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  The Place of the Skull 
   
   
  Written by M.W. Hess 
  https://hexelis.blogspot.com/ 
   
  Cover Art, Illustrations, Cartography, Design and Editing by M.W. 
  Hess 
   
  Play-tested by Dan, Edgar, Herb, Jed and Solomon 
   
  ©2019 
   
   
  This product is an independent production by M.W. Hess and is not 
  affiliated with Lamentations of the Flame Princess. 
  Lamentations of the Flame Princess is a registered trademark owned by 
  James Edward Raggi IV. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  4 
   
  The Place of the Skull 
   
  By: M.W. Hess 
   
  For use with the world’s most lamentable roleplaying game. 
   
   
  On the planet M’theria, in the cold 
  wastes of Kordia, evil festers 
  unchecked. King Velkor, ruler of the 
  city of Oras Kuhl, has called for 
  adventurers to rescue his daughter, the 
  Warrior-Princess Freya. 
   
  It was through foul sorcery that the 
  villain, Skull Face, captured the 
  Princess, and with the help of his 
  mutant slaves, secreted her away to 
  the Place of the Skull. 
   
  The Place of the Skull is an evil cliff 
  side fortress built by an unknown 
  civilization untold aeons ago. Skull 
  Face and his minions have taken up 
  residence in this unholy lair. It is 
  there, that the party must go. Whether 
  for good, glory or gold, it matters not. 
   
  An Audience with the King 
  The party are brought before King 
  Velkor, a strong northern king, but 
  now broken by his daughter’s taking. 
  He is slumped on his throne as the 
  party approaches. 
   
  “Skull Face! We’ve balked at this 
  ‘demi-god’ for years, at his mutants 
  running amok in our fair lands. His 
  beast-men are abominations before the 
  sight of gods and men alike. And now, 
  he’s taken my daughter for his own!? 
  Steal her back!!! You’ll be rewarded, 
  of course.” 
   
  At this, he motions for his servant who 
  brings forth a platter of rubies. 
  Grabbing a handful and flinging them 
  at the characters, “Here, take it. 
  There’s more, enough to become 
  kings yourselves. There comes a time 
  when the jewels lose their luster and 
  all that remains is a father’s love for 
  his daughter.” 
   
  Each character can grab 2d20 rubies, 
  each worth 100sp. If they return with 
  the Princess they will be rewarded 
  20,000 silver pieces, as well as the 
  king’s gratitude. 
   
   
   
   
  
  5 
   
  Journey Through the Wilderness 
  Oras Kuhl is a mid-sized northern 
  city; the characters can get basic 
  supplies here. The journey is 6 days to 
  the north, or 3 days on horseback. 
   
  The land of Kordia is wind-swept 
  tundra, cold and desolate. There is a 2 
  in 6 chance of encounter per day. 
  d6 
  Encounter 
  1 
  Ice Fangs 
  2 
  Barbarian Raiding Party 
  3 
  Wolves of Kordia 
  4 
  Mutants 
  5 
  Alien Greys 
  6 
  Frost Giant 
   
  Ice Fangs (1d3): Arctic saber-toothed 
  cats, native to M’theria’s colder 
  regions. 
  Armor 15, Move 240’, 3 Hit Dice, 
  13hp, 2 claws 1d4 each, if both claws 
  hit rend for 1d8, Morale 10. 
   
  Barbarians (1d6): Barbarian clans 
  roam the tundra in search of game. 
  Armor 14, Move 120’, 1 Hit Dice, 
  6hp, spear 1d6, Morale 10. 
   
  Wolves of Kordia (1d6): Cannibals 
  who wear wolf pelts and believe 
  themselves to be wolves. They will 
  kill, rape, and eat anyone they meet, 
  hopefully in that order. 
  Armor 14, Move 120’, 2 Hit Dice, 
  9hp, claw 1d4, bite 1d4, Morale 12. 
  Mutants (1d6): Failed genetic 
  experiments, who have managed to 
  survive in the wilderness. 
  Armor 12, Move 120’, 1 Hit Dice, 
  6hp, basic attack 1d6, Morale 8. Roll 
  1d6 to determine mutation. 
  d6 
  Mutation 
  Effect 
  1 
  No head, 
  face in 
  chest 
  Immune to 
  decapitation, can’t 
  wear armor 
  2 
  Four-armed 
  4 fist attacks, can’t 
  wear armor 
  3 
  Dog-
  headed 
  Bite 1d4, can’t 
  wear helmets 
  4 
  Eyes in 
  back of 
  head 
  Can’t be surprised, 
  can’t wear helmets 
  5 
  Snake-
  headed 
   
  Bite 1d4, 
  save/Poison or  
  lose 1d4 
  Constitution 
  6 
  Rock skin 
  Armor 19, Move 
  60’ 
   
  Alien Greys (1d100): The Greys have 
  come to M’theria looking for their 
  own test subjects. 
  Armor 12, Move 120’, 1 Hit Dice, 
  2hp, ray gun 1d6, Morale 8. 
   
  Frost Giant: Big, blue, and not to be 
  trifled with. 
  Armor 17, Move 120’, 10 Hit Dice, 
  40hp, sword 4d6, Morale 12. Immune 
  to Cold damage. 
   
   
  
  6 
   
  The Place of the Skull  
   
  A fortress of brooding shadows, the 
  Place of the Skull sits on a rocky 
  promontory of rugged mountainside. 
  As the party approaches they see the 
  skull-like caves in the cliff side. There 
  is a 1 in 6 chance that a guard is on 
  duty in one of the eye-socket lookouts; 
  they will fire a pulse cannon at any 
  outsiders for 2d6 damage. Otherwise, 
  the approach is uneventful. There is 
  no door, just a gaping mouth of 
  darkness. 
   
  Skull Face’s Location: 
  When the party first enters roll a 
  d12+1 to determine which room Skull 
  Face is in. 
   
  1. Mouth Entrance. The cave 
  entrance branches to the left and right 
  only to meet on the other side. A hewn 
  hallway leads to a set of stone double 
  doors. The doors may be pushed open. 
   
  2. Throne Room. A large chamber 
  with a wicked looking throne of 
  shaped stone. The throne and the 
  raised dais it sits on are surrounded by 
  an anti-magic field. 
   
  3. Council Chamber. A meeting 
  room with conference table and chairs. 
  In the southwest corner is an ancient 
  computer console. It has long since 
  ceased to function. The Mouthpiece 
  will be here, sitting at the console, 
  flipping switches, pushing buttons, 
  and talking into long dead 
  microphones. He will not be pleased 
  at the intrusion. 
   
  
  7 
   
  The Mouthpiece is the advisor to Skull 
  Face, a hairless mutant with four 
  mouths around his bald head. 
  The Mouthpiece: 
  Armor 13, Move 120’, 2nd Level 
  Specialist, 10hp, Plasma pistol 1d6, 
  Morale 10. Skills: Languages 5, Sneak 
  Attack 2, Stealth 2. Robes, plasma 
  pistol. 
   
   
  4. Scrying Chamber. This room is 
  empty except for the rune circle that 
  dominates the middle of the floor. The 
  circle can be used to “see” through the 
  eyes of the Place of the Skull. If one 
  stands in the circle and asks to see, it 
  will show outsiders approaching up to 
  20 miles away. But on a failed saving 
  throw versus Magic, the user takes 
  1d6 psychic damage, as the circle 
  drains them. 
   
  Currently Navel Gazer is here. He has 
  wide, bulging eyes and a huge staring 
  eye in his abdomen. He will attempt to 
  charm the first intruder he sees. After 
  that he will run through the north 
  doors and head to whatever room 
  Skull Face is in.  
  The Navel Gazer: 
  Armor 12, Move 120’, 2nd Level 
  Magic-User, 8hp, Plasma pistol1d6, 
  Morale 8. Spells: Charm Person, 
  Magic Missile. plasma pistol, 
  spellbook 
   
   
  The east door is set with a poison 
  needle trap. Anyone opening the door 
  without disabling it must make a 
  saving throw versus Poison or fall into 
  eternal sleep. The needle is laced with 
  the Blue powder drug (areas 7 & 9). 
  
  8 
   
  5. Skull Face’s Private Chamber. 
  Simple spartan quarters with a bed, 
  dresser, and desk. In the desk is Skull 
  Face’s journal, detailing his plan to 
  capture the Princess using strange 
  drugs from another world, and how he 
  plans to sacrifice her in the Crystal 
  Chamber below on the next equinox. 
  This, he believes, will unlock the full 
  capabilities of the Place of the Skull. 
   
  There is a hidden door in the southeast 
  corner which leads to the Crystal 
  Chamber below (area 13). 
   
  6. Guest Rooms. Plain rooms with a 
  clean bed, desk, and chair. Nothing 
  unusual here. 
   
  7. Library. Filled with books on 
  Sorcery and Science. It would take 
  quite a while to peruse the books here; 
  it is left to the Referee to determine 
  what is actually herein. 
   
  On the desk however, are two books 
  of interest. One is a manual on the 
  creation of mutant hybrids. The other 
  explains the use of the strange alien 
  drugs used on the Princess. Blue 
  powder to induce a death-like sleep, 
  Black powder to awaken her, and 
  White to make her a mindless, willing 
  slave. 
   
  8. Kitchen. Here is where servants 
  would prepare meals. It has seen little 
  use in recent times. 
   
  9. Laboratory. Here is where the 
  genetic experiments to create mutants 
  take place. The room is filled with 
  surgical tools and other, stranger 
  apparatus. 
   
  Also in this room is the Fun Guy, a 
  being with fungus sprouting from his 
  semi-gelatinous body. 
  The Fun Guy: 
  Armor 15, Move 60’, swim 90’ 2nd 
  Level Fighter, 14hp, +3 fungal touch 
  1d6, Morale 10. Fungal Touch: saving 
  throw versus Poison or sprout fungus 
  all over body. After a week the fungus 
  will fall off, but the victim will suffer 
  from fungal related problems the rest 
  of their life.  
   
   
  
  9 
   
  The west wall is dominated by a large 
  glass screen and computer consoles. 
  All non-functional. 
   
  The counter on the south wall holds 3 
  vials of colored powders. Blue, Black 
  and White. If the characters saw the 
  book in the library they should have 
  an idea what to do. 
   
  Blue powder puts the imbiber into an 
  eternal sleep (saving throw versus 
  Magic), only able to be awakened by a 
  pinch of Black powder (1 in 10 chance 
  it kills the sleeper instead). 
   
  Black powder can awaken someone 
  under the influence of Blue powder, 
  but if taken on its own make a saving 
  throw versus Poison at -6, on a failure 
  it causes instant death. 
   
  The White powder turns the imbiber 
  into a mindless slave (if they fail a 
  saving throw versus Poison), forever 
  reduced to being a 1st Level Fighter. 
   
  Lockers on the east wall are locked, 
  and contain 2 plasma rifles (2d4 
  damage), 2 plasma pistols (1d6 
  damage), and 3 healing doses (restore 
  1d3 hp). 
   
  10. Servant’s Quarters. Plain rooms 
  with a bed. Nothing unusual here. 
   
  11. Eye Socket Lookouts. Two sets 
  of stairs lead from the Throne Room 
  to the overhead lookout points. The 
  eye sockets have been equipped with 
  pulse cannons on tripods. They do 2d6 
  damage and have a range of 600 feet. 
   
  12. Dungeon. Here is where the 
  Princess is being held, chained to the 
  west wall, stripped of her armor, and 
  in a drugged stupor. 
   
  In one of the other cells is one of Skull 
  Face’s failed experiments. Roll a 
  random mutant from the random 
  Mutation chart. They might be willing 
  to help if set free. 
   
  If the characters can awaken the 
  Princess without killing her, she too 
  can fight. She’s not called a warrior-
  princess for nothing, though she has 
  no weapons or armor unless the 
  players equip her. 
  Warrior Princess Freya:  
  Armor 13, Move 120’, 4th Level 
  Fighter, 24hp, Morale 12. +7 melee 
  attack, +7 ranged attack 
   
  13. Crystal Chamber. Reached 
  through the secret door in Skull Face’s 
  Private Chamber (area 5), this natural 
  cavern is loaded with crystals of 
  various sizes, shapes, and colors. It is 
  here, that somehow the ancients 
  powered their strange machines and 
  devices. It is here that Skull Face 
  plans to sacrifice the Princess, and 
  
  10 
   
  pour her virgin blood on the large 
  central crystal. 
   
  Any Magic-Users in the area feel the 
  untapped raw power of the planet 
  itself and can regain one spent spell 
  slot when they first enter. This effect 
  only works once per day per Magic-
  User, and will only affect the same 
  person 1d3 times. 
   
  The Doom That Now Awaits 
  You 
  If the characters don’t intercede, Skull 
  Face will carry out his plans to wake 
  the Princess with the Black powder, 
  and then enslave her with the White 
  powder. He will then lead her below 
  to the Crystal Chamber (area 13) and 
  kill her with his sword Doombringer. 
  He believes this will activate the 
  sleeping fortress. 
   
  Doombringer. A sword of black 
  crystal, Skull Face found it growing in 
  the Crystal Chamber when he first 
  came to this world. It is a +2 cursed 
  longsword. It grants +2 to attack and 
  damage, Armor becomes 18, and on a 
  hit, the target must make a saving 
  throw versus Magic or lose 1 point 
  from a random ability score, 
  permanently. 
   
  However, if used to attack any living 
  creature, on a hit, the wielder instantly 
  becomes Chaotic, and their Charisma 
  drops to 3 as their face melts off, 
  leaving them alive but with a skull 
  face. 
   
  Skull Face: 
  Armor 12(18 w/Doombringer), Move 
  120’, 4th Level Cleric, 19hp, +3 
  Doombringer 1d8+2, Morale 12. 
  He has prepared the following spells: 
  1st level: Command, Cause Light 
  Wounds, Cause Fear. 
  2nd level: Silence 15’ Radius. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  Conclusion 
  The characters may defeat Skull Face 
  and save the Princess, if so they are 
  heroes in Oras Kuhl and the King pays 
  them the promised 20,000 silver 
  pieces, and may even throw in a bonus 
  he’ll be so overjoyed. 
   
  But it is just as likely one of them 
  becomes the next Skull Face, with an 
  evil sword, a fortress, and knowledge 
  to create minions, and how to enslave 
  them. 
   
  Will your players be the heroes of the 
  land, or the next evil scourge of 
  M’theria?  
   
  Did Skull Face kill the Princess and 
  complete the ritual? And if so, did it 
  work? What other secrets does the 
  Place of the Skull contain? 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
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  END 
   
  
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  16 
   
  DESIGNATION OF PRODUCT IDENTITY: The product identity of M.W. Hess includes (but is not 
  limited to): The artist name “M.W. Hess”, the product layout, graphics, its presentation and wording; with 
  the exceptions of game mechanics, methods, procedures, processes and routines designated as Open Game 
  Content by (or Product Identity of) Wizards of the Coast(tm), and Lamentations of the Flame Princess(tm) 
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SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Lamentations of the Flame Princess (osr)/Adventures and Settings/LotFP - The Place of the Skull.pdf