TEXT:  
   
  
  Mini-Dungeon Module S1 
  The Almost Thief 
  By Matthew E Kline 
   
  AN ADVENTURE FOR CHARACTER LEVELS 1-3 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A thief in training tried robbing a crypt and failed miserably, to the extent that he’s no 
  longer alive. Now he’s dying for another crack at it. Unfortunately, being dead already, he’s 
  encountering a bit of difficulty…   
   
  The Almost Thief is part of a series of mini-dungeons designed to drop into existing adventures or 
  campaigns. Use them as side quests or a way of getting in a quick adventure when you’re short on time. 
   
  Swords & Wizardry, S&W, and Mythmere Games are trademarks of Matthew J. Finch. 
  Creation’s Edge Games and Matthew E Kline are not affiliated with Mathew J. Finch, 
  Mythmere Games™, or Frog God Games. 
   
  Writing, design, layout: Matthew E Kline 
  The image of “Zane” on the cover and inside cover was created by J E Shields. 
   
  © Copyright 2018 Creation’s Edge Games 
   
  
  1 
   
  Dungeons of Dazegoneby 
  Mini-Dungeon Module S1 
  The Almost Thief 
  A thief in training tried robbing a crypt 
  and failed miserably, to the extent that 
  he’s no longer alive. Now he’s dying for 
  another crack at it. Unfortunately, being 
  dead already, he’s encountering a bit of 
  difficulty cracking it. Until then the thief’s 
  ghost hangs around haunting his 
  girlfriend, a fact that she’s not too happy 
  about. Maybe you can help. 
   
   
  About This Product 
   
  Although it can be scaled by the 
  Gamemaster for groups of other sizes, 
  The Almost Thief is designed for 4-6 
  adventurers of level 1-3. This product is 
  part of a line of mini-dungeons designed 
  as quick, drop-in adventures. They’re 
  ideal for use as short side quests, or for 
  gaming sessions where you’re pressed for 
  time. You could even string them all 
  together as a mini dungeon campaign.    
  Gamemasters should feel free to adjust 
  this adventure to suit their group’s style of 
  game-play or level of difficulty. 
  It’s recommended that the Gamemaster 
  read through this product at least twice 
  inorder to familiarize themselves with the 
  adventure prior to playing. They should 
  also take note of any new monsters or 
  magic listed at the end of the document. 
  This product requires the use of the 
  Swords & Wizardry rules. More 
  information can be found online at 
  www.swordsandwizadry.com  
   
  After most of the room descriptions you’ll 
  find one or more of the following symbols: 
  This symbol indicates that there’s a 
  monster or monsters in the room.  
   
  This symbol indicates there’s 
  treasure in the room. 
    
  This symbol indicates that there’s a 
  dangerous obstacle in the room.  
   
  A description of the monsters, treasures, 
  or obstacles encountered follows after 
  each symbol.  
   
  About Dungeons of Dazegoneby 
  I can remember a time in my distant past 
  when I could head to the local mall walk 
  into one of the two bookstores they had at 
  the time, plunk down around five dollars, 
  and walk out with a brand-new Dungeons 
  & Dragons module. Our Dungeons of 
  Dazegoneby line is a tribute to old school 
  gaming, paying homage to a time filled 
  with graph paper maps, wandering 
  monster tables, hand-drawn character 
  sheets, and lazy afternoons filled with 
  adventure and wonder. We hope you 
  enjoy playing these products as much as 
  we enjoyed making them.   
  You can find more of our RPG products on 
  RPGNow. Please feel free to visit us at 
  www.creationsedgegames.com or like us 
  on Facebook. Thank you for your support! 
   
  On the pages that follow you’ll find 
  boxes like the one surrounding this 
  text. These boxes hold suggested 
  descriptions of the rooms that can be 
  read out loud to the players.  
  
  2 
   
  Gamemaster’s Eyes Only: 
  Zane Aldemir got it in his head one day 
  that he was going to become a thief.  
  Zane gets a lot of things into his head. 
  Usually, the stuff that gets in there is bad. 
  For example, he just wasn’t very good at 
  being a thief. He remained a thief-in-
  training for five years, never graduating 
  into full-fledged thief-hood. 
  The reason why Zane desired to become a 
  thief was that he wanted to steal a ring 
  from a notoriously dangerous crypt, so 
  that he could use it propose to his 
  longtime girlfriend Rose. This is only half 
  as creepy as it sounds. You see years 
  earlier, one of the people interred within 
  in this particular crypt had stolen the ring 
  from Rose’s great grandmother. So, this 
  was a sort of steal-back, with the noblest 
  of intentions. And Zane planned to have 
  the ring thoroughly cleaned first. To 
  remove all the crypt smell. 
  So eventually Zane gets tired of waiting 
  for his skills to improve and decides that 
  he’s going to break into the crypt anyway, 
  despite getting straight C’s in Lockpicking, 
  Creeping, and thieving about in general. 
  Problem is, he’s picked no simple crypt to 
  creep into. This resting place belonged to 
  the Evendals, a family that secretly 
  dabbled in the dark art of necromancy. 
  Undead guards were set to protect the 
  crypts and the coveted ring, which, as it 
  turned out, was far more than just a 
  potential engagement ring. 
  That day Zane got something else bad 
  into his head; an assortment of spikes at 
  the bottom of a pit. 
  It’s going to take a slightly better thief to 
  get past the crypt’s guards and wards, 
  and even they might need some help…      
  Set Up 
  The party is relaxing in a crowded city 
  tavern at night when they’re approached 
  by a frazzled and desperate looking young 
  woman, seeking their help…  
    
  A Note to the Gamemaster 
  The set up described here is only a 
  suggestion. Feel free to introduce this 
  scenario to your group in any way you see 
  fit. 
   
  Perhaps the party hears tales of a young 
  woman who talks to ghosts near the city’s 
  cemetery each night and decides to 
  investigate.    
  Or maybe the group’s hired by the owner 
  of a tavern adjected to the cemetery who 
  wants the ghost dealt with since its 
  scaring away his late-night crowds.     
   
      
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  3 
   
  The Girl and the Ghost 
  The distressed young woman introduces 
  herself to the group as Rose Raventhal 
  and beseeches them to follow her out of 
  the tavern and into the night. 
  Several of the tavern’s locals seem to 
  want nothing to do with her, crossing 
  themselves and making other warding 
  gestures in her presence. “She’s the one 
  what talks to ghosts” they’ll mutter. 
  If Rose succeeds in getting the group to 
  follow her out of the tavern, she’ll proceed 
  to a less lit area. As she travels into 
  darkness the ghost of a young man slowly 
  materializes alongside her. Once the ghost 
  is sufficiently visible she’ll introduce him 
  to the party as Zane Aldemir, adding “I 
  apologize for my frazzled appearance, but 
  you try getting in a good night’s sleep 
  with the ghost of your dead boyfriend a-
  haunting you!” 
  Rose will explain that she thinks Zane 
  tried breaking into the Evendal crypt in 
  the cemetery up the street, with the 
  intention of stealing back her great 
  grandmother’s ring, buried with Marion 
  Evendal.  
  “I think he planned on proposing with it. 
  He studied for years to be a thief, just so 
  he could sneak in and get it for me- for 
  us.” Rose pauses for a moment and 
  exchanges sad smiles with the ghost of 
  Zane before continuing. “But he went and 
  got himself killed and now he’s haunting 
  me, and I don’t think that’s working out 
  very well for either of us.” 
  Rose will explain that all he does is appear 
  to her each night and silently point 
  towards the Evendal family crypt in the 
  city cemetery, like he wants her to go but 
  she’s too afraid to do so. “What if 
  whatever it is that done him in is there 
  waiting for me. And it’s not like I can go 
  to the city watch. He wasn’t supposed to 
  be in there in the first place. They might 
  think I put him up to it and well both be in 
  trouble. Well, I’ll be in trouble. I don’t see 
  how he can get into it any worse.”  
  Rose will explain that she thinks Zane’s 
  ghost is haunting her because he didn’t 
  complete his task, getting the ring from 
  the crypt. Either that of his remains have 
  to be put to rest. “Or that creepy Evendal 
  family did something to him. It’s rumored 
  they practiced necromancy, so you know, 
  there’s that too.” 
  “I know you folks usually get rewards and 
  such for your adventuring acts. I can give 
  you the 100gp me and Zane had been 
  saving up. And there’s bound to be some 
  valuable stuff in the crypt. I don’t think 
  anyone will mind much if something of the 
  Evendal’s went missing. They weren’t very 
  well liked.” 
  If the party agrees to help, the ghost of 
  Zane Aldemir silently leads them through 
  the cemetery to the entrance to the 
  Evendal family crypt. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  4 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Key to the Evendal Crypts 
  The entrance to the Evendal crypts is 
  contained within a 15’ x 15’ stone 
  structure which stands near the center of 
  the cemetery. The lock on the iron gate 
  which once guarded the entrance looks as 
  though it were recently broken (the result 
  of Zane failing to pick it then breaking it 
  open with a nearby rock.) 
  Entering the crypt, accompanied by the 
  ghost of Zane, the party finds a 10’ wide 
  set of stone stairs leading down to an 
  imposing set of stone doors. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  1. Stairs 
   
   
      Examining the skull will reveal the fact 
  that a bronze plate bearing a keyhole is 
  set in it’s right eye. 
      The door is actually unlocked. Zane had 
  its key and unlocking it was one of the last 
  The stairs descend for 20’ into the 
  ground before ending at a set of stone 
  double doors. The stone is carved to 
  resemble a hooded skull, presumably a 
  personification of death. The split of 
  the door runs right down the middle of 
  the skull.        
  
  5 
   
  acts he performed. The key now lies at 
  the bottom of the pit in Area 2. 
      If the players push against either door 
  they’ll find that it easily opens inward. Any 
  hestitation here will result in Zane 
  pointing at himself and the door, then 
  pantomiming the gesture of unlocking the 
  door with a key.  
   
  2. Entryway 
   
   
  The grate on the floor is a prety 
  blatant pit trap. Anyone foolish 
  enough to stand on it will trigger 
  the trap. The grate will swing open, 
  dropping them into a 10’ x 10’ pit. 
  They’ll fall for 20’ dropping onto 
  iron spikes below, taking 3d6 
  damage. 
      Anyone peering down through the grate 
  will be able to make out the skeletal 
  remains of a body, impaled upon the 
  spikes. There’s also a copper key visible 
  on the floor of the pit (the one Zane used 
  to unlock the entrance to the crypt.) If 
  anyone asks the ghost if the bones belong 
  to him, he’ll nod solemnly then shrug in a 
  ‘what can you do’ fashion. 
      The players could decide to attempt to 
  retrieve the bones for a proper burial. The 
  process will probably involve lowering 
  someone down on a rope to secure the 
  remains, unfortunately, the blatant nature 
  of the trap hides a second threat. 
      A 1’ x1’ opening is set in the east wall 
  near the bottom of the pit. It leads to a 
  narrow tunnel which runs back to Area 6, 
  slanting up so that its exit is even with the 
  other chamber’s floor. This tunnel allows 
  the necro-oozes there to travel between 
  the pit and Gallery (see New Monsters). 
      The presence of these creatures is the 
  reason why Zane’s bones have been 
  picked clean in the relatively short time 
  they’ve been there. The creatures are 
  alerted by the sound of the grate opening 
  and travel along the tunnel to investigate. 
  Anyone attempting to retrieve the bones 
  (or the key) could come under attack. 
  Luckily the smooth sides of the pit afford 
  the creatures little purchase, they won’t 
  be able to climb more than 10’ up its sides 
  before sliding back down. The creatures 
  have no trouble navigating the tunnel and 
  will retreat once they discover there’s no 
  food to be had and no additional food 
  within range. 
   
  3. Repository 
   
      The bookcases here stand three shelves 
  high and contain fifty books each. At least 
  half of these books have not aged well, 
  their covers and contents succumbing to 
  mold and rot. 
     Of the fifty that remain, scattered 
  among the shelves, eight appear to bear 
  the names of members of the Evendal 
  family on their spines and covers: 
  Alphonsina, Brookes, Caden, Deldodd, 
  Erwin, Farant, Gigin, and Hunter Evendal. 
  The interior pages of these books are 
  blank. 
  A stone door is set in the north and 
  south walls of this large room. A pair of 
  stone double doors are set into the 
  room’s east wall. A 5’ x 10’ iron grate 
  is set into the floor at the room’s 
  center.     
  Two stone bookcases stand against the 
  walls of this room, one against the 
  west wall and one against the east.     
  
  6 
   
      A random table has been provided for 
  identifying additional books, if the players 
  decide to search the shelves for other 
  titles. The gamemaster should feel free to 
  add their own titles into the mix as well. 
  Roll 2d8 and consult the table below: 
   
      Roll until your players have had 
  enough, or 42 books have been examined 
  (whichever comes first.) 
  The secret door here is detectible 
  as normal. Once discovered it can 
  be easily opened revealing a small 
  chamber beyond. The secret door 
  will also open automatically if all 
  eight books have been placed, 
  each in turn, in the hands of the 
  statue in Area 5. 
  The hidden chamber contains a 
  small stone table bearing two 
  books.  
  The first is a detailed account of 
  the Evendal family ancestors using 
  the dark arts of necromancy for fun 
  and profit. There’s a good chance 
  the local authorities may be 
  interested in such a book (possibly 
  even offering a reward since it may 
  solve some unsolved crimes for 
  them.) Still living members of the 
  Evendal family would be interested 
  in the book as well, seeking to 
  keep the scandalous activities of 
  their predecessors from becoming 
  public knowledge.   
  The second is Eric Reholder’s Guide 
  to Re-killing the Dead (see New 
  Magic) 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Book Found 
  2 
  Dust to Dust: A book that appears to be 
  in good condition yet crumbles away 
  the moment its handled. 
  3 
  A Field Guide to Dragons: All its interior 
  pages are horribly scorched. 
  4 
  Your Ghoul and You: A guide to the 
  proper care and feeding of undead 
  minions. 
  5 
  An untitled book containing the varied 
  misadventures of a fictional wizard. 
  6 
  Rattling Bones: The memoirs of a 
  necromancer turned bard. 
  7 
  R.I.P.: A guide on how to prevent your 
  corpse from being raised from the 
  dead. (worth 100gp to an interested 
  party) 
  8 
  Pranceless: A self-help book for 
  depressed elves. 
  9 
  An untitled history of notable families 
  in the realm with angry notes scrawled 
  in the margins. 
  10 
  101 Pranks to Play on the Dead 
  11 
  Axe Hacks: A dozen fighters recount 
  their favorite axe wielding moments. 
  12 
  The Book Book: A book on books, 
  written by someone who REALLY likes 
  books. 
  13 
  The Cruelty of Turning: An anti-cleric 
  tirade.   
  14 
  An untitled book discussing the best 
  equipment to outfit different forms of 
  undead with detailed illustrations. 
  15 
  Ghoulish Visions: A collection of poetry 
  supposedly written by a ghoul 
  (believed to be ghost written) 
  16 
  An untitled treatise on Necromancy 
  (worth 100gp to a collector)  
  
  7 
   
  4. Shrine 
   
      The stone chalices, sword and book are 
  all firmly attached to the wall. The basin 
  appears to contain cool clear water 
  however it’s been enchanted and drugged. 
  Anyone taking a drink from it will 
  experience a feeling of euphoria, possibly 
  mistaking this sensation for some sort of 
  healing or other beneficial effect. 
     In truth, they’ve been affected by a 
  temporary curse. For the next hour, 
  anyone who drinks from the basin will 
  suffer a -1 penalty to attack rolls and 
  saving throws. In addition to this, a 
  cursed cleric will find turning undead to be 
  a little more difficult (treat any attempts 
  as though trying to turn undead one level 
  higher than their actual level) 
   
  5. Statue Chamber 
   
      The knight statue stands atop a two-
  foot-high circular stone dais. The statue 
  holds a real (non-stone) book clutched in 
  its hands before it, similar to the ones 
  found in Area 2. Its cover reads Guardian 
  of the Crypt.  
      The west side of the stone dais features 
  three short steps which can be climbed by 
  a player to put the statue’s book within 
  their reach. If a player removes the book 
  and its examined, it will be found to 
  contain blank pages. 
      If the players search the chamber’s 
  side passages they’ll discover a total of 
  eight stone sarcophagi, four along the 
  north passage and four along the south. 
  Each sit in a small alcove behind a sturdy 
  set of iron bars. Each alcove has a small 
  bronze plaque mounted on the wall next 
  to its entrance which bears the name of 
  the person interred within.      
      These sarcophagi contain the remains 
  of members of the Evendal family. One of 
  them also contains the silver key used to 
  unlock the door to Area 6. 
      There are two methods the players can 
  use to gain access to the sarcophagi. One 
  method is for players with a combined 
  strength of 30 or more to force the bars 
  on an alcove apart (the participants must 
  each make a successful open-door check 
  to do so.) Then a total of 20 or more 
  strength and an additional open-door 
  check must be made to slide the lid off the 
  sarcophagus. 
      The second, subtler method involves 
  retrieving the book from Area 2 bearing 
  the name of whichever family member’s 
  sarcophagus the players wish to access 
  and swapping that book out for whichever 
  book the statue is holding. Doing so will 
  cause the bars of the specified alcove to 
  rise up into the ceiling and the lid of the 
  sarcophagus to slide open. 
     In either case, the act of opening the 
  sarcophagus causes the corpse it contains 
  to animate, seek out intruders, and 
  attack. However, the moment that any 
  A stone basin is mounted against this 
  room’s rear wall. The image of a 
  maiden clad in robes is carved into the 
  wall on either side of the basin. Water 
  pours from stone chalices the maidens 
  hold tipped towards the basin. The 
  maidens are flanked by the images of 
  two men. The one to the left holds a 
  stone sword, the one to the right holds 
  a stone book. 
  A six-foot-tall stone statue of an 
  armored knight stands atop a circular 
  dais at the center of this chamber.   
  
  8 
   
  sarcophagus is forced open (as would be 
  the case using the first method) all 
  remaining bars rise into the ceiling and all 
  remaining sarcophagi lids slide open. 
      The method used will determine 
  whether the players get to fight the 
  animated corpses one-at-a-time or all-at- 
  once. 
   
  A) Alphonsina Evendal 
  The sarcophagus within this alcove 
  contains the remains of Alphonsina 
  Evendal. Placing the book from Area 2 
  with his name on its cover in the hands of 
  the statue will cause the bars on this 
  alcove to lift, the sarcophagus lid to slide 
  open, and Alphonsina’s corpse to animate. 
  Zombie: HD 2; HP 13; AC 8[11]; 
  Atk 1 strike (1d8); Move 6; Save 
  16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: Immune 
  to sleep and charm. 
  Alphonsina was buried with a silver 
  challis worth 80gp.  
   
  B) Brookes Evendal 
  The sarcophagus within this alcove 
  contains the remains of Brookes Evendal. 
  Placing the book from Area 2 with her 
  name on its cover in the hands of the 
  statue will cause the bars on this alcove to 
  lift, the sarcophagus lid to slide open, and 
  Brookes’s corpse to animate. 
  Zombie: HD 2; HP 6; AC 7[12]; 
  Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 6; Save 
  16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: Immune 
  to sleep and charm. Gear: Shield, 
  longsword. 
   
  Brookes wears a beautiful gold 
  necklace worth 200gp 
   
  C) Caden Evendal 
  The sarcophagus within this alcove 
  contains the remains of Caden Evendal. 
  Placing the book from Area 2 with his 
  name on its cover in the hands of the 
  statue will cause the bars on this alcove to 
  lift, the sarcophagus lid to slide open, and 
  Caden’s corpse to animate. 
  Zombie: HD 2; HP 12; AC 8[11];  
  Atk 1 strike (1d8); Move 6; Save 
  16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: Immune 
  to sleep and charm.  
  Caden was buried with a dozen +1 
  arrows, along with his favorite 
  short bow. He’s since forgotten 
  how to use it.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  9 
   
  D) Deldodd Evendal 
  The sarcophagus within this alcove 
  contains the remains of Deldodd Evendal. 
  Placing the book from Area 2 with his 
  name on its cover in the hands of the 
  statue will cause the bars on this alcove to 
  lift, the sarcophagus lid to slide open, and 
  Deldodd’s corpse to animate. 
  Zombie: HD 2; HP 8; AC 7[12]; 
  Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 6; Save 
  16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: Immune 
  to sleep and charm. Gear: Shield, 
  longsword. 
   
  E) Erwin Evendal 
  The sarcophagus within this alcove 
  contains the remains of Erwin Evendal. 
  Placing the book from Area 2 with his 
  name on its cover in the hands of the 
  statue will cause the bars on this alcove to 
  lift, the sarcophagus lid to slide open, and 
  Erwin’s corpse to animate. 
  Zombie: HD 2; HP 12; AC 8[11]; 
  Atk 1 strike (1d8); Move 6; Save 
  16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: Immune 
  to sleep and charm. 
   
  F) Farant Evendal 
  The sarcophagus within this alcove 
  contains the remains of Farant Evendal. 
  Placing the book from Area 2 with his 
  name on its cover in the hands of the 
  statue will cause the bars on this alcove to 
  lift, the sarcophagus lid to slide open, and 
  Farants’s corpse to animate. 
  Zombie: HD 2; HP 9; AC 7[12]; 
  Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 6; Save 
  16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: Immune 
  to sleep and charm. Gear: Shield, 
  longsword. 
  Farant wears a silver key that 
  unlocks the door to Area 6 on a 
  silver chain around his neck (worth 
  10gp.)   
   
  G) Gigin Evendal 
  The sarcophagus within this alcove 
  contains the remains of Gigin Evendal. 
  Placing the book from Area 2 with her 
  name on its cover in the hands of the 
  statue will cause the bars on this alcove to 
  lift, the sarcophagus lid to slide open, and 
  Gigin’s corpse to animate. 
  Zombie: HD 2; HP 10; AC 7[12]; 
  Atk 1 weapon (1d8); Move 6; Save 
  16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: Immune 
  to sleep and charm. Gear: Shield, 
  longsword. 
   
  H) Hunter Evendal 
  The sarcophagus within this alcove 
  contains the remains of Hunter Evendal. 
  Placing the book from Area 2 with his 
  name on its cover in the hands of the 
  statue will cause the bars on this alcove to 
  lift, the sarcophagus lid to slide open, and 
  Hunter’s corpse to animate. 
  Zombie: HD 2; HP 10; AC 7[12]; 
  Atk 1 weapon (1d8+1); Move 6; 
  Save 16; CL/XP 2/30; Special: 
  Immune to sleep and charm. Gear: 
  Shield, +1 longsword. 
  As noted above, Hunter is armed 
  with a +1 longsword.  
   
  
  10 
   
  6. Gallery 
  The door to this room is similar to 
  the one found in Area 1, bearing 
  the same hooded skull carving. The 
  right eye socket here contains a 
  silver plate bearing a keyhole. The 
  silver key found around Farant 
  Evendal’s neck will unlock it. The 
  door’s locking mechanism is very 
  advance. Any attempt made to pick 
  it is made at -4 penalty. 
   
       The east wall of this room is covered 
  with a bas-relief mural carved into the 
  stone. The mural depicts a procession of 
  robed individuals walking from right to 
  left. Each holds the stone image of an 
  item associated with a different profession 
  (an artist’s brush, a writer’s quill, a sage’s 
  book, a bricklayer’s trowel, a soldier’s 
  sword, a shepherd’s crook, etc.) At the far 
  left stands the hooded specter of death, 
  waiting to welcome them all. 
      A small pedestal stands at the center of 
  the east wall. Upon this sits a stunning 
  silver ring. 
      There are two necro-oozes here, 
  serving as sort of guard dogs. If they 
  sense the iron grate at Area 2 open they’ll 
  go investigate, returning here once they 
  come under attack, or lose interest. The 
  entrance to the 1’ x 1’ tunnel is at the 
  center of the west wall at it’s base.     
  Necro-oozes (2): HD 2; HP: 10,10; 
  AC 6[13]; Atk 1 strike (1d6); Move 
  6; Save 14; CL/XP 3/60; Special: 
  Nausea, dissolves flesh, half 
  damage from blunt weapons. 
  The ring atop the pedestal is the 
  silver bloom (see New Magic.)  
  Removing it from the pedestal will 
  cause the lids of the sarcophagi in 
  Areas 7 and 8 to open (any 
  unopened bars or sarcophagi in 
  Area 5 will open as well.) 
   
  7. North Crypt 
   
      The sarcophagus contains the mortal 
  remains of Marion Evendal, the one who 
  stole the ring from Rose’s great 
  grandmother. Years of dabbling with the 
  dark arts have caused her corpse to 
  become reanimated as a ghoul. 
      A total of 20 strength and a successful 
  open-door check is necessary to remove 
  the lid of the sarcophagus if it’s not 
  already open. Once the sarcophagus is 
  opened Marion will leap out and attack.  
  Ghoul: HD 2; HP 9; AC 6 [13]; Atk 
  2 claws (1d3), 1 bite (1d4); Move 
  9; Save 16; AL C; CL/XP 3/60; 
  Special: Immunities, paralyzing 
  touch.  
  Marion wears what was once 
  possibly the resplendent attire of a 
  noblewoman, now reduced to 
  tattered rags. A gold and silver 
  brooch worth 120gp which remains 
  barely attached to her garments. 
  The brooch features three silver 
  skulls mounted on a series of gold 
  dagger-like blades radiating from 
  behind them. There’s a chance that 
  a party member might recognize 
  this at the symbol of an evil death 
  cult. 
  The stone doors open outward allowing 
  access to a narrow stone ledge. Stairs 
  at either end of the ledge descend 5’ to 
  the chamber’s floor below.     
  A large stone sarcophagus lies in the 
  center of this chamber. Its lid is carved 
  to resemble a beautiful maiden at rest.    
  
  11 
   
  8. South Crypt 
   
      Marion’s husband, Ethan is interred in 
  this sarchophagus. Unfortunately, he 
  befell the same fate as her. 
      A total of 20 strength and a successful 
  open-door check is necessary to remove 
  the lid of the sarcophagus if it’s not 
  already open. Once the sarcophagus is 
  opened Ethan will leap out and attack.  
  Ghoul: HD 2; HP 12; AC 6 [13]; 
  Atk 2 claws (1d3), 1 bite (1d4); 
  Move 9; Save 16; AL C; CL/XP 
  3/60; Special: Immunities, 
  paralyzing touch.   
   
  The Ghost of Zane Aldemir 
  Zane, unfortunately, won’t be of much 
  help during this adventure. He’ll still 
  accompany the group into the crypt, 
  however, being insubstantial and mute, he 
  won’t be a very effective member of the 
  team.  
  Having met his demise in Area 2 means 
  that he didn’t get a chance to see much of 
  the crypt. He can pass through doors, 
  possibly serving as an advance scout for 
  the group, however, he’ll only be able to 
  communicate what he’s seen through a 
  series of pantomimes.  
  Once the party gains access to Area 6 he’ll 
  move quickly to the ring on the pedestal, 
  vigorously pointing and nodding at it to 
  indicate that the silver bloom was the goal 
  of his brief, ill-fated quest. 
   
  Wrapping Up 
  Zane’s ghost will continue to accompany 
  the party until the silver bloom has been 
  handed over to Rose, at which point he’ll 
  smile then slowly fade away, his spirit put 
  to rest. 
  Rose turns over the 100gp she promised 
  the party in exchange for their help. 
  There’s a possibility Rose could be 
  persuaded to turn over the silver bloom as 
  well, since possessing it only serves as a 
  bittersweet reminder of Zane and the fact 
  that seeking it cost the love of her life his. 
  She may decide to hold onto it for a bit, 
  offering to turn it over after a period of 
  mourning.  
  If the players recovered the book on the 
  history of the Envendal family from the 
  hidden chamber in Area 3 they may want 
  to bring the family’s secret history to the 
  attention of the local authorities. The 
  book, along with the brooch recovered 
  from Area 7 (which designated Marion as 
  a high-ranking member in the evil death 
  cult) should be enough evidence to 
  warrant further investigation. It may also 
  help to protect the group from any 
  charges of crypt robbery leveled against 
  them by the still living members of the 
  Evendal family.   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  A large stone sarcophagus lies in the 
  center of this chamber. Its lid is carved 
  to resemble a handsome young man at 
  rest.     
  
  12 
   
  Continuing the Adventure 
  Here are some suggestions for further 
  adventures:    
  d Zane was given the copper key to the 
  crypt’s entrance by a thief who was too 
  scared to go himself. Zane was supposed 
  to give the thief a share of the loot that 
  was recovered. The thief attempts to 
  collect his promised share from the party.  
  d Zane’s ghost turns out to be harder to 
  put to rest than it was first thought. The 
  ghost lingers, haunting Rose until his 
  mortal remains are properly buried.    
  d The curse bestowed by the pool in Area 
  4 turns out to be a permanent one. The 
  players must track down a still living 
  Evendal and persuade them to remove the 
  curse. The first few relatives they manage 
  to track down, however, are oblivious to 
  their family’s dark past and have no idea 
  what the party’s talking about. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  d The party finds themselves targeted by 
  Marion Evendal’s evil death cult. 
  d The corpse of Hunter Evendal rises 
  once again, seeking his sword. If the 
  party’s in possession of his +1 longsword 
  they may find themselves having to re-re-
  kill him. And possibly re-re-re-kill him. 
  d Apparently there were three necro-
  oozes originally sealed within the crypt. 
  One somehow got out and is now stalking 
  the city streets at night. The city guard 
  blames the party for liberating the ooze 
  and ‘enlists’ their help in tracking it down 
  and eliminating it. 
  d The ghost of Zane turns out to be 
  harder to put to rest than first thought. It 
  proposes to Rose and continues to haunt 
  her until a wedding ceremony can be 
  performed. Rose isn’t too keen on the 
  prospect of being married to a ghost and 
  good luck finding anyone willing to 
  perform the ceremony… 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  13 
   
  NEW MAGIC 
   
  Eric Reholder’s Guide to Re-killing the 
  Dead 
  This book contains detailed information on 
  several different types of undead along 
  with proven techniques for handling the 
  re-killing of. 
  The book contains eight chapters in all. 
  Each one focuses on a specific type of 
  undead; Ghouls, Mummies, Skeletons, 
  Specters, Vampires, Wights, Wraiths, and 
  Zombies. 
  Studying a chapter for a total of 72 hours 
  bestows a bonus upon the reader for a 
  number of days equal to their intelligence 
  score. The reader gains a +1 bonus to 
  their ‘to hit’ rolls against the specified type 
  of undead. Once per day they can also 
  choose to re-roll a missed attack made 
  against the specified type. 
  A player can only gain a bonus against 
  one type of undead at a time. Attempting 
  to study another chapter will remove any 
  previously granted bonus.    
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The Silver Bloom 
  This silver ring bears a flower with a 
  glowing violet gem set at its center. 
  The wearer is immune to the paralyzing 
  effect of a ghoul’s attack. The wearer’s 
  also resistant to the harmful effects that 
  accompany the attacks of more powerful 
  forms of undead, such as the rotting touch 
  of a mummy or the level draining ability of 
  a wight. Each time they’re attacked 
  there’s a 40% chance the wearer will still 
  suffer the damage but avoid the ill effects 
  which go along with it.  
  The ring bestows an additional benefit to a 
  player once it’s been worn for 24 hours. 
  When the wearer is healed by magical 
  means they’ll regenerate an additional 
  1hp for 1d4 rounds afterwards.  
  Unfortunately, this additional benefit 
  comes with a cost. Magic healing that 
  occurs within 20’ of the ring not targeted 
  upon the wearer is reduced by 1 point for 
  each die rolled. The ring feeds off of this 
  healing magic, storing it to power its own 
  abilities. 
   
  NEW MONSTERS 
  Necro-ooze 
  Necro-ooze is sometimes mistaken for its 
  close cousin, the grey ooze, however, its 
  coloration is closer to the grey-green hue 
  of ghoul’s flesh than that of wet rock.  
  The ooze is often found in the lairs of 
  necromancers, employed as a quick way 
  to strip a corpse down to its bones to 
  prepare it for reanimation as a skeleton. 
  Necro-ooze exude an odor of rotting flesh. 
  Creatures within 10’ of it must make a 
  successful save vs. poison roll. Failure 
  
  14 
   
  means they become nauseated and suffer 
  a -1 to their attack rolls until they move 
  out of range. 
  A critical hit upon a target means that the 
  ooze has latched on to the creature. It will 
  then attempt to pull the creature into it or 
  pull itself on to the creature the following 
  round, engulfing as much of the target as 
  possible.  Engulfed creatures take 1d4 
  damage each round as the necro-ooze’s 
  acid begins to dissolve the target’s 
  exposed flesh. This is assuming that the 
  target is relatively well covered. The 
  gamemaster should feel free to increase 
  this damage depending upon how much of 
  the target’s flesh is exposed. 
  An engulfed creature has a 1 in 6 chance 
  of pulling free each round. Creatures with 
  a strength of 18 or more, or gain help 
  from an ally, break free automatically at 
  the start of their next turn. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Necro-ooze only take half damage from 
  blunt or crushing attacks. They prefer to 
  feed on dead creatures as opposed to the 
  living when presented with the option. 
  Necro-oozes are also susceptible to a 
  cleric’s turn undead ability. Treat them as 
  ghouls for this purpose. 
  Necro-ooze: HD 2; AC 6[13]; Atk 1 
  strike (1d6); Move 6; Save 14; CL/XP 
  3/60; Special: Nausea, dissolves flesh, 
  half damage from blunt weapons. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Art Credits 
  We’d like to thank the following for providing 
  great spot art at a low cost.  
  Our image of ‘Zane’ on the cover and inside 
  cover, was provided by J.E. Shields.  
  The Monster, Treasure, and Obstacle icons were 
  made by Lorc. These are available on 
  http://game-icons.net 
   
  The Magic Ring on page 2 and page 13, the book 
  on page 6, and the Tri-skull Brooch on page 11 
  were all provided by The Forge Studios. 
   
  ‘Rose Raventhal’ on page 3 was taken from 
  Terrible Character Portraits by Jeff Preston. 
   
  The feasting zombie on page 8 was provided by 
  Jacob Blackmon by way of Rogue Genius Games. 
   
  The ‘Adventuring Party’ on page 12 was created 
  by Joyce Maureira. Both were released into 
  public domain by Kevin Crawford at Sine Nomine 
  Publishing. 
   
  The ooze to the left was provided by Jacob 
  Blackmon by way of AAW Games. 
   
  The map for our “old school” Evendal Crypts was 
  provided by Daniel F. Walthall. More of his work 
  can be found at: drivethrurpg.com/product 
  /182383, available under a CC BY 4.0 license: 
  creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 
   
  
  15 
   
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