponents, but are instantly calmed
by the command of their master.

Type: Humanoid
Armour Class: 7 [12]
Hit Dice: 3
Move:9
Attacks: 1 fist (1d10)
Special: Very strong, Berserk (+2 to hit and
Damage)
Challenge Level/XP:4/120

27
 Exotic Liquid
Relief
By Neil ‘Captain Machine’ Shaw

Hit Points in Crypts & Things record a character’s ability to avoid a killing blow with
only a few bumps and scraps rather than physical wounds. As highlighted on page 82 a
character can reinvigorate themselves with a suitable strong drink once a day to recover
1D4 hit points. You can of course hand wave this rule, and assume that so long as a
character owns a flask or wineskin devoted to transporting their character’s poison of
choice they always have on hand enough to recover lost hit points while delving dark and
dangerous crypts.

Below is a selection of exotic alcoholic drinks a character can happen across in the
innumerable taverns scattered across Zarth or buried in treasure found within the hoard
of monsters after their defeat. These drinks could be found in small flasks or bottles
but also be found in casks or barrels offering multiple uses. While the original rule for
alcoholic recovery is open to hand waving, this author recommends that the amount of
exotic drinks the players have access to are recorded and removed when consumed.

Fire Herb Ale

Fire herb is a rare herb that grows wild across the whole of the Continent of Terror
and is well known for its fiery hot taste. Botanists have universally failed to cultivate
the growth of this herb outside of the wild. To this end, brewers or chefs who use
the famous fire herb secretly visit hidden groves in the wild to harvest them. In some
extreme cases these herbs are in very dangerous places and the services of adventures
are needed to gather the golden orange leaves and its bright red seed pods. Brewers have
been known to add the leaves and burst seed pods to fine ale to infuse a fiery taste that is
sure to awaken the spirit and the mind when consumed.

Recovery: 1D4+1

Cost: 10gp

Healing Waters of Aladhi

Legend tells of a lost monastery of Aladhi, and only a handful of scholars hold the truth
of its location. The reason why adventurers have been known to seek the monastery
across Zarth is its famed hot springs. It is rumoured that bathing within the hot springs
can cure any ailment, disease or injury. Over the years, people lucky enough to find the
monastery and vowed to silence by its monks have left with water taken straight from the
28
life-giving spring which, while much diluted from its original source, is still refreshing and
curative.

Recovery: 4 (no roll required)

Cost: 100gp

Red Raptor Vodka

Deep within the Terror Lizard Run is a small castle owed by the sorcerer Japlin Pred, who
is a famed brewer of magical potions. While tyrants battling over territory are a nearly
daily occurrence, Japlin Pred has somehow managed to remain neutral and welcoming
to any tyrant who comes to his door. While he gathers a hoard of gold and treasure
within his vault from the services he provides the local and rotating tyrants, his hobby is
making potent vodka which is favoured by the elite warriors of local tribes. These scarred
barbarians find the potent drink drives them to greater ferocity in battle.

Recovery: 1D4 (+1 damage to next melee damage roll)

Cost: 75gp

Wild Elk Mead

In the northern shadow of the Wolf End Mountains is a deep valley under the watchful
eye of the tyrant Snorri the Last Blood Axe. The people who live here are a folk who
enjoy simple pleasures where they can be found. One such display of their passions is
wonderful mead infused with local berries made possible by an unusually large number of
bee farmers who are able to flourish as the extremes of cold weather doesn’t touch the
valley often. While Snorri does claim the majority of the mead for himself, occasionally a
rare barrel will leave the valley and is enjoyed across Zarth for its overall flavour that fills
the drinker with a passion for life itself.

Recovery: 1D4+1 (Next saving throw passes without rolling)

Cost: 350gp

Nettora Spiced Wine

Hailing from the famed Nettora vineyard within the land of Myrindor, this well
crafted drink is years in the making. Once bottled, this sweet nectar is locked into an
underground vault and left for five years before being uncorked and consumed. The wine
is infused with numerous herbs that are the foundation of potent drugs available on the
open market in Stinhar. This makes the intoxicating wine a favoured drink of nobles, and
unlike other wines it is very hard to find examples sat in the cellars aging to perfection.
Hedonist drinkers find the drug-infused wine dims pain and heightened carnal pleasures
so it’s frequently uncorked for the thinnest of reasons.Recovery: 1D4 (Half next damage
taken (rounded down))

29
Cost: 300gp per bottle (enough for 4 drinks)

Black Blood Brew

This potent brew is found almost exclusively in the hands of cultists to the Others who
reside in and around the Jagmani Jungles and the smoky peak of Mouth Terror. Its recipe
has spread across the whole Continent of Terror, but thankfully it’s much rarer as it
uses the distilled blood of the Others as its main ingredient. This vile concoction bears
a strong almost vomit inducing aroma and flavour, is used as an initiation ritual for new
blood within the cult to prove that the neonate has the strong stomach needed for human
sacrifice and standing in the shadow of the Others. While regular consumption of this
brew can cost the drinker his very soul, it does grant unnatural vitality useful for fighting
off the heroes knocking down their door.

Recovery: 1D6+2 (1d3 corruption gained)

Cost: 150gp

Blood Apple Cider

The fields around the City of Earth are enriched with the free-flowing life blood of
innumerable sacrifices to the city’s elemental lord. This has led to fruit and vegetables
grown in the fields and orchards that bear an unusual red hue, which while not affecting
the flavour is noticeable by travelling strangers who raise an eyebrow at crimson limes or
turnips. However, some plants do bear more significant changes in this environment; the
most notable of these are the apples that go into Blood Apple Cider. They are picked as
the largest and brightest apples, and are so infused by the earth that they bleed human
blood when picked from the tree. Usually served warm, Blood Apple Cider fills its
drinker with healthy vigour.

Recovery: 1D4+2

Cost: 25gp

30
 Generic Life Events
Perhaps you don’t want to use the Zarth setting in the main Crypts and Things book?

Perhaps you feel that it’s too detailed and constricts player creativity? Or perhaps you
are looking for a Generic Life Events table that is Open Gaming Content (unlike the Life
Events Tables in the main rule book which are closed content) on which to base your
own? Then this table is what you are looking for!

Roll once on the following table

Roll 1d20 Life Event

1 The character fought, either willing or unwillingly, in a major war
2 Worked in a palace as a Guard, Personal Servant, Kitchen Staff etc
3 A slave working on a tyrant’s tomb.
4 Part of an explorer’s expedition.
5 A gladiator in the death games.
6 A sailor in on a merchant vessel.
7 Spent a season working with a travelling entertainers troupe.
8 The character survived the haunting of the Old Palace.
9 They were a caravan guard on the great trade route.
10 Tomb raider of the Great Royal Necropolis.
11 Spent time in the Village of the Hidden.
12 Death defier in the Quest for Thrills.
13 Participant in the Great Pilgrimage to the Holy Mountain.
14 They were a servant to the Magus.
15 Spent some time as a monk at the Vanished Temple.
16 Was a member of the Crimson Fleet
17 Student of the Blade Masters
18 A Forest Warden in the Great Wood
19. Guardian of the Sacred Bull
20 Spent time with the Animal Riders of the Great Steppe.

Rather than give every life event a skill or ability, Crypt Keepers should give bonuses, at
+2, or allow the character to know or do certain things automatically when the benefits
of a life event can be considered to come into play.
Places and people are intentionally given vague but flavoursome names that you
can either expand during play or substitute for ones in your campaign setting.
31
Useful Items of
the Kindly Ones
Although they may be long gone from the dying world of Zarth, the Kindly Ones left
many of these benevolent minor magical items behind as sign of their slightly whimsical
affection.

Roll Useful Item

1d12
1 Twine of the Labyrinthine. Never run out of string or lose your way in a maze
again.
2 Fork of Plenty. Somehow your food ration is double the amount when you use
this piece of cutlery to eat!
3 Pot of Precise Cooking. Never spoil a meal by under or overcooking ever
again.
4 Owl of Alarm. A small owl shaped statue that hoots loudly when someone
comes within thirty foot of your camp.
5 Magnification Glass of Valuation. Let’s the viewer know what an item is worth
in monetary terms.
6 Cudgel of Giving. Threaten someone with this club and they will give you their
money without a fight.
7 Thick Pastry. Kept in a jar, this never-ending blob of pastry has a myriad of
uses beyond making fine pie crusts.
8 The Eternal Flame. Plucked from the Temple to the Kindly Ones, this flame
never goes out, requires no fuel and burns without heat.
9 Bookcase of Absorption. You can store as many books in the this item of
furniture as you want. Other items are mysteriously spat out.
10 Dentures of Durability. In a world without dentists or clear oral hygiene these
are useful indeed!
11 Pear of Fulfilment. Leaves the eater feeling calm and relaxed. Free of any fears
and madness that they may have acquired through recent adventures.
12 D6 Golden Browns. A revitalising golden biscuit that never goes rotten and
when eaten restores all lost Hit Points.

These items are useful aids for low level characters, and as interesting trinkets for mid
or high level ones. They may also reassure the players who are freaked out by Zarth’s
relentless unpleasantness.

32
 Things to Find
in Great Pots
These human sized giant clay pots are a common sight in the busy streets of Zarth’s cities
and the deserted corridors and chambers of its Crypts. Most of the time they are empty
but 1 in 6 times they contain something of interest to the bored, opportunistic scavenger.

Roll What is inside the pot

D20
1 2d6 gold pieces
2 A complete human skeleton (roll 1d10 on a 10 it comes to life and attacks!)
3 A hungry zombie.
4 1d4 giant rats who are peacefully resting.
5 A giant spider!
6 Rotten food.
7 A corpse.
8 A pile of rubbish.
9 Sour wine.
10 A dismembered head.
11 A freshly bloodied dagger.
12 A mummified cat.
13 A scroll that disintegrates when opened.
14 A pile of clay balls.
15 A pile of coloured glass beads.
16 Some dried fruit.
17 A change of clothing.
18 Brackish water.
19 A small stone statue.
20 A Useful Item (roll on table on page opposite).

33
 The Tea Party
of Doom
If you go down to the Old Haunted Woods today…

“A large wooden table dominates the clearing. A dirty mess of tablecloth and crockery sits on top of
it. Eight wooden chairs of various styles, some very basic, some ornately carved are placed around the
table. At the head of the table is a chair made from human bones and skulls. A gnarly bald old man
in a black robe sits on this chair, languidly holding a teapot made from a giant skull, with a black spout
coming out of the nose hole. His skin has a slightly green tinge to it. Large toads are everywhere, on the
table, on the chairs, even perching on the old man’s right shoulder.

With a sly toothless smile the old man asks “Ah guests, anyone for Tea?”

Explanation
The insane Tea Master is old alchemist who travelled to the wood many thousands
of years ago, and discovered this clearing and the toads who live here. After much
experimentation, he brewed tea from the oily rainbow coloured liquid that oozes from
their hindquarters. It gave him immortality and innate powers (see below) at the cost of
his sanity. He continues to ‘test out’ brew on visiting guests, using his Hold Person spell
to compel them to join in.

The Tea Master AC 7 [12] HD 6 HP 40 Attacks A Large Bread Knife coated with Toad
Venom (1d4+1d6 Damage from Blade Venom) Move 12 Special: Casts Hold Person at
will, Alchemist able to brew Toad Tea and other CL/XP 9/1,100

The Tea Master was once a sorcerer of great ability but his insanity and form of
immortality, forces him to live in the present moment and he has forgotten most of
his past life and the magic that he once could cast. He relies upon the last spell that he
remembers, Hold Person, and the powers of the Toad Tea. He also retains his magic
sensitivity.

Tactics: Uses Hold Person against the characters, targeting the most threatening magic
using characters first. Will use magic in favour of physical attacks, but only 30% of the
time uses ‘sane’ magic (i.e. known sorcery), most of the time using the powers of the
toad potions (roll d100 and consult Toad Tea table below) since he is saturated with the
tea which he drinks almost constantly.

34
Treasure
A journal which describes how to brew the toad tea, and the effects of d10 ‘tests’ (roll for
each), and the fact that boiled Jistra flower (see below) acts as an antidote. The journal is
written in an ancient arcane language long dead to the world.

100 silver pieces in an ornate carved wooden tea chest (in itself worth 30 Gp), in the
strange hexagonal style of the Tea Master’s long dead homeland.

1d10 brews worth of the Toad Tea in powdered form each in small linen bags (which can
be dunked in boiling water to brew).

The Skull Tea Pot made from the head of a large humanoid (double the size of a
human). Also, if placed upon the head of a sorcerer, the teapot knows 1d4 First Level
Spells, 1d4 Second Level Spells and 1d2 Third Level Spells which the long dead spirit
of the inhuman creature will teach the sorcerer in return for its release. If the spirit is
released, the teapot smashes.

35
Toad Tea effects
Roll d100 Effect
1-20 The effect of a beneficial White Magic spell of Level equal to a 1d4 Roll.
21-40 The effect of a beneficial Grey Magic spell of Level equal to a 1d4 Roll.
41-60 Gets the effect of a beneficial Black Magic spell of Level equal to a 1d4 Roll.
61 Vision of the future.
62 Insight into the past.
64 Turned into a toad.
65 A secret of a fellow party member revealed.
66 Fall in love with fellow party member.
67 Fall in love with recurring enemy (need not be present).
68 Forget how to use favourite weapon.
69 Head magical swells to double its size.
70 Skin turns purple.
71 Appears to all others as a vicious enemy.
72 Falls into a coma appearing dead.
73 Gains the power of flight.
74 Can magically see through the eyes of one of the toads.
75 One of the toads starts talking to the drinker.
76 Hair stands on end and goes green.
77 Gains the ability to magically regrow severed body parts.
78 Entire contents of bowels immediately empty.
79 S Smells like an open sewer.
80 Has a cosmic vision where one of the great secrets of their own deity is revealed
to them.
81 As above, but it is an enemy deity.
82 Everything they touch turns to gold.
83 Everything they touch turns to excrement.
84 All food and drink tastes wonderful, the best ever.
85 Head shrinks to the size of an apple.
86 Gains an extra head.
87 Gains an extra set of arms.
88 Loses an arm.
89 Loses a leg.
90-99 Turns into a toad.
100 Roll twice.

All the above effects last for 1d6 days and there Saving Throw/Test of Luck to avoid the effects.

36
The Jistra Flower
This nondescript small white bloom grows everywhere in the clearing. If its flowers are
brewed into a loose-leaf tea, it acts as an immediate antidote to the effects of the toad
tea.

Ironically, the toads eat the plants and it’s the sap from the stems that give them their
poisonous secretions that the Tea Master turns into his Toad Tea.

Psychedelic Toads
As noted above they are everywhere. Notable for the rainbow coloured oil that they
secrete from their hindquarters. The oil on its own is highly poisonous, causing 2d6
damage when ingested. It can also be used on weapons as a contact poison causing
an additional 1d6 on top of the weapons damage , but only lasts for 1d6 hours after
application. Each toad secretes enough oil for one application per day.

Something Wicked this way

comes.....

In Issue 2

Under a Blood Red Moon - A tale of lost love and tombs by Neil Gow

The Pie Shop An encounter at the city’s finest pie emporium. Are you sure you
know what you are eating?

A Strange Thing Happened on the Way to the Ruins. Special encounters to

spice up even the most boring walk to the local crypt.

And more of the bad things you’ve come to expect from Crypts & Things.

ETA Quarter 2 2017

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System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook,
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