TEXT: Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  1
  Contents
  Contents
  10 Questions
  10 Questions
  Wiggy expounds on 
  Wiggy expounds on Necropolis
  Necropolis .................................................
   .................................................2
  Rippers
  Rippers Contest Results
   Contest Results
  See who won, and who got ripped
  See who won, and who got ripped ...........................................
   ...........................................3
  Night Blooms in Blood
  Night Blooms in Blood
  Evil rises from Himalayan soil
  Evil rises from Himalayan soil ..................................................
   ..................................................4
  Nathaniel’s Way
  Nathaniel’s Way
  A love story with bite
  A love story with bite ...............................................................
   ...............................................................13
  13
  The Importance of Beating Ernst
  The Importance of Beating Ernst
  A rather whimsical excursion
  A rather whimsical excursion .................................................
   .................................................19
  19
  Terror Under Rottingdean
  Terror Under Rottingdean
  There’s something ﬁ shy deep in the catacombs
  There’s something ﬁ shy deep in the catacombs .................
   .................22
  22
  Los Lobos de la Noche
  Los Lobos de la Noche
  A continent-spanning organization of evil
  A continent-spanning organization of evil ...........................
   ...........................30
  30
  Religious Edges
  Religious Edges
  How the Lord’s servants get ahead
  How the Lord’s servants get ahead .......................................
   .......................................38
  38
  Characters in Mass Battles
  Characters in Mass Battles
  Expanded rules for Wild Cards
  Expanded rules for Wild Cards ..............................................
   ..............................................38
  38
  Shark Bytes is an unofﬁ cial, not-for-proﬁ t fanzine produced by and 
  for fans of Savage Worlds—Pinnacle Entertainment’s role-playing game 
  of fast, furious fun. Pinnacle is in no way associated with the publishers 
  of this fanzine and should not be held responsible for its contents. 
  Savage Worlds, Smiling Jack, and any other associated trademarks 
  or logos remain the property of PEG, Inc. and are used here with 
  permission. Everything contained herein is considered unofﬁ cial unless 
  explicitly stated otherwise. All artwork appearing in this issue of Shark 
  Bytes is the property of the Pinnacle Entertainment Group, Inc. or 
  from the public domain, unless noted otherwise, and is used herein 
  with permission. All articles and artwork remain the property of their 
  copyright holders.
  Volume 2, Issue #3
  November, 2006
  Editor: M. A. Cutter
  Contributing Editors: Bob Bretz, William Reger
  Cartography: Thomas G. Harrison, William Reger
  Artists: Mike Smith, Melvin de Voor, Cheyenne 
  Wright
  Webmaster: Peter Leitch
  Shark Bytes created by Bill “JB” Littleﬁ eld
  On and Off the Cob
  Con on the Cob was the ﬁ rst true convention I’ve attended in my 22+ years of gaming. 
  I attended a small con at Binghamton University, back in ’91, and ran exactly one 
  AD&D game. The session’s memorable moments consist primarily of a 42-year-old 
  and an 18-year-old arguing bitterly over the best way to approach a dragon’s lair, 
  how one should roll dice, how one should declare actions, ad nauseum. I don’t need 
  to explain to you how little fun I had in that session—the fact that 13 years elapsed 
  before I again set foot in a con hall should tell you enough. For the past few years I’ve 
  attended TerpCon in Maryland, running a few d20 Modern games and playtesting 
  a Spirits of ’86 Savage Tale. These sessions were much more fun and rewarding, 
  but driving a half-hour to run one session isn’t exactly indicative of the “convention 
  experience.”
  So it was with no small amount of trepidation that I set off for Kent, Ohio, to attend 
  the 2nd annual Con on the Cob. I wondered whether the people in my games would 
  argue with each other. I wondered whether I’d feel ostracized from various game-
  group cliques in attendance. I needn’t have worried; my fretting couldn’t have been 
  farther off the mark.
  Andy Hopp’s Con on the Cob was simply one of the very best experiences I’ve 
  ever had in gaming. On Thursday night Bob and I arrived to ﬁ nd open slots in Sean 
  Preston’s Runepunk game, so we jumped on that. Right from the start, I was playing 
  a cool new setting, and role-playing with Sean Patrick Fannon, Mike Preston (Tick-
  Tock, you’re a ﬁ ne chap, if a bit of a literalist), Bob “Bretbo” Bretz, Heath (“pepster” to 
  most of you), Joe (badash56) and Deb (Sam_Rose). Though I didn’t get to know all 
  these people as well as I would have liked during the con (I did see Sean Fannon’s 
  rear end unveiled one too many times for my liking), the fact that I can name everyone 
  at the table is a testament to what a great time we had, and how well we came 
  together as a group in a few short hours.
  That night I was introduced to Shane, Simon, Kirsty, Joe, Clint, Jodi...the whole 
  Pinnacle crew and some of the nicest people you’d ever hope to meet. We had 
  a great time “knocking back a few Coca-Colas” (and passing around the bourbon 
  ﬂ ask), talking games, laughing and hooting it up...until ﬁ nally I knew that I’d never be 
  able to run three game sessions the next day unless I got to sleep.
  Friday was my big day: the unveiling of Spirits of ’86, my savage setting of post-
  revolutionary pulp action, mythic heroism, and superstitions come to life. Though it 
  was exhausting to run the game from noon until 11 p.m. (especially in full Colonial 
  dress), the amazing caliber of players, the friendliness and camaraderie, the 
  memorable quotes, the two-ﬁ sted action, and the degree to which players connected 
  with the setting really kept me going. I even managed to create a few new Savages in 
  my last session. All in all, the ﬁ rst-run for Spirits of ’86 rated ten Huzzahs! My sincere 
  thanks go out to everyone who participated in my games. If the full setting book 
  becomes a reality, “I hate German George Washington” is a quote that will certainly 
  be included. [Shameless plug: Be sure to check out the ﬁ rst Spirits of ’86 Savage 
  Tale, “Damn’d Loyalists!” coming soon from PEG!]
  Saturday was my chance to settle back and play. And it was aces! I was lucky enough 
  to participate in two games run by Shane (“Shootout at Cofﬁ n Rock” and “Dead 
  Men Walkin’”), both of which provided stories with which to regale my regular group 
  back home. I had the pleasure of portraying Spleengobbler Hatesmith all afternoon 
  in Andy Hopp’s “I Stink, Therefore I Am,” which is an experience I recommend to 
  everyone without hesitation. Or else.
  In conclusion, I’d like to quote the Coen Brothers’ magniﬁ cent ﬁ lm The Big Lebowski: 
  “‘Course, I can’t say I seen London, and I never been to France, and I ain’t never seen 
  no Queen in her damn undies as the fella says.  But I’ll tell you what, after seeing [the 
  Con on the Cob]—well, I guess I seen somethin’ ever’ bit as stupefyin’ as ya’d see 
  in any a those other places. And in English too. So I can die with a smile on my face 
  without feelin’ like the good Lord gypped me.” Next year I’m back on the Cob.
  The Rippers Issue
  Special thanks to our Rippers Contest judges—Marc Hameleers, Dave Blewer, 
  and JB Littleﬁ eld—and to all our participants. This issue features original art by 
  Cheyenne Wright, Mike “charliebananas” Smith and Melvin de Voor. You can check 
  out more of Melvin’s work at illustrange.livejournal.com. Special thanks also to 
  Wiggy for participating in our ﬁ rst installment of “10 Questions.” Next time be on the 
  lookout for Shane’s contribution! Until then, keep gaming, folks.
  —M. A. Cutter
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  2
  10 Questions
  Interview by Bob Bretz
  E
  ver 
  wonder 
  what the proliﬁ c 
  Wiggy (a.k.a. Paul 
  Wa d e - W i l l i a m s) 
  is up to creatively 
  these 
  days? 
  So 
  do we. Thankfully, 
  he has been kind 
  enough to answer 
  a 
  few 
  questions 
  about one of his 
  upcoming projects—
  Necropolis.
  1. What 
  exactly is 
  Necropolis? 
  Wiggy: Necropolis is 
  a futuristic Weird Wars setting set in 2350. The core book 
  details the Third Reformation Church and their war against a 
  race of beings known as “Undead.” Whether or not they are 
  truly “undead” is something the GM learns in his section of 
  the book. 
  Earth has been destroyed, and the remnants of mankind 
  live on the world of Salus (also called Necropolis by the 
  unhabitants). I’m hoping it sells well, as the Companion 
  would deal with the other side of the Necropolis triangle—
  the Union of Corporations. The GM gets some info on them 
  (and sample stats), but the core book is basically futuristic 
  knights vs. undead. 
  It’s hi-tech, but not Star Wars- or Star Trek-style; anti-grav is 
  rare, laser pistols are relatively new, and there’s no starships. 
  Flechette riﬂ es are the cutting edge of ﬁ rearms technology, 
  though all knights get issued a molecular sword (and they 
  need them). 
  2. Is it a plot point, “open” setting, or 
  something different?
  Wiggy: It’s really something different. It has a Plot Point, but 
  it involves capturing a single city (New Budapest). There’s 
  a campaign matrix involved, so if the heroes win, they 
  progress deeper into the city. Should they lose, the Undead 
  push them back. At various stages there are END lines to 
  the matrix, which means the heroes have failed. Depending 
  on how badly they lose, mankind may suffer a minor setback 
  or it could be on the brink of extinction. 
  There’s also handful of Savage Tales and an adventure 
  generator. Whatever happens, ﬁ nishing the Plot Point doesn’t 
  end the campaign. It really just marks the start.
  3. Can you share what a typical style of 
  encounter in the game would be like, and 
  will the non-random encounters have maps 
  or just descriptions?
  Wiggy: There’s a lot of maps in Necropolis. Although linked 
  to adventures, these can obviously be used over and over 
  again. A typical adventure is military in nature, but some 
  are offensive, some defensive, some intelligence-gathering, 
  and so on. Interaction with the citizens is important, and 
  two adventures (plus an adventure generator table) deal 
  with “hearts and minds” operations. You can also run more 
  traditional horror games, such as “ﬁ nd the vampire feasting 
  on the locals” or even “haunted house”-style adventures.
  4. How detailed is Salus in the book (one 
  speciﬁ c area in general detail, one area in 
  good detail and others mentioned, all areas 
  fully developed)?
  Wiggy: There’s a brief gazetteer on the planet, as well as 
  notes on Mother Church, which covers things like the media, 
  calendar, and law and order. No one area is detailed, primarily 
  because I wanted to make Necropolis more open for GMs 
  and players to use as they want. I’m an old school player, 
  and I love open settings. They let me use my imagination to 
  its fullest.
  5. We understand that the players are 
  members of Holy Orders. How many orders 
  are there and how well deﬁ ned are they?
  Wiggy: The Church has ﬁ ve holy orders of knights you 
  can play, these being the Templars (vehicle specialists), 
  Impalers (spear specialists), Lazarites (who capture and 
  study the undead), Incinerators (ﬂ amethrower specialists), 
  and Preachers (who train the peasant militias). Each order 
  has a page or so of background, including history, Grand 
  Masters, and special training. They really replace races in 
  this setting.
  Each holy order is similar in its function and organization, 
  so the start of the book covers life as a knight and helps the 
  players understand what it means to have taken holy vows.
  6. What was the inspiration for the setting?
  Wiggy: Necropolis was ﬁ rst dreamed up back in the early 
  1990s. I guess part of the inspiration was Warhammer 40K, 
  although I’ve had a thing for undead since my ﬁ rst-ever RPG 
  character was killed by a skeleton, and our (two friends and 
  I) ﬁ rst attempt at an RPG used a variant of the WH40K rules 
  merged with our own (rubbish) RPG system. Naturally the 
  project failed, but it always sat in the back of my mind. I 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  3
  began a D20 conversion, but with all respect to D20, it 
  doesn’t handle companies of allies versus loads of enemies 
  very well. When Savage Worlds came out, I realized the 
  system would allow me to write Necropolis properly.
  7. Are there any new Arcane Backgrounds, 
  Edges or Hindrances?
  Wiggy: The only Arcane Background is Miracles, and that’s 
  straight out of the book (with a few new powers). Psionics is 
  brieﬂ y mentioned, but that’s a Corporation tool and will be 
  (hopefully) expanded in the Companion.
  There are new Edges and Hindrances. Some are taken from 
  Tour of Darkness, others are my own invention. One thing I 
  love about Savage Worlds is that players can be true leaders 
  of men, so there’s a few new Leadership Edges.
  8. Will you need special miniatures, 
  cardboard foldouts or tokens to play? 
  Wiggy: Not really. I playtested it with Warhammer 40K 
  minis and some undead from the Mutant Chronicles board 
  game. We’re planning to make Figure Flats for Necropolis, 
  anyway.
  9. What support products, if any, will 
  be provided (such as Player’s Guide and 
  Screen Inserts)?
  Wiggy: All of the above will be released. We’re also hoping 
  for a Companion, but that depends on sales of Necropolis. 
  There’s talk of a Fields of Honor set, but that’s early days.
  10. Where do you get your inspiration for 
  your writing?
  Wiggy: Some of it comes from external sources. I might 
  ﬂ ick through an RPG or a magazine and see a cool picture, 
  which sparks an idea for an adventure or setting. I read a lot 
  of ﬁ ction as a child, which has obviously helped develop my 
  imagination. But usually I just get an idea out of the blue (I 
  normally have too many ideas in my head at once) and start 
  work on it.
  Necropolis will be available soon in PDF.
  Paul “Wiggy” Wade-Williams is Pinnacle Entertainment Groups’ Creative 
  Director. His credits include writing several Toolkits and adventures for 
  Savage Worlds and a number of RPG Products for Atlas Games and 
  Kenzer & Co. His full bio can be found at www.peginc.com/company/
  Wiggy
  H
  i all! Sadly the release of the companion is further off than we all 
  hoped for, and we still have a wait before us. However, your Rippers 
  game doesn’t have to wait that long to see some new stuff. The “Take Back 
  the Night” scenario contest gave us four entries, and you will see all four 
  of them in the pages that follow. The contest was judged by Dave Blewer 
  (Dave did much more than that, but just wait till you see Sundered Skies, 
  you’ll know then why I mention that so speciﬁ cally), JB Littleﬁ eld and me. 
  All three judges had a different favorite, which shows that the contest was 
  really close, and that we saw lots of potential fun in all adventures.
  The four entries, with a short jury evaluation, follow (in no particular order 
  other than the order in which they lay on my desk). At the end of the article 
  all will be revealed...well, the winning scenario, that is!
  Night Blooms in Blood, by Thomas G. Harrington 
  In Night Blooms in Blood, the Rippers are sent to Nepal to retrieve a 
  mystical ﬂ ower. Of course something like that is never easy! It came with 
  three simple maps, which helped in picturing what the writer had in mind. 
  The exotic locale, a nice plot twist here and there, and the clear style make 
  for a great adventure, with just one (minor) quibble. The ending of the 
  adventure seems rushed and very open-ended, compared to the rest of 
  the tale. Like all four adventures, though, it will most certainly ﬁ nd a place 
  in my own Rippers campaign!
  The Importance of Beating Ernst, by Theron Sheckington
  The Importance of Beating Ernst is a socializing mission. That is how 
  it is best introduced into your campaign, but it has a little of everything: 
  socializing, sneaking about and the odd ﬁ ght. It introduces an interesting 
  NPC, who offers a hint for a follow-up adventure. The shortest of the four 
  scenarios that were sent in, it certainly offers enough play for a good 
  session at least, and with the roleplay opportunites it could provide more.
  Nathaniel’s Way, by Mike Dudes
  Nathaniel’s Way is set (for the most part) in London. It was the most debated 
  scenario of the four. In short, it was the one that was commented upon the 
  most, both for good and bad. There is a whole lot in this scenario to like. 
  It has a good Victorian feel to it, but it has some problems as well, which 
  make some of the plot twists unrealistic. Most of that could be averted 
  by changing an injury done to one of the NPCs and making that a more 
  “mental” injury. You will know what I mean when you read it! With some 
  adjustments, this is an awesome scenario.
  Terror Under Rottingdean, by Jason Pasch
  Set in a small English Village, Terror Under Rottingdean is a very complete 
  scenario, with a very familiar theme for horror fans. That’s all I can say 
  about that without spoiling! It contains Rippertech, which is always a 
  bonus. You can never have a low enough Reason, I always say. It’s theme, 
  however, has been done “somewhat” in a Savage Worlds setting, and that
  cost it some support in the end...
  AND THE WINNER IS... (*DRUM ROLL*)
  Night Blooms in Blood, by Thomas G. Harrington
  In a close contest, this Ripping tale won out in the end. I know, every time 
  you have a contest, the jury report claims the result was close. But really, 
  it was! Each scenario had some elements that were better than the others, 
  and thus picking the winner was not easy! In the end, there is one sure 
  winner in a contest like this. Of course I am referring to all you Savages 
  using these scenarios for your Rippers games in the near future!
  Happy Ripping!
  Marc Hameleers
  Contributing Editor
  [In truth, no one got ripped. Everyone who participated is a winner! —Ed.]
  Take Back the Night
  Contest Results
  In which we reveal the winner of a free Rippers Companion 
  (as soon as it gets out!)
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  4
  I
  n the deep shadow of Mt. Annapurna, in the highlands 
  of Nepal, lies Lhapka Castle. Abandoned after the war 
  against the British in the early Nineteenth century, the castle 
  has taken on a ruthless new resident: Maxime Veyret, a 
  disowned French nobleman who has turned his sights to 
  the opium trade. The rugged, unforgiving highlands of Nepal 
  make for a secure stronghold where Maxime can manage 
  his operation, currying opium from Chinese lords through 
  a network of tribal warlords and other unsavory types. The 
  opium trade has made Maxime quite wealthy, but that is the 
  furthest thing from the Frenchman’s mind these days.
  A year ago, while experimenting with a rare poppy that grows 
  in secluded valleys of the Himalayas, Maxime concocted a 
  new substance that brings the mind to the brink of madness. 
  It was discovered by accident, as he and his scientists sought 
  to create a new opiate. While opium in general has a calming 
  effect, the substance they derived does quite the opposite. 
  Those under its inﬂ uence become enraged, violent, with an 
  almost supernatural strength and endurance. The substance 
  also proved hideously addictive. The perverse appetites 
  conjured in those so affected were such that they began to 
  change from men into beasts. Slowly, an idea began to form 
  in the cruel mind of Maxime Veyret.
  Night Blooms in Blood is a Rippers Tale wherein the Rippers 
  are dispatched to the mountains of Nepal to harvest samples 
  of a strange ﬂ ower known by the locals as Yama’s Poppy. It 
  is named for the Hindu death god, as it takes root in carrion 
  and blooms only at night. It is an extremely rare ﬂ ower, not 
  known to grow anywhere besides a few Himalayan valleys, 
  mostly in the vicinity of Mt. Annapurna. The common people 
  of Nepal and Tibet see the bloom as a bad omen, and avoid 
  those specimens they come across. The scenario may be 
  introduced as a research mission for a lodge, though it takes 
  a far more dangerous direction once begun.
  The characters need not have visited Tibet or the Potala 
  Palace Lodge (Shangri-La, Rippers, pg. 112) prior to this 
  scenario, though having done so will have ramiﬁ cations 
  for the outcome. The mission could easily be played while 
  visiting that lodge, in which case the Game Master should 
  adjust the players’ introduction accordingly. This scenario 
  assumes the characters have only a passing familiarity with 
  the horrors that dwell within the Himalayas, and are arriving 
  from much more civilized parts.
  Players’ Background
  It is late spring/early summer when the characters are 
  assembled by the leadership of their lodge.
  For a long time now, rumors have circulated in the east of a 
  strange ﬂ ower that grows in the Himalayan range. It is said 
  to grow from animal carcasses and blooms only at night. It 
  has an ominous reputation with the common folk, who call 
  it Yama’s Poppy. They claim it has supernatural properties. 
  Nothing concrete is known of this plant. Our contacts in the 
  region have been quiet as of late, preoccupied by some 
  other matter we assume.
  We have arranged for you to travel to Bombay. From there, 
  you will travel north into the mountains of Nepal and retrieve 
  specimens of this plant, if it does exist, for our scientists to 
  research.
  Travel to Bombay has already been arranged. The characters 
  also receive a small stipend ($100) from the lodge by which 
  they can afford lodging and travel arrangements into Nepal. 
  The characters have three days before the ship to Bombay 
  departs.
  The characters may research the Yama’s Poppy prior to the 
  expedition. A lodge with a Facilities score of 9+ may have 
  some material pertaining to the plant in its library. A successful 
  Investigation roll at –4 will reveal a few passages pertaining 
  to the ﬂ ower, but only a Raise will offer new information:
  Those animals known to feed on the ﬂ ower become noticeably 
  more aggressive. The common folk of Nepal believe the plant 
  bears a curse from the Hindu death god, Yama. Sounder 
  minds reasonably believe the poppy is merely poisonous.
  Attempts to contact the Potala Palace Lodge will not be 
  answered. All their agents are currently on an assignment of 
  great importance to the Dali Lama himself.
  Game Master Notes
  Adventure Synopsis
  The Rippers have been sent on what begins as an ordinary 
  research mission to recover specimens of a rare ﬂ ower in 
  the mountains of Nepal. On their way through the kingdom, 
  the characters come across an abandoned village where 
  something horrible has happened quite recently. It is here 
  they discover the ﬁ rst clues that something is very much 
  amiss. They also receive a message of warning from a 
  stranger.
  Pressing northward, they ﬁ nally encounter a valley where 
  samples of the ﬂ ower, called Yama’s Poppy, can be found. 
  But as they move to harvest the samples, they are attacked 
  by yeti. But there are things in this world that even beastly 
  wildmen fear, and when a quartet of berserk yeti burst from 
  the snow, the Rippers have their hands full with a very new 
  threat. Thankfully, help arrives in the nick of time in the form 
  of a patrol of soldiers, who aid the Rippers in killing the 
  raging yeti.
  Night Blooms in Blood
  By Thomas G. Harrison
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  5
  The soldiers invite the Rippers to spend the night in a nearby 
  castle where they are stationed. There, they are drugged 
  and imprisoned by the mad Maxime Veyret, who has allied 
  himself with the Cabal. He wishes to use the Rippers as 
  subjects to test a blending of opium and a special extract he 
  has fashioned from the Yama’s Poppy. To further his agenda, 
  he has also kidnapped a young Tibetan boy, Chopka, with 
  fantastic powers. Now the Rippers ﬁ nd if they do not escape 
  Maxime’s clutches, they will be led, one by one, into a state 
  of madness from which there is no return.
  Running the Adventure
  Night Blooms in Blood is designed to provide a single 
  evening’s entertainment, about 3-5 hours of play. Plenty 
  of room has been provided if you want to expand on the 
  adventure, and it could easily be extended to go on over 
  several sessions, particularly in a heavy role-playing 
  group. It is best suited for a group of intermediate 
  rank: Seasoned or Veteran. At least one 
  member of the group should be a doctor 
  or scientist. In many instances, the 
  characters will have to use their wits to 
  succeed.
  Pacing is very important to the 
  adventure. Familiarizing yourself 
  with the scenario before running 
  it will help considerably. The bulk 
  of the adventure takes place in 
  the conﬁ nes of the Lhapka Castle 
  dungeons. While information is 
  provided for extensive exploration, 
  that is not really within the scope of 
  this scenario. But since no outside 
  writer can reasonably predict what 
  your players will do in a given 
  situation, this scenario attempts to 
  provide you with the tools you’ll need 
  to cover your bases and improvise. For 
  general play, it is recommended that you 
  move things along and keep exploration 
  light without actively discouraging it.
  In this vein, it is also recommended that you handle 
  all preparation and mission research out of character prior to 
  play. Begin the adventure as Encounter One unfolds, with a 
  hired guide and entourage in place. You may even want to 
  begin the adventure under the auspices of a regular research 
  mission. Of course, if you wish to extend the scope of the 
  scenario, there is a great deal of potential for roleplaying the 
  journey to Nepal, establishing contacts, and pressing into 
  the interior of the kingdom. 
  Adversaries and Allies
  Maxime Veyret
  Maxime Veyret was born in Paris to a family of minor 
  nobility in 1866. His father eventually disowned him for his 
  debaucheries and young Maxime was forced to ﬂ ee the 
  city to escape his mounting gambling debts. He eventually 
  traveled to the Far East where he became involved in the 
  opium trade, availing his numerous unsavory contacts in 
  France and its colonies to the opium lords. When the opium 
  wars broke out, he retreated to Bombay, where he waited 
  out the storm.
  During his time in Bombay, Maxime ran a small opium den 
  in the city’s red light district. It was here that he had the 
  fortune to encounter a member of the Rippers organization. 
  Hopelessly addicted to opium, the man eventually gave up 
  his secrets to the sly, inquisitive Frenchman. Soon after, the 
  man was found dead in an alleyway, the apparent victim of 
  a brutal murder by one of the many street gangs who make 
  their home in the city. Maxime continued his operation, but 
  with a more worldly perspective. A year later, he purchased 
  Lhapka Castle and moved his operation there. The opium 
  wars dwindling, he was eager to reestablish his old 
  business.
  Having discovered the potential uses of the 
  Yama’s Poppy, Maxime set out to contact 
  agents of the Cabal. Wary of treachery, he 
  instructed his closest agents to kidnap 
  a young boy, Chopka, from a Tibetan 
  monastery, who was reputed to be a 
  capable seer. The child’s ability to 
  forecast future events was of great 
  assistance to Maxime in staying 
  one step ahead of the Cabal, 
  and the Rippers if need be. In 
  the meantime, he has set about 
  creating a population of savage 
  yeti to ward off travelers in the 
  mountains surrounding Lhapka 
  Castle.
  Maxime is a vain, arrogant man, 
  obsessed with wealth and power. He 
  is always looking to hold an advantage 
  over others. He has a talent for ﬂ attery. 
  He is always dressed for the occasion. 
  Maxime stands 5’5” tall with a lean build. 
  He wears his dark hair shoulder length, and 
  keeps his beard neatly trimmed. While he has a 
  fondness for Turkish cigarettes, he has no other real 
  addictions. He never partakes of his own product.
  Maxime Veyret (WC)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Gambling d10, Guts 
  d6, Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Drugs) d10, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d10, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d8, 
  Taunt d10
  Charisma: +4; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (minor), Habit (Turkish cigarettes) 
  (minor), Vengeful (major)
  Edges: Attractive, Charismatic, Connections (Opium 
  trade), Florentine, Rich
  Gear: Rapier (Str+1, Parry +1), dagger (Str+1), pistol 
  (12/24/48, 2d6, AP 1)
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  6
  Chopka
  Chopka was born to a peasant family in the mountains of 
  Tibet. His gift of foresight and ability to speak with certain 
  animals was revealed early on. While he sought to help his 
  family and the other villagers (determining the best time 
  to plan crops, when a hunt would be good, etc.), the other 
  villagers always viewed him with suspicion. After plague 
  struck the village, his family was forced out. Not able to care 
  for the child, his parents delivered him to a temple, and into 
  the capable hands of the monks there.
  Chopka has since been raised as an initiate in the Buddhist 
  order. Word of his powers has been carried to the Dali Lama, 
  who follows his training with some interest, though the monks 
  have been instructed to keep silent lest word of the child 
  reach the Cabal. The Dali Lama has every intent of bringing 
  him to the Potala Palace Lodge and initiating the boy into the 
  Order of St. George when he comes of age.
  While meditating in the gardens of the temple three months 
  ago, Chopka was taken captive by armed men. He has since 
  been a prisoner in the dungeons of Lhapka Castle, forced to 
  serve at Maxime’s whim. Agents of Potala Palace are actively 
  searching for him, but have thus far been unsuccessful in 
  learning his whereabouts.
  Chopka is nine years old. He wears the robes of a monk. He 
  keeps his head shaved as is appropriate, a small comfort that 
  Maxime affords him for his cooperation. He is well-treated, 
  despite his cramped cell.
  Chopka
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, 
  Strength d4, Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d6, Guts d6, Notice d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; 
  Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Young (Major)
  Edges: Alertness, Beast Bond
  Special Abilities: 
  • Precognition: Chopka can 
  foretell future events with uncanny 
  accuracy. He has an effective 
  Spellcasting of d6. He can use 
  this power once per day at no 
  Power Point cost. His “visions” 
  become more cryptic depending 
  on the speciﬁ city of the information 
  sought. He cannot see things that 
  will happen more than a year in 
  advance.
  • Beast Tongue: Chopka can 
  effortlessly speak with and understand 
  bats, rats, and wolves.
  Nepal
  Nepal is a rugged landscape of varied climates. The 
  lowlands along the southern reaches border on tropical, and 
  are the heaviest populated. Here, the common folk, who are 
  generally poor, tend to ﬁ elds of agriculture ranging from jute 
  to sugarcane. The people of Nepal are a hardy, independent 
  lot, and generally suspicious of outsiders. Infrequent trade 
  exists with British-controlled India.
  In the early part of the century, an expansionistic king led the 
  Nepalese in a losing war against the British, who feared for 
  their interests in Northern India (the Anglo-Nepalese War). 
  Despite maintaining the semblance of autonomy, the British 
  have since established an ofﬁ cial presence in the capital of 
  Katmandu. In the year 1892, the current ruler is Maharani 
  Punya Kumari Rajya Lakshmi Devi of the royal house 
  of Shah. The kingdom has since become almost wholly 
  dependent on the British for trade.
  Of course, Nepal is known best for the Himalayas. A full 
  75% of the kingdom is comprised of rugged hills and sheer 
  mountains. Of the world’s highest peaks, eight are found 
  in Nepal, including Mt. Everest (29,035 ft.). Mt. Annapurna 
  (26,524 ft.) is located in the mid-western part of the Himalayan 
  range.
  Neither the Rippers nor the Cabal have a strong presence 
  in Napal.
  Arrival and Travel in Nepal
  The most likely point of entry for the characters is the 
  small town of Nepalganj, or another central border town. 
  A great deal of trade between India and Nepal passes 
  through Nepalganj on a regular basis. While the people 
  here are not especially friendly to outsiders, it does provide 
  anonymity. Here the characters will do best to hire a 
  guide to lead them into the mountains. If they 
  have contacts within the British East India 
  Trading Company or the Potala Palace 
  Lodge, they may arrive with the name 
  of a trustworthy guide. Otherwise 
  they will have to rely on their own 
  resources (Streetwise roll –2). The 
  services of a guide may be bought 
  for $10 a day, though this can vary 
  based on skill and reputation. An 
  entourage of 2d4+1 men, who 
  handle the mules, will accompany 
  any guide. They are a common, 
  uneducated, superstitious lot, 
  and will not readily interact with 
  the characters. A successful 
  Persuasion roll may win over an 
  individual or two, though acts of 
  bravery done on their behest will 
  go a long way toward winning their 
  support for the characters.
  Travel in the lowland reaches may be 
  done on horseback, but in the highlands 
  and mountains, one must travel on foot. 
  Pack mules are used to carry supplies. The ﬁ nal 
  leg of the journey must be done entirely on foot. The 
  journey inland takes a period of approximately three days. 
  Characters should be prepared for such a journey and have 
  acquired supplies prior to setting off into the highlands.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  7
  Encounter One: The Village
  Throughout the third day, the expedition will have no 
  encounters of any sort. The landscape, even one as 
  desolate and mountainous as this, is strangely lifeless. By 
  that evening, Mt. Annapurna is clearly in view. It is then that 
  the expedition stumbles onto the deserted village.
  The village sits at the edge of the mountains. It is little more 
  than a cluster of a dozen huts and shacks centered about 
  a stone well. A modest shrine is easily discernable. Fields 
  of grain are left untended, but have not been so for long. 
  While pens have been raised for livestock, none are present. 
  There are no signs of smoke from cookﬁ res either.
  If the village appears desolate at a distance, a more sinister 
  nature becomes apparent on closer examination. Doors 
  and shutters have been shattered. A few have been crudely 
  barricaded. Smears of blood, long since dried, cake the 
  walls of many homes. What valuables the villagers had still 
  remain: family heirlooms, small bits of wealth, etc. Yet there 
  are no bodies. The muddy common ground around the well 
  is littered with tracks, mostly human, but some (Tracking 
  roll –2) border on monstrous. These tracks lead into the 
  mountains to the north.
  The Shrine
  This shrine, fashioned of stone, mortar and wood, is easily 
  the most fortiﬁ ed building in the village. The barricades that 
  block the doors and shuttered windows still hold, though all 
  are marred by wild, even bloodied, scratches. Where these 
  have been penetrated, soot stains the stone. A thorough 
  examination (Notice roll) will reveal a section of the roof 
  that has partially caved, and looks to have been damaged 
  by ﬁ re. This is the most accessible point of entry, though 
  the barricades can be broken through with some work 
  (Toughness 16).
  The interior is a gruesome scene! Most ﬁ xtures and furniture 
  have been used for fortiﬁ cations. What remains litters the 
  room: an overturned water bucket with a bloodied ladle, 
  shattered jars of incense, a broken bow, and a small variety 
  of ceremonial items are scattered throughout. About the 
  shrine lie the remains of a dozen children, ranging in age 
  from 6 to 12. All of them appear to have been fed upon as if 
  by wild beasts! A Notice roll also reveals the dismembered 
  body of an adult priest, the tattered remains of his garments 
  still clinging to his torso. Yet upon examination (Notice roll), it 
  is clear whatever horrors assaulted the village never entered 
  the shrine. By the condition of their clothing, it appears as 
  though many of the children were here for days before they 
  died.
  A small, cloistered chamber to the eastern side of the shrine, 
  once the priest’s own chambers from the look of them, 
  reveals the crumpled form of a young girl. Her hair is matted 
  with blood and her arms and legs scratched badly. Despite 
  her wounds and being badly undernourished, she is still 
  alive!
  The child is unresponsive to any immediate care. Even 
  smelling salts will do little more than elicit a gasp and 
  incoherent speech before she again lapses into 
  a catatonic state. A successful Healing roll will 
  treat her wounds and ease her pain, but will not 
  otherwise revive her.
  Given proper treatment and care, the child regains 
  full consciousness once night has fallen. However, 
  beyond her outward appearance, she in no way 
  resembles a girl of her years. She will react 
  violently, attacking anyone nearby, scratching 
  and biting. Her eyes seem ﬁ lled with an incurable 
  madness. Unless forcibly restrained, she will do 
  whatever possible to return to the village and drink 
  deeply from the waters of the community well. After 
  this, she will make the greatest effort to ﬂ ee into 
  the wilderness. She will not wander far, seeking to 
  return to the well to drink every twelve hours or so, 
  and makes no effort to cover her tracks.
  Wild Girl (1): Treat as a wildman (Rippers, pg. 
  135) with the Young hindrance and without a 
  Breed Power.
  The Well
  Unremarkable in appearance, the well is at 
  the root of the horror that has consumed the 
  village. The water has been poisoned with the 
  extract of Yama’s Poppy. While the effects have 
  diminished considerably since the chaos that led 
  to the destruction of the village, they are no less 
  evident.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  8
  Poisoned Well (–2): react ﬁ ercely to the slightest offense, 
  real or perceived. Animals watered from the well will become 
  unusually aggressive, striking out against their handlers. 
  Those who make a successful Vigor roll will act sour and 
  ill-tempered. The effects of the poisoned water last for 1-4 
  hours.
  Post Mortem
  The men in the guide’s entourage will not willingly camp 
  within the abandoned village, believing it to be cursed. A 
  Persuasion roll at –4 will assuage their fears to some 
  degree, or the characters can simply offer to pay the guide 
  more. If the characters do insist on spending the night in the 
  village, roll 1d4 to determine how many of them abandon 
  their masters to their fate.
  The Message on Wings
  During the night, a large bat ﬂ ies into the expedition’s camp. 
  After causing a bit of a stir, it lands on a rock and sits patiently 
  until the characters discover a small roll of parchment bound 
  to its leg (Notice roll). The script is small and ﬁ ne, but quite 
  legible:
  Beware travelers, for Yama’s eyes are upon you. In the 
  valleys to the north keep watch, or death will ﬁ nd you too.
  Once relieved of its burden, the bat silently soars into the 
  night.
  The note is a warning sent by Chokpa, a young boy currently 
  held in secret at nearby Lhapka Castle, a prisoner of 
  Maxime Veyret. His precognitive abilities have told him of 
  the expedition’s approach, and he has sent this messenger 
  to them. 
  Encounter 2: The Valley of Death
  On the fourth day of their excursion, the characters must set 
  out farther north into the mountains if they are to complete 
  their assignment. Those who are cautious (Notice roll) will 
  have the deﬁ nite sense of being watched.
  The trek will take most of the day; sixteen hours of hiking. A 
  successful Tracking roll is required as well. The highest roll 
  reduces the necessary time of the search by one hour for 
  each raise. Once the time it will take has been determined, 
  read the following:
  The sun is in the west as you crest a rocky ridge, revealing a 
  wide bowl in the mountainside before you. Short, thick grass 
  grows across the rocky landscape. Grazing amidst the scrub 
  near the heart of the bowl is a herd of wild yak.
  At best, the yak will avoid the expedition. If threatened or 
  attacked, the large males will defend the herd.
  Yak (24): Treat yaks as bulls (Savage Worlds, pg. 125).
  Casual exploration of the bowl will uncover the corpses of 
  three dead yak. The bodies are several days old. The herd 
  avoids these cautiously. The cause of death is indeterminable, 
  though the dead yak are relatively large and appear older 
  and more grizzled than the members of the herd. Growing 
  from the rotting meat of each are clusters of plants, about 
  a foot tall and topped with a large green bud. A successful 
  Knowledge (Botany or similar science) roll will suggest these 
  are indeed specimens of Yama’s Poppy. In all, about a dozen 
  specimens can be obtained/cultivated.
  Yeti Attack
  GM Note: This encounter is somewhat complex, as more 
  and more opponents and allies are added at different 
  intervals. Once the battle is joined, you should keep track of 
  each round as it goes by. Set down six markers, either extra 
  bennies or whatever else is handy. As each round ticks by, 
  remove one of the markers. Events happen on rounds 3 and 
  6.
  As the ﬁ rst poppy is cut, read the following aloud to the 
  players:
  As you begin your grim harvest, an unearthly howl rolls out 
  of the mountains, followed immediately by the moans and 
  thunder of stampeding yak!
  The yak stampede is easy enough to avoid unless any of the 
  characters (or their entourage) has the misfortune to be in 
  the middle of the herd.
  The beastly howl is quickly followed by others, echoing 
  throughout the bowl. It quickly becomes apparent the 
  expedition is surrounded. Panic begins to stir among the pack 
  mules and their handlers, requiring a successful Persuasion 
  or Intimidation roll at –2 to keep them from bolting. Grunts 
  and growls continue to issue back and forth, growing steadily 
  closer until either the expedition attempts to leave the bowl 
  or the sun slips below the mountains to the west. At this 
  point, the yeti pursuing the party will attack!
  Yeti (3+1 per Wild Card): These creatures are yeti wildmen 
  (Rippers, pg. 135). 
  The yeti will use their obscure power to get as close to their 
  prey as possible before attacking. 
  Out of the Frying Pan…
  After the third round (round 3) of combat, another beastly 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  9
  howl goes up. This one even causes the yeti to take note. 
  It sounds similar to those issued by themselves, but more 
  ferocious and rabid. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, four new 
  yeti join the frey, attacking human and yeti indiscriminately!
  Berserk Yeti (4)
  These creatures were once standard yeti wildmen, but 
  their abilities are somewhat different due to their continued 
  exposure to the Yama’s Poppy extract.
  Special Abilities: Identical to yeti wildmen (Rippers, pg. 
  135), with the following additions:
  Berserker: The yeti is in a permanent berserk state. +2 to 
  Strength and Fighting rolls, +2 Toughness, –2 to Parry.
  Hardy: The effects of the Yama’s Poppy make the yeti 
  extremely resistant to pain. It does not suffer a wound from 
  multiple Shaken results.
  Frenzy: The yeti may make an extra ﬁ ghting roll per round 
  at a –2 penalty. 
  These new yeti are under the full effects of the Yama’s 
  Poppy extract. They attack with a berserk ferocity. Faced 
  with these new opponents, the other yeti will quickly ﬂ ee, 
  leaving the expedition to battle these bloodthirsty creatures 
  on their own.
  Unexpected Allies
  The combat continues for four more rounds (round 6). At this 
  point, read the following:
  Suddenly, the report of a riﬂ e rings through the valley. From 
  the eastern rim of the valley, you catch a glimpse of lights 
  trailing down into the bowl. Their distant shouts have a 
  distinctly British character.
  A group of ﬁ ve soldiers have come to the aid of expedition. 
  Allow each of the players to play them as they would any 
  other ally. 
  Captain Jacob Reginald Redhearst: Treat as a Wild Card 
  soldier (Rippers, pg. 120). He is armed with a riﬂ e (12 rounds) 
  and a sabre, and wears a heavy coat for armor (+1).
  Soldiers (4): Treat as hired guns (Rippers, pg. 119). They 
  are armed with riﬂ es (12 rounds each) and sabers, and wear 
  heavy coats for armor (+1).
  From here on out, the battle unfolds normally. The crazed 
  yeti will not retreat, regardless of injuries or how many are 
  cut down by the characters and their allies.
  Post Mortem
  Once the yeti have been dispatched, the characters may 
  seek to pursue the others into the mountains, at the vocal 
  objections of their guide (if he lives), the soldiers, and the 
  surviving members of their entourage. Those of a more 
  scholarly bent may desire to examine the dead creatures 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  10
  which, while not physically different from the ﬁ rst pack of 
  yeti, have some subtle differences. If a raise is scored on 
  a Notice roll, one may discover that the necks and wrists 
  of these yeti are chaffed and raw, as though they had been 
  bound.
  Meanwhile, the soldiers explain to the expedition that they 
  were on their way back from a patrol. There is an outpost at 
  a nearby castle, where the characters and their entourage 
  are welcome to accompany them for the night. This is only 
  partially true, as the soldiers are mercenaries in the employ 
  of Maxime Veyret. He has learned of the expedition through 
  interrogation of Chopka and has sent out patrols to watch 
  for their arrival, believing they will be perfect subjects for a 
  new round of experiments he is conducting with the Yama’s 
  Poppy extract.
  The soldiers will not insist the characters accompany them 
  to the castle, nor will they confront them unless attacked 
  themselves. If the characters turn down the offer of shelter, 
  the patrol will leave the bowl. Two soldiers will remain behind 
  to track the expedition if it leaves the bowl, while the rest 
  will return to Lhapka Castle to inform Maxime and to gather 
  reinforcements.
  During the night, while the expedition is camped, the soldiers 
  will return in force to take the characters and their entourage 
  prisoner.
  Soldiers (8+1 per wild card): Treat as hired guns (Rippers, 
  pg 119). They are armed with riﬂ es (12 rounds each) and 
  sabers, and wear heavy coats for armor (+1).
  Neither Captain Redhearst nor the hired mercenaries 
  will hesitate to give up the location of Lhapka Castle and 
  Maxime’s plot to save their own lives. They do not know the 
  full extent of the Frenchman’s plans, only that he has recently 
  brought in a scientist from Hungary to work on a new type of 
  opium. They also know he has a Tibetan boy captive in the 
  dungeons who claims to be a seer.
  Encounter Three: Lhapka Castle
  This scene can go one of two ways, with the characters 
  arriving as guests or prisoners. Ultimately, the outcome may 
  be little different; though certainly the players will have more 
  options in handling the situation if they arrive under more 
  peaceful conditions.
  Lhapka Castle is an old Nepalese stronghold. Its appearance 
  is not as ornate as the castles of the Far East, but its oriental 
  design is unmistakable. It is a relatively small fortress, 
  built on a rocky outcropping against a sheer cliff, offering it 
  considerable protection. A single, narrow road winds up the 
  mountain to the main gates of the low wall.
  Key to Lhapka Castle Grounds
  1. Gatehouse: Six soldiers always man the Gatehouse. 
  Treat these as Hired Guns (Rippers, pg. 119), armed with 
  sabers and riﬂ es. The guard rotates every six hours.
  2. Stables: Horses do not fare well traveling in the mountains. 
  The stables house a dozen mules, along with supplies of 
  feed, straw for insulation, and a variety of other equipment.
  3. Barracks: The castle soldiers are housed here. A full 
  two dozen are in the employ of Maxime Veyret. At any given 
  time, 1d4 soldiers can be found here. They will be resting, 
  gambling, or some similar pastime. There is also a good 
  chance that 1d4 local women will be found here. These 
  have been kidnapped from their villages and offered for the 
  pleasure of the soldiers. Treat them as innocents (Rippers, 
  pg. 119).
  4. Servants Quarters: The castle servants are housed here. 
  Ten servants of various positions serve the needs of Maxime 
  and tend to Lhapka Castle. They are common folk who live 
  in fear of their master. Treat them as innocents (Rippers, pg. 
  119). They have no arms and only trivial possessions.
  5. Lhapka Castle: The lavish decorations of the interior 
  are a stark contrast to the exterior. It is furnished as only 
  a Frenchman could. It is a rich fusion of cultural works: 
  European paintings, Asian statues and vases, and Middle 
  Eastern tapestries. There is a bold arrogance to the décor.
  6. Dungeon Compound: On the surface, this building is a 
  windowless stone slab with a single door. See Encounter 4 
  for a detailed description of the dungeons.
  Dinner Guests
  If the characters have arrived as guests, they will be ushered 
  into the main hall and quickly greeted by the ﬂ amboyantly-
  dressed Maxime. He welcomes them, sees that they are 
  given rooms for the night, and invites them to join him for 
  dinner. Only the characters will be so invited. Their guide 
  and members of their entourage will be removed to other 
  quarters, where they may never be seen again.
  Pleasantries are exchanged over an extravagant feast. They 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  11
  are joined by another man, Tamas Asztalos, who presents 
  himself as a Hungarian nobleman and a longtime friend of 
  Maxime’s. He is a pale, reserved man, with thin, chiseled 
  features. He seldom laughs except for a quiet chuckle, even 
  at the most ribald of Maxime’s jokes. And the Frenchman 
  does love to tell bawdy stories from his youth in Paris. 
  Despite this reserved appearance, Asztalos has a hearty 
  appetite and gorges on meats and wine.
  The players may well be suspicious of Maxime and his 
  business in Nepal. And well they should be. Naturally, the 
  wine is drugged, though the Frenchmen and his servants will 
  give no indication. In fact, Maxime and Asztalos drink freely 
  from their glasses. If the players are wary of it, an opposed 
  Notice roll vs. Maxime’s Persuasion can be made to realize 
  that the two’s glasses are not ﬁ lled from the same decanters 
  as the characters.
  Drugged wine (–2): Character falls asleep for an hour.
  As members of the party succumb to the effects of the drug, 
  soldiers arrive to remove them to the dungeons. Those 
  who are not affected, or have not taken of the wine, will be 
  confronted and asked to come peaceably. Maxime will ask 
  for a token of forgiveness, saying the characters will become 
  part of history.
  The soldiers who come to remove the characters are actually 
  hydes.
  Tamas Asztalos: Treat as a Wild Card hyde (Rippers, pg. 
  126) with d8 Intimidation. He has the additional Edges: 
  Attractive and Combat Reﬂ exes. Tamas answers to the 
  Cabal leadership in Hungary. He does not trust Maxime, 
  but realizes the potential beneﬁ ts to the Cabal from the 
  Frenchman’s experiments.
  Hyde Soldiers (7): Treat as hydes (Rippers, pg. 126) with 
  d8 Fighting and Shooting. They are armed with pistols and 
  swords.
  If the ﬁ ght goes against them, they can call upon up to 12 
  regular soldiers, 1d4 arriving each round.
  Encounter 4: The Dungeons of 
  Lhapka Castle
  If the characters are brought to the castle as prisoners, 
  they will be taken here upon arrival. They will be stripped 
  of possessions and placed individually into cramped cells. 
  Those who cause trouble will be manacled to the wall of their 
  cell. Their guide and entourage will be taken elsewhere, and 
  not treated gently.
  If the characters arrived as guests, they will be treated 
  likewise. Those who succumbed to the drugged wine will 
  awaken already in their cells.
  Key to the Castle Dungeons
  1. Entrance Hall: This room is guarded by two soldiers 
  at all times. Treat them as Hired Guns (Rippers, pg. 119), 
  armed with sabers and pistols. They do not like, nor trust, 
  the hydes, but are well-paid enough to ignore these feelings 
  unless given reason not to.
  2.  Storeroom: This simple room contains a variety of stocks 
  and stores that have use in the dungeons.
  3. The Fiendish Lab: This is the lab of Erno Lovasz, a 
  Hungarian scientist in league with the Cabal. Like Tamas, he 
  is a hyde, and quite familiar with Dr. Jekyll’s work. He is here 
  with Tamas in an effort to ﬁ nd if Maxime’s experiments could 
  have any ramiﬁ cations on Jekyll’s formula. A small, twisted 
  man of bitter humor, Erno has no patience for Maxime’s 
  humor and has cloistered himself in his lab for the duration 
  of his stay. A cot and blanket are set aside for him to sleep 
  upon, and meals are brought to him at regular intervals.
  In his lab is a caged man torturously undergoing the 
  transformation into a yeti. The man is hopelessly addicted to 
  the Yama’s Poppy extract. Erno is recording his observations 
  as to the man’s change and the effects of the drug on him. 
  Here, too, are numerous samples of the poppy ﬂ ower as well 
  as the extract.
  If confronted by the characters, he will not go willingly. As 
  a captive, however, he may provide invaluable insight into 
  the scientiﬁ c agendas of the Cabal. He is also quite familiar 
  with the Cabal’s network in Hungary. If Erno is taken captive, 
  the Cabal will do whatever they can to retrieve or neutralize 
  him. Whether or not Erno has information on some truly 
  ﬁ endish plot by the Cabal is for the GM to determine in later 
  episodes.
  Erno Lovasv: Treat as a hyde (Rippers, pg. 126) with the 
  following skills: Investigation d10, Knowledge (Biology) d8, 
  Knowledge (Medicine) d8. He also has the Scholar Edge 
  (Biology and Medicine). Erno is loyal to Tamas Asztalos. He 
  is armed with various surgical knives (Str+1).
  4.  Barracks: The dungeon guards bunk here. A Notice roll 
  will reveal that the soldiers have little to do with the dungeon 
  guards, a dirty, profane lot with thick Hungarian accents. 
  On a Raise, one may note a hint of disgust. The dungeon 
  guards are actually hydes, servants of Tamas Asztalos, 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  12
  Maxime’s guest. There is a full regiment of a 14 hydes. At 
  any given time, there will be 1d4 hydes (Rippers, pg. 126) 
  herein, resting, gambling, or otherwise passing the time. 
  They do not care for Maxime or his soldiers, but are loyal to 
  Tamas Asztalos.
  Hyde Guards (8): Treat as hydes (Rippers, pg. 126). They 
  are armed with batons and knives.
  5-6. Pits: Beneath this modest sized cell lies a 12-foot 
  deep pit. These cells are used for particularly dangerous 
  prisoners or those Maxime wishes to punish. In the course 
  of this adventure, one of these pits will be used for another 
  purpose. (See The Experiment, below.)
  7.  Prison cells: These small cells are barred by heavy 
  wooden doors, bolted from the outside (Toughness 14). Rings 
  are set into the stone at the rear of the cell for chains and 
  manacles. In the hall are stationed 6 Hyde guards (Rippers, 
  pg 126), armed with clubs. The guard shift changes every 
  four hours.
  8.   Empty cell
  9. Chopka’s prison: Removed from the rest of the 
  prisoners is Chokpa. Locked in his cell, he spends his time 
  meditating on his visions. Maxime visits daily to gloat and 
  pry information from the boy. Chokpa has foreseen that the 
  Rippers will rescue him, and work towards that end once 
  they are likewise imprisoned. He will be eager to learn if 
  the characters received his message. The boy will curry 
  messages to them via rats that live in the walls. Two of 
  Maxime’s soldiers guards stand vigil over the door to the cell 
  at all times. The hydes do not fully understand his powers, 
  and generally underestimate him.
  Imprisoned!
  After half an hour in their cells, Maxime arrives to welcome 
  them. He will go on about the historical nature of the 
  characters’ visit. He knows what they are, and will tell them 
  of his encounter with an agent of the Rippers in Bombay 
  (see Maxime’s background, pg. 5). He jokes about the bitter 
  irony at how, after spending their lives dedicated to the 
  destruction of the cabal, they will be instrumental in handing 
  their enemies a weapon of great signiﬁ cance. He is quite 
  frank about his theories on mixing the Yama’s Poppy extract 
  with opium, producing a drug that will give his Cabal allies 
  a strength ten times what they know now, but without the 
  madness that comes from the poppy extract, or even Dr. 
  Jekyll’s formula. Arrogant and self-assured, he has no fear 
  the characters will ever escape the dungeons alive.
  Once he has satisﬁ ed his own ego, he orders the guards to 
  remove one of the characters. He will purposefully choose 
  the meekest appearing character, preferably a scientist. 
  Under the watch of several guards, they depart the room, 
  leaving the remaining characters to ﬁ gure a way out of their 
  current predicament.
  The Experiment
  The captive player is taken to one of the pit rooms (5 or 6), 
  and thrown in.
  Once the character is alone, read the following aloud:
  From above you hear the grating sound of stone against 
  stone. You watch as a small portal in the ceiling is drawn 
  back. Through this, a brass censor is dropped into the pit 
  after you. The vessel issues forth a thick, sweet smelling 
  incense. The trap door slams shut as smoke quickly begins 
  to ﬁ ll the room. Your eyes burn as tendrils of smoke push 
  their way into your nose and mouth!
  If the character is determined to hold his breath, use the 
  Drowning rules (Savage Worlds, pg 93) to determine how 
  long he is able to do so. Once the character succumbs to 
  Fatigue, or gives up on his own accord, he becomes subject 
  to the effects of the Yama’s Poppy extract/opium mix.
  Yama Poppy extract laced with Opium (–4): Roll 1d10; on a 
  1, the experiment is successful and the character retains all 
  mental faculties. Otherwise, character enters a permanent 
  state of berserk (+2 to Fighting and Strength rolls, –2 to Parry) 
  for 1d4 hours. He also gains the Hardy and Frenzy edges. 
  The effects of the drug leave the system after 12 hours. At 
  this time, the character must make a successful Vigor roll or 
  develop an addiction to the drug.
  Encounter 5: Escape 
  The players are largely left to their own devices in their 
  escape plan. Chopka will help where he can, causing a 
  distraction or whatever else is necessary. While the hyde 
  guards are not especially bright, they are cunning, and will 
  not fall for any obvious tricks or deceptions. They are quick to 
  anger, however, and have very little in the way of self-control, 
  something the players will no doubt use to their advantage.
  Once they have escaped the dungeons, the players have 
  a number of options. They may give up their companion(s) 
  and escape into the mountains, hoping to come back for him 
  later. More likely, they will seek out Maxime and Tamas to 
  exact revenge. As Maxime is too arrogant to believe that 
  anyone could outwit him, the very event of the characters’ 
  escape will take him by surprise. Tamas is far more shrewd 
  and ruthless. He will not underestimate the characters, nor 
  will he hesitate to do away with Maxime if the man becomes 
  a liability.
  Post Mortem
  If the characters escape Castle Lhapka, with or without 
  specimens of the Yama’s Poppy and/or Chokpa, they will 
  have to beat a hasty retreat from Nepal. They may travel 
  south into India, where they can book passage to safer parts. 
  Or they may attempt to cross the Himalayas into Tibet, where 
  they can return Chokpa to the Potala Palace Lodge.
  If Maxime, Tamas, or Erno are still alive, hydes will pursue 
  the characters until they reach a protected safe haven.
  The characters may also return with samples of the extract 
  itself. Perhaps they can perfect the drug that Maxime was 
  hoping to create—as inhuman a substance as any rippertech, 
  and just as valuable to the Cabal. Or perhaps other members 
  of the Rippers organization will take up the experiments.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  13
  T
  his adventure takes place in London, England with 
  a small excursion to the English countryside. The 
  adventure is designed for Novice Characters but can be 
  easily ran for more experienced characters by bumping up 
  the opposition.
  GM Overview
  One or more of the characters was a childhood friend of 
  Nathaniel Thorton, who is about to be married. As per his 
  father’s will, Nathaniel will inherit the whole of his family’s 
  estate only after he marries. The characters are sent to 
  wish their old companion well and perhaps convince him to 
  silently sponsor their lodge.
  Unfortunately for Nathaniel, his soon-to-be bride and the 
  characters, Countess Angelina, a Succubus with ties to the 
  Cabal has learned of Nathaniel’s upcoming marriage and 
  what he stands to inherit. The Countess uses her supernatural 
  beauty and charms to snare Nathaniel and marry him only 
  three days before he is to wed his ﬁ ancée, Carolina Marsh. 
  On the day after the impromptu wedding, the marriage is 
  announced to all and proven legitimate so, as per his father’s 
  will, Nathaniel inherits the family estate. Family and friends 
  alike are shocked. The fact that Nathaniel’s new bride is 
  a Countess is the only thing keeping his name from being 
  dragged through the mud. Carolina Marsh is devastated and 
  those close to her fear she may try to take her own life. A 
  character with a background in the arts may notice a broach 
  worn by the Countess that is, with a Common Knowledge 
  roll, familiar though they cannot place where they have seen 
  it before.
  On the second day, Nathaniel seems tired and fatigued, not 
  at all his normal self. Jacob Marsh, the father of Carolina, 
  openly threatens Nathaniel in public with a pistol. Mr. Marsh 
  is taken into custody. The characters, if they have been 
  asking too many questions, ﬁ nd themselves the targets of a 
  band of thugs working for the Countess.
  The morning of the third day, the characters are summoned 
  to the Thorton estate. Nathaniel Thorton is dead. He was 
  stabbed in the heart by his former ﬁ ancée, Carolina while 
  his wife was bathing. Had a servant not interrupt her act, 
  Nathaniel’s wife would undoubtedly be dead as well. In her 
  anger, Countess Angelina ordered Carolina’s tongue cut out. 
  The constable arrived shortly after and took Carolina away. 
  The characters arrive after Carolina has been taken away 
  but prior to Nathaniel’s body being disturbed. One or more 
  of the characters sees a painting of the Countess that has 
  yet to be placed on display. The broach is quite visible in the 
  painting and its origin becomes clear.
  After some investigation, the characters ﬁ nd themselves 
  Nathaniel’s Way
  by Mike Dudes
  once again set upon by thugs, this time with a Hyde. The 
  next logical step is speaking with Carolina. Though she can 
  no longer speak, she can write. What the characters learn 
  sends them on a trip to a small cottage in the country to ﬁ nd 
  documents that can prove Angelina was never Nathaniel’s 
  legal wife. Once there, the Countess and her retinue of 
  lackeys arrive and it’s a showdown. If they can persevere, 
  the characters can use the documents to prove Angelina 
  was never legally Nathaniel’s wife. And a bit of digging into 
  her personal things, gives the characters the proof they 
  need to show that Angelina was a woman with a history of 
  seducing men and then killing them. Carolina is set free and 
  with her new Estate as the widow of Nathaniel, becomes 
  a new sponsor for the characters lodge...at least that’s the 
  hope.
  Act One
  Scene 1
  The adventure begins as the characters arrive at the home 
  of Nathaniel Thorton. One or more of the characters (Gm’s 
  choice) were childhood friends with Nathaniel and recently 
  received an invitation to his wedding. The head of the 
  character’s lodge suggested they go early and attempt to 
  sway Nathaniel to sponsor their lodge. The characters have 
  memories of Nathaniel’s father telling them all how one 
  day, once he was married, all of the Thorton’s estate would 
  belong to Nathaniel… but only after he was married. Being 
  newly married and inheriting the family estate, Nathaniel is 
  certain to feel generous so persuading him to sponsor the 
  lodge should be a simple thing. If only matters were that 
  simple.
  The characters carriage arrives outside the townhouse 
  where Nathaniel currently resides. There is a ﬂ urry of activity 
  outside. A carriage has lost a wheel and turned over onto 
  its side. Its occupants are now climbing out onto the street. 
  The occupants are Jacob Marsh and his daughter Carolina, 
  Nathaniel’s ﬁ ancée. Mr. Marsh is quite embarrassed and 
  is trying to hide it behind a façade of anger aimed at the 
  carriage driver. The driver is steadily backing away from Mr. 
  Marsh, fearing a beating is sure to come.
  As the characters exit their carriage, they hear such lines as, 
  “Imbecile! You could have killed us!” And especially things 
  like, “If my daughter has so much as a scratch, I will see you 
  in chains!” It should become obvious to the characters that 
  while he is both embarrassed and angry, Mr. Marsh prizes 
  his daughter above all things.
  If the characters choose to intervene, Mr. Marsh will 
  immediately ask to know who they are. Once proper 
  introductions are made, the anger melts from his face as 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  14
  he remembers why he is here: rehearsal for his daughter’s 
  wedding. Should the characters choose to stand by and see 
  what happens, Carolina will loudly whisper, “Father, please!” 
  This will have the same effect as above; the anger will 
  disappear from Mr. Marsh’s face.
  Once the excitement is over and the characters have a 
  chance to truly see her, they realize that Nathaniel is a lucky 
  man indeed. Carolina is a true beauty with golden hair and 
  blue eyes. Her father, Jacob, is a portly man with dark hair 
  and steel grey eyes. Whether the characters bring it up or 
  not, Jacob Marsh will be sure to tell them he is Jacob Marsh, 
  of Marsh Fishing. He owns a number of very proﬁ table 
  ﬁ shing vessels. Anyone wanting his attention need only talk 
  of the oceans or seas and they’ll be regaled with many tales 
  of Marsh while he was with the Royal Navy.
  With introductions done, Marsh orders his driver to see to 
  ﬁ xing the wheel and begins to lead the group toward the door 
  to the townhouse when the door opens and an elderly man 
  wearing an overcoat and hat steps out holding a suitcase in 
  each hand. The man looks a bit startled at ﬁ rst glance, but 
  when his eyes fall upon Carolina, a look of sadness can be 
  seen. Mr. Marsh immediately demands to know what the man 
  is about. If any of the characters seem to have really made 
  an impression on Carolina, she’ll whisper to them that the 
  man is George Ebbury, Nathaniel’s house servant. Though 
  it is obvious he is uncomfortable, George will answer any 
  questions asked him. 
  Q: Where are you going?
  A: To stay with me sister
  Q: Why?
  A: Master Thorton no longer requires me services
  Q: Why would he do that?
  A: He’s decided to keep on the servants o’ his new wife so 
  he won’t be needin’ me no more.
  Q: New wife? You mean Caroline Marsh?
  A: No sirs… his wife, the Countess Angelina
  After the characters have had a chance to ask two or three 
  questions, proceed to Scene 2.
  Scene 2
  As the characters are questioning George, the sound of a 
  horses’ hooves can be heard as a black carriage rounds the 
  corner and pulls to a stop before them. The driver and another 
  man are sitting up front while two other men leap down from 
  the footman’s perch in the rear. All four are dressed head to 
  toe in black suits of good quality. One of the men opens the 
  carriage door and Nathaniel Thorton steps out. Nathaniel 
  smiles at everyone and then turns and offers his hand to 
  the other occupant of the carriage. A beautiful woman with 
  dark hair, olive colored skin and dark brown eyes steps out. 
  Hand in hand, the two step forward and address the group 
  gathered before them.
  “Good evening all! I am please that you are all here so that I 
  may share the good news with you. I would like to introduce 
  you to my dark angel. May I introduce Countess Angelina…. 
  My wife.” After these words are spoken, Carolina faints into 
  the arms of her father. From the look on his face, it is obvious 
  that Jacob would like nothing better than to give Nathaniel a 
  good thrashing but his daughter’s welfare takes precedence 
  for now.
  The characters will hopefully have questions. The following 
  should provide answers for most forthcoming questions:
  Q: When were you married?
  A: Yesterday
  Q: Where did you meet and when?
  A: One week ago. Angelina found herself alone near dark as 
  she awaited her carriage. I was on my way home when I saw 
  her there on the street, with some unsavory fellow lurking 
  close by. When I saw the fellow snatch her by the arm and 
  pull her into an alley, I leapt from my cab without thinking and 
  rushed to her aid. 
  Angelina: He saved my life and it was love at ﬁ rst sight. 
  Nathaniel es mi amor.
  Q: Where are you from Angelina?
  A: Spain… Toledo
  Q: What is your family name Angelina?
  A: Degato
  Q: Nathaniel, what about Carolina? 
  A: She’s a nice girl, but that is all she is… a girl.
  Q: Aren’t you fearful of how news of this will affect your 
  reputation?
  A: Not at all! I am now the master of a great estate and 
  my beautiful bride is a Countess… let them gossip all they 
  want.
  After questions like the above and a few others are asked, (or 
  if the questions are more than you want revealed) Nathaniel 
  will quickly bid farewell to the group but tell them that they 
  may call upon him tomorrow afternoon if they like. He is now 
  staying at the Thorton Estate. With that, he and his wife 
  enter the carriage and leave. 
  During the questioning process, if any of the characters state 
  that they are scrutinizing Angelina, allow a Notice Roll to take 
  note of the pendant she wears around her neck. It is of silver 
  and inlayed with rubies. Allow a Common Knowledge Roll 
  –2 (Characters with an Art background make the roll with 
  no negative). A success allows the character to remember 
  seeing the pendant before, but they cannot place where. A 
  Raise lets the character remember seeing the pendant in a 
  painting at an art show showcasing Spanish talents from the 
  beginning of the century…the painter’s name was Degato. If 
  asked, Angelina will claim her father painted as a hobby.
  From this point, the characters have their options open. 
  Jacob Marsh is angry beyond words. Carolina is emotionally 
  crushed. It is now night and the Marsh carriage is still not 
  repaired. Jacob Marsh asks if he might impose upon the 
  characters to seek a ride home with them for he and his 
  daughter.
  Assuming the characters are gentlemen and give the 
  requested ride home, Jacob bids the characters Good 
  Evening and takes Carolina in to console her. He declines 
  any offers of help, claiming that right now both he and his 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  15
  daughter need to be alone and would prefer no visitors. The 
  characters now have the mystery of Nathaniel’s sudden 
  marriage and empty stomachs to deal with as they have not 
  yet dined.
  Little knowledge can be gained at this hour but if the players 
  insist on it, there are a couple of things that can be done. The 
  ﬁ rst to spring to mind might be to investigate Thorton Estate by 
  sneaking onto the grounds and into the mansion. You might 
  remind the players that Nathaniel and his bride are there 
  now as well as their servants. If they insist, they may well 
  wish they hadn’t. Now that she is living there, Angelina has 
  unleashed her two Devil Dogs (pg 123) to guard the grounds 
  and mansion. Should the characters succeed in avoiding the 
  dogs, they must still avoid Angelina’s 4 coachmen (use the 
  Evil Cultist stats pg 124), the 4 house staff and Angelina’s 
  personal servant, Bernard (who is a Hyde pg 126-7). Good 
  luck.
  A second avenue of investigation would be attending a few 
  art galleries that are open and seeing if anyone has heard 
  of this Degato painter or a painting of the pendant worn by 
  Angelina. This will bear some fruit. Give the characters the 
  name of an old Spanish collector who has an extensive art 
  collection. He has a small gallery near the docks but it is only 
  open during the day and closes fairly early. The man’s name 
  is Armand Deviejo. Still the characters will have to wait until 
  tomorrow. Let them dine and get some rest; they will need it 
  for the next two days events.
  Act Two
  Scene 1
  The next day begins with whatever avenue of investigation 
  the characters choose, but unbeknownst to them, they are 
  being followed. A group of thugs (Use Paid Lackey stats 
  pg 130), one for each character, has been hired to make 
  sure the characters “Mind their own business”. Angelina 
  instructed one of her coachmen to hire the thugs, so if 
  questioned about who hired them, they won’t be able to give 
  anything more than a vague description of a man dressed in 
  black. Use the Thugs as you will to keep things interesting, 
  but don’t let them jump the gun. Once the characters have 
  his name and pay a visit to Armand, the Thugs will know 
  the characters are up to something. They were told to not 
  take action unless the characters visited Armand. So after 
  they’ve done so, the characters are free game for whatever 
  you like. A normal tactic is to have the smallest thug pick the 
  pocket of a character and then run off into an alley where the 
  rest will be waiting to teach the characters a lesson about, 
  “Mindin’ yer own business!”
  Scene 2: Gossip
  Something the characters might hear about during their day is 
  the escape of numerous lunatics from the local asylum. They 
  are to be considered dangerous and not to be approached 
  at all. This was no accident, Angelina arranged the escape. 
  She knew she would need more “help” so she arranged this 
  and immediately used her powers of persuasion and sheer 
  terror to put them in her control. At her request, Bernard has 
  inject one of the inmates with the Hyde serum. 5 regular 
  Inmates, 1 Hyde.
  At about noon, Nathaniel and Angelina will be strolling through 
  Hyde Park when they are accosted by Jacob Marsh. Marsh 
  has a gun and is ready to use it. Luckily, unless the characters 
  are there for some reason, a constable arrives in time to 
  prevent things from escalating to violence. Marsh refuses 
  to relinquish his weapon and strikes the constable. He aims 
  the gun at Angelina when one of her coachmen comes from 
  nowhere to disarm him and knock him unconscious. As a 
  result of brandishing the weapon and striking the constable, 
  Jacob Marsh is taken into custody. Though his inﬂ uence 
  will smooth things out, the damage to his reputation will be 
  done. Every gossip in town will know of what he did in a 
  matter of hours… including the characters. Pass the news 
  to them however you like, but make sure they know prior 
  to going to the Thorton Estate to call on Nathaniel. Should 
  the characters attempt to contact Carolina after learning of 
  this, she will not be at home. Her whereabouts will be made 
  known later.
  Scene 3
  If the characters decide to check out the legality of the 
  marriage with a local barrister, the information could come 
  to them from there.
  Philip Pinesley was the barrister overseeing the Thorton will 
  and Estate. Should the characters pay him a visit, Pinseley 
  will be reticent to provide any information about a client but he 
  is also quite the gossip. A single success on a Persuasion roll 
  will get him to open up and a raise will get him to reveal that 
  did not follow proper procedure due to a substantial amount 
  of money he was given. “Oh yes! Quite the tasty bit of news 
  there, eh? All this time, I’m preparing for Nathaniel Thorton 
  to marry Carolina Marsh and then I have a pounding at my 
  door two days ago with Nathaniel demanding that I come with 
  him at once. Now this was quiet out of the ordinary, but the 
  Thortons are of high standing so I threw on my coat and hat 
  and followed him. He took me to a spot in Hyde Park where 
  a number of people were gathered. He then introduced me 
  to Countess Angelina Degato and a priest of Spanish blood 
  they called Father Salvador. Nathaniel then informed me 
  that he was marrying the Countess right then and there and 
  I was to be witness that it was legal. I tried to inform him 
  that this was all highly irregular but he was adamant. I had 
  no choice but to acquiesce. They shoved papers into my 
  hands for me to look over. These were mainly documents 
  proving that Father Salvador was indeed a priest and a 
  license of marriage which Nathaniel and his would-be bride 
  had already signed…I simply had to add my signature to 
  authenticate it. I did this quickly and handed the papers back 
  to Nathaniel who passed them to a man in black, a servant 
  of the Countess I believe. They then took their places before 
  Father Salvador and he began the impromptu wedding. It 
  was all rather macabre in a way. Everyone dressed in black, 
  the only light being from lanterns and that of the moon, and 
  the deep voice of the Father speaking the words of union 
  in his native tongue. I, myself, do not speak Spanish so I 
  found it all somewhat difﬁ cult to follow. But it was at the end, 
  when Nathaniel and Angelina sealed the union with a kiss, 
  that I felt disturbed. All the men standing about, coachmen 
  and footmen and the servant, smiled and nodded almost as 
  one. But these weren’t the smiles of servants proud for their 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  16
  mistress. These were toothy grins full of malice. With the 
  deed done, Nathaniel turned and thanked me and ordered 
  one of the coachmen to return me to my home. I am not 
  ashamed to say I was only able to fully relax once I was in 
  my door and the bolt was thrown.
  If a raise was scored on the Persuasion roll, he will admit 
  to accepting a bag of coins, though he will not disclose the 
  amount. 
  Scene 3: Calling on Nathaniel
  There is a dense fog already when the characters make their 
  trip to the Thorton Estate, which is odd as the sun is just 
  setting. The road leading to the estate is bordered by trees 
  on either side, giving one the feeling of being trapped. At the 
  edge of the estate, a great iron gate with a large “T” upon it 
  is slowly opened for the carriage by a groundsman dressed 
  in black. Should the characters attempt to ask the man any 
  questions, he will be unable to answer. His tongue was cut 
  out a number of years back when he learned about the 
  Countess Angelina’s true nature. He is now loyal to her out 
  of fear for his life. Nothing can convince him to go against 
  her.
  Once past the gate, a somewhat winding road leads to the 
  mansion itself. The grounds are quickly being covered by fog 
  and from somewhere in the trees, the howling of…wolves? 
  (These are the Devil Dogs that patrol the grounds. They 
  remain just out of sight until needed) The characters will 
  ﬁ nd themselves waiting a good ﬁ ve minutes at the front door 
  after knocking before the door opens and a tall manservant 
  dressed in all black with dark hair slicked back from his 
  forehead and penetrating green eyes greets them. This is 
  Angelina’s personal servant, Bernard. (Bernard is a Hyde, 
  use the standard stats in the Rippers book) Without changing 
  expression, he will ask who is calling. After an introduction, he 
  will tell the characters that they are expected and show them 
  into the sitting room. Bernard will ask to take the characters 
  coats and hats and canes if they have them as is expected. 
  Bernard and his mistress have encountered Rippers once 
  before in Paris and while the Ripper team perished, Angelina 
  and Bernard were forced to leave France as a result. Unless 
  Bernard has reason to believe the characters are prone 
  to violence or if the characters have revealed themselves 
  as Rippers somehow (taking out the thugs in a less than 
  gentlemanly fashion comes to mind) he will have no reason 
  to search their belongings. Still you may allow a Bernard 
  a Notice –2 to ﬁ nd any hidden weapons or the like in the 
  character’s belongings.
  Once this is done, Bernard will inform the characters that 
  his Master will meet with them shortly. The sitting room, 
  while attractive, offers nothing in the way of entertainment 
  aside from the large picture window that looks out upon the 
  grounds. The grounds are now all but completely covered in 
  a thick fog. Should one or more of the characters state they 
  are looking out the window, allow a Notice roll. A success 
  allows a glimpse of one of the Devil Dogs slinking through 
  the fog. The fog makes it impossible to see any details, so it 
  appears only as a very large dog or wolf. Before the attention 
  of the others can be drawn to it, the dog is gone.
  After about 10 minutes, the doors to the sitting room open 
  and Nathaniel enters. A successful Notice roll makes the 
  characters aware of a deﬁ nite change in Nathaniel. His skin 
  is now an almost ashen color and there are dark circles 
  under his eyes. A Raise on the Notice roll reveals a tiny 
  bloodstain on his collar. If the characters attempt to get a 
  close look, allow another Notice roll. A success reveals a 
  small cut or wound on Nathaniels neck. (This is from shaving 
  moments earlier in his fatigued state) Paranoid players will 
  assume a vampire is at work. Let them. If asked about the 
  blood, Nathaniel will express surprise and embarrassment 
  and claim he must have cut himself shaving. 
  If asked about his appearance, or if he is ill, he will claim 
  that the life of a newlywed is most taxing. If asked about the 
  assault upon him earlier in the day by Jacob Marsh, he will 
  lower his head in shame. “At times, this marriage is like a 
  dream. And like a dream, I ﬁ nd myself having moments of 
  clarity where the weight of my actions threaten to incapacitate 
  me. Angelina is every desire I have ever had made ﬂ esh, 
  but…” at this moment Angelina will enter the room and bid 
  everyone hello. A successful Notice roll lets a character 
  catch Nathaniel straighten his stance as his fatigued face 
  turns to a cheerful smile when he hears her voice. Angelina 
  takes Nathaniels arm and after introductions are made, she 
  informs the group that dinner is ready. 
  Dinner is served in the dining room with all the ﬁ nery of the 
  Thorton Estate being used for the ﬁ rst time in years. The 
  main course is roasted pheasant. The wine being served is 
  drugged. Secretly make a Vigor –2 roll for each character. 
  Those failing the roll begin to feel ill (fatigued). Nathaniel 
  will feel ill as well. He will apologize profusely and suggest 
  the characters return to their homes as he feels too ill for 
  company. Make a Persuasion roll for Angelina to pretend 
  that she too is feeling ill. Should she fail the roll, the players 
  will see through her charade of sickness but Nathaniel has 
  asked them to leave. Should they attempt to stay, Angelina 
  will grow angry and demand they leave at once. Bernard will 
  then come forward and tell the characters that their host and 
  hostess are ill so it would not be proper for them to stay. He 
  will apologize and hand the characters their things. 
  The characters, despite some of them being fatigued from 
  the poisoned wine, may still decide to sneak back onto the 
  grounds and see what they can ﬁ nd. If they decide upon this 
  course of action, refer to Act1, Scene 2 for most relevant 
  information. Should they decide to go home, proceed to 
  Scene4. Should they attempt to contact Carolina Marsh, she 
  is not at home. Her father Jacob is there and is quite worried 
  that his daughter may have gone somewhere to kill herself. 
  If asked, he will grufﬂ y explain the events in the park earlier 
  in the day. “I regret nothing other than the fact I didn’t get to 
  unload my pistol into that witch! I’ve thought about it long 
  and hard… she must have poor Nathaniel under some sort 
  of spell. The boy was just acting… wrong.” If the characters 
  offer to look for Carolina, he will gladly accept the help, though 
  he has no idea where to look. He does recall that she used 
  to always visit the old graveyard in Witby as a child. “She 
  always said she found the place soothing.” If the characters 
  choose to go to the graveyard, proceed to Scene 4.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  17
  Scene 4
  No matter their course of action, whether it be simply 
  going home or looking for Carolina Marsh, the characters 
  are about to have their mettle tested. Read or paraphrase 
  the following to the players: As your carriage rolls down 
  the avenue to the clip-clop of horses hooves, you struggle 
  to piece together the string of events of the last few days. 
  Obviously something is not right with Nathaniel and his 
  marriage, but the facts still elude you. Over the din of hooves 
  you hear the crack of the coachman’s whip as the coach 
  bounces somewhat unnatuarally. You feel the inclination as 
  your carriage begins moving downhill and picking up speed. 
  Have each character make a Notice roll. On a success, they 
  realize another carriage is following them. On a Raise, they 
  realize someone has leapt upon their carriage. They have 
  just crested a large hill and are heading down the other side 
  when they are attacked. The attackers are the 6 escaped 
  Lunatics (Inmate pg 127). Use the stats presented in the book 
  but give the Inmates a d4 in Climb and Drive (carriage). 3 of 
  the Inmates have knives, the other 2 have large clubs. One 
  Inmate has been injected with the Hyde serum by Bernard. 
  (Hyde pg 127) Use the standard Chase rules as presented 
  in the SWCR. The characters Coachman has a d6 Drive. 
  Unless they received a Raise on their Notice roll, the Hyde 
  on top of the character’s carriage will begin the round on 
  Hold as he will have surprise. After 3 rounds, the carriages 
  will be off the hill but will face a 90 degree turn on the road 
  or go crashing into a graveyard. 
  The characters will have a ﬁ ght on their hands, but will 
  be made famous by the newspapers if they manage to 
  apprehend the Lunatics and return them to the Asylum.
  Act Three
  The characters, after a rough night, are awakened by a 
  messenger. They are being summoned to the Thorton 
  Estate. Someone is dead. That’s all the messenger knows.
  Scene 1
  The characters arrive at the Thorton Estate and are met by 
  a Police Inspector. He will ask who they are and ask that 
  they please stay out of the way. A successful Persuasion or 
  Intimidate roll will allow them entry to the house. A Raise on 
  the roll will get them the whole story. Numerous police are 
  about, murmuring about blood and crazy women. Should 
  the characters ask and get a success on a Persuasion or 
  Intimidate roll, they will get the story. Here is what the police 
  know:
  Well, the man of the house…Nathaniel Thorton, apparently 
  was engaged to be married to Carolina Marsh. About 3 days 
  before the wedding, he runs of and marries some Countess 
  from Spain. Miss Marsh came here last night looking for 
  revenge. Guess she had snuck in early and poisoned the 
  food. Later she snuck upstairs and into the master bedroom. 
  She stabbed her ex-ﬁ ancee in the heart. The Countess was 
  bathing at the time and was to be the next victim. Lucky 
  for her, one of her servants stumbled in and discovered 
  Miss Marsh. He grabbed her and held her down but I guess 
  she kept screaming. The countess came in and saw her 
  husband dead, then there was this mad woman screaming. 
  She ordered her servant to cut out Marsh’s tongue…so he 
  did. Nasty stuff. They already carted Marsh away but we 
  still haven’t removed the husband’s body from the bedroom.” 
  The characters may have to make a few more Persuasion or 
  Intimidate rolls to get into the master bedroom. Once there, 
  they are confronted by the body of Nathaniel. His body is 
  on it’s back. There is a large stab wound in the chest about 
  where the heart would be. A Notice –2 or a Knowledge 
  (Medicine) roll show Nathaniel’s body to be far more thin 
  than they remember, his eyes appear sunken in and his face 
  has many wrinkles… even his hair is white in spots! It’s as 
  if the very life were sucked out of him. If asked about the 
  Countess, the police will say she went to stay with a friend 
  after being questioned. No matter who they ask, none of the 
  characters can ﬁ nd anyone who knows where this “friend” 
  lives. The police will ﬁ nally get their wits about them and ask 
  the characters to leave as they are about to remove the body 
  and close up the house. Should the characters manage to 
  hide in the house or wait until the police are gone and sneak 
  in, there is little in the house that will help them. Unless they 
  check the attic.
  The attic is where Angelina stores most of her belongings. If 
  the characters can get in here, they will ﬁ nd what they have 
  been looking for. There are numerous chests here as well 
  as over a dozen paintings. If the tarps are removed from the 
  paintings, the characters will ﬁ nd the Degato paintings. They 
  will instantly recognize the pendant in the painting, but even 
  more so, they will recognize the women in the paintings. 
  They are all Angelina. The paintings date back to 1771, yet 
  they woman depicted can be no other if not Angelina. In the 
  chests are neat stacks of clothes, the styles of which vary 
  from the moth eaten to the eccentric. On a successful Notice 
  roll, they will ﬁ nd a cold iron dagger in with the clothes. On 
  a Raise, they will ﬁ nd another pendant… this one being the 
  symbol of St. George. (Both are prizes taken from the Ripper 
  team in Paris).
  After this, they may wish to communicate with Carolina 
  Marsh. 
  Scene 2
  If the characters wish to speak with Carolina they’ll have to 
  go to the Asylum. A Successful Persuasion or Intimidate roll 
  will get them in. If they managed to capture and turn in the 
  escaped Inmates, give them a +2 to their roll. Carolina is 
  sedated and in shock. The characters will need someone 
  with the Alienist Edge to make a Knowledge (Psychology) 
  roll to get anything out of Carolina. If not of the characters 
  are an Alienist, there is one outside a nearby cell who can 
  help. As she cannot speak, the staff of the Asylum have 
  placed a small chalkboard in her cell. 
  As long as the Knowledge (Psychology) roll succeeded, 
  Carolina will be able to answer simple Yes or No questions. 
  On a Raise, her answers are longer and more clear. The 
  following is what really happened. Draw from this as you 
  answer the character’s questions.
  After I was informed of my father’s actions yesterday in the 
  park, I needed to clear my head so I went for a walk. I was 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  18
  headed toward a restful place I know when I felt strong arms 
  grab me and a hand clasped over my mouth. After that I only 
  remember waking up at the Thorton Estate. I found myself 
  in the Master Bedroom and right there in front of me were 
  Nathaniel and his whore having relations in front of me. I 
  averted my eyes but I could still hear them. When the sounds 
  ceased, I felt a warm hand on my hand and looked up to see 
  Nathaniel’s whore. She was smiling at me. I glanced at the 
  bed and noticed Nathaniel was not moving. She followed 
  my eyes and laughed. “Do no worry mi Chiquita, he died 
  with a smile on his face.” I screamed then and felt the tears 
  on my face. She continued, “I intercepted the letter you sent 
  Nathaniel. He never told me he had already married you in 
  secret. It is because of this that I have brought you here. 
  You see, in the eyes of the public, you will be the jealous 
  jilted amor who took her vengeance. I will be the sad widow 
  whose only consolation will be seeing you waste away in an 
  Asylum or prison. But, you know things that could hurt me. 
  We cannot have you telling anyone that YOU are Nathaniel’s 
  legal wife and widow. So my servant Bernard here is going 
  to cut out your tongue while I bathe. Killing Nathaniel just 
  made me feel so dirty, hehehe.”
  I was held down by two men while another held my head and 
  opened my mouth. The one called Bernard glanced at one of 
  them. “You’ve sent word to the police?” The other nodded. 
  Bernard then pulled out a large knife….. I next awoke in pain 
  and choking on my own blood. The police were dragging 
  me out of the house. A doctor was there and he helped me 
  somewhat… then I was here.
  Angelina is a monster! She must not be allowed to walk 
  away from this. I have proof, proof that Nathaniel and I were 
  married a month ago. There is a small cottage about 12 miles 
  East of the Estate. We consummated our marriage there. 
  Under one of the ﬂ oorboards you will ﬁ nd the documents 
  necessary to prove that Nathaniel and I were married and 
  therefore his marriage to Angelina is false. She has no claim. 
  I don’t care if I rot away here, but I want justice done.
  That is all Carolina knows. It is important that you have her 
  inform the characters of the cottage and what is there. This 
  leads to a showdown.
  Scene 3
  Reaching the cottage means traveling through forest for 
  12 miles in the rain. The characters are, of course, being 
  followed. Angelina, using her true form, ﬂ ies above the trees 
  and follows the characters, going back from time to time to 
  tell her men where to go. Once the characters arrive at the 
  cottage, Angelina and her men will surround the cottage 10 
  minutes later. Angelina has her two coachmen, two footmen 
  and two others plus Bernard. Treat them all as Evil Cultists 
  pg 124 but give two of them riﬂ es instead of sabers. Bernard 
  will be in his Hyde form so he will need no weapons. 
  The cottage stands in the middle of a circular clearing with 
  the treeline being about 25yds away on all sides. There is 
  a single window in the cottage looking out the front. The 
  cottage is one large room with a table, four chairs and a 
  woodburning stove. In the corner on the southeast side 
  is a bed made of straw. With a successful Notice roll, the 
  characters will ﬁ nd the loose board Carolina mentioned and 
  the documents in a box underneath. The documents prove 
  that Nathaniel’s marriage to Angelina is false. Carolina is his 
  true widow and Master of the Estate.
  One of Angelina’s men will attempt to get to the characters 
  carriage and set the horses free. If they did not come in a 
  carriage but simply rode horses, then he will still free the 
  horses. Bernard will attempt to get to the door without being 
  seen while Angelina will try to get close to the window and 
  use her Puppet Power on anyone acting as lookout. The two 
  men with riﬂ es will remain just inside the treeline and try to 
  pick off anyone attempting to ﬂ ee. The others are ready to 
  follow Bernard through the front door or to crash through the 
  window.
  Aftermath
  Assuming the characters survive, they can return to the 
  city and prove Carolina is Nathaniel’s true widow. With a bit 
  of digging, they can ﬁ nd more evidence at the estate that 
  Angelina was not what she seemed. There is proof of 4 other 
  marriages in which the men died and Angelina was left to 
  reap the rewards… When this is brought to the attention of 
  the authorities, they will quietly release Carolina with their 
  deepest apologies. Carolina will be grateful beyond words 
  and will offer to help the characters in any way she can. 
  What were the characters here for again?
  If anyone was wondering what happened to Jacob Marsh, 
  he went on a drinking binge when he couldn’t ﬁ nd his 
  daughter and was ready to go kill Angelina when Carolina 
  was arrested. He arrives at the Asylum shortly after the 
  characters leave for the cottage. He is most pleased when 
  the characters prove Carolina’s innocence. He pledges that 
  if they should ever need his help, he will be there.
  Finally, should any of the characters ask why Carolina why 
  she and Nathaniel married secretly long before the actual 
  wedding, she will answer thusly, “Nathaniel was impulsive 
  and he said he loved me so much he couldn’t wait. He 
  didn’t care about the Estate. He just wanted to be with me. 
  Nathaniel was impulsive and loving….That was Nathaniel’s 
  Way.”
  Countess Angelina Degato (Succubus)
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d10, Vigor d8
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d12+1
  Charisma: +6; Pace: 6 (climb 4); Parry: 5; Toughness: 6
  Special Abilities
  • Claws: Str+2
  • Demon: +2 to recover from being Shaken, immune to poison and 
  disease, half-damage from non-magical attacks except cold iron
  • Life Drain: If Angelina makes love to a victim, they must make a Vigor 
  roll Opposed by her Spirit or lose one die of Vigor. If the victim’s Vigor 
  drops to zero, Angelina has drained his life force from him and he is 
  dead. Should the victim survive, lost Vigor returns at a rate of one die per 
  day.
  • Seductive Instruction: Angelina can use the Puppet power using her 
  Spirit as her arcane skill. She has 20 Power Points for this ability.
  • Supernaturally Attractive: While her demonic form is still somewhat 
  attractive, through illusion she may make herself appear more beautiful 
  than most mortals can imagine. This gives her a +6 to her Charisma but 
  the illusion can be seen through with the Detect Arcana spell.
  Weakness (Cold Iron): As a demon, Angelina takes normal damage 
  from cold iron weapons.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  19
  R
  ead the following to the Rippers while they are at a 
  socializing mission:
  You are watching one Mr. Arthur Rafﬂ es bowl a bit of cricket 
  when suddenly an old man with a rather ungainly, bulbous 
  nose approaches and taps one of you on the shoulder.
  “Excuse me,” he intones, “By way of introduction, my name is 
  Lane, in the service of Mr. Algernon Moncrieff. I believe you 
  and he have...common interests. Indeed, I myself have been 
  known to wrestle with...bringing light to a troubled world?”
  Lane cocks an eyebrow at you, a rather more impertinent 
  gesture than you like from a footman.
  Have the players roll Common Knowledge checks. Success 
  indicates they’ve heard of Algernon. A raise recalls that Mr. 
  Moncrieff is a member of the Rippers London lodge, known 
  more for his social abilities more than his combat skills 
  (although a tedious job, someone has to do it). In addition, 
  Moncrieff is a famed patron of the Rippers, supporting many 
  smaller lodges. And on anything but a critical failure, they’re 
  heard of Lane, a famed monster hunter who acted with 
  the double identity(and absurd name) “Bunbury” in earlier 
  years.
  Algernon can be found butchering some piano music in a 
  parlour away from the hustle and bustle.
  “Hello, fellow Rippers! Excuse the piano, I would rather play 
  with wonderful expression than stoop to playing accurately; 
  such things are best left to musicians, and it will be a sad day 
  when I am considered among their number.” Algernon grins 
  and you immediately feel at ease. But the grin fades, and Mr. 
  Moncrieff becomes deadly serious.
  “However, that’s neither here nor there. As much as I’d like 
  to bandy about pleasantries, I must really ask you a favor. 
  In return, I’ll support the artistic movement you belong to, 
  which I think really may be for the best.” Algernon begins 
  writing a check. “I think ₤75 ready money up front, to be 
  divided amongst you fellows, and perhaps ₤50 a month 
  upon completion should be sufﬁ cient, yes?”
  NOTE: Algernon is happy to transfer his patronage in the 
  future should the players decide to start their own lodge.
  “Now then. The son of a Dutch chap we all know had asked 
  me to have a look about the house of one Ernst Wessig, 
  some eccentric inventor, fancies himself a genius. Ernst 
  used to have some contact with your movement, I believe, 
  something on the fringes of it. After a few drinks, Wessig 
  boasted to me he’d ‘done the impossible,’ that he’d opened 
  a doorway to ‘somewhere else’ and bound evil spirits or 
  somesuch into common objects.” Algernon pauses and 
  lights a cigarette.
  “I hardly need say I was very much interested and pressed 
  on, so Wessig showed me his secret project—made me wait 
  The Importance of Beating Ernst
  A Rather Whimsical Work for 3-6 Seasoned Rippers
  by Theron Seckington
  in the room, said he’d be back in two shakes. A gentleman’s 
  two shakes is invariably twenty minutes, so I conveniently 
  got lost on my way to the larder and had a quick look around. 
  Wessig returned a half hour later with three thuggish men 
  toting a suit of red armour. Indecorous looking thing, red and 
  spiked and scorched-like.” Algernon takes a quick puff on 
  his smoke.
  “Wessig said he’d bound a spirit into this queer looking 
  piece,and I didn’t doubt it.” Algernon pauses for a second to 
  announce a topic shift. He glances towards Lane, who takes 
  a peek outside the doors to make sure prying ears are far 
  removed. “That same son of a Dutchman has asked me to 
  hire some willing parties to take the indecorous armour away 
  from Wessig for research and, if necessary, destruction. 
  Moreover, it is vitally important that Wessig be brought in 
  alive, as we’ve got a list of questions we’d like to put to the 
  chap. I’m no sneak-thief, nor am I a capable pugilist, but 
  some of you have reputations in both matters.”
  The characters are on their own as far as getting in is 
  concerned. There are several plausible ways:
  Algernon can put the characters in touch with Rippers who 
  can put them in touch with Wessig and politely ask the 
  eccentric inventor if a “curious friend” can join them. This 
  has the advantage of putting the characters on the inside 
  of Wessig’s mansion, and with a Novice ripper apiece. 
  Unfortunately, so as not to arouse too much suspicion, only 
  two heroes may inﬁ ltrate in this manner.
  The characters can launch a stealth assault against the 
  house. There are several difﬁ culties in this course of action, 
  presented later.
  Any sort of Investigation roll revolving around Wessig reveals 
  his home was investigated by an archaeological survey team 
  who believed it rested upon Roman catacombs of some sort. 
  The same archaeologists believed there was an entrance in 
  a nearby mausoleum. Naturally, one of the archaeologists 
  mentioned this to a Ripper, and the characters may storm 
  the inventor’s house with guns blazing through the sewers. 
  This, too, presents problems. However, the characters are 
  equipped, again, with a Novice Ripper each.
  Finally, Algernon thought of a way to get a suit of demon-
  tainted armour out of the place that the players might not 
  have: There will be a horse-drawn cart carrying a large cofﬁ n 
  waiting for a signal wherever the players choose.
  The Grounds: Sneaking In
  To begin, there’s a high fence over the perimeter of the 
  grounds. A Climbing roll at –2 is required to get over; failure 
  puts the guards on Active alert. Critical failure also results in 
  1d6 damage. Once someone is over the fence, then Stealth 
  will get them to the gate to let other characters inside.
  The manor grounds are patrolled by four guards, each with a 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  20
  dog (use Paid Lackey stats and equipment—Rippers 130—
  for the guards with a Notice of d6 and a baton instead of a 
  knife; dogs are as described in SW rulebook). Trespassers 
  are turned into the police after a thorough beating, but armed 
  resistance will cause the guards to ﬁ re their pistols and likely 
  attract police if not handled properly.
  The grounds are also guarded by a special surprise: The 
  Cabal has offered Wessig the services of a gargoyle (Rippers 
  124), which will begin searching for prey as soon as any 
  guards are on Active alert.
  The Catacombs: Breaking In
  The catacombs are, of course, guarded by evil Roman 
  mummies (8 of them). Use Zombie (Rippers 137) stats, 
  but change the type from Zombie to Mummy (with the 
  corresponding weakness to ﬁ re). All but one carry a gladius 
  (Str+2) and wear Roman armour (+2 Armour).
  The characters will also encounter a Wild Card devil dog 
  (Rippers pg. 123) in the catacombs, which Wessig has 
  partially ﬂ ooded with an icky slime from an alternate plane 
  (treat as rough terrain for anyone without the Demon 
  type). The catacombs end in a brick wall, which Common 
  Knowledge will reveal is recent in addition to entirely out of 
  place. The brick wall has a Toughness of 10, but could be 
  toppled with a cooperative Strength roll.
  Breaking in leads the PCs to a secluded portion of the 
  cellar.
  Party Time
  Algernon can put the characters in contact with a few Novice 
  Rippers who are “in” with one of Wessig’s eccentricities: 
  Wessig loves beer. He’s as proud of his beer selection as 
  many are of their wine cellar, so Algernon has asked a few 
  friends of Wessig to do the organization a service and ask 
  if it’s not too much trouble, might the player characters tag 
  along?
  The PCs will have an advantage that there is nobody but 
  Rippers at the party, but something of a disadvantage in 
  that Wessig will not reveal his work accidentally this time 
  around.
  Wessig’s demon-bound butler (use Cossack Guard stats, 
  Stealth d6+2, Reason –2, and the Low Light Vision monstrous 
  ability) is present, and sometimes makes a sweep of the 
  rooms if the PCs wander around (conveniently getting lost 
  as Algernon did) and escorts them back to the party. The 
  butler keeps a sap on his person.
  Wessig invites the characters down to the cellar one at a 
  time for a tour of sorts. A Notice roll will note mostly barrels 
  and bottles and racks of stuff, and a dusty old mirror in the 
  corner. Wessig mentions that it’s his grandfather’s (for players 
  that came in through the catacombs, they’ll have to read 
  through Wessig’s notes to discover its purpose). A Common 
  Knowledge roll at –2 will reveal that the architecture is quite 
  different down here. If asked, Wessig will mention the Roman 
  catacombs rumoured to be underneath the house, and say 
  that part of the stonework is arguably part of a ruin.
  Play up the oddness of some of the beers; Wessig is intensely 
  proud of them and quaffs some barely drinkable stuff.
  The House
  The following parts of the adventure should be usable no 
  matter how the characters gained access to the place.
  The Study
  Most of the house is useless, but an Investigation roll will 
  direct them to Wessig’s study. Going through Wessig’s notes 
  requires another Investigation roll, and they are written in 
  Latin for the most part (this may require two characters 
  making a cooperative roll, if only one has Latin). The following 
  is the pertinent part of the investigation:
  “I have succeeded! Tonight, with the aide of my metaphysical 
  friend Caliban, I bound an evil spirit from a plane most 
  easily described as the Christian Hell into my longtime 
  companion—my dog Merriweather. Although the success is 
  gratifying, the dog became violent without the safeuards in 
  place. I have put the poor beast in the catacombs underneath 
  the house. Caliban assured me that Merriweather was a trial 
  run, far from the culmination of my efforts. Though his loss 
  is discouraging, the increased security to the back entrance 
  to the lab is invaluable. Caliban has suggested I make my 
  next experiment on something inanimate. I shall try so on 
  my grandfather Ochterbeck’s mirror. If guard duties are what 
  these spirits excel at, then I see no better purpose that to 
  guard the hidden section of the cellar I found.”
  A success on a Smarts roll allows a character who has been 
  in the cellar remember an old, dusty mirror against a wall.
  Unless anyone is keeping watch, the butler will attempt to 
  sneak up on characters reading the notes and incapacitate 
  them. A ﬁ ght may break out, bringing in the four guards (sans 
  dogs) from outside. The gargoyle will clamber in at the ﬁ rst 
  sign of supernatural activity (including Rippertech). Wessig 
  retreats to his lab once violence occurs.
  Wessig’s notebook can be kept for further use. It offers 
  a wealth of information on bindings and rituals if mined 
  carefully.
  The Mirror
  Wessig’s mirror, belonging to his Grandfather Ochterbeck, 
  has had its very quicksilver demon-bound into its defense. 
  Anyone other than Wessig or his staff who approaches is 
  liable to be attacked by the demon in the mirror. The mirror 
  demon will likely attack with The Drop unless forced out of 
  the mirror with a holy symbol. The Demon itself is a shifting, 
  humanoid mass of quicksilver that tends to resemble the 
  person it’s attacking.
  Mirror Demon (WC, Demon)
  Attributes: Agility d12, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidate d8+2, Taunt d12+2
  Pace: 10; Parry: 7; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: None.
  Edges: Acrobat, Improved Dodge, Improved Frenzy, Level 
  Headed, Quick, Strong Willed
  Special Abilities:
  • Construct
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  21
  • Withdraw: The Mirror Demon moves so quickly that 
  opponents that attack it as it withdraws form close combat 
  suffer –2 to their rolls.
  • Arcane Dodge: Magic seems to slide off the Mirror 
  Demon. Spells directed at it suffer a –4 penalty, and double 
  the risk of hitting an ally with the Innocent Bystander rules. 
  The Demon also gets a +4 bonus to evade arcane area 
  attacks.
  • Demonic Taunting: If the Mirror Demon scores a raise 
  on a Taunt roll, the target must roll on the Fear table.
  • Weakness: Cold Iron and Weakness: Holy Symbol as per 
  any other demon.
  • Fear (–2): The demon’s terrifying visage causes 
  characters to make Guts checks at –2.
  The Lab and Inevitable Confrontation
  Past the mirror, into the lab, the characters eventually go. 
  The lab is 6” wide and 14” long, lined with books and with a 
  conjuring circle in the middle. The circle ﬁ lls a Medium Burst 
  template. Off to the side, on a stand, is the Indecorous.
  Wessig, if here, will animate the Indecorous by expending 5 
  of his Power Points. If he is not, then Caliban will do so, but 
  Caliban remains invisible until he decides to attack (with The 
  Drop if he gets a raise on a Stealth roll).
  Wessig (WC)
  Wessig wasn’t trained as a ﬁ ghter, so he’s invited a few 
  friends into his body to confront the more adept heroes. Use 
  Pumpkin Jack stats for Wessig (with Knowledge: Rippertech, 
  Demons, and Chemistry of d10 for future notice), with the 
  following changes:
  In his possessed form, Wessig can not animate scarecrows 
  as Pumpkin Jack can.
  Wessig has implanted Rippertech in his own body. He has 
  Mesmeric Eyes (puppet once per day) and Fiend’s Blood 
  (Frenzy, Cold Iron Weakness). The total Reason loss is a 
  mere –1, but it may mean the difference between life and 
  death for the heroes.
  Finally, Wessig has acquired a short sword from one of the 
  Roman mummies that resides under his house. The now 
  cursed weapon inﬂ icts Str+4 damage and wounds it causes 
  must heal naturally.
  Caliban (WC)
  This is the very Caliban from The Tempest, in fact. Wessig’s 
  “supernatural friend” ﬁ rst discovered him when Wessig 
  wandered around Prospero’s island years ago. The spirit 
  recognized Wessig’s capacity for evil and presented him 
  with the Prospero’s magic books. Caliban has slowly been 
  trying to manipulate Wessig into summoning the shade of 
  his hated former master.
  Should the battle begin going poorly for Wessig, Caliban, 
  and the animated armour, Caliban will attempt to kill Wessig 
  in an attempt to free himself and will try to ﬁ nd a new master 
  to avenge himself.
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d4, Spirit d10, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d10
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d8, Intimidate d10, Spellcasting 
  d6, Stealth d8
  Pace: 5; Parry: 5; Toughness: 8
  Hindrances: Mean, Vengeful (major)
  Edges: Brawny, Combat Reﬂ exes
  Arcane Background (Magic): Caliban has 15 Power 
  Points and can use the following powers: bolt (a bolt of 
  swirling colors), detect/conceal arcana (spirit sense).
  Spirit: Caliban can become invisible at will, but doing so 
  takes 10 minutes. Caliban starts the ﬁ ght invisible.
  Magic shy: Despite his heritage, Caliban is easily 
  frightened by magic. The ﬁ rst time he sees it used against 
  him or anyone in the room, he must make a Guts check. 
  Consequently, anyone who has demonstrated magical 
  ability makes Intimidation rolls against Caliban at +2.
  Slow Reﬂ exes: –1 Parry
  Indecorous (WC)
  The animated armor is bad news. Treat as a Wild Card 
  Monster (Rippers, p. 128), but Size is 0 and with Armor 
  +6 (Total Toughness 14). The Indecorous armour has 
  a weakness against cold iron and holy symbols as well 
  as against explosives.
  Speaking of explosives, Wessig’s lab has a number of 
  volatile materials which anyone with the Weird Science AB 
  or Knowledge (chemistry) recognize instantly. If combined 
  correctly (which takes an action and a chemistry or Weird 
  Science skill check), they may be thrown to cause 2d6 
  damage in a medium burst template.
  Destroying the conjuring circle causes Caliban to make a 
  Spirit (–2) check at the beginning of every round or dissipate 
  into mist, heaping curses and oaths upon the hero who does. 
  He’s not dead, just somewhere else.
  Once the Indecorous is rendered “dead,” the armor slumps 
  over and falls into its component pieces on the ﬂ oor. A bit of 
  smoke pours from the visor. The armor is still transportable, 
  and no doubt the son of the Dutch chap would like to know 
  about these strange happenings.
  Denouement
  Despite the carriage, transporting wounded Rippers, an 
  unconscious Bavarian expatriate, and a suit of demon 
  armour may lead to an interesting encounter with police or 
  polite society on the way to the lodge.
  If only one of the tasks is completed (Wessig is killed but the 
  armour is retrieved, or Wessig is brought in and the armour is 
  not) the Rippers lose 1 Inﬂ uence and Algernon only donates 
  ₤20 a month to the lodge. 
  Wessig may attempt to use Caliban to escape imprisonment, 
  but such a task would require access to magic books and 
  supplies. Wessig know some very interesting tidbits of 
  information, including the rough location of Prospero’s island, 
  near Malta—a magical place indeed.
  Finally, wearing the Indecorous armour is possible, though 
  ill-advised. It grants a +6 bonus to Armour, +1 die types to 
  Strength and Fighting, and the Berserk Edge to whomever 
  wears it. Unfortunately, those with Reason of 0 or less suffer 
  –2 to recover from being Shaken or to soak Wounds whilst 
  protected by the evil armour.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  22
  GM Overview
  This adventure takes place in the small East Sussex village 
  of Rottingdean (which is located about 50 miles south of 
  London, ten miles west of Brighton). The adventure is divided 
  between investigation and action and was play-tested with a 
  group of 8 rippers. Some combat-oriented characters are a 
  must, at least for the second half of this adventure.
  The town of Rottingdean has a number of odd occurrences 
  recently. A week ago four children disappeared. There has 
  been no trace of them since. One child was taken from her bed 
  and the other three disappeared on their way home from the 
  county school. Then there have been the odd disturbances 
  of the livestock. Many in town have linked these disturbances 
  to the wealthy Londoner who has recently purchased the old 
  manor on the Elm.
  The truth of the matter is that this village lies atop a series 
  of catacombs and caves that have been the resting place of 
  a race of horrid ﬁ sh-men that have recently been awakened 
  and seek to reclaim their ancient town. The creatures have 
  been reawakened through the promise of human blood by 
  the town priest, Father MacDougall. Of dubious parentage, 
  Father MacDougall is actually half-kin to the aquatic Deep 
  Ones. 
  While he prepares human sacriﬁ ces, primarily the blood 
  of children descended from the Deep Ones, he has also 
  devised a reign of terror on the village that has always 
  taunted and ostracized him. To accomplish this, MacDougall 
  has consulted a number of arcane texts and devised a 
  method by which to make the local livestock feral. He has 
  been testing this formula with the help of the village idiot, 
  Ernest.
  The entire adventure is set to take place over the course of 
  two days in the small, rural village. It is designed to emphasize 
  the horror of the Rippers setting, but also provides plenty of 
  action for characters designed for combat.
  The plot of this adventure was inspired by two sources: 
  The Shadow over Innsmouth by H.P. Lovecraft, my favorite 
  Lovecraft story, and Death at Rottingdean by Bill and Susan 
  Albert. 
  Act 1: A Small Town and Odd 
  Surprises
  The adventure opens with the characters receiving a letter 
  and an appropriate number of train tickets in an unmarked 
  envelope. The letter describes the unusual disappearances of 
  several people from the village of Rottingdean, East Sussex, 
  England. It then asks for the character’s help in solving this 
  mystery and offers free, ﬁ rst-class accommodations to 
  Rottingdean.
  Scene 1: The Arrival
  The train station which brings the characters from London 
  serves a number of small villages and drops the characters 
  off about a mile and a half from the actual town. When the 
  characters arrive the train station is nearly abandoned, with 
  only the station’s elderly manager present. 
  The manager is kindly and polite but is of little help to the 
  players. He informs them that there is no coach or taxi to 
  take them into Rottingdean, but that a straight walk down 
  the Lewis Road will take them directly into town. If they do 
  not want to carry their luggage the manager can arrange for 
  someone to bring it into town for them. Unfortunately, it is 
  close to the dinner hour and he probably will not be able to 
  get anyone until the next morning. The station manager can 
  also recommend accommodations for the evening at the 
  White Horse boarding house on High Street.
  Certainly, by this point, several of the characters – particularly 
  those from the upper crusts of the society – will feel put out 
  by the conditions of their arrival. This scene should serve to 
  demonstrate the isolated nature of Rottingdean and make 
  the players aware that whatever happens in Rottingdean will 
  probably stay in Rottingdean!
  Scene 2: Feral Fauna
  As the characters walk towards Rottingdean they pass a 
  small farm and witness a strange scene. Near the edge of the 
  road they see a grizzled farmer ﬁ xing a fence post. What is 
  odd, however, is that the farmer is missing an arm. Where he 
  once had a left arm he now has stump covered in bandages. 
  The bandages are soaked in fresh blood. When he spots 
  the characters he simply nods to them and issues a simple 
  warning: “Ye best beware if you’re plannin’ on spendin’ any 
  time round here.” 
  Of course this should be enough to draw the characters into 
  a conversation with the farmer. He is only too happy to detail 
  the events that led to the loss of his arm. It seems that a 
  couple of nights ago he heard some odd noises in the barn 
  while he was out feeding the chickens. When he went to 
  the barn and opened the doors he was stampeded by cows 
  that had gone mad. These cows were foaming at the mouth 
  and began to attack and eat the chickens. His two sons 
  grabbed farming implements and ran out to aid him. Before 
  the evening was over he and his sons had put down ﬁ fteen 
  cows – but not before one had taken off his arm and another 
  had kicked his son into a coma. 
  An investigation of the premise shows only a house, a couple 
  of outbuildings, and a pen for the cattle. There only remain a 
  few living cows. There are no chickens left. The pen is full of 
  mud, cow slop, and an old trough that the cows drink out of.
  Terror Under Rottingdean
  by Jason Pasch
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  23
  If the player characters ask to see the wound he will complain 
  that it doesn’t seem to be healing right. The wound looks 
  massively infected and is oozing a green puss. The farmer 
  refuses help and says that he’s got his wife looking after 
  him. Other than the fact that the farmer is a little shaken by 
  his recent experience, there doesn’t seem to be any major 
  changes in his behavior. If the players are persistent, the 
  farmer reminds them that if they don’t hurry they won’t get 
  into town before sundown.
  Scene 3: The Speedster 
  As the characters make their way into town, they round a 
  large hill that looks down into the small village of Rottingdean. 
  The town is home to about 500 people and is centered on 
  a village green and a small spring-fed lake. On the edge of 
  town, to the west, is a large hill with an aged windmill on it. 
  On the opposite side of town, also on the top of a hill, is a 
  wooded area with the outlines of an old manor house on it. 
  This is the Elm. Lewis Road merges into High Street, which 
  runs through the middle of town. The farmer told them that 
  The White Horse can be found near the end of the street, 
  before the bluffs begin that look out over the ocean.
  Just as the heroes make their way over the hill they hear a 
  roaring noise. Allow the character to make it off the road in just 
  enough time to avoid being run over by a wild, mechanized 
  carriage that is speeding into town. The vehicle is short and 
  squat and is spewing smoke out the rear of the carriage. In 
  the pilot’s seat is a young man wearing a crash helmet and 
  goggles. He seems to not even notice the characters as he 
  zooms down the hill and comes to a stop right in front of The 
  White Horse.
  Townsfolk stream out of their homes and businesses to get 
  a look at the daring driver and he is still standing around 
  answering questions when the players make their way down 
  to him. His name, he informs them, is Charles Rolls. He 
  is a young London aristocrat and he’s just graduated from 
  engineering school. This recent invention of his is called the 
  Energized Horseless Carriage and he is in Rottingdean to 
  look into obtaining an extract that can be found in the shale 
  that makes up the cliffs near the ocean here to enhance the 
  performance of his contraption’s engine. Any character that 
  makes a Common Sense roll may know that the automobile 
  has just recently been invented in Europe and is becoming 
  more common throughout Britain and continental Europe as 
  a plaything for the rich and well-off.
  If the characters complain about Rolls’ reckless driving he 
  apologizes profusely. “I’m still getting the hang of this thing,” 
  he states, “I’m hoping to break the 12mph speed record 
  soon.” Overall, Charles Rolls is a very likeable young man 
  who will be a useful ally for the characters towards the end 
  of the adventure.
  Charles S. Rolls (WC)
  The son of a London aristocrat, Charles attended engineering 
  school where he became infatuated with motorized and 
  mechanized contraptions. Charles is currently obsessed 
  with breaking all current speed laws and limitations.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d4, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Driving d10, Gambling d6, Guts d6, Weird Science 
  d10, Repair d6
  Status: 10
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Reason: 0; Toughness: 
  4
  Hindrances: Heroic, Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Noble, Arcane Background (Weird Science), Ace
  Gear: Helmet, the Energized Horseless Carriage (Acc/Top 
  Speed: 5/16, Toughness: 8 (2), Crew: 1 + 1)
  Act 2: The Evening Comes
  In this portion of the adventure, the characters get settled 
  in to The White Horse and become familiar with the myths 
  surrounding this small town. They also can obtain the basic 
  information about the disappearances of the children. This 
  act concludes with a chance encounter with a glimpse of 
  evil.
  Scene 1: The Check-In
  The White Horse is a respectable boarding house run by 
  Mildred Mason and her husband, Warner. Mildred manages 
  the boarding house and cooks the meals while her husband, 
  who carries out a day job as a handyman, keeps up with the 
  inn’s small necessary repairs. 
  The White Horse is empty of any visitors and is just housing 
  its regular occupants (Mildred and her husband, and a 
  couple of elderly village residents). She offers the group of 
  characters a number of rooms to choose from at a standard 
  fair. The rate includes two meals a day. She keeps “a clean 
  and honest establishment,” she warns the characters. The 
  doors are locked every night at nine and the characters are 
  expected to be in by that time. For a couple of extra shillings 
  she will consider having someone watch the door and let 
  the characters in if they should be out on business. “But, of 
  course, there’s nothing much open in town after dark,” she 
  adds.
  After dinner the old timers gather in the dinning area and tell 
  stories and smoke pipes. Mildred offers to put some music 
  on the phonograph. She has just recently gotten some 
  new music from London, if the characters are interested in 
  hearing it. While the characters sit around, socializing, they 
  may be exposed to the following rumors and clues:
  This town was originally founded by pre-Saxon settlers. In an 
  odd turn of events, the Romans and the Saxons are rumored 
  to have banded together to drive out the original inhabitants. 
  It is said that the Saxons always feared the return of the 
  original inhabitants.
  A natural pond is located in the center of the village – known 
  as the Pump Green. It is the source of the drinking water for 
  the local families and their livestock. A mechanized pump 
  has recently been installed to help send water out to some 
  of the farms on the outlying areas of Rottingdean.
  Near the ocean’s edge, right near the village windmill, there 
  are a large bluffs of chalk and shale that open into a series 
  of naturally formed caverns and caves.
  Thirty-ﬁ ve years ago there were four children who 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  24
  disappeared. They were never found but a week later there 
  were a number of odd disturbances in the village – a house 
  ﬁ re, livestock running wild in the streets, and then, the next 
  morning a human femur bone (a child’s) was found in the 
  town green.
  Of course there are odd similarities with the recent 
  disappearances: four children have been taken. One girl, 
  Suzy Bolland, was taken out of her bed in the night. The 
  other three—James and Janey Buttons, Timothy Neal— 
  disappeared on their way home from school, while cutting 
  through the town green.
  It is the strong opinion of all the old-timers that current trouble 
  all started when that wealthy Londoner bought the old manor 
  on the Elm—the wooded estate located on the eastern edge 
  of town. None of the old-timers know who the gentleman is 
  but they know that he is new-money from London and he 
  moved in about three months ago.
  At some point, one of the old-timers may make a joke 
  about the local priest, Father MacDougall. It seems that his 
  mother had been new to town for about a week when the 
  disturbances started, thirty-ﬁ ve years ago. A few months 
  later it was noticed that she was pregnant. Of course, 
  everyone assumed that she was pregnant before she came 
  to town and that’s why she moved here—to avoid family 
  disgrace, and the like. Little Angus MacDougall grew up 
  without a father and was always the laughing stock of the 
  town. It also didn’t help that he was hideously deformed and 
  mean-spirited. The last laugh is on the town, however. A few 
  years ago, MacDougall returned to Rottingdean to serve as 
  the Anglican priest for the town’s St. Margaret’s Cathedral.
  If anyone asks about the church it can be noted that very 
  few of the town residents attend church there any longer. 
  Most residents would rather walk, each Sunday, to the 
  nearby parish. People began avoiding St. Margaret’s when 
  MacDougall returned and began preaching strange sermons. 
  The only real contact that MacDougall seems to have is with 
  Ernest, the town idiot. He was orphaned on the steps of the 
  church and raised by the nuns of Lady of Lourdes before 
  being turned over to MacDougal as an assistant around St. 
  Margaret’s.
  Eventually, the old-timers and the matron of the establishment 
  decide to call it a night. Mildred reminds the characters that 
  the doors will be locked until tomorrow morning. The lights 
  are put out and the patrons all retire to their rooms.
  Scene 2: The Strange Procession
  In the middle of the night, one of the characters is awakened 
  from their sleep by a strange noise. The character hears an 
  odd clanging out on the street in front of The White Horse. 
  If they look they will see a procession of men in dirty cloaks 
  that cover their faces, holding torches, walking down High 
  Street towards the end of the road. At the end of High Street 
  sits St. Margaret’s Cathedral.
  If the player decides to try to leave the procession they will 
  have to either: A) climb out the window or B) wake up Mildred 
  to unlock the door. 
  The ﬁ rst option shouldn’t be too difﬁ cult as the building is 
  covered in rather sturdy ivy. This may draw attention to 
  the character, however, as they open the window and then 
  shimmy down the side of the building. To do this quietly 
  requires a successful Sneak roll, followed by a successful 
  Climb roll.
  To wake up Mildred is a little more difﬁ cult. She will be 
  difﬁ cult to arouse and she will be very argumentative about 
  unlocking the door at “this ungodly hour.” A few extra silver 
  coins may convince her to shut her mouth and get the keys. 
  Needless to say, this method will be slower than simply 
  scaling the side of the building.
  Scene 3: The Meeting
  If the characters are able to follow the procession they notice 
  a few things:
  There are as many of the cloaked ﬁ gures as there are 
  members of the rippers group, plus one. In other words, if 
  there are six rippers, there are seven cloaked ﬁ gures.
  The cloaked ﬁ gures walked with a strange rolling gate—
  almost as if they are not used to comfortably walking on 
  land.
  If the cloaked ﬁ gures are confronted they will scatter off 
  the road and attempt to hide behind the houses off of High 
  Street. If they can they will make for beach or back up to 
  the Old Windmill, where they have a hidden entrance to the 
  underground catacombs.
  If trapped and forced into a ﬁ ght, the Deep Ones will attempt 
  to overpower their opponents and ﬂ ee. If this is impossible 
  they will simply take the lives of their opponents and then 
  hide the bodies.
  Deep Ones
  “They were the blasphemous ﬁ sh-frogs of the nameless 
  design—living and horrible.” 
   –The Shadow Over Innsmouth, H.P. Lovecraft
  The Deep Ones are the ancient inhabitants of Rottingdean. 
  They have been re-summoned to the area from an ancient 
  slumber by the discovery of an ancient artifact in the 
  basement of the Elm. Father MacDougall, a half-breed Deep 
  One is attempting to lure them above ground to repopulate 
  the small village. The Deep Ones are more concerned with 
  obtaining food to feed their newly hatching eggs. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d8, Fighting d8, Swimming d10, 
  Intimidation d8, Spellcasting d6
  Pace: 5; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5 (6)
  Special Abilities:
  • Armor (+1): The Deep Ones are covered in a thick, green 
  scale
  • Fear –1: The ﬁ rst time someone sees a Deep One 
  uncloaked they suffer a –1 modiﬁ er to their fear check.
  • Natural Attacks: The Deep Ones have sharp claws that 
  do STR + 2 damage
  • Spellcasting: Deep Ones have 10 Power Points and are 
  familiar with a few powers that are used in self-defense: 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  25
  barrier (Water Wall), raise/lower attribute (Strength Surge), 
  and obscure (Fog)
  • Gear: Trident (Str +2 damage)
  If the characters mere tail the cloaked ﬁ gures, they will follow 
  them to St. Margaret’s Cathedral. At the front door to the 
  church the cloaked ﬁ gures knock on the large wooden door 
  and there is the sliding of a large bolt. A small, hunchbacked, 
  dark-haired man answers the door and waves the cloaked 
  ﬁ gures in. This is Ernest, the town idiot. As a boy he was 
  left on the doorstep of the church. He now serves Father 
  MacDougall.
  The doors are locked behind the visitors. If the players would 
  like to spy on the proceedings they can make their way to 
  the back of the church. There are lights on in the rectory and 
  a successful Stealth roll allows them to peak through the 
  unshuddered window without being spotted. 
  Through the window the characters will see an ugly, obese 
  priest seated at a large wooden desk. Scattered throughout 
  the room are dusty books and scrolls. Standing before the 
  desk are the cloaked ﬁ gures. They motion to the priest, 
  Father MacDougall, who responds by looking, fearfully, up 
  from his writings. He speaks to the cloaked ﬁ gures – seems 
  to be pleading with them. Eventually, the cloaked ﬁ gures turn 
  and walk out of the room. Soon they leave through the front 
  of the church and make their way back towards the western 
  edge of town and up the hill to the Old Windmill.
  If the characters follow the Deep Ones up to the Windmill, 
  they will be forced to remain behind them. The Deep Ones will 
  enter the Windmill when the characters will see the torches 
  go out. If the characters go into the Windmill they will see a 
  dilapidated and rotting old building that is completely empty 
  inside. A successful Notice roll allows a character to ﬁ nd a 
  hatch in the ﬂ oor that opens up to a ladder down into the 
  old catacombs. If the characters attempt to follow the Deep 
  Ones then jump ahead to Act 4: The Underground Terror.
  Act 3: The Revelation
  The next morning the characters receive an invitation to the 
  Elm and also discover Father MacDougall’s plans. This act 
  sets the scene for a journey into the underground lair of the 
  Deep One and their disturbing secret.
  Scene 1: The Invitation
  The characters awake to a knock at their door. Mildred 
  announces that breakfast is being served in just a few 
  minutes. When the characters descend for the morning 
  meal they ﬁ nd that a letter has been delivered for them. 
  Mildred informs the characters that the letter was brought 
  this morning by courier. It reads:
  Dear Sirs/Madams:
  I recently received word that our fair town is hosting visitors from London. 
  I hope it is not too presumptuous to invite you to dinner this evening. My 
  wife and I have recently located here from London and my wife dreadfully 
  misses her old life. We would love to dine with you while receiving word of 
  the “goings on” in the Old Smoke. Please respond by courier. 
  Msr. R. Kipling
  The Elm
  If any of the characters ask, the locals can conﬁ rm that 
  Rudyard Kipling is the name of the man who recently 
  purchased the old manor on the Elm. A successful Common 
  Sense check allows a character to know that Rudyard 
  Kipling is an up-and-coming author who recently moved 
  to England from India. He has published a couple of books 
  to critical acclaim. The London Times has called him “the 
  next Dickens.” For a couple of farthings a message can be 
  returned to the Elm and the dinner time set.
  During the rest of the day the players may seek to investigate 
  some of the clues they have encounter so far. Some of those 
  results may be:
  Asking Around About the Missing Children: If the 
  characters ask around town about the missing children 
  they won’t ﬁ nd many clues. Three of the four children 
  were members of respectable families that have lived in 
  Rottingdean for centuries. There have been ransom notes 
  or contact from the missing children at all. All three families 
  are quite distraught over the ordeal and will not be overly 
  communicative with strangers who are asking questions. 
  Checking In on Father MacDougall: Throughout most of 
  the morning Father MacDougall is out running errands. He 
  spends much of his days, as any local can tell the characters, 
  in the city library researching genealogy. Most town folk 
  assume that MacDougall’s obsession with family lineage is 
  related to his lack of a father. What they don’t know is that 
  MacDougall is trying to ﬁ nd lists of the descendents from 
  Rottingdean’s original inhabitants. 
  During the morning Ernest keeps a close watch over the 
  church. Ernest is a coward, however, and can easily be 
  coerced or frightened into allowing the characters to search 
  St. Margaret’s. If they don’t keep a close eye on Ernest, 
  however, he will slip away to warn Father MacDougall of the 
  intrusion. If the characters get into the church to search it 
  see Investigating the Cathedral below.
  Ernest (Extra)
  Abandoned as a child, this deaf-mute was raised by Father 
  MacDougall to be an evil minion. Unfortunately, his cowardly 
  nature often takes over in a crisis.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d4, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d6
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Lockpicking d6, Notice d6, 
  Shooting d6, Stealth d8
  Status: 2
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Reason: 0; Toughness: 
  6
  Hindrances: Clueless, Hard of Hearing (major)
  Edges: Dodge, Tough as Nails
  If the characters catch up with the Father in the afternoon he 
  will invite them into his ofﬁ ce for a talk. He is naturally wary 
  of strangers and he questions them as to why they are in 
  Rottingdean.
  When the characters question the priest he will attempt to be 
  vague. He is cunning but he doesn’t really know how to deal 
  with people. For most of his life people have avoided him so 
  he doesn’t have a lot of experience with communicating with 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  26
  others. He fears that someone will stumble upon his plan 
  and spoil it before it is ready. He will do whatever he can to 
  get the characters to leave the church quickly and maybe 
  even redirect them to another avenue of investigation.
  Once the characters have met with Father MacDougall he 
  will put his plot into high gear. If the characters confront him 
  or attempt to capture him, skip ahead to Act 4, Scene 1: One 
  the Run.
  Examining the Town Green: If the characters examine 
  the town green for signs from the abduction of the missing 
  children they will nothing unusual. The truth is that the 
  children were lured into a nearby copse of trees by Father 
  MacDougall, knocked unconscious, and then hidden in 
  a small cart by MacDougall and Ernest. From there they 
  were hauled down to the cathedral. Beneath the cathedral 
  is an old wine-press. There the good Father sacriﬁ ced the 
  children to feed the Deep Ones. A good Notice roll might see 
  cart tracks in the deep grass of the Town Green.
  Looking at the Old Windmill: Rippers who investigate 
  the old windmill in the daylight have a better chance of 
  discovering the secret entrance to the catacombs beneath 
  Rottingdean. The windmill itself is old and rotting. Any 
  character with the brawny edge or obese hindrance has the 
  chance of actually falling through the rotten ﬂ oorboards. If 
  this happens the characters will automatically discover the 
  slate staircase which leads to the caves and catacombs 
  beneath. If the characters decide to explore these caverns 
  skip ahead to Act 4, Scene 2: Into the Catacombs.
  Investigating the Cathedral: If the rippers get an opportunity 
  to search the cathedral they will ﬁ nd two things of note:
  The ﬁ rst is Father MacDougall’s ofﬁ ce in the rectory. 
  Scattered about his very disheveled ofﬁ ce are a number of 
  ancient texts. They detail the workings of many types of dark 
  magic and there seem to be a number of marked pages that 
  discuss a race of aquatic beings that may have inhabited a 
  number of coastal regions of the world long before the rise of 
  the human race. In these pages they will also see a picture 
  of the summoning stone that can be found in the Kipling’s 
  home (see Scene 2: An Evening with the Kiplings).
  Also located among his scattered notes are many lists and 
  diagrams of the genealogy of the people of Rottingdean. On 
  a separate piece of paper, Father MacDougall seems to have 
  made a list of all the children in the village and has circled 
  the names of several of them. Of the names circled, three 
  of the four missing children are among them. On the top of 
  this sheet of paper is scrawled the words “The Blood of Their 
  Children will Sustain Them.” Father MacDougall seems to 
  have created a theory that by sacriﬁ cing the descendents 
  of the ancient founders of Rottingdean he can summon the 
  Deep Ones back to the city. Three of the four children he has 
  taken have been related to the original founder of the town. 
  The fourth child, Timothy Neal, was merely a witness to the 
  kidnapping of the Buttons children and so MacDougall took 
  him as well.
  The second place of interest in St. Margaret’s cathedral is 
  the cellar. In the cellar is an old wine-press that was once 
  used to supply the church with the necessary amounts of the 
  beverage. It has been a long time since the press was used 
  for its legitimate purpose. A successful Notice roll allows the 
  characters to realize that the press is still wet – but not with 
  wine. It doesn’t take much to ﬁ gure out that the wine press 
  has been used in the sacriﬁ ce of the town’s children to feed 
  the Deep Ones. 
  Located in the wine cellar is a trap door that provides access 
  to the catacombs beneath the town. Unlike similar doors 
  located throughout town, this one appears to be used quite 
  regularly. Unfortunately, to enter the catacombs from this 
  entrance put the rippers in a distant part of the caves from 
  the current living space of the Deep Ones.
  Scene 2: An Evening with the Kiplings
  When the characters visit the Elm, that evening, to dine with 
  Rudyard Kipling and his wife, Caroline, they will discover two 
  important clues.
  The dinner should go relatively smoothly. Kipling and his 
  wife are interested in the social life of London – “what new 
  musicals are there?” “What’s been going on in Parliament?” 
  and the like. When the diners retire to the study for after 
  meal drinks they will notice a very unusual statue on Kipling’s 
  mantle.
  The statue is about a foot and a half tall. It seems to be 
  carved from a slick, black stone and has the visage of a 
  deformed, half-man, half-monster with fearsome and lifelike 
  eyes. The statue is very entrancing and the rippers may ﬁ nd 
  themselves drawn to it. 
  When asked about it, Kipling will be very straightforward 
  in his response: “Oh, that, well we found shortly after we 
  moved in here. It reminds us of the pagans in India and so 
  we stuck it up on the mantle as a conversation piece. What 
  do you make of it?”
  What neither Kipling nor the rippers know is that this is a 
  summoning stone. By warming the statue in one’s hands 
  it calls out to the Deep Ones living beneath Rottingdean. 
  This is what has actually brought the Deep Ones back from 
  their slumber, despite Father MacDougall’s belief that he 
  has done this. The summoning stone has sat, hidden, in the 
  basement of the Elm since its last owner, thirty-years ago, 
  used it to bring the Deep Ones to Rottingdean.
  While the rippers will not necessarily know what the 
  summoning stone is, they will have the sense that it is an 
  unusual artifact. If they have already searched the cathedral 
  they may have seen the drawings of it in Father MacDougall’s 
  books.
  The other curious event of the evening is when Kipling asks 
  one of the characters to help him carry up a few bottles of 
  wine from the cellar. While in the cellar the characters will 
  notice a hatch in the ﬂ oor of the wine cellar. If asked about it, 
  Kipling will relate to the characters one of the odd stories he 
  knows of Rottingdean:
  The town of Rottingdean is criss-crossed with naturally 
  occurring tunnels and caves. They run all below the town and 
  have several sources of fresh water which feed the Pump 
  Green—the source of all the fresh water in Rottingdean.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  27
  A hundred years ago, a gang of smugglers used the caves 
  of the region to smuggle all sorts of restricted materials into 
  the town. There was quite a business in gin-running at the 
  time. 
  The tunnels of the Elm are said to link directly into the 
  tunnels below St. Margaret’s Cathedral, where a former 
  priest—Father Thomas Munn—actually participated in the 
  gin-running by helping hide several of the smugglers from 
  the authorities.
  About thirty years ago the smugglers mysteriously 
  disappeared. The caves have lain dormant since then.
  Most of the homes in Rottingdean probably have similar 
  trapdoors connecting them to the caverns below.
  If Kipling is presented with the clues about missing children 
  and the Deep Ones living beneath the town he will volunteer 
  to accompany the rippers into the catacombs below. This is 
  exactly the sort of adventure he has yearned for his entire 
  life.
  Rudyard Kipling (WC)
  Although mainly an armchair observer, Kipling dreams of 
  action and adventure. He is limited, however, by his poor 
  eyesight.
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Guts d6, Investigation d8, Knowledge (India) d8, 
  Knowledge (Journalism) d10, Shooting d6, Persuasion d8, 
  Riding d4
  Status: 8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 2; Reason: +1; 
  Toughness: 4
  Hindrances: Bad Eyes, Curious
  Edges: Connections, Scholar, Down to Earth
  Gear: Revolver, lantern, pocket watch
  Scene 2: A Walk with Mad Cows
  On their walk home from the Elm, the characters will pass 
  several small farmsteads. As they cross by one they will hear 
  so low mooing and notice that one of the nearby gates to 
  the pastures has been left open. Before they have a chance 
  to react the rippers are attacked by a herd of feral cattle 
  under the direction of Ernest. Any character that makes a 
  Notice roll will see a cloaked ﬁ gure standing in the back of 
  the pasture. He will attempt to ﬂ ee if he feels he has been 
  noticed.
  The feral cattle thirst for human blood and will attack with 
  out provocation. They have been turned feral by Father 
  MacDougall’s evil concoction. They are essentially mindless 
  and will ﬁ ght until dead. There are 10 feral cows in all.
  Feral Cattle (Extras)
  Feral cattle are under the inﬂ uence of a concoction Father 
  MacDougall has found in one of his ancient grimoires that 
  creates manic animals that thirst for human blood. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d8, Strength 
  d12+2, Vigor d12
  Skills: Fighting d6, Guts d8, Notice d6
  Pace: 7; Parry: 4; Toughness: 10
  Special Abilities:
  • Bite: Str
  • Gore: Feral cows will sometimes charge (if they have 
  horns). If they can move at least 6” before attacking they 
  add +4 to their damage total.
  • Size +2: Cattle are large creatures.
  Ernest, the cloaked ﬁ gure, will attempt to stay out of the 
  fray as much as possible. If he is caught he, obviously, 
  cannot implicate Father MacDougall but he will look for any 
  opportunity to escape from the rippers.
  Act 4: The Underground Terror
  In the ﬁ nal act of this adventure the rippers confront Father 
  MacDougall and then are forced to deal with the terror 
  located under the village of Rottingdean.
  Scene 1: On the Run
  Once the characters decide to confront Father MacDougall 
  the following events should take place: 
  First, when arriving at the cathedral, Ernest is prepared to 
  prevent the rippers from stopping his master’s plans. He has 
  an old revolver that he will use to try and stop the characters. 
  He will duck and hide behind pews in the church, ﬁ ring 
  sporadic shots at the rippers as they try to gain entry. He 
  knows he can’t beat the rippers but he is trying to buy time 
  for his master to get away. When he thinks MacDougall has 
  escaped he will attempt a quick getaway for himself. Ernest 
  knows that if he can get into the cellar he can escape into 
  the caves below the city.
  By the time the rippers make their way to Father MacDougall 
  he is the midst of escaping. He has loaded a horse up with 
  the remaining amounts of his Feral Concoction and he is 
  galloping at full pace towards the end of town. His goal is to 
  make it up to the old windmill where he can gain easy entry 
  to the Deep One’s lair and, hopefully, to the underground 
  springs that feed the town’s water supply. From there he 
  plans to contaminate the town with his Feral Concoction and 
  turn the town into wild animals that he thinks he will be able 
  to easily manipulate. 
  While MacDougall will have quite a lead on the rippers, they 
  will notice that Charles Rolls is across High Street polishing 
  his Energized Horseless Carriage. He can be quickly 
  convinced to take chase against MacDougall’s horse. Game 
  Masters should utilize the rules for chases in this instance. 
  When determining MacDougall’s lead draw cards, as normal, 
  but double the result due to MacDougall’s early start. When 
  MacDougall realizes he’s being chased he will try weaving 
  behind buildings and taking the chase off the road. This 
  should give the plenty of opportunities to use lots of exciting 
  maneuvers in Rolls’s Energized Horseless Carriage.
  Eventually, MacDougall will make his way to the windmill. If 
  the characters are still in close pursuit he will attempt to use 
  some of his black magic to hold them off until he can reach 
  the staircase to the Deep One’s lair. 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  28
  Father Angus MacDougall (WC)
  A crossbred Deep One who has spent his lifetime looking for 
  his true ancestry, he now has discovered his true roots and 
  is committed to bringing his “kin” back to the surface. He is 
  also seriously mentally ill. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d4, 
  Vigor d4
  Skills: Fighting d4, Guts d8, Intimidation d10, Knowledge 
  (Genealogy) d8, Spellcasting d8, Riding d4 
  Status: 2
  Charisma: –4; Pace: 5 (d4 Run); Parry: 4; Reason: –2; 
  Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Delusion, Obese, Outsider, Ugly, Vengeful
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Arcane Resistance, 
  Frenzy, Hard to Kill
  Spells: Father MacDougall has 10 power points and can 
  use the following powers: barrier (Wall of Wind), deﬂ ection 
  (Whirling Wind), stun (Thunderclap)
  Gear: Revolver, dagger, spell books
  By the end of this scene the characters will have either killed 
  Father MacDougall or followed him into the underground 
  catacombs.
  Scene 2: Into the Catacombs
  Once the characters are underground they will be 
  encountering a large number of Deep Ones that are actively 
  preparing the lair for their offspring. Ultimately, the rippers 
  will stumble into the great cavern which contains the Mother 
  Hydra of the Deep Ones. This is the portion of the adventure 
  that may have a high body count for the rippers.
  To simulate the twisting and turning tunnels of the ancient 
  system of caves beneath Rottingdean, use the following 
  system for describing the catacombs:
  Roll d6 on the following chart. If the same number is rolled 
  twice in a row then an encounter takes place. Encounters 
  are located on the second chart.
  Catacombs Chart
  1d6
  Result
  1
  Straight Passage (d12 yards)
  2
  Turn (even = left, odds = right)
  3
  Small room (d10 x d10 in feet)
  4
  Large room (d20 x d20 in feet)
  5
  Drop (could be stairs, slope, or just a sheet drop)
  6
  Intersection
  Encounter Chart
  (Roll 1d6)
  1. Submerged Area: The tunnel or room the rippers have 
  entered is submerged in water. The characters can either 
  attempt to backtrack and take an alternate route or they can 
  try to swim across to the next area which, hopefully, rises 
  above the water table. Occasionally, Deep Ones like to nap 
  in these areas and may be awakened by disturbances.
  2. Smuggler’s Traps: The rippers have stumbled upon 
  an old trap from the days these tunnels were used by 
  Rottingdean’s smugglers. It might be a tripwire that sets off a 
  crossbow, a pit with spikes, or some other trap of the Game 
  Master’s devising.
  3. Smuggler Storage Room: This room contains crates of 
  supplies and contraband used by the Rottingdean smugglers 
  before their untimely demise. The value and nature of this 
  contraband is up to the Game Master.
  4. Deep Ones: The rippers encounter d6 Deep Ones. These 
  hideous creatures may be resting, dining on human ﬂ esh, or 
  gently piling up Mother Hydra’s eggs. As soon as they see 
  the rippers they will respond with hostility. 
  5. Captive: The characters stumble upon the storage spots for 
  one of Father MacDougall’s captive children. He has already 
  sacriﬁ ced one of the children to create his Feral Concoction. 
  The child will be gagged and bound and is completely 
  terriﬁ ed. He/she has seen horrible monsters wandering the 
  corridors and the child fears they will soon be coming to dine 
  on him/her (which they will). The helpless child will be almost 
  catatonic for the remainder of the adventure. The Captive 
  response can only be obtained three times (since one of the 
  kids is already dead). If a fourth roll of Captive is obtained, 
  just ignore it or treat it as a Deep Ones result. 
  6. Mother Hydra’s Chamber: The rippers have stumbled 
  upon the great horror that lurks beneath Rottingdean! See 
  the description below:
  The Chamber of Mother Hydra
  The Deep Ones worship a gigantic, blob-like amphibian they 
  call “Mother Hydra.” From her corpulent body oozes egg 
  sacs that will eventually mature and hatch into more Deep 
  Ones. Because Mother Hydra is ancient and huge, the Deep 
  Ones attend to her every need. They bring her kelp and ﬁ sh 
  to feed on. They moisten her body with saltwater and their 
  own saliva. They gently carry her eggs to be hatched in 
  nearby caverns.
  The Deep Ones also guard Mother Hydra with their lives. 
  She birthed them and she is also the future of their race. 
  They will gladly give their lives for her.
  When the rippers roll this response on the Encounters Table 
  they emerge from the tunnels onto a narrow walkway about 
  ﬁ fty feet above a gigantic cavern. Looking down into the 
  cavern they see dozens of Deep Ones carrying small, round 
  blobs back and forth across the room. At one end of the 
  cavern they see a large mound of green and black slime. At 
  this point, have the ripper each roll their Smarts. The player 
  who rolls highest is the ﬁ rst to make the realization of what 
  they are looking at. This player gets to be the ﬁ rst to make a 
  Guts check (be sure to apply any Reason modiﬁ ers).
  Eventually it should dawn on the characters that this chamber 
  contains a gigantic, slimy, mother beast that is spawning 
  hundred more Deep Ones. The problem now lies in ﬁ guring 
  out how to get rid of her.
  Simply attacking Mother Hydra will not accomplish much. 
  While regular game states don’t do her justice, she can be 
  assumed to have a Toughness of 20 or higher. In fact, it is 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  29
  Damage: 2d10
  Additional Beneﬁ ts: Can use unearthly voice to add +2 to 
  Intimidate rolls.
  Loose Threads
  The successful resolution of this adventure can lead the 
  characters down a number of different avenues. 
  First, one might wonder how a deformed, social outcast like 
  Angus MacDougall ever got into the Anglican priesthood – a 
  rather prestigious and elite calling. This might lead the rippers 
  to explore the connections that MacDougall and his mother 
  had in London. It is possible that very powerful people were 
  behind sending MacDougall back to Rottingdean, but why?
  If one summoning stone was found in Rottingdean, is 
  it possible that others exist in other coastal towns? What 
  if dozens of the stones exist all over Europe, or even the 
  world? This could lead to the adventurers on a journey all 
  over the world to stop the reemergence of this ancient, 
  dreaded race.
  Lastly, the greatest terror of all: What if the Mother Hydra 
  beneath Rottingdean was just a small baby Mother Hydra? 
  Imagine, if you will, that at the bottom of the ocean there 
  lies the Mother of all Mother Hydras. She is miles long – the 
  size of a small city – and she lies in wait for the day her 
  children will summon her up from the deep to reclaim the 
  planet...(Sounds like a –6 modiﬁ er on a Guts check!)
  better to treat her like a structure, rather than a creature. The 
  rippers will learn quickly that destroying this monstrosity will 
  require a whole new technique.
  The two best options for destroying Mother Hydra are either 
  explosives or ﬁ re. Fire is the most effective but will be difﬁ cult 
  unless the characters can get close enough to set her oily 
  skin aﬂ ame. It takes two rounds to get Mother Hydra to ignite 
  but once she’s on ﬁ re she will continue to burn for twenty or 
  more rounds. This will effectively kill Mother Hydra but will 
  also summon every Deep One in the catacombs as they 
  respond to her death squeals. 
  If the characters decide to use explosives they can be 
  certain to bring down much of the underground structure 
  but won’t be able to be certain that it actually killed Mother 
  Hydra. This can lead to a very exciting sequence, however, 
  as the rippers run for their lives to escape collapsing tunnels 
  and frantic Deep Ones. 
  Regardless of how the characters decide to deal with Mother 
  Hydra and the Deep Ones the real key to prevent their return 
  is the destruction of the Summoning Stone. If the characters 
  never discovered this clue then the Deep Ones will continue 
  to return until the stone is ﬁ nally destroyed or removed from 
  Rottingdean.
  Rewards
  Any ripper that makes it out of the tunnels beneath 
  Rottingdean alive should receive 3 experience points. 
  Unfortunately, for the rippers, any substantial damage to 
  the tunnels beneath the town will cause large sinkholes 
  throughout the town – which the residents will not be too 
  happy about. If they know the characters were involved 
  they may demand compensation for destroyed homes 
  and damaged businesses.
  If any of the children are rescued, the town will offer 
  the rippers a small monetary reward for their aid to the 
  families of the children. While the town is liable to believe 
  stories of “ﬁ sh-people” they will believe that the strange 
  Father MacDougall was involved. 
  Both Charles Rolls and Rudyard Kipling, if they survive 
  the events in this adventure, will remain contacts of 
  the characters and will assist the rippers in any way 
  they can in the future event that they are needed. In 
  a few short months, however, Kipling will be leaving 
  Rottingdean for America to help inspire the muse for his 
  writing.
  Lastly, if any rippers seek to study the corpses of the 
  Deep Ones they can ﬁ nd a rippertech use for the aquatic-
  men:
  Deep One’s Lungs (–4 Implant Only)
  Implanted lungs and trachea of a Deep One can create an 
  amphibious character.
  Donor: Deep One
  Beneﬁ ts: Gain the ability to breath underwater
  Side Effects: –1 Charisma. The character’s voice now 
  sounds gurgly – like he’s talking underwater.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  30
  L
  ope Osvaldo, “the Wolf Lord,” was a greedy bandit for 
  most of his life. Several years ago he was bitten by a 
  werewolf, and then became one due to a hidden family 
  history. He leads several smuggling rings. He currently 
  impersonates a minor Count of Lina (Don Runaldo de Lina), 
  whom he killed some time ago, taking over his estate and 
  winery. He has turned about half the former Count’s men, 
  the least trustworthy ones, into wolfman drones. As “pack 
  leader,” Lope Osvaldo dominates his new servants. His 
  trustworthy men have been installed in coastal locations in 
  the major western European countries: France, England, 
  Spain, Portugal, Africa and Italy. From these locations they 
  practice banditry on a larger scale than Lope Osvaldo was 
  ever able to achieve in his natural life.
  The operatives work in groups containing a most trusted man 
  as a leader (Wild Card), a few wolfmen used to spread terror, 
  some henchmen for heavy lifting, and a dozen smuggler-
  pirates who move the merchandise, often stolen, into “ﬁ shing” 
  boats for transfer to other locations. The common men, and 
  the authorities who have heard of the smuggling, know Lope 
  Osvaldo only as “the notorious Spanish smuggler, Segadora 
  de Penas (Reaper of Sorrows)!”
  Headquarters of the Order of the 
  Night Wolves
  Lina (Northern Spain, interior)
  Leader: Lope Osvaldo, aka Don 
  Runaldo de Lina (WC)
  Viewing himself as a representative of El 
  Lobo Dios (the Wolf God), Lope Osvaldo 
  has delusions that he is a divine being due to 
  his werewolf powers. His stolen manor and 
  vineyard cover a temple dedicated to Lobo 
  Dios, and his cult membership continues to 
  grow.’
  As “Count Runaldo de Lina,” Lope Osvaldo 
  travels through his holdings frequently, 
  going into new areas when he feels his 
  pack needs more hunting room. The dens 
  smuggle manufactured goods from England 
  and France into Portugal, Italy, Spain, Sicily, 
  Sardinia and Morocco for the ﬁ ne wines, raw 
  goods and materials needed by the two main 
  European countries. Slaves from Western 
  Europe are smuggled through Morocco to 
  Arab slave traders for ivory and gems.
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit 
  d8, Strength d10, Vigor d10 
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d12, Guts d8, Intimidation d8, 
  Knowledge (Nobility) d6, Knowledge (Spanish, English, 
  French, Latin) d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Riding d6, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d10, Streetwise d8, Swimming d4, 
  Taunt d6, Throwing d6, Tracking d8 
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 9; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Delusion (major, “I am Lobo Dios’ personal 
  representative on earth.”), Greedy (minor), Vengeful (major)
  Edges: Acrobat, Block, Charismatic, Combat Reﬂ exes, 
  Command, First Strike, Improved Frenzy, Inspire, Quick 
  Draw, Very Rich
  Gear: Expensive clothing, sword cane (rapier), hunting riﬂ e 
  (24/48/96, 2d8, ROF 1, 8 shots, AP2), 40 shillings, £20, 
  other support includes 6 wolfmen, 20 mercenaries (hired 
  guns) and the lovely Esmelda.
  Special Abilities:
  • Long held disguise: Noble disguise (Don Runaldo de 
  Lina) grants +2 Charisma until unmasked.
  • Wolf Ring: Gold wolf’s head with ruby eyes. Grants 
  Danger Sense when worn, but the wearer prefers red meat, 
  as raw and fresh as possible (Spirit roll to resist at each 
  meal).
  • Curse of the Werewolf: Becomes a Werewolf under the 
  full moon (Spirit roll at –4 to resist the change) or any other 
  time he wishes with a successful Spirit roll (see page 135 
  of Rippers, except all his clothing and equipment merges in 
  the transformation and he only needs a successful Smarts 
  roll [–4 if a full moon] to change back).
  Los Lobos de la Noche
  by William Reger
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  31
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  32
  Esmelda Tempus 
  (WC)
  His “right hand man” at 
  home is his supposed 
  wife but actual companion 
  “Esmelda Osvaldo.” She 
  is a greedy but beautiful 
  woman who caters to 
  Lope’s growing delusions 
  while 
  setting 
  aside 
  a 
  fortune for herself. She 
  plans on killing him with 
  a blessed silver dagger if 
  he ever fails to increase 
  her wealth. While Lope 
  believes just he and his 
  “general” Ramon Cadeyrn 
  know all of the Night 
  Wolves’ dens, Esmelda 
  has learned them as well.
  Attributes: Agility d8, 
  Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Guts d8, Healing d8, 
  Intimidation d6, Knowledge (Medicine) d8, Knowledge 
  (Spanish, English, French, Italian) d6, Lockpicking d8, 
  Notice d8, Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, 
  Streetwise d6, Taunt d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: +6; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Curious, Greedy (major)
  Edges: Very Attractive, Charismatic, Level-Headed
  Gear: Expensive clothing, silver hair dagger (Str+1), 
  revolver in purse with regular (and a hidden stash of silver) 
  bullets (12/24/48, 2d6, ROF 1, 6 shots, revolver), jewelry 
  and gems worth £200, 30 shillings, £30, and a hidden 
  stash of gold, coins and valuable gems worth £2000 and 
  growing.
  Special Abilities: 
  • Create Poison: can create a dose of injectable or 
  ingestible poison (Vigor roll, –2 with a raise) using her 
  Healing skill. Has a wolfsbane extract (–2 with success, 
  –4 with a raise versus werewolves/wolfmen) ready but 
  untested, some wolfsbane in a vial, and a blessed, silver 
  dagger in her healer’s kit.
  The Night Wolves’ Dens
  London (Central England, River Thames)
  The smugglers’ house is located in the East End in an old 
  warehouse. Beneath the ﬂ oor is a passage to a low-ceilinged 
  area with a landing large enough for a skiff. A water grate 
  makes it look like part of the sewer system but it is not; it 
  accesses the Thames River. About a mile upriver is a rocky 
  island roughly 50 feet in circumference. In the center of this 
  grass- and rock-covered mire is a depression holding a 
  ﬂ at, mossy rock. The 500-pound rock can be moved and 
  uncovers an ancient stone stair into the depths, carved out of 
  the granite of the island. Forty feet down is a roughly circular 
  chamber, perfect for hiding smuggled goods. At night the 
  island is almost always shrouded in mist so those working 
  on it can not be seen. It was here that Domingo discovered 
  the Lunar Ring and an ancient shrine to Uaasctts!
  Leader: Domingo (WC) 
  Having recently uncovered an ancient cult of Druid moon 
  worshipers, Domingo has become obsessed with the 
  ancient moon cult god Uaasctts. While using the Thames 
  River to smuggle goods into the heart of the Empire, 
  Domingo has begun to expand his cult (without the 
  knowledge or blessing of Lope Osvaldo) setting himself up 
  as “high priest.” He does not realize he courts the god of 
  madness!
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d8, Climbing d6, Faith d6, Fighting d8, 
  Guts d8, Intimidation d6, Investigation d4, Knowledge 
  (Occult) d6, Knowledge (Spanish, English) d6, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d6, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6, 
  Swimming d6, Throwing d6
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (8)
  Hindrances: Delusion (major, “I am chosen to return 
  the worship of Uaasctts to the world.”), Secret (major, 
  Siphoning funds to build personal cult not to Lobo Dio, 
  discovery leads to Wanted [major] by Lupe)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Miracles of Uaasctts), 
  Command, Fervor, Quick
  Gear: Clothing, heavy coat (Armor +1), cutlass (Str+2), 
  pistol (12/24/48, 2d6, ROF 1, 6 shots, revolver), 24 shillings, 
  £12, other support includes 3 wolfmen, 3 henchmen, 6 evil 
  cultists (of Uaasctts), and 6 smuggler-pirates.
  Special Abilities: 
  • Powers: Domingo has 10 Power Points and can use the 
  following powers: Burst of Madness (as burst, but victims 
  take no physical damage but must roll a Guts check at 
  –1 for each wound they might otherwise have taken or 
  suffer the results of Fear and Reason loss), Deﬂ ection of 
  Madness (as deﬂ ection, swirling colors make it hard to 
  focus on the target)
  • Lunar Ring: This artifact of Uaasctts allows one to 
  summon a Moon Horror once per day with a successful 
  Faith roll. A successful summoning will lower the caster’s 
  Reason by 1 unless he scores a raise. Allows the wearer to 
  gain the Arcane Background (Miracles of Uaasctts) with an 
  advance.
  • Madness Spider Immunity: Domingo and his cultists 
  are ignored by the Madness Spiders that guard Uaasctts’ 
  places of worship.
  Dover (West Central England)
  The den is located in a work house run by Roque. It sits on 
  the docks and hides two dock areas under different wings of 
  the rectangular building. Roque is the only one who knows of 
  both sides, one for the smuggled goods of the Night Wolves, 
  and the other for the stolen goods of Roque’s operation.
  Leader: Roque (WC)
  Roque has a dangerous but easy job and he wants to keep 
  the easy part. Inherently lazy but very clever, Roque has 
  set himself up as a dockworker foreman, employing some of 
  the cheapest dockworkers in Dover. He has organized the 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  33
  workers to include at least one professional thief whose job 
  it is to evaluate the goods being unloaded for later theft. With 
  his after-hours smuggling business he has become rich and 
  employs a few members who do not realize they have been 
  set up to take the blame for any accusations of wrongdoing. 
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Intimidation d6, 
  Knowledge (Politics) d8, Knowledge (Spanish, English, 
  French, Indian, Arabic) d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, 
  Shooting d8, Streetwise d10 
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 5 (Run d4); Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Greedy (major), Lazy (takes an effort of will 
  [Spirit] to act [but not react]), Obese
  Edges: Charismatic, Command, Level-Headed, Rich
  Gear: Expensive clothing, rapier (Str+1, Parry +1), pistol 
  (12/24/48, 2d6, ROF 1, 6 shots, revolver), 50 shillings, 
  £20, other support includes 3 wolfmen, 3 henchmen, 8 
  mercenaries (hired guns), and 12 smuggler-pirates.
  Plymouth (Southern England) 
  A bait shop and ﬁ shing dock adjacent to the Plymouth docks 
  is the location of Fortunato’s operation. A section of the dock 
  can be removed allowing a skiff to dock beneath the bait 
  shop for loading and unloading.
  Leader: Fortunato (WC) 
  Leader of the ﬁ rst Night Wolf smuggling den in England, 
  Fortunato has lived up to his name and never been caught. 
  His efforts include shipping untaxed goods to the Americas 
  and siphoning off American goods into the Night Wolves’ 
  smuggling ring. Unambitious, Fortunato has not expanded 
  his activities beyond the required smuggling but does keep 
  track of information ﬂ owing in and out of Plymouth.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d8, Guts d8, Investigation 
  d8, Knowledge (Spanish, English, French, Latin) d6, 
  Lockpicking d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, 
  Stealth d8, Streetwise d8, Swimming d6, Throwing d6, 
  Tracking d8 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Loyal (to Lupe), Curious, Greedy (minor)
  Edges: First Strike, Hard to Kill, Investigator, Very Lucky 
  (+2 bennies)
  Gear: Average clothing, axe (Str+2), pistol (12/24/48, 2d6, 
  ROF 1, 6 shots, revolver), 16 shillings, £8, other support of 
  2 wolfmen, 4 henchmen, and 8 smuggler-pirates.
  Livorno (Eastern Italy)
  Lucio has set up in a small, old Roman villa overlooking 
  the bay. The old bath house hides a secret passage to a 
  hidden grotto where any skiff would have no problem tying 
  up. Once used to bring water to the baths, it now serves as a 
  smuggling location. Cabal visitors use the north wing.
  Leader: Lucio (WC) 
  The further east the smuggling ring has crept, the greater 
  Lucio’s secret desire to raid the Vatican Archives for more 
  arcane secrets no doubt being suppressed by the church. 
  He views his smuggling activities merely as a way to foot 
  the bills, and often siphons proﬁ ts from smuggling to pay for 
  independent researchers, usually Cabal forces, to uncover 
  more magic for him. The “Count” would not be pleased to 
  discover this loss of funds.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d12, Spirit d6, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Guts d6, Investigation d10, Knowledge 
  (Arcane) d12, Knowledge (History) d8, Knowledge 
  (Spanish, Latin, English, Italian, French, Arabic) d6, Notice 
  d8, Persuasion d6, Shooting d8, Spellcasting d12, Stealth 
  d6, Streetwise d8 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Overconﬁ dent, Secret (major, Siphoning 
  funds for personal obsession for more magic power, 
  discovery leads to Wanted [major] by Lupe)
  Edges: Arcane Background (Magic), Level-Headed, 
  Wizard
  Powers: Lucio has 20 Power Points and can use the 
  following powers: armor (ﬂ ame ward), bolt (ﬁ re darts), 
  deﬂ ection (ﬂ ame shield), blast (ﬁ restorm)
  Gear: Expensive clothing, rapier (Str+1, Parry +1), revolver 
  (12/24/48, 2d6, ROF 1, 6 shots), 60 shillings, £24, other 
  support includes 2 rippertech-augmented wolfmen, 4 
  rippertech-augmented henchmen, 8 smuggler-pirates, and 
  4 Night Guards.
  Cagliari (Southern Sardinia)
  Sergio operates this group from a warehouse backed up to 
  the docks. While it doesn’t appear to, a section of the dock 
  can be removed and a small ﬁ shing boat hauled into the 
  warehouse in minutes, leaving again when convenient. A 
  high tide helps, but a low tide does not allow movement in or 
  out of the building.
  Leader: Sergio (WC) 
  Solid, dependable, loyal and thoroughly unimaginative, 
  Sergio follows the orders of the Lupe without the slightest 
  deviation.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d4, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d4, Fighting d10, Guts d8, Intimidation d8, 
  Knowledge (Spanish, Italian) d6, Notice d4, Persuasion d6, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6, Throwing d6 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 7
  Hindrances: Loyal (to Lupe), Cautious, Delusion (Minor): 
  Lupe is infallible, Greedy (minor)
  Edges: Ambidextrous, Block, Brawny, First Strike, Two-
  Fisted
  Gear: Clothing, two axes (Str+2), pistol (12/24/48, 2d6, 
  ROF 1, 6 shots, revolver), other support includes 3 
  wolfmen, 4 henchmen, and 8 smuggler-pirates.
  Palerno (Northern Sicily)
  Severo works with a local family from their ancestral docks. 
  They keep a slice of the proﬁ ts and turn a blind eye to his 
  activities. Despite this extra cost, he has not lost a shipment 
  and thus reaps a healthy proﬁ t.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  34
  Leader: Severo (WC) 
  Careful not to antagonize the powerful families of Sicily, 
  Severo keeps tight control over his small but proﬁ table 
  operation. He gets his poison (made from spine ﬁ sh) from 
  local friends.
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d8, Guts d6, Knowledge 
  (Spanish, Italian, English) d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, 
  Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6, Swimming d8, 
  Throwing d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 8 (10)
  Hindrances: Cautions, Loyal (to Lupe), Mean, Greedy 
  (minor)
  Edges: Connections (Sicilian criminal family), Combat 
  Reﬂ exes, Improved Block
  Gear: Average clothing, heavy coat with metal plates 
  (Armor +2), cutlass (Str+2), six throwing knives (3/6/12, 
  Str+1, +1 Throwing, –1 Fighting, poison-coated: Vigor roll 
  or paralyzed 2d4 rounds), riﬂ e (24/48/96, 2d8, ROF 1, 8 
  shots, AP2), 30 shillings, £12, other support includes 4 
  wolfmen, 4 henchmen, and and 8 smuggler-pirates.
  Nantes (Eastern France)
  Rainerio has used his position to conﬁ scate a warehouse 
  where he stores impounded goods for the French Republic 
  alongside his smuggled wares. Creative bookkeeping 
  ensures the French authorities learn nothing and he keeps 
  the competition out.
  Leader: Rainerio (WC) 
  Rainerio has managed to place himself within the French 
  navy as the Naval commander of this small port. This 
  excellent cover has allowed him to keep his smuggling 
  actions totally concealed and made his post one of the most 
  lucrative in the Night Wolves’ organization. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d8, Guts d8, Intimidation d8, 
  Investigation d8, Knowledge (French Navy) d8, Knowledge 
  (Spanish, French, English, Portuguese) d6, Notice d8, 
  Persuasion d8, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d8, 
  Swimming d6, Taunt d8 
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 7; Toughness: 9 (12)
  Hindrances: Greedy (minor), Loyal (to Lupe), 
  Overconﬁ dent
  Edges: Charismatic, Command, Connections (French 
  military)
  Gear: Military uniform, boilerplate (Armor +3 torso), magic 
  rapier (Str+2, Parry+1, AP2), revolver (12/24/48, 2d6, ROF 
  1, 6 shots), 40 shillings, £16, other support includes 2 
  wolfmen, 4 henchmen, 8 mercenaries, and 16 smuggler-
  pirates dressed as French naval personnel.
  Toulon (Southern France)
  Epifanio has charmed several widows out of their holdings 
  and now has a lovely villa on a cliff overlooking the 
  Mediterranean. Stairs lead down from the villa to a dock 
  for his personal boats, with a hidden warehouse behind a 
  simple storage shed propped up against the cliff. The back 
  wall opens, and caves carved into the cliff give the smuggled 
  goods, and bound women, a dry and secure storage space. 
  Being just at the edge of town, Epifanio’s wild parties cover 
  the movement of smuggled goods, and enslaved women, 
  from this hidden spot.
  Leader: Epifanio (WC) 
  A man who deﬁ nes narcissism, Epifanio is primarily a 
  slaver out of Europe in addition to his smuggling actions. 
  He is a connoisseur of ﬁ ne things with an eye for the ladies, 
  and the morals of a rat. He hates Benjamin Venceslas, 
  whom he feels is cutting down his wealth by cornering the 
  Arab slave trade. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8
  Skills: Climbing d6, Fighting d8, Gambling d4, Guts d6, 
  Knowledge (Nobility) d8, Knowledge (Spanish, French, 
  English) d6, Notice d6, Persuasion d6, Riding d6, Shooting 
  d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d8, Taunt d8
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Delusion (minor, “All ladies ﬁ nd me 
  irresistible.”), Greedy (minor), Vengeful (major)
  Edges: Attractive, Connections (Toulon city leaders), 
  Frenzy, First Strike, Improved Block, Marksman, Quick, 
  Rich
  Gear: Fine clothing, magic belt of protection (A successful 
  Smarts roll activates the magic armor [a ghostly mist 
  surrounds the wearer’s body], which lasts 3 rounds and 
  can be activated, as an action, twice every four hours), 
  magic rapier of bleeding (Str+1, Parry+1, if it inﬂ icts a 
  Shaken result the victim will continue to lose blood until a 
  Healing roll or a Vigor roll (–2) is made. Blood loss causes 
  the equivalent of a Shaken result at the end of victim’s 
  turn), revolver (12/24/48, 2d6, ROF 1, 6 shots), 60 shillings, 
  £24, other support includes 2 wolfmen, 4 henchmen, 8 
  smuggler-pirates, and 8 mercenaries (hired guns).
  Cadiz (Southern Spain)
  Archippos owns a horse farm on the outskirts of town, and 
  stables and warehouse next to the docks. Wagons of hay 
  move from his warehouse/stables to his villa stables and 
  back, bringing food to his horses (with smuggled goods well-
  hidden in the wagons’ center). One Mummy Horse guards 
  each stable, hiding in a stall near a hidden ﬂ oor entrance to 
  an underground storage area.
  Leader: Archippos (WC) 
  A horse breeder of some note, none suspect that his coastal 
  mansion hides the entrance to a secret smuggling den! 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Gambling d6, Guts d8, Intimidation d8, 
  Knowledge (Equestrian) d8, Knowledge (Spanish, French, 
  English, Ancient Egyptian) d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, 
  Riding d10, Shooting d8, Stealth d8, Streetwise d8, Taunt 
  d8, Throwing d8 
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 6
  Hindrances: Delusion (major, “I am the greatest horseman 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  35
  in the world.”), Greedy (minor), Habit (minor, Gambling)
  Edges: Beast Bond, Beast Master, Rich
  Special Abilities: Scroll of horse mummiﬁ cation allows 
  Archippos to create Mummy Horse by means of the 
  sacriﬁ ce of one proper horse and one intelligent creature 
  (human level intelligence), Written in ancient Egyptian 
  hieroglyphics.
  Gear: Expensive clothing, magic saber (Str+2, +4 from 
  horseback), revolver (12/24/48, 2d6, ROF 1, 6 shots), 80 
  shillings, £32, a wolf companion (equal to a dire wolf), other 
  support includes 2 wolfmen, 2 henchmen, 8 smuggler-
  pirates, 8 mercenary horsemen (hired guns with Riding d8), 
  and 2 Mummy Horses (which guard the stables holding his 
  smuggled goods).
  Pravia (Northern Spain)
  Aaron’s hilltop fortress is a basic stone keep with a 20 
  foot circular stone wall. The keep has a dungeon with 
  several storage rooms, a prisoner cell area, a central guard 
  room (all areas accessed from the guard room), and a 
  secret escape tunnel (trapped) to the base of the hill. The 
  warehouse in town holds goods going out, they are just 
  never taxed by the town assayers.
  Leader: Aaron (WC) 
  The ﬁ rst smuggling point was established in this northern 
  coastal town. The town mayor has been compromised 
  with his only daughter being held by Aaron as hostage to 
  his turning a blind eye to Aaron’s activities. The local royal 
  guardsmen are under the command of the mayor and do 
  nothing against Aaron. The church priest has been suborned 
  and now is an acolyte to Aaron. Aaron has set up shop in 
  an ancient hilltop fortress as a High Priest of Lobo Dios, the 
  Wolf God. (exalted high evil priest/warlock)
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d10, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d8 
  Skills: Faith d10, Fighting d6, Guts d8, Healing d6, 
  Intimidation d8, Knowledge (Ancient Deities) d8, 
  Knowledge (Spanish, French, English) d6, Notice d6, 
  Persuasion d8, Shooting d6, Stealth d6, Streetwise d6, 
  Taunt d8, Throwing d6 
  Charisma: –2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 7 (8)
  Hindrances: Mean, Ugly, Vow (major, Serve and obey 
  Lupe, the avatar of Lobo Dio).
  Edges: Arcane Background: Miracles, Charismatic
  Powers: Aaron has 30 Power Points and can use the 
  following powers: boost/lower trait (a ghostly wolf form 
  surrounds the target adding supernatural agility, strength or 
  vigor to the target (only affects those attributes but all skills 
  associated with them are equally affected), smite (weapon 
  grows ghostly wolf teeth), quickness (form of the ghost 
  wolf), speed (wolf’s legs).
  Gear: Robes of the wolf (as leather armor [+1] over torso, 
  head (not face), arms and legs), “wolf jaws” (worn over 
  hand, Str+2, second raise strikes the weakest armored 
  location, weight 5, as leather armor for hand/arm), 
  pistol (12/24/48, 2d6, ROF 1, 6 shots, AP1), 32 shillings, 
  £16, other support includes 4 wolfmen, 4 henchmen, 8 
  smuggler-pirates, 12 evil cultists (of Lobo Dio), and 1 evil 
  priest.
  Villa de Conda (Northeastern Portugal) 
  Ramon Cadeyrn has a stone house by the sea and has 
  purchased the local quarry from the previous owner. By 
  day local workers remove the stone from the quarry. By 
  night goods are moved in, and out, of the quarry by using 
  wagons that supposedly hold building rock. The goods wait 
  in the mined out caves until they are ready for movement. 
  The stone house overlooks both the sea and the quarry.
  Leader: Ramon Cadeyrn (WC) 
  A loyal and battle hardened man, Ramon Cadeyrn is the 
  only other man who knows all the dens of the Night Wolves. 
  He is in contact with the Cabal and is negotiating the price 
  for the Night Wolves participation. Some of his members 
  have had Ripper implants in order to “improve” their combat 
  capabilities. 
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d8, 
  Vigor d10 
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d10, Guts d10, Intimidation 
  d8, Investigation d8, Knowledge (Tactics) d8, Knowledge 
  (Spanish, Portuguese, French, English) d6, Notice d8, 
  Persuasion d8, Riding d10, Shooting d10, Stealth d10, 
  Streetwise d8, Survival d8, Swimming d8, Throwing d8
  Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 8; Toughness: 10 (12)
  Hindrances: Loyal (to Lupe), Overconﬁ dent, Vow (major, 
  Serve and obey Lupe).
  Edges: Block, Combat Reﬂ exes, Command, Dodge, 
  Florentine, Hold the Line, Two-Fisted, Level-Headed, 
  Tough as Nails
  Gear: Heavy reinforced coat (armor +2 to torso, arms, 
  legs), expensive clothing, sword (Str+3), rapier (Str+1, 
  Parry+1), heavy revolver (12/24/48, 2d6+1, ROF 1, 6 shots, 
  AP1), 40 shillings, £16, other support includes 4 wolfmen, 4 
  henchmen, 8 smuggler-pirates, and 12 mercenaries (hired 
  guns).
  Tangier (Eastern Morocco)
  The tavern has a raised ﬂ oor that allows demasted skiffs 
  to slide in underneath and unload right to the tavern stores. 
  During the day traders are always coming and going from 
  the tavern, and they all store their goods in the attached 
  storehouse. The switches are a breeze and the clientele are 
  as nasty as they come!
  Leader: Benjamin Venceslas (WC) 
  Leader of the twelfth established den, the ultimate ﬂ esh 
  peddler Benjamin Venceslas has far more ambition than 
  revealed by his façade of tavern-owner-by-the-sea. With 
  connections to several powerful African sheiks, he trades 
  European females for African ivory, gold and gems, and is 
  very rich. He is secretly seeking information to the lost city 
  of Ophir and King Solomon’s Crown, having heard the tale 
  from a drunken Portuguese trader (the 12th hand seeking 
  glory).
  Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d10, Spirit d8, Strength d6, 
  Vigor d6 
  Skills: Boating d6, Fighting d6, Gambling d8, Guts d8, 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  36
  Intimidation d8, Investigation d10, Knowledge (Poison) d10, 
  Knowledge (Spanish, Portuguese, French, English) d6, 
  Lockpicking d6, Notice d10, Persuasion d8, Shooting d6, 
  Stealth d6, Streetwise d10, Taunt d8, Throwing d6 
  Charisma: +2; Pace: 6; Parry: 5; Toughness: 5
  Hindrances: Greedy (major), Yellow
  Edges: Connections (North African Sheiks), Charismatic, 
  Very Rich
  Special Abilities: With a successful Knowledge (Poison) 
  roll, he can prepare a poison (ingestion or contact) that can 
  kill or paralyze for 2d6 rounds (not both), if a successful 
  Vigor roll is not made by the target, at –2 with a raise.
  Gear: Expensive clothing, magic robe of protection 
  (Successful Smarts roll activates armor, causing the robes 
  to harden like steel, glowing a deep blue, up to twice every 
  four hours), magic ﬁ re scimitar (Str+2, a successful Smarts 
  check causes the blade to burst into ﬁ re [smite], up to twice 
  every four hours), riﬂ e (24/48/96, 2d8, ROF 1, 8 shots, 
  AP2), 100 shillings, £40, other support includes 2 wolfmen, 
  4 henchmen, 8 smuggler-pirates, and 12 mercenaries 
  (hired guns).
  Fighting the Night Wolves
  Characters going up against the Night Wolves will ﬁ nd 
  themselves opposed by a well-organized and informed 
  network. As the Rippers dismantle more and more of the 
  Night Wolves’ dens, Lupe’s network will react as described 
  below:
  Up to two dens lost: Lupe orders his minions to gather 
  information on the characters by any means necessary. 
  Given the many connections available, this should not prove 
  difﬁ cult. Pictures of the characters are distributed to the 
  other dens, with a warning to be on the lookout. Characters 
  ﬁ nd future dens on high alert.
  Three dens lost: Lupe becomes somewhat concerned, 
  and each character receives the Wanted hindrance (minor), 
  reﬂ ecting Lupe’s desire to catch them. Esmelda becomes a 
  bit worried over the slowdown of her wealth. 
  Four dens lost: Lupe takes a personal interest in whoever is 
  harming his pack family. Each character receives the Wanted 
  hindrance (major), reﬂ ecting Lupe’s desire to destroy them. 
  Esmelda starts to investigate the characters, to see if one 
  may be vulnerable to her charms. 
  Seven dens lost: If Domingo, Roque, Rainerio, Epifanio, 
  Archippos, or Benjamin are alive, they become disloyal and 
  go rogue, killing Lupe’s wolfmen and claiming the characters 
  are responsible. They may seek Cabal aid if the characters 
  are near. Raymond Caderyn will seek closer relations with 
  the Cabal in an all-out attempt to destroy the characters. 
  Esmelda secretly contacts the characters, giving them inside 
  information on Night Wolf plans, but deﬂ ecting any suspicion 
  onto another den leader, preferably Raymond Caderyn. 
  Nine dens lost: If Lucio still lives, he becomes disloyal, 
  killing his wolfmen, abandoning the pack and joining the 
  Cabal. The dens remaining loyal are abandoned, and the 
  wolf retreats to his headquarters. Half the forces are sent 
  out to hunt the players while the rest prepare to defend the 
  den at Lina. Esmelda contacts the players and begs for help 
  “escaping” the demons holding her prisoner. If the players 
  need help, she attempts to poison as many Night Wolves as 
  she can, and will give any other aid as long as she has at 
  least one patsy (or it appears as though the characters will 
  win anyway).
  Should the Night Wolves’ headquarters at Lina be discovered, 
  and Lupe killed at any time prior to the above conclusion, 
  Raymond Caderyn will attempt to keep the dens together (but 
  most will go rogue). Lucio will join with the Cabal, changing 
  masters to gain increased security. Fortunato, Sergio, Severo, 
  and Aaron will turn ﬁ rst to Raymond Caderyn and then, if he 
  is dead, will go rogue (probably joining with a local competitor 
  for security). Domingo, Roque, Rainerio, Epifanio, Archippos, 
  and Benjamin will become independent as soon as possible. 
  With Lupe dead, the remaining wolfmen will stay with their den.
  Expansion: Lupe adds, or replaces, about one den each 
  game year, continuing to head east and north and averaging 
  one to two dens per major country. Of the dens that become 
  independent, only Epifanio and Benjamin will expand, adding 
  weaker outposts in bordering countries at a rate of one per 
  year. Since Epfanio’s ﬁ rst expansion will be in North Africa, 
  he and Benjamin will quickly come into conﬂ ict. 
  Forces of the Cabal
  Dire Wolf (companion): see Savage Worlds, page 125.
  Evil Cultists (of Uaasctts): see Rippers, page 124, plus 
  “touch of madness.” The cultists can, as an action, chant 
  “Uaasctts” (you–ass–kits) and force anyone within hearing 
  to make a successful Spirit roll or suffer a Fear roll and loss 
  of Reason. The test is adjusted by the number of cultists 
  chanting, using the rules for Ganging Up. 
  Evil Cultists (of Lobo Dio): see Rippers, page 124, plus 
  “bite of the wolf.” This is a weapon that ﬁ ts over the arm and 
  acts as a set of wolf jaws (Str+2, weight 5, as leather armor 
  to hand/arm) on a normal hit, granting a bonus damage die 
  on a raise, and the “Go for the Throat” monstrous edge on a 
  second raise! This weapon takes some getting used to, so it 
  is treated as improvised for the ﬁ rst month of use.
  Evil Priest: see Rippers, page 124, but armed as evil cultists 
  of Lobo Dio.
  Henchmen: see Rippers, page 125.
  Henchmen, Rippertech-Augmented: Add Priest’s Heart 
  (see Rippers, page 58) to standard henchmen.
  Madness Spiders of Uaasctts
  These ﬁ st-sized, eight-legged horrors are not of this earth. 
  They look like hunting spiders, with shiny black exoskeletons 
  and eight glowing red eyes. They display a swirling yellow 
  pattern on their black backs. Their bites inject the very 
  madness of Uaasctts!
  Attributes: Agility d10, Smarts d4(A), Spirit d6, Strength 
  d6, Vigor d6 
  Skills: Climbing d12, Fighting d6, Guts d6, Intimidation d8, 
  Notice d8, Stealth d12, Tracking d6
  Pace: 8 (Run d10); Parry: 5; Toughness: 9
  Gear: 50% chance of 4d6 shillings’ and 2d6 pounds’ worth 
  of gear, goods and trinkets, usually on the desiccated 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  37
  bodies of earlier victims.
  Special Abilities: 
  • Bite: Str+1
  • Exoskeleton +2: The tough carapace of the spider 
  protects it from attacks.
  • Poison (–2): The bite of the spider causes instant 
  madness for those who fail their Vigor roll. Roll 1d6: On 
  a 1-4 the victim is trembling with unreasonable fear (treat 
  as Shaken but unable to recover for 2d6 rounds), on a 5-6 
  the victim experiences hallucinations of horrible creatures 
  all around (treat as a failed Ripper Psychosis roll) for 2d6 
  rounds or until a joker is pulled.
  • Wall Walker: Can move over vertical surfaces as if on 
  level ground.
  • Fleet-Footed: In the wild these creatures are quite fast.
  Mercenaries (hired guns): see Rippers, page 119.
  Moon Horror of Uaasctts
  This creature from the dimension of madness is bright white 
  on the face side and black on the back. Standing some 
  seven feet in height, ragged robes hide the lower torso. It 
  has two arms ending in preying mantis-like claws, and the 
  constantly-muttering face of a long-dead cadaver. The Moon 
  Horror is a disturbing and deadly creature on many levels. 
  Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d8, Strength d10, 
  Vigor d10 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d6, Stealth d6, 
  Taunt d8, Tracking d6
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 9
  Special Abilities: 
  • Claws: Str+3
  • Undead: +2 Toughness, +2 to recover from Shaken, 
  immune to poison and disease, no additional damage from 
  called shots, ½ damage from ﬁ rearms and other piercing 
  weapons.
  • Fear (–2): Horriﬁ c appearance causes a Guts check at –2 
  if the target can hear the insane mutterings of the creature.
  • Fearless: immune to fear effects.
  • Two-Fisted: Can attack with either arm without a multi-
  action penalty.
  • Ambidextrous: No off-hand penalties.
  Weakness (Cold Iron): As with many creatures from 
  beyond our world, these creatures suffer +4 damage from 
  cold iron weapons.
  Mummy Horse
  An ancient Egyptian scroll (along with human 
  sacriﬁ ce) creates these monsters from the 
  healthy bodies of prize horses. Only affecting 
  horses whose linage could be traced back to 
  one of the ﬁ rst horses of the Arabian kings, the 
  sacriﬁ ce of the proud horse’s spirit, followed 
  by ancient Egyptian rituals of mummiﬁ cation, 
  allows the creation of these emaciated, living-
  dead monstrosities. 
  Attributes: Agility d4, Smarts d8(A), Spirit 
  d10, Strength d12+5, Vigor d12 
  Skills: Fighting d8, Intimidation d8, Notice d8
  Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Toughness: 13
  Special Abilities: 
  • Fear: Anyone who sees a Mummy Horse 
  must make a Guts check.
  • Improved Arcane Resistance: +4 armor 
  versus magic and to resist magic effects.
  • Kick: Str+3 damage due to massive 
  hooves.
  • Mummy Rot: Anyone shaken or worse by 
  an attack of a Mummy Horse must make a 
  Vigor roll, with failure indicating Mummy Rot 
  and an immediate Wound.
  • Size +3: These monsters come from the 
  bodies of the best horses ever bred for war.
  • Undead: +2 Toughness, +2 to recover from 
  Shaken, immune to poison and disease, 
  no additional damage from called shots, ½ 
  damage from ﬁ rearms and other piercing 
  weapons.
  Weakness (Fire): Like all mummies, mummiﬁ ed horses 
  suffer +4 damage from ﬁ re and suffer a –2 to attack 
  anyone brandishing an open ﬂ ame.
  Night Guard: see Rippers, page 128.
  Smuggler-pirates: use Misguided Minions, see Rippers, 
  page 128.
  Wolfmen: see Rippers, page 137.
  Wolfmen, Rippertech-Augmented: Add Slayer’s Skin (see 
  Rippers, page 58) to standard wolfmen.
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  38
  R
  eligion can play an important part in any Savage 
  Worlds setting. However, in most “realistic” settings 
  the faithful aren’t granted nifty arcane powers. Still, belief 
  has its beneﬁ ts, which are represented in game terms by 
  the following Religious Edges. This approach to religion 
  would be appropriate for any game set in “the real world,” or 
  “realistic ﬁ ction” like the TV shows Babylon 5 and Fireﬂ y.
  Unlike other Edges, Religious Edges are conditional in the 
  beneﬁ ts they grant and the believer must adhere to the 
  tenants of his chosen faith. The occasional indiscretion 
  will have no effect. But if they pile up fast or the character 
  commits a serious breach, the beneﬁ ts of these Edges are 
  lost until some form of penance is served.
  Faith
  Requirements: Spirit d8+
  While you may not be able to divvy up ﬁ ve loaves and two 
  ﬁ shes among ﬁ ve thousand, your strong beliefs help you 
  endure tough moments. Your character gets a +2 to resist 
  any Intimidation or Taunt rolls.
  Conviction
  Requirements: Spirit d10+, Faith 
  You have absolute faith that your god is looking out for you 
  and will protect you from all harm. You gain a +2 bonus to 
  all Guts rolls.
  Religious Edges
  by Chris Hartmann & Gordon Lawyer
  Martyrdom
  Requirements: Veteran, Conviction
  Sometimes, the world can be a dangerous place for 
  those who follow the path that their god lays before them. 
  The hardship of travelling into wild regions to convert the 
  heathens can really put the strength of your conviction to the 
  test. So can the unfriendly—and sometimes lethal—reaction 
  of those heathens who do not wish to be converted. You 
  gain a +2 bonus to Vigor rolls made to resist fatigue.
  Clergy 
  Requirements: Faith, Knowledge (Theology) d6+ 
  You are an ordained minister, priest, monk, nun, rabbi, or 
  other recognized leader of your religion. You command 
  respect and receive a +2 to Charisma when dealing with 
  followers of your faith. Unlike the other Religious Edges, the 
  beneﬁ ts of Clergy will only be lost if word of your indiscretions 
  gets out. Once it does however, it can be far more difﬁ cult to 
  regain use of this Edge. As well as serving penance to regain 
  Faith, the wayward preacher must gain absolution from the 
  higher authorities in the church as well as the congregation. 
  Since Clergy isn’t as directly affected by belief as the other 
  Religious Edges, you could request the GM to waive the 
  Faith requirement. But you should give a good reason as to 
  why word of your faithlessness hasn’t gotten out. Regaining 
  the beneﬁ ts of Clergy when lost under such circumstances 
  should require the purchase of the Faith Edge.
  A
  s it stands, a Savage Worlds Wild Card has very limited 
  options in a Mass Battle. He may Shoot, Fight or Spellcast 
  his way to a meager level of involvement, but he is denied 
  truly daring maneuvers. Borrowing a concept from AEG’s 
  Legend of the Five Rings, it is now possible to examine a 
  hero’s involvement in Mass Battles in greater detail.
  What Changes?
  Not a great deal. Mass Battles are still played out as 
  described on p. 104-105 of the Savage Worlds rules, but this 
  article replaces the “Characters in Mass Battles” sidebar. A 
  few more wrinkles are added to the process, namely the 
  level of engagement, tracking which side is winning from 
  turn to turn, and a modiﬁ ed Mass Battle Chart for Character 
  Results.
  Characters in Mass Battles
  by Jamie Lindemann
  Procedure
  1. Determine where your support is being granted for this 
  turn. Reserves indicate you are back in the supply lines or 
  rallying archers, sorcerors, or air support. If on The Front, 
  you are ﬁ ghting or directing ﬁ ghting at the center of the battle 
  itself, along your side’s battle line. Behind Enemy Lines
  means you are well forward of your army’s position, taking 
  the ﬁ ght directly to the enemy.
  2. Check on how well your side is doing. If the two forces 
  are within one Mass Battle token of each other this turn, 
  the battle is considered Even. Otherwise, your side is either 
  Winning or Losing.
  3. Roll your character’s Fighting, Shooting, or Arcane Skill, 
  as appropriate. Add +1 to this roll for each Rank you have 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  39
  above Novice, to account for your character’s various 
  abilities. Cross-reference this roll with the appropriate row 
  and column on the Mass Battle Chart. Note that this roll is not 
  modiﬁ ed by the difference between the two side’s tokens.
  4. Apply any Battle modiﬁ ers from the chart to your 
  General’s Knowledge (Battle) roll at the end of this turn. Roll 
  the speciﬁ ed amount of damage and apply it to your hero. If 
  the entry speciﬁ es that your side must “Lose a token,” your 
  failure has cost your side badly and you must remove an 
  extra token in addition to whatever losses or gains you take 
  this turn. If a Battleﬁ eld Event is indicated, draw a single card 
  from a full deck and consult the list below to see what Fate 
  has offered you.
  Battleﬁ eld Events
  A new addition to the Mass Battle Rules, Battleﬁ eld Events 
  are those rare chances a hero has to engage in truly daring 
  feats, above and beyond the norm for his comrades. These 
  encounters should vary from battle to battle, prompting the 
  GM to create new ones and drop others as the war goes 
  on. This general list can be modiﬁ ed however you see ﬁ t, 
  and as always, no GM should ever feel that a random chart 
  supersedes his or her authority to implement whatever they 
  want to see in their game.
  As a player you always have the option of refusing to accept 
  a Battleﬁ eld Event, especially if you have just taken serious 
  damage ﬁ ghting your way forward to such a position. There 
  is no penalty for refusing the Event, but remember that 
  someone may have witnessed your refusal to accept Fate’s 
  offer…
  Draw
  Result
  2-3
  Meet Your Match
  4
  Attack the Reserves
  5
  To Me, Boys!
  6
  Hold This Ground!
  7
  A Clear Shot
  8
  Seize the Objective
  9
  Medic!
  10
  Mercy on the Field
  J
  Avoid Your Fate
  Q
  Mystical Blessing
  K
  Our Orders, Sir?
  A
  Be Prepared to Dig Two Graves
  Joker
  Renew the Fighting Spirit
  List of Battleﬁ eld Events
  A Clear Shot: The front line opens up and you have a clear 
  shot on the enemy commander! The shot won’t be easy 
  (generally Long Range with some cover), but if you succeed 
  in Wounding the enemy ofﬁ cer they lose a token as their 
  forces scramble to recover while their General is being 
  tended to.
  Attack the Reserves: Suddenly, a path breaks in the ﬁ ghting 
  that reveals the reserves of the opposing army. You have an 
  opportunity to strike their archers, spellcasters, or support 
  warmachines. Succeeding in this dangerous action will force 
  a additional –2 Battle modiﬁ er on the opposing army this 
  turn since their support forces were tied up in defense.
  Avoid Your Fate: The Fortunes are leading your way. Ignore 
  all damage you might have otherwise suffered this turn.
  Be Prepared to Dig Two Graves: You see an enemy ofﬁ cer 
  cut down one of your closest comrades. You may spend the 
  rest of the battle looking for him. Whenever you roll on the 
  Mass Battle Chart for the rest of this conﬂ ict, you may move 
  yourself one entry up, down, or side-to-side to place you on 
  an entry with a Battleﬁ eld Event which you may immediately 
  consider the “Meet Your Match” opportunity with this foe.
  “Hold This Ground!”: Your leader tells you to hold this area. 
  Remain at your current level of Engagement until further 
  orders come through. Every turn you hold your position, you 
  net your side an additional +1 Battle bonus as you maintain 
  your strategic position.
  Medic!: In the midst of battle, a member of your side goes 
  down, meeting your gaze and calling for your help by name! 
  You can charge in and save him if you wish, putting you at 
  the Heavily Engaged mark for two turns. If you can drag him 
  back to the Reserves on your side, you may have won an 
  ally for life.
  Meet Your Match: Across the raging melee, you lock eyes 
  with one of the enemy elite. The call is clear: we settle this, 
  here and now. Other combatants will not interfere during this 
  skirmish. If you are successful, the enemy loses a valuable 
  Wild Card, essentially costing them a –2 Battle modiﬁ er 
  every turn for the rest of the battle.
  Mercy on the Field: Between breaths you notice a wounded 
  enemy. He calls out for you to help him. There’s no penalty 
  for you to refuse, since he is behaving like a coward, but if 
  you rescue him, he may have valuable information, remain 
  in your debt, or both. The same procedure as “Medic!” is 
  used.
  Mystical Beneﬁ t: Your side’s spellcasters have chosen 
  you for a beneﬁ cial enhancement. The GM will determine 
  which power has successfully been used, or he may simply 
  increase one of your stats by a die type for the remainder of 
  the battle.
  Our Orders, Sir?: In the chaos around you, it suddenly 
  becomes clear that you are the highest ranking individual on 
  your patch of battleﬁ eld. For the remainder of the battle, you 
  command a unit of 3-5 allied Extras. They assist you in any 
  subsequent Battleﬁ eld Events, and grant you a +2 to rolls on 
  the Battle chart.
  Renew the Fighting Spirit: You immediately regain any 
  lost Bennies. If you haven’t spent any, you get one more.
  Seize the Objective: The enemy standard, a powerful 
  artifact, or a briefcase with future plans for the enemy—
  whatever the objective, Fate has delivered it to you. You 
  
  Shark Bytes, Vol. 2, Issue #3
  40
  have to wrest control of it from enemy forces, but if you succeed at the skirmish level, you can bring a major boon back to 
  your side. You are immediately considered Heavily Engaged next turn, and make subsequent rolls on the Mass Battle Chart 
  at –2. You can only move one level of engagement per turn, meaning you must carry the objective for at least three turns to 
  get it back to your side. If you are successful, the enemy immediately loses a token and suffers a –2 modiﬁ er to its Morale 
  tests for the rest of the ﬁ ght.
  To Me, Boys!: You ﬁ nd yourself in your commanders presence. His guard has been eliminated, and you are volunteered 
  to protect him as he makes his way across the battleﬁ eld. You must follow him wherever he goes, so the GM will determine 
  your level of engagement for the rest of the battle. Promotions may be in order for faithful soldiers.
  Options and Closing Notes
  As suggested, it is to your beneﬁ t as a player or GM to create new Battleﬁ eld Events speciﬁ c to the battle you are ﬁ ghting. 
  Make note of speciﬁ c objectives and opportunities for each side, and replace any opportunities that are not working as 
  well for your side. Also, you may ﬁ nd that with the new Battleﬁ eld Events that the party will want to engage in multiple-
  character actions together. In this case, use the rules for Cooperative Rolls on page 56 of the Savage Worlds rules, with 
  each additional character making his or her own Fighting, Shooting or Arcane Skill roll and adding the modiﬁ ers to a single 
  elected “leader” (perhaps the character with the highest Knowledge [Battle] of his own, or the Command edge). This way, 
  they all help make a single roll and can engage in the same Battleﬁ eld Events as a party, rather than playing out lots of 
  small scenarios across the board.
  Example: During the Battle for Rush Creek, a small human force is ﬂ anked by a group of Orcish raiders. These brave Orc 
  warriors succeed in ridding their homelands of the human incursors, and a small band of warriors in particular are integral to 
  their victory. Droogah the Invincible rolls for his involvement in the Mass Battle, which his side is Winning, and he decides to 
  be Heavily Engaged. He rolls his Fighting and gets a Success. He gets a +1 for his side, but the 2d6 damage dice explode, 
  inﬂ icting a Wound on him. So much for an easy ﬁ ght…
  A few turns later, the orc lines are getting hammered by artillery and the battle has dragged on for too long. Attracting the 
  attention of Skur’zzah the Eldritch and their diminutive ally Grot, Droogah convinces his boys that they should go all out, 
  pushing for Heavily Engaged on an Even battleﬁ eld. Skur’zzah gets a Raise on his Faith roll and Grot succeeds on his 
  Shooting roll, getting Droogah a +3 for his Fighting roll. Not surprisingly, he gets a Raise, which nets his side a +2 for this 
  turn, but also a Battleﬁ eld Event! They draw a 3, and the ﬁ ghting clears for an instant to reveal the human warmachines 
  which have been pummeling the Orc lines. With a barbaric yawp, Droogah & Company charge down on the human reserves 
  to settle this battle for good.
  Your army is:
  You are ﬁ ghting…
  Winning
  In Reserves
  At The Front
  Behind Enemy Lines
  Even
  In Reserves
  At The Front
  Behind Enemy Lines
  Losing
  In Reserves
  At The Front
  Behind Enemy Lines
  Critical Failure
  Lose a token
  2d6 damage
  –2 to Battle
  3d6 damage
  –2 to Battle
  3d6 damage
  Lose a token
  4d6 damage
  Lose a token, –2 to 
  Battle
  4d6 damage
  Failure
  2d6 damage
  2d6 damage
  3d6 damage
  –1 to Battle
  3d6 damage
  –2 to Battle
  4d6 damage
  Battleﬁ eld Event
  Success
  No damage
  +1 to Battle
  2d6 damage
  +1 to Battle
  2d6 damage
  Battleﬁ eld Event
  +1 to Battle
  3d6 damage
  +1 to Battle
  3d6 damage
  Battleﬁ eld Event
  Raise
  +1 to Battle
  No damage
  +1 to Battle
  No damage
  +2 to Battle
  2d6 damage
  +2 to Battle
  2d6 damage
  Battleﬁ eld Event
  +2 to Battle
  3d6 damage
  Battleﬁ eld Event
  2 Raises
  +1 to Battle
  No damage
  +2 to Battle
  No damage
  Battleﬁ eld Event
  +2 to Battle
  No damage
  Battleﬁ eld Event
  +2 to Battle
  2d6 damage
  Battleﬁ eld Event
  +2 to Battle
  2d6 damage
  Battleﬁ eld Event
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Shark Bytes/Shark Bytes Volume 2 Issue 3.pdf